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This article, by Dahr Jamail, was posted toTruthOut, July 14, 2009.
US Army Specialist Victor Agosto served a 13-month deployment in Iraq with the 57th Expeditionary Signal Battalion. "What I did there, I know I contributed to death and human suffering," Agosto told Truthout from Fort Hood, in Killeen, Texas, in May, "It's hard to quantify how much I caused, but I know I contributed to it."
His experience in Iraq, coupled with educating himself about US foreign policy and international law, has led Agosto to refuse to deploy to Afghanistan. "It's a matter of what I'm willing to live with," he said of his recent decision, "I'm not willing to participate in this occupation, knowing it is completely wrong."
Agosto's lawyer, James Branum, who is also the legal adviser to the GI Rights Hotline and co-chair of the Military Law Task Fore, told Truthout during a phone interview on July 10 that, contrary to mainstream opinion that believes Afghanistan to be a "justified" war, the invasion and ongoing occupation are actually in violation of the US Constitution and international law.
"Victor is approaching this from the standpoint of law and ethics," Branum explained, "It's his own personal ethics and principles of the Nuremburg Principles, that the war in Afghanistan does not meet the criteria for lawful war under the UN Charter, which says that member nations who joined the UN, as did the US, should give up war forever, aside from two exceptions: that the war is in self-defense, and that the use of force was authorized by the UN Security Council. The nation of Afghanistan did not attack the United States. The Taliban may have, but the nation and people of Afghanistan did not. And under US Law, the Supremacy Clause of the US Constitution, any treaty enacted by the US is now the "supreme law of the land." So when the United States signed the UN Charter, we made that our law as well."
The Supremacy Clause is a clause in the United States Constitution, Article VI, Paragraph 2. The clause establishes the Constitution, Federal Statutes, and US treaties as "the supreme law of the land." The text establishes these as the highest form of law in the American legal system, mandating that state judges uphold them, even if state laws or constitutions conflict.
This was also the basis for the stand taken by Lt. Ehren Watada of the US Army, who in 2006 was the first commissioned officer to publicly refuse a combat deployment to Iraq.
In an article for Truthout published August 14, 2006, I posted the text of a speech given by Watada at a National Convention of Veterans for Peace in Seattle, Washington, where I was present.
Watada outlined the principled stand he took, which applies to that of Victor Agosto today:
"The oath we take swears allegiance not to one man but to a document of principles and laws designed to protect the people. Enlisting in the military does not relinquish one's right to seek the truth - neither does it excuse one from rational thought nor the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. "I was only following orders" is never an excuse.
"The Nuremburg Trials showed America and the World that citizenry as well as soldiers have the unrelinquishable obligation to refuse complicity in war crimes perpetrated by their government. Widespread torture and inhumane treatment of detainees is a war crime. A war of aggression born through an unofficial policy of prevention is a crime against the peace. An occupation violating the very essence of international humanitarian law and sovereignty is a crime against humanity. These crimes are funded by our tax dollars. Should citizens choose to remain silent through self-imposed ignorance or choice, it makes them as culpable as the Soldier in these crimes.
"Aside from the reality of indentured servitude, the American Soldier in theory is much nobler. Soldier or officer - when we swear our oath - it is first and foremost to the Constitution and its protectorate, the people. If soldiers realized this war is contrary to what the Constitution extols - if they stood up and threw their weapons down - no president could ever initiate a war of choice again. When we say, "... Against all enemies foreign and domestic" - what if elected leaders became the enemy? Whose orders do we follow? The answer is the conscience that lies in each soldier, each American, and each human being. Our duty to the Constitution is an obligation, not a choice."
In a victory for Lieutenant Watada, the Justice Department decided in May to drop any further attempts to retry the officer for his refusal to deploy to Iraq.
Having served three years and nine months in the US Army, Agosto was to complete his contract and be discharged on August 3, but due to his excellent record of service and accrued leave, he was to be released at the end of June. Nevertheless, due to the stop-loss program (a program used to keep soldiers enlisted beyond the terms of their contracts which has affected over 185,000 soldiers since September 11, 2001) the Army decided to deploy him to Afghanistan anyway.
When Agosto refused, the Army issued him a Counseling Statement (a punitive US Army memo) on May 1, which outlined actions taken by the Army to discipline Agosto for his refusal to obey a direct order from his company commander, Michael J. Pederson. Agosto wrote on the form, "There is no way I will deploy to Afghanistan. The occupation is immoral and unjust. It does not make the American people any safer. It has the opposite effect," and posted it on his FaceBook page.
On another Counseling Statement dated May 18, Agosto wrote, "I will not obey any order I deem to be immoral or illegal."
On May 27, rejecting an Article 15 - a nonjudicial punishment imposed by a commanding officer who believes a member of his command has committed an offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice - Agosto demanded to be court-martialed instead.
In words prophetic of Agosto's ethical and lawful refusal to deploy to Afghanistan, Watada said:
"I have broken no law but the code of silence and unquestioning loyalty. If I am guilty of any crime, it is that I learned too much and cared too deeply for the meaningless loss of my fellow soldiers and my fellow human beings. If I am to be punished it should be for following the rule of law over the immoral orders of one man. If I am to be punished it should be for not acting sooner."
Agosto continues to show up for duty at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, where he is currently stationed, but refused to take part in any duties that supported either the occupations of Iraq or Afghanistan. He told Truthout during a recent telephone interview he was "cleaning the motor pool" and "pulling weeds," and that the Army was being careful not to order him to do anything that would cause him to refuse to comply.
Meanwhile, Branum was in negotiations with the Army in efforts to seek a lower-level court-martial so that Agosto would suffer the minimum penalties possible.
"We were working with the Army's Trial Defense Services (TDS), and Victor has a military lawyer on his side as well, which I recommended he have," Branum told Truthout during a July 10 phone interview.
"TDS had communicated to the prosecution for me that we were willing to accept an Article 15 and do a month of extra duty, then if he (Agosto) got a summary court-martial we'd take it - which would mean Victor would serve a maximum of 30 days in jail, and receive an Other Than Honorable discharge," Branum explained, "So TDS said they took this offer to the CG (Commanding General) who was to sign off on it, but they said he made a mistake and wrote "special" rather than "summary" on the court-martial and sent it back down."
Branum explained that "a summary court martial is little more than an Article 15. Supposedly there was an "honest" mistake made by them handing down this special court martial, but I think they are playing games with us."
Branum, angered by this recent turn of events, explained the difference between the types of court martial, "They (the Army) are not acting in good faith here. What this still means, is the cap went from 30 days (of possible jail time for Agosto with a summary court martial) to a year (with a special court martial), so a pretty big jump I would say, and a leap from an Other Than Honorable discharge (summary court martial) to a bad conduct discharge (special court martial), which means once he is convicted his pay would stop."
Due to the perceived breach of good faith by the Army during the negotiating process, Branum believes he has no choice now but to up the stakes in Agosto's upcoming court-martial.
"Now we're going to put the war on trial with their special court-martial," Branum said, "They had their chance to keep this quiet and move on, but now we're going to pull out all the stops and put the war on trial, and show how the whole thing is illegal."
The most significant factor in Agosto's case is that he has taken a principled stand against the occupation of Afghanistan long before the "point of crisis," according to Branum. The "point of crisis" to which he refers is generally an ethical crisis a soldier experiences when he or she is getting on the plane to deploy.
"He connected the dots long before that point of crisis," Branum explained, "To me, this is a very morally developed point of view. Most resisters don't reach that point until much later on."
It is a similar point reached by Watada, who in the aforementioned speech precisely articulated this experience:
"Now it is not an easy task for the Soldier. For he or she must be aware that they are being used for ill-gain. They must hold themselves responsible for individual action. They must remember duty to the Constitution and the People supersedes the ideologies of their leadership. The Soldier must be willing to face ostracism by their peers, worry over the survival of their families, and of course the loss of personal freedom. They must know that resisting an authoritarian government at home is equally important to fighting a foreign aggressor on the battlefield. Finally, those wearing the uniform must know beyond any shadow of a doubt that by refusing immoral and illegal orders they will be supported by the people not with mere words but by action."
Agosto spoke with Truthout on July 8, immediately after receiving the news of his "special" court-martial. "I was escorted over to the headquarters of Fort Hood and was handed a folder with the paperwork that said he (Commanding General Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch) approved this kind of court-martial. We were in the middle of negotiating a deal where I would have taken a summary court-martial, where the maximum penalty is 30 days in prison and an Other Than Honorable discharge. But somehow during this process someone submitted the case over to the general's discretion, and that' s not something that is supposed to happen in this negotiation phase. I'm surprised, because I thought this deal was going to go down last week and it didn't. I was with my military lawyer, and we were talking about the case, and during that discussion she got the call from the prosecuting attorney that the case had been referred to the general, and then we knew it wasn't likely we would get the deal I'd sign ed off on. So yesterday I went to the III Corps building and got the news."
Agosto said he has "gotten the indication" that he will be leaving the company he is currently in to be moved to the Battalion's rear-detachment company "because that's the one that will stay here. I think they want to avoid a Jeff Paterson moment, I guess that's their thinking. They won't try to deploy me, they just want to punish me for my intentions and for what I've done so far."
Jeff Paterson was a US Marine during the US attack against Iraq in 1991. Paterson opted to apply for conscientious objector status. When that was denied, he refused to board the plane that was heading to Saudi Arabia during the build-up to the war by literally sitting down on the tarmac and refusing to move. Eventually his unit left without him. Paterson told his story to Truthout last summer in Oakland, California.
"Leaving without me is what I thought they were going to do. I was a sort of liability. Also I had been on a hunger strike the previous week, and had at that point become a medical issue for them. So they left me behind, and I was taken instead to the Pearl Harbor brig, where I did the next two months in pre-trial confinement. I was court-martialed for a number of offenses. Ultimately they chose to cut their losses and give me a quiet discharge even before the court-martial ended."
Agosto's stand has already inspired another member of his unit to refuse to deploy to Afghanistan as well. Sgt. Travis Bishop, who served 14 months in Baghdad with the 57th Expeditionary Signal Battalion - the same battalion as Agosto, who served north of the Iraqi capital - recently went AWOL from his station at Fort Hood, Texas, when his unit deployed to Afghanistan. He insists that it would be unethical for him to deploy to support an occupation he opposes on moral grounds.
On his blog, he writes about his position:
"I love my country, but I believe that this particular war is unjust, unconstitutional and a total abuse of our nation's power and influence. And so, in the next few days, I will be speaking with my lawyer, and taking actions that will more than likely result in my discharge from the military, and possible jail time ... and I am prepared to live with that."
Truthout spoke with him briefly after he turned himself in at his base in early June. He said he'd chosen to follow Specialist Agosto's example of refusal, which had inspired him, and wanted to be present at his post to accept the consequences of his actions. Like Agosto, he, too, hoped others might follow his lead.
Agosto and Bishop are not alone. In November 2007, the Pentagon revealed that between 2003 and 2007 there had been an 80 percent increase in overall desertion rates in the Army (desertion refers to soldiers who go AWOL and never intend to return to service), and Army AWOL rates from 2003 to 2006 were the highest since 1980. Between 2000 and 2006, more than 40,000 troops from all branches of the military deserted, more than half from the Army. Army desertion rates jumped by 42 percent from 2006 to 2007 alone.
Branum, who has defended over a dozen war resisters, told Truthout, "As far as I know, this is the first time since Vietnam that we've had two resisters in the same unit."
Adam Szyper-Seibert, a counselor and administrative associate at Courage to Resist, an organization that supports war resisters, recently told Truthout that "in recent months there has been a dramatic rise of nearly 200 percent in the number of soldiers that have contacted Courage to Resist." Szyper-Seibert suspects this may reflect the decision of the Obama administration to dramatically increase efforts, troop strength and resources in Afghanistan. "We are actively supporting over 50 military resisters like Victor Agosto," Szyper-Seibert says. "They are all over the world, including André Shepherd in Germany and several people in Canada. We are getting five or six calls a week just about the IRR [Individual Ready Reserve] recall alone."
The IRR is composed of troops who have finished their active duty service but still have time remaining on their contracts. The typical military contract mandates four years of active duty followed by four years in the IRR, though variations on this pattern exist. Ready Reserve members live civilian lives and are not paid by the military, but they are required to show up for periodic musters. Many have moved on from military life and are enrolled in college, working civilian jobs, and building families.
Agosto told Truthout he stands willing to face the consequences of his actions.
"Yes, I'm fully prepared for this. I have concluded that the wars [in Iraq and Afghanistan] are not going to be ended by politicians or people at the top. They're not responsive to people, they're responsive to corporate America. The only way to make them responsive to the needs of the people is for soldiers to not fight their wars. If soldiers won't fight their wars, the wars won't happen. I hope I'm setting an example for other soldiers."
"One who breaks an unjust law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law," Dr. Martin Luther King Junior said, words that concisely explain the ramifications of Agosto's position.
As evidenced by the stand being taken by Sergeant Bishop, Agosto's hope has already been realized. However, with 19,000 US soldiers recently added to the occupation of Afghanistan (bringing the total to 68,000) and violence continuing to escalate, there is an increasing likelihood for more to follow Agosto's lead.


