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Recently the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored both actresses with a luncheon coordinated by Events Director Patrick Harrison. A screening of Imitation of Life was held October 17th in tribute to the two stars at the Academy Theater at Lighthouse International. The screening was moderated by author and Brooklyn College film professor Foster Hirsch. The screening was part of the Academy's ongoing Monday Film Series "Monday Nights with Oscar.�
On October 19th Juanita Moore celebrated her birthday. Suffice it to say the actress has lived a full life. Many will remember the African American actress for her remarkable performance as Annie Johnson. Ms. Moore co-starred with Lana Turner (Lora Meredith) who wears no less than 34 glamorous outfits in the 1959 film version of "Imitation of Life,� a classic film that will go down in the annals of motion picture history as one of the best films ever made. It is the story of 4 women during a time period when, at least for African Americans, race relations were difficult at best.
Imitation of Life was made twice. Its story demonstrates what happens when racist attitudes and otherwise, force people to become an imitation of self, rather than be accepted for who they truly are. The 1934 version starred Claudette Colbert as Bea Pullman, Louise Beavers as Delilah Johnson and fair hued actress Freddie Washington as Peola. Outside of the name changes, the 1934 version portrayed the two women as business partners and friends. In the 1959 version, Annie Johnson was housekeeper to Lora Meredith. It seems the 1934 version was more progressive while the 1959 version was more heart rendering and unforgettable.
Producer Ross Hunter and Director Douglas Sirk's "Imitation of Life� is a melodrama depicting two mothers who have a chance meeting during a period when their lives are in turmoil. Widowed, Lora is struggling to survive with her daughter Susie (Sandra Dee). Her attempts to forge a career in New York City as a model/actress, is not going well. Annie's very fair skinned husband abandoned her and it is difficult for her to find work as a Domestic because she refuses to leave her equally fair skinned daughter behind. Lora and Annie strike up a bargain to aid one another.
Annie comes to live with Lora. Initially Annie agrees to work only for room and board, caring for Lora's home and child while Lora goes on auditions. Annie gives Lora a degree of status which eventually brings about Lora's first big break. The women become lifelong friends. Annie also becomes a substitute mother to Susie as Lora continues to achieve fame. Lora eventually realizes fame is a mere imitation compared to what really matters in life. Unfortunately, Annie is not having success mothering her own child, Sara Jane, who denies her mother and becomes obsessed with passing herself off as white.
Though not Black, Susan Kohner portrayed Sarah Jane. Kohner's mother was Mexican actress Lupita Tovar and father Czech producer/agent Paul Kohner. Both Susan Kohner and Juanita Moore won an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress in the movie. The picture is especially poignant and heart rendering due in large part to the great performances given by Moore and Kohner whose strained relationship is a pivotal part of the movie. Turner and Dee also have momentary tension between them when they both fall in love with the same man played by John Gavin. There is no doubt that Sarah Jane loves her mother but becomes desperate to escape her imitation life. It is very difficult for her to be a light skinned black person perceived as white by the majority of the world. Sarah Jane is aware of the inequality between living White and living Black. She wants a life unrestrained by color distinctions and prohibitions.
Recently the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored both actresses with a luncheon coordinated by Events Director Patrick Harrison. A screening of Imitation of Life was held October 17th in tribute to the two stars at the Academy Theater at Lighthouse International. The screening was moderated by author and Brooklyn College film professor Foster Hirsch. The screening was part of the Academy's ongoing Monday Film Series "Monday Nights with Oscar.� Call 888-778-7575 for info on future Academy screenings.
Mr. Hirsch regaled the film, discussing many important scenes within the movie. In one scene, Sarah Jane sneaks to meet her white boyfriend, played by Troy Donohue, who beats her upon discovering she is black. "Troy actually hits me in that scene,� recalled Kohner. "Troy didn't realize how hard he hit me. I ended up with bruises. The director sent me yellow roses that night with a note that said he hoped I was feeling better because he needed to re-shoot the scene,� grimaced Susan. "While Mr. Sirk was often patient and gentle with Juanita, with me, he could be a great forceful, didactic Prussian man. I was afraid of him. I understand he needed to be forceful in order to get the angry emotions from me he needed for the scene,� recalled Kohner whose Oscar nomination never did boost her career.
"I never had qualms about playing a black character because prior to my Imitation role, I played other ethnic characters. Juanita and I have remained friends since the picture, but during the making of it, we were not close. My character was unhappy and often mean to her mother. Thus, I didn't dare get too friendly in order to keep the integrity of the character� explained Susan.
We purposely didn't get chummy because Susan was passing," chuckled Juanita. Asked whether she thought passing is still going on, Juanita grinned and stated that she didn't know about black folks passing because in California Jews were passing, Hispanics were passing, et al., but she didn't know what was going on in New York. "They auditioned a lot of people before casting me in the part. Pearl Bailey was their first choice. But producer Ross Hunter really wanted me. They considered Margaret O'Brian for Susan's role. But Ross was a genius and knew what he needed for the film" remarked the outspoken actress. Imitation of Life was a courageous film for that time period. Had the film failed, it could have damaged the careers of both the producer and director. "Sirk was patient with me," stated Juanita. "There were times I was so nervous the muscles were jumping in my face.
One day I cried all day long, yet he didn't fire me. During my dying scene, Sirk said: "Juanita, you got to remember you are dying not crying," recounted Moore. "I cried a lot in the making of this movie because it was real easy for me to cry. I had a lot to cry about. Conditions for black actors were unbelievable back then. Very few black actors got the opportunity to hone their craft in the same way white actors did" she remarked.
Juanita fashioned her role after her sister. "Annie was nothing like me. She was like my sister. So I took what I needed from my sister's personality to create Annie,� continued Juanita. "You know Annie was a good role for me. I have been in a lot of pictures. However, most of them consisted of my opening doors for white people� recalled Ms. Moore. Although Moore has performed in close to 43 films, even her academy nomination did not bring about change in terms of acquiring more dignified and meatier roles. Susan Kohner only appeared in 10 films before leaving the industry. However she's proud of her sons, screenwriters Chris and Paul Weitz who wrote the animated flick "Antz� and made their directorial debut with American Pie and also wrote Nutty Professor II: The Klumps and About a Boy which starred Hugh Grant.
The most memorable scene in "Imitation of Life� is the funeral scene depicting a distraught Kohner running after the funeral procession, weeping bitterly alongside her mother's coffin, contrite over her treatment of her mother. "That was a hard scene. So much emotion went into it…� said Susan "…I literally broke down and was off the set for 3 days.� Indeed, there was hardly a dry eye amongst the screening audience.
There is no doubt that "Imitation of Life� holds within it many metaphors that allude to the genius of Sirk and his actors; classic and memorable scenes in which both Juanita Moore and Susan Kohner demonstrate their considerable acting chops. Today, both ladies are in semi-retirement, Juanita in California, Susan in New York. I say semi because after all, what is the profession of acting about if not about mimicking life. Thus, I believe were the right role to present itself, these two venerate actresses wouldn't hesitate to once again give an outstanding imitation of life.
For more reports please or call (212) 481-7745 to order the newsstand edition of The Black Star News the world's favorite Pan African news weekly. Also ask for Vernon Verdree in the advertisement department.
Jobs For Katrina Victims: The Black Documentary Collective would like to offer our help in finding a job and other assistance to the victims of the Gulf Coast natural disaster and resulting hardship due to the delayed rescue effort. If you are in need of employment, please list what type of job you are seeking and your qualifications for the position you seek. Please include your name and contact information. We would like to make this offer to as many people as possible. If you are able to put another friend or colleague in touch with us, please do so. Our newsletter goes out four times a year, but special e-mail blasts will be made more frequently in order to get the word out to as many as possible around the globe about your circumstance. Our thoughts are with you. We look forward to hearing from you. The BLACK DOCUMENTARY COLLECTIVE. www.bdcny.net E-mail: [email protected]
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« On The Border | Main | Oil Not Sticking To Obama »
Wretchard has the best explanation for these accounts over at PJM. (Liked on an earlier thread here.)
The ballet-dancing reptile.
Maybe they will blame this on Rahm ???
Planned Parenthood Federation of America's (PPFA) audits show the organization spent just $657.1 million between 2002 and 2008 from federal government grants and programs, but the abortion behemoth's own annual reports show that it took in $2.3 billion from government grants and programs during the same time period.Even the GAO doesn't seem to know where the remainder of the money went just yet.
I think this is actually step 2 (if it's not a two step). The whispering campaign was up and running a few months ago, oddly enough, about the time when reports about Rahm's disagreements with the Prez started "leaking."
In other news, if folks will pardon a quick digression, this was my weekend LOL The text is almost as funny as the video still. Sometimes things just come together.
Like him or not (I don't), but Rahm is one of the very few people in this administration who actually knows how things get done. The rest of the clown posse don't know where the sun goes at night.
Wuzzagrunt, isn't that a reason to be happy he's leaving and the sooner the better?
Once the Democrats lose their majorities in Congress, there won't be much left for Rahm to do anyway. Obama will be golfing full time.
He was the one who was opposed to the Gitmo trials and pushing health care first over the economy, and he was right on both
I thought it was also amusing that Rahm is supposedly getting tired of the "idealists" around the Prez, when it's more like sharks and barracudas. The "idealists" did manage to ram a big bill through, but I wouldn't be surprised if Rahm were already looking towards November, when they will reap their rewards. Without the Democratic majority in both Houses, Obama would have been a truly Epic Fail, from the get-go. If he thinks being President is hard now....
Twinkletoes isn't well-liked? Could somebody give me a heads-up before shocking things like this get posted?
Didn't Jimmy Carter have this similar problem with his congressional D's?
Although he didn't lose his majority in the mid-terms.
Surely they mean "ideological" not "idealistic"?
I haven't been following the Blago trial, but I seem to recall that Rahm was heavily involved in the negotiations. maybe there's something really bad on one of Fitzgerald's tapes. . .
Oh Neo...that link makes me sick. Why does my family have to pay to help kill babies? Why should one dime of tax money go to that organization? Let those people interested in killing babies donate to PP. I don't want to. Why is government involved at all with those organizations?
JM Hanes,
LOL, the arrow is pointing to his left too!
They are crazy if they think Rahm is the problem, and not Axelrod and Jarrett.
I'm no Rahm fan, but at least he doesn't talk about "harmonizing the strands" and ask why drilling rigs won't just come back in 6 months, after the moratorium.
"Idealist" seems too polite a term for Rahm to use, even on background.
Who knew Terpischore could be such a bitch, huh?
The "idealists" did manage to ram a big bill through
They did, but they blame Rahm for not making it easy. As if.
the Bolsheviks versus the Mensheviks? I'm shocked......
Interesting from the quarterly dispatch from MiniTrue, two of the organizations on your list, Matt, the Nature Conservancy and the National Wildlife Fund, will be sponsoring the concert for the Gulf, 60 days out!!
Well, Rahm knows very well how an antagonistic congress can make life hell in the White House. He knows the Rs will be running congress and the investigations will be relentless.
Janet: .. but what happened to the other $1.65 billion ?
Lobbying, ads, political contributions, fraud ?
Who got it ? PP Swiss bank account ? Democrats ? Rahm ?
Very droll,jmh.
Janet--lobbying and political contributions.
You know I'm leaning against supporting Kagan, nothing in particular mind you (sarc) in the LUN
Ideological makes perfect sense. That's probably why they didn't use it.
Oddly enough, when I clicked over to the story, the ostensible headline "Obama takes a more partisan tone," was nowhere to be found. Perhaps someone had last minute thoughts about absurdity.
nbc news:
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President Barack Obama's chief of staff, then a congressman in Illinois, apparently attempted to trade favors with embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich while he was in office, according to newly disclosed e-mails obtained by The Associated Press.
Emanuel agreed to sign a letter to the Chicago Tribune supporting Blagojevich in the face of a scathing editorial by the newspaper that ridiculed the governor for self-promotion. Within hours, Emanuel's own staff asked for a favor of its own: The release of a delayed $2 million grant to a school in his district.
The 2006 discussion occured with Blagojevich's top aide, Deputy Gov. Bradley Tusk, and doesn't appear to cross legal lines; Emanuel couldn't speed up the distribution of the funds. But it offers a peek at ties between two high-profile Illinois politicians — one now the president's right-hand man, the other facing years in prison if convicted of political corruption.
Discussion of the exchange could come up at Blagojevich's corruption trial, currently under way in Chicago. Blagojevich, who is accused of plotting to profit by selling an appointment to Obama's former Senate seat, also tried later that year to use the school grant in an extortion attempt against Emanuel, according to federal prosecutors.
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local-beat/Rahm-Traded-Favors-with-Blago-Report-96812049.html#ixzz0rVwCSadW>Big surprise
RichatUF ... OMG
Obama is some real judge of horsemeat
The Hill:
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) has spent weeks throwing political punches at the Obama administration's six-month freeze on deepwater oil-and-gas drilling, alleging it will wreak havoc on the region's already battered economy. Now, Jindal is battling the moratorium in the courtroom, too. Jindal and state Attorney General Buddy Caldwell on Sunday filed a legal brief in support of a Louisiana-based offshore services company that's asking a federal judge to lift the ban. The ban is "effectively turning an environmental disaster into an economic catastrophe for the state," the brief alleges.
Dennis Pragar is doing a fine job on his radio show today demolishing Peter Beinart's arguments laid out in Beinart's new book "The Icarus Syndrome: A History of American Hubris."
Hope a few JOMer's had the pleasure today of hearing it.
More and more it looks like Obama was the Alvin Greene of 2008, but on a national scale.
Rahm is no shrinking violet moderate, so its hard to see the point of calling the horde around Obama something that would apply equally to the foul mouthed Emmanuel. If they are all true believers where is the distinction? On hope? Or change?
The ballet-dancing reptile.
Every time I refresh the page starts with this remark.
I heartily approve.
More and more it looks like Obama was the Alvin Greene of 2008, but on a national scale.
Sounds like the start of a great Political Ad to me!
I just wonder if the Blagojevich case may play into some of the turmoil in the White House. Paging Tony Rezko, paging Mr. Rezko!!!
Pas de deux, mutha******!
From the Blago Blog:
AP: Rahm Emanuel traded favors with Blagojevich as he sought $2M grant
I question the timing.
Can you imagine a hard nosed pragmatist working day after day with the loons in the WH?
It was stated by fdcol63:
"More and more it looks like Obama was the Alvin Greene of 2008, but on a national scale."
That may be giving Obama too much credit, fdcol63. With his military background, Greene probably has more executive experience and experience with making tough decisions than Obama did when Obama was running for POTUS.
Plie this, a******!
Paging Tony Rezko, paging Mr. Rezko!!!
Posted by: matt | June 21, 2010 at 03:11 PM
An observation made by one of those following the trial for the local press is that Rezko is the most mentioned name so far in the trial, and yet it appears he will not be called to testify by the prosecution. Rezko has been at the center of pretty much every corrupt deal the prosecution has alleged. Now they wonder why Fitz does not want him on the stand. Could it be that the judge even hinting that he might reconsider Blago's efforts to call Obama to the stand impeach Rezko as a witness was enough to scare off Fitz?
Morning Jane,
If you have a moment, How went the sailboating?
but what happened to the other $1.65 billion ? Lobbying, ads, political contributions, fraud ? Who got it ? PP Swiss bank account ? Democrats ? Rahm ?Funding abortions, probably.
I'm still wondering why Richard Armitage got off scott-free but Libby got convicted.
I'm still wondering why Richard Armitage got off scott-free but Libby got convicted.
Armitage could not have been cast as a "scalp" collected from the Bush administration, as he's entirely too much of a Powell crony.
This ">http://www.adn.com/2010/06/21/1333869/begich-introduces-oil-spill-legislation.html"> ADN story just out says Begich and 2 other Dems are introducing Legislation that would make every Oil Company have to set up an Escrow Account prior to drilling in case of Oil Spills. No word yet on who would control the funds deposited in the Escrow accounts.
