text:
July 1st, 2008
10:08 AM ET
7 years ago

Obama lays out plan for faith-based groups

Obama is courting evangelical voters.
Obama is courting evangelical voters.

(CNN) - One day after defending his patriotism, Sen. Barack Obama is focusing on faith and religion in Zanesville, Ohio.

According to Obama's campaign, the senator from Illinois will lay out his plan to expand Bush's faith-based programs and establish a new "Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships."

The council will strengthen nonprofit religious and community groups by providing funding and making it easier to "access the information and support they need to run that program," according to prepared remarks released by his campaign.

The reason some groups are under-funded, Obama will say, is often because they do not know how to apply for federal dollars.

We rely too much on conferences in Washington, instead of getting technical assistance to the people who need it on the ground. What this means is that what’s stopping many faith-based groups from helping struggling families is simply a lack of knowledge about how the system works, he will say.

Obama will say that such programs have the ability to help children learn and keep them off the streets and away from crime.

"I'm not saying that faith-based groups are an alternative to government or secular nonprofits. And I'm not saying that they're somehow better at lifting people up. What I'm saying is that we all have to work together - Christian and Jew, Hindu and Muslim; believer and non-believer alike - to meet the challenges of the 21st century," Obama will say, according to the remarks.

He will praise faith-based efforts and proposals by former President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore and President Bush, but say the current administration’s plan never fulfilled its promise.

Support for social services to the poor and the needy have been consistently underfunded, he will say. Rather than promoting the cause of all faith-based organizations, former officials in the Office have described how it was used to promote partisan interests. As a result, the smaller congregations and community groups that were supposed to be empowered ended up getting short-changed.

The relationship between the White House and grassroots groups "has to be a real partnership - not a photo-op."

Under Obama's proposal, groups accepting federal grant money cannot use the funds "to proselytize to the people you help," and employees cannot be hired or fired on the basis of religion.

Additionally, federal dollars going to places of worship can only be used on secular programs.

"And we'll also ensure that taxpayer dollars only go to those programs that actually work," Obama will say, according to the prepared remarks.

Filed under: Candidate Barack Obama
soundoff (154 Responses)
  1. Nia - Phoenix, AZ

    I think it's a good idea to not only provide publically but also to reach out to religious organizations in areas hit hardest. Right now they are struggeling to help people who need it the most. i just hope that unlike Bushes plan these religious organizations aren't forced to be apart of that particular religion etc.

    July 1, 2008 01:57 pm at 1:57 pm |
  2. what?

    July 1, 2008 01:59 pm at 1:59 pm |
  3. Martin

    Welcome to the Obama Theocracy.

    To heck with the constitution, Obama says.

    To heck with the separation of Church and State.

    July 1, 2008 02:01 pm at 2:01 pm |
  4. Jody

    Obama courting religious evangelicals and now promoting more of Bush's faith-based initiatives makes me very nervous.

    Obama is blurring the lines between government and religion moreso than many Republicans. Is he really going to be able to do anything to secure a woman's right to choose and equal rights for all Americans, gay and straight, with all he is going to owe to Christian evangelicals?

    Some group is going to get sold down the river in his administration – progressives or evangelicals. You can't please them both. I wonder which group it will be? Hmmm...

    July 1, 2008 02:02 pm at 2:02 pm |
  5. wiser

    Just what we needed a Democrat like Bush!

    This is what politicians do when they don’t have good ideas to help the US with its problems.

    Democrats for McCain! A real leader with character and experience!

    July 1, 2008 02:03 pm at 2:03 pm |
  6. troy

    Isn't this forcing people who have no religious affiliation to pay tithes?

    July 1, 2008 02:08 pm at 2:08 pm |
  7. Jan

    If this man is elected, think of how trinity church and Mr Wright will benefit–they will be paid to destroy America!

    July 1, 2008 02:12 pm at 2:12 pm |
  8. bd

    The Obama sheep are amazing and arrogant. If this would have been a GOP member... its unconstitutional. Amazing... the arrogance is thick in this group.

    July 1, 2008 02:13 pm at 2:13 pm |
  9. Phil in KC

    I am an Obama supporter, but I disagree with him on this one. Not one cent of public money to religion-based organizations. I have nothing against them and they do good work, but that is tantamount to government backing of a specific religion. It flies in the face of separation of church and state – one of the founding principals of our country.
    All he's doing is pandering to the so-called "Christian Coalition" for votes. I'm very disappointed.

    July 1, 2008 02:15 pm at 2:15 pm |
  10. Lisa

    Not one dime of my taxpayer money should be going to any faith based group. I, as an individual American citizen, allocate charitable funds as I see appropriate, to groups based on their works. Sometime an organization may be faith based, some time not.

    Separation of church and state MUST be an absolute. Period. No taxpayer money funneled through religious groups, EVER. PERIOD. EVER.

    July 1, 2008 02:18 pm at 2:18 pm |
  11. Jai in PA

    I disagreed with it when Bush proposed it and I disagree now. The general concept is fine, but implementation is a problem. It is a slipery slope that will end up discriminating against certain religions. I am still supporting the candidate, but I hope he will rethink his position on this matter.

    July 1, 2008 02:23 pm at 2:23 pm |
  12. demwit

    Oh...., faith based groups like the one Reverend Jeremiah Wright is controlling in Chicago...

    July 1, 2008 02:23 pm at 2:23 pm |
  13. DJ, LA, CA

    Makes sense...there's a lof of great things faith-based or religious groups can do for their communities. Obama is smart to embrace them and try to win them over from the GOP.

    July 1, 2008 02:25 pm at 2:25 pm |

    Pander... Pander....

    I think Obama already knows how to get federal money to the churches... Ask Rev Pfueger... He got an earmark...

    I don't understand why Trinity has not lost its tax exempt status yet for allowing pastors to preach politics at church... The only place Obama gets more more positive coverage than Trinity is on CNN and MSNBC.

    Still for Hill, but voting McCain

    July 1, 2008 02:25 pm at 2:25 pm |
  15. David Illinois

    Great idea. As he panders to the religious right in this country. Yeah, Let's give some money to the likes of Rev. Wright....remember him the racist who was Obama minister for what was it 20 years....and he never heard a sermon based on race?????Please.
    This man is such a liar and pandering pol. Make more room under the bus it is going to get crowed down there when this guy is done with it all. PUMA? you bet.

    July 1, 2008 02:26 pm at 2:26 pm |
  16. People come on

    strangely people don't know how to read and always screws up information when it's right there in your face. READ PEOPLE READ!!!!!! on one blog they said that obama will have this put in place so that they can hire and fire based on religion which is what he DOESN'T want to happen. he wants the communities around to get involed and the gov. can fund it why not helping out never hurt anyone it would be better maybe we could make our home better and next the world. who knows. but as a positive person this might make some negative people angry. get over yourselves let's move this thing forward please?

    July 1, 2008 02:27 pm at 2:27 pm |
  17. The Voice

    Faith based initiatives is a complete scam! It started by Bush! this program was created for religion to infiltrate the goverment and now it's impacting politicial decision making.

    We are using tax dollar funds for people pretending to provide public services, they are just cashing the checks just AFDC, Unemployment, Workmans comp etc., this is just another way to scam the goverment.

    I would of thought Obama would destroy this so called program, this a flaut out political move to win the evangelical vote!

    July 1, 2008 02:29 pm at 2:29 pm |
  18. Rob indetroit

    July 1, 2008 02:31 pm at 2:31 pm |
  19. Alex

    people, US is a very religious country. I am not, but when he talks about this... it brings positive views...however this type of talk conservatives hate..conservates don't like to help out the homeless and the poor,

    July 1, 2008 02:32 pm at 2:32 pm |
  20. mg

    This seems like an end around for this marxist to begin government control of religion. The silliest rumor out there is that he is a muslim. Ridiculous, he is an ardent radical marxist like Stanley, his mother. Marxist believe in the power of government and the uselessness of religions in general.

    July 1, 2008 02:32 pm at 2:32 pm |
  21. It takes sound judgement, not experience

    Obama could walk on water, feed the hungry, obtain world peace, make us all rich and some of you would still hate him. Get over yourselves and open your heart to another emotion besides hate. You might actually be happy for a change.

    July 1, 2008 02:33 pm at 2:33 pm |
  22. David Illinois

    To Jay- get used to it buddy. The man will show so many sides by the time this election is over.....Are you all starting to see him for what he is? Just another same old chicago Pol ....He sold you a bill of goods. The sad thing is so many in the Democratic party are still buying it. Premature grab for power. Nothing more. When will he start voting "Present" again....just so he doesn't have to take a stand. Oh, he has started doing that already. My mistake. Drink the Kool Aid kiddies. You have been taken in by a huckster pure and simple.

    July 1, 2008 02:34 pm at 2:34 pm |
  23. Chipster

    If Sen. Obama supports federal funding, while allowing religious discrimination in hiring practices, he will immediately lose my support.

    I will never, ever vote for Sen. McCain but there's no point in voting for someone who approves of discrimination in any form and I certainly don't want my taxes used to support such vile policies.

    July 1, 2008 02:34 pm at 2:34 pm |
  24. Tim Hutchins

    Why is this such a great idea now that Obama is saying it, but it was criminal and nasty when President Bush put it into action?

    July 1, 2008 02:35 pm at 2:35 pm |
  25. Pat in Cali

    The hiring or not hiring based on religious belief makes sense for the non-Federally funded activities.

