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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3761714970048172162.post7417844080128163446..comments2015-01-20T14:50:15.765-05:00Comments on Mountain Genealogists: Treasure Chest Thursday 04/01/10Cynthia Henryhttps://plus.google.com/100857563717089496507noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3761714970048172162.post-53284606626907572852010-04-01T21:49:21.677-04:002010-04-01T21:49:21.677-04:00Today I was presented the "Ancestors Approved...Today I was presented the "Ancestors Approved" award by Dionne Ford of the Finding Josephine Blog. As a recipient of this award I’m supposed to list ten things I have learned about any of my ancestors that has surprised, humbled, or enlightened me and pass along the award to ten other bloggers who I feel are doing their ancestors proud.

I have chosen to present you with the award. You can pick up the picture of the award on my blog post athttp://genealogyandme.blogspot.com/2010/04/treasure-chest-thursday-my-ancestor.html

Thanks for sharing your ancestor stories!Lorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12333580228977150564noreply@blogger.com


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Kanaranzi Boulders

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Metamorphic Rock, The

Kanaranzi Boulders

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Administrators: Kris Gorny, Chris treggE, James Loveridge, Kristine Hoffman (sitewide)
Submitted By: AlPiNiSt10 on Feb 14, 2012

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The main boulder in this area has probably been climbed by many many people over many many years. Other bouldering if found threw out the area but The Metamorphic rock is probably the biggest and best for bouldering.

Getting There

Follow the trail that heads east when entering the Blue Mounds Quarry. Follow this trail past the Orc Wall and follow it till you come to Kanaranzi Buttress this boulder is right before you come up on the buttress.

Climbing Season

Weather station 11.8 miles from here

3 Total Routes

['4 Stars',0],['3 Stars',1],['2 Stars',2],['1 Star',0],['Bomb',0]

Featured Route For Kanaranzi Boulders
The last moves of Traverse Problem.  Taken June 2,...

Traverse Problem V3 6A  MN : * Bouldering : ... : The Metamorphic Rock
Same sit start as "Slap Happy" pull up on tiny crimps that are actually really good. Work some good angle work matching feet in the seams as you move along this traverse and up at the other end of the boulder. You could be a lazy climber like "Matt" :) and just smear feet but that looks silly and defeats this beautiful line. Traverse it matching hands to feet. V3. If you feel the need to monkey Traverse it, it clocks in round V0-V1. ...[more]   Browse More Classics in MN

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The Hallway
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L to R R to L Alpha
Arch, The T
Bearhug, The S
Hallway, The T
Sideslot S

YDS: 5.9- French: 5c Ewbanks: 17 UIAA: VI ZA: 16 British: HVS 4c

Type:  Sport, 1 pitch
Consensus:  YDS: 5.9 French: 5c Ewbanks: 17 UIAA: VI ZA: 17 British: HVS 5a [details]
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The crux of this one is whatever technique is your least favorite - there is face climbing, smearing, and crack.... Could it get any better?

This is the second bolted line in the Hallway.

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By Sarah Meiser
From: Boulder, Colorado
Sep 3, 2012
rating: 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a

Short but fun climb with a lot of variety. Very well bolted and a great climb for newer leaders trying to push the grade.
By Ben Kulpinski
Aug 18, 2014
rating: 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a

Climbed 8/17/14. 8 bolts thoughtfully placed. Fun route with some variety.
PS: older hardware.
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AC-T columnist John Boyle: Franklin Graham plays the Obama as secret Muslim card

Here’s an excerpt from the piece by Asheville Citizen-Times columnist John Boyle:

I’m not sure Franklin Graham is a Christian.

I mean, he says he’s a Christian, and he goes to church and runs a Christian charity and all, but really, is that enough proof?

I’m being facetious here, but Graham’s recent appearance on an MSNBC news panel program last week makes me wonder if he took to heart that whole “Do unto others…” part of the Bible.

Graham created a stir by refusing to “categorically” state that Obama is a Christian, and he threw the word “Muslim” around like confetti at a parade.

To me, it was a calculated, insidious way to undermine the president in an election year, appealing to deep-seated fears and prejudices of many a good Christian in our country. In short, it was effective politics, but not terribly Christian.

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Local Matters: Going Postal

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Reporter Jake Frankel and photographer Bill Rhodes discuss a recent public hearing about the proposed closure of a mail-processing facility in Asheville. Hosted by Margaret Williams. Produced by Steve Shanafelt. Theme music is “jam band spy song” by E. Lee.

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I recently watched Game of Thrones. The show is set in a pseudo-medieval world. I'm wondering whether the sword fights and the swords are authentic representations.

Here're an example:

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migrated from history.stackexchange.com Jun 13 '12 at 15:57

This question came from our site for historians and history buffs.

Pretty much all "European" style sword fighting in movies is about as accurate as a cartoon of a kid lighting his fart on fire and blasting off into space. Sources: Hans Talhoffer, Sigmund Ringeck, Johannes Liechtenauer, etcetera. –  user7080 Dec 9 '13 at 6:55
So you're asking about the historical accuracy of a pseudo-medieval world on a make-believe planet? :| –  coleopterist Dec 9 '13 at 7:10
@coleopterist Yes. Well kind of. Obviously, the creators were inspired by something. If you have a better way of asking this question, to go ahead and edit it, but your edited title makes absolutely no sense. –  Richard Borcsik Dec 11 '13 at 12:01
@RichardBorcsik In which way does the title not make sense? It asks if the sword fighting is historically accurate, which is what your original question was asking all the time. Of course the show that the question is about is explicitly given in the question's tags. –  Napoleon Wilson Dec 11 '13 at 12:18

3 Answers 3

up vote 22 down vote accepted

Not particularly. While it is, in part, derived from European sword fighting, there are also dashes of Chinese sword theatrics (Wushu) along with exaggerated and dramatic moves designed to film well. As with hand-to-hand martial arts, actual real life fighting is a lot faster, direct and brutal. The downside is that these methods don't film well.

share|improve this answer
Actually, it was much slower... defense and recovery (returning to a defensible position after a failed attack) are integral parts of fencing that usually isn't very "Hollywood." Here's a metafilter thread on the topic, with a couple of linked videos and a very nice explanation. –  RI Swamp Yankee Jun 12 '12 at 11:30
@RISwampYankee - Thanks for the additional info. I was mainly thinking of the attack portion being slowed down for better, more dramatic, filming, not to mention the safety of the actors and stunt people. I didn't consider the defense portion. –  jfrankcarr Jun 12 '12 at 14:04
This video demonstrates realistic longsword techniques: youtube.com/watch?v=tsGU5KI1qJA (courtesy ARMA) –  Duncan Bayne Nov 21 '13 at 1:19

It is worth bearing in mind that single handed swords did little against plate armour, they did little against maille and padding unless you landed a good solid thrust. Curved swords have almost no affect against solid armour too.

I have suits of maille and plate and regualarly fight in tournaments wearing them. We have fought at full power with swords and I have never been hurt despite getting hit a lot!

The fight with Ned Stark and Jamie which the OP has provided a link for is a good example of Hollywood fighting. If you watch carefully the head shots and thrusts would normally miss even if the target stayed still but they move or block and with a good camera angle it looks like a close thing but they were never in danger. Slashes to the body are normally swung in when the opposing blade is already in place to block them.

I just watched the scene with Jamie and Briene on the bridge. The part just before the actual sword clashes is historically correct as related to 15c fighting manuals. They are taking recognised 15c guards called the ox and the plough. Once the fighting starts the blows are telegraphed and aimed at the weapon rather than the person. There is also a lot more pressing swords together (called binding) than would normally happen for real, if you pressed swords and stood that close you would be punched or headbutted. Jamie mentions that she should not grimace before thrusting, this is correct and is actually a very common bad habit with newer fighters.

share|improve this answer

Historically accurate as compared to what? Game of Thrones is a fantasy, not based on history or any historical period, so there is no basis for comparing it to a historical event like the Battle of Hastings, for example. The story, and the style of fighting, is in the minds of the show's creators.

share|improve this answer
I disagree. It was inspired by real historical periods and real territories. There's also an accepted answer so I don't see the point of this "answer". Obviously the sets and the choreographies were not derived from thin air. –  Richard Borcsik Feb 12 '13 at 10:19

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The scene is the second "goof" of this YouTube video:

It's a bit different to Seanland's answer, but this site gives a couple of instances (both on the first page). Visible crew/equipment: At the funeral of William Wallace's wife, Murron, a white van can be seen. He bends down to kiss her and as he stands back up, if you look over his left shoulder through the trees you can see the van going past. It's very ...

I'd categorize this as a production gaffe. A Google Image search confirms that when you look directly into the sunset, the Golden Gate Bridge is in profile, since it runs north-south, as you said. If the bridge is still standing, more than just the San Francisco peninsula would have to rotate 90 degrees. The landmass on the northern side of the bridge ...

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Anne & Alet (Mark R. Candasamy)

Taking place in the 18th Century, it is only fitting for the musical score of Anne & Alet to be classical in nature. Well worth taking a listen to. (Melissa Minners, G-Pop)

In 2013, MovieScore Media released a score from a Nordic documentary feature, Tale of a Forest by Finnish composer Panu Aaltio, which subsequently won the ‘Best Documentary Score’ International Film Music Critics Award.

