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Army of Paul supporters are seizing control of GOP in under the radar coup
Steve Watson
May 4, 2012
In a stunning move, the Republican National Committee has warned that it may refuse to allow the entire delegation for Nevada to be seated at the national convention for fear that Ron Paul supporters have taken control of the state.
Officials are petrified that Paul's army of supporters are in position to take up more delegate slots than Mitt Romney supporters. While Romney is thought to have won 20 of the 28 slots available in Nevada, officials fear that the delegates that take them will ignore party rules by voting for Paul over Romney during the first round of balloting.
"I believe it is highly likely that any committee with jurisdiction over the matter would find improper any change to the election, selection, allocation, or binding of delegates, thus jeopardizing the seating of Nevada's entire delegation to the National Convention," said John R. Phillippe Jr., the chief counsel for the RNC, in a letter obtained by the Las Vegas Sun.
"If a prospective delegate's name is certified to the RNC but has not been approved by an authorized representative of the candidate he or she professes to support, grounds for a contest may exist," Phillippe wrote.
"In any case, to the extent a prospective delegate is purportedly elected in excess of the number of slots allocated to his or her preferred candidate, such delegate will be bound to vote at the national convention for the candidate to whom that delegate was allocated."
Nevada news source rgj.com reports that despite the threats from the RNC, Carl Bunce, chairman of Paul's campaign in Nevada, has pledged to continue the strategy of electing as many Paul supporters as possible to Nevada's national delegation this Saturday at the state convention.
Bunce said that the strategy is within the rules, referring to the RNC letter as "a creative writing assignment given to them by the Romney campaign to threaten the Paul supporters and Ron Paul campaign."
"It's ridiculous. It is nothing more than a veiled threat." Bunce added.
"You can't come in in the seventh inning and say, 'Oh, we are going to change the rules here. The (Romney) campaign adviser has to come in and give you a loyalty test on who you support before you can go to bat," Bunce said. "This is tyranny, if you can come in and change the rules whenever you want. That's not a republic. That's tyranny."
As we reported yesterday, Republican officials all over the country are terrified that Ron Paul's mass appeal among grassroots groups and the exceptionally strong dedication and organisation of Paul supporters could see them hijack the national convention for their candidate.
Many Republican insiders believe that Paul's supporters are literally seizing control of the party by stealth at the State level.
If Paul can score a plurality of delegates from five states, his supporters could nominate him from the convention floor. If delegates thought to be Romney supporters then actually turn out to be Paul supporters, the convention could be thrown into chaos as far as GOP officials see it.
This weekend, Paul supporters in Maine are aiming to get their own convention chairman elected and take a majority of delegate slots in another "takeover" attempt.
Last weekend, Paul delegates dominated Louisiana GOP caucuses. Paul supporters won about four and a half of the six Congressional District caucus conventions. A campaign news release noted that Paul is now in position to dominate the state convention in June.
In Massachusetts, Paul national campaign chairman Jesse Benton told the Daily Caller that Paul supporters occupy 16 of 19 delegate slots filled in congressional district selection processes.
"They are bound to Romney but support Ron," Benton told the Daily Caller. "The effect of this coup isn't immediately clear."
Paul supporters have also registered a number of successes in the past week at state committees and conventions in Minnesota, Alaska, Iowa, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.
Speaking on Bloomberg News earlier in the week, the congressman himself admitted that his campaign was "doing very, very well" by using the establishment's own rules against it.
"Just look at this last week. The news is very favorable to us. We could even end up winning Iowa, ironically enough. In Minnesota, we're doing well, and Maine, Nevada and Missouri. We're doing very, very well. Some of the states we could very well win or come up very much because the delegate process is completely different than these straw votes," Paul said.
Steve Watson is the London based writer and editor for Alex Jones' Infowars.net, and Prisonplanet.com. He has a Masters Degree in International Relations from the School of Politics at The University of Nottingham in England.
This article was posted: Friday, May 4, 2012 at 8:15 am


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The essay "Victory Gardens" by Dr. Heather Sellers of the Hope College English faculty has been named a finalist in the Fall 2009 Story Contest sponsored by "Narrative Magazine."
The contest, which recognized 10 finalists, and first-, second- and third-prize winners, was open to previously unpublished short shorts, short stories, essays, memoirs, photo essays, graphic stories, all forms of literary nonfiction, and excerpts from longer works of both fiction and nonfiction, no longer than 15,000 words. The guidelines noted, "As always, we are looking for works with a strong narrative drive, with characters we can respond to as human beings, and with effects of language, situation, and insight that are intense and total. We look for works that have the ambition of enlarging our view of ourselves and the world."
Founded in 2003, "Narrative Magazine" is an online publisher of fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Its digital library of new literature by celebrated authors as well as new and emerging writers is available for free.
Sellers is a professor of English at Hope, where she has been a member of the faculty since 1995. She is the author of three volumes of poetry, three books on the writing process and a children's book. She was one of only 41 writers nationally to receive a National Endowment for the Arts grant for 2000-02 to create original work or translate work, through which she completed "Georgia Under Water," a collection of linked short stories that was named a Barnes and Noble Discover pick.
Her poems, short fiction, memoir and creative nonfiction have appeared in numerous journals, anthologies and magazines, including "O," Oprah's magazine, and "Best of the South." She has been invited to read her work around the country, including most recently as one of three writers featured during "Sunday Best: Readings at Hudson View Gardens" in Manhattan on Sunday, Jan. 10.

subset: commoncrawl


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Still, valuable items were learned on the quest to become "more than just a fair weather cyclist."
First off, I validated my new approach of "double bagging" my saddle to withstand the rain and using those same bags to keep things bone dry in the trunk. While I didn't take a photo, I demonstrated once again that a used plastic sandwich bag makes a dandy bag to keep a cell phone and wallet in and dry.
|Double Bagging the Saddle and Keeping the Goodies Dry - Double Duty
|Left Booty, Relatively Good After Six Miles
|Right Booty Gets Shredded Faster Due to Stops
|Saddle Stays Pretty Dry Despite Heavy Rain
|No Wait to Use the Grill Today


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visit360.net, the guide to wonders of the world in 360°
Azraq Wetland Reserve is a natural reserve comprising pools and marshlands and is most reputable for being an oasis of about 300 species of resident and migratory birds. It was established in 1978 and occupies 12 square kilometres.
Tat Kuang Si (sometimes spelled Kuang Xi,) is a scenic spot 30km south of Luang Prabang, a must for all nature-lovers visiting northern Laos. It has got a many-tiered waterfall tumbling over limestone formations into a series of cool, turquoise pools.
Above Lake Bratan extends the Kebun Raya Botanic Gardens covering an area of around 130 hectares (325 acres). They are beautifully laid out, with trees, shrubs and plants from many parts of Asia. From various points in the gardens there are fine views of Lake Bratan and the surrounding hills.
Pura Ulun Danu Bratan, or Pura Bratan, is one of the two major water temples in Bali (the other one is Pura Ulun Danu Batur). Water temples serve the entire region in the outflow area; downstream there are many smaller water temples that are specific to each irrigation association. Pura Bratan was built by the King of Mengwi in 1633 on the west side of Lake Bratan, on a small island near the village of Candi Kuning.
There are three well-known monkey forests in Bali: Ubud in Gianyar Regency, Sangeh in Badung Regency, and Alas Kedaton in Tabanan Regency. You can also find monkeys at many other temples in Bali, since Hindus consider the monkey a holy animal, and they seek to maintain good relations with nature. Whenever a temple got established within a forest where monkeys live, it has been necessary to preserve the surrounding natural habitat. Communities living near forests have always shown respect and protected the forests.