    You would not hire a rabbi to lead as a Baptist preacher. That would make an interesting employment discrimination law suit.

    July 1, 2008 02:35 pm at 2:35 pm |
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Allred and another Cain accuser to hold news conference
November 7th, 2011
10:34 AM ET
4 years ago

Allred and another Cain accuser to hold news conference

Washington (CNN) - Famed defense attorney Gloria Allred says another woman who alleges she was sexually harassed by Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain will go public in a news conference in New York on Monday.

Three women have alleged Cain harassed them when they worked for the National Restaurant Association while he headed the group in the 1990s. Allred said that the woman she will appear with at the news conference isn't one of those three.

"Ms. Allred's client will be the first to give her name and to speak out about details of what she alleges occurred between her and Cain," the attorney said in a news release.

Cain has vehemently denied committing sexual harassment.

Allred says the alleged harassment took place when her client sought Cain's help with an employment issue while she was working at the association.

Also see:

Cain scolds reporters: 'End of story' to sexual harassment claims

Paul has no plans for third-party bid

Sen. Hutchison: Perry's record is 'fair game'

Filed under: 2012 • Herman Cain
soundoff (128 Responses)
  1. Rick McDaniel

    What is Allred's political affiliation?????

    We certainly see, that honesty is not a strong suit of attorneys, and certainly not when political affiliations are a factor.

    November 7, 2011 12:42 pm at 12:42 pm |
  2. Observer

    The Cain mutiny continues.

    November 7, 2011 12:47 pm at 12:47 pm |
  3. abby1

    Cain is to blame for this entire incident. He has proven he cannot handle something as simple as explaining his past actions. Instead he has lied, he has forgotten, he has remembered part of the incidents, he has denied the allegations, blamed his rivals, blamed the media and has lashed out at the media. If he had half a brain, he could have addressed these incidents in a more professional manner....he was told 10 days prior that the news organization had that information. He could have planned to address it, while minimizing the negative publicity.

    Since, Gloria Allred is in the picture, I hope she shreds him to pieces.

    November 7, 2011 12:49 pm at 12:49 pm |
  4. Lee65

    Kimberly – exactly. Cain should have just kept his mouth shut from the beginning – "confidentiality agreement; can't comment". Nope, he came up with so many new "recollections". Then, he started attacking these women knowing they could not defend themselves. What a coward.

    November 7, 2011 12:49 pm at 12:49 pm |
  5. Jean Sartre, Milwaukee, WI

    I don't think truth has a POLITICAL AFFILIATION!

    November 7, 2011 12:49 pm at 12:49 pm |
  6. roscoe

    These are legitimate complaints that were brought up when they happened and Herman paid tens of thousands of dollars to settle them. Who cares what political affiliation the attorney has or what her motives may be. Either the complaints have merit or they don't. The evidence leaked to the public so far says that they have merit. The accused has tried to ignore the situation, claim it never happened, and then presented various stories about how it happened but the complaints didn't have merit. Let's get everything out on the table and then let people decide whether it is important or not.

    November 7, 2011 12:52 pm at 12:52 pm |
  7. Dawn

    Usually I would agree about Gloria throwing smoke but to have them pay off Two women to keep them quit makes me believe it is true. If Cain didnt do no wrong doing then they would of never paid the women off for him. Any women who supports a man who acts like that should be ashamed. The man is guilty has heck and he knows it. Besides Im starting to think he didn't run because he thought he had a chance he just ran so when he opts out he can give his support to Perry once again. Which by the way means squat to me I wont vote for either of them.

    November 7, 2011 12:52 pm at 12:52 pm |
  8. RINO Bil

    Well, unless this gal filed a report and there was an investigation AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, this is pretty much a bogus event. But I still maintain that Herman Cain is handling these charges as stupidly as is humanly possible. It is a sad fact that the charges and allegatiions are not the story, his handling of these events is ... and he is not earning anyone's votes by his incrediably arrogant behavior.

    November 7, 2011 12:55 pm at 12:55 pm |
  9. Aska Feld

    This is getting worse than the deli counter ... # 4 ? Paging # 4 ... People who stick up for Cain should be ashamed, but then, birds of a feather.
    Ignoring wether these accusations are true or false, Mr Cain has repeatedly attempted obstruct and mislead on this subject and countless other talking points during his campaign. Anyone of integrity would have already dissassociated themselves from this circus.
    The Koch brothers are obviously shrewd judges of character ( Or lack there of ... ) and should be allowed to continue buying puppet politicians, preferably ones with less visible strings.

    November 7, 2011 12:56 pm at 12:56 pm |
  10. Tree

    It does not matter who is involved. Some of your post is acting like Can it the vit. I dont feell sorry for him, because what's in the dark will come to light. And just maybe this is his turn. Look at him he looks like a dirty old man, with that said, i would llove for him to go all the way. This is better than the movies. Obama vs Cain what a joke. I would love to see that debate. He come up with a lot of bull and jokes.
    Obama 2012

    November 7, 2011 12:58 pm at 12:58 pm |
  11. mannycl

    More media entertainment. Anything else really important besides this boring news that nobody cares about.

    November 7, 2011 12:59 pm at 12:59 pm |
  12. Missy M.

    I think it's sad, truly a disgrace, that people can come out publicly with these allegations in an attempt to destroy a man without a shred of proof. They can say what they want. But in the end, the fact that she did not file a complaint with the restaurant association is telling – my hunch is that she hired Allred to protect herself from the libel suit that will likely come from slandering someone.

    November 7, 2011 01:04 pm at 1:04 pm |
  13. v_mag

    While all the right wingers run off at the mouth defending Cain, who may or may not be guilty, most people are missing the fact that Herman has made hash of this episode and shows no evidence of preparation for the presidency. He wasted the 10 days advance notice, changed his story multiple times, blamed Perry and then the media, and ordered reporters to drop it, as if he were their CEO instead of a potential public servant.

    This is what you get when you try to put a business man in government. That sounds like a good idea, until you realize that business and government have totally different objectives and require different personality types. One reason Congress is locked up and do-nothing is that we have all those Repugnant business-types elected by teabaggers who refuse to compromise, which is a very business-like trait. We need folks who understand that the purpose of government is to serve the electorate, and not to crush the opposition.

    November 7, 2011 01:05 pm at 1:05 pm |
  14. Cedar Rapids

    "I really wonder how much $$ the Democratic (NObama) administration is passing onto her."

    Well that sounds like an accusation, care to try to prove that, seeing as how it seems an ex-NRA board member leaked the original report, and republicans supporting Perry have made other claims.

    "Oh well... Expect that and more from this administration. And, to top it all off, Mr. Cain is only a presidential candidate. Can we imagine all the attacks if he became the Republican nominee. The Democrats have said they intend to destroy anyone that dares to run against our clueless/do-nothing president."

    The democrats have said no such thing, you are full of it. Though it does show that the Dems were not behind this as they would have waited until Cain got the nod before bringing anything like this up. And seriously, the repubs are hardly short of attacks themselves.

    November 7, 2011 01:07 pm at 1:07 pm |
  15. Dave C., Michigan

    Cain needs to get the names of each of these women and if he has been truthful to all of us, needs to file a defamation lawsuit against each of them. That will tell me real quick who is lying...

    November 7, 2011 01:09 pm at 1:09 pm |
  16. Telchristina

    Kimberly. Agreed. Herman Cain is a liar. He changed his story several times and added more details on each interview. Until yesterday he decided that he would no longer answer those questions by shouting at the reporters "do not go there"...made me want to puke! This guy is a real joke!

    November 7, 2011 01:09 pm at 1:09 pm |
  17. Jayden

    Agree with Kimberly! People need not forget that at least the 1st woman did not voluntarily come out to accuse Cain. Politico brought it up first and gave Cain 10 days to respond before they put it out there. This guy is such a joke.

    November 7, 2011 01:10 pm at 1:10 pm |
  18. SANDY

    Now Herman Cain is a minister and he should know that the truth will set you free. But since he continually have the audacity to tell lie after lie. The media had to set him free. Thanks POLITICO for doing a great job. MR. HOTT PANTS is finished.

    November 7, 2011 01:11 pm at 1:11 pm |
  19. Drew

    I guess Herman was counting on the confidentiality clause not too smart.

    November 7, 2011 01:11 pm at 1:11 pm |
  20. epicjourney

    If this publicity hack is involved with these women's claims then I submit that is proof that Cain is an innocent victim of lying gold diggers.

    November 7, 2011 01:27 pm at 1:27 pm |
  21. Larry L

    @Rick McDaniel

    "What is Allred's political affiliation?????"
    Do you honestly think this attack is made by Democrats? You can bet they'll pile on when they can but this is a classic "swift boat" move – with Karl Rove's fingerprints all over it. Remember the Starr Commission – where Republicans spent over 90 million dollars of the taxpayer's money to nail Bill Clijnton?

    How many women will need to come forward before people smell a rat... with pizza on his breath?

    November 7, 2011 01:29 pm at 1:29 pm |
  22. DonnieH.

    To all of you defending Herman Cain. How many of you would be defending President Obama if these allegations involved him? Fox news would have already persecuted him and the Gop would be demanding he steps down and/or trying to impeach him. I guess this gives an entire new meaning when you talk about the "Cain train"...

