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The vow attributed to William Randolph Hearst that he would "furnish the war" with Spain in the late 19th century is a zombie-like bogus quote: Despite thorough and repeated debunking, it never dies.
It is, as I discussed in my media-mythbusting book, Getting It Wrong, Exhibit A in support of the dubious notion that Hearst brought on the Spanish-American War.
The vow supposedly was made in a telegram to the artist, Frederic Remington, whom Hearst had sent to Cuba to draw sketches of the rebellion against Spanish colonial rule. Remington stayed just six days in January 1897 before returning to New York, where his sketches were displayed prominently in Hearst's New York Journal.
The mythical tale about the Hearstian vow and the war with Spain was offered up anew yesterday, in an essay posted at Forbes.com. It declared:
"Artist Frederick [sic] Remington was working for Hearst and the Journal was filled with his sketches of alleged Spanish atrocities committed against the Cuban populace, especially women and children. When events in Cuba seemed to have run their course and the Spanish had regained control Remington wrote to Hearst and asked if it was time to come home, Hearst replied, 'Remain there. You provide the pictures, and I will provide the war.' And when the battleship Maine blew up in Havana Harbor, he did just that with a stream of fictional stories of sabotage and anti-Americanism. That the explosion was actually caused by the accidental ignition of coal dust was, as far as Hearst was concerned, irrelevant. He had his war."
There's a lot of myth and misunderstanding to unpack there.
For starters, the "alleged Spanish atrocities committed against the Cuban populace" were quite real. The abuses stemmed from Spain's policy of "reconcentration," in which Cuban non-combattants were herded into garrison towns, to deprive the rebels of their support. Reconcentration led to acute hardships, privation, and the deaths of untold thousands of Cubans.
A leading historian of the Spanish-American War period, Ivan Musicant, has written that reconcentration "did more to bring on the Spanish-American War than anything else the Spanish could have done."
The misguided policy, Musicant also noted, "turned public opinion enormously in the United States."
Despite the Forbes claim, Spain never "regained control" of Cuba; at best, the rebellion had settled into an uneasy stalemate by the end of 1897.
The battleship USS Maine blew up in Havana harbor on February 15, 1898, 13 months after Remington's brief visit to Cuba. Cause of the explosion that killed 266 U.S. sailors and officers remains disputed. But in March 1898, a U.S. Naval Court of Inquiry reported that the Maine most likely had been destroyed by an underwater mine. The Inquiry could not determine who set the device, however.
About a month after the Court of Inquiry issued its report, the United States and Spain went to war over Cuba.
In the run-up to war, the Journal didn't distinguish itself with its overheated reporting about the crisis. But the newspaper's content cannot be said to have brought on the conflict.
As I've noted previously at Media Myth Alert, claims that Hearst fomented the war invariably are offered without persuasive explanation as to how the often-exaggerated content of his newspapers was transformed into U.S. policy, how newspaper reports were decisive in the decision-making the led the United States to declare war in April 1898.
The inescapable answer: Newspaper content was not decisive.
If Hearst and his newspapers had pushed the country into war, then researchers surely should be able to locate evidence of such influence in the personal papers and reminiscences of policymakers of the time.
But nothing of the like can be found in the private letters, diary entries, and diplomatic correspondence of top members of the administration of President William McKinley.
Those papers contain almost no evidence that the content of Hearst's newspapers "penetrated the thinking of key White House officials, let alone influenced the Cuban policy of the McKinley administration," I noted in my 2001 book, Yellow Journalism: Puncturing the Myths, Defining the Legacies.
Which brings us back to the zombie-like vow, which, by the way, the Forbes essay mangles.
Hearst purportedly told Remington, "Please remain. You furnish the pictures, and I'll furnish the war" — not "Remain there. You provide the pictures, and I will provide the war."
The original source for the "furnish the war" quotation was On the Great Highway, a slim volume of reminiscences published in 1901. The author, James Creelman, was a vain, cigar-chomping journalist inclined to self-promotion, hyperbole, and pomposity.
Creelman did not explain in On the Great Highway how or where he learned about the supposed Remingt0n-Hearst exchange.
What's more, Creelman – who was in Spain at the time Remington was in Cuba in 1897 – recounted the anecdote not as a rebuke but as a compliment to Hearst and the activist "yellow journalism" he had pioneered in New York City.
Over the decades, though, the quote has morphed into censure of Hearst and his supposedly war-mongering newspapers.
The quote lives on despite the absence of any supporting documentation: The telegrams that Remington and Hearst supposedly exchanged have never turned up, and Hearst denied having sent such a message.
Not only that, but the Spanish authorities who controlled Cuba's incoming and outbound telegraphic traffic surely would have intercepted and called attention to such an incendiary message — had it been sent.
In addition, the timing of Remington's assignment further undercuts the "furnish the war" tale: The timing poses an irreconcilable internal inconsistency, in that it would have been absurd for Hearst to pledge to "furnish the war" because war — specifically, the Cuban rebellion — was the very reason he sent Remington to Cuba in the first place.
More from Media Myth Alert:
- About that Hearst quote on public's fondness for entertainment
- Remembering the 'Maine,' Hearst, and Remington
- Hearst, Garrison Keillor, and 'furnish the war': Celebrities and media myths
- Nat Geo's cartoonish treatment of Hearst v. Pulitzer
- No, 'Salon' — Hearst's yellow journalism didn't cause war with Spain
- No, Politico: Hearst did not cause the Spanish-American War
- The Remington-Hearst media myth invoked anew
- Yellow journalism: A sneer is born
- Obama, journalism history, and 'folks like Hearst'
- 1897 flashback: Committing 'jailbreaking journalism'
- 'War Lovers': A myth-indulging disappointment
- Check out The 1995 Blog
- Getting It Wrong goes on Q-and-A


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Source: SkySports
Greece had to settle for a place in the World Cup qualifying play-offs as their bid to overhaul Bosnia-Herzegovina at the top of Group G ended in disappointment, despite a 2-0 victory at home to Liechtenstein on Tuesday.
Greece claimed a comfortable win thanks to a goal early in the first half from Dimitris Salpingidis and late in the second from Giorgos Karagounis.
But they always needed Bosnia to slip up in Lithuania and their rivals' 1-0 win ensured they remained in second place. The two teams finished the pool level on 25 points, but Bosnia's vastly superior goal difference proved key.
Fernando Santos' side now need to come through a two-legged play-off against another second-placed side to ensure their place in Brazil next summer.
Greece went into the match knowing they would by relying on a favour from Lithuania to claim top spot, but were at least able to settle any early nerves of their own with the opening goal after only seven minutes.
Salpingidis slid home a low finish into the right corner from close range to break the deadlock.
Panagiotis Kone fired over the top from way out, while at the other end goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis had to be alert to tip Sandro Wieser's shot around a post.
Martin Stocklasa's shot from the resulting corner was then blocked by Dimitrios Siovas.
That was a rare moment of promise for the hosts, but they themselves were struggling to add to their lead.
Kostas Mitroglou's shot was saved by Peter Jehle, who produced a better save to tip away Georgios Samaras' header from Karagounis' corner.
Salpingidis then mis-hit a shot from inside the area over the bar.
Dimitrios Siovas fired wide from close range before the hosts finally doubled their lead 80 minutes from time.
Karagounis curled a 25-yard free-kick into the top corner to at least make their result safe.
Lazaros Christodoulopoulos almost added a third with another long-range effort, but it was well kept out by Jehle, who also parried a Alexandros Tziolis shot as Greece finished on top.

