text:
By Steve Kastenbaum, CNN
Editor's Note: Listen to the full story in our player above, and join the conversation in our comments section below.
Newtown, Connecticut (CNN) - Newtown is the kind of place that would make the perfect backdrop for a Norman Rockwell painting. Until this tragic shooting, everyone who lives here has always felt safe and secure. Today, they wonder how they will ever get back to that place.
[1:21] "I don't think you can ever fully heal," said Marci Benitez, owner of a children's hair salon in town. "You know with any loss, I feel that there's always a void left for a loved one. But in time it does lessen, the hurt lessens a little bit. But the void and the hurt is always there, especially when it's a child."
Candles and tears: Portrait of a grieving town
Lee Shull lives around the corner from the shooter's home. He expects the feelings he and his neighbors have right now will last for a long time.
[2:21] "It's the ripple effect, right? It's… our neighbors had children that were killed. We've got siblings, older siblings that my son Ian goes to school with… how does that affect them? It's the neighbors and the families; it's just a huge ripple effect out from those 26 people."
Subscribe to this podcast oniTunes orStitcher. And listen to CNN Soundwaves on ourSoundCloud page.
As mull and mourn, we see how very critical teachers are in the lives of our children. We can think back to how influential some teachers were in our own development. Perhaps these college educated, certified mentors deserve more respect than they are given, and a wage at least equal to the plumber who fixes our toilet...
This man legally had guns. If he could obtain guns children should too. Let's please gun lovers, and experience more mass deaths, then decide to do the right thing. Guns should be limited and regulated. Security should be increased (not authority ). In my personal opinion children should not be going to school until this country gets in shape for example: police or security increase , and updated curriculums worthy of 2013. If we really care about kids we need to take the responsible approach. Reality exist and killers are out of touch. For the sake of our children teach them what is real and not just politically safe to teach children. Tomorrow the sun will rise for these families, but the sun doesn't literally rise and this country is not prepared to teach its children at our own standards. Maybe some norms creates these monsters.
These folks won't heal,their pain may lessen over time but they won't heal from the loss of a child.The best thing that could happen right now is for everyone to just leave them alone until an appropriate time when they are ready.Every newspaper and television reporter is , without conscious,trying to get a story at other's expense and it needs to stop right now.
@skastenbaumcnn – I think the argument is that if more people had guns, there would be more people who could defend themselves, thus limiting the number of people killed in situations where there is a shooter with otherwise defenseless victims. Personally, I tend to agree with you that more guns in the hands of the public does make them more readily available generally speaking. And that's what concerns me about the idea of more people being armed. But I'd also like it if someone could take out the shooter more quickly in these situations to limit the number of innocent victims.
More guns or less guns, protecting our schools is something we can do better at. Even if takes elite security and building designs with multiple layers of security (think Pentagon), somehow we can get it done and in a way that's good for our children and future generations. We must innovate in this area and get it done. Guns, mental illness and other areas deserve major attention as well. But protecting the schools better can happen now.
Remembering victims of CT shooting
I have been a CNN viewer for over 20 years. I have to say the advocacy shown on the network this last weekend has really saddened me. I had held up the channel as the last bastion of real reporting in which anchors and reporters actually wanted to know the truth rather than push their agenda as can been seen on other channels. Right now I feel that there is no home left for me on cable news and I am turning them all off. I don't know if the editorial decisions are part of the new management or the very natural horror felt over this tragedy, but I hope someday CNN will return to its fine traditions.
I'm Steve Kastenbaum, the reporter who put this story together. As the discussion around gun control evolves in the wake of this shooting I'm trying to understand the arguments put forth by gun enthusiasts. Do not take my questions to be judgmental or an expression of any particular belief. I'm just trying to understand. Correct me if I am wrong but the belief is that more law abiding, responsible adults should carry firearms; that if well trained law citizens, perhaps teachers, carried weapons they could prevent a massacre like the one at Sandy Hook Elementary. How is that argument made when the guns used in this shooting were indeed owned by someone who appears to have been a law abiding, responsible gun owner? In many similar shootings the weapons were legally owned and by all accounts kept in homes by responsible, law abiding gun owners. If that's the case, it stands to reason that further proliferation of these weapons would lead to additional mass shootings. Logic dictates that if he didn't have easy access to these weapons we wouldn't be here right now. Also, statistics on gun violence show a direct relationship between the proliferation of guns in a society and the number of violent acts committed with a firearm. For example, in Australia, where some people enjoy a similar passion for guns, when stricter gun control laws were passed in that country violent crimes committed with a firearm dropped by 59%. I look forward to the responses. Please keep the conversation civil. Thank you.
You make a very intelligent point.Gun ownership,is not the only dangerous thing we possess out here,we also have over 900 vehicular deaths in 2012 alone,untold numbers of those deaths are caused by texting,cell phones and other distrac tions ,we start wars which kill hundreds of thousands ,we release PTSD troops back into society everday,we allow 10 million illegal,unregistered aliens to just wander about the country committing all sorts of heinous crimes and yet we refuse to address those situations because money is involved so why dedicate all these articles to this story when so much worse is happening everyday ?
As I stated before, the Founding Fathers were no heroes at all. For example, establishing a militia or army to defend and preserve the colony is one thing but making it legitimate for citizens of the Union to bear arms to defend the colony and do the job of our military was clearly a sign of weakness on the part of the Founding Fathers. So what did the Founding Fathers do when they arrived at Plymouth Rock? Well, the first thing the cowards did was to kill the Native Indians because of fear of reprisal from the natives for stealing their land. Then when their western colony was eventually established, were they satisfied? No, no, they just had to send ships to Africa to started the Trans-Continental Slave Trade to do their chores for Four Hundred years. Then fearful that the British King would have his way, they then decided to call for arming the colonialists to do the job of the local army. Three hundred years later, we are painstakingly paying the price for the stupidity of a bunch of overweight drunken Irishmen who have made it easily accessibly for lunatics to purchase deadly assault weapons to kill out our modern colonists. Ludicrous.
During the past weekend, CNN's Wolf Blitzer was interviewing a gun advocate and author of some book he wrote on guns. When Mr. Blitzer asked him why we need deadly assault weapons to go hunt game, his reply astound me. First, he paused for about ten seconds, searching for a reply, then he tried to defend the shooter by saying that assault rifles like the one the shooter used only look deadly on the inside while in retrospect, such assault rifles are not as deadly as people might imagine. Was this guy really serious? According to the medical examiner, many of these children were shot 3 times while some were shot 11 times. Is this guy really serious? Then he tried to justify the need for deadly assault rifles by trying to explain that in a situation where a person with a handgun may be overpowered by an attacker, possession of an assault rifle like the one the shooter used would prevent an attacker from overpowering the victim. Well, if this was China, Russia or some country in the Middle East, this author would probably be facing a firing squad by now for plain stupidity and ignorance. Only in America.
I legally own two "semi-automatic" rifles. Neither is classified as an assault rifle. Each will fire rounds repeatedly as quickly as I can pull the trigger. One has a seven round clip, the other can hold up to twenty-one short cartridges or fifteen long rifle cartridges in a tubular magazine. I understand that the rifle used by the suspect in the Sandy Hook shootings was not a fully automatic rifle but, rather, a semi-automatic rifle. I am at a loss as to why it is called an assault rife. It can do no more repeat firing than either of my sport rifles. I am afraid that if laws are passed to prohibit the private ownership of "assault" rifles, the definition of such used in the statute would make the law apply to my sporting rifles (Remington model 550-1 and Mossberg model 352K).
Why don't you stick your guns up your ass?
Do killing innocent animals make you feel macho? Do you pat yourself on the back at the end of the day and marvel at how many living creatures you killed? Suppose YOU were that animal facing that gun barrel? You are probably one of those NRA supporters, representing the backward, uneducated, not so intelligent Right Wing segment of the American population.
I own firearms because I enjoy target shooting (not animals, targets) and for protection. If they somehow manage to eliminate guns from the hands of all criminals then i will agree that it is not necessary for civilians to own firearms but that will never happen because it is literally impossible. criminals are not going to hand in their guns, guns are already readily available to them. the only difference will be who they buy them from, theyll continue be smuggled in with drugs (probably to a greater extent) and sold that way which also will further feed the cartels and street gangs. personally, i would like to stand as much of a chance as possible against an armed attacker. the police can't prevent all violent crime all they can do is clean up the aftermath.
basically what i'm saying is its too late for this country to do away with guns, i will however agree that the gunshow loophole should be corrected and psychological and criminal history checks should be carefully followed through with during legal firearm sales.
I commend you for not shooting animals for sport. However, the low chance of you coming into a life threatening situation of self defense is not worth the risk of unintended use of your weapon being turned on you or someone else, either inadvertently or deliberately. I live in NYC where crime incidences are much, much greater than in rural America. I don't worry about being robbed. In fact, I have never been robbed. Moreover, in the overwhelmingly majority of cases where property is stolen from someone's home, the event happened while the home's occupants were out. While we would likely face the problem of gun smuggling into this country, the incidences of criminality involving guns would still be dramatically fewer in number if guns were outlawed.
You're worried about your assault rifle becoming part of gun legislation. Can't you people write about something more heart felt, and stop worring about yourself for god sakes. I have words for you and people like you schoolsub....get your head out of your ass!!!
Why can't America open its eyes and see the real problem at hand? There will always be deranged people among us who would commit harm to others. There is no way to prevent this because the spectrum of what we call normal behavior encompasses idiosyncrasies in personality traits which are common to all of us. If people were apprehended for behaving "suspiciously," most of us would be subject to apprehension at some point in our lifetime – our civil rights would be seriously compromised in such a paranoid society. Furthermore, what is to stop mentally disturbed individuals or even young children from obtaining these weapons from registered (presumably) mentally balance individuals? This is the 21st Century folks. We don't need guns. I live in NYC where crime incidences are much, much greater than in rural America. I don't worry about being robbed. In fact, I have never been robbed. Yet the majority of those who feel the need to own a gun for self protection live in rural America! There is an unintelligent argument in favor of gun ownership which goes like this: If we get rid of guns to reduce the number of deaths, then we should also get rid of automobiles, jet planes, etc., since death also results from these inventions. The difference is that society needs automobiles and jet planes for obvious reasons, but we don't need guns in the hands of civilians for any reason! An equally unintelligent argument in favor of gun ownership is the following: If (for example) everyone carried a gun in the crowded movie theatre shooting incident, fewer people would have been shot because the perpetrator would have been quickly put down by the other theatre patrons. Such nonsensical argument ignores the extreme likelihood of mass confusion and failed marksmanship, resulting in unintended shooting victims that would most certainly have exceeded the actual number witnessed. And, why do we want to kill innocent animals for sport? I question the morality of such enthusiasts. The NRA is powerful only because we have a corrupt political system. We permit monetary and personal favors by such organizations to our elected officials. That should be outlawed, carrying sever penalties for violators. The Constitution must be amended to make gun ownership by civilians a serious crime with mandatory one year jail time for persons found guilty. The government should manufacture and distribute guns for law enforcement and the military only. All private manufacturers of such weapons should be shut down. While, still, we would likely face the problem of gun smuggling into this country, the incidences of criminality involving guns would be dramatically fewer in number, and I mean DRAMATICALLY! We are living in an America reflecting 21st Century law enforcement capabilities. Let's act like a civilized nation. We must amend the Constitution and outlaw civilian gun ownership once and for all.
ToWit: You need to change your moniker to "DimWitt"
Proposal: Gun Control
Reason: Remove guns from the hands of as many americans as possible so as to prevent those who WOULD go on a shooting spree.
Effectivess: Unknown. WHo owns guns? Who is likely to kill? Who should own guns? How many guns have DETERED crime? Is there proof i'll work? Is there proof it won't work? Does it really depend on state by state leadership judgment? Are people in every state the same? Do all these killers have something in common?
Final question: are people asking these kinds of questions: No. Most says, "GUN CONTROL!!!" other says, "NO GUN CONTROL!!!" Can we please explroe this topic and not decide on a final method or approach without research, study, analyzation, critical thinking, etc????
Either the shooter was born south of the Mason-Dixon line or he spent a lot of time there. On weekends he hung around the gun & ammo. department at Walmart. He lived in a trailer park, drank Everclear and had intimate relations with his sister. He was a rabid nascar fan, a card carrying member of the Tea Party and he always voted republican. There you have it. His profile in a nutshell.
Thanks for the laughter. Many will need laughter in wake of this heinous tragedy.
ALL NEWS and MEDIA, if you don't live in CT leave now!! We need to Grieve!!! The Camera's are not helping!
I urge all local business in Sandy Hook and Newtown to stop serving the news agencies. Their should be a limit to how long they can litter our towns. I think that time has expired. Yes the world needs to know of this horrible day, but its over. Please let my town grieve, heal and move forward without the camera's on every corner. We need our community togehter – not camera's in our faces.
This is why the NRA should be blown up and all the gun lobbyists in America executed. F-ing problem solved.
Imagine a world without "crazies". I suppose people like you would be no more.
Crazies are lunatics who murder small children in cold blood. Crazies are gun toting right wing lunatics who continue to be defiant and ignorant regarding the importance of getting deadly assault weapons out of our communities.
"oh, some crazy guy killed some people? lets kill more people, everyone who owns or supports the class of weapons he stole and used in the crime. that'll show 'em."
yea, thats a great idea. who let your dumb ass use the internet?
This is what I thougth to the children of Sandy Hook Connecticut
To make kid feel comfortable to go back to school:
-Perents have to accept the truth (Human come out this world will go home one way to another)
Instead of suffering you have to put all your power in pray of the name of God (The name of Juses Amen)
Or any religion apply to your family (for example my religion is AMITABA)
Every family pray (call the name of God) at least 10 minute before go tho the bed
Teach the children how to pray and let them know why we pray(to help the lost go to heaven)
School have to have at least 10 minute pray before class start.(let the children know that they just do a qood dee by paray the victim go to heave)
I bet all the children they love to do that because they thought that they just help their friend go to heaven
I think this way will help all of us will feel comfortable better than we sitting there suffering
Please parents instead of suffering the lost put all your power into pray every minute or everytime you think about your lost.
I wish the Juses will hear your call and give his power to help you stand up to walk again.
Ellen Tran Arizona
After this problem gun control should be taken more seriously wihtout the NRA dicting gun owners rights. Owning a gun through proper channels is one thing, but able to purchase an assualt rifle and the public needs this because.....?
Education ,Choices that failed him,Pressure at home,something is missing here what drove him to go to that school,did he have a issue with a teacher?,was this person supposedly going to guide him in directions of opportunity,he looks frail,but with those guns he was not,he was in control,sheesh,Parents Teachers teach the children well.Yes there are Monsters out there.
I think people often confuse the term "gun control" as having to do with banning ALL guns from EVERYONE. I see no problem with citizens having the right to possess a handgun, or a shotgun for hunting etc....; however, I do have a problem with an ordinary citizen being able to purchase an assault rifle like the one used in this rampage. I know it sounds crude, but if the shooter only had the handguns, maybe he is a good enough shot to kill a few people, one shot at a time, before he runs out of ammo or kills himself, whichever comes first. I cannot think of 1 good reason why non-military, non-law enforcement people need access to weapons that can spray 100's of rounds in a matter of seconds.
If you wonder how to heal, Turn to Jesus our beloved God and savior. Matthew 11:28-30. "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
There is talk of not reopening Sandy Hook Elementary School. Look, the facility did not commit the autrocities. Clean it up an reopen in January 2013. If I were a taxpayer in that school district I would be incensed at the idea of scrapping a perfectly good facility and spending my tax dollars to replace it. I realize that emotions are high now but reason and fiscal responsibility must, ultimately, take over.
I do think that we are going to have to take a strong look at arming school employees. Perhaps, if the principal had a 9mm, some or all of the carnage could have been prevented.
Gun control had nothing to do with what happened in Newtown. The guns were regestered legally. The problem is this person had a mental problem and today we allow them to just go about freely like everyone else. This family knew he had a problem. They had to deal with it on their own because Insurance and institutions for problem people no longer exist. For a person like this young man if he was intent to destory life, if it was not with a gun he would have come up with some other form of distrustion.
You're incompetent. Gun control or rather lack thereof had everything to do with this tragedy. For example, had there been laws on the books outlawing assault rifles like the one used in this tragedy, chances are that some or many of the children would have been able to flee the carnage with the shooter being limited to using a handgun as opposed to having access to a semi automatic rifle that can spray 100 rounds a minute as John stated above.
When will the US realize that gun control is essential. What is the problem in the US with having restrictions on life threatening items such as guns?
Look, Gilda, one of the reasons that no one invaded our country in World War II is that the Axis powers realized that the United States had an armed citizenry and that, collectively, the private gun owners in this country would have constituted the largest armed force on earth.
See Chicago as an example....huge regulations on guns yet has one of the highest murder rates in the country.
Gilda, it is easy to have a knee jerk response when looking for a quick fix or answer. There will always be access to guns with or without legal options. Or do you believe we don't have a drug problem in this country because the govt has made them illegal. The old saying "guns don't kill people, people kill people" isn't just an empty statement. Perhaps funding for mental health options and improved councelors in schools would be better spent dollars. I honeslty don't know what drives the wing nuts in our society or what can better control their outbursts, but I'll give you another old saying "you can pry my guns from my cold dead hands" keep your opinions away from my first ammendment right!