    November 7, 2011 01:30 pm at 1:30 pm |
  23. Hi there

    This fourth one is coming out voluntarily. No one is forcing her. No one even mentioned her. She did not file a complaint with the restaurant association. She is coming out completely voluntarily. The third one, also, similar story. No one forced her to come out and make a comment. She did sovoluntarily. The third and fourth women are not the same two who filed a complaint against Cain all those years ago. There are only two complaints against him – two complaints on record and those two are not speaking out. The third and fourth women are coming out now, with no proof of ever complaining before. No proof that their story is true. They can say what they want. Some will believe them, others will believe Cain. The sad thing is, there are much bigger issues we should be talking about.

    November 7, 2011 01:35 pm at 1:35 pm |
  24. roscoe

    There was another potential candidate threatening to sue for defamation recently.......wonder why we haven't seen that lawsuit, Sarah? Probably for the same reason that we won't see a Cain lawsuit. The only ones not telling the truth are Sarah and Herman. Maybe it's a tea bagging thing.

    November 7, 2011 01:36 pm at 1:36 pm |
  25. A MN

    I wonder how many more woman the dems can pay to say the were harassed, this is just a smear campaign from the crying liberal party...

    November 7, 2011 01:37 pm at 1:37 pm |
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text:
Contact Us

‘Duets’ Week 3 Recap: Alexis Foster Sent Home on Inspiration Episode

Robin Thicke Alexis Foster

On tonight’s episode (June 7) of ‘Duets,’ the superstars and the amateurs performed songs that inspire the contestants. It was also the first elimination of the season, with Alexis Foster sent home. It was a shocking elimination.

Foster and Jason Farol were in the bottom. Farol sang ‘Me and Mrs. Jones’ a capella for his life, while Foster ripped through a soulful, voice-only rendition of ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.’ We thought she was better, but we’re not on the superstar panel, hanging out in the celeb lounge!

Three weeks in and there’s a clear top and a bottom, teamwise. Jennifer Nettles by far has the strongest assembled team, while Kelly Clarkson is struggling to help her charges emerge and open up.

Robin Thicke: First up was Alexis Foster. They partnered up for ‘Killing Me Softly.’ It was steamy and good. But was it great? No. For his second charge, the chart bottom dweller Olivia Chisholm, he forced to her to come out of her shell with Beyonce‘s ‘Crazy in Love,’ since it’s a fearless song done by a fearless pop diva. He wanted Liv to become fearless. Was she? Oh yes. She was tactile, confident, had legs for days and owned that short, sparkly flapper dress. But she was just okay as a singer. Still, it was a rebound from last week’s snoozefest.

Jennifer Nettles: The Sugarland singer and John Glosson tackled ‘How Great Thou Art.’ Glosson began the song a capella, joined by Nettles moments later. It was effective. J Rome sang ‘How Am I Supposed to Live Without You’ by Michael Bolton. The Bolt is a pop culture touchstone, and he really can sing, with that raspy heat. J. Rome is a smoother singer, but imparts just as much emotion, especially since the song reminded him of his late grandfather, with whom he sang ‘Amazing Grace’ before he died. He and Nettles delivered a quintessential “he said, she said” power ballad.

Kelly Clarkson: Clarkson and pink-haired Jordan Meredith, who has consistently landed in the bottom of the judge voting, tried to make a comeback with Miranda Lambert‘s ‘Mama’s Broken Heart.’ Meredith can sing, but she has lacked presence. Did she gain it by going barefoot? Yes. It was her best delivery thus far. Jason Farol tackled ‘Hallelujah’ with Clarkson and it was pretty, but he still feels like he is stuck in a shell. He ended up in the bottom, yet again. We think he is distracted by the fact that his parents didn’t support his decision to be a singer and participate in the show. But now his parents have changed their tune, we’re thankful it wasn’t too late for him to focus on his.

John Legend: Newbie Meleana Brown offered another strong showing with Alicia Keys‘ ‘If I Ain’t Got You.’ It was dinner party-ish, but if you like that style, this perf was all you. ‘I Heard It Through the Grapevine’ was the song Legend tackled with Bridget Carrington. It was quite a quality jam between the two. We liked it.

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Contact Us

Lady Gaga’s Creative Director Shares Details on ‘Judas’ Video

Lady Gaga
Jason Merritt, Getty Images

Lady Gaga‘s next music video for the song ‘Judas’ will be “a roller-coaster ride,” according to the singer’s creative director, Laurieann Gibson. The video has not yet been filmed, but Gibson told MTV the video will match the energy of the song itself.

“‘Judas’ is exciting for me because we had this amazing artistic approach to ‘Born This Way’ and I’m so excited for how riveting, energetic and electric the record is, something really phenomenal,” Gibson tells MTV. “So, visually, the dance, the costuming, the idea of how big we’re trying to go, [it's] going to be a roller-coaster ride.”

Several of Gaga’s videos have been visually-arresting short films, including ‘Bad Romance,’ ‘Telephone’ and ‘Born This Way.’ Like these videos, Gibson says that ‘Judas’ will probably not fit into the traditional music video mold either.

“Even if we go with a traditional music video, the directors that we love are not traditional, so the idea that they get to collaborate with us means they too want to live outside of what people expect a traditional music video to be,” Gibson says.

The public has yet to hear ‘Judas,’ but Gaga tweeted a line from it: “I’m just a holy fool, oh baby he’s so cruel, but I’m still in love with Judas, baby.”

Fernanado Garabay, a music director on the ‘Born This Way’ album, says the track is a dance song with a serious message about making the right choices.

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Graduate Scholarships

International Aid:

SAP (Students Assistance Program)
Canadian students who wish to take out student loans via their local SAP are welcome to contact the Financial Aid Department for further assistance.

AACI (Canada Scholarship Fund)
This fund is intended for Israeli citizens holding Canadian citizenship, who are studying towards a Bachelors Degree at recognized universities and colleges in Israel.

The Danish-Israeli study Foundation in memory of Josef and Regine Nachemsoh
The Foundation grants with scholarships to Danish students for studies at universities and other institutions of higher education in Israel. The application is due December 31st.

Kela http://www.kela.fi
Financial aid for students is intended to provide an income to financially needy students whose parents are not under obligation to finance their studies and who are not eligible for aid under some other provisions.
Financial aid is provided in the form of the following benefits: Study Grant, Housing Supplement and government guarantee for student loans.

PESSA Et Rebecca Blumenkoph
The fund promotes the stay in Israel of French students wishing to complete their studies. This scholarship will be awarded in consideration of the quality of the studies pursued and the financial status of applicants.

Child Support
The German Government awards the student's parents with monthly allowance.

IBGroep http://www.ib-groep.nl/particulieren/default.asp
Students up to the age of 30, having Dutch nationality, enrolled for a full-time higher education course of studies, are entitled for a governmental grant. This means a student railcard, a basic scholarship per month for a maximum period of 4 years and a loan for three years.

The fund for Dutch citizens www.milga-nl.org.il
Dutch immigrants and their descendants fund works closely with the Association of Jews from Holland, distributed annually for scholarships to students.

South Africa

Sam Cohen
A SA Private fund that support students with scholarships. The student has to contact Bronwen Kubelun at:
Bkubelun@papilsky.co.za / 011-728-7433

The South African Zionist Federation (Israel), known as Telfed, support SA students who made Aliya and award them with educational scholarship from funds that have been donated by the public to assist students residing and studying in Israel.

CSN Centrala studiestödsnämnden http://www.csn.se/
CSN are working to determine and pay the Swedish student financial aid, grants and loans for those studying in Sweden and abroad. Study assistance consists of grants and loans. You also have the opportunity to borrow money for extra costs such as tuition fees, travel and insurance.

Free Application for Federal Student Loans (FAFSA):
American students are eligible for Direct Stafford Loans (Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Plus loans) as part of the Direct Loans program of the US Department of Education.
Please click here for Consumer Information (Process, School Code, Policies, Regulations).
Please contact the RRIS Financial Aid office via e-mail once you apply for FAFSA and if you have any difficulty in accessing the information online.
The American Jewish League www.americanjewishleague.org
The American Jewish League (AJLI) for Israel has a unique University Scholarship program that awards qualified American students with partial scholarship grants toward a year of study at one of Israel's prestigious Universities.

The Anna Sobol Levy Fellowship for MA Government
The Anna Sobol Levy Fellowship is open to students interested in the MA in Government with specialization in either Counterterrorism and Homeland Security or Diplomacy and Conflict Studies. The purpose of this fellowship is to provide future US leaders considering military or government service an opportunity to learn first-hand about Middle East regional politics, culture, and security affairs. Accepted applicants receive a generous scholarship that covers tuition and some living expenses.
Click here for more information >>

Jewish Community Aid:

The Jewish Agency for Israel and the Israel Prime Minister’s Office co-sponsor the Masa project to encourage young Jews who are not Israeli residents to study in Israel. Students up to the age of thirty-one, who have not been to Israel on a long term program before, are eligible for a grant from Masa to go towards tuition at the Raphael Recanati International School. Students will receive an initial grant based on their country of origin and can apply for additional funding of up to $10,000 US which is awarded based on financial need. Application forms for Masa must be completed online at www.masaisrael.org Please note, Masa is an independent initiative and therefore its criteria for evaluating scholarship requests may differ from those used to evaluate requests for the Raphael Recanati International School Scholarships.

