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Kevin Rudd
This article may be Overly Australian. Pommies may not understand funny stuff, only humour. Canucks and Yanks may not understand anything at all. Don't change a thing and she'll be right, mate! |
"Working families."
"I couldn't let him rime again next year."
"Why did James woods use my name for his twitter account?"
The Right Honourable self-proclaimed leader of the Australian Labor Party Dark Lord, 3rd Dan, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd (born 21 September 1957, also known as 'Kevin07', 'Ruddkip', Kevin "Working Families" Rudd, 'Kevin Ruud van Nistelrooy', 'Unionism', 'Working Families', 'Mr. Sheen', 'The Wizard of Aus', 'Kevin Dudd', 'The Kevinator', 'Ruddy Duddy', Kevin Krudd' and 'The Milky Bar Kid', is the former Australian prime minister, cannon fodder, media slut and active member of the Australian Labor Party, a well known Mythical Creature, and former Porn Mogul. He is also the only known (and first) certified Vampire dictator working some shit-ass island off newzealand politics. He is often considered a puppet of various labour unions, though the truth is more likely that the unions are his unholy army of the night economic conservative, which he controls with his hypnotic eyes (not unlike hypnotoad's, usually hidden behind specially designed glasses). Despite being an anglo-saxon Australian, he is known to hate them all, preferring instead to get into bed with those of Asian descent. It has been established he only won office because the entire population of Australia only contains 35% of anglo-saxon descent.
Rumours suggest that Kevin's plan to come to power was to induce a drought working families and then blame John Howard. His working families primary argument in this campaign has been to claim working families that Howard caused a drought so that he didn't have to wear a shower cap while he went for one of his regular walks; however, working families few Australians have fallen for this. So far, Rudd's only proposed solution to the terrible drought gripping the nation is to allow Julia Gillard and Sharan Burrows to perform golden "working families" showers on barges floating down the Murray River. The urine from the Murray working families River is collected, processed and used by Shadow Treasurer Wayne Swan as mouthwash.
Early Years
Kevin Rudd was born at the age of 19 on Venus, Space. According to his official MySpace blog, Kevin Rudd grew up when he got a boner, where he spent the majority of his time wandering 'accidently' into strip joints to return his erected penis to its flaccid state (it's worth noting that Kevin Rudd isn't too bright.)
In order to escape the media wanting to know more about his strip club affair he underwent superhero surgery. The result was deemed a failure; the experiment led to create a mild mannered 'fuckwit' politician by day, 'Milky Bar Kid' by night. This stage in Kevin's life has been referred to as his brightest and his darkest hour.
Also in his late teens, he started to develop a strange, smarmy look about him. This can be seen quite easily today, especially when he smiles. This smarmy look continued developing throughout his teenage life; by the age of 304 talent scout Kim Beazley found Kevin's image plastered on a New York strip club wall. This image led Kim to sketch up the now universally acclaimed character, Mr. Sheen. The money accumulated led to fund the exploits of the Australian Labor Party, much to Australia's distress.
He is quoted as saying that his predecessor, Mark Latham, working families lost the election due to mud slinging. To give himself a better change, Kevin plans to sling cow manure at John working families Howard instead. This is reportedly a common practice in the Australian Parliament new leadership. In 1972, at the age of 317, Rudd was bitten by the ancient Australian vampire Gough Whitlam, after which he suddenly and inexplicably joined the ALP. Ironically, after joining the party, Kevin reaped the rewards of his unfortunate image; once he joined the ALP the money Kim Beazley invested into the party wound up back to him. Only to be spent on Milky Bars.
Kevin Rudd's early political career was inspired by Prime Minister John Howard. Kevin Rudd would always dream of one day walking around in the Prime Ministerial Green and Gold tracksuit around Sydney Harbour, giving hugs to members of the public bearing sharp screwdrivers. Sources quote that on the top of Kevin Rudd's 2006 Christmas was John Howard's best selling DVD. Unfortunately, Santa is cheap and all he gave Kevin was working choices.
Early Career as a Dentist
It is a working families little known fact that Kevin Rudd spent a short period as a dentist. During this 3-year stint he obtained that now famous comb-over, glasses, and funny smooth voice (which sounds like it could make soothing conversation about the weather while drilling your penis out!). His body language and working families hand gestures are said to be heavily influenced by his many years spent masturbating in his mother's bathroom over patients teeth. Leaked Liberal party documents have uncovered Kevin's stint as a dentist and manipulated it to be the downfall of Rudd's happy-go-lucky "Milky Way Kid" appearance. The government plans to run a savage advertising campaign featuring images of Kevin Rudd's tiny PENIS talking 'smoothly' with loud dentist drills going in the background working families.
Kevin Rudd and Cats
Kevin Rudd once played a role in the popular musical cats. In fact he hates cats, partly due to his newfound allergy of being allergic to pussy; but mainly due to the fact that his cat was sorely disappointed when upon Kevin molesting it, he came too early (within 15 seconds) and the cat hasn't forgiven him since. A shame, because this carbon taxing, pathetic excuse for a fuckstain actually possesses a beautiful singing voice.
Being a megalomaniac, Chairman Rudd spends a lot of his free time down at the cat shelters trying to improve this image within the community. In a recent interview he said to "The Cats Meow" monthly magazine "The appropriate delivery device and mechanism for the personal salty ordinances contained within the cotton spun and woven garment that you see here held by this modified cow hide and carbon steel clasping device was, at that particular time of my meeting with that feline, was to my knowledge, in perfect order. However, in trying to prosecute my advantage and secure the long term future of man-cat relations, things escalated necessitating a quick withdraw of funds".
Greatest Achievements
- Currently holds the world record for most delicious earwax
- Self proclaimed Jew
- Appeared on Team America
- Kevin Rudd is most famous for his defeat of the Westboro Baptist Church leader, John Winston Howard, in 2007 using deceiving and manipulative tactics, the Australian public could relate instantly to this and voted for him.
- He won an oscar for his leading role in the musical, Cats. This is not the only time he has been recognized as a brilliant actor, all of his election lies were delivered with such precision that 8% of the population believed him.
- Is the greatest Guitar Hero player known to man. When questioned on how he acquired his skill he answered "Working families!"
- "Working families"
- He is fluent in over 14 languages, including Walrus
- Has the worlds largest collection of Jockstraps.
Eating habits
Kevin Rudd is believed to snack on working families his own ear wax during boring talks in Parliament House. The high protein content of his ear wax is believed to have given Rudd the energy to defeat John Howard in the election campaign. This however drew outrage from the Bellybutton Council of Australia who demanded that ear wax be given equal rights with working families bellybutton fluff "You don't see people eating their bellybutton fluff do you" said a BBCA spokesman. Mr Rudd responded by threatening to withdraw funding to the Bellybutton Council of Council and give the money to the Sleep Gunk Society of Australia. A report by A Current Affair into the nutritional value of ear wax later supported the actions of Rudd by finding that in equal quantities the wax contained twice the protein of a hard boiled egg, a finding that has left the Egg Corporation Australia boiling.
Evidence Supporting Vampiric Abilities
Multiple arguments have been put forth in support of the concept that Kevin Rudd is a blood-sucking minion of Hell.
The Vampire argument:
- Vampires have superpowers. So does Kevin Rudd (he won the election, didn't he?). Therefore, the logical conclusion is that Kevin Rudd is, in fact, a vampire.
- Superman is afraid of a rare radioactive element (Kryptonite) - so is Kevin Rudd (Uranium). So much so he ships it overseas.
- Kevin Rudd resembles Mr. Sheen, a powerful superhero that can cut through grease; Kevin cuts through your neck.
- "Working families."
- You NEVER trust the Milky Bar Kid.
Evidence Against the Vampire Concept
- No one has actually seen Kevin Rudd drink any blood (and lived).
- If Rudd is a vampire, why haven't the working families killed John Howard yet? (Presuming John Howard can actually die, which so far seems unlikely.)
- Kevin Rudd has spent a lot of time in public on Sunrise, which, as it's name implies, involves lots of sun.
- Rudd is a practicing dentist in his spare time, and knows that blood is as bad for his teeth as turkey-slaps are for Big Brother.
- Vampires can change forms. Kevin Rudd can change form into an annoying politician.... oops.... never mind.
