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Task Force Urges Measures to Strengthen North American Competitiveness, Expand Trade, Ensure Border Security
May 17, 2005 1:49 pm (EST)
- News Releases
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May 17, 2005--North America is vulnerable on several fronts: the region faces terrorist and criminal security threats, increased economic competition from abroad, and uneven economic development at home. In response to these challenges, a trinational, Independent Task Force on the Future of North America has developed a roadmap to promote North American security and advance the well-being of citizens of all three countries.
When the leaders of Canada, Mexico, and the United States met in Texas recently they underscored the deep ties and shared principles of the three countries. The Council-sponsored Task Force applauds the announced "Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America," but proposes a more ambitious vision of a new community by 2010 and specific recommendations on how to achieve it.
Pointing to increased competition from the European Union and rising economic powers such as India and China in the eleven years since NAFTA took effect, co-chair Pedro C. Aspe, former Finance Minister of Mexico, said, "We need a vision for North America to address the new challenges." The Task Force establishes a blueprint for a powerhouse North American trading area that allows for the seamless movement of goods, increased labor mobility, and energy security.
"We are asking the leaders of the United States, Mexico, and Canada to be bold and adopt a vision of the future that is bigger than, and beyond, the immediate problems of the present," said co-chair John P. Manley, Former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. "They could be the architects of a new community of North America, not mere custodians of the status quo."
At a time of political transition in Canada and Mexico, the Task Force proposes new ideas to cope with continental challenges that should be the focus of debate in those two countries as well as the United States. To ensure a free, secure, just, and prosperous North America, the Task Force proposes a number of specific measures:
Make North America safer:
- Establish a common security perimeter by 2010.
- Develop a North American Border Pass with biometric identifiers.
- Develop a unified border action plan and expand border customs facilities.
Create a single economic space:
- Adopt a common external tariff.
- Allow for the seamless movement of goods within North America.
- Move to full labor mobility between Canada and the U.S.
- Develop a North American energy strategy that gives greater emphasis to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases -- a regional alternative to Kyoto.
- Review those sectors of NAFTA that were excluded.
- Develop and implement a North American regulatory plan that would include "open skies and open roads" and a unified approach for protecting consumers on food, health, and the environment.
- Expand temporary worker programs and create a "North American preference" for immigration for citizens of North America.
Spread benefits more evenly:
- Establish a North American Investment Fund to build infrastructure to connect Mexico's poorer regions in the south to the market to the north.
- Restructure and reform Mexico's public finances.
- Fully develop Mexican energy resources to make greater use of international technology and capital.
Institutionalize the partnership:
- Establish a permanent tribunal for trade and investment disputes.
- Convene an annual North American summit meeting.
- Establish a Tri-national Competition Commission to develop a common approach to trade remedies.
- Expand scholarships to study in the three countries and develop a network of Centers for North American Studies.
Co-chair William F. Weld, former Governor of Massachusetts and U.S. Assistant Attorney General, said, "We are three liberal democracies; we are adjacent; we are already intertwined economically; we have a great deal in common historically; culturally, we have a lot to learn from one another."
Organized in association with the Consejo Mexicano de Asuntos Internacionales and the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, the Task Force includes prominent former officials, businessmen, and academic experts from all three countries. A Chairmen's Statement was released in March in advance of the trinational summit; the full report represents the consensus of the entire Task Force membership and leadership.
Chief Executive of the Canadian Council of Chief ExecutivesThomas d'Aquino, President of the Consejo Mexicano de Asuntos Internacionales Andrés Rozental, and Director of the Center for North American Studies at American University Robert A. Pastor serve as vice chairs.Chappell H. Lawson, Associate Professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is director.
Building a North American Community: Report of the Independent Task Force on the Future of North America is available on the Council website.
Founded in 1921, theCouncil on Foreign Relations is an independent, national membership organization and a nonpartisan center for scholars dedicated to producing and disseminating ideas so that individual and corporate members, as well as policymakers, journalists, students, and interested citizens in the United States and other countries, can better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other governments.
The Mexican Council on Foreign Relations(COMEXI) is the only multi-disciplinary organization committed to fostering sophisticated, broadly inclusive political discourse and analysis on the nature of Mexico's participation in the international arena and the relative influence of Mexico's increasingly global orientation on domestic priorities. The Council is an independent, non-profit, pluralistic forum, with no government or institutional ties that is financed exclusively by membership dues and corporate support. The main objectives of COMEXI are to provide information and analysis of interest to our associates, as well as to create a solid institutional framework for the exchange of ideas concerning pressing world issues that affect our country.
Founded in 1976, the Canadian Council of Chief Executives is Canada's premier business association, with an outstanding record of achievement in matching entrepreneurial initiative with sound public policy choices. A not-for-profit, non-partisan organization composed of the chief executives of 150 leading Canadian enterprises, the CCCE was the Canadian private sector leader in the development and promotion of the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement during the 1980s and of the subsequent trilateral North American Free Trade Agreement.
Members of the Independent Task Force on North America
Minister Pedro Aspe
(Mexican co-chair)
Mr. Thomas S. Axworthy
Queen's University
Ms. Heidi S. Cruz
Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.
Mr. Nelson W. Cunningham
Kissinger McLarty Associates
Mr. Thomas P. d'Aquino
(Canadian co-vice chair)
Canadian Council of Chief Executives
Mr. Alfonso de Angoitia
Grupo Televisa, S.A.
Dr. Luis de La Calle Pardo
De la Calle, Madrazo, Mancera, S.C.
Professor Wendy K. Dobson
University of Toronto
Dr. Robert A. Pastor (U.S. co-vice chair)
American University
Mr. Andrés Rozental
(Mexican co-vice chair)
Consejo Mexicano de Asuntos Internacionales
Dr. Richard A. Falkenrath
The Brookings Institution
Dr. Rafael Fernandez de Castro
Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México
Mr. Ramón Alberto Garza
The Honorable Gordon D. Giffin
McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP
Mr. Allan Gotlieb
Donner Canadian Foundation
Mr. Michael Hart
Norman Paterson School of International Affairs
Mr. Carlos Heredia
Consejo Mexicano de Asuntos Internacionales
The Honorable Carla A. Hills
Hills & Company
Dr. Gary C. Hufbauer
Institute for International Economics
Dr. Luis Rubio
Dr. Jeffrey J. Schott
Institute for International Economics
Mr. Pierre Marc Johnson
Heenan Blaikie
The Honorable James R. Jones
Manatt Jones Global Strategies
Dr. Chappell H. Lawson (Task Force Director)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Honourable John P. Manley (Canadian co-chair)
McCarthy Tetrault
Mr. David McD. Mann
Cox Hanson O'Reilly Matheson
Ms. Doris M. Meissner
Migration Policy Institute
The Honorable Thomas M.T. Niles
Institute for International Economics
The Honorable William F. Weld (U.S. co-chair)
Leeds Weld & Co.
Mr. Raul H. Yzaguirre
Arizona State University
More on:


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Posted by Editoress on 09/17/09
With this statement, Shimano would like to make clear to all parties involved that we would like to strive for a fair and drug free sport to protect the future of cycling for next generations. Besides the bad impact to the reputation of the sport, we all know Doping and Drugs are damaging and destroying the health and image of especially young people in and outside of the sport. Therefore, we are taking a firm stand against doping in general and in the sport of cycling in particular.
Basic guidelines in Shimano's anti-doping policy:
- All our contracts and sponsorship-relations are made under the condition and in the belief that there is no doping involved in the particular team or with the individual athletes.
- If the team management of one of our sponsored teams (no matter in which cycling discipline) is involved in any doping affair, we will stop our sponsorship of this team immediately.
- If an individual rider is involved in any doping affair without the knowledge of the team management, the team will be given the chance to give a clear explanation and a future improvement & control plan to Shimano, upon that it will be decided to continue the sponsoring or not. If another doping incident occurs within the same team, we will keep the option of terminating our sponsorship contract.
- Terminating a sponsorship contract means return of all Shimano materials or other contributions that have been supplied to the concerned team immediately.
This anti-doping policy is already stated in our ongoing sponsorship contracts, but Shimano feels it is valuable to emphasize this once more to make it clear for everybody what is our opinion about the use of doping in sport. For all our future sponsorship negotiations, it is essential for us that the teams show us their anti-doping policy in advance.
Shimano Inc.
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subset: commoncrawl