So for example, in the case of Chevron, which has already paid 3.5 Billion for the leases they are now prohibited from exercising in the Chukchi, they would now have to cough up even more money prior to the potential, but far from certain, possibility of drilling in Alaska.
Could we make it any harder economically for Oil companies to drill in this country? Angola or Kazahakstan or wherever, say "Hey" to Chevron when they arrive.
"Armitage could not have been cast as a "scalp" "
And also because he is bald as a cue ball.
No word yet on who would control the funds deposited in the Escrow accounts.
Or, something I thought of the other day, who would receive the "float" earned off those escrow accounts.
Great idea, Daddy!
And we could demand funds for drug companies.
And plane manufacturers.
And drywall from China.
Already got the tobacco money.
Booze for sure.
Cars...oh never mind we got them too.
Could we make it any harder economically for Oil companies to drill in this country?
Sure -- require them to use drill bits made of chalk.
Ranger, maybe Rezko's too easy for the defense to impeach and if the prosecution doesn't use him, the defense is unlikely to be able to find a basis on which to call him as a witness in aid of Blago's defense...Just saying.
saw this bumper sticker this morning:
"Hope we Change presidents in 2012"
I'm still wondering why Richard Armitage got off scott-free but Libby got convicted.
Me too fdcol63. That injustice opened my eyes like never before to our corrupt media. Mr. Libby and his family are on my permanent prayer list. I consider him a wounded soldier in the war against radical Islam.
but what happened to the other $1.65 billion ?
You never heard of administrative overhead?
Or as the old joke goes, "I spent half of it on wine, loose women and song, and the rest of it I just pissed away!"
IMHO this mandatory Escrow Account Business for Oil Spills seems to be orchestrated from the top down to not let the Oil Spill crisis go to waste by:
Giving the Government greater power
Giving the Government greater slush funds
Painting the Repub's who will oppose this economic drilling killer as being in bed with the Oil companies and against the Earth. Poster child for the movement will be constant repetition of Congressman Barton and his "strong-arming" BP Statement.
Battle lines are drawn; Stand by for the all out MSM assault.
Bend at the barre, bitches!
I guess that's in addition to the Oil Spill Cleanup Trust Fund that already exists and has (had) $1.6 Billion deposited by the oil companies.
These crooks are so corrupt they will continue to feed at the trough right up until the axe falls.
thanx for all :)
I'm still wondering why Richard Armitage got off scott-free but Libby got convicted.
'Cause FITZ!!11!11!!! couldn't find his ass with both hands - as he is demonstrating once again.
Here's my speculative explanation for Rahm's possible departure.
It's hard to know whether to be happy if he leaves the White House. He is, from what I can tell, one of the more competent political operatives in the Democratic party. But is competence what we want in the Obama White House? Mostly no for domestic policy, mostly yes for foreign policy is what I would say.
Ranger, maybe Rezko's too easy for the defense to impeach and if the prosecution doesn't use him, the defense is unlikely to be able to find a basis on which to call him as a witness in aid of Blago's defense...Just saying.
Posted by: Clarice | June 21, 2010 at 04:37 PM
Very true, but not calling him will be a very bad move for Fitz. Blago's entire devense is that those who are testifying against him are lying to get a lighter sentence. Not calling Rezko will let Blago say "he's not here because he woldn't lie on the stand."
I am sure the stuff about Rahm was leaked by Fitz to try an mitigate the damage. Blago's defense is that all the talking about deals was just the way things are done in Illinois, and the Rahm trading favors for funding of a local school supports Blago's defense.
Let us not forget just how much jepardy there is for Obama in all of this. Rahm and Obama were two key players in getting Blago into office in the first place, and Obama was key to greasing the skids in the state senate creating the seats on the state hospital construciton board that Blago and Rezko sold for 50K of campaign controbutions.
There is NO ideological split in the WH. This is all for show, and is more likely aimed at recalcitrant Congressional Dems to get on board while there's still a chance to get the program, of which they've all dreamed, done.
It just doesn't make sense from either "avowed socialist" to say otherwise, and Rahm is definitely "avowed".
Sorry guys,
Up above I meant Shell Oil, not Chevron.
When Jack is Back...back, he will enjoy the LUN regarding his recent voyage.
Still evil, daddy, still evil.
So I guess we know why the Republican leadership beat Barton up over the "shakedown" apology, but why haven't they been all over secret deals made as part of the "escrow" slush-fund? Obviously a deal was made.
We know what Obama got, but we don't know what he gave up. We know what BP gave up, but we don't know what they got in return.
Seems worthwhile to bring up the question. Why haven't they?
I have a hard time believing this Blago, Rezco, Rahm stuff will hurt the administration. Non news junkies won't understand and the media won't help them understand.
The media has all the power as to what is a big deal & what isn't. I don't think the media will let this hurt Obama.
"Why haven't they?"
Not only masters of the prevent defense, also grand masters of the prevent offense.
Wouldn't Blago's appeal--if it goes to that extent--depend on the defense's request for Rezko testimony and the judge's denial?
Is that what Michelles wearing now?
First of all, I'd like to assure everyone that I've been very productive since cutting back on my posting here. I've been able to edit a lot of things that needed work but that I'd been neglecting. In fact, I was so involved in that work that I failed to notice that there has been
Clarice and the other usual nitwits here (Hey, how's that Dubai investigation going?) will be surprised to learned that the arrested person was an Israeli, not some Arab from a rival terror group.
There are a number of informative accounts. Here's the Haaretz article: Report: Suspected Mossad agent arrested in Poland over Dubai assassination. Although the initial arrest took place in Warsaw, the offense took place in Germany. The arrest by Polish authorities took place at the request of the German government, which is now seeking extradition: Arrest of Suspected Mossad Agent Strains German-Israeli Relations.
Some excerpts from the Der Spiegel article:
Whatever the outcome, the political consequences of the Dubai debacle and the arrest in Warsaw are probably unavoidable. Germany has a unique -- and very sensitive -- relationship with Israel. But does that also mean that German authorities should turn a blind eye to the Mossad's use of a German passport to commit a murder?
For the German government, it is beyond question that Germany should support the Israelis in the Middle East conflict and the dispute over the Iranian nuclear program, and that the country should supply information to Israeli intelligence. When the Mossad is planning an operation on German soil, the Germans are usually generous in giving their permission. "The 'smooth and cozy' approach applies when it comes to Israel," says a German intelligence official.
On the other hand, German law forbids foreign intelligence services from conducting unauthorized operations on German soil, and it does not provide an exception for the Mossad. The Israelis did not request German permission to conduct the operation in question, because the Germans would never have permitted the use of a passport to facilitate a murder. And once a case has been opened in a constitutional democracy like Germany, the wheels of justice start turning.
The story the alleged Israeli agent concocted to obtain the passport had apparently been in the works for some time. In late 2008, an old man went to the German Embassy in Tel Aviv, where he identified himself as Hans Bodenheimer and told officials that he had fled from the Nazis and had come to apply for German citizenship. The consular division approved the request and mailed him the passport. A few weeks later, Hans Bodenheimer's alleged son Michael turned up in Cologne.
There are many indications that Michael Bodenheimer is a Mossad hit man who was directly involved in the Dubai murder. German investigators suspect that Alexander Verin, a.k.a. Uri Brodsky, on the other hand, may have been a Europe-based logistics specialist whose job included inventing fake biographies. The pattern of his travels throughout Europe -- from Germany to Switzerland and then to the Baltic countries -- support this theory. When he was arrested, he had just come from Austria. And when it began to emerge that Bodenheimer had someone helping him in Germany, the investigators expanded their search to include Verin, who had also registered as "Alexander Varin" in some hotels.
One of the basic rules of the intelligence business is never to get fake identities mixed up, but apparently this was precisely what happened in this case. Sometimes the suspected agent posed as Alexander Verin, sometimes as "Varin" and sometimes as Uri Brodsky, allegedly born on April 12, 1971. The Mossad may have even borrowed the identity of a real Israeli for its purposes, a respectable psychiatrist named Uri Brodsky who lives near Tel Aviv, immigrated to the Jewish state from St. Petersburg 15 years ago and denies all involvement with the intelligence service. "I am not a Mossad agent," he told SPIEGEL.
Leaving a Trail
While the real Uri Brodsky hasn't left Israel in two years, his doppelganger has left a trail during his travels. An analysis of air travel and credit card records yielded so many connections that investigators are convinced that the passports of Alexander Verin and Uri Brodsky were used by one and the same person. Based on a photocopy they obtained from one of the hotels where he stayed, the authorities now know what the alleged agent looks like. Germany's Federal Court of Justice issued a warrant for his arrest on April 13.
Of course, it remains to be seen whether there will in fact be a trial. The attorney for Uri Brodsky, who is in custody in Poland, announced last week that his client is not the man being sought by German authorities. It is now up to the German Federal Criminal Police Office to prove that Brodsky is their man, otherwise he may not be extradited. It is also possible that officials in the United Arab Emirates, who are investigating the Mabhouh murder, will seek his extradition. And even if the alleged Mossad agent is indicted in Germany, the line of defense is not that difficult to predict. Brodsky "is only accused of having used a forged German passport," claims Israeli Trade Minister Ben-Eliezer. Anything else, he adds, "must be proven."
Until then, the wheels of justice will continue to turn in Germany. The investigators now want to analyze the clandestine practices of the Mossad and are looking into other clues that lead to Germany, directly before and after the Hamas official's murder. "The investigations," says a senior German government official, "have opened a Pandora's box."
"Lesson 14, in things I wish to unremember" You knoe Daddy, my mock suggestion once that
they fill the state Senate seat with a marmot, seems only have missed by two levels
of authority
Burton said Americans stand by the notion that "their president ought to have a little time to clear his mind." He said Obama relaxed after a week in which he got help for victims of the oil spill and travelled to Ohio to speak on the economy, among other work. Burton said that having time to himself "probably does us all good."
Unintended understatement of irony alert!
A bit more info on the ">http://alaskadispatch.com/blogs/political-animal/5728-begich-you-spill-you-pay"> Begich Oil Spill Escrow Fund.
This one says it would not mandate an Escrow Fund until after a spill.
"If the bill passes, in the event of a spill the Interior Secretary would be required to estimate the responsible company's liability. The company would then put the money into an escrow account, which the Interior Department would then use to pay claims. Any money not paid out after five years would be returned to the company."
It appears it is trying to make Lawful what Obama just forced BP to do.
Let see you stand on your toes, you f****** P****!
Meanwhile, the press is bought and paid for by our neutral and other nations, in the LUN
Could it be that the judge even hinting that he might reconsider Blago's efforts to call Obama to the stand impeach Rezko as a witness was enough to scare off Fitz?
Doubtful. If Fitz can make his case without putting a known scumbag on the stand, he'll do it. Plus, he couldn't care less about whether Obama gets subpoenaed.
Speaking of the Press, this tells us ">http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.2c6f14552747669c04f5e6970a59d48d.181&show_article=1"> AP and CNN are divorcing and going their separate ways.
Wonder which one walks away with the dishonesty and which one gets to keep the disingenuity.
I like this Kyl-Obama dust-up. Obviously, the Dems used the same strategy on health care: Why work to solve the real problems, when that would only remove the pretext for a "comprehensive" bill that gets us the socialism we want?
This is very obviously their M.O. Would someone in the Republican leadership make the point that this is a common leftist strategy? No? Why not? Is it up to Sarah Palin to do it on Facebook? Romney sure doesn't seem to have the stomach for it.
Incompetent prevent-offense and -defense, apparently, as boris points out re: the BP slush fund.
Come on, fools. You had them on the run.
It's kind of Resse's pieces, 'chocolate and peanut butter' thing, daddy,
Didn't these folks learn anything from the Joe Wilson episode, I know rhetorical question, Lisa wants the President to set liability claims on each new lease, under what authority
Just Up. The Dems and the oil disaster; never let a good crisis go to waste. The Begich scam helped me finish it off after a few days rumination. LUN.
Looks like McChrystal could be circling the drain. He might be gone before Rahm.
Shame to see it happen to an Obama-appointed general. Is Ashley Wilks available?
Key point from your LUN, DoT:
" The article says that although McChrystal voted for Obama,"
Welcome to your hope and change, Chump.
That is some seriously unpolitic stuff to say.
Anyway, the ROE for Afghanistan are insane.
Kudlow is trumpeting the fact that the NJ legislature failed to override Christie's veto of the "millionaires tax".
Christie is the MAN!
Now, Jindal is battling the moratorium in the courtroom, too. Jindal and state Attorney General Buddy Caldwell on Sunday filed a legal brief in support of a Louisiana-based offshore services company that's asking a federal judge to lift the ban.
Interesting lawsuit. I believe they have to persuade the judge that Salazar's decision was "arbitrary, capricious and an abuse of discretion," which is a tough standard to meet.
"Texas Democratic Congressional nominee wants to impeach Obama, opposes UN." Rove, you magnificent bastard!
"We know what Obama got, but we don't know what he gave up. We know what BP gave up, but we don't know what they got in return."
The WSJournal has your answers. For starters, BP only had to commit $100M to relief for folks being hurt by the moratorium. Sounds like just enough for Obama to claim he's protecting the people he's putting out of work.
Dunno, JMH. $100M for something they might not be liable for at all seems pretty stiff to me. And seeing Feingold on Fox talking about paying claims in say 24 hours sure seems like a recipe for fraud at the lowest threshold imaginable. Claiming that when this $20B is gone, his understanding is that more will be made available by BP immediately upon request makes me wonder who was paying any attention at all to BP shareholders and bondholders. Hell, it took ten years for many of the asbestos claims to work their way through the meatgrinder, and even then the fraud was unbridled.
BP seems to deserve a real shellacking for very bad management of that well, but for heaven's sake somebody needs to pay attention or these looters will have it all.
Thanks JMH. It's a wonder why every lawyer doesn't wear white shoes.
I understand that Zerohedge is a somewhat alarmist web site according to Melinda but....
How went the sailboating?
It was great. I will tell you my awe and admiration of Caro just continues to expand. It's a very different way of life, and except for the prick that hit us in the trimaran and then pretended it was our fault, really a wonderful change of pace. We couldn't get to Cuttyhunk because the current and the wind were against us.
On Sunday we witnessed a boat launching which Caro has promised to post about at You Too. (BTW I can't tell you how many people at the launch I heard say (pointing to Caro) "she sailed around the world you know") (It wasn't around the whole world, but close.) The launch was an amazing thing, but more amazing were the men that just kept showing up out of the blue to either sing, or play instruments ranging from the cello, to the biggest bass I've ever seen, and guitars that you play on your lap and fiddles. I kept wondering how they knew when to show up.
Anyway it was great. I can't wait to do it again.
Question: You were summoned to the White House for a meeting; 20 minutes later it was announced that you had committed to put $20 Billion into a fund for victims of the spill, to be administered by an appointee of President Obama, without apparent oversight by BP, this Congress or anyone else. What was offered or threatened by the Administration to obtain your commitment to this unprecedented fund, and what concessions or promises did you receive in return?
If BP says "None, we just felt it was our responsibility," noone will believe it; to ask the question is to raise the issue. Just ask the question--that's what your constituents put you there to do.
Besides, we all know that three months from now there will be all sorts of fawning articles about how Obama channelled his inner LBJ and armtwisted BP into saving the Gulf, while saving his political fortunes and screwing the Republicans, who were cowed by the Barton episode into a hasty retreat. Why wait?
When Sarah Palin suggested that Obama was too close to Big Oil, that put the bastards on the defensive, and postponed the "The Republicans want to rape the Gulf for Big Oil" meme for at least a month. Now its back, of course, and the Republicans are afraid to fight it.
after all the fraud with Katrina, I would have thought they had learned their lesson. From the same people who deliver your mail and want to provide your health care.
One for our side and Governor Bobby Jindal:
I wonder if US Senator Mary Landrieu has to give back the booty bribe now?
The comments to this entry are closed.


