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The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) works to offer the best expertise and support to the different human rights monitoring mechanisms in the United Nations system : UN Charter-based bodies, including the Human Rights Council, and bodies created under the international human rights treaties and made up of independent experts mandated to monitor State parties' compliance with their treaty obligations. Most of these bodies receive secretariat support from the Human Rights Council and Treaties Division of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
Charter-based bodies
Treaty-based bodies
There are ten human rights treaty bodies that monitor implementation of the core international human rights treaties:
Charter bodies include the former Commission on Human Rights, the Human Rights Council , and Special Procedures. The Human Rights Council, which replaced the Commission on Human Rights, held its first meeting on 19 June 2006. This intergovernmental body, which meets in Geneva 10 weeks a year, is composed of 47 elected United Nations Member States who serve for an initial period of 3 years, and cannot be elected for more than two consecutive terms. The Human Rights Council is a forum empowered to prevent abuses, inequity and discrimination, protect the most vulnerable, and expose perpetrators.
The Human Rights Council is a separate entity from OHCHR. This distinction originates from the separate mandates they were given by the General Assembly. Nevertheless, OHCHR provides substantive support for the meetings of the Human Rights Council, and follow-up to the Council's deliberations.
Special Procedures is the general name given to the mechanisms established by the Commission on Human Rights and assumed by the Human Rights Council to address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures are either an individual -a special rapporteur or independent expert-or a working group. They are prominent, independent experts working on a voluntary basis, appointed by the Human Rights Council.
Special Procedures' mandates usually call on mandate-holders to examine, monitor, advise and publicly report on human rights situations in specific countries or territories, known as country mandates, or on human rights issues of particular concern worldwide, known as thematic mandates. All report to the Human Rights Council on their findings and recommendations, and many also report to the General Assembly. They are sometimes the only mechanism that will alert the international community to certain human rights issues, as they can address situations in all parts of the world without the requirement for countries to have had ratified a human rights instrument.
As of 1 August 2017, there are 44
thematic mandates and 12
country mandates.
OHCHR supports the work of rapporteurs, independent experts and working groups through its Special Procedures Branch (SPB) which services all but one of the thematic mandates and provides centralised support to the Special Procedures as a system. The Field Operations and Technical Cooperation Division (FOTCD) supports the work of country-mandates.
There are nine
core international human rights treaties, the most recent one -- on enforced disappearance -- entered into force on 23 December 2010. Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, all UN Member States have ratified at least one core international human rights treaty, and 80 percent have ratified four or more.
There are currently ten human rights treaty bodies, which are committees of independent experts. Nine of these treaty bodies monitor implementation of the core international human rights treaties while the tenth treaty body, the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, established under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, monitors places of detention in States parties to the Optional Protocol.
The treaty bodies are created in accordance with the provisions of the treaty that they monitor. OHCHR supports the work of treaty bodies and assists them in harmonizing their working methods and reporting requirements through their secretariats.
There are other United Nations bodies and entities involved in the promotion and protection of human rights
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New Faces, New Places Part 2: Chris Capuano, Ryan Ludwick, and Juan Pierre
Twitter: @RobShawSports
Seven years ago Chris Capuano was one of the best starters in baseball, as he went 18-11 for the Milwaukee Brewers. The good times did not last long as Capuano was derailed by arm injuries that forced him to miss 2008-2009.
In his first full season back, Capuano pitched well for the Mets with 11 wins and a 4.55 ERA. However, a closer look at the statistics reveals that there could endure some trouble ahead. Capuano surrendered 1.31 HR/9, which would have been an issue had he stayed in New York with the fences getting drawn closer. His 5.42 ERA on the road is also an issue with Capuano moving away from Citi Field.
Fantasy managers can take some relief in the fact that Capuano's move to Los Angeles means he'll continue to pitch in a pitcher's park. Furthermore, the Dodgers lineup should have more punch than the Mets lineup, which puts 12 wins within reach.
In 2008, Ryan Ludwick was one of the best players in baseball. He blasted 37 home runs, drove in 113 RBI, and hit .299 for the Cardinals. Ludwick failed to repeat the success and within two years he was dealt to the Padres.
In San Diego, Ludwick has regressed a great deal. His power and average took a severe decline and last season he was dealt to the Pirates. In particular, Ludwick has struggled against the fastball, and he is no longer hitting many line drives.
A move away from PETCO Park will give Ludwick every chance of regaining his confidence. At 33 years old, Ludwick is far from his prime, but 20-plus home runs with solid run production is a legitimate best-case scenario.
One of the most consistent hitters over the last decade has been Juan Pierre, most recently the leadoff man for the White Sox. In fact, Pierre ranks second on Major League Baseball for plate appearances since 2010. However, Pierre's role will change dramatically now that he returns to the National League with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Now a 34-year-old speedster, Juan Pierre did score 80 runs with 27 steals and a .279 average last season. However, his success rate for stolen bases took a nose-dive from 79% to 61%. In an era in which every statistic is studied by the front office, it is clear that Pierre's struggles to secure stolen bases actually may have cost his team runs last season.
The Phillies are not looking for Pierre to play an everyday role. The hope is that Dominic Brown regains his confidence and becomes a rising star next to Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence. Pierre will likely man a fourth outfielder role and offer some serious speed off the bench. His fantasy value takes a major hit this season.
For more fantasy baseball insight visit BloombergSports.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Hurricane Irene continues to crawl north after making landfall Saturday morning in North Carolina. The storm is expected to head up the East Coast from Virginia to Maine, bringing hurricane-force winds, heavy rain, flooding and widespread power outages.
Follow the latest developments here, or read the full CNN Wire story:
[Midnight] Authorities shut down the Port of New York and the Port for Long Island Sound late Saturday as Hurricane Irene closed in on the New York City area. Also, the Palisades Interstate Parkway entrance to the George Washington Bridge in New York City has been closed due to weather conditions, according to a statement from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
[Update 11:40 p.m.] U.S. President Barack Obama has signed a disaster declaration for Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene. The declaration frees federal funds to help in the recovery effort, according to the White House.
[Update 11:20 p.m.] The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority closed down late Saturday because of a tornado warning in Philadelphia, according to SEPTA representative Jerri Williams.
[Update 11:05 p.m.] Irene remains a category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 80 mph and gusts to 100 mph, the National Hurricane Center said in its 11 p.m. ET advisory.
[Update 11 p.m.] Storms in Delaware damaged 30-40 homes Saturday night in the town of Lewes, according to Ed Schaeffer, a fire department spokesman. Five of them were damaged severely. There were no injuries, he said.
A tornado watch remains in effect until 5 a.m. Sunday.
[Update 10:47 p.m.] The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning until 11 p.m. ET for the city of Philadelphia, including east-central Chester County, northeastern Delaware County, central Philadelphia County and southeastern Montgomery County.
[Update 10:37 p.m.] New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, addressing reporters Saturday night, said residents should prepare to hunker down as Hurricane Irene approached. "The storm is finally hitting New York City," he said.
"The time for evacuation is over. Everyone should go inside and stay inside," Bloomberg said. "The city has taken exhaustive steps to prepare for whatever comes our way."
[Update 10:26 p.m.] The National Weather Service has issued tornado watches - extending through 5 a.m. Sunday - for parts of southern Delaware, eastern New Jersey, southeastern New York and Long Island and southwestern Connecticut.
[Update 9:52 p.m.] A tornado touched down in Lewes, Delaware, damaging at least 17 homes, the governor said Saturday night.
There were no immediate reports of injuries, Governor Jack Markell told CNN affiliate KYW. He wouldn't have official damage figures until Sunday morning, he said.
[Update 9:42 p.m.] Amtrak said Saturday night it is suspending all service north of Jacksonville, Florida, and east of Toledo, Ohio, and Indianapolis through Sunday because of Hurricane Irene.
[Update 9:27 p.m.] As of 9 p.m. ET Saturday, the storm was centered about 155 miles south of Dover, Delaware, moving northward at 16 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
The storm's intensity was 80 mph "with the center of the hurricane passing very close to the coasts of Delaware and New Jersey from late tonight into Sunday morning," according to the weather service.
"The storm will bring damaging winds … torrential rain with dangerous flooding … and coastal flooding," the weather service said.
[Update 9:17 p.m.] Philadelphia International Airport will close Saturday at 10:30 p.m. ET and won't re-open until 4 p.m. Sunday at the earliest, said spokeswoman Victoria Lupica.
The airport had already cancelled all departures because of Hurricane Irene.
[Update 9:03 p.m.] Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Corey Booker said he's been going door to door warning residents to flee the storm.
"We're strongly encouraging residents to leave," Booker told CNN Saturday night. "I benefited a lot from the surprise factor as the mayor showing up [at their doors]," he said. "I think they got the point, and hopefully they'll behave appropriately. Booker said ultimately the city would do what it could to save people in distress due to the storm.
[Update 8:53 p.m.] The lower level of the George Washington Bridge, which connects New York and New Jersey, has been closed, according to the Port Authority.
The upper level of the bridge remains open, the authority said.
[Update 8:43 p.m.] A ninth person has died as a result of Hurricane Irene, officials said. A man in Chesterfield County, Virginia, died after a tree fell on his home, emergency officials said.
[Update 8:39 p.m.] The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for metropolitan New York. A tornado watch indicates that conditions are favorable for a tornado to form, according to the National Weather Service. No tornado has yet developed or been reported.
Tough lessons from 1938's Northeast hurricane reverberate today
[Update 8:35 p.m.] Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Boston announces suspension of Sunday services due to Hurricane Irene.