Nefesh Be'Nefesh

To obviate the fiscal obstacles, Nefesh B'Nefesh provides significant financial assistance to eligible Aliyah candidates. All financial assistance is vested after a three year period. Any Aliyah candidate who emigrates from Israel within the designated three year period is obligated to return the financial grant to Nefesh B'Nefesh.

Ami supports the French community socially and financially. New immigrants from France/Belgium/Switzerland or Morocco can apply for Ami's needs-based scholarship.

Minhal Ha'studentim

The Government of Israel helps with tuition of graduate degree for new Olim under the age of 30 (provided the Oleh does not already have this degree from abroad and that the program that you choose is recognized by Minhal HaStudentim).

Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)

Military Aid:

HESEG Foundation provides full academic scholarships and living expenses to qualified applicants. Preference will be given to candidates who are recognized by HESEG as lone soldiers, who have come to Israel to volunteer in the IDF. This is a loan soldier's scholarship for first year students, applicants will need to show certificates of Excellency.

Gruss Fund

For IDF veterans.

RRIS Scholarship:

Merit based scholarship

The RRIS takes the liberty to award excellent students with Merit scholarship based on their previous performance. Students don't apply for this scholarship, the RRIS admission office will notify you if relevant. .
Volunteering for Scholarship:

It is "Big Brother" volunteering project, organized by the Student Union. You can apply online and get a scholarship towards volunteering hours.

The South African Zionist Federation (Israel), known as Telfed, offers to volunteer in the organization towards a scholarship.


text:
Box Sets: Casilda Sanchez

  • Custom box sets for film, photography, and installation artist, Casilda Sanchez.
    As Inside as the Eye Can See and Ojos Que No Ven. The box sets were then given to an art collector in New York City. Each box contains one viewing DVD, one viewing Blu-Ray, a signed Blu-Ray, two USB drives, and a Certificate of Authenticity. (Summer 2011)


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Aug 28, 2008

Thursday Thirteen - Literary Tattoos

This is unfortunately not a totally original idea. In fact, there is a whole blog out there about literary tattoos called Contrariwise. But once I started looking I found out there are a lot of interesting articles and pictures and everything out there regarding the topic. One blogger sees this trend as a way to "signpost your erudition through skin ink." If you visit the Contrariwise blog or do your own search you will find certain authors and phrases are very popular. Especially Vonnegut, specifically the phrase "so it goes."

Shirley Dent summarizes the message of an article in The Economist saying, "tattoos are no longer the edgy insignia of the free spirited but the arty-farty must-have accessory of the middle classes." She continues to stay that those who get literary tattoos are able in some way to transcend the trend of the tattoo and show more of their personality. What do you think?

Many other bloggers have also posted a link to Contrariwise with questions like, What literary tattoo would you get?

I have two tattoos and in some ways it surprised me that I never previously thought about getting a literary tattoo. I think in part I haven't given it much thought, but also there has been too few or too many lines from literature that really resonates through me.

Here are my 13 FAVORITE literary tattoos:

1. Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand

2. Through the Looking-Glass - Lewis Carroll

link to original Tenniel illustration

3. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

4. The Giving Tree - Shel Silverstien

5. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath

“I took a deep breath and listened to the old bray of my heart: I am, I am, I am.”

6. "The Road Not Taken" - Robert Frost

Full poem, with money as size comparison.

7. Slaughter House-Five - Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

(yes, I actually included one)

8. Oepipus Rex - Sophocles

"Give me life
wherever there is opportunity
to live."

9. Molly Bloom in Ulysses - James Joyce

"...his heart was going like mad and yes I said yes I will Yes.”

10. "I Know a Man" - Robert Creeley

"can we do against
it, or else, shall we &
why not, buy a goddamn big car"

11. be of love (a little) - e.e. cummings

12. To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee

for cajunvegan

13. Through the Looking-Glass - Lewis Carroll

Inspiration for the blog name.
“Contrariwise,” continued Tweedledee, “if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn’t, it ain’t. That’s logic.”

Interested in more?
Here is a list of interesting links, tattoos, ideas, and commentary.

Do you have or would you like your own literary tattoo? Tell me about it!
Which of these existing tattoos do you like the best? Which could you see yourself having? And finally:dublinka asks: But are there any poets out there using their own skin as a notebook? Would be kind of cool...

  1. Wow! I am not up on tattoos, so I had no clue about literary ones, they were very fascinating. Awesome! :)

  2. That's impressive. I BIG HEART The Giving Tree!!! On of my favs and that's an awesome tattoo.

  3. Those are beautiful! They are giving me some ideas for even more tattoos I need to add to my body!

  4. My favorite is #4,I would have to think about tattooing words around my chest so. Anyway they are awsome.
    Can I put a link on my blog, of course giving you credit? I think some might enjoy looking at them.
    Nice to visit you, it's been a while, I have been on and off blogging due to Lyme's disease which can make you feel like lazy's disease =o)
    A nice upcoming WE to you

  5. Boy did you get my imagination going on this one! If I wasn't so afraid of pain, I'd be leaning toward Rabbi Hillel's most famous line, "If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?" Or maybe just the last line...

  6. wow those are beautiful :) You may appreciate mine. . . I have a passage from Alice on my arm also, it's a bit different to those.

  7. aw.. im loving the alice in wonderland ones.. im hoping to get a quote from through the looking glass soon.. "i always give myself good advice but i seldom ever follow it" on my foot.. and eventually vargas style pin up of alice along my thigh. and the road not taken one of my fav poems..

  8. I am getting a giving tree tattoo today...can't wait. Won't look like the one pictured here but instead smaller with just the image of the boy and a banner underneath that reads "and the tree was happy"

  9. Hi, I'm a newbie here, but I already want to bring all the benefits of me :) So, I want to share my experience with you..
    9 days ago, accidentally, i had found the Mobile Phone TV...and I was so delighted with this application
    that I decided to talk to you :)

    I consider myself a bit of a road warrior. I am on and off jets and through airports at least twice,
    usually 4 times a week. I can catch up on news, watch a Discovery program, check up on the stock market or just find something interesting.
    The live guide works like cable at home and the connection speed is very good. All in ALL - I RATE A 5 Star program!

    but I do not want to leave any links here, so you can email me
    and i will give you the site of this unusual program :)

    (but please don't PM me, because it's so difficult to communicate in such kind of way)

    so, I hope I was helpful to you)) see you in next posts ..

    your Alexis....

    p.s. English is not my native language, so sorry for any mistakes :)

  10. Tattoos allow for self expression.

Bibliophile Exploring Dystopia | Speculative Fiction


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House reduces motorist tax cut and creates new clash with Senate

9:59 am Apr. 26, 2013

Already deadlocked on health insurance and a pension overhaul, Florida lawmakers added another bit of tension to the Legislature’s homestretch, with the House budget panel Friday opening the session’s final week by breaking ranks with the Senate on a plan to cut vehicle tag and title fees.

The House Appropriations Committee rejected the Senate’s proposal to eliminate a 26-year-old tax break for the insurance industry to cut $220 million in motorist

Senate rolls back vehicle fees, nixes insurance industry tax break

11:52 am Apr. 24, 2013

Florida vehicle registration renewal fees would be rolled back – a savings of about $12 for drivers – under a measure unanimously approved by the state Senate this morning.

The state would make up the lost money – between $220 million and $230 million – by doing away with a decades-old tax break to insurance companies. Insurers who pay a state tax on insurance premiums get a rebate worth 15 percent

PIP: Scott ‘arm bending’ works. DLP ‘phoney-baloney’ rant. Negron ‘not a home-and-away’ game.

11:22 pm Mar. 9, 2012

Gov. Rick Scott scored a huge victory late Friday night when the Florida Senate signed off on a last-ditch effort to crack down on personal injury protection fraud.

By a narrow 21-19 vote, the once-again divided Senate agreed to the compromise language passed earlier this evening by the House, and then passed the measure (HB 119) 22-17.

But the vote elicited rebukes from some senators who wanted

House approves compromise PIP package

7:31 pm Mar. 9, 2012

The House has signed off on a last-ditch effort to close out a deal with the Senate on personal injury protection reform, one of Gov. Rick Scott’s top priorities.

But despite frenzied lobbying by insurance company representatives and Scott, it remains unclear whether the deal has enough support in the Senate to get the 21 votes needed to pass. Scott and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater have made PIP fraud one

House ‘opts in’ to Citizens surplus lines, killing bill

7:39 pm Mar. 6, 2012

The House sponsor of a bill aimed at reducing the number of homeowners covered by Citizens Property Insurance opted to kill the measure (HB 245) rather than allow the state-run insurers’ customers to “opt in” to switching to unregulated “surplus lines” carriers.

Consumer advocates cheered the apparent death Tuesday of what they called the backdoor deregulation of Florida’s property insurance market.

A bipartisan House coalition voted 63-52 in support of

PIP overhaul looks like a longshot

4:48 pm Feb. 24, 2012

The Legislature’s latest bid to revamp personal injury protection (PIP) auto insurance looks like it could collapse amid the same intra-industry squabbles that killed previous efforts over much of the past decade.

Gov. Rick Scott is an ardent advocate for reform — tucking the demand for action into his State of the State address in January.

Now, Capitol hall talk is swirling about the idea of a special session on the subject

Fired-up Scott champions House PIP reform critics call anti-consumer

2:43 pm Jan. 25, 2012

A fired-up Gov. Rick Scott gave proponents of changes to the state’s no-fault insurance laws a lesson in politics, urging them to knock on lawmakers’ doors and let them have it.

