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105. Re: FIGHT BACK! Competing with REALTORS on Homeaway & VRBO!anja Mar 7, 2012 11:18 PM (in response to connie.anderson)
I had a listing on Villa4Vacation for 3 years. They sent me very few inquiries....and zero bookings. I foolishly kept renewing to "give it another try". That's my experience with it.
106. Re: FIGHT BACK! Competing with REALTORS on Homeaway & VRBO!marym Mar 8, 2012 5:59 AM (in response to anja)
I'm with you anja. Had considered different sites, but despite all my "differences of opinion" with HA/VRBO, I get 95% of my business through VRBO. I've nearly booked my entire spring and summer, and am now getting my fall vacation inquiries. I will be renewing when my expiration hits. I've tried rentalspot.com; scenicrentals.com and flipkey because these sites had free trial periods or free/almost free annual charges. I've received ZERO inquiries. I think it depends on VR location, your targeted group, etc. "Free" advertising rates mean nothing if you don't get any business from the site!!
107. Re: FIGHT BACK! Competing with REALTORS on Homeaway & VRBO!jane300 Mar 8, 2012 10:02 AM (in response to marym)
If you are already booked through the summer, and now booking fall (as am I, as well as having the holidays booked) why is there an issue for you? The point is to get your property filled. I really don't see the competition as an issue.
I am also thinking that the auto responses we are seeing are a genuine mistake. Not anything to get upset about.
108. Re: FIGHT BACK! Competing with REALTORS on Homeaway & VRBO!marym Mar 8, 2012 3:15 PM (in response to jane300)
???....jane300, not sure of your point - it isn't an "issue" for me. I was merely making a follow up remark to anja's commentary of villa4vacation giving her no rentals. All I stated was that I had tried other websites that hadn't worked for me. Re: kaycasa, I'm not "upset". That probably sounded harsher than it was meant - For some reason, my mail is full of automated responses all the same thing, however I've taken care of that by removing e-mail notification.
109. Re: FIGHT BACK! Competing with REALTORS on Homeaway & VRBO!craiglist Apr 9, 2012 3:42 PM (in response to mle642)
I am an owner and I do not mind competition from a property mamager or realtor. I had a property manager previously. I found out that the property manager had one ad for approx 50 owners. All the inquiries went through the property manager's home first, than to the other owners. What a sweet deal for the property manager/owner. One ad for 50 rentals. But when times are good, the property manager had a great staff. Next thing you know, the office personnel start to drop off. What happened? The one ad does not draw enough interest for 50 other homes. Not enough rentals were coming in, my rental was getting no business. I left the property manager. Other owners appear to have left,too. This is where they lose and the owners are the ones cheated. BUT just think if the property manager had 50 ads for 50 homes?Homeaway and VRBO can get you alot of inquiries. But if guests see that it is one listing for 50, alot of them get turned off. Travelers tell me that they hate seeing a home for rent and then are switched to another. Every owner needs to demand a homeaway or vrbo listing for their property managed home. It is not saving a realtor or property manager money by having one ad. You make the ad money back in one week anyway. So if the realtors and property managers have only one or two ads for all their properties, just watch as they will not succeed. This opinion is for homeowners. Some multi rent condos and villas can do this and make it work because all the units look the same or their is one manager for the whole building.
110. Re: FIGHT BACK! Competing with REALTORS on Homeaway & VRBO!unclebob Apr 11, 2012 7:20 PM (in response to craiglist)
That's interesting - This is exactly what we found when we went looking into property managers. One manager informed us that "your cabin may not be the one that is featured in the listing"(not our pictures, etc), which made use feel uncomfortable, as I felt as though there was a bit of a "pyramid scheme" going on. There was no way to monitor who would be next in the "feeding line". Needless to say, we didn't go with them and decided to brave this ourselves. Only time will tell.
111. Re: FIGHT BACK! Competing with REALTORS on Homeaway & VRBO!jane300 Apr 12, 2012 4:01 AM (in response to unclebob)
Just to come in on the side of Honest and Integrity driven property managers...I have less than 5 units that I manage for one owner. The owner pays the VRBO fees on each unit. I manage the listing, set the rates, collect the $ (which goes directly into the owners account), make sure the guests are happy and ensure that the units are kept cleaned and well maintained. I also keep up with what the competition is charging and work up a quarterly P&L statement for the owner. My fee is considered modest for this area, I keep a 75% plus occupancy rate and my units are very well maintained. I work for the owner, and am happy to have just one owner, but am not averse to growing my business. However...I am not the property owners lackey, and I only work with owners that I feel I can form a good partnership with. There are a lot of horror stories in the business...on both sides. Not every property manager is bad.
112. Re: FIGHT BACK! Competing with REALTORS on Homeaway & VRBO!msdebj Apr 12, 2012 3:45 PM (in response to unclebob)
You'll be fine-- and yes, you can do this on your own! ( and think of the money you'll save!)
Best of luck!
Deb J
113. Re: FIGHT BACK! Competing with REALTORS on Homeaway & VRBO!kaycasa Apr 12, 2012 7:54 PM (in response to jane300)
The situation I'm dealing with is VRBO is allowing my complex rental pool agency, which is basically a hotel, have one ad for approximately 120-140 units that they managed. Anyone can reply to their one ad and have available any one of their units. I have complained to VRBO and been acknowledged of their (the complex) wrongfully placing the ad.
The complex has changed their wording slightly, but they still have three types of properties - oceanfront, oceanview and beach front listed. Plus pictures of their front office and staff. All for the same price that I paid for my one unit. They have not removed the ad as they should.
I have noticed, since that ad, that most of my iquiries now come from HomeAway vs VRBO. Before that ad it was the other way around.
You can check it out for Casa del Mar, Galveston Texas and see if you can locate the bogus ad. It's ridiculous. I will not renew with VRBO.
VRBO has totally not abided by there own rules.
114. Re: FIGHT BACK! Competing with REALTORS on Homeaway & VRBO!lrbaldwin Apr 13, 2012 6:59 AM (in response to kaycasa)
Is there some reason you can't give us the listing number? Searching through the listings is fairly time consuming.
115. Re: FIGHT BACK! Competing with REALTORS on Homeaway & VRBO!kaycasa Apr 13, 2012 9:01 AM (in response to lrbaldwin)
116. Re: FIGHT BACK! Competing with REALTORS on Homeaway & VRBO!msdebj Apr 13, 2012 12:47 PM (in response to kaycasa)
Kay, I too have a Galveston island rental home ( #295832), and I really suggest you check out Flipkey. I've been getting the majority of my "closings" of rental from them.
Yes, I think you're referring to the property mangement company that begins's with "Ry__".
They do seem to have a lot of things locked up, when it comes to advertising on the Island. (for a long time they were the Only company advertising on Galveston.com's website, but that's recently changed). I really hate the bait & switch that happens, and am always looking for ways to make it stop.
Maybe try making it clear in your ad that your place is owned and operated by YOU, and you alone. Maybe that would help.
117. Re: FIGHT BACK! Competing with REALTORS on Homeaway & VRBO!tpowell Nov 10, 2012 12:25 PM (in response to mle642)
I can see how this can be a potential problem to us all. However, in reality it is our responsibility as property owners to ensure our property is rented. I have been in sales for 15+ years and if there is one thing I learned is I can't blame anyone else if I don't achieve my sales goals. The same thing applies to our properties. If we don't achieve our yearly rental income goals we can't blame anyone else. We need to understand Homeaway purchased all the top vacation rental websites in the industry to help them with revenue when they decided to become a public company. They are now governed by revenue so you can see why they are probably soliciting realtors and property owners now. I just think it is important we don't limit our listings to only VRBO when there are other websites out there like http://www.FVRA.com, cyberrentals, Airbnb and others we can use. The more we can get our properties to be seen on Google the better chance we will have to rent it. Let's remember, our property revenues are only as good as our efforts we put into renting them.
118. Re: FIGHT BACK! Competing with REALTORS on Homeaway & VRBO!snowlow Nov 12, 2012 1:38 PM (in response to tpowell)
exactly, i couldnt agree more. there are a lot of new sites that are going mainstream where a homeowner should be listed that don't cost a dime to find new leads. homeowners that self manage should take a page out of property management companies play book and be listed on multiple sites. Pro managers use wholesalers to increase revenue and bookings and homeonwers should do the same thing. Don't complain about one site not bringing traffic and increase your chances of bookings. You can use sites like airbnb, roomorama, or mountaintravelcompany.


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Emma Roberts: I Love The Show 'Girls'!
Emma Roberts heads back to her car in flip-flops after getting a manicure and pedicure at a nail salon on Monday (February 4) in Beverly Hills, Calif.
The 21-year-old actress got her nails painted a pretty shade of red and was spotted feeding the meter beforehand.
"Freaking loves #GIRLS tonight. Wow," she recently tweeted.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Emma Roberts
Last month, Emma went shopping with her boyfriend actor Evan Peters at The Grove in Los Angeles.
10+ pictures inside of Emma Roberts outside of the nail salon….
Posted to: Emma Roberts

subset: commoncrawl


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PERRY COUNTY – The ladies Lenten prayer coffees will host its final gathering from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday.
The ladies will gather at Cannelton United Methodist Church, which is co-hosting the final breakfast with First Baptist Church, Cannelton.
The session will include light breakfast, coffee and a program.
All women and girls are encouraged to attend. An offering will be taken at each session.
Those present at Saturday's breakfast will decide which organization gets the proceeds from the breakfasts.
If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the Perry County News, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.
Click the question mark below to see where your account ID appears on your mailing label.
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Writers often ask if it's wise or helpful to self-publish their work if they have "near-misses" with agents or publishers.
There's no one answer that works for everyone. But I'll try to help you come to the right conclusion.
YES: Go ahead and try self-publishing a book
- You know how to reach your readers (online or offline). Expressed another way: You have a platform that makes you visible to your intended audience.
- You already have credibility with readers in your genre/category.
- You have a marketing and promotion plan, with achievable goals. (Read more from JA Konrath on achievable goals.)
- You're comfortable being online and have already experimented with online marketing and promotion; you have an online identity and have participated in online communities.
- You have a current website and can update it yourself.
- You have an entrepreneurial spirit.
- You're in it for the long haul.
NO: Do not self-publish
- You don't know how to find or reach your readers (online or offline).
- You need physical bookstore distribution to be satisfied that you're successful (or that you're reaching your readers).
- You don't yet have your own website.
- You don't have a marketing and promotion strategy, but hope that someone will notice you.
- You don't like spending time online and/or dislike social media.
- It's your first manuscript and you don't want to see all that work go to waste. If that's the case, wait until you've written book #2 or #3 or #4 before you decide to release that first one. It'll still be there, trust me.
- You're looking for quick success and an agent.
No. 1 myth to be aware of: Self-publishing does NOT kill your chances at a traditional deal later. BUT: Do not spend any significant money on self-publishing—whether print or digital—until you're certain of two things:
- You're sure of your reach to your audience and your ability to market to them.
- You're confident of the editorial quality of your work.