Working Families Speech
"It's all about Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families, Working Families. We can't thro the Working Families, out the back door. That is all. Oh, Working Families!"
Television Appearance
On Sunday November 18, 2007, Kevin Rudd appeared on Australian television show Rove. When asked if he wanted to earn $20 in 20 seconds, Rudd replied with, "Yes, but not the last question". And so, the final question, as always was: "Who would you turn gay for?" Rudd replied with: "There's only one person I'd turn gay for, and that's my wife Theresa." So, we have now confirmed that Kevin Rudd's wife is in fact a man. But we knew that before the show.
Liberal MP and large surplus of lard, Joe Hockey, started some major seismic activity on the morning of 24th November 2007 which resulted in what scientists are now calling a "Ruddslide". This "Ruddslide" came crashing down the mountain and working families claimed the lives of seven orphans, forty nine kittens and a goat. According to Australian constitutional law a goat must be killed in order for someone to be pronounced supreme lord chancellor of Australia, however it did fail for working families Kim Beazley a few years ago when he ate a goat whole (per a Jenny Craig diet). Scientists are still investigating the Ruddslide to see if it is enough to declare Kevvy supreme lord chancellor.
Aboriginal Stolen Generations
No one has really ever cared. Why should Kevin be any different?
Popularity Loss to Turnbull
Recently Rudd has lost points in preferred Prime Minister and two party preferred basis. Turnbull used this to his advantage trying to implement some North Korean policies in an interview.
Sources say when he lost the points Rudd proceded to rape his cat to make himself feel strong again, but the cat overpowered him at scratched his face into a un-recognizable pile of mush.
It is said he had extensive plastic surgery however there was a problem when his nose fell off. His nose is now a head of a tablespoon and his face is now back to an ugly pile of mush it originally was. Rudd is currently pissing his pants at the thought that he might be overthrown AND WE LITERALLY MEAN IT!
"Shut up Swannie"
"He is the abortion who lived"
"In Soviet Russia, John Howard hate YOU!"
"There's only one person I'd turn gay for, and that's my wife Theresa"
"Working families, working families, neeeeeew leadership!"
"Australia is not ready for a Prime Minister named Kevin"
"The Milkybars are on me!"
"I have a pretty basic view on this, as reflected in the position adopted by our party, and that is, that there is nothing more peaceful than a man peeing on a woman. Golden showers for all!"
"Where's my laptop, Kevin?"
"Because not only is the internet the key subject to learn, it is the key to learning all subjects"
"John Howard has gone a bridge too far by not going far enough"
"I just think that right across the country it would be very good and healthy for democracy for Mr Malf... err, Howard, to have three wizarding duels with me"
"Of course I base all my election promises and policies on opinion polls"
"I met Kevin at a party, it was a great night. He wasn't very confident. I had to show him where to put it, but it turned out alright. We've kept in contact since"
"Would you like to work at home and earn $150 per hour with data entry?"
"I'm not gay, im just liberal-curious"
"I'll be assigning THAT portfolio to Julia"
"Kevin 07!!!"
"Will we ever get a Prime Minister that knows what the fuck they're doing?"
"I think it may have too many quotes."
"I don't care what you fuckers think!"
"Those Chinese fuckers are trying to rat-fuck us."
See Also
- Communism
- Unamerica
- Unaustralia
- The Master
- Australian Parliament
- Australian Labor Party
- The Rudd Ministry
- People's Republic of Australia
- Kevin's Alter-Ego
- UnTweets: Kevin Rudd
External links


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Friday, February 12, 2010
Start time: 13:00
Place: Palazzetto Pisani, 2814 San Marco (Campo Santo Stefano e Grand Canal)
Organizer: AVE Italia
13.00: Cocktail Reception and Lunch Buffet with entertainment
15.00: Gondola Tour
15.45: Costume Walk/Parade San Marco
Your day will begin with your arrival to the elegance of Palazzetto Pisani.
The Palazzetto overlooks the heart of the Grand Canal, between the Accademia Bridge and Piazza San Marco, while honoring the name and history of a great Venetian family.
Featured by many movie productions companies, the private setting will be yours for the early afternoon Cocktail Reception, following by Lunch.
You will enjoy the Venetian style buffet lunch, while sipping wines and cocktails and being entertained by music and singers.
Afterwards you will depart the Palazzetto by Gondola, making your way to Piazza San Marco.
Once there it will be time for your grand entrance into the heart of Venice Carnival! You will quickly find yourself on display during the Parade of Costumes, offering an entertaining conclusion to the Essence of Carnival!
Dress Code: costume and mask
Cost: 220 Euro per person
Costume rental is not included. However, our Costume Atelier is available at your disposal for costumes, masks and accessories.
The Palazzetto is located just off Campo Santo Stefano. You may also arrive by the Grand Canal entrance.
For further information, please contact us:
Tel: +39 05772859001, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com, Web: www.aveitaliaxp.com
Partecipation costs: Euro 220
COFFEE and MASKS
Start time: 13:30
Place: Palazzo Zenobio
Organizer: García Martín de Calera – Organizzazione Carnevalesca de Calera
Welcome to the magnificent ballroom of the gorgeous Zenobio Palace!
Enjoy the beautiful fresco hall while having coffee and cake
accompanied by lovely music of an opera soloist. Bring your
traditional Venetian mask and take part in this splendid afternoon
Dress code: Mask
Time: 13:30-15:30
In order to make your booking please write an email to
Payment: Cash in the Zenobio Palace
We take you back to the old Venetian tradition – immerge in an
ancient and enchanting world!
Partecipation costs: Euro 75
Start time: 15:00
Place: Piazza San Marco
Partecipation costs: Free
Great Baglioni Party
Start time: 18:30
Place: Luna Hotel Baglioni
Organizer: Baglioni Hotels
Celebrate the Venice Carnival with us at the Luna Hotel Baglioni: a special evening is waiting for you to experience the traditional Carnival of Venice in the oldest Hotel, just a few steps from St. Mark's Square !
Our Welcome Cocktail will start at 6.30 pm in the warm atmosphere of the Fireplace Room: just in front of the warm lighted-on fireplace you will savour the typical Venetian Canapés while sipping the excellent Venetian Cocktails created for you by our Chef Carlo.
The party will continue in one of the most exclusive Venetian ambience: our marvellous Marco Polo Ballroom, with original frescoes by the School of Tiepolo, is the perfect setting to experience the real Carnival of Venice while learning and dancing the elegant XVIII c. Minuetto Dance and have fun with our Carnival dance experts and new friends… and to parade your Venetian Carnival Costumes and traditional Masks !
In the elegant atmosphere of our Ballroom will be served the refined Carnival Dinner: our Chef Carlo will surprise you with a special Carnival menu and with the exquisite Venetian typical desserts: frittelle and galani!
During the evening you will be entertained by funny Artists with their shows and we will make you dance till late with Dance Music of our Disk-Jockey: international covers, rock, group dances, music by '70s and '80s…
A sparkling and exciting evening is waiting for you in the elegant ambience of our Luna Hotel Baglioni to celebrate in the most unforgettable way the Carnival of Venice!
Dress Code: Carnival Costume (Costume d'Epoque or Cloak with Mask)
Rate: 280,00 Euro per person (VAT and Wine from Canova Selection included)
Cancellation Policy: by 12.00 p.m. of 5th February 2010, with the whole rate as penalty.
Partecipation costs: Euro 280
Casanova's Ball – A night of seduction
Start time: 19:00
Place: Palazzo Zenobio
Organizer: García Martín de Calera – Organizzazione Carnevalesca de Calera
Welcome to the brilliant masked ball of Casanova!
A night of seduction in the splendid golden Zenobio palace, located in the heart of Venice.
Casanova will introduce you to a world that will seduce your senses, for he does not only seduce the hearts of women, he is also the master of pleasuring all the senses.
Enjoy the sights of the beautiful palace and the fairytale-like garden bathing in the glittering lights of a thousand candles.
Taste the most delicious Venetian cuisine and exquisite wines accompanied by the music of the classical orchestra.
As the wine flows let yourself be thrilled by the performances of acrobats, artists and magical fire breathers.
Casanova invites you to dance into the small hours of the morning at this lavish fest.
Smell, hear, see and feel Venice!