Scott joined a crusade led by business industry leaders and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater pushing legislation intended to crack down on personal injury protection insurance fraud the governor said is costing Floridians $1 billion a year.

And today Scott came

Atwater round-up: CFO gives thanks, seeks more control over state contracts and goes after lawyers

12:30 pm Nov. 23, 2011

Times may be tough but there’s still plenty to be grateful for, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater tells Floridians in a Thanksgiving video message released today.

Atwater, a North Palm Beach banker and former Senate president, says he’s thankful for his “exciting year” as the executive in charge of the state’s checkbook and he’s appreciative of the country’s military serving overseas, who “risk their lives every day so that we can

Immigration tops Rick Scott’s legislative priority list

7:21 pm Jul. 26, 2011

Immigration is at the top of Gov. Rick Scott’s legislative priorities when lawmakers reconvene in January, the first-term governor told Northwest Florida conservative radio talk show host Burnie Thompson today.

Lawmakers failed to reach agreement on any immigration proposals during the session that ended in May.

“We should have done an immigration bill. The federal government should be securing our borders. They should have a logical, national immigration policy, a good work

New Scott ad fries felon-friendly Sink

5:33 pm Oct. 20, 2010

GOP gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott released a new ad attacking Democratic opponent Alex Sink for licensing felons as insurance agents although a recent court ruling found Sink, the state’s chief financial officer, is too harsh on the ex-criminals.

Scott’s campaign released the ad the day of the duo’s first live televised debate set to begin at 7 p.m tonight. His campaign staff first handed out information about Sink licensing felons at


text:
Welcome to the world of Premier Ship Models

About Premier Ship Models

Premier Ship Models is a fast-growing, internationally based retailer of model ships and ship model kits. Over the past 12 years we have built a reputation for delivering the finest quality, handcrafted model ships to both corporate and casual comers across over 80 countries. You can view our full range of model ships online. This website contains information and photos displaying the quality and expertise behind our full range of models. You can also purchase online and we offer international delivery. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

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  • Premier Ship...
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text:
The Presidents UFO Website
Home Barack H. Obama UFO Letters to Obama Letter from D. K., Ridgeway, CO
Letter from D. K., Ridgeway, CO PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 06 November 2008 06:00

The Honorable Barack Obama
President Elect of the United States
713 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear President Elect Obama:
It is of the utmost importance that you demand/request a briefing (with military and intelligence agencies) regarding the extraterrestrial presence here on planet Earth.
In the same regard, convene congressional hearings to take testimonies from hundreds of agency, military, government and civilians who have had such experiences.
The world and U.S. citizens have been kept in the dark for 'security reasons' for over 60 years, mainly due to U.S. pressure. The lid is blowing off with the French COMETA Report and the British release of their classified records.
Disclosure, the transparency must begin. The welfare of the eco systems of this planet as well as the survival of our human societies is at stake.
Thank you for your support in this most important matter.
D. K.
Ridgeway, CO

Last Updated on Monday, 14 December 2009 21:24

Register here to receive the latest exclusive research, information and media updates directly from Grant Cameron.

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Silver Screen Saucers


text:
NEXT LEVEL: Former DP star Stone sets assist record at UTEP

Dos Pueblos grad Julyan Stone just became the all-time assist leader at UTEP. (Photo Courtesy of UTEP Sports Information)

One night after receiving his college degree, former Dos Pueblos High basketball star Julyan Stone rewrote the record book at the University of Texas, El Paso.

Stone became the school’s all-time leader in assists, passing Miner legend and former NBA star Tim Hardaway.

In a game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday, Stone fed Jeremy Williams for his 564th career assist. He finished the game with five assists and now needs nine more to pass Corey Santee of TCU as Conference USA’s third best all-time assist man.

The 6-7 Stone is the first player in UTEP history to have more than 500 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists in a career.

“To be the type of player that gets their teammates involved and after all the great (UTEP) point guards it means a lot to me,” Stone told the Prospector, UTEP’s student newspaper. “I’m all about making my teammates better, Randy is a great scorer, and (former UTEP guard) Stefon (Jackson) was a great scorer, without them knocking down shots I would have no assists.”

The night before rewriting the record book, Stone walked across a stage at the Don Haskins Center and received his degree in organizational communication with a minor in business management.

He told the El Paso Times, “I’ve always known I would do this someday. I knew it would happen at some point. My mother was always on me about this and I knew I would have to do this to make her proud. It is pretty special that we are graduating in the Don Haskins Center. That’s been our home away from home. Nothing could be better than graduating under that banner (from last year’s NCAA Tournament team). We are graduating in there where we pretty much live.”

Stone said that he is the first in his family to graduate from college.

“I’ve got everyone coming,” he said before the graduation. “My parents, my nieces and nephews, even a couple of kids I mentored back home.”

TOUGH LOSS: Carly Wopat and the Stanford Cardinal suffered a heartbreaking five-set loss to USC in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament.

Wopat, a freshman out of Dos Pueblos, had a productive first season. She finished with 147 kills (5th on the team) and was the team leader in block assists with 90. She played in 106 sets.

Across the country, Karina Evans, a teammate of Wopat’s at DP, also played in the NCAA Tournament with Delaware. The Blue Hens were eliminated in the first round by Virginia Tech.

Evans posted 33 kills and 47 block assists in 51 sets in her first year of Division 1 volleyball.


text:
Thursday, 9 January 2014

12 Incredible Snapshots Of Chameleons Launching Their Tongues At Prey

image credit: Caroline Granycome

Chameleons are famed for being able to change their color, but another of their amazing characteristics is the way they unleash their long, sticky tongues to grab the insects - and even sometimes small birds - on which they feed.

Behind these remarkable appendages are some extremely intricate and impressive biological features that are of great interest to scientists. Yet chameleons flicking out their tongues also make for some very attractive photos.

0 comment(s):


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Open Access Publishing – but who will pay?*

Guardian front page 16th July 2012

Guardian front page, 12th July 2012

Today’s Guardian front page offers an encouraging headline: Free access to British scientific research within two years. The idea is that by 2014 all publications of all research which has been funded by the British taxpayer has to be accessible to universities, companies and individuals.

This is a response to the real problem of expensive academic publishing, where companies accept (for free) research papers from academics, ask other academics to peer-review those papers (also for free, usually) and then sell the published product at a very high price back to the same group of academics who can’t be full participants in research activities without access to these publications. In the UK, the situation is made considerably worse by the REF, which makes many universities dismiss publications unless they appear in a select group of ‘top journals’, which further increases the market value of some titles.

As a result, the publishing companies have universities in a stranglehold, and library budgets are feeling the pinch. In some areas, journal subscriptions are now purely online and defined in a way which does allow access only to members of the subscribing institution: for the first time since the invention of libraries, this means that even traveling to a well-funded library will no longer give you access to all material you might need to read. In the sciences this situation has led many scholars to boycott the most ruthless of these publishing companies, Elsevier.

The government’s initiative therefore looks like an excellent move – and the Guardian clearly considers it good news. But I see some very worrying problems which will arise from this proposal, particularly for scholars in the arts and humanities (as so often, a solution tailored to the sciences is not going to suit everybody in academia).

Here is the problem: as the Guardian reports,

British universities now pay around £200m a year in subscription fees to journal publishers, but under the new scheme, authors will pay “article processing charges” (APCs) to have their papers peer reviewed, edited and made freely available online. The typical APC is around £2,000 per article.

Of course, in the arts and humanities, the situation is different (read Mary Beard’s description of how a top ancient history journal works), but somebody will have to pay for publication here, too. In the sciences, most projects, virtually all, in fact, are funded through grant income. Write publication costs into proposals, and it’ll all work out fine. But this is not the case in arts and humanities. Funding pots are very small in these areas, and much of the research is done by scholars working around teaching and administration: salary costs and reasonable library budgets (usually equally necessary for students) is all that is needed. Much of this will be funded by tuition fees in future, since state funding is retreating from higher education, but it’s hard to believe that journals will be able to stick to the subscription model if the government’s free access proposals become law. The cost for publishing research becomes the responsibility of the author. Perhaps universities will divert some of their current subscription budgets towards publishing, but in concert with REF publication pressures, how will this funding be handled? Who will decide preferences? Or will we end up with a situation like in Germany, where many scholars already pay publication costs (currently mostly monographs) out of their own pockets? A PhD thesis there has to be published to be considered valid, yet publishing a book with a reputable publisher can set you back thousands of Euro, and funding is often not available. Is this where we want to go? Thus, while arts and humanities currently hardly contribute to the problem, they might be hit particularly hard by the impact of the government’s ‘solution’.

But there are more general problems as well.
- Firstly, one might ask (as Stevan Harnad of the LSE does here) why scholars cannot give each other open access to publications, bypassing expensive subscriptions completely. Unsurprisingly, the publishing companies are against this practice, and government has clearly listened to their lobbying.
- Secondly, even scientists, may have to battle over publication grants in future, and the idea that publication no longer merely depends on (perceived) quality, but also on the ability to pay will make it even harder for newcomers to enter an academic career.
- Finally, it seems doubtful that library budgets will remain the same: this may well mean another excuse for further budget cuts, with no guarantee that any of the money no longer needed for journal subscription will be invested in publication costs or (might we dare to dream?) in books.