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Outside in the yard poking around the plants for photo ops yesterday, we stumbled upon early indications of a burgeoning bumper crop of what cooks call vegetables but botanists call true berries, garden variety tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum*), AKA love apples. We'd picked up a couple of impressively large, robust-looking plants from Hannaford's in York Corner over Mem Day weekend, and Tuck had transplanted them into large terra cotta pots set out on the sunny eastern terrace, topdressing 'em with our homegrown compost mixture, Chelsea Gold. According to the ID tag, our tomatoes can be expected to grow to 3.5" across. The newborn above (x 4), still wet behind the ears, clings to the spent floral parts of its parents, sheltered by the pubescent sepals that once enclosed the perfect flower — male and female parts in the same blossom — from whose loins it sprung.
"Shake your plants gently once or twice each week for about 5 seconds once flowering begins," advises wikiHow in "How to Grow a Tomato Plant":
According to the National Gardening Association, shaking the tomato plant increases fruit production by more evenly distributing pollen.
The rationale behind shaking their booties to increase production has to do with anatomy. We hadn't noticed before, but the structure of the business end of a tomato flower is somewhat different from that of your typical flower, a four-part structure of whorls starting from the base and working upwards, including a calyx of sepals, a corolla of petals and then, as Wikipedia explains (click here for diagram):
Androecium (from Greek andros oikia: man's house): one or two whorls of stamens, each a filament topped by an anther where pollen is produced. Pollen contains the male gametes.
Gynoecium (from Greek gynaikos oikia: woman's house): one or more pistils.The female reproductive organ is the carpel: this contains an ovary with ovules (which contain female gametes) … The sticky tip of the pistil, the stigma, is the receptor of pollen. The supportive stalk, the style becomes the pathway for pollen tubes to grow from pollen grains adhering to the stigma, to the ovules, carrying the reproductive material.
This cross-section of a sedum from an earlier post illustrates the typical floral anatomy, with male parts whorled individually around the central female parts. Look inside a rose or a daylily blossom and you'll see a variation on the theme.
Anatomy of a tomato flower from "Insect Pollination Of Cultivated Crop Plants," self-described as "The First and Only Virtual Beekeeping Book Updated Continously." Unlike the separate stamens of the typical flower, the tomato flower's male parts are fused to form a tube embracing the female parts. "The construction of the anthers, delicately united with the filament, permits them to vibrate at the slightest touch and send a rain of pollen down the cone outlet and around the stigma."
"Various tests in greenhouses have proven that the tomato flower is not self-pollinating," according to "Insect Pollination Of Cultivated Crop Plants" and other online sources:
However, if the inflorescence is shaken, the pollen will fall from the anthers onto the stigma, and fertilization will result. One pollen grain is needed for each seed, so many grains are needed on each stigma. Incomplete pollination results in misshapen fruit. Cool or cloudy weather retards pollen shedding (Stoner 1971). Growers of tomatoes in greenhouses use various types of vibrators or other devices each few days to shake the flower clusters.
More from Wikipedia:
That tomatoes pollinate themselves poorly without outside aid is clearly shown in greenhouse situations where pollination must be aided by artificial wind, vibration of the plants (one brand of vibrator is a wand called an "electric bee" that is used manually), or more often today, by cultured bumblebees.
Potato-leaved tomato (above) is a German heirloom "of a rather primitive type as seen in the flowers," where the stigma extends beyond the anthers, writes the proprietor of the Danish blog In the toad's garden. "Mainstream tomato flowers have a shorter style [that] ends inside the anther barrel. As the pollen sheds from the anthers, it drops directly to the stigma at the end of the style, inside the barrel … Potato-leaved tomatoes with the longer style hold the stigma out of the barrel, out where pollinating insects rule, in the world of cross breeding." (In the toad's garden photo)
Checking out our own tomato flowers, pictured here with another of the babies, we noted they are of the "mainstream" type with stigma contained within the tube of fused anthers or "anther barrel," as described in the previous caption. 'Wonder whether a determined bumblebee could have its way with them anyway? "As tomatoes were moved from their native areas [in South America], their traditional pollinators (probably a species of halictid bee) did not move with them," says Wikipedia. "The trait of self-fertility (or self-pollenizing) became an advantage, and domestic ['mainstream'] cultivars of tomato have been selected to maximize this trait."
Don't want to shake your tomato plants? Let the buzz-pollinating bees do it. Pollinator.com has an x-rated description of their technique:
Did you ever watch a bumblebee work a tomato blossom? When it does, it pulls the flower down into a vertical position, puts its fat belly against the stigma, and buzzes. The pollen that is released will fall by gravity (since the flower is now tilting down) directly to the bee's fuzzy (and statically charged) belly, which is rubbing against the sticky stigma as it vibrates. Tomatoes are self-fertile, but the pollen can come from any other tomato that the bee has visited, a bane for seed growers who want to keep varieties pure, but lovely for the gardener who wants fruit.
Do tomatoes dream of electric bumblebees?
Update: Do Maggie's cows dream of electric voluntary milking systems?
*Linnaeus was right: "The scientific name for the tomato in general use for over two hundred years was Lycopersicon esculentum. However, molecular studies in the past fifteen or so years have helped to shift the name back to the one originally assigned by Linnaeus, Solanum lycopersicon," according to the UBC Centre for Plant Research.