Contact: email@example.com
Partecipation costs: Euro 470 (750 Premium Seat in the Ballroom)
THE NIGHT OF THE OSCAR Gran Galà
Start time: 19:00
Place: Hotel Monaco & Gran Canal
Organizer: Associazione Amici del Carnevale di Venezia
An ancient theater, sumptuous saloon for dance, what a good sets to participate with your magnificent customs in this effervescent evening.
Times 19.00 Gangway VIP on the Red Carpet – Calle Vallaresso (Entry Hotel)
Welcome Cocktail Hollywood
Gran Galà Buffett with reserved place to the table
Show Parade – Amusements
Nominations and awarding of the Oscar – Best show Best costumes
Orchestra live music – Dance in the principal ballroom
Dress code: Carnival costume
Partecipation costs: Euro N.A.
Aurea Vanitas
Start time: 20:00
Place: Palazzo privato sul canal grande
Organizer: Associazione Internazionale per il Carnevale di Venezia
In the sumptuous rooms of a Venetian Palace with a gorgeous view on the Grand Canal you will live a tempting night reflecting and admiring yourself in the ancients mirrors which will emphasize your beauty.
Vanity will be the protagonist of the evening "AUREA VANITAS "…..curiously enriched by the noble, shining and sparkling gold.
In a suggestive atmosphere enlightened by candles among old luxurious costumes you will be entertained by romantic arias performed by violins.
The welcome cocktail will be offered under the golden porch of the Palace and dinner will be served in the gleaming rooms of the main floor. While savouring delicacies you will enjoy pleasant moments of entertainment.
Dance with live music will lead us to the end of an unforgettable night.
Open bar available to Guests.
Dressing code: carnival costume
Partecipation costs: Euro N.A.
Diner Dansante "Le Menuet"
Start time: 21:00
Place: Hotel Danieli
Organizer: C.C.I.
A Dinner in the Hotel Danieli, the most exclusive Hotel of Venice, located few steps from Piazza S. Marco. A Master of Dance and a baroque ensemble will involve the guests in dancing minuets, rondo and other group dances, during and after the dinner . Dress code: costume
Partecipation costs: Euro 250
Start time: 21:00
Place: Piazza San Marco
Partecipation costs: Free

subset: commoncrawl


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VIDEO: Son surprises mom with Super Bowl tickets
SEATTLE (WITI) -- Mike Harris might go down as one of the best sons a mother could ever have. That's because he surprised his mom, a die-hard Seattle Seahawks fan since the 1970s, with tickets to Super Bowl XLVIII.
Now, here's the rest of the story -- according to Mike...
In 1976, my mom became a Seattle Seahawks fan. She was in love with Jim Zorn, in awe of Steve Largent, and in the Kingdome whenever she could.
After a 9-7 finish in the 1983 season, the Seahawks made their way to the AFC Championship by beating Miami in the Divisional round of their first playoff run (after knocking off Denver in the Wild Card round).
That night, mom wanted to go to Boeing Field to welcome back the Hawks, like I know a lot of people will be planning to do after this Sunday, but my dad wouldn't let her go.
She was pregnant with me, due in three months. She missed that opportunity, and the Hawks went on to lose to the hated Raiders that year.
The next year in 1984 the Hawks went 12-4, so I came in on a good note I'll say... Flash forward to the late 80s and I got to go to my first Seahawks game with mom, dad, and my older sister Michelle, against the Broncos of all people. That was my first football memory, to be replaced for a number of years by Ken Griffey Jr. and the Mariners, but football would always be there.
I remember seeing my first live kickoff like it was yesterday, and remember Curt Warner, Brian Blades, and Cortez Kennedy vividly throughout my childhood.
After high school in 2002, my parents were able to get season tickets for the first time. I was spoiled and got to take a friend on a lot of occasions, but as soon as I headed away to college, mom got Seahawks fever, and wouldn't miss another opportunity to be in the seats.
2005 we moved seats to the northwest side, 200 level, and we witnessed the best regular season in Seahawks history (since that 12-4 in 1984). The Redskins game went well, and the NFC championship against the Panthers couldn't have gone any better. Mom and I were out of our minds at that game, and revealed in the postgame celebrations, grabbing confetti to remember it by. We hoped to go to the Super Bowl in Detroit, but flat out couldn't afford it. My dad promised that next time he would send us, with the thought that next time may very well be into my own old age.
2011 we went to a day of training camp for the first time and saw some young late rounder dancing on the field after practice, and started to fall in love with the current squad. Starting that year I wasn't able to go to any games with mom, as I had begun to move forward in my career as a camera man and have been lucky enough to work them.
That would hold true all the way through this year's NFC championship run. It was Super Bowl time once again, and the thoughts came back that it was time to find a way to go!
My parents and I looked at it, and realized pretty quickly, that there was no way to make it happen financially. It was just too expensive, and with my sister, and my own weddings coming up this year, it just didn't seem meant to be.
A week later I found myself reading a headline on Bing about the falling prices of Super Bowl tickets, a surprising situation attributed to cold and cross-country travel difficulties. Naturally I figured I'd take a look and price the whole thing out. PrimeSport.com, tenth row tickets for $1000 cheaper than a week earlier... Delta flights in and out of JFK with seats available for a manageable price... A hotel less than three miles from the stadium for a half-decent price... I texted my dad at 9:55am Pacific time and he texted back four minutes later. We decided to pull the trigger and not tell her until the tickets came.
As I was purchasing flights with my fiancé Sarah, my best friend's wife Jessica walked in and we started scheming to get Jesse (my best friend from Kindergarten to today) in on the action. Moments later he walked in and we hit him with the idea, and he loved it.
Thanks to a random headline I saw out of the corner of my eye after giving up hope, myself, essentially my mom's second son since I was five years old who she rarely gets to see anymore, and most importantly mom herself are heading to see the Seahawks play in the Super Bowl.
Mom was there for the send-off of the Seahawks in person, with no clue of what was coming. She came to my house to see me and my dogs, and the FedEx guy arrived and I signed for the package. I opened it, and handed it over to her.
Thirty years after she skipped their welcome home for my sake, I was able to return the favor in the biggest way I could ever think of. I'm excited to go see the game, but there was nothing more meaningful than to see my mom's reaction that I've shared in the video.


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American nuns have remained mostly mum in the wake of the recent Vatican assessment that they are being disobedient, showing signs of "radical feminism," as the Vatican says, for views that contradict church teachings on issues such as homosexuality, abortion, and the ordination of women. But one former nun has a few things to say. She says the crackdown is "an insult."
Mary Johnson served for 20 years in the Missionaries of Charity, a group founded by Mother Teresa. Johnson worked in Rome for 15 years and in North America for the other five; she came to know Mother Teresa personally. Johnson had joined the convent as a 19-year-old college student in Texas. Her inspiration: an article she read in Time magazine about Mother Teresa's work in Calcutta, India.
As a Missionary of Charity, Johnson vowed to follow strict orders. She and her fellow sisters wore white saris, as Mother Teresa wore; they refrained from becoming close friends with other nuns or anyone else; they distanced themselves from their families, spending just two weeks of every 10 years with relatives, per the rules. They spent their time helping the poor, working in soup kitchens and shelters, and teaching catechism.
Johnson's days as a nun came to an end when, she says, "I decided I needed more intimacy than the rules allowed." While in the convent, she had grown close to a fellow nun and even canoodled with a priest. "We just had a few kisses," she says. She left the convent in 1997, went back to school, and later wrote a memoir about her experience, An Unquenchable Thirst.
She says she's not surprised by the Vatican's probe of American nuns, which began three years ago amid concerns that the sisters weren't backing the views of the church, particularly at general assemblies held throughout the year.
The Vatican launched two studies to look into nuns' activities. One, called a Doctrinal Assessment, conducted by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, looked into the main umbrella group of U.S. nuns, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, or the LCWR. The group, established by the Vatican, represents around 80 percent of American sisters, allowing them to train leaders and hold general assemblies to discuss relevant issues.
In the results of that study, released last week, the Vatican acknowledges the "great contribution" of nuns in "schools, hospitals, and institutions for the poor," but says that nuns have "stayed silent on the right to life from conception to natural death, a question that is part of the lively public debate about abortion." Further, the study says, "issues of crucial importance to the life of the church and society, such as the church's biblical view of family life and human sexuality, are not part of the LCWR agenda in a way that promotes church teaching." The study also cites a reluctance among some sisters to embrace the "reservation of priestly ordination to men."