subset: commoncrawl


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HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Florida seniors were ushered out of stifling assisted-living centers Thursday while caregivers fought a lack of air conditioning with Popsicles and cool compresses after eight people died at a nursing home in the post-hurricane heat.
Dozens of the state's senior centers still lacked electricity in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, and several facilities were forced to evacuate. While detectives sought clues to the deaths, emergency workers went door to door to look for anyone else who was at risk.
Fifty-seven residents were moved from a suburban Fort Lauderdale assisted-living facility without power to two nearby homes where power had been restored. Owner Ralph Marrinson said all five of his Florida facilities lost electricity after Irma. Workers scrambled to keep patients cool with emergency stocks of ice and Popsicles.
"FPL has got to have a better plan for power," he said, referring to the state's largest utility, Florida Power & Light. "We're supposed to be on a priority list, and it doesn't come and it doesn't come, and frankly it's very scary."
Stepped-up safety checks were conducted around the state after eight deaths at the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills, which shocked Florida's top leaders as they surveyed destruction from the punishing storm.
Older people can be more susceptible to heat because their bodies do not adjust to temperatures as well as those of younger people. They do not sweat as much and are more likely to have medical conditions that change how the body responds to heat. They are also more likely to take medication that affects body temperature.
Most people who die from high body temperature, known as hyperthermia, are over 50, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Statewide, 64 nursing homes were still waiting Thursday for full power, according to the Florida Health Care Association. The separate Florida Assisted Living Association said many of its South Florida members lacked electricity. The group was working on a precise count.
A day earlier near Orlando, firefighters helped relocate 122 people from two assisted-living centers that had been without power since the storm. And at the 15,000-resident Century Village retirement community in Pembroke Pines, where there were also widespread outages, rescue workers went door to door to check on residents and bring ice, water and meals.
For older people living on their own, such as 94-year-old Mary Dellaratta, getting help can depend on the attentiveness of neighbors, family and local authorities. The widow evacuated her Naples condominium with the help of police the day before the hurricane. After the storm passed, a deputy took her back home and another brought her food. A deacon from her Roman Catholic church also stopped by.
But with no family in the area and neighbors who are gone or unwilling to help, the New York native feels cut off from the world.
"I have nobody," she said.
The electricity is out in her condo, so there's no television for news. She cannot raise the electric-powered hurricane shutters that cover her kitchen windows.
Near the point of despair, remembering to take her medicine or locating her cane are almost insurmountable challenges.
"I don't know what to do. How am I going to last here?" she said, as a tear rolled down her cheek.
To the east, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation has been checking on elderly residents in their homes and felt a greater sense of urgency after the deaths. CEO Jacob Solomon said the group encouraged people to evacuate before the storm if they could, but now they're focused on helping them in their homes.
"At this point, we're better off taking care of them where they are. They didn't leave then. They're not going to leave now. What are you going to do? You go, you check on them, you make sure they have water and food and that's it," he said. "You're not going to convince a 95-year-old Holocaust survivor to do something that she doesn't want to do."
Though the number of people with electricity has improved from earlier in the week, some 4.9 million people across the peninsula continued to wait for power. Utility officials warned it could take a week or more for all areas to be back up and running.
Including the nursing home deaths, at least 26 people in Florida have died under Irma-related circumstances, and six more in South Carolina and Georgia, many of them well after the storm passed. The death toll across the Caribbean stood at 38.
On Thursday, detectives were at the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills after receiving a search warrant to investigate the eight patients' deaths, which police believed were heat-related.
The center said the hurricane knocked out a transformer that powered the air conditioning. Broward County said the home alerted officials about the situation on Tuesday, but when asked if it had any medical needs or emergencies, it did not request help.
But by early Wednesday, the center had placed three calls to report patients in distress, prompting firefighters to search the facility. They found three people dead and evacuated 145 people to hospitals, many on stretchers or in wheelchairs, authorities said. By that afternoon, five more had died.
The facility's administrator, Jorge Carballo, said in a statement that it was cooperating fully with authorities.
Reached by phone on Thursday, Rosemary Cooper, a licensed practical nurse at the rehabilitation center, declined to discuss specifics about the case, citing the investigation.
"The people who were working there worked hard to make a good outcome for our patients," she said. "We cared for them like family."
But state records revealed a variety of problems at the center. The center showed deficiencies in maintaining fire and safety standards pertaining to exits and storage areas, as well as more serious problems with its generator maintenance and testing, according to February 2016 reports by Florida Agency for Health Care Administration inspectors.
Another 2016 report found problems with respecting patient dignity and maintaining housekeeping services.
The ex-husband of 71-year-old victim Gail Nova said her devastated family believes the facility should lose its license.
"Someone's got to answer for this. Someone let the ball drop very, very far," Kenneth Nova said by phone from his home in Winter Haven.
Reeves reported from Naples. Associated Press writers Tim Reynolds in Aventura; Brendan Farrington, Gary Fineout and Joe Reedy in Tallahassee; Adriana Gomez Licon in Homestead; Michael Melia in Hartford Connecticut and Jennifer Kay, Freida Frisaro, Curt Anderson and David Fischer in Miami contributed to this report.


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How auto glass is the new auto glass. 16 great articles about automotive museums. 9 ways automotive technicians are completely overrated. If...
The 17 biggest online auto part blunders. 20 podcasts about auto accessories. Why automotive technicians will change your life. Supercar prices by the numbers. The 12 best car battery twitter feeds to follow. The 13 worst car body shops in history. What wikipedia can't tell you about hybrid supercars. How supercar prices are the new supercar prices. 18 uses for hybrid supercars. Exotic cars by the numbers.
Why our world would end if online auto parts disappeared. Expose: you're losing money by not using auto parts stores. The 9 worst auto repair shops in history. 7 things your boss expects you know about auto body parts. The best ways to utilize mechanic shops. The complete beginner's guide to exotic cars. The 12 worst discount auto parts in history. Auto warehouses by the numbers. How auto parts stores made me a better person. The 20 worst supercar prices in history.
11 bs facts about automotive technicians everyone thinks are true. Auto warehouses by the numbers. How hollywood got mechanic shops all wrong. 14 bs facts about automotive jobs everyone thinks are true. The 14 best car seat cover twitter feeds to follow. Why our world would end if rebuilt engines disappeared. Why hybrid supercars will make you question everything. How supercar prices can help you predict the future. What the beatles could learn from auto repair shops. 19 things about auto body parts your kids don't want you to know.
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The Stop Online Piracy Act has hit a major snag, with the House Judiciary Committee adjourning before it could send the bill to the floor—and setting no date to continue proceedings. It's not a deathblow—not by a longshot—but it's a welcome pause for consideration for a bill that has the potential to grow into a digital Patriot Act.
The bill—H.R.3261—was expected to pass out of committee today, which would have meant it would go to the floor to be voted on by the House. The proceedings have been long, and far from engaging—but now it looks like they won't continue until some time in early January at the earliest.
If SOPA does eventually pass, it has the potential to drastically change the internet landscape as it exists. It essentially gives Justice Department carte blanch to force ISPS to blacklist sites and block incoming traffic to them, by one method or another. Infringing sites could be targeted even if only a small portion of their users stood accused of violating copyright law (sorry Reddit!). Plus, pretty much everyone's sure that the whole thing would just lead to elaborate workarounds and only succeed in undermining the integrity of the DNS system.
Meanwhile, there is a similar bill floating around the Senate—the Protect IP Act (PIPA)—that is still due to come to a vote, possibly as early as this month. Both bills have been widely panned as a stepping stone to a closed internet like China's Great Firewall. We're not quite at the doorstep to that just yet, but don't discount the seriousness of what's at stake for the internet here: This is the widest, most aggressive, and most real push for total online censorship we've seen. It's maybe a good idea to do something about it. [Wired, TPM, OpenCongress, WHIR]