subset: commoncrawl


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Horrific accounts of rape and other forms of sexual violence have been widely reported. © UNFPA Bangladesh/Naymuzzaman Prince
"My sister was killed after gang rape in front of me, and they threw hot water on my body," Fatima*, 30, told a case worker at a UNFPA-supported women-friendly space in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Almost 600,000 Rohingya refugees have crossed the border since 25 August, escaping brutal violence amid the escalating crisis in Myanmar's Rahkine State.
They've joined the 300,000 Rohingya refugees who had already fled into Bangladesh, compounding one of the fastest-growing humanitarian crises in recent times.
Horrific accounts of rape and other forms of sexual violence have been widely reported among the refugees.
UNFPA – the lead UN agency on addressing gender-based violence in emergencies – currently operates nine women-friendly spaces in Cox's Bazar District, where refugee women and girls can safely receive a range of services, including referrals to health care and counselling.
More than 10,000 new arrivals have been reached at these spaces, including nearly 900 reporting gender-based violence. Still, this is likely just the tip of the iceberg.
"For every woman who seeks treatment or speaks out about her ordeal, many others do not because of concerns survivors have regarding safety, confidentiality, shame and stigma," said Saba Zariv, a UNFPA expert in responding to gender-based violence. "This is what makes it challenging to come up with an accurate count of gender-based violence survivors."
"My life is a nightmare"
When she started attending the women-friendly space, Fatima at first refused to speak. But after several visits, she shared her story.
"I can't sleep. My life is a nightmare," she said. "I can't bear the pain of losing my sister."
She now regularly receives support and services at the space, which she calls "shanti ghar" – a safe haven.
Shelters and camps are overcrowded and lacking in privacy. Women and girls fear attack on their way to latrines and bathing points. © UNFPA Bangladesh/Naymuzzaman Prince
Shakila*, too, arrived at a women-friendly space in Cox's Bazar in need of help. She had been sexually assaulted, and her husband and baby daughter were murdered in front of her.
The 36-year-old received urgent medical services from UNFPA-trained health personnel. But the trauma of her experience was acute, and much more support is required.
Needs are enormous
The refugees' cumulative needs are staggering.
Hundreds of thousands require shelter assistance, according to the latest reports. And those living in shelters are enduring overcrowding and lack of privacy. Women and girls fear attack on their way to latrines and bathing sites.
UNFPA is helping to organize community watch groups to improve the safety of displacement camps. UNFPA has also distributed more than 6,000 dignity kits with essential hygiene items such as sanitary napkins, as well as clothes and torches to help women and girls navigate at night.
Safe pregnancy and childbirth are also major concerns.
In response, UNFPA is supporting health centres and mobile clinics. Thirty-four UNFPA' midwives are working in Cox's Bazar. They have so far screened 60,000 new arrivals. They have also provided antenatal care to roughly 12,000 pregnant women, postnatal care to 1,000 women, and attended around 300 deliveries.
Many of the midwives are also trained in the clinical management of rape.
Much more to be done
UNFPA has thousands more dignity kits in the pipeline, and 30 more midwives are will soon be deployed. There are plans to have 35 women-friendly spaces established by February.
But United Nations agencies, including UNFPA, are struggling to raise the funds necessary for these and other life-saving responses.
Humanitarian organizations are seeking $434 million to meet the needs of all Rohingya refugees and their host communities – an estimated 1.2 million people in total – in the months ahead. UNFPA alone needs an additional $10 million for just the next four months.
(c) 2017 United Nation's Population Fund


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My flyer was pulled out of the box for only the second time. It was fun to run, and was a constant pain to the bad guys. |
A short look from the far end (left flank) of the table. Gary Griess' troops advance; but not far. |
Hill Martians in the foreground backed by lancers and legions contest our troops in the center. |
In a five minute meeting while we laid out troops, Mark and I agreed on victory conditions. Each player was allowed four points. A basic infantry unit, such as legion, hill tribes, or city militia was one point. Mounted troops on gashants or artillery pieces were two points. We agreed the game would end when one side or the other exited three units with good morale on the enemy's side of the board.
Though my heavy gun was not a consistent death dealer, it did intervene at critical moments of the game. |
I snuck my light flyer in as a two pointer and also took a heavy gun. My goal was to help out a bit with the game, and run things that were fun and easy. I chose well.
Gary's troops hold the left flank |
Of course, when you play a game such as this, any sense of strategy or tactics go straight out the window. Everything is a local struggle with lots of dead troops. I believe my cry to start the game was "If you're not dead by the end of turn three, you're not playing this right."
Near the end of the game, Chris Bauermeister's two legions suffered terrific casualties, but held on well enough to get one of them off the table. |
In the end that's pretty much how things turned out. I used my flyer to support troops on our right. Lawrence Bateman's hill Martians bolted after rolling ones two turns in a row (on a 20-sided die.) That left a hole to be filled. Dale tried to do so with his gashant lancers, but it wasn't enough. Chris B. managed to get one legion off the table, but that was the only unit that would make it off.
The rest of the table was a mass of charging and counter charging. I placed my heavy gun so it could command the most ground. In one turn, I fired into a melee that found our legion clearly at a disadvantage, and managed to kill the commander of a gashant mounted unit, and wounded member of an enemy Martian legion, without causing any casualties to our own unit. The flyer, mostly administered pin pricks, being only armed with a light gun, but in one turn it also killed a legion leader, so it was worth having.
While pretty meaningless in the great scheme of things, this was one of the most fun Martian battles of all time.


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I confess to really, really enjoying college basketball. My watching is pretty much limited to viewing games – or snippets of games – on television. I'm interested in checking scores during the evenings of the season and keeping track of Division I national rankings.
Though undersized and lacking skills to play basketball beyond elementary school, I practiced a lot on our makeshift half court at home and couldn't wait for the annual church-league tip-off in my hometown.
I had dreams of catching a growth spurt one day and maybe getting a chance to excel in the sport I loved – and still love. Alas, for all basketball purposes, I remained a runt of limited roundball skills. The vertical growth spurt never came. I stopped dreaming about it 40-plus years ago.
My younger brother texted me a few days ago to say that Rend Lake College in southern Illinois was getting ready to play for the Division II national junior college championship. The news interested me because I began my college work at the school. In addition, my father had been employed there. I imagined that the news had made it to heaven and that my late father was leading a cheer for the Warriors.
A Division II JUCO (NJCAA) national championship game isn't really national sports news. I couldn't find anything about it online or on TV. Fortunately, my brother saw results of the big game locally the next day and reported the final score to me: 87-69. Our team had won. One of the Verhines brothers from the little community of Woodlawn near where I grew up was named Most Valuable Player, while his brother and fellow starter won the sportsmanship award for the tournament.
Admittedly, I had not kept track of my school's basketball progress. I finished undergraduate work at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and I still monitor the progress (or lack thereof) of the Salukis from season to season. They've not had too many "up" moments since Walt Frazier led the Salukis to the National Invitational Tournament championship decades and decades ago.
For the past several years living in Missouri, I've embraced the Tigers of Mizzou and have lived and died with them from season to season.
I keep up with Louisville, too. During my seminary years, the Cardinals there nabbed their first national title (1980). I've been a distant fan ever since. They've had a big-time program for many years and, at this writing, seem poised to win their third national championship. I have mixed feelings about their semifinal game on Saturday. They play Wichita State University, a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, which also includes my alma mater SIU and, of course, Missouri State University.
In the sport of Goliaths (so to speak), it is hard not to root for the occasional David who makes its way onto the big stage.
I suppose I'm a fan of several basketball programs mostly because I enjoy the sport and seeing it played at various levels, especially when one of my sons or grandchildren is involved.
Like most sports, basketball is a microcosm of life. Sometimes we see life at its worst on the court; sometimes, life at its richest. When Louisville player Kevin Ware shattered his leg in a freakish fall the other day, a raucous partisan crowd set aside thoughts of the game momentarily and was caught up in a human drama.
Throughout the rest of the game, more than half of it, no one forgot about the young man undergoing surgery at a downtown Indianapolis hospital, even though the winner of the game would play a week later in the Final Four.
Sometimes in the games of life or in the work of life, or in the life of the church, we need to be reminded of what is most important. And sometimes it surprises us.
Bill Webb is editor of Word&Way.


