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Sitting here right now its almost sunset in the DC area and this computer is about to be shut off in honor of the Sabbath. It's been a ride like no other…..this journey to making this dream of mine to find my roots and trace them through food–and bring people together across lines of "race." There is an old Yiddish proverb–"A man plans and G-d laughs." I know what that means now. In less than two days time I will find out whether or not my dream was a marketable venture enough for people to want to read about our travels and watch and copy recipes as my team and I wind our way through the South.
I realize that for many people I am only as good as my bio and my "branding," and those are just buzzwords for a public face. But let's cut the chase here–I need you because making it to and past my goal is the only way the Southern Discomfort Tour is going to take off and be of some meaning and use to people. I had to think about it long and hard—how do I make this project NOT self-indulgent and make it complex enough to be rewarding for other people and not just me.
When I was a very little kid for some reason I had issues with being Black. My Mother tells me that I often talked about Black people as being ugly or scary or not as smart. If you've ever seen the "doll experiments" you can guess why what that reason was. I hated when my Mother would remind me about that…it was embarrassing–still is. Of course things haven't changed much in some arenas, although our opinions are. That's the weird thing about "race," its a construct, its a thing…like gender….like sexuality…like nationality…like religion. It does not really cross most human minds that we choose to opt in or out of these social constructs. Indeed, they do give meaning and structure to our lives and human existence but essentially they are only as real as we put meaning and action behind them. I choose to be an African American male-identifying Jew. I am not inherently any of that….well the male part I can't help–but how much of that is how I was raised and the society and culture I came through?
Point being–when I became "ethnic," my life changed. I became ethnic because I really wanted a reason to love being part of the culture I was born into. So many negative stereotypes and perceptions born in slavery, oppression, segregation, cultural and class "tracking," all sorts of little social beasties that we still have a lot of trouble talking about not just in America but in the entire Western world. Because my Mom taught me to count to ten in Swahili (because that was popular back then and she lived several years in Kenya as a teenager), because my Dad had a Black inventors t shirt he made and sold, because I had Black history posters on my wall and because I went to family reunions, celebrated Kwanzaa, went to museums, listened to the whole gamut of our musical legacy, and watched an all Black cast of Oedipus with Morgan Freeman….LOL…I grew up ethnically Black.
Don't get me wrong–I think ethnic Black and genetic Black are still related. I believe DNA carries memory. You can choose not to believe that metaphysical stuff–but I do. I think we ache with stories and spells and prayers we don't know the origin of. We pine for genealogy because we know that part of the reason and rationale behind "us," is in them–the dead and the spirit. Every culture on earth just about has a relationship with their Ancestors. In African cultures libation is poured, memorial prayers are said, altars constructed, shrines put up. In Judaism one honors yahrtzeits and yizkor and say Kaddish and visit cemetaries and place stones on the grave to say "we still respect you, we were here."
And then there's that food thing. I've said it once I'll say it again–food is a powerful way to bring us all together and it serves as a vehicle for our identities–not static fixed identities but how they change even while they stay grounded in specific realities. To use Annie Hauck-Lawson's term your "food voice," is a shifting paradigm. However, for most of us it starts and ends somewhere–kind of like our identities…"I am this—but I am not that….I come from—I am…" etc. etc. That's our reality. We are not one thing but many things. Many things working together. Kind of like a plate of something or specific dish–different elements in concert with one another cooking into something new and complex and impossibly un-duplicated.
Ever since I was a little kid this identity thing has been important to me. We pretend that culture is just coincidental–but its not. It's not like a food preference or a fashion–even though that's what "ethnicity" means to a lot of people. Culture is always there–its this language I'm typing in–its my thoughts on how the world is ordered and what's right and what's wrong. It isn't something that ever truly goes on the back burner. We do ourselves a great disservice in the modern West pretending that one's culture is waiting for us on a hook at home while everything else is the "real" us. Nope. You are not your suit tie skirt or pantsuit. You are not your gym. You are not any of those things. You are first and foremost a complex human animal with a complex thing balanced between nature and nurture called culture living inside of you.
I know that for some people this project is a little perplexing. I know some people won't get it. I hope that people will get it. I want you to understand that I really want to know where I come from because it effects my cooking and food and scholarship. I want to know where I'm "located," in the very culinary history I write about. I've been envious for years of people from Italy or Greece who can tell you about an olive or something from their region and why they love it so much and how what they do is different and irreplaceable. Those types always seem to be able to point out the antiquity of those foods and traditions. All I want is to be able to have the keys to do the same. The full story of Southern food has not been told.
Do you know what it was like to be an enslaved cook?
Have you ever seen anyone like me–a Black American male under 36 put on the funny clothes and cook and do the tasks of slavery to educate and motivate others?
Do you know the songs we sang when we cooked? Do you know the special tools and techniques that have been forgotten? Do you know the prayers and spells our grandmothers used to make things come out perfectly?
Do you have any idea of what its like to go to a Southern plantation site and see your culture and history marginalized, annihilated, obfuscated, removed, unremarked?
Do you know why we put the plates of our loved ones on our graves? Sang poetically about the gourd? Marked our bowls with sacred signs, and scratched secrets into the shells of turtles?
Can you name a single enslaved cook?
Do you know what those women and men went through from day to day? Do you know what they saw and experienced?
And then there is Africa….its my dream to know where my family comes from in Africa. Millions of people are watching "Finding Our Roots," and "Who Do you Think You Are?" these days. I dream of that…being able to watch that tree grow and use genetic research to go where records can't. I dream of being able to trace my Ancestors story in the flow of American and World history. This means the world to me–giving honor to my Ancestors and celebrating them and their stories and reaching others and saying hey–because of this dish or this food– we are essentially, "related." We are one people. One humanity with many Ancestors–and what they left binds us and makes us whole.
Getting on the road means learning and listening to people even as I present what I know and share my learning with younger people. I don't think one can truly know anything until they've traveled. For me–my family history goes back to six places–Virginia, North and South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia. The first four contain the most leads and its my hope that I can see the plantations or the remnants thereof–of the land my forefather's worked. And if you'd like to volunteer–just say so–and I can put you to work 🙂
I want my Ancestors to be at peace, and I want me to be at peace. Even more so I want us all to be at peace.
I'm almost up to 1600 words…So here goes.
I love you. Please help me live this dream. Please.
We need you–I know I've bugged some of my readers by saying this for three months, but this is the nature of crowdfunding—and its an opportunity for those of us without grants, loans or bank accounts above month to month survival to work for our public and pursue the dreams and Big Ideas that we hope will make the world a better place.
If I am engaging you, contributing to our project is a very small price to pay in order to keep enjoying the history, research and recipes I've worked hard with my friends to present to you here.
To my fellow African Americans–we complain a lot when sites and shows and movies and the like don't reflect our history or experience. We want them to tell it like it is…but many of my colleagues have complained that so often we don't empower each other to tell our won stories. "Them," don't owe us our story well told. "We" certainly do. We can take responsibility and ownership so that the world receives responsibly communicated narratives about the African American experience. It's your choice. This is an opportunity to help a fellow African American teach our culture and share information about our culture with a lot of people and provide a lot of free content and information about our contributions to American civilization for the world to see. I need to know my community supports me and isn't just giving lip service to the idea that Black history is important. I need to know that the same people who will rally in times of rain will rally in the sunshine too. And that day is today–but the clock is ticking.
I can't do anymore, can't say anymore, can't think anymore. It's up to G-d and you.
Shabbat Shalom