Tanah Lot is a rock formation and a pilgrimage temple that is very popular among tourists due to its unforgettable setting. The name of Pura Tanah Lot means "land in the sea".
Rock face below the temple was extensively reconstructed in the 1980's when it began to crumble. It was the Japanese government that provided a loan to the Indonesia government to conserve the historic temple and other significant locations around Bali.
This valley close to Zalaegerszeg, Hungary has a yearly unique sight during two weeks in May: the spring blossom of the azalea collection. These exotic plants were first planted as an experiment in this valley which has its own microclimate.


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Flemish literature, the body of written works in the Flemish- (Dutch-) language produced by Belgians. The other literatures of Belgium are discussed in Belgian literature.
Early literature
Relationship with Dutch literature
Any consideration of the Dutch-language literature of Belgium must take into account that the Belgian territories were broadly united with the Netherlands politically, economically, and culturally until 1579, when, as a result of the Reformation, the northern (Reformed) provinces seceded from the Roman Catholic south. Thus until the early 17th century the literature of Flanders and Holland must be considered as a whole (see Dutch literature). It was in Flanders that the literature of the medieval Low Countries flowered most profusely. It was, moreover, in Flanders and Brabant that learning showed new vigour under the influence of the Renaissance and the Reformation. In literature inspired by the Reformation the tone was set by the glowing satiric verse of the Catholic Anna Bijns and the polemical satire, Biencorf der H. Roomsche Kercke (1569; "The Beehive of the Roman Catholic Church"), of the Calvinist Philips van Marnix, heer van Sint Aldegonde. The Renaissance in the Netherlands began with Lucas de Heere, Carel van Mander, and Jan Baptista van der Noot, all of whom, significantly, had fled from the south for religious reasons.
Many left the south before 1579 as a result of the regional religious and political troubles, and the budding literary revival in Flanders and Brabant was interrupted. Whereas Holland was approaching its golden age, in the south a decline set in. But Justus de Harduwijn, a lyrical poet in the Classical style of the French Pléiade; Richard Verstegen, a polemicist; Adriaen Poirters, a popular moralist; the dramatists Willem Ogier and Cornelis de Bie; and, especially, Michiel de Swaen, the last important Baroque poet and playwright, who was deeply inspired by his religion, compare favourably with most writers of their time. The decline was most noticeable in the early 18th century, when the aristocracy and intellectual elite came increasingly under French influence.
Before the end of the 18th century, however, Willem Verhoeven and Jan Baptist Verlooy had started a reaction against this French influence. Like contemporary historical and scientific writers they reverted to the work of the 16th-century humanists but neglected the medieval masterpieces. Revival was helped by the rederijkers (rhetoricians; see rederijkerskamer), who continued, more or less successfully, to use Dutch, not French. Karel Broeckaert wrote dialogues modeled on Joseph Addison's Spectator essays in a spirit of rational liberalism, creating a literary figure, "Gysken," the ironic representative of the ancien régime; he also wrote the first Flemish prose story, Jellen en Mietje (1811; "Jellen and Mietje"). The poet Pieter Joost de Borchgrave embodied the transition from Classicism to Romanticism, and Jan Baptist Hofman, a prolific playwright, introduced middle-class sentimental tragedy, or drame bourgeois.
19th-century literary trends
The Romantic movement
Romanticism made its influence felt in the 19th century and was linked to a revival of nationalist consciousness. The older generation of mostly philologists—Jan Frans Willems, Jan Baptist David, Philip Blommaert, and Ferdinand Snellaert—rediscovered the rich medieval inheritance. To their group belonged two important poets of the new age, Karel Lodewijk Ledeganck and Prudens van Duyse. The younger generation was more spontaneously Romantic, as was illustrated by the work of Hendrik Conscience, creator of the Flemish novel. Theodoor van Rijswijck and Johan Alfried de Laet freed poetry from classical concepts and forms, and the ultra-Romantic stories of Eugeen Zetternam and Pieter Frans van Kerckhoven denounced social evils.
Realism and other post-Romantic trends
Led by a Realist, Domien Sleeckx, a reaction against Romanticism set in about 1860. Writing became characterized by acute observation, description of local scenery, humour, and, not infrequently, a pervasive pessimism, as could be seen in novels such as Anton Bergmann's Ernest Staes (1874) and Virginie Loveling's Een dure eed (1892; "A Solemn Oath"). The poets Johan Michiel Dautzenberg, Jan van Beers, and Rosalie Loveling, together with the first important Flemish art and literary critic, Max Rooses, also reflected the new Realism. Their work shuns sentimentalism, didacticism, and over-idealization, opting instead for an everyday language, real-life settings, and the exploration of individual psychology.
Running parallel to this reactionary Realism was a remarkable revival in poetry in West Flanders, headed by Guido Gezelle, a Roman Catholic priest who was the greatest Flemish poet of the 19th century. He displayed his unique linguistic virtuosity in evocative nature poems and a highly personal lyricism. Albrecht Rodenbach wrote militant songs, thoughtful lyrics, monumental epics, and the verse tragedy Gudrun (1882).
The review Van Nu en Straks (1893–1901; "Of Now and Later"), which was to make Flemish literature of European importance, was influenced more by Gezelle and Rodenbach than by the Dutch generation of the 1880s. Led by Pol de Mont, an already complex modern poet, the writers of the 1880s had, however, widened horizons and, by emphasizing individualism and "art for art's sake," prepared the ground for their successors.
The 20th century
The turn of the 19th century
The writers grouped around Van Nu en Straks helped to bring about a revival and internationalization of Flemish culture. Though they held a wide variety of opinions, they all strove for an art that would comprehend all human activity, and in which individual feelings would be given universal significance. In his masterly essays and his symbolic novel De wandelende Jood (1906; "The Wandering Jew"), their leader, August Vermeylen, advocated a rationalism infused with idealism. Prosper van Langendonck, on the other hand, interpreted the incurable suffering of the poète maudit. In 1898 Emmanuel de Bom published Wrakken ("Wrecks"), the first modern Flemish psychological and urban novel, and Starkadd, an early Wagnerian drama by Alfred Hegenscheidt, was produced.
The poetry and prose of Karel van de Woestijne formed a symbolic autobiography of a typical fin de siècle personality, the sophisticated, world-weary sensualist striving for spiritual detachment. His work, a passionate confession of human frailty, represents one of the great achievements of European Symbolism.
Stijn Streuvels, a master of prose, made the West Flemish rural landscape his microcosm, presenting in such novels as De Vlaschaard (1907; The Flaxfield) a visionary world in which man is dwarfed by nature. The polished work of Herman Teirlinck, novelist, dramatist, and essayist, was characterized by imagination, sensuality, and a sonorous vocabulary. In the stylistically refined stories of F.V. Toussaint van Boelaere there were often tragic undertones.
Flemish Naturalism emerged in the work of Reimond Stijns in the first decade of the 20th century. It reached its height in the robust tales and pithy plays of Cyriel Buysse and in the regional novel, as exemplified by the evocations of Bruges by Maurits Sabbe and the vivid treatment of Antwerp life by Lode Baekelmans. At the turn of the 21st century, Buysse, to whom Maurice Maeterlinck referred as "our Maupassant," still attracted critical attention and public interest.
The group associated with the review De Boomgaard (1909–11; "The Orchard"), which included André de Ridder and Paul Gustave van Hecke, strove to be more cosmopolitan than Van Nu en Straks and defended a more dilettante attitude to culture. The elegiac poet Jan van Nijlen had affinities with this group.