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If you want to make a collection for a charitable purpose in the City by making visits from house to house to appeal for money, other property (for example clothes) or to sell things you need a house to house collection licence from us.
Charities that hold a Cabinet Office order of exemption are not required to apply to us for a licence. However, they are requested to advise us in writing that they have an order of exemption along with the date and location of their collections. Having received this information we can try and avoid collections from clashing with one another.
Apply online
You can apply online for a licence via the GOV.UK website
Apply by post
To apply by post for a licence you will need to complete the following form:
document House to House Collection application form (539 KB)
The form should then be returned to us at:
Worcester City Council Licensing, Worcestershire Regulatory Services, Wyre Forest House, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY11 7WF
There is no fee payable when applying for a house to house collection licence.
Will tacit consent apply?
No, it is in the public interest that we consider and process all applications.
After the collection has taken place
After your collection has taken place you must provide confirmation of the amount of money you have collected and details of any expenses you have incurred as part of the collection. This must be done within one month of the expiry of the licence.
A return can be submitted online via the GOV.UK website:
The house to house collection return form template can be downloaded here:


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It's roughly that time of year when list frenzy grips this blog, and 2012 is no exception. Very shortly - it might be this week, it might be next - the traditional list of the top 100 tweeting bloggers for 2012 will be published right here (you can reacquaint yourself with 2009 and 2010 here and here - I took a regretful break from blogging in 2011). No doubt many folk will be checking it out to see where they fall in the pecking order. Political social media-types are a vain lot and love to look at stuff about themselves.
However, compiling the list isn't as straight forward as it used to be. I am of the school that a blog is a website produced by an individual or collective, is updated regularly (i.e within the last 45 days), organised primarily around user-generated content, and has a comments facility. Back in December 2006 when this place was launched upon the world, blogs were a clearly defined and expanding part of the internet. They were easily distinguished from forums, mailing lists, chat rooms, usenet (remember usenet?) and your common or garden news and politics websites.
Things have got fudged in recent times. In 2010, I noted how that year's list had seen a greater preponderance of 'professionals' set up shop in the top 100 (i.e. established journalists with a blogging sideline), and the movement of some bloggers onto mainstream media platforms. The great blurring had begun. In 2012 this has become so common that it's grown increasingly difficult to separate bloggers from the media commentariat. For example, if you work for a newspaper as a lowly staffer, once your work appears in the online edition you are, for all intents and purposes, a blogger. If you're a big name columnist like Polly Toynbee or Simon Heffer, your weekly writing schedule is probably the same as it ever was - but again, their columns are now reproduced by their respective papers in the standard blogging 'read 'n' comment' format. They can now see what their audiences think, if they so choose.
I therefore think it's time we can start making some slippery distinctions among the sprawling bloggy/journo mess online political commentary has become.
The most basic distinction is between the 'independent' and the 'professional'. The latter comprises those who derive a large chunk of their personal income from their blogging activity, or are employed by a paper, magazine or broadcaster to blog - be it as an adjunct of their (journalistic) job, or as a regular commentator. Virtually all their blogging output is via the outlets these employers provide. Examples would be Guido, The Staggers, Comment is Free, C4 Fact Check, The Telegraph stable, etc. It includes established columnists who happen to have a comment box stuck under their regular pearls.
The indie blogger is more numerous but is generally less visible and influential, though it can include well-known politicians and political figures. They are either individuals or collectives who maintain their own domains, or have it provided by Blogger, Wordpress, Tumblr, etc. and this is the main site of their blogging activity - despite occasionally providing the odd piece for the media, or writing for established party, union, social movement and campaigning sites. A bevy of such examples are here, every month.
And that brings me to the third category that awkwardly and annoyingly problematises the indie/professional boundary. Party blogs like Conservative Home, Labour List, and LibDem Voice, other politics blogs like Left Foot Forward and Progress; and campaigning sites such as the Taxpayers' Alliance, The F Word and ToUChstone are collaborative affairs. They sometimes have one or two paid staff (sometimes not), but rely mainly on a daily churn of voluntary contributions from people for whom this is likely their primary blogging outlet.
This makes no difference where the criteria for the upcoming tweeting bloggers list is concerned as that will be run on the old definition. As always it will include all the different kinds of political bloggers - no doubt subject to inevitable, unavoidable omissions, but in future it may allow for lists by category. Mainly because there's more of a chance of my getting a look-in on at least one of the lists.
These distinctions might have further uses. They could serve as a way into analysing political blogging from a sociological perspective, provide criteria for future annual prizes/contests that celebrate political blogging (no Orwell next year, and what happened to Total Politics?) and, best of all, give us indie bloggers a smug ideology of cool that decries our more successful brethren while we covet their plumb slots.


text:
Tonight at 9 p.m., the Tyler Perry era begins on the OWN Network. Perry has two scripted shows scheduled to debut this week – the 2-hour debut of the drama "The Haves and the Have Nots," tonight at 9 and tomorrow, the first episode of "Love Thy Neighbor" is set to air at 9 p.m. Sixteen episodes of "The Haves" are on schedule and 26 of "Love Thy Neighbor." This represents a new day on OWN, as this is the network's first foray into scripted dramas after successes with reality shows like "Iyanla, Fix My Life," and "Welcome to Sweetie Pie's." Oprah and Tyler got together this morning on "The Tom Joyner Morning Show" and here's what we learned from their conversation.
OPRAH: "At the time he was thinking about dong his own network and when I was going through every single media outlet in the country labeling OWN as struggling, struggling, struggling and I was digging myself out of a hole, after just finishing the Oprah Show Tyler said 'Let me help you. You know, I could write you something. ' I was one thousand percent supportive of him starting his own network but let me just tell you it's more than a notion, starting your own network. While he was thinking about starting his own network, he said 'Let me write something for you.'"
OPRAH: "Actually, I have let go. Everybody thinks I'm a control freak and that is a bad rap for me. I really try to align myself, through all my work over the years, I have a reputation as a control freak, but I'm not. I try to get good people and let them do what they do. Tyler you can attest to that, can you not?"
TYLER: "Seriously, she is a person who lets go and she lets me do what I do. I know how to lead and I also know when to follow. It is the Oprah Winfrey network and it's really great to be able to do a show like "The Have and Have Nots" and "Love Thy Neighbor" with Palmer Williams and Patrice Lovely and Hattie from my plays. Tonight is the big night of "The Haves and the Have Nots." And to be able to tell these kind of stories and let go and then have the support of Oprah and OWN behind me, it's really, really awesome. I can't wait for people to see it tonight.
All my people out there listening, you know y'all been with me from the very beginning, I need you to watch tonight. I promise you this show will not let you down. It is what I do, it is what you've done for me and all you have to do is watch OWN. Check out "The Haves and the Have Nots" tonight and tomorrow "Love Thy Neighbor." It's going to be incredible."
"We're not sure we believed it when Oprah said some years back that she didn't own a TV but apparently, it's true. Whether she ever broke down and bought one or not, the woman who became one of the biggest stars in TV history does not watch much TV. She did become a fan of "The Haves and the Have Nots," though."
OPRAH: "I've watched every one of the episodes of "The Haves and the Have Nots" and I'm normally not a television watcher. But as Tyler was producing them and getting them ready for air, he would send them to me and I got myself hooked to the point of I'm like 'I'm at episode 6, where's #7?''
"Members of my team told me Iyanla would not work, but I knew the moment that Iyanla and I reconciled on the air that final year of "The Oprah Show," I knew that that was a godsend. As I was sitting there, with her, on the air on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," I knew that that moment was going to allow us to work together in the future. I believed from the beginning that that show would work. That's actually one of my favorite shows on OWN. "
7 Things We Found Out From Oprah and Tyler Perry was originally published on blackamericaweb.com


text:
Escape from New York
"I thought he was dead."
Escape From New York is a science fiction/action film widely known as "the most hardcore piece of cinematic history ever produced." Released in 1981, it was written and directed by John Carpenter, the very same man that raised Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart from the grave and forced his decaying corpse to play with synthesizers until it created a library of possible soundtrack material that he could use in his many films. Although to this day, Carpenter denies these claims and he continues to demands all of the credit. John Carpenter is also responsible for directing the movie Halloween, which he financed with the money he made selling weed to your parents in the 70's. JC insists on labeling every movie that he makes "John Carpenter's ___," which seems unnecessary since no other filmmaker would want to be given credit for the bulk of his shitty movies.
Escape From New York obviously takes place in New York City, in the year 1997, in a dystopian future... (Uhhh, past? Ah well it was the 80's after all...) Okay, fuck it, it's a magical time frame in which Kurt Russel has to save the President™ from Isaac Hayes, also known as "Chef," and his gang of leftover extras from "Mad Max" and "The Warriors."
Kurt Russell is asked to preform this heroic quest by the evil cowboy from those Sergio Leone films. His only reward for completing this mission is a pardon by the US government, for all the crimes hes been committing (like rape and murder, but mostly rape). Although we figure out soon enough that the evil cowboy doesn't actually give a shit about Kurt Russell. Which is okay, because Kurt Russell doesn't give a shit about the President™, the war, and/or you. So the only way to make sure that Kurt Russell actually goes looking for the president is to put BOMBS IN HIS NECK that will blow his head off. How this is suppose to motivate someone, I do not know, but it sure fucking motivated Kurt Russell. Because maybe what he hates the most is knowing his head is going to explode.
So anyway... He swoops into New York City on a fucking hand glider dressed up as a pirate with army pants and combat boots. And he's armed with a friggin' Uzi and a Magnum, which are also equipped with scopes. Yeah, that's right, fucking SCOPES, I shit you not. It's like a goddamn telescope. He can't even spy on someone without pointing a gun at them at the same time since he is that awesome. After landing his super duper ultra stealth Hand Glider, he proceeds to fuck up everyone's shit - and I do mean everyone - by either punching them in the eyes, shooting them in the kneecaps, headbutting them in the balls, or sticking a nail-spiked baseball bat up their ass.
Eventually, he ends up fighting against Zangief in a wrestling match. Though Kurt Russell clearly had the advantage, being Kurt Russell and all. And so he fucks up Zangief's shit something fierce right in the skull. And everyone is like "Woah!" But then Kurt Russell looks at his state-of-the-art American Eagle watch and he's all like, "Oh fuck I only have like an hour left before my head explodes, I should stop messing around and take this for serious now." And so he does, and he's really hurried, but he can't run since someone shot a fucking arrow in his knee. Because, while it is impossible to get a gun in New York, apparently everyone and their ugly sister can get a fucking crossbow. Seriously, they're fucking everywhere. Also, in the movie, dopey looking Australian hats, faggy jewelry, leather chaps, and overall sadomasochistic attire are bountiful in Manhattan Island (just like in real life).
So then, Chef chases Kurt Russell over some fucking bridge until Dr. Evil is all like "Fuck you, Chef!" and shoots him with a machine gun. This is probably in retaliation for the violent anal rapes he received from Chef and gay Peter Pan. Also, some chick with an incredible rack gets squished by a car because she's all depressed over her nerd boyfriend getting blown-the-fuck-up a minute earlier.
Kurt Russell makes it back safely. Hooray! But KR doesn't celebrate. Instead, he is all squinty-eyed and pouty. He smokes a cigarette while relishing his angst and noncomformity, since he dresses in black, wears combat boots, and hates "The Man."
If that's too complicated for you, well then... Go fuck yourself.
Critical reception[edit]
This movie was so fucking awesome that it gave your sister an abortion©. It's state of the art Vector Graphics® were known to slice up your retinas and corneas like laser beams, permanently damaging your vision. Some believe this damage to be an upgrade, as it makes everything you see look like the visual effects from Tron. Seriously, everyone thought this movie was fucking awesome, except your mom, who said it was too violent. This film even made your grandmother relapse into a life of hypersexual promiscuity. Yeah that's right, Kurt Russell was that fucking sexy in 1981.
Although his present whereabouts are currently unknown, some believe that he died in the tragic grease fire of 2002 at a McDonalds in Montreal. Several charred bodies where found and one paramedic stated, "One of them had, like... a mullet, but not really." A very clever internet detective quickly identified this body to be the late and great Kurt Russell's.