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Good morning Mr. Chairman, Senator Sessions, and distinguished members of the Committee. I'm pleased to be here today to discuss the important work of the Justice Department. One of the things I pledged during my confirmation hearing was that I would be here regularly, and last year, I had the privilege of appearing before the committee three times, not including my confirmation hearing. And, over the past fourteen months since I became Attorney General, I've had the pleasure of working closely with many of you. I want to thank you all for your partnership and your ongoing support of the thousands of men and women who serve the Department and work tirelessly to protect our country, enforce our laws, defend our interests in court and ensure the integrity of our justice system.
Today I've been asked to report on the Justice Department's progress, priorities, and goals. I'm proud to tell you what we have accomplished and what we plan to achieve.
Even before I took the oath of office last February, I made a pledge to every member of this Committee. I promised that, under my leadership, the Justice Department would vigorously pursue several critical objectives: combating terrorism, fighting crime, enforcing our laws in a non-partisan manner and reinvigorating the Department's commitment to integrity, transparency and results. I also promised that in our most important work – the work of protecting the American people – the Justice Department would lead with strength and by example, and that we would use every tool available to keep the American people safe.
I never expected that fulfilling these promises would be easy. After all, ours is a time of growing demands and limited resources. And, as we've confronted unprecedented threats, new responsibilities and tough choices, the Justice Department has made historic progress.
Over the last year, in addition to working tirelessly to protect our nation from terrorism and other threats, we have reinvigorated other traditional missions of the Department. We have strengthened efforts to protect our environment, as well as our most vulnerable communities. We have reinforced our mission to safeguard civil rights in our workplaces, our housing markets, our voting booths and our border areas. We have made strides in ensuring that our prisons are secure and aimed at rehabilitation, which is not merely humane policy, but is smart policy, because reducing recidivism makes all of us safer. And, as part of our focus on securing our economy and combating mortgage and financial fraud, the Department has launched, and is now leading, the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force that President Obama called for last year, using legal tools provided by this Committee.
At the same time, the Justice Department is working to make our criminal laws fairer. Last year, we launched one of the most comprehensive reviews in history of federal sentencing policy. Our guiding objective – ensuring that sentencing practices are smart, tough, predictable and fair – is one that I know every member of this Committee shares. I want to thank this Committee and the full Senate for the critical step it took last month in unanimously approving a dramatic reduction in the disparity between crack and powder-cocaine sentences. It was enormously heartening to me personally to see the Committee come together in a bipartisan fashion to address this long-standing injustice. The 100-1 disparity undermined trust in the criminal justice system and diverted resources away from the prosecution of large-scale drug organizations. These reforms will serve the goals of law enforcement while ensuring fairness in sentencing.
Looking ahead, I hope the Judiciary Committee will help the Department achieve its goals and meet its responsibilities by confirming the President's law enforcement nominees more expeditiously. There are currently 19 U.S. Attorney nominees and 17 U.S. Marshal nominees awaiting committee action. A backlog of this magnitude is unusual. I have spoken to the Chairman and the Ranking Member about this concern, and I am hopeful it will be addressed without further delay.
Every day, the dedicated professionals of the Department of Justice help to fight our ongoing war against an enemy that continues to attack us at home and abroad. Over the past year, I am proud to say that the Department, working closely with our partners in the intelligence and national security communities, was extraordinarily successful in disrupting plots, obtaining intelligence and incapacitating terrorists.
We detected and disrupted a plot to attack the subways in Manhattan with explosive bombs that could have killed many Americans in what would have been one the most, if not the most, deadly attacks since September 11, 2001. Najibullah Zazi has already pleaded guilty to terrorism charges in this case, and we have also charged several of his associates with participating in the plot and related crimes.
We secured a guilty plea from David Headley for assisting the deadly attacks in Mumbai in November 2008 and plotting another attack in Denmark. As part of his plea, he has already provided valuable intelligence to the government about terrorist activities abroad.
We have obtained the cooperation of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who tried to bomb an airliner landing in Detroit last Christmas. Although I obviously cannot discuss the intelligence he has provided, I can tell you that it has been not just valuable, but actionable.
We convicted Aafia Siddiqui of attempting to murder U.S. military and law enforcement agents in Afghanistan. Siddiqui is a Pakistani physicist captured in Afghanistan with explosives and information about nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and descriptions of U.S. landmarks. She later opened fire on U.S. personnel. The Justice Department under the Bush Administration indicted her in federal court in 2008, and she was convicted several weeks ago in New York.
Most of this work was done by career professionals driven by no ideology except a loyalty to our nation and a commitment to keeping our people safe. They work hard, and, most importantly, they get results.
Since September 11, 2001, Congress has provided the Justice Department broad authorities and significant resources to fight terrorism. The Department has used those resources effectively, obtaining 160 convictions for terrorism offenses and 240 convictions for terrorism-related crimes.
Now, at a time when questions have been raised about the role of our courts, it is important to note that most of these convictions came during the last administration, which made the criminal justice system an integral component of its counterterrorism strategy. The Bush Administration used the criminal justice system to interrogate, prosecute and incarcerate terrorists for the same reason the Obama administration has: it is an extremely effective tool to ensure justice and protect the security of the American people.
Let me be clear: this Administration will use every tool available to fight terrorism. That includes both civilian courts and military commissions. Indeed, we have already referred six cases for prosecution in commissions. We will no doubt refer other cases, as well. We have deployed the full extent of our intelligence, military and law enforcement resources to defeat terrorists, and we have achieved significant results.
It would jeopardize those results to prohibit the use of the criminal justice system to prosecute terrorists, as some in Congress have proposed, and it would seriously weaken our national security. Instead of pursuing a narrow approach to fighting terrorism, we must be flexible, pragmatic and aggressive. And in every circumstance, we must choose the weapon that will be most effective.
That said, I know you all have questions about the prosecution of those charged with plotting the 9/11 attacks. No final decision has been made about the forum in which Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his co-defendants will be tried.
As I've said from the outset, this is a close call. It should be clear to everyone by now that there are many legal, national security and practical factors to be considered here. As a consequence, there are many perspectives on what the most appropriate and effective forum is. In making this decision, I can assure you that this Administration has only one paramount goal: to ensure that justice is done in this case. In the pursuit of justice, we will enforce the law and protect the American people.
Today, I want you all to know that I continue to value, and will work to uphold, the trust this Committee has placed in me. I also want to reassert my pledge that, so long as I have the privilege of serving as Attorney General, the Department of Justice will be an instrument of our Constitution and a servant of the American people -- not of any party or political ideology.
We will continue working to protect our nation's security, to advance the best interests of the American people, and to strengthen the values that have made our country a model to the world.
Thank you again for this opportunity to discuss the Justice Department's essential work. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.

subset: commoncrawl


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CLEVELAND -- David Blatt went overseas to chase his basketball dreams. He's coming back to fulfill them.
One of Europe's top coaches, Blatt was hired Friday by the Cavaliers, who ended a sweeping, 39-day search with an out-of-the-box selection they hope changes their fortunes.
American-born, Princeton-schooled and considered one of the game's brightest offensive minds, Blatt, 55, has long been interested in coaching in the NBA, and the Cavs will give him his first shot.
Blatt was given a three-year deal worth about $10 million with a fourth-year team option that includes incentives, sources told ESPN.com.
Cleveland contacted high-profile college coaches and interviewed both retreaded head coaches and on-the-rise assistants before zeroing in and landing Blatt, who won several European titles while coaching in Israel and guided Russia to a bronze medal at the London Olympics two years ago.
"David Blatt is going to bring some of the most innovative approaches found in professional basketball anywhere on the globe," Cavs owner Dan Gilbert said. "Time and time again, from Russia to Israel and several other prominent head coaching jobs in between, David has done one thing: 'win.' He is not only an innovator, well-trained and focused on both sides of the court, but he is always learning and always teaching."
Blatt will be introduced by the team Wednesday, one day before the club picks first in this year's NBA draft.
Cleveland's third coach in three years, Blatt replaces Mike Brown, who was fired -- for the second time -- on May 12, a few weeks after the Cavs finished 33-49 and missed the playoffs for the fourth straight season. Blatt was not believed to be on Cleveland's radar early in its search, but that changed when he resigned at Maccabi Tel Aviv to pursue an NBA gig.
"I couldn't be more excited about the opportunity to come to Cleveland and lead the Cavaliers as their head coach," Blatt said. "We are going to work extremely hard to achieve the kind of results we all expect and know are possible."
Blatt also was coveted as an assistant by Golden State and Minnesota, but the Cavs made him the first European coach to make the jump to the NBA as a head coach.
"David is a great basketball coach and a special person," Cavs general manager David Griffin said. "His abilities to communicate, to build relationships with his players and to foster winning environments at several stops throughout Europe and across the highest levels of international competition speak for itself. He brings unbridled passion, energy and creativity to his craft.
"I have watched David's work for many years. He has an uncanny ability to adapt his system to maximize the talents of his teams year after year. That is why I am very confident he will make a smooth transition to the NBA."
With Blatt in place, the Cavs can focus their attention on next week's draft.
As agent Mike Tannenbaum was negotiating Blatt's contract, Griffin and the rest of Cleveland's front office got a closer look at Duke forward Jabari Parker, who worked out at the team's training facility in Independence, Ohio. Parker is one of the Cavs' options with the No. 1 pick, a selection they are determined to get right.
Last year, the Cavs selected forward Anthony Bennett with the top choice, but he had a disastrous rookie season that began with him coming into training camp out of shape after undergoing shoulder surgery.
Cleveland had been strongly considering Kansas center Joel Embiid, but he underwent foot surgery Friday and estimates on his return range from six months to a full season. Taking Embiid, who missed the end of his freshman year with a back stress fracture, would be risky, and the Cavs are more likely to go a safer route and select Parker or Jayhawks forward Andrew Wiggins, who visited the team earlier this week.
It's also possible the Cavs could trade the pick, and Griffin has said the team will listen to offers.
With free agency to follow the draft, Cleveland's roster could have a very different look by the time Blatt holds his first practices.
Blatt played point guard at Princeton under legendary coach Hall of Fame coach Pete Carril, whose pass-and-cut offense has often been mimicked. Blatt has incorporated elements of the Princeton system into his offense.
His style with Cleveland will be vastly different than the team experienced under Brown, who improved Cleveland's defense this season in his second stint with the club. However, the Cavs' offense rarely flowed and the team was prone to empty possessions, turnovers or poor shot selection.
Blatt led Maccabi Tel Aviv to a stunning upset of Real Madrid in this year's Euroleague championship, and in the celebration afterward, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pleaded with him to stay. But the chance to coach in the NBA was too much to resist, and Blatt, who emigrated to Israel after college, will return to live in the U.S. for the first time in 30 years.
Cleveland is his new home.
The Cavs can only hope he stays a while.
Information from ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst and Jeff Goodman and The Associated Press was used in this report.


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Geared for the Driven
At Ivy Lane Corp, a franchisee of Valvoline Instant Oil ChangeSM (VIOC), it all starts with our people. We demonstrate that belief every day by living a safety culture that protects our team members and guests. Our drive-thru oil change experience lets you stay in your vehicle. Plus, we've stepped up extra safety measures in line with CDC guidance. It's our goal to not only serve but to earn the trust of our communities and have each other's backs.
Whether you're looking for a part-time job with flexible hours or a full-time career with excellent advancement potential, you'll find it all at VIOC. With an award-winning training program and fair and honest values, we're here to help you reach every milestone.
What you'll do
As an Assistant Manager, you will blend technical and management skills to lead, develop and train others in providing superior customer service. No day is ever dull. You'll be on the move, interacting with your team and customers to find the best solutions for their vehicle's needs while building loyalty. You will also enjoy playing a role in your team members' success. If you are ready to take the initiative, we're here to help you put your career on the fast-track to success.
How you'll succeed
Benefits include:
*Terms and conditions apply, and benefits may differ depending on location
Ivy Lane Corp is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes everyone to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.
The Company endeavors to make its recruitment process accessible to any and all users. Reasonable accommodations will be provided, upon request, to applicants with disabilities in order to facilitate equal opportunity throughout the recruitment and selection process. Please contact Human Resources at 1-800-Valvoline or email [email protected] to make a request for reasonable accommodation during any aspect of the recruitment and selection process. The contact information is for accommodation requests only; do not use this contact information to inquire about the status of applications.


