text:
I am sooooo drawn to this bike for some reason!
Humans are addicted to all kinds of things. The usual suspects are cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs. Then you have people who are addicted to objects like motorcycles – you tend to find a lot of them here at 'Pipeburn Anonymous'. They collect all kinds of bikes and they crave anything motorcycle. Then you have people who are obsessed with certain brands of bikes. They will only ride a Harley, buy Harley boxer shorts and even tattoo their skin with their beloved logo. And then you have people like Andrew Greenland from Wales who is addicted to one model of bike – the Honda NX650 Dominator. It's probably not the coolest bike on the block, at least not when he finds them, but they usually are when he's finished. This is the fifth Dominator Andrew has built in 18 months and we think this could be his finest work yet. "I was wondering what one of these bikes would look like in military style and decided the only way to find out was to build it, so here it is…" says Andrew.
"Major mods include reducing the front wheel down from a 21″ to a 17″ x 2.5" and fitting a rear tyre to it for that "sturdy" appearance. The handling remains sharp due to the overall diameter reduction and cancels out any adverse effects due to the width, it actually has more grip because of the amount of surface area now grabbing the road. Wheels are rebuilt with stainless spokes and powder coated for durability and for the right look of course. All suspension is rebuilt but remains standard spec."
"Motor was completely pulled apart and inspected with various top-end bits being replaced due to routine more than real necessity. The rear frame section was cut away and replaced with a lower custom made section incorporating a battery box. Frame then powder coated to same finish as the wheels. Rear seat unit custom made from 2mm steel plate and is tough! Finished off with a replica 1980's Honda XR tail light."
"A brand spanking new Honda CG125 fuel tank was used. A Honda cr250 elsinore 1974 model replica side-panels re-shaped to accomidate the second-hand Honda crf250 twin silencers purchased from ebay for only £12.65! bargain! I used the original header pipes and joined them together with re-worked interpipes, makes a fantastic sound. Renthal black bars, HEL braided brake lines, trailtech stealth dashboard and billet holder (now painted black) and of course my favourite headlight of all time from Baja designs usa, this time with HID set-up and is quite simply fantastic, a real must for 2 in the morning mountain road adventures!"
Andrew tells us this is going to be his last Honda Dominator build for some time. "This will be the last bike for a while as I'm taking a break from bike building and concentrating my free-time on other pursuits" he says. We still don't know what could be more important than the work he has been doing saving the lives of dated Dominators, but we wish him all the luck in his "other pursuits". We know he'll be back.


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Obituary: Mitch Underhill
Mitch Underhill, born and raised in South Lake Tahoe, CA, and an avid all-mountain adventurer, unexpectedly passed away—he was 34 years old. Family and friends will deeply miss his loving, kind, and beautiful spirit, as well as his warm smile, infectious laugh, and passion for the outdoors. Mitch had a deep connection to the mountains and said that the higher he climbed, the closer he felt to God.
From an early age, Mitch loved exploring Lake Tahoe and the surrounding Sierra Nevada—with a particular affection for Yosemite National Park and the east side of the Sierra. Mitch was a natural athlete. His preferred sports were rock climbing, skiing, surfing, and more recently paddleboarding. From elementary school through middle school, he participated in the Buddy Warner ski program at Sierra-at-Tahoe. At age 17, Mitch and his best friend, Ryan Shreve, climbed the Nose of El Capitan in Yosemite for their senior high school project. Mitch's passion for the outdoors continued on with thousands of adventures that included surfing and climbing trips to Thailand, Nicaragua, Hawaii, the European Alps, and Alaska. There is no doubt that Mitch lived his life to its fullest—every day.
His love of the outdoors ultimately led him to his beloved wife Sarah Underhill (Felchlin) who shared his passion for climbing, adventure, and Lake Tahoe. Mitch and Sarah were married at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park in 2007 and have two boys, Mason James (3 years) and Cedar Matthew (16 months). Mitch was a proud and exceptional father and adored his young sons. He frequently took them on backpacking, climbing, skiing, paddleboarding, and fishing excursions. Mitch was seen often the past few summers paddleboarding with his oldest son, Mason and springer spaniel, Juniper at Baldwin Beach, Rubicon Point, and Emerald Bay. Mitch also had a profound love for music and was a beautiful guitarist, playing music for his wife and sons daily.
Mitch graduated from South Tahoe High School in 1997 and received a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Westmont College, Montecito, CA in 2002. While at college, Mitch gained a profound appreciation for surfing and the Pacific Ocean. Over the years after college, he worked as ski patrol for Sierra-at-Tahoe and as a U.S. Forest Service backcountry ranger. He graduated from paramedic school in early 2005 and later that year was hired as a firefighter/paramedic with Lake Valley Fire Protection District. Mitch was among the first brave firefighters on scene to battle the 2007 Angora wildfire, recalling his experience driving through a wall of flames along Tahoe Mountain Road en route to save homes in the neighborhood below Angora Ridge.
Mitch is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Sarah Underhill (Felchlin); sons, Mason and Cedar Underhill; father and mother, John and Jody Underhill; brother and sister-in-law, Matthew and Danielle Underhill; sister and brother-in-law, Corrie and Brian Aggers; father-in-law, J. Chris Felchlin; mother-in-law, Vera Freeman Felchlin (Benjamin R. Fletcher); brother-in-law, Chris Felchlin; nieces, Mattison and Marin Underhill; nephews, Drew Aggers and Jake and Alex Felchlin; godson, Lars Romsos, and cousins, Scott, Shane, Mollie and Lauren Romsos. He was preceded in death by his grandfathers and grandmothers, Warren and Margaret Romsos and Thomas and Ruth Underhill, and uncle, Brian Romsos.
The Underhill and Felchlin families would like to express their sincere appreciation for all of the love and support provided by the community and friends from afar. A website has been established for family and friends to share pictures and memories of their treasured time with Mitch (rememberingmitch.com). A memorial service will be held on Sunday, October 20, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at St. Theresa Church, 1041 Lyons Ave., South Lake Tahoe, CA. In lieu of flowers, donations to help Mitch's family can be made at any El Dorado Savings Bank branch or sent to El Dorado Savings Bank, 1036 Al Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 under the "Sarah Underhill Family Fund."
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Michael Snyder, Contributor.
Do you believe that you really think for yourself? Did you come up with your attitudes, opinions and beliefs on your own, or are they continually being shaped and molded by someone else? Could it be possible that you and everyone around you is actually hooked into a real life version of "the matrix" that is constantly defining your reality for you?
In our society today, the limited interactions that we do have with other people are usually defined by our mutual connection to the media. The mainstream media literally defines for us what is important and what is not. If the mainstream media does not talk about something, then it simply does not matter.
I don't know how many times over the years I have heard someone tell me some version of the following statement: "If that was true we would have heard about it on the news."
Has anyone ever said something similar to you?
The funny thing is that most of the time I won't even mention something important that I may have heard in one of my articles unless I can back it up with a "mainstream source", and I don't even trust the mainstream media.
I know that the mainstream media often distorts the facts and often tells outright lies, but I regularly link to them because that gives my articles more "credibility" in the eyes of those that are still fully hooked into the matrix.
In a world where the big media corporations have so much power, is there any hope for us?
As long as the big corporations that control the media are dominating and controlling the conversation, is there any chance that there will ever be a mass awakening among the American people?
Our young people seem particularly addicted to being constantly "connected" to the media matrix that is being constructed all around us.
The following is a brief excerpt from a recent article by Daniel Taylor…
According to a 2010 LA Times report, young people spend on average 53 hours a week watching TV, playing video games, and sitting at the computer.
Facebook users spend about 15 hours a month on the social networking site.
People are walking – and driving – blindly while texting, sometimes walking into fountains and even falling off cliffs.
Wow – our young people spend more than 200 hours a month connected to the mainstream media?
But we only have about 480 waking hours a month to work with.
If they are being exposed to that amount of continuous propaganda, what hope do our young people have?
In the old days, kids actually played with each other in the streets and adults actually left their homes to interact with one another.
But these days we spend nearly all of our time sitting passively in our homes staring at flickering screens.
Is that a sign of a healthy society?
We were created to be social creatures. We were designed to love and to be loved. But these days people "love" their favorite sports teams or they "love" their favorite television shows but we have an increasingly difficult time having real relationships with each other.
Meanwhile, the global elite rely on the mainstream media to keep us distracted and to control the boundaries of public discourse. Most of the time, the mainstream media focuses on the latest celebrity scandal or the latest dogfights between the Republicans and the Democrats and they systematically ignore many of the more important things that are taking place out there.
Let me just give you one example of how the mainstream media shapes the news. For decades, there was almost a complete and total media blackout on the Bilderberg Group meetings that happen every year. Top newspaper executives from the United States would actually attend these meetings, but then their newspapers would not say a single word about them.
If anyone out there did bring up "the Bilderberg Group", they were dismissed as wacky "conspiracy theorists" and were told that it simply does not exist.
Of course now we all know that it does exist, although the mainstream media in the U.S. still mostly ignores it. In fact, this has been by design. The following is what David Rockefeller is alleged to have said during a Bilderberg Group meeting back in 1991…
We are grateful to The Washington Post, The New York Times, Time magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promises of discretion for almost forty years. … It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subject to the bright lights of publicity during those years. But, the world is now much more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government. The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national auto-determination practiced in past centuries.
Even today, many prominent "journalists" in the U.S. mock people when they bring up the Bilderberg Group. For example, Lawrence O'Donnell of MSNBC says that he is "way too lazy" to look into the Bilderberg Group and that he "doesn't know about it, so it must not exist".
For much more on the connection between the mainstream media and the global elite, please see this article: "Who Runs The World? Solid Proof That A Core Group Of Wealthy Elitists Is Pulling The Strings".
Instead of telling us what is really going on in the world, the mainstream media keeps us endlessly distracted. The following are just a few of the headlines that can be found on the front pages of major mainstream news sites right now…
–College student creates condom delivery service
–Michael Douglas is feeling 'good'
–Golf tournament delayed by kangaroos
–Rock 'n' roll hamburger experience
–Lady Gaga cancels tour, set for surgery
Wow – those are some examples of some really hard-hitting journalism right there.
So why do most Americans continue to fall for this nonsense?
Sadly, part of the reason is because we have become so "dumbed down" as a society.
Recently, the Guardian conducted an evaluation of the reading level of every State of the Union address in U.S. history. What they found is that Barack Obama's State of the Union addresses have had the second lowest reading level average in history, and that in general the reading levels of the speeches have been significantly declining over time.
But it is not just our presidents that appear to be getting stupider. The truth is that our public education system is a total joke at this point. Many of our high school students are as dumb as a rock, and if you can believe it, 23 percent of all Americans cannot even read beyond a fourth-grade level.
Of course the elite are quite pleased with this, because a stupid public is a public that is easier to dominate. When a large segment of the population can barely read and is accustomed to letting others do their thinking for them, it becomes easier to lie.
For example, on Thursday Paul Krugman of the New York Times made the following statement…
Growing dependence on government is mostly a myth.
Of course most of you that are reading this know that is a flat-out lie. The charts in this articleclearly show that the number of Americans on food stamps is at an all-time high and the percentage of the population that is on food stamps is at an all-time high.
Back in 1983, less than a third of all Americans lived in a household that got money from the federal government each month, Now, an all-time high 49 percent of all Americans live in a home where at least one person receives money from the government each month.
For many more stats and charts that demonstrate the stunning growth of government dependence, please see this article and this article.
Sadly, the truth doesn't seem to matter too much to the media these days. The mainstream media tends to be incredibly arrogant, and most of the time they don't even pretend to be "objective" or "neutral" anymore.
Fortunately, more Americans than ever are becoming dissatisfied with the mainstream media and are starting to seek out alternative sources of information. According to a recent Gallup poll, the level of trust that the American public has in the mainstream media is now at an all-time low.
So perhaps there is hope after all.
What do you think?


