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In a Europe where the outcome of most elections is predicted weeks before votes are cast, the triumph of left-wing Syriza in May's Greek elections was one of the few shocks of recent years.
The party often described as near-Communist in its rhetoric is neck-and-neck with right-wing New Democracy in the polls ahead of Sunday. Talking to people in Athens, it's not difficult to see why foreign analysts and officials are afraid that Syriza will win most of the votes this weekend.
"What are the old parties doing? They've had their chance and look where we are," Angelis, a waiter in a café opposite Greece's parliament building, told CNBC. He's planning to vote for Syriza on Sunday.
Syriza's very newness is one of its advantages. The Greek people are increasingly fed up with corruption, which is one of many drags on their economy, and the older parties have all had their corruption scandals over the years.
They also have the advantage of never having backed the bailout — or the "memorandum" as it is known in Greece — which is the focus of much discontent in the country.
Measures which have been enacted by the technocratic government to try and meet the terms of the bailout often appear to have created more problems than they have solved. For example, electricity bills were raised by a controversial new property tax, but consumers were allowed to put off paying those bills.
Now, an estimated 500,000 households haven't paid their electricity bills for more than three months and the state-run energy company needs to pay $657.2 million which it doesn't have to its banks by June 22.
No to the Bailout Conditions
Thousands gathered at a rally where Alexis Tsipras, Syriza's charismatic leader, addressed the country on Thursday night. Starting typically late, Tsipras vowed: "Things are going to change on Sunday. Not just in Greece, but also in Europe."
"No to the memorandum of bankruptcy! Yes to the euro and to a national plan for economic recovery that will protect the people from bankruptcy!" he said.
His promises to keep Greece in the euro while tearing up the memorandum have gained credence among Greek people who believe that Spain's banking bailout, without austerity conditions, has let the Spanish off more easily than them.
Public sector workers — who account for around a third of the Greek workforce — are particularly attracted to Syriza after recent cuts to the hefty Greek public sector.
"Of course we will have to have a new memorandum whoever comes to power because the Greeks will not be able to pay back (the bailout) with this one," charity worker George told CNBC.
This belief that Greece cannot continue under the current bailout conditions permeates Greek society on all levels. Yet it could come up against the brick wall of the troika — formed of the International Monetary Fund , the European Union, and the European Central Bankand which many say is led by Germany — maintaining its stance.
This week, German policymakers have taken every opportunity to warn that the bailout terms are here to stay. Central banks around the world have promised to act if the elections cause a market upset. Such intervention could make it less crucial to keep Greece in the euro zone, and therefore make the troika less likely to grant concessions to the new government.
Whether Syriza is able to form a government after Sunday's results or not, they are going to continue as a political force for the future.
"If they don't get in on Sunday, they'll be in in a few months when the next election is called," journalist Manolis told CNBC.
Watch CNBC's "A Greek Tragedy" anchored by Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, on Sunday, June 17th at 8 p.m. ET.
—By CNBC's Catherine Boyle. Twitter: @catboyle01

subset: commoncrawl


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Margin Collapse
*update* at the time when I wrote this article I couldn't find any reliable resource explaining the css margin collapse feature. Fortunately, the world has changed. Learn about margin collapse on the MDN.
Lately I've given this site a much needed redesign. The blog posts will probably remain as infrequent as ever. But for now, I though I'd share an issue that had me scratching my head for a few hours.
The markup for my site looks something like this (I haven't jumped on the HTML5 bandwagon yet):

I wanted to jam the navigation div right up next to the content div, so I set the top margin of the content div to 0, and the bottom margin of the navigation div to 0. Unfortunately, this doesn't quite work. There is still a mysterious gap between the two divs.
So how can it be? It turns out the h1 tag is the problem. h tags (and also p tags), come with a top margin by default, to separate them from the previous section. Thanks to a somewhat obscure CSS feature called margin collapse, the margin from the h1 tag gets combined with the margin of the content div, which causes the gap.
One solution would be to remove the margin from the h1 tag. That doesn't feel right to me, so instead I used a small hack to "disable" margin collapse on the content div. By adding a single pixel of padding to the div, margin collapse can be prevented.
In conclusion, margin collapse can cause mysterious gaps between divs, and the solution is to add some padding. Judging from the number of unhelpful and misleading forum posts I came up with on Google, I'd say this is a common newbie problem.


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Bill Cosby was convicted Thursday of drugging and molesting a woman in the first big celebrity trial of the #MeToo era, completing the spectacular late-life downfall of a comedian who broke racial barriers in Hollywood on his way to TV superstardom as America's Dad.
Cosby, 80, could end up spending his final years in prison after a jury concluded he sexually violated Toronto native and Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia mansion in 2004. He claimed the encounter was consensual.
READ MORE: Cosby jury to decide: Serial rapist or con artist's mark
Cosby stared straight ahead as the verdict was read but moments later lashed out loudly at District Attorney Kevin Steele after the prosecutor demanded the former TV star be sent immediately to jail. Steele told the judge Cosby has a plane and might flee.
"He doesn't have a plane, you a—hole!" Cosby shouted at Steele. "I'm sick of him!"
The judge decided Cosby can remain free on $1 million bail while he awaits sentencing but restricted him to Montgomery County, where his home is. No sentencing date was set.
Cosby waved to the crowd outside the courthouse, got into an SUV and left without saying anything. His lawyer Tom Mesereau declared, "The fight is not over," and said he will appeal.
Shrieks erupted in the courtroom when the verdict was announced, and some of his accusers whimpered and cried. Constand remained stoic, then hugged her lawyer and members of the prosecution team. She left court without comment.
"Justice has been done!" celebrity attorney Gloria Allred, who represented some of Cosby's accusers, said on the courthouse steps. "We are so happy that finally we can say women are believed."
The verdict came after a two-week retrial in which prosecutors had more courtroom weapons at their disposal than they did the first time: They put five other women on the stand who testified that Cosby, married for 54 years, drugged and violated them, too.
Cosby could get up to 10 years in prison on each of the three counts of aggravated indecent assault. He is likely to get less than that under state sentencing guidelines, but given his age, even a modest term could mean he will die behind bars.
Constand, 45, a former Temple women's basketball administrator, told jurors that Cosby knocked her out with three blue pills he called "your friends" and then penetrated her with his fingers as she lay immobilized, unable to resist or say no.
It was the only criminal case to arise from a barrage of allegations from more than 60 women who said the former TV star drugged and molested them over a span of five decades. The onslaught all but destroyed his career and his good-guy image as wisdom-dispensing, sweater-wearing Dr. Cliff Huxtable on "The Cosby Show."
The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission. Constand has done so.
The Associated Press


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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What's a Credit Union?
A credit union is a cooperative, not-for-profit financial institution organized to promote thrift and provide credit to members. It is member-owned and controlled through a board of directors elected by the membership. The board serves on a volunteer basis and hire's a management team to run the credit union. The board also establishes and revises policy, sets dividend and loan rates, and directs certain operations. The result: members are provided with a safe, convenient place to save and borrow at reasonable rates at an institution which exists to benefit them, not to make a profit.
Who owns a credit union?
Most financial institutions are owned by stockholders, who own a part of the institution and intend on making money from their investment. A credit union doesn't operate in that manner. Rather, each credit union member owns one "share" of the organization. The user of credit union services is also an owner, and is even entitled to vote on important issues, such as the election of member representatives to serve on the board of directors.
How did credit unions start?
The first credit union cooperatives started in Germany over a century ago. Today, credit unions are found everywhere in the world. The credit union movement started in this country in Manchester, New Hampshire. There, the St. Mary's Cooperative Credit Association, a church-affiliated credit union, opened its doors in 1909. Today, one in every three Americans is a credit union member.
What is the purpose of a credit union?
The primary purpose in furthering their goal of service is to encourage members to save money. Another purpose is to offer loans to members. In fact, credit unions have traditionally made loans to people of ordinary means. Credit unions can charge lower rates for loans (as well as pay higher dividends on savings) because they are nonprofit cooperatives. Rather than paying profits to stockholders, credit unions return earnings to members in the form of dividends or improved services.
Are savings deposits insured?
Yes. All savings accounts are insured up to $250,000 by the NCUA, the National Credit Union Administration, an agency of the federal government.
Who can join a credit union?
A credit union exists to serve a specific group of people, such as a group of employees or the members of a professional or religious group. This is called a "field of membership." The field of membership may include where they live, where they work, or their membership in a social or economic group.
What is your field of membership/who can join SSCFCU?
Membership in South Side Community FCU is open to individuals or businesses on Chicago's south side, from 22nd Street on the North to the city limits on the South and from the Lake on the East to Western Avenue on the West. You can live, work, worship, attend school or belong to an organization that is within this boundary area.
What is the minimum opening deposit to join?
Minimum opening balance to open a savings account is $50.00 and dividends are paid quarterly on account balances of $100.00. There is a one-time membership fee of $10.00 upon opening your savings account.
When can I apply for a loan?
Once you become a member you are eligible to apply for a loan. To apply for a short term Payroll Advance Loan Plus (PAL PLUS) and the regular Payroll Advance Loan (PAL), you will have to be a member for 30 days and to apply for a Signature Loan after you have been a member for 3 days. Once you apply for the loan, all loans are reviewed by the Credit Committee for approval. Is there a monthly service fee on savings accounts? There's no service fee if you have total balances in all your SSCFCU accounts of $50.00 or more and you get three free withdrawals per calendar month.
Are checking accounts available at SSCFCU?
Checking Accounts is for you. Unlimited check writing, no minimum balance required, no monthly service charge and a low opening balance of $50.00 and $100.00 in your savings account and no record on ChexSystems.
What online services are offered to members?
Here are a few of the things you can do with Home Banking: •Perform account inquiries •Download account statements •View checks that have cleared •Set up automatic transfers •Name your own accounts •Obtain info on dividends and interest •Order checks •Stop payment on a check(s) •Make account transfers and loan payments
Are Visa® Check Cards (debit cards) offered to members?
Yes, every checking account comes with free Visa Check Card. Debit cards are only available with checking accounts not savings accounts.
Do I need to be a member before I can apply for a loan?
Yes, you will need to be a member to apply for a loan.
Does SSCFCU offer home loans?
No, we do not offer either traditional home loans as well as home equity loans. Visit our website for more information on CU Members Mortgage. How do I add a beneficiary to my account? On, page 2 of the membership application there is an area for you to list the beneficiary for your account.
Hours of Operations:
Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Thursday CLOSED
Friday 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM


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Walpole killer's conviction upheld
The state's highest court has upheld the conviction of a Norwood pizza delivery man who murdered a 75-year-old Walpole woman while she was taking a mid-morning walk in 1998.
"The jury's guilty verdict against Martin Guy stands, and the (Supreme Judicial Court) has also rejected his bid for a new trial," Norfolk County District Attorney William Keating said. "I am pleased for the family of Irene Kennedy that this chapter is settled in the best possible way."
Guy, 47, was sentenced to life in prison in September 2006 after a Norfolk County jury convicted him of first-degree murder. In 1998, he stabbed Kennedy 32 times and strangled her after she briefly separated from her husband while they were walking through Bird Park in Walpole.
Shortly after Kennedy's death, Edmund Burke of Walpole was arrested and spent 41 days in jail before DNA evidence showed he was not the killer. The charge against Burke was dropped, and a federal jury awarded him $400,000 for wrongful arrest.
"Another man was sitting in jail awaiting trial for this murder on the day I assumed office," Keating said. "It was more than four years after I ordered the charges against an innocent man dropped, within days of taking office, before the CODIS DNA database linked the evidence in this murder to Martin Guy."
Guy's DNA was entered into the database after he was convicted of stabbing his neighbor, Christopher Payne, to death in in September 1999.
Keating praised the court's ruling which was issued Friday as thoughtful and joined the court in praising the work of Assistant District Attorney Robert Nelson, Keating's head of homicide prosecution.
The Patriot Ledger


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For more information on our recent data notice, please click here
By knocking out a key regulatory protein, scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland dramatically boosted insulin sensitivity in lab mice, an achievement that opens a new door for drug development and the treatment of diabetes.
The research, published in the November 11 issue of the journal Cell, reveals a new and previously unsuspected role for nuclear receptor corepressor (NCoR), a transcriptional coregulatory protein found in a wide variety of cells.
Human adipose tissue (fat).
Olefsky and colleagues focused their attention on NCoR, which was known to be a major co-repressor of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor gamma or PPAR-gamma, a ubiquitous protein that regulates fatty acid storage and glucose metabolism, but which also appeared to act on other receptors as well.
"It seemed to be a general purpose co-repressor," said Olefsky. "It's unusual for one protein to do so many things. It's not very efficient and you don't see it too much in biology."
The scientists created a knock-out mouse model whose adipocytes or fat cells lacked NCoR. Though bred to be obese and prone to diabetes, Olefsky said the glucose tolerance improved in the NCoR knock-out mice. Moreover, they displayed enhanced insulin sensitivity in liver, muscle and fat, and decreased systemic inflammation. Resistance to insulin, a hormone central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism, is a hallmark of diabetes, as is chronic inflammation.
"When NCoR was deleted, insulin sensitivity in the whole animal increased dramatically compared to normal obese mice, which remained insulin resistant. The sensitivity occurred not just in adipocytes, but in all cells," said Olefsky. "With NCoR knocked out of adipocytes, PPAR-gamma becomes active. This produces a robust increase in systemic insulin sensitivity."
Phosphorylation is a biochemical process in which a phosphate group is added to a protein or other organic molecule, activating or deactivating many protein enzymes. It turns out that NCoR facilitates phosphorylation of PPAR-gamma, so that without NCoR, the receptor remains unphosphorylated and active.
In related work also published in the same issue of Cell, EPFL scientists found that knocking out NCoR in muscle cells produced a surprising effect. It did not repress PPAR-gamma, but rather generated a different phenotype or set of results.
"In adipocytes, NCoR repressed PPAR-gamma, but in other cells, it appears to repress other transcription factors," Olefsky said. "That's a new principle: A repressor that's found in many cells, but performs a specific, different function depending on the cell type."
Though NCoR's role as a major co-repressor was known, it was considered a poor drug target because inhibiting it could cause unwanted de-repression in some cell types, producing adverse side effects. Olefsky said the newly discovered specificity of NCoR revitalizes the idea that NCoR may be an excellent drug target for type 2 diabetes and other insulin resistant diseases.
"If researchers can make a drug that's tissue-specific, repressing NCoR could be a powerful way to boost insulin sensitivity. It's doable. Already, we can create drugs that specifically target fat and liver cells. That might be good enough to produce a system-wide benefit."
Co-authors of the study are Pingping Li, WuQiang Fan, Jianfeng Xu, Min Lu, Dorothy D. Sears, Saswata Talukdar, DaYoung Oh, Ai Chen, Gautam Bandyopadhyay, Jachelle M. Ofrecio and Sarah Nalbandian of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego; Hiroyasu Yamamoto and Johan Auwerx of the Laboratory of Integrative and Systems Physiology, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne and Miriam Scadeng, Department of Radiology, UC San Diego.
Funding for this study came, in part, from the National Institutes of Health, the EU Ideas Program, the Swiss National Science Foundation and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development as part of the specialized Cooperative Centers Program in Reproduction and Infertility Research.
# # #
Media Contact: Scott LaFee, 619-543-6163, firstname.lastname@example.com
Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism


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At the Diamond Horseshoe, the 40s nightclub beneath New York's Paramount Hotel, an ethereal lady towers over the room. Guests, who spiraled down to her on a derelict staircase, took in her glimmering cloak and lunar headdress, set against walls covered in butterfly and beetle wings. The atmosphere is a mixture of decadence and glamorous decay.
"The paint's peeling, the walls are chipped, the floor has scuff marks all over it," says Randy Weiner, one of the men resurrecting the legendary space, as the playwright and producer of its first show, Queen of the Night. "That's a feeling we really wanted to retain. It's the feeling I had when I walked into this space, going down this empty place that feels almost haunted because of all the history." Since the original Diamond Horseshoe closed in 1951, the space has been crumbling seductively in the guise of other nightclubs and Off-Broadway theaters, or used as the site of Andy Warhol's memorial luncheon in 1987 and Vanity Fair's fifth-anniversary celebration in 1988. On New Year's Eve 2013, the Diamond Horseshoe found its newest incarnation, as the latest performance venue for Weiner and Simon Hammerstein, the creators of the theater the Box.
That makes 75 years nearly to the week since "Me and My Shadow" songwriter and producer (and one-time husband of Fanny Brice) Billy Rose opened the Diamond Horseshoe for the first time on Christmas, in 1938. Rose had already masterminded Jumbo, an elaborate circus-themed musical, and nightspots like the Billy Rose Music Hall, whose hallmarks were a hearty dose of nostalgia, spiced with Rose's own outlandish bravura. At the Diamond Horseshoe, he conjured a Gay Nineties-themed saloon: the walls of the main room were painted deep red and white with period fixtures, while the staircase was plastered with posters of bygone vaudeville stars.
Its inaugural show, The Turn of the Century, followed the Gilded Age love story of financier Diamond Jim Brady and actress Lillian Russell, mixed with burlesque acts like the Tiny Rosebuds. (The latter were diminutive ballerinas with waistband-sized garters that were replaced, eventually, by the Long-Stemmed Roses, chorus girls who had to be taller than six foot two.) In 1945, Betty Grable captured the club's fame in the technicolor movie musical Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe. The film proved to be portentious; six years later, the Diamond Horseshoe (one of the last New York nightclubs to feature lavish, in-house revues) shuttered, as tastes shifted toward more intimate cabarets and supper clubs.
Six decades later, the club is back, with another glimmering lady taking the stage. Now clad in a Thom Browne cloak and headdress, she is Martha Graham principal dancer Katherine Crockett. She's performing the title role in Queen of the Night, a contemporary revue based on Mozart's The Magic Flute. Enticing variety prevails: magicians, dancers, actors, butlers, and circus artists from the company Les 7 doigts de la main perform on every side, leading people from their tables into secret corners and submerging them in the opera's journey.
The premise may be Mozart, but the presentation is pure Billy Rose. "I love the neon lights," Weiner said. "I just get excited when those neon lights that frame the stage go on, it just feels so alive and kind of modern and kind of classic and beautiful, but slightly in bad taste." Beneath the neon, the space is configured just as it was in Rose's day. An extensive renovation left the staircase paint peeling, a memory not just of its creator, but of a distant, palpably present past being channeled.
No contemporary word captures the kind of entertainment Weiner and Hammerstein are aiming for, where people eat and drink at their tables, or they don't, watch the performers or talk to neighbors, stay seated or go exploring. The term "dinner theater" comes about as close as a candle does to neon. But Billy Rose—or anyone who went to the Diamond Horseshoe in those original 13 years—would have no trouble identifying it. With luck, we will be able to do the same, as Rose's club and legacy gain relevance to another generation of impresarios: "He wrote hit songs, he was a real-estate magnate, he was a little man who had six-foot-two show girls," Weiner says. "He was just living life and not being boxed in. I think, in that spirit, we are not boxed in by any convention . . . We're trying to really explode what life can be."