[Update 8:32 p.m.] The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is now closed, the Maryland Transportation Authority said on its website. The bridge will be off-limits until high winds subside, the agency said.
[Update 8:21 p.m.] The Maryland Transit Administration said it was halting all subway and bus services at 9 p.m. Saturday - with light rail transport ending three hours earlier. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel has been closed until further notice, the state's Emergency Management Agency reported.
[Update 8 p.m.] The National Hurricane Center on Saturday warned residents living in tall structures in the path of Hurricane Irene that the wind hitting upper floors will be stronger than those in most storms.
"As Irene moves through areas with high-rise structures, these structures will experience winds significantly stronger than indicated by the advisory intensity," forecasters said. "Winds at the 30-story level will likely be 20% higher than at the surface. And winds 80-100 stories up could be about 30% higher than the surface."
[Update 7:48 p.m.] President Barack Obama was briefed on the path of the storm Saturday evening in a conference call with senior emergency response officials, including Vice President Joe Biden, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Energy Secretary Steven Chu, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate and Homeland Security Advisor John Brennan.
Obama was informed of response and recovery preparations by federal officials along the East Coast; he asked to be kept abreast of developments throughout the night.
He called for the group to reconvene Sunday morning.
[Update: 7:24 p.m.] Washington, D.C.'s Metro transit system will continue to run on a regular weekend schedule, the agency said in a press release.
Supervisor motor vehicles will be equipped with chainsaws to assist with downed trees, the agency said.
[Update: 7:09 p.m.] Hurricane Irene is forecast to remain a hurricane as it moves near or over the mid-Atlantic coast and nears New England, the National Hurricane Center said Saturday.
Irene is expected to weaken after landfall in New England and become a post-tropical cyclone Sunday night or early Monday, the center said in its latest advisory.
[Update: 7:04 p.m.] Two additional people have died in car accidents as a result of Hurricane Irene, emergency officials in North Carolina said Saturday, bringing the total death toll from the storm to eight.
[Update: 7:00 p.m.] Hurricane Irene is about to re-emerge over the Atlantic waters, the National Weather Service said in a bulletin.
[Update: 6:46 p.m.] The Maryland Transit Administration is halting all subway and bus services at 9 p.m. Saturday, with light rail transport ending three hours earlier, due to Hurricane Irene, the agency announced on its website.
[Update 6:33 p.m.] Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell told CNN on Saturday evening that a higher than expected 5- to 7-foot storm surge could hit the Hampton Roads area in the coming hours.
"That would be a record (and) that would put water in a lot of places," he said.
Hurricane hunters: Crews fly into storm's eye, for safety's safe
McDonnell said that areas around Norfolk could see waters rise 8 to 9 feet above the norm, adding that rivers and creeks likely will be cresting for several days. "We're very concerned about storm surge and now that the high winds have come in we're very concerned about trees," he said.
[Update 6:27 p.m.] Ocean City, Maryland, Mayor Rick Meehan said early Saturday evening that he is pulling police off the streets because of deteriorating conditions.
Emergency calls will be handled on a case-by-case basis, Meehan told CNN.
There is some flooding downtown and more is expected when high tide occurs around 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Forecasters have told Meehan that waves could soar as high as 15 feet, especially when the worst of the storm hits the city between midnight and 3 a.m. Sunday.
[Update 6:23 p.m.] Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter declared a state of emergency for the city Saturday as Irene churned up the East Coast. It's the first state of emergency for Philadelphia since 1986.
[Update 6:10 p.m.] Speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley said, "My biggest concerns are downed power lines and coastal flooding."
"I think people are treating this storm with the respect that is due," O'Malley said. "Given the saturation of the ground and the wind knocking over trees there will be a lot of people without power tonight."
[Update 6:00 p.m.] As of 5 p.m. ET Saturday, the storm was centered about 230 miles south of Atlantic City, New Jersey, moving northward at 13 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
A flood watch is in effect for much of eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and northeastern Maryland, the weather service said.
"A tornado watch is in effect for portions of southern New Jersey … Delaware and portions of the Maryland eastern shore and adjacent waters," the weather service said.
[Update 5:40 p.m.] Six people have died as a result of Hurricane Irene, including a man killed while surfing off the coast of Florida, emergency officials said Saturday.
The 55-year-old New Smyrna Beach resident was surfing off that city's coast until witnesses spotted him face-down in the water, said Capt. Tamara Marris, a spokeswoman for the Volusia County Beach Patrol. Emergency personnel found him to be nonresponsive with a large cut to his head, eventually transferring him to Bert Fish Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead around noon Saturday.
"The surf that we had this morning was a remnant of Hurricane Irene," said Marris.
Also Saturday, a man was killed in Brunswick County, Virginia, after a tree fell on his car, said Eileen Guertler, a spokeswoman for the state's emergency operations center. It was not known if the car he was in was moving at the time of the man's death.
Earlier Saturday, Officer Holly McPherson of the Newport News, Virginia, police department said that a boy died after a tree crashed on an apartment complex in that city.
Three others died earlier in North Carolina, according to officials.
A motorist lost control of his vehicle and struck a tree in Pitt County. A man feeding livestock in Nash County was struck by a tree limb. And a man in Onslow County died of a heart attack as he put plywood over his windows in preparation for the storm, said emergency management spokesman Ernie Seneca.
Northeast prepares: Time to evacuate running out
[Update 5:33 p.m.] Rhode Island's Newport Emergency Management Team has ordered a mandatory evacuation of all coastal residents by midnight, the agency said in a press release Saturday.
"We strongly encourage all to relocate to safe locations," the agency said.
[Update 5:14 p.m.] Five people have died as a result of Hurricane Irene, including a man killed in Virginia after a tree fell on his car, emergency officials said Saturday.
The man was killed in Brunswick County, Virginia, said Eileen Guertler, a spokeswoman for the state's emergency operations center. It was not known if the car he was in was moving at the time of the man's death.
Earlier Saturday, Officer Holly McPherson of the Newport News, Virginia, police department said that a boy died after a tree crashed on an apartment complex in that city.
Three others died earlier in North Carolina, according to officials.
A motorist lost control of his vehicle and struck a tree in Pitt County. A man feeding livestock in Nash County was struck by a tree limb. And a man in Onslow County died of a heart attack as he put plywood over his windows in preparation for the storm, said emergency management spokesman Ernie Seneca.
[Update 4:38 p.m.] There will be no incoming or outgoing flights Sunday out of the five New York-area airports - John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, Newark Liberty, Teterboro and Stewart - operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, agency spokesman Steve Coleman said Saturday afternoon.
This means there are "thousands of flights cancelled, with 150 to 200 people a flight," said Coleman, speculating that "probably tens of thousands of people" are affected.
[Update 4:26 p.m.] New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered the deployment Saturday afternoon of an additional 1,000 National Guards in response to Hurricane Irene, according to an announcement from his office.
The deployment means that 1,900 National Guard members have been dispatched so far because of the storm.
[Update 4:03 p.m.] As of 3 p.m. ET Saturday, the storm was centered about 95 miles south of Norfolk, Virginia, moving northward at 13 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
[Update 3:57 p.m.] Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Virginia will ask all visitors to leave at 5 p.m. Saturday and the facility will go on "lockdown" status from that time until noon Sunday, CNN has confirmed.
The hospital said visitors could stay in touch with their loved ones overnight by electronic devices.
Hurricane Irene: State by state updates
[Update 3:42 p.m.] New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that the area's mass transit system "probably" won't fully reopen until "late in the day Monday," as the city recovers from the impact of Hurricane Irene.
"This is a storm where, if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time, (it) could be fatal," the mayor told reporters Saturday afternoon. "The storm is coming and the few things that are working, the few stores that are still open, we expect them to all close in the very near future."
"If you haven't left you should leave now, not later this afternoon, not this evening, but immediately," Bloomberg said.
[Update 3:24 p.m.] Illinois sent personnel from the state's Emergency Management Agency and National Guard to New York to assist in storm preparations, according to a press release Saturday from Gov. Pat Quinn's office.
"Hurricane Irene is a serious threat to millions of people along the East Coast, and we're prepared to provide assistance wherever needed," Quinn said in the statement.
The deployment from Illinois is in response to a request by New York funneled through the national Emergency Management Assistance Compact. As part of the accord, New York has agreed to reimburse Illinois for expenses.
[Update 3:11 p.m.] Rhode Island's Interstate Navigation security chief Bill McCombe told CNN that the last passenger ferry left Block Island at 2 p.m. Saturday and won't resume before Tuesday. McCombe said the island, located 13 miles from Rhode Island, added extra ferries to accommodate passengers wanting to leave before Irene hit.
The ferries will be docked in Connecticut for safe harbor during the storm, McCombe said.
President Barack Obama warned that Irene could be a "hurricane of historic proportions."
[Update 2:37 p.m.] Four people have died as a result of Hurricane Irene, including a boy killed after a tree crashed in Newport News, Virginia, emergency officials said Saturday. Officer Holly McPherson of the Newport News police department said the child went missing after a tree crashed on an apartment complex. Authorities were waiting for cranes to arrive to lift the tree. Three others died earlier in North Carolina, according to officials.
[Update 2:11 p.m.] New York City's subway lines and bus routes are completing their final runs, according to the Metropolitan Transit Authority's special emergency website.
[Update 1:57 p.m.] Three people have died in North Carolina as a result of Hurricane Irene, an emergency management official said. A motorist lost control of his vehicle and struck a tree in Pitt County. A man feeding livestock in Nash County was struck by a tree limb. And, a man in Onslow County died of a heart attack as he put plywood over his windows in preparation for the storm, said emergency management spokesman Ernie Seneca.