text:
James Q. Wilson: The Impact on Crime He Never Had
by Conrad Black https://www.conradmblack.com/138/james-q-wilson-the-impact-on-crime-he-never-had It is with trepidation and regret that I demur in any degree from the widespread praise accorded political scientist James Q. Wilson, who died a couple of weeks ago from leukemia, aged 80. He was a brilliant and a delightful man, and one of the greatest and most amiable figures in the neoconservative movement, the more so as he was not especially aggressive in his advocacy nor even a reformed liberal, though he had been a supporter of John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Hubert Humphrey, and a member of LBJ's Crime Commission. Jim Wilson was a very affable, sensible, soft-spoken, and insightful man, with a much better sense of humor than most academics. His personality always reminded me a little of Bill Safire, though he was also a rigorous scholar and researcher to Bill's public relations, journalism, political insider formation, and had an exhaustive knowledge of philology. Wilson's greatest influence was on treatment of crime, and he is rightly credited with much of the progress that resulted from what is generally called the "Broken Window" theory -- that leaving broken windows unrepaired would ensure that a great many more windows would be broken; and that repairing them and punishing the vandals and intruders responsible would radically reduce the incidence of crime. So it did, and complementary refinements in police work, most famously under Rudolph Giuliani and William Brattan in New York and then in many other cities, coupled with an aging population and declining poverty levels, produced startling improvements in rates of crime. Unfortunately, Jim Wilson's influence in areas of custodial policy and the technical operation of criminal justice were a good deal less benign and effective than his suggestions for deterring crime at point of incidence. Also unfortunately, my own legal travails did not become a subject of discussion between us, other than a typically gracious note of solidarity from him early on. I was looking forward to constructively engaging him on the subject when this ghastly persecution I have endured finally ends in a few weeks. I don't think Jim Wilson ever remotely grasped how thoroughly corrupt and intrinsically unjust the U.S. justice system is, as only someone who has been through it from the wrong end can. When I asked him if he had no misgivings about the plea bargain system, in 2002, before I had any direct experience of what a bazaar of extortion, perjury, and intimidation it is, he did not go beyond acknowledgement that improvements would be desirable. He generally approved high incarceration rates, oblivious to the implications of the United States having six to 12 times as many incarcerated people per capita as Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom. He was relatively relaxed about the War on Drugs, though it was already a conspicuous failure, and approved the death penalty, though he was troubled by the fact that the execution of the innocent was not rare. Fine and decent man though he was, he was too much of a clinical statistician to give adequate weight to the human damage American prosecutors and jailers glory in inflicting (as I have since discovered). In "Reforming Criminal Trials" in 1995, he acknowledged that some much-publicized trials had become "lawyer-dominated soap operas in which the search for truth has been subordinated to the manipulation of procedures." I suggested to him that more worrisome was that almost 90 per cent of criminal cases weren't tried at all, but plea-bargained, and that over 90 per cent were convictions, compared to about 65 per cent in Canada, where about 70 per cent of cases are tried, but only 40 per cent of convictions lead to incarceration (and the crime rate is much lower). His proposed remedies in 1995 were to allow the judges to select the juries, have the judges call and question witnesses, and spare jurors some of the laborious technicalities; allow witnesses to testify in narrative form; and have some cases tried by a joint prosecution-defense bar to "reduce the extent to which wealthy defendants could hire attorneys not available to the average person." I had my doubts about this menu at the time, but now know that it would make matters worse and not better. Most of the judges are ex-prosecutors and are biased, as all political, professional, and societal pressures are for convictions, and the media have locked arms with the politically and financially ambitious prosecutors and the politicians (mainly lawyers), who claim success in the War on Crime and legislate endless grand-standing laws for the benefit of the legal cartel and the delectation of their electors. And the defense bar are friends of the prosecutors going through the motions in full knowledge of what a stacked deck it is, accomplices in the infamous charade of impartial justice. There is nothing wrong with witnesses testifying in narrative form, but it wouldn't achieve much. And wealthy clients having better counsel than people of modest means isn't the problem. The problems are that the plea bargain extorts incriminating perjury; and prosecutors are not accountable for undeterred routine misconduct that would cause them to be disbarred in other serious jurisdictions, (viz. the Senator Stevens case). The prosecutors freeze defendants' assets with false FBI affidavits in ex parte proceedings, preventing a real defense; most of the public defenders are Judas goats who effectively work for the prosecutors; procedure and witness preparation are loaded in favor of the prosecutors; the prosecutors speak last to the jurors, who don't get to consult the transcript; and it all starts with the grand jury, which is a contemptible rubber stamp for the prosecutors and will indict anybody for anything. The War on Drugs has cost more than $1 trillion, has led to the absurdly overextended imprisonment of two million easily and instantly replaced small fry, and more plentiful, cheaper, higher quality drugs in America, and civil war in Mexico and several other countries. The Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendment guaranties of due process, no seizure of property without due compensation, a grand jury that is an assurance against capricious prosecution, access to counsel, an impartial jury, prompt justice and reasonable bail, are a myth, an heirloom. And the death penalty is barbarous, ineffectual, grossly overused, and not infrequently -- as Jim Wilson admitted to me 20 years ago -- imposed on the innocent. I liked and admired James Q. Wilson; he was a fine man and a rigorous intellect who made a positive difference, but where was he while American criminal justice was becoming the terrible conveyor-belt of corruption, hypocrisy, and abuse that it now is? © 2024 Conrad Black |
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© 2024 Conrad M. Black |