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It was November - the month of crimson sunsets, parting birds, deep, sad hymns of the sea, passionate wind-songs in the pines. Anne roamed through the pineland alleys in the park and, as she said, let that great sweeping wind blow the fogs out of her soul.November is an in-between month. Neither is it exactly autumn anymore nor can we say that it is yet winter, hence it could be described, to some extend, as devoid of character and drab. Nonetheless, despite its apparent insipidity, this epoch of the year is far from being dreadfully uninteresting or desperately morose. As a matter of fact, provided that you open your eyes and set aside your prejudices, you'll soon realize that there's something delightfully beautiful as well as totally romantic and dramatic about the late fall season.
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
Endings and periods of transition are always moving, tragic and, at the same time, incredibly thrilling. Although nights are getting longer and the temperatures are dropping drastically, one cannot refrain from getting excited about the exhilarating scents of firewood and earthy smells of the ground, divinely envigorating crisp air, mad chirp of starlings filling the bushes and persistent croaking of crows, first snowfalls, threateningly black skies, thick mist rolling up the valleys and licking at the creases of the mountains, piercingly sharp sunlight, gloriously fiery and deep lilac sunsets and rusty hues of trees. Blissfully gorgeous sceneries and powerful atmospheres that make you cry and give you the impression of being alive. Mother Nature is the ultimate artist and her life-size chef-d'oeuvres cannot be equalled or leave you impassive.
With the arrival of the bitter cold and dreary weather as well as the long-lasting obscurity, our desire for cocooning grows bigger every day and our craving for meals that are rich, hearty, warming and homey becomes irrepressible. Spending evenings in the cosiness of our apartment or house and enjoying dishes that uplift our soul is just what we need when layers start to pile up under our coat and the lack of natural luminescence affects us physically (low energy), mentally (depression) and emotionally (mood swings).
Speaking of which, I have to point out that the cuisine of Asia offers a vast variety of comforting specialities which not only raise your spirits high and fill up your stomach, but also tickle your taste buds wonderfully. One of those soul-soothing delicacies is "Tikka Masala" which I first got to taste in England - my grandmother prepared it with freshly caught North Sea cod which she bought from the local mobile fishmonger.
Different versions of this dish exist (it can be concocted with various meats, fishes and vegetables or even with paneer cheese), but "Chicken Tikka Masala" is by far the most popular of them all, especially in the UK' where it is undisputedly the nation's favorite "Indian" dish. A true British classic which transcends all generations, races, cultures and classes.
And it isn't just our economy that has been enriched by the arrival of new communities. Our lifestyles and cultural horizons have also been broadened in the process. This point is perhaps more readily understood by young Britons,who are more open to new influences and more likely to have been educated in a multi-ethnic environment. But it reaches into every aspect of our national life.
Chicken Tikka Masala is now a true British national dish, not only because it is the most popular, but because it is a perfect illustration of the way Britain absorbs and adapts external influences. Chicken Tikka is an Indian dish. The Masala sauce was added to satisfy the desire of British people to have their meat served in gravy.The origin of this creamy and tomatoey stew is highly debated and extremely controversial as nobody seems to know whether it is a street grub which hails from Dehli (Northern India) or if it dates back to the early 1970's and was invented by a Pakistani named chef Ali Ahmed Aslam (check out this article and that one) at his Glaswegian reastaurant. As a result many cuisiniers have tried to hijack its origin and claim credit for it (though without success). Until today its provenance remains a mystery, but that isn't what stops the Brits from eating this scrumptious casserole.
- Robin Cook, UK former Foreign Secretary
Anyway, why bother and argue about such trivial things? "Chicken Tikka Masala" blends the best of the East and West, and like any great fusion food, it is a true symbol of multiculturalism, tolerance and integration, thus it perfectly represents the precious multifacetedness of Great Britain. Something to be proud of and not to fight over...
Despite having been acquainted with "Tikka Masala" since my early childhood and being an immense fan of curries, the thought of reproducing this delectable fare in my kitchen has never crossed my mind until last year while visiting Prerna's fabulous blog, "Indian Simmer". Her pictures looked so droolworthy that I felt compelled to try her recipe without delay. Needless to say that it was a frank success and it has become a quintessential home meal.
Because I like sharing my coolest discoveries on "Rosa's Yummy Yums", I thought that you'd be happy to find my adaptation of Prerna's fantastic recipe here. Of course, as you know me, I can't abstain from adding my own personal touch to other's creations, so I substituted chicken thighs for turkey breast and for some extra kick and color, I replaced the double cream by sour cream and incorporated ground curcuma plus tomato paste to the sauce. Absolutely exquisite!
Turkey Tikka Masala
Recipe by Prerna at "Indian Simmer" & adapted by Rosa Mayland.
Serves 4.
Ingredients For The "Turkey Tikka":
500-600g Turkey breast meat, cut into cubes
1 Tsp Hot paprika
3/4 Tsp Ginger paste
3/4 Tsp Garlic paste
1 1/2 Tsp Coriander powder
1 Tsp Garam masala
1/2 Cup yogurt (any fat % is fine)
1 1/2 Tsp Lemon juice
Salt, to taste
2 Tbs Olive oil
Ingredients For The "Masala (Tomato Sauce)":
1 1/2 Tbs Olive oil
1 Onion, chopped
1 Tbs Ginger paste
1 Tbs Garlic paste
1 Tbs Onion powder
1 Tbs Coriander powder
1 1/2 Tsp Powdered black pepper
1 Tsp Garam masala
1 Tsp Powdered fennel seeds
1/2 Tsp Curcuma powder
1 Can (400g) of Diced tomatoes, pureed
2 Tbs Tomato paste
3/4 Cup (180ml) Sour cream
Salt,to taste
Chopped cilantro, for garnishing
1. To prepare the marinade, mix all the spices together with the yogurt and lemon juice.
2. Add the turkey pieces.
3. Mix everything well. Cover the bowl and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour (or overnight).
4. In a frying pan or wok, add the olive oil and stir-fry the turkey (in small batches) for about 4 minutes or until golden brown on each side (don't cook them through, though). Set aside.
Method For The "Masala/Tomato Sauce":
5. Pour the oil in a hot thick-bottomed pan, frying pan or a wok.
6. Add the chopped onion and stir-fry until translucent, then add the ginger and garlic paste. Turn the heat to medium and let the paste slowly cook for 1/2 a minute.
7. Add the onion powder and spices. Stir-fry for a few second, until fragrant.
8. Add the pureed tomato and tomato paste. Stir well.
9. Let the sauce simmer for about 15-20 minutes (stir occasionally scraping the bottom of the pan), or until the sauce is thick and ressembles a concentrated paste.
10. Add the cooked turkey cubes along with the drippings and the sour cream. Mix well and let the stew simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
11. Turn off the heat, cover with a lid and let the tikka masala sit for at least 10 minutes before serving (this helps the flavors to develop).
12. Garnish with the chopped cilantro and serve.
If you don't like turkey, try making this dish using 4 boneless and skinless chicken thighs or paneer (vegetarian) cut into cubes.
Instead of stir-frying the meat, you can also thread the turkey (or chicken/paneer) pieces onto skewers and then grill the skewered turkey (or chicken/paneer) until done or pop it into the oven for 15-20 minutes at a temperature of 200° C (400° F).
Serving suggestions:
Pour 4 personnes.
Ingrédients Pour La "Dinde Tikka":
500-600g de Poitrine de dinde, coupée en cubes
1 CC de Paprika piquant
3/4 de CC de Pâte de gingembre
3/4 de CC de Pâte d'ail
1/2 CC de Coriandre en poudre
1 CC de Garam masala
1/2 Tasse de Yogourt (n'importe quel pourcentage de matières grasses)
1 1/2 CC de Jus de citron
Sel, selon au goût
2 CS d'Huile d'olive
Ingrédients Pour le "Masala (Sauce Tomate)":
1 1/2 CS d'Huile d'olive
1 Oignon, haché
1 CS de pâte de gingembre
1 CS de Pâte d'ail
1 CS d'Oignon en poudre
1 CS de Coriandre en poudre
1 1/2 CC de Poivre noir en poudre
1 CC de Garam masala
1 CC Graines de fenouil en poudre
1/2 CC de Curcuma en poudre
1 Boîte (400 g) de Tomates hachées, réduites en purée
2 CS de Concentré de tomate
180ml de Crème sûre/aigre
Coriandre fraîche, hachée (pour garnir)
Sel, selon goût
Méthode Pour La "Dinde Tikka":
1. Dans un bol moyen, mélanger ensemble, les épices, le yogourt et le jus de citron.
2. Ajouter les morceaux de dinde.
3. Bien mélanger le tout. Couvrir le bol et laisser reposer au réfrigérateur pendant au moins une heure (ou toute la nuit).
4. Dans une poêle ou un wok bien chaud, ajouter l'huile d'olive et faire sauter la dinde (par petites quantités) pendant environ 4 minutes ou jusqu'à ce que la viande soit dorée de chaque côté (mais pas cuite à point). Mettre de côter.
Méthode Pour le "Massala/La Sauce Tomate":
5. Verser l'huile dans une poêle, une casserole à fond épais ou un wok chaud(e).
6. Ajouter l'oignon haché et faire revenir jusqu'à ce que celui-ci soit translucide, puis ajouter la pâte de gingembre et d'ail. Baisser le feu à moyen-doux et laisser cuire doucement la pâte pendant 1/2 minute.
7. Ajouter la poudre d'oignon et les épices. Les faire revenir pendant quelques secondes, afin que leur saveurs se développent.
8. Ajouter la tomate en purée et le concentré de tomate. Bien mélanger.
9. Laisser mijoter la sauce pendant environ 15-20 minutes (remuer de temps en temps en raclant le fond de la casserole), ou jusqu'à ce qu'elle soit épaisse et que presque toute l'eau se soit évaporée (un concentré de sauce).
10. Ajouter les cubes de dinde cuits avec le jus de cuisson et la crème sûre. Bien mélanger et laisser mijoter à feu doux pendant encore 10-15 minutes.
11. Eteindre le feu, couvrir avec un couvercle et laisser le tikka masala reposer pendant au moins 10 minutes avant de servir (cela contribue à développer les saveurs).
12. Garnir avec un peu de coriandre fraîche et servir.
Si vous n'aimez pas la dinde, vous pouvez faire ce plat avec 4 cuisses de poulet désossées (et sans peau) ou du paneer (végétarien), coupé(e)s en cubes.
Au lieu de dorer la viande à la poêle ou au wok, il vous est aussi possible d'enfiler les morceaux de poulet (ou dinde/paneer) sur des brochettes et les faire dorer au grill jusqu'à ce que la viande soit cuite ou au four à 200° C pendant 15-20 minutes.
Suggestions d'accompagnement:
Servir avec des "Naans" (pains plats), des "Rotis" (galettes ressemblantes à des tortillas) ou du "Pulao Au Cumin Et Petits Pois" (riz pilaf) et accompagner avec de la bière blonde bien froide.