Our contribution to the race for the title this year comes from another Nordic composer, Mark R. Candasamy from Norway. His orchestral music for Anne & Alet, a theatrical documentary feature about the infamous poisonings carried out by two sisters in Øyestad in the 18th century, is an exercise in emotionally charged but extremely elegant and romantic orchestral writing where the composer’s knack for interesting harmony goes beyond what you’d expect from a period piece. The orchestrations are exquisite (the strings are very richly textured) and the themes highly engaging, and the dramatic highlights are scored with great maturity. As a bonus, the album features a concert setting based on the film score.

MovieScore Media/Kronos Records MMS13020 ANNE & ALET (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Music Composed by MARK R. CANDASAMY
Release date (digital): December 17, 2013
Release date (CD): TBA

1 Main Title 2:06
2 Copenhagen 1771 1:49
3 Anne and Alet 3:14
4 18th Century Arendal 2:41
5 The Drifter 2:58
6 Anne Goes Home 2:00
7 Trial 4:08
8 The Riverbanks of Nidelven 2:42
9 The Crowd Gathers 2:20
10 Knackerman 2:28
11 Finale: The Execution at Øiestad 3:30
12 Epilogue: Hope 2:10
Concert Suite from “Anne and Alet”:
13 I. Prologue 1:50
14 II. Tema & Intermezzo 2:03
15 The Riverbanks of Nidelven 3:35
16 Finale 3:33

    Anne & Alet (Mark R. Candasamy)


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Jamie Nicholls ( First Backside Double Cork 10s)

A Snowboarding video by jamienicholls - 19,840 views

I was riding in Mayrhofen on the 22nd and learnt the Backside double cork 10. The next day i went to Livigno for practice for the 5* TTR Riverjump.

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La Mountage trailer

A Snowboarding video by manch - 5,051 views

Trailer for La Mountage, a two part snowboarding movie, featuring 20 varied skilled friends on their two week holiday in Tignes and Les arcs, boarding, drinking, jumping, and stacking to show people who havent been before how much fun you can have during a typical day on the slopes even if its your first time. Featuring 38 tracks from the likes of prodigy to Mogwai , venetian snares to the weather girls. (Full movie to follow once I find out how to cut it back up with out interlancing as is 18GBs!!)

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NBC, CBS Finally Discover Ugly Attack on Ann Romney, Highlight GOP 'Gender Gap'

NBC and CBS's evening and morning shows on Thursday and Friday finally discovered the ugly comments made by a Democratic operative against Ann Romney. After skipping the story Thursday morning, CBS Evening News reporters did their best to minimize it. Correspondent Nancy Cordes insisted that Hillary Rosen, who knocked Mrs. Romney for "never working," made sure to stress that the woman "is not connected to the Obama campaign, but Republicans called out the campaign anyway."

Anchor Scott Pelley offered a similarly dismissive attitude: "Democrats and Republicans tripped over one another to see who could denounce with the most force what most everyone agrees was a dumb comment from a single pundit." Cordes pointed out an 18 point lead (among women) Barack Obama enjoys over Romney in one poll. On Friday's Good Morning America, reporter John Berman stressed this theme: "...Mitt Romney trails the President by 19 points among women. 19 points."

On Thursday's World News, reporter Jake Tapper also highlighted the gender gap. However, unlike CBS, he did not try and minimize Rosen's role in Democratic politics, noting that she "has ties to the White House. Here she is attending a recent White House state dinner."

NBC, while slow to discover the story, found it to be a serious problem for the President. Nightly News anchor Brian Williams intoned, "As we said, this is likely not a one-day story, and it's certainly not just a Washington story."

Reporter Chris Jansing identified, "Maria Smith is a suburban Atlanta stay-at-home mom of three, with a fourth on the way. She considers herself a liberal. But was shocked when she heard Hilary Rosen's comments."

Jansing featured a second voice, Kelly Wallace of iVilliage, who insisted, "This debate totally resonates."

On Friday's Today, Carl Quintanilla deemed it a "political storm over the role of women." However, Andrea Mitchell echoed the claim that Mitt Romney is in deep trouble, "But Mitt Romney is far behind, facing a yawning gender gap that could doom his campaign, if not fixed. Romney has been relying on his wife."

CBS This Morning on Friday saw a "gender canyon" for Romney and that the "debate is far from over."

A transcript of the April 12 CBS Evening News segment follows:

SCOTT PELLEY: In the presidential election, President Obama and Mitt Romney are fighting hard for the votes of women, and with good reason. Women are likely to decide the election. Four years ago 53 percent of the votes were cast by women, and 56 percent of them went for Mr. Obama. And that explains all of the gnashing of teeth in Washington today. Democrats and Republicans tripped over one another to see who could denounce with the most force what most everyone agrees was a dumb comment from a single pundit. Nancy Cordes has the story.

NANCY CORDES: It started when Democratic commentator Hilary Rosen said Mitt Romney's wife, Ann, had no experience in the working world.

HILARY ROSEN: Guess what? His wife has actually never worked a day in her life. She's-- she's never really dealt with the kinds of economic issues that a majority of the women in this country are facing.

CORDES: Rosen is not connected to the Obama campaign, but Republicans called out the campaign anyway. Romney's senior adviser Eric Fehrnstrom said the remarks insult hardworking moms. Democrats quickly distanced themselves from Rosen. Obama's campaign manager, Jim Messina said she should apologize. Even First Lady Michelle Obama weighed in, tweeting that every mother works hard and every woman deserves to be respected. Ann Romney herself, who normally avoids controversies, had this to say.

ANN ROMNEY: My career choice was to be a mother, and I think all of us need to know that we need to respect choices that women make.

CORDES: Republicans have been looking for a way to win back women after damaging fights this winter over insurance coverage for contraception, and funding for Planned Parenthood. A recent "USA Today" Gallup poll found President Obama led Romney by 18 points among women. So Romney has been spending more time talking about his wife, calling her his sounding board.

MITT ROMNEY: She reports to me regularly that the issue women care about most is the economy. And getting good jobs for their kids. And for themselves.

CORDES: This week, he repeatedly argued that the president has failed working women.

ROMNEY: This is an amazing statistic. The percentage of jobs lost by women in the president's three years, three and a half years, 92.3 percent of all the jobs lost during the Obama years have been lost by women. 92.3 percent.

CORDES: The White House pointed out today that one of the President's first acts was to sign the law promoting equal pay for women, a law they note, Scott, many Republicans in Congress opposed.

PELLEY: Thanks, Nancy. You know, we asked our research department today to look into Governor Romney's statement that 92 percent of the jobs lost since the president took office in January of '09 were held by women. Numbers from the Labor Department show that is true. But if you go back to the start of the recession in '07, the number changes dramatically, only 36 percent of the jobs lost since then were held by women. 64 percent were held by men. Speaking of jobs, we got some unwelcome news today in the latest unemployment report. There was a rise in the number of people applying for unemployment benefits last week. 380,000 applied, which is up 13,000 from the week before, and that may mean that hiring is slowing.

-- Scott Whitlock is the senior news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.


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Saturday, August 04, 2007

Personal trainer

When I look at the machines at the World Gym, all I see is a mass of metal and weights that look way to complicated or embarrassing to try. So today, Todd and I had an appointment with a trainer from our new gym (where I received those free memberships a few weeks ago). Our trainer was this huge guy who has been working out for over 30 years so I felt very intimidated to try anything in his presence. However, as time went on, I realized he was really compassionate and was being conscience not to embarrass either of us. It was great to have the trainer take us around and not only explain what various machines were for, but also to give us a quick training so that we could create a workout on our own. I've never had a gym membership before nor have I worked out with a trainer so the experience was really positive in the end. I now feel I can walk into the gym and not feel like an alien. What I was once dreading to do now makes me eager to return and try it again.

That is when my arms stop feeling like jello!


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Home » NEWS » Pair charged with operating bogus shipping company

Pair charged with operating bogus shipping company

BILOXI — Two people charged with running a fraudulent shipping company in south Mississippi are scheduled for arraignment next week in federal court.

Dustin Lee Griswold and Jennifer Griswold were indicted May 14 on fraud charges related to their business, Harmoni Shipping in Biloxi. The indictment doesn’t describe the relationship between the two.

Court records didn’t list an attorney for them. A number for the company was disconnected.

The indictment says the Griswolds solicited business by purporting to be an international shipping company and asking customers for payments up front. Then they would hire a third party, like UPS, to ship the goods, but prosecutors say they never had any intention of paying the third party that actually did the work.

Prosecutors say the alleged scheme operated from March to July of 2009.

In a case described in the indictment, the Griswolds allegedly told a company called AWM Transportation that Harmoni Shipping owned multiple trucks and could move their goods across the country.

Around the same time, prosecutors say, they told UPS that Harmoni Shipping owned barges and moved ocean freight, but needed someone to ship the goods on land.

AWM Transportation hired Harmoni Shipping, but Harmoni Shipping used UPS to move the products, the indictment says.