text:
A new study says that 30 per cent of all physical servers in datacentres are comatose, or are using energy but delivering no useful information. What's remarkable is that that percentage hasn't changed since 2008, when a separate study showed the same thing.
The latest research was reported in a paper by Jonathan Koomey, a research fellow at Stanford University, who has done datacentre energy research for the US Environmental Protection Agency, and Jon Taylor, a partner at the Athensis Group, a consulting firm.
The researchers used data collected by TSO Logic, an energy efficiency software vendor, from nearly 4,000 physical servers in customer data centers. A server is considered comatose if it hasn't done anything for at least six months.
The high number of such servers "is a massive indictment of how datacentres are managed and operated," said Koomey. "It's not a technical issue as much as a management issue."
This work adds to the findings of two other groups that have looked at the problem.
In 2008, McKinsey & Co. released its eye-opening finding that up to 30 per cent of servers in datacentres are "functionally dead." The McKinsey finding was backed-up by the Uptime Institute in 2012, which also arrived at the 30 per cent figure based on data collected from its customers.
In 2014, Uptime put the figure at 20 per cent, but that lower figure is attributed to data collection variability and not to a dramatic improvement from 2012. Uptime puts the number of comatose servers at 20 per cent to 30 per cent, said Matt Stansberry, Uptime's director of content.
Koomey, however, cautions that while the McKinsey and Uptime offer importance pieces of information, more work is needed to confirm or refute those numbers.
Koomey said the plan is to continue to work with TSO Logic and produce ongoing reports with larger data sets. The TSO software gathers utilisation data from the servers, but also looks at how much data is going in and out of servers, he said.
IDC estimated the number of physical servers worldwide last year at 41.4 million; that figure is expected to grow to 42.8 million by the end of this year.
A study last year by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), with the help of major vendors, estimated that in the U.S. alone datacentres used 91 billion kilowatt-hours of electrical energy in 2013. That use is expected to increase 53 per cent by 2020. It estimated that electrical usage could be reduced by 40% by getting rid of zombie servers and improving energy efficiency. That figure represents only half of the technically possible reduction in energy use.
The NRDC believes that the problem is concentrated in smaller data centers, and not in the large cloud centers.
"The problem is not getting better," said Pierre Delforge, director of the NRDC's high-tech sector on energy efficiency, about the latest findings.