text:
(Editor's note — This is the first of a three part-series on the Energy and the Economy Summit held in Fort Morgan on Wednesday, June 26.)
Rural electrical providers seemed as upset that they think the new state requirements for rural electric cooperatives are unfair and about the political process as about the consequences of Colorado's Senate Bill 252.
That was the impression at Progressive 15's summit on Energy and Economy at the Country Steak Out on Wednesday.
A number of electric companies' representatives attended along with the members of Progressive 15.
However, they were also upset about the provisions of the new regulations that came out of this year's Colorado legislative session.
SB-252 requires Colorado Colorado rural electric associations that have 100,000 meters or more, even if those are within a power provider's network, to have 20 percent of their power come from alternative energy sources like wind or solar energy — up from 10 percent — by 2020.
Regulated utilities like Xcel Energy already have to get 20 percent of their power from alternative energy sources.
That means electric associations must use more renewable energy.
In the case of cooperatives like the Morgan County Rural Electric Association, that means Tri-State Generation and Transmission must use more renewable energy for its 18 members in Colorado, including MCREA.
That means the cost is only shared by those 18 members, not the full 44 members that receive power from Tri-State, and that means dividing the cost of the change only among the 18 members, said Geoff Hier, director of government relations for the Colorado Rural Electric Association.
That 20 percent figure applies to Tri-State, he said.
One provision of the new law says that associations may only charge up to 2 percent more to their customers, but it is unclear how that will work, Hier said.
He predicted it would cost more than 2 percent a year to pay for that much renewable energy.
Hier also said he expected the 20 percent goal to override the 2 percent cap.
Electric associations will also have to buy a certain amount of electricity from people who produce it from wind or solar energy at their homes or businesses.
At this point in time, it looks like Colorado has more electrical production capacity than it needs, Hier said. That could mean that renewable energy sources could displace existing assets.
Hier also predicted that there would not be a need for more energy than can already be produced in Colorado until 2018.
Renewable energy is generally more expensive than traditional sources like coal, he said, which means consumers will have to pay more for their electricity.
Hier said Tri-State would need to find 500 to 700 megawatts of renewable electricity sources to comply with the law.
He estimated it could cost $1 billion to $2 billion to comply.
Residential consumers might not find their bills much higher, Hier said, but there will be big bills for irrigators and industry.
Hier added that the deadline of 2020 is unrealistic.
He also said that it seemed as if the utilities in the areas of those who sponsored the bill were protected from the increase.
Above the costs that are feared is how unfair it seems that some utilities were exempted, said a representative who said he was from the Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association.
Some still only have to meet the 10 percent goal, he noted.
However, those utilities receive power from Xcel Energy, which already has to meet a 20 percent renewable energy requirement, said Jeff Ackerman, executive director of the Colorado Energy Office.
Others seemed to resent that the electrical industry was not consulted extensively enough.
A person who said he was with the Intermountain Rural Electric Association wondered where the energy office was when the legislation was being considered.
Ackerman admitted that the process could have been better, since it did not involve everyone in the discussion.
That is why Gov. John Hickenlooper set up an advisory committee to oversee application of the new law, Ackerman said. That group will consider whether the 2020 deadline is achievable.
Hickenlooper has admitted changes may be needed in the next legislative session, Ackerman said.
The fact that electrical cooperatives have met the 10 percent requirement showed that including renewable energy is working and has not had too great an impact on customers, he said.
Diversifying the state's energy sources make good business sense and could temper rate increases from traditional sources, Ackerman said.
Hier said that there was no outreach to the industry before the legislation was under way.
Hier claimed one legislative leader said he did not need the support of the industry, since he had the votes to pass the bill.
He said he appreciated that Hickenlooper is reaching out now, but it would have been better before the law was passed.
(Editor's note — The second part of this series will consider the many ways energy is part of the rural economy.)
— Contact Dan Barker at email@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