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When CVS announced its plan to stop selling all tobacco products at it's 7,600 stores by October 1, 2014 and walk away from 2 billion in tobacco related business, the media immediately began to speculate whether other major drug store chains would follow suit. The more interesting question to me is whether tobacco is the only product line that will be removed from "drug store" shelves.
Should CVS dump junk food and alcohol next?
Since most drug stores are already providing basic health checks and flu shots, it seems safe to bet it's only a matter of time before Walgreens and the like, more firmly hitch their profits to the health care wagon. But I also think tobacco is only the beginning. Alcohol and, eventually, junk food will be banned too. And that's probably a good thing for CVS — and us. Here's why.
It's About Money
Retail consumption is down and will be far into the foreseeable future. Currently, health care is 18% of our economy and growing fast. By 2020, it is projected to be at 20%. In banning tobacco products, CVS made a long-term health decision about the future of the company. Their announcement acknowledges the shift in their business model, aimed at getting a bigger slice of that health care pie and taking advantage of various aspects of the Affordable Care Act.
According to CVS:
"By removing tobacco products from our retail shelves, we will better serve our patients, clients and health-care providers while positioning CVS Caremark for future growth as a health-care company," Larry Merlo, president and chief executive of CVS, said in a video statement. "Cigarettes and tobacco products have no place in a setting where health care is delivered. This is the right thing to do."
(via CVS to stop selling cigarettes by Oct. 1, Sarah Kliff, Washington Post)
Notice, there are no retail customers mentioned in that statement. CVS now is in the health care delivery business. The customer who walk through their door is now a patient. CVS's focus is on serving it's clients, who will make up that 2 billion in lost business. Those clients are in the health care, pharmaceutical and health insurance industries.
But we are winners too. Currently, CVS has 750 MINUTE CLINICS, the country's largest chain of pharmacy-based health clinics. Through contracts with health care providers and health care insurers, CVS is working to provide primary care services on weekends and evenings, when doctors' offices are usually closed.
It's About Health
There is no getting around the fact that focusing on health is in our future. Health care increasingly impacts our wallets. But, more importantly, health care is increasingly taking over our lives.
On Monday, the World Health Organization released The WHO's World Cancer Report 2014 warning that:
"The global burden of cancer will grow by 70 percent over the next two decades with an estimated 22 million new cases and 13 million deaths each year by 2032."
Yes, these are world figures, but just think about it a minute. Who has not already seen or directly felt the impact of cancer on the lives of family and friends.
A 70% increase over the next 20 years. Just in cancer. In the US, cancer is only the second leading cause of death from chronic disease. Heart disease come first, but there is also diabetes, stroke, etc. No health care system, individually or collectively, can handle an increase in patient care at this level. If we are going to get serious about health, we need to get serious about prevention.
The good news, if there is some, is that the World Health Organization claims half of the new cancer cases, that is 11 million a year, are preventable. That is huge!
So what are the top causes of preventable cancer? They are same major players in almost every other chronic disease and we could probably list most of them without much thought.
Smoking — Infections — Alcohol — Obesity and inactivity
Tobacco products are responsible for many forms of cancer. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death. Almost all of lung cancer it is from smoking. So it makes sense for CVS as a health care deliverer to ban tobacco in their stores.
Alcohol is a major contributor to liver disease, high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes and some cancers.
So one has to wonder how CVS can be in the health care delivery business and sell alcohol when it doesn't sell tobacco? Particularly when not all CVSs sell alcohol in their stores anyway due to state or county laws. To be consistent across stores and with their tobacco ban, it would seem natural for CVS to say bye-bye to Alcohol too.
Which brings us to junk food. Sure we all know it's not good for us and can make us obese, but well… It's everywhere. Why worry if CVS sells it?
It's About Science
Food and diet are a big part of preventing and fighting disease. We get the nutrients we need for a well-functioning body from our food. And, yes it is true — we are what we eat. Junk in equals junk out. Poor diet is a major factor in heart disease, cancer, diabetes, allergies, weight gain, digestive disorders, etc.
Junk food — highly processed, high fat, high carbohydrate, high sugar, high salt — assaults the functioning of even a healthy body on multiple fronts.
- Junk food lacks the complex nutritional components that we need for a healthy functioning body.
- Junk food is more calorie dense so it displaces more of the nutritionally rich foods.
- Junk food is increasingly becoming a mainstay of our diet. It is not just for "snacks" anymore.
Okay. So, bad enough that "junk food" doesn't work for us in maintaining a healthy functioning body, but increasingly research is showing that junk food actively fights against the healthy functionings of our body.
- Like cigarettes, junk foods are designed to override our body's natural system of regulation, particularly in the area of consumption and satiation (feelings of fullness). So we eat more, by design.
But worst all, junk food sets off alarm bells in our body.
- Within minutes of consumption, junk food causes low grade inflammation, that activates our immune system and hijacks our body's resources and thus hinders its ability to fight diseases or even function normally.
If CVS is to become a vital part of our health care delivery system, it will need to remove more than just tobacco products. From where I sit, CVS would be a smart and caring partner to its health care customers to dump junk food and alcohol products along with tobacco products.
What say you?


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Congratulations to Maurice Isserman and Stewart Weaver, winners of the 2008 Banff Mountain Book Award for Mountaineering History. Their excellent book, Fallen Giants: A History of Himalayan Mountaineering from the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes , does not merely chronicle the harrowing ascents and colorful personalities of high-altitude climbing. It also offers a look at mountaineering as a cultural project that blossomed in the 19th and 20th centuries. (In the interest of full disclosure, I am friends with Stewart and an acquaintance of Maurice).
David Chaundy-Smart, editor of Gripped Magazine, states:
Tilman speculated that a chronicle of the "fall of the giants" of the Himalayas would not be as interesting as chronicles of the failed attempts. He never anticipated that Maurice Isserman and Stewart Weaver would eventually paraphrase him in the title of an exhaustive and entertaining history of Himalayan mountaineering. This is a standard-setting work that credibly accounts for the struggle to summit the 8000 metre peaks with a seamless discussion of politics, economics and the development of climbing technique backed by a mind-boggling list of sources.
If this isn't enough to satisfy your Himalayan appetite, visit the Pitt Rivers Museum's Tibet Album. Here you'll find a collection of British photographs in Central Tibet from 1920-1950. The collection totals 6000 photographs by Charles Bell, Arthur Hopkinson, Evan Nepean, Hugh Richardson, Frederick Spencer Chapman, and Harry Staunton among others. Taken together with Everest expedition photos of the Bently Beetham Collection (listed in my links and profiled here), one gets a vivid picture of British-Nepali-Tibetan encounters in the early 20th century.
You can also find the journal of Cecil Mainprise, medical officer of General Sir Francis Younghusband's expedition to Tibet in 1903, dutifully published in blog form by his great nephew Jonathan Buckley.
Reading all of this material may give you a bit of altitude sickness. Best to descend for a while and acclimatize. I'll be here with more after the New Year.


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Here's a look at some of the key Obamacare tax provisions that will affect employers, insurers, pharmaceutical manufacturers and others in the health industry.
Employer mandate: Starting in 2015, a company with at least 50 full-time or "full-time equivalent" employees -- those who work at least 30 hours a week -- will have to make a "shared responsibility" payment if it:
--Does not offer those employees and their dependents an employer-sponsored health plan with minimum essential coverage and if any full-time employees qualify for federal insurance subsidies
--Or it offers such a plan but the plan proves too expensive for some employees who otherwise would qualify for federal subsidies.
Trying to skirt this rule would be hard, even if a company cuts its full-time staff and beefs up its part-time roster, because of how the law counts heads.
For example, a business with 20 part-time employees who each work 96 hours a month would be counted as having 16 full-time equivalents, according to health insurer Cigna. So if the company has 35 or more full-timers on top of that, it would be subject to the mandate.
Related: Taxpayer guide to Obamacare
Health insurance tax credit for small businesses: Through 2015, a company with fewer than 25 full-time employees that pays an average annual wage less than $50,000 can get a tax credit for a percentage of the health insurance premiums it pays for its workers. Tax-exempt small businesses qualify for a smaller credit.
Starting in 2014, however, to claim the credit, a small business must participate in an insurance exchange, according to tax publisher CCH.
A for-profit small business would get a maximum of 50% of its premiums; if it's tax-exempt, it could get up to 35%.
Annual fee for insurance providers: An insurance provider, unless it's a certain type of nonprofit, must pay an annual fee if the net premiums it writes in a year top $25 million.
The fee will be determined by the IRS, but in total the agency must collect $8 billion in 2014; $11.3 billion in both 2015 and 2016; $13.9 billion in 2017 and $14.3 billion in 2018. Thereafter, annual fee revenue will be adjusted for premium growth.
If a provider's premiums are between $25 million and $50 million, the fee will be based on only half of the written premium amount between $25 million and $50 million, said Mark Luscombe, federal tax principle for the tax publisher CCH. If they're over $50 million, the fee will be based on 100% of the premiums over $50 million.
A penalty of at least $10,000 applies to any insurer that fails to meet the deadline for reporting premium data without reasonable cause.
Another penalty applies if an insurance provider understates the written premium amount.
Related: What you need to know about individual tax changes
Annual fee for branded prescription drug makers: Any manufacturer or importer of branded prescription drugs must pay a fee, which will be treated as an excise tax and collected by the IRS. The total fees collected will vary year to year, ranging from $2.8 billion to $4.1 billion going forward.
Excise tax on medical devices: Any manufacturer, producer and importer of certain medical devices must pay a tax equal to 2.3% of the devices' sale price.
Among the devices exempt from the tax are eyeglasses, contact lenses and hearing aids.
Limitations on tax breaks for some insurers and employers: To continue to qualify for a certain deduction, an insurer of large health plans must spend at least 85% of its premium revenue on reimbursement for clinical services. Insurers of plans in the individual and small group market must spend at least 80%.
Also, an insurer may no longer deduct more than $500,000 in compensation for executives and other highly paid employees.
And an employer that provides a prescription drug subsidy for retirees may no longer fully deduct that cost if it receives a federal subsidy for it as well.
Tax on charitable hospitals that don't meet certain requirements: To avoid a $50,000 excise tax and preserve its tax-exempt status, a charitable hospital must formally assess community health needs and create a financial assistance policy.
Fees for a research trust fund: Through 2019, an issuer of certain health insurance policies and large companies that self-insure must pay a fee to support the newly created Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund.
For plan years ending after Sept. 30, 2013, and before Oct.1, 2014 the fee is set at $2 times the average number of lives covered during the plan or policy year. Future fees will be adjusted for inflation.
"Cadillac" tax on high-cost plans: Starting in 2018, an insurer of employer-sponsored plans -- or an employer that self-insures its own plan -- will be subject to a 40% excise tax if its plan costs top $10,200 for individual coverage and $27,500 for family coverage. (Thresholds are higher for plans covering retirees and workers in high-risk jobs.)
The tax will apply to the value of the plan above the threshold amounts.
The thresholds in 2018 may be adjusted higher if health care costs rise more than expected. Thereafter they will be adjusted for inflation.