text:
As of Tuesday, Sept. 15, crews were still involved in a large-scale clean up after a train derailment Sept. 14 near Hope.
Approximately 60 CP Rail cars carrying potash were involved in the derailment which happened along CN rail tracks on the southeast side of the Fraser River early on the morning of Sept. 14. The Transportation Safety Board was deployed to the site of the derailment, which occured along a rail bridge over Hunter Creek – a waterway that feeds into the Fraser River – adjacent to Highway 1 near Hope.
Hope Fire Department crews were first on scene after 4:30 a.m., responding to what was originally called in as a possible grass fire. Crews responded with two engines and two water tenders, fire chief Tom DeSorcy said, and started by locating the engine, the engineer, any crew as well as determining that the 200-car train was carrying potash and no other types of cargo.
The fire crew then called in the relevant authorities as they dealt with spot fires along the tracks. In an email to Black Press Media Monday morning, CN Rail confirmed there were "no injuries, fires, or dangerous goods" involved in the derailment.
A hazardous materials team was observed on scene Monday, as well as contractors carrying heavy machinery. At the site of the crash, the pink-coloured potash could be seen spilling from the train wreckage down onto the banks of the creek below.
CN confirmed potash entered the creek at the time of the derailment. "The spill has since been contained and removal has started with a vacuum truck," a Tuesday statement read. The company added that up- and downstream water monitoring is taking place and containment barriers have been put up. After this immediate work is done, site remediation will go on for the next little while said spokesperson with CN rail Jonathan Abecassis.
A multi-agency response is ongoing at the site, a spokesperson with Fisheries and Oceans Canada confirmed. "It is not clear yet if this incident has any immediate or direct impact on migrating fish but spawning sturgeon habitat is nearby," Leri Davies with Fisheries and Oceans stated via email, adding that two fishery officers were on site Monday and the situation is being assessed.
Potash, the common name for a group of minerals and chemicals containing potassium, is used primarily in the production of fertilizer. Canada has the world's second largest reserves of potash, and is also the world's largest producer and exporter of the substance according to Natural Resources Canada.
Currently crews are working to remove rail cars, Abecassis said, which will be followed by track work and possibly bridge work as well. "Once that's completed, we'll be able to re-open. But at this point it would be too early to be able to give you an estimate," Abecassis said.
Crews are working as "safely and as efficiently as possible to get it going again, while the site remediation work is also happening" Abecassis said. Crews need to work within COVID-19 pandemic guidelines, as well as work outside as air quality dips to high and very high risk levels due to wildfire smoke from the Western United States. As of Tuesday morning, Abecassis said he understands crews are safe to work outside but the situation is being monitored closely. "If there's any adjustments that need to be made to protect the safety of our employees, we'll be sure to make them," he said.
In a Monday evening council meeting, mayor of the neighbouring District of Kent Sylvia Pranger cautioned residents that CP Rail tracks running through the community would see heavier traffic as a result of the derailment. MLA for Chilliwack-Kent stated Monday that rail traffic will be running both ways on the CP Rail line for around 40 hours.
In normal circumstances CP Rail tracks on the northwest side of the Fraser River carry trains in one direction up into the Fraser Canyon and Northern B.C., while the CN tracks on the southeast side of the river carry trains in one direction towards Vancouver.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation, CN Rail confirmed.
- with files from Patrick Penner, Adam Louis
Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email:


text:
The stupid question is the question not asked | |
PerlMonks |
How can this be?by zdog (Priest) |
on Jun 27, 2000 at 00:19 UTC ( [id://19908] : perlmeditation . print w/replies, xml ) | Need Help?? |
Recently I have been thinking: As of now, I have a total of 43 writeups and I have 215 XP and I just recently grew in status to Level 5 (Monk) on this site. But do I deserve to be at this level. I have only been learning Perl since June 3, 2000 and really only know the basic I/O. My writeups have usually been in the Perl Monks Discussion section and questions in the Seekers of Perl widom section since they require the least Perl knowledge. I have only answered questions once or twice and get most of my XP from voting every day and by writing writeups that are practically useless and just say "Good idea.", "Bad idea." Most of my writeups, or even all, are less than ten lines each and I usually vote ++ on anything that is more than ten lines because I get intimidated and usually don't read it. Any code that I see that is more than ten lines, I usually don't read because I know it would take hours for me to decifer and it makes feel bad when someone says that it was "Just a quick hack." So, do I deserve the status that I have? I don't know. Do any of you feel that your status does not reflect your knowledge of Perl and contributions to the site (below or above expectations)? Tell me what you think. --Zenon Zabinski
Back to


text: My plan (like an ant contemplating eating an elephant but...) is for the self-adapting application to optimize not just itself (which it does already) but it's platform (which is imaginable in a complex network). So yes, I want intelligence at the node; I want a node to decide rationally that certain tasks for certain compuational categories of applications should be sent to certain other nodes on the basis of their proximity, current and maybe anticipated workload, and ram/disk/cores/interconnectivity configuation, if that is mixed. But it's just a vague plan atm. On 7/25/08, Mark Hahn <hahn at mcmaster.ca> wrote: > > It is my sacred duty to rescue hypercube topology. Cool Preceeds Coolant >> :-) >> > > I agree HC's are cool, but I think they fit only a narrow ecosystem: > where you don't mind lots of potentially long wires, since higher > dimensional > fabrics are kind of messy in our low-dimensional universe. also, HC's > assume intelligent routing on the vertices, so you've got to make the > routing overhead low relative to the physical hop latency. > > it does seem like there is some convergence to using rings onchip, > fully connected graphs within a node and fat trees inter-node. > one unifying factor is that these are all point-to-point topologies... > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://www.beowulf.org/pipermail/beowulf/attachments/20080725/4dbcee8b/attachment.html>


text:
Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
Yes. The City of West Fargo does not collect household hazardous waste materials. This includes:
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For issues concerning excess garbage, please contact the public works department.
Residents can call the Public Works Department at 701-515-5400 to report an issue or submit an online contact us form.
In West Fargo, the City of West Fargo collects residential garbage and Waste Management collects residential recycling. The city is divided into five different zones, each with its own collection day (see Sanitation Zones Map). Garbage is collected once a week and recycling is collected every other week.
On collection day, up to three trucks will visit your residence to collect garbage and recycling - a City of West Fargo garbage truck, a City of West Fargo large material truck and a Waste Management, Inc. recycling truck.
The time your materials are collected may vary week to week. Therefore, residents should place their materials at the curb by 7 a.m. on collection day and allow the trucks until 5 p.m. to pick up the materials.
If your collection day falls on a holiday, your revised garbage and recycling days may be different. Please see the holiday calendar for further information.
For questions about garbage collection, please contact the City of West Fargo public works department (701-515-5400).
For questions about recycling collection, please call Waste Management (1-888-960-0008).
For more information about residential garbage and recycling, visit the Sanitation and Recycling page.
If you have any questions or concerns with a current city construction project please visit westfargostreets.com or contact the public works department.
City standards for service can be viewed under the Sewer and Water Services city ordinances (Chapter 9).
To officially request services you can use the standard Request for Improvements form as a guideline. Residents can submit their request for improvement to the City Administrator.
For questions regarding the ordinances or submitting a request, please contact the City Administrator.
Legally, the City of West Fargo has no jurisdiction in rear-yard drainage issues. Only certain catch basins within City easements can be addressed. If there is a problem at a catch basin, contact the Public Works department. For other drainage issues, such as excess fill or other blockages, the first course of action is to contact your neighbors.
The City Engineer can help mediate in backyard drainage problems, such as providing recommendations to help rectify or improve the situation, but cannot make enforceable decisions.
Permits are required for additions, decks, porches, finishing basements, replacing doors & windows of different sizes, interior renovations or repair that include structural modifications, demolition work, accessory structures, swimming pools and re-siding. All HVAC systems require permits, including all gas appliances & equipment, wood stoves, etc. A building permit and/or a zoning permit may be required when a building use is changed.
Separate plumbing and electrical systems permits are required for the installation, alteration, relocation, replacement, or addition to any wiring, piping, or equipment or appliances associated with those systems.
Electrical permits are issued and inspections are performed by the North Dakota State Electrical Board (701) 499-1549.
Plumbing permits are issued and inspections are performed by the North Dakota State Plumbing Board (701) 799-1555.
Permits are not required to paint a house (interior or exterior), hang wallpaper, replace cabinets and do similar finish work. Permits are also not required to build an accessory building having a floor area of 120 square feet or less, install concrete sidewalks and patios entirely on your property. Finally, permits are not required to insulate an existing building where no structural changes are made.
If you have questions about whether you need a permit for the project you have in mind or to see if it meets zoning requirements, contact the Building department.
It is unlawful for any citizen of West Fargo to push or blow snow into the streets, boulevard or public property. If you see a resident doing this, please contact Code Enforcement.
Yes, we have several retail sites, office sites and industrial sites available to fit any commercial need. Contact the Economic Development department for more details.
Yes! If you plan to dig more than a foot into the ground you must call North Dakota One Call first. North Dakota One Call was put in place to save lives by locating underground utilities. The service is free to homeowners and it takes about five minutes to answer the questions. To prepare for the call, please gather:
The number is 1-800-795-0555 or simply 8-1-1.
Sirens are tested at a variety of times to ensure they are functioning properly:
If the sirens are activated in West Fargo, at other times than these, please check your local news and radio stations for emergency messages. The sirens are not used only for tornadoes, but also used to alert the public of other types of severe weather emergencies and other types of dangerous conditions that may occur.
If you would like your monthly bill emailed, please send us an email and provide your preferred email address along with your service address.
Residents can also sign up for automatic payments following these instructions.
The City of West Fargo provides residents the following utilities and services, which are billed monthly:
Utility and city services bills can be paid via mail, drop-off locations, online or as an automatic payment with a pre-authorized checking or savings account. The City of West Fargo accepts cash, check, money order, automatic bank account payments, credit card or debit card for payment. Please note, a 3% convenience fee will be added for any credit card and debit card payments. For more information, visit the Utility Billing website.
To stop services please complete the Utility Service Move Out Application and select "move out." You will need to provide your forwarding address, closing date or moving date, and the new property owner's name if selling a property.
If you do not complete this step, the bill will remain in your name and be your responsibility to pay.
More information about canceling services can be found at the Utility Billing website.
The city will not perform legal surveys. Front pins are usually 2-feet behind the sidewalk but can vary. You can try to locate the property pins (rebar located below the ground) with a metal detector. A legal boundary survey can be performed by a Registered Land Surveyor in the State of North Dakota.
The City of West Fargo will repair the boulevards that were damaged by city snow removal equipment. If you have had damage done by a snow plow on your boulevard area please contact Public Works at 701-515-5400 to be placed on the repair list.
West Fargo Public Works will not be responsible for the repair or replacement of any sprinkle systems located in any areas adjacent to our transportation network.
For information on materials to recycle, please visit the Waste Management, Inc. Recycle Often. Recycle Right. website.
The City of West Fargo utilizes a 460-acre network of waste stabilization ponds near 12th Avenue N. to treat wastewater (water that has been used in the home, in a business, or as part of an industrial process) that comes from the sewer system. During the transition from winter to spring, the ponds can emit a strong, unpleasant odor as the normal, organic treatment process restarts.
For information about the city's plans to send wastewater to the City of Fargo for treatment and decommission the lagoons, visit http://westfargond.gov/757/Connection-to-City-of-Fargo-Wastewater-S.
City of West Fargo Waste Stabilization Ponds Fact Sheet
The City of West Fargo does not collect compost materials (grass, leaves, garden waste, etc.) from the curb. These materials can be brought to any of the compost sites listed below and emptied into the containers.
After a storm, many residents are faced with cleanup of trees, branches, fences and other debris. Resident of the City of West Fargo should follow the below guidelines when picking up after severe weather.