After World War I
During World War I there was a new flowering of the picturesque regional tale: Pallieter (1916) by Felix Timmermans and the roguish De witte (1920; Whitey) by Ernest Claes became known outside Flanders. From the poetry of August van Cauwelaert and the prose of Franz de Backer it was obvious that the generation that fought in the war emphasized realism over romanticism. But a trend first revealed during the German occupation found its most direct outlet in revolutionary Expressionism, as seen in the manifesto of the review Ruimte (1920–21; "Space"): ethics must take priority over aesthetics, and the art of the community over that of the individual. Expressionism was most apparent in lyrical poetry and drama. Wies Moens's early poetry reflected this humanitarian trend, whereas Gaston Burssens remained less pathetic and more playful. The outstanding lyricist of the movement was Paul van Ostaijen, who had expressed faith in humanity in Het sienjaal (1918; "The Signal") but soon went through a Dadaist crisis of philosophical and artistic nihilism. Van Ostaijen experimented with visually expressive form—he called it rhythmic typography, as in his Bezette stad (1921; "Occupied City")—and finally wrote "pure poetry" (concentrating on word and sound), grotesque verse and prose, and penetrating essays on art and poetry. The review 't Fonteintje (1921–24; "The Little Fountain"), whose editors included Richard Minne and Maurice Roelants, reacted against Expressionism. Nevertheless, drama also was given new life by Expressionism. In the 1920s the Flemish Popular Theatre became one of the foremost avant-garde theatres in Europe. Herman Teirlinck was particularly important in the revitalization of the Flemish theatre, and he raised the standards of both playwriting and, by his interest in the training of actors, performance.
By 1930 the tide of Expressionism had run out, and the novel had come into its own. The regional novel was supplanted by the psychological novel, introduced by Roelants with Komen en gaan (1927; "Coming and Going"), and was raised to great stylistic heights by Maurice Gilliams (Elias, 1936), who was also a subtle poet and essayist. Lode Zielens wrote about the lives of the poor, and Gerard Walschap treated social, religious, and moral problems in a forceful, deliberately colloquial style.
The focal point of these authors, even after World War II, was human complexity and the often deluded attempts to make sense of the world and of others. The skeptical Raymond Brulez, whose four-part fictionalized memoirs Mijn woningen (1950–54; "My Dwellings")—composed of De haven ("The Harbour"), Het mirakel der rozen ("The Miracle of the Roses"), Het huis te Borgen ("The House at Borgen"), and Het pact der triumviren ("The Pact of the Triumvirate")—combine stylistic sophistication with a cool intellectualism. Both Brulez and the disenchanted humanist Marnix Gijsen, who produced his best work in the symbolic Het boek van Joachim van Babylon (1947; "The Book of Joachim of Babylon"), are more or less detached observers of human weaknesses.
In Willem Elsschot's short but superb novels, such as Lijmen (1924; Soft Soap) and Kaas (1933; "Cheese"), caustic irony and an astringent style mask the author's underlying compassion. The new tone was set by the "personalistic" poets of the Vormen (1936–40; "Forms") group, of whom Pieter Geert Buckinx is representative.
After World War II
The major writers of World War II and the postwar period were novelists. The range of subjects and styles in the novel was remarkable. A small sample includes the problem novels of Paul Lebeau and Gaston Duribreux; the "magic realism" of Johan Daisne and Hubert Lampo, who mingled the fantastic with everyday reality; the "social realism" of Piet van Aken (Het begeren, 1952; "Desire") and Louis-Paul Boon (De kapellekensbaan, 1953; Chapel Road), who examined the bleak lives of the poor and downtrodden; the anguished Existentialism of Jan Walravens (Negatief, 1958; "Negative"); and the experimental novels of Hugo Claus. Boon, Walravens, and Claus belonged to a review group called Tijd en Mens (1949–55; "Time and Man"), which was marked by postwar chaos, rebellion, and Experimentalism. Boon and Claus eventually became recognized as the outstanding postwar novelists. The former often combined formal experimentation with colloquial directness and a compassionate if unsentimental social awareness. Many of his historical novels are based on detailed archival research. Claus's prose fiction takes in every imaginable narrative mode, from the naturalistic to the surreal and the teasingly allusive. His major novel, the monumental Het verdriet van België (1983; The Sorrow of Belgium), paints an unflattering portrait of a Flemish collaborationist family in the years before, during, and after World War II, but it is also a Bildungsroman about a wayward adolescent who decides to become a writer.
In the 1960s the experimental trend in the novel led to new prose either based on stream-of-consciousness association (as in the works of Hugo Raes, Ivo Michiels, and Paul de Wispelaere) or consisting of introverted "texts" dwelling largely on the act of writing itself (as in the works of Willy Roggeman and Daniel Robberechts). The latter gained posthumous recognition for his uncompromising break with the narrative tradition. Michiels embarked on a multivolume project that systematically explores different themes by manipulating corresponding modes of writing and symbolic figures. Nevertheless, the tradition proved to be fertile—e.g., in the satiric and allegorical novels by Ward Ruyslinck and in Jef Geeraerts's violent colonial novels. Walter van den Broeck later emerged as an accomplished writer, employing a mixture of autobiography and social history.
In postwar Flemish poetry the impact of Experimentalism—the unconstrained lyricism and richly metaphorical style that also informed the Vijftigers ("Fifties Movement") in The Netherlands—made itself felt in the work of Albert Bontridder and Hugo Claus, whose raw and sensuous Oostakkerse gedichten (1955; "Oostakker Poems") has remained a milestone. The playful Paul Snoek and the sombre Hugues Pernath continued the experimental line. In the 1970s such writers as Herman de Coninck and Roland Jooris led a Neorealist reaction, which was followed by a Neoromantic revival, evident in the work of such writers as Eddy van Vliet and Luuk Gruwez. The poetry of Freddy de Vree, on the other hand, was more intellectual. The poet Christine D'haen also made her mark during this period.
Postwar drama, at first still dominated by Teirlinck, saw new talent emerging in Jozef van Hoeck (Voorloping vonnis, 1957; "Provisional Verdict"), in the literary plays of Herwig Hensen, and in the political theatre of Tone Brulin, but especially in the many original plays and adaptations by Hugo Claus, such as Suiker (1958; "Sugar") and Vrijdag (1969; Friday in Four Works for the Theatre, 1990). Van den Broeck later made his mark with socially committed and naturalistic work.
The end of the 20th century
Following the explosion of literary talent and innovation in the previous decades, surprisingly few new writers made their appearance in the 1970s. Those that did were hardly noticed, giving rise to the label "the silent generation." About 1980, however, the impasse was broken when such writers as Leo Pleysier, Pol Hoste, Eriek Verpale, Eric de Kuyper, and Monika van Paemel either made their debuts or reached a wider audience, mostly with autobiographically inspired work. Van Paemel went on to write a masterpiece, the fast-paced epic De vermaledijde vaders (1985; "The Accursed Fathers"), a complex novel as much about the workings of memory as about the Second World War and its aftermath as seen from a feminist viewpoint.
In the mid-1980s a number of younger prose writers gained attention. They include Kristien Hemmerechts, who wrote about loss and sexual tensions in an understated manner, the more philosophical Patricia de Martelaere, and the inventive Koen Peeters. Such authors as Tom Lanoye and Stefan Hertmans made their mark in more than one genre. Lanoye was a performing poet and a passionate, often iconoclastic critic as well as a fiction writer. Hertmans's critical essays are cosmopolitan and erudite, his poetry hermetic, and his fiction hallucinatory.