text:
Product description
Shroud your tires in a dark, rich shine!
BLACKFIRE Tire Gel darkens and conditions rubber to restore the look of new tires. This thick, water-based tire dressing provides a natural, matte look with one coat or a high gloss finish with two coats. UV inhibitors and polymers protect tires to maintain their color and flexibility. BLACKFIRE Tire Gel provides the concours look that complements any vehicle.
Healthy, new rubber should be dark. That's why BLACKFIRE Tire Gel is so fitting for our tire protectant gel. It restores the blackness to tires and helps maintain it with UV inhibitors and ozone blockers. Regular use helps prevent fading and cracking. Tires that have lost their flexibility are more likely to crack. BLACKFIRE Tire Gel blocks the ozone that speeds up depletion of the rubber's plasticizers. Your tires will stay dark and supple.
BLACKFIRE Tire Gel restores the dark, natural sheen to tires. |
BLACKFIRE Tire Gel is manufactured using the latest standards in safety and performance. The formula is water-based and solvent-free. Solvents can dry out rubber and silicones can turn brown. We avoided these harmful ingredients and instead used newer, VOC-compliant compounds that offer great looks with none of the drawbacks.
BLACKFIRE Tire Gel dries quickly and does not sling. Our unique formula bonds to the rubber for a lasting satin shine. One coat will create a low-gloss, natural-looking finish. Two coats will yield a high gloss finish. BLACKFIRE Tire Gel will NOT attract dust like silicone tire dressings. It's water-based!
Application is easy. Wipe on a thin coat of BLACKFIRE Total Eclipse Tire Gel and wipe off any excess with a towel. Use it on all interior and exterior rubber and vinyl, too! The thick viscosity gel is easy to control.
For tires and trim that are as dark as night, use BLACKFIRE Tire Gel!
- Water-based, solvent-free formula.
- Contains UV inhibitors to prevent fading and cracking.
- Feels dry to the touch and does not sling.
- First coat provides a natural rubber finish.
- Second coat provides high gloss finish.
- Thick gel formula.
Apply to clean tires. Apply a thin strip of BLACKFIRE Tire Gel onto tire applicator and work into tires. Remove any excess with a microfiber towel. If you desire additional gloss, apply a second coat five minutes after first coat.


text:
My area of expertise is reverse engineering, specifically embedded systems. I do attack cryptographic systems, but this largely involves key recovery or exploiting the implementation.
I was asked to reverse engineer a simple Windows executable used as part of a challenge-response protocol used for intruder alarm systems. This was trivially easy. I would like some assistance in describing the protocol/algorithm, so that I can look into the security of the system more.
The protocol
The protocol is designed to stop users resetting their alarm without contacting their alarm receiving centre.
When the alarm is triggered, a message is displayed:
This is called the "quote code" and is always numeric and 5 digits long. I don't know how it is chosen, but it appears random.
- The alarm user calls the alarm receiving centre and informs them of the quote code.
- The alarm receiving centre inputs the quote code into a piece of software (the "decoder") which returns the numeric 5 digit "reset code".
The user is informed of the "reset code" and inputs it into the alarm. It is accepted and the alarm is disarmed.
The alarm and alarm receiving center share a secret which is a number from 0-255, this is called the "version".
So at a superficial level, both the alarm and alarm receiving centre are doing:
ResetCode = F(QuoteCode, Version)
Where the QuoteCode and ResetCode are integers in the range 00000-99999 and the Version is a number between 0-255.
Algorithm implementation
This is my basic implementation of the algorithm used to generate the reset code given the quote code. The vector at the top is altered, but the rest is the same.
# Taken from the data in the exe
vector = [3,3,5,5,8,1,3,9,8,0,5,9,3,9,4,1,1,0,9,4,3,0,2,2,8,4,3,2,8,4,9,4,1,3,3,3,3,8,5,3,0,2,4,3,2,1,8,9,0,5,4,3,9,5,8,3,9,9,1,0,0,9,9,3,3,8,2,
def generate_reset(quote, version):
i = 0
tens = 0
reset = []
while i <= 4 :
j = 0
result = 0
while j <= 4:
offset = (version + tens + quote[j]) % 256
result = result + vector[offset]
tens = tens + 10
j = j + 1
i = i + 1
return reset
print(generate_reset(quote = [0,0,0,0,2], version=131))
I have run several simulations (simply by looping through all combinations of inputs), and noted the following:
- The coverage of reset codes for any given version number across all quote codes is ~63%. This means that you have a higher than 1/100000 chance of guessing the correct reset code randomly.
- Given a quote code and reset code, most of the time there is only a single valid version number. At most, two pairs of quote and reset codes are needed to derive the version number. The "version" isn't very secret as a result.
I hope these aren't too vague, or broad.
- What would you call the type of algorithm? To me it looks like a hash with a key - does this make it a MAC?
- Does this specific implementation have a name? It looks very "roll your own" but the vendor uses the phrase "military grade".
- Are there any glaring issues with this algorithm? (I'm not expecting someone to do a full analysis, just some pointers would be great). My gut feeling is that the secret "version number" is not long enough to provide adequate secrecy.


text:
Want to apply some sharpening to your photo but you are worried about how the sharpen filters change the original pixels in your photo. Yes, you could apply the changes to a copy of the original or you could use a sharpening technique that uses a different way of working. Here we apply the High Pass filter to a duplicate of the image layer to isolate the edges of the photo and then use a Layer Blend mode to combine this new layer with the original.
01 Make a copy (Layer > Duplicate Layer) of the picture layer that you want to sharpen. Filter the copied layer with the High Pass filter (Filter > Other > High Pass) and press OK. Use just enough Radius to isolate the edges form the rest of the picture.
02 With the filtered layer still selected switch the blend mode to Hard Light. This mode blends both the dark and light parts of the filtered layer with the picture layer, causing an increase in contrast.
03 Adjust the opacity of this layer to govern the level of sharpening. Sharpening using this technique means that you can remove or adjust the strength of the effect later, by manipulating the filtered layer.
In Photoshop:
Layer > Duplicate Layer
Filter > Other > High Pass
In Photoshop Elements:
Layer > Duplicate Layer
Filter > Other > High Pass


text:
57:50 duration 57 minutes 50 seconds
Learning Technology Showcase March 2018, Part 1
Lecture Technology Showcase (run by the Learning Teaching and Web division of Information Services, University of Edinburgh) of 29th March 2018 on the subject of lecture recording. Part 1. Speakers:…
The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336, VAT Registration Number GB 592 9507 00, and is acknowledged by the UK authorities as a "Recognised body" which has been granted degree awarding powers.
Any views expressed within media held on this service are those of the contributors, should not be taken as approved or endorsed by the University, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University in respect of any particular issue.
Unless explicitly stated otherwise, all material is copyright © The University of Edinburgh 2021 and may only be used in accordance with the terms of the licence.