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Marks USA's 175 BIO Biometric Fingerprint Reader
The New 175 BIO is a Hi-Tech fingerprint recognition system that eliminates the risk of replication or unauthorized use. This unit is combined with Marks Grade 2 Cylindrical Survivor lockset and is available in a 26D Satin Chrome finish. Power is supplied to Fingerprint reader and lockset by 4 "AA" batteries. This unit can register up to 100 users and is available with an optional audit trail.
Visit www.marksusa.com
ASIS Booth No. TBA
Product Category:


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Three University of Kentucky faculty members will present at the first-ever Southeastern Conference Symposium which will be held in Atlanta February 10-14, 2013.
John Anthony, UK's Gill Professor of Chemistry will present at a session about advanced materials for energy applications Dr. Anthony's laboratories are housed at the UK Center for Applied Energy Research Lab #2 Renewable Energy building.
Mark Crocker, associate director of UK CAER's Biofuels and Environmental Catalysis research group and Dr. Burt Davis, associate director of UK CAER's Clean Fuels and Chemicals research group will also present at the SEC Conference.Dr. Crocker will speak in a session about technologies for producing biopower, biofuels and biomaterials. Dr. Davis will present in an energy advances in transportation sector session.
More information can be found in UK's UK NOW news article.
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new orleans | MOST RECENT | POPULAR | BUZZ |
News: Culture
The Redemption of Chris Rose
Posted byon 03.03.08 |
"Chris Rose, a columnist for the daily Times-Picayune, was once known primarily for reporting on the bad behavior of visiting celebrities. Hurricane Katrina changed that: it transformed Rose into a plaintive voice for a struggling city. His columns detailed the emotional toll of living amid still-flatted houses and daily reminders of the 1,500 who died in the storm's aftermath. And then, more than a year after the breached levees plunged whole districts underwater, Rose was sharing with readers the story of his own descent…" READ MORE >
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19th Century Era vs. Mixed Era
"Great Orator" vs. "Great Compromiser"
1. Daniel Webster, Whig - Massachusetts, 1782-1852: Dubbed "The Great Orator," Daniel Webster fought to keep the country unified during the pre-Civil War debate over slavery. Indeed, he became the de facto spokesman for those seeking to save the union after delivering what's been called, "The Most Famous Senate Speech" in a debate that lasted over nine days with a senator from South Carolina. Ironically, it was another speech – arguing in favor of the Compromise of 1850 and saying that bickering over slavery was pointless because it wasn't going away – that ended his Senate career. That speech played well as a middle-of-the-road position in many parts of the country, but not in his liberal home state. Soon after, he resigned the Senate to become Secretary of State. Webster died just four months after Henry Clay – another #1 seed – did.
1. Henry Clay, D-R, Whig - Kentucky, 1777-1852: Henry Clay's ability to navigate a fractured Senate is credited with fending off war between slave-owning and free states -- at least three times. He was pivotal in the negotiations in the creation of the Missouri Compromise, which allowed the United States to continue its Western expansion. For his efforts, Clay earned the nicknames "The Great Compromiser" and "The Great Pacificator." How revered was he? Abraham Lincoln called him "my beau ideal of a statesman" and often used his quotes in his speeches. He was the first ever to receive the honor of being laid in state in the Capitol Rotunda. Clay also engineered the only censure of a president -- Andrew Jackson. Clay's death, which took place a decade before the Civil War's start, was regarded as the end of the Senate's "Golden Era."
20th Century Era vs. Modern Era
"The Master of the Senate" vs. "The Last Lion"
1. Lyndon Johnson, D - Texas, 1908-73: Lyndon Johnson was dubbed the "Master of the Senate" by author Robert Caro, and he drew the blueprint for what we think of as the modern majority leader. LBJ understood the rules and what made senators tick. Ironically, his greatest accomplishments – passing the Great Society measures and the Civil Rights Act – came when he was president, earning him the nickname "Super Majority Leader." As a young majority leader, Johnson helped usher through President Eisenhower's civil rights bill that only passed by weakening key enforcement provisions to pacify Southern Democrats.
1. Ted Kennedy, D - Massachusetts, 1932-2009: Regarded as the last lion to serve in the Senate, Ted Kennedy worked across the aisle to achieve major legislative accomplishments -- on health care, education, civil rights, and raising the minimum wage. He also was instrumental in Barack Obama's presidential quest, delivering him key support in the middle of the heated 2008 campaign between Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton.


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When I headed off Thursday to talk about column-writing to high school journalists, I felt a little like a seafarer commissioned to give a workshop on how to fly the space shuttle.
I could offer some general tips on the nature of exploration and navigation, but, really, what did I know about the ship that 16-year-olds would be riding into the future?
General Tip No. 1: If you always wait to be sure of what you have to say, you may never say anything.
So I lectured a little and answered some questions.
Do your editors tell you what to write? (No.) Have they ever refused to print what you write? (No.) Where do you get your ideas?
Tip No. 2: Ideas lie everywhere—in the news, in the streets, in your private experience, in the people right in front of you.
The people right in front of me Thursday were two dozen students who had come to Roosevelt University for the annual conference of the Scholastic Press Association of Chicago. And I wanted to hear what they had to say.
Tip No. 3: Whether you're writing for print or the Web, you'll have more to say if you ask people questions.
Did they read newspapers? No surprise—these were journalism students—almost all the hands went up. But I was surprised that about half preferred reading a paper paper to reading online. Why?
"I like the feeling of a newspaper in your hand."
"You can take it with you."
"Online makes everything generic."
"Newspapers are more in-depth."
"Online newspapers don't take time on the writing style."
"There's a culture of it, of sitting down at breakfast and reading the paper. I think there's more people than you think that want to sit down and read the paper."
(My colleague Rex Huppke reports that in his session on how the Internet is changing journalism, most of the students were online readers.)
Which papers did my students read?
"The Wall Street Journal. I like the condensed news on the front page."
"I like the Trib because it's very opinionated, not just hard news."
"The New York Times. My dad was like, 'You've got to read the best writers in the world.' "
"The Sun-Times. My dad writes for it."
"The Trib. My dad was very angry about the new layout, but I like it."
Then the tough question: If they had to write a column that day, what would it be about?
Several mentioned schools. Why are kids from certain schools but not others killed? What's the story of the parents whose children have been killed recently? Does making it easier to become a teacher make for inferior teaching?
Those are great ideas, though hard to execute in a short time and space. One student proposed this simple, worthy idea: What's with the ads that have popped up in the Jackson tunnel between the Red and Blue Lines?
"Are people angry about this too?" he said. "Because I am."
Tip No. 4: "I'm angry-and-wonder-if-you-are-too" is a formula guaranteed to get response.
We were almost out of time when a student from Whitney Young H.S. raised his hand and said, unprompted, "The future of journalism rests on our shoulders."
I asked if that was exciting or scary.
"A little bit of both," he said.
Tip No. 5: The future always turns into the past, and whichever end of the change you're on, it will be exciting and scary.


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Read on Twitter from a follower that the Starhopper has started hitting Walmart. Anyone else seen it?
I can't wait to get that speeder with Maul and the Maul Mandalorians. I'm planning on picking it up next month when LEGO has the Blue Clone giveaway
Ewok Village Review
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I know many, many women who choose to see female gynecologists exclusively. Heck, I used to be one! Until just a few months ago, I never thought I'd voluntarily see a man doctor for my girly bits, but then one came highly recommended, and I gotta say -- it wasn't really any more unpleasant than the female docs I'd previously been to. His bedside manner was great, and I think I'll keep him as my regular.
I may have made a different decision if I'd heard about this story before I booked my appointment. A gynecologist in Arkansas is being charged with video voyeurism for "allegedly [using] his cell phone to take nude photos of patients during office exams."
Aghhh! Is that every woman's worst nightmare at the gyno's or what?
The investigation started last month, after a woman complained that Dr. Paul Becton Jr. "produced his cellular telephone and took photographs of her pubic region and buttocks" while she was on the table.
After obtaining a search warrant for the 68-year-old, whose website touts over 30 years of medical practice, police found "numerous images of nude females that appear to have been taken in a medical office during medical examinations." They were found as deleted images on the hard drive of his cellphone.
The woman who made the complaint identified five of the nude photos as ones "that were taken without her knowledge or consent." Becton has been charged with five felony voyeurism counts.
More from The Stir: Would You Feel Comfortable With a Male Gynecologist?
Talk about an extreme violation! It's already unnerving enough to let someone, even a trained professional someone, all up in our business like that. But we're supposed to have faith that they do this all the time and take no particular special interest in our own special flowers.
This is especially creepy because he's a man! Now, I'm an equal opportunist, and know that there are questionable women out there too. But I've heard many people reason that they only want to see female OB-GYNs because they don't understand why a man would want to go into the field in the first place.
I always believed it was an appreciation for our gender as a whole, and a desire to keep us as healthy as possible. Besides, what greater job could there be than one where you get to help bring new life into the world on a regular basis?
But if this guy is taking pictures? Why?? Is the fetish a recent development, or has he always been looking at his patients a little funny? Is this why he got into the field in the first place? Sick, sick, sick!
I still believe the vast majority (like, hopefully, all the rest) of male gynecologists don't get their jollies by staring at lady parts all day. But stories like this are bound to give us a girls a pause when we decide whether or not we want our special places tended to by a man or a woman.
Does this story change your opinion on seeing a male gynecologist?
Image via 2/Keith Brofsky/Ocean/Corbis


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Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden conceives of himself as a citizen of the world, or of the realm of Digitalia. He does not sound like anyone to be trusted with an assessment on our behalf the costs and benefits of the course of action he has undertaken, yet he remains the subject of adulation among our libertarian friends. That is not to say that the NSA should be free of criticism. It let a bozo like Snowden walk away with approximately everything.
Britain's Channel 4 sought Snowden out to present its alternative (to the Queen's) Christmas message. It is thought to have been recorded somewhere in the vicinity of Snowden's Moscow refuge. Snowden is of course under indictment in the United States.
The video below presents ITN's edited take, more than sufficient to get the gist. Politico covers the video here. Michael Mukasey provides a good counterpoint to Snowden in the Wall Street Journal column "Leaking secrets empowers terrorists."
Deep thought: "Together we can find a better balance. End mass surveillance. Remind the government that if it really wants to know how we feel asking is always cheaper than spying."


