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The Dispossessed Summary & Study Guide Description
The Dispossessed Summary & Study Guide includes comprehensive information and analysis to help you understand the book. This study guide contains the following sections:
This detailed literature summary also contains Quotes and a Free Quiz on The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin.
The Dispossessed was written by Ursula Le Guin. This novel is about the radically different societies on two close planets. On Urras, there are multiple states, each with their own government. On Anarres, there is no government or economic system. Shevek, a physicist on Anarres, wants to break the rules of his world and travel to Urras, not only to speak with other physicists who understand and are excited by his theories, but to promote friendship between the two planets. However, when Shevek spends a little time on Urras, he discovers that utopia is not all he thought it would be. The Dispossessed is a novel of anarchy and individualism, of utopias and paradise.
Shevek travels to Urras despite the mild protest of many on his home planet of Anarres. When he arrives, Shevek is treated like a celebrity, but he finds the customs of Urras radically different from those he has known before. As Shevek settles in his new home, he learns that his hosts have brought him there for a reason, so that he can help them get an advance on space travel that will allow them to dominate not only their world, but many others as well. Shevek is not happy with this, and he is also not happy with the violent way in which Urras is governed. Shevek wants to promote peace and friendship, not help one state and rule all the others.
Shevek grew up on Anarres, a world without a government. Anything Shevek could want is there for the taking. However, Shevek grows up without his mother when she is transferred to another city and does nothing to return to her partner and child.
Shevek stands out from other kids even when he is little. Shevek is often accused of being an egoist even when all he is doing is attempting to share his ideas. As Shevek ages, he continues to feel like something of an outcast, especially when he is assigned to manual labor while his other friends go to university.
When Shevek is finally able to settle down to study physics, it is quickly discovered that his ideas and theories are far advanced. Shevek is sent to another university where he can learn from someone who is in communication with Urras and the scientists there. However, when Shevek begins to come up with theories that are considered too radical, his communications with Urras are refused. Shevek quickly becomes frustrated.
Shevek partners with a childhood friend, and they have a child together. Shortly after this, Shevek tries to send a manuscript that did not have prior approval to Urras. Afterward, he sent away for a manual labor job only to return to find his partner and child shipped off to another city. It is four years before Shevek is reunited with his family. Shevek begins to believe that this was a punishment for his actions.
Shevek and a friend begin a new syndicate, the Syndicate of Initiative, through which he publishes several books and makes his own transmitter to communicate with Urras. Talk of accepting settlers from Urras begins, but there is fear among their dissenters. For this reason, Shevek and his friend decide they must send someone to Urras. Shevek is chosen. Later, he returns wiser.
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After signing a 10-year lease and spending more than $80 million on a site envisioned as the United States' diplomatic hub in northern Afghanistan, American officials say they have abandoned their plans, deeming the location for the proposed compound too dangerous.
Eager to raise an American flag and open a consulate in a bustling downtown district of the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif, officials in 2009 sought waivers to stringent State Department building rules and overlooked significant security problems at the site, documents show. The problems included relying on local building techniques that made the compound vulnerable to a car bombing, according to an assessment by the U.S. Embassy in Kabul that was obtained by The Washington Post.
The decision to give up on the site is the clearest sign to date that, as the U.S.-led military coalition starts to draw down troops amid mounting security concerns, American diplomats are being forced to reassess how to safely keep a viable presence in Afghanistan. The plan for the Mazar-e Sharif consulate, as laid out in a previously undisclosed diplomatic memorandum, is a cautionary tale of wishful thinking, poor planning and the type of stark choices the U.S. government will have to make in coming years as it tries to wind down its role in the war.
In March 2009, Richard C. Holbrooke, who had recently been appointed President Obama's envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, lobbied for the establishment of a consulate in Mazar-e Sharif within 60 days, according to the memo. The city was deemed relatively safe at the time, far removed from Taliban strongholds of the south. A consulate just a short walk from Mazar-e Sharif's Blue Mosque, one of the country's most sacred religious sites, was seen as a way to reassure members of the ethnic Tajik and Uzbek minorities that dominate the north that the United States was committed to Afghanistan for the long haul.
"At the time, [Holbrooke] pushed hard to identify property and stand up an interim consulate, on a very tight timeline, to signal our commitment to the Afghan people," according to the January memo by Martin Kelly, the acting management counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. Holbrooke died in 2010 of complications from heart surgery.
An embassy spokesman declined to respond to questions about the assessment of the Mazar-e Sharif compound, saying that as a policy matter officials do not discuss leaked documents.
Had the Mazar-e Sharif consulate opened this year as planned, it would have been the second of four the U.S. government intends to set up. The United States has a consulate in the western Afghan city of Herat and is assessing options for the three other cities where it intends to keep a permanent diplomatic presence: Kandahar in the south, Jalalabad in the east and Mazar-e Sharif.
The embassy memo says the facility was far from ideal from the start. The compound, which housed a hotel when the Americans took it on, shared a wall with local shopkeepers. The space between the outer perimeter wall and buildings inside — a distance known as "setback" in war zone construction — was not up to U.S. diplomatic standards set by the State Department's Overseas Security Policy Board. The complex was surrounded by several tall buildings from which an attack could easily be launched.
"The Department nonetheless granted exceptions to standards to move forward quickly, establish an interim presence and raise the flag," Kelly wrote.
Among the corners cut in the interest of expediency, the memo says, was failing to assess how well the facility could withstand a car bombing, a task normally carried out by the department's Bureau of Overseas Building Operations. After Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker arrived in Kabul in July, officials asked the bureau to conduct a blast assessment.
"We believe the survey will show that a [car bomb] would cause catastrophic failure of the building in light of the local construction techniques and materials," Kelly wrote.
The structure's outer perimeter wall is composed of sun-dried bricks made from mud, straw and manure, and the contractor used untreated timber for the roof, the memo says.
A chain of security incidents has prevented U.S. officials from moving into the facility, which was scheduled to be ready for occupancy last month. Most notable was the April 2011 attack on the United Nations compound, which is close to the would-be U.S. consulate. A mob enraged by the burning of Korans by a fringe American pastor stormed into the compound after Friday prayers and killed three European U.N. workers and four of their Nepalese guards.
There were other reasons for concern. In August, according to the memo, Afghan security forces uncovered a "sophisticated surveillance operation against the consulate, including information about plans to breach the consulate site." In December, four people were killed in a bombing at the Blue Mosque, less than an eighth of a mile from the prospective consulate.
The attacks and threats, Kelly wrote, "are symptomatic of a real, measurable uptick in the threat stream." The hours-long attack in September on the U.S. Embassy in Kabul from a nearby building under construction renewed concerns about the vulnerabilities of the Mazar-e Sharif site.
"The entire compound is surrounded by buildings with overwatch and there is almost no space on the compound that cannot be watched, or fired upon, from an elevated position outside the compound," Kelly wrote.
Responding effectively to an emergency at the consulate would be next to impossible, Kelly noted, because the facility does not have space for a Black Hawk helicopter to land. It would take a military emergency response team 11 / 2 to 2 hours to reach the site "under good conditions," he said.
In December, embassy officials began exploring alternative short-term sites for their diplomatic staff in northern Afghanistan. A Western diplomat familiar with the situation said the United States has sought, so far in vain, to persuade the German and Swedish governments to sublet it. The diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the matter, said European diplomats have found the prospect laughable.
More world news coverage:
- Difficult days ahead for Russia
- Fringe parties find support in Greece
- Arraignment opens for 9/11 suspects

subset: commoncrawl


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US antitrust enforcers are getting mighty interested in patent trolls. The Federal Trade Commission has even taken to calling these lawsuit-happy companies "patent assertion entities," or PAEs.
"There's a possibility of competitive harm here," said Joseph Wayland, who was the head of antitrust enforcement at the Justice Department until last week. Wayland just left the government for private practice, and he told the Wall Street Journal there is "huge energy, particularly at a senior level" being spent on scrutinizing the intersection of patents and antitrust.
The FTC and the Department of Justice announced today they will host a public forum on December 10 to study the issue more closely. The speakers include IP lawyers, law professors specializing in these so-called PAEs, and even officers of high-profile patent trolls like Intellectual Ventures and Round Rock Research LLC. Executives from companies that have been critical of patent-holding companies, such as Cisco and Rackspace, will also be featured.
"There has been a great deal of controversy and disagreement about whether they stifle innovation and whether they are an anticompetitive problem," FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz told WSJ. "What we want to do is understand the industry better."
Historically, antitrust enforcers have a hard time in court when they come up against patents. For years, the FTC has been trying to shut down so-called "pay to play" settlements, where branded drug companies pay off their generic competitors to end patent challenges. But those arguments have continually lost in appeals courts, where judges have ruled the companies' behavior is protected because of their patents.