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I have created the security strategy for the group and the CIS SBU. I have managed to grow the security business YoY with 70%.
I have managed the implementation of this strategy. Due to the implementation of this strategy we are now recognized by the Analysts; Gartner, Forester, IDC, NelsonHall etc as a leader in cybersecurity.


text:
Tesco to source more meat in Britain
Tesco , the world's third-largest retailer, said it would buy more meat from its home market in Britain and shorten supply chains after the discovery of horsemeat in beef products shook consumer confidence in supermarket sourcing.
Tesco, Britain's biggest retailer, was one of the first grocers to be hit by the horsemeat scandal, which has prompted European governments to demand tougher rules on the sourcing and labeling of meat products.
"Where it's reasonable to do so, we will source from British producers," Tesco Chief Executive Philip Clarke told farmers at the National Farmers Union conference in Birmingham, central England on Wednesday.
Clarke said Tesco would seek more partnerships with British farmers and that from July all fresh chicken sold at Tesco's stores in the United Kingdom would come from British farms.
"We'll move over time to ensure that all of our chicken in all of our products, fresh or frozen, is from the British Isles," he said.
The discovery of horsemeat in some beef products sold by Tesco led to criticism from Prime Minister David Cameron and knocked 480 million pounds ($772.3 million) off its market value on January 16.
Tesco's shares have risen since then, but British supermarkets are trying to reassure rattled consumers that meat products are properly labeled and clearly sourced.
Clarke, who started his career stacking shelves at Tesco, responded to the scandal with a more stringent product testing regime and a pledge to offer customers insight into Tesco's global supply chain.
"We are going to examine all aspects of our supply chain. We'll look at the processes that we use and make sure we can be totally confident in how our products are being sourced," he told farmers.
Clarke said the retailer would establish an independent panel of experts to advise on its supply chain, which would need to be shortened and simplified.
Livestock specialists say that ensuring a chain of quality from farm to table will cost money - particularly at the cheaper, ready-made meal end.
"It does not follow that the measures I am announcing today mean that food needs to become more expensive," Clarke said, contradicting comments he made earlier in the day, when he told BBC's Today radio program that he hoped but could not promise there would be no price increases.
Clarke had said in a February 21 statement that raising standards "doesn't mean more expensive food".
Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said British suppliers should seize on increased demand for top-quality British products that pass through "rigorous traceability systems".
"This is a fantastic opportunity for British farmers to show their products to the British consumer, because the British consumer has had a horrible shock in recent weeks. There is a clear fraud in the horsemeat scandal," Paterson said.
Farmer Mark Leggott said the beef industry's reputation had suffered from decades of health scares including foot and mouth disease and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
But Leggott, who has 25 years of experience on his farm in the eastern English county of Lincolnshire, said the beef industry had stabilised and could be bolstered by a renewed focus on British produce in the wake of the horsemeat scandal.
"We've already jumped through the hoops in this country. We can just go and fill that capacity straight away; we fulfil the criteria already in terms of traceability and provenance," Leggott said in an interview.
(Additional reporting by James Davey and Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Jane Baird)


text:
Kevin Welner, professor of education and director of the National Education Policy Center at the CU-Boulder School of Education, can speak to most elements of the Lobato litigation and its implications. Welner is an attorney and policy analyst who has published articles and book chapters concerning school finance litigation, the outcomes of such litigation, and the underlying issues of what's necessary for an adequate education. He can explain the issues in the Lobato case as well as the options now available to the courts and lawmakers. Welner can be reached by email at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Richard Collins, professor of law at the CU-Boulder Law School, is an expert in state constitutional law and can address legal aspects of the Lobato case. He can be reached at 303-492-5493 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Ken Bickers, professor and chair of the political science department, can address political ramifications of the Lobato case. He can be reached at 303-492-2363 or email@example.com.
Or for additional assistance contact Barbara Darling, director of communications and alumni relations for the CU-Boulder School of Education, at 303-492-9019 or email@example.com or Peter Caughey in the Office of Media Relations and News Services at 303-492-4007 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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An Enchanted Halloween
Authentique Paper is the durability and texture of the paper
and cardstock stickers. When you have confidence in a paper
like Authentique, you can set out to craft just about anything!
covering with various patterns of Enchanted, a couple
of svg files (bats and spider's web),
painted the backs and sides with a black acrylic paint.
After tracing and cutting out the shapes from the
Enchanted patterned papers, I applied them to the letters
with a quick dry glue.
cardstock stickers to a bamboo skewer...just cut a backing
of the same size and apply to the back to hide the stick!
The chipboard pennants by Maya Road were also
painted black and then spelled out CREEPY with
sticker letters from last year's Glowing Collection.
download the free svg file here. I also made a rosette,
which gave a little more color to the heavily black color
scheme that I had going on in that area. For added texture,
I decided that my bat fellow needed a couple of black
pom-poms on his front...fun!
And now for a quick and super-easy tutorial that will come
in handy when deciding on those clever treats for school
parties or your most favorite trick-or-treators!
and how wide you'd like them to be will decide how
many sheets of your favorite Enchanted paper that
you'll use. I will give directions for making these in a
Hershey bar size :)
-1-12x12 sheet Charmed Paper
-Free SVG file for the bats click here
-Spellbound Paper for bats and the back
side for stamping the image on
-Glowing Paper for 3.5" scalloped circle
-Glowing Hours Unity/Authentique Co-Branded Stamp
(you can find that stamp right here!)
-Black ink pad & acrylic block
-Enchanted Sticker Strip
-Buttons and baker's twine (optional)
-Paper trimmer & corner rounding punch
the pocket. Add bat to the top of the fold (as shown).
Attach sticker strip just under the bat. Next, cut the 3.5"
scalloped shape in half and adhere just under the sticker strip.
Trim, corner round edges and attach to front with
foam dots it desired.
many different and fun ways! Cut them down a
bit and add a gift card before giving.
I hope that you'll give this project a try :)
Please leave a comment if you have any questions
and I'll get an answer to you as quickly as I can.
Don't just have a Halloween, have an


text:
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text:
Thompson Jr. High Registration
Welcome to the Thompson Jr. High online registration.
You will manage your participants upon registration from here, and receive important and relevant notifications from Thompson Jr. High.
Register as a Parent below. You must be a parent/guardian to create this account and start the process. Please write down your login as you will use this to register each time.