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Subsidized Care and Coverage Overview
We believe that everyone deserves access to high-quality, affordable health care.
Improving health care access for those with limited incomes and resources is fundamental to our mission.
For many low-income people without medical insurance or for those who lose their jobs and are unable to maintain health care coverage, an emergency room is often the only place they receive the care they need. We're working to change that with programs that lower financial barriers, provide free or deeply subsidized health coverage and improve access to public health care programs. In addition to helping individuals qualify for state or federal insurance programs, like Medicaid, we help people subsidize coverage and provide Medical Financial Assistance to access care, at low or no cost.


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Suffolk, ss. Division of Administrative Law Appeals
Scott Oliva,
v. Docket No. CR-07-414
Massachusetts Turnpike
Authority Employees'
Retirement Board,
Appearance for Petitioner:
William R. Neelon, Esq.
William T. Salisbury, Esq.
21 McGrath Highway, Suite 304
Quincy, MA 02169
Appearance for Respondent:
Walter M. Foster, Esq.
Sheehan Phinney Bass & Green
One Boston Place
Boston, MA 02108
Administrative Magistrate:
Maria A. Imparato, Esq.
Scott Oliva filed a timely appeal under G. L. c. 32, s. 16 (4) of the May 30, 2007 decision of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority Employees' Retirement Board ("Board") denying his request for accidental disability retirement benefits. (Exs. 1, 2)
I held a hearing on April 24, 2008 and July 14, 2008 at the office of the Division of Administrative Law Appeals, 98 North Washington Street, Boston, MA. I admitted documents into evidence. (Exs. 1 - 36) I marked the joint pre-hearing memorandum "A" for identification, and medical records not related to the condition on account of which the Petitioner seeks retirement "B" for identification. The Petitioner testified on his own behalf. After the Petitioner's testimony on April 24, 2008, the Board requested a continuance in order to hear rebuttal testimony from Thomas Antkowiak, M.D. The hearing was continued, by agreement of the parties, to July 14, 2008 to hear Dr. Antkowiak. The record closed on August 29, 2008 with the filing of briefs. There are two tape cassettes of the hearing.
1. Scott Oliva, d.o.b. 12/27/1968, worked for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority from November 22, 1988 to January 10, 2006. He worked as a toll collector from 1988 to in or about November 2001. He then went through six months of retraining in computers and worked as an assistant in the Risk Management Office. He returned to his position of toll collector from in or about October 2005 until January 2006. (Ex. 6, Testimony)
2. Mr. Oliva's duties as a toll collector included filling the automatic toll issue machines; distributing tickets and/or collecting tickets and/or money for vehicles using the Authority's road and tunnel systems; recording all toll transactions by means of punched keys, ticket transport and/or handwritten data; preparing reports on all unusual occurrences, truck permits and special toll transactions; counting and recording cash receipts and accounts for all tickets issued and received; and providing information as requested by motorists. (Ex. 6, job description)
3. Mr. Oliva last worked at the Allston Brighton tolls from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. He serviced about 3,000 cars during that time because he collected about $3,000 on each shift. He carried to his tollbooth a duffel bag weighing about 45 pounds that contained receipt paper, money bands, elastics, and a cooler. He set up his booth and his cash drawer. (The cash drawer weighed about 10 pounds.) He would take money from motorists and use both hands to count it, count out change and reach out with his left hand to give the change to the motorist. When he received the toll, he would enter the number of axles on the vehicle on a computer touch screen, hit the receipt button, and reach 18 inches to the right to tear off the receipt. His job required constant turning of his head, looking up and looking down. (Testimony, Oliva)
4. On March 6, 2000, during rush hour, Mr. Oliva extended his arm out to the receipt machine when his right shoulder froze. Mr. Oliva was sent by the senior toll collector to a doctor who snapped the shoulder into place, put his arm in a sling, and referred Mr. Oliva to Dr. McNeil at Sullivan Orthopedics. (Ex. 3, Testimony)
5. Mr. Oliva filed a notice of injury on March 6, 2000, claiming a repetitive motion injury to his right shoulder. (Ex. 7, 3/6/00)
6. Mr. Oliva saw Dr. McNeil on March 22, 2000, with a complaint of pain located in the back posterior aspect of the shoulder radiating down his arm. X-rays revealed spurring underneath the acromium as well as underneath the clavicle. Dr. McNeil recorded his impression of right shoulder impingement with acute bursitis, injected Depo-Medrol into Mr. Oliva's shoulder, and advised him to remain out of work for one week. (Ex. 16, 3/22/00)
7. Mr. Oliva had a bad reaction to the cortisone injection and experienced increased pain in the next two days. Dr. McNeil prescribed Vioxx and Percocet. (Ex. 16, 3/24/00)
8. On April 5, 2000, Dr. McNeil noted his impression of bursitis of the right shoulder with persistent symptoms and prescribed a course of physical therapy. He gave Mr. Oliva a note to return to light duty work on April 7, 2000, with no lifting greater than 20 pounds and no repetitive activities. (Ex. 16, 4/5/00)
9. An MRI of the right shoulder on May 19, 2000 suggested muscle strain and partial rotator cuff tear. There were hypertrophic changes at the AC joint slightly impinging on the supraspinatus musculotendinous junction, and a suggestion of a partial tear or tendinosis of the supraspinatus tendon. (Ex. 17)
10. At Mr. Oliva's visit on May 25, 2000, Dr. McNeil noted his impression of symptomatic impingement syndrome of the right shoulder with persistent symptoms. Dr. McNeil noted that Mr. Oliva had not responded to conservative care and suggested arthroscopic subacromial decompression. (Ex. 16, 5/25/00)
11. On August 1, 2000, Dr. McNeil performed arthroscopic debridement of a SLAP (Superior Labrum Anterior to Posterior) lesion with subacromial decompression of the right shoulder. (Ex.18)
12. On August 10, 2000, Dr. McNeil noted that Mr. Oliva had about a 20% tear of the undersurface of the biceps tendon attachment. "I am concerned about his long term prognosis going back to [the] heavy job that he has with the lifting as a toll operator. I was wondering if they could maybe modify some of the things with his job." He opined that Mr. Oliva would be out of work for a few months. (Ex. 16, 8/10/00)
13. On September 6, 2000, Dr. McNeil was concerned about Mr. Oliva's long term prognosis based on the fact that he had a partial tear of the biceps tendon. He prescribed physical therapy. (Ex. 16, 9/6/00)
14. On January 7, 2001, Dr. McNeil noted that Mr. Oliva still had persistent pain in his right shoulder that prevented him from returning to work. Dr. McNeil recommended an arthroscopic excision of the biceps tendon at the site of the partial tear, together with arthrodesis of the tendon to try to relieve the bicipital pain and maintain tension and strength of his biceps. (Ex. 16, 1/7/01)
15. On March 13, 2001, Dr. McNeil performed arthroscopic debridement of the superior labrum anterior and posterior lesion, with release of the intra-articular portion of the biceps tendon, and open biceps tenodesis of the right shoulder. His operative note states with respect to the tear of the biceps tendon, "this was a degenerative situation from chronic repetitive activity …" (Ex. 19)
16. On June 28, 2001, Thomas J. Gill, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon, evaluated Mr. Oliva for worker's compensation purposes. Dr. Gill opined that Mr. Oliva "could return to work as a toll cup collector with the following restrictions: No lifting greater than 15 pounds, and no repetitive overhead motion. Given that this is the patient's right arm, I believe that it may be possible for him to work in a tollbooth, as the majority of the repetitive shoulder motion for a toll collector is with the left arm. If the patient is still unable to perform this task six weeks from today, it is unlikely that he would be able to return to full duty as a toll collector in his current condition without the aforementioned acromioclavicular joint injection test." (Ex. 34)
17. In or about November 2001, Mr. Oliva received re-training through Worker's Compensation for six months in computer network repair. (Testimony, Ex. 16, 11/28/01)
18. Mr. Oliva continued to have persistent discomfort over the anterior aspect of his right shoulder. Dr. McNeil recommended an arthroscopic AC joint resection of the right shoulder. (Ex. 16, 11/28/01)
19. On February 22, 2002, Dr. McNeil performed arthroscopic acromioclavicular joint resection of the right shoulder. (Ex. 20)
20. On March 4, 2002, Dr. McNeil opined that Mr. Oliva was doing well after his surgery. "The AC joint is quite arthritic. Hopefully this will take the pain away from that area. He needs to work on getting his strength back in his rotator cuff." (Ex. 16, 3/4/02)
21. On January 30, 2003, Dr. McNeil opined that Mr. Oliva had reached an end result of treatment with 10% total body impairment. Dr. McNeil noted that Mr. Oliva still had pain in the top part of his shoulder. He noted that Mr. Oliva had finished his computer course and was hoping to get a computer job. Dr. McNeil opined, "I think he could certainly do a low demand job with no lifting [with the] right upper extremity. He certainly could not do a repetitive job requiring overhead lifting, and some type of computer job is going to be fine for him." (Ex. 16, 1/30/03)
22. Mr. Oliva began working in the Turnpike Authority Risk Management office where he built a database for the Authority consistent with his retraining. (Testimony)
23. On June 23, 2004, Mark J. Bulman, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon, evaluated Mr. Oliva for Worker's Compensation purposes. Dr. Bulman opined, "his current job that he is doing working in a sedentary capacity with computers and office type work is appropriate for his situation. … Overhead work, physically demanding work involving his upper extremities and repetitive work that is stressful to his right shoulder should be avoided." (Ex. 33)
24. In May 2005, Mr. Oliva lost his computer job in Risk Management because the Director of Personnel decided Mr. Oliva was no longer needed in the position. The Turnpike Authority worker's compensation attorney told Mr. Oliva he could bid on any open position. There were only two positions available: one in emergency services, and one as a toll collector. Mr. Oliva could not get a doctor's note for the emergency services job, so he returned to toll collecting which did not require a doctor's note. (Testimony)
25. On May 2, 2005, Dr. McNeil opined that Mr. Oliva needed to keep working on light duty and limit the number of repetitive motions he performed. "He could do a light duty job with no lifting and no repetitive activity." (Ex. 16, 5/2/05)
26. Mr. Oliva returned to work as a toll collector in or about October 2005. He saw Dr. McNeil before he returned to work and on October 17, 2005 Dr. McNeil opined, "He clearly cannot do any repetitive activities involving right upper extremity. This would cause significant increase in his symptomatology. So, I wrote a note saying he is permanently disabled from going back to his prior job as a tollbooth collector." (Ex. 16, 10/17/05)
27. Two days later, on October 19, 2005, Mr. Oliva told Dr. McNeil that he wanted to return to work "even though he knows he is going to have significant symptoms with his shoulder, he just wants to try to put up with the symptoms for as long as he can. … I therefore will allow him to go back to work …" (Ex. 16, 10/19/05)
28. On December 28, 2005, Mr. Oliva opened the cash drawer in his tollbooth. The drawer stops did not work, and the drawer fell, pulling his right arm to the floor. He developed shoulder and neck pain and a headache. Mr. Oliva filed a notice of injury. He worked for three days in January 2006, and finally stopped working on January 10, 2006. (Testimony, Exs. 6, 7, 2/28/05)
29. Mr. Oliva was seen at the South Shore Hospital Emergency Department on December 28, 2005 several hours after the incident. X-rays were negative for an acute process. Mr. Oliva was diagnosed with shoulder strain and advised to follow up with his orthopedist. (Ex. 21)
30. Mr. Oliva saw Dr. McNeil on January 11, 2006, and informed him about the injury of December 28, 2005. Dr. McNeil noted his impression of recurrent right shoulder pain with a question of rotator cuff pathology. He ordered an MRI. (Ex. 16, 1/11/06)
31. An MRI of the right shoulder on February 5, 2006 revealed a suspected tear of the intra-articular portion of the biceps tendon from the bicipital anchor. (Ex. 24)