[Update 12:27 p.m.] President Obama has arrived at FEMA headquarters in Washington.
[Update 12:19 p.m.] A man feeding livestock in North Carolina was crushed by a tree limb Saturday morning amid Hurricane Irene's high winds, an emergency official in Nash County told CNN. On Friday, a man in the state's Onslow County died of a heart attack on Friday as he put plywood over his windows in preparation for the storm, a state emergency spokesman said.
[Update 11:54 a.m.] "Irene remains a large and dangerous storm," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said. "People need to take it seriously. People need to be prepared."
[Update 11:36 a.m.] Bill Read, director of the National Hurricane Center, said forecasters don't expect Hurricane Irene to strengthen any more as it rumbles up the East Coast.
[Update 11:01 a.m.] Hurricane Irene is battering eastern North Carolina and tropical storm conditions are spreading northward along the Delmarva coast, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory. The Category 1 hurricane has sustained winds of 85 miles per hour and is moving northeast at 15 miles per hour, according to the 11 a.m. ET advisory. It is 50 miles west of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and 120 miles south of Norfolk, Virginia. The center of the storm will move across northeastern North Carolina during the afternoon. The hurricane is forecast to move over the Mid-Atlantic coast on Saturday night and over southern New England on Sunday.
[Update 10:46 a.m.] President Obama added Rhode Island to the list of states under a federal emergency declaration.
[Updated 10:34 a.m.] New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Saturday it's "conceivable" in downtown Manhattan there will be no electricity after Hurricane Irene blows through. He said that mass transit, which will be halted at noon on Saturday because of Hurricane Irene, is not likely to be fully back by Monday morning.
[Updated 10:14 a.m.] North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue said Hurricane Irene "pounded the state all night," but the force isn't as great as originally forecast. She said there are high winds and flooding problems. More than 227,000 homes and businesses have lost power, she said. Irene has affected transportation in the eastern part of the state; 10 major roads have closed and airports have shut down. Perdue also said the eastern counties will see up to 9 inches of rain. "Please stay inside," she said to the people in the storm-affected region of the state.
[Updated 9:36 a.m.] New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg reminded people that mass transit is not going to be available in the city starting at noon. "If you have to leave, you have to start right now," he said.
[Updated 9:33 a.m.] Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Hurricane Irene is now beginning to move up the Atlantic seaboard as expected and "the window of preparation is quickly closing." She urged people in the path of the storm to make sure they have enough supplies for a few days.
[Updated 9:09 a.m.] Several inches of standing water were covering streets and parking lots in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, after the worst of the storm had passed over, CNN's John Zarrella reported.
[Updated 9:07 a.m.] President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency in New Hampshire and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local efforts to respond to Hurricane Irene. Earlier, Obama declared emergencies in Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
[Updated 8:58 a.m.] North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue said tourists and many residents have left the hurricane-slammed region of her state, but she said "some hangers-on who want to see the storm" remain.
[Updated 8:42 a.m.] A tornado warning is in effect for Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, Virginia, until 9 a.m.
[Updated 8:16 a.m.] Radar showed heavy rain falling throughout eastern North Carolina at a rate of 5 inches or more per hour. Outflow clouds from the hurricane stretched from southern Maine to northeastern Georgia.
[Updated 8 a.m.] The hurricane reached land five miles northeast of Cape Lookout and 60 miles southwest of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. It had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph and was moving 14 mph.
[Updated 7:51 a.m.] Hurricane Irene has made landfall in eastern North Carolina, the National Hurricane Center says in its latest advisory.
[Updated 7:02 a.m.] President Barack Obama has declared a state of emergency in New Jersey and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local efforts to respond to Hurricane Irene.
[Updated 5:40 a.m.] CNN affiliate WITN says damage from possible tornadoes has been reported in Beaufort and Tyrrell counties in North Carolina.
[Updated 3:32 a.m. Saturday] Irene weakened to a Category 1 hurricane Saturday morning, carrying maximum sustained winds of 90 mph, forecasters said. As of 3 a.m. ET, Irene was about 60 miles south of Cape Lookout, North Carolina, moving north-northeast at 14 mph, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
[Updated 3:17 a.m. Saturday] President Obama declares state of emergency in Connecticut and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local efforts due to Hurricane Irene.
[Updated 2:50 a.m. Saturday] Hurricane Irene was 85 miles south of Cape Lookout, North Carolina, as of 2 a.m. Saturday, forecasters said.
It carried maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, the National Hurricane Center said.
[Updated 1:05 a.m. Saturday] As of 1 a.m. ET Saturday, Hurricane Irene moved closer to the North Carolina coast and was about 105 miles south of Cape Lookout, North Carolina.
It carried maximum sustained winds of 100 mph and was moving north-northeast at 13 mph, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
[Updated 11:00 p.m. Friday] New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said cats and dogs would be welcome at the emergency shelters set up for people fleeing the storm.
"If you have your pet bring them with you. … No one should be staying in their homes in an endangered area because they feel like they can't bring their pets with them," Christie said.
Mark Lavorgna, a mayoral spokesman, confirmed that pets are allowed in the 91 emergency evacuation shelters set up in preparation for Hurricane Irene. But "we strongly, strongly argue against it," he said. "We urge people to bring their pets to friends or familiy's houses or shelters outside Zone A, but if people need to bring them they can," said Lavorgna. "They should come leashed and muzzled."
[Updated 10:36 p.m. Friday] North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue told CNN's Anderson Cooper that the state was prepared but cautious. "We urge people to just be really aware. It doesn't sound like a huge storm right now - 50 mile-an-hour winds - but we think it's going to stay over our state 10 or 12 hours and that's where the problem becomes," she said.
Perdue then referenced reports of a bowl-shaped part of the low-lying coastline that is especially vulnerable to high waters.
"That bowl that you were talking about earlier full of water, it's going to dump somewhere, and when it dumps there's going to be a surge of water and who knows what'll happen," Perdue said.
Irene targets heavily populated, least prepared urban areas
[Updated 10:23 p.m. Friday] The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island will be closed Saturday through Monday because of Hurricane Irene, according to Jane Ahern, public affairs chief of the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island.
All units of the Gateway National Recreation Area, Governor's Island and all National Park sites in Manhattan will be closed to visitors Saturday and Sunday, with a chance of opening Monday depending on storm damage and a safety assessment.
"The safety of our visitors and employees is our top priority at this time," said National Parks of New York Harbor Commissioner Maria Burkes. "Our park employees are currently working diligently to protect park resources per our Emergency Response Plans."
[Updated 10:05 p.m. Friday] Russell Honoré, the general famous for his management of the federal government's military response to Hurricane Katrina, told CNN's Piers Morgan Friday night that local authorities were right in calling for mass evacuations in low-lying areas along the Eastern Seaboard.
"I think we have had a cultural shift in government because, working with hurricanes for about the last 10 to 12 years while I was in uniform, local governments and governors were reluctant to make that decision to evacuate because of the impact [of what would happen] if they evacuated people and the storm didn't come," he said. "But the options of not evacuating people, with the warnings that we have now and the accuracy of prediction, (it) needs to be done," Honoré said.
[Updated 9:53 p.m. Friday] Maryland's Martin O'Malley was one of several East Coast governors to declare a state of emergency in advance of the storm. Residents of low-lying areas in the state were told to evacuate ahead of what the governor called "a very dangerous and potentially deadly hurricane."
The governor said Friday that "anybody that thinks that this is a normal hurricane and that they can just stick it out is being both selfish, stupid and also diverting essential public safety assets away from the task at hand, which is safeguarding lives and getting people out of the way."
[Updated 9:40 p.m. Friday] The Port Authority has announced the closing of five airports - JFK International, Newark Liberty International, LaGuardia, Teterboro and Stewart International - to all arriving passenger flights, international and domestic, starting at noon Saturday.


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COLOGNE, Germany, June 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — The smart home is a reality, but not yet standard. Leading international experts at TUV Rheinland expect this to change very quickly: They estimate that in five years' time there will be around 500 devices, products, applications and components in every private household that are Internet-enabled or already connected to the Internet. This is a forecast from TUV Rheinland's Cybersecurity Trends 2018, published by the globally active testing service provider for quality and safety. The problem: Many of these "smart" products and applications are not sufficiently tested for data security and cybersecurity.
Networked devices collect and exchange data
Smart networked devices include online control systems for roller shutters, lighting or heating as well as televisions, refrigerators or lawnmowers, mobile phones, tablet PCs or baby monitors. "Networked devices need to collect and exchange data in order to function. Otherwise these are not smart. At the same time, they must be well protected against data security and cyber-burglaries," says Dr. Daniel Hamburg, Head of the Global Center of Excellence Testing and Certification at TUV Rheinland, the leading expert for product testing and cybersecurity. Among other things, it demands that standards for testing device security be extended to include tests for data security and cybersecurity. "Otherwise, the Smart Home will open the door to a new kind of burglar."
Cyber criminals: New generation of burglars
In fact, there are already incidents in which it is possible to penetrate systems and products connected to the Internet with comparatively simple means. This is done, for example, via malware or WLAN. In a recent test, for example, experts from TUV Rheinland hacked an inverter in a solar power system. This would have made it possible to affect connected storage systems or even the power grid itself. Alarm systems or surveillance systems have also been hacked and levered out by burglars.
Ensure compliance with data protection regulations
To ensure that consumers can be more confident that products and systems meet current data protection and online security requirements at the time of purchase, experts demand independent testing according to uniform standards.