text:
Market Preview: Lesson in Pork Sales and MarginsUS - Weekly US Market Preview provided by Steve R. Meyer, Ph.D., Paragon Economics, Inc.
The average retail pork price took a hit in November, according to USDA. The November price of $2.818/lb. (retail) was $0.062/lb. (2.2 per cent) lower than in October and $0.185/lb. (6.2 per cent) lower than one year earlier. See Figure 1. When combined with lower estimated domestic pork consumption in November, it appears that consumer-level pork demand was perhaps the softest we have seen for an entire month in 2009.
That statement leaves room for the domestic demand impacts of H1N1 in late April and early May. That episode was, for the most part, a short-lived situation and the fact that it was spread over parts of two months diminished its impact in these monthly data. National Pork Board research indicates that domestic demand rebounded rather quickly for most market sectors. An exception has been Hispanic markets where the safety of pork is still not trusted by some consumers.
It should be noted that retail prices have fallen by 8.8 cents/lb. (4 per cent) since September, while hog and wholesale values have risen steadily. The result has been a 6 per cent decline in the estimated farm-to-retail marketing margin (or price spread) since September. Farm and farm-wholesale (i.e. packer/processor) shares have risen during this time period.
An important point to keep in mind about the prices at the various levels of the marketing chain is that there are significant time lags involved in price transmission. The lower retail prices in October and November are largely the result of lower wholesale prices in August and September. Retailers, and to an even greater degree foodservice operators, plan well into the future and often buy product well ahead of the anticipated time of need, especially when running features. Lower costs in August and September allowed retail prices to fall in October and November. I think we will see higher retail prices for December and beyond because the cost of product is now rising for retailers and foodservice operators.
A Closer Look at the Marketing Chain
One reason I am highlighting retail prices is that we are going to hear a lot of talk about "price spreads" or "marketing margins" in the next year. The topic will be the focus of the last of the USDA/DOJ (Department of Justice) competition workshops next December, so it would help us all to get more familiar with the concept.
Figure 2 shows the value, on a retail weight basis, received by each level of the marketing chain. We have labeled the farm-wholesale spread as "Packers' Share" and the wholesale-retail spread as "Retailers' Share." A few key points should be considered.
First, these spreads are not profits. The Producers' Share represents total income to hog producers on a retail pork weight basis. The Packer and Retailer shares represent gross margins (total sales less cost of goods sold) of packers and retailers. Many other costs must be deducted from these spreads in order to determine profits.
There is no "right" amount for any of these. Perhaps a better way to view them would be as percentages of the total retail price (Figure 3). Anyone can debate what the percentages "ought" to be, but in the absence of cost data and information about consumer preferences and product characteristics, that debate would be pretty pointless.
Compare Figure 3 to Figure 4 – pork vs. beef. The charts are obviously different. Producers get a much larger share of the beef retail dollar while packers/processors get a much smaller share. Interestingly, the retailers' share is about the same.
Some would conclude that the beef margin structure was "better." But consider the fact that over 40 per cent of most pork carcasses are cured and virtually no beef is cured. The packer/processor margin for pork must cover these extra costs and, thus, the packer/processor share for pork is greater than that for beef. In addition, the value of the beef hide creates a greater by-product credit that is applied to the packer share of the retail beef price. The beef shares structure that appears to treat beef producers better than pork producers may not be better at all. It is just different, perhaps only because the animals are different.
And finally, narrower margins are not necessarily better for anyone – even consumers or producers. What if Congress passed a law tomorrow that would make it illegal to sell anything but live pigs to consumers? The law would guarantee zero marketing margins and 100 per cent shares for producers. It would be a boon for hog producers, right? Far from it. How many pigs do you think we might sell in downtown New York – or to the Meyer family in rural Iowa – if the buyer had to do all of the processing? My bet is that the number would be far short of the roughly 95 million pigs from which products were sold in the United States in 2008. A footnote: the 95 million head figure excludes the 20 per cent of pork that was exported in 2008.
There is an optimal amount of marketing services (slaughter, processing, transportation, packaging, advertising, etc.) that optimize marketing margins and the utility that consumers derive from pork products. I don't know of anyone who has determined those optimums. Theory tells us that highly competitive markets will achieve the output and marketing service levels needed to reach those optimums. The trick, of course, is determining whether markets are indeed competitive (or very close to it) and, if they are not, devising policy implements that are precise enough to approximate those results without causing other problems (inefficiencies, higher costs, etc.) that fritter away all of the gains. Let's hope that is the focus of the policy debates in the coming year!
(Note: The current week's data unavailable due to the holidays).


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Imagine Derek Jeter leading the New York Yankees off the field because opposing fans were yelling racial slurs and throwing bananas at his team. Or a game between the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls halted because of unrelenting race-baiting from the crowd.
It's almost unfathomable to a U.S. sports fan, even with the country's long, wrenching and seemingly endless struggle to achieve equality. Yet scenes like that play out at European soccer stadiums with alarming frequency, the product of a toxic mix of culture, ideology, geographical proximity, economics and alcohol.
"It's an interesting contrast," said Orin Starn, chair of the cultural anthropology department at Duke University. "America had to go through the civil rights movement, and we went through a national crash-course in race relations and racial sensitivity — to the point in public culture that we're painfully correct. It's really different in Europe. Europe has not gone through the same kind of process of public debate and painful reckoning with questions of race and difference."
Two weeks after a match between Roma and AC Milan in Italy's top soccer league had to be halted for almost two minutes because of racial abuse by fans, European soccer's governing body will ask its 53 members on Friday to adopt a series of sanctions aimed at curtailing racism. One of the proposals UEFA will consider would force clubs to close sections of seats after racial abuse by fans, escalating to a complete shutdown for additional incidents.
At FIFA's annual congress, May 30 and 31 in Mauritius, the world governing body will consider throwing teams out of competitions, or even relegating them — forcing them into a lower division — if their players, officials or fans are found guilty of any form of discrimination.
"If UEFA were to do something like ban viewers or really clamp down on them, it might work to some degree," said Andrei S. Markovits, a sociology professor at the University of Michigan and expert on sports culture in the United States and Europe. "But this is not a state issue. It's what we call a civil society issue."
Despite the publicity they get, the incidents of racial intolerance occur only sporadically. But they are ugly when they do. They're not limited to soccer, either. Spanish golfer Sergio Garcia apologized again Wednesday for saying he would "serve fried chicken" if he'd have dinner with Tiger Woods.
But soccer is the common language throughout much of the world. And while Americans are passionate about their sports — how else to explain kids camping outside Cameron Indoor Stadium for weeks just to get Duke tickets? — there are fundamental differences in how fans in Europe and elsewhere and the United States come by their loyalties. That helps explain why bigotry can exist so publicly in one place and not the other.
In Europe and other parts of the world, teams often were originally affiliated with a religion or political party rather than a city, said Markovits, who examined the issue in a 2011 article in the Harvard International Review, "Sports Fans Across Borders: America from Venus, Europe from Mars." So when rivals face each other, it's as much a triumph of an ideology as it is the final score.
"When Barcelona plays Real Madrid, this is the Spanish civil war. It's not a soccer game," Markovits said. "This is not Lakers-Celtics, Yankees-Red Sox, Giants-Dodgers, the most pedigreed of American rivalry games. They hate each other, but it's about sports. It's not about you don't have the correct political view."
Added ESPN soccer analyst Alexi Lalas, who played two seasons at Padova in Italy's Serie A, "This is where it's difficult sometimes for American sports fans to understand fandom of other countries when it comes to soccer: What is the underlying part of many of these fan groups is politics, cultural differences and long-held beliefs within these organizations that have absolutely nothing to do with the actual kicking of the ball.
"This is a visual display sometimes of their ideology, their beliefs when it comes to, not soccer, but their country."
The passion Americans have for their teams tends to be diluted, too. While Europeans or South Americans have one club and one country they root for, an American will have a favorite baseball team. A favorite pro football team. A favorite college football team. A favorite college basketball team. And on and on.
If one of those teams is struggling, it's disappointing, Markovits said. But not as devastating as it might be for, say, an Arsenal supporter, who has invested all of his or her energy into the Gunners.
"We have three or four entities to which we attach emotional capital," he said.
Sports in the United States also have become more "event" than game.
The best tickets are now held by corporations and high rollers, few of whom have the same passion as lifelong fans whose loyalty stretches back two, three and even four generations. There also is a relationship between social class and moments of racism, said Rick Eckstein, a sociology professor at Villanova. The higher the social class, the more subtle the expressions of racism tend to be, he said.
In an effort to expand their brand, teams and leagues in the U.S. also have made a concerted effort to make their games more family friendly, said Larry DeGaris, a marketing professor at the University of Indianapolis. Warm-and-fuzzy mascots give away T-shirts during timeouts, and popular music blares from the P.A.
"That's only beginning to happen in Europe, where soccer attendees tend to skew male and younger relative to U.S. sports," DeGaris said.
And, of course, the United States has a history of diversity that the rest of the world does not. Almost everyone in the United States can trace his or her roots to another country while many European countries, in particular, are still struggling with the idea of multiculturalism.
"It could be that we're more mixed here because our country is made up of all types of different people," said Tab Ramos, the star U.S. midfielder who played five seasons in Spain.
Indeed, most of the countries where racial abuse has been most rampant — Italy, the Netherlands, Eastern Europe — are countries where immigration is a central and deeply divisive issue.
"Players of color become all the more a lightning rod for controversy and hatred," Starn said.
This isn't to say American sports fans — or Americans in general — can congratulate themselves on being enlightened.
Jason Collins is the only active openly gay male player in any of the four major American professional sports, and the veteran NBA center only came out last month. Brittney Griner has said her coach at Baylor encouraged her not to discuss her sexual orientation. San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver said during Super Bowl week he wouldn't welcome a gay player on his team, and homophobic language doesn't yet have the charge of racial slurs.
"We have not confronted the gender demons and the sexual orientation demons in our sports culture quite as up front as we have with race," Eckstein said.
And, Starn said, just because American fans aren't shouting slurs does not make them better than people in Europe or elsewhere.
"There is a certain smugness among Americans around race and now, I would say, gay and lesbian issues," Starn said. "But these problems have not gone away. We still live in an America that's racially divided by neighborhood and friendship and marriages. And we still live in an America where negative attitudes of gay and lesbians are pretty widespread.
"Just because you don't hear racist chants is not a sign that America has achieved some nirvana of racial equality and tolerance."


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Samsung is known around these here parts as the Fifth Horseman. The company has risen from a boring mega-conglomerate to Apple's biggest competitor, the world leader in TVs, and one of the most crucial manufacturers in the world. The proof of this is in the pudding, or, rather, in the $1 million booth the company has set up to dominate CES.
This booth is rivaled only by Sony's, and I'd venture to say that of the 1.9 million square feet that make up CES, Samsung has the largest individual share. And if that weren't enough, the Korean company's name is on the lips of every analyst, buyer, vendor, exhibitor, and reporter across the entire Las Vegas Convention Center.
They've got TVs and phones, tablets and audio products. Hell, they even have LCD-equipped Smart Appliances. It's mind-blowing, although that's only enhanced by the panoramic booth-encompassing display that runs around the entire area.
We spent quite a while with Samsung during our live roaming coverage of the show. In fact, we kicked off CES coverage with an in-depth tour of their booth.
We've split up the videos based on the various products we checked out, so if you're hungry for some Samsung, look no further.
Samsung Galaxy Note 2
The Galaxy Note is a phablet if there ever were one. It sports a 5.5-inch, 720p display and an Exynos quad-core processor. The S-Pen — arguably the piece that gave this jumbo phone its name — has been updated to be significantly more precise.
Samsung F8000 LED TV
The F8000 was a central piece of Samsung's keynote presentation. It has a bezel less than a quarter of an inch thick, and a new wave-inspired stand that makes the TV look like it's floating in thin air. The LED TV is powered by a quad-core processor, comes with the new HD video codec HDVC, and will range in size from 46 to 75 inches.
Samsung Ultra Hi-Def TV
The UHD TV from Samsung is the F8000's much more powerful and beautiful big brother. At 85 inches, it brings 4K straight into your living room. In terms of design, it seems inspired by either a soccer goal or an easel, but in either case it's about as good as it gets. A 110-inch model will be headed to market over the course of the year.
Samsung Evolution Kit
The Samsung Evolution Kit is a bit silly now, but you may be singing a different tune come 2015. It essentially allows you to upgrade your "old" — as in, 2012 — TV to get all the features of the 2013 models, like quad-core processing, the revamped Smart Hub, and S-Recommendation. It'll debut in March, and at $499, it's much cheaper than buying a brand-new TV.