text:
The third annual Homer Mariner Softball Raffle for the Arctic Cat Wildcat was recently won by Kenny Farren and Beachy Construction. The second place prize of a two-day bear viewing trip to Hallo Bay Lodge was won by Justin Wickstrom.
Much time is dedicated to fundraising for high school sports in Homer. It's not just about studies and playing your sport, but also raising money to do it. Travel and lodging is the biggest expense, running into thousands of dollars. Some costs are often passed onto players. Even after paying a $165 player fee, an athlete's family can incur up to $1,000 in expenses during a sport's season.
Thanks to the generosity of approximately 300 Homer residents who chose to purchase a $100 chance of winning a prize, 26 girls and their families had minimal expenses.
Coach Bill Bell sets high standards for his players and it shows on the field as well as in the classroom. While assisting their teammates with this raffle during the last three seasons, the players have brought home a third place and two runner-up finishes at the State Softball Championship, as well as the Academic Award for two of those years. Community support has certainly made that possible.
For their support and generosity, the Mariners would like to thank Mike and Kari Arno of Lower Peninsula Power Sports and Clint Hlebchuk of Hallo Bay Lodge. Nice prizes definitely help to sell tickets. It takes a lot of dedication and patience to organize this event, and Allen Jantzi makes this all look effortless. We thank you for all you do.
Cathy Davis
For Homer Mariner Softball


text:
Synergia Merlot
- 55% cotton, 45% Repreve
- Weight approx 285gsm
- Size 5 (4.2m)
- Exclusively available at Cotton Babies
Our first design collaboration with Tekhni, Synergia is a soft and moldable geometric design perfect for all babywearers. Synergia is the creation of a whole that is greater than the simple sum of its parts-- working together through cooperation creates unity, strength and harmony.
The Merlot colorway is a high contrast combination of natural cotton warp and dual-colored bordeaux and purple Repreve weft. It is soft, cushy, and supportive with a bouncy "wool-like" body and wonderful breathability. Repreve blends combine the best of comfort, sustainability and safety all in one wrap.
Product Care
All Tekhni Wovens are cut longer and wider than actual size to allow for shrinkage in first washing. Tekhni Wovens arrive in loomstate and will need to be washed before use. An initial wash in warm water with low spin is recommended with subsequent washes on a gentle cycle in cool water. Using detergents without optical brighteners will help keep colors from fading. Do not use bleach or fabric softener as these can break down the fibers.


text:
WHY: I know about that giraffe chew toy, the diaper genie and well, that pretty much sums up my comprehension on baby stuff. I'm sure when I create a human being of my own I'll be all over the latest trends and trinkets, but for now I could give two sh-ts. However when I saw these super adorable latch catchers I had to share them with you because aren't they so damn ingenious?!
I'm sure there are a lot of moms giving me the "oh that's so 89 weeks ago" < because for some reason when you become a mother your ability to talk in months and years like you have for your entire life suddenly becomes disabled in your brain > but this is for all you new moms out there trying to sleep train your little ones with as much ease as possible.
Now of course you could DIY this, and sure, I guess you could tape toilet paper to your door, but that's just a waste of time when you can click and buy one of these for under 10 bucks.
(Note from Lainey: Sasha's Into It articles are NOT paid endorsements. Paid endorsements on LaineyGossip.com are always clearly marked. These are straight up Sasha obsessions.)


text:
Susan L. Taylor, founder of the National CARES Mentoring Movement and former Editor in Chief of Essence Magazine, is scheduled to give the keynote address at the day-long health expo on April 26th from 12 – 7pm at the Taino Towers of El Barrio/East Harlem.
The Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) has partnered with Entering the Holy of Holies, An Institute of Learning and Healing, Inc. and the joint practice of Back to the Middle and New York Sports Acupuncture, to produce a day – featuring vendors, workshops, storytelling, live demos, and performances – dedicated to body, mind, spirit and heart healing.
"The health of our families is critical to the wellbeing and productivity of our children and our community," says Dr. Marta Moreno-Vega, the president and founder of CCCADI. "Learning about health contributes to our ability to learn and engage actively in our immediate surroundings."
With an emphasis on heart and mental health, this highly anticipated event is geared for pleasure and possibilities. Visitors can expect dance and art therapy classes, fresh food, diabetes and blood pressure screenings, nutritionists, reflexologists, a detox clinic, divination systems, meditation, and so much more.
"We're interested in broadening access to culturally resonant practitioners, resources, and products related to wholistic health," says Desiree Gordon, Programming Director of Education and Community Programs at CCCADI. "This is about decolonizing our perspective on wellness in a way that empowers and engages while enlivening joy and purposefulness."
For more information contact (212) 307-7420 ext. 3004 or 3008, email firstname.lastname@example.com, or visit cccadi.org. Follow CCCADI on Facebook and Twitter, @CCCADI.
To purchase tickets, visit www.theblissofnow.eventbrite.com . Entry is $8 in advance, $10 at the door, and $5 for seniors and students. Children under 12 enter free of charge.


text:
Trekbuddy is a J2ME application to be used with a GPS receiver. It is designed to work with every Java-enabled device.
It features capabilities such as:
* GPS tracking and simple navigation
* bitmap maps (without zoom, you can store bitmap maps with different resolution instead)
* arrange maps as atlas for increasing and decreasing resolution
* trackloging in NMEA or GPX format
* simple navigation (to a single waypoint or along a route)
* compas screen (HPS)
* cockpit screen (CMS)
* location sharing via SMS with other trekbuddies
and more.
It supports most commonly used map projections and grids, such as:
* Latitude/Longitude
* Mercator
* Transverse Mercator
* Universal Transverse Mercator
* Swedish Grid
* British National Grid
* Irish Grid
* Swiss Grid
* Lambert France I-IV
* Lambert Conformal Conic
as well as custom datums.
As a location source:
* bluetooth or serial port GPS
* internal (integrated) GPS
* NMEA file
* HGE-100 device
* O2 Germany network
may be used.
What's New in This Release:
· fixed scaling/magnification for maps with large tiles (1024+ px)
· fixed altitude correction option
· fixed asc-t/desc-t
· fixed GPX anonymous points (routes & tracks) numbering: starts from 1 not counting named POIs, and is prefixed with 'R' or 'T'
What's New in 1.1.1:
· fixed bitmap zoom
· fixed recycled bitmap error and NPE crash on Android
· fixed Blackberry ui bugs introduced in v1.1.0
What's New in 1.0.23:
· fixed tared maps loading
· fixed lazy GPX loading
· fixed exception during filesystem browsing (Android)
· fixed application restart on Android
· version for Playbook available (bar)
What's New in 1.0.19:
· fixed CMS vars based on short-term avg spd
· fixed first wpt not accessible after reload
· improved GPX filter (less points, better track following, less crazy jumps)
· stability and compatibility fixes in Android version
· fixed number of sats on BB
· tar-ed map loading fixes (+ few performance optimizations in Symbian service, now v0.8 )
· no-map feature
What's New in 1.0.18:
· fixed NPE for internal GPS provider and missing images in Blackerry builds
What's New in 1.0.12:
· layers without suitable map are skipped during easyzoom
· usage of volume keys for easyzoom controlled with Settings->Desktop->easyzoom with volume keys
· backlight level on Nokia phones is persisted
· changed waypoint form links for BB (for compatibility with OS6)
· right soft key can be used to switch screens (when Desktop->no soft key menu is used)
· keylock icon is shown in the bottom-left corner when keylock is active (no more dialog)
· icons marking centers of touchscreen areas used for layer/map change are shown by default on touchscreen devices; this can be turned off with Settings->Desktop->show touchspots
· version for Android 1.6 with included bluetooth backport is now available
· fixed waypoint deletion issue
· fixed "0" trigger issues
· fixed StackOverflowError on Android
What's New in 1.0.10:
· because easyzoom feature is annoying for some situations, it can now be controlled with Settings->Desktop->Easyzoom; for this release, it can be off (default) or layers (behaviour from 1.0.9); easyzoom for maps will appear soon
· disabled usage of volume keys for easyzoom, because midlet does not have exclusive access
What's New in 1.0.8:
· fixed wpt-eta estimation
· backlight control fallback implemented in Symbian version - it probably cannot prevent screensaver, but it can prevent screen light timeout, so on some configuration, TB can work ok without TBService; I use such deployment on Vivaz (S60 5th) now...
· Nokia-specific JAD attributes are only in Symbian version, because they are relevant to S60 anyway
What's New in 1.0.7:
· midlet is signed with renewed certificate (valid until Jan 2012)
· fixed crashing when changing settings on Symbian^3 devices
· fixed files problem on some Samsungs (eg. B7722)
· new option Settings->Misc->external cfg backup to control saving configuration to memory card; cfg was saved to memorycard on all devices since 0999, now it is on by default on Blackberries only (they seem to be the only that really need it, in order to preserve cfg during midlet upgrade)
What's New in 1.0.4:
· new option Settings->Misc->numeric input hack, useful for some Samsung models to allow changing numeric values like GPX(dt) etc
· fixed FIRE/KEY5 handling
· < fix > element is omitted in GPX when fix quality is unknown; internal value in CMS is 1 in such case
What's New in 1.0.2 / 1.0.3:
[Android] fixed: altitude correction is now actually used (and can be decimal)
[Android] fixed bluetooth detection (hopefully better compatibility with 1.6)
What's New in 1.0.1
· minor bugfixes of: UIQ user interface, more NMEA stream errors recorded, filter for invalid positions in GPX, midlet crash with 1-tile scrolling
· added geoidheight to GPX
What's New in 1.0:
· fix: negative altitude correction possible on some Nokia phones
· fix: show number of satellites on Android when built-in GPS is used
· fix: waypoints list scrolling is now similar to native UI list (except for inertiality), scrollbar width changed too
· change: long- and shortpress of KEY3 switched for backlight control on Nokia phones - use longpress to set desired backlight level, shortpress for quick on/off
· change: 'untouch' (eg. FIRE/KEY5 for sync or KEY3 for screen switch) now triggers action to make map dragging/scrolling more friendly on touchscreens
· changed built-in map to reduce jar size and also to satisfy larger screens
· also serial comm code cleaned up because problems with eg. HGE-100 were reported for 0.9.99
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Arc'teryx Epsilon AR Jacket
Excellent, highly breathable mid-layer, or cool weather outer! Very water resistant, very abrasion resistant. Comfortable fit
Men's M fits great, 5'10"/160lbs.
- High quality construction
- Highly abrasion resistant
- Dries quickly
- Expensive
This jacket fits very slim, but a medium is perfect for 5'10"/165lbs. I've worn this on top of an 800 fill down jacket, and it's not too tight! The sleeves may be a little long for some, the additional panel by the wrist sits very naturally. The jacket is pretty simple, one waist bungee, two hand pockets, and a flat pocket at the upper left shoulder.
I've never been caught in a downpour with just this coat, however water beads up quite well, still after 2+ years and multiple washings with no treatment. A big plus is the breathability; using this layer between an eVent shell and a base layer is perfect without bulk. I've had it close to soaked with sweat, and it will dry out quickly. The jacket inner has a soft, waffle design that does a good job getting moisture away from your skin. Worn alone, you'll keep warm well into cool weather, but this all really has to do with how well you put together your layering system.
One of my favorite attributes is just how tough this coat is. After 2+ years of regular wear and many backpacking trips, no rips or tears to report. I fully expect this jacket to be a major component in my system for years to come.
Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $200
If you know what you are getting this is a great jacket. Excellent quality. My complaint would have to be that it does not fit as I expected. I ordered a small and was expecting a trim atheltic fit. It does have an athletic cut, just not an athletic fit on my body, it fits too loosely. Some of the other Arc'teryx jackets fit more snug in a small.
The good, this jacket has excellent water repellency, moderate wind protection, and superb breathability. However it has no insulating layers, and if you are looking for something to keep you warm when you are not doing aerobic exercise, or something to cut high winds, I would look elsewhere.
Works great for aerobic exercise, with a baselayer in 20-30 degrees. My intended purpose of this jacket was for cycling. It bunches up a bit in the front when bent over, and fits a bit to loose. For most other activities it likely is great.
Price Paid: $170
This jacket suffers from poor fit. I have the spring '06 edition and I cannot believe how terrible it is on my body.
As a piece of hardware, I have not actually tried it on the field. My impressions of its build and details are quite high but there are significant flaws that stop it from being desirable.
Beautiful finish (a very matte laminate)
Flat seams
Padded collar with a chin guard
Wrist openings with fabric going around the thumb
Laminated pockets (!)
Disgusting fit for a small
Lack of handwarmer pockets
Loosened collar (though it's nice for venting)
No pit-zips
Due to a poor fit, I will not recommend this jacket. Though they state an athletic, cut fit, I found this jacket to be baggy and almost one size too large than stated.
Fabric: Bonded Poly
Price Paid: $80
Awesome lightweight jacket. This is the first softshell I have bought and I am hooked. Lightweight, durable, snazzy look. Fits true, I am 5'11" with an athletic build and the large fits perfectly. Endured a heavy, wet snow around 0 in MI and wasn't cold or wet once. I love it, I am now an Arc'teryx buyer for life.
Fabric: Bonded Poly
Fill: none
Price Paid: $77.49
Your Review
Where to Buy
You May Like
Men's | |
Price |
MSRP: $199.00 Historic Range: $59.83-$199.00 Reviewers Paid: $77.49-$200.00 |
Sizes |
Weight |
400 g / 14.1 oz |
Fit |
Athletic fit, Waist length |
Materials |
Bonded Poly Micro-Grid Fleece |
Women's | |
Price |
MSRP: $199.00 Historic Range: $45.50-$224.95 |
Sizes |
Weight |
345 g / 12.2 oz |
Fit |
Athletic fit, Waist length |
Materials |
Bonded Poly Micro-Grid Fleece |


