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I've been bumped on the streets by people who were texting while walking. A thousand times. It's annoying. I guess I should be happy that the town of Fort Lee, New Jersey, have started issuing $85 tickets to any pedestrians caught texting and walking.
Except I'm not. It's a stupid law.
The fact is that I've also been bumped by pedestrians walking their dogs, lovers getting all over each other, people window shopping, fast walkers looking to the other side of the street, smokers looking for a cigarette, kids running around aimlessly, men in a hurry looking at their watches, women looking in their bags, girls browsing their iPods for a new album to play, boys playing Gameboy, and a hundred other combinations. Distractions and collisions happen all the time for a million reasons.
Should the police ban and fine every single distracting activity that could lead to an accident on the sidewalk? If you agree with Fort Lee town officials and Stony Brook University's Eric Lamberg—co-author of a study on the effects of texting on walking—the only logical answer is yes. Lamberg found that texting disrupts your ability to walk much more than does talking (science!), making people 60 percent "more likely to veer off line."
But so would any of the activities described above—things that people do every day on the sidewalks of every city.
And don't think it's a law just for show. Fort Lee is being serious about this: 117 tickets and counting.
What do you think? Should all cities ban texting and walking? Should we ban any other potentially distracting activity? Tell us in the comments. [ABC News]
Image via Supri Suharjoto/Shutterstock


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QUESTION: What are the experiences of adults living with indwelling urinary catheters?
Central New York, USA.
14 adults (age range 35–95 y, 64% women) with long term indwelling urinary catheters (duration 6 mo to 18 y) who lived in the community. The primary reason for wearing the catheter was urinary retention caused by disease conditions, including multiple sclerosis, cerebrovascular accident, enlarged prostate, and spinal cord injury.
7 participants were interviewed once, and 7 were interviewed twice. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. The transcripts were analysed to identify themes. Written summaries of the data were clarified and verified with participants.
Main findings
Living with a urinary catheter was found to be like living with the forces of flowing water. The following themes emerged. Vulnerability: the force of flowing water was a metaphor to describe the similarity of the movement of urine into the catheter bag to water that is let into and out of a dam. Participants expressed how much their everyday lives depended on the proper functioning of the catheter bag, and how a failed catheter bag made them feel vulnerable. Embarrassment at lack of control: "swish/whoosh" described profound embarrassment over the lack of control of urine flow, especially getting wet in public. The sudden flow of urine was described as a bursting dam. Watchful attention to urine flow: "running all the while" described the continuous flow of urine through the catheter and into the catheter bag. Participants expressed the constant need to be aware of this flow in order to avoid overfilling of the bag and wetting episodes. Noise in the urine bag: "slosh-slosh" referred to the sound of the urine sloshing around in the catheter bag. This noise was not unpleasant but was used as a reminder for emptying the bag. The metaphor of "the spring" was used by 1 participant, who described the catheter as the "waterworks" and the bladder as the "spring". This participant placed great importance on not dislodging the catheter. Embodied knowledge of urine flow: "paying attention" represented how participants paid attention to their own urine flow patterns and checked their catheter tubing for kinks to help keep the urine flowing freely. Participants were aware of early signs of disrupted urine flow, such as a feeling of fullness or pressure over the bladder.
Adults living with an indwelling urinary catheter found the experience to be like living with the forces of flowing water. They depended on the proper functioning of their catheter bag and felt vulnerable when it failed. They felt a lack of control of urine flow and embarrassment at public wetting episodes. They were constantly aware of the flow of urine through their catheters and paid attention to when their bags needed emptying and when urine drainage seemed obstructed.
Qualitative research has not previously been done on the experience of having an indwelling urethral catheter. Several studies have explored the experiences of incontinence from a qualitative perspective.1 This study by Wilde adds to this body of knowledge by helping healthcare practitioners understand the unique situations that patients face in dealing with an indwelling catheter to manage incontinence.
Generally, the methodology of this phenomenological inquiry is strong. However, as the author herself comments, the full range of perspectives of community dwelling people with incontinence may not be represented by this homogeneous sample of white adults of European descent.
These findings have implications for nurses caring for patients with urinary incontinence. Indwelling catheterisation is usually considered a last resort because of the high incidence of complications, the number of other interventions that are available, and, as this study shows, the profound impact on the person's life.2 Nurses must advocate for better options for the management of urinary incontinence. For those patients where indwelling catheterisation is unavoidable, this study points to areas of patient education and counselling that nurses should consider. Generally, the participants of the study had reasonable knowledge of the fundamentals of catheter care, but lacked knowledge in the practical aspects of living with the catheter during daily activities. During patient education on catheter care, nurses should also provide instruction on the proper use and attachment of equipment to prevent the embarrassing situations that the participants described. Because of the sensitive nature of this topic, nurses must facilitate the patients' comfort in discussing these practical issues so they do not have to endure stressful situations that threaten their dignity. Future research that explores nurses' perceptions of what it is like to provide catheter care would help us to understand this phenomenon from both sides of the caring dyad.
Source of funding: National Institute of Nursing Research.
For correspondence: Dr M H Wilde, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA. mhwilde{at}syr.edu

subset: commoncrawl


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Patience, Union Theatre
5 stars
I'm rather glad that I hadn't been studious enough to read the (not-so) small print on the advert for Sasha Regan's production of Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience at the Union Theatre. You can imagine my surprise then when twenty lovesick maidens came on in tea dresses with hairy legs, chests, shadows of facial hair, and some noticeable bald patches. After getting over my initial shock, I realised quite soon that – in more ways than the obvious – this production was something special.
The young men, mostly in their twenties, were comfortably singing the soprano line of the score as they wafted about the stage, often in sync, emotionally wound up, but physically wilting on account of their mutual love for the Aesthetic poet, Reginald Bunthorne (a comic and obstinate Dominic Brewer). Soon, Bunthorne and his sublimely prosaic poetry are ditched in favour of a newcomer in the ladies' midst – the narcissistic beauty Archiblad Grosvenor. The milkmaid, Patience (Edward Charles Bernstone) – new to love and all that accompanies it – understands that the act of love must be one of self-sacrifice and so, with both men adoring her equally, she must choose the least desirable one (though this proves more complex than anticipated).
Bernstone as Patience is wholly engaging. With a sweep of thick blonde hair, piercing, enquiring eyes, and tanned, sculpted limbs, he captures the unintentional tease about this milkmaid, who – in trying to be self-sacrificial – becomes entirely self-obsessed. Bernstone perfectly mimics the verbal inflections of the era with exclamations such as, "Oh, horror!" containing both a clipped formality and a sadness that seems to hang over her as a woman and therefore with relatively little free will.
There is a bold and brilliant performance from Sean Quigley as Lady Gray, who pursues Bunthorne relentlessly, but cannot deny that she is losing her figure and her youthful looks. Once again, this actor seems to capture both the superficial humour of the character's bitchiness, but also portrays a more deep-seated tragedy about this woman in grey calf-length socks and a shapeless frock who is desperate to love and be loved.
What I responded to so acutely in Sasha Regan's production was the fact that it was not a piss-take. While extremely funny, it was never self-consciously so, and every principal and chorus member had found a truth in their character. There are some simple but stunning directorial touches, such as the maidens all hanging bunting in preparation for the husband raffle; the synchronised, almost other-worldly tea-drinking ritual as they sing their romantic troubles into their china; and an imaginative dance sequence that the (intentionally) clumsy dragoons execute.
The Union's space is small, but presents no barriers for this production, though a glimpse of the 'maidens' after the show, trying to get changed while plastered up against the back of the set, brought home the realities of working as a large cast in this confined a space. The decision to pare the orchestra down to a single onstage piano, played adeptly by Richard Bates (who, I only observed after the curtain call, slunk off stage also in a skirt, not looking entirely comfortable about the fact) does not damage the music in the least, and the singing is sublime throughout.
I take my bonnet off to Sasha Regan who has committed to a startlingly bold vision for a lesser-known operetta that many people may consider to be dated. The result? Brilliant, clear, original and classy. Let's hope this production has a life beyond the Union.


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MYERS v. HURLEY MOTOR CO.(1927)
[273 U.S. 18, 19] Mr. George P. Lemm, of Washington, D. C., for Myers.
[273 U.S. 18, 20] Mr. Henry C. Clark, of Washington, D. C., for Hurley Motor Co., Inc.
Mr. Justice SUTHERLAND delivered the opinion of the Court.
The facts which give rise to the questions of law in respect of which the instruction of this court is asked are set forth in the certificate as follows:
[273 U.S. 18, 22] 'The misrepresentation by plaintiff of his age, supported by evidence that he had the appearance of a man of 24, at the time the contract was made, and the depreciation in the value of the Hudson car from hard and abusive usage, are not denied by plaintiff, and may be accepted for the purpose of this case as conceded facts. Neither does it appear that any deception or misrepresentations were made by the defendant in order to induce the making of the contract, nor that the contract was in any respect an unfair one. Plaintiff rests his case entirely upon his absolute right, on becoming of age, to disaffirm his contract, and recover the amount which he had paid thereon, regardless of any damage the defendant may have sustained, either from his misrepresentation as to his correct age, or from his abusive use of the Hudson car, which resulted in the depreciation above set forth.'
Two questions are certified:
(1) Is the plaintiff, by reason of the misrepresentations as to his correct age, estopped from maintaining an action to recover the amount paid under the conditional sales contract upon the purchase price of the Hudson car?
(2) If the plaintiff is not so estopped, may defendant, by way of affirmative defense against plaintiff's claim, set off the amount paid for the repair of the damaged Hudson car, or so much thereof as will equal plaintiff's claim?
First. In Sims v. Everhardt, 102 U.S. 300 , 313, which was a suit in equity, this court said:
The statement that the authorities are all one way in holding that an estoppel in pais is not-that is to say, is never-applicable to infants, at least of doubtful accuracy when made, is clearly incorrect at the present time A review shows that many, perhaps the major part, of the state decisions, hold that in equity the rule is otherwise. See Bigelow on Estoppel (6th Ed.) 627; 1 Williston on Contracts, 245. In any event, the most that can be said is that the decisions upon that subject are conflicting and to some degree in confusion. The doctrine of the Everhardt Case, however, was followed in MacGreal v. Taylor, 167 U.S. 688, 696 , 17 S. Ct. 961, and has been made the basis of decisions in several of the lower federal courts (Bartlett v. Okla. Oil Co. (D. C.) 218 F. 380, 391; Alfrey v. Colbert (C. C. A.) 168 F. 231, 235; Sanger v. Hibbard (C. C. A.) 104 F. 455, 457), and has become the established federal rule. Likewise it has been accepted and followed by many of the state courts. See, for example, Tobin v. Spann, 85 Ark. 556, 559, 109 S. W. 534, 16 L. R. A. (N. S.) 672; Cobbey v. Buchanan, 48 Neb. 391, 394, 67 N. W. 176; Kirkham v. Wheeler-Osgood Co., 39 Wash. 415, 424, 81 P. 869, 4 Ann. Cas. 532; Alvey v. Reed, 115 Ind. 148, 149, 17 N. E. 265, 7 Am. St. Rep. 418. In this state of the matter, we are not disposed now to re-examine the question in the light of the conflict of authority; but, following the Everhardt Case, we hold that the doctrine of estoppel in pais cannot be invoked to defeat plaintiff's action.
Second. While adhering to the determination in the Everhardt Case, that the doctrine of estoppel in pais does not apply to an infant, we are of opinion that this does not require us, under the facts of the present case, to deny defendant the benefit of its affirmative defense. [273 U.S. 18, 24] In the Everhardt Case, there was a dismissal by the court below on the ground that it did not appear that there was a disaffirmance by the complainant within a reasonable time after she attained her majority. The bill offered to do equity (page 301 (26 L. Ed. 87)), but this court, in reversing the decree and remanding the cause, expressed no opinion in respect of the equities by which a decree for complainant might be conditioned. The effect of an affirmative defense such as we have here was neither involved nor considered. Whether an infant, who fraudulently misrepresents his age and thereby induces the making of a contract, can, when he brings a suit in equity in respect of the matter, be compelled to do equity, is a question not concluded by that decision. In MacGreal v. Taylor, supra, after first calling attention to the fact (page 698 (17 S. Ct. 961)) that the opinion in the Everhardt Case did not deal with the counter equities, this court said (page 700 (17 S. Ct. 965)):
Here the action brought by the quondam infant is one for money had and received-the payments under the disaffirmed contract having been either in money or in property converted into money before the disaffirmance. Such an action, though brought at law, is in its nature a substitute for a suit in equity; and it is to be determined by the application of equitable principles. In other words, the rights of the parties are to be determined as they would be upon a bill in equity. The defendant may rely upon any defense which shows that the plaintiff in equity and good conscience is not entitled to recover in whole or in part. Rathbone v. Stocking, 2 Barb, (N. Y.) 135, 145, 147; Barr v. Craig, 2 Dall. 151, 154; Wright v. Butler, 6 Wend. (N. Y.) 284, 290, 21 Am. Dec. 323; Eddy v. Smith, 13 Wend. (N. Y.) 488, [273 U.S. 18, 25] 490; Christie v. Durden, 205 Ala. 571, 572, 88 So. 667; Gifford v. Wilcox, 81 Ind. App. 378, 381, 143 N. E. 368.
It has been held that, where an infant, after coming of age, seeks the aid of a court of equity to avoid a contract, under which he has received property, and restore to him the possession of obligations with which he has parted, he will be required, wholly irrespective of his own good faith in the transaction, to do equity, which may extend to compelling him to make full satisfaction for the deterioration of the property due to his use or abuse of it.
In Gray v. Lessington, 15 N. Y. Super. Ct. 257, the plaintiff, alleging her infancy, brought suit to rescind a contract of sale and to cancel a mortgage and unpaid notes. A decree in her favor imposed the condition that she should restore the property and account for the deterioration arising from its use. The court, sustaining this on appeal, said (page 262):
The same rule is recognized in Hillyer v. Bennett, 3 Edw. Ch. (N. Y.) 222, 225. In that case, after pointing out that the acts and deeds of an infant are voidable at his election, that if sued at law or in equity he may plead his infancy in bar, and that if he has agreed to sell and deliver [273 U.S. 18, 26] personal property he may disaffirm the contract and bring trover to recover it back, the vice chancellor said:
See, also, 1 Story's Equity (11th Ed.) 240; Carmen v. Fox Film Corporation (C. C. A.) 269 F. 928, 931, 15 A. L. R. 1209; Rice v. Butler, 160 N. Y. 578, 55 N. E. 275, 47 L. R. A. 303, 73 Am. St. Rep. 703; International Land Co. v. Marshall, 22 Okl. 693, 708, 98 P. 951, 19 L. R. A. (N. S.) 1056
How far the equitable maxim, that he who seeks equity must do equity, applies generally in suits brought for relief because of infancy, we need not inquire; nor do we need here to go as far as the authorities just cited. The maxim applies, at least, where there has been, as there was here, actual fraud on the part of the infant. When an infant of mature appearance, by false and fraudulent representations as to his age, has induced another person to sell and deliver property to him, it is against natural justice to permit the infant to recover money paid for the property without first compelling him to account for the injury which his deceit has inflicted upon the other person.
Our conclusion that the affirmative defense is available in this action does not rest upon the doctrine of estoppel, though the result may be the same. It recognizes the [273 U.S. 18, 27] plaintiff's right to repudiate his promise and sue for the return of his payments, and his immunity from a plea of estoppel in so doing. Its effect is not to enforce the disaffirmed contract directly or indirectly, but to allow him to invoke the aid of the court to enforce an equitable remedy arising from the disaffirmance only upon condition that, 'seeking equity, he must do equity.' And the application of the maxim is not precluded because defendant's claim might not be enforceable in any other manner. 1 Pomeroy's Equity, 386; Sturgis v. Champneys, 5 Myl. & C. 97, 102; Farmers' Loan & Trust Co. v. Denver, L. & G. R. Co. (C. C. A.) 126 F. 46, 51.
The question remains whether defendant should have judgment for the amount by which its expenditures exceeded plaintiff's demand. We are not advised of any statutory rule upon the subject applicable in the District of Columbia; and the matter must be determined in accordance with general principles. The defense, in effect, is that the plaintiff was guilty of tortious conduct to the injury of the defendant in the transaction out of which his own cause of action arose. In such case it is well settled that the relief is by way of recoupment-that is, that the amount of defendant's damage can be allowed only in abatement or diminution of plaintiff's claim- and that defendant cannot, at least in that action, recover any excess. Winder v. Caldwell, 14 How. 434, 443; Dushane v. Benedict, 120 U.S. 630, 642 , 7 S. Ct. 696; Ward v. Fellers, 3 Mich. 281, 287, 291; Waterman v. Clark et al., 76 Ill. 428, 430; Holcraft v. Mellott, 57 Ind. 539, 544.
It follows that the first question should be answered in the negative and the second question in the affirmative, with the qualification that the amount allowed defendant shall not exceed the amount of plaintiff's claim.
It is so ordered.


text:
Touch of Color 3 Ply Beverage Napkins Cobalt,pack of 50
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- Material Paper
- Color Cobalt
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39 Graphic Place
Moonachie, NJ 07074
Tel : 201.574.7994
Text : 201.381.6180
Email : email@example.com
Invite customers to join your mailing list.
Copyright © 2023 KT Supply LLC.


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Yesterday morning, I got quite the surprise when I was digging through my sock drawer and came across this amazing scarf. Long forgotten, I have no idea where it came from or how long I've had it! But wow, what a score. The scarf is vintage but reminds me very much of one of my all-time favorite collections. Now, I just need to figure out some new and creative ways to tie a scarf because this one is surely going to get a ton of wear.
Readers: Are there any scarf-tying tutorials out there that you swear by?


text:
This year our family beach trip took us to Carolina Beach.
Our house was canal facing and this was the view from the back decks.
I think the reviews were mixed on not having a house ocean side, but I really liked the canal and all that it offered, lots to see with completely gorgeous sunsets.
The littlest cousins, what a bunch of cute trouble!
Fisher folk...
Samuel was sooo excited to haul in this sand shark!
In defense of this picture, do you know how hard it is to get 6 people to smile at once??
Yay for fun times in the sand and surf!


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Juvenile Probation
Juvenile Probation Officer 1 Description
To preserve the unity of the family whenever possible or to provide another alternative permanent family when the unity of the family cannot be maintained.
To provide for the care, protection, safety and wholesome mental and physical development of children coming within the provisions of this chapter.
Consistent with the protection of the public interest, to provide for children committing delinquent acts programs of supervision, care and rehabilitation which provide balanced attention to the protection of the community, the imposition of accountability for offenses committed and the development of competencies t enable children to become responsible and productive members of the community.
To achieve the foregoing purposes in a family environment whenever possible, separating the child from parents only when necessary for his welfare, safety or health or in the interests of public safety, by doing all of the following:
- employing evidence-based practices whenever possible and, in the case of a delinquent child, by using the least restrictive intervention that is consistent with the protection of the community, the imposition of accountability for offenses committed and the rehabilitation, supervision and treatment needs of the child; and
- imposing confinement only if necessary and for the minimum amount of time that is consistent with the purposes under [the first three paragraphs].
To provide means through which the provisions of this chapter are executed and enforced and in which te parties are assured a fair hearing and their constitutional and other legal rights recognized and enforced.
Community Service Projects
- For any questions regrading community service contact:
Jessica Maxwell, Juvenile Probation Officer 724-656-2173 ext. 7025
- Jim Birtalan, Community Service Liaison 724-730-0893
- Joe Geramita, Community Service Liaison 724-730-7382
Meet Our Department
Patrick J. Micco , Chief
Carin Majocha
Lisa Haddad
Kevin Carmichael
Ted Memo
Javon Moody
Jessica Maxwell
Contact Information for Department:Lawrence County Juvenile Probation
430 Court Street
New Castle, PA 16101
Phone: (724) 656-2173
Fax: (724) 656-2133
Hours: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Department Info
Evidence-Based Practice Bench Card
Online Forms


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New radar analysis prompts shift in search zone
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Australian officials shifted their search for the missing Malaysian jetliner by nearly 700 miles, citing "a new credible lead'' about the path of the aircraft and where debris may be located.
Martin Dolan, chief commissioner of the Australian Air Transport Safety Bureau, said a revised analysis of radar data prompted the agency to refocus the search in the Indian Ocean off Perth. The analysis indicates that the plane was flying faster than previously estimated between the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca before radar contact was lost, Dolan said.
Based on that new speed data, analysts calculated increased fuel usage and a reduced distance the aircraft could have covered with power.
The new search area is approximately 198,000 square miles in size and 1,150 miles west of Perth, John Young, manager of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's emergency response division said. The move, about 685 miles to the northeast of the previous search area, was based on updated advice from an international investigation team working with the search, Young said.
The new location is also based on an assessment by Australian experts, the United States Coast Guard and commercial companies that took into account the weather and the drift any wreckage would be expected to have taken in the 21 days since the plane went missing.
All of these calculations are best estimates and, "will remain a somewhat inexact science," Dolan cautioned.
Young said the team had "moved on" from the previous search area and that the hunt for the missing plane was no longer active there.
Ten aircraft from six countries are being deployed to the new search area, Young said. Four of them are already in the vicinity and six more will arrive later on Friday.
The search area to the north is not expected to face the same rough weather that forced several delays in the hunt for debris further to the south.
Earlier, a Thai satellite detected about 300 objects floating in the Indian Ocean a day after a French satellite showed that 122 objects were floating near the search area for the missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner.
Anond Snidvongs, director of Thailand's space technology development agency, said Thursday that the images showed "300 objects of various sizes" in the southern Indian Ocean about 1,675 miles southwest of Perth.
Anond said the objects were about 125 miles from the area where a French satellite Sunday spotted 122 objects. It remains uncertain whether the objects are from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared March 8 with 239 people aboard.
For the first time in several weeks, Malaysian officials decided not to hold a daily news conference Thursday.
Earlier, searchers aboard planes and ships on Thursday failed to find any of the objects captured by satellite as possible debris from the downed Malaysian airlines jet, as heavy rain, winds and low clouds forced the aircraft to return to the base after only a few hours.
On Wednesday, a high-ranking officer attached to a special investigative branch of the Malaysia police force in Kuala Lumpur told USA TODAY that investigators are pressing relatives of the pilot, Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah, for information on his behavior leading up to the March 8 flight.
The pilot of the missing Malaysia Airlines jet, 53-year Zaharie Ahmad Shah, is believed to be solely responsible for the flight being taken hundreds of miles off course and there is no evidence of a mechanical failure or hijacking by a passenger, according to an law enforcement official involved in the investigation.
His son, Ahmad Seth, told the New Straits Times that he dismisses wild speculation that his father was a political fanatic who may have hijacked the plane.
"I've read everything online," Seth tells the newspaper. "But I've ignored all the speculation. I know my father better.
"We may not be as close as he travels so much. But I understand him," the 26-year-old language student said in an interview in Subang Jaya, Malaysia.
Appearing composed but tired, he told the Times that "we are just waiting for the right confirmation" of wreckage or bodies.
"I will believe it (that there are no survivors) when I see the proof in front of my eyes," he said.
Contributing: William M. Welch in Los Angeles; Associated Press


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I'm not going to be with my mom tomorrow, although we'll have a chance to celebrate a belated Mother's Day together in a couple of weeks. It would be nice to be with her on the day. But often we make do with phone calls to mark special events, the price of living many states apart.
While I won't be with her in person, she knows my heart. In many ways, we are very different people, yet we share a strong bond that has stood the test of time and distance.
My mom is a passionate person, and cares deeply about family, faith, and country. She loves to cook big meals and have a crowd around her table. One of her favorite things to do is to plan treats for the little ones in the group. She has a play area set up for the small fry, and over the years the grandchildren and nieces and nephews have all had their turn among the toys. They've had their special cakes and tea parties, and they know she keeps kid food on hand at all times. "Goodie bags" and little "unbirthday" presents have marked many a visit to her house.
She's a great one for family photos, and is always on a mission to gather the group to get an updated shot for her wall. You can see the changes over the years…the babies who are now teens, or worse, the young adults who are now grey adults.
She and my dad were married more than 50 years, and though he left us in 2008, he is still in her thoughts, a close companion throughout the days. She remains married, even in her widowed state.
She's a strong woman, healthy, energetic, and motivated. She always has more to do than she can do in a day. She is creative, and when she was younger, channeled creativity into sewing, cooking, yard work, painting, and mothering. She made my wedding dress, sewed special things for my children, made drapes for the house. She's an artist who painted in oils, and a gardener who loves flowers. She is a legendary cook, and has created memorable feasts over the years. She's famous for her yeast rolls, her fried rice, and her Italian Cream cake, a few of her many specialties.
She's enthusiastic about her work, continuing the commitment to Christian missions that she shared with my dad. She's a writer and publisher, a traveler and a speaker. She is tireless in her efforts to share her heart, and her faith in God.
She is a prolific author and an amazing correspondent. Computer savvy, she emails and Facebooks friends and co-workers across the country and around the world. No slouch, my mom. She often works late into the night keeping up with her commitments.
She has been a support throughout my life, listening, listening, listening. She has heard my sorrows and my joys, and has made soothing noises at the right moments, rejoiced in the good things, and resisted opportunities to throw out the occasional "I told you so," even when it has been warranted. She is ever hopeful for me and mine.
My mom is generous in her caring, ferocious in her concern, and sympathetic to a fault. I rarely catch her in a down mood. She's carried along by the tide of her hopes and plans, and by the memories: so many good memories through the years.
My mom has been fortunate in many ways. Though not a rich woman by monetary standards, she has had love and family and calling to fill her life. Though the family picture has changed through the years, and some dear ones are not in more recent photos, she finds joy in those around her. And she looks toward the future, to accomplishing her goals, finishing her mission, and watching the grandchildren, and great grandchildren, grow.
Happy Mother's Day to my mom, Betty Burton Choate: my example, my encourager, my friend, a charming woman with a charmed life, and a full life. Long may she live it!


text:
Test Drive: 2017 Toyota Corolla
Entry Price: $18,500
Price As Tested: $23,717
The 2017 Toyota Corolla is no longer a lightweight, little compact. Considering its near 4-inch longer wheelbase than previous generation Corollas, and with growth in curb weight and ground clearance, the Toyota Corolla is actually listed as a midsize on the EPA fuel mileage estimates, solidifying its presence as one of the "biggest little compacts" out there.
The 2017 year also celebrates 50 years of Toyota Corolla, a notable anniversary and worthy of mention. New for 2017 are an updated front grille and LED headlights on the entry Corolla L and LE models. Gone is an outdated four-speed automatic on entry L, replaced by the continuously variable transmission (CVT).
Corolla arrived on our shores in 1966 and began its 11th generation in 2013. It is also an excellent example of a company allowing its car's name the needed time to evoke positive consumer impressions. Specifically, Toyota's long-term name branding and staying with the Corolla name seems to be in direct opposition to what many manufacturers do nowadays, i.e. throw weird names, lots of numbers and unnecessary letter arrangements at puzzled consumers.
Additionally, Corolla for 2017 relies on legendary owner satisfaction ratings and offers a car that all demographic age groups seem to like, from millennial to baby boomer. Thanks to its low entry price, a Best Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and mechanical excellence, the current Corolla is a solid choice for those shopping this market.
Our Corolla tester arrived in upper XLE trim and delivers EPA estimates of 28 city and 36 highway numbers with the CVT automatic. Corolla's interior is greatly improved offering more roomy dimensions, comfortable seating, easy to use controls, nice instrumentation and the noted Toyota "Star Safety" system that includes eight airbags. Noted other standard features include four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, rear view safety camera, Smart Stop technology, pre-collision system, lane departure, stability control, electronic brakeforce and much more.
The XLE line also features a standard power tilt/slide moonroof, enhanced LED headlights, daytime running lamps, heated front seats, push button start, upgraded interior, 16-inch Toyo Proxes tires on machined alloy wheels, SofTex trimmed seats, leather wrapped steering wheel, fog lamps, heated outside mirrors, cruise and power front seats. (That's a lot of extras for such a low price.)
Notable is Toyota's Entune Premium Audio system, which is a $525 option and recommended by this scribe. Entune includes Navigation and Toyota's App suite, 7.0-inch split touch screen, AM/FM/CD with MP3/WMA playback, USB 2.0, six speakers, SiriusXM satellite with 90 days free, HD radio with iTunes, iPod, Bluetooth, hands free phone capability and much more. Unlike prior years, the Entune subscription is now totally free and all you'll need to decide is if you want SiriusXM Satellite after the free trial period.
Our XLE listed at a base price of $21,825 with the CVT automatic. A mid-level LE starts at $18,935 while the entry "L" starts at a most impressive $18,500. Notables on the low price "L" include all the powers, keyless entry, the Star Safety system and a great sounding stereo with auxiliary, USB and Bluetooth features. Therefore, don't think the entry model is a stripped down Corolla because it isn't. I'm pleased to say that the rear safety camera is now standard on every Toyota Corolla built. The final Corolla models, each with increasing amenities and features, find the SE at $20,445, SE 6MT at $21,665, and a new 50th Anniversary Corolla for $21,900. That gives prospective buyers six distinct Corollas to choose from.
Every Corolla comes with the proven and fuel efficient 1.8-liter four-cylinder with Dual Variable Valve Timing intelligence (VTT-i). The engine delivers 132 horsepower and 128 lb. ft. of torque and performs all duties adequately with surprisingly good low end torque. If you want to shift manually, there's just one choice, the aforementioned SE 6MT, the 6MT equating to six-speed manual transmission. Fuel mileage is near identical at 28 city and 35 highway versus the CVT, the latter now standard fare for all 2017 and 2018 Corollas sans the 6MT designation.
Our Corolla came with three other options including a $199 door sill enhancement, $79 rear bumper protector and a $224 carpet and trunk mat set. With $865 destination, the final tally came in at $23,717 retail.
On the road, Corolla is not a high-performance acceleration beast but it does get you up to speed with a degree of pep. You'll also enjoy the comfortable XLE ride thanks to a MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear setup. The cabin also has a much larger "mid-size feel" with excellent leg and head room front and rear.
Important numbers include a curb weight of 2,870 pounds, "mid-size like" 106.3-inch wheelbase, 6.7 inch ground clearance, 13 cu. ft. of cargo space and a 13.2 gallon fuel tank.
In summary, Corolla is still one of the most affordable compact cars out there while competing in a very crowded market. The incoming 2018 models are identical, so you might want to ask your Toyota dealer what year-end incentives are in play.
Likes: Price, quality reputation, nice front end upgrade.
Dislikes: Rear drum brakes still used on L and LE models, a turbo would help acceleration.
— Greg Zyla writes weekly for More Content Now and other Gatehouse Media publications.


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Blogger has "labels" available that can be used for categorizing posts. These labels appear at the bottom of all posts and also in the sidebar. When you click the link for a label, it will take you to a page that shows all of the posts with that label, which is good. Problem is, some of my "labels" have quite a few posts associated with them so there may be several pages of posts displayed.
A few months ago I added a section to the sidebar for "Posts on Families I'm Researching" and created a link to the label for that family. Once I get the index post created for each family that has more than a couple of posts, the link in the "Posts on Families..." section will then go to the index post for that family. I was having a hard time finding certain posts, so this is being done mainly for my own use, but I thought it may also help some of my visitors looking for specific families. The labels will still be displayed on posts.
I thought about changing the date on the index post each time I added a post for that family. That way, the index post would always display as the top post when someone clicked on the label. Does this sound like a good idea? Or not?
Index posts have been created for most of the following families:
( * indicates still to be done)
Mom's Families
- Berlin - - Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania
- Brubaker - - Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania
- Church * - - Connecticut
- Dunfee - - Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania
- Dyer * - - Vermont
- Fisher - - Indiana, Ohio, Germany
- Foster - - Indiana, Ohio, Virginia
- Goodrich - - Indiana, Ohio, Connecticut
- Hazlett - - Ohio, Pennsylvania
- Helms - - Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania
- Hoffman/Huffman - Ohio, Pennsylvania
- Jones - - Indiana, Ohio
- Joslin (1) - - Indiana, Ohio, Massachusetts
- Joslin (2) Lysander & Lydia - Indiana, Kansas
- Phend - - Indiana, Ohio, Switzerland
- Robison - - Indiana, Ohio
- Rupert - - Ohio, Pennsylvania
- Sisley * - - Indiana, Pennsylvania
- Stem * - - Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania
- Switzer - Ohio, Pennsylvania
- Wise - - Indiana, Ohio
- Yarian * - - Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania
- Alexander - - Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland
- Bray - - Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia
- Shuder - - Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania
- Wiseman - - Indiana, Switzerland
Index posts have also been created for several "series" of posts
- August 2007 FGS Conference - - Daily posts on the sessions attended and some additional thoughts.
- Letters from Boot Camp - - On November 14th 1969 I enlisted in the U.S. Navy. For the next 10 weeks I went through basic training at RTC(W) Bainbridge, graduating on January 23, 1970. These are the letters that I wrote home during that time.
- Mystery Photos - - The Wiseman Bible, given to me in January 2004, contained some unidentified pictures.
- Phend-Fisher Family Reunion Ledger - - The family reunions were held 1898-1943. These posts are transcriptions and images for each year.
- Kinexxions :: Carnival of Genealogy Contributions - - My contributions to the CoG


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[I decided to start a new thread now that the presentation materials are available online as there were already 50 comments on the post announcing the open house sessions.]
The Eglinton line is a long and complex project, no matter what technology will be used, and tonight's meeting at Leaside Arena had a good turnout right from the start. I didn't hang around, but do know that there's a lot of interest along the central part of the line in many design and service issues. Some of these cannot really be addressed until we see a detailed design at the next round of meetings, but the general shape of the line is evident.
This commentary highlights items in the presentation that I found interesting.
On Page 3, we learn that the corridor stretches from the Airport to Kennedy Station even though, as we will see later, the exact route from Martin Grove to the Airport requires more detailed study. Surface operation is definite west of Jane and east of Leaside, but there are many details to work out. Later panels show options for a portal between Jane and Weston Road, or west of Keele Street. To the east, the portal location on the diagram is actually west of Leslie on the west side of the Don Valley.
On Page 10, the land use plan shows the great variety of areas this route will serve. The pink areas, "Mixed Use" are particularly interesting because they show where some intensification might occur along the "Avenues" of the Official Plan. How well this will sit with those neighbourhoods remains to be seen and depends a great deal on the sensitivity and skill of the Avenue studies.
Page 12 gives the ridership on all routes operating on Eglinton itself and crossing the corridor. While this is useful to get a sense of scale, it needs to be read intelligently. For example, the Eglinton West corridor has only a bit more than 50% of the riding of Eglinton East, but the latter includes routes 54 Lawrence East and 100 Flemingdon Park that have considerable riding on route segments nowhere near Eglinton. Similarly the many intersecting north-south routes carry lots of passengers, but many are not potential customers for the LRT or even on their respective routes when they cross Eglinton. I hope that the TTC can come up with something more meaningful for the next round of their presentations.
Pages 13 and 14 bring us to the inevitable technology debate. The TTC's projected peak demand in 2031 on Eglinton is 5,400 per direction, and this lands squarely in LRT territory. What is missing from this presentation is a review of demand by route section and how this would affect service design, intersection operations and pedestrian flows for the on-street portion of the route. I was hoping we would have more information at this point to allow intelligent discussion about route design and was disappointed by this oversight.
Also to be fair to ICTS and subway advocates, there is the question of the demand that might be induced by a move to an alternative technology and/or more widely spaced stops. It is important that we know the characteristics of demand in the corridor to properly evaluate alternatives, and the TTC has given us nothing to work with on that account.
As a generic criticism of their capacity chart, they really need to stop showing such high potential capacities for both BRT and LRT running in centre medians "Toronto style". Every one of the Transit City presentations says "yes, BRT in theory, but there isn't room for the infrastructure". This distinction will be even more important as Metrolinx turns its attention to corridors where "BRT" is touted as the solution.
Page 17 gives comparative stop spacings, and once again this can be misread by those unfamiliar with the route. Both Eglinton East and West have sections of relatively fast, uncongested running with widely spaced stops. When we discuss stops, we need to look at segments of routes, not overall averages, and we need to understand what those stops do. How many people do they serve? What will be the impact on walking distances versus saved travel time? This sort of material should be fairly easy to produce, but again we have a once-over-lightly presentation that leaves the detail, the important questions about line characteristics, to a point in the study where it is more difficult to influence the outcome.
Pages 19-21 show sample station and tunnel configurations. Some of the line will be built as a deep bore, and some by cut-and-cover. The exact locations for each technique have not been plotted on the maps, although it's not difficult to guess where they may be. For example, the hill between Bathurst and Chaplin Crescent must be deep bore even though it is faily short, and it may be simpler to stay with that mode for the hill up to Avenue Road and back down to the east. Similarly, the steep hill west of Bayview more or less demands a deep tunnel to make the climb up to Mount Pleasant Station a reasonable one.
Nowhere is there a mention of groundwater problems which will be severe at Bayview. An old stream, Walmsley Brook, has been the undoing of many construction projects at that corner which was a swamp until the early 1950s. (Sunnybrook Plaza was the first strip mall in what is now Toronto, but then Leaside.) This will be a challenging station to design and build. Other locations can be seen on the main Lost Rivers map, but Bayview is one of the worst spots.
Pages 22-29 show the route alignment, complete with potential station and portal locations, as well as locations of the existing bus stops. Many who comment here will criticize transit operations with such close stops, but they are a fact of life on the TTC. East of Weston, the line enters old municipalities that have had surface transit for much of the past century and grown up around easily accessed bus service (streetcars operated on Eglinton only between Oakwood and Gilbert Loop at the old City boundary west of Caledonia). Some of the most widely-spaced stations are also in the old, dense areas.
The panels imply that there will be no supplementary surface bus. However, I feel the TTC would be wise to retain this with a reasonable headway (12-15 minutes, maximum) as a question of accessibility for the underground portion of the route.
The next round of open houses is planned for early 2009 at which point we will see more details of the route's layout. Who knows how much mischief Metrolinx will create in the interim with its draft Regional Plan — RTP advocates are already on record saying that Eglinton should be a "Metro" all the way across the city, possibly as an extension of the Scarborough RT. We shall see, especially when it comes to the question of funding, ownership and operation of such a major piece of transit infrastructure.


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American stranded in Ukraine in online dating scam
The former write-in candidate for Arizona governor traveled to Ukraine looking for love. He ended up hungry and sick in a homeless shelter _ the victim of an Internet dating scam.
Social workers were stunned to find Cary Dolego, 53, sitting on a city street last Wednesday, behaving strangely and suffering from pneumonia.
Dolego, who ran for Arizona governor just last year, had traveled to Ukraine this spring to do research for an engineering project and look for a wife. He says he met a woman named Yulia online and, hoping to marry her, went to her hometown of Chernivtsi.
She never showed up.
With nowhere to go and no money left, Dolego spent days roaming the streets of Chernivtsi along with other homeless men until he was picked up by social workers and taken to a shelter. He spoke to The Associated Press by phone Wednesday from a hospital where he was being treated for pneumonia.
"I was looking for a Ukrainian mate, a partner, somebody who would stay with me, be my wife," Dolego said. "All the Slavic ladies in this part of the world are absolutely delightful."
Social workers were shocked.
"He looked bad _ his clothes were dirty, he was dirty, he looked like a typical homeless man," said Anastasia Beridze of the Narodna Dopomoha (People's Help) charity.
A woman who acknowledges being Yulia says she had been unaware of Dolego's existence during the Internet fling.
The woman, who declined to give her last name out of fear of attracting publicity, said in an interview with the AP that someone had hacked into her account on an Internet dating site and had been communicating with Dolego on her behalf, charging Dolego for those e-mails.
The woman, who was contacted through a mobile phone number provided by Dolego, acknowledged that the account he'd been interacting with on the site was hers. She denied being part of any scam. "What happened is ugly," she said.
Yulia, a 29-year-old doctor by training, said that after she found out what happened to Dolego, she paid him a visit to express her sympathy.
"I went to the hospital and he started hugging me: 'Oh Yulia, oh Yulia!' I was shocked," she said. "He thought we were getting married."
Dolego confirmed that she visited him and he believes they could still be together.
"We seemed to hit it off," Dolego said. "She wants to continue with the relationship."
Yulia has a different take. "He is not really my type," she said.
Before his Ukrainian adventure, Dolego, of Queen Creek, Arizona, says he was pursuing a Bachelor's degree in organizational studies at the University of Arizona.
Passionate about engineering, he claims to have designed a "lifesaving" method to keep ships from sinking and aircraft from disintegrating during a crash. He says he sold his house, truck and motorbike and left for Ukraine to further study the method here.
But Dolego, a twice divorced father of three, also had another goal _ finding love with a beautiful East European woman.
After finding no support for his project in various Ukrainian cities and being evicted from a room he was renting, he said he boarded a train to Chernivtsi, hoping finally to meet his Yulia and settle down.
After he arrived, Yulia stopped answering his e-mails. With his U.S. bank account frozen and no means of supporting himself, he said, he became a homeless man. He was reduced to sleeping on the streets and seeking shelter at a local railway station, according to social workers.
"Things befall people that they cannot predict," Dolego said. "I will work through it."
Beridze said that besides being understandably worn out and ill after days of living on the streets, Dolego was exhibiting abnormal behavior. "He talks a lot and gestures a lot. He is acting strangely."
Beridze's group has contacted the U.S. Embassy in Kiev and is planning to buy Dolego a train ticket to Kiev, the capital, from where he could fly back to the United States. The U.S. Embassy declined to comment, citing the Privacy Act.


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The fifth season of American Idol will come to a close with the crowning of a new champ on Wednesday night, and I for one will be distraught. This season my casual Idol fandom became a full-fledged addiction. I knew things had taken a turn for the worse when I started weaseling out of dinner party plans because I couldn't bear the thought of missing Queen week. Of course, I'm not alone. Idol's already stratospheric Nielsen ratings soared higher this season, and last week more than 50 million votes were cast in the balloting that set tonight's final showdown between Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee. Once, pop's A-listers turned up their noses at the show, but this season Mary J. Blige, Prince, and Bruce Springsteen agreed to let their songs be performed, and Stevie Wonder and Rod Stewart showed up to tutor the competitors, a gig that has become one of the most coveted in the business. (Lord knows what sordid backroom deals were struck to win a star turn for Kenny Rogers, who evidently celebrated by visiting Jocelyn Wildenstein's surgeon.) And Season 5 has already succeeded in catapulting one unknown to the top of the charts: the Canadian singer-songwriter Daniel Powter, whose year-old song "Bad Day" rocketed to No. 1 in the Billboard Hot 100 after repeated airings during the farewell montages when contestants are sent packing.
Last Wednesday night, Idol's producers decided to gloat, trotting out music mogul Clive Davis to reel off a staggering list of album sales—"Kelly Clarkson, 10 million units; Ruben Studdard, 2 million units; Clay Aiken, 3 million units"—totaling 33 million records to date by Idol winners and also-rans. Davis, who has overseen the debut CDs of Idol's first four victors, gave a little speech chiding "skeptics" who had questioned the show's potential to break new stars, which got it about half right. After the first season, only a few crackpots dared doubt Idol's marketplace muscle, but the show was widely scorned as evidence of musical values in decline—a noble and lively American art had been reduced to a karaoke contest with, as Matt Feeney wrote in Slate in 2004, "an abiding aesthetic of kitsch optimism."
Today, most of those critics have quieted down, and not just because they've succumbed to Idol's goofy charms, such as Simon Cowell's baffling critical Esperanto ("Katharine, that performance was almost a moment") or the spectacle of Paula Abdul's slow descent into madness. The fact is, season by season, song by song, the show has gotten better. Five years after its launch there's little doubt: The music on American Idol is often very good, and American Idol is good for popular music.
Consider the track record. Carrie Underwood (the 2005 idol), Fantasia Barrino (2004), and Kelly Clarkson (2002) have all recorded solid-to-excellent albums, none of which sound remotely amateurish or karaokelike. (Only Studdard, the 2003 champ, released a dud.) More surprising are the toughness and eccentricity of those records. Underwood's chart-topping country single "Jesus, Take the Wheel" is a ballad about a young mother's spiritual crisis and near-fatal car accident, and Fantasia's hit "Baby Mama," is an even grittier depiction of single motherhood. Clarkson won Idol on the strength of her feathery Mariah Carey-style melisma, but she has since moved out of what Abdul would call her "comfort zone." Her 2005 smash, "Since U Been Gone," which placed third in last year's Village Voice's Pop & Jazz's critic's poll, was an angsty breakup ballad with an irresistible hook and a galloping hard-rock chorus. All the qualities supposedly drowned in the ooze of Idol's "aesthetic of kitsch optimism"—regional peculiarity, lyrical realism, the jolt of a well-struck power chord—are present in these singers' big hits. Fantasia's Free Yourself even includes three collaborations with Missy Elliott, arguably the current pop star most committed to enlivening hit radio with sonic surprise and general freakishness. Idol has not only produced successful recording artists, it's produced interesting ones.
In the first couple of seasons, critics (including yours truly) complained that Idol was too immersed in one style—that it was a Mariah impersonation contest, with vocalists vying to outdo each other's acrobatic gospel "runs." But as the show has evolved, the singing has gotten more stylistically diverse, and more adventurous. Today, Idol is an occasionally revelatory, often garish, but always engrossing collision of genres and traditions. This season's finals featured a couple of country singers; a twee boy-soprano whose voting block of pre-pubescent girls and their grandmothers kept him in the running for a while; and a large-lunged gospel diva who was eliminated at least a few weeks too soon. The most compelling character was The Rocker, Chris Daughtry, who, despite his knack for turning every song he touched into joy-killing post-grunge dirge, earned admiration for his fine chops (I never heard him hit a bum note), and what Cowell rightly identified as his refusal to compromise. During Barry Manilow Week, when contestants were required to tackle songs from the 1950s, Daughtry shocked everyone (and probably bummed out Manilow) with a solemn rock arrangement of Johnny Cash's "I Walk the Line," and in the weeks afterward everyone seemed to catch the spirit: Bongo players and acoustic guitarists appeared flanking singers at center stage, and even the most uptight contestants started taking little risks with arrangements.
Tuesday's final presents a stark choice. McPhee would seem to be a record executive's dream candidate: a classy, pretty girl from Los Angeles who can really sing. But there's only a few record executives out there, and many millions of Idol voters, and I suspect that they, with guidance from Simon, Randy, and Paula, will choose Hicks, the prematurely gray-haired doofus who has spent the past several weeks jerking across the Idol stage like a spaz while belting out classic R&B covers. There's something vaguely unsettling about his shtick: Although he's not black, he calls his fans "The Soul Patrol," and although he's neither black nor blind, he insists on lurching backward when he sings like his idol Ray Charles.
Still, I'll be rooting hard for Hicks. I wager he'll win in a walk, as well he should: He's just a more interesting singer. A Hicks victory would be the ultimate answer to critics who've slammed Idol for its plastic pop-music values. (Bar Band Singer Bests Pop Princess!) And it would continue the Idol voters' streak of choosing talent over beauty—think of pretty boy Justin Guarini falling to Kelly Clarkson, who despite the best efforts of a battery of stylists still looks more like a Dutch mastiff than Jessica Simpson. No matter what happens, it's destined to be a riveting few hours of television. If you're one of the last American Idol holdouts, I urge you to tune in. There will doubtless be at least a couple of great performances—and maybe even a moment.


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For something with a name that sounds pretty frumpy (or maybe lumpy? porridge!), I really love the stuff. For years, I've eaten oatmeal almost everyday for breakfast, occasionally subbing in a hot mixed grain cereal that I buy from Whole Foods when I have cash to burn. Apparently, a mixture of rye, quinoa, and flaxseed is worth its weight in gold.
"I recently (finally) realized that oats are not my only stomach and wallet-friendly grain."
I recently (finally) realized that oats are not my only stomach and wallet-friendly grain. I could easily make my own hot barley cereal. The trick? Cook your barley the night before. That's right, I'm now a batch barley maker, maybe the only one who isn't using it for beer.
The reason that you don't see barley porridge that often is that barley takes longer— much longer— than oats to cook. Let's look at the numbers. Oats: 2 minutes 30 seconds in the microwave. Barley: 40 minutes on the stove, then 15 minutes in the pot with milk. But if I make a batch of barley on Sunday, I can eat the leftovers as barley porridge for the rest of the week. (Not to mention scattering some in salads, soups, etc.)
Here's what you do: combine the cooked barley (I actually leave it a little more al dente in the first stage, cooking it between 30 and 40 minutes instead of 45) with milk in a pan. Add in brown sugar and cinnamon and cook it over medium heat for about 15 minutes, until the barley has sucked up the milk. At this point it's ready to eat as a sweet barley porridge and the extras are up to you. Personally, I add a mixture of chopped nuts and fresh fruit and, for an extra rich texture, a generous drizzle of heavy cream.


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It was a red letter day for the TSA last Thursday. The security officials at Miami International Airport managed to apprehend a man trying to sneak seven snakes and three tortoises in his pants on a plane heading to Brazil.
It all sounds like very strange heist movie, but the smuggler was promptly arrested and the animals put into custody. All I have now are trouser snake jokes and awkward puns. Honestly, who sticks reptiles in their pants and thinks they're going to get away with it? [Sun Sentinel via AP]


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Child Injury infographic
Global graphic:
This figure shows the child injury death rate among children 0-14 years of high-income countries old per 100,000 people, in 2008. The country with the lowest child injury death rate is Sweden with a rate of 1.96, followed by the Netherlands (2.38), United Kingdom (2.85), France (3.39), Canada (4.64), Australia (4.84), and Poland (5.97). The US ranks among the worst with a rate of 8.65, 4 times greater than the country with the lowest rate (Sweden, 1.96). The United States is followed by New Zealand with a rate of 11.08 and Mexico at 12.72.
State Map:
Map of the United States showing the child injury death rates for each state per 100,000 children 0-19, in 2009. States with the highest rates of child injury, 18.0 to 25.9 per 100,000 children 0-19, include: South Carolina, Alaska, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, and Mississippi.
States with child injury death rates from 11.0 to 17.9 per 100,000 children 0-19 include: Utah, Arizona, Maine, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Delaware, Michigan, West Virginia, Texas, Indiana, North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Idaho, Nevada, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, North Dakota, Alabama, Arkansas, and New Mexico.
States with the lowest rates of child injury death, 4.0 to 10.9 per 100,000 children 0-19 include: Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, New York, California, Rhode Island, Maryland, Illinois, Virginia, Oregon, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Colorado, Washington, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Georgia, and Hawaii.
Vermont and Washington, DC do not have enough child injury deaths to report and are suppressed on the map
Causes of child injury and preventative tips
There are many causes of child injury. In 2009, 9,143 children died from injuries. This graphic includes information on the number of deaths in 2009, the rate change in deaths between 2000 and 2009, and injury prevention tips for each of the most common causes of injury including motor vehicle, suffocation, drowning, poisoning, fires/burns, and falls.
[Picture of: adult buckling a child in a car seat] In 2009, 4,564 children died from motor vehicle related injuries. Between 2000 and 2009 there was a 41% increase in the motor vehicle related injury death rates. To prevent motor vehicle related deaths: always use seat belts, child safety seats, and booster seats that are correct for a child's age and weight; and use safe-driving agreements or contracts with teens.
[Picture of: adults checking on baby on its back on a firm surface in an empty crib] In 2009, 1,160 children died from suffocations. Between 2000 and 2009, there was a 30% increase in the suffocation death rate. To prevent suffocations: make sure infants sleep alone, placed on their backs, on a firm surface; be sure cribs meet safety standards; and avoid loose bedding or soft toys in the crib.
[Picture of: adult and child playing safely in pool together] In 2009, 983 children died due to drowning. Between 2000 and 2009, there was a 28% decrease in the drowning death rate. To further reduce the number of children dying from drowning: everyone should learn to swim; use a four-sided fence with self-closing and self-latching gates around the pool; and watch kids closely when they are in or around water.
[Picture of: adult putting a cleaning solution in its original container away in a cabinet where a child cannot reach] In 2009, 824 children died from poisonings. Between 2000 and 2009 there was an 80% increase in the poisoning death rate, largely due to prescription drug overdoses. To prevent poisonings: keep medicine away from children and teens; keep cleaning solutions and other toxic products in original packaging and where children can't get them.
[Picture of: adults cooking safely over stove] In 2009, 391 children died from fires or burns. Between 2000 and 2009, there was a 45% decrease in the fire/burn death rate. To further reduce the number of children dying from fires and burns: use smoke alarms – where people sleep and on every level of the home – and test monthly; create and practice a family fire escape plan; and install a home fire sprinkler system if possible.
[Picture of: adult pushing a child on a swing] In 2009, 151 children died from falls. Between 2000 and 2009, there was a 19% decrease in the fall death rate. To further reduce the number of children dying from falls: use a soft landing surface on playgrounds (such as sand or wood chips, not dirt or grass); use protective gear, like a helmet, during sports and recreation; and install protective rails on bunk beds and loft beds.


text: I've been having some pretty big adventures lately, filming for My Crazy Obsession and visiting Cedar Creek Elementary School, for example. But Friday, May 11th was bigger than either of those. It was kind of like those two days combined because I was filming for a British TV show called My Giant Pet and I went to a charity fund raiser called Kiss the Critter. Big adventures are big trouble, if you ask me.


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Andronicus III
Andronicus III (Andronicus Palaeologus), c.1296–1341, Byzantine emperor (1328–41), grandson of Andronicus II, whom he deposed after a series of civil wars. His chief minister was John Cantacuzene (later Emperor John VI). During his reign the Ottoman Turks gained almost complete control of Asia Minor, while Stephen Dušan of Serbia conquered part of Macedonia and Albania. He was succeeded by his son, John V.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Ancient History, Late Roman and Byzantine: Biographies


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I'm learning that perfectionism not only limits my options, it limits the options of others.
I've always been a serial friend.
By that, I mean I have very few friendships that lave lasted more than a few years. Partly that comes from moving so much: I left home for college at age 17 and never really went back. We went on to live in three more states. Even as I write this, we are contemplating where our "next state" might be.
I've also changed my "groups" a lot. First there were school friends. Then there were work friends. Parent friends. Now artist friends.
I have many online friends–people I've met in discussion forums and through blogging, many of whom I've never even met in person.
I have riding friends, martial arts friends, knitting/yoga/climbing friends. I'm sure I will now have hospice friends, too.
One reason I make friends so easily is, I am open to it. An old school chum said, "You have made more friends since I've known you than I've even met!!" I must have looked chagrined, because she added quickly, "No, that's a good thing! I don't made friends easily. I envy you."
But that means I've also lost a lot of friendships.
It's impossible to have deep friendships with everyone you meet and like, of course. Not all friendships can pass the test of time, distance or changes in circumstance. If you want to discover who your true friends are, see who hangs around after you or your spouse is laid off. You will be dismayed. And astonished.
But I still regret the loss of some of my more profound friendships over the years.
I'm thinking maybe…actually, I know…I lost them to perfectionism.
Because here's another drawback in perfectionism:
When you expect it in yourself, you will demand it from others.
And that, as we all know, is totally, hopelessly, humanly, impossible.
I like to think I have been a good friend. But I've always suspected I could have been a better one.
Looking back, I can see that sometimes the best friendships were short-lived for good reasons. I love this little essay by Brian Andrew "Drew" Chalker, "A REASON, A SEASON, A LIFETIME".
But I know sometimes–many times–I simply asked too much of people. More than they were willing, perhaps even capable, of giving. And that has served neither of us well.
So now I strive for a little less perfectionism.
I hope I can do that really, really well.
I'm hoping, if I can learn to forgive myself for not being perfect–if I can learn not to expect it from others–I will truly be a better friend.
And wife. And mother. And artist/writer/climber/rider/owner of silly pets.


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Tripura trĭ´po͝orä [key], state (2001 provisional pop. 3,191,168), 4,036 sq mi (10,453 sq km), NE India, bordered by Bangladesh on the north, west, and south, and on the east by the states of Assam and Mizoram. The capital is Agartala. Tripura lies in a mountainous region but has lush lowlands with cane brakes, swamps, and dense jungles. The population, which is mainly engaged in agriculture, is predominantly Hindu. Bengali is the main language. Tripura is governed by a chief minister and cabinet responsible to an elected unicameral legislature. The states of Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur, and Tripura and the union territories of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh have a common governor appointed by India's president. The 16th-century Hindu temple at Radhakishorepur is much visited.
The region was the center of a long-lived kingdom that reached its apogee in the 15th cent. Though the region was annexed by the Mughal empire in 1733 and passed under British rule in the 19th cent., the original kingdom did not disappear until it joined India in 1949. Tripura became a union territory in 1956 and a state in 1972. In the 1970s many Bengali-speaking immigrants began arriving from Bangladesh; by the 1980s their presence had led to clashes with indigenous tribes, and sparked a armed indigenous separatist movement.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Indian Political Geography


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Men Who Don't Cheat
A wry look into the mind of the male monogamist
En español | Judging from the news, women might be forgiven for wondering if every married man is cheating on his wife these days. Or at least every politician, movie star, CEO or athlete of any stature whatsoever. Whether it's Anthony Weiner, Eliot Spitzer, Ashton Kutcher, Tiger Woods, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mr. Sandra Bullock or that peripatetic governor from South Carolina, the spectacle of high-profile infidelity suggests that American husbands have lost their moral compass and cravenly adopted the motto: "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. In fact, it doesn't even have to happen in Vegas to stay in Vegas. As far as I'm concerned, nothing that happened anywhere ever really happened. Even if I get caught red-handed."
Everyone knows why men cheat. Well, everyone thinks they know. The theory runs like this: Men — not all of them, but quite a few — are pigs. They disingenuously identify themselves as hunters, as opposed to gatherers or certified public accountants or weenies, and thus deem themselves biologically incapable of remaining monogamous.
Once they have manufactured this self-serving, pseudo-scientific rationalization, additional justifications for infidelity are easy to devise. Their wives no longer love them. The sex fell off after the kids were born. The thrill is gone. When they are brutally honest, they might come clean and admit that they have met somebody younger. Or somebody better-looking. Or somebody richer. Or somebody younger, better-looking and richer. With whom the sex is awesome. Which brings us back to the original point, that a lot of men are pigs.
But most are not.
Statistical evidence suggests that cheating is nowhere near as rampant among ordinary men as it would appear to be among pols and jocks and thespians and high-octane suits and other libidinous creatures. According to the General Social Survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, no more than 22 percent of men have ever engaged in marital infidelity, and only one man in 20 is unfaithful to his wife on an annual basis.
So if a guy calls his wife to say he's working late, there's a 95 percent chance that he's chained to his desk, not stepping out with the nubile new hire in creative services. (Men are more likely to stray than women — or at least more likely to admit it — though the gender gap may be closing, the survey found: Nearly 15 percent of women say they have cheated.)
Our natural instinct is to believe that faithful men adore their wives, are blissfully happy in their relationships and would never dream of fooling around, because it would violate their personal moral code. You can build entire societies around mensches like this. These men are willing to work to make a marriage succeed. To them, marriage is not a trifle, not a lark. Following this logic, men who don't cheat are first-class human beings.
But are they? All of them? Really?
Over the years, I've met a few guys who cheat on their wives and an awful lot who don't. Or let's just say I think they don't. But is it possible that these husbands refrain from cheating not so much because they love their wives, and not even because they view cheating as immoral, but for other, less laudable reasons? Consider, if only for the sake of argument, the following explanations for why some men are faithful to their wives:
Many men are incredibly lazy
Men like to plop down on the couch and watch sports and drink beer. Romance, by contrast, is labor-intensive; you have to shower, shave, slap on some deodorant, put on something other than sweatpants, buy flowers, go to the movies, read a book every once in a while, think of compliments, engage in conversation. Cheating on your wife involves travel, dinner reservations, booking hotel rooms. Once a man has been married a few decades, the energy he would need to expend on an extramarital affair could be a life-threatening shock to his nervous system. It would be like asking the Sahara to suddenly erupt in foliage. That's why so many older men wouldn't even think of cheating on their wives. It's too exhausting.
Some men are startlingly ugly
Women swear up and down that looks are not nearly as important to them as they are to men, that a woman will not hesitate to marry an unattractive man if he has other compensatory qualities, such as a sense of humor or a highly developed intellect or a villa in Tuscany. I only believe the part about the villa in Tuscany. I personally cannot recall the last time I saw an attractive woman with a hideous man, and I keep my eyes peeled for this sort of thing. You might see a 10 with an 8, or an 8 with a 5, but you never see a 9 with a 2. And that's the reason ugly men do not cheat on their wives.
An ugly man is so happy that he found one woman willing to gaze at his baleful countenance for the next 40 years that there is no way he is going to risk everything by cheating on her.
Lots of married men are cheap
Having an extramarital affair takes money. Even if you don't have to shell out for airplane tickets and hotel rooms, sooner or later you're going to have to pony up for meals, flowers, chocolates, theater tickets, lingerie. "If your girlfriend is really into Barbra Streisand or Andrea Bocelli, the concert tickets alone could bankrupt you," a reformed cheater ruefully observes, "especially if you have to take your wife to the same concert the very next night."
Men fear getting caught
According to a Gallup poll, only 6 percent of Americans view cheating as acceptable. And 64 percent say that it is an unforgivable offense. Which means that the risks are enormous. Many men would cheat on their wives if they thought they could get away with it, but know that they can't get away with it because they're sloppy, forgetful, disorganized, dumb.
They're going to put the motel charge on their credit card instead of paying cash. Or they're going to pay cash for the three-hour day rate in the motel but forget to tell the seedy desk clerk in the Black Sabbath T-shirt not to put the minibar charges on the Visa. They're going to make too many late-night calls to the same mysterious phone number in Vegas or Amarillo or Buenos Aires. They're going to get caught, they know they're going to get caught, and they don't want to have to deal with the consequences of getting caught. And that's why they don't cheat. If they coulda, they woulda. But they couldn't, so they didn't.
Affairs are time-consuming
"There aren't enough hours in the day to be married and maintain an extramarital affair," says a veteran philanderer I know. "At a certain point, having a mistress just becomes another job. And if your girlfriend lives in another city, the travel will eventually wear you down."
Bores can't get dates
Just because you'd like to cheat doesn't automatically mean that you're going to find someone willing to take you in. Much like the ugly guys, boring guys count their lucky stars that they were able to find one woman capable of staying awake while they moan about the latest Financial Accounting Standards Board standards or complain that no one ever plays Seals and Crofts or Bobby Vinton at weddings anymore. Finding a second woman who would put up with this stuff can be a stretch.
Men have seen Fatal Attraction
Michael Douglas meets the One-Night-Stand-From-Hell. 'Nuff said.
In proposing all this, I do not mean to disparage the millions and millions of men who remain scrupulously faithful to their wives because they love them, honor them, cherish them and can't imagine ever being unfaithful to them. Those guys are great; those guys rule the world. All I'm saying is that marital fidelity is not always the direct result of a romantic disposition or an ironclad values system.
Some men would cheat on their wives — at least once — if they knew they could get away with it, if they didn't have to worry about the blowback (e.g., bunny boiling). But in the final analysis, I suspect that some men don't cheat for the same reason that they don't water-ski: They're not really good at it, there's no learning curve for this sort of thing, and the results could be disastrous.
By the way, women already know all this.
Joe Queenan is the author of One for the Books and Closing Time. He writes the Moving Targets column for the Wall Street Journal.
Also of Interest
- The No. 1 reason people over 50 cheat on their spouses
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Rutherford mosque's need for third-party traffic, soil studies debated
MURFREESBORO – Local Muslims who comply with Rutherford County zoning regulations should not have to pay for third-party experts on traffic and soil before the county allows them to expand a cemetery, a land use attorney said.
"If they comply with all the requirements, I'm not sure why they have to do a study," said George Dean, a Nashville lawyer who provided training to the Rutherford County Regional Planning Commission on religious land use laws in June 2010. "The Tennessee Religious Freedom Restoration Act says that the city has to provide that there is a compelling reason to do these things, not vice versa."
The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro faces a Rutherford County Board of Zoning Appeals condition to complete the third-party studies despite Planning Director Doug Demosi informing the BZA that the cemetery plan complies with the county's zoning regulations.
One study would determine whether the soil can handle the congregation's proposed cemetery; the other study must examine traffic at the Islamic center's entrance on Veals Road and the nearby intersection of Veals and Bradyville Pike.
After holding a public hearing on the cemetery request, zoning appeals board member Keith Bratcher persuaded a majority of the board in a split 3-2 vote to ask for the studies.
The board then deferred a decision on the cemetery expansion until Jan. 8 or whenever the Islamic center representatives are ready to return before the board.
The cemetery request is the latest religious land use legal issue pertaining to the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro since the county's planning commission approved the congregation's long-term plans to construct a 52,960-square-foot center on 15 acres near the southeast boundary of Murfreesboro.
The congregation completed the first 12,000 feet August 2012.
Plaintiff Kevin Fisher led a group in suing the county for approving the mosque plans without providing more public notice before the meeting. He asked the BZA to require a study about the soils to ensure they're safe for burials.
The Islamic Center in May 2010 buried one member on the property with permission from Demosi before the planning commissioners approved the construction plans. Demosi informed the congregation that it must obtain permission from the BZA to expand the cemetery.
Islamic Center board Chairman Essam Fathy said his congregation would look at the design work it completed in building its center to see if that could be used to answer the BZA's questions regarding the soil and traffic.


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Editor's Note: Anita Hartig, 29, has just debuted at La Scala in Milan in the role of Mimi in Puccini's much-loved La Boheme. The Romanian soprano rose to fame after a critic mentioned her to Ioan Holender when he was the musical director of the Vienna State Opera.
Story highlights
Anita Hartig recently made her debut at La Scala in Milan in the role of Mimi in La Boheme
Hartig's rise began after she was recommended to director of Vienna State Opera
Latest in a long line of gifted Romanian opera singers to perform internationally
Hartig: There are lots of times where I feel depressed or lonely
A friend of mine told me (when) I was 17 years old (that) I should sing opera because I had an interesting voice. I said: "Oh my gosh, No! These fat ladies singing on stage!"
She gave me two Maria Callas CDs, I listened to them and I started to sing the high notes. I started to hear the orchestra and the emotion – and the power to express so many different feelings through voice, through instruments, through feelings. That was the beginning.
This talent I have got, I had to develop it, because it was a burning flame in my heart.
When it started, I knew. I don't know how to explain it. Maybe different people feel that with love – you just know it! I felt that with music and opera.
Virginia Zeani, Ileana Cotrubas, there are so many great Romanian singers, but from my little town in the north, I think I was the first one. I come from Transylvania in the north of Romania. The city I am from is called Bistrita. My parents are very proud of me and so are other people in our little town.
So I worked through the summers so I could get professional singing lessons and then I got into the music academy in Cluj where I studied for six years. When I finished at the music academy, Ioan Holender from the Vienna State Opera heard about me from a critic.
He sent me an email (saying) that he wanted to hear my voice and from that moment on everything changed. I don't know the details about what the critic wrote – it must have been something that made him curious.
More from Human to Hero: Boxing's first female Olympic gold medalist Nicola Adams
The difference between one singer and another is of, course, the talent he or she got from nature. The color of the voice, yes you could say that, but the most unique thing, the thing that makes a difference, is sincerity. It's not that easy to open yourself to the audience – to be sincere, to open your soul, to say, "This is me with my talent, my insecurities, with everything I am. This is me."
Of course, technique is important too, but there are lots of singers with good technique who don't take enough time, maybe, to develop the other part – the sensitivity.
My technique is not perfect all the time – if I am not sleeping enough or having problems and too many thoughts. You can't force your voice to sound the same all the time because lots of exterior things influence your resonance and your energy, and all that feeds into your voice.
The voice is a very sensitive instrument. It's not that easy, it's not just going out there and singing and your voice comes out. It would be so easy if it was like that. Can you imagine how hard it is without a microphone to have the force and the power to sound through an orchestra of 80 people playing loud music? That's not normal, right? You have to be patient and focused and to love what you do and to understand there are lots of moments where you feel very down.
As an opera singer you have to understand that going through those rough moments is part of the lesson, of development, of enrichment. Going through those moments, you can learn to inspire yourself. I inspire myself when I have to interpret a role where the character is very sad or very depressed.
I think what I am doing to project that sound is connecting with something beyond this world. I just take a breath, and try to focus on one point. I can't push the sound out; it feels more like I'm just connecting myself with the universe.
There are lots of times where I feel depressed or lonely or misunderstood and different. I don't have a normal life with family or a partner who can help me from time to time.
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The most interesting thing (is) that we always work with new people – new conductors, new musicians, new partners – on a new repertoire or a new role. This is the most beautiful thing that keeps me awake and makes me discover more of myself, to want more.
You can compare being an opera singer with being an athlete: Both have to practice a lot to focus on the distance. I also have to somehow know when I can hold myself back to maintain energy.
Some days I practice three, four, five hours, it depends. Some days I'm just reading, going through the score.
We are in the most beautiful and the most known theater in the world, La Scala in Milan. Great musicians, great tradition – opera was born here.
I'm so happy to be here, I could cry with gratefulness and joy for the emotions I feel. It's more than a dream – it's that the most pure desire I had in my heart that came true.


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Huckabee Falsely Claims Wisconsin Public Union Employees Earn More Than Private Counterparts
During a guest spot on Fox & Friends, Fox News host Mike Huckabee falsely claimed that Gov. Walker's anti-union legislation helps "balance the budget" because "public union workers [make] 30% better wages [and] 70% better benefits than their private sector counterparts." In fact, after controlling for factors such as education and experience, public union workers in Wisconsin and nationally make less than their private sector counterparts.
Huckabee Falsely Claims Public Sector Workers Make More "Than Their Private Sector Counterparts"
Huckabee: "Public Union Workers [Make] 30% Better Wages [And] 70% Better Benefits Than Their Private Sector Counterparts." On the February 25, 2011, edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, Fox News contributor Mike Huckabee claimed Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's efforts to end collective bargaining power for public sector unions is important because "he's having to balance the budget." As evidence, Huckabee falsely claimed public union workers make "30% better wages" and "70% better benefits than their private sector counterparts." From Fox & Friends:
HUCKABEE: Well, he's having to balance the budget. And you can't do that if you're spending more money than you take in. It's really about the budget issue. I know that there are sort of subplots, the unions of the public employees. Interestingly enough, on page 35 of the book, I exactly talk about the fact that we have a train wreck coming. I wrote this almost a year ago. And it now proves to be somewhat prophetic because you can see the meltdown coming. Public union workers, 30% better wages, 70% better benefits than their private sector counterparts. Do the math. If you're the person paying the bill, and the person you're paying is making substantially more, there comes a point at which that intersection is going to be the scene of a wreck.--
DOOCY: We're there! We're there!
HUCKABEE: That's what we have. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 02/25/11]
EPI Study: WI Public Employees Earn "4.8% Less ... Per Hour" Than Private Sector Counterparts
EPI: "Wisconsin Public Employees Earn 4.8% Less In Total Compensation Per Hour Than Comparable Full-Time Employees In Wisconsin's Private Sector." A study published February 10, 2011, by the think tank Economic Policy Institute (EPI) found that when "[c]omparisons controlling for education, experience," and other factors are taken into account, "Wisconsin public employees earn 4.8% less in total compensation per hour than comparable full-time employees in Wisconsin's private sector." From the executive summary of the EPI study:
[T]he data indicates that state and local government employees in Wisconsin are not overpaid. Comparisons controlling for education, experience, organizational size, gender, race, ethnicity, citizenship, and disability reveal that employees of both state and local governments in Wisconsin earn less than comparable private sector employees. On an annual basis, full-time state and local government employees in Wisconsin are undercompensated by 8.2% compared with otherwise similar private sector workers. This compensation disadvantage is smaller but still significant when hours worked are factored in. Full-time public employees work fewer annual hours, particularly employees with bachelor's, master's, and professional degrees (because many are teachers or university professors). When comparisons are made controlling for the difference in annual hours worked, full-time state and local government employees are undercompensated by 4.8%, compared with otherwise similar private sector workers. To summarize, our study shows that Wisconsin public employees earn 4.8% less in total compensation per hour than comparable full-time employees in Wisconsin's private sector.
These compensation comparisons account for important factors that affect earnings, the most important of which is the educational levels of public employees. When comparing public and private sector pay it is essential to consider the much higher levels of education required by occupations in the public sector. As a consequence of these requirements, Wisconsin public sector workers are on average more highly educated than private sector workers; 59% of full-time Wisconsin public sector workers hold at least a four-year college degree, compared with 30% of full-time private sector workers. Wisconsin state and local governments pay college-educated employees 25% less in annual compensation, on average, than private employers. The compensation differential is greatest for professional employees, lawyers, and doctors. On the other hand, the public sector appears to set a floor on compensation, which benefits less-educated workers. The 1% of state and local government workers without high school diplomas earn more than comparably educated workers in the private sector. [EPI, "Are Wisconsin Public Employees Over-compensated?" 2/10/11]
EPI: "Workers With A Bachelor's Degree Or More ... Are Compensated Between $20,000 ... To Over $82,000 A Year Less" Than Private Sector Counterparts. The EPI report also included a graphic showing the average compensation for public and private sector employees in Wisconsin by education:
The February 18, 2011, EPI post accompanying this graphic stated:
The campaign against state and local workers is often justified with claims that they are privileged relative to their private-sector peers or have somehow been cushioned from the effects of the recent recession and slow recovery. These claims are clearly false.
In Wisconsin, which has become a focal point in this debate, public servants already take a pretty hefty pay cut just for the opportunity to serve their communities (Keefe 2010). The figure below shows that when comparing the total compensation (which includes non-wage benefits such as health care and pensions) of workers with similar education, public-sector workers consistently make less than their private-sector peers. Workers with a bachelor's degree or more--which constitute nearly 60% of the state and local workforce in Wisconsin--are compensated between $20,000 less (if they just have a bachelor's degree) to over $82,000 a year less (if they have a professional degree, such as in law or medicine). [EPI, 2/18/11, emphasis in original]
Klein: "The Ones Who Got Played" In Wisconsin "Are The Public Employees." In a February 19, 2011, blog post, The Washington Post's Ezra Klein discussed EPI's analysis to argue that, in reality, it was the public employees who got the "bad deal" from the state government when negotiating their contracts. From his post:
The deal that unions, state government and -- by extension -- state residents have made to defer the compensation of public employees was a bad deal -- but it was a bad deal for the public employees, not for the state government. State and local governments were able to hire better workers now by promising higher pay later. They essentially hired on an installment plan. And now they might not follow through on it. The ones who got played here are the public employees, not the residents of the various states. The residents of the various states, when all is said and done, will probably have gotten the work at a steep discount. They'll force a renegotiation of the contracts and blame overprivileged public employees for resisting shared sacrifice.
Which gets to the heart of what this is: A form of default. There's been a lot of concern lately that states or municipalities will default on their debt. This is considered the height of fiscal irresponsibility -- an outcome so dire that some are considering various forms of federal support. But the talk that states or cities will default on their obligations to teachers or DMV employees? That's considered evidence of fiscal responsibility. And perhaps it's a better outcome, as defaulting to the banks makes future borrowing costs higher, and can hurt the state economy in the long-run. But it's not a more just outcome. [The Washington Post, 2/19/11]