text:
We can help
The LED Lighted Vanity Mirror features dual-sided, optical quality glass to ensure a clearer reflection of your true self. On one side, the 5X magnification is great for touch-ups, detail, and make-up application. On the other side, the 1X magnification is perfect for all-around hairstyling, cosmetics, and every beauty need in between. No matter how dim the environment, the dual-sided LED bulbs are powerful enough to illuminate your face without being harsh on your eyes. And because of the energy-saving LED technology, the LED Lighted Vanity Mirror is completely cordless allowing you to move it anywhere you like. Mirror head swivels 360 degrees. Four AA batteries are required, but not included. One LED bulb is included. Dimensions: 9 inch width x 14 inch height x 5.5 inch diameter.
1 x LED/120V LED
Bulb included
Zadro has been a leading innovator in the Mirror and Bathroom Accessories market for over twenty five years. Zadro has patented, designed, and created an array of products introduced as "market firsts," beginning with the world's first fogless mirror. Zadro has since developed and created an entire range of innovative bathroom accessories, including LED lighted mirrors, variable magnification mirrors, and more.See more from Zadro


text:
Charlie Sheen's Porn Star Ex Gets "Naked for Kony 2012"
Not to be outdone by Jason Russell's public display yesterday, Charlie Sheen's former "goddess" Bree Olson has surfaced with this bizarre but perhaps well-intentioned video response to the Kony 2012 movement. The short film shows Olson writhing in various states of undress, interspersed with images of Joseph Kony and his victims. Let her explain.
No stranger to backlash myself, I will contribute this much to the conversation: if you're against learning more about the world around you, even if that education comes from a video made by a charity that's flashier than most, you're missing the point.
That's what Olson is doing in her video: being flashy. And if you're critical of her methods, you're not watching it correctly. When she writes "KONY 2012" in mud on her leg, or caresses her body amid images of Ugandan atrocities, it's because she wants to raise awareness for the cause. Or as Olson explains it — by way of Mary Poppins — "I put the two together because I know a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down."


text:
Here I will be posting reviews of books that I own or that publishers or authors have sent for me to review and publish comments.
"New York State Censuses & Substitutes" by William Dollarhide,
with foreword by Gordon L. Remington. "An Annotated Bibliography of State Censuses, Census Substitutes, and Selected Name Lists in Print, on Microfilm, or Online; with County Maps, 1683-1915; and State Census Examples and Extraction Forms, 1825-1925." - Heritage Creations – 2005.
If you are doing genealogical research in New York State during the period from the 1600's to the 1920's, (and who isn't?), then this book is an absolutely, hands down, positively, must have, reference!
New York State does not have that wonderful New England Vital Records program where most all births, deaths and marriages were recorded at the town level. Most Vital Records here do not start until the 1880's and then there are many vital records lacking until about the time of World War I.
William Dollarhide has brought you the tools to make an end run when you are searching for those elusive Yorkers. Most researchers have used the Federal Census that has been taken every ten years since 1790. These are available on microfilm from the National Archives and they are all now on-line at subscription sites and many have very good indexes. Some of you may not be aware that the Federal "copy" might be just that! There were multiple versions of the same census prepared by the enumerator and this book will explain where you will be able to locate additional versions of some of the same census. You will find differences.
This book is laid out in a very easy to understand method and I guarantee you that you will be filled with fabulous new ideas of things to check and perhaps make new discoveries in your family quest. The "Substitutes" given in the book will give you ideas of things to look at that you might not otherwise think of. Some of these are Colonial and Statewide Name Lists that may be found generally in published sources, Tax Lists, Land Records, Military Lists, Newspaper Indexes, Will Abstracts, City directories and on and on.
One of the strongest sections (IMHO) is regarding the New York "State" Censuses that were taken in 1825, 1835, 1845, 1855 (my personal favorite,) 1865 (contains Civil War data,) 1875, 1892, 1905, 1915, and 1925. Not all of them survived, some are only available in parts, but when you are fortunate to locate those that cover your area of interest, you will be rewarded with many new facts and details that you would never be able to locate anywhere else.
Bill Dollarhide also gives you full citations on the items and where they may be seen or obtained. Most of the items that have been microfilmed by LDS will have the full catalog number for ordering the film at any Family History Center at a Mormon Church near you. He also gives websites and on-line information on how to obtain things that have been published on the web.
There is a very useful section of maps that will show county and border lines at various time periods. You will also see examples of all of the various census forms which will show the questions asked by the enumerator, which was an ever changing thing.
There is no question in my mind that this is the most important reference tool for New York State research to have been published in 2005!
The book may be ordered from http://www.genealogical.com


text:
Post by Azar
Hi APJ!
Did you ever want to smell like someone or something else – a flower perhaps, a celebrity or a parrot? A parrot you say? Some of these birds can smell pretty foul (sorry). Many psittacines have distinct, oily, dusty, musky odors. If you have ever walked into a parrot shop or indoor aviary you know what I'm talking about – a kind of sweaty, hormonal scent. While some parrots have a pleasant version of this musk, others smell like wet, dirty socks.
Parrot Perfume – Smell Like a Pionus
The parrot I want to smell like is Gomez, the beautiful Blue Headed Pionus (Pionus menstruus). Wild Pionus parrots hail from Central and South America and are common birds in their home range. The fragrance of each Pionus is unique and, like human scent, changes depending on individual chemistry, diet, environment and myriad other factors. Gomez has three distinct "perfumes" that I've noticed in our 14-year relationship.
The first is the musky odor – Gomez' "I am pissed off." smell or "I'm really horny!" smell or "You are wearing a red dress therefore I am going to bite you." smell. Pionus are shy birds and don't like change. New earrings, radically different clothing or unfamiliar scents will, with luck, result in warning wafts of musk.
Gomez also has two beautiful fragrances that tell me he is happy or that something interesting is in view. The original Pleasant Pionus Perfume (PPP) is a honeyed, dusty floral with notes of mimosa, nuts, milk, iris and a light parrot musk. The second (PPP II) is a flanker and I believe an intentional reaction or response to a new fragrance I've been wearing lately. The other day I was hanging out near Gomez' cage and smelled something very familiar – Note Fragrances Blood Orange Chocolat. Previously I detected a similarity between PPP and BOC but this time it was full blown Blood Orange Chocolat. I moved my nose closer to Gomez' cage, calling his name in dulcet tones. Gomez wafted what was unmistakably the dry down phase of BOC. Had he, at some point, noticed me wearing Blood Orange Chocolate and reformulated his original PPP into PPPII to better communicate with me? Was my intelligent, albeit bird-brained companion, trying to augment his limited vocal vocabulary with scent-based inter- species communication?
For several years I have been suggesting someone come up with a parrot perfume – perhaps one will show up sooner than later! Now I'm wondering if anyone is currently researching reciprocal, scent based inter-species communication? I'm also wondering what message Gomez was really trying to send to me via PPP II and what did my wearing Blood Orange Chocolat really mean to him.
Azar xx
Pionus GIVEAWAY
The winner will receive:
1 x 5 ml of Note Fragrances Blood Orange Chocolat
P&H Anywhere in the world
Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that's different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it's encouraged.
You must tell me how you follow APJ
Tell us if you have experienced inter-species communication or know which fragrance your significant other (any species) prefers you wear
Entries Close Wednesday 7th September 2016 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner will be chosen by random.org
The winner will have till Saturday 10th September 2016 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.