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Cars have already come such a long way since the Model-T days, but if you think Google's driverless cars were fancy, wait until you hear about Toyota's heart attack-detecting sensors, that will steer a car if you lose control.
The sensor-laden steering wheel has been shown off by Toyota over in Japan, where the focus is very much on safety. Sensors monitoring the driver's heartbeat will trigger a reaction in the car, and using cameras attached to the nose of a car, will detect is a crash is possible, and help steer the car away. While Toyota hasn't mentioned it, I'm sure it's also possible for the steering wheel to morph into a robot and administer CPR if needed, also. Or at the very least ring the emergency services. [Yahoo via MedGadget]
Image Credit: Tucker Leary


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Bishop Joseph Walker Could Face More Accusers in Sexual Abuse Lawsuit
Nashville Pastor's Ministry Also Accused of Fraud, Failing to File Tax Returns
More women could come forward amid allegations that Joseph Walker III, head pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Nashville, Tenn., and five other church members subjected women to sexual exploitation for at least a decade, the attorney representing a woman who has sued Walker told The Christian Post.
Mount Zion Baptist Church made headlines last week when a sexual exploitation lawsuit filed against Bishop Walker and five current and former members was made public. The lawsuit, brought by accuser Valencia Batson, also features supporting testimonies from three unidentified female former church members; all four women allege they were sexually exploited and abused during counseling sessions sponsored by Mt. Zion Baptist Church, and that church leaders regularly recruited women for exploitation and sex for nearly 10 years.
Connie Allison, Batson's attorney, suggested Monday to The Christian Post that "more and more [women] are emerging" with similar accusations.
While refusing to reveal any information about the identities of the women listed as "Jane Does," Allison emphasized that the women are scared of possible retaliation should their identities become known. Allison referred to Batson as "the bravest human I've ever met." Allison, who is herself Catholic, said her client has unbelievable "spiritual inner strength" that is "breathtaking."
One of the women is a single mother in her 30s, a court employee in Davidson County told CP last week. Another one is a married woman, also in her 30s.
The lawsuit mentions Walker as the defendant, as well as his entire church as an institution and Jerry Luren White, Michael E. Williams, Kerry Edwin Bryant, Darrell Owens, and Kimberly Barton Rankins, all of whom are related to the church. White, for example, is currently the General Overseer of Fiscal Management, according to the church's website.
Adding to the sexual allegations, Bishop Walker's nonprofit organization, J. W. Walker Ministries Inc., reportedly lost its federal tax exemption last month for failing to file tax returns for three years. Church spokesman John Van Mol reportedly denied wrongdoing and said that not filing tax returns was a mistake the charity is trying to rectify.
Walker's nonprofit is also reportedly being investigated for possible fraud. It stands accused of donating funds from the sale of tapes recorded during Walker's sermons to the charity, which then would pay a private production company the minister owns without disclosing his involvement, reported The Tennessean.
CP's messages left with Mount Zion church officials have remained unreturned.
Church officials responded to the sexual exploitation allegations last week by suggesting that the women were only out for money. "It is truly sad that a church and its leaders can be attacked with such shocking and ugly charges when the apparent motive is to extract huge sums of money from the congregation and its leaders," the statement released by church officials last week read.


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Nightmare fuel to cleanse the palate. There are pranks, there are good pranks, and then there are pranks so ingenious that they qualify as international news.
A spooky clown, dressed in white face paint with huge drawn-on eyebrows, a curly red wig and a ruffled collar — and looking exactly like Pennywise clown from the Stephen King-inspired 1990 horror film, "IT" — has appeared in several locations throughout Northampton, England since Friday, Sept. 13. The city, some 67 miles outside of London, is an industrial town known historically for its shoemakers and churches.
Why the clown is there and what he or she is doing has baffled local residents and social media users around the world. Thousands of people have been following the story on Twitter since the sightings began, using the hashtag #northamptonclown.
That's a cheesy concept to spook people but it's been superbly executed. Check out the large photos compiled at HuffPo, particularly the one of him standing in front of a sculpture clutching a, er, clown teddy bear. The best-known image is posted below. If you have young children and one of them happens to be looking over your shoulder as you're reading this, understand right now that they'll never sleep again.
Here he is #NorthamptonClown #Terrifying pic.twitter.com/5zdlInvY1r
— Joe (@jogo78) September 13, 2013
According to a local paper, "The clown also knocked on a stranger's door and offered to paint their window sills despite having no equipment," the mere thought of which makes me pee a little. However, the clown himself denies this, and also denies that he's part of some local upcoming "fright night" promotion. "Wait," you say. "The clown is communicating with people?" Why, yes. It's the Internet age. He has his own Facebook page, apparently. How people can be sure that it's really him updating and not some random loser looking to capitalize on the attention, I don't know, but it looks like one or more of the photos of him might have originated there. If he starts posting pics of corpses or creepshots taken from shadowy alleyways, we'll know it's really him.
No, in reality, the mystery appears to be almost solved. The Northampton clown looks to be wearing the same costume as a clown in a mockumentary that hit YouTube a few months ago and which stars an actor from — ta da — Northampton. The blue-doored garage that appears in the photo above also briefly appears in the YouTube clip. As for the freaky deaky Pennywise mask, Metro UK discovered that a photo of a verrrry similar mask was posted last year on the Facebook page of — ta da — the guy who directed the mockumentary. So, there you go; the official unmasking is presumably just days away. What interests me about this is simply the logistics of it all: How are they taking these photos in public with people now out in force looking for the clown, and how many people are/were involved in circulating the photos on social media to try to promote the story? I assume the pranksters went out and took all of the photos, probably dozens, on a single night, before the city had heard of the clown and now they're releasing them serially, to make people think he's out there every night looking to steal children's souls or whatever. At least I hope so — there must be a few teen miscreants who are now out and about themselves in the wee hours lately looking to catch the clown and do God knows what to him for funsies. Can't wait for the mocku/documentary.