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"Dad, what in the world am I supposed to say to him? He talks to world leaders!"
"How about 'hello'?"
I sat at a table with my father at a Washington, D.C. restaurant, but eating felt like an impossibility. Nerves overtook me. I felt sick.
In an hour, I'd be meeting the president of the United States.
Never had I been more nervous. My dad, a former Clinton employee from the late 70s, had received an invitation to the White House from his old boss. All of eleven, I joined him.
As a child my friends read comics; I read little history books. Children's stories of civil rights leaders, of women like Ida B. Wells and Susan B. Anthony, and American icons littered my room. The women and men in those stories kept me up at night. How did Harriet Tubman not lose hope? How did Rosa Parks get her courage? What gave FDR strength?
Maybe most children don't pore over books about women's suffrage, but nearly every young person spends time dreaming of heroes.
Back then I made little distinction between mainstream, elected leaders—like President Clinton—and those who challenged the status quo, often at great cost.
After meeting President Clinton in the Oval Office, I decided I'd go into politics. I wanted to be, I told my mom, a "real-life superhero." And, as I became a teenager, even through bouts of severe depression, that hope persisted.
In my sophomore year of high school Spider-Man 2 came out; one scene still gives me chils. Many know it as the 'Aunt May scene.' Peter Parker asks her why a neighborhood boy, Henry, wants to be Spider-Man. She replies:
He knows a hero when he sees one. Too few characters out there flying around like that, saving old girls like me. And Lord knows, kids like Henry need a hero. Courageous, self-sacrificing people. Setting examples for all of us. Everybody loves a hero. People line up for them, cheer them, scream their names. And years later, they'll tell how they stood in the rain for hours just to get a glimpse of the one who taught them how to hold on a second longer.
I believe there's a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady, and give up the thing we want the most. Even our dreams.
"I believe there's a hero in all of us." It's that line that has, over the years, kept me believing. But Aunt May got a couple things wrong.
When a person is truly courageous and self-sacrificing, they draw disdain, even rage. Everyone may love Dr. King now—or, at least, love to quote him, no matter their political views—but in life, many reviled him. When Dr. King spoke out against the war in Vietnam, other black leaders criticized him, and President Johnson felt betrayed.
A hero cannot be in it because she wants people to line up for her, cheer her, scream her name. Whether it's in comics or in real human rights movements, heroes are not celebrated. Heroes are despised. Heroes are ignored and, so often, unknown. And sometimes, heroes are killed.
To be a hero means speaking truth to power. Heroes advocate for freedom, not the status quo; for hope, not hate; for the presence of justice, not the absence of tension. Heroes call us to be better versions of ourselves.
Here at the end of 2014, I find myself, again, dreaming of heroes. I look around at the public sphere and, at first glance, I don't see many. The actions of officials—local and state—in Missouri surrounding the Ferguson situation have been troubling. A 'peace' "won" with tanks and riot gear is no peace at all. Too many appear more interested in policing the actions of poor and working-class blacks than with working with them to help improve their lives.
While politicians get the credit, they have almost never been the true heroes. The Kennedy brothers and Johnson were good-hearted men—men who waited a long time to get involved in civil rights issues. They did so because they were pushed and prodded, by Dr. King and by thousands of others. Black people (and a few white ones) were being attacked and sometimes lynched, and yet they waited, because they feared losing the South.
I met one of my childhood heroes, Bill Clinton. I later learned he was willing to hurt people by cutting (though he called it reforming) welfare. He was willing to compromise and buy into—or at least not challenge–myths about people, from poor blacks to folks in the LGBT community—to score political victories.
Mr. Clinton was incredibly kind to me in the White House that day in 1999. By most accounts, he genuinely loves people. But is he a hero? Is Barack Obama? Are any politicians? I'm not sure.
I don't think (most) politicians are evil. Politics is complicated, and messy, and requires compromise. Yet I still dream of heroes.
And if we look harder, we will find them—being shouted at, harassed online, and ignored or shamed or misunderstood by the public. There's one other thing Aunt May got wrong: heroes need not give up their dreams. Heroes inspire us to join their dreams.
Frederick Douglass dreamed of a day when black folks could truly celebrate the Fourth of July. Sojourner Truth dreamed her society might answer her "Yes!" when she asked, "Ain't I a woman?" Mary White Ovington dreamed her white people such as herself would join the struggle for racial equality. Ida B. Wells dreamed of a nation without lynching. James Weldon Johnson dreamed we might 'Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing.' At the March on Washington, gospel singer Mahalia Jackson implored Dr. King to "tell 'em about the dream, Martin."
And today: sportswriter Jessica Luther dreams of a sports world without intimate partner violence and with people in power who believe the victims. Elon James White dreams that men will take responsibility for their public actions. Anita Sarkeesian and others dream of a gaming community less hostile to women.
The day after Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson, I scoured the Internet every five minutes to see if someone in Denver had organized a vigil or protest to honor Mr. Brown's life. I checked church websites and searched on Twitter. Nothing. Finally, I saw one. I tweeted out seeing if anyone would join us in a peaceful vigil.
A few people responded. We'd meet near Civic Center Park. I told my roommate Kierstin about it, and ten minutes later, she came downstairs with markers and posters. "Let's make signs."
That first night, there were nine of us out there. Numerous cars honked their support. Two people heckled us. Bolstered by Kierstin's support, we kept tweeting. A few days later, over 100 showed up for a vigil. A few days later we held a march through Denver in solidarity with the Ferguson protestors, at least 300 strong.
On those days, and many since, Kierstin has been a hero. I've met many others. They are not famous. Many do not have official titles and positions. But from them I have learned: heroism means showing up. Heroism means pushing officials to do better, to be better, to build a more inclusive world.
Our country, our world–we need leadership. We need heroes. This can be done without hating the "other side." It can be done through love, even of our adversaries. But it cannot be done without the willingness to be despised, to be heckled, to be ignored.
After all this time, I still dream of heroes. And despite the hateful rhetoric, despite the fear that rules so many, I still believe there's a hero in all of us.


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- Custom liner and cheek pad kits: Available in wild patterns.
- Closing chinstrap by double D ring.