text:
Simonkucher : Heritage
Simon-Kucher was founded in 1985 in Bonn, Germany, by Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Hermann Simon, Dr. Eckhard Kucher, and Dr. Karl-Heinz Sebastian. Their vision: Use scientific methods that determine the optimal price to address real-life business challenges.
Now, over 35 years later, their vision has proven to be an extraordinary success. The former university spinoff has grown into a truly global company. Today Simon-Kucher is a major consulting firm (2019 revenue of $358 million), with more than 1,400 employees in 25 countries and 39 offices worldwide. We are still headquartered in Germany, but continue our global expansion at a fast pace.
We are growing considerably faster than the rest of the consulting market and will continue to do so. Unlike cost-cutting initiatives, our work in growing clients' revenue and profit has no natural limits. As long as consumers, technologies, and business environments keep changing, companies will need our help.
Our core values include integrity, respect, team spirit, and entrepreneurship. The latter is especially important. All of our more than 130 Partners are not only owners of the company, they are also entrepreneurs in the truest sense of the word. They are responsible for the economic success and future development of our company.
However, we also encourage the entrepreneurial spirit among all of our associates. Each one of us aims to drive future growth, create better solutions for our clients, and use our potential to the fullest.
Featured insights
June 02, 2016
September 14, 2016


text:
3 Articles by
Major Akhill Pratap
Major Akhill Pratap, an ex-Indian Army Officer, is a speaker, columnist, author and an entrepreneur. He had been a soldier, by choice, worked with corporates, by chance and is a storyteller, by character. Educationally qualified from XLRI, Jamshedpur & IISWBM, Calcutta, Akhill comes from one of the erstwhile Royal Families Of India.
D Diwali of Indiana Zones
Diwali is not a festival for Indianas. It is an emotion. An emotion which binds one of the most complex zones of this world.
Happy Holi Hafeez
That dreadful day, we realized that every Hafeez is not a protector.
May Day in the 'city of joy', Kolkata
Where Gujarat and Maharashtra commemorates this day as its formation day, Bengal declares it as a holiday
Latest News
The fraud of 'Islamophobia'
The most fraudulent term in today's English language is "Islamophobia". It is an absolute misnomer. Islamic and Left-Liberal groups, in their political correctness, use 'Islamophobia' to safe guard and cover up Islamic terrorism only.
Why Nikita Tomars of Secular nations will become BalikaVadhu?
Europe will soon have to start Balika Vadhu and ghunghat within few decades if they wish to survive against jihadis as they are fast approaching a great civil war.
Indian texts are riddled with controversial claims; but only if you deliberately decide to isolate the sayings
Sanatani -
Neither birth, nor initiation, no descent, nor bookish knowledge determines a person's merit; only their actual conduct, expressed qualities and virtues determine one's merit. There is no superior caste, claims Shanti Parva.
Hindu girl breaks-up with Muslim boy after he denies French kiss
This incident has created a storm in the social media, with Hindu girls taking the side of Raheem and urging Reshma to return back to him.
Hypocrisy – Thy name is Bollywood
Attacking the messenger ideology has left Bollywood totally exposed in the eye of the common public, damage control would have been better organised by owning up to mistakes made and assuring cooperation with the authorities.
Recently Popular
BOOK REVIEW – "The Saraswati Civilization: A Paradigm Shift in Ancient Indian History"
General Bakshi intelligently elucidates the contradiction inherent in this fake AIT theory, and quotes the biases of some European and American think-tanks perpetuating the societal divide on basis of caste and race,primarily for denigrating the Indic Civilization as exploitative and hegemonic.
सामाजिक भेदभाव: कारण और निवारण
भारत में व्याप्त सामाजिक असामानता केवल एक वर्ग विशेष के साथ जिसे कि दलित कहा जाता है के साथ ही व्यापक रूप से प्रभावी है परंतु आर्थिक असमानता को केवल दलितों में ही व्याप्त नहीं माना जा सकता।
Reports make inaccurate claims of the benefits of raising the legal age for women's marriage
ashwin -
An SBI Ecowrap report has made several inaccurate claims regarding the potential benefits of raising the legal age of marriage of women.
American election-result has no bearing on India
G Indira -
As far as India is concerned, any party the American people elect, is the legitimate/deserving party to govern that country. Because, it is the sovereign right of that country's people to have their say.
The story of Lord Jagannath and Krishna's heart
But do we really know the significance of this temple and the story behind the incomplete idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Maa Shubhadra?


text: TRUE NORTH GROUPS A POWERFUL PATH TO PERSONAL AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT True North Groups The challenges we face these days are so great that we cannot rely entirely on ourselves, our communities, or our organizations to support us and help us stay on track. We need a small group of people with whom we can have in-depth discussions and share intimately about the most important things in our lives. True North Groups, written with co-author Doug Baker, demonstrates why True North Groups are critical to helping us develop the self-awareness, compassion, emotional intelligence, and authenticity required to be inspired human beings and inspiring leaders. "At various times a True North Group will function as a nurturer, grounding rod, truth teller, and mirror. At other times the group functions as a challenger or an inspirer. When people are wracked with self-doubts, it helps build their courage and ability to cope." For the millions of people who are searching for greater meaning and intimacy in their lives, this book will help them to grow as leaders and as people—and to stay on course to their True North.


text:
Behavioral Intervention Trial for HIV-infected Injection Drug Users
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00146445
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : September 7, 2005
Last Update Posted : September 27, 2012
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Condition or disease
|Behavioral: Peer Mentoring Intervention
|Phase 2 Phase 3
INSPIRE is a four-site (Baltimore, Miami, New York and San Francisco) randomized control trial to develop and evaluate the efficacy of a ten-session intervention for HIV-positive injection drug users. The primary goals of the intervention are to:
- decrease sex and injection risk behaviors that put others at risk for HIV infection,
- increase access to or utilization of HIV primary health care, and
- increase adherence to HIV medications.
The intervention arm consists of 7 group sessions, 2 individual sessions, and one community experience. The control arm consists of 8 group sessions, aiming at controlling for demand (1st session) and attention (8 group sessions). Behavioral assessments and blood draws (for viral load and CD4 testing) occur at baseline, 6, and 12 month follow-up; a 3 month assessment involves behavioral assessment only. 1161 participants took baseline. Of these, 966 were randomized into the study, and 840, 807, and 821 participants took 3, 6, and 12 month follow-up assessments, respectively.
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Enrollment :
|1000 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Parallel Assignment
|None (Open Label)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|Intervention for Seropositive Injection Drug Users - Research and Evaluation (INSPIRE)
|Study Start Date :
|August 2001
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|July 2006
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|July 2006
- - unprotected vaginal/anal sex with HIV-negative or unknown serostatus partners in the past 3 months
- - lending needle or sharing cotton, cooker, or rinse water with HIV-negative or unknown serostatus partners in the past 3 months
- -health care visits for HIV primary care in the past 6 months
- -90% or more adherence to HIV medication yesterday and in the past week
- -Proportion of HIV status disclosure to sex partners
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- 18 years of age or older
- self-identify as a person who has injected drugs in the last 12 months
- self-identify as a person who has had sex with at least one opposite sex partner within the last 3 months
- self-identify as HIV-seropositive
- be confirmed as HIV seropositive through oral fluid (saliva) HIV testing
- live in the geographic region under study,
- agree to have their blood drawn for CD4 count and viral load testing
- be willing to provide basic contact information (for follow-up)
- be able to communicate in English
- not have participated in the full-pilot of this intervention and not have enrolled previously in the present study.
Exclusion Criteria:
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00146445
|United States, California
|University of California - San Francisco
|San Fransisco, California, United States, 94105
|United States, Florida
|University of Miami
|Miami, Florida, United States, 33136
|United States, Maryland
|Johns Hopkins University
|Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21231
|United States, New York
|Montefiore Medical Center
|Bronx, New York, United States, 10467
|New York Academy of Medicine
|New York, New York, United States, 10029
|Principal Investigator:
|David W Purcell, JD, PhD
|Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
|Responsible Party:
|Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|First Posted:
|September 7, 2005 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|September 27, 2012
|Last Verified:
|September 2012
IV drug users


text:
Southern Demographic Association (SDA)
SDA is a scientific and educational organization, incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is comprised of persons with professional interests in demography and population studies.
SDA's membership includes, but is in no way limited to, demographers with professional or personal ties to the southern United States. SDA welcomes and encourages the participation of individuals, and the study of demographic topics, from any region or country.
SDA holds an annual meeting each fall, usually in October. The SDA meeting provides a friendly venue for people to present academic and applied demographic research, to discuss and learn about population issues, and to meet others with common interests.