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By Dan Merica
Another case of stolen valor?
After over 50 years of reported service, the U.S. Navy said Wednesday that Cap'n Crunch, one of the Navy's most recognizable captains, has no record of service with the military branch.
A number of blogs noticed this week that the jolly, cereal selling caricature who has graced the front of Cap'n Crunch boxes since 1963 was actually wearing a commander's uniform, the rank below a captain. The U.S. Navy uses bars on a uniform's cuff to signify the rank of the person wearing the uniform. Cap'n Crunch's uniform has only three bars – the sign of a commander – not four bars – the sign of a captain.
Blogs like Gawker and Consumerist recognized the missing bar and labeled Cap'n Crunch a liar.
"In other words, the Cap'n is nothing but a lousy Commander," Neetzan Zimmerman of Gawker wrote. "Our entire cereal-eating lives could be based on a lie because of one little yellow stripe," wrote Mary Beth Quirk of Consumerist.
The U.S. Navy played along, tweeting that Cap'n Crunch "appears to wear #USNavy commander rank."
"We take it quite seriously," said Lt. Commander Chris Servello, spokesman for the U.S. Navy, with a laugh. "We looked into this, we looked into our rolls to see if one Captain Crunch or Cap'n Crunch ever served in the Navy. And we had no record of that, so we passed that along to NCIS to see what action needed to taken next."
With his record and valor being challenged, the captain (can we even call him that anymore?) did what any other captain would do – took to Twitter.
"Regarding today's rumors... of course I'm a Cap'n! It's the Crunch – not the clothes – that make a man. #PaidMyDues," @RealCapnCrunch tweeted on June 14.
"All rumors, friends – I run an entire vessel with my crew! Case closed. #OfficialCapn," he tweeted earlier this week.
And last night, Cap'n Crunch called for his supporters to stand with him.
"All hands on deck @USNavy, @ColbertReport Nation & Crunch Nation: I shall not rest until the truthiness comes out… stand by. #CrunchJustice," he tweeted.
His defense, however, appeared to be broadsided by the overwhelming outrage people expressed about being duped.
Cap'n Crunch's full name is Horatio Magellan Crunch, according to his official bio with the Quaker Oats Company. Jay Ward, the creator of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right and George of the Jungle, created him in 1963.
Hailing from Crunch Island, Cap'n Crunch lives and commands the boat S.S. Guppy, according to his bio. Although Cap'n Crunch started as cereal box character, he and his nemesis Jean LaFoote starred in his own animated series, "The Mystery of Crunch Island." According to his bio, the captain has been lost at sea since 1985.
After saying they take this case very seriously, the Navy said this may be another case of "stolen valor," where someone wears medals or a uniform that they have not earned. The punishment for impersonating a military officer: six months in jail.
No word, yet, on why Cap'n Crunch's eyebrows are on his captains hat.
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Washington – With the fate of President Obama's health care law hanging in the balance at the Supreme Court on Tuesday, a lawyer for the administration faced a barrage of skeptical questions from four of the court's more conservative justices.
"Can you create commerce in order to regulate it?" Justice Anthony M. Kennedy asked the lawyer, Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr., only minutes into the argument.
Justice Antonin Scalia soon joined in. "May failure to purchase something subject me to regulation?" he asked.
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. asked if the government could compel the purchase of cellphones. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. asked about forcing people to buy burial insurance.
The conventional view is that the administration will need one of those four votes to win the case, and it was not clear on Tuesday that it had captured one.
The court's four more liberal members – Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan – indicated that they supported the law, as expected. Justice Clarence Thomas, who asked no questions, is thought likely to vote to strike down the law.
Everything about the argument was outsized. It was, at two hours, twice the usual length. The questioning was, even by the standards of the garrulous current court, unusually intense and pointed. And the atmosphere in the courtroom, which is generally subdued, was electric.
The legal question for the justices was whether Congress had exceeded its constitutional authority in requiring most Americans to obtain insurance or pay a penalty. The practical question was whether Mr. Obama's signature domestic achievement would survive.
The law is the most ambitious piece of social legislation in generations. In attempting to deliver health care to tens of millions of Americans without insurance, it relied on a controversial mechanism at the center of Tuesday's arguments, the individual mandate.
Justice Ginsburg said the mandate was a response to the fact that uninsured people receive free health care that ends up being paid for by others. "They are making the rest of us pay," she said.
Justice Sotomayor said that Americans would not stand for a system in which children in danger of dying were turned away from emergency rooms.
But Justice Kennedy said the requirement to obtain insurance was unprecedented, giving rise to "a heavy burden of justification."
Mr. Verrilli responded that the health care market was unique and that regulating how people pay for services they are virtually certain to use at some point in their lives was well within the authority granted to the federal government by the Constitution, which gives Congress specified powers, reserving the rest to the states and to the people. The two powers at issue in the case, set out in Article I, Section 8, concern the regulation of interstate commerce and the imposition of taxes.
The administration's arguments concerning the tax power did not gain much traction, and most of the two-hour argument concerned the Commerce Clause, which gives Congress the power to regulate commerce "among the several states."
The question there, Justice Kennedy said, was whether there were "any limits" to Congressional power under the commerce clause, adding that he was concerned the health care law required individuals to perform "an affirmative act."
Justice Kennedy's questioning is famously hard to read, and near the end of the argument he noted that "most questions in life are questions of degree." But the great weight of his questioning was skeptical.
Justices Scalia and Alito were consistently hostile to the law, Chief Justice Roberts a little less so.
Asked about whether there were any limits on federal power under the commerce clause under the administration's theory, Mr. Verrilli noted two, in a somewhat convoluted answer. Congress has the authority to enact a comprehensive response to a national economic crisis, he said. And the health care law concerns only how who people bound to use health care will have to pay for it.
The Supreme Court has read the commerce clause broadly, saying it allows Congress to limit how much wheat may be grown on a family farm and to punish the cultivation of home-grown marijuana.
There have been only two modern exceptions to that broad interpretation. In 1995, the court struck down a federal law regulating guns near schools. In 2000, it struck down a federal law allowing suits over violence against women. In both cases, the court said the activity sought to be regulated was local and noncommercial.
On Tuesday, Paul D. Clement, representing the 26 states challenging the law, said none of those rulings contemplated requiring people to enter a commercial market.
Michael A. Carvin, representing private challengers, said that if the Supreme Court upheld the mandate, Congress would be free to regulate all human activity "from cradle to grave."
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An unflappable anchor with a heart
The following essay is part of a series in which dozens of women will reveal what women they most admire. The series is part of "Women Rule," a unique effort this fall by POLITICO, Google and The Tory Burch Foundation exploring how women are leading change in politics, policy and their communities. See more essays here.
To millions of viewers, Judy Woodruff is the unflappable co-anchor of "PBS NewsHour," an award-winning journalist who has for decades covered the news reliably and with distinction. The Judy Woodruff that I have known for 35 years is also an extraordinary mother, wife, daughter, public citizen and friend.
Judy was one of the original "boys on the bus," riding the 1976 presidential campaign of a Georgia governor named Jimmy Carter all the way to the White House. Her coverage for NBC gave her national exposure and resulted in her first big assignment — NBC White House correspondent in January 1977. Since then, she has parachuted to living rooms as a skilled debate moderator, a White House correspondent, the host of national political shows — an indisputably stout portfolio of professional triumphs.
But there is more to Judy than the consummate professional we see on television. When we first met, I was a newcomer to NBC's Washington bureau. She was the White House correspondent, covering President Jimmy Carter. Women were trying to blaze a trail in television journalism, with mixed results. Print journalists didn't think television news mattered. And in particular, men in print and broadcast media refused to take women journalists seriously. Judy was one of a handful of pioneers who proved them wrong. It was also a time when it was all too easy to adopt an "every woman for herself" attitude and avoid lending a hand to those who followed. Judy was never that woman. She believed that the more of us who succeeded, the better for all.
( WOMEN RULE VIDEO: A look at some of women stepping up and taking charge)
For example, in 1981, Judy was the television network pool correspondent at the Washington Hilton the day President Ronald Reagan was shot — the first to get on the air and then report nonstop from the White House during those days of crisis. She was at the top of her game. But days later, I stumbled badly during a live report on the "Today" show. I was assigned to stand by while John Hinckley was being transferred from a helicopter to a motorcade en route to his arraignment for the assassination attempt. Hinckley was barely visible to the cameraman looking through a long-distance lens. I couldn't see anything. Nonetheless, when the anchorman turned to me for a live shot and asked what I could see from my vantage point, I went blank. My poor performance got me banished from future broadcasts — and transferred to NBC radio. But Judy, along with her wonderful White House partner, the late John Palmer, proposed that I join them on the White House beat, filing for radio. They then schemed to find stories I could do for television in order to rebuild my career.
In later years, Judy has been a tireless advocate for countless women's organizations, as well as one of the founders of the International Women's Media Foundation — mentoring and celebrating the courage of female journalists from around the world.
She has always been able to do more than most of us, and with grace. She is the woman who reported from the White House for "NBC Nightly News" one evening, gave birth that night and was celebrated with her firstborn, Jeffrey, on the "Today" show the next morning. In fact, behind that composed presence on television is a woman of incredible strength. Her personal life has been the triumph of determination over heartbreak. Jeffrey was born with a mild case of spina bifida. It was difficult, but with dedication and support from Judy and her husband, Al Hunt, Jeffrey spent his early teens skiing, swimming and attending rigorous schools. But when he was 16, this promising young man required surgery related to his condition that left him brain damaged and severely disabled. Judy and Al became tireless advocates for other families finding their way through the challenges of raising a child with spina bifida and its neurological side effects. Jeffrey was also, with their constant encouragement, able to graduate from college and live independently in a special community.
( Also on POLITICO: Women Rule panel: Passion matters)
Over the years, the Woodruff-Hunts have raised tens of millions of dollars for research, helping thousands of families with invaluable advice and networking. I vividly remember dropping off something at their home one night to discover Judy busy counseling a new mom on what to expect as her infant grew older. After the grateful mother left, reassured, I learned that she was not a close friend, just someone needing a shoulder and some experienced advice.
Judy is equally dedicated to the needs of other adoptive parents, sharing the joys of parenting her daughter, Lauren. Along with Al, the three Hunt children — Jeffrey, Benjamin and Lauren — are the center of Judy's universe. Yet she is still the best-sourced, most-connected political correspondent, now half of a groundbreaking, all-woman partnership with another veteran newswoman, Gwen Ifill.
When asked for an example of how "Women Rule," Judy immediately came to mind. She is a broadcast pioneer, who, through hard work and persistence, broke down barriers for the rest of us, whether on the White House beat, the campaign trail or behind the anchor desk. And despite her extraordinary success on the national stage, she remains rooted in her hometown values. When young women ask me how it's possible to have it all, I still don't have a good answer. But I point to Judy Woodruff as the best example of a woman of great character who has succeeded in work and, more importantly, in life.