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This topic is related to (but I think different from) the "Being Bad" thread currently under discussion. I perceive (incorrectly, I'm sure) an inconsistency within what I have heard/read/know about Zen. On one hand, it seems you are encouraged to practice zazen, still your mind, and let your "buddha nature" come through. You are discouraged from judging thoughts as good or bad, just letting those thoughts leave your mind and returning to "the clear blue sky". This will allow you (over time) to realize your buddha nature and will result in compassion for others (since you will realize "they" and "you" are one, not two). You will learn to recognize the stories of your discursive mind as the BS that they truly are and will not be deceived into acting on them, etc. In this way, you will "unconsciously" realize the precepts of Buddhism.
This approach, it seems to me, DOES NOT INCLUDE consciously modifying your current behavior to conform to Buddhist ideals/precepts. In fact (again, it seems to me) that actively attempting to modify your behavior is actually counterproductive, much in the same way that judging your thoughts during zazen is counterproductive, and that changed behavior is a result of practice, NOT the result of conscious behavior modification.
Anybody care to correct my understanding?


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There are all manner of idiots in the world. There are dangerous idiots, annoying idiots, (Lord help us) influential idiots and then there are some idiots who wallow in such specious gibberish that it requires a hard heart to look upon them as anything other than pitiful.
The Guardian (where else?) has a long record of providing a platform for pitiful idiots as illustrated by the column they insist on giving to George Monbiot:
"If we take into account such factors as pollution and the depletion of natural capital, we see that the quality of life peaked in the UK in 1974 and in the US in 1968, and has been falling ever since. We are going backwards."
Perhaps it's just you that is going backwards, George. Not sure about the rest of us. Mind you if you right, then perhaps the nutty 60's has something to do with it.
"The reason should not be hard to grasp. Our economic system depends upon never-ending growth, yet we live in a world with finite resources. Our expectation of progress is, as a result, a delusion."
Ah George, you haven't been reading your Julian Simon like a good boy. You haven't have you? Naughty.
"Speak this truth in public and you are dismissed as a crank, a prig, a lunatic."
Which you clearly have been.
"The laws of thermodynamics impose inherent limits upon biological production."
Er, care to explain that, George?
"Even the repayment of debt, the pre-requisite of capitalism, is mathematically possible only in the short-term. As Heinrich Haussmann has shown, a single pfennig invested at 5% compounded interest in the year AD 0 would, by 1990, have reaped a volume of gold 134bn times the weight of the planet. Capitalism seeks a value of production commensurate with the repayment of debt."
I'd love to give this a Fisking but I must confess that I have no idea what the f*cking hell he is actually talking about. It sounds like the kind of marxoid tripe they teach at universities and which is so deliberately opaque that it must be very clever and authoratative and therefore beyond question.
"Now, despite the endless denials, it is clear that the wall towards which we are accelerating is not very far away. Within five or 10 years, the global consumption of oil is likely to outstrip supply. Every year, up to 75bn tonnes of topsoil are washed into the sea as a result of unsustainable farming, which equates to the loss of around 9m hectares of productive land."
Time for a 'Made-up-Statistics' warning!
"Every national newspaper in Britain lamented the "disappointing" volume of sales before Christmas. Sky News devoted much of its Christmas Eve coverage to live reports from Brent Cross, relaying the terrifying intelligence that we were facing "the worst Christmas for shopping since 2000".
Suppose that has nothing whatsoever to do with Gordon Brown's tax increases which have deprived us of so much of our disposable income? No, course not. Silly me for even asking.
"The economist Bernard Lietaer has shown how a system based upon negative rates of interest would ensure that we accord greater economic value to future resources than to present ones. By shifting taxation from employment to environmental destruction, governments could tax over-consumption out of existence. But everyone who holds power today knows that her political survival depends upon stealing from the future to give to the present."
'Bernard Lietaer'? Never heard of him but I'll wager that he's the kind of smelly, dysfunctional political activist who haunts Labour Party fringe meetings with a shopping bag full of newspaper clipping and scribbled essays in the hope that he'll get an opportunity to corner some hapless victim and bore them into the grave.
"Everything we thought was good – giving more exciting presents to our children, flying to a friend's wedding, even buying newspapers – turns out also to be bad."
Buying the Guardian is definitely bad. Otherwise that one sentence contains everything you need to know about Mr.Monbiot. He is a jealous, begrudging loser who has spun an ideological mask of deceit around himself in order to provide a fig-leaf for his po-faced, anti-human, defeatist miserabilism.
Pitiful. Just pitiful.