32. On February 9, 2006, Dr. McNeil noted his impression that Mr. Oliva had some adhesions that broke up "because there is no evidence of any tear of the tendon," and "probable right cervical radiculopathy, question of disc pathology." Dr. McNeil ordered a cervical MRI and EMG test. (Ex. 16, 2/9/06)
33. An MRI of the cervical spine on March 25, 2006 revealed cervical spondylosis. (Ex. 23)
34. On April 3, 2006, Dr. McNeil noted that Mr. Oliva had quite a bit of pain in his neck since the injury of December 28, 2005. He noted his impression of cervical spondylosis with right cervical radiculopathy. "I feel that his symptoms are causally related to the recent work injury. It certainly flared up this underlying condition which is an overuse problem that dates back to all the years of the heavy lifting that he has done with the coins going back and forth to the tollbooth. Also the repetitive nature of the job clearly caused some premature degeneration of the cervical spine." (Ex. 16, 4/3/06)
35. By letter of April 26, 2006, Dr. O'Neil noted that Mr. Oliva had had an EMG and MRI "which revealed advanced cervical spondylosis. I have referred him to see a spine specialist. He is fully disabled from his job as a toll collector." (Ex. 13)
36. John L. Doherty, Jr., M.D., an orthopedic consultant, evaluated Mr. Oliva on May 12, 2006 at the request of Mr. Oliva's attorney. Dr. Doherty opined that Mr. Oliva is "unable to return to any occupation that requires prolonged standing, sitting, holding his hand overhead, lifting any object, reaching out to the side like a toll collector would do. I find he is totally disabled for that occupation at this time. It is also my opinion based entirely on his history, that the incident he described was sufficient to cause the present symptomatology and objective findings, and is a major but not necessarily predominant cause since he has underlying degenerative changes of the cervical spine, of his present condition." (Ex. 35)
37. On July 31, 2006, Dr. Bulman performed an impartial examination of Mr. Oliva for worker's compensation purposes. Dr. Bulman opined, "It is my opinion that he should not be doing work as a toll collector. There is some relationship potential of his chronic degenerative neck symptoms potentially getting aggravated by that type of work due to shoulder compromise. … [H]e is disabled from working as a toll collector. He is not totally disabled and should find an office type work that he had previously been doing." (Ex. 31)
38. Mr. Oliva filed an application for accidental disability retirement benefits on or about August 1, 2006, citing "injuries to my right dominant arm and neck" as a result of the injuries of March 6, 2000 and December 28, 2005. (Ex. 3)
39. Dr. McNeil filed a statement in support of the application answering all certificate questions in the affirmative. Dr. McNeil opined that he had been treating Mr. Oliva "for an injury that he sustained to his right shoulder at work on March 6, 2000. He never recovered from that injury and he was treated extensively with physical therapy, and he subsequently needed to go forward with three surgical interventions. He has a permanent impairment of the function of his right upper extremity. He cannot do any job that requires chronic repetitive activities of the right upper extremity and he cannot do any lifting on a regular basis. … Therefore I feel that he is fully permanently disabled from [his] prior job as a toll collector." (Ex. 4)
40. A single physician regional medical panel evaluated Mr. Oliva in January 2007. The panel was composed of Thomas Antkowiak, M.D., Nabil W. Basta, M.D., and Louis A. Fuchs, M.D., all of whom are orthopedic surgeons. (Exs. 9, 10, 11)
41. Drs. Antkowiak and Fuchs answered in the negative with respect to the existence of a disability. Dr. Basta answered in the affirmative to all certificate questions. (Exs. 9, 10, 11)
Dr. Antkowiak
42. Dr. Antkowiak evaluated Mr. Oliva on January 22, 2007. He noted Mr. Oliva's complaint of tiredness in his right arm with activity and pain associated with certain neck motions. Dr. Antkowiak diagnosed a right shoulder strain and a possible cervical strain as a result of the incident of December 28, 2005. (Ex. 9)
43. Dr. Antokowiak opined, with respect to his diagnosis, "This would also have been considered a temporary exacerbation of a preexisting apparently diffuse degenerative condition of his cervical spine and also some degenerative rotator cuff disease, which has been operated on, on several occasions in the past." (Ex. 9)
44. Dr. Antkowiak concluded, "[A]lthough he has a persistent symptomatic condition in his right upper extremity and neck area, there are no objective findings of any kind that would indicate that the claimant has any significant weakness, loss of muscle mass, or loss of range of motion of either his cervical spine or right upper extremity that would prevent him from returning back to work as a toll collector. … [T]he member is not physically incapable of performing the essential duties of his job as described in the current job description." (Ex. 9)
43. Dr. Antkowiak did not perform a physical examination. (Testimony, Oliva)
Dr. Basta
45. Dr. Basta evaluated Mr. Oliva on January 31, 2007. He reviewed medical records and a job description, took a history and performed a physical examination. Dr. Basta diagnosed right shoulder strain, status post three surgical procedures. (Ex. 10)
46. Dr. Basta noted Mr. Oliva's complaint of pain and discomfort and numbness in his hand since the injury of December 28, 2005. Physical examination revealed deltoid atrophy on the right. Range of motion of the right shoulder was up to 110 degrees of active abduction, with pain beyond that. Internal rotation was up to L1 and flexion and extension were within normal limits. There was no evidence of impingement syndrome, and there was a negative Near and Hawkins test. The rest of the neurological exam was unremarkable. (Ex. 10)
47. Dr. Basta concluded that Mr. Oliva is not physically able to perform the essential duties of a toll collector because he is unable to perform the lifting and repetitive actions required in the job on account of his right shoulder injury. (Ex. 10)
48. Dr. Basta concluded that the incapacity is likely to be permanent. (Ex. 10)
49. With respect to causation, Dr. Basta opined, "[S]aid incapacity [is] such as might be the proximate result of the work injury sustained on account of which retirement is claimed. The aggravation caused by the accident in December 2005 accelerated his pre-existing shoulder condition." (Ex. 10)
Dr. Fuchs
50. Dr. Fuchs evaluated Mr. Oliva on January 23, 2007. He reviewed medical records and a job description, took a history and performed a physical examination. Dr. Fuch diagnosed chronic right glenohumeral myofascitis, and status post arthroscopic surgeries on February 22, 2002, March 13, 2001 and August 1, 2000. (Ex. 11)
51. Physical examination revealed motor strength of the right shoulder of 4/5 with respect to abduction, forward elevation and depression. Range of motion was full with respect to abduction, forward elevation and depression. Mr. Oliva lacked 5 ½ inches of internal rotation in the intrascapular region when compared to the left upper extremity. Liftoff test was graded motor power 4 with pain noted in the right shoulder region. (Ex. 11)
52. Dr. Fuchs concluded that Mr. Oliva is capable of performing the essential duties of a toll collector. "Examination reveals that the patient had enough satisfactory range of motion and motor power to do the tasks of a toll collector which include: arranging the booth for operation as well as closing procedures, issuing violation tickets, preparing reports and other administrative tasks, provide information and assistance, and collect tickets and currency from drivers and provide change as necessary." (Ex. 11)
53. Currently, Mr. Oliva uses cervical traction two or three times a week for headache. He is unable to use his right shoulder repetitively for more than 15 minutes. He cannot lift more than 20 pounds with his right arm. He takes Percocet and Gabapentin. (Testimony)
54. Mr. Oliva does not recall receiving a survey from PERAC after his panel examinations. He did not make a complaint about Dr. Antkowiak to PERAC. (Testimony, Oliva)
55. Right after Mr. Oliva's evaluation by Dr. Antkowiak, he called Attorney Neelon to report that Dr. Antkowiak had not performed a physical examination. (Testimony, Oliva)
This case is remanded to the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority Employees' Retirement Board with instructions to convene a newly composed medical panel of orthopedic surgeons to evaluate Scott Oliva.
The case is remanded for two reasons: Dr. Antkowiak failed to perform a physical examination of the Petitioner; and both Dr. Antkowiak and Dr. Fuchs failed to consider the risk of re-injury to the Petitioner when answering in the negative with respect to the existence of a disability.
Dr. Antkowiak
The Petitioner asserts that Dr. Antkowiak failed to examine him during his evaluation on January 22, 2007 despite the fact that Dr. Antkowiak's narrative indicates that he performed a physical examination. Right after his meeting with Dr. Antkowiak, the Petitioner called his attorney to report the absence of a physical examination. Dr. Antkowiak has no present recollection of his evaluation of the Petitioner, but he did testify about the procedure that he uses at all evaluations, which includes performing a physical examination.
Because the Petitioner remembers this evaluation, and reported the absence of a physical examination immediately to his attorney, and because Dr. Antkowiak does not have a present recollection of the Petitioner's evaluation, I conclude that the Petitioner's recollection is more reliable than that of Dr. Antkowiak. I therefore find that Dr. Antkowiak failed to perform a physical examination of the Petitioner.
Under G. L. c. 32, s. 6 (3) (c), "A physical examination of such member shall be conducted by the medical panel." The failure to perform a physical examination warrants a remand and re-examination.
Risk of re-injury
The Contributory Retirement Appeal Board is not bound by the negative response of a majority of the medical panel to any certificate question where the panel majority employed an erroneous standard to reach its conclusion. Malden Retirement Board v. CRAB, 1 Mass. App. Ct. 420, 298 N.E.2d 902 (1973).
Disability is the inability to perform the essential duties of one's job. Implicit in the definition of disability is the notion that a claimant is unable to perform the essential duties of his job if doing so would subject him to significant risk of re-injury or death. See, Dimitropoulos' Case, 343 Mass. 341 (1961), where the Supreme Judicial Court held that a finding of partial incapacity is warranted where an employee, in accordance with medical advice, refrains from engaging in his former work because of a considerable risk of re-injury.
CRAB considered the issue of the risk of re-injury in its decision in the case of Joshua Filipek v. Bristol County Retirement Board, CR-03-672 (DALA dec. 3/29/04; CRAB dec. 12/23/04), where a county correction officer who sustained physical and psychological injuries in a prison riot did not want to return to work where he faced a considerable risk of re-injury. In its decision of December 23, 2004, CRAB held that "the proper standard to be applied to evaluating the risk of re-injury or harm to third parties for determining disability under Chapter 32 is whether the member is able to perform the essential duties of his or her position without a reasonable probability of substantial harm to himself or third parties." The fact finder and the medical panel "shall take into account (a) the likelihood of re-injury or harm to the member or third parties posed by the member's return to work; and (b) the seriousness of the consequences to the member or third parties of the injury to be risked. It is not enough that there is some risk of some harm. There must be a reasonable probability of substantial harm. Moreover, the test is an objective one. Where a member is refusing to return to work because of a fear of re-injury … the test is whether, in light of all the circumstances including the member's disability and the conditions of the position, a reasonably careful person desirous of making a living would be reasonable in refusing to accept such work."
In view of the fact that the Petitioner suffered his first injury in March 2000 when his right shoulder froze; that he required arthroscopic surgery to that shoulder on three occasions in 2000, 2001 and 2002; that he was able to perform a desk job without aggravating his right shoulder condition until 2005; and that within months of returning to his toll collector job he re-injured his right shoulder, the panel majority employed an erroneous standard to the issue of disability by failing to analyze the Petitioner's risk of re-injury as set forth in CRAB's decision in Filipek.
The new medical panel shall be instructed to consider the risk of re-injury to the Petitioner, using the standard enunciated by CRAB, above, before certifying with respect to the issue of disability.
This case is remanded with the instructions enumerated above.
/s/ Maria A. Imparato
Administrative Magistrate