Dr. Daniel Hamburg said: "An example from Germany: The GS mark for tested product safety has existed in Germany for 40 years. We now need a similar test for smart products in order to make tested data security and cybersecurity visible to consumers at a glance. This creates an opportunity for comparison in the market and ensures trust in the manufacturers."
TUV Rheinland has been developing such tests since 2017: The experts check the data protection and data security of products and applications that are connected to these products. Because an Internet-enabled device is almost always connected to a service, for example mobile and flexible control via a smartphone. When purchasing new smart devices, consumers should always inform themselves about compliance with data protection regulations and not just pay attention to the price.
Cybersecurity Trends presented for the fourth time
TUV Rheinland's Cybersecurity Trends were published for the fourth time in 2018. They were researched and compiled over several months within an international team. The report is based on a survey of leading cybersecurity experts from TUV Rheinland and the experiences of companies in Europe, North America and Asia. To this end, the experts also surveyed companies and organizations in various industries and analyzed security incidents worldwide in the past year.
The Cybersecurity Trends 2018 provide information on eight major developments in data security, IT security, data protection and cybercrime. These include the effects of the new data protection regulations within the European Union – keyword: basic data protection regulation — the trend towards biometric recognition systems in everyday life and the development of artificial intelligence around cybersecurity.
600 specialists worldwide
For almost 20 years, TUV Rheinland has supported the private and public sector with comprehensive consulting and solutions expertise in the fields of cybersecurity and telecommunications. This includes cybersecurity solutions, consulting in the domain of digital transformation, planning of telecommunication infrastructures, IT services, management consulting and the accompaniment of innovative research projects. The Business Stream ICT & Business Solutions at TUV Rheinland employs around 600 experts worldwide.
The complete Cybersecurity Trends 2018 are available free of charge and can be downloaded at http://www.tuv.com/en/
About TUV Rheinland
TUV Rheinland is a global leader in independent inspection services, founded 145 years ago. The group maintains a worldwide presence of more than 20,000 people; annual turnover is nearly EUR 2 billion. The independent experts stand for quality and safety for people, technology and the environment in nearly all aspects of life. TUV Rheinland inspects technical equipment, products and services, oversees projects, and helps to shape processes and information security for companies. Its experts train people in a wide range of careers and industries. To this end, TUV Rheinland employs a global network of approved labs, testing and education centers. Since 2006, TUV Rheinland has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact to promote sustainability and combat corruption.


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Nothing More Beautiful: in service to the new evangelization in the Archdiocese of Edmonton
"O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!" (Psalm 107.1). In the Archdiocese of Edmonton we have much for which to be thankful. Without cease, God blesses us richly from the infinite depths of his "steadfast love." His greatest gift is life in communion with his Son Jesus Christ by the agency of the Holy Spirit, who draws us together in the community of the Church.
Our Nothing More Beautiful initiative is immersing us in the beauty of our Christian life. The encounters at St. Joseph's Basilica, whether our participation has been live or via television, webcast or DVD, have been, and continue to be, a "moment" of wonderful grace for the Archdiocese.
They have been inspired by the words of our Holy Father, who joyfully announced at the outset of his pontificate: "There is nothing more beautiful than to know Jesus Christ; there is nothing more beautiful than to tell others of our friendship with him" (Homily at the Mass for the Inauguration of the Pontificate, April 24, 2005).
We have opened our eyes and hearts to this beauty through the series of catechetical presentations and witness testimonies. By prayerful meditation on the great and fundamental Christian truths, we have journeyed through the mystery of the human being as created in the image and likeness of God, the splendour and wonder of the person of Christ, and the beauty of life in the communion of the Church.
In the two years that remain we shall immerse ourselves in the fundamental aspects of discipleship and reflect deeply on the social mission of the people of God.
When Nothing More Beautiful was first announced, I expressed my hope that our experience of the love of Christ, and of the joy that comes from knowing and following him in the communion of the Church, would inspire us to find new ways to announce the Gospel to the men and women of our day as we continue to deepen our own lives of faith (cf. Pastoral Letter, Solemnity of Pentecost, 2008).
As the end of our Nothing More Beautiful series in 2013 begins to appear on the horizon, it is time to look ahead to what must inevitably follow from this initiative. We must begin now to look to the future, asking how the graces we have received might be translated into pastoral directions and priorities for the future.
I have been pondering this for quite some time now, and have consulted with the Council of Priests, the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council and the leadership of our Pastoral and Administration Offices. The purpose of this letter is to share with you the general orientations and priorities that I believe must guide the Archdiocese of Edmonton in the years that lie before us.
Pastoral planning needs to be established on a secure foundation. The underpinning of our work in the archdiocese will take as its inspiration the basic structure of the Nothing More Beautiful presentations. The catechetical instructions unfolded the beauty of knowing Jesus Christ; the witness presentations were examples of sharing the joy of friendship with him.
This experience has demonstrated that communion with Christ and authentic witnessing to him before others is the very heart of the Christian life. Therefore, the ground of our pastoral activity will be helping one another to know and love Christ more deeply, and to be ever more authentic witnesses to him in the world.
"There is nothing more beautiful than to know Jesus Christ." Prior to the establishment of any pastoral initiatives it is necessary to affirm the need for each and every one of us to grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ. All that we are and do must begin in and from him. Indeed, apart from the Lord we can do nothing (cf. John 15.5), and all activities are certain to fail.
In his first encyclical letter, Pope Benedict XVI stated clearly that the Christian life begins from an encounter with the person of Jesus Christ (cf. Deus Caritas Est, 1). Notably, he wrote of this as an encounter with an "event." When we truly encounter Jesus Christ, we meet the Incarnate Son of God, and life is changed in consequence.
From the beginning of Nothing More Beautiful we have said that its ultimate goal has been to promote and foster for all of us this encounter with our Lord. This must now deepen.
I am reminded of the experience of St. Augustine. His encounter with the beauty of God in Christ left him hungering for ever deeper union with our Lord. His memorable words are recorded for us in his Confessions:
"Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! . . . You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace" (X, 27).
The nucleus and energy of all pastoral work in the Church is the abiding union of every believer with the heart of Jesus Christ. Only through such union, ever-deepening, can each disciple embrace and grow in our common baptismal call to holiness.
"There is nothing more beautiful than to tell others of our friendship with him." Christian witness comprises more than words. It embraces the entire way of life of believers. In fact, we are known far more by what we do than by what we say.
Many years ago the Servant of God, Pope Paul VI, put it well when he said, "Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses" (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 41).
We are convinced of the vital importance of the Gospel for our world, and are called to communicate it effectively. There is no more convincing proof of the beauty and might of the Gospel than believers who demonstrate its transformative power by their lives of peace, hope and joy. We are authentic in our witness when the belief that we profess and the comportment of our lives enlighten and verify each another.
The demand to be authentic embraces the entire Church – clergy, religious and lay faithful alike.
As individuals we must discern carefully, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, any elements of our lives that are inconsistent with the Gospel so that we may grow in fidelity. Families, too, are called to give authentic witness to the truth and beauty of marriage and make their homes a lived experience of "the domestic Church" (cf. Lumen Gentium, 11).
Likewise must our various institutions demonstrate authenticity in their witness. Our parishes must be places of welcome and communion. Catholic schools must be characterized by a Gospel culture wherein Christ is known, loved and celebrated. Hospitals that bear the name Catholic must manifest to all, especially to society's vulnerable and marginalized, the unconditional mercy and compassion of God.
It should be clear to all who are served by Catholic social agencies that our outreach stems from the command of our Lord to love one another as he has loved us.
By living in communion with Christ and striving with God's help to give authentic testimony to him, we embrace the call to holiness. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit at Baptism we are united to Christ the Head of the Church and thus are sanctified by sharing in the life of the One who alone is holy.
This gift is also a vocation. We are called to conform our lives to Christ and to live as befits our dignity as the children of God. Blessed Pope John Paul II reminded the Church that holiness must be the goal of all pastoral planning and action (cf. Novo Millennio Ineunte, 30-31).
I am pleased to reiterate this here. The gifts each of us brings to the mission of the Church are many and varied, but we share in common the universal call to holiness, to become saints (cf. 1 Peter 1.13-21).
Therefore, in all that we undertake, whether through our parishes, institutions or movements of renewal, may we be conscious of our ultimate responsibility to support one another along "the path of living faith, which arouses hope and works through charity" (Lumen Gentium, 5) so as to grow in holiness.
These foundations will be the ground and wellspring necessary for any pastoral initiatives to bear fruit for the kingdom of God. Only by remaining deeply rooted in Christ, and open to his mercy which forms us as authentic disciples, can we follow the Lord with fidelity and participate fruitfully in his saving mission.
As we take care to establish and deepen the necessary foundations, our minds must also turn to pastoral planning. If we are to profit from the graces we have been given through Nothing More Beautiful, they must be translated into priorities and strategies.
Of course, this is not the first endeavour of the archdiocese to do so. For many years a great deal of consultation has taken place, issuing in a number of priorities that have been followed to great effect. The establishment of new priorities at this time represents in no way a rupture with the past. Rather, it is a matter of bringing the good work and its fruits forward into a new context with a more concentrated focus.
The priorities I am establishing for the archdiocese are three: evangelization, faith formation and vocations promotion. These flow from the grace given us in and through Nothing More Beautiful.
We have been living together the joy of being a Christian, and the renewed hope that comes to anyone who encounters Jesus Christ. How can we not want to share with others the joy and hope that are ours through renewed efforts of evangelization?
Second, we have sampled the beauty and richness of our Catholic faith. Naturally, our catechetical presentations only scratched the surface of this immense treasury, and thus left us hungering for more. We must find ways to respond to the often expressed and deeply felt desire of our people to be formed in the faith.