When UPS tried to collect $29,000 in unpaid bills from Harmoni Shipping, Dustin Griswold told UPS that Harmoni Shipping was waiting for payment from AWM Transportation, which he knew was not true, the indictment said.

Later, Jennifer Griswold allegedly told UPS the check was in the mail. When UPS didn’t receive the check, she told UPS that “their house had been broken into, all their checks had been stolen, and their bank account had been frozen,” according to the indictment.

A few days later, Dustin Griswold told UPS that someone had erased the files on his computer and stolen his checkbook, the indictment says.

They’re also accused of trying to solicit money from AWM Transportation by saying that AWM Transportation’s freight was “being held for ransom on the side of the road,” the indictment says.

Arraignment is set for July 13 in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.

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Rock Cycle - Past Life (3)
Pre Lab

  • Comparing different ways a fossil can be preserved.
  • Distinguishing modes of preservation.
  • alteration
  • preservation
  • leaf
  • chicken bone
  • bark
  • shell
  • Fossils by P. Taylor

Students compare and distinguish different types of fossil preservation.

Permineralization of dinosaur bone

Fossils are the remains of plants and animals that lived long ago. The probability that an organism will be preserved as a fossil is very low. Geological processes such as erosion, weathering, sedimentation, and leaching constantly "attack" the fossil, and may destroy it before anyone sees it.

There are two main types of fossil preservation, with  alteration and direct preservation.  Most common is fossil preservation with alteration; the original organic material is partially to fully changed into new material. There are several types of preservation with alteration:

  1. carbonization, a chemical reaction where water transforms the organic material of plant or animal to a thin film of carbon. Nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen are driven off as gases, leaving an outline of the organism. Organisms often preserved by carbonization include fish, leaves and the woody tissues of plants.
  2. permineralization or petrifaction takes place in porous materials such as bones, plants and shells. The material is buried; later, groundwater percolates through its pore spaces. A solution, commonly supersaturated in either calcium carbonate or silica, precipitates minerals in the spaces. The original wood or shell like material preserved.
  3. recrystallization occurs when a solution or precipitate changes the internal physical structure of a fossil. Recrystallization changes the microstructure of the original minerals; they often reform as larger crystals. The composition of the mineral does not change, only the crystal structure. For example, many shells originally composed of calcium carbonate in the form of the mineral aragonite recrystallize into the more stable form of calcium carbonate called calcite.
  4. replacement involves the complete removal of original hard parts by solution and deposition of a new mineral in its place. The Petrified Forest in Arizona is an excellent example of this type of preservation. Here the original organic material (wood) has been wholly replaced by silica.

The second type of fossil creation is direct preservation, the preservation of original organic materials. The most common directly preserved fossils are unaltered hard parts of a living organism, like shells, teeth, and bones. This material is unchanged, except for the removal of less stable organic matter. Other examples of this type of preservation include fossil corals, shells, sponges, microscopic fossils and a host of other organisms with hard parts. In rare circumstances, preservation of the soft parts of an organism may occur. An example is an insect which has become "stuck" in tree resin. When the resin fossilizes to form amber, it preserves the insect.

  1. Show the students different examples of living material, such as chicken bones, leaves, or tree bark. If you have a live animal in the classroom, you may also want to use it as an example. Ask the students what will remain after the organism dies. Lead them into a discussion about why hard parts such as shells or bones are more likely to be found in the fossil record then are the soft parts of an organism.
  2. If you have fossil specimens go over whether they are direct preservation or with alteration.  You may even ask students to bring in a fossil that they may have at home.
  3. The Eyewitness Book on Fossils by P. Taylor has wonderful pictures of fossils for the students to examine. They will see examples of many of the modes of preservation presented above.

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12 January 2004

Book People vs. Movie People (and Food People and people)

A post at the blog 2blowhards.com has gotten a lot of notice, and for good reason -- it's beautifully written, thoughtful, and full of interesting insights and questions. The subject is one I've written about (too much, perhaps) here, and which has been brought up recently at s1ngularity: How and why we read, and what the function of critics is. The great thing about this post is that it actually add some new ideas to an ancient discussion, and the central analogy -- between people who love books and people who love movies -- offers some great ways to think about criticism in general. There's too much good stuff in it for me to feel comfortable taking quotes out of context, so let me just point you in that direction and say it's worth your time and attention.

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Build a bag menagerie with Beatrix NY

By on in For Getting Out & About, Our Picks

Beatrix NY kids' backpacks, lunch bags and accessoriesIf you’re a fan of Beatrix NY you’ll love the fact that Kids Bags now has a HUGE range. And if you’ve never heard of this brand before? Well, welcome to itsy-bitsy backpack heaven! Choose your theme and co-ordinate with lunch bags, drink bottles, rolling luggage, backpacks and soft toys – or mix-and-match your critters for a menagerie on the go.

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Muppet Wiki

Frogtown Hollow

Revision as of 12:56, May 1, 2012 by BradFraggle (wall | contribs)

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Frogtown Hollow

Frogtown Hollow with a fresh coating of snow

Frogtown Hollow is the main location in Emmet Otter's Jug-band Christmas. The small town is located along the river between Waterville to the north and River Bend and Riverbottom to the south.

The town was created both in traditional Muppet scale, as well as in miniature for use in long shots and with the marionette versions of the characters.

According to a 2012 statement by Kermit the Frog, Frogtown Hollow is right upstream from his swamp.[1]

Locations in Frogtown Hollow

Kermit the Frog crashes his bike by the sign to "Frogtown Hollow" (south) and "Waterville" (north).

Residents of Frogtown Hollow

  1. xfinity: Five Questions with ‘The Muppets’ Star Kermit the Frog March 20, 2012

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Muscular Development, Vol 2, No 12, Page 32, December 1965

By Steve Stanko

IT WAS WELL PAST 2 A.M. (Sept. 5th) when the winners of the Mr. United States physique contest were finally announced. And though some of the crowd began leaving after midnight, several hundred still remained to cheer the happy winners.
1Robert Gajda, Chicago, Ill.94½
2Dennis Tinerino, Brooklyn N. Y.86½
3Jim Haislop, Tampa, Fla.84
4Gene Wells, Runnemede, N. J.83
5Gilbert Hansen, Waterloo, Iowa81
6Charles Estes, Nashville, Tenn.80½
7Bill St. John, Glassboro, N. J.78½
8Tom Helms, Claymont, Del.76½
9William Collins, Washington, D. C.75
10Jerry Clark, Rossville, Ga.74
11Nick Spano, Columbus, Ga.73
12Gene Kuczinski, Baltimore, Md.70½
12John Prendergast, Massapequa, N. J.70½
14Charles Fautz, Neptune, N. J.68
15Bill Parker, Atlanta, Ga.67½
16Ed Cook, Waco, Texas64½
17Ronald Buchanan60
17John Kaczynski, Baltimore, Md.60
19Steve Johnson, Philadelphia, Pa.59
20Owen Smith, Toledo, Ohio58½
21Ted Brown, Clifton, N. J.58
22Joe Arizzi, Jr., Baltimore, Md.56
23Ray Malendez, Philadelphia, Pa.52
24Ray Dotterweich, Baltimore, Md.47
25William Pickels, Jr., Enola, Pa.37
1Robert Gajda
2Gilbert Hansen
3Dennis Tinerino
4Gene Wells
5Charles Estes

This was the first official United States physique contest and was part of the National AAU Power Meet held here in York over the Labor Day weekend. The splendid facilities of the York Catholic High School proved ideal for the big meet. The auditorium was filled to capacity during the evening session. From the standpoint of competitors and attendance, the entire affair was highly successful. The enthusiastic crowd that remained to the bitter end proved this.

Because this was the first official Senior National meet, practically all the lifts made in this championship represented some kind of a record, making it necessary to weigh several of the final lifts in each class. Although this was necessary it proved very time-consuming and overworked the loaders. These fellows, our since thanks to them, actually lifted more weight than any of the competitors and really deserve a rousing hand of applause.

The anticipated physique contest got underway well past the midnight hour, yet in spite of the lateness all the fellows who competed were eager to do their best for the judges and the enthusiastic fans that still remained. These contestants were split into two groups and were asked to line up before the panel of judges and the audience without any special lighting effects. However, while the power meet was in progress all these men were pre-judged backstage although the final decision of who would be the winner was not reached until after each man had the opportunity to present his posing display.

Today more than ever before the judging of these men is becoming increasingly difficult. This is because all of the top men are so closely matched that often there is only a point or less that separates them. Therefore, careful tabulations are necessary to avoid the slightest error which can place one man ahead of the other without justification. All this takes time and results in a lull. This time, however, several fine exhibitions were presented while the judges tabulated the scores.

In vying for the Most Muscular and Mr. United States titles each man was allowed the usual number of poses. However, some of the contestants did more than they were allowed. While this is not objectionable it is unfair to the other contestants and may, in the future, result in the loss of points for those who fail to abide by the rules.

To select the Most Muscular Man two of the contestants, Gilbert Hansen and Bob Gajda, were recalled for further study. Each man did a few poses and, sometime later, the results were announced. Bob Gajda took first, Gilbert Hansen second, Dennis Tinerino third, Gene Wells fourth, and Charles Estes fifth . . . which was approved by the crowd.