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Rights Contact Login For More Details
More About This Title The Social Media Handbook for Financial Advisors:How to Use LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to Build and Grow Your Business
- English
Social media is everywhere. 3.5 billion pieces of content are shared on Facebook each week, 22 million professionals are networking on LinkedIn, and 140 million tweets are posted every day. The opportunities these platforms present for financial advisors are huge, but most advisors have no idea how to use them to build bigger, stronger client bases. The Social Media Handbook for Financial Advisors: How to Use Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to Build and Grow Your Business shows how to make the most of these new tools, offering invaluable advice about how to connect with potential clients in the twenty first century.
For most advisors, converting prospects into clients is their top priority, and social media presents incredible opportunities for sealing the deal. Sales don't happen because clients are impressed by complicated charts, they happen because they're impressed by your social media presence, and by properly understanding how to make these new platforms work for you, you'll be positioned to see your business boom.
- Designed to teach financial advisors how to use social media to better market their services to attract new clients and referrals
- Presents expert communication advice from top financial advisor coach Matthew Halloran
- Categorizes communicators in a unique new way
- Teaches financial advisors how to use social media in new, highly effective ways that they've never even considered
An essential resource for wealth managers and financial advisors looking to amplify their marketing message and raise their visibility in a crowded marketplace, The Social Media Handbook for Financial Advisors is the only book you need to make yourself heard.
- English
Matthew Halloran first became interested in social media when Myspace was the place to be. With over 80,000 Twitter followers with a 99 percent effectiveness rating, 1,000 LinkedIn connections, and 700 Facebook fans, he knows how to gain followers to help build business. Having coached and consulted hundreds and spoken to thousands of financial advisors, Halloran knows how financial advising practices work, and believes that social media is the new marketing frontier for transforming the prospecting aspect of any financial services practice. He is the Director of National Development for GIVE Strategy, a mission-driven company that focuses on helping connect financial advisors, CPAs, estate planning attorneys, clients, and planned giving directors to redirect $1 billion to charity, and the founder and President of Top Advisor Coaching.
Crystal Thies first learned of LinkedIn while deciding to return to financial planning, an industry she left for almost a decade to focus on charitable giving in the nonprofit sector. Thies saw LinkedIn and social media as the way to quickly reignite her financial planning practice while combining her two key knowledge bases of financial planning and charitable giving. The call of social media won out, and Thies started Crystal Clear Buzz, LLC. For more than three years, she has helped small and large businesses, sales teams, and sales professionals use social media for sales and business development. Because of her experience and expertise as a licensed financial planner, Thies's clients include many RIAs and financial advisors, in addition to major broker-dealers, wirehouses, and banks. Thies is known as the "LinkedIn Ninja"—a title given to her by her clients and followers.
- English
Foreword xiii
A Perspective on Social Media xvii
Introduction xxiii
Part I: Introduction to Social Media
Chapter 1 Compliance 3
rystal Thies
Compliance and FINRA Licensed Advisors 4
Compliance and SEC Licensed Advisors 6
What Should I Do if I'm Not Allowed to
Use Social Media? 8
How Does This Work? 9
Final Thoughts 11
Chapter 2 Creating Rapport Online 13
Matt Halloran and Crystal Thies
The Three Cs 13
Final Thoughts 23
Chapter 3 Lessons Learned from Social Media 25
Matt Halloran and Crystal Thies
Lesson #1: People Can Only See Words 26
Lesson #2: Social Media is More About Listening 27
Lesson #3: To Be Successful, You Must Be A Social Media Giver 28
Lesson #4: Keep Sales Messaging to a Minimum 29
Final Thoughts 30
Chapter 4 Give Something for Nothing 31
Matt Halloran
Internet Resources 31
Final Thoughts 35
Chapter 5 The Disciplined Approach 37
Matthew Halloran and Crystal Thies
Streamlining Use of Social Media 37
Managing Time 39
Social Media Dashboards 43
Final Thoughts 46
Part II: Twitter
Chapter 6 Why Twitter? 49
Matthew Halloran
Texting and Tweeting 50
Setting Up Your Account 51
Final Thoughts 63
Chapter 7 Marketing on Twitter 65
Matthew Halloran
Regulations and Restrictions 65
Twellow 66
Two Recommended Tools 70
Unfollowing and Blocking 75
Tweet Scheduler and TweetDeck 77
Self-Marketing Tweets 78
Final Thoughts 79
Chapter 8 Getting Leads from Twitter 81
Matthew Halloran
Twitter: A Driving Force 81
Final Thoughts 86
Chapter 9 Public Relations on Twitter 87
Matthew Halloran
Tweet Grader 88
Muck Rack 88
Making News through Twitter 89
Final Thoughts 90
Part III: Facebook
Chapter 10 Why Facebook? 93
Matthew Halloran
Statistics 93
Building Your Page 95
Working with Your Home Page 101
How Control Settings Help Your Marketing Plan 104
The Power of Advertisements! 107
The Facebook Fan Page 108
The Company Page 111
Timeline 116
Final Thoughts 118
Chapter 11 How to Advertise on Facebook 119
Matthew Halloran
Facebook Insights 119
Advertising on Facebook 120
Final Thoughts 132
Chapter 12 Facebook Applications and Tools 133
Matthew Halloran
Advanced Facebook Applications 133
Video Apps 135
Creating Events 139
More Facebook Apps 143
Final Thoughts 144
Chapter 13 Public Relations on Facebook 145
Matthew Halloran
Making Use of the Groups Platform 145
Be Proactive 148
Final Thoughts 150
Part IV: Linkedin
Chapter 14 Why LinkedIn? 153
Crystal Thies
You Can Control Referrals 153
LinkedIn Members Are More Affluent 154
Financial Advisors Are Having Success With LinkedIn 156
Final Thoughts 157
Chapter 15 Setting Up Your LinkedIn Account 159
Crystal Thies
Joining LinkedIn 159
Final Thoughts 164
Chapter 16 Building an Effective LinkedIn Profile 167
Crystal Thies
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 169
Experience 172
Education 176
Adding Certifications, Designations, and Licenses 178
Name 180
Industry and Location 184
Headline 186
Photo 187
Websites 190
Twitter 192
Summary 193
Recommendations 196
Additional Information 200
Personal Information 200
Skills & Expertise 201
Special Sections 203
Applications 209
Final Thoughts 216
Chapter 17 Building Your LinkedIn Network to Create a Self-Referral Machine 219
Crystal Thies
Networking Philosophy 219
Who Should Be in Your Network? 220
Adding Connections 220
Sending Individual Invitations to Connect 225
Final Thoughts 227
Chapter 18 Finding Prospects Using LinkedIn: Creating Your Self-Referral Machine 229
Crystal Thies
The LinkedIn Advanced Search: Free versus Premium 229
Developing Good Searches 231
Finding 401(k) Rollover Opportunities 232
Small Business Owner Search 235
Connecting with the Prospects 239
Final Thoughts 240
Chapter 19 Using LinkedIn Groups for Visibility and Prospecting 241
Crystal Thies
The Opportunity in LinkedIn Groups 241
Two Types of Groups—Open and Closed 242
Choosing the Right Groups 242
Salesperson Groups 244
Searching for Groups 244
Posting in Groups 247
Joining Others' Conversations 248
Connecting with Group Members 250
Final Thoughts 251
Chapter 20 Gaining Visibility on LinkedIn 253
Crystal Thies
Working the News Feed 253
Company Status Updates 255
LinkedIn Polls 257
LinkedIn Events 261
Final Thoughts 264
Part V: Next Steps
Chapter 21 The Future of Social Media 267
Crystal Thies
There's Much More than the Big Three 267
Staying Up To Date 268
About the Authors 269
Index 271