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Scientists discover black hole so big it contradicts growth theory
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Scientists say they have discovered a black hole so big that it challenges the theory about how they grow.
Scientists said this black hole was formed about 900 million years after the Big Bang.
But with measurements indicating it is 12 billion times the size of the Sun, the black hole challenges a widely accepted hypothesis of growth rates.
"Based on previous research, this is the largest black hole found for that period of time," Dr Fuyan Bian, Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University (ANU), told Reuters on Wednesday.
"Current theory is for a limit to how fast a black hole can grow, but this black hole is too large for that theory."
The creation of supermassive black holes remains an open topic of research. However, many scientists have long believed the growth rate of black holes was limited.
Black holes grow, scientific theory suggests, as they absorb mass. However, as mass is absorbed, it will be heated creating radiation pressure, which pushes the mass away from the black hole.
"Basically, you have two forces balanced together which sets up a limit for growth, which is much smaller than what we found," said Bian.
The black hole was discovered a team of global scientists led by Xue-Bing Wu at Peking University, China, as part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which provided imagery data of 35 percent of the northern hemisphere sky.
The ANU is leading a comparable project, known as SkyMapper, to carry out observations of the Southern Hemisphere sky.
Bian expects more black holes to be observed as the project advances.


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When the 2011 FHSAA playoffs were taking place to help determine a State champion in high school football fans all across Florida had to inquire:
"Mama who is that man?"
When the 2012 UM recruiting class was in the process of being signed no player seemed more important and more supportive of the process than one running back from Norland High School.
When Miami Hurricane fans were trying to decide who to pick for their Legends of the Fall this year the name of one Freshman running back kept coming up as a logical choice.
When the University started practicing this Fall in the heat at Greentree Field in Coral Gables the name of one Freshman running back kept coming up as a standout.
When the University of Miami started playing football games that really count this season Hurricane fans all across the Country had to ask themselves:
"Mama who is that man?"
That man is Duke Johnson.
Since the 2012 season started no player on the entire University of Miami football team has been more talked about, more dominant or more spectacular than Duke Johnson.
Duke, who has already been crowned a King in Miami, has done this in just three weeks:
- Leads the ACC in scoring
- Leads the ACC in TD scoring
- Leads the ACC in all purpose yards
- Ranks second in kickoff returns
- Ranks second in rushing
We watched in awe as Duke ran four four touchdowns in last Saturday's game against Bethune-Cookman College. It is not just that he scored multiple times against an inferior opponent, it is that he showed the incredible vision, decision-making and acceleration that all great running backs have.
Even when he was in high school wearing #3 and playing with future UM offensive tackle Ereck Flowers (#75 below) he showed some of the same incredible skills.
We were seated in section 446 of the upper deck of Sun Life Stadium as we watched Duke run wild. From that vantage point we could see the formations and plays setting up as they happened. But just as we thought he would be caught or tackled he would cut back or accelerate into a hole that nobody else saw. That is his greatness.
So if you find yourself at a UM football game this season and you happen to see a player wearing number 8 running wild just turn around and ask:
"Mama who is that man?"
We are confident that his Mama would quickly and firmly reply:
"That man is Duke Johnson."


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A while back I wrote about the ways you can use instagram to connect with the chronic illness community. And my mate Starbrite Warrior wrote about this too. It's so ace to connect with others who know what you go through, isn't it? And Instagram is a good platform to use when you're not feeling great - as it just requires a thumb for scrolling, and some emojis if you're not really up to typing a lot! Also, taking selfies and sharing photos can be great for the self esteem of people with chronic illness and disabilities. What's not to love?!
I've found some great people who have Ichthyosis on Instagram - and I LOVE seeing their adventures in pictures.
As a part of Ichthyosis awareness month, I contacted them to ask if I can showcase their instagram. They all said yes! Here they are in their own words. They are so interesting and smart and I love them all. And they are all BEAUTIFUL. Go show them some love. (And I'm on Instagram -@carlyfindlay.)
"I suffer from a lot of other illnesses and currently just diagnosed with elhers danlos syndrome. Quite interesting because I don't see Ichthyosis Vulgaris and elhers danlos syndrome cases.
I'm from LA, but I have family in in Alabama also on my fathers side. I love going to the beach and it's become harder and harder due to photosensitivity and other medical conditions. I used to play tennis competitively until I could no longer.
My last diagnosis waselhers danlos syndrome, which has been invading my life in the physical, effecting my mobility. I plan on advocating Medical marijuana and cultivate my organic hair and skin raw line.
I've been taking care of my skin and hair needs due to deficiencies with my own remedies that I can't wait to finally share this year. I have very neglectful parents and I was on an 8 year quest after leaving the radiology dept on medical leave to find out what was goin on. I have a rather large medical web of things going on from lupus to dysautonomia to ichthyosis. I finally got diagnosed after several doctors had seen me all of my life, in May 2014."
"I am 27 from Germany. I'm a special education teacher. Happy, blessed christian girl from Germany. My faith keeps me strong because I know that Jesus is nothing but good. I know that he made me perfect! I am not a mistake. I am wanted.
I love my hair. They are growing since 2 years.
It's such a difference having long hair as a woman.
I love to laugh. I live to be joyful and I have so many reasons foor being joyful: I have the best family and greatest friends."
I'm Brittany - I'm 28 years old. I didn't know I had ichthyosis until I was college every dermatologist I went to said I had eczema clearly I don't lol. Since I was little, my mom made sure to tell me that I was beautiful and God made me the way he wanted to make me. She also made sure I looked in the mirror and tell myself: "I love me". And because of that I truly love myself and am grateful God chose this path for me.
I'm also a lover of fashion. I love to read & spend time with family and friends."
"My name is Kristin. I am in Alabama, USA where I'm a phd student in composition and rhetoric in English studies.
And... I dream of making higher education more accessible to those with disabilities. That's what my research focuses on, and how I combine advocacy with my professional work."
I love Kristin's dream!
"I'm from Kansas. I have EHK. I was adopted by two awesome people who also adopted my bro who also has a disability.. I work a lot, mostly different photography and make-up projects. Plus a caretaker for a friend with CP. Side work Right now I'm slowly working on a documentary and YouTube project about living with ichthyosis. I do a little modeling gigs. I like to keep busy. :)"
"I am 26 years old, born and raised in Melbourne. I have congenital Ichthyosis vulgaris. I love to travel and try new things.
I work full time and study full time doing my bachelor of business major in event management. :)"
(I met Brianna in April and we could not stop talking. So great to meet her - friends for life!)
Kelly featured on my blog last year. She's in her 20s and lives in Missisippi. I love the confidence she exhudes. She's developed so much confidence and has been doing a lot of great things to educate people about Ichthyosis, and development her sense of style and self worth. Just recently she did her first modelling show! So proud!
"When you go from, "You're stanky." Or people not wanting to touch you because of your skin. To hearing, "You're beautiful." Or people wanting to meet me because of the awareness I've been spreading. This is the transformation of all times. Skin always been poppin'. Just have the confidence to say it. #YouCantTellMeWhatGodWontDo #SkinOnFleek ❤😘"
"I'm 20 by this Dec. I like playing music and listening to music, I use instagram to connect with friends. I live in Malaysia."
"My name is Syafiqah. I am 26 years old and im from Malaysia. I am doing online businesses, i am selling scarf and life insurance policy.
I like to explore new things in life so that I can be more adventures in the next time.
I like to buy things online too!
I like to feed stray cats - I am a cat lover. Do check my stray cats Instagram @kucingjalanannn which stands for stray cat 😁
The reason I love Instagram so much is because I can see my families and friends new updates."
I adore Fiqasani's fashion!
Hope you enjoyed meeting them as much as I did.
Also, please note that before trying any treatments my friends have mentioned, talk to your doctor and psychologist. There are many variations, symptoms, appearances and seventies of Ichthyosis and what works for one person might not work for others.
This is the last post for Ichthyosis Awareness Month 2016. I hope that I have done more than raise awareness, and made you think about acceptance (of self and by others), and the media representation of the condition, and introduced you to some great people. I've got some more posts about Ichthyosis coming year round - thinking critically of course.
You can read this year's posts at:
Vereniging voor Ichthyosis Netwerken
How to cope with the emotional aspects of Ichthyosis - advice from people with the condition
Choosing clothes to accommodate ichthyosis
Using Moo Goo cream to de-scale the scalp
When the media directs you not to google Ichthyosis (and what I'm doing to change that)
Rethinking Kindness - True Blue Hand
Ichthyosis Awareness Month 2016 - we must move past awareness raising
And catch up on the 2013, 2014 and 2015 posts.
Thank you for reading about Ichthyosis again this year - I hope we've moved past awareness.
I have a favour to ask, please.
You know, I've been blogging for quite some time. Almost seven years here! And I am really proud of what I've produced. There are some great resources here for you - scores of posts about Ichthyosis and appearance diversity that are really helpful. I know this because you tell me. You search for and share the posts, and I'm so grateful. Thank you.
Apart from the very occasional sponsored post, I don't get paid to write this blog. I spend a little money on the blog - online storage, apps, graphics and getting people to edit my posts when I'm really busy. I come home from my day job to write because I love it. There's a lot of time involved in blogging - this post took me four hours. Most posts take me up to five hours. I also manage social media and answer countless questions asking for advice about Ichthyosis and general disability issues. People ask me to help them with blogging and socials media. My blogs are used as classroom and business resources. Sometimes I am asked to edit work or give interviews. These are GREAT OPPORTUNITIES but take time and expertise.
I've been listening to a few podcasts talking about backing ourselves, and asking readers to show us they value our content by paying us what they can afford. So that's what I'm doing today.
I am thinking of setting up a Patreon (crowdfunding) account to support my blogging - so I can continue bringing you quality content, and spruce my online home up a bit. I plan to finally make this a dot com! I can keep writing but outsource the stuff I'm not good at. While I look into Patreon, I've signed up to a PayPal business account (I have an ABN and everything!).
I ask that if you value my work, if it's been useful to you in any way, if it's made you laugh or cry, and can spare a few dollars, you might consider supporting me. Think of it as buying me a drink. (It can be a cocktail, a wine, a hot chocolate or even a bottle of water!)
You can click the Paypal button below and give whatever you can afford. Or share this, tell people about my blog. I so appreciate it. Thank you.