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At least for now, bestselling author Walter Isaacson has eluded an "informal discovery conference" for materials from his biography of Steve Jobs, requested by Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, attorney for the class action plaintiffs in the Electronic Books Antitrust Litigation case filed late last year. In a hand-scrawled note on a letter of opposition from Isaacson's attorney, Elizabeth A. McNamara, Judge Denise Cote wrote, "the plaintiff may renew its application when it can show that it meets the test for disclosure of nonconfidential material."
Hagens Berman served a subpoena on Isaacson on May 23 for documents and communications with Jobs regarding Apple's entry into the e-book market, most-favored-nation clauses, sales of e-books, and pricing strategies. In a letter to the judge regarding the request, attorney Steve Berman stated, that Jobs' statements are highly relevant to central issues in this case since their "operative complaint alleges Apple, under Jobs' direction, played a key role in successfully coordinating the conspiracy, and Apple knew its coordinated efforts with the Publisher Defendants would, as Jobs put it (according to Isaacson's published material), force consumers to 'pay[] a little more' for eBooks."
Isaacson, according to McNamara's letter, is prepared to authenticate Jobs's published quotes concerning e-books that appear in the biography. However, she wrote, "he strenuously objects to producing any unpublished newsgathering materials," and noted that requesting information from journalists should be a last resort. McNamara also maintains, "Plaintiffs' theory that Mr. Isaacson is the only one who might possess such information is flawed. Evidence regarding Mr. Jobs 'knowledge, strategy or role' regarding e-books can only be relevant to the case if such knowledge or strategy was actually communicated to Apple employees or the alleged co-conspirators and thus would be readily available from that universe of people."


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Partners With Pure Hearts: Zacharias and Elizabeth
- Jim and Elizabeth George Authors
- 2013 18 Mar
To read the whole story of Elizabeth and Zacharias, read Luke 1:5-80.
Adapted from: a couple after god's own heart. Copyright© 2012 by Jim and Elizabeth George. Published by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon. www.harvesthousepublisers.com Used by Permission.
In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years... (Luke 1:5-8)
Lessons for Wives from Elizabeth
1. Your dreams don't always come true. Elizabeth was a blessed woman. To begin her list of blessings, she was a daughter of a priest of Israel. She could trace her lineage back to Aaron, the first high priest of Israel. In fact, she bore the name of Aaron's own wife, Elisheba or Elizabeth, which means "God is my oath." And she had married a respected priest. Everyone had predicted a long life with many children for this special couple. But sadly, real life hadn't turned out as predicted. And instead of seeing her as blessed, the religious community saw Elizabeth's barrenness as a curse from God.
How is life turning out for you? Maybe your dreams are all coming true, or maybe you feel like you're still waiting for life to get started. Maybe you feel like there's too much pain and disillusionment to handle. Life has a way of putting detours, roadblocks, and immovable barriers in your path. This was Elizabeth's story—a life of dashed dreams. But rather than have a pity party, Elizabeth chose to gain spiritual strength from her condition. She refused to allow her sorrow to drag her down. Instead, she reached out to grab hold of God's strength.
How do you cope with discouragement, disappointment, adversity, and dashed dreams? Take a lesson from Elizabeth, whose name means "God is my oath." No matter what your situation, look to God for strength each day. A woman after God's own heart does not look at the day's problems; she looks at the power of her God to assist her with those problems! Like Elizabeth, cling to God, whatever your circumstance.
2. You can rise above bad circumstances. Proverbs 31:12 tells us that a virtuous wife "does [her husband] good and not evil all the days of her life." As a woman who was called "blameless" by God, Elizabeth was that virtuous wife. The stigma of barrenness had to have weighed heavily on her. This burden could have affected her personality and attitude. It would have been easy for her to sink into depression, despair, and discouragement. But Elizabeth didn't. She sought to live a pure life according to the Law, to be a "blameless" wife, to soar in the joy of the Lord in spite of her situation.
Elizabeth's life response to adversity was a "God thing." Only God could produce contentment and peace in her life circumstances. When your strength is waning, when you sense sadness or despair creeping into your soul, look to God's Word. It will give you abundant strength to face discouragement and adversities day by day. God's Word will light up your dark path of despair and disappointment. There's no need to get lost in a dark hole of hopelessness. Follow the light to productivity and peace of mind—to hope.
3. It's always possible to grow spiritually. Elizabeth endured years of scorn from her community. How could she have weathered the ridicule? Luke 1:6 answers that for us: She walked "in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord," which meant she was blameless. She didn't succumb to jealousy, or lash out, retaliate, try to defend herself or set the people straight, or spend hours each day thinking of ways to get even with her tormentors. She didn't blame Zacharias, and she didn't blame God, walk away from Him, or give up.
No, Elizabeth chose to spend the hours of her day drawing near to God, refusing to worry about what she didn't have, and focusing on what she did have. She didn't care what the people were thinking about her, but she sure cared what God thought about her! Her heart was devoted to living for God and according to His Word.
Elizabeth was an amazing woman and a wife after God's own heart. She matched her husband, the priest, with her own spiritual maturity…which is a good word for all Christian wives! Even in marriage and maybe as a result of marriage, you need to be purposefully growing spiritually.
You cannot control your husband's growth, but you can control yours. What will that growth produce in you? You will become a wife who walks by the Spirit. A wife filled with God's love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—His fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). You do your part to be blameless, and pray that your husband will want to follow Zacharias's example in his walk with God.
4. First things first. Do you realize that the time you spend reading and studying God's Word and kneeling in devoted prayer are holy times of preparation, not only for yourself, but for ministry to others? And that ministry starts right in your own home. The effectiveness of your ministry to your husband and children and to others will be in direct proportion to the time you spend away from people and with God in a daily quiet time of preparation. Others who need help or encouragement will be drawn to your godly influence.
What kind of others? Maybe others like…Mary! While the angel Gabriel was telling Mary that she would bring the Savior into the world, he informed her that her relative, Elizabeth, was also going to have a baby. With no one around who could help her understand what was happening, Luke 1:39. As a godly "older woman," Elizabeth would definitely have wisdom to offer Mary, a teenager. Sparks flew as these two blessed, committed-to-the-Lord women sat down together and blessed one another, magnified the Lord, and affirmed their roles in God's plan.
Lessons for Husbands from Zacharias
1. It's all about your heart. As a Christian man and husband, you want godliness to be the foremost quality in your life, right? So Zacharias, a man of God, provides clues about how you can be a man and husband after God's own heart. Here's how Zacharias's heart and inner life are described: He was righteous before God, and he was "blameless" (Luke 1:6).
Many husbands appear righteous in the public eye, and especially at church. They play the "church game" extremely well. They profess faith in Christ and display all the outward activities of godliness. But they fail in the sight of God. They are not blameless in their daily life—nor are they even trying to be. Zacharias, however, walked with God on a daily basis—for decades, even well into his senior years…until the day he walked right into heaven!
You might be wondering, How was he able to do this? And if he could do it, why can't I? What does it take? Am I up for it?
Zacharias shows you what's needed. He was devoted to obeying God's Word. The Bible says Zacharias spent his life walking "in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless" (Luke 1:6). This man didn't just carry out some of the laws of God. It says all. Today we would say Zacharias would qualify as a New Testament elder or leader, one who must be "above reproach" (1 Timothy 3:2 NASB).
So what does it take to be a man after God's own heart? It takes a working knowledge of God's Word. It takes studying that Word. And it takes a deep desire to obey that Word. God does not set impossible standards for His people. His Word says a man can be blameless, and Zacharias modeled the standard for you.
2. Marriage is for better or worse. We've already noted that Zacharias and Elizabeth experienced the social stigma of having no children, an issue for many of the couples we've looked at in this book. These couples teach us that there will always be some kind of trial that weighs a marriage down. There will always be some issue or nagging problem that can cause long-term difficulties. Just one ongoing problem can drain the life and vitality out of your marriage.
But Zacharias and Elizabeth break the mold for us. They carried the emotional burden of infertility for as long as they had been married. And yet amazingly the Bible declares that they were both righteous before God. This couple refused to allow any adverse circumstances to affect their relationship with God and their love for each other.
How about you? Are you a Zacharias, a husband who hangs in there loving his wife, no matter what? "For better or for worse"? You probably thought your wife was practically perfect when you married her, that she would be the ideal life partner for you. So wouldn't godly love continue to see her as perfect? No matter how long you and your wife have been married, or what happens along the way, you can love her. Righteousness demands your selfless love.
3. Commit to praying for your wife. You would expect a godly husband to pray faithfully for his wife, wouldn't you? Especially if he knew there was a deep burden she was carrying day after day. Zacharias did. When the angel Gabriel spoke to Zacharias, he said, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John" (Luke 1:13). It's obvious from the angel's words that Zacharias had prayed for Elizabeth to bear a child. He may have been praying for this very thing for years, and he may have been praying for it while he stood where the angel found him, right there before the altar while tending his priestly duties. Zacharias's prayers for his wife are a model for your mission as a husband.
Do you want to be a more caring and loving husband? Then your first assignment is to determine the Number One burden, challenge, or heartache your wife is dealing with, and then faithfully pray for her. Maybe you know what it is, and you just haven't been as faithful as you should be to present her difficult life-situation to God for His help. So now is definitely the time to start. And if you don't know what her problem is, ask her…and then commit to diligently praying for her regarding this matter. Imagine what it will mean to her to know that you are joining with her to carry her greatest struggle…together. And to top it off, to know that at least one person—the most important person in her life, you!—is faithfully presenting her problem to the loving, all-powerful God of the universe for His help.
4. Be faithful in all things, large and small. Do you ever feel like your job is boring, insignificant, and fruitless? If anyone might have thought their occupation was a little dull, it could have been Zacharias. It is estimated there were at least 1000 priests in each of the 24 divisions that serviced the temple. You do the math—that's 24,000 priests, and each one served only two weeks per year in the temple. Now for some more math: That means each priest waited around for 50 weeks just to do his job. It was a significant job, and a huge privilege, but with that many priests and all the downtime, some of them might have felt their job was a tad insignificant.
But again, Zacharias was not your typical guy. He realized he was serving God, regardless of what role he was given, regardless of waiting for his date-of-service to roll around. Yet God greatly honored Zacharias's faithfulness as he was one of the select few who were ever chosen to offer up incense in the Most Holy Place. You can clearly see a powerful model of faithfulness in this humble priest.
Faithfulness is required of you too. Here's why: You, as God's servant, are to be found faithful (1 Corinthians 4:2). You are to be faithful in word and deed (Colossians 3:17). And faithfulness is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Bottom line? Faithfulness is a godly quality. So be faithful on your job. But at the same time, don't neglect to be faithful to nurture your wife and family in the things of God. Be faithful to provide for your family—and be especially faithful to your vows to love, cherish, and honor your wife.
Building a Marriage that Lasts
I have to say that my wife, Elizabeth, truly understands and lives her roles and responsibilities as a wife. And I thank God that she desires to be a woman and wife after God's own heart. But still, I can't force her to read her Bible, pray, go to church, or be part of a Bible study. She must make those decisions herself. Sure, I can pray, hint, suggest, and encourage her, but in the end, Elizabeth must have the inner desire to grow.
And the same applies regarding me. Elizabeth can't make me grow as a Christian man, husband, or spiritual leader. I have to want to grow.
The same applies to you and your wife. Neither of you can make the other grow or want to grow in the things of the Lord. So what can a couple do?
First, talk ! Talk about it. Just as communication is the key to your marriage, it is a key to setting a plan for growth. Talk about what each of you is or isn't doing in the spiritual growth department. Then talk about what you wish would happen, what you think it would take to grow. Talk about what kinds of materials you could use and tools that would help (maybe a Bible with study notes, a Bible reading plan, a devotional on the names or attributes of God, or the life of Christ, that you can read together). You are a unique couple, so aim for a plan that works well for the two of you.
Your ultimate goal is that both of you—as husband and wife—commit to keep growing spiritually. And this is where the challenge starts. A commitment to grow, and to do it together, is a huge step. So do whatever it takes. Consider making a pact. Maybe you could even write out a pledge to each other.
And factor in a few fun things in your new joint effort! Set up a weekly date to talk about your week, what you learned, where you struggled, changes you've seen in yourself and in each other. One couple Elizabeth and I know have gone to a fast-food eatery for a baked potato every Wednesday night—for 30 years! It's a standing, forever date they both relish. Again, do whatever it takes to solidify and encourage your mutual desire to grow spiritually.
Your decision and commitment to focus on growing in Christ will be a major step that moves you forward in your quest to become a couple after God's own heart. Without this keen focus on growing in maturity, you'll have trouble sustaining your walk with God individually and especially as a couple. Everything beyond this starting point with God as the joint focus in your lives and your marriage will then be built on a strong relationship with God. Remember, the theme verse for this chapter stated that Zacharias and Elizabeth "were both righteous before God, [both] walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord [both] blameless" (Luke 1:6).
Jim and Elizabeth George are Christian authors and speakers whose books, combined, have sold more than 8 million copies. Jim is also the author of a husband after god's own heart (a Gold Medal Finalist), and Elizabeth's book a wife after god's own heart has been a longtime bestseller. Jim and Elizabeth have been married more than 40 years, have two married daughters, and are grandparents.
Publication date: March 18, 2013