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First Look at Anthony Cafiero's Ración
Another long-awaited culinary project is set to debut next week, this time in downtown's burgeoning West End. Chef Anthony Cafiero is ready to open the doors at his modernist tapas venture Ración in the space once (briefly) home to Corazón's private dining space on Thursday, March 7th. From the looks of things, the only thing those eateries will have in common is an accent over the o.
Eat Beat is first on the scene with menu details, Cafiero's vision for the Ración dining experience, and a full slideshow of photos of the wide-open space (just click on the photo above!).
The Layout: Located off of the lobby of the mixed-use Indigo building on SW Washington, Ración's open concept features a wrap-around, 18-seat chef's counter (made of rare Purple Heart wood) surrounding a fully exposed kitchen stage, where Cafiero and his team will execute their culinary performance. Cafiero designed the space himself (with the help of ChefStable's Kurt Huffman) and confessed that "there have been, like, 5 different versions of Ración, in this building alone. I started this idea over a year age, planning it to be in the space that Uno Mas has now. The restaurant has slowly changed into something that represents me and my aesthetic, but I've had a lot of help. I like that there are lots of hands and minds invested in this restaurant".
The Experience: Diners will be able to pop into Ración for a cocktail and a snack in the back lounge (featuring U-shaped couches, small tables, and a chalkboard of daily specials) or a full five- or seven-course tasting menu flanking the open kitchen.
The Food: Cafiero will launch Ración with a menu of "greatest hits" from the sixteen pop-up events he hosted from October through December of 2012. "I'm creating dishes that ring true to Spanish style," says Cafiero. "My creative process has expanded a bit since my Tabla days, with less effort invested in wowing guests with brand new techniques or textures and a larger focus on flavors, combinations of food, and new ingredients." A vegetarian tasting menu will soon be available with 24 hours notice. Here's a peek at the opening five-course menu:
- Cocidito soup, ham hock broth, crispy serrano ham, broccolini + peanuts
- Halibut cheeks, black sesame, green apple, sour cream + shiso
- Cauliflower panna cotta, radicchio, lime, bonito + sorrel
- Rib Eye, potato, horseradish, smoked apple cider + brussels sprouts
- Chocolate ganache, lemon curd, goat cheese, kumquat + saffron
The Drinks: Wine pairings will be available for every course from David Rounds (who has managed the wine list at Beast for several years), cocktails, beer, and cider pairings will also rotate regularly, and an ambitious list of non-alcoholic pairings are set to change the way we look at dinner drinks. "I have non drinking friends," Cafiero explains, "and I personally like drinks of all types. The creation of sodas, tinctures, teas, juices, purees, and drinking vinegars is a new venture for me, allowing for potentially better pairings with some of the courses".
Click through to the full slideshow above, and check out the space for yourself when it opens on First Thursday, March 7th. Opening hours: Tuesday through Saturday, lounge opens at 5 pm, dinner seating from 6 to 9 pm.
1205 SW Washington


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2015 During the Conference Volunteers
code4lib 2015 During the Conference Volunteers
Preconference Setup Help
Help manage preconference sessions, setting up projectors, etc.
- John Sarnowski (at ResCarta)
- Whitni Watkins (at NimbleLibrarian)
- Christina Harlow (at cm_harlow)
- Eric Frierson (at frierson)
Welcome Wagon Committee
Offers conference newcomers an opportunity to self-identify; offers oldtimers an opportunity to meet newcomers. May also want to constitute a year-round variation for #code4lib.
- Becky Yoose (b.yoose at google)
Social Networking
Responsible for non-IRC social networking presence.
1-2 person(s) to take questions for sessions (assuming there's time during the session) via Twitter/IRC, and adding resources to lanyrd schedule (slides, notes, resources mentioned, etc.) Make a note if you can only do one or both.
Consider directing people with questions to presenter on twitter/IRC (if applicable) if there is no time for questions.
- Whitni Watkins (at NimbleLibrarian)
- Christina Harlow (at cm_harlow)
Help set up and clean up after the Tuesday event at the Ebay offices.
- Karen Estlund - setup
- John Sarnowski - clean up (at ResCarta)
- Dominic Bordelon - clean up
- Whitni Watkins - setup (at NimbleLibrarian)
- Ben Armintor - both/either (barmintor)
- Bobbi Fox - setup
- Matt Critchlow - clean up
- Francis Kayiwa - clean up
We need volunteers to let attendees and/or the OLCC in through the doors and direct them upstairs throughout the event.
- Chela Weber - 7:00-7:30 Door
- - 7:30-8:00 Door
- - 8:00-8:30 Door
- - 8:30-9:00 Door
- - 9:00-9:30 Door
- - 9:30-10:00 Door
IRC Helpers
Demonstrate how to get onto #code4lib during Registration. Offer support for newcomers in #code4lib during the conference.
- Chad Nelson (bibliotechy)
- Mx Matienzo (anarchivist; as needed)
One of the easiest ways to participate is to go to Freenode Webchat with your web browser. Choose a nickname (anything works so long as it is unique; if you want to be anonymous pick appropriately). Enter "#code4lib" as the "Channel".
If you've managed to get into the channel without help, type "@helpers" (without the quotes) to see a list of #code4lib helpers.
IRC Access
Look into technology/procedures to make connecting to, and maintaining a connection to, IRC less painful. i.e. make sure wifi will allow connection, and someone needs to contact freenode about the sudden influx of people
- Mx Matienzo (anarchivist)
Registration Desk Volunteers
- John Sarnowski (at ResCarta)
- Whitni Watkins (at NimbleLibrarian) -- if we only need one desk volunteer, let me know.
- Christina Harlow (at cm_harlow)
- Christina Harlow (at cm_harlow)
- Bobbi Fox
Video Streaming
We need two volunteers for each session, one at the front near the speaker and one at the rear at the camera/encoder. We will have a brief training on Monday Afternoon. If you can't make the training, we will perform magic knowledge transfer. This is not a highly technical position, if you can recognize a video camera two times out of three, you're in.
You are welcome to work multiple sessions, or all of them. This will get you really good karma and many free drinks.
Video Team will meet in the ballroom on Tuesday morning at 8 AM
Tuesday AM
- Ashley Blewer (at ablwr)
- Steven Anderson (at scande3)
Tuesday PM
- Ashley Blewer (at ablwr)
- Steven Anderson (at scande3)
Wednesday AM
- Ashley Blewer (at ablwr)
- Josh Wilson (at bluestraggler || joshwilsonnc at gmail)
Wednesday PM
- Ashley Blewer (at ablwr)
- Josh Wilson (at bluestraggler || joshwilsonnc at gmail)
Thursday AM
- Ashley Blewer (at ablwr, go big or go home)
- Josh Wilson (at bluestraggler || joshwilsonnc at gmail)
Tuesday AM
- Terry R., likes to put birds on things
Tuesday PM
- Eric, mumbler extraordinaire
Wednesday AM
- Becky, destroyer of last names, singer of badly adapted show tunes
Wednesday PM
- Cary, taller than Becky, will not sing.
Thursday AM
- Dre, less hatted than Becky, guaranteed to accidentally trip over something (either physical or verbal), and most importantly totally here on Thursday
Thursday - Ask Me Anything - more info
- jbfink, also present, has hat, can sing if needed.
Session Timer Volunteers
People who volunteer to sit up front, keep time (and bring timer equipment - i.e. a laptop with a stopwatch program). It's good to have two people in each slot to back each other up in case of machinery failure.
Schedule for Session Timers
Tuesday AM
- Francis Kayiwa (Mr. Sweetie Poo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAnVNXaa5oA)
- Sarah Simpkin (at sarahsimpkin)
Tuesday PM
- Maura Carbone
- Francis Kayiwa (Mr. Sweetie Poo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAnVNXaa5oA)
Wednesday AM
- John Sarnowski (at ResCarta)
- Sarah Simpkin (at sarahsimpkin)
Wednesday PM
- Dominic Bordelon
- j puryear
Thursday AM
- Eric Phetteplace (at phette23)
- j puryear
Whatever Else Needs to be Done
- Sarah Simpkin (at sarahsimpkin)
- Dre (cell 401 261 8444 please don't send me weird crap)


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From CNN, "How segregation got busted, by Gary May, on 24 June 2013 -- While the nation waits to see whether the 1965 Voting Rights Act will be dismantled by the U.S. Supreme Court, it is worth reviewing how the act affected one group that had long opposed black suffrage: Southern white politicians
Before 1965, many white officeholders helped build their career by preventing blacks from voting. They could easily ignore black citizens. In the very first primary election after passage of the Voting Rights Act, that began to change.
In Alabama in 1966, Lurleen Wallace was standing in for her husband, George Wallace, who was unable to run again because of term limits. She faced a challenge from Attorney General Richmond Flowers, the first Democrat to seek black votes. If elected, he promised to remove the Confederate flag that flew atop the State Capitol and delete the words "White Supremacy" from the party emblem.
Flowers campaigned mostly in black communities and joined in singing "We Shall Overcome." In return, he received the support of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Alabama's two largest black political groups, the Confederation of Alabama Political Organizations and the Alabama Democratic Conference, groups shunned by white candidates.
Other candidates, once intensely racist, surprisingly followed Flowers' lead.
Al Lingo -- head of Alabama's State Troopers and one of the architects of Bloody Sunday, the assault on Selma-to-Mongomery marchers on March 7, 1965, by state troopers and deputies -- sought black votes in his race for Jefferson County sheriff.
"I want the support of everybody, white or colored," he said. As for Bloody Sunday, he claimed that he had wanted to let the marchers proceed, but the governor overruled him, making him the "scapegoat" for what occurred. If elected, he promised that the sheriff's office would include black deputies.
Even more startling was the behavior of Jim Clark, Sheriff of Dallas County, who was seeking re-election.
Just the year before, Clark had treated African-Americans seeking the right to vote in Selma with unparalleled savagery and led the Bloody Sunday assault. Now he attempted to woo black voters.
On April 24, he invited them to join him at a picnic where beer and barbecue were served. Turnout was disappointing. "A man can't beat us in 1964 and 1965 and expect us to vote for him in 1966," noted one black leader.
Because black votes now counted, reporters covering the campaign noted that the n-word, once a political staple, had disappeared. George Wallace, accustomed to saying "Nigra," now struggled to remember that it should be pronounced "Negro."
The Supreme Court's closing act Is it time to end the Voting Rights Act? How far has America come on race?
While Lurleen Wallace won an overwhelming victory on Election Day, Lingo received less than one-tenth of the number of votes cast for his opponent. Clark, facing defeat, attempted to steal his election, but he was blocked by Assistant Attorney General John Doar, who took him to court in the first lawsuit brought under the Voting Rights Act. Clark lost in court, ending his long reign of terror in Alabama.
The 1966 Alabama primary was a preview of what was to come. In the years that followed, George Wallace apologized for his earlier racist views and sought the support of black voters. But perhaps more important -- and more striking -- was the evolution of South Carolina's Strom Thurmond, who had opposed the Voting Rights Act in 1965 and its renewal in 1970 and 1975.
In 1982, civil rights activists worried that Thurmond would use his power as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee to kill the act's reauthorization. Thurmond's opposition to integration went back decades. In 1948, Harry Truman's civil rights programs had led Thurmond to bolt the Democratic National Convention and run for president as a "Dixiecrat."
As a senator, Thurmond launched a historic filibuster against the 1957 Civil Rights Act and denounced the 1964 Civil Rights Act as "vicious." That same year Thurmond became a Republican and supported Barry Goldwater for president, beginning the political transformation of the South from staunchly Democratic to reliably Republican.
By 1982, 30% of the voters in Thurmond's state were black, leaving the senator little choice but to vote for the act. In doing so, he said that he did not want to fall victim to "the common perception that a vote against the bill indicates opposition to the right to vote and, indeed, opposition to the group of citizens who are protected under the Voting Rights Act." Or, as he earlier told a racist colleague who lost a campaign for governor of South Carolina, "we can't win elections any more by cussin' Nigras."
The Voting Rights Act had succeeded in doing what it was created to do: create millions of new black voters, and -- less understood -- free white Southern politicians from always opposing black gains. There is no better example of democracy in action. In 2006, not a single senator from a state covered by the Voting Rights Act voted against its renewal.
Should the Supreme Court now significantly weaken the protection of minority voting that the act provides, we may well return to a time when "cussin' Nigras" is again a politically acceptable strategy (source: CNN Opinion)