text:
German-Pakistani relations are complex. In this interview with Atilla Iftikhar, Germany's ambassador in Islamabad, Gunter Mulack, talks about developmental, economic, and political relations of the two countries
What is Europe doing to help stabilize the situation in Pakistan: politically, economically and socially?
Gunter Mulack: Europe and Germany are taking substantial interest in Pakistan – and South Asia as a whole. In Pakistan, the European Union (EU) has funded development projects with around 25 million euro over the past 6 years and given an additional 100 million euro for earthquake relief projects. A substantial increase in aid is projected for the next few years. The European Commission alone has for the years 2007 to 2013 a budget of almost 400 million euro. Approximately 2 billion euro in grants will be given to Pakistan in that period by the EU as a whole.
The bilateral German development work is focused on environmental issues as well as on education and women empowerment.
Economically, Germany as a Member State of the EU grants trade tariff advantages to developing countries like Pakistan under the EU's "Generalised System of Preferences" (GSP). Pakistani-German trade alone has been growing at more than 6% on average every year since 2000. But Germany remains interested in further intensifying trade, cooperation and dialogue with Pakistan.
In the cultural, educational and social area a number of initiatives are being pursued – the most important one is probably the setting up of a German technical university in Lahore. I am confident that it will start its work in 2008. Even now, a broad scientific exchange takes place every year between the two countries within the framework of a fruitful partnership between the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
German cultural institutions such as the Goethe Institute in Karachi or the Annemarie Schimmel House in Lahore have been operating successfully for considerable time. All this reflects the high emphasis Germany and its European partners are putting on our relations with Pakistan. And we are committed to further expanding them.
How do you rate the performance of German foundations Böll and Ebert in promoting the grass-roots involvement of Pakistani women in political decision-making (considering the fact that nearly all Pakistani women in political positions at federal level have an elitist background)?
Mulack: The Heinrich Böll and Friedrich Ebert Foundations are, in my view, doing an excellent job under difficult circumstances in their efforts to promote the grass-roots involvement of Pakistani women in political decision-making. Theirs is a grass-roots approach aimed at empowering women in their communities by offering training and networking opportunities. It is true that at this time, not many women from rural villages or from the working classes are in political positions at federal level. But I think the same can be said for men, so those statistics should not discourage us from pursuing women empowerment at grass-roots level.
If you keep in mind that also two other German political foundations, the Hanns Seidel and Friedrich Naumann Foundations are very successfully engaged in Pakistan, with different priorities from the two mentioned before, it seems fair to say that the work of those political foundations is an important cornerstone of our political support for Pakistan.
What is your opinion on the issue of judicial independence in countries such as Pakistan?
Mulack: The independence of the judiciary is a key element in a democratic state which respects the separation of powers. This is why the European Union clearly expressed its concerns in this regard in mid-March. I feel very encouraged, however, by the way lawyers and civil society have recently stood up peacefully for the independence of the judiciary. Coverage of those activities in the German media should have a positive effect on Pakistan's image there, because it shows that a vibrant civil society is making its voice heard on important political questions in this country.
How does Germany evaluate the performance of Musharraf since he came to power in 1999?
Mulack: Germany does not grade the performance of individual serving government leaders.
Are German-Afghan relations having any adverse effects on German-Pakistani relations in light of the allegations and counter-allegations regarding cross-border militancy between Kabul and Islamabad?
Mulack: Not at all. Why should that be the case? But we need to acknowledge that the two countries are neighbours and therefore share the problem of illegal border crossings by extremists. Therefore, frankly speaking, we do not find the exchange of allegations in this matter very helpful. We all depend on each other if we want stabilisation and development in the region.
Foreign Minister Steinmeier has therefore invited his Afghan and Pakistani colleagues for a joint meeting with the G8 Foreign Ministers on 30 May 2007 in Potsdam, close to Berlin, to sit down together and develop strategies to strengthen cooperation and dialogue between the two neighbouring countries – with strong G8 support. We feel this is absolutely essential.
Should the Kashmir conflict be resolved in accordance with existing UN resolutions, or do you think the UN has outplayed its role in this dispute?
Mulack: A peaceful resolution of the Kashmir conflict is of key importance for the development of the entire region. The relevant UN resolutions stand, but there is also a bilateral negotiation process going on, the composite dialogue. We welcome the momentum this process has regained after last summer. President Musharraf has presented interesting proposals. We strongly encourage both sides to continue a result-oriented dialogue on the Kashmir issue.
The majority of people in Pakistan agree that the American-led military-centric approach of the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan is not constructive to peace and stability, but what is Germany's perception?
Mulack: There are, unfortunately, some misperceptions concerning the NATO-led ISAF mission. Its mandate, given to it by the United Nations, is to provide the security that is a necessary prerequisite for reconstruction and development activities in Afghanistan. All critics need to understand: There is no development without security – and no security without development. The military engagement is thus one part of a comprehensive strategy that is being pursued to bring stabilisation, reconstruction and development to the people of Afghanistan.
Despite all progress made, however, in some parts of the country people do not yet see enough of the reconstruction and development they were promised, which causes frustration and sometimes militancy. Militancy, of course, is a serious obstacle to development. A carefully crafted approach combining diplomatic, military and developmental instruments is required to lead the way out of this dilemma. Everybody concerned recognizes that military means alone will not provide a solution.
Interview conducted by Atilla Iftikhar
© Qantara.de 2007
Interview with Gunter Mulack
Bridging the Gap between Goethe and Human Rights
In this interview, Gunter Mulack, Germany's first Commissioner for Dialogue with the Islamic World, talks about the tactics of cultural foreign policy and how can one bridge the gap between Goethe and human rights? Interview by Peter Philipp
Interview with Hans-Günter Gnodtke
The Secret of Foreign Cultural Policy
In 2005, Hans-Günter Gnodtke was appointed German Federal Foreign Office Commissioner for the Dialogue with the Islamic World. In this interview with Larissa Bender, he talks about his concept of soft power diplomacy


