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Apple reduce their commission

Apple have announced that publishers will receive a bigger slice of the revenue generated from in-app subscriptions and edition purchases. Up until now Apple have always taken a 30% commission on all sales, but  Apple will keep just 15% of the revenue after the first year.

So if your magazine app has had subscribers for more than a year, you’ll get an extra 15%  from Apple as they reduce their slice of the revenue.

Apple will continue to take a 30% cut during the first year of a subscripiton, so retaining  subscribers beyond year one now has a greater incentive.

Magazine App Re-imagined

Welcome to the future of the magazine app: Apazine version 5

The latest generation magazine app from Apazine is the biggest leap forward in our history. We’ve reimagined the magazine app having listened to our customers, readers and publishers, and we’ve built what we believe is the best magazine app in the world. We’ve also kept to our hallmark pricing structure as low as ever, with zero set up fees. With so many unique features and a great new user interface, magazines on the Apazine app platform have just become the best you can get.

The new app home screen is a completely new design, with the latest issue being featured at the top in a larger format. We’ve added top bar and a menu button where users will now access sign in, restore purchases and app help functions. The pull-screen-to-refresh replaces the old refresh button and we’ve improved our app to server connection speed to be lightening fast.

The new Newsfeed button enables publishers to stream any HTML directly to the app, and we’ve added the ability to not only add enriched PDF content, but also add content as HTML streams and video, that sit alongside the PDF thumbnails on the home screen. This enables publishers to add fresh, phone friendly, content to the home screen every day without creating a PDF. HTML content pages swipe like a magazine, and scroll vertically like web pages. Publishers who can create web pages can now create app pages using HTML.

The home screen has another brand new button: Search Back Issues. This enables users to enter a keyword and find a match in any back issue of the magazine, whether it is downloaded or not. This is a game changer as it offers a much enhanced user experience and enables the publisher to sell ‘Netflix’ style subscription access to all content – which will give a huge boost to subscription sales.

When adding content, publishers can categorise content, and create custom categories such as special editions, brochures, reports, and so on. This enables users to filter the content that displays. Users can also select the ‘My Library’ category to only view editons they have previously downloaded – perfect for offline viewing.

As well as re-imagining the tablet app, the Apazine iPhone and Android phone app has also been reinvented. With a more modern user interface and greatly enhanced functionality, the phone experience is second to none. Now the app supports non PDF content as well as PDF, publishers can offer phone users a device responsive experience, and can easily add fresh content on a more regular basis.

The new side menus offer an enhanced user experience, with easy access to sign in, restore purchases and help options.

For more information and a full list of features of the Apazine v5 app
please contact

Why You Need To Partner With An iOS Newsstand App Developer

The recent hype about the latest release from Apple –  iOS8 and then all of the problems and issues that arose from it and the subsequent patches really highlights the many pitfalls and challenges involved in keeping your app up to date and functioning correctly. For many publishers this can be a real drain on internal resources and can be a costly exercise. Also if not handled correctly it can damage both your reputation and creditability with your digital readership.

That is why working with an established iOS app Newstand developer such as Apazine makes sound business sense. We take all the challenges of  understanding and managing new operating system and devices releases away from you.  We offer a fully managed service which means you do not have to concern yourself with the technical aspects of managing your app.  Everything is taken care of and is totally transparent to both you and your digital readership. Our app is fully compatible with the very latest iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

We have been building apps for the app stores since 2012 and have a long and proven track record.  We provide newsstand apps for some of the most respected publications in the UK  and our client list grows daily.   1000’s of digital editions have been published using our app and have been read by 100’s of thousands of digitial readers.  Apazine Version 4 takes the publication of digital magazines to the next level both in terms functionality and ease of use.

Want to see how your existing publication would look once it is published within a magazine app, then sign up for a no obligation trial. Simply send us a copy of your existing print workflow PDF and we will upload it to Newsstand via our demonstrator app.  You can then downlaod the app and see your publication come to life on a tablet or smartphone.

Why You Need A Magazine App

If you where ever unsure why you need a magazine app, then recent research from Association Of Magazine Media indicates that ‘since starting to read digital magazines more than 1 in 4 say they have increased their reading time spent with magazine media (both print and digital)’.

This would suggest that the digital magazine market is stimulating both the digital and printed edition markets.

This combined with the hugh increase in  iPad ownership and the recent release of the new iPhone 6’s means that  if you have not already, then the decision to make a magazine app has never been higher on the list of strategic milestones for publishers.

The research also shows that some 80% or respondants took some form of ‘on line’ action after downloading the digital version of a magazine,  with this figure rising to 85% in the 18 – 34 age bracket.

It also shows that digital readers want to buy directly from within their magazine apps. 67% are interested in purchasing products and services directly from the ads they see in digital editions. In addition 62% are interested in buying products and services directly from the articles and features they read in digital editions.

This kind of engagement shows that digital magazine ads lead to positive advertising results and unlike printed editions – there are good analytics to study and understand exactly how your digital edition is performing, details top content and advertisers click thru rates.

Here are Apazine, we offer a fully managed service and can help you bring your magazine app live to app stores in around two weeks.   Our system is easy and simple to use, there is no specialist knowledge required or ‘coding skills’ involved.

The system is designed to be managed by non technical staff.

You can see a full range of our magazine app features here.  The list if full and comprehensive, and allows you to build as much or as little interactivy as you feel is nesscessary to bring your digital edition to life.

Our pricing is also very transparent, with a clear affordable monthly fee, there are no hidden costs and we offer unlimted storage and unlimited downloads (some platforms charge per download) and we also allow you to publish unlimted editions within the lifetime of your app.

Email support for both you and users of your app comes as standard.

Want to see how your existing publication would look once it is published within a magazine app, then sign up for a no obligation trial. simply send us a copy of your existing print workflow PDF and we will upload it to Newsstand via our demonstrator app.

Source:   Report data and statistics taken from the 2013/2014 MPA Factbook

Choosing A Newsstand App Developer

Having made the decision to make your magazine available on the various app stores and to reach out to a global digital audience,  you now have that very difficult and challenging task of actually making it happen.

An alternative to Adobe DPS

You may consider using Adobes DPS solution,   but creating your own app in this  way, in-house, can way be hugely expensive as there are many hidden costs (such as server/storage costs and also download fulfilment costs) and of course it is time consuming as you may need to have dedicated  internal resource to ensure you keep ahead of any technical updates and challenges. Here at Apazine we really do offer an Adobe DPS alternatives solution.

The most cost and time effective solution by far is to work with an existing newsstand app developer,  such as Apazine. We offer a totally managed solution, which means  we take care of every aspect for you. From the initial app customisation and branding , the entire app store approval process,  right though to handing any future device software and operating system  updates.  We also host  and manage your app and allow you to upload unlimited digital editions for unlimited distribution and downloads.

Working with Apazine leaves you free to concentrate on the important task of managing your publication, our process is designed to have no impact on your existing work-flows. Using our  client  dashboard, you can log-in to our system via any web browser, and quickly add new editions, send push notifications to your readership as well as viewing  statistics regarding your editions. Our admin system is intuitive, easy to use and absolutely requires no specialist training.

For new apps the whole initial process is quicker than you might think.  In just a matter of a couple of weeks, you’ll could have your own app store approved, fully branded smartphone/ipad app.  Have you digital editions ready for your readership both old and new and of course these can be filled with interactive features and rich media, which are proven  to increase both reader engagement and attention, which in turn is  great news for your advertisers.

Why work with Apazine?

Well we have a long established and proven track record, we have been building magazine apps since 2012 and there are thousands of digital editions that have been published using Apazine app technology.  Our app solution covers the iphone, ipad, android and Amazon Kindle  platforms .  Also as new devices are launched on the marketplace or as existing devices are updated we ensure that your app will continue to be 100% compatible and fully functional.  Our totally managed solution means that you do not have to be concerned with any of  these technical issues, just simply leave that to us.

We work with some of the biggest names in publishing. Publications in the Apazine portfolio include  Chelsea Magazines, publications  such as Cruise International, Yachts & Yachting, Sailing Today.  Also  within the Apazine portfolio are Hi-Fi World, Songlines and Rocksound Magazine, we also provide the app for the British Printing Industries Federation.

So why not take Apazine for a test drive today. Get in touch and arrange a no obligation demonstration . Simply send us a PDF of your one of your existing editions, we will add some interactivity, and you’ll be able to download it from the app store using our demonstrator app.

Benefits of Digital Publishing

Digital Magazine Publishing

You often hear the ‘buzz‘ regarding Digitial Magazine Publishing, but what that really mean to you the publisher.

Instant distribution – your digital editions will  reach readers globally and at the same time and showing the correct local pricing .

Generate revenue from your whole catalog of  back issues – publishers can potentially make their whole back catalogue of issues available via the digital platform.  Providing not only a valuable archive but potentially a  significant new income if this library of back issues can be purchased.

New advertising revenue channels – adverts and articles can be enriched with live web-links, interactive galleries, video/audio streams and animation, engaging your digital reader and bringing instant response to your advertisers investment. You can have very  prominent sponsorships positions that cannot be achieved in print editions  such as your apps initial splash page and click-able rotating banner slots.

Collect valuable customer data – digital editions offer valuable insight into a publications readership, reading , likes and dislikes, and gives data to add to mailing lists. You are also able to analyse which pages within your edition are read the most and time spent on individual pages, giving you tremendous insight, which in turn, will help you take your digital publication forward.

Target New Digital Readership – digital publishing allows you to reach new readers in a global market and also potentially generate revenue from any pre existing web based traffic which was previously not able to pay to access premium content.

Sell recurring  subscriptions and single/one-off editions – subscriptions either print or digital can be hugely important. Publishers can automatically sell recurring subscriptions as well as selling single issue purchases and one-off special editions.

Build Brand Awareness For You As A Publisher and Your Digital Edition – your magazine app  is sat on a users device screen at all times.  The icon displayed reflects your current branding and the branding is consistent through your app – re-enforcing your brands  overall message.

The end result should be to increase readership loyalty and more importantly readership retention which long-term will lead to greater subscription revenue or advertising revenue as your digital readership grows.

Create A Digital Magazine

How do I create a digital magazine?

This question is generally at the top of the list of questions when considering publishing digital editions. Whilst this may seem overwhelming, if you already produce a paper edition, then with Apazines help creating a digital magazine can be just a simple ‘tweak’ of your existing workflow.

Your digital editions are contained and published within your own fully branded ‘app’, it is the app that consumers see and download when they visit the various app stores. All apps must go through an approval process specifically with Apple and Kindle (Amazon). The whole initial app store approval process can be a minefield of red tape and App Store challenges. This is why we offer publishers a fully managed service, that is to say we supply you with the PDF specifications and a simple form to complete. Once the forms are back from you and we have your set of initial edition PDF files, we will build your branded app and then submit it to the app stores for approval on your behalf (Apple App store approval can take around two weeks).

Once it has been approved, using our simple administration dashboard,  you can upload new editions and update existing editions.  The production of the PDF to generate your digital editions should be created from your original print PDF via an optimisation process.  The optimised PDF can then be enhanced by adding some of our awesome magazine app features such as:

  • Streamed Video
  • Streamed Audio
  • Adobe Edge animate clips
  • HTML5 snippets
  • Live Email Links
  • Live Web Links
  • Image Galleries both Swiped and Carousal

One the PDF has been enriched you can simply publish the digitial edition.  This dynamcially updates in the various app stores and your subscribers and app user are informed automatically that a new edition is availble.

Sounds straight forward,  it is with Apazine, creating a digital magazine could not be easier.

We would strongly recommend that you apply for your own developers accounts for the platforms that your app will be built on. This future proofs your digital investment in that you have complete ownership of the apps names and descriptions. We are on hand to guide you through this simple process and steer you clear on any pitfalls.  Some alternative solution providers out there will develop an app on their own developers account and currently Apple do not let developers transfer ownership of Newsstand apps once they ‘go live’.    This is not a situation any publisher would want to find themselves in as the ‘developer’ could in fact pull your app from the various app stores at any time.

How To Publish On Newsstand

Newsstand Publishing

The digital edition revolution really came about with the launch of the Apple iPad and the then iPad mini.  According to Forbes about 178 million iPads had been sold by mid-November 2013 (this does not any include iPad mini sales).

So given this flood of devices, what exactly where people doing of their tablets. One of the major benefits of the iPad over the iPhone was obviously the increased screen size and because of this reading publications – magazines in particular became far more viable.

There is one clear winner in the ‘go to’ place for digital magazines and that is Apples Newsstand.  Newsstand publishing is really the major consideration when bringing a publication to the digital marketplace.

The magazine folder, Newsstand, now comes pre-installed on all Apple mobile and tablet devices,  the number of publications available within the Newsstand systems grows everyday and as of Q2 2014 the number of publications available exceeded 10,000.

Given this number  and with so much choice out there for the consumer – what needs to be done to make your  digital publication stand out from the crowd?

Adding the ‘right‘ level of interactivity is one  thing publishers should keep in mind when launching a new digital magazine. Finding the right balance between features that bring a publication to ‘life’ and too many interactive bells and whistles just for the sake of it. Interactively really must bring value to a digital edition, otherwise it can turn off a reader.

Like most digital platforms, positive comments and users reviews can help your newsstand app, but keep in mind that negative ratings or users comments on Newsstand can damage the reputation of  a digital publication over night.

Another really important factor and one that is sometimes forgotten, is to truly understand the analytics linked to your Newsstand app.  You will be able to see edition page popularity and actual time spent on pages and which of your advertisers adverts had the greatest engagement.  Use this information, learn from it and move your digital edition forward.

So can you get on board with Apple Newsstand publishing? The answer is  YES – partner with Apazine and we could have your publication up and available on Apples Newsstand in just a matter of weeks.

Want to see how your existing publication would look once it is published within a magazine app, then sign up for a no obligation trial. simply send us a copy of your existing print workflow PDF and we will upload it to Newsstand via our demonstrator app.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Alternative To Adobe DPS

If you are looking to build your own smartphone or tablet magazine app, and really would like an Adobe Digital Publishing Suite alternative, then read on and see just how  teaming up with a trusted magazine app developer like  Apazine can help you.

Apazine is probably the most successful of all the Adobe DPS alternative solutions out on the market place. It is very flexible in its design and is extremely efficient in its work-flow processes. With Apazine, building and creating your own app does not need to be very expensive and does not involve any specialist coding knowledge or skills.  You can simply email  us at and we can take it from there and arrange a demonstration using your existing publication.

Our latest version of Apazine – Version 4 comes as standard with the following library of features.

Join thousands of magazines on the Newsstand and App Stores and reach millions of new readers. We will categorise your app to be listed under your relevant section and embed keywords for discoverability.

Client Dashboard

Using our Client Dashboard, you can log-in to our system via any web browser, and add new editions, send push notifications and view statistics. Our system is easy to use and requires no specialist training.

User Analysis

View a detailed analysis of download activity, subscription sales, web links clicked, user location, videos watched and more. Live analytics can be viewed by logging into our system via any web browser.

In App Adertising

Using our unique advertising module, you can upload advertising banners and splash screens which will appear on your app. Our system will monitor click rates giving you a great new revenue stream.

Data Capture

Every app user is prompted to submit their name and email address. This information is collected for you to download via our client dashboard. Create valuable databases of your digital readers.

Atom Feed

On Apple’s Newsstand, the app icon is automatically updated as your current front cover. Our system integrates with Apple, using Atom Feed technology, so your app store cover is always current.

Push Notifications

Each time you publish a new edition users of your app will be notified, by a push notification message. Customised notifications can also be sent to keep your readers up to date with your app news.

Image Sliders

Add multiple images to your articles using our image sliders module. Shake off the limitations of print and add stunning image galleries to your articles. Users swipe your photographs to reveal the next image.

Live Links

It takes just a few seconds to automatically convert the email and web addresses, contained in your PDF, into functioning live links. Your app has a built-in web browser so web pages will open within the app.

Internal Page Links

Bring your contents page and cover teaser text to life by creating internal page links. Make your editions feel truly interactive with easy page navigation through your digital edition.

HTML5 enables you to achieve unlimited interactivity. Your app is fully compatible with HTML5, which is easy to add to your pages to bring them to life. Our back end system even has a simple HTML5 editor.

Lock Oreintation

For editions that are non-standard shape or size, you can set the orientation to landscape mode making it easy for you to take control of the page display orientation in your app.

For Apple devices that use Air Print hardware, you can choose to enable the print feature within your app. Enabling people to print out your pages and keep articles for reference.

In-App Purchase

Sell your editions and subscriptions from within your app as an in app purchase. You’ll receive the funds directly to your bank account, and most subscriptions will auto renew.

Subscriber Module

Simply upload a user list to our platform and enable your paying subscribers to download your digital editions free of charge. We can automate this if your user databases are online.

Apazine prices start from just £195 or $290 per month and there is no initial set-up fee.

Our simple monthly magazine app pricing structure covers all the functionality detailed above plus

  • Publish unlimited editions
  • Unlimited magazine hosting
  • No additional download charges
  • Apps on both the Apple and Android platform
  • Your own developer account (this means you actually own the magazine app not us)
  • Phone and email support for both you and your subscribers
  • Free Apps Updates to reflect the latest technology changes
  • Access to our HTML5 page turning platform at a discounted rate

Apazine really does offer a proven alternative to adobe dps – for more information on Apazine and its pricing structure  visit our main site – or drop us an email at and we can take it from there and arrange a demonstration using your publication files.

Apazine Magazine App Developer

Apazine Magazine App Developer

As magazine app developers – Apazine V1.00  was launched back in 2012 with one simple goal – to make the creation of magazine apps easy,  affordable and accessible to publishers without technical resource on hand.

Our first magazine app was approved on app stores back in Q4 2012  with the ‘Songlines Magazine’ (World music magazine covering the world’s most exciting music from traditional and popular to contemporary and fusion) .

Our portfolio of publications has grown with amazing speed and we now have 1000’s of editions that are published using the Apazine platform and recently The Chelsea Magazine Company moved their fabulous portfolio of titles onto our platform and we are very proud to be the magazine app partners of the publishers who create some of Britain’s most popular magazines.  Their portfolio includes Yachts and Yachting, Sailing Today, Classic Boat, Racecar Engineering, Cruise International, Little London, Artists & Illustrators, Independent School Parent and Britain Magazine.

We are now  Apazine V4.00 which is fully functional with all the latest versions of operating systems from  Apple, Android and Amazon Kindle.  We have extended the library of features that we have built-in and expanded our analytics section, so that publishers can gain real insights into their digital readership.

We think we have achieved our original goal and strive to continue to exceed our clients expectations.  If you would like to team up with Apazine to bring your current print edition into the digital edition world with your own branded magazine app then get in touch or sign up for a no obligation demo and see what your current publication would look like using our demonstrator app.


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Saturday, February 21, 2015

Text Art: (just about) Complete

art of apex

Above: Winnie the Pooh. This 3D sculpture uses a book and sculpey wrapped in text.

The first round project, Text Art, which is one of the only projects everyone in class was required to complete, is just about wrapped up. If we hadn't had so many snow days this week, we would have presented them on Friday for out first Feel good Friday critique day... ok, so lets try that again next Friday.

In the meantime, here are a few of the (just about) completed Text Art projects.

Many students tried their hand at Blackout Poems as short, 1-2 day challenge projects before diving into their final project. Here is one of those poems.

Not completed yet but I like where it's going. Nice contrast between the warm and cool colors as well as the organic curls and geometrical symbols. She told me what it says but I forget :)

art of apex

Pathing text can be challenging but this piece does a great job especially displaying movement as is evidenced in this black and white version and also depth as is displayed in the version below.

Same piece as above only colorized.

This took an incredibly long time to assemble... and about 15 seconds to burn completely. Below is the video of it burning...

I like the design sense used in this work. The angles of not only the words but also the background.

The person on the swing reading a book, carved in a scientific book. Begs the question, what is the person reading?

It reads: "Silence Speaks Volume"

This project took a lot more to complete than either the student or I expected!

Monday, February 16, 2015

Art History Pop Up Books

In Art History, we dug deeper into the world of art by exploring some of the stories behind the famous art works we've been looking at. What's the best way to do this you might ask? Well, by writing a book... and not just any book... a pop up book.

For example, take the story of Jackson Pollock and the Cockroach.

It all starts when Paul, a cockroach, and his friend Bill, also a cockroach, discovered a mysterious white cloth on the floor.

"What is it?" asked Bill.
"I don't know," said Paul "but I wanna touch it!"
Bill looked at Paul and shook his antennas. "Don't Paul. It could be a trap!"
Paul laughed at him. "Don't be stupid. It's fine. see?" Paul ran back and fourth across the white space.
As he was running, big, black blogs fell all around him. He panicked and tried to escape but a blog fell right on him.
"Help!" He screamed to his friend Bill but Bill had run off. Paul struggled to get free but the blobs kept falling. Paul was stuck forever and is still there today.

Other stories include How Nefertiti Lost Her Eye

Degas Dancers

Mean Girls Venus and Medusa

and Walter and the Water lilly.

Other stories include: The Eternal Hippo Hunt, Dr Tulp's Zombie Apocalypse and Watson and the Shark...

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Not for the Faint of Heart Art Teacher

At the beginning of this semester we rolled out a new idea. The students were free to select (or not select) any unit and in any order they desired. They are not required to follow any particular sequence. Once they have completed a unit, they are free to choose any other unit they wish to explore.

This idea, along with the units was presented in a previous post titled Art Ed Vision: Open, Flexible, Transparent.

Advice for Teachers

The class is now underway I can will admit I'm a little scared. This type of freedom is not for the faint of heart art teacher. If you like a little control... lets say for example, you like to know what's going on... then this method of teaching probably isn't for you.

Let's see if I can explain a little of what I think is happening....

Well, he decided he wanted to try his hand, or in this case, his foot, at print making. But he brought in a flip flop. Guess what? Those tools that do such a great job cutting linocuts.. well, they don't work so well on flip flops. So he is trying out a soldering iron.

OK, a stencil. I get this one.

She is hammering a lot and she has plans to add string to write the word in negative space.

Next task, untangle, untangle, untangle.

Part of the text unit, she wrote "Shattered" in broken glass and is preparing a board where the glass will be place on glass. It makes sense when she explains it.. so we'll see what happens.

Umh, something about writing the word "cheeky" but painting three butts.. but using her fingers to paint the butts that say cheeky... or something like that.

It's a lot of squares and a lot of tints and shades of green. I think I'm standing to close to see it.

OK, so there you go.

Friday, February 6, 2015

For our first unit in AOIT Art we are taking a look at cartoons. Each student is creating their own cartoon complete with panels, speech bubbles and of course, a good story.  The style, number of panels and story are up to each individual to decide. Here's a sneak peek of where we're at!

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Text Art - Getting Started

When we think of art, we usually think of images that artists draw. People, places and even animals are all common subjects in art. These images can convey emotion or express feelings when the audience views the work. After all, they say a picture is worth a thousand words. But what if you created a work of art without any images at all? What if you only used text?

So what will this unit’s objective be? Student's were asked to dig deeper into the world of text art, exploring how other artists use text in a variety of different ways. They just complete a few small text based sketchbook projects that challenged how they looked at letters, words and icons. That's what this post is about.

Next, they’ll complete their own text based art work... If you're interested, this unit is posted on our Portal. You can watch the video introduction, research more about text art in the Dig Deeper section, or try out a few small text based project in the Challenges section.

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Big Font (change font size) 2.37 APK

Download Big Font (change font size) 2.37 APK for your Android phone.

Current Version: 2.37

Requires Android: 2.3.3 and up

Category: Tools

v2.37 update:

★ fixed: failed to install on some devices

★ bugs fixed

★ new Japanese localization

★ fixed: About pages shows characters incorrectly

Does the default system font look too small or too large? Do you want to globally change the text size?

This app allows you to scale system font size from 50% (smaller) to 300% (bigger).

*** Over 1,000,000 Downloads! ***

★ working for Android 2.3 and greater devices

★ scale system font size from 50% to 300%

★ preview the scaled text before applying

★ show a notification icon describing the current font size. An option is also provided to hide it

★ switch system font size via tapping the notification

★ customized the font size scale value

★ Android 4+ only provides 3 scaling values, we provide more

★ for Android 2.3~3.x users. You can add “not working” apps into the ignored apps list

★ No ads (PRO-only)

It may not work for all devices. Please try it and let me know (Settings > App log) if it does not work on your device.

You can upgrade to PRO version by purchasing a PRO license from Google Play. PRO version adds the following additional features:

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Every organization has traditions going back to their earliest days. Our traditions are important and reflect our rich history.

Mission and Vision Statement

We envision to be the leading international service organization committed to the development of a world class membership that cares for the quality of life with complete complement guided by the three cardinal principles of Leadership, Friendship and Service.

Cardinal Principles

Realistically, leadership is a matter of development. Alpha Phi Omega develops leaders, and we are very proud of that. As we grow, we seek qualities of leadership, and throughout our lives, we pursue the development of those qualities and the development of other ‘well-rounding’ qualities. Through our leadership development program in Alpha Phi Omega, we are able to develop ourselves. And, as we aspire to greater things in life, we become aware of limiting factors – which we can’t control, the external forces that shape our destiny until we control and develop what we have inside of us. We discover our own talents and strive to better our skills. We study, we learn, we practice.

Brotherhood is the spirit of friendship. It implies respect, honesty and dependability. It means that we overlook differences and emphasize similarities as we join together in unselfish service. It means listening to Brothers whose views on issues might differ from our own. It means working closely with people whom under other circumstances we might not choose as our friends.

Our Chapter service program provides many opportunities for the development of social awareness, friendships and leadership skills. Participation in our service program helps make Alpha Phi Omega the unique fraternal organization that it is.

This Badge (“Seal” for APO Philippines), worn by thousands of brothers of APO, is the “Emblem of Campus Service.” Students and faculty alike recognize and respect the activities for which it stands.

The ideals of Alpha Phi Omega are embodied in our coat-of-arms. As everyone who has passed through the ritual knows, the symbolism of the coat-of-arms stands for the very purpose of our brotherhood.

Be a Leader
Be a Friend
Be of Service

Code of Conduct

The 12 jewels of the Scout Law is a summary of character issues that a Member of ALPHA PHI OMEGA (PHILIPPINES) pledges to follow.

He tells the truth and keeps his promises. Honesty is an integral part of his Code of Conduct. People can depend on him.

He is true to his family, leaders, friends, community, nation and other members of the fraternity.

He is concerned about other people. He does things willingly and unselfishly for others.

He is a friend to all. He is a Brother to other APO members. He seeks to understand others. He respects those with ideas and customs other than his own.

He is polite to everyone, regardless of age or position. He knows and understands that good manners make it easier for people to get along together.

He understands that there is strength in being gentle. He treats others as he wants others to treat him.

He follows the rules of the fraternity, his family, his community and his nation. If he thinks the rules and laws are unfair, he will try to have them changed in an orderly manner rather than disregard and disobey these.

He always looks for the bright side of things. He cheerfully does tasks assigned to him. He always tries to make others happy.

He works to pay his way and to help others. He saves for unforeseen needs. He protects and conserves natural resources. He carefully uses time and property.

He can face danger even if he is afraid. He has the courage to stand for what he thinks is right even if others laugh at or threaten him.

He keeps his body, mind and spirit as well as his dwelling and surroundings clean. He goes around with those who believe in living by these same ideals with him.

He is reverent towards God. He is faithful to his religious duties. He respects the religious beliefs of others.

In the early days of our Fraternity our Founders chose recognizable objects that would be representative symbols of the spirit of our guiding principles of Leadership, Friendship and Service. They selected items of historical and traditional value and notability. The meaning and definitions of these symbols have not changed in our lifetimes, and likely will not change in the future.

The most precious of all gemstones representing brilliance, luster, always increasing in value, and an expression of the greatest gift of love when given.

A perennial flower with royal blue blossoms. It is everlasting, always remembered.

We have all heard from a parent or mentor at least once in our lives the story of the sturdy oak tree that grew from a small acorn. The oak is stately, sturdy, and sheltering.

Blue and Gold
Our color of blue is a royal blue color. It is elegant, a sign of pure deed and thought. A color in our nation’s flag.
Our color of gold is called “old glory” gold. A color also found in the nation’s flag (fringe and tassels). It represents the high value, respect, royalty, and a sign of love.

Golden Eagle
At the 1976 USA National Convention the delegates chose another symbol to further this richness of our history and traditions. They declared the golden eagle as a new Fraternity symbol. An eagle is often found as a standard or as a part of the seal of a nation. The golden eagle symbolizes strength, gracefulness, keenness of vision, and endurance.

Toast Song

Here’s to Alpha Phi Omega,
Loyal brothers/sisters we.
True to self and to each other,
Firm in loyalty.
Daily working, daily striving,
Ever more to be
Here’s to Alpha Phi Omega,
Our fraternity/sorority.
Brothers/Sisters clasp the hands of brothers/sisters,
Strong the circle we
Ever mindful, ever serving
All humanity.
Now we raise our grateful voices,
In our song to thee,
True to Alpha Phi Omega,
May we always be.

1. The Toast Song is the official fraternity song. It is usually sung at the end of all fraternity functions (meetings, ceremonies, conferences, etc.) to the tune of “Alma Mater.”
2. The lyrics to the first verse of this song were created in 1925 by Dale Bartlett of APO USA Omicron chapter at The University of Iowa. The second verse was written by Robert Northwood of APO USA Epsilon Mu at the University of Maryland and were adopted as part of the Toast Song at the US National Convention in 1964.
3. The APO USA National Fraternity acknowledges the importance of Brotherhood among all people. In 1976, the APO USA National Fraternity overwhelmingly voted to include women among its Brothers as full Members thus reference to “brother/s” means both men and women. In the Philippines, Brother/s is substituted with “Sister/s” at sorority functions.</span>

Service Song

(Tune: Auld Lang Syne)
Let’s raise our voices in a song
And sing our praise of thee,
For Leadership and service, too,
We’ll drink a toast to thee.
To nobler cause we’ll bind our lives
We’ll serve in friendships name
To bring to Alpha Phi Omega
Everlasting fame.

APO Prayer

Heres to Alpha Phi Omega
Our Fraternity/Sorority
May we always do as much for it
As it has done for us.

May Leadership be the life we lead
And Service be our goal
May Friendship always hold our heart
And continue to make us whole.

May we be there to hold our brothers/sisters hands
As they have often hold ours
May we all continue to love one GOD
And follow HIS grace divine.

May the spirit of love always fill our hearts
And govern all we do
May it always be the force that help us
Loyal brothers/sisters true, amen.


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Some of the best athletes in college football are in Mobile this week, gearing up for the annual Reese’s Senior Bowl.

The game is a chance for standout athletes to practice and play before a host of NFL scouts, before NFL teams draft their next class of players in April. A few of this year’s top prospects, including University of Alabama defenders Jonathan Allen and Reuben Foster, have opted to sit out this year’s Senior Bowl. But the roster still includes four Crimson Tide players, two players from Auburn, and one athlete from the University of South Alabama in Mobile.

Gov. Robert Bentley asks the FBI for assistance after finding that several state workers in the finance department had unauthorized access to Alabama's criminal justice database.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency released letters today showing that Bentley also dismissed the state's chief information officer and placed another finance official on administrative leave.

Deontay Wilder
Brynn Anderson / Associated Press

Alabama lawmakers just finished their first legislative session under a new pay structure that gives them a salary equal to the median household income in the state

Voters approved the change in 2012 with the prediction that it would save the state money and would be a fairer way to set legislators’ pay.

However, Alabama Senate numbers show that, so far, the new system costs about the same. The legislator who sponsored the idea said it is premature to judge.

It’s tax season and university students across the state are rolling up their sleeves to help taxpayers manage all the paperwork.

The group Impact Alabama has opened help centers to assist families with children who earn fifty two thousand dollars a year or less. Families without children to make less than twenty thousand dollars also qualify for assistance.

Sarah Louise Smith is the Executive Director of Impact Alabama. She says families get tax tips and the student volunteers gain experience working with customers.

NFL Charities is awarding more than $1.5 million in grants for sports-related medical research at 15 organizations, with nearly two-thirds of the money going to study concussion prevention and treatment. This year's grants include research on stem cells and nervous system injuries; MRI methods after concussions; and the effect of temperature on the severity of potential brain injuries.


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text: BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-// X-WR-TIMEZONE:LocalTZ BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:LocalTZ X-LIC-LOCATION:LocalTZ BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:LocalTZ DTSTART:19700308T020000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=2SU END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:LocalTZ DTSTART:19701101T020000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=11;BYDAY=1SU END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20170912T183000 DTEND:20170912T193000 SUMMARY:NOLA Interfaith Prayer Service for Peace DESCRIPTION:Please join us for this opportunity to pray for peace in our c ity and world. May we join together to become\, and help our youth become\ , peace makers in our time. END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20171028T083000 DTEND:20171028T153000 SUMMARY:Catholic Relief Services Parish Ambassador Corps Retreat DESCRIPTION:Corpus Christi Community Center The Catholic Relief Services P arish Ambassador Corps Retreat is intended for all Parish Synod liaisons f or social justice ministry. All who are interested in learning more about Catholic Relief Services and how they can support our synod implementation goals are welcome to join us. No RSVP necessary. Join us to learn more ab out how Catholic Relief Services can help your parish implement its synod goals through all components of parish life from faith formation to social ministry outreach! Meet members from other parishes from across the archd iocese sharing the same goals. Lunch and Refreshment Provided END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20180303T083000 DTEND:20180303T150000 SUMMARY:A Light in the Darkness: Human Trafficking Symposium DESCRIPTION:Come learn more about the Catholic Church&apos\;s efforts and partnerships to stop human trafficking. END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20180327T170000 DTEND:20180327T190000 SUMMARY:Peace Prayer Walk DESCRIPTION:All are welcome to join us in prayer for peace! END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR


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Globe West Sports

O’Keefe brothers share basketball legacy

The O’Keefe brothers: Chris, a sophomore at Lexington High; Dan, a freshman at Bentley; and Bates College senior Jimmy. The O’Keefe brothers: Chris, a sophomore at Lexington High; Dan, a freshman at Bentley; and Bates College senior Jimmy. (Essdras M Suarez/Globe Staff)
By Marvin Pave
Globe Correspondent / January 17, 2010

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When the Bates College men’s basketball team visited Brandeis University in Waltham for a nonconference matchup Tuesday night, the O’Keefe clan of Lexington gathered for an informal reunion.

Eldest son Jimmy, a 6-foot-6 senior at Bates, started at center for the Bobcats. And up in the stands at Red Auerbach Arena were his younger brothers, Dan, a 6-5 freshman forward on the Bentley University basketball team, and Chris, a 6-foot Lexington High sophomore guard, and their parents, Jim and Heather, who keep track of their sons’ games with the help of a computerized, color-coded sheet posted on the fridge.

“Where there are conflicts I put an H next to the game that Heather will go to, and a J for the ones I will attend,’’ said Jim, who noted that the system was put to work twice last week.

Jimmy, the state’s player of the year in the Gatorade and Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Association rankings as a senior at Lexington High, is the top rebounder (averaging 6.1 per game) and third leading scorer (9.7 points) for Bates this season while shooting 58 percent. He also leads the Bobcats with eight blocked shots.

“Jimmy has developed a great back-to-the-basket game,’’ said Bates head coach Jon Furbush, whose team was 6-6 after falling to Brandeis, 81-57. “With his long arms and physical play, he can be very difficult to defend against down low. His will to consistently rebound on both ends of the floor has inspired me as a coach. And his energy, passion, and enthusiasm has inspired his teammates.’’

O’Keefe, who also played on the Bay State Magic’s AAU state championship team in 2005, led Lexington High to a pair of Middlesex League titles in three varsity seasons, but it was his final game he will always remember.

“My brother Dan was a freshman and he was on the bench when we lost to Charlestown in the state Division 1 semifinals,’’ he recalled. “To me it was like passing the torch, which is the same thing Dan has done with Chris.’’ The youngest sibling buried a pair of 3-pointers Wednesday as the Minutemen improved to 7-3 with a win over Melrose.

All three O’Keefes played in high school for Bob Farias, who has been the head coach at Lexington since 1975.

“Jim and Heather raised three great boys,’’ said Farias. “Off the court, they’re nonaggressive kids, but on the court, they put themselves on the line, doing everything that makes them better players. They care about themselves and their teammates. The older brothers come to some of our practices and games, and still support the program.’’

Jimmy O’Keefe said Farias is a stickler for detail who “has high expectations for all his players. I can’t say enough about how he prepared me for the college game.’’

The O’Keefes also honed hoop skills on a backyard half-court installed by their father, who coached them in youth sports.

“It’s been the site of many lively games of horse, 21, and two-on-two, and a lot of shooting practice,’’ said their dad. “There’s been a lot of scrapes and bruises, and while I used to be the best player in the family, I’ve been officially knocked down to No. 4 as of last summer.’’ (It should be noted that all three sons concur with that rating.)

A two-year captain at Lexington who shared Middlesex League MVP honors last season, Dan is slowly getting acclimated to the college game. He went 4-for-4 from the field in Bentley’s victory over the University of Massachusetts Lowell, in his longest stint to date. Bentley was 13-2 overall and ranked 17th nationally in Division 2. They had won eight straight prior to yesterday’s game against Assumption.

“It’s nice being the middle brother,’’ he said. “I’ve had the advantage of getting advice from my older brother, especially about the transition from being ‘the man’ in high school to going up against your college teammates who were also ‘the man.’ And I can talk about my experiences to Chris as he develops.

“We’re three different kinds of players style-wise,’’ added Dan, who was encouraged to attend Bentley by Lew Finnegan, who starred on the court for both Lexington and the Falcons. “But we all share competitiveness and mental toughness. And we’re supportive of one another.’’

Bentley coach Jay Lawson, an assistant under Farias in the early 1980s, said he is impressed with the freshman’s quickness and athleticism.

“Dan should be very productive around the basket with his interior offense and rebounding ability, and as a shot blocker. Physically, he’s college-ready and his defense is coming along,’’ said Lawson. “Dan can be hard on himself, but in a positive way, and that’s what makes him very coachable.’’

Peter Bocchino, who has coached all three O’Keefes in the AAU program, said “they’re all self-driven. They want to be the best they can be. Jimmy is one of the hardest-working kids I’ve ever coached, and his senior year in high school was one of the greatest I’ve ever seen. Danny has the toughness of Jimmy and, like him, he could put a team on his shoulders. And Chris has big shoes to fill, but the personality to accept that. He’s going to be fine.’’

Off the court, the siblings have given of themselves as well.

Dan has volunteered the past several summers with a program in Lexington as a mentor to special-needs students. Last year, along with high school teammate Chris Forlenza, whose brother is autistic, he taught basketball at the Nashoba Learning Group in Bedford.

“I loved doing it,’’ said Dan. “It’s made me appreciate what I have.’’

The program, which has continued through the efforts of Chris O’Keefe and Forlenza’s sister, Allie, last fall, was recognized with a community service award from Advocates for Autism of Massachusetts.

“It’s been a special experience and a ton of fun,’’ said Chris, who along with Lexington teammate Chris Lee and eight other 16-year-olds from New England have been chosen to play for the International Colonials team. They will travel to Europe over April vacation to play teams in Vienna, Prague, and Berlin.

Jim O’Keefe, a college math professor, and Heather, a scientist, consider themselves blessed.

“We have three healthy, happy and talented boys,’’ said Jim O’Keefe, who along with his wife recently hosted a dinner for the Lexington High team. “As hectic as our schedule gets, we are grateful to have the opportunity to see them play and share the experience with them.’’

Marvin Pave can be reached at


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Bob Ryan

Coach is a Jim dandy

Boeheim always has Orange ready at tournament time

Jim Boeheim is the head of Syracuse basketball, as every Orange fan knows. Jim Boeheim is the head of Syracuse basketball, as every Orange fan knows. (Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
By Bob Ryan
Globe Columnist / March 24, 2012
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Every office from Bangor to Richmond - perhaps from Presque Isle to Key West - has a Syracuse guy. That school must have 70 million alumni.

They all love their Orange, and, you know what? They should. The Syracuse basketball program is a phenomenon unto itself.

The TD Garden will look like an orange grove when Syracuse tips off against Ohio State for the East Regional’s Final Four berth Saturday night. The thing is, these people have been here before, and they will undoubtedly be here again. Some Syracuse teams, this one in particular, are better than others, but none of them are what you would call bad, or even mediocre. One of the most reliable facts of life in all of modern Western Civilization is that Syracuse will win 20. It’s right there with Death and Taxes.

You think about the marquee programs and coaches in college basketball and you always include the likes of Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, Kansas, and if you’re old enough, UCLA. (Hey, do they still have a team?) It’s also necessary to mention Michigan State and Tom Izzo.

Just don’t forget The ’Cuse. Or Jim Boeheim. I don’t know about you, but 890 wins, 29 NCAA appearances, four Final Fours, three trips to the final game (1987, 1996, 2003) and a national championship (’03) have my attention.

You think Ron Paul is predictable? Well, he’s Mr. Flip-Flop compared with Jim Boeheim. He is what he is what he is, and Syracuse, as much as any basketball program in America, is what it is, day after day, week after week, month after month and, as the Boeheim Era closes out its 36th season, decade after decade.

Start with the fact he came to Syracuse as a walk-on player in 1962 and he’s still at Syracuse 50 years later. Now that’s a man who knows what he wants out of life.

You know that Syracuse is going to recruit an occasional McDonald’s All-American, you know that Syracuse will sign a couple of guys everyone else overlooked and they will wind up making All-Big East. You know that Syracuse will seldom leave the state of New York in November and December and you know Syracuse will play a 2-3 zone.

You know that Syracuse will put 20,000-plus people in the Carrier Dome for every game.

And you know that Jim Boeheim will alternately amuse and mystify people with his deadpan remarks, only 80 percent of which will be sarcastic.

It’s the most predictable package in all of college basketball.

Jim Boeheim never disappoints. No other coach is as comfortable in his own skin. Most coaches choose to perpetuate the notion that this whole college basketball thing is populated by players and coaches whose every corpuscle is dripping with unabashed adoration for the product. They all do this because they love it, coaches included. They can’t think of any place on earth they’d rather be than in a gymnasium, 24/7/365.

Then there’s Coach Boeheim. Asked to clarify a recent statement saying that if a doctor were performing surgery on you, the last thing you’d want is for him to be having “fun,’’ Mr. B responded as follows: “A better comment would be if I want to have fun, I’ll go play golf,’’ he said. “This is not fun. If I wasn’t getting paid, I wouldn’t be doing this. I don’t think too many of you [i.e. the media members] would be sitting out here if you weren’t getting paid, would you? No, I don’t think so.’’

By way of elaboration, he said, “You get satisfaction out of doing something right, just like everyone does.’’

So much for those of us who like to romanticize sport.

Having said that, Boeheim did say the game with Wisconsin Thursday night was “one of the best games I’ve been involved with in a long time,’’ adding that “I think [that’s] the best game anybody has ever played against us and didn’t beat us.’’

But the experience still wasn’t, you know, “fun.’’

What’s amusing about the Syracuse circumstance is that this stupefying, laconic individual presides over one of the most raucous scenes in American sport, that being a Syracuse home game at the cavernous Carrier Dome, where the ’Cuse has led the nation in attendance 12 times, including one run of 11 straight (1985-95). It’s kind of like Calvin Coolidge being POTUS during a good portion of the Roaring ’20s.

Neither Jim Boeheim nor anyone else foresaw anything like this happening when the Orange left beloved Manley Field House in favor of the Dome at the conclusion of the 1979-80 season. It was feared that Syracuse was about to forfeit its very powerful home-court advantage by leaving cozy Manley for the supposedly impersonal Dome.

Good teams begat great crowds, which begat more good teams, sometimes even great teams. Very often The Dome recruits itself. A generation or two of basketball-oriented American youth associates Syracuse with hoop enthusiasm and monster crowds.

“It’s one of the main reasons I came to Syracuse,’’ says Orange point guard Scoop Jardine. “You’re playing for a Hall of Fame coach in front of 30,000, maybe 25,000 on an off night. I’ll never forget the first time I went there and saw and heard that crowd. It was also the first time I signed an autograph. That’s all she wrote, right there.’’

Let’s get serious here. You can’t make a suitable basketball omelet without breaking a few hoop eggs here and there, and Syracuse has had a few moments where charges of various kinds of malfeasance have been leveled, some of it legit, some not. Whatever the case, the ’Cuse is no better or worse in this regard than 90 percent of the heavy hitters. They’ve got a clientele to please, and they’ve been putting smiles on many faces for many years.

Did I say “They?’’ No it’s Him, Jim. He is the Syracuse program, and let me tell you a little secret.

He’s not going anywhere.

Bob Ryan is a Globe columnist and host of Globe 10.0 on He can be reached at

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What they said on the doc fix … in 2009

In 2009, conservatives and Republicans were united in their demand that any repeal of Medicare’s SGR be fully offset…

John Boehner (R-OH): Irresponsible ‘Doc Fix’ Proves Democrats “Cannot Help Themselves” (November 19, 2009)

”This irresponsible ‘doc fix’ proves once again that out-of-touch Washington Democrats simply cannot help themselves when it comes to piling debt on our kids and grandkids. Democrats continue to add tens of billions of dollars to the deficit while promising to eventually end their unprecedented spending binge.”

John Boehner (R-OH): Congressional Record (November 19, 2009)

That’s the real issue here, the fact that there is no pay-for here. There is no offsetting other types of spending. There are no increases in revenue somewhere to cover this. It’s just going to be dumped onto the backs of our kids and grandkids. The American people want us to relearn fiscal responsibility. My colleagues on my side of the aisle over the course of this year have stood up, I believe, for fiscal responsibility. And if we’re going to get our economy going again, we’d better get our fiscal house in order as well.

Joe Barton (R-TX): Congressional Record (November 19, 2009)

Mr. Speaker, the only fix that’s in this bill before us is “the fix is in.” …  It is a wave the magic wand, erase the accumulated deficit of the last 10 years or so in the SGR formula, and let’s kick the can on down the road.

Ed Whitfield (R-KY): Congressional Record (November 19, 2009)

As I have said, both parties have a lot of blame for the debt that we’re in, and the American people want us to be responsible. We have a $12 trillion debt today. Within 10 years, it’s supposed to be $23 trillion. At some point, we have to meet our obligation, meet our responsibility and try to pay for some of these programs. All of us support the purpose of this legislation, but there must be a way that we can do it and have it paid for. So for that reason, I would have great difficulty voting for this legislation without it being clearly paid for.

Kevin Brady (R-TX): Congressional Record (November 19, 2009)

… it forces Americans to borrow another $279 billion from China and pass the bill of debt down to our grandchildren to pay, all to hide the cost of this health care reform in Washington. This is irresponsible, and it’s the wrong way.

Paul Ryan (R-WI): Congressional Record (November 19, 2009)

I have a score from the Congressional Budget Office which I will insert into the Record that says this thing raises the deficit by $210 billion.  … We should do this in a bipartisan way, fix it without cranking a huge hole in the deficit, and if the majority would have allowed us to bring a bill to do that, we could have done just that. It’s cynical. We know this bill is not going anywhere. So let’s get back to work and fix this problem without cranking up a huge hole in the deficit.

Peter Roskam (R-IL): Congressional Record (November 19, 2009)

Can you imagine what would happen if this House came together and said, No, no, no, no, no. We’re actually going to take this seriously. We’re going to deal with this debt question, and we’re going to lean into it in such a way that gives, what, a buoyancy to the American economy as opposed to continuing to drag down.  With all due respect to the majority leader when he was on the House floor a bit ago, he argued, in essence, don’t worry about it because it’s in the President’s budget.

Charles Boustany (R-LA): Congressional Record (November 19, 2009)

What we need to do is repeal the flawed SGR formula and replace it with a more equitable reimbursement for physicians that is paid for. This bill ignores over $200 billion in added deficit spending. …  Let’s support a real solution that’s honest with physicians and treats them fairly, and a solution that avoids massive debt passed on to our children and grandchildren.

Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ): Congressional Record (November 19, 2009)

I have supported Medicare fee “fix” legislation over the years. However, this bill is different. It is not “paid for” and presents another unnecessary blow to our embattled taxpayers and future generations of Americans. Enough is enough! We have to stop spending borrowed federal dollars like there is no tomorrow!

Tom Price (R-GA): Congressional Record (November 19, 2009)

And though the underlying bill is an acknowledgement that there is a huge problem and may be a step in the right direction, it exacerbates the phenomenal fiscal recklessness of this administration and the majority party. .. We can continue to march further and further to the liberal left and bankrupt our Nation’s future, or we can restore fiscal sanity to an overgrown and unrestrained Federal budget. Our motion to recommit is a step in the right direction, not another plan that further adds to our Nation’s debt and contributes to the financial ruin of future generations.

Wall Street Journal’s Review & Outlook: The $1.9 Trillion Gimmick (November 19, 2009)

Any day now, the House is expected to vote on a $210 billion fiscal swindle that will prevent automatic cuts in Medicare payments to doctors. … Everyone agrees that the SGR must be corrected, given that steeper cuts in Medicare’s submarket price controls mean that many physicians will refuse to treat seniors—but not without cleaning up the mess created by the prior cost-control inspirations of the political class. A new Heritage Foundation study by the former Medicare trustee Thomas Saving and economist Andrew Rettenmaier finds that eliminating the SGR without offsets will increase Medicare’s unfunded liabilities by $1.9 trillion over the next 75 years.

Americans for Tax Reform: ATR May Rate a Vote Against “Doc-Fix” Without Spending Cuts (October 20, 2009)

Americans for Tax Reform MAY RATE a vote against a doc-fix measure which is not 100% offset with spending reductions.  ATR also opposes and MAY RATE a vote against any tax revenue increases to “pay for” a doc-fix bill.  The ratings appear annually in ATR’s “Hero of the Taxpayer” scorecard.

Fully offsetting a repeal of the SGR was the GOP’s position as recently as this January…

Joseph R. Pitts (R-PA): Opening Statement at Hearing on “A Permanent Solution to the SGR: The Time Is Now” (January 21, 2015)

  • Coming up with approximately $140 billion in offsets will not be easy, but it is a task we must embrace. Some argue that SGR reform does not need to be paid for. I respectfully disagree.
  • [A]s a purely practical matter, for the bill to pass the House of Representatives and Senate, it must include sensible offsets.
  • [T]he American people expect Congress to live within our means. The American people expect Congress to reduce the debt and prioritize spending. It`s our responsibility to lead accordingly.
  • [N]ot paying for SGR reform would ignore past precedent from Congress – whether it was controlled by Democrats or Republicans.
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ONJava.com -- The Independent Source for Enterprise Java
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AddThis Social Bookmark Button O'Reilly Book Excerpts: JavaServer Faces

Handling Events in JavaServer Faces, Part 2

by Hans Bergsten

Editor's note: The JSF model has the same look and feel as the event model used for standalone applications, but because user actions in JSF take place in a client separated from the server, delays occur in the delivery of some types of events until a new connection is established. In last week's part one of this two-part excerpt from JavaServer Faces, author Hans Bergsten provided examples to show how JSF deals with this difference, by using a strict request processing lifecycle. Here in part two, Hans implements event handling for parts of the sample application discussed in part one.

Handling User Interface Events

When the user clicks a button or a link, chances are good that backend code should be asked to do something, like adding a report entry to the current report when the Add button is clicked in the sample application. Occasionally, though, an event affects only the user interface. For instance, clicking a button or changing the value of an input control may expose additional options or display more information.

JavaServer Pages

Related Reading

JavaServer Pages
By Hans Bergsten

As an example of user interface changes triggered either by a button click or a value change, let's add a feature to the sample application, namely an extendable expense types list. Initially, only the most common expense types are listed, but the user can extend the list with more uncommon choices.

Triggering an Event by Clicking a Button or a Link

In the first version of the extendable expense types feature, I use a button to switch between the standard and the extended list. Figure 8-3 shows what it looks like.

Figure 8-3
Figure 8-3. The report entry form area with a button for extending the type choices

The JSP page for this version of the entry form area is shown in Example 8-4.

Example 8-4. Entry form area JSP page with a button for extending the type choices (expense/stage3/entryFormArea.jsp)

<%@ page contentType="text/html" %>
<%@ taglib uri="http://java.sun.com/jsf/html" prefix="h" %>
<%@ taglib uri="http://java.sun.com/jsf/core" prefix="f" %>

    <h:inputText id="title" size="30" required="true"
      value="#{reportHandler.currentReport.title}" />
    <h:message for="title" />
    <h:inputText id="date" size="8" required="true"
      <f:convertDateTime  dateStyle="short" />
    <h:message for="date" />
    <h:selectOneMenu id="type" required="true"
      <f:selectItems value="#{entryHandler.currentChoices}"/>
    <h:commandButton value="Ext/Std" immediate="true"
	  action="#{entryHandler.toggleTypes}" />
    <h:message for="type" />
    <h:inputText id="amount" size="8" required="true"
      <f:convertNumber pattern="#,##0.00" />
      <f:validateDoubleRange minimum="1"/>
    <h:message for="amount" />
    <h:commandButton value="Add"
      action="#{entryHandler.add}" />
  <h:messages globalOnly="true" />

  <%-- Loop to verify that it works --%>
  <%@ taglib uri="http://java.sun.com/jsp/jstl/core" prefix="c" %>
    <c:forEach items="${reportHandler.currentReportEntries}" var="e">

Date: ${e.date}, Type: ${e.type}, Amount: ${e.amount}

As you can see in Example 8-4, I've added a button with the label "Ext/Std" for toggling between the standard choices list and the extended list. I've also replaced the value binding expression for the entry type list with one that gets the current choices, i.e., with or without the extension choices.

The one thing that's different about the <h:commandButton> element for the Ext/Std button compared to the one for the Add button is the immediate attribute. Setting this attribute to true means that the ActionEvent is processed in the Apply Request Values phase and that the processing then jumps directly to the Render Response phase, without doing any validation or updating model values. That's exactly how we want a pure user interface event to be handled, because we don't want error messages about missing or invalid values to be shown just because the user asks for more options.

The action attribute for the <h:commandButton> action element contains a method binding expression that points to the toggleTypes( ) method in the entryHandler. Example 8-5 shows how it's implemented in the corresponding EntryHandler class.

Example 8-5. Additions for extendable types in EntryHandler

package com.mycompany.expense;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Iterator;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map.Entry;
import java.util.Map;
public class EntryHandler {
    private Map specialTypes;
    private List specialChoices;
    private boolean includeSpecial;
    public String toggleTypes( ) {
        includeSpecial = !includeSpecial;
        return "success";

The toggleTypes() method simply sets a variable named includeSpecial to the reverse of its previous value, alternating between true and false.

The other changes to the EntryHandler class that this new feature requires are pretty mundane: we need to configure it with the list of extension choices and implement a getCurrentChoices() method that takes the includeSpecial flag into consideration. Both of these tasks are very similar to what we did in Chapter 7 for the list of standard choices.

The extension choices are defined in the faces-config.xml file as a new Map property named specialTypes:

        <key>Presentation Material</key>

No surprises here. The new specialTypes property is configured exactly like the expenseTypes property described in Chapter 7.

The third and final addition is a new method for getting the list of selection items. Note that the <h:selectItems> element in Example 8-4 is bound now to the currentChoices property instead of the expenseTypeChoices property:

    public List getCurrentChoices( ) {
        List choices = new ArrayList( );
        choices.addAll(getExpenseTypeChoices( ));
        if (includeSpecial) {
            choices.addAll(getSpecialChoices( ));
        return choices;

The getCurrentChoices() method uses the getExpenseTypeChoices() method described in Chapter 7. If includeExtensions is true, it calls a similar method to include the extension types in the list along with the standard types.

Finally, we must implement the setter method for the specialTypes property and the getSpecialChoices() method that returns a List containing SelectItem instances for the extension types:

public void setSpecialTypes(Map specialTypes) {
    this.specialTypes = specialTypes;

private List getSpecialChoices( ) {
    if (specialChoices == null) {
        specialChoices = new ArrayList( );
        if (specialTypes != null) {
            Iterator i = specialTypes.entrySet( ).iterator( );
            while (i.hasNext( )) {
                Map.Entry me = (Map.Entry) i.next( );
                specialChoices.add(new SelectItem(me.getValue( ),
                    (String) me.getKey( )));
    return specialChoices;

This should also look familiar from Chapter 7. JSF calls the setSpecialTypes() method with the Map created from the faces-config.xml managed bean declaration, and the getSpecialChoices() method creates a List with SelectItem instances based on the Map values and returns it.

The effect of all this is that when the user clicks the Ext/Std button, the default ActionListener associated with the button handles the event in the Apply Request Values phase (because the immediate attribute is set to true) by invoking the toggleTypes( ) method and asking JSF to redisplay the same page without going through the Process Validations and Update Model Values phases. When the UISelectOne component for the expense types list evaluates its value binding in the Render Response phase, it invokes the getCurrentChoices() method, which includes or excludes the extension types depending on the value of the includeSpecial flag.

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Which Method of Getting Out of Debt is Best?

The Snowball method is one of the best ways of getting out of debt once and for all.  I wrote about the method in my book Deceptive Money.  It is real easy to understand.  For example, let’s say you have 4 debts of 2,500 for a total of $10,000.  Let’s say you pay $250 a month for each debt for a total payment of $1,000 per month.   The whole idea is to commit to the $1,000 payment until all debt is paid off.  So, if you pay off one of the debts before the other 3, you don’t reduce your payment from $1,000 down to $750.  You commit to the $1,000.

Which debt do you allocate the $250 monthly payment?  Do you apply the $250 towards the smallest debt or to the debt with the highest interest rates?

A Journal of Marketing Research Study that is due to be released found that meeting small goals motivates people to reach larger goals.   Researchers conclude that the results of this research study would carry over to debt repayment strategies.  This “small victory” of paying off a smaller debt could motivate a consumer to get out of debt faster.

On paper this makes sense.  In reality, this concept of the small victory doesn’t work very well.  First, the small victory method could end up compromising the snowball method.  One could rationalize that one of the debts is paid off and that the $250 could be spent or saved versus paying down on debt.  Second, mathematically it doesn’t make sense. A consumer gets out of debt much quicker by applying the payment to the higher interest rate.  Finally, I don’t think that a person needs this type of motivation.  They need to be able to see the plan and know ahead of time their get of debt date.

So, if you need a little motivation, try this technique.  Set up your snowball effect and run the numbers ahead of time.  At the end of each year know what you balances need to be with each debt.  Best of all, know your debt free date.  Keeping your eye on the prize will help you stay motivated to get out of debt once and for all.

For information and live examples of how the snowball method works, check out my book Deceptive Money.  It is the step by step authority on getting out of debt the right way.  www.deceptivemoney.com

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Denton Has Concerns About More Private Medicaid Operators in Louisville

by Kenny Colston on May 10, 2012

The problems with privatized Medicaid in Eastern and Western Kentucky could be coming to Louisville.

Passport Health Plan has run Medicaid in Louisville and the surrounding area for more than a decade. The system was the model for last year’s Medicaid privatization, which brought three new Medicaid management companies into the state.

The federal government has ordered the state to open the Passport region to competition by next year. But Medicaid privatization isn’t working too well in the rest of the state. Hospital officials claim two of the private companies aren’t paying enough to reimburse Medicaid-covered care. The private operators say they are only adhering to their contracts with the state.

“Let’s make sure we have a plan,” says Senate Health and Welfare Committee Chairwoman Julie Denton. “If we are going to be bidding out with the Passport region for next year, starting January 1st, the Cabinet sure as heck better be working on an RFP and putting it together in a more thoughtful and steady fashion than they did the Medicaid managed care RFP for last year.”

The state has until July 1 to tell the federal government its plan to open Louisville to competition. But the Cabinet for Health and Family Services hasn’t yet begun work on the plan.

The current three statewide operators all have offices in Louisville, making them obviously competition partners for the region. But Denton says she’s not sure bringing those three in is a good idea.

“I don’t think they can just take three bids from the three MCOs and open those up and let those three MCOs in. And frankly with the way Coventry has been working thus far, I have no interest in letting them into the Passport region,” she says.

Currently, many healthcare systems are having contract issues with CoventryCares, one of the three new statewide MCOs. Coventry officials say they need more operating money and the company is looking to providers and patients to recoup profits.  That has led to lawsuits and threats from lawmakers that Coventry could be barred from operating in the commonwealth.

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Monday, August 24, 2009

La Quinta Polo Club

After an amazing Polo match, Cocktails and dinner at the beautiful La Quinta Polo Club

Jennie from Hidden Creek Polo Club in Oregon had a great concept for their executives retreat in La Quinta. When she came to me, we were planning on a night that was sure to be beautiful. Our end result was a design that was unforgettable. With the assistance of some GORGEOUS flowers and plenty of candle light, the carnival lit tent came to life.
On a stesed rustic wood tables, we created a runner of flowers and candles. We used a rich mixture of dark Milba Roses, burgundy Dahlias, blue Hydrangea, burgundy lilies, black magic roses and as if that wasn't enough, accents of burgundy cascading Amaranths!! The blue tones on the runner complimented the hydrangea perfectly and the deep burgundies and corals agaist the white backdrop created a night to remember.

Thanks Jennie, it was a pleasure being a part of such a splendid affair!!

1 comment:

  1. Love this look! I just spoke to you about my May 22nd client. I look forward to working with you.


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  • We are offering market entry strategy consultancy since last 11 years and support through the whole procedure to set up, and start the company including all areas of set up. Launch the company and support to grow.
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  • Prepare the documents, the training guides, other legal and non-legal documents
  • Registrations and compliance with the concerned authorities in India. We can take you from idea to launch.


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Mexico D.F.

SLIDESHOW: Mexico City Galleries, Part 2

by Michael Anthony Farley on March 17, 2017
Thumbnail image for SLIDESHOW: Mexico City Galleries, Part 2

Last month, I checked out what was on view at some of Mexico City’s galleries during the art fairs. Over the past week, I stopped by a few more. Highlights include Rurru Mipanochia at ArtSpace Mexico (bastion of queer contemporary art), SANGREE at Yautepec, and Mauricio Limón at Galería Hilario Galguera a few blocks away. Today is the last day to see Mauricio Limón’s show, and I highly recommend it.

All three very different solo shows share one thing in common: they mine Mexico’s turbulent post-colonial history with a sense of humor. Strategies range from queering pre-Columbian cosmology or hybridizing Mayan and classical European pottery to recycling imagery from currencies that failed in the face of globalization. Notably, none of this work comes across as bitter or preachy.

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Monday, November 17, 2008

What a week....worth it all!

What a week it's was.....I had to get ready for the Woman's Holiday lunch on Saturday and the craft fair that was to immediately follow....lots to make....:-)

The week started off great, my head full of ideas as to what to do and I had it all planned out for each day.....well you know how that least for me....whenever I plan anything it never happens to go quite as smoothly as planned.....does that happen to anyone else but me....VBG!

Well, all was well until Tuesday night at my ladies bible study....I tripped over someones purse and almost crashed into the wall, where behind was another group study going wouldn't that have been a crashing in on them! So to stop myself from doing so and falling, I stiffened up my body and twisted it in such a way that I can't believe I did it and then came down so hard on my right was like I stopped dead in mid crash......not a smart thing to do......I was in so much pain from my shoulders to my foot and down my spine.....but I stuck it out for the study and came home and soaked in a nice hot eucalyptus bath....soothing until I tried to get up.....wasn't happening and Shayla was no help...she kept eating the bubbles and wanting to jump in the water with me. Well, I managed to get out and went right to bed.....pretty much was laid up on there is all that time lost to get my projects done.

I felt better on Wednesday night which I later found out that my friend lifted me up in prayer at service for healing in my body.....I just love the power of prayer!

Worked my fanny off and got things done....but didn't sell but three little ornaments.......made $10.00.....but it was all worth it! I met some wonderful Christian ladies that I would not of had the chance to prior and to see all their lovely work....we have some very talented women in our church group.

Always look for the rainbow in every situation not matter what it is!!

1 comment:

jan said...

O me o my, poor you, my heart goes out to you, been there done that. Disappointing, but you pick yourself up, you literally, dust yourself off and yes. Start all over again. Get well soon my friend. :-)


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Benefits of Recycling in New Bedford MA

Recycling is a subject that has gotten more attention over the years for good reason. Without recycling efforts, the remains of most of the items we consumer on a daily basis end up in a landfill, which over time, contributes to the negative impact that manufacturing and dumping garbage has on the environment. In addition to greenhouse gasses and toxins that certain forms of garbage produces, manufacturing additional products increases the amount of pollution in the air. If you are interested in taking a small step to help the world in a positive way, consider the following benefits of recycling in New Bedford MA.

Helps to protect the environment

Recycling and reusing as many products as possible lowers the amount of waste that gets dumped into landfills or burnt up to get rid of it. The decaying process that most waste goes through creates toxic byproducts that can seep down into the main water supply causing harm to individuals that have to use it. By removing most of this waste, you can help to slow down this negative effect.

Protects limited resources

Every time a manufacturing plant has to produce a new item it must use raw materials that come from specific elements on earth, many of which do take much longer to form than they do to deplete. Recycling items helps to reduce the burden on these essential resources such as trees, oil and precious metals.

Recycling saves and makes you money

When you recycle on a regular basis you can actually save a lot of money and sometimes even make a few dollars in the process. By reusing and re-purposing many items that you would usually just throw away, you can save on costs of buying other items that you would use in the same way. Many recycling plants will also pay you money to turn in certain items such as old computers, cell phones, bottles, tin cans and other items.

These are some of the top benefits of Recycling in New Bedford MA. If you want a simple way to save money and help the environment at the same time, utilize the services of a professional recycling company to assist you with all of your recycling needs. Call today to speak with one of our helpful representatives and get more information.

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Bill on securities fraud suits may have less effect in Md.

March 11, 1995|By Timothy J. Mullaney | Timothy J. Mullaney,Sun Staff Writer

Maryland may be less affected than much of the nation by a bill that limits fraud lawsuits filed by shareholders, because federal courts in the state have aggressively used existing law to protect companies from unwarranted or frivolous suits.

The House of Representatives Wednesday passed sweeping restrictions on securities fraud lawsuits by a vote of 325-99, giving the curbs on shareholder suits much broader bipartisan support than other changes in the legal system proposed in the Republican majority's "Contract With America."

The bill would set stricter standards of proof for securities fraud lawsuits, provide broad immunity for executives who fail to realize that false or misleading disclosures will affect the value of their company's stock, and force stockholders who lose cases to pay the other side's legal fees. It now goes to the Senate, where Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski is co-sponsoring a similar measure.

The House vote came after a fierce lobbying battle between plaintiffs' trial lawyers and the accounting industry. The latter supports the bill in part because it would greatly reduce accountants' liability for securities fraud committed jointly by accountants and their clients.

High-tech companies have also campaigned for making it harder to sue for fraud, claiming they are hit with fraud suits when they run into problems inventing and marketing new products, even though the public knows that investing in start-up companies is risky.

Several studies, hotly disputed by plaintiffs' lawyers, contend stockholders recover an average of only about 5 to 8 percent of their losses when the lawsuits are settled.

The studies also contend that cases get settled for small amounts whether the companies really committed fraud or not.

"We haven't been able to find any merit-related variable that affects the settlements," said Frederick Dunbar, an economist at National Economic Research Associates in White Plains, N.Y. "There are other reasons that matter more."

But plaintiffs' lawyers -- and law professors who support them -- say America has the most trusted securities markets in the world because companies are forced to tell the people who own them the truth. The Securities and Exchange Commission is too understaffed to enforce securities law by itself, they say, so shareholders need access to courts to protect themselves.

The bill "would . . . threaten basic protections for investors and our capital markets," 67 securities law professors said in a petition to the House Commerce Committee.

Maryland has seen its share of shareholder suits, and defendants and their attorneys claim that the state has not been spared the abuses that reform advocates warn about.

The defendants include a number of the state's biggest past and present corporate names, including Merry-Go-Round Enterprises Inc; Jiffy-Lube International Inc.; USF&G Corp.; MNC Financial Inc., then the parent company of Maryland National Bank; Baltimore Bancorp, the former parent company of the Bank of Baltimore; and the old Marriott Corp.

But Maryland's experience is a sign that the current law does enough to protect companies from unwarranted suits, said Charles Piven, a Baltimore attorney who has brought at least nine stock fraud suits on behalf of clients.

He said judges already have the power to demand more proof earlier in a fraud suit than in other cases, he said, and they have the power to make a stockholder who files an unwarranted case pay the company's legal bills. In Maryland securities cases, he said, judges have been using those powers more and more aggressively.

"Maryland has been one of the toughest places to bring these cases," he said. "The Fourth Circuit [which hears appeals from federal courts in Maryland] is a very tough circuit."

Indeed, the cases against USF&G, Merry-Go-Round, General Physics Corp. of Columbia, Marriott and the second of two cases against Baltimore Bancorp were all either dismissed or withdrawn after the company threatened to ask the court for sanctions against the other side.

A lawyer who has defended four Maryland companies or their directors against stockholder lawsuits agreed that federal courts Maryland have cracked down on unwarranted suits. But Stewart Webb, a lawyer with the Venable law firm in Baltimore, said he favors writing the new restrictions into law anyway. "They [judges] could always swing back the other way," he said.

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Plea expected in nursing home death

March 27, 1995|By Darren M. Allen | Darren M. Allen,Sun Staff Writer

Michael Paul Griffith, accused of suffocating a 94-year-old nursing home patient in 1993, is expected to enter a plea agreement today, according to courthouse sources.

Details of the agreement -- reached last week during meetings with Carroll Circuit Judge Luke K. Burns Jr. -- were not available, but sources said that Mr. Griffith's jury trial on first-degree murder charges that was to have begun today has been canceled.

Prosecutors charged Mr. Griffith, 32, of Westminster with first- and second-degree murder in June in the December 1993 death of Carrie Marie Ecker.

Mrs. Ecker, described as ill, unable to walk and in excruciating pain, was buried in a small church cemetery days after her death, which was attributed at the time to natural causes.

In February, Mr. Griffith -- an employee at Westminster Nursing and Convalescent Center -- walked into the Westminster state police barracks saying he needed to talk to someone about helping a nursing patient die.

According to Circuit Court records, Mr. Griffith told police that he "used a bed pillow to suffocate . . . Carrie Marie Ecker."

Mrs. Ecker's body was exhumed after Mr. Griffith's statement, and the state medical examiner's office ruled her death a homicide. Mr. Griffith was arrested in June and has been held at the Carroll County Detention Center without bail since then.

Judge Burns declined to comment, and Howard County Assistant State's Attorney Joseph Murtha referred all questions about the case to the judge. Mr. Griffith's attorney, Howard County Assistant Public Defender Richard Bernhardt, could not be reached for comment last week.

Mr. Griffith had been employed as a nursing assistant at the convalescent center for several months at the time of Mrs. Ecker's death, records show.

About an hour after talking to state police Feb. 25 and being released, Mr. Griffith was pulled over as he drove along Center Street. Court documents said he told the Westminster officer who stopped him that he had just consumed "12 beers." He was arrested and charged with drunken driving; that charge was to be disposed of today as well.

Little is known about Mr. Griffith, except that he has a record of nonviolent offenses dating to 1987. Judge Burns convicted him of stealing $79 in 1988 and of stealing $20 in a 1987 burglary. He also was convicted of a single misdemeanor drug possession charge in 1990.

Court records show that Mr. Griffith has sought psychiatric treatment in jail, and his attorneys have on at least one occasion asked that he be allowed to post bail "so that he may better prepare for his defense." The request was rejected.

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