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Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a root vegetable native to the high, harsh climate of the Andes Mountains in in Peru. For over 2000 years Maca Roots have been an important traditional food and medicinal herb to those in its growing region. Maca Root Powder is high in protein, dietary fiber, many important minerals, and amino acids (containing 19 different amino acids).
We offer gelatinized Maca Root Powder, which has been heat treated to remove the starch for easier digestion and is not considered raw.
We only source our Maca Root and all our other high quality bulk herbs from the best and most environmentally friendly growers worldwide. In this case, we only purchase true Peruvian Maca Root. Once our expert purchasers source our herbs, we also clean, mill, blend and package all of our herbs and spices ourselves so we can perform quality testing throughout the process. We are so confident that you will be satisfied with your bulk herbs order that we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. That means that if you are ever unsatisfied with any natural herbs or organic herbs order from Starwest, we will promptly send you a replacement or issue you a refund or credit for your entire purchase price.
To learn more about our Maca Root or any of the superior quality bulk organic herbs we carry, please don't hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-800-800-4372. Our knowledgeable staff would be pleased to answer any questions you have or assist you with your order.
No Video


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Oldham, John
Oldham, John ōl´dəm [key], c.1600–1636, colonist in New England, b. England. A trader, he emigrated to Plymouth in 1623 but was banished (1624) because of his opposition to the strict government. Later he was involved in establishing the unsuccessful settlement on Cape Ann (1626), several of the settlements in the Massachusetts Bay colony, and Wethersfield, Conn. His murder by the Pequot on Block Island was one of the events leading to the Pequot War (1637).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. History: Biographies


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Patrick Fitzgerald, 2005 News
special counsel who spent two years investigating who leaked the identity of cover CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson to the media, won wide praise for his handling of the October indictment of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Cheney's chief of staff. By most accounts, his investigation was painstakingly thorough, nonpartisan, and professional. He was also lauded for avoiding leaks during his lengthy investigation.
Here are the facts and trivia that people are buzzing about.


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Design submitted by Peter from the UK.
Peter says: I had an image in my head of a triangular faceted watch which looked like something based on a stealth bomber or the triangular shaped ufo from an episode of the X files.
This image developed into "Stealth" (you see what I did there?) A triangular faceted watch.


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Bari LeBari elected Head Prefect, runoff for second Head Prefect
Fiona's Five: Spring Break (episode 1)
Concert Culture
20 Years of Westflix
Turkey's grim earthquake lessons
Administration hosts support sessions with Jewish advocate
Deans change spring college tour itinerary
School hosts Nobel Laureate and astrophysicist Andrea Ghez
Reducing our environmental impact
Robotics joins FIRST
Jack GoldfisherOctober 23, 2012
McConnell's Fine Ice Cream
By Sabrina Hamideh
McConnell's is the best ice cream parlor in all of Studio City. From the variety...
Prefect Council attends student leadership summit with Campbell Hall and Buckley
Former advisor publishes book
Wolverine Etiquette Guide
Track and field opens season undefeated
Basketball (Boys)
Best in the West: Open Division Champs
Girls soccer concludes playoff run
Soccer (Girls)
Girls soccer team wins Mission League title
Soccer (Boys)
Boys soccer wins historic league title
Going the Extra Mile
Boys basketball wins Mission League Title, included in CIF-SS Open Division Playoffs
The Student News Site of Harvard-Westlake School
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Gotta do some bragging on my baby boy Garrett today. His baseball team was #1 in the Nationals and he was one of the boys from his team that was chosen for All Stars! We are so excited and he is beyond excited! That's him on the far right with his hand on his hip. lol
Garrett and his daddy. We were glad that he was home to see the championship game. He had just gotten in from Brazil that same day. He was exhausted. Garrett was so happy that his daddy was there.
Me and my little man. He smiled all afternoon and night. lol
At the Awards ceremony, holding up the winning trophy!
At the Awards ceremony, holding up the winning trophy!
Garrett loves baseball! He takes it very seriously but has so much fun too.
Garrett and his team. He is 4th on the top row with the huge smile on his face.
Looking all serious here. He takes baseball serious!
After the game his daddy took us out to eat. Garrett was still all smiles!
Me and my little man.
So glad that he wanted to play this year. He had skipped two years. Now it's all he talks about! He is a great ball player. Look at that happy face.


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NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- British, Canadian and Kenyan citizens are among 3,000 foreigners trapped in a South Sudan city experiencing bouts of heavy machine gun fire, one of the most violent areas of a weeklong conflict that has likely killed more than 1,000 people, a top U.N. official said Monday.
Australians, Ugandans and Ethiopians are also among 17,000 people seeking protection at a U.N. base in Bor, a city that could see increased violence in coming days, said Toby Lanzer, the U.N.'s humanitarian coordinator.
The death toll from a week of violence in South Sudan has likely surpassed 1,000 people, though there are no firm numbers available, he said. The number of internal refugees is probably more than 100,000, said Lanzer, who is seeking urgent financial assistance from the U.S., Britain and other European countries.
"I know there are many thousands of people seeking protection in churches," Lanzer said. "I know that we have our own staff that have literally walked into the bush and are communicating from there. That's where they say they are safest."
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the Security Council late Monday to add 5,500 troops and police to the 7,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, citing growing violence in many parts of the country, human rights abuses, "and killings fueled by ethnic tensions."
Ban proposed in a letter to the council obtained by The Associated Press that the troops be transferred from U.N. missions in Congo, Darfur, Abyei, Ivory Coast and Liberia, along with three attack helicopters, three utility helicopters and a C130 military transport plane.
After an emergency Security Council meeting, France's U.N. Ambassador Gerard Araud, the current council president, said the council will vote on a U.S.-drafted resolution authorizing the transfers at 3 p.m. EST (2000 GMT) on Tuesday. He said there was "a positive reaction" from all 15 council members.
The secretary-general called on member states to urgently provide transport to get the troops, police and equipment to South Sudan.
He said the U.N. mission's capacity to investigate human rights abuses is also being urgently strengthened.
Ban said the situation in South Sudan "is of mounting urgency," with tens of thousands of people displaced and about 45,000 seeking protection at U.N. bases.
He said he was spending most of Monday urging regional leaders to increase military support and "political backing for efforts to defuse the crisis."
In a message to the Sudanese people, the secretary-general said: "The United Nations will stay with you. We will do our utmost to protect you, to provide the humanitarian assistance you need, and most of all to help the country regain the path to peace."
Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., told reporters "the future of South Sudan is in jeopardy."
"The leaders of South Sudan face a stark choice," she said. "They can return to the political dialogue and spirit of cooperation that helped establish South Sudan or they can destroy those hard-fought gains and tear apart their newborn nation."
The violence began late on Dec. 15. South Sudan President Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, has said an attempted military coup triggered the violence, and the blame was placed on ousted former Vice President Riek Machar, an ethnic Nuer. Other officials have since said a fight between Dinka and Nuer presidential guards triggered the fighting.
South Sudan experienced decades of war with Sudan, which it peacefully broke away from in 2011.
East African leaders and the United States are pushing diplomatic efforts to avoid a full-blown civil war.
U.S. special envoy for South Sudan, Donald Booth, met Kiir on Monday.
A senior U.S. official said both Kiir and Machar said they were willing to talk to each other, and that their stated commitments indicated that there is a "good possibility of getting them together." But a lot of details, including the time, venue and circumstances of such a meeting as well as the specifics of what they would discuss, still need to be determined, the official said.
Power said Booth also met with 11 detained opposition leaders Monday and reported that they are "secure and well and very open to ending the crisis through dialogue and reconciliation."
Rebel forces fired on three U.S. military aircraft trying to evacuate Americans from the city of Bor on Saturday, forcing the Ospreys - advanced helicopter-airplane hybrids - to abort their mission. On Sunday, the U.S. evacuated Americans by civilian U.S. and U.N. helicopters.
The U.S. over the last week has evacuated 380 Americans and 300 others from South Sudan, which has seen vicious, ethnically targeted violence pulse through the nation.
Lanzer, who spent the weekend in Bor, said the city is experiencing tense, sporadic clashes and "fairly consistent gunfire and heavy machine gunfire."
South Sudan forces are advancing toward Bor, the capital of Jonglei state, but have not yet confronted forces that defected and pledged allegiance to the former vice president, said South Sudan military spokesman Col. Philip Aguer.
New fighting was reported Sunday night in Upper Nile, one of South Sudan's two oil-rich states. Warrior Security, a private company, reported on Monday the deaths of 20 people in Nasir County in a dispute involving Machar supporters. Doctors Without Borders said it received 24 gunshot victims at its medical facility.
Aguer said elsewhere in the state civilians who had been told their relatives were killed in Juba tried to mete out mob justice. Warrior Security said ethnic Dinkas were attacked and killed. Aguer said he did not have a death toll.
Analysts have suggested that a tribal militia known as the White Army - from the Nuer ethnic group - is moving toward Bor, which is populated by Dinkas. Lanzer said he couldn't say anything with precision about those reports. Aguer said he has no confirmation on militia movements but that community leaders are trying to persuade the Nuer not to become involved.
"Everybody knows that Bor is a strategic location," Lanzer said. "It would be difficult for me to imagine a scenario in which Bor is completely calm and safe over the coming days," he said, adding that he thinks violence could become "very heavy," the reason the U.N. is fortifying its position there.
The central government acknowledged on Sunday it has lost control of Bentiu, the capital of Unity, and the surrounding oil fields. Oil fields in the country's Upper Nile state are still controlled by the central government, Aguer said.
The U.S. over the weekend deployed about 46 troops to help evacuate American citizens. That was in addition to 45 troops sent to the capital, Juba, last week to protect the U.S. Embassy. Four Navy SEALs were wounded in the evacuation attempt Saturday.
Obama over the weekend sent a letter to congressional leaders letting them know he may take further military action in South Sudan to protect U.S. citizens, personnel and property.
On Monday, a Pentagon spokesman said the U.S. has moved additional Marines and aircraft from Spain to the Horn of Africa to provide embassy security and help with evacuations from South Sudan. Army Col. Steve Warren said the commander in Africa is getting the forces ready for any request that may come from the U.S. State Department.
A defense official said the extra forces moved to Djibouti will bring the total U.S. troops in the region to 150, with 10 aircraft, including Osprey helicopters and C-130 transport planes. Djibouti is the site of the only permanent U.S. military base in Africa.
The defense official was not authorized to speak publicly so spoke on condition of anonymity.