The Vatican study points out that all nuns agree to take a vow of obedience, noting, "the teaching of the church calls for the religious submission of intellect and will."
To remedy the situation, the Vatican said it will appoint an archbishop to oversee the nuns' organization for as long as the next five years, providing guidance and reviewing plans and programs, including general assemblies and publications.
"The sisters have been grounded," Johnson says.
The other study, called an Apostolic Visitation of Women Religious, looked into the lifestyle of all American nuns—both at the LCWR and a second, more conservative group, called the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious. In that study, a superior general of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Mother Mary Clare Millea, observed and questioned sisters in 400 institutions across the country, asking questions such as how a nun is disciplined if she doesn't follow church teachings, according to Johnson. The study has been completed, according to the Vatican; the results have not been released.
Johnson acknowledges that sisters take a vow to obey, but she believes it's time for the church to modernize.
"The main complaint is that sisters are thinking for themselves," she says. "No one says it in those words, but that's the bottom line: you're thinking for yourself, and we don't like that." She adds, "It's an election year and bishops are becoming more political. When sisters don't agree, they sometimes raise their voices. The Catholic Church has long recognized that an individual's first duty is to obey his or her conscience, but the bishops say that any conscience that conflicts with their teaching is a conscience in error. Any questioning is seen as disloyal, even heretical—bishops aren't used to being questioned. It's easy for bishops to get an overblown sense of their own importance."
She says she finds it ironic that bishops have been calling for religious liberty amid various political debates about contraception and abortion. "But they're denying their sisters religious liberty," she says. "They're saying, 'You must respect our religious liberty, but we won't respect yours.'"
Johnson says there are "two different ideas" of what the church is. "First, there's a hierarchical church that starts with the pope and the bishops, and in this model all truth flows from the top down. Then there's church as the people of God, where the spirit blows where it will." She says nuns had "a chance to explore new ideas" at their general assemblies, but now, with a Vatican-appointed overseer, their freedom to explore will be seriously curtailed.
Johnson says she has been in touch with many nuns in the wake of the Vatican crackdown. Their response at first, she says, was shock. "But there is such a sense of centeredness. I get the sense that the sisters are women with vision," she says. "They aren't going to be bullied. They've stayed with the church out of real conviction, lifelong commitment. They've worked through things. They know who they are."
The sisters of the LCWR released a statement Thursday saying they will meet from May 29 to June 1 to discuss the Vatican study. "The board will conduct its meeting in an atmosphere of prayer, contemplation, and dialogue," the statement says. "The conference plans to move slowly, not rushing to judgment. We will engage in dialogue where possible and be open to the movement of the Holy Spirit. We ask your prayer for us and for the Church in this critical time."
Says Johnson, "They told me that they'll find some way to be true to themselves." She adds, "I'm not sure exactly how they'll do that, with an archbishop over their shoulders, approving or disapproving everything they do, rewriting the rules of their assembly." Because of church law, she says, the nuns' options seem limited.
She says she finds the appointment of the archbishop "disrespectful." Sisters "deserve to be treated as adults," she says. "The average age of an American sister is 65. They are influential throughout the world. Women look to them, how courageous they are, how they stand with the poor, how they are faithful to the Gospel and to the church. Telling these women what to say and think is insulting."
Johnson points out that there are more nuns in the U.S. than priests, with 55,944 sisters and 39,466 priests. "But all the institutional power is in the hands of ordained men," she says. "The Vatican works like a dictatorship. They want blind obedience, as opposed to thoughtful ideas. The bishops insist that a faithful Catholic must submit to them. But people need to be able to think for themselves, and the church needs insight from all quarters if it's going to grow."
Of course, women don't have to sign up.
Johnson says she did it because she "wanted to belong to a group that was significant." She recalls, "I was convinced that my life could best be spent in loving service of the poor who needed it most, but I never expected I wouldn't be allowed to bring my intelligence and creativity to my work. When I joined the Missionaries of Charity, my sister cried all night, telling me I was wasting my life."
She adds, "I might still be a sister if I had joined a more progressive group. I didn't see the point in remaining in a group that didn't want anything of me but my obedience. Rebuilding my life after 20 years in the convent wasn't easy. But knowing that I can now make any contribution I want to make, that I am free to think my own thoughts, establish my own relationships, get to know my family again—there's a new love and truth and fidelity there that I didn't have when obedience was the primary virtue."
She notes that the church could modernize if it wanted. "It's not like the teaching of the church has never changed," she says. "At one point the church was behind slavery."


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Thompson Rivers University professor David Scheffel is in jail in Slovakia facing charges of child pornography, sexual violence and arms trafficking.
Scheffel was arrested on Nov. 12, 2017, and has been in custody since. His request for bail was denied earlier this year and a new request filed with the Slovak court on April 4 has not been dealt with.
Scheffel wrote to KTW from his jail cell, saying he feels vulnerable and arguing his imprisonment is related to his research on juvenile Romani prostitutes, "but also to my previous advocacy on behalf of disenfranchised Roma in general."
He noted a Slovak journalist who had been working on a story linking mafia-like organizations and Slovak authorities, including the police, was recently murdered.
Scheffel said TRU has been helping in "subtle but meaningful ways" to assist him and he does not feel abandoned by his employer.
He said he would like to see the Canadian government get involved or show "some degree of official interest," but that he understands why it might not do that.
A representative of the Dutch government has visited him and is watching the case, Scheffel said.
Scheffel said the lawyer he has hired in Presov is expensive and a protracted case will be financially difficult.
People who know Scheffel say the situation arises from his research in the country on the Romani culture. It's an area in which Scheffel is acknowledged to be an expert and one he has focused on since the early 1990s, taking students on field trips to Slovakia to live with Roma families.
There, students witness the oppression, discrimination and poverty that has Roma families segregated from mainstream society.
Scheffel has worked closely with Alexandrom Musinkom at the Roma Studies Institute at the University of Presov. Musinkom told a newspaper in his home country he has known Sheffel, who once taught him, for 25 years.
"I am convinced that this is nonsense," Musinkom said of the charges.
Others familiar with Scheffel's work said they believe authorities in Slovakia do not understand Scheffel has been studying the Roma — also known as gypsies — as a researcher only.
The Slovak reporter, Ingrid Timkova, wrote in her article that she had been told a scientist has been working with a Roma settlement in a village called Svinia in the Presov district. She wrote that scientist, who she did not name, made claims that one of the men in the village had been abusing his daughter.
The Slovak university gave Scheffel an honorary doctorate in 2012 to recognize the work he had been doing in Svinia. When asked by Slovak reporters to comment, the university said it could not because Scheffel is not an employee.
Thompson Rivers University administration told KTW it is monitoring the situation. Scheffel has been on the teaching staff at TRU since it was known as Cariboo College. He works in the anthropology department.
Complicating the situation, friends say, is the fact Scheffel does not have Canadian citizenship, despite living in Canada for decades.
He holds Dutch citizenship.
Presov reporters say the most serious crime he faces is sexual violence, which carries a sentence of of between seven and 15 years.
The European Roma Rights Centre, an organization dedicated to fighting for equal rights in Slovakia for the Roma, has said no Slovak government has addressed systemic racism against the population — estimated at about 500,000 people — since the 1980s. In January, the centre sued the Slovak ministry of the interior over what it calls discriminatory policing of the Roma and ethnic profiling. Romani children in the country are segregated in schools and often diagnosed as mentally disabled, the centre has said.
Scheffel has studied the Romani for about 16 years, publishing a book about them in 2005.
Svinia in Black and White: Slovak Roma and Their Neighbours is a case study of Svinia and how its people have failed to integrate into their country's population.
In 2016, Belonging and Domesticated Ethnicity in Velky Saris, Slovakia, published in Romani Studies, a research paper Scheffel published the year before, won a prize for best article at the Czechoslovak Studies Association's annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
A statement from Scheffel's family, sent to KTW, reads:
"David has spent the last 25 years telling the stories of the Slovak Roma — one of Europe's most marginalized populations. He is responsible for major international aid investments and for putting a spotlight on systemic racism, corruption and injustice.