text:
World English
United Kingdom
United States Go to Usborne.com
Usborne Quicklinks
Quicklinks for internet-linked books
You can purchase or order books at local bookshops, or online booksellers that deliver to your area.If you have difficulty buying Usborne books where you live, please contact our International sales and marketing department.
Sound files
swamp lizard
sea lord
reaping lizard
three-horned face
wounding tooth
keel jaw
Qingdao lizard
familiar spirit
protuberance lizard
tyrant lizard
swift thief
wing from Zheijiang, China
Children, make sure you follow these three simple rules when using the internet:
For more tips, see Internet safety for children.
Adults - we recommend that children are supervised while on the internet. The content of a website may change at any time and Usborne Publishing is not responsible for content on sites other than its own.
For more on internet safety, see Internet advice for adults.
Websites with interactive content may not work on your tablet or smartphone, but you can view them on a computer. Find out more…
Big books
Big book of dinosaurs
From the mighty brachiosaurus to the fearsome tyrannosaurus, children will love discovering the biggest and most powerful dinosaurs that ever walked the Earth (and some of the smallest too). Open the huge fold-out pages to show some of the longest, heaviest and most terrifying dinosaurs with measurements and facts about when they lived.
Alex Frith has been a children's author for more than a decade, covering every topic on Earth, from prehistoric animals to robots with artificial intelligence, and everything under the Sun, from the origins of the Universe to the adventures of Thor, God of Thunder. At home he reads too many comics, and attempts to raise three children with an awful lot of help from his wife, and no help at all from his cat.
Brilliant, engaging, informative fun
I bought this for my 3 year old grandson because it seemed colourful and attractive with the information in bite sized chunks that would engage and reward. He loves it and could soon remember all about the different dinosaurs and say their names. The big pages that open out are a big hit.
Angela, 15th October 2018
Websites do occasionally experience problems. If a link isn't working we recommend leaving it a while and trying again. If the site is still down the following day please report the problem using our contact form. We will fix the problem as soon as possible, or find an alternative link.
If this is the first time you have used Usborne Quicklinks and you can't see ANY links, you may need to adjust your web browser settings. To find out how to do this, see Help & Advice.
The links in Usborne Quicklinks may vary slightly from those described in your book because when a website closes down, or we find a better site, we update the links in Quicklinks. (If we remove any of your favourite sites let us know!)
To view and print out files in .pdf format, you need the free Adobe Reader software. Download Adobe Reader.
Sound files should play on a computer, tablet or smartphone. If you have difficulty, make sure you have the most up-to-date version of your web browser, or on a desktop computer, download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player (see Technical help).
To hear midi files, you need a free program such as Windows Media Player, Real Player or Quicktime. Make sure your speakers are switched on! For more about these programs, see Technical help.
© Copyright 2020 Usborne Publishing. Web design & Development by Semantic


text:
We asked people why they go on retreat, here's what they said:
This sounds like a dream! I am an education student and I have spent way too much time working all summer to pay for school. My boyfriend of 5 years is a government firefighter and has been away working most of the summer. His 30th Birthday and our 6th anniversary is coming up this winter, we would love to celebrate with a yoga retreat! We both love yoga but have barley had time to practice in the past few months. Keeping our fingers crossed! Jaimee and Dan
We believe human beings are innately wise, strong and kind. This wisdom, although not always experienced, is always present. Going on retreat is a beautiful way to reconnect to our basic sanity and health. Our aspiration at Retreat Guru is to inspire people to experience authentic retreats and reconnect with their innate wisdom, strength and kindness.


text:
by Jazmin
Pinocchio Costume Photo 6 of 6
Rate this costume:
79 votes
|6 comments · add a comment
|Costume type:
|Costumes for Babies
This homemade costume for babies entered our 2011 Halloween Costume Contest.
A word from Loni, the 'Pinocchio' costume creator:
My 1yr old son loves pinocchio soo much its literally the only movie he will sit through so had to make the costume! I made the whole thing without a sewing machine.Hard work haha I... Read more »
Similar costumes:


text:
Danks brothers revel in historic showing
Jordan first player to hit homer in support of brother on mound since '55
CHICAGO -- John and Jordan Danks know the unique situation they are in, with the brothers both earning a living playing baseball for the White Sox.
If they ever forget, the duo often gets reminded by the media.
"We usually joke about it," said John with a smile of the family baseball connection. "He'll come up to me and ask if I've done anymore brother interviews or whatever."
Add another brother interview to that list following the White Sox 5-2 victory over the Rangers on Sunday.
The victory went to John Danks, who improved to 4-10 by allowing two runs on eight hits over six innings, while striking out five. The game-deciding shot was delivered by Jordan, coming in the form of a solo homer against Matt Garza with one out in the fourth.
This homer was historic beyond propelling the White Sox to their 14th win in their last 20 games and an 8-1 mark in their last nine. According to Elias, Jordan Danks became the first player to homer in support of his brother since June 3, 1955, when Billy Shantz homered in support of Bobby Shantz for the Kansas City Athletics.
Jordan didn't even start this contest. He had entered the game in right field during the top of the fourth, when Avisail Garcia crashed into the chain-link portion of the right-field fence while trying to chase down Jeff Baker's game-tying homer.
"I figured it had been a while probably," said Jordan of the brotherly home run support. "But I didn't know it had been 50-plus years."
"Obviously, we hope Avi's OK, and I went and apologized to him for letting them hit the ball that hard out there to him," John said. "It's a little extra special that it was Jordan."
As a whole, the Danks' family is an athletic one. Their father, John, played basketball for the University of Texas in the late 1970s. Their younger sister, Emily, had a highly successful volleyball career for Ohio State and might be the best athlete of the family.
"That's true," John said with a laugh when talking about his sister. "You can write that."
The elder of the Danks' brothers, John, is a 28-year-old left-handed hurler who has grown stronger with each start made this season in a return from season-ending arthroscopic shoulder surgery last August. The next in line, Jordan, seems to be finding his stroke at 27 and after parts of six Minor League seasons, to go with his expert outfield glove work.
They have played together since a very young age. Sunday marked their high point as teammates -- at least, for now.
"Our goal was to one day play together in the big leagues and here we are," Jordan said. "And I thought how cool it would be to hit a home run one day when he was pitching. Sure enough, it happened. It was very cool."
"It's something we don't take for granted," said John of playing for the White Sox with his brother. "We know how special it is that we get to play together and we're enjoying every moment of it."


text:
Visit Us
(518) 481-6269
Purchase a Polaris Sportsman Without Going to a Dealership
Times like these require innovation and adaptability—two things Polaris has always delivered to you. That's why we have created the Click. Deliver. Ride. program. Now you can select your ideal vehicle online, complete the purchase process from the comfort of home with your local dealer, and have the vehicle delivered to you. Delivery available for a limited time at participating dealers only and is subject to change.*
Discover the full line of off-road vehicles from Polaris. We have the tools to help you find the perfect vehicle and customize to make it your own.
Once you have chosen a vehicle, find a participating dealer by searching inventory and selecting "Only show dealers that offer home delivery." on the form. A dealer will contact you to discuss next steps for purchasing the vehicle and scheduling delivery.
Now you're ready to get outside. Ride Command by Polaris allows you to plan and track your favorite rides and share the best with other riders.


text:
I waited a LONG time for it.
See, in Australia you need a TESOL or CELTA to be certified to teach at a language school here. If I decided to give up teaching, this of course wouldn't be necessary.
I decided on CELTA as it has a bit more clout than a TESOL certificate. I first applied at an institute in Melbourne as it was slightly cheaper, but I never got contacted back. Instead I went for the course offered at UQ in Brisbane.
I was hoping to be accepted for the April intake of the course, but unfortunately I had to wait until the 25th of August to start the course.
The application form has some grammar tasks and evidence of your written work. If this is accepted, you are offered an interview to see if you are suitable to do the course. Basically at the interview you are told about the course, and they will drill the word, "INTENSIVE". Also you'll be asked if you have anything that might be problematic during the course. At first I thought this strange but as I started, the reason for this "weeding out" of applicants became all so clear once the course commenced.
Once accepted they expect you to do a pre-course task (with an answer key here) to acclimatise you to the content of the course. Although you won't need to hand it in, it does provide a bit of primer to what you will learn.
The course can be taken 4 weeks full-time, or 12 weeks part-time. In the first week I REALLY wish I did the part-time course.
There are 12 trainees split into two groups for two (real) student groups. In my case the students were Upper-Intermediate and Pre-Intermediate. First two weeks you teach one level, and the last two it switched.
I was at university from 10am-6pm. Every day there is input (sessions of information learning), lesson planning and feedback. I had 8 teaching practices, and 4 assignments to complete. Each lesson plan took approximately four hours to prepare every night, and after a teaching practice was done I was expected to write a reflection how I thought the lesson went, to be critiqued by my tutor and peers.
What everybody, including myself wanted to know is "How hard is the CELTA?"
The content itself is not particularly difficult, but every day there is new information being thrown at you, lessons to give, prepare and reflect on, and assignments, that it does feel like juggling. One trainee dropped out after the second day. $3000, no refund. It's demanding for sure.
After the first week I cried. I failed my second teaching practice. There was a lot of pressure. I felt that if I failed the course, I would be failing not only that, but my seven years of teaching in Japan.
My head was buzzing into the second week. My sleeping patterns were totally screwed, and I just wanted it all to be over.. quickly.
By the third week I found my groove. I was better organised. I passed all my assignments. Only one I had to resubmit because I had silly mistakes. It was resubmitted in half an hour.
The tutors you have, make a huge difference. My tutor for the first two weeks was quite abrupt and seemed to dwell more on the negatives. He answered questions with questions and generally made me feel like he was setting me up to fail.
In contrast, the second tutor was much more sympathetic and approachable. In my (short) hindsight, I can see how the first tutor pushed me to do better with "tough love", but at the time I was a complete mess.
There are a few people that find the rigours of the course particularly difficult - us "oldies", trainees that had been teaching for a number of years already, and the emotionally fragile. So, basically me, me and me. If you're even mildly suicidal, I suggest not doing this course (or at least part-time). I did feel there were times like I was going to be pushed over the edge. REALLY.
So how else can I prepare for the CELTA, I hear you ask?
While grammar IS important to be a teacher, it wasn't as critical as one might think. There was a pre-grammar course available, but I decided to cheap it out with the free 5 hour grammar primer on Cambridge English Teacher. DO IT.
For a great grammar textbook get, Practical English Usage (Swan). It's a fantastic reference. While you don't really need to buy anything else, I'd personally HIGHLY recommend Classroom Management Techniques (Scrivener). I have a STRONG feeling, my tutor referred to it quite a bit, and classroom management was a key area I needed improving (for example, Teacher Talk Time).
You really want a step ahead to doing well in the course?
Pre-learn about PPP and PDP frameworks. Also REALLY get your head around, MCQs/CCQs (meaning/concept check questions). These are simple yes/no questions to make sure your students understand what you taught them. They seem deceptively simple, but are very challenging to get perfect. If you get these key areas, you'll be a step ahead.
So, should I have done this course before going to Japan? I think it gave me some great ideas, and has made me an (even) better teacher. It would've saved me this waiting time. To teach in Asia, CELTA isn't necessary, for pretty much anywhere else it's a prerequisite.
Last piece of advice is, make friends with your peers! I started a Facebook group, so we could all support each other. I initially felt isolated so it really helped.
I think that is all I can think of to say. If anyone has any questions or whatever, leave a comment :)
Friday, 19 September 2014
The Pain of CELTA
I waited a LONG time for it.
Posted by Jimmy In Japan at 7:22 pm 5 comments