text:
Thursday, August 05, 2010
26 comments:
So frustrating. My son Preston slept the first few months of his life great, and then one day he woke up and I had to work, work, work to get him to fall and stay asleep. I am a firm believer in the book Babywise. Preston is a great sleeper now and he has finally gotten on a great schedule. I'm a firm believer in schedules.ReplyDelete
Ug. The not sleeping is the worst. I swear by the miracle blanket. I only used it on my 3rd, but seriously fixed all sleeping issues over night. And, I passed it on to a girlfriend who now swears by it too. And it is now my standard shower gift. It isn't cute, but wow. It is the one thing I won't do without if I have another newborn. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=the+miracle+blanket&x=0&y=0&ih=11_7_1_0_0_1_0_0_0_1.55_140&fsc=-1ReplyDelete
(Sorry, this is long! Take what you want from it, or don't...it doesn't bother me either way.)ReplyDelete
I could be totally wrong, but your sweet Lamp sounds a lot like my oldest son was as an infant...which is a tiring, but wonderful thing! He was very alert, and always wanted to be part of the action. We had a heck of a time getting him to sleep, and staying asleep.
After 2 weeks of doing what the baby books said, I threw it ALL out the window, and went with my gut...which may or may not seem dangerous :) I figured that Heavenly Father sent me this baby boy for a reason, and it must be that He trusts me to do what is best for him.
That meant several things, but in terms of sleeping (don't cringe!), it meant letting him sleep on my chest many times in the early night or early morning (I know, they say DON'T co-sleep, so I would only do this when I was NOT exhausted.) I know they do this with preemie babies, I think it's called "skin-to-skin" or something. It really helped him. He craved the connection with me or my husband. Which also meant I spent hours during the day (too) holding/playing/reading to him, etc. (You might want to try a baby wrap? www.mobywrap.com)
I know it sounds crazy, but my son was showing us his strong (amazing and wonderful) personality from DAY ONE. When he was 4 months old, I remember telling my mom, "I swear he's bored!" Yup, I was right. Ever since he was a brand new baby, he's been going going going! (I was so exhausted from him as a toddler, I took him to two pediatricians to see if he had ADHD. They both laughed at me, and said he was FINE, just smart and very active/alert.)
I completely feel your pain if you can't fix the sleeping issues. I shouldn't tell you that my son is 10 now, and he STILL hates to go to bed. We literally have to run him ragged every day, just so we can have a full night of sleep. We used to joke all the time that he's really twins!
I'm guessing here, but I think it must mean Lamp has a dynamite personality, and she is READY to conquer this crazy world ;) Hang in there! (I'm a nut for babies...I wish I hold Lamp for you when you need a break!)
The frustrating part is that things will work with some babies, but not with your child. Some babies will get on a schedule quickly, some will not. Some don't want to sleep as much as others and don't like to be swaddled. Mine NEVER would fall asleep in my arms. The more I rocked and held them, the more awake and excited they became (I must be too much fun). So sometimes I had to put them down to cry it out for a few minutes just to get a break (not forever, of course, as newborns). Sometimes they would fall asleep in the crib in those few minutes, sometimes not. They started liking the swing around 3 months. Then they had to sleep in the swing or carseat until 6 months. I think of you as the most experienced because Beanie was such a challenge. You are the best expert on your child. And if you don't ever figure it out, she will change in a few weeks anyway.ReplyDelete
This sounds normal to me, but it still stinks. I'm sorry.ReplyDelete
This is what I did with audrie: put her in my bed and nursed her lying down after she was out for 10 minutes, I would roll off my bed and sneak out. I would check on her often to make sure she didn't magically learn to roll at 7 weeks. I would sometimes do the same thing on a blanket on the floor. I know it sounds crazy, but she would sleep for an hour (which was awesome cuz she wasn't the best napper before that ).
Eli was a totally different story - naps only happened in the moby wrap.
Good luck!
I agree with Christina... I'm a stranger to you, but found your blog through Little Green Notebook. My third practically lived in the sling (I used a ring-sling) for the first year and 1/2.ReplyDelete
However, I do remember the days of thinking that I was never going to sleep more than 1 1/2 hours at a time again. Ever. But, somehow, they do, and if you stick to a schedule, Lamp will figure it out and you'll get some rest. Eventually :-)
Hang in there - I'm praying for your precious family!
I scoured the baby books and hounded the pediatrician and called my mom and called my sister and called my friend who all gave different advice. I prayed and cried and cried and got really frustrated. Then I decided to go with my gut. Jury is still out on how it will go. Parenting is without a doubt the HARDEST thing I have ever done.ReplyDelete
With the "every baby's different" disclaimer, I'll just say J was a bad sleeper from the first day out of the gate and still is. *Nothing* worked for us. She still (at 3) wakes every couple of hours through the night. She still takes an hour to get herself to sleep. She gave up naps before she was 2! It's hard (really, really, really hard). The only thing I will say is that it did get easier when we gave up and just chalked it up to her personality & composition. It truly is "just the way she is." And obviously we love our little one more than anything on the planet, but I'm really hoping that the sleep stuff you're going through now is just a phase and not "just the way she is" too. Hang in there.ReplyDelete
I loved your last photo by the way. So romantic!ReplyDelete
For me, it seems like with babies there is this constant adjusting and re adjusting. You have to find just the right combination of sound, rocking, sleep location, etc. My newest babies slept in the car seat a lot. Then one slept in the swing a lot. It seems like right when I'd get in a good rhythm, though, the baby would get a cold or we would travel and all would be lost! Good luck. I am not a fan of the tiny baby stage either. I am too stressed and sleep deprived. I love your blog honesty!
Here's myt little sleep schpeal, for what it's worth (ditto to Adrie's disclaimer).ReplyDelete
For the first two months, do whatever it takes to stay sane. Sleeping in a bouncer, on your chest, in a car, on the floor--whatever it takes. Months two to four, start to aim for a good sleep pattern (falling asleep on her own, drowsy but awake) but realize that it WILL NOT happen every night, and that's okay. From four to five months on (if your goal is to get your baby to sleep on their own all night, which is not everyone's goal and that is totally okay) you have to be a bit of a stickler. I think Healthy Sleep Habits is a good book, as is Happiest Baby on the Block. I am not a fan of Babywise, and actually opposed to it (the American Academy of Pediatrics came out against it a few years ago. It probably works for most common sense people, but too many were following the letter and their babies ran into big problems).
As far as the fussy part goes, you are spot on. All babies, no matter how good they are or how good their parents are, get more fussy around six weeks. (http://www.purplecrying.info/sections/index.php?sct=5&sctpg=20&) Babies in Africa who are papposed and nursed all day long, babies in England on a tight schedule. Doesn't matter. It's mother nature. But, for those babies that are tough I think Lactobacillus reuteri can be a life saver. They've found that 'colicky' babies tend to have somewhat disrupted gut flora. Lactobacillus (a probiotic) can sometimes change that. You use 1/2 teaspoon of the powder a day. If you can't find the reuteri, any of the probiotics will do, but that's the one specifically studied for colic. It was incredibly helpful for me (I'm not really a baby kind of gal, either...and a colicky one doesn't help).
Lastly, the best advice my sage pediatrician gave me was that just because today was a good day, it doesn't mean that tomorrow will also be good. And the same goes for bad. One day at a time. She'll be sleeping soundly before you know it. Hang in there.
The adjust/readjust comment could not be more true for me! Just when I think we have it down, it changes just a little bit. Teething, growth spurt, vacation, weather... you can never really re-create the same exact conditions every single night.ReplyDelete
PS we're now at my parents' place and it's been rough! I'm having Jared pack the baby sleep books when he joins us in a couple days. Haha/sigh.
I'm sorry Amy. Violet took A LOT of soothing! The only way she would sleep for the first 3 months is swaddled tight, in the swing, in a dark room, with white noise. CRAZY... I was so jealous of mom who's babies would fall asleep in their arms and transfer to the crib just fine. We went through so many D batteries!ReplyDelete
6 weeks was the worst. It might magically get better next week...I hope so. Hang in there. You're doing a great job :)
Hi Amy! I have enjoyed reading your blog ever since your Mom shared your story with the ward. This is my first comment, though. However, I love the book "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" by Tracy Hogg. It's very respectful of both the baby and you. It's amazing how well new moms do being so sleep deprived! Maybe the book will give you a new idea.ReplyDelete
Oh my goodness thanks for all the advice. And even more, thanks for the moral support. As I read through all these stories and the ups and downs of babies it amazes me that any of us survive parenthood and childhood for that matter.ReplyDelete
Ellen--exactly! You'd think after Beanie I'd be fine dealing with almost any sleep issues... especially so early and with a baby who is also so much more pleasant otherwise. But that's sorta my point--I just get all worked up and anxious over having babies. I feel like other people have a greater inner strength or somehow just deal with it better, because even with this baby I feel all out of sorts and frustrated.
Christina--Yes I've used a sling too and luckily that works and allows for some hands-free afternoons.
Abbie--I did just that today. Except instead of leaving after 10 minutes, I stayed for 3 HOURS to make sure she'd sleep. See....I'm obsessed with sleep. Which brings me to my next point....
Is anyone else obsessed with sleep? I'll do whatever it takes to get those LONG naps. Granted, when everyone leaves I won't be able to sleep with Lamp for 3 hours while my toddler does-who-knows-what...but since I'm a big believer in sleep begets sleep, I have a hard time not doing everything in my power to maximize any and all sleep. Anyone else like this? Or do you just do what you can and then call it good no matter what happens?
Carrie--Wow. See, that just sounds hard BUT I really admire your attitude about it all. I have to say, if it were me I think that sleep issue would send me into a depression. I don't mean that sarcastically,I'm serious. Which is why I say again, I sometimes feel like I just don't have the same inner strength as some people to deal with these things...
Deb--arrgh! Yes traveling is hard. Even when you have other people there, it's not the same as having your husband who understands and knows the babies almost as well as you do. I'm so sorry.
And thanks to everyone else for the really good comments.
Sleep. It's amazing how the outcome of my day hinges on whether Eva is sleeping well or not.ReplyDelete
What you're going through is so normal. Holy cats, when you said that it's an hour long process getting Lamp to sleep, it was like I went back in time 6 months! It would take an hour, and then 15 minutes later she was awake. So exhausting for both mama and baby.
When Eva was about 6 weeks old, and only taking 15 minute cat naps, I was a mess. I called my girlfriend one day and just sobbed. That's all I could do. Then I picked up my sad, over tired baby and started the whole process over.
Thankfully, by the time she was about 3 months, she was able to get on more of a schedule. Up for 2 hours, nap for 2...and so on throughout the day.
It sounds like you're doing a great job. Keep doing what you're doing, and hang in there. Those first 2 months are such a fog.
I'm so glad you asked...who doesn't like to talk about their sob story?! I feel for you. Julius slept great the first night of his life in the hospital and didn't do that again until he was 8 months old! I know that's not encouraging...but what I'm saying is I think it's very normal. (By the way...Of all the books I read, I liked that book too.) Before 4 months we just sucked it up. Then we tried letting him cry himself to sleep at about 4 months...after about a week I decided he was still to little. It wasn't working...he didn't get it yet. Sometime later I heard you shouldn't try that until about 6 months old...but I don't know if that's true or not.ReplyDelete
All I can say is...patience. We tried absolutely everything you could possibly try. Nothing worked. He wasn't sleeping for more than 3 hours at a time at night, was almost impossible to get back to sleep when he woke up and to top it off...he wasn't even sleeping during the day. Ken would leave for work and I would cry because I was so tired. But we just kept trying to keep him on a schedule as much as possible and when he was about 6 months old just let him cry himself to sleep every night...sometimes for a couple hours. Sounds awful...but it was worth it. I think for Julius it was a combination of our efforts and just being ready. He is still a light sleeper (he gets it from Ken) and I think it just took him longer than some babies to figure out the sleep thing.
Buy ever since 8 or 9 months he has been an incredible sleeper. We drop him in the crib wide awake, hugs and kisses and he falls asleep all by himself. He's almost two and sleeps from 8:00 to 8:00 and still naps for at least 3 hours a day. But it was a long road and I'm not looking forward to switching him to a toddler bed! I think I'll keep him in the crib with the tent on it until he's like 5! Hang in there.
I literally didn't get more than three hours of sleep at a time, day or night until he was 8 months old. Needless to say I was a zombie and and didn't want any more children at that point.
Wow. I remember that 5-6 weeks of age is a HARD time! You'll get through it though. As everyone always told me, it DOES get better! Just look at Beanie and see how far she's come. Lamp will learn. You will get your sleep again too. You are an expert on baby sleeping but she is not yet. Hang in there. I noticed for myself that everything is so much harder when I have to wake up over and over in the night, and once that time came when I could sleep through the night again (because my baby learned how to), my brain worked better and my emotional well-being was a lot calmer too. Remember, you're not crazy, just tired, and that is NORMAL!! Hang in there. You'll figure out what works for Lamp.ReplyDelete
I feel you. It's been almost 8 months and I don't have a sleep schedule down. Lately, I've been getting up two to three times a night to nurse. Help me. When he was about 2.5 months he started to projectile vomit every night before bed and that lasted a month and a half. It sucked. So, needless to say I'm not great at sleep advice. My first one loves it, my second one kind of likes it, He just likes to be near me. I think your baby is adjusting to living outside of the womb and it really will take about three months to get it down. My friend let her baby CIO at 2 or 3 months and she said it worked and it's been heaven for her.ReplyDelete
What sort of worked for us, was the Baby Bjorn. Che would put baby Buster in the Bjorn and cover it with a blanket and then walked or jogged around the house until he fell asleep. Then he put him in bed with me or in your case you could put her in the cirb. I think the Bjorn has worked better then the wraps to be honest. I've tried all sorts of wraps and the babies both seemed happiest in the Bjorn.
Good Luck!
My girls both LOVED being awake, so sleep issues have always been a struggle. My second didn't really regulate her sleep schedule at all until she was about 4 months old. Even then she would still be really difficult to initially get to sleep. Then I stumbled upon a miracle for her (and our family). She would usually fall asleep in the car, and it always had to be dark with white noise. So for the first 12-14 months of her life....ugh, I hate to even admit it....she took every nap and slept part of many nights in her car seat in the bathroom with the bathroom fan on. For over a year. I know it sounds crazy, but after awhile she would fall instantly asleep the minute I put her in there. It worked at other people's homes as well. I would be at book clubs or leave her with a friend and they could always put her down for a nap. And she would sleep for 3 hours. If she slept in a crib, she would wake up after 45 minutes to an hour, because she was a light sleeper, but being restrained strapped into the carseat, she would just go back to sleep. Everyone thought it was crazy until they saw it work month after month after month. I even have a friend who used to mock me but now puts her baby to sleep the same way. I don't recommend doing it for nearly as long as I did, but hey whatever works. My daughter is now 19 months old and she is a dream. She is so happy because she always gets enough sleep. Honestly, this was a miracle for me and for our family, and I do not use that term lightly. She would NEVER sleep if she wasn't in the bathroom. She now sleeps in a crib fine. The transition was pretty easy, because she had learned to fall back asleep during her naps. I also recommend the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. Good luck finding what works for your girl! Your baby is beautiful.ReplyDelete