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'News' wins state awards
- Published: March 4, 2010
At a recent convention of Ohio newspapers, the Yellow Springs News won awards for in-depth reporting, features, editorials, headlines, overall design and advertising design.
The awards were part of the Osman C. Hooper Newspaper Show, a component of the Feb. 11 Ohio Newspaper Association Annual Convention in Columbus. The Hooper show highlights weekly Ohio papers, and 61 weeklies took part. For most of the categories, the News competed against a group of 16 papers with comparable circulation. The News category, Division D, is for the smallest papers, with circulation from 1,126 to 3,299. The News circulation is about 1,800.
The contest covers papers published between August 2008 through July 2009, which were judged by faculty members of Ohio journalism schools.
The News received first-place awards for both overall design and advertising design. One of the few weeklies that does not use color, the News is "a perfect example that color does not make good design," the judges wrote, adding "very clean and simple design and creative and nice use of photos."
Graphic designers Matt Minde and Vanessa Query contributed to the submitted papers' design, with Minde customarily designing the paper's front page.
The News also won first in advertising design, with "Nice layout, obvious hierarchy, clean and simple" designs, according to the judges.
In in-depth reporting, the News received second place for its series "Recession in the Village." The judges stated that the "thoughtful series gathered data and did the analysis, but also offered the personal stories of the impact of the recession. A sobering project, well done."
Contributors to the series were News Associate Editor Lauren Heaton, Reporter Brooke Bryan and Editor Diane Chiddister.
The News also received second place in feature writing, with submissions by Heaton and former reporter Susan Gartner. The judges singled out a Christmas 2008 story by Gartner called "Tidings of Joy, Babe Born in a Stable Van." The story, both "funny and suspenseful," is a "delight," the judges wrote, and is "ultimately a story about the bonds of friendship, entertainingly told through the unexpected events of one December night."
In the editorial writing category, the News competed against all 61 weekly papers. The paper won fourth place, with editorials that "showed the unique spirit of Yellow Springs," judges wrote. "The lively prose made them easy to read and the content made them worth reading." The submissions were written by Chiddister.
The News won fifth place in headline writing, a category in which the paper also competed against all other weeklies. The News submissions were "engaging, clever and appropriate," according to the judges. News headlines are a collaborative effort, with Minde often taking the lead.
Other News staffers who contributed to the award-winning entries were Advertising Manager Bob Hasek; former Office Manager Dee Sorrell; Classified/Display Advertising Associate Kathryn Hitchcock; former Classified Associate Donna Riley; Proofreaders Amy Achor, Kitty Jensen and Suzanne Patterson; Circulation Associate Shane Creepingbear; Business Manager Doug Hinkley; and Bookkeeper Peg Champney. The News is co-owned by Chiddister and Hasek.
No comments yet for this article.


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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Since Windows 8's debut in October, there have been a range of hot-looking devices that try to combine elements of tablets and traditional PCs. These hybrids seem as if they would be great both for relaxing with an e-book and for writing stories when I occasionally need to snap back into work mode.
But trying out three tablet-PC hybrids running Windows 8 has convinced me that the good old laptop still reigns for creating documents quickly and accurately. It's still superior for working at a desk, table, counter, or on your lap. And it has the best possible mix of battery life, processing power and compatibility with legacy software.
Unfortunately, where the hybrids worked well as tablets, they fared poorly as document-creators, or the other way around.
I don't think I'm alone in wanting a be-all, end-all machine that bridges the gap between tablets and PCs. The three hybrid computers that I tried didn't meet my needs. They show promise if you're willing to give up typing speed for something compact, or if you don't mind a heavy tablet that you'll have to look down at in your lap. Just be aware of these constraints before you buy.
— Iconia W510 by Acer Inc. ($750).
The white and metallic Iconia W510 is an instant attention-grabber with its slender profile and detachable screen, which on its own weighs less than an iPad, at 1.27 pounds (0.58 kilograms). In detached mode, small speakers on either side of the screen create a muted, if tinny, stereo sound effect. It's a comfy couch companion when all I want to do is check email and watch Netflix videos.
Unfortunately, the W510's guts didn't match its pleasing exterior. Repeated software updates and spotty Wi-Fi connections led me to put the machine down in frustration at times. I wasn't able to diagnose the Wi-Fi problem fully, but other devices worked fine on my high-speed home network.
Videos played in fits and starts. I needed a half-hour session with a Netflix customer service rep to troubleshoot video issues, which were resolved by uninstalling and reloading two different programs. Xbox Music, which comes with Windows 8, repeatedly failed to go past a single song play when using the service's Smart DJ feature. This problem didn't occur with the other two machines I tested.
As a work tool, the W510 delivers on its promised ultra-long battery life of 18 hours when the keyboard is attached. I never managed to reach the limit in the course of a day when fully charged.
But there were plenty of quirks that detracted from that convenience. It took me several installations of Office, and a call to Microsoft representatives, to figure out that the computer was hiding the Office icons in an obscure part of the tile-based interface. Microsoft said this occurred because I switched my log-in details somewhere in the middle of the process.
After all that, I was able to set up and use the Outlook email program. Changes I made to Word and OneNote documents synced across several devices — one of the benefits of the latest version of Office, which is sold separately.
But I found the W510's keyboard too small to type accurately and quickly, and the touchpad didn't accept two-finger swipe inputs like the other two.
Most importantly, having to troubleshoot all the software issues and not being able to connect to the Internet consistently made the device too frustrating to use.
— Surface Pro by Microsoft Corp. ($899, plus $120 for Touch Cover with keyboard).
The latest device from Microsoft is the epicenter of design Catch-22s.
It uses Intel's i5 processor so it can run a full version of Windows 8 well. But the chip gets hot and requires a fan for cooling. That adds bulk and a vent around the outer edge. All this means the Surface Pro is one-sixth of an inch thicker than the Surface RT, which runs a lightweight version of Windows 8 and can run only software designed for that system.
The Pro is also half a pound heavier at 2 pounds (0.91 kilograms). That may not sound like much, but if you hold it like a tablet, you'll definitely notice the bottom corners dig into your palms. For me, it's too heavy to be used comfortably as a tablet.
Then there's the detachable touch keyboard cover. What seemed like a clever invention for the RT seems downright flimsy on the heavier Pro. On your lap, using the keyboard is prone to error and is exasperating. It frequently needed to be detached and reconnected. Opting for the on-screen keyboard doesn't help much because it blocks your view of what you're doing.
Because of these issues, Surface Pro works best when it is propped up on a flat surface with its kickstand and the keyboard lying flat in front of the screen. But if that's the case, I prefer a laptop with a bigger, more responsive keyboard.
I struggled to come up with reasons to use the pen that comes with Surface Pro. I scribbled some notes in Word and OneNote documents, and my handwriting appeared when the changes were synced on other Windows computers. The writing even reflected the pressure I used, kind of like a paintbrush. But my handwriting didn't appear in mobile app versions of the software on Android or Apple's iOS devices. The one use I found for the pen was highlighting and commenting on objects in photos and sending them over email.
Even though the pen doesn't require power, it attaches magnetically to the power port when the port isn't in use. That means there's nowhere to put it when the machine is charging. Don't be surprised if the Surface pen ends up going missing between sofa cushions.
— Yoga 13 by Lenovo Group Ltd. ($1,300).
This device gets its acrobatic name because it can fold back on itself and transform into a tablet.
Although Yoga looks like a sleek laptop with rubberized coating, at 3.4 pounds, it's nowhere close to light enough to be used as a tablet. The 13-inch (33-centimeter) screen seems gargantuan when bent back in tablet mode. It's more than twice as heavy as a full-size, 10-inch (25-centimeter) iPad, and 4.5 times as heavy as Google's smaller, 7-inch screen tablet, the Nexus 7.
Other than that, it works like a high-end laptop. The version of Yoga that is powered by Intel's i7 chip did everything I want a laptop to do. It has an easy-to-use keyboard and enough processing power to avoid lags using key programs such as Office. It also solidly connected over Wi-Fi to the Internet.
Its touch screen allowed me to use Windows 8's tile-based interface with ease. The screen is big enough so that when using the desktop area, programs that appear in traditional Windows format are somewhat navigable using my finger, although it's still difficult.
The Yoga 13 has long enough battery life to be used for an entire working day without charge.
It had better and more powerful speakers than the other two devices by far.
In the end, the Yoga worked best for me, probably because it was the most like a laptop, but it didn't offer much in the way of being a usable tablet. All three machines were constantly loading software updates from Microsoft and app-makers, which can slow down your connection speed when all you want to do is "click in and do more," as Microsoft says in its ads for Surface.
For me, typing and connectivity are paramount to getting my work done, and the expectation most people have when using a tablet is that it should be simple to use and set up. But I felt like I needed an IT department to make these machines hum like they are supposed to.
Despite the attractive designs of some new gadgets, I found it's still easier to get most things done on my current, Windows 7 laptop. No doubt millions of people will start to use Windows 8 on a slew of new devices as they replace older computers. Hopefully that will help work out some of the bugs. That won't eliminate all the design constraints, but it'll make using the machines far less frustrating.


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A privacy audit says medical clinics in British Columbia must do more to protect the sensitive personal information they collect from patients.
The province's privacy commission looked at 22 medical clinics and found gaps in privacy management, failures to ensure that privacy practices keep up with new technology, and inadequate funds and resources to address privacy issues.
The report makes 16 recommendations including that the clinics find funding to comply with privacy policies and appointing designated privacy officers.
Information and privacy commissioner Michael McEvoy says medical clinics collect sensitive personal information and the report finds many must improve their protection practices.
He says doctors and staff at clinics are legally obligated to abide by privacy legislation, but must also ensure strong privacy programs for their patients.
ALSO READ: Doctor growth in Canada more than doubles population increase over last 5 years
"Medical clinics were chosen for this review for two reasons: the amount and sensitivity of the personal information they collect – some of the most sensitive personal information out there — and the volume of complaints and privacy breach reports my office receives that are related to privacy practices at facilities like these," McEvoy said in a news release on Wednesday.
"There is no question about the intense demands medical professionals face; however, respecting and protecting patients' private information is critically important."
The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner is an independent agency that monitors and enforces the province's access and privacy laws.
The Canadian Press