After the fine and inspiring posing exhibitions of Billy Parker, Val Vasilieff and Jerry Daniels, the present holder of the Mr. America title, 10 of the Mr. United States contestants were recalled upon the stage. Again each man went through his posing routine and from this group the winner and four runner-ups were chosen. The fifth place man was called up first. This was muscular Gilbert Hansen, next was Gene Wells who got fourth, Jim Haislop third, Dennis Tinerino second, and Bob Gajda the winner. The choice was favored by the remaining crowd which responded with terrific applause to cheer the winner.

Robert Gajda achieved a clean-cut victory over the other contestants. But it should be remembered that in the recent Mr. America contest he placed a very high second in this big event and also took second in the Most Muscular Man contest making him the natural choice. Nevertheless, all and other contestants scored very well and just about every man in this contest was a champion in his own right.

Thus ended another extraordinary power meet and an outstanding physique contest. And as the people were leaving, which by now was nearing three o'clock, you could hear them making plans to return next year for another big show and power lift competition. All in all the whole affair, including the picnic the following day, proved very enjoyable and highly successful. To be sure some plans are already being made to assure next year's show to be even better . . . and it will be!

- Winner of the Mr. United States contest was Robert Gajda from Chicago, who also won the Most Muscular Man title. Robert Gajda has a well-rounded physique with sharp muscularity. He was a favorite with the crowd.

- Dennis Tinerino of Bryooklyn got second and was third in the Most Muscular contest.

- Jim Haislop of Tampa, Florida placed third

- Gene Wells, Runnemede, N. J. took fourth

- Gilbert Hansen, Waterloo, Iowa got fifth

- Robert Gajda was the overall winner of both titles and proved to be a popular choice this year.

- Five of the winners of the Mr. United States physique contest who received trophies. They are, left to right: Jim Haislop of Tampa, Florida 3rd, Gilbert Hansen of Waterloo, Iowa 5th, Robert Gajda from Chicago won the overall title, Gene Wells of Rennemede, N. J. 4th, and Dennis Tinerino of Brooklyn 2nd.

- Winners of the Most Muscular Man contest, all of whom got trophies, were left to right: Charles Estes 5th, Gene Wells 4th, Robert Gajda winner, Gilbert Hansen 2nd, and Dennis Tinerino 3rd.

- Bill St. John, Glassboro, N. J. 7th.

- Tom Helms, Claymont, Del. 8th.

- Charles Estes, Nshville, Tenn. 6th.

- Bill Collins, Washington, D. C. 9th.

- Jerry Clark, Rossville, Ga. 10th

- Billy Parker, Atlanta, Ga.

- John Kaczynski of Baltimore, Md.

- Nick Spano of Columbus, Ga.

- Steve Johnson of Philadelphia, Pa.

- Ray Melendez, Philadelphia, Pa.

If you find these articles interesting and useful, please


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Cosmology, Ecology, and the Energy of God

Donna Bowman

Publication Year: 2011

This book brings together process and postmodern theologians to reflect on the crucial topic of energy, asking: What are some of the connections between energy and theology? How do ideas about humanity and divinity interrelate with how we live our lives?Its contributors address energy in at least three distinct ways. First, in terms of physics, the discovery of dark energy in 1998 uncovered a mysterious force that seems to be driving the inflation of the universe. Here cosmology converges with theological reflection about the nature and origin of the universe.Second, the social and ecological contexts of energy use and the current energy crisis have theological implications insofar as they are caught up with ultimate human meanings and values.Finally, in more traditional theological terms of divine spiritual energy, we can ask how human conceptions of energy relate to divine energy in terms of creative power.

Published by: Fordham University Press

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The editors thank Helen Tartar at Fordham University Press for her interest in and support of this project, as well as two encouraging and helpful readers for the press. This volume emerged from the . . .

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What does energy have to do with theology? We face an energy crisis, an energy deficit, not only in material resources but also in terms of creative thinking. Theology is reflection about what concerns us ultimately, and many theologians and religious people give that object of ultimate concern...

Part I Engaging Physical Sciences

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Chapter 1 The Energy We Are :A Meditation in Seven Pulsations

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pp. 11-25

Delight has the bodily feeling of buoyancy, of dancing lightly, effortless motion, radiant pulsation. The light of delight vibrates, its energy throbs. No wonder modernity turned into an energy addict. Yet the manic excitations that rock our civilization—instant communication, zippy cars,...

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Chapter 2 The Fire Each Time :Dark Energy and the Breath of Creation

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pp. 26-41

The hot big bang hypothesis can be traced back to 1929, when Edwin Hubble discovered that the universe is expanding.1 While Hubble observed this phenomenon directly, the possibility of an expanding universe had already been opened by Einstein’s theory of general relativity, which...

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Chapter 3 Solar Energy :Theophany and the Theopoetics of Light in Gregory of Nyssa

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pp. 42-58

In the seemingly material problems that surround the word energy, I cannot help but hear the metaphysical echo of the Greek term energeia.1 In the faint resonance I hear between these two terms there seems to emerge a rather unlikely pairing: that of the looming ecological crisis and that of...

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Chapter 4 Beyond Heat: Energy for Life

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pp. 59-69

In his book Theology of Money, British philosopher of religion Philip Goodchild claims that “theology consists in the ordering of time, attention and devotion” in a broad sense rather than the determinate faith in Jesus Christ or any other particular religious tradition.1 If God becomes questionable...

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Chapter 5 Emergence, Energy, and Openness: A Viable Agnostic Theology

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In their book, Into the Cool , Eric D. Schneider and Dorion Sagan argue that the second law of thermodynamics, describing the increase of entropy through energy exchange, is truthful, but not the whole truth. 1 Thermodynamics was tested and “created,” so to speak, in the laboratory, in closedsystem

Part II Engaging Ecology and Culture

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Chapter 6 Ecological Civilizations: Obstacles to, and Prospects for, Religiously Informed Sustainability Movements in a Post-American World

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pp. 87-105

We live in an age of declining energy reserves, and it is likely that by 2025 nations will be battling other nations in order to secure scarce resources. At least that is what a recent report from the National Intelligence Council proposes. Optimistically minded theologians might counter that if people...

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Chapter 7 “One More Stitch” :Relational Productivity and Creative Energy

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pp. 106-120

The first warning sign for many Americans of the current recession and its associated crises was the 2008 spike in oil prices. Suddenly everyone was talking about four-dollar-a-gallon gasoline. The prospect of the increasing cost of fuel raising the price of nearly everything—from food, to travel, to...

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Chapter 8 Energy, Ecology, and Intensive Alliance :Bringing Earth Back to Heaven

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pp. 121-140

It should probably come as no surprise that a certain instrumental, techno-scientific rationality continues to dominate the discourse in which we currently engage conversations around energy consumption and its environmental effects. After all, it was modern science that defined the very...

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Chapter 9 “Go Big or Go Home” : A Critique of the Western Concept of Energy/Power and a Theological Alternative

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pp. 141-150

Discussions of energy typically include two different forms of energy. One is directed toward being or becoming, often called psychic or spiritual. This has to do with potentia, looking at the ability to actualize the intrinsic or essential properties of an entity. The other is directed toward action or...

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Chapter 10 God Is Green; or, A New Theology of Indulgence

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In 1940, shortly after speaking with Colonel Oster at the Abwehr meeting during which he was enlisted in the plot against Adolf Hitler that would eventually lead to his imprisonment and execution, Dietrich Bonhoeffer penned what remains one of the most scathing attacks against theoretical...

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Index of Names and Titles

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E-ISBN-13: 9780823249336
Print-ISBN-13: 9780823238958
Print-ISBN-10: 0823238954

Page Count: 192
Publication Year: 2011

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  • Nature -- Religious aspects -- Congresses.
  • Ecotheology -- Congresses.
  • Power resources -- Miscellanea -- Congresses.
  • Cosmology -- Congresses.
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Image for THEATRE: Strange Attractor

THEATRE: Strange Attractor

Written by Adam Moussa on November 4, 2009

Written by Sue Smith
Directed by Nick MarchandStage
Design by Jo Briscoe
Lighting Design by Bernie
Tan Composer / Sound Design by Steve Francis
Starring: Blazey Best, Ivan Donato, Darren Gilshenan, Peter Kowitz, Josh McConville and Sandy Winton

Are Australians an unhappy people? Quick response is no, but significant chunks of our film and theatre works would say argue otherwise. Delving into national identity on a personal level, there is so much in Strange Attractor to evoke déjà vu. There are shades of Andrew Bovell’s heady drama in the play, without the complex webs and subtle revelations found in his film Lantana and play When the Rain Stops Falling. The similarity is in the depiction of the fallout – the character reactions to a horrific event, either in the distant or immediate past. This entails anger, sadness, claustrophobia and guilt – above all, guilt. These conventions pervade contemporary Australian drama and now begin to draw fire, labelled ‘wrist-slashers’. Rachel Ward’s recent film Beautiful Kate drew the very same criticism, despite heapings of praise and positive reviews. So, in the Australian tradition, Strange Attractor is dark and guilt-ridden. However, like all of pieces mentioned above, it’s the tradition done right, which makes it fascinating and watchable.