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The Talker: Avicii's 'Wake Me Up' sets record
Staff Writer
Something to talk about
Avicii's "Wake Me Up" is now the most-played song of all time on Storify — streamed more than 200 million times. The song by Swedish superstar Avicii passed over "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons, which is now the second-most played track on the service with 183 million streams.
Trending on Twitter
Sporting red Xs on their hands and combining an online plus real-world approach, the End It movement seeks to shine a light on modern-day slavery. #enditmovement
Hot video: Jimmy Fallon vs. Paul Rudd
On the first ever "Tonight Show" lip sync battle, Paul Rudd took Jimmy Fallon down with Tina Turner's "Better Be Good To Me," followed by an epic version of Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now."
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|System: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
|Dev: Spicy Horse
|Pub: Electronic Arts
|Release: June 14, 2011
|Players: 1
|Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p
|Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
by Adam Dodd
Since it's been eleven years since American McGee's Alice was released, I wasn't sure what to expect when I booted up Madness Returns. Would it be a horrifying adventure filled with terrifying creatures and limited health? Or maybe it would be more of an action adventure game with clever puzzles and solid platforming? Well, it has elements of both, but in the end it's really none of the above.
Madness Returns is an interesting beast. It's obvious that a lot of effort, love, and dedication were invested into building an experience that is as beautiful as it is frightening. The team at Spicy Horse has made one of the most unique games I've had the pleasure of playing in a long time, but unfortunately there are a few issues that keep this game from being the follow-up many of us so desperately wanted it to be.
Let's start with one of the game's best features: the art style. This definitely won't stand up to the better-looking games out there, and there are a handful of graphical issues like slow-loading textures and noticeable seams. But it's evident that quite a bit of time was taken to make sure each of the game's six levels looks different than the next, and each new level brings with it a completely different aesthetic with new creatures, both good and bad—terms I'll use loosely—to inhabit it. The only issue is that while each environment looks different, they each play almost exactly the same. You have the geysers that lift you high into the air, pads on the ground for you to bounce on so you can get to those hard-to-reach places, and enemies that look different but require similar strategies to vanquish as their siblings in the other worlds.
Basically, you can break Madness Returns into three sections: combat, platforming, and puzzles. Sadly, the only section that requires any real effort is the combat, and that's only when you're forced to fight a large number of adversaries at once. The platforming, for the most part, is pretty basic. You jump and float from one area to the next, using the geysers and jump pads that have been strategically placed to help you. Occasionally you'll come across invisible platforms that require a little more effort to cross.
Early in the game, Alice gains the ability to shrink herself so she can walk through small keyholes near the ground that lead to hidden items like collectible bottles, memories, or teeth, the game's currency. This ability also comes in handy for revealing the invisible platforms that can only be seen when Alice is very small. These help to break up the otherwise monotonous platforming, but they're never really used to their full potential, and they're almost always easy to get past.
The puzzles, though few and far between, are also very simple. For example, there's one puzzle that has you gather cubes strewn about the environment that act as pieces of a sliding puzzle. There are also targets that must be shot to reveal hidden platforms and pressure plates. Alice can stand on these or place a timed bomb on them before quickly scurrying to the next area. If the bomb explodes before you finish, everything resets and you must start over. The puzzles are fun, but never require much time to figure out. Once you've successfully completed them, there's no real feeling of accomplishment.
The combat is one of the most important pieces of the game, since you'll be fighting enemies as often as you'll be traversing aerial platforms. There will be a variety of enemies thrown at you over the course of the game, but you'll soon come to realize that while an enemy might look unique, it can usually be dispelled using the same technique used on a similar enemy in a previous world. Essentially, there are only a handful of different foes that are just wearing different skins.


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(Update 6 February). In a snub to the new legislation, the European Parliament has voted for binding 2030 targets for renewables, greenhouse gas reductions and energy efficiency.
The wind industry had been pushing hard for the inclusion of country-specific renewables target for 2030, similar to the 2020 goals.
But while EU president José Manuel Barroso announced a proposed target for 27% renewables by 2030 for the whole of the EU, countries will only set targets "if they wish".
The EU is also aiming to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40%, based on 1990 levels, by 2030.
Barroso said that a binding renewables target was left out to allow more "bottom up" control and "greater flexibility" for member states. He added that compared with renewable energy development there are often "more cost effective ways" for member states to reduce emissions.
"We will not meddle in the individual energy mix in individual member states".
EU commissioner for energy Gunter Oettinger went on to say that renewable energy has sometimes been "too expensive" and countries must "Europeanise and optimise".
Barosso said that the development of the energy infrastructure, including the construction of cross-border interconnectors "may be more efficient" than renewable energy development in all countries.
European Wind Energy Association CEO Thomas Becker said: "The previously far-sighted and ambitious European Commission is a shadow of its former self, hiding behind the UK and other backward-looking member states and lobbies.
"By effectively advocating repatriation of energy policy to member states, President Barroso appears to have forgotten his previous calls for 'more European integration' on energy policy."
The proposals include a provision for a yearly review of progress towards the targets, with the ability to flag up failures to make progress towards the goals.
A number of countries, including the UK, France, Spain and Poland, have lobbied to water down the proposals in order to be able to meet emissions targets through cheaper means.
While the proposals are yet to become concrete, with the first discussion in the European Council in March, the member states are expected to approve the plans.


text: Paper Flooring: Red Rosin Remix January 10, 2012 DIY, Inspiration, Tutorials 15 Comments Some of you have inquired about using different types of paper in the brown paper flooring treatment I've done throughout my upstairs. I have only used the brown contractor's paper (found near drop cloths at Home Depot), but I have seen people use the red rosin paper (also in the same area of HD, I believe). My dad used the red paper in his house not too long ago, so this weekend when we were out there I took some pictures. He has concrete sub floors and followed the poly only method. They used Minwax Red Mahogany on the woodwork to compliment to color of the floor (which is not stained). 15 Responses YVONNE January 10, 2012 Wow… that is really really really beautiful floor(s). I love how you create something so different that no home is like your. Great job, even if it took you a while to get everything back to basic, it worth it. Reply Sandie January 10, 2012 That is absolutely beautiful. I keep trying to talk my husband into doing this one. I love love love these floors!!! Reply Renee Cook January 10, 2012 Looks wonderful! I will take a picture of mine tomorrow and upload it. I did 2 rooms thus far. concerete floors, one I satined choc brown, the other is plain. Reply Donna January 11, 2012 Is that red paper? That is beautiful. I want to do this so bad, but was hesitant because my house is on a slab and all of the subfloors downstairs are concrete. Renee, I would really appreciate pictures of your floors since you have concrete also! Thanks Ladies, you guys are wonderful for sharing! Reply Sharon January 12, 2012 Thank you for posting these pictures. I showed my husband and we plan to do this in our kitchen. Amazing!! Reply Kristin January 20, 2012 Hi Rachael. Thanks so much for posting these pics! I think what I have under my carpet and vinyl is some sort of cement board, so I'm hoping the poly-only technique works on it. I do have a question about the color. From these photos, the floor looks like a very pretty, rich brown. Is that really how it looks using the red rosin paper? I've seen other photos using red rosin online and it looks, well, red—too red. I love the color of your Dad's floor, though. So, is it really the more brownish color it seems like, or did he add something (stain?) to give it that great color? Thanks much for your help. Reply Jen February 10, 2012 Love love love this! Can you please clarify what you mean by poly only? Does that mean no glue? Thanks so much!!! Reply rachaelevans February 11, 2012 Jen- Yes, you adhere the paper to the floor with poly, then also cover the top with it. Reply sharon February 18, 2012 I really like this look. We're in the process of remodeling our kitchen so the funds are gone but this looks like a great way for me to get my "hard wood floor" for the dinning room. Thank you for sharing the how to do. Reply Jess March 7, 2012 What type of Red Rosin paper is this because it has very nice brown tones. Did your dad use a tinted poly on the floor? Reply Larry J October 3, 2012 Is that the red rosin or the yellowish brown rosin paper? I just want to be sure before I start on mine. It looks absolutely beautiful and would fit my bedroom perfectly. Reply Holly May 15, 2013 Just tried this with real paper bags cut up and a stain/poly mix. Don't think it's going to work. Paper is not sticking to the floor. Did you use adhesive? The instructions I found said to just use one coat of poly then put the paper down. Is the paper bag too thick? Do I need to get a roll of the thinner paper? Or is it the stain/poly mix? Do I need to use just plain poly? HELP! Reply Rachael Evans May 17, 2013 Holly- what type of floor are you installing on? Reply Kristie February 23, 2014 I just started this project last night after much debating and went with the red rosin paper. We cleared out are very large family room about 500 sqft. Carpet out, tack-boards up and holes patched. — put a layer of oil based poly on the floor to seal it from any moisture that may come through. This stuff stinks because it's oil based — we we survived the night with the windows open (in AZ mind you so it's not that bad) — spent the evening crunching and tearing up paper different sizes keeping in mind to save some edges. We mixed our Elmer's glue all with a 4 to 1 rations WATER to Glue. Worked perfect started along a long wall and put all of the edge pieces up being careful not to make it look TOO exact in pattern. We'd skip a space here and there so that paper layer on top of 2 instead of constantly being overlapped. we worked out way to the center of the room and backed out way out carefully. We used up the entire one gallon of glue and the best method of dunking them in pain t and squeezing them was the best bet. Lay they down and push out the air. This has kept them flat and just the right amount of texture. Now we are letting them dry over night before we put our clear coats on. yay — I'll [post more and links to pictures one they are up. Thank you to all of the useful information here it's incredible. Reply Melaine May 7, 2014 First of all – Thank you so much for your posts and responses to helping first timers make a beautiful home. I can't wait. I am ready to start this project in my home and narrowed down the poly I will use and had a few questions. Were his concrete subfloors shiny & smooth or was it rough like a driveway? I'm trying to figure out if I need to prep my floors. Also, Home depot sells two types of red rosin paper a medium and heavy duty one. Do you know which one how bought? And did he apply a stain or just poly only? Thank you http://www.homedepot.com/p/Trimaco-36-in-x-166-ft-Heavy-Weight-Red-Rosin-Paper-36099-20/202040752 http://www.homedepot.com/p/Trimaco-36-in-x-167-ft-Red-Rosin-Medium-Weight-Paper-35145/202040751 Reply Leave a Reply to Sandie Cancel Reply Your email address will not be published. Name* Email* Website Comment