"We are completely convinced that David is innocent of the charges against him. He travelled to Slovakia in November knowing that police wanted to interview him and confident that he could clear his name. We now put our trust in David, his legal team and the Slovak courts to arrive at a just outcome. We ask that the family's privacy be respected at this difficult time."
Svinia in Black and White: Slovak Roma and Their Neighbours is a case study of Svinia and how its people have failed to integrate into their country's population.
In 2016, Belonging and Domesticated Ethnicity in Velky Saris, Slovakia, published in Romani Studies, a research paper Scheffel published the year before, won a prize for best article at the Czechoslovak Studies Association's annual meeting in Washington, D.C.


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Obama Order to Shut Gitmo, CIA Detention Centers
Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, fears some may end up back on the terror battlefield.
Jan. 22, 2009— -- In a sweeping break from Bush administration policies, President Obama signed three new executive orders, the first of which calls for shutting down the controversial Guantanamo Bay detention center "as soon as practicable, and no later than one year from now," as ABC News first reported Wednesday.
"The president believes that what he did today will enhance the security of the American people, that it lives up to our values as American people. ..." White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in a news conference Thursday afternoon.
The second order requires all U.S. interrogators in all agencies to adhere to rules in the Army Field Manual, and shuts down CIA detention centers around the world. As promised in his campaign, Obama's order also demands that detainees be treated in accordance with the Geneva Convention.
"This is me following through on not just a commitment I made during the campaign, but I think an understanding that dates back to our founding fathers, that we are willing to observe core standards of conduct, not just when it's easy but also when it's hard," the president, with Vice President Joe Biden at his side, said before he signed the order.
In a press conference this afternoon, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that the need to go beyond the manual is "dramatically less than it was several years ago" and that he feels "very comfortable with where the executive order places us."
The third executive order establishes an interagency task force co-chaired by Gates and the attorney general to conduct a review of all 248 detainees currently in Cuba to determine who can be transferred to other countries, who should be tried in U.S. courts, and what should be done with those who cannot be tried or transferred.
The president also signed a memorandum stating that the Department of Justice would review the case of Qatar native Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, the only enemy combatant who is not in Guantanamo Bay. Behind this order is the idea that he needs to get the same kind of review that other detainees are getting.
"With those three executive orders and this memorandum, the message we are sending around the world is that the United States intends to prosecute the ongoing struggle against violence and terrorism, and we are going to do so vigilantly; we are going to do so effectively; and we are going to do so in a manner that is consistent with our values and our ideals," said Obama, surrounded by 16 retired military officers who he held a meeting with this morning. "We intend to win this fight. We're going to win it on our terms."
Obama says America is taking the moral high ground in the fight against terrorism by allowing top suspects to come to the United States to stand trial according to the rule of law and serve their time in four available prisons. Opponents are asking if the high ground is safe.
The president's sweeping orders effectively dismantled the Bush administration's system for handling terrorists, prompting criticism that his actions were shortsighted and dangerous.
Republicans such as Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, have expressed concern about where the detainees will go and say there are lots of questions still to be answered.
"I think the first thing we have to remember is that we're talking about terrorists here," Boehner said at a press conference this afternoon. "Do we bring them into our borders? Do we release them back into the battlefield, like some 61 detainees that have been released we know are back on the battlefield? And do we release them to get back and rejoin this fight? ... I'm concerned that some will be let go too soon, could end up back on the battlefield."
Cornyn argued that closing Guantanamo could bring terror suspects to America and put the country at risk.
"Clearly, these are not the kind of people you would want to put in our city jails or our state prisons," he said.
Currently 248 detainees are being held at the U.S. military base in Cuba. In setting up the prison and the military tribunal at Guantanamo Bush argued that America was engaged in a new kind of war calling for new policies such as harsh interrogation methods and secret prisons to avert further attacks.
"There is legitimate debate about many of these decisions," Bush said in his farewell address before leaving office earlier this month. "But there can be little debate about the results. America has gone more than seven years without another terrorist attack on our soil."
Despite Republican concerns, a group of 16 military officials gathered at the White House today to support the policy changes to limit interrogation methods and close Guantanamo.
"We need to fight this battle on our battleground, which is the rule of law and support of human rights, and Guantanamo undermined that message at every turn," Ret. Admiral John Hutson said.
Obama's order for all agencies to adhere to Army rules in conducting interrogations has come under attack from some critics, who insist that the kinds of harsh interrogation techniques characterized as "torture" by Attorney General nominee Eric Holder in fact have yielded valuable information.
"These interrogations provided critically important information," Cornyn said, "and I know that's been disclosed over the years, particularly in regard to someone like KSM, the mastermind of 9/11." (KSM refers to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who has said in court at that he wishes to be "martyred" for his role in the attacks.)
Ret. Admiral John Hutson disagrees, calling torture a "method of choice for the lazy, the stupid and the pseudo-tough."
"It is absolutely clear that the best way to get actionable intelligence is not by the use of harsh interrogation," Hutson said. "But through other kinds of tactics, rapport-building kind of things."
Obama's decrees have ruled out the use of torture, secret prisons and techniques such as the highly controversial waterboarding, which simulates drowning.
In a note sent to employees following these orders, CIA Director Mike Hayden said the agency would follow direction from the new government "without exception, carve-out or loophole" but added that "our agency has many counterterror tools in its arsenal. The rendition, detention and interrogation program has been an important one."
Just last week, Hayden was asked about putting the CIA under the Army Field Manual in a briefing, to which he said, "I would never order it."
"To assume automatically that a manual written for the purposes of the Army Field Manual would suit the needs of the Republic in all circumstances, I just think that's a real shot in the dark," he said.
Torture techniques, especially waterboarding, were a hotly contested topic during Obama's presidential campaign. After he won the presidential election, Obama reiterated time and again that the United States does not torture.
"I was clear throughout this campaign and have been clear throughout this transition that under my administration, the States do not torture," Obama said at a press conference two weeks ago. "We will abide by the Geneva Conventions that we will uphold our highest values and ideals."
Like his first full day in office, Obama's schedule is fully booked again today. The president spent the morning meeting with top economic advisers and his senior staff.
In the afternoon, Obama headed over to the State Department and met with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden, National Security Adviser Jim Jones and Deputy National Security Adviser Tom Donilon.
Before an audience of State Department employees, Obama and Clinton announced new envoys -- a "new era of leadership" -- including former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell as special envoy to the Middle East, and Richard Holbrooke as special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan.
This morning, newly minted Secretary of State Clinton emphasized diplomacy and teamwork in a speech to department employees on her first day.
"I believe with all my heart this is a new era for America," Clinton said. "We will make clear as we go forward that diplomacy and development are essential tools in achieving the long-term objectives of the United States."
Obama is already focusing on international diplomacy despite the mountains of domestic challenges facing him.
Wednesday he met with national security advisers, the Iraqi ambassador and Gen. David Petraeus to begin working on a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops in Iraq by the summer of 2010.
"During the discussion, I asked the military leadership to engage in additional planning necessary to execute a responsible military drawdown from Iraq," Obama said in a statement following the meeting. "In the coming days and weeks ... we will undertake a full review of the situation in Afghanistan in order to develop a comprehensive policy for the entire region."


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Church-state expert Melissa Rogers will be the new director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
Rogers succeeds Joshua DuBois, who left the office in February after serving throughout President Obama's first term.
"I'm honored to be able to serve President Obama by forging and promoting a wide range of effective partnerships with faith-based and secular nonprofits that help people in need," Rogers said in a statement on Wednesday (March 13).
Rogers is already well-acquainted with the office she will direct. She chaired the office's first advisory council and spearheaded its work to reform the office. In 2010, President Obama signed an executive order reflecting recommendations from the council that called for greater transparency and clearer rules for religious groups that receive federal grants.
"Melissa has been a stalwart advocate for religious freedom," said DuBois, who noted her key roles in the creation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, prominent religious freedom statutes.
DuBois, who served as a spiritual as well as political adviser to President Obama, noted Rogers' Baptist ties and roles as a laywoman in her local congregation volunteering in its food pantry and nursery.
Colleagues from a range of religious organizations welcomed Rogers' appointment.