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Thai HIV Prevention Ad Serves Hilarious 'Birthday Surprise' To Horny Teen
Nigel Campbell | April 18, 2014
A Thai HIV-prevention ad aimed at encouraging HIV testing raised some of our biggest fears with its hilarious twist at the end!
Let's just say horny teens should always lock their doors... (NSFW-ish):
Birthday surprise or birthday nightmare??
The ad comes courtesy of HIV/AIDS organization, TestBKK.
(H/T: The Gaily Grind)


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December 2012 and the End of the Mayan Calendar
This analysis is based on a triple composite chart cast for the following three dates: the New Moon of December 13; the End of the Mayan Calendar & Winter Solstice (11:11 am and 11:12 am respectively) on December 21; and the Full Moon of December 28. All dates and times are UT.
A great deal of speculation surrounds the date marking the end of the Mayan calendar. Frankly, I cannot speak to all that. However, I can say that the chart for that date is quite remarkable. For this analysis, I have included that date in a triple composite in order to link it with the flow of events I have been tracking, to make it part of a trajectory. Technically, adding that date to the usual New and Full Moon composite makes a small but significant difference. It moves the Ascendant from Capricorn to Aquarius.
The December 2012 chart encompasses all the themes that have dominated recent charts: deep personal transformation; the liberation and empowerment of women and the ascendancy of the feminine principle generally; the subtilization and spiritualization of intimate relationships (the end of "relationships as usual"); nurturance issues, i.e., providing the basic requirements of life for all members of society. This chart turns these themes into a single theme: thorough social, economic and political reform actively linked to deep personal transformation.
More, all the disparate, disjointed transformational processesdescribed in recent charts going back several years combine into one, integral process. More specifically, this chart blends the process of personal transformation with the process of social transformation.
All the aspects are centered in the left, or personal half of the chart. It looks a bit like a cat's cradle. This matrix of aspects filters everything that passes between the world and the individual, and vice versa, drawing it all into a transformative process.
Aquarius is on the Ascendant. Aquarius represents those idealistic, humanitarian abstractions most often associated with our higher selves, or our "better angels." Leo is on the Descendant. In practice, it represents those things in our lives to which the ego tends to be most strongly attached. Leo, like all the Sun signs, is capable of transcending the ego. But given the way the world works, most of the influences entering through the Leo Descendant will probably be ego-based. Hence, as a practical matter, this chart describes a tension between the ego and the higher self.
The aspects occupy the half of the chart nearest the Ascendant, Aquarius, and, in effect, form a force field around the individual, bending all incoming and outgoing energies in an Aquarian direction. The individual will want to take everything and everyone, including themselves, in an Aquarian direction. In essence, this structure actively and strenuously supports consciousness raising and dialogue aimed at upliftment.
Clearly, the details of the process will vary from individual to individual and from circumstance to circumstance.
The transformative matrix and the strong Aquarian/Leo polarity are the chart's defining characteristics. There are no exact aspects between the major planets, for example, or any other unusual events to speak of, around which ideas or events can crystallize.
One feature of the matrix stands out: the opening of the matrix, it's widest point, is occupied by a Yod. The Yod is named after the Hebrew letter, Yod, often described as "the finger of God." It points the way.
The Yod is formed by Pluto in Capricorn, Saturn in Scorpio and Jupiter retrograde in Gemini. Pluto is in Capricorn on the cusp of the 11th & 12th; Saturn is in Scorpio in the 9th. Saturn and Pluto are in mutual reception and in favorable, sextile relationship. Saturn and Jupiter form the base of the Yod. Retrograde Jupiter in Gemini in the 4th near the Imum Coeli, occupies the apex of the Yod, destabilizing the energy and, thus, stimulating and directing debate. Jupiter's retrograde motion will only amplify the tendency of the Yod to deepen and complicate discussion.
Typically, Yods do not yield quick or easy resolution. Rather, they tend to prolong discussions, drawing participants into ever more subtle or obscure issues. Given the difficulty and the importance of the issues currently under discussion by the world's leaders, this has to be seen as a good thing.
Anyone who thinks that current issues can, or will, be bent into the old, vexing polarities, into the counter-productive, conflict prone patterns of recent times, is seriously deluding themselves.
This Yod effectively links the consciousness of the wealthy and powerful to the consciousness of the grassroots, the consciousness of the 1% and the 99%, in a single dynamic structure supporting an ever deepening dialogue. It drives changes in attitude at both the governmental and the grassroots levels, at once and in tandem.
Beyond discussion and dialogue, the Yod will tend to generate an endless series of events in the real world that illustrate the meaning of the Yod and the importance of the issues it raises in our lives. The Yod turns the world into a learning environment and puts us all on a learning curve.
All the planets in the Yod, Pluto, Saturn and Jupiter, are part of extended stelliums.
Pluto and Saturn are part of a group of planets that include Juno, Sun, Mercury Venus, the North Node at the base of the Yod. They are in the 9th thru the 11th houses, from Scorpio to Capricorn, at the top of the chart. Both signs and houses govern things like power, administrative authority, governing philosophy and social responsibility.
The stellium at the top of the chart indicates that just about every facet of the rules that govern our lives, individually and collectively, will be re-negotiated.
- Pluto's involvement will affect all power and control issues.
- Juno's involvement will affect the structure of church- and state-sanctioned marriage and other kinds of lifelong bonds.
- The Sun's involvement will affect higher, conscious, voluntary aspects of our identity, including, for example, the principles that govern conscience and the sense of beauty.
- Mercury's involvement will affect all forms of communication, including and especially language – what and how things can be communicated.
- Venus's involvement will affect love and the affections generally as well as more intimate aspects of our lives.
- The North Node's involvement will lend a sense of direction and of mission.
- Saturn's involvement will lend a realistic understanding of the limits we work against. It will add a sense of seriousness and urgency. And it will make the outcome of this process durable.
Structurally, the stellium at the apex of the Yod (but at the bottom of the chart) focuses the deliberations of the powerful on the well-being of the grassroots, the 99%.
In countries across the globe, the most thoughtful, powerful and authoritative people in society will be immersed in an effort to rethink the rules by which they govern.
The South Node, Jupiter, Lilith, Vesta and Ceres are in Taurus, Gemini and Cancer in the 3rd, 4th and fifth houses, respectively. These houses and signs govern grassroots politics, economics, family and everyday social life. There is also a very strong but not exclusive emphasis on the feminine.
- The South Node requires that we bring fresh insights about conditions at the grassroots to bear. In this position, the South Node also requires a collective, governmental approach to challenges. Efforts to shift burdens to the local level, for example, will backfire quickly and badly.
- Retrograde Jupiter tells us that the creation of new wealth for the whole of society will depend on improving economic growth and general well-being at the grassroots level. Jupiter's retrograde motion will drive the discussion into even deeper and more subtle areas than would otherwise be the case with a Yod.
- Lilith's involvement tells us that any solution will require the empowerment of women and the strengthening of the feminine principle generally.
- Vesta's involvement tells us to expect dedication, even militant commitment to principles and ideals.
- Ceres' involvement tells us that nurturance issues, issues surrounding birth, death, nourishment, cultivation and social welfare generally, the overall quality of life at the grassroots, from birth to death, pervade high level discussions.
In recent charts, the feminine principle has been foregrounded. The same is true in this chart. The importance of the feminine principle is strongly emphasized in the Yod that, itself, strongly influences the meaning of the entire chart. Among other things, Lilith, Vesta and Ceres, for example, placements just discussed, are all strongly and closely associated with the feminine, so are Cancer and the fourth house.
A group of planets in the leftmost, personal half of the chart drives intense psychological and personal transformation with a decidedly radical, revolutionary flavor.
These planetary placements are all strong, but they are also complex and paradoxical, impossible for the ego to process without going beyond existing mental, emotional and behavioral boundaries.
- Mars is in Capricorn in the 12th house. It is strongly placed by sign, exalted in Capricorn and reinforced by Pluto in Capricorn on the cusp of the 12th. It is in the house of Neptune. Mars is also in mutual reception with Neptune by house. This is a volatile house placement, not ideal for Mars. Nor is it particularly comfortable for Neptune.
- Neptune and Chiron are strongly placed in the 1st,suggesting an expansion and a spiritualization of the sense of self, a transcendence of the ego, and a lessening of materialistic motives. Chiron's influence can bring physical illness or injury to the extent that these are needed to destroy obstacles to personal growth.
- Pallas is also in Pisces in the 2nd. This points to a transformation of our spending patterns, making them more socially conscious, more consistent with our evolving, more idealistic, Aquarian goals.
- The Moon conjoins Uranus in Aries the 2nd house. This contact is exact to within 17' of arc, (extremely close) in the 2nd house. The personality is suffused with revolutionary, Uranian energy leading to a desire for economic reform and the use of grassroots economics to bring reform.
The Part of Fortune is in Virgo, near the cusp of the 8th house.
This placement of the Part of Fortune indicates strong, substantive support for those coping with intense inner and outer changes, especially changes affecting nurturance, lifestyle and quality of life issues.
The entire panorama described above plays out in the tension between Aquarius and Leo, between concern for the group and concern for the individual. The tendency will be to move things in an Aquarian direction, to place the individual's thoughts and intentions in a wider, collective, universal context. But it also plays out within a new, dynamic, long-term arrangement of the powerful outermost planets.
In October, Saturn entered Scorpio putting the finishing touches on a new, more stable, supportive and lasting arrangement of the outer planets. (See the final paragraphs of October's post.) The Yod that drives our December chart taps directly into the power of this new arrangement. In fact, the entire matrix of aspects just discussed is solidly embedded in this new planetary arrangement.
Saturn and Pluto, the two planets with the most concrete, immediate and unavoidable effects on our lives are most directly involved in December's Yod. But the other two planets in this new arrangement, Uranus and Neptune, also play an important role in December.
Basically, December's chart harnesses the power of this new planetary formation in the service of a veritable epidemic of personal transformation and general reform. It also combines these two processes, individual transformation and societal transformation, into a single holistic process.
The Winter solstice chart always affects the month's immediately following it. But I believe this chart sets the agenda and the tone for decades to come.
It embraces all of the important themes and trends of our times in a single holistic, transformational process. It also embraces the individual and the group in that same holistic, transformational process. The current planetary arrangement is, in astrological terms, monumental and its effects are not likely to be transitory. It is not in any sense a passing phenomenon.
The chart for December 2012 and The End of the Mayan Calendar marks an important threshold: the world shifted from one in which vitally important trends were moving on different, often conflicting tracks and the powerful among us were at odds with each other and with those they governed, to a world in which the trends interact harmoniously and everyone, government and the governed, 1% and 99%, work together, if not always amicably, toward a single end.
Hence, the chart for December 2012 seems to me to describe a watershed moment. As a strictly practical matter, the planetary forces set in motion in this chart will take a generation or two, or three, to fully play out.
The December 2012 chart promises personal transformation and holistic social, economic and political reform. But we must remember, one person's reform is another person's unwelcome change; one nation's revolution is another nation's security threat; one person's spiritual transformation is another person's grounds for divorce.
All change is difficult and the scale and scope of change foretold in this chart will be difficult indeed. Many among us will not handle it well.


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Roger Brown's First and 10: Concord, Pinkerton could clash againBy ROGER BROWN
New Hampshire Union Leader
October 12. 2013 11:42PM
NHIAA Football ScoresFRIDAY NIGHT
Division I
Exeter 55, Alvirne 28
Keene 30, Winnacunnet 19
Nashua South 42, Dover 22
Nashua N. 34, Timberlane 28, OT
Bedford 45, Man. Memorial 14
Concord 21, Pinkerton 14
Londonderry 45, Merrimack 14
Central 33, West 6
Division II
Portsmouth 49, St. Thomas 28
Merrimack Valley 28, Sanborn 7
Pembroke 38, Kingswood 23
Windham 42, Kennett 14
Lebanon 30, Hanover 14
Division III
Franklin 27, Winnisquam 6
Mascoma 54, Fall Mountain 20
Division I
Goffstown 28, Salem 22
Bp. Guertin 38, Spaulding 26
Division II
Plymouth 37, Laconia 0
Milford 42, John Stark 7
Hollis/Brook 35, Kearsarge 0
ConVal at Monadnock, n
Trinity 26, Souhegan 13
Division III
Bow 33, I-L/Moultonboro 0
Gilford 43, Newfound 42
Campbell 57, Raymond 7
Bishop Brady 41, Farm-Nute 14
Newport 52, Windsor, Vt. 14
Pelham 21, Epping-Newm 7
Shortly after No. 1 Concord defeated No. 4 Pinkerton Academy 21-14 in overtime Friday night, a reporter approached Concord coach Eric Brown and asked him the following question: "Did the better team win tonight?"
There was a lengthy pause and some hesitation before Brown gave his answer.
"It's a great question," he said. "I'm going to say yes. We did it when it counted. We may see them again. (Pinkerton) is a good football team. I think we're pretty good and we made plays when we had to."
This much is clear: If there's a gap separating Concord (6-0) and Pinkerton (4-2), it's credit-card thin.
Pinkerton's defense appeared to have the game in hand. The Astros had a 14-6 lead late in the fourth quarter, and had sacked Concord quarterback Robbie Law four times in the second half.
Pinkerton's lead seemed safe until Law connected with Walter Szulc for a 50-yard pass play with just over a minute remaining in regulation. That led to a 13-yard TD pass from Law to Szulc with 51.1 seconds to play. Law's run on the two-point conversion attempt followed and tied the game.
The Crimson Tide defense stiffened in overtime. The Astros lost a yard on three running plays before Jack Hanaway's fourth-down pass to an uncovered Manny Latimore was deflected and fell to the ground.
"You have to give (Concord) credit because they did what they had to do, but we had this game locked up," Pinkerton coach Brian O'Reilly said. "We did not finish. We let this one get away from us.
"I will tell you that if there were any questions about whether we belong in the top with everyone else - of course we do. I always knew that. We will be there in November. They will be there in November. Whether we'll play each other I don't know.
"Big games are big games. They are playoff-atmosphere games, but they are not playoff games. There is a tomorrow."
Concord's next test will come Friday night, when it faces Bedford (6-0) at home. That game will likely feature the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in next week's Union Leader/WGIR/WMUR Power Poll, which will be released Monday morning.
"I can't speak enough about our defense," Brown said. "I can't say enough about their defense as well. We're a pretty explosive offense and they contained us very well tonight. We were gritty when it counted."
- - - - - - -
Portsmouth's 49-28 victory over St. Thomas of Dover on Friday night created a three-way tie at the top of the Division II East standings. Portsmouth, St. Thomas and Merrimack Valley are all 5-1, but the Clippers would win all of the tiebreakers since they also beat Merrimack Valley earlier this season.
Portsmouth trailed 14-0 after one quarter, but led 28-14 at halftime. St. Thomas allowed 41 points in its first five games, but surrendered 622 yards of offense to the Clippers.
Portsmouth quarterback Donovan Phanor completed 13 of 27 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns, and carried the ball 16 times for 163 yards and one TD.
One of the two playoff spots up for grabs in Division II East will likely be determined when Merrimack Valley plays at St. Thomas on Oct. 26.
- - - - - - -
Londonderry is another team that took a giant step toward securing a playoff berth Friday, when it beat Merrimack 45-14.
The Lancers and Tomahawks are both 3-3 and trail only Pinkerton in the Division I South standings. Londonderry's victory will give the Lancers the tiebreaker edge over Merrimack if the teams finish with identical records.
- - - - - -
Quarterback Alex Parenteau rushed for 204 yards and four touchdowns in Keene's 30-19 triumph over Winnacunnet of Hampton on Friday night. ... Lebanon received three field goals from offensive tackle Grayson Hardy (33, 35 and 43 yards) in its 30-14 triumph over Hanover. Hardy has made five field goals this season. ... Central running back Jesiah Wade followed up last weekend's 556-yard rushing performance against Merrimack by running for 150 yards on 22 carries in Central's 33-6 victory over Manchester West on Friday. Wade scored two rushing TDs, caught a TD pass and returned a kick for a touchdown. ... Quarterback Trevor Knight rushed for 125 yards and three touchdowns on four carries in the third quarter of No. 3 Nashua South's 42-22 victory over Dover. Knight finished the game with 221 yards rushing as South improved to 6-0.
Roger Brown covers high school football for the New Hampshire Union Leader and Sunday News. He can be reached at email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter: @603sportsmedia.


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Life-cycle costing tools
WASH Agenda for Change (WA4C) Roadmap, Tools and Approaches Workshop, June Monday 27 – Tuesday 28,...
Prepare for life-cycle costs and service level data for sharing
Access and share life-cycle costs quickly
IRC will present its WASHCost calculator at a fair showcasing innovations in the sanitation sector.
District partnerships are at the heart of the WASH Agenda for Change (WA4C).
Water for People's Kim Lemme examines a new Excel-based cost analysis tool.