In the end, the question is whether we do need a much more radical overhaul of academic publication. Journals originally were the best (and often the only) way to make research results known to the scholarly community. As academic publishing became more professional, peer review was developed to provide quality control, and recently, journals have also become a tool for measuring perceived quality for the purpose of research assessment by universities and governments. In the age of the internet, journals are, however, non longer the most efficient mode of disseminating research, and scholars continue to use them because they need the recognition which only publication in a reputable journal can provide. Do we still need journals? Is there another, more practical way of organising rigorous peer review?

*This blog post started its life as a discussion between colleagues: thanks for insights, links and ideas – particularly to Mark Humphries (who started the discussion) and Birgitta Hoffmann (who showed that my initial suspicion did not go far enough). Errors and opinions in this post are, of course, all my own.

This entry was posted in Current events, Education, Universities and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

6 Responses to Open Access Publishing – but who will pay?*

  1. A very clear and useful summary of the issues, Maria. However, I’d like to play devil’s advocate slightly: it’s not the case that only some humanities research is funded (e.g. by an AHRC grant); rather, all research is funded, but some through direct grants and the rest through the block grant system, i.e. the money allocated as a result of REF. Hitherto, universities have just treated the latter like ordinary income and used it to pay salaries, infrastructure costs etc., but it could – arguably should – also be used to pay the costs of research beyond salaries (just as universities increasingly recognise that they need to fund research leave rather than assuming that this can be left to the AHRC). This would include publication costs; yes, this would mean less money available for other things (but if it’s a cost that then contributes to bringing in income through REF that’s justifiable); yes, there would need to be stricter controls on what can be published (but that should raise the quality). Personally, the most serious problem is not the structure of academic publishing but the demands of REF that compels us to publish all research in prestigious places in order for it to count; if it wasn’t for that, I for one would happily make all of it freely available.

  2. Maria Pretzler says:

    Neville – thanks for your comments: they really clarify things.

    I think it’ll be interesting to see whether they’ll count the block grant as UK-taxpayer funded research – and the question is whether block grants will last for much longer…. . I wonder whether they have even thought of a situation where research in a discipline is often not grant-funded. If you work on a science model, that possibility may seem far-fetched.

    Concerning free access: like you, I’d like to see free access (the LSE article investigates different models), if it’s actually free. Using the same expensive publishers and just imposing costs on authors looks like an oddly counter-intuitive way of going about this. It’s a weird economic model (seeing that we have to think about this in market terms these days) where the supplier/producer of the ‘product’ pays, the delivery company gets all the profit and the consumer gets the product for free. Does this mean that academic authors will have to be even more ‘incentivised’ to publish and to pay by stringent research assessment?

    We should rethink the whole publishing process. Dissemination should be free and online, while quality control (and, if necessary, metrics for REF purposes) doesn’t necessarily have to be linked to dissemination in the same way as it is now. This would of course take some pretty innovative thinking, and I find that the way in which academia runs itself is often oddly lacking in innovative thinking.

  3. I can’t see how the block grant could not count as UK taxpayer-funded research – after all, isn’t that why we keep having to fill out transparency returns? – but agreed that it may at some point simply disappear.

    The dissemination of research, even on the internet, is of course not free; someone has to pay the costs, whether it is the university supporting its own IT infrastructure or a commercial publisher who then seeks to recover them, either from researchers or from readers. The argument for free access is that the ultimate funder of the research ought to pay for its dissemination, at any rate when it’s public money. I would favour the non-profit approach, where the ‘publisher’ seeks only to recoup actual costs rather than also trying to take a profit; the problem is that the most prestigious journal titles are generally controlled by commercial publishers, who seek to extract rents from them – which is where the REF comes in, incentivising academics to publish in those journals rather than new, non-profit enterprises.

  4. Erlend says:

    I’m not sure publishing your research with journals is solely about “reputation”, it also touches on accuracy. It verifies (to some degree) that your research is valid and worthwhile, which is, of course, a concern of importance both to the University that employs the scholar, and to their readers who aren’t necessarily specialists in the field. Also, getting into the top journals is a statement on the importance or relevance of the research. Want to know where the cutting edge research in biology is? Go to Nature. Want to know where the latest top-notch studies in Roman history are? Go to the Journal of Roman Studies.

    I think the journal model, which has served us well nigh on 15o years, is a very good one. The problem that gets people looking for alternatives is the finance. But there is no need for such expense. Open-access publishing run by the editors, without a hardback journal (which, lets face it, journal reading seems to be largely done on line now anyway…) is very inexpensive. There is little editing and typesetting required (it is done just through pdf), and the only tangible expense is, I imagine, hosting the website. The problem, as I see it, is not the journal model, but that we are stuck with the old way of how journals are produced. Although some journals (e.g. the prominent ancient history journal “Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies” have made the move away from paid for hardback journals, to online open access. May many more do so!

  5. Pingback: England und Europäische Kommission wollen mehr Open Access

  6. Box says:

    A useful comment, Neville, but in arts and humanities a good proportion of research is not funded in any way by any institution. Take someone who has just finished a doctorate, and is teaching, paid for by the hour (with no payment over the summer, and no research budget), at one or more university, for perhaps a year, but often two or three. This is a very common scenario. She will also be busily publishing articles, and probably working on the monograph of her PhD. These will be essential for her to get a more satisfactory job, but her research time won’t be funded by anyone. In my field she’d need to publish a couple of articles a year. How will she find £2k per article? And there is also the smaller category of people who maintain a serious interest in a subject while working elsewhere, or retired. (For instance I know of a couple of lawyers who publish in serious history journals). Why should they have to pay for something that won’t even help their careers?

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Take the 2-minute tour ×
Personal Productivity Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for people wanting to improve their personal productivity. It's 100% free, no registration required.

I like documentaries and knowledge shows in TV, but are there good shows for computer science? Maybe even with advanced topics? I am less interested in the newest smartphones and games, but if you know a good show am interested in that too.

share|improve this question
(1) Where do you live? The answer depends on your geographical location. India is not Indiana (US) ;-) (2) Are you sure you mean Computer Science (as in "Let F be a recursive function…") or do you rather want a computers, technology and gadgets show? –  amon Oct 10 '12 at 15:58
I live in germany but maybe the shows are available over internet or so. I would watch a show about recursive functions :) But Computers/Tech would be nice as well. –  Puckl Oct 10 '12 at 16:46
stackoverflow.com/questions/2149537/… some good audio suggestions here –  Dallas Oct 16 '12 at 4:29
youtube.com/watch?v=ibF36Yyeehw –  naxa May 22 '13 at 13:48

3 Answers 3

up vote 2 down vote accepted

You can watch CLICK on BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/default.stm You have some episodes on youtube also!

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If you have or download iTunes, go to the store and look for iTunesU and choose the Engineering category. There are many Computer Science "shows" here.

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There are a lot of universities offering free online courses:

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Love at First Sight

Balmain Fall 2009

by Profashionelle on March 9, 2009 · 6 comments

Balmain Fall Winter 2009 Collection

So Christophe Decarnin is a genius. I adore his work for Balmain. He’s done such a great job by reviving the French fashion house with his vision of trashy rock chick chic. His last 2 seasons were sensational and if I had $10k spare cash, I would definitely invest in a Balmain piece (either one of those uber-cool jackets or one of the micro mini dresses).

Decarnin’s Fall 2009 collection had a touch of dÃ©jÃ  vÃ¹ about it was like an ode to Spring 2009. The peaked shoulders, the rise and fall hemlines, the strapless mini dresses, we’ve seen all of this in Spring 2009 already, but Decarnin managed to recreate them in a way that made me forget the fact that he was basically just copying his work from Spring 2009.

I loved the feminine silhouettes, the disco dresses (especially the electric blue sequinned ones), the peaked shoulders which have come to be his signature pieces. I even loved the harem pants.

All in all, I mostly loved Balmain’s Fall 2009 collection even though it had nothing ground-breaking overly new about it. I’m far away from being tired of Balmain, but I hope to see something different for the next season. Still, I really ♥ Balmain.

Disco Electric Blue

Balmain Fall 2009 Electric Blue

Structured Blazers & Skinny Pants

Balmain Fall 2009 Blazer & Skinny Pants

Geometric Silver Dresses

Balmain Fall 2009 Silver Geometric Dresses

Harem Pants

Balmain Fall 2009 Harem Pants

Strapless Mini Dresses

Balmain Fall 2009 Strapless Mini Dresses

Balmain Fall 2009 Runway Video

EDIT: Video found via Red Carpet Fashion Awards

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Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas – The Boyfriend Guide

by Profashionelle on February 9, 2009 · 0 comments

Here is the deepest secret nobody knows.
Here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
And the sky of the sky of a tree called life;
Which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide.
And this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart.
I carry your heart.
I carry it in my heart.

E. E. Cummings

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

Go Shopping:

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Love at First Sight – Givenchy Pink Cut-out Shoe Boots

by Profashionelle on February 2, 2009 · 1 comment

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. I’ve been wanting these gorgeous pink Givenchy shoes since I first saw them featured on NET-A-PORTER‘s magazine several months ago. Finally, they arrived and are up for sale now. The cut-outs remind me of butterfly wings and everyone knows I’m a sucker for pink shoes. Love at first sight!