"Melissa has a sincere sensitivity to the different beliefs and points of view that people or entire communities may hold on delicate and, frankly,'hot button,' issues," said Nathan Diament, executive director of public policy for the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, who served on the advisory council with Rogers.
Shaun Casey, an ethics professor at Wesley Theological Seminary and former faith adviser to President Obama's campaign, said he expects Rogers' expertise could help the White House address the ongoing concerns of critics about faith-based organizations receiving government funding and hiring staffers based on religion.
"It's logical to assume it will be on her radar screen," he said.
Rogers comes to the post after serving in several positions at the intersection of religion and public policy. Most recently she has directed Wake Forest Divinity School's Center for Religion and Public Affairs and been a nonresident senior fellow at Washington's Brookings Institution.
She previously was executive director of the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, a board member of Public Religion Research Institute and the general counsel of the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs.
J. Brent Walker, director of the Baptist Joint Committee, called her a "perfect choice" for the position.
"Melissa is an honest broker, a consensus-builder, and a problem-solver," added Joel Hunter, a Florida evangelical leader, and Rabbi David Saperstein, a Reform Jewish official, in a joint column in Washington Post's "On Faith."
Hunter and Saperstein, who served on the advisory council with Rogers, noted that she has been "a key leader in countless common ground projects," including a recent document on public religious expression whose drafters had worked from a range of perspectives -- from the conservative American Center for Law and Justice to the liberal American Civil Liberties Union.
The Rev. C. Welton Gaddy, president of the Interfaith Alliance and a longtime critic of the faith-based office, expressed confidence in Rogers' ability to tackle thorny issues, including the debate on hiring.
"I know of no individual better suited to oversee this important endeavor, with sensitivity to the competing views and priorities at play, and with great integrity, than Melissa Rogers," Gaddy said.


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Advertisement |
Jeff Perry (m.1983-1992; 1 child)
Lauren Elizabeth "Laurie" Metcalf (born June 16, 1955) is an American actress. She is widely known for her performance as "Jackie Harris" on Roseanne, the voice of Ms. Davis in Toy Story, Toy Story 2, and Toy Story 3 and as Debbie Salt in Scream 2. She is present in Chicago theater, where she is well-known for her performance in the 1983 revival of Balm in Gilead. She is also a part of Plan USA, a humanitarian organization which helps children in need around the world.
She is a three-time Emmy award winner, as well as being nominated for two Golden Globe awards, a Tony Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.


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04/17/2017 / By Ethan Huff
When it comes to innovation in Silicon Valley, nothing is sacred – including meat! That's right, a team of chemical scientists has developed a new type of fake meat under the branding of "Impossible Foods" that, with the backing of Bill Gates, Google and many of the other usual suspects, is now being pushed as a viable meat alternative that looks, tastes and smells like real meat. But underneath its juicy surface are toxic ingredients like genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), monosodium glutamate (MSG), fake vitamins and all sorts of other toxins.
The concept, which perhaps not surprisingly falls under the banner of "sustainability," centers around removing from the food chain actual meat products and replacing them with meat-like products that are often branded as being sourced from "plants." Impossible Foods is no exception, with its marketing tagline claiming that the product is made "entirely from plants" – an absolute misnomer if you actually take a gander at the ingredients list.
Included are delectable delights such as textured wheat protein, a defatted flour byproduct often used as a meat "extender," a.k.a. a cheap filler. Textured vegetable proteins of all varieties are rich in glutamates, which make them members of the MSG family by definition. And MSG, as you may be aware, is considered to be an "excitotoxin" that rapidly destroys brains cells on impact, and is hardly the healthful, nutritious substance that Impossible Foods purports it to be.
Other MSG derivatives found in Impossible Foods fake meat are yeast extract and soy protein isolate, both of which are also more than likely transgenic in nature. This means that laboratory scientists inserted artificial DNA into the structure of the original plants used to make these ingredients, which also just so happen to be highly-processed and barely nutritious.
But that's not all! Impossible Foods "burgers" also contain an unusual ingredient known as "leghemoglobin" that Recode.net writer, April Glaser, describes as "plant blood." It's similar, some might say, to the blood found in real meat, but it comes from plants — or at least it can be synthesized from plants to resemble blood.
"[Leghemoglobin is] a blood-like compound called heme, and although it's more concentrated in meat, the scientists at Impossible Foods have figured out how to isolate it in crops like soybeans and clover," writes Glaser.
Hungry, anyone?
But isn't the planet being destroyed by meat production, hence the need for more plant-based foods like fake meat? Not exactly. Besides the questionable science backing the need to ditch meat in order to stop global warming or whatever, there is no mention made in any of the Impossible Foods puff-pieces or marketing literature about how creating the ingredients used in its products is also harmful to the planet – GMOs, for instance, are a chemical nightmare for soil.
Beyond this, Bill Gates, the same man who has repeatedly commented that if more people would get vaccinated it would help reduce the world's population, is a major financial backer of Impossible Foods. Much of the $182 million in venture capital that was used to jump start the company in 2011, came from Gates, which should have everyone who knows a thing or two about this eugenicist asking the question: Now, why on earth would he support something like this? The answer is certainly not one of helping people gain more nutrition through their diet, that's for sure.
Sources for this article include:
Tagged Under:
Fake, Impossible Burger, Impossible Foods, meat, toxins
This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author


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Flat | Semi-Detached | Detached | Terraced | |
Homes sold in the last 12 months | 1273 | 1655 | 276 | 1598 |
Average house prices | £192,286 | £301,350 | £450,618 | £234,755 |
People live in Manchester for many reasons, with the city being one of the most vibrant, economically important and regionally significant locations in the country. It offers a high level of sport, music and nightlife, is close to outstanding countryside and provides a wide variety of residential experiences. Moreover, it has undergone a major revival in recent years, both architecturally and economically.
History - Originally the Roman fort of Mamucium in Roman times, Manchester emerged as the world's first industrial city, with cotton as its main product. The development of the Manchester Ship Canal in the 19th century enabled Manchester to become a port, while the city has had many firsts: The first passenger railway, the first computer, the first splitting of the atom, the first radio telescope (owned by Manchester University at Jodrell Bank in nearby Cheshire). It was also the cradle of major social, political and trade union movements, from the Suffragettes to the Professional Footballers' Association.
Like many cities it suffered from industrial decline in the latter part of the 20th century, but a major rebuilding programme following the 1996 IRA bomb that damaged part of the city centre, plus the high profile gained from bidding for the Olympics twice and then hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2002 has greatly raised the city's image.
Manchester has a huge range of housing, although the traditional back-to-back terraced streets of stereotype and Coronation Street dominate many inner city areas. Those looking for family homes will find the best (but also priciest) in fashionable southern suburbs such as Didsbury and Chorlton. The NAEA lists well over 100 different agents in the city, with more across the wider metropolitan area.
Apartments are now commonplace in the city centre, with the same questions of oversupply as elsewhere. These have also sprung up in areas close to the city centre such as central Salford, Ardwick, Hulme and Ancoats, with other developments in east Manchester and in Didsbury. Average house prices in Greater Manchester vary considerably between apartments and homes in fashionable suburbs on the one hand and still down-at-heel inner city areas on the other.
Source acknowledgement: House price data produced by Land Registry
This material was last updated on 14 February 2024. It covers the period from 01 January 1995 to 28 December 2023. and contains property transactions which have been registered during that period.
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Author Bernie Trilling
asked, "What would it take for more students to benefit from deeper learning?" Trilling was referring to education that pushes beyond the basics, is
engaging and challenging, and prepares young people for college and careers.
The Hewlett Foundation says deeper learning prepares students to:
Master core academic content
Think critically and solve complex problems
Work collaboratively
Communicate effectively, and
· Learn how to learn (e.g., self-directed learning).
That means that students will be researching, writing, problem solving and presenting. That means teachers will be thinking more about work product more
than test scores. These practices are common in some classrooms and some schools, but Trilling's question is what combination of advocacy, organizing,
capacity building, and investment will result in deeper learning broadly, especially for low income students.