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New Movies: 'Jobs,' Kick-Ass 2,' 'The Butler'
New in theaters this week are a biopic about one of America's great innovators, the sequel to a surprise 2010 hit and an early Oscar hopeful with big-name cast.
The life of Steve Jobs—co-founder of Apple and the man who shepherded along such loved products as the Mac, the iPod and the iPhone—gets the full Hollywood biopic treatment.
Directed by Joshua Michael Stern
Starring Ashton Kutcher, Josh Gad, Dermot Mulroney, Matthew Modine
'Kick-Ass 2'
Teenage superheroes Kick-Ass and Hit Girl's plans to live normal lives are ruined by the return of their nemesis, the Red Mist.
Directed by Jeff Wadlow
Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jim Carrey
'The Butler'
One White House butler served eight presidents, getting an up-close view of how major changes in American life throughout the 20th century affected its elected leaders.
Directed by Lee Daniels
Starring Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, Terence Howard, Alan Rickman


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Cataloochee grows racing tradition
No one expected Franco Rossi.
The Italian, raised in Milan in the shadows of the mighty Dolomites, stepped off the lift, unzipped his snowsuit, and mounted the start platform in bright yellow racing tights.
He had driven just under three hours from his home in a north Atlanta suburb to make the Thursday night slalom race at Cataloochee Mountain.
"Why do I do it? I don't know? Maybe I'm crazy," Rossi said. "How do you explain passion?"
Eleven seconds later it was over. That's the thrill of ski racing. Focus, strategy, preparation, and then speed. Sure, it wasn't the Olympics. It wasn't the Alps. It was only a local race league on a Southern ski hill, but tell that to the people involved.
Pat Keller, one of the world's greatest whitewater paddlers, laid out the course that night, lovingly tamping down the starting block with the back of his snow shovel as the racers took their start positions.
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"You gotta love it," Keller said. "In whitewater you're generally using the same features on a given run. With this, you can play with it. Tweak it to where it's most fun."
The course was fast on Thursday. Cold temperatures had created a slick surface on the hill and the gates were set up in a giant slalom pattern.
Most of the racers competing in the Cataloochee Challenger Cup Series are locals, focused on winning grudge battles with their friends.
Judy Sutton and Richard Coker have been racing each other in one form or another on the Cataloochee hill since they were kids. Their grandfather started the ski mountain, and Richard and Judy perfected their telemark turns on the surrounding backcountry terrain.
"I think I get faster as I got older," Judy said after Thursday's race.
"That's cause your skis are more expensive," Coker said.
School age athletes have been racing at Cataloochee Mountain for 20 years. The Tuesday night middle school races draw as many as 150 participants on a given night. But the adult races started in 2005-06 as a way to keep skiers involved in the sport.
"We're trying to create lifelong skiers," said Paul Yaeger, race director.
Shane Clampitt helped start the Tuscola High School ski team in 1993. Now, Clampitt's son races at Cataloochee and is a regular in the adult races. For Clampitt, the races are a way to stay in touch with something he's loved his whole life and to pass the competitive spirit on to his child.
Hank Millar has been skiing at Cataloochee for 40 years. He races in the Challenger series and takes particular pride in beating Judy Sutton.
"He used to beat me all the time, and now I beat him most of the time," Judy said.
Millar said he races because he's still trying to get better.
"Everybody who's passionate about skiing has a passion for getting better," Millar said.
Richard Coker, still a part owner of the ski hill, sees the races as a way of teaching people that to ski well, you have to constantly get better.
"It's easy to go downhill and turn, but the gates force you to do it in specific places and that helps your skiing," Coker said. "I don't think the racing will ever make us any money. We do it to create lifelong skiers and instill that idea in the kids."
But Coker, Millar and Judy will all tell you that part of the reason they race is because they like to win. That's where Rossi comes in.
Three weeks ago, he showed up on the mountain for the first time, an unknown quantity. Rossi moved to the Atlanta area from Milan 10 years ago to run an Italian-owned carpet fiber company. He grew up racing competitively at Madonna di Campiglio in the Dolomites, beginning his career at the age of 6 and racing in all of the alpine disciplines.
"It became a big passion for me and I raced at some good levels," Rossi said. "I've never been a champion, but I was decent at the regional level."
When Rossi agreed to move to Atlanta with his family, he thought it was the end of his career as a ski racer. But the itch never went away. He found a listing for Cataloochee's Challenger Cup Series online and decided it was worth the drive.
"I thought I had to forget about it and ski a few times a year going back to Italy," Rossi said. "It's like a half a miracle being here."
Half a miracle, maybe, and half attention to detail. Part of the reason the racing series at Cataloochee Mountain is so successful is the crew of people who work it care deeply about how the race turns out.
Paul Yaeger is a transplant who fell in love with the mountain during a vacation and has been working on it ever since he moved to the area. Yaeger directs a team of younger folks, teaching them how to organize an event, set up a race course, and encourage friendly competition.
Then there's Keller. A junior world champion kayaker, he grew up on skis at Cataloochee where both his parents taught skiing. In fact, the sport was his first love.
He's best-known now for riding his kayak over 120-foot waterfalls, but he credits his success in that sport in part to a knee injury he sustained as a 9-year-old at the Cataloochee ski hill when he mislanded a jump and tore his anterior cruciate ligament.
"From that point on, I had to focus everything on paddling, and that's gotten me to the point I'm at now," Keller said.
Keller spends his years chasing whitewater from North Carolina, to Colorado, to Oregon to British Columbia. In the off-season he trains, but this year a shoulder injury has kept him from training hard. So he's working on the mountain, sharing a little of his competitive edge with the local ski crowd.
Every time a racer steps to the starting gate, Keller offers advice and encouragement.
"Keep your hands forward," and "Set up your turns early," and "Think you can beat 15 seconds tonight?"
A handful of people skied fast on Thursday. But Rossi taught the group the difference between really good skiers racing and a real ski racer. The course was slick and fast, but the Italian was slicker and faster, driving through the turns with his skis shoulder-width apart, never edging, always powering the perfect line.
Rossi doesn't care too much about the times anymore. He's tapping into a lifetime of memories.
"I've done it for so many years and there are so many good feelings and emotions associated with skiing and racing that I want to come here and feel it again," said Rossi.
After the race, he drives home, arriving between 1 and 2 a.m., a schedule his wife tolerates.
"She's a very good woman," Rossi said.
As the competitors gathered in the lodge to hear Yaeger read out the results with proper enthusiasm, the skiers were still thinking about racing –– about Team USA's chances at Whistler Olympics.
"We're kind of upset (Lindsey) Vonn has a bruised shin, but we know she'll ski through it," Millard said.
Ski through it. Never quit. If there's one ski value the South can claim as its own, it is a deep commitment to ski at any costs, rain or shine, at night, with or without snow. That's a value Rossi has become a part of.
"My friends in Atlanta think I'm crazy," Rossi said. "Some people like to go to Vegas. I like to ski."


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The Next Generation of Wooden Roller Coasters – Part I
Not Your Father's Wooden Roller Coasters
From my early riding experiences at Kings Dominion on wooden staples like the old-school racing coaster Rebel Yell, I would use two words to describe wooden roller coasters. Rough and boring. Of course some woodies were more enjoyable than others, but I think overall I didn't appreciate wooden coasters. And who could blame me? Compared to their steel counterparts that were breaking world records for height and speed and throwing riders into awe-inspiring loops and inversions, wooden coasters seemed about as run of the mill as can be.
I'd heard about legends like the popular woodies out in Ohio like the Beast and Mean Streak. Also, Texas Giant, Megafobia in England, and the preeminent woodie, The Cyclone at Astroland, But these seemed like exceptions to the rule. The wooden coasters in my neck of the woods, the Mid Atlantic area of the Eastern U.S. were nothing to write home about. So, my status as a steelie fan was solidified early on in my coaster enthusiastness.
However, this all changed a few years ago. Both Great Coasters International, Gravity Group, and even steel stalwarts Intamin are changing the game by delivering wooden coasters that I would never describe as boring or even all that rough. My new found respect for wooden coasters both new and some old all began with Boulder Dash in 2005.
Boulder Dash – A Fast & Furious Ride on a Mountain
Boulder Dash is a terrain coaster located on the side of a mountain behind Lake Compounce. The large Custom Coasters International woodie likely helped to put the small Connecticut park on the map. After an unforgettable climb through the dense forest on the mountainside, the train takes a swooping dive to the right and the rest is an intense ride packed with lots of speed and several moments of airtime. Boulder Dash's unique setting brought me to the park and thankfully its ride was as impressive as its location.
Thunderhead – World-Class Woodie with a Smooth & Twisted Ride
Dollywood received critical acclaim for their GCI designed Thunderhead. The coaster promised a beautifully twisted layout and it more than delivered. Aside from the ride's twists and turns, Thunderhead features a one-of-a-kind station fly-through. About midway through its course Thunderhead sends riders tearing through an upper area of the station. I enjoyed the fly-through, but was really most impressed by the coaster's buttery smooth ride. Using GCI's millennium flyer trains that were lightly themed and more open than PTC's, the ride was surprisingly smooth. The smoothness encouraged re-rides, something unusual for most woodies.
The Voyage – An Intense Marathon of Thrills
Holiday World's The Voyage is a wonder to behold. It sports a traditional out-and-back layout, but riders encounter so many insane elements that The Voyage is far from traditional. This monster features eight underground traverses, two 90-degree banked turns, and a total ride time of 2 minutes and 45 seconds. An unassuming 154′ drop generates the speed needed to push the standard PTC trains to warp speed for nearly the entire ride. Thanks to the Gravity Group's genius design The Voyage is still storming its way down the track all the way up to the final brakes.
The highlight on the journey is the 'triple down in the dark'. Leaving the mid-course brake run, the train enters yet another tunnel and then the bottom literally drops out from under you in pitch black darkness. The Voyage is far from boring, but a little rough. It's definitely a wooden coaster that's redefined its genre and has taken the Golden Ticket Award from the former winner, Thunderhead.
In Part 2 of Next Generation Woodies, I'll cover Intamin's revolutionary, pre-fabricated El Toro, Ravine Flyer 2, and the god of the underworld Hades. We'll also take a look into the future with wooden coasters set to open in 2009.
What's your favorite wooden roller coaster? Are you a fan of older woodies or today's woodies? Leave a comment below. Images courtesy of CoasterImage.


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Resource Library
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Obama to Unfreeze Federal Worker Pay in 2013 Budget
The White House will propose a 0.5 percent pay increase for civilian federal employees as part of its 2013 budget proposal, according to two senior administration officials familiar with the plans.
The modest across-the-board pay jump would be the first increase for federal workers since before a two-year freeze began in late 2010. Raises for within-grade step increases and promotions have continued during the freeze.
The proposal, which requires congressional approval, differs from Republican plans supported by lawmakers and presidential candidates that would freeze basic pay rates for one more year. Some of those plans also call for denying within-grade raises. In recent weeks, GOP lawmakers have called for extending the pay freeze as a way to pay for a payroll tax extension.
But, "a permanent pay freeze is not an acceptable policy," one of the senior administration officials said Friday. "While modest, a 0.5 percent increase reflects the belt-tightening we must do in these difficult times."
The officials were unauthorized to speak publicly on the matter, but said that the White House notified agency budget offices about the decision Friday morning so that agencies could complete their 2013 budget requests.
The White House is expected to formally unveil its fiscal 2013 budget proposal in early February. No decision has been made yet on a potential pay raise for uniformed military personnel, the officials said, though lawmakers and federal worker unions traditionally push to ensure pay parity between civilian and military personnel. Pay parity was the standard practice for many years before 2009.
The proposal would save about $28 billion over the next decade and $2 billion in fiscal 2013 under the caps authorized by the budget control measures passed last summer, the officials said.
But the pay bump is well below the 3.6 percent cost of living adjustment that went into effect this week for Social Security recipients and most federal retirees to keep pace with inflation. It is also far below private sector earnings, which climbed roughly 2 percent in 2011, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Federal worker union leaders voiced tepid support Friday.
William R. Dougan, president of the National Federation of Federal Employees, called the move "a breath of fresh air for all those who serve their country every day."
But John Gage, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, the nation's largest federal union, said the move "doesn't make me yell and cheer."
"Clearly I don't think it comes close to paying federal employees what they're worth, but at the same time, it also breaks this terrible pay freeze that has been put on us," Gage said. "And hopefully it will carry through, and we will avoid any pay freezes that might come from the payroll tax deduction negotiations."
Gage said "a real threat" remains that Republicans will successfully enact a pay freeze as part of the payroll tax negotiations. AFGE and other unions believe Republicans should focus on raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans instead of federal employees, the vast majority of whom are middle-class wage earners.
Lawmakers who track federal personnel issues were not immediately available for comment.
The federal government employs roughly 2 million civilian federal employees, with about 85 percent living and working outside the Washington area. The federal sector added about 2,000 new jobs in December, according to employment statistics released Friday.
Staff writer Eric Yoder contributed to this report.
Read more at http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2012/01/06/Obama-to-Unfreeze-Federal-Worker-Pay-in-2013-Budget.aspx#ms88MMZdLy8lSqX0.99