Givenchy Pink Cut-out Shoe Boots

Givenchy Cut-out shoe boots
($785, NET-A-PORTER)

These stand out shoes will look gorgeous with a black LBD or a nice tailored suit, but if you want to wear them with anything other than black or white, why not go for something blue? As you can see below both colors compliment each other and look divine together.

Other colors you can wear with these shoes which would look lovely together are purple and yellow. Colors to avoid mixing with pink are red and orange. Also, don’t go head-to-toe pink, this would make every woman look girlish and Barbie obsessed.

Look of the Day – Pink and Blue

Helmut Lang blazer, Alexander McQueen clutch, Philoshophy Di Alberta Ferretti dress, Kenneth Jay Lane cuff, Givenchy shoes

Go Shopping:

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{ 1 comment }

A few days ago we had the , now it’s time to present you the perfect LBD. Since Miuccia Prada revived it in her collection, lace is one of the biggest trends right now – on runways, red carpets or on the streets. Lace is basically everywhere and worn with everything.

Get your own piece of lace luxury by grabbing this stunning black sleeveless jersey dress with a lace yoke from Alice + Olivia. The cut is classy and subtle while the lace adds a touch of sexiness. So femme fatale, I love it! Plus, the dress is currently on sale for $308 (was $440)!

Alicia + Olivia - Black Open Seamed Lace Yoke Dress

Alice + Olivia Open Seamed Lace Yoke Dress

And may I say that I am equally in love with the shoes? So adorable, so sexy, sooo high. They are also available at shopbop: Berny Demore “Sabrina” Sandals ($226.50 down from $775, FINAL SALE).

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Picture Perfect – Ã‡a, C’est Paris (Vogue Paris)

by Profashionelle on January 22, 2009 · 0 comments

Ã‡a, C'est Paris (Vogue Paris) by Peter Lindbergh - Lily Donaldson, Sasha Pivovarova, Natasha Poly

To end the day, here are a few beautiful shots of the Vogue Paris editorial “Ã‡a, C’est Paris” shot by Peter Lindbergh from the June/July 2008 issue. The editorial is featuring the elite of fashion models including Lily Donaldson, Sasha Pivovarova, Natasha Poly, Catherine McNeil and Doutzen Kroes.

♥ ♥ ♥

Vogue Paris Editorial June July 2008 Vogue Paris Editorial June July 2008 Vogue Paris Editorial June July 2008 Vogue Paris Editorial June July 2008 Vogue Paris Editorial June July 2008 Vogue Paris Editorial June July 2008 Vogue Paris Editorial June July 2008 Vogue Paris Editorial June July 2008

View all scans at Diorette

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I want to create a simple web app where I can drag an image in, and watermark the corner with the given text. Where should I start for something like this?

I have knowledge in Java and Ruby.

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closed as off topic by Jonathan Khoo, Thorbjørn Ravn Andersen, MainMa, Walter, ChrisF Nov 15 '11 at 11:19

Questions on Programmers Stack Exchange are expected to relate to software development within the scope defined by the community. Consider editing the question or leaving comments for improvement if you believe the question can be reworded to fit within the scope. Read more about reopening questions here. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.

Can you do the watermarking just in a simple Java program given the image and the text? –  user1249 Sep 3 '11 at 3:31
@Thorbjorn No I can't –  Matt Bettinson Sep 3 '11 at 3:34

2 Answers 2

Start with learning how to load the image, draw some text on it and save it again in a stand-alone program. The Oracle tutorial on 2D graphics would be a good starting point:

When you have that running , see http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4890659/java-images-receiving-webserver for the "upload image in webserver" part. This can be a bit tricky.

Have fun.

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If you do this with Ruby on Rails in combination with ImageMagick and the RMagick gem it shouldn't be more than a few lines of code to get the whole thing running.

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In a debate with Andrew Tanenbaum over microkernel vs. monolithic operating system architecture, Linus Torvalds said,

Portability is for people who cannot write new programs.

What did he mean by that?

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closed as primarily opinion-based by MichaelT, gnat, Martijn Pieters, GlenH7, Bart van Ingen Schenau Feb 23 '14 at 19:17

Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.

Be careful what you read about when pulling out these "debates" (flamewars) from the "old" days. Consider that because Linux was very dear to Linus's heart there was likely a lot of emotion surging during these discussions. Therefore you're likely to come across many statements being made just to be cheeky or to piss someone off. –  Wayne Koorts Feb 14 '11 at 6:06
This type of question is now being discussed on our meta-discussion site. –  user8 Dec 5 '11 at 20:19
recommended reading: Discuss this ${blog} –  gnat Feb 20 '14 at 20:40

10 Answers 10

up vote 81 down vote accepted

As Linus writes in the debate, it's with tongue in cheek (i.e. not to be taken too seriously).

Then, he goes on to explain that while portability is good thing, it's also a trade-off; unportable code can be much simpler. That is, instead of making the code perfectly portable, just make it simple and portable enough ("adhere to a portable API"), and then if it needs to be ported, rewrite it as needed. Making code perfectly portable can also seen as a form of premature optimization - often more harm than good.

Of course that's not possible if you can't write new programs and have to stick with the original one :)

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Agreed on premature optimization. –  Mark Gibaud Oct 11 '10 at 12:16
+1 Linus is known for his tongue in cheek humour but some take what he says way too seriously. –  Spoike Jan 30 '11 at 22:11

It means that people who can write good programs don't need things to be portable, because they can work from scratch.

It is less gifted programmers who want to "import" other programs (portability) to the current one.

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You have to take into account the fact that during those debates, Linux was very new and was largely a 386 only OS. I think if you asked Linus today, he would have a different opinion. Maybe not quite as extreme as Tannenbaums, but he will likely give hime a nod and say that he was right about some things.

Linus and the other kernel developers went through a lot of pain to make Linux portable, but then again, Linux may never have existed if Linus had had to make it portable to begin with.

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Interpret this statement "literally" the way it is.

In another of Linus's quotes he said : "C++ is trying to solve all the wrong Problems. The things C++ solves are trivial things, almost purely syntactic extensions to C rather than fixing some true deep problem".

Also in his biography, "Just For Fun" linus while quoting about microkernels said that for a problem with complexity 'n' if you divide the problem in '1/n' unique parts.. then the total complexity of developing such a system would be 'n!' this itself is a factor enough not to attempt such a thing, and extracting efficiency from such a complex system would be very difficult.

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Although some people view/treat portability, following standards, etc., as morally superior, or something on that order, what it really boils down to is economics.

Writing portable code has a cost in terms of effort to make the code portable, and (often) foregoing some features that aren't available on all targets.

Non-portable code has a cost in terms of effort to port the code when/if you care about a new architecture, and (often) foregoing some features that aren't (or weren't) available on the original target.

The big qualifier there is "when/if you care about a new architecture". Writing portable code requires effort up-front in the hope of an eventual payoff of being able to use that code on new/different architectures with little or no effort. Non-portable code lets you delay that investment in porting until you're (at least reasonably) sure you really need to port to some particular target.

If you're sure up-front that you're going to port to a lot of targets, it's usually worthwhile to invest up-front in minimizing long-term porting costs. If you're less certain about how much (or even if) you'll need to port the code, writing non-portable code lets minimize the up-front cost, delaying or possibly even completely avoiding the cost of making the code portable.

I think it's also worth noting that I've spoken of "portable" and "non-portable" as if there was a clear-cut division between the two. In reality, that's not true -- portability is a continuum, running from thoroughly non-portable (e.g., assembly code) to extremely portable (e.g., Info-zip), and everywhere in between.

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If you're want to write portable code, you have to write portable code.

What do I mean by that?

The design must reflect the purpose. If the language is C, for instance, design it so that the minimum number of lines of code need to change in order for it to work. This would often mean separating the display from the computation, which is a good design philosophy anyway (MVC). Most C code can be compiled anywhere, provided you have access to a good compiler. Leverage that and write as much as you can to be generic.

BTW, this answer will only apply for applications. OS and embedded are another animal entirely.

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As someone who's done a lot of Java, and experienced the "write once, debug everywhere" phenomenon on a weekly basis for years, I can fully relate to this.

And Java is probably a mild example. I can't even begin to imagine what people go through who try to while a portable code base in a language/toolkit which wasn't even designed to be portable in and of itself.

Right now at work, we are investigating the idea of writing a lite version of one of our products for mobile devices. I've done some research on how to do a portable version of it for both J2ME and Android - that tries to share as much of the codebase as possible (obviously can't be fully "portable" per se, but it's a similar philosophy). It's a nightmare.

So yeah, sometimes it really is good to be able to think (and do) in terms of using the given tools for the given job. ie Freely developing against one, single, monolithic platform/enviroment. And just writing separate, clean versions for each.

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Tanenbaum makes the point that much of Linux is written in a non-modular way to leverage the 386 CPU, state of the art at the time, instead of making the CPU interaction be a component, and thus very easily swappable. Tanenbaum essentially believes that the fact that the Kernel is so monolithic and tied to 386 CPU makes it very difficult to,

  • Port Linux itself to another CPU platform (Obviously incorrect, AMD64, PowerPC, etc)
  • Port Programs written for linux x86 to another CPU architecture (also incorrect)

The linux camp makes several points, among which:

  • Linux offers multithreaded filesystem as part of the design
  • Microkernel, while interesting and intuitive are not very performant
  • The portable API adherence makes the portability issue more or a niggle as opposed to a blocker.
share|improve this answer
Now hold on... at the time of this debate, portability was a much bigger concern. AMD64 and PPC came many years. –  Matt Olenik Oct 13 '10 at 18:58
You are absolutely right - however, others, including Linus pointed out that it wasn't as much of a concern as Tanenbaum seemed to think –  Anatoly G Oct 14 '10 at 6:07
Microkernels don't perform well? That would come as a shock to those of us who've used them. –  JUST MY correct OPINION Feb 14 '11 at 10:36
I don't think that microkernels don't work well - I use Mach (OsX) and it works great. Linus, however, did mention it. –  Anatoly G Feb 24 '11 at 4:34

Back when Linux was first written, it used features available only on the i386 CPU, which was fairly new and expensive at the time.

That is exactly what linux does: it just uses a bigger subset of the 386 features than other kernels seem to do. Of course this makes the kernel proper unportable, but it also makes for a /much/ simpler design. An acceptable trade-off, and one that made linux possible in the first place.

As we went into the 21st century, the features that made the i386 unique became totally mainstream, allowing Linux to become very portable.

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"...became totally mainstream, allowing Linux to become very portable," and proved that portability of Linux, at that point in time, would have been premature optimization. –  Roger Pate Oct 29 '10 at 9:53
@Roger: I can't really agree. Those features have become mainstream -- but in the time since, CPUs have added more features, many of which Linux either ignores completely, uses only minimally, or has had to be massively (and painfully) rewritten to use even reasonably well. At the same time, Linus does have at least some point: something that works reasonably well now (even non-portably) beats something that gets talked about for years but never finished (e.g., GNU HURD). –  Jerry Coffin Nov 4 '10 at 18:51
@Jerry - sounds like research projects at a place I used to work: "You should give up now. What I'm working on will render all you do obsolete". That was 20 years ago. Still haven't seen that whiz-bang new stuff leave the research lab. –  quickly_now Feb 14 '11 at 6:40
@Roger, portability is not an optimization. –  user1249 Sep 24 '11 at 10:07

I think it means that each program should be written specifically for the hardware and operating system it runs on.

I think what he's driving as is that general purpose code that can run on several platforms is less efficient or more error prone than code written specifically for and tailored to one platform. It does, however, mean that when you develop like this you have to maintain several different code lines.

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i think this is exactly what he meant –  Wildling Jun 28 '11 at 8:34

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Recently I came across two sites that help programmers sell source code - binpress and codecanyon. Anyone have experience/success with sites like these?
Would you use them again? What was good about them? What was bad about them?

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closed as primarily opinion-based by gnat, MichaelT, Bart van Ingen Schenau, GlenH7, Dan Pichelman Apr 21 '14 at 14:09

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2 Answers 2

I think the problem with purchasing random snippets of code is that you really have NO idea what you're getting; you could be buying a complete piece of crap.

Programming is not like design or photography, and I do not see an iStockPhoto-type solution working in our industry. With iStockPhoto, You get what you preview, and that is that. With programming however, you cannot preview the source, nor do you have much of a guarantee on the functionality of the code.

I've seen way to many horrible pieces of code floating around the net for me to think I would use such a system.

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Yes, the buyer could get crap, or he could get good quality code too. I just checked code canyon, the top sellers there seem to have thousands of sales. Actually, if they put out crap, then they'd get a bad name, so it is in their own interest to put up good code (at least "working correctly" type of code, if not "most efficient" type). So it does seem to be working. –  user187809 Feb 8 '11 at 16:21
I am one of the co-founders at Binpress, and I agree with your concern regarding random snippets of code. For that reason we manually review and approve every package that is published on our site to make sure it complies with coding conventions and standards and that it actually works. We also give a 14 day money-back guarantee buyers who are not satisfied with the package they purchased. –  Eran Galperin Feb 18 '11 at 8:18
@Eran Galperin - Now that is interesting. Do you have any links/references regarding your standards? –  Craige Feb 18 '11 at 17:18
we have a page detailing the general submissions criteria for packages on our service at binpress.com/page/publishing-components . We will be adding individual pages for each language with resources to the specific standards for each language. –  Eran Galperin Feb 24 '11 at 4:38
I can confirm what Eran writes. Recently I have published one of my scripts on Binpress. The first time I got list of things to fix :). Next fixed version was approved. Plus I get some good advice. I have to try now also Code Canyon. –  user22919 Apr 14 '11 at 8:50

The prices that the software is being sold at only makes sense (for the seller) if you live in a third world country OR if you think your component will sell thousands of copies. Just look at the prices...the ones I've seen are between $10 and $100. If your component only sells a handful of copies you're losing money, guaranteed.

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unless you were going to write it anyway, in which case any revenue is just bonus. –  Tristan Havelick Oct 25 '11 at 20:54

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Shipped from Abroad, Euro 2012: Three lessons to take home from the semifinals

Jul 1, 2012, 1:30 AM EDT

1. You have to win it in the ring

At some point, you have to actually win something, and although Germany’s young talent won the European U-21s three years ago, it’s been a long time since the senior team actually won anything. As even the casual soccer fan knows after a being bombarded by the fact on Thursday, 1996 was the last time the Germans won a major men’s title. While there’s nothing wrong with that – you absolutely have a successful program without winning anything – Germany’s set higher standards. They planned to win Euro 2012, a plan most of us bought into.

But as everybody knows, a funny thing happened on the way to Germany’s coronation, but rather than leaving us questioning how it happened (Italy’s win was pretty self-explanatory), we’re left examining why we so while-heartedly bought into the narrative that had yet to play out. How did we all become sold on Germany, and (more importantly) what mistakes led us to that state?

We probably over-valued Germany’s defense, took Bastian Schweinsteiger’s health for granted, and perhaps didn’t have enough skepticism of Mario Gómez slotting into Miroslav Klöse’s role. More than anything, we believed the young talent would work before seeing them knock off a world class international team.

It’s an understandable mistake, given what we’ve seen from these players at club level. But it’s still a lesson to take to heart. Germany had beaten England, Argentina, Uruguay, and the Netherlands in major international competition, but they had also lost to Spain the last time the teams met with something on the line (semifinals, World Cup 2010). That should have at least given us caution. Yes, they’ve had some impressive wins, but they need to do a little more before we anoint them.

2. Winning isn’t everything

Five matches, two wins, and a spot in the finals? It doesn’t sound fair until you attach Italy’s name to it. They’ve certainly earned their place in Sunday’s decider, even if an ideal world would have the finalists winning most of their games.

It’s a reminder that, for all the plaudits they’ve earned this tournament, Italy are far from great. They’re experienced, well organized, resourceful and (as evidenced against Germany) capable of a great performances, but it’s still unclear how good they actually are. Though they seem to have a knack of bringing out the worst in their opponents, Italy still seems like a team that can be beaten if a good team (like Spain) can play to their potential)

How good Italy appear to us has little bearing to Sunday’s final, nor should it detract from the story they’ve written to get there. If anything, it makes the story more compelling.

3. Can’t get there without a little luck

Penalty kicks aren’t a lottery. Some players are better than others at taking them. Some goalkeepers are better than others at stopping them. Just because penalty kicks level the playing field, giving the less-talented team a better chance of winning the match, doesn’t mean they’re a lottery. Unless I have no clue what the word lottery means. (Side note: That this paragraph needed to be written makes me very sad.)

That doesn’t mean there aren’t some strange things that happen in shootouts. Take Wednesday’s tiebreaker, when Bruno Alves apparently forgot he was fourth in Portugal’s order. Did having to be pulled back (after he’d approached to take the third kick) throw him off? Though unlikely, it may have provided the small percentage point push that moved the shootout in Spain’s direction. Even if it didn’t, Spain still dodged a bullet in getting through kicks.

Streaks like Spain’s (now 10-straight knockout round wins at major tournaments) are almost always a combination of skill and fortune. Italy losing on kicks in 2008, John Heitenga seeing red in South Africa, Cristiano Ronaldo skying an open shot on Iker Casillas at the end of regulation on Wednesday – they’re all points were capabilities and circumstances converge. The influence of neither should be overlooked.

ProSoccerTalk is doing its best to keep you up to date on what’s going on in Poland and Ukraine. Check out the site’s Euro 2012 page and look at the site’s previews, predictions, and coverage of all the events defining UEFA’s championship.

  1. tylerbetts - Jul 1, 2012 at 9:14 AM

    I agree – Lottery always seemed to be a bad term for the shootout. That implies a fairly random ending, with not much you can do to change your chances of winning.

    I always thought of the shootout as more of a high stakes poker game. The person (or side, for the shootout) with the more skill, more experience, and better ability to read the other person has an advantage and is more likely to win. But, they can’t control how the cards fall, and that element of luck/chance cannot be ignored.

  2. charlutes - Jul 1, 2012 at 9:53 AM

    Are you kidding me? With the number of great players who’ve choked on penalty kicks, they are absolutely a lottery. That’s exactly what they are. I’d like to hear 1 stat that supports that penalty kicks are not random and then I’ll show you the stats that say otherwise. You said it yourself: Penalty kicks give the less talented team better odds to win. Because they are 100% random and a criminal way to decide a match. You know it, everyone knows it, please don’t support penalty kicks just to be a traditionalist. Dumbest, most influential coin flip in sports.

  3. charlutes - Jul 1, 2012 at 9:55 AM

    Maybe Tyler is right but I ask you this: why on earth are we holding high stakes poker like showdowns to decide football games???? just wingnut crazy.

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