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"Breath-holding spells" refers to two distinct conditions that can occur when a child is frightened, upset or angry, or experiences a sudden shock or pain.
"Breath-holding spells" refers to two distinct conditions that can occur when a child is frightened, upset or angry, or experiences a sudden shock or pain.
The child seems to stop breathing on the outward breath (exhalation), turns a deathly pale grey or blue colour, and temporarily loses consciousness.
The episodes are involuntary, which means the child can't control them. They usually last for less than a minute and, although upsetting to witness, don't harm the child.
Breath-holding spells are common, with one type or the other occurring in around 1 in 20 children. They usually start between 6 and 18 months of age, and affect both boys and girls equally.
In many cases they'll stop by the time the child is four or five years old, although some children will continue to experience them into adulthood.
There are two distinct disorders that are called "breath-holding spells".
Blue breath-holding spells are the most common type of breath-holding disorder, and often occur during vigorous crying or sobbing that's triggered by pain, frustration, anger or fear.
The child usually cries vigorously for less than 15 seconds and then becomes silent, their breath held on the outward breath, unable to take an inward breath (inhale).
They turn blue – particularly around the lips – and lose consciousness. Milder attacks without loss of consciousness will be familiar to most parents.
The child will become either floppy or stiff and remain unconscious for less than a minute before regaining consciousness and breathing normally again. They may appear tired for a while afterwards.
Blue breath-holding spells are caused by an involuntary reflex that's part of the crying mechanism. In some children, particularly in toddlers, it's so intense that they get stuck in an outward breath for so long that they
In the pre-school years some children may have several fainting episodes a week. However, most children will grow out of them by the time they start school.
The episodes are involuntary, aren't dangerous and don't cause brain damage. They're not a sign of a difficult child or poor parenting. They're not epileptic seizures.
The episodes will improve with age, but may get more frequent before they become less frequent and disappear altogether.
If the child is iron deficient, treatment with iron supplements can help. A simple
Reflex anoxic seizures are often triggered by a sudden unexpected fright or pain, such as a fall with a
The child will often open their mouth as if they're going to cry, but make no sound before turning a deathly pale grey colour and losing consciousness.
They'll become either limp or more often stiff, with their eyes rolling upwards and their fingers clawed. Their body may also jerk a few times.
The seizure will usually last less than a minute. Afterwards the child will regain consciousness, but may appear sleepy and confused for a few hours.
Reflex anoxic seizures are caused by an involuntary slowing of the heart rate, to the extent that the heart actually stops beating for 5-30 seconds. This is why the child looks so deathly pale.
However, the heart is normal and the slowing is caused by an excessively strong reflex signal from the brain via the vagus nerve.
The vagus nerve is one of 12 nerves in the head. It runs down the inside of the head, passes through the neck, and into the chest and abdomen.
After five seconds of the heart beat stopping, the child will start to lose consciousness, and after 10 seconds they'll be deeply unconscious. Usually, by 30 seconds the vagus nerve starts to lose its signal strength and the heart starts beating again on its own.
The heart will always automatically start to beat on its own as the strength of the vagus nerve signal fades.
In the pre-school years some children may have several reflex anoxic seizures a month, but most will grow out of them by the time they start school. Some children will continue to occasionally have them into adult life.
Reflex anoxic seizures are involuntary, aren't dangerous and don't cause brain damage or death. They're not a sign of a difficult child or poor parenting. They're not epileptic seizures.
The seizures will improve with age, but may get more frequent before becoming less frequent or disappearing altogether.
If the child is iron deficient, treatment with iron supplements can help. A simple
It isn't always possible to tell the difference between a blue breath-holding spell and a reflex anoxic seizure. However, in most cases the advice will be the same – reassurance and treatment for iron deficiency.
If episodes are very frequent or severe, it's worth trying to distinguish between them.
The main features of a blue breath-holding spell are:
The main features of reflex anoxic seizures are:
If your child has a blue breath-holding spell or reflex anoxic seizure, you should:
You don't need to try to help your child breathe or help their heart beat. They'll start breathing on their own, and their heart will return to a normal rhythm on its own after the episode or seizure has finished – this is usually in less than a minute. Afterwards, they may cry or scream.
Reassure your child and make sure they get plenty of rest after having a blue breath-holding spell or reflex anoxic seizure. Act as if nothing has happened and avoid making a fuss – don't punish or reward them.
See your doctor the first time your child has a blue breath-holding spell or reflex anoxic seizure. Your child will need to be thoroughly examined to check whether they have a more serious underlying problem.
Ask your doctor to carry out a routine
Your doctor may ask you to describe what happens during an episode to see whether there's a trigger.
Blue breath-holding spells almost always occur during crying. Reflex anoxic seizures will sometimes have a trigger, such as a sudden unexpected pain or fright.
Epileptic seizures can look similar, but don't usually occur in these circumstances.
You should also take your child to see your doctor if they have episodes and:
Although blue breath-holding spells and reflex anoxic seizures can be scary to witness, they don't harm the child and don't cause neurological problems, such as brain damage or epilepsy.
In some cases blue breath-holding spells and reflex anoxic seizures may be linked to
This is where a lack of iron in the body leads to a reduction in the number of red blood cells, causing symptoms such as tiredness,
There's no specific treatment for blue breath-holding spells, but your child should have a thorough examination to check for any underlying problems, and an ECG to check for an
Reflex anoxic seizures can respond to some specific medicines, but these are usually only offered in cases where the seizures occur very frequently and have a significant impact on family life.
These medicines – which include glycopyrronium, atropine, and hyoscine – can cause a
Your child's blood iron levels, such as ferritin, may also need to be checked and iron drops or tablets prescribed if levels are low.
Being a parent of a child with these seizures can be stressful, so see your doctor if you're finding it difficult to cope. They may be able to give you some advice about things you can do to reduce stress, such as breathing exercises for stress .
You could also seek help from a specialist counsellor who can teach you parenting techniques to help you deal with your child's breath-holding episodes.
Read more about
Some parents are able to tell when their child is about to have a blue breath-holding spell or reflex anoxic seizure because they display certain behaviours.
Try to distract your child if you think they're about to have an episode as this can sometimes prevent it happening.
Important: Our website provides useful information but is not a substitute for medical advice. You should always seek the advice of your doctor when making decisions about your health.


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Man indicted in starting massive Yosemite Rim Fire
Fire burned 250,000 acres of land
A California man was charged Thursday with starting the state's third-largest wildfire, a 2013 blaze that charred hundreds of square miles of land in Yosemite National Park and the Stanislaus National Forest.
More coverage: Federal charges expected for Rim Fire suspect
A grand jury returned a four-count indictment against Keith Matthew Emerald, 32, alleging he started a campfire Aug. 17, 2013, in an area where fires were prohibited, and it spread beyond his control and turned into the massive Rim Fire.
50 Rim Fire photos you haven't seen
The fire raged for two months across 400 square miles of land, threatening thousands of structures, destroying 11 homes and costing more than $125 million to fight.
Investigators focused on Emerald, who was rescued by helicopter about an hour after the fire was reported, and almost immediately and repeatedly interviewed him over the course of the following several weeks while firefighters battled the blaze.
Investigators said Emerald at times acknowledged starting the fire and other times denied it.
Hunting for deer with a bow that day, he initially told investigators that he caused a rock slide that sparked the fire, according to a search warrant affidavit for Emerald's house and other sites. He then allegedly suggested it was started by marijuana growers in the area.
After multiple interviews and a promise from investigators that they would keep his name out of the media for as long as they could, he acknowledged having a lighter, starting a fire and cooking a meal, according to the affidavit. He burned trash from his backpack, but some of the embers blew uphill and set the brush on fire, he allegedly told investigators in a handwritten statement with some misspellings.
"The terrain was almost vertical, so I physically couldn't put it out," he wrote.
He later recanted, but investigators said a man who drove Emerald to pick up his truck after the fire began said Emerald acknowledged setting a campfire that got out of control. A call to Emerald's attorney, federal public defender Janet Bateman, was not immediately returned on Thursday.
Emerald, a resident of Columbia, a town in the Sierra Nevada foothills, is also charged with lying to a federal agent. Prosecutors said no court date has been set for his arraignment.
Authorities previously said the wildfire was started by an illegal fire set by a hunter, but they withheld the hunter's name pending further investigation. In the affidavit, investigators said Emerald was concerned about community retaliation if his name got out.
"The Rim Fire was one of the largest in California history and caused tremendous economic and environmental harm," U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner said in a written statement. "While those harms cannot be undone, today we have brought criminal charges relating to the cause of the fire."
The charges were the result of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service and the Tuolumne County district attorney's office, Wagner said.


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The Tragedy of Venezuela
The country is now the world's capital of inflation, homicide, and scarcity—but half the population is no longer willing to tolerate it.
"Even in tragedy, Latin America can't compete," a cynical friend told me. He was referring to the fact that the region's poverty is not as grim as Africa's, armed conflicts not as threatening as Asia's, and terrorists not as suicidal as the Middle East's. The problems in Latin America are often overshadowed by those in the rest of the world. Elsewhere, tragedies are more serious and more likely to spill over into other countries.
The shocking images of repression in the streets of Caracas are at a disadvantage when compared with the scenes in Kiev, where most international media and political attention is currently focused. The developments in Ukraine are bloodier, the images more startling, and the stories more tragic. Dozens have been killed in Ukraine, while thus far 13 lives have been claimed in Venezuela. So much more appears to be at stake in Kiev: European borders, energy security, Russian dominance in the former Soviet Union, and Vladimir Putin's domestic and international reputation all depend on the outcome of Ukraine's uprising.
What's happening in Venezuela, by contrast, seems far less critical. For many, the student protests there are just one more episode in the protracted confrontation between a pro-poor, anti-American government and a so-called "middle-class" opposition too clumsy and unpopular to win elections. This description of Venezuela's political conflict is as common as it is inaccurate. In fact, electoral results and most opinion surveys show that half of all Venezuelans are opposed to the government of President Nicolás Maduro. That is why, despite all its well-documented abuses, dirty tricks, and ploys, the government has only managed to eke out marginal electoral victories recently. In 2013, for example, Maduro won the presidential election with a meager 1.5 percent lead over Henrique Capriles, the opposition's candidate.
Moreover, in Venezuela, the "middle class" that most journalists define as "the opposition" was always tiny, and the country's economic crisis has depleted it even further. It surely is far smaller than the 50 percent of the population that does not support the government. This means that the government's many opponents include millions of the poor that Maduro claims to represent. (Disclosure: I served as Venezuela's minister of trade and industry and director of its Central Bank from 1989-1990.)
This is the half of the country whose sons and daughters have taken to the streets to protest against a repressive regime that treats them as mortal enemies. And maybe they are. After all, they represent the vanguard of a society no longer willing to tolerate an abusive government with disastrous results to show for its 15-year grip on power: Venezuela is now the world champion of inflation, homicide, insecurity, and shortages of essential goods—from milk for children to insulin for diabetics and all kinds of indispensable products. All this despite having the greatest oil reserves in the world and a government with absolute control of all state institutions and levers of power. Sadly, that government has used its immense wealth and authority to push through unsustainable populist policies, buy votes, jail opposition leaders, and shut down television channels. Daily shortages of basic goods, fear of crime, and hopelessness have become unbearable.
Hugo Chávez based his popularity on his extraordinary charisma, lots of discretionary money, and a key and well-tested political message: denouncing the past and promising a better future for all.
The country's widespread student protests now symbolize the demise of this message. Venezuelans younger than 30 years of age (the majority of the population) have not known any government other than that of Chávez or Maduro. For them, "Chavismo" is the past. As for the promises of a better future: The results are in. The catastrophic consequences of Chávez's 21st Century Socialism are impossible to mask any longer and the government has run out of excuses. Blaming the CIA, the "fascist opposition," or "dark international forces," as Maduro and his allies customarily do, has become fodder for parodies flooding YouTube. The concrete effects of 15 years of Chavismo are all too visible in empty shelves and overflowing morgues. The youth who are continuing to protest in almost all of Venezuela's large cities, risking brutal beatings, savage torture, and death, are convinced that they will not have a better future unless the policies to which this government is strongly committed are changed. And the only government promise they believe is its pledge to stay the course regardless of results or what its opponents say.
The struggles and sacrifices of Venezuela's young people could have surprising and unintended consequences beyond their nation. To confront Maduro's government is to simultaneously confront Cuba's grotesque influence in Venezuela. Absent the massive economic aid that the Venezuelan regime has been giving Cuba, the island's precarious economy would have already collapsed—and it yet might with any reduction in this support. Such an economic collapse could accelerate the political change that sooner or later will take place in Cuba. It is only natural, then, that for the ruling elite in Havana no other goal is more critical than ensuring the continuity of Venezuela's economic lifeline. Over its many decades in power, the Cuban government has perfected the art of successfully running a repressive police state. Additionally, the Cuban intelligence services—the fabled G2—has a long history of intervening in Latin American countries, and in politically manipulating and physically or morally "neutralizing" its opponents. It is not hard to imagine that these skills, methods, and capabilities have been put at the service of the nation's top priority: securing a friendly government in Venezuela.
But repressive techniques are not Cuba's only exports. The island has long been the source of bad political and economic ideas in Latin America—from the disdain for democracy to the cult of the centrally planned economy. A different government in Cuba, one willing to make political openness and deeper economic integration with the rest of the world as much a priority as "exporting the revolution" has been during the long Castro era, would have significant consequences for Latin America. Cuba's harmful continental influence would wane without Venezuela's free oil. And, incredibly, this seminal change may hinge on the success of students who are still in the streets even after more than a week of brutal repression.
The night is darkest just before dawn. And Venezuela is going through some very dark moments. But perhaps this means the dawn is about to break. If it does, Latin America will be indebted to the young Venezuelans who were brave enough to confront a government that does all it can to inspire fear.