In addition, we have instinctively realized that this faith cannot be proclaimed or taught unless the Lord raises up and sends people to do so. Our need for leaders in the faith has been underscored by our recent construction of St. Joseph Seminary and Newman Theological College. New ways need to be found to work together to form a culture of vocations in the archdiocese.
Woven throughout these priorities, and uniting them, is the important concept of stewardship. This has long been a principal concern of the archdiocese and remains so. Stewardship is our response to the proclamation of the Gospel.
Its essence is captured in the two questions people first asked as they witnessed God's marvels and heard the apostolic preaching. After the Holy Spirit had descended upon and transformed the apostles, those who witnessed it asked, "What does this mean?" (Cf. Acts 2:1-12). In response St. Peter preached to them about God's saving plan, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and the listeners then asked, "What must we do?" (cf. Acts 2.13-37). He then told them that they must repent of their sins and be baptized.
These two questions – What does this mean? What must we do? – capture the essential meaning of stewardship and unite our priorities. Whenever the Gospel is preached (evangelization), we must strive for ever greater understanding (faith formation), in order to embrace the many ways in which we are called to change and live in fidelity to the demands of our Baptism (vocation).
The Church exists to evangelize. Our raison d'etre as a communion of disciples is to announce Jesus Christ to the world. Of course, the Church has done this from her very beginning. In recent decades, however, Blessed Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have been calling us insistently to a "new evangelization."
In fact, in October of 2012 the Holy Father will convoke a special Synod of Bishops to give close attention to the theme, The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith. What is more, he has recently created a new pontifical council of the Holy See dedicated to the new evangelization. How are we to understand this call?
The word "evangelization" comes to us from the Greek verb euangelizo, which means to announce good news. Clearly, there is no better news than the wondrous truth that God has come to us in his Son Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit in order to save the world! Christians have made this known from the time of Pentecost, often at the cost of martyrdom.
The need for an evangelization that is "new" is twofold.
First, we have traditionally thought of evangelization as missionary outreach to those who have not yet heard the Gospel. This is called the Church's mission ad gentes and is perennially valid. In our day, in addition to those who do not yet know Jesus Christ are many baptized Christians who have grown lukewarm in their faith, have left the Church or who, although they participate in the life of the Church, do not know her teachings or follow them only selectively.
The new evangelization is directed at all of these audiences. It seeks to re-evangelize the baptized and welcome home to the Christian community those who have strayed, so that, having been renewed in the love of Christ, we may together share the good news ad gentes, i.e., with those who, even in our own cities and country, do not yet know the joy of life in and with our Lord.
Second, to borrow from Blessed John Paul II, evangelization today must be "new in its ardour, methods, and expression" (Blessed John Paul II, Address to the Bishops of Latin America, 1983). Zeal for the evangelical task must be enkindled in the hearts of believers, who are charged with finding new ways to express the timeless message of Jesus Christ.
Traditional Christian terminology is no longer understood or even accessible to the majority of people today. Hence the need for new expressions communicated with new methodologies in order to reach our contemporaries with the Gospel.
This is why, for example, we have used modern means of communication for Nothing More Beautiful, in which we have taken inspiration from Pope Benedict's use of the concept of beauty to convey the Christian message.
The new evangelization will continue to unfold in the Archdiocese of Edmonton in three stages.
This series of catechetical reflections and witness presentations has been aimed at believers who are engaged in the life of the Church. Its aim has been a renewed encounter with the Lord in his Church so as to foster within our hearts a "new ardour" for the proclamation of the Gospel. It has been a "launching pad," if you will, for the outreach that we must undertake together toward those who have left the Church and those who do not yet know the liberating power of the Gospel.
Even though this first stage will come to a formal end in 2013, we must continue to find ways to help one another grow in the love of Christ and his Church. Conversion to the Lord is a life-long process, and Nothing More Beautiful has reminded all of us of our never-ending need to be attentive to his Word and open to his grace.
I say without hesitation that our attention outward must be directed first towards those who have left the practice of the faith. By Baptism they are our brothers and sisters. They are our family members, our friends and our co-workers. They are our fellow parishioners near whom we sat in our churches for many years and who suddenly are no longer with us. The Church is their home, as it is ours, and it is time to reach out and invite them to "come home."
Over the next two years the archdiocese will be making the necessary preparations for this outreach. The motives for departures from the Church are many and varied. We need to understand those reasons and help people to address them and, where necessary, to heal.
Parishes must be very attentive to being welcoming communities, and will need to create the spaces and opportunities for people to "come home" and find the support they need as they rediscover the joy of life in the communion of Christ's Church.
Many formal programs are available to assist dioceses in responding to this widespread need. The appropriate choices for our situation will need to be discerned carefully and employed consistently throughout the archdiocese.
We do not need to travel far to find evidence of the urgent need for the light of the Gospel. There is great suffering among many people in our towns and cities, province and country. Multiple dimensions of our society are unfolding without any clear reference to the Gospel.
The mission ad gentes engages us in our own locales, and it is incumbent upon us to announce in every circumstance the mystery of the Cross of Jesus Christ as the true "measure of the world" (Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman, Parochial and Plain Sermons, Volume VI, Sermon 7; cf. 1 Corinthians 1.18-25; 2.1-5).
A few years before his death, Blessed John Paul II wrote an extraordinary letter to guide the Church across the threshold of the new millennium (cf. Novo Millennio Ineunte). Echoing the words of the Lord spoken to St. Peter in their encounter recorded in chapter five of the Gospel of St. Luke, the pope's cry to the Church was "Duc in Altum!" Put out into the deep!
As Jesus commanded Peter to let down his nets into the depths of the Sea of Galilee, so, too, does the Lord call us to set out into the deep waters of our society. Threats against the dignity of human life, the modern challenges to the integrity of the family, the perplexing world of bioethics, the multidimensional culture of our youth and grinding poverty among so many at home and abroad are just a few examples of the "deep waters" into which we must set out as Christians in response to the urgent need for a new evangelization.
All of these issues and more need the light of the Gospel.
To discern the most urgent need in the mission ad gentes, I have been consulting with the Council of Priests and the lay faithful who form our Archdiocesan Pastoral Council. I have also spoken with officials of Catholic Social Services.
All unite in their conviction that we must address first the issue of family. I concur. Many of our social ills stem from unhealthy, often violent, family situations.
Into this deep water we are called to set out with the light and hope of the Gospel, in order to share its message of the beauty and dignity of marriage, the inexpressibly wondrous gift of children, and the home as the place of love, nurture, safety, and identity. Over the next year the archdiocese, through its Office of Family and Life, will prepare a pastoral plan to celebrate and support the family and the gift of life. We shall also engage in further discernment as to how we shall, as a Christian community, set out into the other deep waters of our day.
Related to the first priority of evangelization, and flowing from it, is the Church's mission to build upon and deepen the initial conversion to Jesus Christ by forming disciples, both individually and collectively, in the faith of the Church. The very broad review in Nothing More Beautiful of the principal and foundational truths of Christianity has left us thirsting for deeper knowledge and assimilation of our faith.
This is a complex task. To be faithful to the mind of the Church, it is essential that our formation in faith be integral and authentic catechesis.
By this I mean, first of all, that we must distinguish carefully between religious education and catechesis. The former deals with imparting knowledge of the faith, a task which is, obviously, of great importance. The latter embraces this handing on of knowledge, but involves more. The goal of catechesis is "to put people not only in touch but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ: only he can lead us to the love of the Father in the Spirit and make us share in the life of the Holy Trinity" (Catechesi Tradendae, 5). All that we do in the catechetical ministry must be so planned as to lead toward the fulfilment of this aim.
Second, integral faith formation means immersing the catechized, in a systematic fashion, in all of the many facets of our identity in Christ. This will involve (cf. General Directory for Catechesis, 85-86):
Many different individuals, organizations, agencies, parishes and other institutions of the Church already carry out these tasks in various ways in our archdiocese. However, greater coordination is needed so that our efforts all support one another in the context of a comprehensive plan.
To this end the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, through the Episcopal Commission for Catechesis, has published a guide to assist dioceses in the formulation of a pastoral plan for adult faith formation. The Archdiocese of Edmonton will adopt this document, entitled On Good Soil, as its template.
Our Office of Evangelization and Catechesis is charged with the responsibility of bringing together the many partners in adult catechesis to formulate and propose to me a pastoral plan that will address the many faith formation needs of our people in an integrated fashion.
Knowing Christ opens us to hear his call sounding in the depths of our hearts: "Come follow me." The baptized share in common the universal call to holiness and mission. Communion in the love of Christ leads us to ever deeper conversion. It also impels us towards our brothers and sisters in lives of service. This is embraced and lived out in a multiplicity of ways among the people of God.
Most are called by Christ to the lay apostolate (cf. Second Vatican Council, Apostolicam Actuositatem). To all dimensions of life our lay people are sent with the good news of the Gospel, convinced that it has the power to transform humanity from within and make it new (cf. Pope Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi, 18).
From among the people of God, Christ also calls certain individuals to particular roles of leadership in the sacrament of Holy Orders or of witness in the consecrated life. The Church needs holy and faithful priests to teach, sanctify and govern the People of God. Also essential is the witness of complete self-gift offered by women and men religious who embrace in a radical way the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience.
Traditionally, dioceses have entrusted vocations ministry almost exclusively to a vocations director. This can no longer be our model. Certainly, every diocese needs such a director as a point of contact and guide for people as they discern their call. At the same time, it is necessary that every priest and every parent also be cognizant of their responsibility to be a "vocation director."
Indeed, in virtue of our communion in Christ, we all bear a certain responsibility for each other, which includes a readiness to support one another in our response to the summons of Christ. How might we help one another carefully discern and be faithfully obedient to the call of Jesus Christ?
In answer to this need I am asking that we work together to form a "culture of vocations" in our archdiocese. This term is taken from the Third Continental Congress on Vocations to Ordained Ministry and Consecrated Life in North America, which was held in Montreal in 2002. It designates a culture in which everyone is helped to know and embrace their call from Christ to serve the Church and the world as a member of his Body.
Our Office of Vocations has already initiated planning. The basic building blocks of such a culture are the following (cf. Conversion, Discernment, Mission: Fostering a Vocation Culture in North America):
The vocational dimension of the Christian life needs to be revitalized: people must be called to service, helped to discern their Spirit-given gifts and talents, and guided to align these with the needs of the Church and the world. All Christians are called to put their gifts at the service of the community and thereby to contribute to building up the Body of Christ.
The Three Pastoral Priorities Comprise a Single Vision
The more we evangelize, the more the community is formed, the more we will see the fruit in vocations. In other words, the more that people are drawn into the new life in Christ – the more that they hear of him and genuinely encounter him alive in the community of believers – the more they will want to know him and in turn share with others the joy of their friendship with him. This is our pastoral vision as we move forward into the future.
Clearly, these priorities do not exhaust the Church's activity. They must, however, inform and shape everything we do. Concretely, this means asking, in relation to any ministerial activity, the following:
Do people have an opportunity to encounter the risen Lord Jesus? What opportunity is there to learn about the faith? How does it call people to a greater service of God and neighbour?
Let us entrust our life of discipleship to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary under her title as Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the new evangelization in the Americas. By her maternal prayers, may we grow in our communion of love, knowledge, and mission with her son and our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Mary, Virgin of Guadalupe, Mother of all America, help us to be faithful stewards of the great mysteries of God. Help us to teach the truth your Son proclaimed and to spread love, which is the first commandment and first fruit of the Holy Spirit. Help us to confirm our brothers and sisters in the faith. Help us to spread hope in eternal life. Help us to guard the great spiritual treasures of the members of God's people who are entrusted to us.
Queen of the Apostles! Accept our willingness to serve unreservedly the cause of your Son, the cause of the Gospel and of peace, based on justice and love among individuals and between peoples.
Queen of Peace! Save the nations and peoples of the whole continent who trust in you; save them from war, hatred and subversion. May all, governors and the governed, learn to live in peace; may they be educated for peace, and undertake everything required by justice and respect for the rights of each person, so that peace may be strengthened.
Listen to us, "morenita" Virgin, Mother of Hope, Mother of Guadalupe!
(From the homily of Pope John Paul II at the Mass to Close the Special Assembly of Bishops for America, Dec. 12, 1997.


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What do you sleep on?
Of course, the normal reply is the mattress. But few people realize they're also resting on millions of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinuscan (dust mites). So how can you decrease the risk of these crawly creatures in your bed?
And why should you also think twice before quickly making up the bed.
Dust mites are related to spiders and will never win a beauty contest.
They're ugly, menacing, microscopic in size, have eight legs and you can put either 1,000 mites or 250,000 of their fecal pellets in half a teaspoon. Hardly exciting bedmates!
Dust mites accumulate in rugs, fabrics, and furniture. But they prefer warm beds, pillows and blankets where they live along with vast amounts of their fecal dropping. Since their diet consists of our dead skin cells they're eager for us to go to bed.
And how many people know that dead skin cells account for 80% of house dust?
At this point you may be saying, "Luckily, this isn't a problem for our home."
But dust mites are found in all homes no matter how clean.
And, if you think you can escape this nasty creature by moving to Antarctica, don't bother, as it's been found in that location.
So are dust mites hazardous to our health?
For a start, it doesn't help the psyche to know you're sleeping along with millions of these creatures every night! But dust mites have been linked to allergy problems, watery itchy eyes, sneezing, nasal stuffiness, eczema and asthma.
It's the fecal pellet containing guanine that triggers allergic reactions.
A report by North America's environmental watchdog agency says asthma is one of the most common chronic conditions in our children and also a serious problem for adults. Authorities say that 80% of asthmatic children test positive to dust mites.
So what can you do to limit the number of these spider-like mites, particularly if a family member suffers from asthma or other allergies?
Don't sleep with your pet. Pet dander is not your friend.
Have Fido or Felix the cat sleep in an area far removed from your bedroom. If this causes psychological problems for you, I doubt that it will affect Fido or Felix.
Think twice before making up the bed. This can be a tough sell if you're a neatnik.
A friend with a compulsive wife once complained to me, "If I get up at night to go to the bathroom, by the time I get back, my wife has made the bed!"
But dust mites cannot live by dust alone. They also need liquid, the water vapour we provide during the night by breathing and perspiring which amounts to one pint per person per night! This is why we always weigh less in the morning. So at least toss covers well off the bed when you get up which helps to dry out the bed before it's made up.
In fact, even making up beds is dangerous, as chambermaids are known to suffer from 'bed-maker's lung,' an allergic condition.
I must admit this column is not inclined to promote a good night's sleep. In fact, since I started to itch while writing it, I decided to do further research. I discovered that it's possible to purchase zippered protective mattress covers that are soft as silk and no mite can penetrate them.
Another company has developed a high-tech vacuum with dual action. It sucks up mites, but also uses ultraviolet light to penetrate mattresses, rugs and covered furniture to kill dust mites.
Maybe you're thinking, "I'll have a service company get rid of mites."
But Dr. Peyton Eggleston, professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University, says there's no scientific evidence this works.
The dust mites will return in a few weeks.
Remember the saying, "If you can't beat them, join them." This may be prudent in some situations. But I prefer the approach, "If you can't beat them, lock them up in a sure-fire protective covering."
This will allow me to sleep better and stop itching.
See the web site www.docgiff.com. For comments, firstname.lastname@example.com site Twitter @GiffordJonesMD.


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Foundation set up in marathon victim's name
BOSTON — The family of the Boston University graduate student killed in the marathon bombings last year has established a foundation in her name to provide scholarships and to support organizations that share the passion she had for travel and adventure.
Lu Lingzi, who had traveled from her native China to study statistics at BU, was one of three people killed when two pressure cooker bombs went off at the finish line April 15.
Lu was ambitious and focused from a young age and always intended on studying in the U.S., her aunt, Helen Zhao, of Cranston, R.I., told The Boston Globe.
Her niece relished the opportunity, loved trying new food and excelled in school.
"She was a dreamer," Zhao said. "She was very driven and wanted to experience life."
The Lingzi Foundation was announced as the anniversary of the bombings approached.
"Lingzi was a bright and confident young woman who yearned for life, loved beauty and pursued happiness," her father said in a statement announcing the foundation. "We hope to carry on Lingzi's positive spirit and encourage others to follow their passion and to pursue their own dreams."
Lu's parents, who live in Shenyang, China, plan to attend next week's memorial ceremonies for the victims, Zhao said.
Eight people are running this year's Boston Marathon to raise money for the Lingzi Foundation, including a veteran marathoner from China.
Zhao was Lu's emergency contact, and police drove to her house the day after the marathon to break the news that Lu had been killed.
"It didn't register," she said. "It was very hard to believe. It was like it was happening to someone else."


text: Make a fashion statement as you cut through the water with the competition-quality, pastel-colored Women's Vanquisher swim goggle from Speedo. The anti-fog, polycarbonate lens is shatter-resistant, has a pearlescent mirrored finish, and is UV protected. The soft silicone lens gaskets sit in a low profile on your face and offer cushioned protection. For a more comfortable swim and to avoid water intake, choose the right size of nose piece from the three provided. Speedo's line of competition swimming goggles are designed for the serious swim competitor. They are made from the highest-quality materials available, their low-profile design will give any swimmer the competitive advantage. These have been the most popular female swimming goggle for the past 5-6 years and I think they will continue to be one of the top selling goggles for a long time to come. There are lots of new goggles that come out every year but the Speedo Womens Vanquisher goggles remain the number one choice for competitive swimmers. Here is what you get with your Speedo Women's Vanquisher swim goggle, streamlined profile with hypoallergenic silicone gaskets deliver watertight comfort that"s sure to get some second looks. Shatter resistant, polycarbonate lenses with pearlescent mirror finish adds a touch of style. UV 95+ protection and anti-fog coating will keep you focused on what"s ahead. Double silicone headstrap with back buckle for a custom fit. Includes three interchangeable nose pieces.


text:
WASHINGTON (CN) – President Obama's proposed 2014 budget for the Department of Justice will spend $4.1 billion more on prisons than on "national security," the Justice Department revealed Wednesday.
Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday released the proposed 2014 budget for the Department of Justice: $27.6 billion – $1.6 billion less than the FY 2013 Justice budget, due to sequestration.
President Obama's proposal for the Justice Department is up 3 percent from the FY 2012 proposal, but less than this year's budget, the Department of Justice said in a statement.
According to the Justice Department statement, the proposal includes:
$8.5 billion for federal prisons and detention;
$4.4 billion for national security;
$395.1 million for (undefined) protection from gun violence;
$92.6 million enhancement for cyber security;
$55 million increase for investigating and prosecuting financial and mortgage fraud;
$25 million increase for immigration enforcement;
$258.6 million for civil rights;
$2.3 billion in assistance to state, local and tribal law enforcement;
$561.4 million in federal program offsets and rescissions.
Holder called the last item "efficiencies," required by the budget sequestration.