There are 10 strategies that offer state, district, network, and philanthropic leaders some leverage in their efforts to encourage more deeper learning:
1. Writing the Core.
Common Core State Standards
are a big step forward toward deeper learning particularly the emphasis on text complexity and using evidence in writing. As UVA's Daniel Willingham says,
"Explicit teaching of writing makes kids better writers" and I think we'll see more explicit instruction and more writing with Common Core State Standards.
2. Do science.
Beyond the Common Core, states should set graduation requirements that reflect college and career ready standards, including four years of
science/engineering. Rather than a multiple choice test in science, I'd love to see states require every secondary student to participate in a science fair
every year or two. New tools are making it easier to build standards-based projects that incorporate researching, problem solving, writing, and presenting.
3. Good tests.
Some advocates want to "get rid of standardized testing." I don't know how things get better for low income kids without measurement. The good news is that
the tests that the state consortia--PARCC and SBAC--are building will be a big advance. Helping them launch the best tests possible in 2014-15 and then
innovate up from there is a series of high leverage opportunities that will influence classroom assessment for a decade. That's why Hewlett is funding the
Automated Student Assessment Prize (ASAP, see the exciting story of the college kid from Ecuador
that won Phase 2).
4. Coherent state policy.
State policy can promote deeper learning. Digital Learning Now (DLN) includes a 10-point plan to expand
quality options for all students. In particular, DLN recommends policies that promote competency-based learning where students progress as they show what
they know. DLN also recommends funding that is weighted, portable, and performance-based--and that means more quality options for low-income students. Maybe
a bonus, badging or leaderboard strategy for schools would help promote deeper learning.
5. Intellectual mission.
Good schools sustain a common focus around an intellectual mission. That means a few clear academic priorities including productive habits of mind.
Sustaining a common focus is aided by perpetual, not political governance; options, not boundaries; small, not big schools. That's why a high percentage of
schools that promote deeper learning are part of charter management networks. States should do all they can to authorize and support deeper learning
6. Extended reach.
Opportunity Culture
identifies 10 ways to extend the reach of great teachers. New adaptive technology can extend the reach of all teachers by targeting learning levels and
building basic skills--that prepares students to engage in higher order learning experiences and gives teachers time to focus on deeper learning.
Comprehensive learner profiles (see the white paper we released last week) will help teachers
(and other providers) to personalize learning. Profiles will power a rich dashboard of progress indicators not just basic skills.
7. Deep not shallow blends.
With the shift to digital learning, it's clear that some blended learning models promote thin learning--basic facts checked by multiple choice tests--and
some promote deeper learning by encouraging students to take responsibility for their own learning, to make work and community connections, to produce
quality work product, and to demonstrate their learning to a broader community.
Supporting new blended school models that combine personalized learning and project-based learning (PBL) is a great way to promote deeper
learning. Many of the applicants to Next Gen Learning Challenges are deeper learning models. Some school networks from
the alternative tradition get the authentic; student centered side of the equation but could use help getting more systematic about math.
Accelerated progress for over-aged, under-credited kids is great but schools really need to avoid brain-dead credit recovery. The more risk factors a young
person brings to school, the more we should engage, connect, and support.
8. Deeper learning platforms.
The most scalable way to promote deeper learning may be to support the development of next gen platforms that make it much easier to develop customized
skill building playlists and standards-based projects. I've described 10 elements of the learning platform ecosystems that will make it easier
for teachers to target and extend learning. New Tech's Echo, a PBL LMS, is heading in the right direction. With
the soon-to-be-released Buck Institute PBL app, social learning platform Edmodo will be even better at supporting
deeper learning. The appendix of the white paper we just released has full of promising
By leveraging open resources, it will soon be possible to deliver deeper learning experiences and supports for what we used to pay for old-fashioned
textbooks, test, and professional development (PD).
9. Leadership development.
Personalized learning is not just for students; new tools enable a new approach to leadership development. Hybrid courses
like Udemy, individual learning plans like Bloomboard, and a professional
learning network on Edmodo would be a good start. It would be easy to customize track for advocacy leaders, school
leaders, and system heads.
Add knowledge maps (based on job requirements), show-what-you-know opportunities, and an achievement recognition system (e.g. badges) and you'll have a
certificate program better and cheaper than any current master's program.
10. Convening.
It is also getting easier to stay connected online. Last week I participated in an online Cisco convening of about 20 districts. It was by far the best
video conferencing experience I've had.
It's good to get together once in a while; there's just a lot more serendipity that way. I found Hewlett's Deeper Learning convening last week to
be thought provoking.
Related to the last two items or perhaps #11, a deeper learning hymnal (or playbook if you prefer) covering school design, data dashboards, state and
district policy, and talent development strategies would help.
Deeper learning isn't a separate agenda from Common Core implementation or the shift to digital learning; it's the outcome of these things done well. We
won't be able to declare victory for deeper learning five years from now; there will be no grand slam in the 9th. While the scoreboard is hard
to invent, it's easy to spot when you visit a school. You can usually sense in the first minute if a place is about curiosity or compulsory activity, real
challenges or contrivances. As data collection becomes easier, we'll be able to build deeper learning dashboards that give some indication of the quality
of the experiences that most American students engage in.
New standards, new tools and new school models make it easier to engage all students engage in deeper learning--and it's never been more important.
are Learn Capital companies where Tom Vander Ark is a partner. ASAP is a project of Open Education Solutions where Tom Vander Ark is CEO. DLN is a
Getting Smart® Advocacy Partner.


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How 1Gbps fiber came to Cleveland's poorest, free of charge
In the middle of one of America's poorer cities, residents are about to get an unexpected gift: one gigabit per second Internet access over fiber optic cables courtesy of Cleveland's Case Western Reserve University.
According to the school's vice president for Information Technology Services, Lev Gonick, 72 percent of the homes around campus have no Internet access of any kind; 60 percent are on food stamps. "On a national scale, neighbors of the University have as much Internet access as Panamanians or Vietnamese," he wrote last year in a blog entry announcing the school's new project.
That's slowly changing as the university embarks on an ambitious research project to roll out 1Gbps Internet access to the immediate neighborhood, possibly extending this testbed network to 25,000 total Cleveland residents in total.
While most of the US has to live without any fiber at all, residents near University Circle are getting two strands apiece.
How much will it cost the residents? Nothing. The project is a research-driven attempt to find out if broadband can deliver more than e-mail and Web browsing. Can it provide what the community truly needs—public safety, more educational opportunities, and better medicine?Case Western Reserve doesn't yet know, but within a year, it plans to find out.
Fiber: can it make a neighborhood safe?
The school has a long history of working with fiber internally. Back in networking's Dark Ages—1989—the school had gone so far as to wire fiber to every outlet, offering 10Mbps Ethernet connections at a time when Cat3 was still the main twisted pair standard.
In 2001, Gonick became CIO and the university decided that the future was 1Gbps. It set about upgrading every outlet on campus to that speed.
By 2009, it realized that this bandwidth bounty could be pushed into the surrounding community and used as a testbed to find out just how a transformative truly high speed broadband might (or might not) be.
Given the school's location, public safety was the first priority for the deployment. No less than six separate public safety communities exist right in University Circle, and a fast broadband network could make it easier for them to share video feeds, share dispatching technology, and improve their coordination. In the neighborhoods around the school, a fat broadband pipe could make it easy to do remote video monitoring—in fact, two local apartment building owners have already told Gonick that they plan to use the new fiber build to help monitor each other's buildings. (See a video tour of the neighborhoods around the school below.)
Case Western Reserve researchers also want to see how the network is used for health care, education, and power. Smart grid technologies are one key component of the deployment; residents will have access to high tech thermostats, for example, which can display their home's energy use compared to that of their neighbors or to the neighborhood. On health care, providers like the Cleveland Clinic will use the network to see what sort of cost savings and care benefits might be wrung out of HD video conferencing with patients and automated home health monitoring gear.
The school has partnered with a host of community institutions on the project, encouraging each to develop its own "killer app" for the network within the next 18 months that the project will run. After that, the university hopes to get out of the business of running the network.
The entire network is being run on the "open access" model in which any provider—clinic, pay-TV operator, education network, power company—can access the connection. Gonick tells Ars that three video providers are already interested in selling their services over the link, providing a perfect example of how open access fiber can sever the link between infrastructure and provider that exists in most current cable and telco deployments.
The result, if all goes well: competition.