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Editor's note: Pete Cashmore is founder and CEO of Mashable, a popular blog about social media. He writes a weekly column about social networking and tech for CNN.com.
(CNN) -- What's the best way to find great links on the web? Is it algorithmic search engines like Google, people-powered decision-making, or a combination of both?
This has been the perennial question online ever since Yahoo's human-organized directory of web links lost the battle to Google's automated crawlers. And yet now, in some circles at least, the pendulum appears to be swinging back: Google is broken, say some technologists, and people-power is the best fix.
What's the problem with Google search? Spam, say the critics. Or rather, a new genre of not-quite-spam. So-called "content farms" have sprung up to produce thousands of articles per day with titles that match popular search terms -- dig in to the content however, and you'll find it anything but useful.
This Google-fatigue began as early as December 2009, when venture capitalist Paul Kedrosky remarked that using Google to search for a new dishwasher delivered nothing but spam results.
"Info-krill", Kedrosky called it, "Identify some words that show up in profitable searches -- from appliances, to mesothelioma suits, to kayak lessons -- churn out content cheaply and regularly, and you're done."
It's a concept that was revisited this month by prominent British blogger Alan Patrick, who remarked: "This year it really hit home just how badly Google's systems have been spammed, as typically anything on Page 1 of the search results was some form of SEO spam".
Others have come to the same conclusion. Prominent software developer Jeff Atwood this month declared "Trouble in The House of Google", while entrepreneur Vivek Wadhwa outlined his reasons "Why We Desperately Need a New (and Better) Google", namely "spammers and marketers". Developer Marco Arment, meanwhile, decried the "apparent explosion recently of cheap-'content' sites", which have contributed to "Google's apparent defeat by spam."
While the problem is clear, do technologists agree on the solution? It appears they do. Atwood asks: "Are we seeing the first signs that algorithmic search has failed as a strategy? Is the next generation of search destined to be less algorithmic and more social?"
Kedrosky too proposes a human-powered solution, declaring that "curation is the new search."
Wadhwa, meanwhile, points to new search engine contender Blekko, which searches within sets of websites defined by human editors.
And Arment proposes a combined approach: "One solution may be for Google to radically change their algorithms and policies for web search to de-emphasize phrase-matching and more strongly prioritize inbound links and credibility. And, in what's probably a huge departure for them, have human employees use their opinions of site quality to manually adjust the relevance of domains."
While I'm inclined to agree that human-powered decision-making may increase the quality of search results, it's worth noting that the path to "curation" is littered with bodies.
In December 2010, news leaked that Yahoo was looking to close down the social-bookmarking site Delicious. Yahoo later clarified that the company was instead looking to sell the service, which had pioneered wide-scale, people-powered categorization of web links. Yahoo's attempts to jettison the site are hardly a shining example of the rise of human curation.
Last year also saw the downfall of another Web 2.0 pioneer -- Digg.com, which enables users to vote on Web links and ranks the most popular results, saw its web traffic plummet after a redesign that aimed to keep pace with Twitter and Facebook.
It's there, I think, where we might finally see curation bloom: On Twitter and Facebook, where users share millions of links per day without even the mildest sense that they're "curators" of the web.
To these everyday internet users, they're just sharing cool websites with friends; To those who seek to make sense of an increasingly complex web, these millions of social signals are gold dust.
The solutions will come in many forms, from Bing's integration of Facebook "Likes" into its search results to Twitter- and Facebook-powered newspapers like Paper.li and The Twitter Tim.es. But ultimately, and with a few stumbles, we'll find numerous ways to combine human judgment with the efficiency of algorithms.


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Table of Contents:
Combating counterfeiting and piracy in the single market
Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Combating counterfeiting and piracy in the single market
These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.
Internal market > Businesses in the internal market > Intellectual property
Combating counterfeiting and piracy in the single market
Document or Iniciative
Commission Communication of 30 November 2000 "Follow-up to the Green Paper on combating counterfeiting and piracy in the single market" [COM(2000) 789 final – Not published in the Official Journal].
1. Counterfeiting and piracy have become an international phenomenon with considerable economic and social repercussions. They are also affecting the proper functioning of the single market and impacting on consumer protection, particularly with regard to public health and safety. This situation causes deflections of trade and distortion of competition, leading to a loss of confidence on the part of operators in the single market and a reduction in investment.
These activities are estimated to represent between 5 and 7% of world trade and a global loss of 200 000 jobs per year. Moreover, European Union (EU) businesses with international activities are estimated to lose between 400 and 800 million in the single market and around 2000 million outside the EU. The software sector is particularly affected.
Responses to the Green Paper
3. The responses to the Green Paper confirm the scale of the problems and the detrimental effects on the proper functioning of the internal market. The parties concerned mentioned several factors facilitating this sort of situation, in particular the current disparities between Member States in the systems of sanctions and other means of enforcing intellectual property rights. For this reason, the parties concerned, including the Member States, wish to see this problem approached at EU level. Moreover, the responses to the Green Paper reveal a broad consensus on the need to improve administrative cooperation between the Member States. The Commission has emphasised the fact that, although it is desirable for the Commission to play a major role in this matter, the primary responsibility lies with holders of intellectual property rights, who must themselves exercise vigilance.
Action plan
4. The Communication contains an action plan setting out:
- urgent measures for which Commission proposals will be presented speedily;
- medium-term Commission measures; and
- other initiatives involving public authorities and the private sector.
These measures should be incorporated in horizontal initiatives in the areas of justice and home affairs.
Urgent measures
The following measures are considered to be urgent:
- a proposal for a directive to boost the means of enforcing intellectual property rights and to define a general framework for exchanging information. The aim of this initiative will be to harmonise the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States on this matter. The measures will relate only to additional improvements to the TRIPS agreement;
- using existing programmes to devise training actions for officials in enforcement agencies, including those of candidate countries, and public information and awareness-raising measures;
- the Commission will continue to give priority in the enlargement negotiations to combating counterfeiting and piracy;
- launching a study to define a methodology for collecting, analysing and comparing data;
- identifying a contact point at Commission level to provide a link between the various departments with respect to work in this field, and to facilitate transparency vis-à-vis the outside world.
Medium-term measures
In the medium-term, the Commission will examine:
- the case for establishing additional mechanisms for administrative cooperation to combat counterfeiting and piracy, in particular between the relevant national authorities but also between these authorities and the Commission;
- whether it is necessary to present proposals for harmonising the minimum thresholds for penalties, for extending the field of competence of Europol in this area, and for putting in place a structure allowing access, for example via an Internet site, to the legal decisions handed down by national courts in this area.
Other initiatives
The Commission makes recommendations aimed at improving the use of existing information systems and stepping up cooperation and the exchange of information between the private sector and public authorities, such as:
- improving cooperation between the private sector and public authorities, e.g. by ensuring the compatibility of existing databases in order to improve the way they are used;
- improving European judicial cooperation through existing instruments and instruments being developed at Community level;
- making use of the possibilities offered by the Fifth Framework Programme for Research and Development (R&D) for developing new technologies and new techniques.
Related Acts
Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee on a Customs response to latest trends in Counterfeiting and piracy [COM(2005) 479 final – Not published in the Official Journal].
This Communication proposes a series of measures to step up the protection of the EU against counterfeiting and piracy in the customs field. The measures consist chiefly in improving the legislation, enhancing the partnership between customs and economic operators, and achieving greater international cooperation.
Directive 2004/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the enforcement of intellectual property rights [Official Journal L 195 of 2 June 2004].
The purpose of this Directive is to create a level playing field for the application of intellectual property rights in the Member States by aligning implementation rules throughout the Union. It also harmonises the Member States' legislation so as to ensure an equivalent level of protection of intellectual property within the internal market.