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Illinois vs. Michigan State preview
CHAMPAIGN -- Michigan State senior forward Draymond Green can score.
Just ask Gonzaga. He put up 34 on the Zags in a Spartans win. But Green can also do the other things.
For example, Green had only eight points against Purdue, but he finished with 12 rebounds and seven assists in a victory over the Boilermakers.
"Not to give him too much credit, but it's been an MVP season for him,'' said Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. "Most valuable player means what would the team be like without him. I'm not sure we'd be even close to the same team.''
When Illinois hosts No. 9 Michigan State on Tuesday with the gloom of a three-game losing streak hanging over Assembly Hall, the player to watch is Green, the 6-foot-7, 230-pounder from Saginaw, Mich., who is a do-it-all senior.
The reigning Big Ten player of the week, Green posted 22 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in a 16-point win over Minnesota last week. Green has the big body that's tough to handle, mobility to create and enough skill to hurt you. He's also got a feel for the game that's hard to coach.
Sometimes, a guy just has it.
"They have one of the best players in the Big Ten, one of my favorite players in the country,'' Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. "I'm not sure exactly what he is. He's a point guard, a forward and a center. He's everything. He's a tough matchup.''
Green averages 15.3 points, leads the league with 10.4 rebounds and dishes out 3.7 assists per game; he also has a league-leading 11 double-doubles. He's listed in the top 10 in seven Big Ten categories. That's not even talking about Green's leadership.
"His will to win, his leadership, and he's a coach on the floor,'' Weber said. "You watch him direct everything. To me, his greatest attributes are his understanding of the game, heart and leadership.''
The Illini have a decision on who starts on Green, even though it would appear guard Brandon Paul is the likely candidate.
"He's going to get his points,'' Weber said. "You can't let him have a triple-double where get gets involved in scoring, rebounding and assists.''
Green has two triple-doubles in his Michigan State career.
Otherwise, the Illini face the challenge of bouncing back from a 77-72 overtime loss at Minnesota, when center Meyers Leonard's foul with 4 seconds left allowed the Gophers a three-point play to force overtime. The heartbreaker could be deflating or a rallying point.
"The guys did what they had to do to win the game,'' Weber said. "We just didn't win the game. We talked about our attitude being right, having the toughness. We had all those things against Minnesota. We didn't get repaid with a victory.
"Life isn't always fair. You have to believe in yourself and believe in what you do. In the long run, life will treat you fair.''
Two other keys, besides the defense on Green:
-- The Illini had more turnovers than assists in four of the last five games. Paul lost 19 turnovers in the previous four games.
-- Illinois ranks eighth in Big Ten play in 3-point shooting. The Illini were 3 of 21 at Minnesota. Since a sprained wrist suffered at Northwestern, guard D.J. Richardson is 8 of 26 from the 3-point line (and 6 of 18 inside the arc). Paul is 5 of 19 since making 8 of 10 3-pointers against Ohio State.
Point guard Sam Maniscalco is 0 of 9 from three in his previous four games.
"We've hit a rough patch,'' Paul said. "We have to keep fighting to get through it. It's going to show us what kind of team we are. Are we going to lay down or fight and get better.''
John Supinie can be reached at email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JohnSupinie.
Illinois (15-6, 4-4) vs. No. 9 Michigan State (17-4, 6-2)
6 p.m., Assembly Hall, Champaign (ESPN, Illini Sports Network)
ILLINOIS (15-6, 4-4) ppg rpg
F Joe Bertrand 6-5 So. 7.0 2.5
C Meyers Leonard 7-1 So. 13.4 8.0
G Brandon Paul 6-4 Jr. 14.6 5.0
G D.J. Richardson 6-3 Jr. 12.5 2.9
G Tracy Abrams 6-1 Fr. 2.7 2.4
MICHIGAN STATE (17-4, 6-2) ppg rpg
F Draymond Green 6-7 Sr. 15.3 10.4
C Adreian Payne 6-10 So. 6.9 4.1
G Branden Dawson 6-6 Fr. 8.6 4.2
G Brandon Wood 6-2 Sr. 9.2 2.7
G Keith Appling 6-2 So. 12.3 3.3
Noteworthy: Michigan State has won eight of the previous 11 games between the two teams, but Illinois took the last two home games against the Spartans. ... Illinois will wear its blue road uniforms in Operation Blue-Out. Fans are asked to buy blue T-shirts for sale at the Hall and GameDay sports. Proceeds go to Coaches vs. Cancer. ... Illinois' last six games have been decided by five points or less. The Illini are 3-3 in the span. ... About 1,200 tickets were still available Monday afternoon.
Key for Illini: Cut down on the turnovers and improve shot selection.
Key for Spartans: Force Illinois to figure out how to defend Green.
Key quote: "I've got to be hard on them today. Michigan State doesn't care we lost. Nobody cares. It's a loss. You've got to come back and play.'' -- Illinois coach Bruce Weber, on the team's mood heading toward the practice court Monday.
Prediction: Illinois 68, Michigan State 67


text: Hi - I am considering taking my broad experience in computer science and retraining to some degree the areas of bioinformatics/ computational biology. I have very little biology knowledge at all.. I am interested in finding a book that I can read to get an introduction to this field. Most books I have seen so far appear to be for biologists needing to gain computer science skills. EG how to setup Linux, program in Pearl etc which I *DONT* need. I would appreciate any recommendations for books that will introduce someone with a strong and broad computer science background to the bioinformatics area of study. I need knowledge on the prerequisite biology concepts and the types of problems in that bioinformatics/computational biology is addressing via computer science etc. Thanks for your recommendations..


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So how is patch 4.0.1 treating everyone? I had to do a complete reinstall so haven't had a lot of time to check out the actual patch itself.
I did wander into Thrall's throneroom in time to catch a conversation between Thrall, Garrosh, Vol'jin and Eitrigg in which Thrall informs them that he's going to Nagrand to investigate elemental issues and leaving Garrosh in charge. I was too dozy to take screenshots, but a poster on mmo-champion captured more of the event.
In any case, Blizzcon is next weekend (Oct 22-23), which is the traditional venue for Blizzard to make any large announcements about upcoming expansions and products. I think it's expected that they'll unveil the launch cinematic for Cataclysm and at least one more class for Diablo III (paladin perhaps).
But is there any other announcement that you would like to see?
I'm hoping for a lot more information about the online/ battle.net side of Diablo III. I'd like to see some kind of an auction house, and to see whether they are going to deliberately converge it more with MMO type playing styles. After all, hanging around in battle.net chat until you find a group for Scene X isn't all that different logistically from hanging out in Dalaran while you wait for LFG to zone you into an instance …


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Here's a nice one for Mac-using amateur musicians: Apogee's ONE is a multifunctional handheld device that features a built-in mic, preamp, and dedicated input/output. It works over USB and is designed for Garage Band, Final Cut and the like.
It's a single input, stereo output device, offering 24-bit audio between 44.1 and 48KHz sample rates in a package around the same size (though thicker) than an iPhone. Apogee's putting emphasis on the built-in mic (they even offer a stand so you can treat the whole thing like a handheld mic), though it's got one input for instruments or your own mic. That input is coupled with a preamp, customizable using the ONE's controls.
The ONE is designed to work with Apple's range of audio software, including iTunes, Garage Band, Logic, and Final Cut, though we don't imagine it would have trouble working with non-Apple software as well. It remains to be seen whether the built-in mic is everything Apogee claims; on such a small device, we're skeptical but remain hopeful. It'll be available sometime in "late July" at a pretty reasonable $250. [Apogee]