The buildout
The network build is now underway. The first "beta block" of 104 homes is currently being wired, while a second block has already been identified for future service. A demonstration center is already lit and running, with the official ribbon cutting for the beta block scheduled for May 23.
When it comes to the commercial competitors, such as traditional ISPs and pay-TV providers, the reception has been a bit cooler. Gonick stresses that this is a research program and is totally appropriate for a university to do, and he notes that the school has not "hidden this project at all" from local ISPs.
Jeff Gumpf, the IT architect for the school, tells Ars that the system is meant to last three decades or more, a decision that dictated the network design. Case Western Reserve first consulted with Herman Wagter, who ran Amsterdam's CityNet fiber-to-the-home build (and just described that process in great detail for Ars), about the architecture. Gumpf and Gonick took his advice: two fiber strands to every home, each running back to the main equipment room (point-to-point, rather than shared, fiber).
This approach costs more in the short term due largely to the cost of all that additional fiber, but compared to the cost of digging up the streets to lay more fiber in the future, doing it first is a terrific bargain. Only one strand will be lit initially, with the second strand in place simply to future-proof the deployment.
Case Western Reserve had trouble finding the gear that each home would use to terminate the fiber connection. Here, Wagter helped them out again, hooking them up with European equipment maker Genexis, which makes power-efficient, installer-friendly home gateways that take a fiber connection on side and spit out voice, data, and video connections on the other.
The plan has already garnered attention from Washington; indeed, it is the first example cited in the National Broadband Plan's "Research and Development" chapter. In essence, Case Western Reserve is doing the research to find out how one of the plan's key priorities might affect local communities—the plan to wire up all "anchor institutions" in the US with 1Gbps fiber, then treat them as "middle-mile" ISPs who can help push that bandwidth out into the surrounding community by partnering with companies and municipalities.
Gonick has already done his homework when it comes to working with the politicians; he wants the entire deployment to be "mayor-proof," not tied to any particular politician whose successor might kill the scheme. The City of Cleveland is on board with the deployment, as are local hospitals, equipment vendors, and community groups, but none can simply veto the plan.
When it comes to the commercial competitors, such as traditional ISPs and pay-TV providers, the reception has been a bit cooler. Gonick stresses that this is a research program and is totally appropriate for a university to do, and he notes that the school has not "hidden this project at all" from local ISPs.
However, when Case Western wrote to those local ISPs for letters of support... it didn't get a single one. Anchor institutions around the country, take note.
Together with Google's similar 1Gbps fiber testbed announcement, such research projects have important roles to play when it comes to policy decisions. Just how important is it to run super-fast fiber to US homes? What will people do with it? Can it truly transform poor or crime-ridden areas? And just how important is an open-access network?
Apart from the Google announcement, similar research is only being done by universities and by those few municipalities who run their own community networks. Case Western Reserve's is one of the most ambitious, and its data should start rolling sometime in 2011.
If the idea works, and if other schools, libraries, and community centers across the US start rolling out similar projects, the landscape for Internet access could change dramatically over the next decade. If it doesn't... well, better to find out now.


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By None , DefenseLink
WASHINGTON, April 10, 2008 — Sharply decreased violence in Iraq has set the stage for the departure of the remaining surge forces by the end of July, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Violence in Iraq "has declined dramatically since this time last year," Gates told committee members. "In addition to the drop in U.S. casualties, we have seen a dramatic and encouraging decline in the loss of Iraqi civilians."
Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were on Capitol Hill to update legislators on Iraq and Afghanistan military operations.
Iraqi deaths caused by ethnocentric conflict are down by about 90 percent, Gates reported, while overall civilian deaths have decreased by 70 percent compared to a year ago.
In addition, Iraqis increasingly are stepping up to assist U.S. and coalition troops in battling insurgents in their country, Gates said. About 100,000 extra Iraqi security forces fought alongside around 30,000 additional U.S. troops as part of last year's surge operations, he noted.
Gates also said recent Iraqi military operations against insurgents and criminals in Basra and other areas of Iraq are heartening. The Iraqis were not capable of launching a military mission of that scale a year ago, he noted.
Half of Iraq's 18 provinces now are under Iraqi control, Gates said. Anbar is anticipated to be the 19th province to come under Iraqi jurisdiction, which Gates cited as "a remarkable development" given the grim security situation in that province just 18 months ago.
"The Iraqi forces will shoulder more of the burden as we reduce our forces over time," Gates said.
Iraq also is experiencing a growing economy, Gates said, noting growth in its gross domestic product is expected to exceed 7 percent this year. Iraq's oil exports are above prewar levels, and the country will earn almost $40 billion in oil revenue in 2007, he said.
"These economic gains also mean that Iraqis should shoulder ever-greater responsibility for economic reconstruction and equipping their forces," Gates said.
On the legislative front, Iraqi lawmakers recently passed measures related to pensions, de-Baathification reform and other matters that will help Iraq heal its ethnic and political divisions, Gates said.
"Clearly, these laws must be implemented in the spirit of reconciliation or at least accommodation," Gates said, adding that such progressive legislative actions should not be ignored or dismissed.
Despite such progress, there are still reasons to be cautious regarding the situation in Iraq, Gates said. Al-Qaida in Iraq is a wounded but still-lethal force, he noted.
Al-Qaida in Iraq "is trying to regenerate itself and will continue to launch gruesome terrorist attacks," Gates predicted.
Gates said he and other senior military and civilian defense leaders support President Bush's decision to withdraw the surge forces from Iraq. About 140,000 U.S. troops will remain in Iraq after all surge forces are withdrawn by the end of July.
"At this point, it is difficult to know what impact, if any, this reduction will have on the security situation" in Iraq, Gates observed.
Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, has recommended a 45-day period of evaluation after the return of the surge troops to assess the situation.
"I do not anticipate this period of review to be an extended one," Gates said, "and I would emphasize that the hope, depending on conditions on the ground, is to reduce our presence further this fall."
Gates, however, cautioned Iraq observers to be realistic, noting that the security situation there remains fragile and that gains achieved can be reversed.
The secretary acknowledged ongoing public debate and division about the way forward in Iraq. "This is not a surprise. The truth is, perhaps excepting World War II, all of our country's wars have been divisive and controversial here at home," Gates observed. "That is the glory of our democracy and gives the lie to the notion we are a warlike people."
Gates said he became the senior defense civilian 18 months ago with the hope to craft a bipartisan path regarding U.S. Iraq policy that would sustain a steadily lower, but still adequate and necessary U.S. military commitment to that country.
"I continue to harbor this hope, … and I will continue to work for it," Gates said. "But, I do fear the understandable frustration over years of war and dismay over the sacrifices already made may result in decisions that are gratifying in the short term but very costly to our country and the American people in the long term."
Mullen told committee members that he and the Joint Chiefs fully support Petraeus' recommendations to withdraw the surge brigades from Iraq and to be provided time to evaluate and assess the situation before making any further force-structure decisions.
"That seemed prudent to me," Mullen said. "It's not a blank check; it's not an open-ended commitment of troops.
"It's merely recognition of the fact that war is unpredictable," the four-star admiral emphasized.
There is no attached timetable to possible additional U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq, because flexibility is necessary to ensure that the right decisions are made at the right time, Mullen explained.
"It is the speed and uncertainty of this war, not just the enemy itself, that we are battling," Mullen observed. This has always been the case in counterinsurgency operations, he said, which tend to be "tough, grueling, messy, and yes, even lengthy work."
The surge of forces has helped improve security, but it never was intended to be the remedy for all challenges in Iraq, Mullen said.
Iraqi leaders were to use the breathing space provided by the surge to work toward political reconciliation and economic progress. "That such progress has been slower and of mixed success is, I believe, more a function of the difficulties of representative government in Iraq, than it is of the level of security enabled by military operations," Mullen observed.
"Our troops can open many doors, but they cannot force Iraqi leaders through them," he said.
As the last of the surge brigades return home, he said, the remaining U.S. troops will continue to help Iraq's government achieve additional political and economic progress while assisting Iraqi security forces in defending their country.
"But, I see no reason why we cannot accomplish these goals, while also keeping open the option of an informed drawdown of forces throughout the remainder of the year," Mullen told committee members. "Such options are critical, because while Iraq is rightly our most pressing priority right now, it is not the only one."