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Being here in Lancaster County, the baked goods are many. Having the Harvest Moon Bed and Breakfast gives me the opportunity to bake often and Chocolate chip cookies are usually the cookies of choice. However, I am tired of using the back of a "chip" bag.
I need a great Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. I've been using the same recipe on the back of the chip bag and need a new one. My favorite cookie is that of the chocolate chip variety.
Being an Innkeeper here at the Harvest Moon Bed and Breakfast in Lancaster, I tend to have plenty of opportunity to enjoy a cookie or three. Brutal it is when someone lays a tray of fresh, hot, out of the oven, gooey cookies on the table or opens a cookie jar in front of me.
So, I decided to get my fascination with them out of the way. By indulging in none other than the Chocolate Chip Cookie. Well, with your help. We will be holding a recipe contest for the best darn chocolate chip cookies.
From now till the end of March, submit your chocolate chip cookie recipe on our event wall. We here at the Harvest Moon Bed and Breakfast will then prepare the recipes and sample them to discover which one was our favorite. From simple chocolate chip to fantasy cookies, I just can't wait to taste them all. Enter your recipe at the Harvest Moon Bed and Breakfast Event Wall on Facebook and we will take it from there.
The winner of our *Chocolate Chip Cookie Contest* will recieve a gift certificate for a *Night at the Harvest Moon Bed and Breakfast* to be used any time.
Rules and Regulations--
1. Recipe must be original (not one from the back of a bag; I tried them all)
2. Must be submited before March 31, 2010
3. Must include chocolate chips in the recipe, however your unique combinations are encourged.
4. Your recipe may be published in book format or used on our website or any of our social media.
5. By submitting a recipe, you allow the Harvest Moon Bed and Breakfast to use it for such media stated in #4.
6. Most important rule... KNOCK MY SOCKS OFF!!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Contest in Lancaster County
3 comments:
Does the recipe need to use standard dough or can it be double chocolate with a chocolate dough base?
- March 10, 2010 at 6:12 PM
One of your recent recipe posts I just saw on your wall is a word-for-word published chocolate chip recipe from Cooks Illustrated. I know because it's one of my favorites. I just thought I'd let you know if you care. And in case you don't, I won't mention which entry it was. But if it wins I wouldn't publish it.
- March 23, 2010 at 5:06 PM
when will cookie contest winner be announced??
- April 6, 2010 at 7:46 PM
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Thousands Of Images, Videos Found On Man's Computer, DA Says
WCVB 5 ABC | December 16, 2010
BOSTON -- A former TSA employee was arraigned on child pornography charges, Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone said Thursday.
Andrew Cheever, 33, of Lowell, was arraigned in Lowell District Court on two counts of possession of child pornography. He was ordered held on $15,000 cash bail with the conditions that he has no contact with children under the age of 18, no employment or volunteer work with children under the age of 18 and does not use a computer or the Internet.
According to investigators, on Oct. 8, Massachusetts State Police detectives conducted an investigation into the use of file-sharing programs for the possession and distribution of child pornographic images and videos. During the investigation, investigators observed a computer on the network which was sharing suspected child pornography files. Investigators were able to connect to the host computer and view multiple files of child pornography that were being made available to share.
On Oct. 15, a search warrant was executed at Cheever's home, where the suspected computer was registered, Leone said. As a result of the search warrant, multiple computers, hard drives and multiple pieces of external digital media were confiscated from the home, Leone said. An onsite preview of the computer and two external hard drives confirmed that Cheever was storing more than 10,000 child porn videos and images, Leone said.
Cheever will return to court on Jan. 13.


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6100 Mason-Montgomery Road|Mason, OH 45040|513-398-5025
"A snowball of positive energy that gained intensity from beginning to end!" That's how Mason High School Band Director Micah Ewing described the Wind Symphony's performance at the prestigious Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Festival on December 15, 2016.
Held annually in Chicago since its inception in 1946, the Midwest Clinic is the world's largest instrumental music education conference. The clinic boasts over 17,000 attendees each year, representing all 50 states and nearly 40 countries. In April, Mason's Wind Symphony received its invitation as one of only four high schools to perform at this year's Clinic, and directors immediately began preparations for the performance.
The first priority was determining the program for the concert. "The main objectives of the Clinic are to inform and inspire its attendees," explained Ewing. "To that end, there are some very specific guidelines that govern the music we choose to play at the Clinic." For Ewing, a primary consideration was ensuring that the music would be meaningful to the students and used as a vehicle to achieve curricular goals.
Along with program decisions, Ewing mapped out a rehearsal schedule that began in August and culminated with the performance in December. A priority in this rehearsal plan and the repertoire selection was providing opportunities for the students to work with as many composers of the pieces they were playing as possible. "When students have the opportunity to work with composers," Ewing shared, "they are able to engage in the connection between the music, the person who wrote it, and themselves as the performers who bring the composers' ideas into sound."
Composers Roger Zare, James Swearingen, John Mackey, David Maslanka, and Frank Ticheli visited Mason's campus in the months leading up to the concert or met with the band in Chicago. These composers worked with not only the Wind Symphony, but also with some of Mason's other concert bands. Ewing believes that these interactions helped students capture the spirit of each of the pieces and the personalities of the composers in the music they played.
In December, rehearsals intensified in length and frequency to help build the stamina necessary for a concert over an hour in length. Preparation culminated in a weekend band camp and Midwest preview concert with one of Mason Band's long time mentors, James Keene, Director of Band Emeritus at the University of Illinois, and a shared concert with the Miami University Wind Ensemble in Hall Auditorium on Miami's campus. According to Ewing, "It was a long, but very fulfilling process of preparation and realization for the students, teachers, and even the composers."
The Midwest concert on December 15 included a total of ten pieces conducted by Ewing, guest conductor Keene, Mason High School band directors Avious Jackson and Jason Sleppy, and Mason Middle School band director Susan Bass. "I think this concert was an authentic representation of who we are collectively as a band program: students, parents, and teachers," shared Ewing. "We have students who are amazing in myriad ways, and an incredibly talented team of teachers from grades 6 though 12 who are absolutely committed to giving our students the best opportunities to express artistic musicianship at the highest level possible for each student."
Ewing said that, in addition to the concert, a highlight of the Midwest experience was the trip to Chicago itself. "Seeing our students together out in the world brings into focus what wonderful people they are," said Ewing. "They hold themselves to the highest standards in every imaginable way, presenting themselves as professionals and gracious human beings whether they are playing music or interacting with Clinic attendees."
For Ewing, a conversation with a stranger after Mason's concert best captured the experience of preparing for and performing at the Midwest Clinic. "He said he'd been teaching for a lot of years and attended the Midwest Clinic many times. He said that he comes to Midwest to be motivated and inspired and that our concert inspired him," Ewing shared. "Not only was this a great experience for our students, but our students impacted other teachers who in turn will pass that inspiration on to other students. Our students can have pride in the knowledge that they made a difference in the lives of many teachers and in the music making of countless students as a result."