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Q. I've heard that sharing a bed with your baby poses a danger for SIDS. Is this true? We've been co-sleeping with our 3-month-old since he was born, and I'm worried that I could be putting him in danger.
A. Don't worry; continue co-sleeping. Because I have thoroughly researched this common concern and written two books on the subject, "The Baby Sleep Book" and "SIDS: A Parent's Guide to Understanding and Preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome," I feel that I can confidently advise you on this subject. In the SIDS book, you'll find more than 250 scientific references to support the information provided on sleep and breathing patterns, and safe sleeping arrangements.
Related on TODAY: Anti-cosleeping ad enrages some parents
Also, my wife and I co-slept with every one of our eight babies and I have advocated the practice throughout my 35 years of being a pediatrician. I've come to the conclusion that co-sleeping, if practiced wisely and safely, can actually lower the risk of SIDS, and here's why:
Co-sleeping helps your baby rouse himself: New research has shown that in most cases, SIDS is caused by a baby's inability to arouse himself from sleep. Normally, when something occurs that threatens your baby's well being, such as difficulty breathing, he will automatically wake up. For reasons that are still unknown, in some babies, this protective mechanism does not go off, and so these babies are more at risk for SIDS.
Related on Parenting.com: The complete SIDS prevention guide
This is where the positive aspects of co-sleeping come in. Dr. James McKenna, director of the Mother-Baby Sleep Laboratory and Professor of Anthropology at the University of Notre Dame, has conducted numerous studies of mothers and babies who were co-sleeping and night nursing. His group of researchers found that mom and baby share similar patterns of sleep arousals, what we call "nighttime harmony." They drifted in and out of sleep stages in a similar, but not always identical, pattern. Some SIDS researchers believe that this is a factor in baby's protective arousal mechanism. This harmony may also be related to a psychological synchronicity between co-sleeping mothers and their babies: The co-sleeping mom is more likely to subconsciously sense if her baby's health is in danger and wake up.
Researchers also believe that the carbon dioxide you exhale when you sleep close to your baby may help stimulate her breathing. Plus, co-sleeping infants tend to automatically sleep on their back, in order to have easier access to nighttime feedings. Back sleeping has proved to be one of the top risk-reducers for SIDS. Meanwhile, babies who sleep separately from their moms have been shown to experience a decrease in the amount of REM sleep, the state of sleep in which protective arousal is the most likely to occur.
Co-sleeping is a common practice worldwide: The rate of SIDS is lowest in cultures that traditionally share sleep, such as Asian. While there could be many other factors contributing to the lower incidence of SIDS in these cultures, all the population studies I've seen have come to the same conclusion: Safe co-sleeping lowers the SIDS risk.
Co-sleeping warnings are based on imprecise science: I began my pediatric career in academic medicine and teaching in university hospitals. At that time, I learned an important lesson about scientific research: When the conclusions of a scientific study and common sense don't match, suspect faulty science. Both Dr. McKenna's writings and my two books mentioned above contain information that proves the original studies that triggered the "alarm" about co-sleeping were flawed.
In addition, scientists have yet to come to a universal agreement on the definition of co-sleeping. I've always considered co-sleeping to mean bed-sharing or sleeping within arm's reach of mother; however, it can also be defined as simply being close to mom or sleeping in the parents' bedroom.
No matter your interpretation, you will find general agreement among all SIDS researchers, pediatricians, and the American Academy of Pediatrics that sleeping in the same room with parents lowers the risk of SIDS.
Co-sleeping is as safe as the conditions you practice: For obvious reasons, parents under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or medications that interfere with normal sleep patterns should never have their baby in their bed. Other safeguards to employ:
- Sleep in a king-size bed if possible, to give everybody enough room.
- Be sure there are no wide crevices between the mattress and the guardrail or headboard that your baby's head could sink into.
- Never allow infants to sleep in the same bed with siblings or caregivers — they may not have the same awareness of a baby's presence that parents do.
- Don't fall asleep with your baby on a surface that isn't firm, such as a couch or a beanbag chair; she could suffocate by getting wedged between the cushions.
Many parents have resolved co-sleeping worries by using a bedside co-sleeper: a crib-like bed that attaches securely to the side of your mattress. This allows you to have your own sleeping space on your bed, while your baby sleeps within arm's reach for easy nursing and comforting.
I hope you continue to enjoy co-sleeping with your baby, practice it safely, and reap the rewards of feeling more connected with each other. Just remember -- wherever you and your baby get the best night's sleep is the right arrangement for your family.
Related Links:
Parenting.com: 26 Smart Ways to Get Your Baby to SleepParenting.com: Vaccine Facts Every Parent Should Parenting.com: Will You Still Be Fertile in Five Years?Parenting.com: Women Deliver "Live" Births as Performance
Parenting.com: 15 Quirky Tricks to Calm Crying


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What an incredible Homer Summer Music Camp. During the last two weeks of June, I had the pleasure of being camp director. Bluegrass Camps for Kids and Andrew Vait teamed up with the support of Homer Council on the Arts to teach 50 kids who learned bluegrass, pop/rock, music theory, vocal, dance and recording.
It was such a joy to walk through the halls of West Homer Elementary and hear music, singing and laughter pouring out of every room.
There are numerous people to thank for helping in the success. Thanks to K-Bay and Alice's for hosting open mics, giving the students the opportunity to perform what they'd learned. Two Sisters, Fat Olives, Fritz Creek, Far Out Café, and Cosmic Kitchen helped with food. Mike Yourkowski, Brad Faulkner and the Coyle family helped with housing.
All of the teachers were incredible, including the local talent of Tyler Langham and Colin McArthur who taught with Andrew. Willy Dunne and Tim Hamilton as well as Steve Cornish lent us instruments.
I know I'll be there again next summer, I hope to see more of our talented youth there, too. Thanks to all.
Mo Wilkinson, director
Homer Summer Music Camps


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Show All Answers
Yes, appointments are required for passport applications. Please call our office at 360-385-9116 to schedule.
The UPS Store and Mail Plus both offer passport photo services.
If you are eligible to use form DS-82 (Passport Renewal Form), you must submit through the mail.
Yes. The applicant must always be present.
Passport applications require two (2) forms of payment. 1. Must be Check or Money Order payable to Department of State. 2. Cash, Credit Card (a convenience fee applies) or Check made payable to Jefferson County Auditor.
No. The birth certificate must be certified and be issued by the state you were born in.


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• ecstasy •
Pronunciation: ek-stê-see • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: 1. The state of being carried away beyond self-control by high emotion; a state of unmanageable bliss or euphoria. 2. A trance-like state or frenzy of religious passion. 3. [Slang] An illegal amphetamine.
Notes: Today's word is one of those Greek borrowings ending on an S or soft C that becomes a T in words derived from it: the adjective for ectasy is ecstatic [ek-stæ-dik], just as the adjective for stasis is static and that for democracy is democratic. The adverb, therefore, is ecstatically. If you must 'verb' this word, ecstacize is the way to do it: "Gilda Lilly simply ecstacized over her new Armani evening dress."
In Play: Ecstasy is usually associated with the heights of euphoria: "The very thought of chocolate truffles transports Kaye Largo to a state of ecstasy." Today's Good Word can also refer to a religious or almost religious trance: "The sight of Barbie Dahl raised Jason Rainboes to such a height of ecstasy that his eyes lost focus and slightly crossed themselves."
Word History: Middle English borrowed this word from Old French extasie (Modern French extase). French inherited this word from Late Latin extasis "terror" which had been borrowed earlier from Greek ekstasis "astonishment". Ekstasis was derived from the verb existanai "to displace, put outside of", made up of ek- "out of" + histanai "to put, place" (stanai "placed"). Greek histanai is a prefixed form based on the older root sta- "stand" which also produced English stand, stage, and stay. In Greek it produced stasis "motionlessness", whose adjective was borrowed as English static. The verb meaning "stand" in Latin was stare, which went into the making of the Good Word stamen, stamina. (Let's not become so ecstatic over today's Good Word as to forget to thank Marilyn Zrkos for suggesting it.)
P.S. - Register for the Daily Good Word E-Mail! - You can get our daily Good Word sent directly to you via e-mail in either HTML or Text format. Go to our Registration Page to sign up today!