text:
Page 1
|Save page Remove page
|1 of 365
small (250x250 max)
medium (500x500 max)
Large (1000x1000 max)
Extra Large
large ( > 500x500)
Full Resolution
All (PDF)
This page
REMEMBRANCE AND REFORM: A MULTI-GENERATIONAL SAGA OF A EURO-AMERICAN-INDIAN FAMILY, 1739-1924 by Karin L. Huebner A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (HISTORY) December 2009 Copyright 2009 Karin L. Huebner
Object Description
|Remembrance and reform: a multi-generational saga of a Euro-American-Indian family, 1739-1924
|Huebner, Karin L.
|Author email
|firstname.lastname@example.com; firstname.lastname@example.com
|Doctor of Philosophy
|Document type
|Degree program
|College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
|Date defended/completed
|Date submitted
|Restricted until
|Date published
|Advisor (committee chair)
Banner, Lois W.
Mancall, Peter C.
|Advisor (committee member)
Deverell, William F.
Weibel-Orlando, Joan
|"Remembrance and Reform: A Multi-Generational Saga of a Euro-American-Indian Family, 1739-1924" presents an historical narrative of Indian/white relations through the histories of the Huebner and Gibson families. The primary sources, which have been inaccessible to other historians, reveal an extensive and intimate family history that spans two centuries of American history. Their story integrates multiple histories of the American West chronologically and spatially, and it complicates the traditional narratives of conquest and dispossession. Thisdissertation shows how one group of Euro-Americans and Indians came together to form families and communities in order to survive the difficulties that surrounded them. These associations were not free of conflicts. This study examines how later generations remembered their ancestral histories, which inspired some of them to work in Indian reform movements during the 1920s.; Through an examination of individuals from the Huebner family, this study traces the complicated history of the Moravians' evangelization of North American Indians, which was both egalitarian (in comparison to other European missionaries) and ethnocentric. The Moravian church's most successful effort at forming interracial Christian communities with Euro-Americans and Indians ended tragically with the massacre of ninety-six Indian converts at Gnadenhutten, Ohio in 1782. In 1800, the Moravians made a final attempt at interracial co-existence in theborderland regions of Ohio, but this too ended when internal tensions in the Indian mission community and external pressures from the new and expanding nation prompted the permanent removal of the Moravian Indians to Oklahoma territory in 1823.; As a racially integrated Scots-Irish/ Indian family in the trans-Appalachian west in 1800, the Gibsons' experience stands in contrast to the traditional historical narrative of the westward expansion of Anglo-Americans onto Indian lands. The matriarch of the family, Nancy Larison Gibson, was herself a Native American. She was a prominent midwife and healer in her community in Ohio (1807-1870), and her presence in the midst of a Scots-Irish family forces a reconsideration of an older historical narrative based on Euro-American advance and indigenous retreat.; The massacre at Gnadenhutten in 1782 challenged the Moravians' calling to evangelize the Indians and brought their identity as a church and a people of God into question. This study largely turns on the events of that day and analyzes how, over the course of the nineteenth century, the leadership of the Moravian church at Bethlehem and the congregants at the local level sought to understand the meaning of the massacre at Gnadenhutten through commemoration, memorials, and pageant-plays. This dissertation explores the relationship between the collective memory of the village of Gnadenhutten and the private memory of the Huebner family. It examines how the community's commemorations of both its indigenous heritage and the massacre shaped its residents' understanding of indigenous history and theMoravians' specific actions in the past.; The marriage of Francis Huebner and Anna Gibson Alloway in 1898 brought together two family heritages of Euro-American-Indian intersection. "Remembrance and Reform" concludes with an examination of the Indian reform-mindedness of Francis and Anna, whose shared commitment to better the lives of Native Americans inspired them to work for land rights and religious freedom on the behalf of Indians.; Historians of Indian reform have generally focused their attention on two late-nineteenth century ideological strains, assimilation and primitivism. Both reform strains imposed white reformers' ideas of what they thought was best for Indian peoples, which in the end limited Native Americans' agency and self-determination. Anna and Francis's ideas about white/Indian relations represented a third ideological strain of white Indian reformers who advocated both assimilation and the preservation of Indian culture. My study argues that this strain of reformafforded Native Americans a higher degree of agency. By the 1920s, it gained national currency through the reform work of an unexpected alliance between California clubwomen, like Anna Huebner, Indian reformer John Collier, and the Pueblos of the Southwest. Their efforts culminated in the transformative 1934 Indian Reorganization Act, which reversed the 1887 Dawes Act and strove to ensure tribal sovereignty and self-determination.
|British North America 18th century; Euro-American and Indian intersection; Moravian Indian missions; Trans-Appalachian western history; Gnadenhutten massacre; 19th century commemoration history; 19th and early 20th century Indian reform; Pueblo Indians; California clubwomen
|Geographic subject (country)
|Coverage date
|Part of collection
|University of Southern California dissertations and theses
|Publisher (of the original version)
|University of Southern California
|Place of publication (of the original version)
|Los Angeles, California
|Publisher (of the digital version)
|University of Southern California. Libraries
|Electronically uploaded by the author
|Legacy record ID
|Contributing entity
|University of Southern California
|Huebner, Karin L.
|Repository name
|Libraries, University of Southern California
|Repository address
|Los Angeles, California
|Repository email
|Archival file
|Page 1
|Contributing entity
|University of Southern California
|Repository email
|Full text
|REMEMBRANCE AND REFORM: A MULTI-GENERATIONAL SAGA OF A EURO-AMERICAN-INDIAN FAMILY, 1739-1924 by Karin L. Huebner A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (HISTORY) December 2009 Copyright 2009 Karin L. Huebner