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Remember when six plus one equaled seven?
That equation now adds up to uncertainty as Southeastern Conference athletic directors begin to address future football schedules with two seven-team divisions after the acquisitions of Missouri and Texas A&M. League ADs are getting together Tuesday and Wednesday in Nashville, the site of the SEC women's basketball tournament, where they are expected to discuss eight- and nine-game conference models.
At stake is the potential blueprint for the next generation of SEC football, and the implemented schedules for the 2013 season and beyond will either protect or punt the longstanding rivalries of Auburn-Georgia and Alabama-Tennessee.
"There has never been a meeting I've attended that has dealt in huge potential swings like this," Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity said. "With the 2012 schedule, it was like, 'Fellows, here it is. This was the best we could do, and we've got to suck it up for a year.'
"This will have more thought, and there will be more moving pieces. There will be more concerns, and I am sure you will hear four ADs speaking passionately about rivalries that need to be maintained."
The SEC has employed an eight-game league schedule since 1992, when Arkansas and South Carolina increased the conference to 12 members. A 5-2-1 format in which an SEC team played its five divisional opponents, two permanent foes from the opposite division and one rotating foe from the other division was used during the 1992-2002 seasons, and a 5-1-2 format that has allowed for more rotation has been in place since.
After the expansion was announced this past season, the SEC in late December instituted a stand-alone schedule for 2012. Each team this fall will play its six division opponents, a permanent foe from the other division and a rotating foe from the other division, or a 6-1-1 format.
SEC associate commissioner Charles Bloom called the meetings this week "a step in the process," adding that league ADs will gather again in New Orleans before the men's basketball tournament and at least one more time before the spring meetings in Destin, Fla.
"I think everyone involved knows the magnitude of these discussions, and every school has an understanding of what's involved," Bloom said. "Each school will have their pressure points that they want to get in front of the group, and it will make for compelling discussion. We've got some time, but these schools do want to know who they will be playing as soon as possible."
Eight-Game Models
If SEC athletic directors seek to maintain an eight-game conference schedule, then something must give.
Adopting this season's 6-1-1 format in future years could result in rotating matchups occurring so infrequently that pairings such as Alabama-Georgia, Auburn-Florida and Arkansas-Tennessee would take place twice every 12 years. Opting for two rotating foes from the opposite division would enable schools to see one another more often but would end the permanent cross-division rivalries.
"You know six games are a given, so it's all in how we treat the other two," McGarity said. "Our top priority in the whole scheduling discussion is maintaining the rivalry with Auburn. If you do that, then how does the eighth game rotate?
"Is it alphabetically, meaning do you play at Alabama one year and then have Arkansas in here the next and rotate it that way? Or do you play home-and-away with one team, which would take more than a decade to go through? Whether it's a 6-2 or a 6-1-1, there is a long rotation there."
Auburn and Georgia have been playing since 1892 in the Deep South's oldest rivalry, and the Tigers lead 54-53-8 after 115 series meetings. Alabama and Tennessee began playing annually before the SEC's creation in 1933, and the 13 conference titles won by the Volunteers are topped only by the 22 by the Crimson Tide.
Tennessee coach Derek Dooley expressed his concern last September that conference realignment was "tampering with something that has made college football so special." In October, two days before his Tide hosted the Vols, Alabama coach Nick Saban said, "It's the biggest game all year to me when we play Tennessee."
The other permanent cross-divisional matchups -- Florida-LSU, Arkansas-South Carolina, Vanderbilt-Ole Miss, Kentucky-Mississippi State and the new one, Missouri-Texas A&M -- are not nearly as treasured from a traditional standpoint. So the athletic directors at those 10 schools may not want their cross-divisional games saved at the expense of an extremely infrequent rotation.
"At some point, does the conference make a statement preserving the historical pieces?" said McGarity, who spent 18 years in Florida's athletic department before becoming Georgia's AD in 2010. "I hope that there will be a level of concern and compassion for those two rivalry games. The Florida-LSU rivalry is not a big deal, so the worry there is that it would be a 10-4 vote."
Mississippi State athletic director Scott Stricklin hasn't exactly been flooded with calls from fans demanding his Bulldogs continue to play Kentucky. Stricklin would like to preserve the Auburn-Georgia and Alabama-Tennessee games, but he also believes the league does not have nearly enough of a rotation.
So will he vote for the 6-2 model over a 6-1-1?
"I hope there are some other options I like more," Stricklin said.
Any Other Ideas?
The NCAA requires that in order to have a conference championship game, which the SEC has staged successfully since 1992, there must be a round robin within each division.
Stricklin wouldn't mind challenging that.
"That legislation was put in before any Division I team was playing in a division for a championship," he said, "and there are some other leagues getting to this size who might support that, but I have no idea."
Stricklin also has no idea how a setup mirroring the NFL might work, but he wouldn't mind exploring that option as well.
"I think the way the NFL determines some of their schedules by where teams finished the year before makes some sense," Stricklin said. "If you finish first in your division, could you play the first-place team from the other division the following year? Same with the last-place teams.
"We have the potential to be really creative with the way we approach this. I don't see this having to be A or B."
There is the possibility of going to nine games within the conference, as the Big 12 and the Pac-12 did in 2011. Nine league games would protect the permanent cross-divisional rivalries and allow for more rotation, but there would be an instant inequity issue regarding a team playing five home games and four road games or vice versa.
Try finding a coach in favor of a nine-game SEC schedule.
"I don't want to speak for all the coaches, but I know that our league is a very difficult league," Georgia's Mark Richt said. "Eight league games, to me, is plenty to prove that you're a good football team."
McGarity at least would be interested in listening to a nine-game argument, which he said has yet to be discussed in a formal environment.
Pressure to Repeat
Simply coming close to the accomplishment that was achieved in 1992 might be deemed a success.
"The people in the room did a great job 20 years ago," Stricklin said. "Going to 12 teams and from a seven-game schedule to an eight-game schedule gave us more structure, because we didn't have much structure before that. Auburn and LSU used to never play. The rotation seemed clunky, but once we went to divisions it seemed to make more sense."
Television has been a driving factor in the changing landscape of college athletics -- ESPN's creation of a "Longhorn Network" is a major reason Texas and Texas A&M are no longer playing -- but CBS Sports executive vice president of programming Mike Aresco insists his network has stayed away from realignment.
And the scheduling chore that comes with it.
"That's up to the SEC," Aresco said. "Alabama-Tennessee and Auburn-Georgia are great rivalries, and you appreciate those, but we have a great relationship with the conference and realize they have to make those decisions. The league will have some hard decisions to make, and whatever they do, we will absolutely be fine with it."
SEC athletic directors will discuss future schedules in basketball, baseball and other sports as well, and regardless of what is determined, the final products are assured of being new. As many league supporters are learning, new isn't always easy.
"Our fans are disturbed about possibly losing the Auburn game for Missouri," McGarity said. "Adding South Carolina was not that big of a deal back in the day, because there was proximity, and it made sense from a regional standpoint. The difficult thing people are trying to grasp now is that we are outside of the Southeast region or what people think of as the Deep South.
"We've ventured out a little bit, and we're not alone. West Virginia is in the Big 12, and they are going to play this season in Lubbock, Texas. How does that happen? Boise State is in the Big East. You almost have to erase the geographic attachments to the names of these conferences."


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I've been working non-stop over the last few months to get new features live for Designspiration. One of these features is the Job Board. The goal of the job board is to help creatives find career opportunities, check it out.
There were a number of challenging aspects of building this addition, but the main one was how to handle mobile. It's not something I've done a whole lot of and just to complicate things, a new grid needed to be developed for the updates following this one. The restructuring of the grid took just about as much time to figure out as it did to build the job board itself.
If you know an agency or company looking to hire, please let them know about the job board. Also, follow the Designspiration jobs twitter @Dspnjobs for job updates.


text: Email Story Print Story Proteins Stop Blood-Vessel and Tumor Growth in Mice MARCH 01, 2006 DENVER — Researchers at National Jewish Medical and Research Center report in the March issue of Cancer Research that a pair of promising proteins, known as fibulins 3 and 5, slow the growth of cancer tumors in mice by preventing blood vessels from sprouting. The proteins are promising candidates for use in cancer therapy. "Healthy humans produce fibulin proteins, which regulate cell proliferation, migration and invasion. In the past, we have seen that they are depleted in numerous metastatic cancers, and that they inhibit the formation of new blood vessels in cell culture," said William Schiemann, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Program in Cell Biology at National Jewish. "Our current findings show that fibulins can inhibit both tumor growth and blood-vessel formation in mice." Tumors need nutrients and oxygen supplied by blood vessels in order to grow. They also use blood vessels to spread to other parts of the body. This process, known as metastasis, is the most lethal stage of cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death. Fighting cancer by starving tumors of life-giving blood vessels has generated great interest in recent years. In their most recent experiments, Dr. Schiemann and his colleagues injected a biological material, called Matrigel, into mice. The Matrigel contained a growth factor that promotes blood-vessel growth and either a control substance or fibulin 3 or fibulin 5. After seven days, researchers found that the Matrigel plugs containing either fibulin had about half as many blood vessels as did the control plugs. The researchers then injected fibrosarcoma tumor cells into mice. The tumor cells were genetically engineered to produce either fibulin 3 or fibulin 5. Three weeks after the cells were implanted, developing tumors that produced the fibulins were approximately 24 percent to 45 percent smaller than the control tumors. "We are thrilled that the fibulins continue to show promise as we move into animal models," said Dr. Schiemann. "We also found evidence that the fibulins work through more than one biological pathway, which suggests a very robust effect. We further expect the mice to tolerate quite large doses of the fibulins, which makes us hopeful that toxicity will not be a problem." The researchers have not yet discovered what receptors the fibulins interact with to produce their anti-angiogenic effect. But in the current paper, they report that the fibulins alter levels of extracellular proteins involved in dissolving and remodeling the extracellular matrix, which can make way for blood-vessel growth. Moving forward, Dr. Schiemann is working to isolate the portion of the fibulin molecules that actually binds to receptors and causes their biological effect. If they can find a small molecule capable of producing the fibulins' effects, it would hold more promise as a viable therapy. Media Resources We have many faculty members, from bench scientists to clinicians, who can speak on almost any aspect of respiratory, immune, cardiac and gastrointestinal disease as well as lung cancer and basic immunology. Accomplishments & Awards Annual Report Financials Media Contacts Our team is available to arrange interviews, discuss events and story ideas. Adam Dormuth 303.398.1002 office 970.222.5034 mobile email@example.com Jessica Berry 303.398.1082 office 303.807.9491 mobile email@example.com