The new generation of emergent writers of the 1980s was bolstered by the magazines Kreatief, Yang, and De Brakke Hond, as well as by the critical work of Hugo Brems, Hugo Bousset, and Herman de Coninck. Brems proved an astute and skeptical chronicler of contemporary literature in general, Bousset championed postmodernist fragmentation and formal experimentation in prose fiction, and de Coninck became the most eloquent advocate of the muted, accessible, and ironic poetry of Neorealist vintage.
As regards fiction, the writers who came to the fore in the 1970s and '80s still dominated the scene at the end of the 20th century. Apart from the towering figures of Hugo Claus and Monika van Paemel, Kristien Hemmerechts continued to explore feminist issues, Eric de Kuyper the autobiographical dimension, Leo Pleysier the modulations of the spoken voice, and Pol Hoste the complexities of memory and the creative process, while Herman Brusselmans practiced an illusionless, deliberately clichéd and camp-inspired form of anti-literature. The range of contemporary prose writing is perhaps best indicated with reference to two extremes: at one end the bewilderingly postmodern, hallucinatory fabulations of Peter Verhelst (Tongkat, 1999; "Tongue-cat"), and, at the other, the psychological subtlety and stylistic refinement of Erwin Mortier's domestic still lifes (Marcel, 1999).
In the last decades of the 20th century, the most singular poetic voice in Flanders was that of Leonard Nolens, whose work evolved from experimental to classical, as his earlier obsessive self-definition gave way to more serene reflections on relations with loved ones and others. His introverted diaries offer a sustained reflection on poetic creation. Nolens's high seriousness contrasts with the more playful and ironic postmodernism of slightly younger poets, such as Dirk van Bastelaere, Erik Spinoy, Peter Verhelst, and Marc Tritsmans. The ambivalence of language as an instrument to create new meanings and as a deceptive interpreter of the world, constitutes their central theme.
Other forms
Drama revived in the work of Arne Sierens, Jan Fabre, and Josse de Pauw; the latter two are also active in other art forms, the visual arts and dance (Fabre) and film (de Pauw), respectively. Lieve Joris writes outstanding travel literature, and Geert van Istendael excels at passionate, witty, self-deprecating essayistic and fictional prose.René Felix Lissens Theo Jozef Hermans
Learn More in these related Britannica articles:
Belgian literature: FlemishAny consideration of the Dutch-language literature of Belgium must take into account that the Belgian territories were broadly united with the Netherlands politically, economically, and culturally until 1579, when, as a result of the…
Dutch literature
Dutch literature, the body of written works in the Dutch language as spoken in the Netherlands and northern Belgium. The Dutch-language literature of Belgium is treated in Belgian literature. Of the earliest inhabitants of the Netherlands, only the Frisians have survived, and they have maintained a separate language and literature since…
Hendrik Conscience…birth and development of the Flemish novel that it was said he "taught his people to read."…
Jan Frans Willems…Flemish poet, playwright, essayist, "Father of the Flemish Movement," and the most important philologist of the Dutch language of his time.…
Van Nu en Straks circle
Van Nu en Straksgave Flemish literature a European importance.…
More About Flemish literature4 references found in Britannica articles
Assorted References
- major reference
contribution by
- Conscience
- Van Nu en Straks Circle
- Willems


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Free training opportunity Oct. 24: Become certified in CPR
The Office of Regulatory Compliance Safety and Human Resources Management at Mississippi State are partnering to bring Medic First Aid Basic certification training to the MSU campus. After participating in the one-day session delivered by MSU Safety Officer Alicia Musselwhite, attendees will be certified to administer CPR and first aid.
Medic First Aid Basic is an adult CPR and first aid training program designed specifically for the occupational first aid provider. This program will help MSU departments in responding to and caring for medical emergencies at work. Topics covered in the program include: assessment, personal safety, clearing and protecting the airway, chest compressions, control of bleeding, managing shock, warning signs of illness, and more.
All MSU employees are welcome to participate in the training. Departments with a high incidence of safety concerns should strongly consider sending a representative to become certified.
Each class is limited to 12 participants per one-day session, and a minimum of seven attendees must be present to hold the class. Please wear comfortable clothes to the session.
Training sessions and locations are as follows:
Wednesday, Oct. 24, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room 231, Colvard Student Union
If you are interested in attending, please follow the steps listed below to
1. Click this link -- http://orc.msstate.edu/quicklinks/training.php
2. Click on Enroll in Live Training Now.
3. You will need to enter your NetID and password to access the "Enroll in a
Course" page.
4. Click the title for the date you wish to register, and then click "Yes" to enroll, or "No" to be returned to the enrollment page.
If you have questions about this course, please contact Musselwhite at firstname.lastname@example.com or 662-325-4607.


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After bowling my lifetime high game on Father's Day with my children, I went back on Sunday. When I got home, my wife asked me whether I broke 200. I said, "Yes, when you added up my three games!"
It seemed that every time I hit the head pin, I got a split. Pins would wobble but not fall.
I am back to normal.
I will have to wait for another magic Father's Day opportunity! Maybe we were having earthquakes that day.
Charles C. Goodin
Bowling -- Back to Normal
After bowling my lifetime high game on Father's Day with my children, I went back on Sunday. When I got home, my wife asked me whether I broke 200. I said, "Yes, when you added up my three games!"
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Wednesday, June 30, 2010
You Can Count On...
I my experience...
You can count on some people to be there, not complain, and get the job done.
Thank goodness for these people!
But there are also people...
Who say they'll be there but don't show up.
Who come, but somehow are always sick or injured (somehow).
Who say they'll be there, promise to do something, but then something comes up that day!
Who show up and just watch while other people do the work.
Who show up and tell the people doing the work how they should do it better (but don't help).
Who show up the next week and say, "Oh, I thought it was today."
Who come late and leave early (always).
Thank goodness for the people who come early (to help) and leave late (after helping all day).
I always say that the Sensei should work the hardest and get the dirtiest. A Sensei should inspire the students by his (or her) example. This does not only apply to training.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Wednesday, June 30, 2010
New Record!
On Father's Day, I went bowling with my second and third sons, Charles and Cael, and my daughter, Natasja. We played three games.
In the third game, I bowled a 207! My high game way back in high school (I graduated in 1976) was 157. My high game during the last year or so that my family started bowling on weekends, was 150. So 207 was really high for me (really, really high). And I had a clean game -- strikes or spares in all 10 frames. It was really amazing. I think that the Father's Day angels were helping me.
Bowling a lifetime high game with my kids on Father's Day was the best!
So here is the point. Karate makes you a better bowler! Or, I was really, really lucky that day!
And here is another point. Spending time with your kids -- doing anything -- is the best!
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Monday, June 21, 2010
Fingertip Bruises
I mentioned that I practiced Ju Jitsu a little with my son, Cael, after one of our recent classes. More correctly, he practiced on me.
One thing I did not mention is that when I went home, I had these bruises on the insides of my arms in the bicep area -- bruises in the shape of Cael's fingertips. So I got bruises from where he grabbed me, and he was not even grabbing me very hard!
I am in pretty good shape for my age, but it is hard to compare the shape of a 52 year old to the shape of a 20 year old (who is in really good shape).
This really shows that if you try to use power against power, you better make sure that you have more power! In my case, I cannot overwhelm Cael with raw power -- certainly not! In his case, I would have to use strategy and attack vulnerable points. Of course, he realizes this and would be protecting his most vulnerable points. I guess I would have to try the Jedi mind trick.
Well, at least the bruises are going away (they did not hurt).
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Friday, June 18, 2010
Polite and Unassuming
My paralegal and I were discussing a Karate student today. We both felt that this student was very impressive because of the following -- besides being technically excellent, this student is polite and unassuming.
We also feel that this student is very humble, but that sort of comes under unassuming.