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- Board of Directors
- Thistle, B., Chairperson
- Donovan, M., Vice Chair
Other members of the volunteer Board include representatives from the student body, the University, and the community at large.
- Staff
- Richardson, A., Director
- O'Connor, J., Manager of Aquatic's/Recreation
- Neil, C., Manager of Fitness and Student Services
- Kenny, E., Manager of Maintenance - Aquarena
- Coffey, K., Manager of Maintenance - Field House
- Power, A., Manager of Finance
The Works/MURC
The Works is a separately incorporated entity with a volunteer Board of Directors.
The Works manages the Field House, Aquarena, and recreation facilities on the St. John's campus. These world class facilities offer a variety of fitness, aquatic, recreation, and sport programs for all ages and for all members of the University and the community at large.
There are approximately 250 employees at The Works and the majority of these employees are students from Memorial University of Newfoundland.
Further information may be obtained by contacting The Works by telephone at the Field House (709) 737-3000, or the Aquarena at (709) 737-3799, or through the website at www.theworksonline.ca.


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New research from an American academic concludes Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's spoken French is unfairly criticized in Quebec because he is seen as an outsider.
Prof. Yulia Bosworth of Binghamton University in New York suggests that when the province's media elite attack Justin Trudeau's French skills, they are less focused on the language and more on denying him membership in Quebec's collective identity.
READ MORE: Morneau insists LNG export terminal shows Canada can deliver big projects
Her article, "The 'Bad' French of Justin Trudeau: When Language, Ideology, and Politics Collide," was published in the most recent issue of the American Review of Canadian Studies. The author studied 53 online news items, mostly between April 2013 and January 2017, that discussed Trudeau's linguistic abilities or those of other federal politicians.
Bosworth, a professor of French linguistics, discovered a near-unanimous chorus of criticism of the quality of Trudeau's French, which she says suggests a bias against Trudeau.
The author says Trudeau's name evokes memories of his late father, former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, whose vision of a bilingual, united and multicultural Canada is rejected by many in Quebec's media elite.
READ MORE: Alberta law allows oil cuts to B.C.; Premier Kenney says won't use right away
She adds Quebec journalists are also indignant at how Trudeau views himself as bilingual and francophone, a cultural intersection she says is construed in the province as necessarily clashing.
The Canadian Press


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By Marc Morial
NNPA Columnist
"We're here to let the community, and particularly teenagers, know that they have a right to walk in peace without being followed, without being harmed and without being killed."
– Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin
A year has passed since that awful day last February 26 when 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed while returning from a convenience store to a townhouse he and his father were visiting in Sanford, Fla. Trayvon Martin was an unarmed African American teenager, wearing a hoodie. The shooter was George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old neighborhood watch volunteer, who called 9-11 to report a "suspicious" person and then ignored a police dispatcher's order not to follow Trayvon.
Moments later, Trayvon was shot dead. Since then, thousands of other gun deaths and several mass shootings have elevated the issue of gun violence to the top of the national agenda. But the death of Trayvon Martin remains especially disturbing to many of us because of what it says about the racial profiling of young Black males, police departments that are often slow to protect their rights, and a fatally flawed law that gives people — possibly even criminals — the right to shoot first and ask questions later.
It took a while, but the wheels of justice are turning in the Trayvon Martin case. In the wake of widespread criticism of the nearly six-week delay in arresting and charging Zimmerman with a crime, former Sanford police chief, Bill Lee was fired last June. Former Elgin, Illinois deputy police chief, Cecil Smith is set to take over as head of the Sanford police force on April 1. Zimmerman's second-degree murder trial begins on June 10. It is believed that he and his lawyers will base their defense on Florida's troubling Stand Your Ground law which states that anyone in fear of his or her life could be justified in using lethal force against a potential or perceived attacker.
Thousands of citizens have rallied in recent days to mark the one-year anniversary of Trayvon Martin's death. On February 9, four days after what would have been Trayvon's 18th birthday, his parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, sponsored an "I am Trayvon Day of Remembrance Community Peace Walk" in North Miami-Dade County. Students at Florida State University in Tallahassee have rallied for a repeal of the Stand Your Ground law. And on February 26, a "Million Hoodie" candlelight vigil was held in New York's Union Square that was attended by hundreds, including actor Jamie Foxx.
While attention now turns to the upcoming trial, as the father of a 10-year-old son, I cannot help but recall what Sybrina and Tracy said about their son a year ago: "Trayvon was our hero. At age 9, Trayvon pulled his father from a burning kitchen, saving his life. He loved sports and horseback riding. At only 17, he had a bright future ahead of him with dreams of attending college and becoming an aviation mechanic. Now that's all gone."
Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin have formed the Justice for Trayvon Martin Foundation to honor their son and to "advocate for all victims of injustice and senseless crimes throughout the world." Like millions of Americans, we continue to stand with them. We will not rest until justice is done.
Marc H. Morial, former mayor of New Orleans, is president and CEO of the National Urban League.


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Liliana Castillo: Freedom New Mexico Clovis Municipal Schools Executive Director of Operations Gene Bieker said he enjoys ensuring that Clovis students learn in safe and clean buildings.
Clovis resident Gene Bieker has worked for the Clovis Municipal Schools for 13 years and is headed for retirement this summer. Bieker retired from a career in the military after four years spent in the Navy and 22 years spent in the Air Force.
As executive director of operations for CMS, Bieker oversees maintenance, custodial, transportation, energy management, security and a part of new construction.
"Life safety is first for our kids and our employees," he said. "We keep a secure environment to support the instructional side of the house."
Bieker said keeping up with roofs is the beginning of all things operations.
"If roofs are bad, we will have problems everywhere under it," he said.
Bieker said he enjoys that his days are varied and unpredictable.
In retirement, Bieker said he plans to focus on travel, golf and fishing.


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My little guy is somehow seven years old. For his birthday, he chose a quiet family party and a chocolate cake in the shape of a Lego mini-figure. I'll be honest - this week has been insane. Hubby and I were out of town until Monday night and we both had conferences until late Thursday night. I hadn't given the cake a second of thought until Friday after work. I looked online and found a Lego mini-figure cake pan...clearly I wadn't going to get one of those in time. So I asked to see one of his mini-figures, took a ruler, traced my 9x13 and my 8x8 cake pans onto a sheet of white paper, and began scaling to make a template. I was pretty proud of myself for how it came out! When he saw the template sitting on the counter, I got the hugest grin and biggest hug ever, with a sqealed, "Thanks, Mom!!! You're the best!!!"
I asked the birthday boy if he'd rather have his favorite marshmallow frosting, which is hard to frost with and wouldn't look as good, or a different frosting that would look better. He easily chose the marshmallow frosting, with support from his sister and dad. I told him he could choose three colors; he picked red, yellow, and gray (even though I said no one would want to eat gray frosting).
I over-baked the cake, I think, so it was dry and not all that great. But it looked pretty cool!