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Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Goat Cheesecakes with Citrus and Candied Beets
Some of the dishes I want to try soon are the slow-cooked salmon with smoked paprika and savoy cabbage, the roasted kabocha and maitake with bitter chocolate, and breast of duck with hoisin and figs. First, though, I was fascinated by a recipe in the Desserts and Drink chapter. The goat cheesecakes with citrus and candied beets is an interpretation of a salad turned into a dessert. Rather than fresh chevre served with roasted beets and a citrus vinaigrette, the cheese became a rich, sweet cheesecake, the beets were candied with vanilla, and the citrus was used both as a fruit salad in syrup and as candied zest. It was a lot easier to prepare than I expected after seeing the photo of the pretty, plated dessert in the book. The individual cheesecakes were baked in ramekins with no waterbath required. Thin slices of beets were candied in a sugar syrup with both vanilla seeds scraped from a pod and vanilla extract. That syrup took on the dark pink color of the beets and reduced as the beet slices became tender. It was then dribbled on the plate as a sauce. Grapefruit, orange, and lime zests were candied in a separate sugar syrup, and then those fruits' segments were macerated in that syrup. When the cheesecakes baked, they puffed and then settled in the center making a perfect space for the candied beets and zest. The only difficulty I had with this dessert was removing the cheesecakes from the ramekins. The two I unmolded as soon as they were cool enough to handle came out fine, but the ones that were chilled in the ramekins were difficult to remove. My suggestion would be to unmold them all as soon as possible and store them in a roomy, covered container to chill.
Regarding this dessert, Lo suggests that some people may think of it as a mix of a cheese course and dessert. For me, this was entirely dessert. The beets took on sweet, vanilla flavor and complemented the cheesecakes very well. Meanwhile, the citrus was bright and fruity and delicious with the sauce on the plate. This is thought-provoking food which is interesting to prepare and delightful to eat, and I know I'll learn something new about flavors every time I cook from this book.
See my review of Cooking Without Borders and get this goat cheesecakes with citrus and candied beets recipe at Project Foodie.
Posted by lisa is cooking at Tuesday, January 24, 2012
30 comments:
holy cow.. goat cheesecakes with candied beets? What a brilliant idea!! You certainly ARE cooking! amazing.ReplyDelete
That is a very original creation! Those cheesecakes look amazing and must taste divine.ReplyDelete
Savory cheesecakes are a lot of fun, especially when you trick someone into taking a bite. Everyone expects them to be sweet. :) The colors are great too!ReplyDelete
Gorgeous! I love how different these are from a typical cheesecake. The flavors sound lovely together.ReplyDelete
Your pictures are so lovely, I will be tweeting this! Make it a great day!ReplyDelete
I have to say I have loved beets since I was a child (we grew them in the garden) and when I eat a salad my friends joke I am eating a beet toped with salad. Will have to give this one a try.ReplyDelete
I love beets, but never thought of pairing them with goat cheese, let alone in a dessert.ReplyDelete
It looks and sounds terrific! Beautiful presentation too.
Really interesting, Lisa. And it makes a lovely (and surprising) presentation, doesn't it? Beets are on my radar right now too. I found a lovely recipe for a beet tart I've been meaning to try. Will add this to the list.ReplyDelete
Absolutely gorgeous! I love the idea of combining beets with citrus- sounds delicious. And goat cheesecake, how could you go wrong? I'll have to look for the book!ReplyDelete
I am betting this would be dessert for me too - and a dreamy one at that! I think Anita is fantastic and wish she had a show of her own. Something tells me I'll be picking up her new book now... Great post!ReplyDelete
Wow! What a great dish. I always order a beet and goat cheese salad when it is on a menu and make it at home often. This sounds just wonderful...I can't wait to try it.ReplyDelete
What a novel idea...this cheesecake looks so pretty and appetising!ReplyDelete
It reminds me of a candied zuchinni dessert I had once in a Greek restaurant. I think once my mind got around the fact that it was a savoury vegetable made into a dessert it was really delicious.
- AnonymousJanuary 24, 2012 at 9:22 PM
These goat cheesecakes are gorgeous and very special with the citrus and candied beets topping, nice!ReplyDelete
the colours are really pretty and I love the ingredients combi.ReplyDelete
This is certainly a surprise dish Lisa since I really thought it had to be savoury. But then beets are sweet and they would be lovely as a topping. What an innovative idea!ReplyDelete
Love fusion cuisine. I love to take elements from other cultures and incorporate them in my recipes with Greek products. The savory cheesecakes look very appetizing and love that they are paired with beets and citrus.ReplyDelete
That looks so tasty! I love "savory" dessert, I will have to try these, and I love goat cheese cheesecakes, the tangy is perfect.ReplyDelete
It's so beautiful and you got me at goat cheese. It's true cuisines have no borders. I'm checking out her book right now.ReplyDelete
Lisa, this is right down my alley. Very beautiful and a way I have not yet combined beetroot and goats cheese, candied in this way. Thanks for reviewing the book i am very interested in it. Did you cook the cheese cake?.....it looks very very nice.ReplyDelete
Wow Lisa, so nice this goat cheesecake, especially with candied beet, and I must confess that never had anything like this. Great pictures as always.ReplyDelete
Hope you are having a wonderful week :)
What a beautiful picture this made! And it looks tasty, too. Goat cheesecakes make me think of Fino.... and boy do I miss Austin. Sigh!ReplyDeleteReplies
Just discovered your blog and i am really impress by your skills; As a new member i will definitively follow you to learn to make good and elaborate receipe; you are my new inspiration; Keep up a good work;Delete
i've seen ricotta as a cheesecake base, but goat cheese is a new one! plus, BEETS! this is quite a creation, lisa, and it's stunning to behold!ReplyDelete
So beautiful Lisa. I never choose cheesecake as a dessert option because it's just too rich for me. But without the cloying sweet crust and that amazing sauce, I would totally choose this!ReplyDelete
Stunning! I need some candied beets...and soon! YUM!ReplyDelete
This sort of feels like it would be a sweet and savoury cheesecake. I love goats cheese but have never thought to use it in cheesecakes. Guess I had better change my thinking!ReplyDelete
How creative to use beets on cheesecake like this. I have this cookbook and can't wait to start cooking from it, too.ReplyDelete
What a wonderful idea for a dessert, I cannot wait to try it, but I suspect mine will not turn out nearly as amazing as the pictures of yours. What a perfect choice to sample and share with us.ReplyDelete
I love the idea of turning a salad into a dessert! Well sort of. It sounds and looks amazing!ReplyDelete
I really like her philosophy! And they're such gorgeous unique little cheesecake - yum!ReplyDelete


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Aviation Images by Chris Buff
A collection of my most popular aircraft images including published works. The photos were taken at airshows and aviation events around the S.E. United States including The Great Georgia Airshow, Wings Over Atlanta, Vidalia Onion Festival Airshow, NAS Pensacola Homecoming Airshow, Columbus Thunder in the Valley Airshow, Robins ARB Open House, Tuscaloosa Airshow and many other venues. Photos were taken with Nikon DSLR bodies and lenses. All photographs by Chris Buff of Aviationbuff Photography, located in Suwanee, Georgia USA.Read More


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In his first official trip to Washington, D.C., Mayor Eric Garcetti on Monday met with President Barack Obama as part of a lobbying trip for federal assistance on transportation projects and improvements to the Los Angeles River.
"He said he wanted to welcome me to Washington," Garcetti said in a telephone interview.
He later sent out a tweet: "Great to visit with @BarackObama at the White House today."
In a day filled with meetings, Garcetti met with senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett to discuss the L.A. River restoration project. He was joined on the trip by City Councilmen Bob Blumenfield, Gil Cedillo, Mike Bonin and Mitch O'Farrell.
Garcetti also sat down with officials from the Office of Management and Budget, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.
"They were very familiar with what we are doing, and we wanted to let them know how important these projects are to us in Los Angeles," he said.
One of the mayor's main goals was to seek federal help at Los Angeles International Airport. "We are very interested in the LAX-Connect program, where passengers could come to an intermodal facility to check in and then get on a people mover to take them to the different terminals," Garcetti said.
He noted the city was not asking the federal government to pick up the entire tab, as Measure R — which allocates a projected $40 billion to traffic relief and transportation upgrades throughout L.A. County over the next 30 years — would be paying at least half the cost of the system.
The same is true for the L.A. River, on which more than $200 million has been earmarked for improvements as Garcetti and city officials seek to have a $1 billion program adopted by the Army Corps of Engineers to make improvements along the entire 51-mile waterway.
With the EPA's McCarthy, he discussed the need for the city to increase water storage, particularly in the San Fernando Valley.
"They are very impressed that we are using cutting-edge technology," Garcetti said.
Before heading back to the Southland tonight, the mayor and his cadre will be attending L.A. River Day, sponsored by Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, which examines the four Army Corps of Engineers revitalization options for the river.
The council earlier this year officially backed Alternative 20, the most expensive and comprehensive of the plans.
O'Farrell, in a telephone interview, said the group also met with Sen. Dianne Feinstein and members of the Council on Environmental Quality. "It is important for them to understand that we as a city and a region … are asking the federal government to meet us halfway over a 20-year period," he said.
"We have demonstrated we know how to make things happen at the local level and now need federal support. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make an investment in a resource like the L.A. River. This opportunity will not be here in five years."
Garcetti had planned a significant Washington trip shortly after he was sworn in as mayor but had to cut that trip short because of local fallout from the Trayvon Martin case.
Also on the trip is City Engineer Gary Moore, who is serving as interim port director, and Public Works Commissioner Barbara Romero.
Bonin, whose council district includes LAX, said the visit with the secretary of transportation was particularly beneficial. Bonin and Garcetti want to fast-track the ground transportation center, which they hope will allow Metro Green and Crenshaw Line trains to connect directly with the airport. Any plan will require support from the Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Transit Administration, both of which are supervised by Foxx.
Considerable planning work remains, but Bonin said he is optimistic LAX can begin building its ground transportation hub before Obama leaves offices in January 2017.
The Green Line already stops near LAX, but Bonin said it's vital for Metro trains to actually enter airport property.
"We don't want to have a reputation as the city that almost does the right thing in transportation," Bonin said. "It's not good enough to almost get to the airport. We have to connect."
Staff Writer Brian Sumers contributed to this report.


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Wolf Blitzer delivers the most important breaking news and political, international, and national security stories of the day. Tune to The Situation Room weekdays 5-7pm ET on CNN.
There is a growing threat to airplanes and helicopters from an unlikely source - laser pointers. Officials say the "attacks" on aircraft are posing a great danger, and the FBI is cracking down across the country. CNN's Rene Marsh reports.
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Big Bear Butt has a great interview with a PvP hunter in his guild who love to PvP and fish.
As someone who loves to PvP and fish, I especially enjoyed the following bit:
"What I do", Ruuaarr said, "Is go fishing in Wintergrasp, and I'm the bait. Rogues can't resist trying to kill someone just standing there fishing. So, they stealth in to take me down, and that's when I destroy them."
Great article, and one that makes me glad to be a PvP Angler.


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Freshman Class Welcomed at Gateway Ceremony
Following move-in exercise, August 27 and 28, the freshman class was formally welcomed by university leaders; faculty; and staff at the ceremony, which began in the dining hall before moving to the commons. There, students walked through The Gateway to Service—a symbol of their desire to be trained for a life of service at WAU. Upon graduation, students will again, symbolically exit The Gateway to begin to serve the wider community.
"It was an exciting and impressive ceremony for incoming freshman and their parents," said Associate Provost, Patrick Williams, Ph.D. "Many of the students had seen the campus before as high school juniors. They have returned to see the transformation on the campus—the café the dormitories, the new music building, and many other improvement on campus. They are getting a sense that the University is investing in their education."
Williams said he is certain that WAU will maintain record levels of enrollment this year—close to or even exceeding last year's 1493 students, the highest in the
institution's history.
Fitzroy Thomas, director of the Betty Howard Center for Student Success officially welcomed the students and led the First Year Experience Charge: "Each day is a gateway to life. Each moment we are breathing, we have a chance to experience joy and contentment. Each morning, God's mercies are poured out anew; each dawn is a fresh start, each sunrise a new beginning," he said.
In its response, the class of 2016 declared:" We realize that we have a new start in a new place, with new people and new expectations for us. Right now our slates are clean…With God's help, we have the opportunity to put into motion lives we have only seen as distant dreams. Success and the future are here for the taking."
In addition to Williams and Thomas, other administrators in attendance included, President Weymouth Spence, Ed.D.; Jean Warden, vice president for student life; Patrick Farley, executive vice president for finance and administration and Baraka Muganda, Ph.D., vice president for Ministry.