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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iran was integral in persuading Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to halt attacks by his militia on Iraqi security forces, an Iraqi lawmaker said Monday.
Police commandos take part in a demonstration Monday supporting Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Basra.
Haidar al-Abadi, a member of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Dawa Party, said Iraqi Shiite lawmakers traveled Friday to Iran to meet with al-Sadr. They returned Sunday, the day al-Sadr told his Mehdi Army fighters to stand down.
News of Iran's involvement in the cease-fire talks came as an al-Maliki spokesman said operations targeting "outlaws" in the Shiite stronghold of Basra would end when the mission's goals were achieved. Earlier, al-Maliki spokesman Sami al-Askari said the operation would be over by week's end, but he later recanted on the timetable.
The lawmakers who traveled to Iran to broker the cease-fire were from five Shiite parties, including the Sadrist movement. Al-Abadi would not say where in Iran the meeting was held.
The lawmakers hoped to persuade Iran to cut off aid to Shiite militias and to persuade al-Sadr to end the fighting. Negotiations were difficult, but the delegation achieved its aims, al-Abadi said. Watch how the cease-fire affects Shiite vs. Shiite fights »
News of the delegation's role comes a day after Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh firmly denied there had been direct or indirect talks between the government and al-Sadr's representatives in Najaf, where al-Sadr's headquarters is located.
Al-Dabbagh made no mention of the Iran meeting but said the government welcomes efforts by politicians to end the bloodshed in Iraq.
Iran's exact involvement in the negotiations is unclear, but two sources concur that the Islamic republic played a key role.
While al-Abadi said Iranian officials participated in the discussions, another source close to the talks said the Iranians pressured al-Sadr to craft an agreement.
Al-Sadr and some Shiite parties have close ties to Iran, a Shiite-dominated country. The talks were the latest reflection of the influence Iran wields in Iraq, where about 60 percent of the population is Shiite.
As for the operations targeting outlaws in Basra, Maj. Gen. Abdul Aziz Mohammed, commander of operations for Iraq's Ministry of Defense, told reporters at a news conference that he hoped the mission would be brief and limited. He provided no timetable.
More than 400 people have died since early last week in battles across the war-ravaged country, according to sources.
At least 200 people have been killed and 500 wounded in Basra battles since Tuesday, a high-ranking Iraqi security official said. More than 100 had been killed in Baghdad as of Sunday, with another 100-plus killed in clashes in other cities in southern Iraq, Iraqi authorities said.
The mood Monday on the streets in Basra was quiet, said al-Askari, the prime minister's spokesman. Shops opened in the morning, and the movement of people was almost back to normal in the center of town.
Troops and police, whom the U.S. and Britain have backed, are in control of much of Basra, and local security forces are going house-to-house in some districts to confiscate weapons and chase "the outlaws and the criminal and smuggling gangs," the spokesman said.
The Shiite militia members that were in the streets have withdrawn, al-Askari said.
There had been an all-day curfew in Basra during the operation. It was lifted Saturday, and the normal curfew of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. is in place.
The fighting in Basra spread to other southern cities, such as Kut, Karbala and Diwaniya, and it raged in Shiite regions of Baghdad.
Authorities in Baghdad also reported a quieter situation in the capital, where there have been no reports of clashes, an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said.
There were several instances of "indirect fire" in the International Zone, formerly known as the Green Zone, a U.S. Embassy spokesman said, but there were no reports of deaths or injuries. Indirect fire is a reference to rocket and mortar fire, and the U.S. military suspects hard-line Shiite militants stage such attacks.
Authorities in Baghdad eased a stiff, citywide curfew Monday, but a vehicle ban remained in place in Sadr City, Shula and Kadhimiya -- three neighborhoods seen as al-Sadr strongholds. The usual 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew is in place citywide.
Mohammed, the Iraqi commander, also said the situation was quiet in other southern cities where fighting had been reported.
In issuing his call to end fighting, al-Sadr demanded the Iraqi government provide amnesty to his followers and release any supporters who were being held.
Al-Sadr suspended the operations of the Mehdi Army in August, and the cease-fire is credited with helping decrease the violence in Iraq over the last few months.
Other developments
• Kidnappers have released Tahseen Sheikhly, the Iraqi civilian spokesman for the Baghdad security plan, four days after his abduction, his family told Iraqi authorities Monday. Sheikhly was seized Thursday at his home by dozens of gunmen, who killed three of his bodyguards and burned down the house, Iraqi authorities said.
• The U.S. military on Monday announced the deaths of two American soldiers. A Multi-National Division-Baghdad soldier was killed Monday in northeastern Baghdad, when his vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb. A U.S. soldier died Saturday from wounds suffered in a roadside bomb attack south of Baghdad March 23. The deaths bring the number of U.S. troops killed in March to 38. E-mail to a friend
All About Iraq War • Baghdad • Basra • Muqtada al-Sadr • Baghdad Green Zone


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Wednesday, June 22, 2011
The SF Stand
6 comments:
I'm impressed with the felw carrying the paper towels. I could never manage more than one roll on my bike.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 22, 2011 at 5:53 PM
I love this post.ReplyDelete
I often do the SF stance in NY. ;)
Cathy - He is making use of one of the great technological advances of mankind, right up there with pointy sticks, fire and the wheel. An advance which tied together societies and wove the fabric of civilization, wrapping us all intimately in its net.ReplyDelete
You call it "string."
That looks like a massive supply of paper towels...wonder what the back story is? If we use a roll a month I would be surprised.ReplyDelete
Cool combilation of shots. Everyone ready to go and damn, don't they all look good. But, yeah, what's with all the paper towels?ReplyDelete
Speaking of things strapped to your back while cycling. On my way home from work Thursday, a guy passed me with a complete bike strapped to the outside of his backpack as he cycled down 17th. What a shot. I couldn't get my camera out fast enough.ReplyDelete


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Welcome to the Americans and the
World website, a source of in-depth information on
US and world public opinion on international issues. The site includes
Public Opinion on Global Issues, a series of digests developed in partnership with the International Institutions and Global Governance program at the Council on Foreign Relations, as well as earlier digests of US public opinion. Both of these sources provide comprehensive analyses of
polling on various international topics.
Public Opinion on Global Issues - Updated 2011-2012
These digests, developed in partnership with the International Institutions and Global Governance program at the Council on Foreign Relations, provide comprehensive analyses of international and US polls on the world's most pressing challenges -- and the institutions designed to address them.
Read the full report (PDF 12MB)
Americans and the World (Earlier US-only Digests)
US Role in the World
This section of the Americans and the World Digest is unique in that it deals with the broader framework of US foreign policy. Thus, it provides a kind of road map for many of the other sections of the Digest. Many of these sections are referenced herein and placed in this broader context.
from the 2001 Rowman & Littlefield publication
(for the Council on Foreign Relations)
Real and the Ideal: Essays on International
Relations in Honor of Richard H. Ullman


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Editor's Note: In the Human Factor, we profile survivors who have overcome the odds. Confronting a life obstacle – injury, illness or other hardship – they tapped their inner strength and found resilience they didn't know they possessed. This week we meet Gail Devers, who battled Graves' disease and nearly lost her feet before going on to become a three-time Olympic champion in track and field.
Story highlights
Gail Devers was diagnosed with Graves' disease in 1990
She nearly lost her feet but went on to become an Olympic champion
Devers says her disease "made me into the person I am"
Gail Devers is a three-time Olympic gold medalist in track and field. But when she was in college, a diagnosis of Graves' disease, an immune system disorder that results in the overproduction of thyroid hormones, posed one of her biggest hurdles.
CNN: You were diagnosed with Graves' disease in 1990. What happened leading up to your diagnosis?
Gail Devers: I was in college at UCLA. Things were going very well; I had set an American record. Then, all of sudden, within a month, in my recollection, things started to fall apart.
My hair started falling out, and at that time, I had long hair. It was curly and doing its thing, and it started falling out. I had always had long nails unless I cut them; they started breaking. I couldn't figure out what was going on.
The weirdest part for me was losing weight. My normal running weight at that time was between 119 and 120 (pounds).
… At my worst – and I say at my worst because I stopped getting on the scale because I just couldn't stand the way I looked – at my worst, I was under like 85 pounds. Then it was like, "There is definitely something wrong."
I had made the 1988 Olympic team, and then the bottom fell out, is what I say. I couldn't run anywhere close to where I had ran just two months prior to that, so definitely there is a problem. When I got to the race in the 100-meter hurdles, I ran slower than the first time I ever ran when I ever stepped on the track.
… There were no answers for almost 2½ years, and it wasn't until 1990 (that I was diagnosed). I had even stopped going out of the house because I couldn't stand the way I looked. My face was breaking out; it had white or light spots all over. I had little to no hair, and nobody could tell me what was wrong.
I love kids and remember being at an event outside a little park, and a little kid walked by with their mom and said, "Mommy, what's wrong with her?"
That was the last time. I stopped going outside. I actually had covered up mirrors in my house because I didn't want to see myself. It wasn't a good time.
CNN: What inspired you to make it through being sick and return to running?
Devers: Although I got sidelined for three years, I figured … I am going to figure this out go back out there. I still have that love and support from my coach and my family.
… (In) 1992, at the Olympic Games … back then the heat of the race was lane 4, 5 and 6, so that lets you know what (was) thought about me in lane 2. I tell people, probably three people in the world thought I could do it. It's not what other people believe you can do; it's what you believe you can do. I honestly believe that everything that happened to me happened for a reason.
My feet were saved. I was supposed to go out and win. This was my way. I remember getting out. I felt I had a great start. I don't remember the middle. I remember getting to the end. …
In my race, there's 10 hurdles, but in life, there is always a hurdle. There is always something you gotta get over, and it's what you do, you know.
Sometimes we fall, sometimes we stumble, but we can't stay down. We can't allow life to beat us down. Everything happens for a reason, and it builds character in us, and it tells us what we are about and how strong we really are when we didn't think we could be that strong.
You have to get up. You have to keep going. You have to try harder, and if somebody else falls down, you have to pick them up and carry them with you. … Life (is about) service and what can I do to help that next person who is struggling? What is it that happened to me in my life that I can share with somebody else, just to help them make it through?
I am very thankful that I have lived the life I have lived. I am thankful for my Graves' disease, and I tell people, if I had my whole life to live over, I would have it, because it has really made me into the person that I am.
I feel like I am stronger. There is nothing I don't feel like I can do if I try. … I take medication every day for the rest of my life, and I just feel like it's a small price to pay to have my life.