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Discovered catalytic RNA, for which he won the Nobel Prize in 1989
"Don't worry if things change. Just do what you do best."
The year is 1970 and it's an unusually warm June day. Sid Altman is worried. He has no job prospects and he has little to show for a year of work in Francis Crick and Sydney Brenner's laboratory in Cambridge, England. Crick was the co-discoverer of DNA (DeoxyriboNucleic Acid), the molecule that encodes the genetic information that tells cells how to function and grow. It's an incredible honour for Altman to have been invited to this famous laboratory. At the moment, it's probably the best place in the world for genetic research, but Altman has only two weeks left before he must leave. And he has no idea where he will go or what he will do next.
Altman is working on mutant cells with malfunctioning t-RNA (transfer RiboNucleic Acid)—a substance that is part of the machinery in a cell that decodes instructions in DNA. DNA and RNA are long twisty chain-like molecules. (For more information about these, see Chapter 16 on Michael Smith.) For about the thousandth time, Altman picks up a glass plate on which there is a thin layer of gel. But this plate is special. Altman is trying a new experiment, something no one has ever tried before. If he can just isolate a special type of RNA called precursor-RNA it would explain a lot about the process of reading the genetic code from a strand of DNA.
After putting a few drops of material prepared from the mutant cells onto the gel, Altman places the plate into a strong electric field. This technique, called electrophoresis is a standard method for separating chemical compounds. The electric field causes different compounds to move across the gel at different speeds. Altman waits several hours, and then lays photographic film on top of the gel. Tiny amounts of radioactive tracer atoms in the RNA emit X-rays that will leave characteristic bands on the film.
With a friend, Altman takes this latest piece of film into the darkroom to develop it. Within minutes the two young scientists both see the same thing. It's just a white splotch on the negative but it gives Altman one overwhelming thought: "Now I know I can ultimately get a job." He had taken the first step in a long series of experiments that would ultimately lead to the discovery of catalytic RNA.
Altman was hired for one more year in Crick's lab, then became a biology professor at Yale University in USA. His work over the next two decades lead to the discovery of catalytic RNA and resulted in his winning the Nobel prize in 1989. He is still working on aspects of the same molecular biology system today.
Sidney Altman grew up in the Notre Dame de Grace suburb of Montreal. As a boy he loved books. He liked sports and writing, too, but the library was one of his favourite places. He read widely, from novels to books on sports and science. "I read everything I could get my hands on," he remembers.
When he was 12 years old someone gave him a book called Explaining The Atom by Selig Hecht. The book showed Altman science's power to predict things. From then on he was a confirmed scientist. "I wasn't interested in biology at the time. I liked nuclear physics," he recalls today.
One Saturday afternoon, when Altman was still in high school, a friend asked, "Why don't you come with me to McGill. I'm going to take the American SAT exams." These Scholastic Aptitude Tests are a required part of any application to study at an American university. Altman had always thought he would stay in Canada and enrol at McGill for University in Montreal, but on a whim he wrote the SAT and he and his friend both applied to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) near Boston. As it turned out, Altman got in but his friend did not.
Altman's family had to scramble to get the money together to send him to this great school, and he wasn't even sure he wanted to go. There was a big debate in the Altman household. But within three weeks at MIT Altman knew he wanted to stay; he was impressed by the high calibre of the students and he really enjoyed living away from home.
He received his bachelor of science (BSc) degree from MIT, then went to the University of Colorado Medical School in Boulder, where he obtained his doctorate (PhD) in Molecular Biology and met Leonard Lerman, a professor of molecular biology. Lerman was instrumental in helping Altman win a fellowship to work in Crick and Brenner's lab in England where he began his Nobel prize-winning research. After those early discoveries, Altman came back to the USA and became a professor at Yale University. He never renounced his Canadian citizenship but now holds dual citizenship, both in Canada and in the United States.
Molecular biologists study the thousands of chemical reactions that go on inside cells to create and sustain life. Altman specializes in the chemical processes involved in copying information from DNA and using it to make proteins, the molecular building blocks of cells. Information is copied from DNA by the molecule RNA. About six different types of RNA are involved in this transcription process.
Image by: Freelance Illustration
In Crick and Brenner's lab, in about 1970, Altman was investigating part of this complex process. He discovered an enzyme called "RNase P" that chops a little "tail" off the end of an intermediate molecule of RNA called "precursor-tRNA." Enzymes are special protein molecules that make chemical reactions go faster, a process called catalysis. Enzymes usually do this by holding or bending a molecule in a certain way so that one of its chemical bonds breaks easily. It took about 10 years, but Altman eventually discovered that the enzyme he was studying was not your average enzyme: instead of being a protein like all other enzymes, it was made of two parts — one strand of RNA and one protein. Furthermore, it was the RNA portion that provided the catalysis.
This was a significant discovery, because RNA molecules are much more primitive than protein molecules. Besides offering an explanation for how life might have begun billions of years ago before proteins existed, Altman's discovery also hints at a way to beat a very troublesome primitive life form: the virus that causes the common cold. Cold viruses are made of RNA. It may be possible to design catalytic RNA-based vaccines that kill cold viruses by chopping up their RNA.
In recent years Dr. Altman and his research team at Yale University have applied their knowledge of RNA molecular biology to develop a method to inhibit the expression of any gene in any organism. They have patented a technique that stops the expression of virus genes in human tissue culture cells. Some day they expect it will work in vivo — in people.
The elucidation and understanding of the large role RNA plays in gene expression has expanded greatly since Altman's discovery in the early 1980s. RNA employs a surprising variety of biochemical mechanisms that can result in different protein products coming from the same genetic code. "Tremendous amounts of different kinds of RNAs are now being identified," says Altman. For instance, RNAi (or "interfering RNA") regulates genes in microscopic worms called nematodes, as well as in plants and humans. It can turn genes on or off. These newly discovered powers of RNA are changing our concept of genes. We now know that, with the help of various types of RNA, a single gene can be interpreted in many different ways, leading to expression of various protein products. "It's important, because 20 years ago we predicted this," says Altman. It also helps explain how such a complex organism as a human being can arise from only about 30,000 genes.
A 3D model of M1 RNA, the catalytic RNA molecule that Altman discovered.
1. The t-RNA precursor molecule whose "tail" is chopped off by the catalytic RNA.
2. The arrow points to the site of cleavage where the t-RNA molecule is severed.
(Model produced with DRAWNA software by Eric Westhof, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Centre National de la Récherche Scientifique, Strasbourg, France.)
Altman feels that perhaps the biggest mystery to be solved by the next generation will be the understanding of the human brain.
Explore Further
Bruce Alberts, et al., Molecular Biology of the Cell, fourth edition, Garland Science, 2001.
Altman's autobiography on the Nobel Prize website.
A video interview of Altman on the Nobel Prize website.
So You Want to Be a Molecular Biologist
Career options in molecular biology are expanding rapidly as more and more is learned about the human genome and how it affects cellular processes and metabolic pathways. Molecular biologists are relatively well paid. Jobs are available in biotechnology, chemical, pharmaceutical, food, health care, resource, environmental and consulting companies, as well as with government, educational institutions, research institutes and in the forestry and agricultural sectors.
Dr. Altman's advice: "Whatever you do, work hard, and take it seriously. Be prepared for unexpected turns. Do the required work and don't goof off too much." He points out that the goals of teenagers are rarely realized because they evolve as kids learn more. The more education you have, the greater the likelihood you will earn more money. To obtain a job in molecular biology you will need four years of university, followed by about five years of graduate school and a couple of years as a post-doctoral fellow. About ten or twelve years in all.
Altman finds his work interesting and the recognition he has received very satisfying. His main problem is getting enough financial support to do his research. "Everyone has to pay for the war," he says, referring to the tendency of the United States government to spend heavily on its military, "so there is less money available for scientific research."
His final bit of advice to aspiring molecular biologists: "Study chemistry, which I did not do."
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JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Grambling's proud football program descended into further chaos Friday when the school canceled Saturday's game against Jackson State after disgruntled players refused to travel to Jackson.
Jackson State officials announced the cancellation Friday night. Athletic department spokesman Wesley Peterson told The Associated Press that Grambling officials contacted Jackson State to inform them of the decision.
Grambling spokesman Will Sutton said late Friday that the Southwestern Athletic Conference has labeled the game as a "no contest" and that university officials would have no further comment. He said players will not be available for interviews.
Grambling officials met throughout a chaotic Friday, trying to rectify the sour situation between players and administration. Apparently, nothing could be worked out so that the game could be played.
SWAC Commissioner Duer Sharp said according to league rules, Grambling will forfeit and the school will be fined.
"I've been in contact with the schools and they informed me the game is going to be canceled," Sharp said. "It's just a very disappointing situation when something like this happens. But we'll do everything we can with these schools to reach an understanding moving forward."
Friday's apparent player boycott was the latest in three days of upheaval for Grambling's program — which rose to prominence under coach Eddie Robinson. Several media outlets have reported that players did not attend practice Wednesday and Thursday because of issues with program and school leadership.
Grambling (0-7) has changed coaches twice in about two months. Doug Williams was fired two games into the season and replaced by George Ragsdale, who was reassigned Thursday and replaced by Dennis "Dirt" Winston.
The game is Jackson State's homecoming and could hurt the school financially. The Grambling-Jackson State matchup usually draws very well — an announced crowd of more than 21,000 attended the game in Jackson in 2011.
Jackson State's athletic budget is about $6 million and the school relies heavily on football revenue.
Jackson State spokeswoman Jean Cook said the school would still have homecoming festivities, including the homecoming parade, a football scrimmage and extended band performance. The school said it's working on a process to refund tickets.
"It's not ideal," Cook said. "But we're trying to make the best of things."
Louisiana State Sen. Rick Gallot, a Democrat from Ruston and a Grambling graduate, says he hopes a resolution can still be reached.
"I am still optimistic that not only will the situation with the scheduled game with Jackson State be resolved and the teams will play, but I am also optimistic that leadership issues and the concerns of the student-athletes will all be fleshed out and addressed and we'll be able to return to a semblance of normalcy on campus," Gallot said.
With the forfeit to Jackson State, Grambling has now lost 18 straight games against NCAA opponents.
The entire athletic program has struggled amid budget cuts and scholarship reductions. The men's basketball team was 0-28 last season.
(AP Photo: Grambling State University football player Naquan Smith speaks at a "State of Emergency" gathering organized by student Kimberly Monroe in Grambling, La.)