If you are a student, people might be talking about you. Sure it counts if you are strong and do well in class. Sure it counts if you are advanced and help teach. There are many ways to measure success.
But are you polite and unassuming?
I am impressed by students who are polite and unassuming, and I am distressed by students who are not. Character first, then technique.
I will let you in on a little secret -- the same applies to instructors.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Friday, June 18, 2010
Potluck Demo
I am preparing for a demonstration next month being sponsored by my friend and senior, Sensei Pat Nakata. It is a memorial demonstration for his student, Robert "Snaggy" Inouye, who passed away last year.
I am going to perform a bo kata and my sons will perform Wankan and Rohai, respectively. We had a practice session last Sunday.
Watching all the participants practicing there various kata, I had a thought. Wouldn't it be interesting if the performers were not told what kata they would perform? They would just go up to the stage and the emcee would announce a kata from their dojo's curriculum. They would have to just do that kata, right then and there.
It would be a little like a pot luck party. You never know what other people will bring.
In our dojo, we practice about 18 kata. In some other dojo I know, they practice over 50 kata -- not including weapons kata. I am pretty sure that some students would have a hard time performing a kata without practicing it in advance.
But shouldn't a student be able to perform the kata he is supposed to already know? Shouldn't an instructor?
I think so.
Charles C. Goodin
Not By Accident
The other night I was watching a student with my second son, Charles, who is the head of our dojo. The student was moving particularly well.
Later, at home, my son said, "You don't get that way by accident."
I had to think about what he said. Of course, he was right. The student moved well because he practices hard -- really hard. He comes to class regularly, but more importantly, he practices diligently at home. He moved well because he worked at it -- it was not by accident.
Sometimes you will get a physically gifted student who learns very quickly. But you can tell the difference between such a student, who learned quickly, and another student who became skilled by hard work. The quick student will often have a shallow understanding of what he is doing -- if he understands what he is doing at all. The one who worked at it learned the hard way. He is more likely to understand what he is doing because he has made a lot of mistakes and had to overcome them to become the way that he is.
No one gets skilled by accident -- it takes really hard work. When I see someone who has become skilled, I respect the hard work they have done to become like that.
Charles C. Goodin
Crucifix -- MMA
Last night after Karate training, my third son, Cael, "rolled" with me a little. On Monday and Wednesday evenings, after our Karate class, he then goes to Ju Jitsu training. He goes on Friday nights too. He is very active in Ju Jitsu and I am extremely glad that he has found an excellent teacher and school.
Anyway, he had shown me the "crucifix" before. Last night, as before, once I was in the crucifix (he basically ties up one of my arms with his legs and the other with one of his arms, leaving me pretty helpless and immobilized), I could not do anything except squeal like a pig and ask him to let me go. I should mention that with his free hand, he playfully (and very softly) punched me in the face, neck, chest... basically wherever he wanted.
Cael said that it is possible to escape from the crucifix by certain movements (bucking hard, for example), but I am pretty sure that I would have dislocated my shoulders in the process.
Now I am not saying that the "crucifix" is a good self-defense technique. But I certainly could not escape from it, once it was applied fully.
During our "rolling", Cael also playfully choked me out and arm barred me, among many other interesting techniques.
So, here is my point. I really respect Ju Jitsu and MMA. And I have to say that the reason I respect it so much is because of my son Cael. Watching these arts on the television or pay per view is very inspiring... but it is so distant. Seeing two highly trained athletes go at each other is one thing. It is quite another to feel it firsthand... particularly from someone as close to you as a son.
I practiced Judo in Japan as a child. Of course, I was only learning the child curriculum. However, I would best describe what my son is learning as Judo on steroids!
I should add that Cael is taller than me, has a longer reach, and is many times stronger than me. He does not outweigh me by that much (about 10 pounds), but when I "roll" with him it is like training with a tree trunk. Even if I can think about a lock or arm bar to apply, it is like going up to a big tree and trying to pull a big branch or root. It simply is not going to happen.
I also want to add something I found to be pretty interesting. To me, my son is extremely strong. When I ask him about the MMA and Ju Jitsu people we see on the television, he always says that they are great and would "kill" him. That is one thing he is never cocky about. He never says, "I could take him!", even when speaking about the losers in a particular fight. He respects that these people are highly trained athletes and great fighters. Even a fighter who is dominated in a particular fight could easily destroy an average person.
So I want to say that I respect Ju Jitsu and MMA and the reason I do so is because of my third son Cael. I hope that he goes on in his training to become a Ju Jitsu instructor one day. That would make me very happy as a father and Karate instructor. To me, all martial arts are good if the instructor is good. I enjoyed all the martial arts I practiced. I simply could not do many martial arts well. Practicing only Karate, I have a chance to become somewhat proficient.
Now, which art do I think is better, Karate or Ju Jitsu? That is not a good question because the arts have different objectives. My son is not learning Ju Jitsu as a form of self defense -- he is learning a competitive sport. That does not mean that he is not learning valuable self defense techniques, and he realizes that certain holds or moves that might work well in competition might not work on the street where an attacker could be armed or have friends. If I had a friend with a brick, the crucifix might not be the best technique to use. In a submission match however, it would probably be effective, especially against a grandfather like me.
In class, I often say that you do not want to wrestle a wrestler or box a boxer. And there are a lot of things you would not want to do with a Ju Jitsu or MMA expert.
Charles C. Goodin
Gulf Oil Spill
Living in Hawaii, we are especially sensitive to the ocean and beaches. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the people on the Gulf Coast affected by the oil spill. I used to live in Shalimar, Florida, and remember how beautiful the beaches were. The scenes on the news are absolutely sickening.
Here is a link to six underwater cameras at the spill site.
I hope the leak is stopped soon, and that the spill is cleaned up. I really can't imagine how anyone or any technology could clean that much spilled oil.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Saturday, June 05, 2010


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Friday, 31 October 2008
I feel afraid, I get harrassed. I'm not welcome there.
It's interesting to watch this film again. The protesters are a product of their situation. I can understand them wanting their one day each month of dominating streets that are normally not pleasant to cycle on. They also make some very good points about wanting to rebuild community on the streets. There is a lot of good intention there. However, while they've made a leap of imagination in their environment, they still have relatively low aspirations. One of the interviewees says about cycling as transport "Not everybody can make that decision... it's really absurd to assume that they can." The problem in front of them is so big that even the protesters are aiming low (over here cycling crosses all demographic boundaries. Young and old, rich and poor, black and white, male and female. Virtually everyone cycles. Not for all their journeys, but for a great number of them.)
I'm not a fan of "critical mass." It takes a confrontational line which unfortunately has resulted in alienation and conflict and while the views expressed in the video were generally very positive, I perceive that the confrontation has become the aim for some participants. Ultimately I feel it has amounted to very little. Most importantly, it's actually failed to create a true "critical mass." While the amount of shouting and hooting by those involved makes it sound huge, and the film is shot in such a way that there appear to be a huge number of cyclists, one of the riders in the film lets slip how many there are. He says that he counted and that there are 190-200 cyclists on the demonstration. He says "This is a big ride."
Critical mass in San Francisco has grown and now attracts an average of around 1000 participants (wikipedia). However, for a special event this is still not a largenumber given the population. San Francisco's population is over 3 million. 7 million if you include the metropolitan area.
Over here in the small city of Assen there are just 65000 people. However, between themthey make an average of more than 70000 cycle journeys every day. Critical mass is an event which really doesn't have a place in the Netherlands. There have been occasional events calling themselves "critical mass", but they're protesting about other things.
What we can never know is what might have happened in the 16 years that critical mass has been taking place in cities around the world if the participants had put their energies into taking note of where the truly successful cycling cultures are (i.e. here) and tried to replicate that success in their own countries. A thousand people spending a couple of hours once a month for 16 years amounts to over 40 man-years of effort.
For me, "We are traffic" is an interesting glimpse of another world. It's a well made film, but is limited simply because critical mass as a movement isn't offering much. However, 7 years earlier, Ted White made another film which I think is timeless and wonderful:
The conflict of the later film is missing and interviewees in this film are all glowing with enthusiasm about cycling.
The name "Critical Mass" came from "Return of the Scorcher", another Ted White film dating from 1992. It was used to describe when a group of Chinese cyclists forced their way into traffic in the film. You can see at this point that cycling is already under stress in China in the early 1990s. Once cyclists are forced to be in conflict with vehicles, the feelings expressed in the title of this blog post come to the fore. For many people this is a reason to want to be in a car. What's more, bicycles have in some instances been banned from streets. Cycling has unfortunately declined sharply in China since the film was made, but it was inevitable given what has happened in China.
"Return of the Scorcher" also visits the Netherlands. Amongst the interviews we hear a beautiful story from an old Dutch couple about their honeymoon by bicycle during the second world war. The Dutch cycling culture is far more healthy than the Chinese. Cycling here has increased since the film was made. The difference between this country and China is that the Dutch cyclists are being looked after in the way that infrastructure is designed. They are not expected to compete with cars on an unequal basis.
The equivalent scene of lots of cyclists crossing the roads at once in the Netherlands would be not of people having to get in the way of cars and cause them to stop, as in the Chinese example, but of the simultaneous green junctions which allow cyclists priority over all other traffic. Not only does this remove conflict on the streets, but as cyclists get a green light twice as often as drivers, it also increases the convenience of cyclists relative to drivers.
Perhaps the world would be a different place now if the name of the cycling protest had been taken from a different part of this film. One which presented cyclists in a less pressured situation, and within a country where cycling was being promoted. Perhaps if more notice had been taken of Michael Replogle's comment 22 minutes into the film that "Infrastructure tells you what to do. The way we design our streets tells you how to behave in those streets. It tells you about modes of travel to use and how to use them," then the result might have been different. Perhaps then we would see different patterns emerging in those nations where "critical mass" takes place, but where a true critical mass of cyclists still has not appeared.
Cycling needs to be for everyone, not just for a counter cultural minority.
To see infrastructure which really encourages cycling as a means of transport, come and visit us here in Assen. "We Are Traffic" is also watchable online. Also, both films are available to buy. Also note that I'm aware of the limitations regarding my crude man-years calculation.
15 comments:
- Abhishek said...
I can understand the interviewee's comment about "Not everybody can make that decision".
An alarming number of people live in inefficient neighborhoods far far away from work and businesses. They have willingly chained themselves to the car and are themselves responsible for not being able to make the decision of cycling. The interviewee is merely stating the obvious.
The choice that you make in riding the bicycle is the choice that millions of Americans make in driving their cars. They achieve a similar sense of freedom as you do, only in an oxymoron sort of way.
I do agree that a critical mass is negative in its execution. Is it necessary? Think about it as a constant protest.
- 31 October 2008 at 03:19
- David Hembrow said...
Actually, I have sympathy with people who have taken those decisions.
I don't think most people think of the consequences of what they do. They simple go along with what other people do, and what their environment encourages.
In "Return of the Scorcher," Michael Replogle's comments that "Infrastructure tells you what to do."
He's right. Dutch people tend to plan their lives to use local shops and include bicycles as a means of transport because this what the infrastructure (and society) here tells them to do. Most of them haven't thought deeply about it either.
The same people reacting to conditions in the US will quite possibly live many miles from work and shops and now be suffering as are the family who feature in this TV programme
"There, but for the grace of God, go I."
I grew up in the car dominated societies of New Zealand and the UK. If I'd not somehow latched on to the idea that cycling was a good way of getting about, I could be in the same situation as that unfortunate family.
20 years ago an employer tried to get us to move to the US. I went and looked. House prices near where my work would be were absurd, and the only way of living somewhere nice would have been to live in just the sort of place you're talking about.
I said no. In different circumstances I might have said yes.
- 31 October 2008 at 08:11
- Abhishek said...
Well saved. I cant imagine living in suburbia, chained to the car like a house arrest ankle bracelet!
- 31 October 2008 at 11:53
- David Hembrow said...
I know exactly what you mean. However, we actually do live in suburbia here.
However, this is a Dutch version of suburbia. It's only about 2 km to the city centre and we've a choice of very pleasant routes.
- 31 October 2008 at 12:06
- cyclingred said...
I have never attended a critical mass ride. My feelings are more ambivalent about them. They may be confrontational. But isn't it essentially just another form of civil disobedience? Do you think civil disobedience has a place in bringing change?
- 31 October 2008 at 13:14
- Abhishek said...
If you adopt me, I'd happily move to the Netherlands. My parents may have an issue though but we can work through that rationally, cant we?
- 31 October 2008 at 13:18
- Anneke said...
Like David said, and I said before, Dutch people don't take the bike to make a point or anything, they (me included) never even think twice about getting on their bikes. It's just as natural, I imagine, as getting in a car is for Americans. Because there are bikepaths, bike crossings, traffic lights and things like that it's often just the easiest and safest way to travel, whatever your destination.
I wondered for some time about what a "critical mass" could be. And then I thought, why would they have to protest to ride their bikes? It made no sense to me, until I realised that not every country is like the Netherlands. :D
I've said that before, but it's true. If bicycling is just so ingrained in your consience you never even consider that it might be different elsewhere, and I imagine that that's the way many American motorists feel.
- 31 October 2008 at 14:30
- David Hembrow said...
Cyclingred, I think there is nothing wrong with non violent protest and civil disobedience.
However, protest should have an aim and work towards that aim. In the case of Critical Mass, I don't think that is happening.
I have nothing against the massers, but what is it for ?
If they simply want to have a monthly party on the streets and make a bit of noise, then they can then say they've achieved their aim.
If on the other hand what they want is to improve the lot of cyclists, and see more people cycling on the streets, then I think they've failed.
For a significant change to happen I think a change of tactics is also required. i.e. their time could be better spent doing other things.
- 31 October 2008 at 15:13
- amsterdamize said...
David, thank you for this post. I've touched on the subject (how the movement is basically counter productive) on several blogs of Critical Mass riders, but never got through. And I understand.
You've laid it out perfectly, so I'll think I'll finally embark on this too and reference to your post on my blog.
- 31 October 2008 at 22:18
- Kevin Love said...
Last night I rode with CM in Toronto. Its not a protest here. When the mayor participates in an event, and the police block car traffic on side streets to facilitate it, it is fair to say that it is not a protest. Young mothers with their babies ride, children, old people, everyone.
Or if it is a protest, then the Queen's Birthday parade is also a protest. :)
Its just people celebrating Toronto's bicycle culture. Including a major win at Toronto City Council this week for bicycle infrastructure network expansion.
It is also the only recreational cycling that I ever do. Everything else is cycling to work, church, errands, etc.
I've got to have some fun in my life sometimes!
- 1 November 2008 at 13:22
- H@rry said...
I agree with David that CM is probably not working as well as the organizers would like. Cyclists had better get organized and make sure that they are involved when new infrastructure is being planned or old roads renewed. Who else but an experienced cyclist can inform a city council better on how to build a safe and convenient infrastructure for other cyclists. The "Fietsersbond" (Cycling Union) in Holland is doing a very good job at this.
- 1 November 2008 at 21:05
- Anneke said...
@ Harry. Ah, but Dutch cyclists are not all members of the union. In fact I don't think I know anyone who is (and I also don't know anyone who doesn't bike, but that's another story). biking is just not part of a movement at all.
- 3 November 2008 at 12:00
- David Hembrow said...
I'm a member. The "Vogelvrije Fietser" (Fietsersbond magazine) is amongst the things on my reading list which helps me learn Dutch !
- 3 November 2008 at 12:16
- Adrienne Johnson said...
How about a San Franciscan getting in on this subject?
1st- SF does not have 3 million people in it . In 2007 we had about 770,000 (see wikipedia for San Francisco Population). Despite the big rep, we are truly a tiny place (49 square miles).
2nd- San Francisco is quite odd in that we have self contained suburbias within the city. The Sunset district in the western part of town is block after block after block of nothing but houses. Quite isolated and difficult to get in and out of.
3rd- Things in SF are very different in a lot of ways than what they were in 1999. Many things in the City were violent and charged that year, not just Critical Mass. Much of it was a result of huge demographic changes caused by waves of people moving here after making a ton of internet money and pricing the traditional working class San Franciscan out (this has caused a huge amount of frustration and conflict here).
No matter what anyone may think of Critical Mass (or Critical Mess as it can frequently be), SF has changed its idea of bicycling greatly as a result of it. When families bring their kids to ride in CM, when hundreds of people come from out of town each month to participate (you should see them pile out of the underground with their bikes) and when the locals decide to go with it instead of against it, then progress has been made.
I ride the streets of SF with my three kids in tow almost everyday. It is a challenge, but every time I do it, someone comes to talk to me about it and decides to give it a try. My bike commute is 21 miles round trip (+ 7 miles of cross bay train ride)and I am not unusual.
1999 was a long time ago. Things are changing. This year's Halloween CM was a non-event for the City. Nothing happened except a bunch of people put on silly clothes and rode around together. It didn't even make the news. And more and more people are riding. The bike shops sell out of everything. It is hard to find something to lock your bike up to in some places because the spots are taken by other bikes.
Someone asked what CM is for- visibility. When cyclists mass, they finally get seen and they can't be run off the road or yelled down or driven away. Because of that, we are finally getting some infrastructure- slowly, but it is happening.
Sorry that was so long.
- 4 November 2008 at 06:54
- David Hembrow said...
Adrienne, thank you for posting from San Francisco.
I'm sorry about the confusion about the population of San Francisco. 3 million is the figure given by Wikipedia as the "Urban" population, while your figure is the "City" population.
I last visited the city a little over 15 years ago. It's a great place, but I have to say it didn't look like somewhere particularly friendly to cyclists. I am glad to hear that progress is being made.
As for the rate of progress, CM has been going on for over 15 years now, and SF still has very limited cycling.
By comparison, the Fietsersbond had existed for 15 years when the video shown in this blog post was made in 1990.
Serious progress had been made since 1975, leading to conditions in that video which still don't exist in most of the world and a cycling rate nationally vastly higher than that which exists in any English speaking country even 18 years later. What's more, the video lays out aims for further improvement, all of which would appear to be being met.
Draw your own conclusion about which is the most effective strategy.
- 4 November 2008 at 11:15


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If WordPress can't find the wp-config.php file, it will tell you and offer to try to create and edit the file itself. (You can do also do this directly by loading wp-admin/setup-config.php in your web browser.) WordPress will ask you the database details and write them to a new wp-config.php file. If this works, you can go ahead with the installation; otherwise, go back and create, edit, and upload the wp-config.php file yourself (step 3).
The following screenshots show how the installation progresses. Notice in Entering the details screen, you enter your site title, your desired user name, your choice of a password (twice) and your e-mail address. Also displayed is a check-box asking if you would like your blog to appear in search engines like Google and Technorati. Leave the box checked if you would like your blog to be visible to everyone, including search engines, and uncheck the box if you want to block search engines, but allow normal visitors. Note all this information can be changed later in your Administration Panels.
The following are some of the most common installation problems. For more information and troubleshooting for problems with your WordPress installation, check out FAQ Installation and FAQ Troubleshooting.
I see a directory listing rather than a web page.
The web server needs to be told to view index.php by default. In Apache, use the DirectoryIndex index.php directive. The simplest option is to create a file named .htaccess in the installed directory and place the directive there. Another option is to add the directive to the web server's configuration files.
I see lots of Headers already sent errors. How do I fix this?
You probably introduced a syntax error in editing wp-config.php.
My page comes out gibberish. When I look at the source I see a lot of "<?php ?>" tags.
If the <?php ?> tags are being sent to the browser, it means your PHP is not working properly. All PHP code is supposed to be executed before the server sends the resulting HTML to your web browser. (That's why it's called a preprocessor.) Make sure your web server meets the requirements to run WordPress, that PHP is installed and configured properly, or contact your hosting provider or system administrator for assistance.
I keep getting an Error connecting to database message but I'm sure my configuration is correct.
Try resetting your MySQL password manually. If you have access to MySQL via shell, try issuing:
SET PASSWORD FOR 'wordpressusername'@'hostname' = OLD_PASSWORD('password');
If you are using a version of MySQL prior to 4.1, use PASSWORD instead of OLD_PASSWORD. If you do not have shell access, you should be able to simply enter the above into an SQL query in phpMyAdmin. Failing that, you may need to use your host's control panel to reset the password for your database user.
My image/MP3 uploads aren't working.
If you use the Rich Text Editor on a blog that's installed in a subdirectory, and drag a newly uploaded image into the editor field, the image may vanish a couple seconds later. This is due to a problem with TinyMCE (the rich text editor) not getting enough information during the drag operation to construct the path to the image or other file correctly. The solution is to NOT drag uploaded images into the editor. Instead, click and hold on the image and select "Send to Editor."
Although WordPress is very easy to install, you can use one of the one-click autoinstallers typically available from hosting companies. Three of those autoinstallers, Fantastico, Installatron, and Softaculous are described here.
Installatron is a one-click web application installer that enables WordPress and other top web applications to be instantly installed and effortlessly managed. WordPress installations managed by Installatron can updated (manually or automated), cloned, backed up and restored, edited to change installation parameters, and more.
Many web hosting providers include Installatron through their web hosting control panel. If Installatron is not available from your provider, you can use Installatron directly from Installatron.com.
To install WordPress through your web hosting provider's control panel:
To install WordPress using Installatron.com:
For installation instructions in other languages, see WordPress in Your Language.
Detailed information about Installing Multiple Blogs is available.
Use these instruction for setting up a local server environment for testing and development.
You may find that using a pre-integrated software appliance is a great way to get up and running with WordPress, especially in combination with virtual machine software (e.g., VMWare, VirtualBox, Xen HVM, KVM).
A software appliance allows users to altogether skip manual installation of WordPress and its dependencies, and instead deploy a self-contained system that requires little to no setup, in just a couple of minutes.
Download, install, and configure WordPress with the Microsoft Web Platform Installer (Web PI). Installation is very easy and takes on average about 5 minutes to complete. For other Windows installers, check this section
Alternatively, the BitNami WordPress installer is a free, self-contained native installer for WordPress that includes Apache, MySQL and PHP so it works out of the box.
If you don't have IIS on your computer or don't want to use it, you could use a WAMP Stack :
These stacks can be downloaded freely and set up all the bits you need on your computer to run a website. Once you have downloaded and installed WAMP, you can point your browser at localhost and use the link to phpmyadmin to create a database.
Then, in order to install WordPress, download the zip file, and extract it into the web directory for your WAMP installation (this is normally installed as c:\wamp\www). Finally visit http://localhost/wordpress to start the WordPress install. (Assuming you extracted into c:\wamp\www\wordpress).