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Today's News: Our Take - CBS, Bryan Singer Developing Twilight Zone Reboot
TV Guide
The Twilight Zone may be returning to television - again.
X Men's Bryan Singer has signed on to develop and executive-produce a Twilight Zone reboot for CBS TV Studios, Entertainment Weekly reports.
What are the top TV shows of 2012?
There is no writer or network attached yet, though CBS carried the original series, which ran from 1959 to 1964, while a remake aired from '85 to '89. A recent reboot was launched on defunct network UPN in 2002, but only lasted one season.
Would you watch another Twilight Zone reboot? Watch the original intro below and hit the comments!
View original CBS, Bryan Singer Developing Twilight Zone Reboot at TVGuide.com
Related Articles on TVGuide.com
Other Links From TVGuide.com


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Holidays are meant to be a joyous time that you celebrate with family and friends. But it's hard to get in the spirit when your loved ones aren't with you. Thanks to breakthroughs in technology, it's now possible to share an eggnog toast or menorah lighting ceremony moment with relatives who are far away or just stuck at home. This Christmas grandma can see the kids opening her gifts! And good-by home alone, poor me, New Years' Eve.
Mobile video chatting isn't new. You may already have used Skype or Apple's FaceTime But both have limitations and aren't the only services on the market that allow you to video chat on your mobile devices. One that I'm particularly smitten with is Tango. Here's why.
- Tango's universal. You can use it on an iPhone, iPad, Android device, Windows 7 Phone, or on your laptop. And you can chat even if you and your loved one are using different devices.
- It's been optimized so it runs equally well regardless of what phone you're using it on. And the user interface for Tango looks just like the one you're used to. If your phone boasts dual cameras, you can easily switch back and forth between cameras. You can also deactivate the video altogether if you so choose and just use the audio component.
- Tango works over 3G, 4G and WiFi so you never have to miss the candles being blown out on a birthday cake because you're out of network range. It gives you the fastest, strongest experience possible.
- With its clean interface, Tango is intuitive and easy to use. Unlike other mobile calling platforms, it doesn't require a login name or password. When you go into the Tango app, it looks like your Contacts app. It displays an icon next to the name of anyone with whom you "can Tango". If a contact hasn't downloaded the app yet, you can invite them to do so by text or email. There's no need to exchange usernames or search for friends on a database as contact information is based solely on phone numbers and/or email addresses programmed in your phone.
- No buzz kill. Battery life integrity is also upheld with this app, because it doesn't draw any power unless in use on a call. You don't need to log in and out to save battery - and you are always available for a call.
- Free. And no, you won't even have to buy anything as it's a free app. And since it uses your data network to place the calls, it won't use up any of your minutes (for those with unlimited data plans, it won't affect you - for those with plans based on data consumption - about 2GB of data is used for 450 minutes of video calls).
Tango is being preloaded on more and more phones, so it's possible when you purchase your next phone the app will already be installed and ready to use. If it isn't on your device, you can download it from the App Store or Android Market. While Tango still has to overcome the popularity of Skype, it's growing fast with over 26 million members in 190 countries. And the company is not resting on its laurels; it releases an updated version of Tango every 2 weeks as part of its dedication to creating the best video-chatting web on the market.
More From Good Housekeeping
If I haven't sold you on Tango, check out some of the other 3rd party apps that are out there like ooVoo, Knocking Live, and Qik. Each has its own strengths. I love that ooVoo lets you chat with up to 6 people. Knocking Live offers stellar video quality while Qik lets you record video to share later (as well as live chat). But in my opinion, none are as intuitive, neatly designed, or universal as Tango.
With all of these apps, gone are the days when daddy misses baby's first steps or grandma can't share Christmas morning. Personally, I love being able to consult with my sister before I make a purchase. Just because my number one advisor isn't shopping with me, doesn't mean I have to become a fashion victim! Before the holidays are upon us, get hurry up and start learning to Tango.
Looking for other cool products and services? Check out our website for our expert reviews - or come take a tour of the famed Good Housekeeping Research Institute!
Rachel Rothman (she/her) is the chief technologist and executive technical director at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she oversees testing methodology, implementation and reporting for all GH Labs. She also manages GH's growing research division and the analysis of applicants for the GH Seal and all other testing emblems. During her 15 years at Good Housekeeping, Rachel has had the opportunity to evaluate thousands of products, including toys and cars for GH's annual awards programs and countless innovative breakthroughs in consumer tech and home improvement.


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Celtics, Mavs clash in Big D
Two teams striving to make the postseason clash Friday night in Big D, where the Dallas Mavericks will entertain the Boston Celtics.
The Mavericks haven't done themselves any favors by alternating wins and losses over the past six and are 3 1/2 games off the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference.
Dallas opened a season-long, six-game homestand with Wednesday's 113-96 loss to the Brooklyn Nets and was led by Dirk Nowitzki's 16 points. Chris Kaman had 14 points for the Mavericks, who are 18-14 as the host and were outrebounded by the Nets, 45-34. Defense was an issue for a Mavs team that has shot 50 percent or better seven times in the last 11 games.
The Mavericks are 16-3 this season when they shoot 50-plus percent from the field.
"Our defense wasn't good enough," said Nowitzki, who notched his 9,000th career rebound and is averaging 18.1 ppg since the All-Star break.
The Mavs did have a 32-22 lead after the first quarter, then were outscored in each of the final three periods.
Dallas is also slated to host the Jazz, Clippers, Pacers and Bulls.
Boston is two games ahead of Milwaukee in the seventh spot in the East, but can still improve its position in the postseason hunt.
The Celtics opened a three-game road trip with a heartbreaking 87-86 loss to the lowly New Orleans Hornets Wednesday night and were burned by Anthony Davis' putback with 0.3 seconds remaining.
Kevin Garnett was back at work following a two-game absence because of a thigh injury and managed to post 20 points. Paul Pierce scored a game-high 28 points for the Celtics, who were coming off a close loss to the Miami Heat and have dropped four of the previous six games.
"We have to come out with better focus than we had tonight," said Pierce. "We didn't take advantage of the opportunity we had tonight and that's not acceptable."
Jeff Green, who racked up a career-best 43 points in Boston's 105-103 loss to the Heat on Monday, finished with 13 in the Big Easy.
Boston is 12-21 on the road and will conclude the jaunt Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Celtics needed double overtime to get past the Mavericks, 117-115, back on Dec. 12 in Beantown. Pierce scored 34 points and O.J. Mayo ended with 24 points for Dallas, which had won four straight and five of six meetings in this series.
The Celtics have lost nine of 12 and 13 of its last 17 trips to Big D.


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For over 50 years, Crown Automotive has been the leading manufacturer and distributor of replacement parts for Jeep? vehicles. With over 8,000 different part numbers, including many factory-discontinued items, we offer you exceptional quality that is only matched by an exceptional warranty.
We're working on getting more reviews for this product. In the meantime, here's what people are saying about 4WD
How do I know if my 91 Jeep Wrangler YJ with Dana 30 disconnect axle uses the 2.29 inch front passenger side seal or the one that measures 2.12 inches?
Asked by Rod from Fullerton,CA on
Hi Rod If you have the two piece axles on the passenger side you would use the Dana 30 Intermediate Axle Seal. Thanks
Answered by LWiff ext 4804 from Fullerton,CA on
With this mission Crown Automotive has been in business for over five decades, delivering original-quality replacement parts at fair aftermarket prices. Crown Automotive has individual parts for sale as well as complete Crown Jeep kits for everything from axle to electrical to transfer case to wiper kits. In recent decades, Crown Automotive has expanded to producing replacement parts for Chrysler and Dodge vehicles as well. Shop Crown Automotive Now
Join our mailing list to receive information on new products, special events, discounts and more!


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Minou Phone Leash
A wrist strap that fits any phone case!
A universal wrist strap that provides a secure yet relaxed grip to avoid unfortunate and expensive phone drops. Enjoy a safe and intuitive one-handed solution for your smartphone. Compatible with any phone case†, wireless chargers, Apple MagSafe® and magnetic accessories.
Firmly sticks inside your phone case. Made from soft, non-elastic fabric†† and reliable 3M Innovation adhesives that can be easily removed without damage. Comes in a plastic-free packaging for a minimal environmental footprint.
Formerly known as Petite Loop. Patented & Trademarked.
See step by step instructions.
† Install on clean and sturdy phone cases. Pass the Loop through case openings and stick inside towards the center of the case for an optimal fit. Fits all smartphone brands: iPhone, Galaxy, OnePlus, Pixel, Huawei, small Kindle, iPad mini, etc. Avoid flimsy, dirty, or saggy cases. †† Colors may slightly differ from on-screen pictures.
- Orders are fulfilled on the next business day.
- Shipping options, discount codes, gift cards and taxes calculated upon checkout.
- PRE-ORDERS: If your cart contains backorder items, your order will get fulfilled as a whole upon stock replenishment.
- USA: 3 to 5 days, USPS First Class Mail at ~6USD.
- CANADA: 2 to 4 days depending on selected express shipping service. 3 to 9 days for the default shipping service at ~6CAD.
- WORLD: 4 to 8 days depending on your country and selected shipping service. 6 to 28 days for the default shipping service at ~7USD / ~7EUR / ~9AUD / ~6GBP.