text:
The University of Florida led all state universities in the number of reported sexual assaults for 2010, 2011 and 2012, based on data universities and colleges in the U.S.
The University of Florida led all state universities in Florida in the number of reported sexual assaults for 2010, 2011 and 2012, based on data universities and colleges in the U.S. must report each year to the Department of Education.
UF reported 24 incidents of forced sex for that three-year period, compared with 21 reported by the University of Central Florida and 17 by the University of South Florida's main campus for the same period.
UF also reported more than any private university or college in Florida. Eckerd College in St. Petersburg led the private schools with 15, followed by Rollins College in Winter Park with 10 and the University of Miami with nine. Victim advocates, counselors, police and other officials whose job it is to look after the safety and well-being of students, faculty, staff and visitors on campus said those numbers show that UF is doing its job to make victims of sexual violence aware of their options and the resources available to them.
They said the numbers also show that UF is more vigilant about reporting and investigating incidents of sexual assaults.
"We have done a lot of education around it. That's why our numbers are increasing," said Jen Day Shaw, UF dean of students.
Nationwide issue
Campus sexual assault is a nationwide epidemic that has drawn the attention of the White House and Congress. There is a growing consensus and body of research that universities and colleges are failing to protect students.
Critics contend there are far more campus rapes than are being reported and that universities and colleges are not investigating all of the cases being reported to them — meaning assailants are getting away with it.
A report released by the White House alleged that one in five women are sexually assaulted during their time in college, based on data kept by the Department of Justice.
Only 5 percent are reporting those assaults, according to a report released Wednesday by Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.
The "Sexual Violence on Campus" report also said that only 16 percent of college campuses conduct climate surveys on sexual assault, which experts have said is one of the best ways to get an accurate picture of what's happening on campus.
UF conducted campus climate surveys in 2008, 2010 and last spring. Shaw said the university is going to make it an annual survey.
In last year's survey, 4 percent of the 2,200 students who responded said they were sexually touched against their will, while 2.1 percent said someone attempted to force them to have sex against their will, and 1.1 percent said they were raped.
Those numbers were higher for women than men — 4.9 percent compared with 2.3 reported being touched against their will; 3.2 percent compared with 0.3 percent reported attempted sexual assault; and 1.2 percent compared with 0.3 percent reported rape.
The McCaskill survey also found that many schools don't encourage reporting of sexual assaults, 51 percent don't have hot lines, and 56 percent don't have a way to report assaults online. Eight percent still don't allow confidential reporting.
UF provides confidential reporting online, has a hot line for reporting assaults and lots of information available to students. It conducts educational seminars for incoming students and training throughout the year and at the request of student organizations, as well as staff training.
Students also have several options for help, including the UF Police Department, Victim Services, Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution, the Counseling and Wellness Center, and the STRIVE peer advocacy program.
"The Counseling and Wellness Center serves lots and lots of sexual assault victims; probably a lot more students here have experienced it here or in their life," Shaw said.
Reporting requirements
The Clery Act — also known as the Campus Security Act of 1990 — requires all colleges and universities that receive federal financial aid to file an annual report of all crimes committed on or adjacent to campus for a three-year period.
The number of sexual assaults reported on college campuses nationally rose more than 50 percent from 2001 to 2011 — from 2,200 to 3,300. That number rose another 18 percent to 3,900 in 2012.
UF's numbers also show an upward trend during those three years — from three in 2010 to nine in 2011 to 12 in 2012. UPD's crime log also shows 16 incidents of sexual violence reported in 2013.
"Numbers increasing is going to be a positive sign of a campus with good practices in place where people feel comfortable coming forward, as opposed to feeling unsafe," said Chris Loschiavo, assistant dean of students and director of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution at UF.
That spike in reporting occurred around the same time the Office of Civil Rights sent out a "Dear Colleague" letter in 2011 to colleges and universities saying underreporting might be an issue and recommended ways to improve reporting, Loschiavo said.
After receiving the "Dear Colleague" letter, UF put more of an emphasis on sexual misconduct in the material covered during orientation, he said.
"The thing we know — those are still low numbers, if you believe the one-in-five national statistic that is shared pretty freely," Loschiavo said.
Not reporting accurate numbers or mishandling sexual assault complaints can have consequences — with millions of dollars in federal student aid at risk for universities and colleges found in violation of the Clery Act or Title IX, the federal gender equity law.
Sixty-seven universities and colleges, including Florida State University, are under investigation by the Office of Civil Rights for possible violations of federal laws dealing with the reporting and investigation of campus sexual assault complaints.
UF is not under investigation for Title IX complaints or Clery Act violations, nor has it been investigated for either in the past decade, UF officials said.
Loschiavo, who has met with McCaskill and other lawmakers in Washington, D.C., to provide input on this crisis, said he gets the sense UF is doing many or most of what the government wants. "That doesn't make us immune from a lawsuit or complaint," he said.
Investigative vigilance
UF appears to be more vigilant in reporting and investigating sex crimes on campus than many other institutions across the nation, too.
The McCaskill survey showed that 40 percent of 440 universities and colleges had not conducted a single sexual assault investigation in the past five years — and 20 percent of the nation's largest private institutions conducted fewer investigations than the number of incidents they reported. UF reported that it conducted more than 10 investigations in the past five years.
Not all cases wind up in the Clery report, Loschiavo said.
"Someone could report something as a sex offense that doesn't qualify as a rape," Loschiavo said. "The initial report could say here's what we've got, officials could decide it was not a sex offense, versus the security report that lists all forcible/nonforcible sex offenses."
From 2010 to 2013, UPD posted 53 reports of sex crimes on its Crime Log, the majority of which were sexual assaults and sexual batteries. Sixteen of the incidents were received by a campus security authority, such as a dean or coach or victim advocate, and were not investigated by police.
Nine that were investigated were proven to be unfounded, which would not be reported under the Clery Act, said Maj. Brad Barber, the UPD communications officer and person responsible for compiling the data that go into the annual Clery report.
Another nine were sex offenses that also are not reported — indecent exposure, lewd and lascivious behavior and video voyeurism, Barber said.
Another seven were nonreporting sexual batteries, which also are not reported, he said. In most cases, those incidents involved a student reporting to the infirmary or UF Health Shands Hospital and having rape evidence collected and locked up without any further action taken.
"You can have a rape kit done without having to go and file a police report because the victims may just not be ready," said Jennifer Vaida, a victim advocate with UPD. "The evidence is collected and keeps the options open."
In four cases, the victim refused to participate.
University officials do what they can to encourage victims to "report the crime and allow us the opportunity to investigate," Barber said. "Our priority is to support the victim and his or her wishes, to pursue criminal charges when we can."
Sexual assault investigations tend to be complex and detailed, involving collection of evidence and witness testimony, Barber said. Those investigations can take several months and often lead to no charges being filed. They can be difficult for the victim, who has to relive the experience over and over again as police investigate and question witnesses.
And the outcomes can be discouraging. Out of the 24 cases reported under the Clery Act, only five resulted in sworn complaints filed, with only one arrest made.
Often, students get cold feet and decide to withdraw their complaint or drop the charges after they've reached the State Attorney's Office. Of four cases that went to the State Attorney's Office, two were dismissed because the victims didn't want to pursue things further.
They can also be discouraged by the low rate of conviction in rape cases. Only two convictions resulted from UPD investigations between 2010 and 2012. And only one UPD case was criminally prosecuted from 2006 to 2010.
"The cornerstone of our office is to explore those options with survivors, that they have noncriminal and criminal reporting options," Vaida said.
Several factors influence a victim's decision to proceed with a criminal investigation, from societal perception, how victims are treated when reporting or talking about sexual assault, and a lack of understanding of what happened to them, Vaida said.
"We spend a lot of time talking about the nature of college dating and sexual violence, what consent is and what it looks like," she said. "Sexual assault is underreported, I believe very strongly, because of the environment and the dynamics of the college campus itself."
They also discuss the dangers of binge-drinking and the involvement of alcohol in rape cases, that it keeps the victim from reporting out of shame or fear of reprisal from the school, especially if they are underage. The university has no interest in disciplining students who were drinking if they also are reporting a sexual assault, she said.
Student court
One option for students who believe they were victims of sexual assault is to ask that the case be handled internally, through the student disciplinary court. At least two cases that began with a UPD investigation from 2010 to 2012 were referred to Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution for a disciplinary hearing.
"Providing those options to a survivor and allowing that survivor to make the decision as to the best course of action for them is instrumental in the healing journey," Vaida said. "The basic bottom line is someone has disempowered you and taken your choices away."
Vaida's job as an advocate is to provide survivors with choices and support them through the process of determining which choices are best for them.
Student court also has a lower bar for holding the accused responsible, and provides more support for the victims. For instance, victims have been given the right to appeal, something that had not been spelled out before, even though the conduct code stated that the accused had the right to appeal.
Students also have the right to review the disciplinary case files, Loschiavo said.
UF tries to encourage students who believe they were assaulted to talk to a counselor or victim advocate, even if they don't pursue disciplinary action, Loschiavo said.
"It's better to know of an assault rather than forcing people to share details against their will," Loschiavo said.
If the victim doesn't want to participate, and maintain anonymity, Loschiavo said, "there is little conduct action we can take."
Sometimes the best he can do is investigate if a hostile environment exists and make different residential accommodations or change classrooms.
If a student decides to pursue disciplinary action, the case goes before the Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution board for a hearing. Witnesses are called, and evidence is examined to determine the chances the accused is responsible.
Loschiavo wouldn't give specific numbers but says he handles about 12 sexual misconduct investigations a year. From 2010 to 2013, the accused was found responsible in 68 percent of the sexual assault cases heard, and 76 percent of those found responsible were either expelled or suspended, Loschiavo said.
Some politicians have recommended making a mandatory reporting requirement. Loschiavo said that would be a bad idea.
If a student is attacked, he or she is likely to tell a roommate or friend before anyone else. That friend might be able to get the victim to talk to a residential assistant or a counselor and get the help needed, Loschiavo said.
"If you create a mandatory report to law enforcement and that is not what the victim wants, it may have the unintended consequence of silencing victims and not coming forward at all," he said.
Sometimes, victims don't want to go through a trial or conduct hearing because they feel they will get blamed. "With months of support and counseling, they may actually change their minds," he said.
Students don't report their attacks for many reasons, said Jennifer Stuart, director of STRIVE (Sexual Trauma/Interpersonal Violence Education) at UF. Those include knowing the perpetrator, or that person being in overlapping friendship groups, shame or being unclear what happened.
"A lot of times it's not about the school. It's the social repercussions. An acquaintance, someone who knows their friends, goes to class with them," Stuart said. "Things like that deter reporting, in this sort of environment."
Even if students don't choose criminal or disciplinary action, counselors still want to encourage them to talk to someone. Stuart said the best thing she can do is be a confidential advocate in those cases.
"Our confidential resources give them a safe place to process what happened to them and figure out how to stay safe," she said. "There is a good process in place here at the university. It is something we do well here and always are examining and looking at ways to improve it."


text:
Main Navigation
President Barack Obama
Click the Image Below to Visit the Advertiser
Content copyright
This Site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Government.
This site also is not endorsed by or affiliated with the president.
This Web page was created independently by an Obama supporter
Who wants people to earn huge incomes without having to work.