Tip: If you want to use anything other than the default permalink structure on your install, make sure you enable the mod_rewrite module in WAMP. This can be enabled by clicking on the WAMP icon in the taskbar, then hover over Apache in the menu, then Apache modules and ensure that the rewrite_module item has a checkmark next to it.
wp-cli is a great command line tool with which you can easily install and update WordPress and themes and extensions.


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Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and analytics around what consumers buy and watch, recently released the first mobile media rankings based on audience measurement data from the company's new Nielsen Smartphone Analytics. This new service uses metered data from thousands of Android and iOS smartphones in the United States to report actual consumer behavior.
According to the first mobile audience measurement data from metered smartphone usage, after the Android Market app itself, apps for Facebook, maps and mail had the highest active reach among U.S. Android users above the age of 18. ("Active reach" is defined as the percentage of Android owners who used an app within the past 30 days.")
While many of the top 20 apps showed similar active usage by both male and female Android smartphone owners, there were notable differences in active reach for social apps. Facebook's mobile app saw an active reach of 81 percent for women Android smartphone owners compared to just 69 percent for male Android smartphone owners. Twitter also reached more women (16.5 percent) than men (13.4 percent). However, Google+, the newest social network, had more than twice the active reach among men (15.8 percent) than women (7.2 percent).
Outside of social media, apps like Kindle and Words With Friends had higher active reach among women, while Quickoffice Pro and the Amazon App store had higher active reach among men. Google Maps had a higher active reach among men, too: 77 percent active reach among men compared to 71.8 percent among women.
Seven Remote Access Management 'Must-haves' Key criteria that can be used as a benchmark when choosing a remote access solution.
Ten USB Drive Security Best Practices Ten security practices all organizations should adopt and practice.
Ten Tips for Retaining Top Talent Tips on addressing potential mismatches between the talent you have in your organization and how you use it.
Related Topics : Topics, Mobile Technology
Biometrics are changing the way we think about security. Here are some of the more innovative ways biometrics are being used and what we can expect in the future. ... More >>


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Model Information
Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink®
Content may not apply to all models. See Related Information or consult your owner's manual for specific information about your vehicle.
*2010 vehicle shown for demonstration purposes.
**Climate Control button revision from 2010.
Bluetooth HandsFreeLink
The Accord Crosstour Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink® system allows you to make and receive calls while keeping your hands on the wheel. All of this can be done without ever having to handle your phone as long as it's somewhere in the vehicle. The system is easy to operate using voice commands and can be paired with up to six different phones, each with up to 50 stored phone numbers. Watch the accompanying video to learn how to use this valuable feature.
For more detailed information on your HandsFreeLink system, please visit handsfreelink.honda.com .
Need more help? Contact your local Honda Dealer for assistance.


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Fernhill House welcomes study on dementia and marriage
A new study which shows that being married and having close friends could help protect against dementia has been welcomed by Fernhill House whose focus is very much on social interaction and friendship.
The findings follow an in-depth study carried out by researchers at Loughborough University, University College London and universities in the States and Brazil.
Dementia lead at Fernhill House, Paul Turvey says that while the research doesn't prove that marriage helps stave off the illness, having close friends certainly improves everyone's general wellbeing.
The study, which began 15 years ago, involved monitoring thousands of over 60s who didn't have dementia when they were first questioned. The 6,677 participants were asked about their marital status and the number of close relationships they had.
Researchers then followed the participants for an average of six years to see how many developed dementia, with 3.3% of the sample (220 people) either receiving a dementia diagnosis or having the disease indicated by questionnaires. They found people who weren't married, had fewer social relationship or were lonely had a higher risk of developing dementia.
Other factors included heart and vascular disease, impaired mobility, and lower educational levels.
Paul echoed comments from the NHS which explained: "As the causes of some types of dementia – particularly Alzheimer's disease – remain poorly understood, it's difficult to isolate the effect of a single factor like marital status. "It seems more likely that the quality of the marriage and family and social relationships is likely to be the important factor, not just the presence of these relationships.
"An unhappy marriage may do little to benefit your wellbeing, and you don't have to be married to have a happy and fulfilling relationship."
The ethos of Fernhill House is for residents to have happy, fulfilling lives. It has innovative dementia friendly facilities such as an indoor potting shed, a 'real' pub, a shop and 1950s and 60s themed games. Arts and crafts, holistic therapies and gardening, events such as tea dances, choir therapy, recitals by string quartets, celebrity guest speakers, cooking workshops and bubbles and blinis evenings are regular fixtures on the activities calendar.


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FITCHBURG -- Rep. Stephen DiNatale, D-Fitchburg, is hoping the seventh time is the charm.
Last week he refiled the muni choice bill, which has failed to pass six previous times.
The bill intends to make it easier for cities and towns to form their own electricity utility by letting them purchase the existing infrastructure from an investor-owned utility company at a price determined by the Department of Public Utilities. The IOU would not have the ability to refuse the sale.
"If the citizenry want a change, I think they should have the option," said DiNatale. He said the IOUs have monopolies, and this bill can help ease the power that comes with monopolies.
The bill had previously been submitted by state Rep. Jay Kaufman, D-Lexington, and DiNatale was a co-signer. DiNatale said Kaufman is letting him take the lead this time so he can concentrate on revenue and tax issues.
"I welcome the challenge," said DiNatale. He said he doesn't know if the odds of it passing are different year.
Cathy Clark of Lunenburg, founder of the activist group Get Rid of Unitil, said she's hopeful there will be more bipartisan support this session.
She said Rep. Dan Winslow, R-Norfolk, spoke in favor of the bill last session and hopes he can bring more Republicans on board.
"I would hope that all lawmakers see the common-sense need for this legislation," said Clark. She urged members of the public to contact their representatives in support of the bill.
Alec O'Meara, spokesman for the Unitil utility company, said his company's perspective has not changed on the issue. He endorsed a January 2010 report from the state's Department of Energy Resources on municipal utilities.
That report said the 41 existing munis in the state have lower rates on average, but newly established munis are expected to have higher rates for years to absorb the cost of purchasing the infrastructure. It also said municipalization should be considered on a case-by-case basis.
O'Meara encouraged Massachusetts residents to read that report and said it shows the pros and cons of municipalization from an impartial perspective.
He added Unitil will look at the language of the bill in case there are any changes.
Patrick Mehr of the Massachusetts Alliance for Municipal Electric Choice said the bill's passage is essential.
"After every major storm it becomes clearer that the large utilities do not invest enough in their infrastructure to make it resilient," he said.
Mehr said the bill would bring more competition into electricity and that munis would not actually have to be formed for it to be effective. The easier process to form munis would give the IOUs an incentive to perform better.
He said he believes the majority of legislators in Massachusetts support the bill, but the bill fails to make it out of committee because of lobbying efforts against it.
Follow Michael Hartwell at facebook.com/michaelhartwell or twitter.com/sehartwell.


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Find Your Perfect Home.
Albion Real Estate
Albion is located in Michigan. Albion, Michigan has a population of 8,229. Albion is less family-centric than the surrounding county with 17.05% of the households containing married families with children. The county average for households married with children is 25.86%.
The median household income in Albion, Michigan is $25,197. The median household income for the surrounding county is $43,199 compared to the national median of $53,482. The median age of people living in Albion is 31.4 years.
Albion Weather
The average high temperature in July is 82.1 degrees, with an average low temperature in January of 16.4 degrees. The average rainfall is approximately 35 inches per year, with inches of snow per year.
Albion Map
Real Estate Near Albion
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Albion Zip Codes