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ALMA Shows How Young Star and Planets Grow Simultaneously
Astronomers have used the ALMA telescope to get their first glimpse of a fascinating stage of star formation in which planets forming around a young star are helping the star itself continue to grow, resolving a longstanding mystery.
Astronomers have used the ALMA telescope to get their first glimpse of a fascinating stage of star formation in which planets forming around a young star are helping the star itself continue to grow, resolving a longstanding mystery. The young system, about 450 light-years from Earth, is revealing its complex gravitational dance to the ever-sharpening vision of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), scheduled for completion this year.
As young stars gather material from their surrounding clouds of gas and dust, the incoming material forms a flat, spinning disk around the star. Planets begin as small clumps within that disk that, through their gravitational pull, add to their mass. As the planets pull in more material, they also leave a wake in their trail that clears out a gap in the disk. Such gaps have been observed in the dust disks surrounding a number of still-forming solar systems.
During this process, the star also continues to grow more massive, leading to the question of how material can get through the gap cleared by the protoplanets and onto the star.
|Artist's conception of HD142527 system: Gas streamers cross gap in protoplanetary disk. Image credit: Bill Saxton, NRAO/AUI/NSF
"This has been a bit of a mystery, but now we have found a process that allows the star to continue to grow despite the gap," said Simon Casassus, of the University of Chile and the Millennium Nucleus for Protoplanetary Disks, who led an international research team.
First, the scientists found that the gap is not empty, but is filled by thin, tenuous gas, as shown by ALMA detection of carbon monoxide. "Whereas dust is severely depleted within the gap, some residual gas remains," said Gerrit van der Plas, of the University of Chile. "This agrees with predictions for gap clearing by a planetary-mass body," he added.
Next, ALMA revealed streamers of dense gas (HCO+, or Formyl ion) crossing through the gap, bringing material from the outer portion of the disk, near and onto the planets, and into the disk's inner portion, closer to the star than where planets probably are forming. These streamers, the scientists say, probably are caused by the gravitational pull of the young planets.
"The most natural interpretation for the flows seen by ALMA is that the putative protoplanets are pulling streams of gas inward toward them that are channelled by their gravity. Much of the gas then overshoots the planets and continues inward to the portion of the disk close to the star, where it can eventually fall onto the star itself," Casassus said.
In the system Casassus and his colleagues studied, called HD 142527, they calculated that, without the streamers, the inner portion of the disk would be depleted in less than a year. However, the gas delivered by the streamers is sufficient to maintain the inner disk and the star's observed rate of mass growth.
"Computer simulations indicated that such a process should be happening, and now we've found it," said Sebastian Perez of the University of Chile.
The planets, the scientists said, should be embedded in the dense streams of infalling gas, and likely are several times more massive than Jupiter, the largest planet in our Solar System. The dense gas in the streamers, however, obscures the planets from direct observation.
In the HD 142527 system, the inner disk extends outward from the young star about 10 times the distance from the Sun to the Earth, or just past the orbit of Saturn. The gap extends from there to more than 140 times the Sun-Earth distance. The planets, the scientists said, should lie within the gap, at a distance of about 90 times the Sun-Earth distance.
"The new capabilities provided by ALMA made this work possible, but this is just the beginning," Casassus said of the international millimeter-wave observatory still under construction in northern Chile.
The research team reported their findings in the scientific journal Nature.
ALMA, an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of Europe, North America and East Asia in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA construction and operations are led on behalf of Europe by ESO, on behalf of North America by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), and on behalf of East Asia by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) provides the unified leadership and management of the construction, commissioning and operation of ALMA.
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.


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Immigration tactics aimed at boosting deportations
- Immigration officials approved new tactics for deporting convicted criminals
- Some approaches were aimed at increasing deportations of people charged with minor crimes
- Changes were part of push to make sure government didn%27t fall short of deportation targets
WASHINGTON — U.S. immigration officials laid out plans last year that would ratchet up expulsions of immigrants convicted of minor crimes as part of an urgent push to make sure the government would not fall short of its criminal deportation targets, new records obtained by USA TODAY show.
Among those new tactics — detailed in interviews and internal e-mails — were trolling state driver's license records for information about foreign-born applicants, dispatching U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to traffic safety checkpoints conducted by police departments, and processing more illegal immigrants who had been booked into jails for low-level offenses. Records show ICE officials in Washington approved some of those steps.
President Obama's administration has made deporting convicted criminals a central feature of its immigration policy, while also saying it would halt some efforts to remove low-priority immigrants who pose little risk to public safety. Immigration advocates who have largely supported the administration said ICE's urgent effort to boost deportations last year suggested the agency had veered from that approach.
"If this is what ICE is currently doing, it's very problematic," said Gregory Chen, the director of advocacy for the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Chen said such tactics contradict immigration officials' public pledges to streamline enforcement by focusing on dangerous criminals and show that the agency instead sought to "increase its criminal alien numbers by pursuing people with minor offenses like traffic violations."
The push came after senior ICE officials in Washington warned its regional enforcement chiefs that criminal deportations had fallen from the year before and instructed them to get the numbers back up. "The only performance measure that will count this fiscal year is the criminal alien removal target," David Venturella, who then supervised ICE's field offices, said in April in an e-mail to agents in Atlanta.
ICE spokeswoman Gillian Christensen said in a statement that "ICE does not have quotas." She said the agency sets "annual performance goals" that "reflect the agency's commitment to using the limited resources provided by Congress." She declined to say whether the agency adopted any of the new tactics.
Bob Dane, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which favors tougher enforcement, said ICE "wouldn't have to do a hail Mary to juice the numbers" if it hadn't ordered its agents to halt efforts to deport some illegal immigrants.
Venturella said the deportation targets did not amount to quotas. He said in an interview that aides to ICE Director John Morton were worried that a drop in criminal deportations might be publicly attributed to the administration's policy of dropping some low-priority removal cases. Focusing on convicted criminals was a "cornerstone" of the Obama administration's immigration policy, Venturella said, "and it would have raised a lot of eyebrows if those numbers had continued to go down."
Some Morton aides "seemed to think their careers depended on that number going up," Venturella said, and they convened daily meetings on how to make it happen. In April, officials told field office heads to map plans to increase removals, then instructed at least one field office that supervises enforcement throughout Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina to go ahead with efforts to mine DMV records and step up their efforts to deport people who had been booked into county jails, among other measures.
By the time the government's fiscal year ended in September, ICE had deported 225,390 criminal immigrants — a record, and well above the agency's target of 210,000. ICE has not specified how many of those deportations were based on minor offenses; the year before, it reported that more than a quarter of the people it classified as criminals had been convicted only of traffic offenses.
How many people were deported because of the new tactics ICE proposed, and how widely they were implemented, remains unclear. In one instance outside Asheville, N.C., agents arrested 15 immigrants – many of whom had only minor convictions, frequently for driving without a license – at a police traffic checkpoint but were promptly ordered by officials at the field office to release most of them.
The e-mails were first obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina under the federal Freedom of Information Act. The group had been conducting its own inquiry into the traffic checkpoint.


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Source: Pathos.com
Author: Dan Arel
Emphasis Mine
Socialism is on the rise in the U.S. thanks in part to Senator Bernie Sanders' recent run for president and the spotlight he put on the once-taboo word.
Now, thanks to a new survey of 2,300 people conducted by YouGov and the Washington, D.C.-based Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, we know that young adults referred to as millennials in this study, agree more with the words of Karl Marx than they do with passages from the bible.
When asked if they agree with what Marx said, "From each according to his abilities, to each according to his need," 64 percent of the millennials polled said, "yes," while only 53 percent said they agree with the statement in the Bible that "if any would not work, neither should he eat."
The study also shows, in my opinion, that millennials are more educated about what communism and socialism is. They are not stuck behind red scare, McCarthyist views of the USSR or Cuba. They instead seem to be more educated on the topic.
57 percent of Americans overall say they have a "very unfavorable" view of Communism, only 37 percent of millennials said the same.
The study also found that 45 percent of those aged 16 to 20 said they would vote for a Socialist, and 21 percent said they would vote for a Communist.
Only 42 percent of young adults had a favorable view capitalism.
"The study found a growing acceptance of Socialist and Marxist viewpoints among a younger generation of Americans who did not grow up during the Cold War," the report said. "When considered alongside the broad support among millennials for Bernie Sanders and his ideals —the poll, for example, found more support for quotes of Sanders than Milton Friedman and the Bible — Socialism has growing support in America."
Ironically, the study was meant to shed a negative light on communism and socialism and wishes to imply that Stalin, Castro, and Mao are communist leaders instead of looking at the authoritarian systems they created they don't meet even the basic necessities of communism laid out by Marx.
"One of the concerns the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation has had since its establishment is that an emerging generation of Americans have little understanding of the collectivist system and its dark history," Marion Smith, the foundation's executive director, said in the report. "Unfortunately, this report, which we intend to release on an annual basis, confirms this worrisome impression."
The truth is, these young adults likely do understand it and realize it's not socialism or communism. They are happy to work towards a system that actually helps all of its citizens rather than continue to try and fix a broken capitalist system that they understand only helps the wealthy.


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|Genially is a Scrabble word. Scrabble point value for genially: 12 points.
|Genially is a Words with Friends word. Words with Friends point value for genially: 12 points.
Above are the results of unscrambling genially. Using the word generator and word unscrambler for the letters G E N I A L L Y, we unscrambled the letters to create a list of all the words found in Scrabble, Words with Friends, and Text Twist. We found a total of 140 words by unscrambling the letters in genially. Click these words to find out how many points they are worth, their definitions, and all the other words that can be made by unscrambling the letters from these words. If one or more words can be unscrambled with all the letters entered plus one new letter, then they will also be displayed.
1. in an affable manner
|Words that start with genially
|Words that end with genially
|Words that contain genially


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by Diana Kohnle
While the health benefits of fruit are widely known and accepted, can an apple each day truly keep the doctor away? Is there something about the "forbidden fruit"—above and beyond other types of fruit and healthful foods—that is ideal for lowering your risk of poor health?
As part of a healthful diet and lifestyle, apples really can fight a number of diseases and help keep you healthy and away from the doctor.
Studies have long shown that diets rich in fresh fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of numerous chronic conditions. But more detailed studies show that apples, in particular, may be particularly protective of good health.
Apples, particularly their skins, are an excellent source of antioxidants. Antioxidants are believed to prevent damage to cells and tissues and help defend the body from cancer, cardiovascular disease, and possibly Alzheimer's disease. Apple varieties vary in their antioxidant content, with Red Delicious having one of the highest levels. In addition, the flavonoids in apples, which possess antioxidant properties, are believed to protect the body against allergens and viral infections. Apples may also improve lung function.
In a study conducted in Finland, researchers investigated the relationship between apple consumption and the risk of stroke in over 9,200 men and women. Those individuals who consumed the highest number of apples showed a lower risk of stroke over a 28-year period compared to those who consumed the least number of apples. The researchers suggest that this benefit may come from the "phytonutrients" contained in apples, possibly including flavonoids. Two other Finnish studies showed that apple consumption may also reduce the risk of heart disease and lung cancer.
There are many other foods—including other fruits—that contain the same antioxidants and offer the same benefits as apples. Beverages like coffee and black tea, and fruits including blueberries, cranberries, red grapes, strawberries, and bananas, are all rich in antioxidant flavonoids. Cranberries, studies show, are even higher in antioxidants than apples.
Of note, most of the nutritional benefit of apples appears to come from their skin, so peeled apples, apple juice, and applesauce lack the rich levels of antioxidants that the whole fruit contains.
Apples alone can't keep anyone healthy, as no single food can, and apples can't be expected to reverse previous damage caused by poor diet and lifestyle. Diets rich in trans fats, salt, and sugar—even with an apple a day—don't lead to good health. Regular apple consumption, of course, is only beneficial as part of an overall healthful diet and exercise regimen.
Apples are a great choice for a healthful, low-fat, low-calorie snack. They're rich in fiber and antioxidants, both of which may be protective against a variety of chronic diseases. To receive the maximum health benefits from apples, eating the whole fruit—including the skin—is recommended.
But remember, apples are no substitute for a balanced diet and regular exercise. And, even this is no guarantee. People who live impeccable lifestyles still suffer from heart disease and cancer, and keeping your doctor completely away makes it difficult to receive preventive services, like screening tests. Seeing your doctor regularly (but not too often) will allow him to possibly uncover conditions that can harm you in the future, even if you feel perfectly well while munching on that Red Delicious.
Amodio A. Does an apple a day really keep the doctor away? Families.com website. Available at: http://health.families.com/blog/does-an-apple-a-day-really-keep-the-doctor-away . Accessed November 5, 2008.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away (press release). Johns Hopkins Medicine website. Available at: http://www.jhu.edu/hurj/issue2/07E%20Apple%20A%20Day.pdf . Accessed August 8, 2006.
Apple juice may keep Alzheimer's away. MedIndia website. Available at: http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=12962 . Published August 2006. Accessed November 5, 2008.
The awesome apple: why an apple a day helps keep the doctor away. Medical News Service website. Available at: http://www.medicalnewsservice.com/ARCHIVE/MNS1700.cfm . Published May 2003. Accessed November 5, 2008.
Boyles Salynn. An apple a day may really keep the doctor away. WebMD website. Available at: http://www.webmd.com/content/article/26/1728_58624.htm . Published June 2000. Accessed August 8, 2006.
Butland B, Fehily A, Elwood P. Diet, lung function, and lung function decline in a cohort of 2512 middle aged men. Thorax. 2000;55:102-108.
A (good) apple a day keeps the doctor away. CBC News website. Available at: http://www.cbc.ca/story/news/national/2002/06/05/Consumers/apples_020605.html . Accessed August 8, 2006
Herforth AW. An apple a day. Friedman School of Nutritional Science and Policy website. Available at http://nutrition.tufts.edu/consumer/balance/2003-10/functional.html . Accessed August 8, 2006.
How an apple a day keeps the doctor away revealed! AllRefer Health News website. Available at: http://health.allrefer.com/news/index.php?ID=8796 . Accessed August 8, 2006.
Knekt P, Isotupa S, Rissanen H, et al. Quercetin intake and the incidence of cerebrovascular disease. Eur J Clin Nutr . 2000;54: 415-417.
Knekt P, Jarvinen R, Reunanen A, et al. Flavonoid intake and coronary mortality in Finland: a cohort study. Br Med J . 1996;312:478-81.
Knekt P, Jarvinen R, Seppanen R, et al. Dietary flavonoids and the risk of lung cancer and other malignant neoplasms. Am J Epidemiol. 1997;146:223-30.
This apple a day keeps the doctor further away. New Scientist News website. Available at: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg18625024.400.html . Accessed August 8, 2006.
Why an apple a day keeps the doctor away. CityNews website. Available at http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_547.aspx . Published May 2006. Accessed November 5, 2008.
Image Credit: Nucleus Communications, Inc.


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Remember that Sony Rootkit DRM Scandal a little while back? The one that boned your computer with a rootkit when you put in a CD with Sony's DRM on it? Well, Sony's just agreed to pay out $150 to customers to "repair damage done" when they tried to remove the rootkit.
Also, they need to provide an uninstall tool and patches to repair any damage done by their rootkit and display it on their website. Sounds good to us.
We'll update you with the details when you can sign up to get your $150.


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September 5th, 2012
Catholic nun brings her star power to DNC
By Dan Gilgoff, CNN.com Religion Editor
(CNN) – Sister Simone Campbell got what may have been the biggest media platform of her life on Wednesday night, when she addressed the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. But the Catholic nun had plenty of star power before that.
Walking around Charlotte this week, Campbell was repeatedly stopped by fans who wanted to pose for pictures.
They had seen her on "The Colbert Report," pushing back on the Vatican's crackdown on American nuns, or read about the "nuns on the bus" tour that Simone organized to decry Rep. Paul Ryan's federal budget proposal.
"One woman came up to me and said 'my husband loves you; I'd be jealous if you weren't a nun,' " Campbell, 66, said Tuesday night.
By asking her to speak at their convention, the Democrats appear keen to capitalize on Campbell's budding celebrity at a moment when the official Roman Catholic Church has been critical of the Obama administration, claiming that it is infringing on religious liberty.
And at a convention that is revolving largely around an alleged GOP-led "war on women," Campbell is a poignant feminist symbol. She has stood up to the Vatican's criticisms of American nuns for what the church says is their fixation on progressive advocacy at the expense of promoting socially conservative positions.
"We're certainly oriented toward the needs of women and responding to their needs," she told Colbert in June, defending the nuns against the Vatican. "If that's radical, I guess we are."
When party officials asked her to speak in Charlotte, she made it plain she'd do it only if she could give voice to her anti-abortion views.
And when Democratic handlers revised a draft of her speech in a way that sounded too political to her, she told them she was happy to give her speaking slot to someone else.
The handlers were more than happy to work with her to revise the revisions.
On Wednesday night, Campbell said that Obama's health care law and expanding Medicaid coverage "is part of my pro-life stance and the right thing to do." It was the biggest applause lines in her speech, which was filled with big applause lines.
"Paul Ryan claims his budget reflects the principles of our shared Catholic faith," Campbell said later in her speech. "But the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops stated that the Ryan budget failed a basic moral test, because it would harm families living in poverty.
"We agree with our bishops," Campbell said. "I am my sister's keeper. I am my brother's keeper.
Her parents took her the Democratic convention in Los Angeles to see John F. Kennedy.
But she says her work has always been fueled by a passion for helping the poor. When she's not giving interviews and staging bus tours, she works as executive director of Network, a Washington-based group that describes itself as a "Catholic social justice lobby."
In 2010, the organization played an important role in promoting President Obama's health care act at a time when the Roman Catholic Church opposed the legislation. The church alleged that the Affordable Care Act used federal funds to cover abortion (Democrats deny that claim).
Campbell organized a letter of support for the Affordable Care Act that was signed by dozens of leaders from women's religious orders, giving the White House and Democrats political cover in the face of attacks from conservative religious groups.
At a celebration after the signing ceremony for the law, Obama thanked Campbell for her help: "He gave me a big kiss and said I was a tipping point."
Campbell, who joined a religious order after her freshman year at college, says her support for Obamacare grew out of a lifelong concern for the poor.
"I remember as a kid, driving back from visiting relatives in Colorado and going through Indian reservations," she said. "I would cry because it was so hard to see such poor people. Something touched me."
She got her J.D. with an eye toward advocating for pro-poor public policy but wound up hanging a shingle in Oakland, California, helping the working poor on family law cases.
"For me, it was about being the gospel and living like Jesus did," she said. "Following folks who were suffering and at the margins, struggling hard to make ends meet. I was like a parish for the unchurched."
Campbell later traveled the world as the general director of her religious order, the Sisters of Social Service, founded in the 1920s by Hungary's first female member of parliament.
At Network, Campbell's proudest accomplishment is helping pass Obamacare. But she also boasts of becoming an early thorn in the side of Paul Ryan, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's running mate, by organizing the "nuns on the bus tour" in May.
The nine-state trip from Iowa to Washington was aimed at attacking the federal budget Ryan drew up as the chairman of the House Budget Committee.
The Ryan plan, in Campbell's view, "set up this total undermining of government services as a way for there to be additional tax cuts for the wealthy."
America's Catholic bishops also criticized Ryan's budget. But weeks before the nuns on the bus tour, the Vatican issued a bruising assessment of many American nuns, saying they offered a platform for "radical feminism" and played down church teachings on abortion and gay marriage.
To some church watchers, the nuns on the bus tour represented a thumb in the eye of the assessment from Rome.
But Campbell, who is not formally a part of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, the group singled out by the Vatican assessment, has not been shy about saying that the church hierarchy is out of touch with the church's religious life.
"The shock made me numb at first, and then I was profoundly sad that my life as a woman religious and my commitment to serving the poor would be so denigrated by the leadership of our church,"
Campbell said this year, responding to Vatican criticism of American nuns.
Campbell didn't mention the nuns' tiff with Rome in her Wednesday night speech, but her mere presence raised the profile of women religious leaders at a time when the Democrats say women are under attack.
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About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.


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The guilt (and equipment) stacks up like tetris: this is only one of my equipment cabinets; if I don't put everything in just so, then it won't fit. And lighting gear, accessories, tripods, bags etc. are stored elsewhere.
Any photographer who tells you that they are a hundred percent, completely indifferent to equipment is lying. It is almost (I say almost to cover myself in the unlikely event there really is somebody out there) impossible to be immune to the lull of new cameras, lenses or accessories; we've all felt the pull at one time or another, no matter how weak or irrational. Actually, it's the irrational that I'm going to talk about today – purchases that are necessary from a professional standpoint (e.g. you have to buy lights if you're going to be a studio product photographer) don't really require justification; at least insofar as there are degrees.
These degrees keep getting wider and wider, I suppose. Before you know it, you need to buy another drybox just to keep all of your extra gear; and then suddenly, from having a couple of bodies and a handful of lenses (say, immediately before I decided being professional was adequate justification) to what has now become three core systems, seven system bodies, twenty-seven interchangeable lenses, six fixed-lens cameras and countless accessories. And that doesn't include any of the stuff I have on loan to review, which is usually a couple of bodies and lenses. I know. I keep preaching the virtues of being equipment-agnostic, but the reality is really somewhat hypocritical.
Or is it? Yes and no, I think. Being able to create the images you see independently of the gear you use frees you up to use…whatever you want. I know that I am not the limitation; you compose for a 75-degree angle of view with the same fundamental principles of light, perspective etc. regardless of the format or the box holding the medium; sure, some media may render differently from others, but one could argue that as a creative choice, too. When you have choice, freedom and business-related tax-deductibility rolled into one, why would anybody consciously choose to use something substandard? I am a strong advocate of using what you enjoy above what delivers technically the 'best' results, though. This is simply because something that gives you pleasure is far likely to be used more often, which in itself should result in more practice, experimentation and the improvements associated with it. (I go into a lot more detail on why the tactile pleasure and ergonomics of using a camera matters in this article.)
At this current point of technological sufficiency, one's photographic choices are wider than ever. The notion that pros must use certain types of equipment is utter nonsense; it doesn't affect the composition of the final image at all, and for the vast majority of applications, makes very little difference to the output quality. The myth is perpetuated as much by pros themselves as clients to keep barriers to entry as high as possible; even then, things are falling. Reality is today's high-end compacts – the RX100/RX100M2 for example – deliver much better image quality than the top end DSLRs of just a few years ago. It's forced manufacturers to start filling ever-shrinking niches – just look at the recent Df – to keep themselves in business.
But that doesn't stop us from buying them. Do I, or most of my clients, need the resolution of the D800E? No; let alone the CFV-39. Do I use it because of aesthetic value in some cases – or with the Hasselblads, all cases – yes. Could I get 95% or more of the way there – even by my standards – using just one system and a little bit more postprocessing (tonal work, dodging and burning, stitching) – absolutely. 'Need' doesn't really enter into this anywhere; it's pure want want want. I don't use any of my film cameras enough to justify having them; the F2 Titan makes me feel positively guilty sometimes because I just don't have the time to use it. And if I did, I'd probably not really be doing it justice. But I tell you what, it certainly pushes all of the right acquisitory buttons, and I admit, there's some odd elitist snob factor to opening your drybox and seeing it parked there (especially with a Noct-Nikkor on the front).
And here comes the hate: it just seems wasteful. I don't know if there's anything inherently wrong in that, since I suppose my drybox is just as good as the next guy's, and if push comes to shove, I can still make decent images with it. But I suppose there is a substantial part of me that feels quite guilty for having handed over a significant chunk of cash to own this stuff; moreso because I've got so much of it that I don't feel like I'm getting value out of it. And it's not like I couldn't use the money for something else, either. Usually when this feeling takes hold, you'll see me put up a post about a garage sale – which assuages things until the next time. Most of the time though, I somehow manage to put all of this out of my mind and continue acquiring on the flimsiest of pretences.
I suppose there's a distinction to be made between photographers and camera collectors; the former use their gear, the latter just like to have the objects. (And let's not even get started on the fanboys; that's a separate discussion I don't want to go into. Unfortunately, photography is such a technical discipline that it's very difficult to separate gear from art; they're interdependent.) I'm fortunate enough to know several people with extraordinary collections; there are cameras which are so legendary you'd be lucky to see just one in your lifetime; they have two. Mint, in box, of course. I can't blame them; there's both tactile and aesthetic pleasure in appreciating rare, well-designed and well-made objects. (I can't blame them, I'd certainly own a couple of F2 Titans – and the uber-rare unpainted version – if I could afford it.) Perhaps it's all the more enhanced for us as photographers since I believe we have above-average appreciation of aesthetics anyway. Perhaps what I'm really having trouble reconciling internally is that over the last year, despite ostensibly focusing increasingly more on the productive side of photography, I've actually bought a hell of a lot of unnecessary equipment. I'm sure there are creative development benefits that have resulted – my foray into medium format film with the Hasselblads, for example – but one could also argue that I could have reached that point if I'd just forced myself to shoot square with a 50mm on the D800E. Compositionally, the result should be much the same, and I should be able to get pretty close (but admittedly, still not matching) the tonal result in postprocessing, too.
I'll come to the point of the article now: is there really any more justification today than want? I keep thinking of fanatically religious reactions – both ways – that I get after posting thoughts on new cameras like the A7 and Df; none of them come from photographers. And that's the disconnect that's happening in the industry now: camera makers want to sell cameras, they don't give two tiny mouse droppings about who buys them. Photographers want to make images. It seems that often these two things are at odds with each other.
Perhaps all of this is a consequence of the nature of today's society: instant gratification and constant stimulation is required to keep us from getting bored. There's no point in buying an old model simply because there's a new one; I don't want to wait til tomorrow, I'll drive to the other side of town to buy it so I can have it today. And why hasn't Ming posted his review yet, the embargo has been lifted for two hours already! Of late though, I find myself enjoying two somewhat strange aspects of the collecting process (note how I admitted to 'collecting') – the search, and knowing that I have the ability to buy or not buy, as I please. The latter is sometimes enough to overcome the desire to own in itself; for me there's no pleasure in ownership, just responsibility (proper storage, proper use, servicing, etc.) – the pleasure is in the experience and the creation. Using the equipment to make photographs. And I think that's justification enough for the rest of it- remember that before you pull out the credit card.. MT
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Pianists learn better by playing
Musicians' muscle memory gave them superior recognition of incorrect notes
Instead of hearing a melody, learning to play a ditty makes people more familiar with it, a new study shows. The results, published March 12 in Cerebral Cortex, provide evidence for the brain's enhanced ability to learn by doing.
Researchers from McGill University in Montreal and INSERM, the National Institute of Health and Medical Research in France, asked 20 skilled pianists to each learn 12 simple melodies by listening to them or by playing them. In later tests, the pianists were better at spotting a single errant note in a recording of a piece the musicians had played than at spotting a wrong note in a piece they had only heard. Electrodes monitoring the pianists' brain activity revealed that hearing a wrong note in a previously played song activated parts of the brain that handle movement, as when the fingers strike the keys.
Physically doing a task sears its memory into the brain in a special way, the authors suggest.


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Imagining the Early Roots of One's Radical Imagination
Host Jim Vrettos interviews Jamie Bernstein, Writer, Narrator, Broadcaster and Filmmaker. Among other topics the conversation pays a homage to Jamie's father, the "West Side Story" composer Leonard Bernstein.
Imagining the Universality of the Jewish Holidays
Host Jim Vrettos interviews Rabbis Perry Berkowitz and Leah Berkowitz; Founders of the East Side Synagogue in New York City
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