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Breathe by Sarah Crossan Book Review
Posted by Unknown on Sunday, June 30, 2013
The trees have died. Humanity was saved by entering pods, dome like structures where oxygen is created and regulated by the organization Breathe. The terrorist organization RATS want to destroy their way of life. Alina is part of the resistance, but she isn't terrorist. Unlike Bea and Quinn, Alina knows the truth. Breathe is purposefully killing the trees, making life outside the pods impossible in order to secure their power. When Alina convinces Quinn to help her escape the pod, he and Bea are both sucked into a world that offers a glimpse of hope, but they will have to fight for it.
It is never a good sign when I have a difficult time getting through a book. Considering I can finish a book in only a few hours, when a book takes me nearly a month to make my way through, you know there is a problem. At first I couldn't really pinpoint why the story wasn't holding my interest. After all, despite some scientific implausibilities, the plot was fairly interesting and wasn't ponderous. The problem therefore lies with the characters. Alina and Bea, despite being two very different people often read exactly the same, meaning that I had to check the chapter headings sometimes to figure out which character I was reading. Quinn felt rather inconsistent. One minute he is the complete gentlemen and the next he is talking about staring at "Alina's ass". These moments felt forced, as if the author didn't want us to forget that this a teenage boy. Beyond inconsistencies though, none of the characters were very compelling. Alina is supposed to be a bad-ass, but it quickly becomes clear that she is just as incompetent as the rest of them. During the "battle" at the end, I found her new found training abilities to be rather laughable. Divergent this book was not. Of the three characters, Quinn turns out to have the most chutzpah, but a fighter he is not.
All that said, it would be interesting to see where the author goes with this. With books like Maze Runner, Hunger Games, Divergent, and Legend the characters are not just part of the resistance, they are fighters too. Bea and Quinn are definitely not there yet and I wouldn't exactly trust Alina to lead anything either, mostly because she doesn't think before she acts. If one of these three characters could be punched up a bit, I think the series (for a series it is going to be) may have hope.
How To Be Invisible by Tim Lott Book Review
Posted by Unknown on Thursday, June 27, 2013
Strato Nyman suffers from a bad case of shyness. Couple that with the fact that he a complete science geek and if that wasn't enough of a bully target, he's the only black kid in Hedgecombe. It's only at home that Strato blends into the background, mostly because his parents are too busy arguing to notice him. Then Strato comes across and old dusty bookstore and comes home with a book that suggests that it can make a person turn invisible. The ever logical and scientific minded Strato doesn't believe it until it actually happens to him. With this new found ability Strato sets out to discover the secrets his parents are hiding, why Lloyd Archibald Turnbull is gunning for him, why the bus driver is so weird, and why his Physics professor is so mean.
Currently only released as an audio book in the US, this novel is a fabulous mash-up of fantasy, real-life drama, adventure, and romance. Strato admits he is an unimaginative kid whose obsession with physics is littered throughout the novel. Everything is a science experiment and even when he turns invisible he approaches the situation as any good scientist would, through observation and testing. Strato is a good kid. He wants his parents to stay together, he can't help how shy he is, and he is desperate to get the school bully off his back.
There were a lot of things I loved about this book. First and foremost, the presence of a minority character was a huge plus. This wasn't an urban novel or historical fiction and frankly, there are so few books with black characters who aren't part of a civil rights movement, that it almost feels like a foreign concept. I also loved the presence of a different kind family unit. Strato's parents (who he calls by their first names for reasons that only happen in fiction) are not married. They love each other and live together but for some reason Strato's father has really dragged his feet with the whole marriage thing. Even so, when his parents' relationship begins to unravel, Strato is just as concerned as any child and divorce is just as real a word whether they are married or not.
The bully of the story felt a little shallow. Child suffers from a cruel abusive mother and a crippled limb, and thus takes his anger out on other people, like Strato. All Strato has to do is pretend to be a ghost and everything changes. I do believe there are children out their who are taking their pain out on others, but I also think there are also people who, despite having loving parents, can be mean and cruel. In other words, bullying is much more complex than this.
How To Be Invisible has a lot of heart, is somewhat didactic, but I was always rooting for Strato and was sure that no matter what happened, he was going to be all right, visible or invisible.
Impulse by Steven Gould Book Review
Posted by Unknown on Monday, June 24, 2013
Cent lives an entirely unsocial life. Not surprising seeing as her parents are both on the run from both the government and terrorists for her entire sixteen years of life. Cent has grown up in a cabin in the Yukon, the nearest town being over 100 miles away. But they aren't cut off. Millie and David both have the ability to teleport, or "jump", and it is with this ability that they aid in relief work, go shopping in Paris, visit Australia in the middle of the night, get ice cream in New York City, and they can do so in the blink of an eye. Cent was not born with this ability, but when she is caught in an avalanche, she finds that a life threatening situation is just the jump start she needed to develop of new ability. And what does she do with such an ability? Cent wants to go to school. For the first time, the willful and too much like her parents Cent, will be with kids her own age. Soon though, Cent is the focus of the school bully and a simple schoolyard disagreement becomes a whole lot more than she bargained for. Meanwhile, Cent's parents must track down an old enemy who is bent on controlling all jumpers.
Written in 1992, Jumper was the first book in what has now become a trilogy, although the first book could definitely be considered a stand-alone novel. Unlike the travesty of a film that was made, Jumper really caught my imagination as a teenager. I appreciate its depth and complexities and especially love that even though it is about a young man who can teleport, it isn't a book about teleportation. The sequel, Reflex, published in 2004, has David kidnapped and subsequently tortured and his wife Millie develops the ability to "jump". Now this third novel is set 17 years after Reflex, and in the hands of Cent, jumping is a whole new world.
I have always debated whether Jumper would be considered young adult. Although I read it as a teenager and it was reprinted with a more YA friendly cover in 1995, there are definitely some elements such as rape, terrorism, murder, alcoholism, and abuse that can feel rather adult. The second book goes easier on these subjects, but the characters have aged beyond their teens and are very adult. Impulse however, is entirely a teen novel. Although there are chapters with Millie and David narrating, it is Cent's story. She drives the plot forward with the rush of excitement that only a teenager can have.
Cent is incredibly smart, strong-willed, and despite her good relationship with her parents, she is feeling smothered by their protectiveness. Of course, they do have good reason to be protective, her father only has to pull down his shirt to show her the scars, but even so, Cent feels that it is high time she go to school and be allowed to make friends with people her own age. Cent also discovers a new way to jump, adding speed and velocity when she jumps so that she can fly through the air. I loved that new element as it gave Cent ownership over her jumping.
I loved the family dynamics in this story. The parents are not absent as in a lot of YA fiction, and their characters added to the story. Cent is brilliant and sassy, and although she claims to be unsocialized, she is quick to catch on and make friends....and enemies. The romance of the story (for you know there is one) was nice and organic in a way that made it believable. Oh, and she snowboards. The details about snowboarding sometimes left me reeling with all the technical terms, but it only added to the authenticity rather than create any confusion or boredom.
Cent is a fabulous heroine and here is the best part...you don't have to read the other two books in order to Impulse. There are plenty of inferences of the last two books to understand their basic plots without unnecessary info dumps. Although, I do think you should Jumper, simply because it is awesome.
::sigh:: I just love great books, don't you?
The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson Book Review
Posted by Unknown on Saturday, June 22, 2013
Okay...see if you can follow me on this one.
Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. Chosen at the age of eight by the Master in a mysterious ceremony, Rithmatists have the power to breath life into chalk drawings. Rithmatists are warriors and scholars and are humanity's only defense against the Wild Chalklings who threaten to overrun all the American Isles. Joel missed his chance to become a Rithmatist and so he pines for the one thing he is not. At school, Joel sneaks into classes he shouldn't, searching for any answers to the mysterious world he can never be a part of. Then students start to go missing, leaving behind signs that they were attacked by thousands of wild chalklings. Assigned to help the professor who is investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery — one that will change Rithmatics — and their world — forever.
A mixture of parallel universe, steampunk, mystery, and fantasy, this book is all the reasons why I love Brandon Sanderson and fantasy in general. How creative. How original. How fun.
Sanderson creates a world that is just barely recognizable as our own. The Americas at the turn of the century but for some reason in this universe, it is a series of islands and they are not united. They have strange names like Nebrask, Texahoma, and West Carolina. (don't worry there are illustrations and maps to help you as you read) Europe was taken over by the Chinese centuries before and they kicked out all the Scottish for some reason. Due to the Wild Chalklings there are not Native Americans, only their warnings have been left behind. The Dark Ages appear to be a blip due to the discovery of Rithmatism. Christianity and the church is different for it is believed that God is the one who grants power to the Rithmatists, a power that cannot be refuted and thus God is not refuted.
Joel is smart and desperate, wanting the one thing he can never have, which I think many readers will be able to relate to. An outcast, Joel is troubled when he begins making friends with Melody, a Rithmatist student who absolutely hates her birthright. There is a hint of mystery surrounding Melody too (one that will hopefully be answered in the books to come). How can Melody come from a family with six Rithmatists? Isn't it supposed to be random? All the studies show that bloodlines do not matter...right?
This is a world that you get sucked into and there are so many little things that would simply not make sense if I mentioned them in this review, but as you go deeper and deeper into the story, things like chalk line theory and chalklings and new chalk lines and duels all begin to make sense.
I am so terribly excited about this book because I find it so original and engrossing and it is books like this that remind me why I love this genre so much.
Below by Meg McKinlay Book Review
Posted by Unknown on Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Labels: intermediate book review / Comments: (0)
On the day Cassie was born, Old Lower Grange was buried five thousand swimming pools' worth of water. Twelve years later, Cassie is still haunted by that day, by the town she never knew. Everyone seems to have a story about the old town, the old house, their old life, and Cassie feels left out. As the summer progresses, Cassie finds herself drawn to the lake and its mysteries. And as a drought grips their town, pieces of Old Lower Grange begin to emerge from the water. With the help of Liam, a boy whose life was also changed on that fateful day twelve years ago, they begin to realize that not even a lake can hide its secrets.
Haunting and tightly woven, Below felt original and authentic. The characters were interesting in a way that only two twelve-year-old can be and their hunt for something that was lost to them was something that I could relate to, although my obsessions were slightly different. The image of this town, 200 feet below the surface and the children swimming the streets from above was absolutely beautiful and terrible. It reminded me of a documentary I once watched about Dana, Massachusetts in which the town was put underwater to make room for a resevoir. Once a year, the residents of the town have been allowed back in to reminisce, share some food, and mourn the loos of their town. There aren't many left who remember. Cassie refuses to allow her town to stay buried.
The plot driving element is of course the mystery. The town's mayor is clearly worried about the water's low levels, but his concern seems to be more than just drought worry. What is he hiding? Cassie thinks she may know.
I loved this little book. It reminded me a lot of Homesick, quite, dark, but also beautiful and hopeful. A definite plus for any bookshelf.
Viva Jacquelina! by L.A. Meyer Book Review
Posted by Unknown on Monday, June 17, 2013
Labels: Young Adult Review / Comments: (1)
Viva Jacquelina! Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, Over the Hills and Far Away by L.A. Meyer
In the tenth installment of the Bloody Jack series, we find Miss Jacky Faber once again under the thumb of British Intelligence. Sent to Spain as a spy, Jacky soon finds herself in her usual mess in the company of guerrilla freedom fighters, eating hallucinatory mushrooms, posing nude for the famous artist Goya, running with the bulls, being kidnapped by the Spanish Inquisition, and traveling with a caravan of gypsies.
It is difficult to believe that this is the tenth installment in the tales of Jacky Faber. Perhaps this is because I have chosen to believe that Mississippi Jack didn't happen or simply because I enjoy this series so much. Jacky is vivacious and intense, flirty yet reliable, strong-willed and grand. She captures the imaginations of everyone she meets and produces in them a fierce love and loyalty. Yet, sometimes she can be a bit too much. When is she ever going to be with Jaimy? Perhaps she should just give up and move on, after all there are plenty of young men who have shown a great interest in her, and she does seem to have more opportunities to see Lord Richard Allen. (who I like better than Jaimy by the way)
This installment in the Jacky series felt sort of gimmicky and although Jacky was as true to herself as always, it did little in the way of moving the overall plot forward. It just felt like a chance to put Jacky in Spain where she could meet a famous person or two (as she does) and then run with the bulls, which any good street urchin would do of course. Jacky becoming a painter's model was a rather lucky break. Also, a chance for Jacky to be part of history once again for she poses for a rather famous portrait. (See picture below: we are supposed to believe that this is Jacky in a dark wig. I chose the image of the Maja clothed)
I don't know. I do so love Jacky, but the series is starting to feel rather drawn out and disconnected and her adventures, which have always been rather ridiculous, are beginning to feel completely contrived. Whatever happens, I will keep reading and smiling and hoping one day Jacky manages to settle down, and not at the end of a hangman's noose.
One Plus One Equals Blue by M.J. Auch Book Review
Posted by Unknown on Saturday, June 15, 2013
Twelve-year old Basil has a secret, one that he has never shared with anyone, not even his well-meaning grandmother. Whenever Basil sees a number he associates that number with a color. After being homeschooled since he was small, Basil finds school to be a lonely place, until he meets Tenzie. Tenzie is annoying and overly talkative, but she too has synesthesia and Basil finds himself drawn to someone like himself. When Basil's estranged mother returns, she throws everything into chaos and Basil is forced to find truth and happiness, just like colors, are not always black and white.
This book truly felt like two different books. The first half, dealing with Basil, his grandmother, and Tenzie read like a very nice book about friendship and understanding. Tenzie is a latch-key child whose parents always seem to be away. She immediately begins calling Basil's grandmother Grams, which annoys Basil and begins inserting herself into his life. She sits with him at lunch even though he does not want her to, stands up to bullys for him, and takes over the special times he used to share with his grandmother. The synesthesia is an interesting element to the story, but takes a back seat to the plot, which is important whenever presenting any kind of disorder or disability into a book. And then....
Then Basil's mother shows up and this becomes a completely different book in tone and plot. Quickly, the story shifts into love, forgiveness, righting wrongs, finding the truth, and understanding ones place in the world. The second story was admittedly far more interesting to me, but rather jarring in comparison to the first half of the book. Basil's mother, Carly, is a wholly selfish woman, whose primary concern is for herself. Her inability to care for or even show love to her son is heart-wrenching, made even more so by Tenzie's absolute desire to escape her own life and become an actress like Carly. (a failed actress I should add)
I waffled back and forth as to whether I liked this book. One the one hand there are the typical stereotypes and tropes. Homeschooled kid doesn't know how to make friends and is a loner. As a former homeschooler, I absolutely hate this image. Not that these kids don't exist, but this seems to be the only image of homeschoolers I see in fiction. Basil complains about the children in the neighborhood beside his, never coming outside to play, yet it doesn't appear that he ever did either, because even suburban kids do go outside sometimes, crazy as that sounds.
Carly is your atypical neglectful mother. As far as I could tell, she has absolutely no love or compassion for Basil, even reaching the point where she would abandon he and Tenzie with no money. This made her flat and a terrible villain and an unforgivable character in my book. I am not saying mothers like this do not exist, but it sure made it easy to hate her, which seemed to be the only reason she was around.
On the other hand, Basil's search for the truth and for Carly's affection was engaging and honestly, if the whole book had been like the first half, I probably would have stopped reading. So I think I am going to middle of the road with this one. It was a 2.5 out of 5 stars for me. As for the disability...this was interesting element, but didn't add or take away anything from the story, and yet whenever I think about it, it will always be that book about colors. I am still unsure as to whether that is a good or a bad thing.
The Tell-Tale Start : The Misadventures of Edgar & Allan Poe by Gordon McAlpine Book Review
Posted by Unknown on Thursday, June 13, 2013
Labels: intermediate book review / Comments: (0)
The Tell-Tale Start: The Misadventures of Edgar & Allan Poe by Gordon McAlpine
Edgar and Allan Poe are identical twins and the great-great-great-great-grandnephews of the famous Edgar Allan Poe. Identical is almost every way, it is almost like the two boys are one person, and it is this very concept that drives them into a trap so dark that not even their granduncle in the Great Beyond can stop it.
Although highly predictable, The Misadventures of Edgar & Allan Poe was a wry twist of humor, literary analogies, mystery, and the paranormal. However, I wonder if some of the funny asides relating directly to the renowned author Poe will be lost on young readers. I am not entirely sure when children are assigned to read The Fall of the House of Usher or The Tell-Tale Heart, but without a basic working knowledge of these works the book may be a little over the heads of its readers. That is not to say that they may not enjoy it, like a kids movie that has adult jokes in them, but there are a number of references they just won't get.
Perhaps this one may have to go into the category of 'Book that adults will love more than kids.'
Edgar and Allan Poe are identical twins and the great-great-great-great-grandnephews of the famous Edgar Allan Poe. Identical is almost every way, it is almost like the two boys are one person, and it is this very concept that drives them into a trap so dark that not even their granduncle in the Great Beyond can stop it.
Although highly predictable, The Misadventures of Edgar & Allan Poe was a wry twist of humor, literary analogies, mystery, and the paranormal. However, I wonder if some of the funny asides relating directly to the renowned author Poe will be lost on young readers. I am not entirely sure when children are assigned to read The Fall of the House of Usher or The Tell-Tale Heart, but without a basic working knowledge of these works the book may be a little over the heads of its readers. That is not to say that they may not enjoy it, like a kids movie that has adult jokes in them, but there are a number of references they just won't get.
Perhaps this one may have to go into the category of 'Book that adults will love more than kids.'
Mirror Mirror by Marilyn Singer Book Review
Posted by Unknown on Friday, June 7, 2013
Labels: picture book review / Comments: (0)
Initially, it was the illustrations by Josee Masse that made me want to pick up this book, but once in my hands I found myself staring at these poems in fascination. Being a terrible poet myself, I am completely amazed as to how Singer managed to create a vignette of poems, all centered around classic fairy tales, in which the poems structure literally creates two different stories with the exact same words. The thought that must have gone into something like this. Reverse poetry my be my favorite kind of poetry so far, or at the very least it is as good as poetry for two voices.
An exert of the book follows:
In Reverse
it's true–
the only view?
If you believe that,
this poem
will challenge
something new.
Something new
will challenge
this poem
if you believe that
the only view
It's true.
Says who?
it's true–
the only view?
If you believe that,
this poem
will challenge
something new.
Something new
will challenge
this poem
if you believe that
the only view
It's true.
Says who?
For more of this author: http://marilynsinger.net/
The Navigator: A Study in Character Development
Posted by Unknown on Saturday, June 1, 2013
Labels: essays, Young Adult Review / Comments: (0)
To be more specific, consistency within characterization. I recently read a fabulous adult sci-fi called Ready Player One. This was everything a sci-fi should be.
Except for the first chapter.
See, the author had a terrific plot involving a virtual reality treasure hunt with the 1980's as a focal point. There were War Games, Dungeons and Dragons, virtual reality wars, Pacman, and a great mystery. For the haters, it basically name drops the 1980's all over the place, which was fine by me. It is one of the better books I have read of late. However, that first chapter was like the author's own personal soapbox and sadly, the character in chapters 2 through whatever was not the same in numero uno. In that first chapter there are a number of character inconsistencies. For example, Wade Watts (our protagonist) is against religion and states that he finds it useless along with its worshippers. However, just a few paragraphs later he tells the reader that one of the nicest and best people he has ever known is a religious women who lives below him. An interesting dichotomy in character that would have been a good jumping off point, but here is the crux, the author never mentions religion again. Not in the entire book. Which leads me to believe that the author has a problem with religion and simply couldn't let his book go without mentioning it, to the detriment of the character since it really has nothing to do with the character or his story.
This is an issue that I have seen in a number of books lately. Shades of Earth, Hunger Games, Insurgent, The Navigator, in a world in which less and less authors and by extension books are being published, one would think that the editors and agents would be quick to point out these major character flaws and authorial intrusions. Something along the lines of:
Dear author, I understand that you don't like organized religion, but it doesn't seem like it matters at all to your character so can we leave that bit out?
Dear author, it is our understanding that your character is a rather logical person, so why would you make her an emotional wreck in the second installment of your series?
I expect such letters from my beta readers and eventually editors. One such beta reader recently pointed out that my fantasy characters are all rather defeatist, a trait that I had not really noticed until she pointed it out. Reading through it again, I realize that yes, they are, and really only one of them should be such a cynic and not because of a lack of training but because of a lack of trust, which are really completely different things.
As the title may suggest, I read The Navigator and City of Time series and found that the character in book 1 was nothing like the one in book 2 and sadly this was not because the character had changed all that much by the end of the first book. I felt like I was meeting an entirely new character in the second book, one who made choices that seemed more like plot points than actual character development and as a reader that is frustrating. Don't get me wrong, I am okay with the occasional plot driven action adventure, but for the most part, I am a character girl. Give me a good engaging character and I may forgive a slower plot simply because I love the character so much. And as authors, sometimes it is important to remember that not all our characters are like us and sometimes we must step aside in order to let our characters shine through.


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Karloff, Boris
Karloff, Boris kär´lôf, –lŏf [key], 1887–1969, Anglo-American actor, b. Dulwich, England; his original name was William Henry Pratt. A distinguished character actor with a superb speaking voice, Karloff was famous for his monster roles in Hollywood horror films, notably Frankenstein (1931). His other movies include The Ghoul (1933), The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Isle of the Dead (1945), and Targets (1968).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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Office of the Provost
As Westmont's chief academic officer, I am honored to work with Westmont's outstanding faculty, staff, and students.
One of the nation's foremost Christian colleges, Westmont has long been grounded in the evangelical tradition and is strongly committed to the liberal arts. Faculty value academic rigor and energetic scholarship, and they enjoy the wide exploration of ideas across many fields of study. They are also eager to help build connections between a life of faith and spiritual devotion and a life of inquiry and analysis. In the classroom and beyond it, students will have opportunities to learn and grow together, not only at our Montecito campus but throughout the world. With small class sizes, students have many chances to get to know their professors as teachers, mentors and scholars. Our desire is to help students prepare to serve God with faith, compassion, imagination and wisdom.
On the left there are links that inform you about many aspects of Westmont's academic program. Please feel free to contact the Provost's Office if you have questions about academics at Westmont.
Kimberly Battle-Walters Denu, PhD
Provost and Dean of the Faculty
(805) 565-6007


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Is Actos Safe?
The blockbuster diabetes drug has significant benefits — but also, for some people, significant risks
Q. I recently saw an ad for a lawsuit involving the diabetes drug Actos. Is it safe for me to continue taking it?
A. That all depends.
Pioglitazone (Actos) and a similar drug, rosiglitazone (Avandia), are in a class of medications known as thiazolidinediones, which are used to treat type 2 diabetes. In August 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first generic versions of pioglitazone.
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Thiazolidinediones — whether used alone or in combination with other antidiabetic agents — can cause or worsen congestive heart failure. For that reason, people with heart failure should not use them, and those with risk factors for heart failure — such as high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, a history of heart attack or irregular heartbeats — should use them with caution. Both Actos and its generic equivalent are labeled with a "black box" safety warning to that effect.
The drugs also carry a warning of a possible increased risk of bladder cancer based on the FDA's analysis of five-year results from an ongoing, 10-year study in California. While the analysis found no overall increased risk of bladder cancer associated with the use of pioglitazone, it did find a slightly increased risk among patients with the longest exposure to — and highest cumulative doses of — the drug. So if you have a history of bladder cancer, or have other risk factors for bladder cancer, you also may want to avoid the drugs.
Still, pioglitazone works so well in older patients that, in my judgment, the benefits outweigh the possible risks for most people. For the reasons mentioned above, if you take pioglitazone, you and your doctor or other health professional should carefully watch for signs or symptoms of heart failure. These include shortness of breath (dyspnea) when you exert yourself or when you lie down, sudden weight gain, or swelling in your legs, ankles and feet. This is especially important when you start taking the drug and whenever there is a change in dosage. Your physician or other health professional should see you on at least a monthly basis until your optimal dose is reached, and after that evaluate your hemoglobin A1c and physical condition at 90-day intervals.
Patients who take pioglitazone also should do a couple of simple self-checks every day. The first is to press a finger into one of their ankles and make sure that there's no indentation left behind when they lift it. If the indentation remains, it's a sign of edema. The second is to make sure they're able to breathe freely when lying down without having to use a pillow to elevate their head. If they should experience trouble breathing, they should get to an emergency room right away.
Fnally, it's important to remember that older patients do not need to keep their blood glucose levels quite as low as younger patients need to. While the American Geriatrics Society recommends that "a reasonable goal for A1c in relatively healthy adults with good functional status is 7 percent or lower," I find that an appropriate target for older people is 7 or to 9 percent.
Although metformin — either alone or with glipizide or glimepiride — is often cited as the treatment of choice for people with type 2 diabetes, it's nearly always the wrong treatment for older patients, who typically lack the ability to flush the drugs out of their kidneys before they accumulate at toxic levels. Because pioglitazone is metabolized in the liver, not the kidneys, it's typically the best way to control type 2 diabetes in older patients.
Ask the Pharmacist is written by Armon B. Neel Jr., PharmD, CGP, in collaboration with journalist Bill Hogan. They are coauthors of Are Your Prescriptions Killing You?, which was published in July by Atria Books.
Remember to go to the AARP home page every day for tips on keeping healthy and sharp, and great deals.