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AMSTERDAM, May 8, 2010 (AFP) - Britain's three-time Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins got Team Sky's Grand Tour debut off to the perfect start by winning the first stage of the Giro d'Italia on Saturday.
Wiggins, racing at an average speed of almost 49kph, completed the 8.4-kilometer against-the-clock circuit in Amsterdam 2 seconds ahead of American Brent Bookwalter to take the race leader's pink jersey.
More From Bicycling
World champion Cadel Evans of Australia finished third ahead of Kazakhstan's Alexander Vinokourov.
Other candidates for overall victory at the Giro, which finishes with an individual time trial in Verona on May 30, lost valuable time on Evans in a stage raced in front of huge crowds.
Italian Ivan Basso was 21 seconds off the Australian, with Spain's Carlos Sastre a further 2 seconds adrift.
On a landmark day for Team Sky, sprinter Greg Henderson also finished in the top 10 while Dario Cioni underlined his good form with a top-20 placing.


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WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- An Illinois man thought to have contracted the potentially fatal MERS virus from a business associate was not infected after all, federal health officials said Wednesday.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on May 17 that the unidentified Illinois man had been infected with MERS by a man who brought the first known case of the mysterious respiratory illness to the United States in late April. That first case was a health care worker who had traveled to Saudi Arabia -- the epicenter of the MERS outbreak -- and returned to the United States before falling ill and being hospitalized in Indiana and later released.
Preliminary tests indicated that the Illinois man had tested positive for antibodies for MERS, formally called Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. Since then, however, CDC scientists tested additional blood samples and found that he was not infected with MERS. So, the Indiana MERS patient didn't spread the virus to his Illinois business associate, officials said Wednesday.
The second MERS case in the United States involved a 44-year-old health care worker from Saudi Arabia who had traveled to Orlando, Fla., where he was hospitalized and later released.
That means that the MERS virus hasn't been found in any people who had contact with the two confirmed U.S. cases, according to the CDC. There's no evidence that MERS has spread in any community setting, the CDC said.
Both of the Americans diagnosed with MERS picked up the infection in Saudi Arabia, where it is endemic.
The health risk from MERS to the general public is very low, U.S. officials have said, because the virus is only passed through close contact.
The MERS virus first surfaced in 2012 in the Middle East, where most of the cases have occurred. As of May 22, 2014, there have been 632 confirmed cases and 193 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
MERS symptoms typically include shortness of breath, coughing and fever. The illness kills about one-quarter of the people who contract the virus, according to CDC officials.
One-fifth of all MERS cases have occurred among health care workers, CDC officials have said.
In some countries, the MERS virus has spread from person to person through close contact, such as caring for or living with an infected person. But, there's currently no evidence of sustained spread of MERS in general settings, the CDC has said.
Camels have been identified as carriers of MERS, but it's not known how the virus is being spread to people.
More information
For more on MERS, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This article: Copyright © 2014 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


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What researchers are seeing clearly does not support their beliefs about earth history over millions of years.
Besides being the fastest land snake, the black mamba also has one of the fastest-acting snake vemons of any land snake.
In 2008, Ecuador guaranteed constitutional rights to plants, and an attorney in the United States is now planning to file lawsuits to secure plants rights.
Recent shootings have sparked serious discussions about how to prevent these tragedies.
Bible-believers don't need Ballard to confirm the Flood. Ballard does not accept its global extent and considers the biblical account to be a myth.
Regarding the age of the Grand Canyon, we can now take our pick from a growing selection of dates.
Despite any perceived success, the fight against abortion continues.
No results found in Perspective.
What unique conditions were required to start the Ice Age, and where does it fit in Bible times? Why did Ice Age animals grow so big, and what happened to them? Also, can you explain why God made more species of beetles than any other animal? Can you prove that Genesis 1–3 is not a Near Eastern myth? Read the answers to these questions and many, many more in this issue!Browse Issue Subscribe
Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.


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Back to calendar
Screening: New Urbanism
Friday, September 9, 2011, 8–10 pm
Video artist Kelly Loudenberg's New Urbanism series looks at imaginative and sustainable solutions for urban living, from rooftop farming to Dumpster swimming pools and underground opera houses. Traveling around the world, she visits designers and artists bringing nature to urban settings, finding new ways to live and exploring alternative uses of existing spaces.
Photo: by Mary Mattingly


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12 Ways to Stay Cool and Save Money
Conserve energy and reduce your electric bill without blasting your AC
En Español | Statistically, July 24 is the hottest day of the year across the entire United States, according to the National Climatic Data Center. That may very well be correct from a meteorological perspective. But as a researcher in the field of frugality, I've noticed that at our house the temperature tends to spike around the tenth of each month throughout the summer. That's the day when our electricity bill usually arrives in the mail. That's when my blood really begins to boil.
Depending on where you live, the U.S. Department of Energy says, air-conditioning your home may very well account for the single largest portion of your annual electrical costs. A central AC system in the typical home uses about 3,500 watts of electricity every hour it's on. That's the equivalent of operating 10 refrigerators for an hour … with the doors wide open!
The good news is, there are a number of things you can do to stay cool this summer without using air conditioning, or at least without using it so much. Check out these cool ideas for saving on the cost of air conditioning.
• Draw the curtains or install window awnings, particularly on the sunny side of your house. Room temperatures can rise by as much as 10 to 20 degrees because of direct sunlight entering the room. Installing window tinting or reflective film — a possible do-it-yourself job — is another cost-effective way to keep sunlight out.
• Turn off lights whenever possible. They produce a lot more heat than you might think, plus they're obviously using even more electricity.
• Avoid using the stove or oven during the summer and stick with the microwave or outdoor grill when possible. Also, eating cold foods and drinks helps to lower your internal body temperature. What better excuse to eat lots of ice cream this summer?
• Think twice before opening the windows. If the temperature outside is warmer than inside, leave them closed, because most homes tend to keep warm air out and cool air in. Obviously, if there's a breeze and you have good cross-ventilation, then opening them can make sense.
• Rinse your shirt in cold water a couple of times a day, wring it out a little and wear it around the house. You'd be surprised how much cooler you'll feel. (I also keep my spare, slightly dampened boxer shorts in the freezer during the summertime, too … but don't tell anyone, OK?)
• Ceiling fans can make you feel 3 to 8 degrees cooler, and they're relatively inexpensive to purchase (starting at about $50) and cost only a couple of pennies per hour to operate. Most ceiling fans are reversible, so make sure that your fan is blowing air downward, not upward, during the summer months.
• If you have a stone or brick patio directly adjacent to your house — or even a cement front/back porch or sidewalk — try hosing it off on really hot days and see if it helps keep your house cooler. A breeze blowing across a cool, wet surface acts as a natural air conditioner.
• Similar to the above, place a shallow bowl or tray of ice water in front of a directional or window fan to increase the chill factor, or even hang damp strips of cloth in front of fans or open windows when there's a breeze.
• You might have seen special cooling pillows advertised on TV that claim to help you stay cooler when sleeping on hot summer nights. You can make your own "chill pillow" by keeping a 5- or 10-pound bag of rice in the freezer during the day (still sealed in its unopened plastic bag), and then putting the bag in a pillowcase for nighttime use. The rice retains the cold for at least a couple of hours. That should be enough time for you to fall asleep and dream of cooler temperatures and sushi rolls.
• If you keep your wrists cool, it tends to cool your entire body, since blood vessels there are so close to your skin's surface. I make cooling summertime wristbands by repurposing worn-out tube socks. I cut them into strips (like thick rubber bands), dampen them and keep a supply in the freezer for when I need a quick cool-down. Plus they're kind of stylish!
• Although it's a longer-term strategy, planting as few as three shade trees in strategic places around your house can reduce indoor temperatures by as much as 20 degrees (once they're mature, of course). Plus, the U.S. Forest Service estimates that a single mature tree can add more than $600 to your home's value. That's what I call a growing investment, or an investment worth growing!
• Last but not least, cold showers, baths, trips to the local swimming hole, and old-fashioned squirt guns are how this cheapskate is going to be keepin' it cool this summer. Anybody up for a water balloon fight?
Jeff Yeager is the author of three books: The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to True Riches, The Cheapskate Next Door and Don't Throw That Away. His website is UltimateCheapskate.com and you can friend him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter