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BOSTON – Had things worked out differently, Yuri Alcantara might be feeling a little more awkward about his upcoming fight with Urijah Faber.
Alcantara (28-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) flirted with the idea of training at the Team Alpha Male gym where Faber (28-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) hangs his hat.
The two might have made for some spirited sparring, but the Brazilian Alcantara, who most recently beat Iliarde Santos at UFC on FX 8, didn't wind up making the trek for Sacramento, Calif., where Faber's gym resides.
Good thing, because not long afterward, they were booked to fight each other at UFC Fight Night 26, which takes place Saturday at TD Garden in Boston.
"I was looking forward to [training with Faber], but it kind of worked out in the right way, because it's awkward to fight someone I already trained with," Alcantara said during an open workout in support of the event. "If the opportunity presents itself again, I'd be glad to do it."
Alcantara vs. Faber serves on the FOX Sports 1-televised main card of the event. It's the biggest name Alcantara has faced since joining the UFC two years ago.
Team Alpha Male this past year hired a new head coach, Duane Ludwig, to oversee operations. Faber, who's won his past two, is the longtime patriarch of the gym and arguably is the most popular fighter in the lighter divisions of the UFC. Alcantara, however, shared a connection with the former WEC champ's jiu-jitsu coach and wanted to improve his skills.
The extra work could've come in handy, but Alcantara said he's ready to prove he's the next biggest thing in the division.
"For sure, it's the biggest fight of my career, but even though Urijah is a great fighter, everyone in the UFC is a great fighter," Alcantara told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "If I beat him, my career will be on the next level, for sure."
Alcantara doesn't see any design in Faber's career trajectory of winning several non-title fights and then losing bouts for the belt. He nonetheless will try to hand Faber the first consecutive loss of his career.
"I'm ready to fight him, and I'm going to change the fact that he did so well in non-title fights on Saturday," Alcantara said.
For the latest on UFC Fight Night 26, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.


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Israel's self-described interim solution covering where and how women can pray at the Western Wall hasn't stopped Jews from all sides of the issue from wanting to hit their heads against a wall.
A 4,840-square-foot platform designed to accommodate up to 450 worshippers at a time was just installed. The new prayer plaza, connected by a ramp to an existing platform in the southern section of the Wall near Robinson's Arch, is called Azarat Yisrael and is being billed as an interim but primary place of worship for egalitarian and pluralistic prayer services.
The existing prayer plaza at the Wall, north of the Mughrabi Bridge, is the official prayer site and is designated for Orthodox services.
The new plaza, south of the Mughrabi Bridge, is in the area already approved for pluralistic prayer by the Israeli High Court of Justice. It will be opened 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and Torah scrolls, prayer books and prayer shawls will be available to all. However, weddings, circumcision ceremonies or charity collections will not be permitted at the site.
"The Kotel belongs to all Jews no matter who they are and what stream of Judaism they come from," Ministry of Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs Minister Naftali Bennett said Sunday as he announced the new platform.
Bennett said the platform was built in conjunction with the offices of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky, who is expected to announce a permanent solution any day now.
Immediately after details of the platform were announced, a clarification was issued by Netanyahu's office that stated, "Contrary to reports, there is no new government decision regarding prayer arrangements at the Western Wall. The committee appointed by the Prime Minister to look into the matter, has yet to conclude its work. Once it does so, it will submit its recommendations to the Prime Minister."
That clarification didn't stop anyone from having a strong comment on the platform, which "literally sort of appeared under our feet," said Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, executive vice president of the Rabbinical Assembly.
While calling the platform "a modest first step" forward in resolving the issue, Schonfeld said she is still awaiting clarification on who will oversee religious practices at that space and what the final terms regarding issues of equality will be.
Masorti, Israel's Conservative movement, has gathered and prayed at the upper plaza of the Wall since 1980 and was given the option of worshipping at Robinson's Arch in 2000. Meanwhile, it has continued to work with the Israeli government to expand the prayer area, hours, staffing and provisions for ritual needs at that site.
Women of the Wall, a group formed 20 years ago with the goal of allowing women to pray at the Western Wall wearing ritual garb and with the Torah, condemned the latest changes by Robinson's Arch, noting in a statement the government is relegating "over 50 percent of the Jewish population to the 'back of the bus.' "
"The plan will effectively exile women and all Jews who pray in a way that is not ultra-Orthodox" to Robinson's Arch and away from the actual Wall, Women of the Wall declared.
"What has been proven today is that the bullies were victorious — with their assault, spitting and cursing at women," the statement continued. "This plan is the very definition of separate, and not nearly close to equal, it provides an out-of-sight, out-of-mind solution silencing women at the Western Wall."
Virginia Spatz, a co-organizer of the Washington Friends of Women of the Wall, called the recent changes "disappointing. I had hoped that the strains of Judaism could come together in unity, and this is certainly not that. This is just heartbreaking."
Spatz questioned how Bennett could say that the Wall belongs to all Jews and then "in the next breath" propose a solution "that regulates many Jews to a site apart from the Kotel" and keeps the Kotel for "official recognition as a prayer site to be used solely for Orthodox services."
"These are incompatible statements, and the logic of them escapes me. The new plan is a severe slap to Jews with pluralist visions and an insult to the millions of Jews, like me, who do not express their Judaism through a particular kind of orthodoxy," she said. While the new platform was proposed as a temporary solution, Spatz said she believed it will only make it harder to come up with a true compromise in the future.
Rabbi Tamara Miller of Washington Friends of the Wall also was disappointed. "The point of it is that the women from Orthodox to Reform and everything in between, the women want to be able to pray together at the Wall," she said, adding that Bennett's plan "does not allow this to happen. The women want to be together. It's not about praying with men," she said.
Linda Yitzchak, who also is active with Washington Friends of the Wall, described herself as a Conservative Jew who enjoys celebrating Rosh Chodesh with women, calling it a very special experience for her.
"This alternative does not help with that at all," she said, noting that the new platform "looks terrible. It's not inviting."
The Reform movement called Bennett's plan "a gesture of goodwill, but it is, at best, a very small step forward in the implementation of the full plan."
According to its statement, the Reform movement believes, "The Kotel is a powerful symbol of the Jewish yearning for Israel and for the unity of the Jewish people. As such, it needs to be open and free to all Jews; women and men must be treated equally there."
If the Bennett plan becomes a final solution, "it would create a painful and unnecessary conflict within the Jewish people."
Not all women are in favor of creating a more open Western Wall. Women For the Wall, a grassroots movement that says it favors respectful and dignified prayer at the Wall, believes that classical Jewish practice at the Wall must be preserved.
"A holy site is not the place for political activity," it declared in a statement to Washington Jewish Week.
"Jerusalem is not Selma, and this issue cannot be compared to the fight for civil rights in the U.S.," said Ronit Peskin, co-founder of Women For the Wall.
"WOW views the Kotel as an opportunity, and lacks reverence for the place held sacred by millions of Jews around the world," noted Leah Aharoni, co-founder of Women For the Wall. "This political protest shows that they do not understand what it means to respect the sanctity of the place."
"The Kotel must transcend politics. We call on the leaders of the liberal Jewish community to condemn the use of the Kotel as a place of political theater," Peskin said, suggesting that Women of the Wall should take their case to the Knesset rather than the Wall.
Women For the Wall urged "our cherished sisters" not "to continue to pray at the back of the plaza and then complain to the media about your 'exile.' "
Legally, as of April, women have the right to wear tallitot while praying in the women's section of the Wall. Since 2010, the rabbi in charge of the Wall has forbidden anyone entering the women's area to carry a Torah.
Sharansky, meanwhile, has promised to release his plan for a compromise in the very near future. His plan, first reported on in April, includes the expansion of the egalitarian section at Robinson's Arch with a unified entrance to be built. Like Bennett's plan, the area would be open at all times rather than for a few hours a day, as it had been prior to Sunday.
That section would be overseen by a joint commission of the Israeli government, Sharansky's Jewish Agency and representatives from world Jewry.

subset: commoncrawl


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NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday that the league likely will hit Suh with a "heavy" fine for his low hit on Minnesota Vikings center John Sullivan during Detroit's 34-24 win Sunday. Rapoport reported the Lions defensive tackle unlikely will be suspended for the incident, according to a league source.
Suh cut Sullivan's knees out from behind while the Vikings center was trailing an interception return by Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy. Suh was flagged for an illegal low block, which wiped out a Lions touchdown. Quarterback Matthew Stafford then threw an interception, turning Suh's gaffe into a seven-point mistake.
"I wasn't by any means going for his knees," Suh said, via ESPN.com. "He knows that. We had a great conversation running out at halftime, and he understood. My aim was his waist to cut him off."
Suh might have overestimated Sullivan's level of understanding about the situation.
"It was pretty clear that I was out of the play," Sullivan told KFXN-FM on Monday. "I don't think he was trying to hurt me, but there (needs to) be consequences when guys don't respect the careers of other players."
Suh might escape suspension this time, but you wonder how many strikes he has left before he's forced out of the lineup.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" recapped every Week 1 game. Click here to listen and subscribe.


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Thanks to Fellow Officers, Newtown Police Don't Have to Work on Christmas
The holidays have been rough for the Newtown Police Department, which is why officers from across Connecticut joining forces, so that not a single Newtown officer has to work on Christmas Day.
The holidays have been rough for the Newtown Police Department, which is why officers from across Connecticut joining forces, so that not a single Newtown officer has to work on Christmas Day. The plan has been kept on the down low for the past few days, since the various police departments are making the effort not for the press but as a gesture of solidarity with their fellow officers. After whispers of the touching gesture from local law enforcement emerged on Twitter over the weekend, however, the Newtown Police Department confirmed the news in an interview with The Atlantic Wire on Monday. "They've been actually non-stop with their aid. It's pretty amazing," said Newtown police spokesperson Sergeant Steve Santucci said of his fellow Connecticut officers. "And tomorrow, they'll be at our assistance so that Newtown [officers] can be home with their families."
But wait there's more. One of the only perks about working on Christmas Day is overtime and holiday pay. Just as they're not doing it for the press, though, many of the officers filling in at Newtown aren't interested in the money, so they're reportedly donating their paychecks to Newtown and Sandy Hill Elementary School charities. At least, those ones that are even accepting payment are. Santucci said that he knew some of the officers were volunteering their time on Tuesday but wasn't able to say who was making donations or how much money would be raised, since the Christmas Day pay would be coming from officers' hometown departments.
Regardless of the money, this is a very welcome bit of heartwarming news in a town that's seen nothing but horror this holiday season. The rest of the country could use the jolt of good spirit, too, after yet another shooting occurred on Christmas Eve, when a gunman opened fire on a bunch of firefighters responding to a call near Rochester, New York. So even though it's hard to say Merry Christmas this year, at least we know the holiday spirit is everlasting.


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Last year I posted a list of walking tours in the Boston area in hopes of encouraging people to get out and explore the history, architecture, culture, topography, and nature of the area. I've updated the list and links for 2009, once again giving primacy of place to the two organizations in which I volunteer to lead tours.
Boston By Foot – Boston's premier walking tour organization is well worth becoming a member to take advantage of free tours, discounted special tours, and members-only events. Check out the Boston By Foot Meetup Group as well for unique tour announcements. I've highlighted the tours that I guide in bold below, although many other wonderful guides also lead these tours.
Seven classic tours take you around historic Boston:
- Beacon Hill
- Boston By Little Feet
- Boston Underfoot
- Heart of the Freedom Trail
- Literary Landmarks
- North End
- Victorian Back Bay
Make sure to check out special Boston Harborfest tours offered June 30-July 5:
- The Dark Side of Boston
- Boats Bridges & Locks
- Capt. Kidd's Treasure Hunt
- Johnny Tremain's Boston
- Charlestown
- Son of Boston: A Salute to Ben Franklin
- Footloose on the Freedom Trail
- The Greenway and Beyond
And don't miss the special Tours of the Month offered on the last Sunday of each month at 2 pm:
- June 28: The Flat of Beacon Hill
- July 26: Exploring the Charles River Basin
- August 30: Preserving Boston's History
- September 27: Ashmont Hill
- October 25: Bay Village
Jamaica Plain Historical Society – 1 hour tours every Saturday morning at 11 am (Jamaica Pond tour is 90 minutes). Again, the tours in bold will be led by yours truly.
|Tour Date
|Tour Date
|June 20
|August 22
|Jamaica Pond
|June 27
|Jamaica Pond
|August 29
|Monument Sq
|July 11
|Monument Sq
|Sept 12
|Sumner Hill
|July 18
|Sumner Hill
|Sept 19
|Stony Brook
|July 25
|Stony Brook
|Sept 26
|Hyde Square
|August 1
|Hyde Square
|October 3
|Green Street
|August 8
|Green Street
|October 17
|August 15
|October 24
|Jamaica Pond
In alphabetical order below are a number of other walking tours I've heard about by word of mouth or web search. I only have personal experience with a few of these organizations so don't consider making the list an endorsement. If you know of any good walking tours in Boston not listed below, I'd love to add them to the list, so please post in the comments.
Appalachian Mountain Club – The Boston Chapter has a Local Walks Committee offering hikes to condition oneself for the mountains, nature walks, and social walks.
Arnold Arboretum – Boston's tree museum offers regular highlight tours and special theme tours. Come back again because the tour changes depending on the season.
Audissey Guides – Download a tour narrated by local personalities for your mp3 player.
Black Heritage Trail – A tour of African-American history in Boston led by National Park Service guides, or you can take a self-guided tour.
Evening Walkers – A Meetup.com group for people who like walking. No narration, just scenery and a chance to meet people.
Friends of the Blue Hills – Group hikes and nature walks in the Blue Hills Reservation.
Brookline Food Tour – The way to Brookline's heart is through your stomach.
Boston Athenæum – Art and architecture tours of this respected independent library. They also offer tours for members should you be so fortunate.
Boston Harborfest – Walking tours are among the many events of Boston's Independence Day celebration, including special Boston By Foot offerings.
Boston Harborwalk – A self-guided walk along Boston's waterfront. Check the calendar for tours and special events in the spring and summer.
Boston Movie Tours – Tinseltown comes to the Hub in this tour of film locations.
Boston National Historical Park – Tours of the Freedom Trail and Charlestown Navy Yard led by National Park Service Rangers.
Boston Nature Center – Birding tours, nature walks, and hikes in the heart of the city.
Boston Public Library – Regular art and architecture tours of the oldest municipal library in the US.
The Boston Spirits Walking Tour – A spooky walking tour focusing on Boston's ghost stories.
Boston Town Crier – Freedom Trail tours led by character interpreters of James Otis and Benjamin Franklin.
Boston Women's Heritage Trail – Nine self-guided walks exploring women's history in Boston.
Boston Your Way – Hire a private guide for a customizable tour (I wonder if they're hiring).
Cambridge Historical Society – The CHS events calendar currently includes a garden tour and historic house tours.
Discover Roxbury – Tours and events highlight the diversity of this historic neighborhood.
Fenway Park – Go behind the scenes at the home of the Boston Red Sox, the oldest and smallest ballpark in Major League Baseball.
Forest Hills Cemetery – Boston's hidden gem is full of history, art, and architecture, all of which is illuminated by a good tour guide (read about a great tour we took in 2007).
Franklin Park Coalition – A self-guided tour, trails, and special events throughout the year in the "gem" of the Emerald Necklace.
Freedom Trail Tours – You can follow the red line on your own or let a costumed guide show you the way with 3 different 90-minute tours provided by the Freedom Trail Foundation.
Gibson House Museum – If you're admiring the Victorian architecture of Back Bay and want to see a house interior, stop in here for a tour.
Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Society – Explore the new public space replacing the elevated Central Artery with special tours supported by Boston By Foot and other special events.
Harvard Campus Tour – Free student-led tours of the Harvard University campus.
Haunted Boston – 90 minute ghost tours of Boston. Ask for Gretchen.
Historic New England – The HNE calendar offers neighborhood and historic property tours in Boston and throughout New England.
Irish Heritage Trail – A self-guided walk with guided tours in the works.
Learn English in Boston – Art and architecture tours of Boston for ESL students.
Lessons on Liberty – Costumed historical interpreters teach about Revolutionary Boston history along the Freedom Trail
Mass Bay Railroad Enthusiasts – Quarry to wharf tours of the remains of the granite railway in Quincy and Milton (part van, part walking tour).
MIT Campus Tour – Learn about the innovative architecture by world-renown architects that speckle the MIT campus.
Middlesex Fells – Check the calendar for special hikes or join the regular Babes in the Woods walks for parents and children.
Museum of Fine Arts – Regular free guided tours of the galleries (with museum admission) plus art & architecture tours outside of the museum.
The Nichols House Museum – If you're admiring the Federal architecture of Beacon Hill and want to see a house interior, stop in here for a tour.
North End Secret Tour – Tours of Boston's oldest neighborhood lead by a local resident.
The Path to Independence – Character interpreters offer a first-person historical perspective of the Freedom Trail.
Phantoms of Olde Cambridge -The ghosties of Harvard Square get their own tour.
Photowalks – Walking tours combined with instruction in photography on four different routes.
Paul Revere's North End Walking Tour – An experienced guide from the Paul Revere House leads tours of the North End in early July.
South End Historical Society – An Annual House Tour is offered in October.
Unofficial Tours Present Harvard University – Fun tours of America's first college.
Urban Adventours – Okay not a walking tour, but still cool environmentally-friendly and exciting bicycle tours of Boston.
Victorian Society in America/New England Chapter – Tours and talks of the Victorian heritage in Boston and its suburbs
WalkBoston – Boston's walking advocacy group offers regular walks around the city.
Walking Tours of Historic Boston – Families and groups can book tours of Boston's historic center lead by a children's book author.
Watson Adventures Scavenger Hunts – A unique spin on the walking tour where participants gather together in teams to solve questions and puzzles.


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City Council hopeful arrested
Riviera Beach woman in altercation with police officer husband
Lacey Byrd, 31, has withdrawn her campaign for Riviera Beach City Council after her arrest Saturday on a domestic violence charge.
Byrd was released on her recognizance after the arrest.
According to a city spokesman, she was accused of some type of violence against her police officer husband, Russell Byrd.
A next door neighbor told WPBF 25 News that Lacey Byrd used her phone to call 911 Saturday morning and told responding officers her husband had pushed her face in the dirt and hit her. The neighbor said Byrd's face was covered with dirt.
However, Linda Byrd was the one arrested. Her arrest affidavit was not available Monday to provide more details.
Russell Byrd is under internal investigation following another altercation that happened at his home in early December. A man went to the hospital with injuries and claimed Byrd assaulted him while he was at Byrd's home.
Lacey Byrd updated her website with a tweet, writing:
"After careful consideration, I have decided to respectfully resign as a candidate for city council to focus on my family. I truly appreciate your support, words of encouragement, time and efforts."
More From WPBF: Email alerts | Mobile | Social


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Jimmy Fallon hurts fingers on other hand
Staff Writer
BOSTON -- Jimmy Fallon should probably be more careful.
Four months after the "Tonight Show" host needed emergency surgery to save one of his fingers after a fall, Fallon hurt his other hand in a spill at a party in his honor on Saturday.
Fallon tweeted a picture Sunday of his hand with a couple small bandages on his fingers, writing that it was "nothing a few band aids couldn't fix."
The "Saturday Night Live" alum needed to have a vein taken from his foot over the summer to repair the injured finger on his left hand. He said his wedding ring got caught when he tried to break his fall after tripping on a rug.
Fallon had received a humor award from the Harvard Lampoon in Boston earlier Saturday.


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What is BADMINTON?
Badminton is a racquet sport played on a rectangular court that is divided by a net. It can be played by either two opposing players (singles) or two opposing pairs (doubles) who take positions on opposite halves of a court. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their opponents' half of the court or when the opponents make an error and cannot play back the shuttlecock back across the net.
What equipment does one need to start playing?
Clothing Remember, badminton requires a lot of movement and quick changes in direction. Therefore it is important that players wear lightweight clothes such as shorts and t-shirts. Clothes that are loose fitting are more suitable because you will have more freedom to move. A tracksuit may be useful but is not absolutely necessary.
Footwear A comfortable pair socks and lightweight badminton shoes that have a good sole for gripping are important. Badminton players should choose shoes designed for badminton instead of trainers or running shoes because badminton shoes have thinner soles. They are more stable, and therefore help to avoid possibilities of injuries.
Racquets If you are just starting to play badminton, it is not necessary that you buy a very expensive racquet. It is also not advisable to use very cheap racquets because they may not be durable and they could be too heavy for you. Buy a racquet that is light, within your budget and one that appeals to you. When buying, look for a racquet that "feels" good, flexible and strong enough to with stand the string tension that you prefer. It is best to visit a shop that has a good selection of racquets. Try as many racquets as possible to see if they feel right before you decide.
Shuttles You may use plastic or feather shuttles. However, if you are just starting, and if you are conscious of costs, then plastic shuttles are ideal, cheaper and durable. They come in three speeds - fast, medium and slow. It is recommended to use medium speed to start until you are better.
Where to play? Sometimes you can walk in and book a court at your local YMCA, multi-sports centers, universities, colleges, schools or you may try out at a club nearby where you live.
*NOTE: Information taken from USABadminton.org
Visit USABadminton.org for more information!


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A New Vision for Federal Revenue Sharing with state and local governments to drive future economic and workforce development being cleverly marketed as "Race to the Shop." That's a play on the accompanying education vision that bribed or threatened the states to adopt the Common Core in the first place under the education Race to the Top set up in the 2009 Stimulus Act. Turns out that's not all it set up, apparently it also set up a new Regional Race to the Top for all America's regions (bold and Italics in original to show the excitement for this vision of shared prosperity based on a clean energy economy). In fact it's to "be a truly 'New' New Deal, [but] government cannot go it alone, it can only serve as a key partner and catalyst." With your redistributed tax dollars or public debt I would add.
Now before I get further into this political and cronyism dream at all levels of American government that is explicitly tied into the 21st Century Skills agenda (it's actually on the cover of the September 2010 working paper from the Tides Foundation project–the New Policy Institute), I want to quote a particularly juicy passage that highlights how these initiatives stifle complaints and encourage cooperation about any related aspect like the Common Core:
"Deeply engage the private sector as a critical solutions partner in addressing these systemic changes, or risk a continuing and negative narrative that these efforts are simply wasteful public sector programs."
That's your money going to make sure no one aware of these tie-ins has any incentive to complain. Because this Acceleration Agenda "does not simply call for more federal revenue-sharing with the states. The changes we need to accelerate private-led innovation in regions and communities do not begin, or end, there."
Truer words were never spoken as the Acceleration Agenda lays out Multi-State regions (10 in all), Clean Economic Development Visions, and Economic Acceleration Zones. Like High Speed Rail and making the SW the Saudi Arabia of Solar. What a boondoggle. Those of you with a background in economics may recognize all this for what it is–the explicit adoption of an Industrial Policy vision by the US with its known Cronyism and benefits to political favorites or necessary adversaries. And the report acknowledges just that with the following chilling quote:
"So is the Acceleration Agenda a new "industrial policy"? Do such labels really matter? We hope not–there is too much on the line for our economy to be bogged down in over-simplified debates from the past."
Now the historian in me would point out that's not the subject of debates so much as lessons from the past about the sheer waste of public money that comes with an Industrial Policy. But I actually correctly pegged the education vision last May as related to Industrial Policy and a Dirigiste vision for the economy. http://www.invisibleserfscollar.com/didnt-adam-smith-write-a-book-explaining-why-this-is-a-bad-idea-back-in-1776/ and http://www.invisibleserfscollar.com/why-the-world-makes-far-more-sense-if-you-add-dirigisiste-to-the-things-you-understand/ . What I never in a million years suspected was that I would come across a report openly declaring it while stating "Obamism at its core is largely about bottom-up change rather than top-down change." Wow, Harry Boyte must be pleased.
Now I know this vision has been around since the 60s. It's not an invention of this Administration but wanting to name it after the President tells us just how much potential for successful political coalitions using your money is seen here. In fact, looking at the full vision and the Go-Fast Model, it's hard not to remember the high urban turnout in the last Presidential election. No wonder. A vision of federal money, private sector, and community foundations together using, and again I quote, the "transformational, low carbon project…serves a key project screen."
Doesn't that word "screen" sound like "excuse?" The reason for remaking the nature of the American economy and political structure all while engaging in Mind Arson in preschool, K-12, and higher ed? Whatever is necessary to make sure the designated providers in this 21st Century system get the workers they want while never again having to worry about a better product or invention upsetting their revenue dreams?
You know how for sports contests we see the label "Designated Provider of X. Event? You know what I mean. This utterly reeks of being the designated cellphone provider or operating system provider or Smart Grid provider. Protecting and preserving current business. But it actually gets worse believe it or not because all of this is also tied to the renewal of our urban areas as part of creating start-ups to be the component "middleware" to "connect government and business in the 21st Century economy." Which brings me to what pulled up this Revenue Sharing 2.0 to get to the Next Economy vision. It is called "Inclusive Competitiveness" and it was announced a few weeks ago at the SXSWedu Summit in Austin. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-green/sxswedu-launches-next-big_b_2765038.html?view=print&comm_ref=false is the story laying out the vision of how all this will Save America's Black Boys, be part of a permanent "Black Innovation Group," and create a Pipeline2Productivity and Urban Innovation."
And I genuinely wish urban areas and America's Black Boys the best possible future they can have but tying it to economic redistribution while simultaneously trying to spread the bad education policies and practices that have destroyed urban systems to the suburbs just means OPM, Other Peoples Money, will run out sooner than this plan accounts for. It would be so much better to teach those Black Boys and everyone else's children how to read properly and provide a solid curriculum like the Core Knowledge. You just cannot get me excited about what this Project 21 vision is going to do for Cleveland which is where the affiliated Nortech is based when I know the Cleveland Schools are pushing social and emotional learning in their classrooms as the vision of how all children can learn. You cannot push PATHS–Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies–for all kids in all classrooms and then pretend that these urban kids are being left behind despite an academic focus.
But that's the poignant cry for what is wrong with our urban areas. And Project 21, which used to be known as the Black Innovation and Competitiveness Initiative, is the supposed answer to linking Urban America to the 21st Century Economy. Does this look like reparations to anyone else? Using the "low carbon project as the screen" as the Acceleration Agenda report put it. Whatever the rationale this gushing of federal dollars to launch public-private partnerships resulted in "Five Private-Sector Initiatives Launched at First White House Tech Inclusion Summit" held on January 31, 2013. http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/02/04/five-private-sector-initiatives-launched-first-white-house-tech-inclusion-summit .
One of those, the Activate Local Communities Across America Initiative, picked Portland, Oregon to be its pilot city. That would be the same Portland that has been committed to cutting edge education pushes for decades. Discussed here http://www.invisibleserfscollar.com/now-more-than-five-years-into-an-attempt-to-help-organize-a-near-total-revision-of-human-behavior/ But Portland is also considered to be the shining star of the Urban Planning, Agenda 21, Regional Equity, and what is now called Metropolitanism movements. All based on a Low-Carbon Economy of the Future centered on Producers, not Consumers, the Brookings Institute's Bruce Katz said at a breakfast I attended and also wrote about. Curiously Katz is also the coiner of that catchy expression Race to the Shop above to fit the manufacturing and workforce development component of all this planning and redistributing.
Now ALC is also known as Accelerate Local Communities ( I guess it depends on how stagnant a region is right now as this is all ramping up). ALC is also listed as being a collaboration with Microsoft. Which is concerning since they are among the primary partners in the students only need generic 21st Century Skills like Collaboration and Creativity international movement (ATC21S). And that Tech Inclusion Summit is being sold in the inner cities as bringing STEM jobs to urban communities. http://atlantadailyworld.com/201302083703/Business/white-house-tech-inclusion-summit-unveils-private-sector-initiatives-to-bridge-gap-in-stem
Now I did not write this story because I wanted to rain on the race to the Green Gold Rush as a report called it. Although that does seem like a worthy venture. But this vision of new revenue sharing and dictates of where jobs must be, and everyone assuming that with credentials jobs will come, are all simultaneously destroying the actual knowledge and skills and freedoms and certainties that ignite real widespread prosperity. Given the percentage of the federal budget that represents borrowing, this redistributed money to build and pay off political coalitions does not really exist except as an obligation for future taxpayers. But in the meantime it really is going in someone's pocket. Many of them campaign contributors at every level of government. Just like Solyndra.
The money WILL run out and sooner than expected. And then where will we be? After all, mind arson is not just a provocative expression I came up with to stir up antipathy for the Common Core. It really does describe what has been deliberately going on in urban schools for decades. But with the actual Common Core I keep describing, and those new, poorly understood, assessments (also financed by that 2009 Stimulus Act), mind arson is coming to the suburbs to take down every school where minds are still being nourished regularly with solid content.
Then where will we be? I keep mentioning consuming seed corn for a reason. What happens to a country when the cultivated famine is mental and widespread? Especially when the most able students were the particular targets for levelling.
We appear to be about to find out.


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El Salvador's football federation has suspended 22 players in an investigation into alleged match-fixing in games by the national team.
Public prosecutors said the raids took place in six cities. Federal prosecutor Luis Martinez told Radio Nacional de El Salvador that computers, electronic tablet devices and cellphones were among the items seized during the raids. He said authorities will also try to gain access to the bank accounts of those involved, both locally and abroad.
The prosecutor said there was already evidence of at least three offenses, including money laundering, and warned that people other than players could be charged.
''Possibly there are officials and some high-level people involved,'' Martinez said. ''We are going to get to the bottom of it.''
He said the investigation is separate from the one started by the local federation, which on Wednesday imposed 30-day suspensions on players while it investigates the suspect matches.
''This is not a punishment, these are provisional, precautionary measures,'' Federation President Carlos Mendez Cabezas said.
The CONCACAF, the sport's continental governing body, said it was fully behind the investigation in El Salvador.
''CONCACAF is deeply saddened by these claims of match manipulation within the football community,'' it said in a statement. ''The confederation fully supports the football federation of El Salvador and other pertinent organizations involved in the above mentioned investigation and hopes for a fair due process in order to determine the validity of these accusations.''
It added that the fight against match-manipulation was a top priority for the sport's organizers.
''In alignment with FIFA guidelines and in line with CONCACAF's commitment to ensure the legitimacy of each game played throughout the region, it is our duty to fight against organized crime alongside all stakeholders involved,'' CONCACAF said.
Mendez Cabezas said the El Salvador games under scrutiny include: a 5-0 Gold Cup loss to Mexico on July 5, 2011; a 2-1 loss to the United States on Feb. 24, 2010; a 4-1 loss to Paraguay on Feb. 6, 2012; and a 1-0 loss to D.C. United on July 19, 2010.
He said FIFA has been notified so that the suspensions could be extended internationally. He also said El Salvador will play no more games until the investigations are completed.
Martinez said he has already sought collaboration from authorities in other countries where match fixing has taken place.
The suspended players are: Mardoqueo Henriquez, Luis Alonso Anaya, William Osael Romero, Ramon Alfredo Sanchez, Christian Castillo, Eliseo Quintanilla, Jose Miguel Granadino, Miguel Montes, Dagoberto Portillo, Rodolfo Zelaya, Victor Turcios, Carlos Romeo Monteangudo, Dennis Alas, Jose Alfredo Pacheco, Marvin Gonzalez, Carlos Carrillo, Darwin Bonilla, Rodrigo Alejandro Martinez, Reynaldo Hernandez Villeda, Ramon Flores, Benji Villalobos and Emerson Umana.


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Station 46011 (LLNR 215) - SANTA MARIA - 21NM NW of Point Arguello, CA
Buoy Camera Photos taken at 04/02/2023 0410 UTC. Click photo to enlarge.
Photos are generally taken hourly during daylight operations.
Links which are specific to this station are listed below:
Real Time Data in tabular form for the last forty-five days.
Historical Data & Climatic Summaries for quality controlled data for the current month, previous months, and previous years.
The weekly status report and the weekly maintenance report also provide valuable station information.
Note that the payload types and the station locations occasionally change.


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The "Femme Fatale" segment on NoirWhale.com is designed to highlight the life and merits of exceptional film noir actresses. These women are the embodiment of the femme fatale archetype, and propel possibly the most recognizable and integral theme in the noir genre.
"A gentleman is simply a patient wolf."
Lana was born Julia Jean Turner in Wallace, Idaho. As a girl, she was lovingly called "Judy" by family and friends, but changed her name when she became a professional actress at 16. Her father, John Turner, was a miner from Tennessee who was murdered at age 27. Money problems had forced the family to move to San Francisco, and John had started gambling in an effort to bring home extra earnings. It's believed that on December 14th in 1930, he won a bit of cash at a traveling craps game and stashed it in his left sock. He never made it home. Later, his body was found on a street corner, left shoe and sock missing. Tragically, the murder was never solved.
Famously, Lana caught her big break at a Hollywood drug store. She was skipping a typing class and decided to stop into the Top Hat Cafe located on Sunset Boulevard for a Coca-Cola. She was spotted by William R. Wilkerson (The Hollywood Reporter), who then referred her to Zeppo Marx. Lana was signed and cast quickly in her first film: They Won't Forget (1937). Her form-fitting attire in the film earned her the nickname "The Sweater Girl"– a nickname which she hated.
Ms. Turner became wildly famous in the 1940s and 1950s due to her roles in such films as: Ziegfeld Girl (1941), Johnny Eager (1942), and Slightly Dangerous (1943)– her popularity and extreme beauty casting her as a favorite pin-up girl for our servicemen overseas. But Lana didn't truly become a femme fatale until after the war.
She co-starred opposite John Garfield in the immensely successful film noir, The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) (a James Cain adaptation). Even though she received critical praise as an actress for the first time, she famously complained about Garfield's appearance, saying "Couldn't they at least hire someone attractive?"
In 1957, Lana began a relationship with mobster Johnny Stompanato, a man known for his good looks and ties to Mickey Cohen in the L.A. criminal underworld. She tried several times to end their affair, but Johnny wouldn't have it. They argued incessantly, and he frequently beat her up.
"In the fall of 1957, Stompanato followed Turner to England where she was filming Another Time, Another Place (1958) costarring Sean Connery. Afraid that Turner was having an affair with Connery, Stompanato stormed onto the set brandishing a gun. Connery punched Stompanato's jaw once and took away his gun. Stompanato was soon deported by Scotland Yard for the incident."
On an infamous night in April 1958, Johnny and Lana had an especially violent argument at her house in Beverly Hills. As it escalated, Lana's 14 year old daughter Cheryl began to fear for her mother's life. Hefting a kitchen knife, Cheryl ran to Lana's aid, stabbing Mr. Stompanato–killing him. The event was tabloid fodder overnight, but the courts ruled it justifiable homicide in light of Lana's dramatic testimony. Observers have said, "her testimony that day was the acting performance of her life."
Notoriously, Turner was married eight times to seven different husbands: Artie Shaw, Joseph Stephen Crane, Henry J. Topping Jr., Lex Barker, Fred May, Robert P.Eaton, and Ronald Pellar. She said late in her life, "My goal was to have one husband and seven children, but it turned out to be the other way around." (Joseph Stephen Crane is the father of her daughter Cheryl). Sadly, in 1982 Lana's memoir revealed that she had been through three stillbirths and two abortions. She also acknowledges her struggle with alcoholism and attempted suicide.
In true femme fatale fashion, Lana Turner was a heavy smoker, and it eventually killed her. She died of complications from throat cancer in 1995.
Tragically, Lana didn't only act in noir films, she lived a noir life. She added to the genre immensely with The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946), but she couldn't escape the genre in her personal life.
"A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man."
*All biographical details were obtained from:
*All quotes were obtained from:


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SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Fireteam Bravo Review
Zipper interactive has gone handheld with its extremely popular military shooter, SOCOM, and the PSP has welcomed it with open arms. Some may wonder how a game with complex controls and massive groundbreaking online play carries over to the PSP, and with good reason too, given some of the poor control schemes we've seen on the handheld. Well, some things had to change in SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals Fireteam Bravo, but overall the developers did an outstanding job of making SOCOM enjoyable on the go.
First off, controls did have to change because of the lack of a second analog stick on the PSP. Without the second analog stick you are unable to run and aim at the same time. With this problem at hand R is used to auto-lock onto enemy targets, and holding L allows you to strafe left and right. Some people may be turned away by the ease of the auto-lock targeting system but it does involve a strong balance of skill to use well. A quick and easy kill is not promised simply by locking on. You must balance the stance of your character, the range of your gun, as well with recoil. For instance, running and shooting will take far more shots than laying down for stability. You can still use a gun with a scope to achieve maximum accuracy without the aid of auto-lock at the expense of movement. This does render a small problem, it allows you to use auto-aim on an enemy, zoom in, and already have the enemy in your crosshairs. The auto-lock system also lets you lock on to enemies even if you don't see them directly in view. So you can pretty much run around tapping R to find enemies even if you can't see them. These two minor problems aside the new auto-lock system works well. It surley does not ruin the SOCOM feel of gameplay but it does change it up a bit.
Weapon selection is very similar to SOCOM III as you pick a primary with the option of two attachments and a secondary weapon with the option of one attachment. You can also choose up to three other objects to bring to front line such as frag grenades, smoke grenades, ammo, and a rocket launcher. The controls remain complex but are easy to pick up quickly, and in no time you will memorize Zipper's srategic placement of buttons.
The single player campaign puts you in the shoes of the Sandman. It is up to you and your partner Lonestar to tag team through 14 different levels in South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Having one teammate to look after and command is a change from the usual three-man team, but it does not decrease the level of teamwork needed to complete a mission. You can still utilize the circle button to command Lonestar to do specific tasks such as clear an area, breach, follow, and deploy. Each mission varies in objectives and includes some tasks such as finding intelligence, photographing objects, releasing hostages, destroying vehicles, and even tailing an enemy operative. These missions run alongside the missions in SOCOM III; which is particularly interesting because in completing "crosstalk" objectives you can link up your PSP to your PS2 via a USB cable to collect certain bonuses. These bonuses range from unlockable characters to special intelligence that gives you a strategic advantage over an adversary and changes the way the mission plays out.
The missions are not particularly difficult as enemy A.I. is inconsistent and not quite up to par. You are sometimes able to sneak up within biting distance of an enemy if you approach from the side, but in some instances you can be spotted from a fairly long distance. When spotted at a distance the A.I. will fire inaccurately giving you plenty of time to get an easy shot. Cast the slightly unintelligent A.I. aside, the missions are still fun and allow you to complete multiple objectives over surprisingly large levels for the PSP. If you don't like the way they set up the level objectives, once you beat the level you can go to instant action and pick from any of the single-player levels you have beaten and play your own desired objectives.
Graphics are not the most impressive we've seen on the PSP, but they're not bad, considering most of the work went into creating the large levels. Textures on walls and on the ground are low-res but get the job done. Character models look very similar to characters in SOCOM III with their pouches, hats, and gear all intact. They have good animation too as you can run, crouch, lie down, and climb over objects. The sweet cut scenes between missions look very impressive, almost identical to the cut scenes on the PS2 version.
The voice-overs are also done extremely well as each of the characters speak their native language with good mouth dubbing to go along with it. The sound is great and crystal clear as you can distinguish each gun's particular sound. Music is the same as SOCOM III so there is nothing new there.
Clearly the most impressive and important aspect of this game is its multi-player mode. Since the SOCOM series is one of the only PlayStation 2 games to maximize the online capability of the PS2 it's only right that SOCOM Fireteam Bravo shows off the online capabilities of the PSP. It does prove itself quite worthy, as you can play with up 16 players in both ad-hoc and online play. You can choose from 12 levels to play from, which are all fairly similar to those you play in single-player modes. On and offline menus are also very similar to those in SOCOM III. The levels are very well laid out and hold 16 players very comfortably. Game modes include suppression (eliminate the other team), free for all, hostage extraction, demolition and a new captive mode. Captive mode is simply a team death-match that allows you to revive downed teammates. Online play is smooth with exception of a few moments of lag when engaged in a 16-player battle. A headset was even introduced for the PSP as a bonus for online players and hardcore fans. The headsets seem to have sold well as a good numbers of players have them equipped. All in all I would surely say SOCOM Fireteam Bravo demonstrates the online capabilities of the PSP very well, and is definitely the best online game for the PSP so far.
Zipper interactive has produced another winner that will keep fans busy until they unleash they're next project. The single-player modes are fairly fun to play, and the instant action mode will surely make for some solid replay value, but the true replay is in the quality of online play. SOCOM's forte has always been online play, and it remains its strong point in SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo. If you are a fan of the PS2 editions of SOCOM and you own a PSP I highly recommend you pick it up. Zipper continues to push the boundaries of online play and after the great SOCOM games on the PS2 and PSP I can't wait to see what they can do on the PS3.


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[Updated at 12:25 p.m.] President Obama was asked about his thoughts on the Islamic center being built near ground zero in New York.
"All men and women are created equal, they have certain inalienable rights, and one of those is to practice their religion freely," Obama said. "You can build a church on a site, you can build a synagogue on a site, if you could build a Hindu temple on a site, you should be able to build a mosque."
Obama said he recognized the sensitivity in the area because of the 9/11 attacks and acknowledges that family members are continuing to experience pain and anguish over their losses.
However, he urged people to remember who our real enemies are.
"We are not at war against Islam. We are at war against terrorist organizations that have distorted Islam or falsely used the banner of Islam," Obama said. "If we're going to deal with the problems Ed Henry was talking about - reducing the terrorist threat - we need all the allies we can get."
Obama pressed that in fact, the anti-Islam sentiment and a war between the West and Islam is exactly what terrorist organizations are hoping for.
"Al Qaeda, that's what they've been banking on," Obama said. "The overwhelming majority of Muslims are peace-loving - are interested in the same things that you and I are interested in."
Obama stressed it is important that Americans do not believe the entire religion of Islam is offensive.
iReport: Share your thoughts on controversy surrounding Islamic Center
For more on Obama's question-and-answer session and analysis check out CNN's Political Ticker.
[Updated at 12:17 p.m.] CNN's Ed Henry asked President Barack Obama whether he still agrees with his statement that it is crititical to capture Osama bin Laden and if he views it a failure that he hasn't been captured, despite Obama's promise to run a smarter war on terrorism than President Bush.
"I think capturing or killing bin Laden ... would be extremely important to national security," he said. "It doesn't solve all of our problems, but it is a high priority for our administration."
Obama touted success in forcing members of al Qaeda to retreat because of ramped up pressure on its leaders.
"They have been holed up in ways that have made it harder for them to operate - and part of what's happening is bin Laden has gone deeper underground," Obama said. "We have the best minds, the best intelligence officers, the best special forces who are thinking about this day and night, and they will continue to think about it day and night as long as I'm president."
[Updated at 12:07 p.m.] Obama said that although he has missed the deadline to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, "it is not for lack of trying."
"It's because of politics," he said.
He insisted that he believes the U.S. justice system is capable of handling procedures involving terrorist suspects and that military tribunals are not necessary.
"I am absolutely convinced that the American justice system is strong enough, that we should be able to convict people who murdered innocent Americans and that carried out terrorist attacks against us," he said. "We should be able to lock them up and make sure they don't see the light of day. We can do that, and we've done it before."
[Updated at 12:00 p.m.] Obama acknowledged that the looming expiration of Israel's moratorium on settlement construction is a "major bone of contention."
The internal politic pressures for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on this issue "are very difficult," Obama said.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Netanyahu have to figure out "how to help each other succeed," he added.
[Updated at 11:58 a.m.] Obama was asked about levels of corruption within the Afghanistan government and what is being done to curtail it.
"We are in the midst of a very difficult but very important project. I just want to remind people why we're there, the day before September 11. We're there because that was the place where al Qaeda launched an attack that killed 3,000 Americans. And we want to make sure we dismantle al Qaeda and that Afghanistan is never again used as a base for attacks against Americans and the American homeland."
Obama asked people to remember that Afghanistan is the second poorest country in the world and that change won't happen overnight, but his administration is working with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Obama criticized former President George W. Bush's administration for failing to provide adequate training of Afghan military forces.
"After seven years of policies in which we weren't even effectively training security forces, we're saying we're going to work with the Afghan government so they can be responsible for their own security. We're going to promote a political settlement in the region that can help to reduce the violence. We're going to encourage an Afghan government that can deliver services for its people."
He insisted that progress has been made in terms of rooting out corruption from the government in Kabul, but "we're a long way from where we need to be on that," he said.
The White House will continue to pressure Karzai on the issue of corruption, Obama said.
[Updated at 11:52 a.m.] Obama said that a proposed settlement for black farmers - who have historically been the target of racial discrimination by the federal government - is "fair" and "just."
The White House will continue to make funding of the settlement - now blocked in the Senate - "a priority," he said.
[Updated at 11:51 a.m.] Obama insisted Friday that skyrocketing medical costs will ultimately decline as more people are covered due to his administration's health care reform initiative.
[Updated at 11:44 a.m.] Obama was asked about Pastor Terry Jones in Florida, who had plans to burn Qurans on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, and whether he was concerned that by having the secretary of defense call him, it was actually elevating his platform.
"The idea that we would burn the sacred texts of someone else's religion is contrary to what this country stands for. It's contrary to what this nation was founded on. My hope is that this individual prays on it and refrains from doing it," Obama said. "But I'm also commander in chief, and we are seeing today riots in Kabul, riots in Afghanistan, that threaten our young men and women in uniform, and so we have an obligation to send a very clear message that this kind of behavior or threats of action put our men and women in danger."
Obama said he doesn't think his administration is what elevated this story, but "in the age of the internet, this is something that can cause us profound damage."
"It's also the best imaginable recruiting tool for al Qaeda," he said. "We don't start having a bunch of folks all across the country think this is how to get attention. This is a way of endangering our troops. You don't play games with that."
[Updated at 11:40 a.m.] Obama conceded Friday that there are "enormous hurdles" to the new Middle East peace talks. His administration understood that "it was a risk for us to promote these discussions, but it is a risk worth taking," he
It is in the interests of America, the Israelis and the Palestinians to reach a comprehensive settlement, Obama said. The issue of Middle East peace must be dealt with if, among other things, Israel is to remain both Jewish and Democratic, Obama said. A settlement would also help the United States deal with Iran.
"If these talks break down, we're going to keep on trying," he said.
[Updated at 11:34 a.m.] Obama was asked about why he believes that nine years after the attacks on September 11, 2001, there is now a growing suspicion and resentment of Islam.
"I think that at a time when the country is anxious generally, and gone through a tough time, then you know fears can surface, suspicions, divisions can surface in a society, and so I think that plays a role," Obama said.
Obama then praised former President George W. Bush for his specific rhetoric on religion following the attacks.
"One of the things I most admired about President Bush was after 9/11, him being crystal clear about the fact that we were not at war with Islam, we were at war with terrorists and murderers who had perverted Islam ... to carry out their acts."
Obama said he was proud the country had rallied around the idea that we can't be divided because of religion or ethnicity - and hopes that is something that can continue.
"We are all Americans, we stand together," Obama said. "I think it is absolutely important now for majority of Americans to hang onto that thing that is best in us: a belief in religious tolerance. We have to make sure we don't start turning on each other."
"We are one nation under God. We may call that God different names, but we are one nation."
[Updated at 11:32 a.m.] Obama said Friday that one of the reasons he hasn't created a greater spirit of cooperation in Washington is because some GOP leaders decided when he took office that "we're going to sit on the sidelines and let the Democrats solve" the economic crisis.
Taking on tough issues with entrenched special interests creates "a lot of big fights," he said.
[Updated at 11:25 a.m.] Obama deflected a question Friday about whether his new economic plans should be referred to as another "stimulus" package. "Everything we've been trying to do is designed to stimulate growth," he said. "I have no problem with people saying the president is trying" to do that.
He was then asked about several pending Senate nominations - including judges and Homeland Security officials.
"I'm concerned about all Senate nominations these days," he said, noting he wasn't making a joke. "I've got people who have been waiting for six months to get confirmed that nobody has an official objection to ... and I can't get a vote on them."
Obama said it was frustrating when "you've got a determined minority" that is attempting to filibuster all of his nominations.
"They're just playing games," he said.
[Updated at 11:20 a.m.] President Obama was asked about why he waited so long to introduce his latest economic policies and if they are merely being used as a political weapon for the election season.
"We have this notion that we waited until now, but just on the small business issue alone, we have cut taxes for small businesses eight times," Obama said. "So we are hardly Johnny-come-latelys on this issue."
Obama touted a variety of policy successes as the reason the economy is better than it was when he took office.
"When you put all the things we did together, it made a difference," he said.
[Updated at 11:19 a.m.] Obama said there is room for discussion on competing tax plans.
"If the Republican leadership is prepared to get serious ... I would love to talk to them," he told reporters at the White House.
Obama insisted, however, that GOP plans to extend the Bush tax cuts for individuals earning over $250,000 are a bad idea.
[Updated at 11:13 a.m.] A reporter asked Obama about his assertion that Democrats wouldn't do well in the midterm elections in November if it would be a referendum on the economy.
"For 19 months we have steadily worked to avoid a depression, to take an economy that was contracting and making it grow again," Obama said. "But we're not there yet."
Obama acknowledged Americans' anger about the slow progress.
"And because I'm the president and the Democrats have controlled the House and the Senate, it's understandable that people are saying 'what have you done?' "
However, Obama said, the Republicans don't offer a better solution - in fact, their policies are worse.
"The Republicans' offers are exactly the ones that got us into this trouble," he said. "If you want the same kind of skewed policies that led us to these problems, the Republicans are ready to do that."
[Updated at 11:11 a.m.] Obama announced that Austan Goolsbee will be named chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers.
Goolsbee will replace Christina Romer, who stepped down this month as chair of the council, a panel of three White House officials who offer the president economic advice and help formulate policy.
[Updated at 11:08 a.m.] Obama on Friday once again urged the Senate to pass his small business jobs bill, arguing that it has been blocked by "a partisan (Republican) minority."
Obama praised Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, for announcing that he would not help GOP leaders block the bill.
[Updated at 11:02 a.m.] Obama said the goal of his latest proposals is to help jump-start an economy still dealing with the impact of the recession.
"Even though the economy is growing again ... the hole the recession left has been huge," Obama said.
"Millions of Americans are still looking for work."
He touted his administration's investments in infrastructure as a chance to remain competitive with other countries that are working on similar projects including high-speed rail.
[Posted at 10:50 a.m.] President Obama will hold a press conference at 11 a.m. Friday, his first full-scale question-and-answer session at the White House in nearly four months and his seventh full-scale news conference at the White House since he took office.
The last presser was back in May when the president answered questions mainly about the oil spill. This one is expected to focus on the economy.
Yes – we are not at war with islam – islam is at war with us.
Close to 15000 Muslim Pakistani soldiers and Intelligence officers have died fighting Americas war in Pakistan and Afghanistan (a fact acknowledged by Mullen and Patreus ) ..Too bad they did not read your post before laying down their lives
Vote out Reid and Pelosi then Impeach the Incompetent one
It is clear that this president is a failure. The concern is how much more damage he can do before Nov.
WHY is there not something being done, about RADICALS by Muslims, that say they are good Muslims.
A few questions:
- Is there a memorial to German war dead in downtown London? Why?
- How many Shinto temples are there in and around Pearl Harbor? Why?
- Finally: How many Baptist churches are there in Mecca? Why?
It is so inspiring to have an articulate, intelligent, leader-with-heart as our President. I am so frustrated by Bushees and Republicans en mass, that I'm taking small amounts of any funds available to support Democrats and maintain seats in Congress through my donations. I hope and pray thinking people do the same or we'll have a dead-locked government of do-nothings while our situation worsens. This Administration has accomplished so much and wants to do so much more, it would be pitiful to tie their hands by losing seats to Republicans. Just losing Ted Kennedy's seat made a big difference in the Senate. Now the Republicans filibuster low level appointments to tie up Congresses time & DO NOTHING to help the Middle Class!!
i strongly dislike (hate) obama! hes opinions are retarded...mine aren't. muslim......
give us Bin ladens head on a pitch fork and we will let you build the mosque .show your loyal to THIS country the civilized one you freely chose though our work and blood.Get the head and in case it in glass on the sidewalk in front of the mosque so we can walk on it with our dirty American feet.
He is a muslim plain and simple. I mistakenly votedd for this creep. Show us the real bith certificate.
WE DON'T DEAL WITH TERRORIST RELIGIONS IN Af GUN ISTAN
I didn't catch much of the press conference. But I did hear him say people should be able to build a mosque, synagogue, catholic church, baptist church, etc. So I say let them build their precious mosque. Then directly to the EAST of it...as close as possible build a Jewish Synagogue! Now when it comes time to pray just face east my friends and enjoy the view! Just a thought.
Chrissy are you on crack or just an idiot?
Once again, the Great Uniter is a dysmal divider.
he is a muslim terrorist, a loooooser. Vote anything but democratic


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The Battle Continues Between Bevin, Beshear and the Mainstream Media
CONTACT: Brandon Porter, 270-576-1755
DATE: January 26, 2017
NOTE: Audio Clips are available
The war of words between the Governor and Attorney General rose to new levels on Wednesday as Governor Bevin took exception to a story by Deborah Yetter in the Courier Journal saying that Attorney General Andy Beshear is defending the ultrasound bill recently passed in the General Assembly and signed by the Governor.
Governor Bevin said that Beshear's request to be removed from the case shows he has no real intentions of defending either of the new pro-life laws, "He filed a motion stating he was taking no position and so he does not intend to defend either one of them." Gov. Bevin asserts the Attorney General is responding to the pressure of his political party rather than defending the laws of Kentucky, "The bottom line is there was a lot of pressure on him to not defend these and it's from the people that support him and other liberals. I think he buckled to them rather than to the will of the people of Kentucky and that's unfortunate, it's irresponsible, and it's a slap in the face to the taxpayers of Kentucky."
In a statement released Wednesday afternoon Attorney General Beshear wrote, "My office is actively defending agencies sued over House Bill 2. In doing so, we have taken the most aggressive action possible, moving to have the entire case dismissed as to those agencies."
In a Facebook Live post on Wednesday Governor Bevin took aim at the mainstream media. In a Wednesday afternoon interview with Richard Nelson of the Commonwealth Policy Center, Bevin said, "If something can be retweeted, reposted, liked, forwarded, or flagged that's what it's about. So more and more of the traditional media have become more and more tabloid like. Whether it's true or whether it's not true as long as it's sensational and it gets people talking that's what leads the charge now." He says people should do their own investigating and that is the reason he's using social media, "Don't assume we or anything any individual says as straight up truth. Make your own interpretation as best as you see fit, but rather than waiting for something to be spun and then to be spun back to the truth we've just taken it straight to people through social media."
Bevin's video has been viewed more than 60,000 times on Facebook.
If used please cite the Commonwealth Policy Foundation and please email firstname.lastname@example.com


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"The death of Trayvon Martin was a tragedy. Not just for his family, or for any one community, but for America. I know this case has elicited strong passions. And in the wake of the verdict, I know those passions may be running even higher. But we are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken. I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son." President Barack Obama
There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered." Nelson Mandela
"I get lifted" whenever I approach the Adams Morgan neighborhood in D.C. "…It's electric…" the energy as people bustle from place to place with a season of purpose. The restaurants and the energy that exudes from this community are extraordinary. It reminds me of Sinatra's New York, a city that never sleeps.
In the midst of Adams Morgan is the Marriott Wardham Park Hotel, a grand hotel that hosted Restaurants in Bloom Gala RAMMY Awards. The event sponsored by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington resembled the Grammys with restaurants, staff, hotels and bars vying to be voted the best in their category in the industry. Guests circulated throughout the massive ballroom during the cocktail reception tasting regional drinks, Virginia wines and craft beers. Dinner was served in the beautifully decorated main ballroom with dinner stations representing food, drinks and desserts from Peru, Australia, Chile and Mexico. Guests visited each station to enjoy Australian Lamb, scallops in Chilean olive oil with Carca Pebre, smoked salmon with avocado, braised short ribs and dozens of other items including passion cupcakes and crème Brule.
My first stop was at the famous Gifford's ice cream station for a dip each of blueberry and toasted coconut ice cream and a homemade cake donut before having dinner.
Guests enjoying the fine cuisine and dancing to the Onyx band were Chef Ron Reid, Stacy Cowan, Pat Thomas, the ambassador of Peru, Mayor Gray, Alexandria, Va. Haute Dogs & Fries owners Pamela Swanson and Lionel Holmes and Chloe Swanson.
"Although we've come to the end of the road still I can't let go… it's unnatural" Boyz II Men
I met Andy Rosenthal about 10 years ago at Ruth's Chris' Steakhouse in Pikesville. As our crowd got larger we slowly "creep creep" into his space. He said, "You can sit at my table," or something like that, and we toasted with a glass of Grand Marnier to our new friendship that is still strong. He invited me to his restaurant. He didn't think we would come and I didn't think he owned a restaurant so we were both pleasantly surprised. I showed up with about fifteen friends on his busiest night. When I got word that Shuckers was closing after a successful run in Fells Point, I was overwhelmed with emotions. Andy had "last call" so I called a group of friends to converge on Shockers for "another Saturday night…" "…for the good times."
"…Neither one of us wants to be the first to say goodbye…" "Oh what a night" we sat outside enjoying the harbor breeze until the "other side of midnight." When we left, he said, "I'll see you tomorrow the last day. I didn't go because I didn't want to be there to see him 'turn off the lights.'"
The week of July 4 became "blurred lines" as we travelled from one party to the next. Jimmy and Pat Fittings "set it off" at their huge barbeque with tents under the stars. "You can't sit down…" the music played by DJ Turk was nonstop. The deejay and the grill never stopped as people "danced the night away." It was great seeing former school CEOs Dr. Charlene Cooper-Boston, Dr. Walter and Adriene Amprey, Debbie Allen, Pat and Charles Payne and Michael Mitchell partying "in the heat of the night."
July 4 we joined Tony and Paula at their fabulous 14th floor Harbor East condominium to watch the fireworks. The view was spectacular with the barge sitting in the harbor directly in front. What a view watching the fireworks in Dundalk and the harbor simultaneously.
"The most wonderful of all things in life, I believe, is the discovery of another human being with whom one's relationship has a growing depth, beauty, and joy as the years increase." Hugh Walpole Sr.
Family and friends surrounded Professor Larry and Diana Gibson as they celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on a sultry Sunday afternoon at their lovely home. Guests brought plenty of hugs and kisses to the informal gathering to celebrate the couple. The magnificent feast of salmon, lamb chops, ribs, crab cakes etc. was plentiful and just when we thought we couldn't eat another thing Danny and Della Henson arrived with hot fried chicken wings. Judge Robert Bell, David Allen, Randy Carroll, Joe and Kip Yoor, Angela Gibson, Charles Thomas, Kevin, O'Keeffe, Marta Pola, Frank Coakley, Paul Flower, Frank McNeil, Ralph and Dana Moore, Pat and Howard Jessamy, Esperance and Wendell Sutton, Fran Allen and Vernon and Linda Simms were among the folks bringing best wishes.
Happy 27th anniversary to Scott and Valerie Phillips and a special anniversary prayer for James "Peck" and Gloria "Tuttle" Began as they celebrate 52 years of marriage.
It's your birthday AFRO editor Dorothy Boulware, Mayor Jeffrey Slavin, Everene Johnson-Turner, Greg Williams, Greg Hill, Dr. Patricia Schmoke, Takiea Hinton and Thurman Pinder.
"The highest reach of injustice is to be deemed just when you are not." Plato
Aleuta Continua (the struggle continues) Valerie & the Friday Night Bunch


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Concussion Toolkit
Treatment for concussions needs to not only occur at home but within the classroom as well to ensure a full recovery. Abstaining from tasks that can be mentally straining will help the child in the healing process.
The Concussion Toolkit is a tool to educate parents, coaches, teachers and school administrators, along with the student-athletes themselves, about the signs, symptoms, treatment and management of concussions.
This toolkit has a wide range of information for different groups of people who support the student-athlete both on and off the field. No two concussions are exactly the same and individualized treatment is key. Developing brains are constantly changing, and one student-athlete's symptoms may be completely different from another's even if they sustain the same type of injury.


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The just-released video for their song "Gold On The Ceiling" is either too high-concept to understand, or just The Black Keys being lazy with a shitty video camera and four pairs of adult footsie pajamas and four baby bottles.
...Except, this was actually directed by Harmony Korine, the guy responsible for everyone's favorite depressing teen sex movie Kids—not a 15-year-old kid with a camcorder and a strange idea of "art."
Worst: Ironic use of VHS and flashing metroid-font captions.
Best: Prosthetic clones of Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach, wearing matching footsie pajamas and hanging limply from each man from a diaper-like harness.
YouTube's top-rated comment for the video is apt, for a variety of reasons: "I NEED AN ADULT." [BuzzFeed]


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The death of one suspected bomber and the capture of the other on Friday in the Boston Marathon bombing may not be the end of arrests in the case. Yesterday afternoon, FBI and DHS agents arrived at the same New Bedford apartment complex where they had detained three people in the Friday manhunt for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, this time taking two away in handcuffs:
Agents wearing FBI and Department of Homeland Security jackets detained two men at the Hidden Brook apartment complex just hours after releasing three people believed to be associated with Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
A neighbor who declined to identify herself said the same two men were among the three people taken into custody by the FBI Friday afternoon.
An FBI spokeswoman could not provide any information on the two men, both of whom were led away in handcuffs around 3:50 p.m. Saturday, or anything related to the apartment, citing the "ongoing" nature of the investigation.
Interestingly, this time the FBI and DHS didn't come alone. A consular vehicle from an unidentified nation also arrived, and transported two women out of the complex after the arrests took place:
Earlier Saturday afternoon, a silver mini-van with consulate license plates arrived at the Carriage Drive apartment along with the FBI and Homeland Security, and stayed a half an hour longer than the agents.
The van left with two women, neither of whom appeared to be restrained. One was carrying a pink backpack as she exited the apartment and ran into the van, which sped away as the women told reporters they did not wish to comment.
We noted the brief detention of two men and a woman on Friday afternoon, but the FBI left after Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was apprehended in Watertown. The police told the Standard-Times on Friday that the two men were believed to be fellow students at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth.
Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror in the UK reports that the FBI is investigating the possibility that the Tsarnaev brothers were part of a "sleeper cell" in the US that could contain a dozen operatives:
The FBI was last night hunting a 12-strong terrorist "sleeper cell" linked to the Boston marathon bomb brothers.
Police believe Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were specially trained to carry out the devastating attack.
More than 1,000 FBI operatives were last night working to track down the cell and arrested a man and two women 60 miles from Boston in the hours before Dzhokhar's dramatic capture after a bloody shootout on Friday.
A source close to the investigation said: "We have no doubt the brothers were not acting alone. The devices used to detonate the two bombs were highly sophisticated and not the kind of thing people learn from Google.
"They were too advanced. Someone gave the brothers the skills and it is now our job to find out just who they were. Agents think the sleeper cell has up to a dozen members and has been waiting several years for their day to come."
It's important to keep in mind that the FBI will be investigating all sorts of possibilities in connection to the attack. The travel pattern of Tamerlan Tsarnaev provides the potential for significant contact with radicals in Dagestan and Chechnya, but those contacts have yet to be established. Until the FBI and intelligence agencies find those contacts and develop those leads, they will keep all potential theories in play.
Speaking of which, House Intelligence chair Mike Rogers told NBC's Meet the Press that Tamerlan may have traveled to Russia using an alias:
Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., said on NBC's Meet the Press Sunday that when Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the Boston Marathon bombing suspect killed Friday in a shootout with police, travelled to Russia in 2012, he may have done so under an alias.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev's six-month stay in Russia last year "becomes extremely important" as a key to the investigation of the Boston bombings, Rogers told NBC's David Gregory. His visit to Russia "would lead one to believe that that's probably where he got that final radicalization to push him to commit acts of violence and where he may have received training" in terrorist techniques. Rogers, a former FBI agent, said the FBI had questioned Tamerlan Tsarnaev after being given information from a foreign intelligence service "that they were concerned about his possible radicalization." …
But appearing on CNN's State of the Union Sunday, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R- S.C., said Tamerlan Tsarnaev is the kind of person "you don't want to let out of your sight," and that it was a mistake for federal authorities to have lost track of him.
"Either our laws are insufficient or the FBI failed, but we're at war with radical Islamists and we need to up our game," the South Carolina Republican told CNN.
How did we find out so quickly about Tamerlan's travels, though, if he traveled under an alias? Or did the FBI keep closer track of Tsarnaev than Lindsey Graham thinks?
Although Dzhokhar Tsarnaev remains in serious condition, officials plan to charge him in federal court quickly, perhaps as soon as today:
Federal officials hope to bring charges against Dzokhar Tsarnaev as early as today, a Department of Justice official tells CNN's Pamela Brown.
A law enforcement official tells CNN that Tsarnaev might be arraigned at the hospital. The 19-year-old suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing remains in serious, stable condition, under heavy guard at a Boston hospital. A judge is coming to his bedside.
Once charged in civil criminal court, options for investigators begin to narrow considerably in regard to interrogation. It's possible that they have already found what they wanted from the surviving Tsarnaev brother, which may be why FBI, DHS, and a consular van reappeared at the New Bedford apartment complex.
Update: The agents arrived yesterday afternoon, not last night. I've corrected that in the first paragraph.
Update: The New York Daily News has photos of the two men, and report that they have been detained on "immigration violations":
Two foreign nationals — who are believed to be associates of the alleged Boston Marathon bombers — were arrested Saturday on immigration violations, authorities said.
The men, identified by neighbors as 19-year-olds from Kazakhstan, drove around in a black BMW with the mock license plate, "TERRORISTA #1."
The pair was hauled out of their New Bedford apartment in handcuffs about 3:50 p.m. The raid was carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, a spokesman told the Daily News.
Immigration violations from Kazakhstan? Those don't usually require a consular van to collect associates. This is still a fluid situation and this lead may end up being nothing at all, so keep an open mind. The fact that federal investigators returned the next day and diplomatic intervention was required indicates that this is something a little more serious than a visa violation, or at least is suspected of being so.
Update: Bear in mind that this could still be (relatively) unrelated to the bombing. The FBI may have identified Tsarnaev's associates and detained them on Friday to get more intel on their fugitive, and then discovered an immigration issue either during or shortly after their interrogation. Given the nature of the larger case, they may have alerted the consulate to get involved immediately and accelerated the processing of the immigration issue to get them out of the way. That's at least a possibility, so again, keep an open mind.
Update: Looks like KDKA has heard what the Mirror reported earlier:
New at 1:00 FBI Source: suspects could have ties to 12-member terrorist sleeper cell group. @tunein http://t.co/mbfMTnNh2q
— 100.1 FM and AM 1020 KDKA (@KDKARadio) April 21, 2013
Stay, er, tuned.
Update: Dzhokhar isn't saying much, at least not verbally:
RT @thegarance: CBS: "neck wound is the primary reason why Tsarnaev is unable to speak with investigators" http://t.co/E0KJyeGymh
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) April 21, 2013
Mayor Thomas Menino wondered aloud earlier today whether he'd ever be able to talk with investigators. Let's hope that doctors make that happen as soon as possible.


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Every morning, I draw on my eyebrows. Considering I didn't even pluck my eyebrows until I was 25 (after my wedding photos), that's pretty amazing. Also, amusing. Some mornings, I want to draw one on angry and one surprised just to see who'd notice, but I don't do it. Now that I have cancer, I've got much bigger "I Wants" than that.
A few weeks ago, I met with my group of women entrepreneurs for brunch. We act as one another's board of directors, helping solve each other's professional and personal problems. Or we used to. Cancer, divorce, motherhood, moving out of state and more have altered everyone's schedules and so, we don't get together much anymore.
At brunch that Sunday, one woman suggested we bring up our "I Wants": We each offer up a statement beginning with "I Want," and then everyone else helps solve the problem.
More From Good Housekeeping
One woman wanted to start a jewelry business. One recently divorced friend wanted to find a man. One wanted to retire by age 60, and another wanted to get over feeling guilty about motherhood. (I told her that if she can bottle and sell that, she'll be able to retire long before 60.) Then they turned to me.
"Isn't it obvious?" I asked, adjusting my headscarf. "I want to be cancer-free."
One of my friends waved her hands and replied, "Oh, but you're almost done with that. What else do you want?"
No, really. That's it. Sure, I want my house renovations to be done, and I want to take my husband to the Caribbean this winter. But once you've been faced with the possibility that you won't see your kids grow up, pondering St. John's vs. Barbados seems like a ridiculous waste of time. Cancer stole my "I Wants." And you know what? That's perfectly okay.
Before I was diagnosed with non Hodgkin's lymphoma, I was always planning ahead. Sometimes I'd be so busy thinking about next year, I wasn't even sure what this year was. 2008? 2007?
But now that I have just one round of chemotherapy left, I know which year it is. And I know exactly what I want. I want what I have: a good marriage, great kids, a nice (almost finished) house, wonderful family and friends and a nice career.
So what's my I Want? I want to continue to appreciate what I have, no matter how healthy I get. If I'm lucky, that will include my eyebrows soon enough. Until then, I'll just keep drawing them on.


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There was a recent uproar about a session delivered recently. A company thinks that the session infringed on their intellectual property. The Midnight DBAs had a short write up here that summarizes, and expresses some amazement.
I am sure that this accusation is baseless, but there are likely a few people that are worried about where the lines in intellectual property are drawn. I will try to explain things as I understand them, but two important points:
- I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, and I have not stayed in a Holiday Inn Express in a few years.
- IP law is a little hazy and what might be seen as infringing in one court might not in another court. However if you do not stray too close to any lines, you should be fine.
- If you are really worried about something, get another opinion before you publish a blog.
With that in mind, here is what I recommend.
First, do not copy anyone's words or code as they were written. In other words, no highlight/copy from their blog/article/Books Online/anywhere else and paste on your blog. This is plagiarism if you somehow imply that you wrote the work, and it is copyright infringement if you republish this information without permission.
Q: I aggregate blogs from other sites. Am I infringing?
If you republish an abstract, usually seen as 100-200 characters, then no. If you republish the entire thing, then yes. It's freely available, as in speech, but that doesn't mean you get to disseminate that speech yourself.
If you want to use a section of someone's work, as in a section of a blog or a section of Books Online, or something similar, then quote it, give a source, and comment on it. That last part is important. Fair use is generally allowed when you are critiquing, or expanding on someone else's work. It's not generally allowed when you are just showing their work, even a snippet, as a way to avoid rewriting things in your own words.
In general the rules more universities have of only quoting a paragraph or less are what I would recommend. If you need to use more than that, perhaps you should just link to the relevant page.
Images are hard, precisely because they are protected by copyright, but also because of the technical imposition of how they are transferred to a browser. In general, here is what I recommend.
Shoot your own images.
Use SnagIt or Quick Screen Capture or Skitch, or your cell phone camera to take images. Then you have no issues. If you blog for money, i.e. in a commercial sense, including on your company's site, be careful of using any copyrighted items like works of art or professional images. Try to keep to public stuff.
If you want to search for images, I recommend using Flickr and searching for creative commons licensed works. Tons of them are out there and you are usually fine using them. I tend to save the image, and then place a hyperlink back to the original to give them credit. Most people don't care much, especially if you are promoting their work. If the artist is a pro at producing the image, definitely ask and respect the copyright symbol on any image. Don't republish those without specific permission.
I have also found lots of companies, such as Demotivation, will allow you to use their images and link back to their site for sales. Amazon is pretty open about using their images of books, just be sure you save the image on your site and don't tax the Amazon servers. Often if you just ask, you'll get permission.
Write your own code. It's that simple. Build your own code, test it, and publish it. If you use an example from MSDN or another source as a base, note that. It's just common courtesy and polite if you get help from someone.
Lots of code is trivial, and it can be hard to copyright, but it's easy to show concepts and invent your own queries, DDL, DML, PowerShell, etc. If you can't invent it, perhaps you shouldn't be writing about it.
If you want to use code from work, ask first. If you don't want to ask, don't use it.
As an example. If I wanted to explain about database mirroring sessions, I could do this:
The way in which a mirror is synchronized with the principal at the start of a mirroring session is explained in Books Online like this: "At the start of a database mirroring session, the mirror server identifies the log sequence number (LSN) of the latest transaction log applied on the mirror database and asks the principal server for the transaction log for all subsequent transactions, if any. In response, the principal server sends to the mirror server any active log records accumulated since the last log restored to the mirror database or sent to the mirror server." (emphasis mine)
I have italicized the BOL section, which I think is appropriate since it sets it apart from my words. I have also added a comment at the end about the emphasized, or bold section, which is not bold in the original text.
I would not do this:
Database Mirroring Sessions
Database mirroring occurs within the context of a database mirroring session. This topic assumes that you are familiar with the principal, mirror, and witness roles, operating modes, and role switching in database mirroring. For more information, see Database Mirroring Overview.
When the mirror database is ready, and the server instances are configured, the database owner can start database mirroring. As soon as mirroring starts, each partner begins to maintain state information in its database about that database as well as the other partner and the witness, if any. This state information permits the server instances to maintain a relationship known as a database mirroring session. Throughout a database mirroring session, the server instances monitor each other. The state information is maintained until the database owner stops the session. For more information, see Mirroring States and Monitoring Database Mirroring.
At the start of a database mirroring session, the mirror server identifies the log sequence number (LSN) of the latest transaction log applied on the mirror database and asks the principal server for the transaction log for all subsequent transactions, if any. In response, the principal server sends to the mirror server any active log records accumulated since the last log restored to the mirror database or sent to the mirror server. Unsent log that has accumulated on the log disk of the principal database is known as the send queue.
The mirror server immediately writes the incoming log to disk, where it is held until it is applied to the mirror database. The log waiting on the mirror's disk is known as the redo queue. The amount of unrestored log waiting in the redo queue is an indicator of the time required to fail over to the mirror database. For more information, see Estimating the Interruption of Service During Role Switching.
Apart from the title, the four paragraphs are verbatim copied from Books Online. I have added nothing to this.
A patent is a legal award for an inventor for their specific invention. This can be a process, a physical design, or a specific improvement. They can be controversial, such as the 1-click patent for Amazon, but essentially this is something you are awarded. If someone has a patent on an item you want to talk about, you should get permission. However concepts and subject areas can generally not be patented.
Courts can invalidate patents, and these are issued on a country by country basis. In general blogging should on infringe on patents, but code could. If you have some hee-whiz code technique, do a little research and see if anyone has something similar before you publish it.
Slander and Libel
Both of these are essentially the same thing, making false and damaging statements about others. Slander applies to verbal comments and libel to published comments, which would include blogs.
If you say (or write) something false, deliberately to hurt someone or damage their reputation, you could be sued for your comments. The exception is in criticism and critique. You are welcome to review and comment on products from your point of view. I would not say something like Product X doesn't implement encryption if it does offer that feature. However if you say "product X uses poor encryption techniques because I was able to decrypt the file in an hour" then you are making an opinion.
Proving something as true or false is hard, but my recommendation is that you use clear opinionated words if you are going to complain, criticize or otherwise trash someone or something. Your complaints might be valid, but the way in which you express them reflects on you. An emotional rant is more likely to make you look unprofessional than make the product look poorly. Like with other blogs, research a bit, present some valid argument for your complaint and it will make you look more thoughtful, and be less likely to invite any complaints from the complainee.
Knowledge of Infringement
One important point to note here is that your knowledge of someone else's work is not necessarily needed to prove infringement. You might never have used Amazon, but if you implemented a 1-click feature on your ecommerce site, you would still be guilty of patent infringement. If by some chance you had never read Books Online, but you happened to sit down one night, think about how your instances are clustered together and wrote this in your blog:
"A SQL Server failover cluster instance appears on the network as a single computer, but has functionality that provides failover from one node to another if the current node becomes unavailable. For example, during a non-disk hardware failure, operating system failure, or planned operating system upgrade, you can configure an instance of SQL Server on one node of a failover cluster to fail over to any other node in the disk group."
You would be guilty of both plagiarism (unintentional) and copyright infringement (unintentional) from this page in BOL. Even if you could prove that you never had read Books Online, you would still be guilty.
Infringement has to do with the act, not the motive or knowledge. As they say, ignorance of the law is no excuse, and ignorance of someone else's control over IP is not a defense.
If someone complains about your work, find out the basis for their infringement. They must have a specific place that shows you have infringed. If they provide it, make a decision. Remember, concepts cannot be protected, only specific implementations of words, art, images, code, slides, or a process. In general blogging only concerns itself with copying other's work.
If you get a DCMA, take down your work. You can always republish it later if that DCMA is invalid, but avoid legal hassles until you can present a defense of your work.
However if you always write your own material, you'll have no issues.


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Welcome! Login
This New Zealand Dollar and Pakistan Rupee convertor is up to date with exchange rates from March 26, 2023.
Enter the amount to be converted in the box to the left of New Zealand Dollar. Use "Swap currencies" to make Pakistan Rupee the default currency. Click on Pakistani Rupees or New Zealand Dollars to convert between that currency and all other currencies.
The New Zealand Dollar is the currency in New Zealand (NZ, NZL), Cook Islands (CK, COK), Niue (NU, NIU), Pitcairn (PN, PCN), and Tokelau (TK, TKL). The Pakistan Rupee is the currency in Pakistan (PK, PAK). The symbol for NZD can be written NZ$. The symbol for PKR can be written Rs. The New Zealand Dollar is divided into 100 cents. The Pakistan Rupee is divided into 100 paisa. The exchange rate for the New Zealand Dollar was last updated on March 23, 2023 from The International Monetary Fund. The exchange rate for the Pakistan Rupee was last updated on February 28, 2023 from MSN. The NZD conversion factor has 6 significant digits. The PKR conversion factor has 3 significant digits.
Print the charts and take them with you in your purse or wallet while you are traveling.
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