Categories: Societal


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DBIx::Class::Migration::Tutorial - How to use DBIx::Class::Migration
This is a tutorial for the database migration and fixture generation tools described at the usage / api level at DBIx::Class::Migration::Script and DBIx::Class::Migration. Although reviewing those docs would be helpful, I would not consider it required for the tutorial. However, I would expect you are familiar with DBIx::Class and that you are aware of the dependent projects DBIx::Class::DeploymentHandler and DBIx::Class::Fixtures. Having some knowledge of SQL::Translator would also be valuable.
I also assume you are familiar with the general problems of creating database migrations, such as generating DDL diff files, etc. This of course assumes you have good working knowledge of DDL and SQL, as well as some general understanding of database administration.
If you are new to DBIx::Class I really recommend you perform that tutorial first, and review its documentation.
This tutorial identifies the problem we are trying to solve, walks though increasingly complicated examples using these tools, and offers some advice as to the limit of the tool's value. We will also give some examples of how to make your migrations play well with common web application development frameworks such as Catalyst and how to use them with testing tools such as Test::DBIx::Class
By the completion of the tutorial I would expect you to understand how to prepare and install migrations, create custom deployment steps (and modify the stubs created during the prepare phase) as well as perform standard development workflows for testing and roundtripping a database.
All code mentioned can be found the /examples/MusicBase directory contained in the distribution installation files. Additionally, we will use as a starting point a database as similar as possible to the one described in DBIx::Class::Manual::Example so that if you are still new to DBIx::Class you can review those docs and think of this tutorial as a natural progression in learning.
Dealing with change in your database can be a vexing problem. You need the ability to manage database versions (how your database changes over time). You need to be able to upgrade seamlessly from one version to another. You need to be able to manage database and system data, and how they change over time. Additionally you may need to be able to create subsets of data for testing, and the ability to reset the database to a given state at any time.
There are a lot of frameworks that claim to make this easy. Generally this is partially achieved by limiting the scope of changes allowed, and reducing your ability to take maximum advantage of your database features. I'm not going to make that claim, since DBIx::Class::Migration is part of the DBIx::Class software ecosystem, and since that is an ORM that maximized your ability to be flexible and model databases using best practices, we desire to follow that ethos. What I will try to claim is that we can make solving the problem of database change possible, standard, and managed. This should reduce your stress, enable you to be more productive and not fear the need to change your tables.
DBIx::Class::Migration is built on top of DBIx::Class::DeploymentHandler, which is a tool to create deployment files of full databases and database diffs and also DBIx::Class::Fixtures, which is a tool for serializing and restoring sets of information. You need to solve both problems in an synchronized manner if you want to escape the fear of change.
The following definitions are used to assist clarity of understand and are in scope for the remainder of the tutorial
An instance of a subclass of DBIx::Class::Schema
a database such as SQLite or MySQL, that is running and available to accept commands.
An automatically generated, developer controlled installation of your database. This is suitable for development, but not for a higher environment.
An integer which represents a snapshot of a schema or database that is frozen for use. Versions increment positively (1,2,...) and can differ between your schema and your database.
DBIx::Class::Fixtures defined rule for serializing a subset of information from a database. Is linked to a version and produces "fixtures"
Subsets of information from your database, linked to a version, in the form of individual files.
SQL and Perl files associated with a given version, or an upgrade or downgrade between versions.
fixture configurations, fixtures and deployment files for a given version, and how to upgrade or downgrade to that version.
Here's the next steps in the tutorial. It goes without saying that you should have a good working installation of Perl, and a dedicated local::lib. Please see App::perlbrew for help setting up such a perl installation.
I also assume you have SQLite installed and parts of the advanced tutorial will assume you have MySQL available. Please see MySQL::Sandbox for some help in getting a development instance of MySQL running.
DBIx::Class::Migration::Tutorial::Setup shows you how to bootstrap a very basic DBIx::Class driven application.
DBIx::Class::Migration::Tutorial::FirstMigration takes the basic application and prepare some migrations.
DBIx::Class::Migration::Tutorial::SecondMigration Shows you how to start handling database change by creating a version 2 of the schema. We also create more complex fixtures and customize the migration.
DBIx::Class::Migration::Tutorial::Testing shows you how to write some simple test cases for your database.
DBIx::Class::Migration::Tutorial::ThirdMigration explores a more complicated migration and also reviews what to do if you need to run through a few iterations of a migration before you are ready to set it in stone.
DBIx::Class::Migration::Tutorial::AddMySQL. So far we've been building migrations for just one database: SQLite. Let's build migrations for MySQL
DBIx::Class::Migration::Tutorial::Catalyst shows you how to use and customize DBIx::Class::Migration with Catalyst for development and testing.
DBIx::Class::Migration::Tutorial::Conclusion reviews some key concepts.
DBIx::Class::Migration, DBIx::Class::Manual::Example, DBIx::Class::DeploymentHandler, and DBIx::Class::Fixtures.
See DBIx::Class::Migration for author information
See DBIx::Class::Migration for copyright and license information
To install DBIx::Class::Migration, copy and paste the appropriate command in to your terminal.
cpanm DBIx::Class::Migration
CPAN shell
perl -MCPAN -e shell
install DBIx::Class::Migration
For more information on module installation, please visit the detailed CPAN module installation guide.


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representation, in government, the term used to designate the means by which a whole population may participate in governing through the device of having a much smaller number of people act on their behalf. Although an elective presidency and even a nonelective monarchy may possess psychological characteristics of representation for its people, the term is generally used to refer to the procedure by which a general population selects an assembly of representatives through voting. In the United States this assembly is the Congress of the United States, while in Great Britain it is Parliament. Historically, representation was first seen in the Roman republic, but it came into more general use in feudal times when a king would select representatives from each estate—the clergy, nobility, and burghers—so they might offer advice or petition him. Out of this system, as people gradually secured the right to choose their representatives themselves, grew the modern representative legislature. Modern representation is usually based upon numbers and territorial groupings of the population, such as a congressional district in the United States. An election district in both the United States and Great Britain sends only a single member to the legislative body and is therefore called a single-member district. The representative is chosen on the basis of winning a plurality within the district. In contrast to this system is that of proportional representation, in which there are plural-member districts (in national elections, the country as a whole may form one constituency) and the seats in the assembly are distributed among the parties on the basis of the proportion of the vote that each party receives. This system gives more assurance that minority votes will be taken into account and tends to encourage the proliferation of parties. One perennial controversy on the subject concerns whether elected representatives should act according to the explicit desires of their constituents or according to their own personal judgments when they conflict with those desires.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Political Science: Terms and Concepts


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The World's Greatest Underachiever
To hear Henry Winkler talk about his childhood, watch him on these public service announcements for LD OnLine.
All through grade school, I was tutored. If I got a D, I was in heaven. If a got a C-minus, it was like I had achieved greatness. A's, B's, even C's were a kingdom that I never has a passport to. I studied my spelling words in my apartment in New York City. Somehow, during the time it took me to walk down the block from my apartment to my school, the words vanished.
My teacher, Miss Adolf, has given me a list of ten spelling words. One of the words was suburban. One of the words was neighbor. One was rhythm. My mother and I went over the list until I knew those words. I felt terrific. I thought, Wow! This time, I'm finally going to pass. Finally, no extra study time, no detention, no being grounded.
The next day, I went into the classroom , sat down, and took out a sheet of loose-leaf paper. I dated it and wrote my name in the lefthand corner. I wrote the numbers down the left side on each line 1 through 10. Up until this point, I was getting 100 percent.
Then Miss Adolf gave us the words. They were not in the order that I had studied them, but that seemed OK. The first word was carpet. I was feeling pretty confident. Then came neighbor I wrote down the letter n. Then rhythm I knew there was an r. Suburban I wrote down s-u-b. My heart sank. I had gone from 100 percent to maybe a D-minus. Where did my words go?
I knocked my head. Were the words holding on to the side of my brain? Could I knock them into my pencil?
Some people talk about information sliding off the blackboard of your brain. That was my life. I was called "stupid," "lazy." I was told that I was not "living up to my potential." My self-image was down around my ankles.
The one thing I had going for me was my sense of humor. I was funny the class clown. When the teacher read us a story, I would act it out. If someone was shooting ducks out of the air in the story, I'd get behind my chair and pretend that I was shooting ducks. That sure didn't get me any A's. It got me a trip downstairs to the principal's office. And that wasn't funny at all. No matter what I did, it didn't seem to make a difference.
I wish I'd known then what I know now: I have dyslexia. My brain learns differently. I didn't find that out until I was about thirty years old. My stepson, Jed, was in the third grade, and we had him tested for learning differences. As they explained dyslexia to him, I thought, Oh, my goodness! That's me.
A learning disability can really affect the way you feel about yourself. Now I know that even if a person learns differently, he or she can still be filled with greatness. Every one of us has something special inside. It's our job to figure out what that is. Dig deep, get it out, and give it to the world as a gift.
About the author
Henry Winkler starred as Arthur Fonzarelli, "The Fonz," in the popular television series Happy Days, and has appeared in a number of films, including Holes. Along with acting, producing, and directing, Winkler is currently co-writing a series of books, Hank Zipper, the Worlds' Best Underachiever.
Winkler, H. (2005). The World's Greatest Underachiever. Highlights for Children, 60(3), No. 641, 26-27.


text:
Position Type: Employee
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Essential Job Functions:
- Grocery Clerk (Frozen Food & Dairy) helps customers discover new items or products they inquire about.
- Grocery Clerk (Frozen Food) informs customers of frozen food specials and recommends frozen food items to customers to ensure they get the products they want and need.