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New dental center eyed for Bristol's downtown
BRISTOL — For roughly half a decade, a local nonprofit has sought to set up the Addison County Dental Center, a dental facility for low- to moderate-income citizens. Now, with Bristol health facilities shifting spaces and one clinic applying for special federal status, chair of the center's board, Peg Martin, thinks the nonprofit's stars might finally align in Bristol.
Martin and the center's board want to work with town officials to obtain federal funding to set up a dental center in the Park Street building that Bristol Internal Medicine is leaving.
Around five years ago, the dental center received $200,000 in federal funds to set up a Middlebury facility. But the board still needed one thing: a dentist. Over a several-year period, four prospective dentists turned away from the job due to what board members said were tough economic times. Martin explained that typical Medicaid reimbursements for dentists are very slim.
"If you had an all Medicaid practice you'd be out of business because Medicaid simply does not pay enough," she said.
The organization wasn't able to fill the space its board had planned to occupy, and the space was rented out to another eager tenant.
Around the same time, the Five Town Health Alliance (5THA) — a Bristol-based nonprofit dedicated to providing universal health care in Addison County — began applying to become what's known as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) to create a health facility for patients from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds. Such status would have equipped the 5THA with $650,000 in start-up funds and provided benefits like enhanced reimbursements for Medicaid and Medicare patients, better drug prices, and access to a range of grant and loan opportunities. As an FQHC, the 5THA would also be required to provide dental services.
The dental center and 5THA boards began talking. If the 5THA received FQHC status, the dental center would provide those necessary services, and its dentist or dentists would receive a higher reimbursement for treating Medicaid patients.
Although the 5THA wasn't awarded the funds in 2011, it recently received about $110,000 from the state Legislature to apply for "FQHC look-alike" status, which would not bring with it the hefty start-up money or some of benefits that an FQHC would. Such status would, however, bring in those high federal reimbursement rates for Medicaid and Medicare patients, which appeals to the dental center board, said Martin.
The 5THA won't apply for FQHC look-alike status until the end of September, but the dental center board is looking to set up a facility in Bristol and team up with the new 5THA center, which will be run by Mountain Health Center — reincorporating in September as a nonprofit under the 5THA umbrella to meet federal standards.
The issue for the dental center now is that the $200,000 in grant money, which it received through the Vermont Community Development Program, is no longer valid because the center wants to use the funds in Bristol, rather than Middlebury. Since the grant program allocates the funds through a municipal body, the program won't administer those funds to a separate body under the same application, said Martin.
To apply for such funding again, the dental center needs Bristol's help.
On Monday, Martin met with the Bristol selectboard at their biweekly meeting.
"We are planning to move from Middlebury to Bristol in large part because of the efforts around the 5THA," Martin told the selectboard, pointing out that Bristol and the four surrounding towns have been without a dental clinic for many years.
Although the center has about $250,000 — more than $100,000 from fundraising and about $143,000 from money earmarked by Sen. Bernie Sanders — it needs funding for equipment. That's where a Vermont Community Development Program grant would come into play.
But there's a hitch: The dental center can't receive the money directly because the program only allocates funds to municipalities.
"If we were successful in getting a grant, you folks would be the entity that receives the grant and passes it along," Martin told the selectboard. "This is not without a fair amount of bureaucracy, unfortunately … We don't want to be a burden on the town of Bristol, and we think we have a service to offer to the people of this area that is valuable."
Bill Bryant explained the grant arrangement in a separate interview.
"We would be the grantee," he said. "We would receive the grant funds, but then we'd actually be using the money to grant it to the Addison County Dental Center."
Meanwhile, Porter Hospital's Bristol Internal Medicine clinic is moving to the Bristol Works campus, which means their current facility — once a dentist's office — will become vacant.
"It was set up originally as a dental office and it hasn't change much since," said Martin in a separate interview. "So in terms of the physical rehab that would need to be done, there isn't much … It's also close to the 5THA and within walking distance of the high school, assuming we'd be serving a kids' population, which we'd like to."
Martin's aim in meeting with the selectboard on Monday was to provide preliminary information to the town's highest government body. Nothing about the project is set in stone at this point, but none of the board members batted an eye. All of them appeared to support the idea.
Martha Halnon, new director of the 5THA and Mountain Health Center, also pledged her support to the center in a separate interview.
"Speaking for the 5THA and Mountain Health Center, we're very excited about this collaboration and the potential to provide this service," she said. "It would make a huge impact for the area since we have no dentists, and it's very difficult for low-income and uninsured patients to get the care they need."
The dental center's board is planning to submit an application in December for grants ranging from $200,000-$300,000. The center would then find out if it had received the funds by Feb. 14. If the development program supports the nonprofit, Martin said the center would be up and running by the end of summer 2013.
As for a dentist?
"We have a commitment from a very fine dentist who would start out at three days a week," said Martin.
Reporter Andrew Stein is at [email protected].
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A few weeks ago, we made the last minute decision to make Punkin a birthday card with some of her current favorite characters. I'm not an artist, but I know enough about comic books to understand the process and try to emulate it.
I tried to go through the standard cycle as a layman understands it. First I did a quick thumbnail on printer paper to make sure I understood the basic composition of the thing, and more importantly how I understood the sizes of the figures relative to each other.
After that, I took a folded piece of card stock and pencilled in the figures. When I felt good about that, I inked them. After that, I erased a little of my lines and passed it off to the colorist and letterer (which was mommy.) The final product looked pretty decent, if we do say so ourselves. It was a lot of work and made for a later night than anticipated but it was probably easier than trying find a card with the right set of characters. Considering the front is a Paw Patrol character and the inside is a mix of Octonauts and Mickey Mouse, that was probably impossible.


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#54 - Bava Batra 135-141
The Secret of a Longer Life
Mamulai is what Rabbi Huna, the son of Rabbi Yehoshua, called Rabbi Bibi, the son of the Sage Abaye, when he presented a criticism of a move he had made to secure a gift he had received.
Rashbam explains that this was a reference to the region of Mamlei where the descendants of Eli the Kohen Gadol lived. This geographical designation, he points out, appears in a Midrash (Bereishet Rabba 59:1) about a visit which Rabbi Meir made to Mamlei. He noticed that there were no older people there, only dark haired youths. He surmised that they must be descendants of Eli, who was told by Hashem that as punishment for the sins of his sons, all the male adults of his household would die as young men. (Shmuel I 2:33). When they confirmed this and begged him to pray for them to enjoy long life, he told them to become involved in charity and they would be blessed with longevity.
A similar idea, adds Rashbam, is found in the gemara (Mesechta Rosh Hashana 18a) in regard to the oath taken by Hashem that the sin of the household of Eli would not be forgiven through animal sacrifices and flour offerings (ibid. 3:14). The finality of a Heavenly judgment thus accompanied by an oath did not discourage two eminent sages descended from Eli from striving for a life longer than the eighteen years which was the norm for other descendants. The Sage Rabba interpreted the Heavenly decree and oath as only ruling out sacrifices as a means of atonement, but not excluding Torah study, and lived to forty, more than twice as long as other descendants. His disciple Abaye made the same deduction but added gemilat chassadim (acts of kindness) to Torah study as a means of achieving atonement and long life. He dedicated himself to both and lived till sixty.
The aforementioned gemara also relates the story of a family not in Mamlei but in Jerusalem whose members died at the age of eighteen. When Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai learned of this he surmised that they were descendants of Eli and advised them to dedicate themselves to Torah study. They followed his advice and lived longer. In recognition of this, that family was afterwards known as Rabbi Yochanans Family.
Bava Batra 137a
The Man Who Had Everything
And Hashem blessed Avraham with everything (bakol) (Bereishet 24:1).
Both Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehuda understood this passage as a reference to the question of whether Avraham had a daughter. While Rabbi Meir saw the blessing as his not having a daughter, Rabbi Yehudas view is that he did indeed have a daughter and her name was Bakol (the Hebrew word for everything).
Ramban, in his commentary on the Torah, explains why it was a blessing for Avraham not to have a daughter. He certainly could not have married her to one of his cursed Canaanite neighbors. To find a husband for her in his homeland as he found there a wife for his son was also not an option. Not only would he be reluctant to let her go live with such a husband because it would mean that a child born from the righteous Sarah would have to abandon Eretz Yisrael, but he would he would also be concerned that she would become an idol worshipper like her husband. Hashem spared him this agony and made his happiness complete by withholding a daughter from him.
Rabbi Yehuda, however, viewed the lack of a daughter as something missing in the blessing of Hashem. Even a daughter was not lacking is his interpretation of the totality of this blessing. As Ramban phrases it, he had everything that people desire with nothing missing.
In regard to the significance of Rabbi Yehuda informing us that this daughters name was Bakol, there is an elaborate esoteric explanation to be found in the aforementioned commentary of Ramban.
Bava Batra 141a