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LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Labor unions, Democrats and others sued to block Michigan's right-to-work law Thursday, asking that the measure be struck down because people were locked out of the state Capitol while the contentious measure was debated.
The Ingham County suit does not contest the substance of the law that prohibits requiring workers to pay union dues or fees. It instead calls for the law to be invalidated because protesters could not enter the Capitol building for more than four hours on Dec. 6 as bills were being amended and discussed.
"We have a sacred right to peacefully assemble and petition our government. When there is dissent and emotions are running high, our elected leaders should encourage more open debate, not close the doors to concerned voters," Kary Moss, executive director of the ACLU of Michigan, said in a statement.
About an hour after Republican Gov. Rick Snyder and GOP legislative leaders announced their plan to quickly pass a right-to-work law, state police cited concerns about safety and the Capitol's structural integrity and locked the building's doors. That was just after noon. Protesters already inside the building could stay, but hundreds more had to stay outside until approximately 4:45 p.m., according to the complaint.
Ingham County Circuit Judge William Collette ordered the doors open after a legal challenge. Earlier that day, eight people were arrested for resisting and obstructing when they tried to push past two troopers guarding a Senate door, according to authorities.
The state Open Meetings Act says a decision by a public body can be invalidated if the body violates the law that requires government transparency.
While the Capitol doors were closed, legislators substituted the right-to-work provisions into existing bills and began debating them. The House and Senate took votes on the legislation after the doors were reopened and finished sending bills to Snyder on Dec. 11, when he signed them.
Defendants named in the suit are the state of Michigan, House, Senate, a state police captain and "unknown" public officials. Plaintiffs include the Michigan Education Association, other unions, three Democratic lawmakers and a journalism instructor at Michigan State University who also runs a local online news website
"Regardless of how you feel about right-to-work laws, everyone has a stake in seeing that our government conducts business in a democratic and transparent way," said Karla Swift, president of the Michigan State AFL-CIO. "Any law passed while citizens were locked out of their Capitol building should be struck down."
Those bringing the suit allege Republican staffers were directed to sit in the public gallery overlooking the House chamber, preventing right-to-work opponents from sitting there. The complaint also says House members were prevented from leaving the chamber, so constituents could not communicate with them before the votes.
In addition to alleging Open Meetings Act violations, plaintiffs also said their state and federal constitutional rights to free speech and assembly were violated.
Ari Adler, spokesman for House Speaker Jase Bolger, said that once he found out the doors had been closed by state police, Bolger worked to get them open as quickly as possible.
"People were there watching what we were doing. To make it sound like there was some sort of clandestine operation going on in the House or Senate that day is disingenuous," Adler said.
A state police spokeswoman said the agency would not comment on a pending lawsuit. A spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville declined to comment.
Greg McNeilly, president of the Michigan Freedom Fund, a right-to-work proponent, said in a statement that the suit is a "blatant and disgusting" attempt by union leaders and Democratic lawmakers to "line their own pockets by oppressing working-class Michigan families."
Earlier this week, Snyder asked the Michigan Supreme Court to rule quickly on the constitutionality of the right-to-work law that takes effect in late March. He said questions on how it would impact 35,000 unionized state employees must be resolved before new contract talks begin this summer.


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The market for initial public offerings, all but dead since 2007, is slowly coming back to life. But don't expect it to dance for at least another year. "We're starting to see early signs of revival," says Paul Bard, vice president of Renaissance Capital. "But the floodgates aren't going to open any time soon."
While there were 272 IPOs in 2007, there were a paltry 43 in 2008, an 83% decline. And through August only about two dozen IPOs had launched, with the final 2009 tally expected to equal 2008's dismal number.
So why the optimism? There has been a sharp uptick in companies filing IPO registrations with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As of September, there were 67 companies in the active IPO pipeline, according to Renaissance Capital, up from 29 in March.
Private companies need several months to fulfill SEC requirements once they register, so many of those pre-IPO entities won't debut until next year. Under-the-radar activity indicates more may follow their lead. "Over the last six months, a lot of companies have told us that they want to make the transition to going public," says Jackie Kelley, Americas IPO leader for Ernst & Young. The number of companies that withdrew their filings or postponed their IPOs — which rose 62%, to 120, last year — has also decreased, according to Kelley.
How energetically the IPO market opens up will depend largely on stable equity markets, along with an improved economy and growing consumer confidence. In a survey of 37 IPO attorneys, about half expected the IPO market to be "slightly stronger" in 2010. "I'd characterize their mood as 'cautious optimism,'" says Richard J. Wolff, managing partner of North America for Kreab Gavin Anderson Worldwide, the communications consultancy that conducted the survey. Fifty-four percent predicted that it could take as long as two years for IPOs to return to their "normal" rate, defined as 5 to 10 deals a month.
Jay Ritter, a professor of finance at the University of Florida, says that the next round of IPOs will consist mainly of profitable, mature companies with market caps of at least $100 million and backers that need liquidity — not ambitious start-ups striving to build the next Google. "Investors need to regain their appetite for risk," says Bard. "Then we'll begin to see the exciting growth companies launch."


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RSPCA release hilarious pictures of the year's weirdest animal rescues
Hilarious pictures also show a seagull that fell into a vat of curry and turned orange, a dog with its head stuck in a fence and a cow firmly wedged in an animal feeder.
Other strange call-outs this year include a cat that climbed in a parcel and survived being posted 260 miles while another puss got stuck in a stair lift.
A spokesman for the animal charity said: "Animals really do the funniest things.
"But sometimes, they need a little help getting themselves out of the trouble they find themselves in and the RSPCA is always there to help."
In one case a five-month-old Schnauzer called Juno got his head wedged between two metal bars in a fence on a walk in Stockport, Greater Manchester.
Animal inspectors and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue managed to free the stricken pooch by cutting the railings on March 23.
Then on October 28, a missing corn snake named Vecky was found in an unsuspecting couple's airing cupboard in York.
Comical pictures show the reptile peeking out of a vacuum cleaner after it slithered inside the household appliance before RSPCA officer Lucy Green arrived.
The two-year-old had been missing for three months and was eventually reunited with its owner.
Elsewhere, in in Alfreton, Derbys a horse got stuck with three legs on one side of a footbridge and its fourth on the other side.
The skewbald mare was spotted by a dog walker who called the RSPCA on September 27.
Firefighters and vets helped free the animal, that escaped with just a few bloody wounds.
Meanwhile, a cat named Maggie May followed her owner down the stairs but became wedged under the stair lift in Kendal, Cumbria, on October 5.
A vet, and RSPCA officer and an engineer managed to free the puss, whose stomach and back legs were trapped, using a car jack to lift the seat off.
In the summer, a gull hit the headlines after falling into a vat of Tandoori at a curry house and turned bright orange.
RSPCA officers dashed to the eatery in Newport and rescued to bird before taking him to a wildlife centre for a check up on August 2.
It was uninjured and after being cleaned was released.
Postmen in Goring-on-Sea, West Sussex, were left shocked when on March 22, a Siamese cat called Cupcake was found in a second-hand package of CDs and DVD.
Using Cupcake's microchip officers were able to locate her owner's 260 miles away in Falmouth, Cornwall, who hadn't seen their pet in eight days.
In Abergavenny six goldfish were rescued from a culvert after RSPCA officers were called to the same spot on two occasions.
Two fish were freed from the open drain entrance on March 22 and four more were saved just eight days later.
Earlier this month a sheep got its head stuck in a traffic cone and charged around a field in Hertfordshire on December 4.
RSPCA officers managed to catch the ewe before wrenching the item from its head and released it back to its flock.
On July 20, a fat toad got wedged face down in garden decking, leaving his bum and back legs sticking in the air in Norwich.
RSPCA inspector Jason Finch tried to wriggle the amphibian free, but dropped it into the void and had to saw the decking boards to free him.
Finally, a Pokemon Go gamer was shocked when he was hunting for virtual critters and came across a cow stuck in a metal feeder on July 27.
He called the RSPCA who, helped by firefighters , freed the animal, whose head was wedged between the railings in Wythenshawe Park, Manchester.


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The Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential™ is a widely recognized credential in early childhood education administered by the Council for Professional Development. The CDA Credential guides early child care professionals as they work toward becoming qualified teachers of young children. Obtaining a CDA is an important accomplishment and one that develops well informed practitioners knowledgeable in child development and best practices for teaching young children.
NAEYC has published many resources that support early childhood educators in their continued learning about best practices and the latest research in the early childhood field. NAEYC was a part of the original Child Development Associate (CDA) Consortium and we proudly continue to support and encourage the CDA credential. NAEYC provides many member benefits and membership options that support teachers in their continues learning such as:
- Access to award winning print publications: Young Children and Teaching Young Children.
- 20% discount on all products in NAEYC's online store, including books, videos, brochures, posters, and more.
- Reduced registration fees for NAEYC-sponsored conferences and training opportunities, including the world's largest early education conference.
- Membership in your local and state NAEYC Affiliate.
View the entire list of Membership Benefits and select the membership plan that's best for you. For more information about NAEYC Membership, be sure to visit our Frequently Asked Questions page
For more information on obtaining your CDA visit the Council for Professional Recognition website.
To support your continued learning, become an NAEYC member!
Documentation of Membership
NAEYC Members can submit a copy of their membership card (mailed within 4-6 weeks of joining) or a copy of their membership invoice from their member account as documentation of NAEYC membership.


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Latest Article|September 3, 2020|Free
::Making Grown Men Cry Since 1992
2 min read
When news broke that Mike Locksley had been asked to vacate his head coaching position, the Albuquerque populace tried to react. But after more than two years, exactly two wins, and countless affairs off the field that brought things to a head, there's not much left to say about the beleagured ex-coach of the men's football team.The better place to focus is on the sport of "football" that the rest of the world is interested in. On Monday, almost simultaneous to the Locksley story, news broke that the Lobo men's soccer team had broke into the Top 10 of the nation. As previously noted, the men's soccer team has not yet lost this season. They played the reigning national champions to a standstill in double overtime. The men's soccer team is a proud follow-up to a recent dynasty at UNM. Although our previous teams never won it all, they gave fans plenty to cheer about, and they packed the stands. In 2005, the Lobos lost to Maryland in the national championship game. It was a one-point game, and fans went bonkers for the matches on the road to that loss.Now it's getting to the point where people are counting on more thrills from Lobo soccer. The men's team, meanwhile, isn't backing down from those expectations. As a proud follow-up to a great—albeit recent—tradition, the men's team neither shies away from the spotlight, nor embarrasses those of us who root for the team with any antics. The next opportunity to support the men's soccer team at home is on Friday, Oct. 14, when they host Denver. The game will start at 7 PM.


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Barbara K. Olson Memorial Lecture Series
Barbara K. Olson
On September 11, 2001, at the age of 45 and at the height of her professional and personal life, Barbara Olson was murdered in the terrorist attacks against the United States as a passenger on the hijacked American Airlines flight that was flown into the Pentagon. The Federalist Society established this annual lecture in Barbara's memory because of her enormous contributions as an active member, supporter, and volunteer leader.
Barbara Olson led a life of distinguished public and private service as an attorney in Washington, D.C. She came to the law after successful ventures as a ballet dancer and a Hollywood production manager. A 1989 graduate of Cardozo Law School, Barbara's legal career included tours of duty in the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel and as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorneys Office in Washington, D.C. She also served as Deputy General Counsel and Solicitor to the U.S. House of Representatives, and Chief Investigative Counsel to the U.S. House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight and as Counsel to the Assistant Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate. At the time of her tragic death, Barbara was a partner in the Washington, D.C. law office of Balch & Bingham.
There is no better example of a citizen lawyer than Barbara Olson. She regularly directed her talents at defending limitations on government power against overreaching and corruption by public officials at all levels. Much of what she did as a practicing lawyer in government and in the private sector was directed to that end. But she also often took this message to the airwaves as a thoughtful and spirited commentator on all of the nation's leading television news programs. Importantly, her service to the Federalist Society further demonstrated her irrepressible commitment to the rule of law in our system of limited, constitutional government.
Barbara Olson's close association with the Federalist Society began during her law school career, when she founded and served as president of the organization's Cardozo Law School Chapter. She later served as an officer of the Washington, D.C. Lawyers Chapter and of the Administrative Law Practice Group and as a member of the Society's National Practitioners Advisory Council. She reached out to the Federalist Society's membership throughout the country as a frequent guest speaker at events. With her husband Ted Olson, Barbara helped to cultivate and inspire the organization's student chapter leadership by opening up her home each year to student chapter presidents attending the Society's annual Student Leadership Conference. That annual barbecue has become a centerpiece of the Federalist Society's student leadership outreach.
The Federalist Society believes that it is most fitting to dedicate an annual lecture on limited government and the spirit of freedom to the memory of Barbara Olson. She had a deep commitment to the rule of law and understood well the relationship between respecting limits on government power and the preservation of freedom. And, significantly, Barbara Olson was an individual who never took freedom for granted in her own life, even in her final terrifying moments-her inspiring and energetic human spirit is a testament to what one can achieve in a world that places a premium on human freedom.
Beginning in November of 2001, the memorial lecture and a following reception will be held each year at the Federalist Society's National Lawyers Convention. We envision that the lecture will bring together leaders of the legal and policy worlds in a lively discussion of the ideas that Barbara held most dear. The Federalist Society welcomes contributions to a fund that will support the lecture. Contributions can be directed to the Federalist Society at the following address:
The Federalist Society
Barbara K. Olson Memorial Lecture Fund
1776 I Street, NW
Suite 300
Washington, DC 20006
Click HERE for a list of past lecturers.


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In an earlier post I had said that I had narrowed down my list of potential Linux distros to a mere four contenders: Debian, Fedora, Linux Mint and Mandriva. I have since then decided that by the end of this week (or, if I'm lazy, early next week) I will have knocked this list down to my final choice. The way that I have chosen to do this is potentially the most annoying way possible: I plan on filling my post quotas by only removing one choice each post 😛
So without further ado lets kick one of these to the curb!
Debian, you are dead to me
Why I had considered it: Very stable, lots of support, lost of software, one of the oldest distros.
Why its just not making the cut: As I am somewhat familiar with Ubuntu and have read about its relation to Debian, I feel as though Debian is just simply not that different. Now before all of you bearded basement dwellers start telling me just how wrong I am, keep in mind that a large component of this experiment is about the perception of our selected distribution as well. I am sure Debian, like Ubuntu, will offer a great experience to those who use it, however I feel that my person use of it would almost be a violation of rule #1.
Well there you have it! Debian is off the list leaving me with Fedora, Linux Mint and Mandriva. Who will survive to see the install screen? Stay tuned!
To be continued…


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Christopher Hitchens has high praise for the King James Bible in the latest issue of Vanity Fair. This year is the 400th anniversary of the KJV, and Hitchens makes the case for the superiority of the King James Bible over all comers. In one section of the essay, Hitchens takes umbrage with gender neutral language in modern versions. In particular, he criticizes the Contemporary English Version's use of "my friends" in place of the KJV's "brethren." He writes:
"Pancake-flat: suited perhaps to a basement meeting of A.A., these words could not hope to penetrate the torpid, resistant fog in the mind of a 16-year-old boy, as their original had done for me. There's perhaps a slightly ingratiating obeisance to gender neutrality in the substitution of 'my friends' for 'brethren,' but to suggest that Saint Paul, of all people, was gender-neutral is to re-write the history as well as to rinse out the prose."


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If you've been a bit nervous about trying to sew bags with vinyl or pleather straps and bodies, check out this tutorial from Cheryl of Paradiso Designs. She shares loads of tips and tricks and information on all the tools you need to successfully complete a bag project with vinyl straps! [via Adventures in Dressmaking]
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