It wouldn’t feel right without an outback setting, thus the focus is on railway workers in Western Australia. There are four of them, plus a server (well, barman), working lengthy shifts at a time, paid handsomely but far away from their families. Their tragic event is the death of a co-worker in a storm. Of course his death circumstance was a little mysterious. Cue intrigue, guilt and disquiet. Cue introduction of Colin (Darren Gilshenan), the corporate outsider who plies each individual character with questions to deduce the reality of the mishap. The single act unfolds over an hour and a half with overlapping time shifts between the present, after the death and the past, leading up to it. Initially it catches you off guard, but the disorientation is momentary. What follows is a rich exposition of the realistically-drawn characters, exploring the usual Australian ideas – namely mateship, guilt (yes, more of it) and finding where we fit in the world – the life of a self-aggrandizing little fish in a big pond. Subtlety is key; playwright Sue Smith is careful not to badger the audience with explicit didactic lessons, affording the play a look at mateship without it degenerating into a nauseating string of “we’re mates”, “I thought we were mates”, “that’s what mates do”, etc.

The action all revolves around the simple (and perhaps excessively plain) bar set (yet another passionately Australian ideal) and director Nick Marchand has made great use of the Stables Theatre space, keeping action constrained. The entire cast gives a stellar performance, emotional and resounding, and only occasionally feeling over the top. Audience attention will not wander thanks to a smooth flow of dialogue, which is often darkly humorous. The backdrop of the GFC and shifting superpowers services the play nicely – there could be no more perfect mode of exploring China’s burgeoning influence than through a mining scenario.

Strange Attractor is a beautiful play. It won’t shock and won’t challenge but it will enthrall you. It’s sad and it’s guilty, but the bleakness is brought to life very well by Griffin and this attractor makes for great theatre!

You will love it if: you’re tired of namby pamby nationalism and want to see a little less sheen on the Australian identity.
You will hate it if: you’ve had your fill of guilt, blame and the red centre.

Strange Attractor is playing at Griffin Theatre Company, Stables Theatre Nimrod St, Kings Cross until November 21st

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Q&A: Stonefield Talk Growing Up On Stage And New Tune ‘Golden Dream’

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Briggs Shares Powerful Music Video For ‘The Children Came Back’

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With Splendour In The Grass only a few weeks away, organisers have today announced the impressive lineup for the festival’s 2015 Forum, including a special Splendour edition of the ABC‘s Q&A program, as well as discussions with triple j’s Dom Alessio, muso Paul Mac and more.

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Friday, September 14, 2007

Voices: Donal Clancy

The guitar is a relatively new instrument in traditional Irish music, and that's one of the things Donal Clancy enjoys about it. The tunes on his solo album Close to Home
are ones that he's been playing for years, "ones that I can't even really remember learning," he said. They were melodies he at first heard on the pipes or the fiddle or the whistle though, and found a way into them through guitar. "There's a lot of music for fiddle, or pipes, or whatever, in Irish music, so those people are always wanting to find something new, something that hasn't been recorded before," he said. "With guitar, all your tunes are there."

Those tunes include the slow air An Buachaill Caol Dubh/ The Dark Slender Boy, the hornpipe Kitty's Wedding, and the jig Helvic Head. Helvic Head is in southeastern Ireland, near where Clancy grew up in the Gaeltacht area of An Rinn. He was not born in Ireland though. "I was born in Alberta, in Calgary," he said. "My father was a musician and he was doing some work out there. We lived there for a couple of years, and then moved to New Hampshire, and then to Ireland when I was seven."

Donal's father is Liam Clancy. "He was one of the Clancy Brothers, who were kind of innovators of Irish music in the sixties"Donal said. "They blended the old Irish folk song with what they were hearing in America at the time from the likes of the Kingston trio, and put a beat behind it, and add guitar and bass and banjo to some of the old traditional songs." That take on the updating of tradition went over well on both sides of the Atlantic and paved the way for many popular groups and singers. Donal found music on his own though. Though his cousins include well respected singers Robbie O'Connell and Aoife Clancy. none of Donal's brothers and sisters play. "We were never pushed into it," he said. "So they went off and did other things. I don't think I ever had the thought of doing anything else."

When the family moved back to Ireland, Donal started learning the tin whistle, and then picked up the mandolin, but by the time he was about eleven, guitar had claimed his attention. "Most of my friends were in to music, so it was handy, we'd get together and play and try out things," he said. "It appealed to me, what you could do with the guitar in Irish music. You could be very creative. One chord change could change the whole mood of the tune. I was very interested in the possibilities of that, what you could do rather than just playing tunes, how you could add rhythmic accompaniment or harmonic colors."

That's an interest he has continued. He played in the trio Clancy, O'Connell, Clancy, with his dad Liam and his cousin Robbie "and it was great to see how they worked, you know, the veteran musicians, nothing could surprise them,"he recalled. He was one of the founders of the traditional band Danu, and also worked for some years with top Irish American group Solas, whose members have included Seamus Egan, John Williams, John Doyle, and Winifred Horan. "They're a hard working band with a lot of rehearsal, arrangements that are fairly complicated," he said, "and it was good because I'd never really done much preparation for a tour. It was great too because the band was held in high regard by the fans and it's exciting doing shows like that, with the audiences really into it." He continued to have his share of that experience in other circumstances, too: he joined fiddler Eileen Ivers' band for a time, and then, as he was thinking of making a change from that, he got the call that his old band Danu needed a guitarist. "It was like coming home again, bringing it all back home," he said, laughing.

He's still a mainstay of Danu, and at breaks in their schedule has done recording and road work with top artists including Kevin Crawford, Cherish the Ladies, Aoife Clancy, The Chieftains, Niall Vallely, and Cathie Ryan. All that may explain why it has taken him a while to get to making an album of his own: Close to Home is his solo debut. It might also help explain why he chose a rather quiet way to do it.

"I went about it the old fashioned way," he said, "went into a studio for a couple of days and played. Most of the tunes I just put down, left then the way I played them on the day, and I probably will never play them exactly the same way again." The result is thoughtful stories well told, clarity of tone and touch, and new light on old tunes. "I like to think about the mood of the piece, to have that come through, rather than make the tune fit my playing," he said. "No flashiness or anything like that, the arrangements are kind of straightforward, a relaxed and laid back tempo. I wanted to make a very traditional Irish sounding recording" As to what's next? "I have a bunch of tunes written," he said, "but I'm not sure I'd call them so traditionally Irish. You'll have to wait until the next record to find out what they sound like!"

listen to excerpts of the music on Close to Home

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Sophomore Heather Nees presents findings and ties for first place in OSU competition

DECEMBER 12, 2003 - Heather Nees '06 recently competed with and beat nearly 40 undergraduate and graduate students from The Ohio State University (OSU) while tying for first place at the annual Evans Lecture recently held on the OSU campus.

Nees' presentation tied for the first place award from the Inorganic Chemistry Division. The work she presented was the result of her summer fellowship at Muskingum this past summer.

Her project was centered on preparing and characterizing a variety of metal-organic compounds and polymers. The target property she is most interested in is the ability of these materials to remove metal ions from solutions. A practical application of this process includes removal of homogeneous catalysts from solution reactions. Homogeneous catalysts are used widely in chemical industries to make processes used to produce consumer goods much more efficiently and economically.

Nees's research advisor, Assistant Professor of Chemistry Dr. Paul Szalay, is very pleased with her work. "Heather's productivity in the laboratory last summer and the quality of the presentations she has given recently of that work would be impressive for any undergraduate student. This is especially true for Heather considering she is only now in her sophomore year," he said.

Nees feels the research she has already completed will greatly benefit her future academic career at Muskingum and beyond. The work not only gave her experience in chemistry and lab work, but she learned how identify different chemical reactions that are critical to her work.

"I'm taking organic chemistry now and the experience has really helped me in the classroom. It has also given me an edge in the research field and taught me how to present my findings, which will come in handy down the road," Nees said.

Still more research is ahead for Nees. "I have enjoyed my researching experience at Muskingum and I am sure it will lead me to many more great opportunities," she said.

Dr. Szalay supports Nees and her outstanding work. "Heather has the capability to accomplish virtually anything she wants. She complements her considerable academic talent with an amiable demeanor and an unrelenting work ethic. She is capable of balancing a multitude of responsibilities while continuing to excel," he said.

She encourages other students to take advantage of opportunities to participate in fellowships or internships. "For anyone considering applying for a research fellowship or internship, I recommend it. It gives you insight to what research is about and also lets you see what things are like outside of the classroom," she said.


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India “Condemns & Rejects” External Interference In Kashmir

By Nilofar Suhrawardy, Muslim Media News Service (MMNS) India Correspondent

NEW DELHI: While there is nothing new about Indo-Pak differences on Kashmir, of late, the issue has been a major diplomatic irritant for India at several levels. These include the decision of Organization of Islamic (OIC), a group of 57 Islamic countries to appoint Abdullah Bin Adbul Rahman Al Bakr, a Saudi national as a special OIC envoy on Jammu and Kashmir. The OIC made this announcement following the meeting of its Contact Group on Kashmir at the United Nations headquarters last week.

â€œIt is regrettable that the OIC has commented on Indiaâ€™s internal affairs. We condemn and reject this,â€ Vishnu Prakash, Indian ministry of external affairsâ€™ spokesman said last week (October 3). â€œInherent in OICâ€™s statements and actions on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir is a complete inability to understand Indiaâ€™s position. Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and it is our firm position that the OIC has no locus standi in matters concerning Indiaâ€™s internal affairs,â€ he stated.

The OIC Secretary General, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, however, is of the opinion that special envoyâ€™s appointment would help India and Pakistan to solve their differences. â€œThe role of the special envoy is to help in bridging the gap between the two countries namely Pakistan and India,â€ he said in Washington (October 3).

Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, who visited New York and Washington at the invitation of OIC, welcomed the developments regarding Kashmir at the international level. During his visit, Mirwaiz addressed the OICâ€™s contact group on Kashmir, met ministers of several Muslim countries and also US officials. On his return to Srinagar, Mirwaiz said: â€œKey headway is being made on the Kashmir issue for the first time, and along with Muslim nations, the US and China too are serious about solving it, which is the outcome of sacrifices of the Kashmiri people.â€

Behind the scenes, however, India does not expect OIC to play any major role. It is not the first time that OIC has taken this step. Suggesting that significance of OICâ€™s latest move is just a cosmetic exercise, a top Indian diplomat said: â€œAn administrative decision was announced replacing one OIC official for Kashmir with another official, both of whom are from Saudi Arabia.â€ On whether India should be concerned at this development, particularly as it is projected as â€œsuccessâ€ of Pakistan to â€œinternationalizeâ€ the Kashmir issue, he replied: â€œAn official has always been there.â€

Projecting the announcement of the new special envoy as a â€œroutine change,â€ observers pointed out that previously Izzat Kamal Mufti, also a Saudi, held the position. As his tenure had ended, a new special envoy had to be appointed.  There is no change in Indiaâ€™s position. India views OICâ€™s stand on Kashmir as biased and remains against its interference in its internal affairs. Mufti was denied a visa to visit India several times.  Indiaâ€™s approach towards Al Bakr is expected to be the same.

While there is nothing new about OICâ€™s stand regarding the Kashmir-issue, India has substantial reason to be alarmed by a disturbing stand taken by China. Without giving any explanation, since this May, China has begun issuing hand-written visas on loose sheets of paper to Kashmiri people.  The â€œnewâ€ visas have so far been reportedly issued to only about 100 people. These include businessmen and students, who frequently travel from Kashmir (in India) to China. The Indian immigration authorities view these visas as â€œfakeâ€ and â€œnot valid.â€ As a result, most of those who have tried traveling from Delhi to China on the basis of these â€œloose visasâ€ have not been granted permission by Indian authorities. The Chinese embassyâ€™s stand, according to a Kashmiri who procured such a visa, is: â€œThey (Chinese) were using loose visa only for people from Kashmir.â€

India conveyed its concern to Chinese embassy in New Delhi last week (October 1). â€œIt is our considered view and position that there should be no discrimination against visa applicants of Indian nationality on grounds of domicile or ethnicity. We have conveyed our well-justified concern to the Chinese government in this regard,â€ the official spokesperson for Indian ministry of external affairs said.

Several leaders of the Congress party, which heads the coalition Indian government, have spoken strongly against Chinaâ€™s move to issue separate visas to Kashmiris. â€œCongress believes in the oneness of the country — from east to west, north to south without any difference between the regions,â€ party spokesman Shakeel Ahmed said. Senior Congress leader from Kashmir, Saifuddin Soz said:  â€œIt is wrong, it is not acceptable to us. Kashmir is an inseparable part of India and China cannot question that position.â€

A few Kashmiri separatists have, however, welcomed Chinaâ€™s visa policy for Kashmiris. These include the United Jihad Council (UJC). The UJC spokesman Sadaqat Hussain said: â€œChinaâ€™s policy to issue visas to people of Jammu Kashmir as Kashmiris and not as Indian citizens is a realistic step. It is really encouraging for the people of Jammu Kashmir and will reinforce their freedom struggle. This just decision of China makes amply clear to the world that it (China) does not recognize Jammu Kashmir as part of India but as a disputed territory, thereby drawing the attention of world community to the resolution of Kashmir issue.â€

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Mental health patient subdued after standoff

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AN IRATE 47-year-old mental health patient found wielding a machete in a Dededo home surrendered peacefully to police after about four hours of negotiations Saturday morning.

According to the Guam Police Department, officers from the Dededo Precinct Command received a call from the Guam Fire Department’s medical units asking for assistance about an uncooperative patient of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse.

When informed that the patient was brandishing a machete, the police immediately dispatched GPD’s Crisis Negotiation Team led by Lt. Mark Torre, Sgt. Emily Charfauros, and Sgt. Michael Aguon.

GPD public information officer Paul Tapao said the Special Operations Command unit or SWAT team was also sent to ensure the female patient would not inflict any harm.

The responding team surrounded the undisclosed home and began talking to the mentally-ill woman.

After four hours of dialogue, SWAT officers managed to pacify the patient without incident.

She was taken to Guam Memorial Hospital for physical and psychiatric evaluation.

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Karen Steckner, MD, FRCPC

Karen Steckner, MD, FRCPC

Appointed: 1996

No Patient Satisfaction Reviews
Karen Steckner, MD, FRCPC
Department: General Anesthesiology
Section Head
Location: Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
Mail Code E31
9500 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44195
Type of Doctor:
Adults Only

Education & Fellowships

Fellowship - Cleveland Clinic
Pain Management
Cleveland, OH USA
Fellowship - Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, OH USA
Residency - University of Western Ontario, London Health Sciences Centre
London, Ontario Canada
Internship - Victoria Hospital
London, Ontario Canada
Medical School - University of Western Ontario Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
London, Ontario Canada
Undergraduate - University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario Canada

  • Anesthesiology- Pain Medicine
  • Anesthesiology
  • Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada- Anesthesiology

Specialty Interests

general and ambulatory anesthesia, patient safety, education in anesthesiology and patient simulation, perioperative anesthesia evaluation, perioperative management, regional anesthesia, anesthesia for bariatric surgery, anesthesia for obstetrics and gynecology

  • American Society of Anesthesiologists
  • Ohio Society of Anesthesiologists
  • Society for Education in Anesthesia

Industry Relationships

Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists may collaborate with the pharmaceutical or medical device industries to help develop medical breakthroughs or provide medical expertise or education. Cleveland Clinic strives to make scientific advances that will benefit patient care and support outside relationships that promise public benefit. In order for the discoveries of Cleveland Clinic physicians' and scientists' laboratories and investigations to benefit the public, these discoveries must be commercialized in partnership with industry. As experts in their fields, Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists are often sought after by industry to consult, provide expertise and education.

To assure professional and commercial integrity in such matters, Cleveland Clinic maintains a program that reviews these collaborations and, when appropriate, puts measures in place to minimize bias that may result from ties to industry. The Cleveland Clinic publicly discloses the names of companies when (i) its physicians/scientists receive $5,000 or more per year (or, in rare cases, equity or stock options) for speaking and consulting, (ii) its physicians/scientists serve as a fiduciary, (iii) its physicians/scientists receive or have the right to receive royalties or (iv) its physicians/scientists hold any equity interest for the physician's/scientist's role as inventor, discoverer, developer, founder or consultant.* In publicly disclosing this information, the Cleveland Clinic tries to provide information as accurately as possible about its physicians' and scientists' connections with industry.

As of 5/1/2015, Dr. Steckner has reported no financial relationship with industry that is applicable to this listing. In general, patients should feel free to contact their doctor about any of the relationships and how the relationships are overseen by the Cleveland Clinic. To learn more about the Cleveland Clinic's policies on collaborations with industry and innovation management, go to our Integrity in Innovation page.

Public Health Service-Reportable Financial Conflicts of Interest. Cleveland Clinic scientists and physicians engage in basic, translational and clinical research activities, working to solve health problems, enhance patient care and improve quality of life for patients. Interactions with industry are essential to bringing the researchers’ discoveries to the public, but can present the potential for conflicts of interest related to their research activities. Click here to view a listing of instances where Cleveland Clinic has identified a Public Health Service (PHS)-Reportable Financial Conflict of Interest and has put measures in place to ensure that, to the extent possible, the design, conduct and reporting of the research is free from bias.

* Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists subscribe to the guidance presented in the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals and the AdvaMed Code of Ethics on Interactions with Health Care Professionals. As such, gifts of substantial value are generally prohibited.

Languages Spoken

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text:
The Roundup for July 3rd, 2015

Hooray, it’s Friday!

Greece and The Giant Bailout, Day 4

– The International Monetary Fund admitted Greece needed 60 billion euros, in the next three years, and major debt relief to survive

– German Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel: Alexis Tsipras is a threat to the “European order”

Remember that time Greece forgave Germany’s debt?

– There are two sides in regards to the Greece crisis: Those for Greece and those against. We must side with Greece

– The Independent Greeks, a party in the coalition government with SYRIZA, are angry with Tsipras’ recent decisions and protesting against SYRIZA

– Previous Greek prime ministers called for a “Yes” vote on Sunday; Of course, the elites who caused this mess in the first place would decide to side with the bourgeoisie

– Greek Financial Minister Yanis Varoufakis: If Greece votes yes, then I will resign (more…)

Over Easy: Friday Preview

L'Oiseau Bleu by Metzinger
L’Oiseau Bleu by Metzinger

(Picture courtesy of steynard at

This is a short Over Easy to give pups a conversation shelf and introduce tomorrow’s art post about Jean Metzinger and his significant contribution to cubism.

Hope you are enjoying the summer, it’s been messy a lot of places and my sympathies to Hawaiians and Oregonians suffering the extraordinary heat there.  We’re staying out of the heat of the day, here, as much as possible but the ‘tube’ or London Underground, can be a trial.

We’re not doing ourselves any favors.    The Brits’ austerity takes aim at the very operation that is needed for the future well-being of the planet.

‘The UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) faces cuts of 90% to its staff budgets within three years, threatening the government’s ability to tackle climate change and move the energy supply to cleaner sources, according to an expert analysis.’

Forging into the future wasn’t supposed to indicate an attack on same.   Oh, my.

Late, Late Night FDL: Anarchy In The U.K.

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain – Anarchy In The U.K.

As an Uke afficionado, I’d been following this British High Court case…

The Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain (UOGB) has won a High Court ruling against a rival group which it accused of trading off its reputation.

The group challenged the German-based United Kingdom Ukulele Orchestra (UKUO) over the similarity in name.

It argued the German group had copied its format and fans were getting confused between the two.

The judge agreed and said its “passing off” claim had succeeded.

The legal battle kicked off last September when the UOGB filed a claim for trademark infringement as the UKUO was preparing for its first tour of the UK.

In his initial ruling, Judge Richard Halcon sided with the German group, agreeing that it was not in competition and adding the British group should have mounted a legal challenge earlier.

Made up of British musicians, the UKUO was founded in 2009, while the UOGB has been going since 1985.

But in his ruling on Thursday, Judge Halcon said he was satisfied “the United Kingdom Ukulele Orchestra’ misrepresents to a substantial proportion of the public in this country who recognise the Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain’ as the trade name of a particular musical group”.

He added: “I am also satisfied that this has caused damage to the Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain’s goodwill, particularly by way of loss of control over the Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain’s reputation as performers.”

‘Unique show’

The case was brought by the founder of the UOGB, George Hinchliffe, who told the court he was approached in 2009 by a German producer who wanted to franchise the band in Germany.

The request was turned down, but Erwin Clausen, director of Yellow Promotions, set up the United Kingdom Ukulele Orchestra, promoting a similar style of musical comedy.

Mr Hinchliffe said: “We have worked hard for 30 years to create a unique show and the court has now recognised that copycat musical performances cannot trade off the reputation of established groups.”

Mr Hinchliffe added: “We have an international and celebrity fan base who have stood by us and who will be very pleased.”

Seriously, I like the both of’em, so where’s the real harm here…?

What’s on your mind tonite…?

WikiLeaks Performs Valuable Service By Liberating Key Documents from Lesser-Known But Still Major Trade Deal

WikiLeaks TISA graphic

In the past two days, WikiLeaks has released drafts from a lesser-known trade agreement being negotiated between 52 nations called the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA). The publication comes just before the next round of negotiations, which will begin on July 6.

The “Core Text” of TISA, as well as chapters from negotiations on “Electronic Commerce,” “Telecommunications Services,” “Financial Services,” and “Maritime Transport Services,” were published.

WikiLeaks describes the “Core Text” of the agreement that they released from the “largest ‘trade deal’ in history” a “modern journalistic holy grail.” The media organization is not exaggerating.

Edward Alden, who used to be a reporter for the newsletter Inside US Trade, wrote in a post for the Council on Foreign Relations that WikiLeaks’ sources are “impressive.” Alden recalled how he worked in the “pre-digital age” to “encourage leaks of trade negotiating positions. “But, with the exception of the Clinton administration’s proposal for the NAFTA labor and environmental side agreements in 1993, we rarely got our hands on the texts themselves.”

In a time when corporations are being aided by governments, which are negotiating sweeping trade deals like TISA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) with complete secrecy, WikiLeaks has ensured that governments do not finish negotiations without the public having some idea about this conspiracy unfolded behind closed doors.

Deputy US Trade Representative Michael Punke previously described TISA as an agreement that “would encompass all service sectors and modes of supply and impose a high standard for liberalization.” By liberalization, Punke means deregulation.

Quite aggressively TISA seeks to establishes rules that would tie the hands of TISA governments, preventing them from being able to craft their own regulations to protect people from exploitation by businesses or corporations. And, the very rules, which have been adopted since the 2008 economic crisis, to protect against future financial meltdowns would likely come under attack as a result of this trade deal.

Ben Beachy of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch put together an analysis [PDF] of the “Financial Services” chapter and found sweeping rules for “market access,” which “would expose governments to legal challenges before extrajudicial tribunals for banning risky financial services or products, such as the complex derivatives that fueled the financial crisis. The same rule threatens proposals to limit the size of banks so that they do not become ‘too big to fail.'”

Yet another rule opening up the world to financial risk would challenge policies, which prevent banks from being able to “hold consumers’ deposits from engaging in hedge-fund-style trading of high-risk securities.” It would be prohibited to restrict “financial inflows—used to prevent rapid currency appreciation, asset bubbles and other macroeconomic problems—and financial outflows, used to prevent suddent capital flight in times of crisis.”

“Despite increasing concerns about data privacy, sparked by revelations of the US National Security Agency’s dragnet spying, TISA would require that financial firms be permitted to transfer consumers’ personal financial data overseas, where it could be exposed to unwanted surveillance,” Beachy warns.

In some instances, TISA countries may have to roll back regulations if they were inhibiting the business of a foreign firm. (more…)

Legal Organization Representing WikiLeaks Submits Report for UN Official’s Review of Whistleblower Protections

CCR Logo
Center for Constitutional Rights Logo

The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), a legal organization based in New York which represents WikiLeaks and its editor-in chief Julian Assange, has submitted a report to help United Nations Special Rapporteur David Kaye complete his review on the global issue of whistleblowers and the protection of sources.

Kaye serves as the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. The review addresses how human rights law should protect journalists from having to disclose their sources and how whistleblowers are or are not protected, especially after exposing human rights violations, corruption or other abuses.

Part of the review includes a kind of survey of all governments in the world asking them how journalists are protected from being compelled to reveal sources and how whistleblowers are afforded protections. It also asked for non-governmental organizations to share their views and studies.

CCR is uniquely positioned to provide insights, given that it represents a media organization which has endured an ongoing and unprecedented investigation by the United States government into the publication of documents provided by US military whistleblower Chelsea Manning.

The legal organization asserts in its submission [PDF], “States have an obligation to protect whistleblowers, a vulnerable group that faces systematic stigmatization as a result of exercising fundamental rights to access and obtain information.”

State governments also “have a positive obligation to promote freedom of expression through cyber laws, and must not use technical violations to punish whistleblowers,” CCR argues.

“There is a serious risk that cyber laws will displace secrecy laws as a tool to prosecute whistleblowers on basis of their activities accessing and obtaining information. In the United States, the cases of Chelsea Manning, NSA whistleblower Thomas Drake, and WikiLeaks reveal the application of “unauthorized access” computer laws to punish whistleblowers and publishers.”

The legal organization adds, “Today significant amounts of access to information, particularly by whistleblowers, is enabled by computers. Whistleblowers must not be punished for using a computer to blow the whistle. Cyber laws sanctioning whistleblowers or sources who already have access to computers, purely based on their intent to blow the whistle, raise serious problems for freedom of expression.”

The US government has prosecuted whistleblowers for violating the Espionage Act and disseminating information. In these cases, the intent of the whistleblower does not matter to prosecutors and judges. What matters is that a secrecy agreement was breached.

CCR kept close watch as the court-martial of Manning unfolded, even bringing a lawsuit on behalf of media organizations and journalists (including this one) to force the US military to be more transparent and make court-martial records available to the press. It struggled against secrecy, but one military court denied a request for relief, a military appeals court claimed to lack jurisdiction, and a federal court refused to hear the case. Finally, the military decided to start publishing documents to an online “reading room” that the press and public could access.

As an example of how whistleblowers are vulnerable to abuse, CCR recalls how UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan Méndez decided “Manning was subject to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment while detained in pretrial custody.”

Manning wrote about her time in pretrial detention in Kuwait:

“At the very lowest point, I contemplated castrating myself, and even – in what seemed a pointless and tragicomic exercise, given the physical impossibility of having nothing stable to hang from – contemplated suicide with a tattered blanket, which I tried to choke myself with,” she recounted for The Guardian. (more…)

The Roundup for July 2nd, 2015

Rest in peace Nicolas Winton

Greece And The Giant Grexit, Day 3

– Greece is still in default and it must go to step two: a Grexit

– Germany is very angry with Greece and say the Greek government is using scapegoats for its own problems

– Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras: We are being “blackmailed” by the troika and must vote no in the referendum

– Eurozone leaders refused to meet with Greece before the referendum vote

– Greek Financial Minister Yanis Varoufakis: There is no way we can leave the euro even if we vote no

– Moody’s, the credit rating firm, downgraded Greece’s credit rating (more…)

Over Easy: Around the World

Kensington Palace Orangery serves easy eggs, you see
Kensington Palace Orangery serves easy eggs, you see

(Picture courtesy of Herry Lawford at

Welcome to Thursday’s Over Easy, a continuation of Southern Dragon’s Lakeside Diner and its tradition of giving an overview of news our everyday media doesn’t cover, issues that we ought to consider outside the U.S. scene. As, again today, you’re hearing from Over There direct, we have a couple of changes, and the computer doesn’t want to reproduce my domestic egg picture.

From RT, Wikileaks publishes TiSA agreement documents which if authentic show multinational corporations wielding powers over governments in the treaty.

WikiLeaks has published secret “core text” related to the controversial trade agreement currently being negotiated behind closed doors between the US, EU and 23 other countries. Big corporations look to be the biggest winners in the deal.

Leaked documents of TiSA (Trade in Services Agreement) negotiations reveal that the treaty is looking to undermine “governments involved in the treaty” by supporting multinational companies instead of local businesses, according to a WikiLeaks press release.

The deadline for nuclear agreement between Iran and western nations (P5 + 1) has been extended from the original one that was to occur on June 30.  A five year plan issued by Ayatollah Khomeini included economic and military objectives, claiming that the nuclear development has peaceful purposes.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif returned to the talks on Tuesday, along with Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) chief Ali Akbar Salehi and Hossein Fereidoun, President Rouhani’s younger brother and special adviser.

The presence of Mr Salehi was a sign of Iran’s serious desire to accelerate the negotiations and achieve a comprehensive deal, Iran’s state news agency Irna said.

On Monday, the US warned that a framework deal agreed in Switzerland in April had to remain the basis for a comprehensive agreement.

Argentine Chief Minister Anibal Fernandez praised Greece’s rejection of EU demands to shrink their economy, describing it as similar to Argentina’s spurning court demands that the country pay off vulture capitalists.   He described the buying up of Greek debt now going on as another example of the attempt to suck up other countries’ economies into their own coffers by these corrupting financial institutions.

“Tsipras demands adjustment to be held. They say they want to be in the EU and not leave the eurozone, but they want a wayout like the one Argentina had. Néstor (Kirchner) used to say ‘the dead don´t pay.’ Here, they want (Greece) to die, the government to fall and make decisions of another type to plunder the Greek,” the head of ministers said referring to Néstor Kirchner, President Cristina Fernández’s late husband and predecessor in the post.

In 2003, in his first speech as head of state of Argentina in the United Nations General Assembly, Kirchner said “the dead don’t pay” alluding to the country’s financial situation with the credit organism commanded by Christine Lagarde.

Predicted increased ‘el Nino’ effects in 2015 – 16 are anticipated to be threatening world supplies of wheat, coffee and sugar in particular.   Copyright restrictions do not allow the inclusion of text here, but readers may follow the link for descriptions of the shortages, and abundance elsewhere, which will be entailed.

As you no doubt have all heard, we’re having a heatwave, but today it’s lots cooler and clouds have moved in.   That will make the ‘tube’ a lot nicer.   Have also seen we’re on the way to another record heat year in 2015, just like last year.   My sympathies go out to our Pacific NW and Hawaii, as well as other places around the world that are suffering.

Why Won’t Greece Take a Deal?

Ultimately, it’s about pride.

By John Kiriakou

Greece is in dire straits. As a Greek American, it hurts to watch.

Without emergency loans from its European partners, Greece will default on its debts and likely be forced out of the Eurozone. That means tougher times ahead for Greece, Europe, and international financial markets.

In exchange for a short-term loan, European powers led by Germany want the Greek government to impose brutal new austerity measures on its people. So why won’t Greece take the deal?

First, some background: Past Greek governments are largely to blame for the country’s fiscal woes.

In 1981, Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou famously told his finance minister to “spend it all.” And that’s exactly what he did.

Greece became the first European country to allow all workers to retire with a full pension at the age of 55. A worker in a “dangerous industry” could retire even earlier. But “dangerous industries” ended up including everybody from hairdressers to radio disc jockeys.

In the meantime, the government hired everybody who wanted or needed a job. The public sector ballooned to unsustainable levels, and practically everybody was retiring early at full pension.

Later on, conservative governments jumped on the bandwagon too, handing fat government benefits to their supporters. Tax evasion ran rampant and the entire political system was corrupted.

The system was bound to collapse, and collapse it did. A few years ago, Greece’s neighbors and the International Monetary Fund loaned the country money to make ends meet.

But instead of eating the losses on their banks’ bad investments, the Europeans — and especially the Germans — demanded harsh austerity cuts that shredded Greece’s social safety net, gutted the public sector, and plunged the country deeper into despair.

Fed up with the resulting poverty and unemployment, Greeks rejected their mainstream political parties in the last election and replaced them with the left-wing Syriza party. Led by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, Syriza campaigned on protecting Greece’s now-huge underclass from Europe’s dictates.

Why would the Greeks risk losing everything by not continuing with a well-defined program of pension cuts and layoffs?

The answer isn’t hard to understand.

First, Syriza rejects balancing the budget on the backs of the poor. Over 40 percent of Greeks now live at or under the poverty level. Middle-class people who worked all their lives have been thrown out of their jobs and have no hopes of getting another. Unemployment for young Greeks hovers around a whopping 50 percent.

Tellingly, suicides in Greece are up over 35 percent since the economy fell apart in 2009, and a “brain drain” of educated professionals to other countries is running apace.

Second, Europeans are ignoring the concept of saving face. The European ultimatum to Greece doesn’t respect the country’s election results or allow the government to claim even a partial victory. Add in the Greeks’ lingering resentment toward the Germans over Nazi atrocities in World War II, and you get an even more difficult situation.

There’s still hope for a last-minute breakthrough. If that doesn’t happen, though, the money will dry up and the Greek economy will fall further apart. Yet compared to endless austerity, that might not be the end of the world.

It may be ugly for a while: Stock markets will slide, Greece will have to re-invent its currency, and the economic depression Greece has endured may last several years longer. But the Greeks will survive, and so will everybody else.

And despite their pain, the poor will know that their government did this for them. The Greek people will know that they weren’t beholden to the Germans or to the International Monetary Fund.

It’s not just about the money. It’s about pride.

OtherWords columnist John Kiriakou is an associate fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies. He’s a former CIA counterterrorism officer and former senior investigator for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The United States and Cuba may be opening embassies in Havana and DC by end of July

The United States and Cuba are going to open embassies in Havana and Washington D.C., possibly before the end of July, as they seek to normalize relations after a 60 year trade embargo by the United States failed to topple Fidel Castro’s regime. His brother Raul has been running the country since 2008 when Fidel stepped aside due to an illness.

This is wonderful news. I lived in Havana for six years when I was a kid and have many fond memories. I learned English and Spanish at the same time and do not recall not being able to speak Spanish. My father was a Foreign Service Officer stationed in Havana. We left Cuba as Fidel Castro’s revolution against Batista was getting started. He was a horrible dictator in thrall to the United States, many of its corporations, and the Mafia. He exploited his people ruthlessly suppressing dissent.

I never agreed with the embargo or breaking diplomatic relations. I think such steps are always counterproductive and usually only hurt the poor, the mentally ill and the marginalized. Children often suffer the worst as was the case in Iraq during the embargo imposed by the Clinton administration. Approximately one million children died in Iraq. I believe countries should always maintain diplomatic relations, especially during troubled times. Peaceful resolutions to conflict are impossible without communication.

Go here for a summary of the players and the issues by NBC News.

I can hardly wait to touch down on Cuban soil.


text:
June 28th, 2012 15:17

It’s those Human Rights again!!

By rosie

Sullivan, who has a previous conviction for assaulting two girls in Ireland and was on an Interpol most-wanted list, is now the 10th person in recent years to see their extradition to the US blocked by either the courts or Home Secretary in this country.

Shawn Sullivan faced spending the rest of his life behind bars under a controversial sex offenders’ programme in the US, but two senior judges said this would amount to a “flagrant denial” of his rights. As a result the 43 year-old – who married a Ministry of Justice official while in jail on remand.

So if you have been convicted for peadophilia and you haven’t been caught for any more offences recently, does this mean that he’s innocent and shouldn’t be shipped off to the USA to face charges?

I was beginning to wonder why the Americans would want him but apart from the Irish girls in Ireland,
Sullivan, originally from Fort Benning, Georgia, was accused of raping a 14 year-old girl and sexually molesting two 11 year-olds in Minnesota between 1993 and 1994.

Our lot seems to be that we should harbour such criminals and the worst of the lot, apart from those who try to blow us up are the kiddy fiddlers they are the lowest of the low.
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