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Border ballads
song genre from the Anglo-Scottish border
Border ballads are ballads from the area of the England/Scotland border. They often exist in several variant versions, so the wording here may not always agree with other sources.
Sourced edit
- Maxwelton's braes are bonnie
Where early fa's the dew
And 'twas there that Annie Laurie
Gave me her promise true.
Gave me her promise true
Which ne'er forgot will be
And for bonnie Annie Laurie
I'd lay me doon and dee.- Annie Laurie
- I wish I were where Helen lies;
Night and day on me she cries;
Oh that I were where Helen lies
On fair Kirconnell lea!
Curst be the heart that thought the thought,
And curst the hand that fired the shot,
When in my arms burd Helen dropt,
And died to succour me!
- Goodman, you've spoken the foremost word!
Get up, and bar the door.- Get up and bar the door
- "What d'ye leave to your true-love, Lord Randal, my son?
What d'ye leave to your true-love, my handsome young man?"
"I leave her hell and fire; mother mak my bed soon,
For I'm sick at the heart, and I fain wad lie down."- Lord Randall [1]
- When captains courageous, whom death could not daunt
- Mary Ambree
- The first line that Sir Patrick read,
A loud laugh laughed he;
The next line that Sir Patrick read,
The tear blinded his ee.
- Mony a one for him makes mane,
But nane sall ken where he is gane;
O'er his white banes, when they are bare,
The wind sall blaw for evermair.
- But had I wist, before I kist,
That love had been sae ill to win,
I had lock'd my heart in a case o' gowd,
And pinn'd it wi' a siller pin.
And O! if my young babe were born,
And set upon the nurse's knee;
And I mysel were dead and gane,
And the green grass growing over me!- Waly, waly


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Monitor Deep Learning Training Progress
This example shows how to monitor the training process of deep learning networks.
When you train networks for deep learning, it is often useful to monitor the training progress. By plotting various metrics during training, you can learn how the training is progressing. For example, you can determine if and how quickly the network accuracy is improving, and whether the network is starting to overfit the training data.
This example shows how to monitor training progress for networks trained using the trainNetwork
function. For networks trained using a custom training loop, use a trainingProgressMonitor
object to plot metrics during training. For more information, see Monitor Custom Training Loop Progress.
When you set the Plots
training option to "training-progress"
in trainingOptions
and start network training, trainNetwork
creates a figure and displays training metrics at every iteration. Each iteration is an estimation of the gradient and an update of the network parameters. If you specify validation data in trainingOptions
, then the figure shows validation metrics each time trainNetwork
validates the network. The figure plots the following:
Training accuracy — Classification accuracy on each individual mini-batch.
Smoothed training accuracy — Smoothed training accuracy, obtained by applying a smoothing algorithm to the training accuracy. It is less noisy than the unsmoothed accuracy, making it easier to spot trends.
Validation accuracy — Classification accuracy on the entire validation set (specified using
).Training loss, smoothed training loss, and validation loss — The loss on each mini-batch, its smoothed version, and the loss on the validation set, respectively. If the final layer of your network is a
, then the loss function is the cross entropy loss. For more information about loss functions for classification and regression problems, see Output Layers.
For regression networks, the figure plots the root mean square error (RMSE) instead of the accuracy.
The figure marks each training Epoch using a shaded background. An epoch is a full pass through the entire data set.
During training, you can stop training and return the current state of the network by clicking the stop button in the top-right corner. For example, you might want to stop training when the accuracy of the network reaches a plateau and it is clear that the accuracy is no longer improving. After you click the stop button, it can take a while for the training to complete. Once training is complete, trainNetwork
returns the trained network.
When training finishes, view the Results showing the finalized validation accuracy and the reason that training finished. If the OutputNetwork
training option is "last-iteration"
(default), the finalized metrics correspond to the last training iteration. If the OutputNetwork
training option is "best-validation-loss"
, the finalized metrics correspond to the iteration with the lowest validation loss. The iteration from which the final validation metrics are calculated is labeled Final in the plots.
If your network contains batch normalization layers, then the final validation metrics can be different to the validation metrics evaluated during training. This is because the mean and variance statistics used for batch normalization can be different after training completes. For example, if the BatchNormalizationStatisics
training option is "population"
, then after training, the software finalizes the batch normalization statistics by passing through the training data once more and uses the resulting mean and variance. If the BatchNormalizationStatisics
training option is "moving"
, then the software approximates the statistics during training using a running estimate and uses the latest values of the statistics.
On the right, view information about the training time and settings. To learn more about training options, see Set Up Parameters and Train Convolutional Neural Network.
To save the training progress plot, click Export Training Plot in the training window. You can save the plot as a PNG, JPEG, TIFF, or PDF file. You can also save the individual plots of loss, accuracy, and root mean squared error using the axes toolbar.
Plot Training Progress During Training
Train a network and plot the training progress during training.
Load the training data, which contains 5000 images of digits. Set aside 1000 of the images for network validation.
[XTrain,YTrain] = digitTrain4DArrayData; idx = randperm(size(XTrain,4),1000); XValidation = XTrain(:,:,:,idx); XTrain(:,:,:,idx) = []; YValidation = YTrain(idx); YTrain(idx) = [];
Construct a network to classify the digit image data.
layers = [ imageInputLayer([28 28 1]) convolution2dLayer(3,8,Padding="same") batchNormalizationLayer reluLayer maxPooling2dLayer(2,Stride=2) convolution2dLayer(3,16,Padding="same") batchNormalizationLayer reluLayer maxPooling2dLayer(2,Stride=2) convolution2dLayer(3,32,Padding="same") batchNormalizationLayer reluLayer fullyConnectedLayer(10) softmaxLayer classificationLayer];
Specify options for network training. To validate the network at regular intervals during training, specify validation data. Choose the ValidationFrequency
value so that the network is validated about once per epoch. To plot training progress during training, set the Plots
training option to "training-progress"
options = trainingOptions("sgdm", ... MaxEpochs=8, ... ValidationData={XValidation,YValidation}, ... ValidationFrequency=30, ... Verbose=false, ... Plots="training-progress");
Train the network.
net = trainNetwork(XTrain,YTrain,layers,options);
See Also
| trainingOptions


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Welcome to the penultimate post in this 12-part series on QUALITY, titled #QUALITYtweet – 12 Ideas to Build a Quality Culture.
Here are the first ten posts, in case you would like to go back and take a look:
- Quality #1: Quality is a long term differentiator
- Quality #2: Cure Precedes Prevention
- Quality #3: Great People + Good Processes = Great Quality
- Quality #4: Simplifying Processes
- Quality #5: Customers are your "Quality Partners"
- Quality #6: Knowing what needs improvement
- Quality #7: Productivity and Quality
- Quality #8: Best Practices are Contextual
- Quality #9: Quality of Relationship and Communication
- Quality #10: Inspection can be a waste if…
#QUALITYtweet Critical question: Knowing that
people will change only if they want to, how do you
make sure they "want" to change?
Process Improvement is a "change" game and implementing change isn't always easy. In case of process improvement, the challenge is to change habits and behaviors of your people. That makes it even more difficult.
People change, not by "force" but by their "intent". With force, people may dispassionately comply with your processes, but for true involvement, their intent needs a direction. With this as a given, critical questions are:
- How do you make sure that you implement change by driving intent of people?
- How do you make sure that people are passionately involved in change?
The answer to these is "Change Leadership". Leading a change means undertaking right initiatives, mobilizing resources, addressing soft aspects like motivation, overcoming hurdles and aligning the teams to make it happen. How can change leadership drive process improvement initiative? Here are a few pointers:
- Accurately define what needs a change: Apply 80:20 rule to identify what needs improvement. It is easy to align people when they know that they are improving the right areas that have maximum business/operational impact.
- Create a change time line: Humans work best when they work against a time line. We often tend to get complacent when there are no deadlines. Reasonable pressure helps us become more creative. Create a time line by when change will be implemented with a step-by-step action plan. This also creates a sense of urgency.
- Engage people: People tend to commit themselves to things they are involved in. Involve practitioners and managers in defining the change. They are the ones who will be impacted by the change. Engage them by explaining them the larger context, vision and business need. When they know the larger picture, they can align their actions accordingly. They also need to know the "What's in it for me?" part. How will they become more effective? How will this change help them improve their performance? They want to know this.
- Review progress periodically: If you don't monitor your people, you give them a reason to slow down. Have short and effective meetings (in group or one-on-one) with people involved in change. Take a stock of how things are going. Understand their problems. Help them do better. They get help and you get the broader picture. If you hit some roadblocks, you still have chance to re-align. Review early and often. This is also your opportunity to share progress and motivate people involved in improvement initiatives.
- Lead: Give them the context and set them free. Micromanagement on tasks can kill creativity and morale. Be there to help them, but let them do it on their own. People learn the most when they try to do it themselves. They will make mistakes. Help them overcome and share the lessons learned. Set right examples for them to follow.
- Share rewards: when you link participation with rewards, it will help you get voluntary participation from people. But after they have participated, it is only your leadership abilities that will keep them going. You will still have lot of people who will willingly participate.
- Keep rotating teams: Once a change cycle is implemented, induct new team members in the improvement team. You maximize the opportunities for everyone to get involved in defining improvements. Broader the participation, wider the acceptance of change.
Last but not the least, people engage when they see continuity of effort. If your improvement initiative is temporary or ad-hoc, people will not engage beyond the first cycle. When people see consistent results from a process improvement group, they willingly participate.
Process improvement is a journey and not a destination. Who you travel with matters a lot. Choose the right people and get them to swing into action. Your business will thank you for that!


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Thorsten Markus: We should not underestimate the importance of sea ice to the global climate system.
Thorsten Markus, of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, has been using a NASA satellite – called ICESat – to track the thickness of sea ice around Earth's poles. He said the thick, multi-year ice is getting thinner.
Thorsten Markus: We are able, for the first time really, to measure the sea ice thickness at large scales. Previously, the only means, really, was to drill holes through the ice. Results from ICESat have shown that just since 2003, when ICESat was launched, the sea ice thickness has decreased by over two feet. The thick, multi-year ice has decreased by over 40 percent during that time.
He said sea ice plays a key role in Earth's climate system.
Thorsten Markus: Sea ice is white and it reflects most of the sunlight back into space, in drastic contrast to the dark ocean. Therefore, changes in the sea ice cover have a significant effect on the global energy balance.
In other words, less sea ice could cause more warming. The satellite Markus uses – ICESat – was retired in early 2010 after 7 years collecting data in Earth orbit. ICESat-II will launch in 2015. Until then, Dr. Markus will use what's called Ice Bridge – aircraft in flight over the polar regions – to measure and track changes. In addition to the sunlight it reflects, Dr. Markus said that as salt water freezes to form sea ice, at a large scale it impacts weather and climate.
Thorsten Markus: When sea ice forms, it releases most of its salt into the ocean. And the increased salinity makes the top water masses of the ocean denser, heavier, which then sink down into the deeper parts of the ocean, starting an enormous heat pump, the oceanic thermohaline circulation, which strongly affects our weather and our climate.
The sea ice that rides the polar ocean water measures only about six feet, or two meters thick. But it blankets large swaths of water.
Thorsten Markus: On any given day, the area of the ocean covered by sea ice is as large as the continental United States. So it's a huge area that we're talking about.
Dr. Markus explained how ICESat measured sea ice.
Thorsten Markus: We have been able to monitor the extant of the sea ice from satellite passive microwave data for over 30 years. The part that has always been missing is the total sea ice volume. ICESat send laser pulses from 600 kilometer altitude, which is about 400 miles, to the Earth, and measures the time it takes for the pulse to get back to the satellite after reflection of the surface, at very high precision. The precision of ICESat measurements is about two centimeters, which is quite an accomplishment considering the altitude and effect that the satellite is going around the entire Earth in about an hour and a half. With those precise measurements of elevations, we are able to determine the sea ice freeboard, or sea ice thickness from space.
Earth's sea ice is nothing like a still lake, but rather, said Markus, a huge and dynamic river.
Thorsten Markus: Winds and ocean currents cause the ice to move about. In addition to local melting, much of the sea ice that's leaving the Arctic by sea ice drift, especially East of Greenland, sea ice is leaving the Arctic by vast amounts, like a huge river. With more and more thin, first-year ice present in contrast to the thick multi-year ice, which has been reduced by 40 percent since 2003, the ice becomes more movable and we may expect more events, like in 2007, when winds pushed much of the ice out of the Arctic ocean and caused a record minimum.
Our thanks today to NASA's ICESat Mission, improving our understanding of the effects of Earth's changing climate.


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Thursday, December 16, 2010
New Ska Doc: "Gaz's Rockin' Blues: A Brief History"
So much of what Gaz has done and accomplished with his club night is ephemeral (people came, drank, danced, socialized, fell in/out of love, caught a band, went home--then, repeat a week later) that it's really wonderful that at least some facets of it have been documented in his book--and now in this gem of a film.
4 comments:
- Matt C said...
Great doc. I have always wanted to visit Gaz's Rockin Blues. Not really feeling the delusional photographer at the end though who rambles on and on about how electric music killed music and it is dead today? He needs to open his ears.
- December 16, 2010 at 3:01 PM
- Steve from Moon said...
Thanks, Matt. I appreciate the comments!
- December 16, 2010 at 4:09 PM
- Jeremy Patton said...
I've always loved the Trojans and the whole late 80s UK ska scene outside of the 2Tone bands. I gotta get my hands on that book too!
That looks pretty close to how the Moon / Toasters book should go! Just shit tons of pictures and such.
That subway gallery was really cool. That's a great idea too. Reconstitute old unused spaces and put some art in them! - December 20, 2010 at 8:56 AM
- Steve from Moon said...
Thanks, Jeremy! Gaz's book is fantastic--definitely worth tracking down (I actually ordered it through Amazon in the US). It would have been amazing to have been in the UK in the late 80s...so many good bands and so many good releases...
- December 20, 2010 at 9:55 AM


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Ulta Beauty names acting CFO
BOLINGBROOK, Ill. — Ulta Beauty has announced the appointment of Scott Settersten as acting CFO, effective immediately. Settersten replaces Bruce Hartman, who has resigned from his position as CFO by mutual agreement with the company.
"We are fortunate to have Scott serve as acting CFO. Scott's exceptional finance and accounting experience will serve Ulta Beauty well as we move forward. During his seven years at Ulta Beauty, Scott has demonstrated a keen financial aptitude and excellent leadership and management capabilities. Scott is committed to serving as acting CFO, where he will lead our experienced and dedicated finance team. Ulta Beauty continues to excel in the marketplace due to our strong business model, superior execution results and strong growth potential for the future," stated Chuck Rubin, president and CEO.
Ulta Beauty stated that Hartman's separation from the company is not related to any disputes with management or the Board of Directors, the company's operational performance, financial condition or issues regarding the integrity of the company's financial statements or accounting policies and practices.
The company has initiated a search for a permanent CFO. Settersten will be considered for the permanent CFO position.
Settersten has served as VP accounting since 2010 and was responsible for accounting, tax and external reporting. In his role as VP accounting, he has also overseen investor relations, and has worked closely with the Audit Committee and Board of Directors. He joined Ulta Beauty in January 2005 as a director of financial reporting. Prior to joining Ulta Beauty, Settersten spent 15 years with PricewaterhouseCoopers as a certified public accountant serving in various senior manager roles in the assurance and risk management practices.


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Jeff Schewe reports at PhotoshopNews that Mark Hamburg last week left Adobe to work for Microsoft. Hamburg was the second engineer at Adobe hired to work on Photoshop, after Thomas Knoll, and is considered one of the architects of Photoshop, which he worked on until v. 7.0. He is the founder and primary engineer of the Shadowland Project, which became Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.
There are rumors wafting about the 'net that he will not be working on imaging at Microsoft, but that he'll be part of a crack team being assembled to look at the MS OS from the ground up in the wake of the, er, mixed reception given to Vista. Rumors. (Interestingly, Jeff Schewe says, "Mark doesn't do Windows all that well, he's quite the Mac bigot.")
Mark Hamburg was named inventor of the year by the Silicon Valley Intellectual Property Law Association in 1999 and was elected to the National Association of Photoshop Professionals' Hall of Fame in 2003. We thank him for his services to photographers and join the chorus of those wishing him well.
Jeff Schewe, Mark's last walk down the Adobe halls (on his way to his Adobe HR exit interview)
More: Martin Evening's article at Lightroom-News.com
Mike (Thanks to Michael Reichmann)


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Battling A Sense Of Lost Time
The first word that comes to mind when I think about modern life is "overload." The second is "dispersion."
We are the targets of an ongoing war for our attention: the Web, new technologies, food, clothing, music. We feel the constant need to be connected; TV and radio are just not enough. We need to link to social media outlets, know what's going on or else be out; each instant of time is taken by a screen, small or large; information pours down in torrents.
If we forget our cell phone at home, we feel like a body part is missing; we are the phones, the phones are us. We are addicted to it, as we can see when a plane lands after a 45-minute flight and hundreds of passengers turn on their phones as if their lives depended on information that just came out. We are addicted to linkage and I am guilty as charged.
We no longer allow time for contemplation.
People feel time is passing faster because we have less and less control over it. To do nothing feels like a huge waste of time. Any open window of time must be filled with tweets, Facebook updates, email, YouTube videos, podcasts. If no one is talking about us, let's make sure that they do.
One of the victims of this "race to linkage" is our connection to nature. We can call it the new missing link.
We hardly look up to the sky or the at the life around us. To most people nature is a concept, something that exists out there, that we see in YouTube videos or magazines, on BBC and Animal Planet specials. To recover a sense of control over time we need to return to nature; we need to create space to observe other forms of life; we need to reconnect with the night sky, far from the city lights. At least this is what I do to slow down.
To me, entering a trail for a hike or run is like entering a temple. And as with any temple, I go in search of a connection, trying to restore a sense of identity as I surround myself with green and blue.
You can keep up with more of what Marcelo is thinking on Facebook and Twitter: @mgleiser


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VIDEO: The trailer for Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Not even the end of January and already here's a nominee for worst picture of the year. Directed by Steve Carr for Adam Sandler's Happy Madison production company, this mess of a film will satisfy only the most puerile Sandler fans.
Kevin James stars as the title cop, an overzealous lunk who gets a chance to play hero when a band of needlessly acrobatic thieves break into his beloved mall on Black Friday and take the girl of his dreams (Jayma Mays) hostage. Playing a variation of his lovable-loser persona, James, who co-wrote the script, looks as bored as the audience as he goes through the motions, which include being humiliated on the dance floor and by his co-workers and an on-line dating service. There's so little humor in these interactions that his transformation into a man of action feels unearned as well as absurd. If you find the sight of a grown man rolling around the mall on a Segway hilarious, this is the movie for you.
See all articles by: BROOKE HOLGERSON
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