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Comfort, control and a more slender you. That's what you'll experience in every swimwear style by Magicsuit. Created by the Miraclesuit brand that promises to make you look 10 pounds lighter in 10 seconds, Magicsuit incorporates a more fashion forward style into the brand's slimming swimwear collection. Magicsuit gives women the chance to look as great as they feel by designing swimwear dresses, tops, one piece suits and more. These Magicsuit swimsuit looks are made with the brand's exclusive Miratex fabric that's known for its ability to provide a more toned look that's comfortable to wear. Miratex is made with three times more spandex than regular swimwear. This strengthens fabric to help reveal a more slim silhouette by providing you with firm control with every wear.
Magicsuit swimwear styles go beyond just fabric and precise construction to give you a flawless look, the brand also creates swimwear to incorporate bust support as well. Hidden underwire cups are included in molded cups that give you the very best support, similar to what you would experience while wearing a bra. Magicsuit creates an illusion to reveal an enhanced shape so that you can let go of the stress of shopping for a swimsuit and embrace a more sexy and flattering silhouette.


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I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that the weirdest religion news story you missed last month was the so-called "Jewish scandal that wasn't" (as it was labeled by the National Post of Toronto). Here's the scenario: Cameron Johnston is a professor in the Department of Social Sciences at York University, an Ontario institution with a 50,000-plus student body. Prof. Johnston teaches an introductory-level social science course called "Self, Culture and Society," which this semester has about 450 students enrolled. On the first day of class he announced: "I have an opinion that people will find offensive. Jews need to be sterilized. That's my opinion." Fourth-year student Sarah Grunfeld was there, "shopping" the class. Understandably, Ms. Grunfeld was shocked at Prof. Johnston's remarks, left the classroom, and alerted a Jewish advocacy group on campus. Within twenty-four hours, the story had spread widely. B'nai Brith Canada picked it up and issued a press release calling for York to investigate.
It turned out that there was more to the story than simply a veteran academic suddenly, in a moment of candor, deciding to show his true anti-Semitic colors after thirty years on the faculty. Soon afterwards, apparently after both Grunfeld and Johnston had each met (separately) with university officials, Johnston spoke to the Toronto Star and to the York campus paper. What Grunfeld heard, he said, had been part of an explanation of why not all opinions would be treated as legitimate and worthy of serious discussion in his classroom. The statement that "all Jews should be sterilized" was supposed to be an example of an opinion that reasonable, decent people would find reprehensible and which accordingly would not be acceptable in the course. Apparently Grunfeld missed that part. Another detail is that Johnston himself is Jewish. (Presumably Grunfeld herself is Jewish too, though I haven't seen that explicitly reported in any of the news coverage.)
Grunfeld's response to Johnston's statement is interesting. Rather than backing down, she issued a statement through B'nai Brith to the effect that she stood by her original complaint, and she continued to call for a full and public apology from Johnston for his remarks. She acknowledged that "there may have been a miscommunication," but maintained that "any miscommunication was on the part of the professor, not me." The Star's Brandon Kennedy, in his story, had more pointed commentary: "Grunfeld said Tuesday she may have misunderstood the context and intent of Johnston's remarks, but that fact is insignificant. 'The words, "Jews should be sterilized" still came out of his mouth, so regardless of the context I still think that's pretty serious.' Grunfeld also expressed skepticism that Johnston was in fact Jewish. Asked directly by a reporter whether she believes Johnston is lying, she was unclear. 'Whether he is or is not, no one will know,' she said. '…Maybe he thought because he is Jewish he can talk smack about other Jews.'"
What's the significance of all this? Well, in some ways, it's a pretty silly story. Especially if you're a professor, or an aspiring professor, or even if you just happen to like professors, it's easy to read this and shake your head in despair at how bad things are these days. You only need to be taken out of context once, and you can be pilloried all over the world in a matter of hours. On the other hand, three or four days after the story first broke, hardly anyone took Sarah Grunfeld seriously any more (see the blogs at TIME and The Atlantic), and even Buzzfeed had picked up the story (with the headline "This College Student Makes Me Want to Punch My Computer Screen"). Grunfeld is likely to have a serious Google problem when she graduates next spring and starts looking for work. Both the venerable Language Log and the inimitable Dr. Jim West of Zwinglius Redivivus ("Stupid Student Tricks") took more or less this tack — how painful it can be when a student (or anyone else) fails to pay attention to context.
What strikes me as interesting, however, are two other, perhaps relatively minor points. The first is Johnston's Jewishness. I'm not sure about this, but it seems that this detail emerged into public view because Johnston volunteered it to Kennedy, the reporter for the Star. Kennedy wrote: "Johnston, who is Jewish, said his religion likely influenced his choice of words." That is, according to Johnston, his own Jewish background was the reason why the sterilization of Jews was the first example that sprang to mind when he wanted to illustrate the concept of an objectionable opinion. Grunfeld's response was to question, more or less directly, the factuality of Johston's Jewishness — "no one will know" whether he is really Jewish. Although it's easy to mock Grunfeld for taking this stance, the authenticity of any particular individual's claim to Jewish identity (or, really, any other identity) can be a highly contentious issue under other conditions. Not everyone who claims to be Jewish is always treated as Jewish. The most startling recent example of this, to me, was the U.S. Navy's 2008 decision to require a so-called Messianic Jewish chaplain, Michael Hiles, to wear a cross lapel insignia rather than the tablet insignia he requested, usually worn by Jewish chaplains. (Sources: Religion Clause, Yeshiva World, Jews in Green.) Another example: a court in the UK ruled two years ago that any definition of Judaism that relied solely on descent through the material line was discriminatory and therefore illegal (the decision was made in connection with admissions decisions by publicly-funded religious schools). More prosaically, we have seen controversies about whether an individual's authentic Jewishness can be called into question on the basis of his or her political commitments or skin color.
In a sense, then, Grunfeld is partly right — "no one will know" whether Johnston — or anyone else — is truly Jewish, because Jewishness is a contested and fluid category whose boundaries are set by convention. For this reason, it seems quixotic to invoke Jewishness as a defense against the charge of anti-Semitism. After all, if a Jew cannot be an anti-Semite, then a proven anti-Semite cannot be a real Jew — a perfect setup for the "no true Scotsman" fallacy.
Much more briefly, here's the other thing that I found striking. It's easy to dismiss Grunfeld as an ignoramus. But the fact remains that the power of language in an educational setting has been a deeply vexed issue, at least in the U.S., for a long time now. On one side of the ideological spectrum is the regulation of so-called "hate" speech, which can trace its intellectual roots back to Chaplinksy v. New Hampshire (1942), the Supreme Court decision which affirmed the state's legitimate interest in banning speech that "by [its] very utterance inflict[s] injury or tend[s] to incite an immediate breach of the peace." Such regulation has which has increasingly become identified with the left, especially on college and university campuses, and is seen by critics as a way of enforcing "political correctness." Precisely mirroring this phenomenon are the Academic Bills of Rights inspired by David Horowitz's Students for Academic Freedom, which seek to counteract a perceived dominant left-wing orthodoxy in higher education.
In a way, Grunfeld's reaction to Johnston's speech just reflects an extreme example of this attitude, which sees words as having a talismanic, performative character that extends beyond their rational import. And that part of Johnston's response that relied on his Jewishness as a defense against the charge, in a way, does the same thing. At least, I sort of think it does. I haven't quite worked out the connection yet. What do you think?


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|Mil. EUR, WDASA
|Working Day Adjusted and Seasonally Adjusted
|10.78 %
|French National Institute of Statistics and Economic studies (insee)
|Quarterly national accounts
|Start Date
|End Date
|Balance of Goods
|Jan 2023
|Mil. EUR, SA
|Current Account Balance
|Jan 2023
|Mil. EUR, NSA
|Exports of Goods
|Jan 2023
|Mil. EUR, SA
|Imports of Goods
|Jan 2023
|Mil. EUR, SA
|Exports of Goods and Services
|Mil. EUR, WDASA
|Imports of Goods and Services
|Mil. EUR, WDASA
|Net Exports
|Mil. EUR, WDASA
|Real Exports of Goods and Services
|Mil. Ch. 2014 EUR, WDASA
|Real Imports of Goods and Services
|Mil. Ch. 2014 EUR, WDASA
|Real Net Exports
|Mil. Ch. 2014 EUR, WDASA
The accounts for each quarter are released in two forms:The first, entitled "preliminary figures" (premiers résultats), is issued 45 days after the end of the quarter.It provides an early estimate of GDP as well of goods and services transactions (trade, production,consumption, gross fixed capital formation, change in inventories).
The second publication, called "detailed figures" (résultats détaillés), is issued 90 days after the end of the quarter and provides full information on goods and services transactions, and on households and
corporations accounts.
Main items include: External Trade, Production, Gross Fixed Capital Formation, Household consumption, other items of the input-output tabel (IOT), Taxes, Wages and salaries, legal weekly worked hours and total worked hours, Social contributions and benefits, Integrated economic accounts table.
The national economy can be divided into homogeneous economic units, ie that produce goods (or provide services) within the same activity as defined in the nomenclature of French activities NAF Revision 2 (NAF rev. 2) .
The combination of these economic units is consistent lines of business. These branches are distinct industries, which include autonomous economic units that can produce goods or services in different activities, but whose main activity is classified.
The activity of branches is explored through the accounts of production and operation. The production account shows the relationship between output and intermediate inputs needed for production. Its net value added measures the wealth created during the production process.
The income statement describes how the value added includes compensation paid to employees and taxes on production. Its balance of the gross operating surplus measures the benefit of operating branches.
The combination of value and number of branches used to calculate the apparent productivity of labor. The payroll and workforce (or hours worked) to calculate the average wage per head (or the average hourly wage).
Balance of the production account. It is equal to the value of production minus intermediate consumption.
As regards goods, the main sources are the industrial production indices (indicators in volume for industry, excluding water, gas and electricity). Agriculture and transport statistics cover the outputs of the eponymous sectors. The turnover indices (from VAT returns) are used more marginally. In this field, 96% of output is estimated on the basis of indicators (only crop production and forestry are extrapolated and smoothed). For the other sectors (services excluding transport, energy-water-waste), output is obtained indirectly from uses. For accounts in value, the producer price indices in industry cover a wider scope than in the 2000 base.
Intermediate consumption and inventory change
Mostly unobserved, intermediate consumption is usually obtained from the output of the corresponding sector with assumptions on the trend stability of the technical coefficients in volume. Similarly, as there is no directly available information, inventory changes are obtained through the balance between supplies and uses excluding stocks (intermediate consumption, final consumption, GFCF, exports) for virtually all goods.
The labor productivity is defined as the ratio of value added and a measure of labor input. The three types of accounts can therefore calculate productivity and changes. If the first is sometimes the only available for comparisons across time and space, the third is the most accurate and suitable.
Estimates of employment individuals are, in INSEE, mainly made by the department of employment and earnings. The national accounts from those estimates. The field chosen is that of domestic employment and employment of non-resident. It includes all workers who are engaged in producing "falls within the production boundary of the system."
The accounts are in two parts:
First are made simultaneously in individual accounts and full-time equivalent. These accounts detail the work factor or by sector or by industry.
Then calculated the accounts of hours worked and hourly productivity. These accounts are detailed by industry.
The transition of individuals to full-time equivalent is based primarily on data from hours of work, either full time or part time. These data, taken in the second part of the accounts are provided by the Statistical Directorate of the Ministry of Labor. These data are combined with others from the national accounts, such as production or wages. They enable the accounts of employment consistent with other accounts, first full-time equivalent, then, by the way just mentioned, but reversed in individuals.
Accounts full time equivalent are still useful for accounts of hours worked, which refine the estimates of labor through the inclusion of significant adjustments (statutory holidays, including sickness).
The quarterly national accounts are designed to provide, at an intra-year frequency, a comprehensive set of macroeconomic information that is relatively detailed and consistent with past annual accounts. The information (in value, volume, and price series) is seasonally and working-days adjusted in order to highlight significant cyclical movements.
The quarterly accounts are consistent with the data of past annual accounts: they have the same conceptual framework, the national accounting system (ESA 95). As well as for annual accounts, quarterly accounts volume are chain-linked volumes at previous year prices.
The methodology is the same for the "preliminary figures" and for the "detailed results". The number of forecasted indicators alone distinguishes the two estimations. In particular, between these estimations, the last month of turnover indexes and the last two months of health insurance payments. The missing indicators are calculated either from statistical processes (ARIMA) or by modeling business surveys.
General government expenditure and revenue are simplified to represent the actual cash flows and removes most of the flow allocated to the national accounts. In accordance with the European System of Accounts 2010 (ESA 2010), three cash flows are preserved:
Imputed social contributions is reported for comparable labor cost data amongst countries. Production for own final use shows the extent gross formation position of fixed capital (P51g) government. Returnable tax credits are recorded as expenditure and government revenue.
Under the Treaty on European Union (Maastricht Treaty), public finances are considered on the basis of data from national accounts. In the case of France, the government accounts are published by Insee on its website and discussed in the Insee first annual accounting of the APU. To do this, Insee working closely with the Directorate General of Public Accountancy (DGCP), responsible for collecting and formatting data, DGTPE, responsible for the preparation and formatting of data interim account and the Bank of France, head of the financial accounts of government in market value.
Government debt sub-sector breakdown are as follows:
In national accounts, GVA is output minus intermediate consumption; it is a balancing item of the national accounts' production account. Both GVA and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) are measures of output. Their relationship is defined as:
Because taxes less subsidies on products are only available at the national level, Gross Value Added is used as the primary measurement for output for entities smaller than a national economy.
Data may be revised. Therefore, the quarterly data can be modified from the beginning of the series, but the annual gross data, which result from them, are not revised because they fit the annual accounts until the semi-definitiveaccounts (and until the provisional account for public administrations data). The quarterly accounts integrate the data of the last annual campaign in May of each year, when the preliminary results for the first quarter of the year are released.


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Saban makes official what "everybody knows," it's Tua's job
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Nick Saban made official what anybody who watched No. 1 Alabama's opener likely assumed: Tua Tagovailoa is the Crimson Tide's starting quarterback.
The top-ranked Tide's coach didn't wait for the question to be asked Monday before saying Tagovailoa will start Saturday against Arkansas State, but even he acknowledged it wasn't much of a secret.
He said two-year starter Jalen Hurts will still play a role.
"I think everybody knows that Tua's going to start this game and we're going to use Jalen's skill-set in the future to help however we feel that he can benefit the team," Saban said. "I just want to be clear with everyone that I have done this in the past where we don't say who the starter's going to be for the first game and we give both quarterbacks an opportunity to play in the game, which is exactly what we did in this game. Not a whole lot different than what we've done in the past."
It was just amplified this time because of the circumstances. Hurts has a 26-2 record as a starter and has led the Tide to a pair of national championship games.
Tagovailoa was the hero of the title game against Georgia in January after entering for the second half, guaranteeing a quarterback battle during the offseason. The sophomore from Hawaii was terrific in his first start in a 51-14 victory over Louisville . He was 12-of-16 passing for 227 yards and two touchdowns while running for a third score.
"We make all of our decisions here based on winning," Saban said. "Whoever we feel will give us the best opportunity to go out there and win, that's who we're going to play. Obviously, it's how you practice, how you prepare. I said it at the beginning, who wins the team.
"In our opinion, the one player did a little better job of that so he got the opportunity to start and we got the opportunity to play both guys and look and see how they performed and we're going to continue to try to help both players improve and get better."
It had become a touchy subject for Saban after repeated questions about the starter leading up to the game. Saban got testy with an ESPN reporter following a postgame question about the decision.
Saban called sideline reporter Maria Taylor and apologized.
Taylor simply asked: "What answers did you have about your quarterbacks after watching them both play tonight?".
Taylor was part of the ESPN crew for Monday night's game between No. 20 Virginia Tech and No. 19 Florida State. She declined to comment when asked about Saban's remarks the past two days.
Saban is taking pains to avoid seeming critical of Hurts .
"If I get asked to vilify a player and make another one a crown prince publicly, I might not respond to that, and I need to learn a better way to respond to that," he said. "And I will in the future. And I pray every Sunday that I never get angry. But it was a time and circumstance thing for me. I was a little upset by the way we finished the game, the penalties we had, the mental errors that we had. So it was totally my responsibility and we apologize for it."
Saban said he hasn't made any decision on working to let Hurts take advantage of the NCAA's new rule allowing players who play in four games or fewer to redshirt. Hurts has two years of eligibility left and played significant time in the opener.
"I don't know how you can prepare when you pick and choose when you're going to play players," Saban said. "I don't know how you can do that. I mean, you have to get somebody ready to play in the game. So if you have any suggestions, I'd be glad to listen to them. But I don't know how you do that. I don't know how a player really can choose when he wants to play and have any respect for his teammates."
Associated Press writer Joe Reedy in Tallahassee, Florida, contributed to this story.
More AP college football: https://apnews.com/tag/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25


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DJ at the Pool
Jun 30, 2019 | 2:00 pm - 11:30 pm
Join the beautiful people at Madero's pool every Sunday and relax to a chill vibe.
DJ at the pool, delicious sushi, grill at the beach, champagne specials and some of the best mojitos the island has to offer.
Entrance is free, but pool beds and loungers are not. Check at the bar for prices.
Venue: Madero Ocean Club, Bapor Kibra z/n
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AC360° Correspondent
Filed under: Islam • Randi Kaye
Anderson Cooper goes beyond the headlines to tell stories from many points of view, so you can make up your own mind about the news. Tune in weeknights at 8 and 10 ET on CNN.
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Want to know more? Go behind the scenes with AC361°