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Small and functional camera design
AXIS M1013 Network Camera supports edge storage, which includes support for storage on microSDHC cards as well as recording to network shares such as Network-Attached Storage (NAS). Video intelligence includes video motion detection and active tampering alarm. Together with AXIS Camera Companion, AXIS M1013 offers a very price competitive solution. The network camera is ideal for securing locations such as small businesses, boutiques, restaurants, hotels or residences. It offers superior video quality in its class at 30 frames per second in SVGA resolution.
High-performance compression and streaming capabilities
AXIS M1013 provides multiple, individually configurable video streams in H.264 as well as Motion JPEG. Full frame rate and resolution is provided in either compression. The H.264 compression enables optimization for bandwidth and storage efficiency by significantly reducing the bit rate.
Easy and flexible installation
The mounting stand can be installed on wall and ceiling. A mounting clamp allows the camera to be installed in shelves. They are powered by a white power supply which is included.


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The SpaceNavigator 3D Mouse is the smaller version of the more professional-orientated SpacePilot Pro 3D mouse.
A lot of the additional features of the professional model have been stripped away, leading to a more streamlined and cheaper 3D mouse, but one whose functionality is far more limited.
The SpaceNavigator is made up of the control nub and one solitary button. The nub can be pushed, pulled, turned and twisted to give you better control over 3D objects.
When using this mouse to manipulate 3D objects it works well, although it takes a bit of time to get completely comfortable with using it.
It is not designed to replace either the keyboard or the mouse, but to work alongside them to offer better control in 3D applications.
While the SpaceNavigator eschews the more opulent features of its more expensive sibling for a more palatable price, the lack of a lot of those extras actually ends up making it a less appealing purchase unless you're just starting out in 3D design.


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A glimpse of one-party rulr in Hawaii
HONOLULU -- In Hawaii, there are 25 members of the state Senate. Twenty-four are Democrats. And then there is Sam Slom. Slom, the lone Senate Republican in the state of President Obama's birth, has represented East Honolulu since 1996. He hasn't ...
HONOLULU -- In Hawaii, there are 25 members of the state Senate. Twenty-four are Democrats. And then there is Sam Slom.
Slom, the lone Senate Republican in the state of President Obama's birth, has represented East Honolulu since 1996. He hasn't always been the only GOP senator; in the last session, there were two. But Republicans fared poorly at the polls in November, and Slom was left alone.
Which means that Democratic bills to increase state spending, to impose new regulations and mandates and to create new government departments are often passed on votes of 24-1. "I represent a point of view that would not be represented," the conservative Slom says, "even if it's just one voice."
There are 15 committees in the Senate. Most Democrats serve on three or four. But to make things bipartisan, Slom -- you may call him Mr. Minority Leader -- has to serve on all 15. That means he spends his days racing from one committee meeting to the next, making sure that there's at least one question from a conservative point of view.
Slom's job is to challenge the majority's priorities. Like many states, Hawaii is in a fiscal mess. Yet Senate Democrats have spent extraordinary amounts of time on social issues -- most recently, fast-tracking a civil-unions bill -- and on addressing questions like whether dogs can be kept on tethers. "The bill specified the kind of material, size, thickness and length the tether can be," Slom says.
Meanwhile, Slom complains, "We're supposed to be doing the budget, we have a major shortfall of $800 million to $1.5 billion, we have underfunded employees' retirement and health care systems, and we haven't done anything in terms of providing new jobs or investment or capital improvement."
Senate sessions can resemble a big, happy family with one troublesome uncle. At one recent meeting, Democrats pushed through an emergency-spending measure with no objections -- until Slom stood up. "What we're doing again is raiding our rainy-day fund when we should be cutting our expenditures," he told fellow lawmakers.
Slom also pointed out that his staff found an error in the bill. It called for spending $1 million, but the fine print accounted for only $965,000. Democrats huddled and then pronounced Slom correct. But they decided to go forward anyway.
"Do we have unanimous consent?" asked the presiding senator, Democrat Donna Kim, turning the page to move on to the next matter.
"Oops, sorry," Kim said, noticing Slom's raised hand. "Senator Slom. We have one 'No.'?"
Before heading to vote, Slom meets with his staff in the Minority Caucus Room, which is the same size as the majority's. "Some of my colleagues would have had me in a tent out on the lawn," Slom says.
A man so badly outnumbered has to have a sense of humor. On the Senate floor, standing beneath an enormous nautilus-shell chandelier, Slom motions the majority leader, Democratic Sen. Brickwood Galuteria, to stop by. "This man didn't want me to sleep out on the lawn in a tent," Slom says.
Galuteria laughs and pays Slom a compliment. "Twenty-four to one, when Sam Slom is the one -- it's about even," he says.
It's collegial, but of course when it comes to voting, it's not at all even. Most of the time, Slom loses 24-1.
Slom, 68, is originally from Allentown, Pa., and has been in Hawaii since he moved here to attend college in 1960. He seems to know everyone. For example, he was for many years an economist at the Bank of Hawaii, where he worked closely with Madelyn Dunham, Barack Obama's grandmother. He also met the future president when Obama was a teenager.
Slom has also known Hawaii's new Democratic governor, Neil Abercrombie, from the days Slom represented the conservative Young Americans for Freedom at Vietnam War demonstrations and Abercrombie was with the leftist Students for a Democratic Society.
Like a lot of Hawaii pols, Slom was mystified by Abercrombie's short-lived effort to make public Obama's original, long-form birth certificate, which the president has never given permission to release. The birther issue had been waning in recent months, but Abercrombie's announcement reignited it. "I think it was part ego," Slom says of Abercrombie's motive, "and it might have been part anger that this (birther) thing was still going on. It was dying down, so to bring it up was inappropriate."
And anyway, amid a budget crisis, Abercrombie and Democrats in the Hawaii Senate have more important things to do -- like drain the state's emergency funds and regulate dog leashes. By votes of 24-1.
York is chief political correspondent for The Washington Examiner.


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BEIRUT, Lebanon, Sept. 16 (UPI) — Nearly half the rebels fighting to topple the Iranian-backed Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad are either diehard al-Qaida jihadists or hardline Islamists primarily focused on setting up a strict Islamic state, a report by the defense consultancy IHS Jane's says.
The London-based global defense consultancy said about 10,000 of the estimate 100,000 insurgent fighters are linked to al-Qaida, mainly Iraqis but with large numbers of foreigners, and 30,000 to 35,000 belonging to "powerful factions" that are fighting for an Islamic state within a larger Middle East caliphate stretching from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean.
In addition, the study, reported on by the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph Monday and slated for release later this week, says here are "at least a further 30,000 moderates belonging to groups that have an Islamic character."
That would leave only 25,000-30,000 fighters with more secular, nationalist groups, or a scant 25-30 percent of the rebel force that could be considered friendly to the West.
IHS Jane's said the study was based on "intelligence estimates and interviews with activists and militants."
The Telegraph added the report "accords with the view of Western diplomats who estimate that less than one-third of the opposition forces are 'palatable' to Britain while American envoys put the figure even lower."
If the numbers are anywhere near accurate, and there seems little reason to question the report's conclusions, it's bad news for the U.S. administration of President Barack Obama, which wants to see a Western-oriented government in Damascus to block Iran's drive to extend its dominion to the eastern Mediterranean and Israel's backyard.
But then the prospect of having Sunni Muslim zealots controlling Syria, Shiite Iran's strategic gateway to the Levant, isn't good news for Tehran either.
That could lend weight to reports Iran's Revolutionary Guards, particularly its elite Al-Quds Force, is currently engaged in beefing up its military support for Assad's beleaguered regime with significant numbers of Shiite militiamen from Iraq, Syria's eastern neighbor and Iran's vital land corridor to Syria.
It could also help explain how Assad has succeeded in regaining the upper hand in his 2 1/2-year-old war with his opponents in the last six months, and in backing down on surrendering his chemical weapons, although key ally Russia would seem to have been the primary influence on that score.
The Jane's report indirectly underlines the consequences of the U.S. reluctance to support the so-called moderate rebel groups with large-scale arms shipments, including advanced systems like anti-aircraft missiles which the desperately need to counter Assad's air force, one of his key military assets.
This because the West, particularly the United States, fears these weapons would end up with the Sunni jihadists who'd use them at some point against their donors.
Charles Lister, head of Jane's terrorism center and the report's author, observed: "The insurgency is now dominated by groups which have at least an Islamist viewpoint on the conflict.
"The idea that it is mostly secular groups leading the opposition is not just borne out."
This conclusion cannot be news to U.S. intelligence services or their European and Arab counterparts, and is not going to change just because Assad is prepared, presumably with Russian and Iranian pledges of support, to surrender his considerable chemical weapons arsenal to the United Nations in return for not being hit by U.S. military strikes for gassing his own people in August.
Even if the Americans don't step up arms supplies and training for the non-Islamist rebels, it's likely that Saudi Arabia, leader of the Sunni world and locked in a widening conflict with Shiite Iran, will.
Riyadh's track record of covert operations supporting the war against the Soviets in Afghanistan (1979-89) and the recent escalation in its arms shipments to the so-called moderate rebels in Syria — who now seem to spend as much time fighting the Islamists as they do the regime — would indicate that this is so.
Jane's says that the main jihadist groups, the al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, now dominate the battlefield and control income-generating resources in northern Syria, including oil, natural gas and grain.
"If the West looks as though it is not interested in removing Assad, moderate Islamists are also likely to be pushed further toward extremists," Lister warned.
Categories: Colonialism, Government, Imperialism, Imperialist War, International, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Reactionary Watch, Syria, U.S. Military, U.S. News, United Kingdom