text:
Cranford Sunday Roller Skating Club for returning students
Starting Sunday 30 September 12 to 1pm. Pre-booking essential
This service or activity may not be running as normal due to COVID 19. Please contact them directly to find out more. It is also an opportunity for returning students, to get any extra support needed to get through grading, and working with our coaches, to…
0208 838 1171


text:
Published in December 1994 as half of a two-map set, this map of the Prairie Provinces is part of the "Making of Canada" series. With a collection of maps detailing periods of the province's exploration and settlement, this work provides a wonderful historical overview as well as an informative look at present-day Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
Coverage Area: Alberta, Saskatchewa, Manitoba


text: GTU at 50 From the President June 2012 Dear Friends, In September of 1962, visionaries from differing Christian traditions came together to form the Graduate Theological Union in order that they might accomplish more together than separately. When I did my doctoral work in ethics at the GTU in the early '80s, and in my teaching years after that, we leaned on the perspectives of thinkers who had gone before. Certainly ethicists have always asked the normative questions about what is right and good. That hasn't changed. But our scholarly analysis in the Christian tradition then was primarily drawn... 50th anniversaryGTU history


text:
10% Off on our two new, nicest fabrics, Panama & Velvet tablecloths and table runners. Coupon code PANAMA&VELVET10%OFF valid through October 31st
Select Category
Double click on above image to view full picture
4 Review(s)
Add Your Review
Availability: In stock.
Regular Price:
Special Price:
* Required Fields
By popular demand, table toppers with elastic. Unlike what is on the market, our tablecloths with elastic are real linen, 100% Premier Poly Poplin, not plastic or vinyl. The elastic tablecloth goes on the table and is secured under the lip of the table with extra strength elastic sewn into the linen. A beauty of this product is the most wrinkles stretch right out. Elasticized table covers in the Poly Premier fabric are available in 74 colors. The linen is commercial grade, soil release fabric and durable. This fabric also passes the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) 701 test for flame retardancy.
Click on any color to view close up, then scroll through all the colors using arrows.


text:
This saddlebag is a zip-off bag with a heavy duty Velcro cover and lock. It has a universal fitting, a hard sheet Inside the box with 4 pockets, and heavy duty quick release tabs. The set is 100% waterproof, has tie-down ribbons on each side, and is UV protected so will not turn white in extreme heat. The bag holds its shape and has a heat protection layer on the bottom of the bag. Artificial leather. Braid trim. 12" x 6" x 9.5"
Protected by PCMatic


text:
Live Chat
Contact us
Sign in to MyChart
Horseshoe kidney occurs in about 1 in 500 children. It occurs during fetal development as the kidneys move into their normal position in the flank area (area around the side, just above the waist). With horseshoe kidney, however, as the kidneys of the fetus rise from the pelvic area, they fuse together at the lower end or base. By fusing, they form a "U" shape, which gives it the name "horseshoe."
One-third of people with horseshoe kidney will have at least one other problem or complication involving the cardiovascular system, the central nervous system, or the genitourinary system, such as the following:
Kidney stones. This is a condition in which crystals and proteins that form stones in the kidney that may lead to a urinary tract obstruction.
Hydronephrosis. This is enlargement of the kidneys. It usually results from a urinary tract obstruction.
Wilms tumor. This embryonic tumor of the kidneys usually occurs during early childhood.
Kidney cancer, or polycystic kidney disease
Hydrocephaly and/or spina bifida
Various cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, or skeletal problems
Horseshoe kidney can occur alone or in combination with other disorders.
About one-third of children will have no symptoms. One-third of children with horseshoe kidney will have another problem complication involving the cardiovascular, nervous, or genitourinary system. The symptoms of horseshoe kidney may look like other conditions or medical problems. Always check with your child's doctor for a diagnosis.
A child with no symptoms may not need diagnosis or treatment. If your child is having complications, your child's doctor may order one or more of the following tests:
Kidney ultrasound. A diagnostic imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves and a computer to create images of blood vessels, tissues, and organs. Ultrasounds are used to view internal organs as they function, and to check blood flow through various vessels.
Voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG). A specific X-ray that examines the urinary tract. A catheter (hollow tube) is placed in the urethra (tube that drains urine from the bladder to the outside of the body), and the bladder is filled with a liquid dye. X-ray images will be taken as the bladder fills and empties. The images will show if there is any reverse flow of urine into the ureters and kidneys.
Intravenous pyelogram (IVP). A test that uses an X-ray to view the structures of the urinary tract. An intravenous contrast of dye is given so that the structures can be seen on film. An IVP also reveals the rate and path of urine flow through the urinary tract.
Blood tests. These checks how well the kidneys may be functioning.
Urine tests. These tests include a culture.
A child without symptoms may not need any treatment. If your child has complications, his or her symptoms will be treated, but there is no cure for the condition.
Your child's health care provider will figure out the best treatment based on:
How old your child is
His or her overall health and medical history
How sick he or she is
How well your child can handle specific medications, procedures, or therapies
How long the condition is expected to last
Your opinion or preference
Your child may be referred to a urologist (an expert in disorders and care of the urinary tract and the male genital tract) and/or a nephrologist (an expert in disorders or diseases of the kidney) for evaluation.
Vidant Health can connect you to health care professionals to help you understand your condition and guide you through the treatment process. Let's chat.


text:
Letters to the editor, Jan. 28, 2013
We don't need any new gun laws
I am a retired school principal, husband, father and grandfather. Having fought in heavy combat in Italy, France and Germany during World War II, my division witnessed the aftermath of the Nazi concentration camps and more.
I saw first hand what gradual erosion via gun control of what we in the United States know as our Second Amendment rights can do to an economy, a people and a nation.
What I witnessed was horrific devastation beyond belief. Well beyond anything you've seen in the most violent video games or movies. It all began with small seemingly helpful actions like gun magazine size restriction or gun registration and ended with gun confiscation and as a result for millions, death.
In Germany, it happened fast. In 1935, Adolf Hitler said, "This year will go down in history. For the first time, a civilized nation has full gun registration. Our streets will be safer, our police more efficient and the world will follow our lead in the future." Although some anti-gun proponents have attempted to debunk this quotation, full gun registration followed by confiscation and full tyranny is, in fact, what happened. Within a few years, many millions were interred or executed in concentration camps. Jews, Clergy, intellectuals... anyone who opposed the philosophies of that political machine.
Make no mistake. This has happened in many countries since and it can happen here.
Our Second Amendment is intended both for personal protection and for protection against tyranny by government. In this current age of the internet and smart phones and the speed of change that has resulted, I believe that the death and destruction wrought in Germany and throughout much of the world during WW II could happen much more quickly here in our beloved America if Second Amendment rights are eroded.
This is our country. Government works for us, yet we as individual citizens have a part to play that government can not do. On an individual basis, I call upon each of you who earn a living and pay taxes to identify one "at risk" young person to guide and mentor. They need your help. Many of those who turn to violence and other illegal activity are failing to thrive both in self support financially and in service to community. They have lost their way or have never been shown. Ignorance and fear blind them to the tremendous and enduring satisfactions of paying one's own way and being of help to others. Our society promotes an insatiable demand for instant gratification and constant entertainment. We must reverse this trend of materialistic consumerism and build a culture of serviceful producerism.
Legislatively, we need no new gun laws. Criminals wouldn't abide by them anyway. Learn the facts and act accordingly. For example, FBI statistics show that as gun ownership by law abiding citizens has increased, violent crime of all kinds has decreased on a steady trend and is now at an all time low. Instead, let's put our energies into more treatment and support for the mentally ill and reduce the exposure of our young people to violence in all media, especially video games.
-- Joseph J. Roman, Torrington
'Overwhelmingly approved' an overstatement
For Ryan Bingham to claim a vote in which fewer than half the municipal leaders belonging to the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities participated was "overwhelmingly approved" is disingenuous and misleading to say the least. [Bipartisan support shown for CCM's gun control proposals, 16 January]
According to your newspaper, 80 municipal CEOs attended the meeting. Figures not reported in your newspaper, however, reveal that only 70 of those attending, out of a total membership of 151 municipal CEOs, actually voted. And even among those 70 the vote wasn't unanimous. Thus, regardless of the plurality, 70 out of a possible 151 voters simply cannot give overwhelming approval to anything.
Ryan Bingham, Torrington's ambitious young mayor, is the current president of the CCM. The vote in question was on still more clearly unnecessary, intentionally burdensome, predictably ineffective conditions and restrictions on gun ownership and shooters' rights. And it was indeed carried--if only by a majority of the minority.
That more than half CCM's members--81 out of 151 largely rural, small-town first selectmen--failed to vote leads one to believe the non-voters simply didn't have the courage to put their and their constituents' pro-Second Amendment convictions on the line in the face of strong, well-publicized post-Newtown anti-gun hysteria and self-serving urban mayors like New Haven's John DeStefano and Bridgeport's Bill Finch, knee-jerk anti-gun opportunists pandering to knee-jerk anti-gun opportunists. Surely Torrington's Ryan Bingham doesn't want to join that contemptible coterie.
Come to think of it, what was the vote of the 70 dutiful CCM members? Who voted and which way? And why weren't the dissenting municipal leaders allowed to present their side of the issue?
-- Paul Mordecai Rosenberg, Litchfield