- Grocery Clerk (Dairy) informs customers of dairy specials and recommends dairy items to customers to ensure they get the products they want and need.
- Inform customers of grocery, dairy, and frozen specials.
- Check product quality to ensure freshness. Review \"sell by\" dates and take appropriate action.
- Grocery Clerk (Frozen Food & Dairy) provides customers with fresh and non-perishable grocery products that they have ordered.
- Recommend grocery items to customers to ensure they get the products they want and need.
- Check product quality to ensure freshness. Review \"sell by\" dates and take appropriate action.
- Label, stock, and inventory department merchandise.
- Report product ordering/shipping discrepancies to the department manager.
- Display a positive attitude.
- Stay current with present, future, seasonal and special ads.
- Adhere to all food safety regulations and guidelines.
- Ensure proper temperatures in cases and coolers are maintained and temperature logs are maintained.
- Gain and maintain knowledge of products sold within the department and be able to respond to questions and make suggestions about products.
- Promote trust and respect among associates.
- Create an environment that enables customers to feel welcome, important and appreciated by answering questions regarding products sold within the department and throughout the store.
- Reinforce safety programs by complying with safety procedures and identify unsafe conditions and notify store management.
- Practice preventive maintenance by properly inspecting equipment and notify appropriate department or store manager of any items in need of repair.
- Notify management of customer or employee accidents.
- Report all safety risks or issues, and illegal activity, including robbery, theft or fraud.
- Must be able to perform the essential functions of this position with or without reasonable accommodation.
- Customer Service skills
- Ability to handle stressful situations
- Effective communication skills
- Knowledge of basic math (counting, addition, and subtraction)
- Customer Service skills
- Retail experience
Create an outstanding customer experience through exceptional service. Establish and maintain a safe and clean environment that encourages our customers to return. Assist the department manager in reaching sales and profit goals established for the department and monitor all established quality assurance standards. Embrace the Customer 1st strategy and encourage associates to deliver excellent customer service. Demonstrate the company's core values of respect, honesty, integrity, diversity, inclusion, and safety of others.
Education Level: None
Required Certifications/Licenses: None
Position Type: Part-Time
Shift(s): Evening; Day
Regions: Midwest
States: Illinois
Jobs at Food 4 Less: At Food 4 Less, our people make us who we are. They are more than just our associates, they're part of the communities we serve. We offer a variety of exciting opportunities in every area of our operation. Whether you want to create a fast, fun and friendly shopping experience for customers in our stores or you want to be part of our innovative corporate team at our headquarters in Los Angeles, Food 4 Less is always looking for outstanding associates. Our associates enjoy competitive pay and excellent benefits, along with a positive work environment built on mutual respect and professionalism. If you are interested in building and advancing your career with Food 4 Less, we invite you to complete an online application today.
Company Overview: Kroger Family of Companies employs nearly half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through a seamless shopping experience under a variety of banner names. At The Kroger Co., we are Fresh for Everyone™ and dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit®. We are committed to creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. Careers with The Kroger Co. and our family of companies offer competitive wages, flexible schedules, benefits and room for advancement.
Posting Notes: IL || Chicago || 4620 S Damen Ave || 60609 || Food 4 Less || [[mfield2]] || Customer Service; Store Operations || Employee || Non-Exempt || Part-Time || None
From one tiny Cincinnati grocery store more than a century ago, we've grown into what today is the nation's largest grocer with nearly 2,800 stores in 35 states operating under 28 different names. As America's grocer, we take pride in bringing diverse teams with a passion for food and people together with one common purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit.
At the Kroger Family of Companies, we're all about people. We provide satisfying, sustainable careers—with boundless opportunities—to nearly 450,000 associates across the nation.
We strive to provide the ingredients you need to create your own recipe for success at work and in life. We help to feed your future by focusing on providing the value and support you need to grow.
We believe in an associate-first culture, built on collaborative, diverse communities that thrive together. We genuinely care about each other, giving back and helping out. We also know that none of us can succeed on our own. Stress happens. Life happens. That's why we provide the tools and support you need to live our values and find your way.
No matter where you start your journey, fresh opportunities abound with the Kroger Family of Companies. The scope and size of our organization means we cater to nearly any career aspiration or skill set.
Beyond comprehensive benefits and competitive wages, we provide meaningful opportunities for associates to expand their horizons and grow their careers. From internal and external training and education programs to on-the-job training and personalized development opportunities, we help our associates reach their full potential.
Grocery Clerk (Frozen Food & Dairy)
Kroger | Cicero, Illinois
Grocery Clerk (Frozen Food & Dairy)
Kroger | Oak Forest, Illinois
Grocery Clerk (Frozen Food & Dairy)
Kroger | Dolton, Illinois
Grocery Clerk (Frozen Food & Dairy)
Kroger | Cicero, Illinois
Grocery Clerk (Frozen Food & Dairy)
Kroger | Hammond, Indiana
Grocery Clerk (Frozen Food & Dairy)
Kroger | Evanston, Illinois
Grocery Clerk (Frozen Food & Dairy)
Kroger | Chicago Heights, Illinois


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Blanton Museum. Right on the edge of the University of Texas at Austin. A wonderful place to be on a Thursday afternoon. The admission fee is just right; free. It's never too crowded in the middle of the afternoon, and there's always something fun to see. It's nice just to hang out in a place where the whole point of its existence is to... value art.
The big new show on the first floor is an exhibit that shows arts from the 1960's that reflects the civil rights movement. Lots of painting and photographs, some sculpture. One image I loved was a gorgeous Richard Avedon image, beautifully printed. of Julian Bond surrounded by young people in Mississippi. He's the only one in focus in the entire crowd. It's beautifully seen and the print is sublime. I stood transfixed in front of it for a long time. There's great photographs from Gordon Parks and there's an image I'd never seen before from Danny Lyons of a very young Bob Dylan. The show is powerful and, in the Austin community, a bit topical since the play, "All the Way" at Zach Theatre also revolves around President Johnson and the Civil Rights movement. Good stuff.
I wandered through that gallery twice because I was pretty sure I'd seen all of the work in the upstairs gallery but I'd already paid for parking so I thought I'd hit the stairs and just make sure I wasn't missing anything. Thank God I'm not terminally lazy otherwise I would have missed a wonderful, quirky and interesting show of Ralph Eugene Meatyard's photographs. Wonderful, whimsical and somewhat surreal black and white prints that were so much fun to browse through. Meatyard's work is so not of this century in that he didn't need to print enormous prints to communicate and translate his vision. Most of the images were no larger than 8x8 inches but the tonalities and the content made for some rich visual consumption. I'll probably head back there to take another look at the show this week as well. If you don't live in Austin take a second to look up Meatyard's work here: http://www.mocp.org/detail.php?t=people&type=related&kv=7440
The rest of the time I just spent looking at old favorites and occasionally turning on the little black EM5.2 I had nestled in my hands along with a very quirky and imperfect lens---which I now really like, mostly because of its imperfections but also because of its conflicting high sharpness and low contrast. It's a lens I barely ever use. It's the 25mm f2.8 Olympus Pen FT lens. One of those enigmatic lenses that was designed and produced in the late 1960's and early 1970's for the company's half frame cameras. It was an age of lens design that combined optical intuition and computer aided design but it was mostly successful because of the rigorous, almost custom production and testing of better lenses at the time...
This lens has its faults. On the m4:3 sensors the outer third of the image gets pretty soft pretty quickly, especially when used wide open. It sharpens up okay at f5.6 to f8.0 but that's probably where the sharpness robbing effects of diffraction start to take their inevitable toll. It also has a fair amount of what appears to be barrel distortion even in the very center. That doesn't really change much as I stop down.
Why do I like the lens? Maybe because it has a look that reminds me of my earlier days in photography. It combines a high central sharpness with a lower contrast. But it's almost like the modern thought process of video codecs; flatten everything out to capture more steps and more tones and then fix stuff in PhotoShop. You can't fix everything but the files from the EM5.2 sharpen up nicely and you can add back in a lot of saturation and contrast before things start to look --- unreal.
I like shooting this lens (and many of the other Pen lenses) because the manual focus ring is silky smooth, the lens feels dense and precise and, when combined with focus peaking, it's fast to use and the focus stays "locked" where you leave it. I'm excited to see how this one works with black and white.
I've got to remind you not to take your art museums for granted. If they don't get used they might disappear just like cameras stores did and then we'd have to get all of our art culture on the web and that's not the same as seeing eight foot by ten foot paintings with bouncy impasto up close and in person. The reproductions of Avedon and Lyonn's and Park's photos on the web are never as rich and detailed as they are when you experience the real thing and the there's so much chatter on the web you'll get distracted and start drifting off to look at the celebrity news or the weather reports instead of soaking in the ideas of people who dedicated a lot of time and effort to show us new stuff in new ways. Use them or lose them!
The 25mm f2.8 Pen lens is looking pretty good in the shot of the colored pencils.
It's pretty much on par with my more modern lenses. And the quality of the
out-of-focus-area-rendering is smooth and organic.
Ditto for the black pencils.
you can really see the wonky distortion in the frame above but....
this image ^ shows the most egregious distortion but I like the sharpness and the
way the camera is handling the noise at ISO 1600.
My feeling is that lenses like this one (and many of the early Leica lenses) were never made for flat targets or for accurate geometric rendering but to capture people in photographs where it was fine for the edges to go A.W.O.L.
There's more to photography than "sharp and straight."
Support your local museum and go to the local galleries. You'll nearly always find
something fun or surprising. And it's better than TV.
Even "Breaking Bad" or "House of Cards."