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2014 Common Reader
We The Animals
by Justin Torres
We The Animals is a sensitive, episodic coming-of-age novel about three sons of a very young, struggling mixed-race couple in Brooklyn. The boys' experience of family life veers from the brutality of domestic violence to unexpected moments of tenderness. Initially Torres uses first person plural narration to capture the closeness of the brothers, a solidarity that is shattered in the final chapters of the novel by the revelation of the narrator's secret.
Common Reader Review
We hit and we kept on hitting; we were allowed to be what we were, frightened and vengeful—little animals, clawing at what we needed.
Justin Torres's We the Animals begins his story of three brothers when his narrator is six years old, and much of the book focuses on those wonder-filled years of childhood. That these brothers live those years in poverty, with a sometimes-absent, often violent father and an overwhelmed mother, in no way diminishes the magic of these years. In fact, the novel's greatest strength is in the way this family's struggles reveal the mystery at the heart of all family relationships and explores the way they can careen between almost unbearable moments of love and equally unbearable moments of psychological pain. In some ways, We the Animals seems to suggest we have all been "little animals, clawing at what we needed."
The central figures of this young boy's life are, of course, his parents. Paps is an imposing physical presence, whose strength and quick anger signal both protection and danger to these boys. As the narrator matures, he begins to recognize that his father's anger is born out of his frustration and sense of failure. Paps and Ma married when he was 16 and she was 14, and their mixed marriage (he's Puerto Rican and Ma is Anglo) seems to isolate them and their children from their white working-class neighbors in Upstate New York. Ma works the graveyard shift and often seems a little addled by her circumstances. She loves her children with the ferocity of an animal, but this abused wife also dreads the maturing of these young boys into a manhood she equates with violence.
Yet that description belies the moments of joy and closeness within this family, of Paps teaching the boys (his "mutts") to dance like true Puerto Ricans or swimming out to the center of a lake, with his wife and youngest son clinging to his broad back. Wearily walking in to find her boys covered in tomato juice, instead of erupting in anger Ma is reminded of their births and joins the fun, asking them, "Make me born." The two older brothers, Manny and Joel, often seem to be the wild animals described by the title, but they also are capable of surprises. After flying kites, Manny considers his own sense of entrapment and observes, "What we gotta do is, we gotta figure out a way to reverse gravity, so that we all fall upward, through the clouds and sky, all the way to heaven...."
Torres chooses to tell this family's story through very short episodes that are connected thematically as well as through imagery. This structure makes We the Animals an excellent choice for the Common Reader. It is short—compact enough to be read in a single sitting. Also, since the chapters are so brief and relatively self-contained, one or more could be read aloud at a gathering. While the subject matter and language are mature, Sigma Tau Deltans can easily choose chapters that are most appropriate for their local audiences. It's a book that touches on so many themes--domestic violence, gender and sexuality, sexuality and violence, ethnicity—that it is certain to prompt lively chapter discussions.
Justin Torres is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and is now a Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, Granta, Tin House, Glimmer Train, and other publications, and he is the winner of the Virginia Commonwealth University Cabell First Novelist Award. We the Animals was nominated for the NAACP Image Awards and the 2011 Indies Choice Book Award.


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SURVIVE DAT Support Group
This support group is where young breast cancer patients can gain access to local support groups, health information and more, all tailored to their specific need.
Liesolette Tansey Breast Center Resource Room In partnership with MARY BIRD PERKINS CANCER CENTER and LSUHSC SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
CANCER SUPPORT GROUPS offer physician, oncology social worker and dietician speakers that will address an array of topics, followed by an open group discussion. Presentations are designed to support the patient with topics such as sexuality and cancer, lymphedema, meditation & relaxation techniques, nutrition, massage, social security disability benefit and much more. Support groups are designed to be informational and empowering for both the survivor and their caregivers.
Registration is not required.

subset: commoncrawl


text: f(x) debuted in 2009 under the SM Entertainment label. That same year, After School, 2NE1, and BEAST (B2ST) also were introduced to Kpop fans. f(x) has five members: Song Qian (Victoria), Amber Josephine Liu (Amber), Park Sun Young (Luna), Choi Jin Ri (Sulli) and Jung Soo Jung (Krystal). The group is known for its international membership — Victoria is from China, while Amber and Krystal hail from the United States. . . . Click here to continue reading on KPOPIANA.


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(CNN) -- An autopsy will be conducted Tuesday on the body of R&B singer-songwriter Teena Marie, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.
It was not immediately clear when the results would be available, but the coroner's office said it hopes to have the autopsy completed on Tuesday.
The artist was found dead Sunday at her California home.
Born Mary Christine Brockert in Santa Monica, California, the 54-year-old artist was nominated four times for a Grammy Award, according to her official website.
Marie was found dead by her daughter after apparently dying in her sleep, manager Mike Gardner said.
The publicist said she talked on Saturday with Marie, who told her that she was excited about heading to Atlanta to perform this week -- in what would have been her first performance since the seizure.
While no cause of death has been released, the singer's publicist Lynn Jeter said that Marie suffered a grand mal seizure a month ago.
"Luckily, someone was there," Jeter said of that seizure. "The ambulance took her to the hospital, and on the way she had another seizure."
Among her songs were "Lovergirl," "Portuguese Love," "Ooo La La La," and "I'm a Sucker for Your Love."
Marie recorded for various record labels, including Motown, Epic, Stax Records and Cash Money Classics, after bursting onto the national music scene as a 19-year-old, according to her website. Her last studio album was "Congo Square."
"I am horrified by the sudden death of my darling Teena Marie," Motown founder Berry Gordy said in a statement sent by his publicist. "She was my 'baby,' always true to herself, always true to her heart."
Berry called her a "powerhouse performer, writer, producer and arranger."
"When I first auditioned her she was so awesome she blew me away," Gordy said. "She had so much soul -- the only thing white about her was her skin."
CNN's Roland S. Martin and Denise Quan contributed to this report.


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Medical officials in England are speaking out about a growing and disturbing trend—debilitating headaches that are actually being caused by the drugs meant to stop them. According to the Daily Mail, as many as one-in-50 people in England have regular headaches that are actually triggered by pain medication.
The Problem with Pain Medications, and Natural Alternatives
Experts say too many people are getting on a vicious cycle—popping pills at the first sign of a headache and then experiencing more headaches from the pills themselves, sending them back to the pill bottle again and again. This is sad news for individuals partaking in the pill ingestion, as both prescription and non-prescriptions painkillers have been linked to numerous negative health effects.
Health watchdog NICE says that doctors might not be prescribing the pain medications properly or diagnosing the condition they call medication overuse headache. This is where the medication actually makes the brain more sensitive to pain and more prone to headaches.
So, a reoccurring tension headache or migraine treated with a pain pill could create more and more of the same headaches. All of this is happening while natural home remedies for headaches rest without being noted. And these treatments aren't accompanied by the nasty side-effects that medications induce.
NICE says many of these headache sufferers could find relief from a different class of drugs like triptans, inhaling oxygen, or possibly even acupuncture. Another class of drugs doesn't sound like a great solutions, but acupuncture could work. After all, research involving 18,000 people has shown that acupuncture for pain is truly effective.
They say some patients have become so overcome with pain they are asking their doctors to perform brain scans or other diagnostics in order to rule out things like brain tumors, not realizing their source of relief is actually the source of their pain.
A study published in the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine defines medication overuse headache as a headache that occurs on 15 or more days per month for at least 3 consecutive months. They say it is most common when the patient uses butalbital or opiods for pain relief.
They recommend relaxation therapy, biofeedback, and cognitive behavioral therapy as potential alternatives and as a method to wean the patient off of the medications causing the pain.
Another option is to use herbal remedies for headaches such as lemongrass. Lemongrass, when made into a tea, has been shown to have numerous benefits, with headache relief being one of the most prominent. (For instructions on making your own lemongrass tea, click the link just above).
Headache sufferers can also find relief from drinking more water, and using essential oils like peppermint and lavender. Massage and other methods of relaxation can further reduce muscle tension that leads to headaches.


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On Monday, the wicked heat lifted. The sky became a bright blue after dawn. The morning was bright and cool for June, in the south. It was the kind of morning that made you want to forget housekeeping, altogether and abide outside instead.
We all rose early enough, to spend a few minutes on the front porch, before Will left for work. The laughing river was blue as ever and sparkled in the morning light. The sidewalk was busy with people walking dogs and plenty went by on bikes. There was an older couple who walked holding hands. All had a greeting or a kind word to share with us folks on the porch.
Lyla wakes up smiling and hugs us all"good morning". After breakfast, Lyla and and I went to the the little playground, just a short walk from Jennys' house. The park is set by the rivers' edge. Usually, there are geese grazing in the shade. We were the only ones there yesterday. Lyla took full advantage of that. It was not for long, though, as the sun warmed the slide and everything else up quickly. For a while, we watched the cars on the bridge. We watched clouds, too. One looked like an angry troll with horns, lying in wait for the only child on the playground, but right before our eyes, it then became a lamb with a sweet expression. As I sat there watching clouds and geese, I thought, that life had some grand moments. Lyla got hungry, otherwise, we may have stayed all day.
After lunch, Jenny, Lyla and I ran a few errands. It was Jennys, friend, Michelles' birthday and so we bought the ingredients for a key lime cheesecake. We bought strawberries for a neighbor. When we got home, I washed the berries and Lyla ate quite a few. I put some in a basket, for Miss Thelma and Jenny dressed Lyla up for the visit. What a cute picture Lyla made with a basket of strawberries and a pony tail. Miss Thelma is in her nineties and is " as sweet as pie". Lyla was fine til, I asked her to present her gift to Miss Thelma. Lyla, had apparently became quite attached to the basket and said "No!" followed by "Mine!" Oh goodness, how I tried to convince her that sharing was good. I even brought God in to it-however, Lyla was not feeling very Christian, at the moment. Miss Thelma was gracious and kind. When I finally pried the basket from Lylas' hand, Miss Thelma made good time to dump the berries in a bowl in the kitchen. She returned with a stuffed frog in the basket. Lyla wailed at the sight of a frog in her basket, instead of the strawberries. I could not get away fast enough. To say, it was harrowing, is an understatement. Lyla walked in the door at Jennys' with a long unintelligible explanation, that I think may have been "Honeybee is hateful."
Lyla soon recovered-and so did I. Later we had a light supper. Michelle and her family came over for dessert. Michelle and Danny have two boys. I watched them oh, so carefully catch lightening bugs and then quickly release them.
The night before, we had all taken a walk at dusk. We saw a small colony of bats come out of a chimney. Lyla and the boys were quite impressed at the sight-so was I. It had been a long time since I had seen such an event. The adults talked about all of the horrible and unjust myths about bats. I agreed with every word. . .until one flew right at me. Just before contact, he darted off, as if nothing had happened. I was shattered and decided maybe bats will "make a nest in your hair" after all.
The boys splashed in every puddle and walked along the shore of the river. Lyla was content to watch-and so was I. I picked her a mimosa blossom and we smelled the white crepe myrtles. The blossoms of the white variety, smell like clean cotton.
Jenny said Lyla fell asleep, while she was putting her pajamas on her. Jenny and I stayed up and actually watched a movie. We chose "Lion" , which is based on a true story.
Dear Diary, Especially in summer, I am determined not to be rushed. I do not want to miss clouds that turn into lambs. Summer is a time to imagine what seems impossible-and I am glad for that. Every firefly matters to me and so do the diamonds on the river. I am glad for hours that meander without haste . . .and strawberries.


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Carlos, 1545–68, prince of the Asturias, son of Philip II of Spain and Maria of Portugal. Don Carlos, who seems to have been mentally unbalanced and subject to fits of homicidal mania, was imprisoned by his father in 1568. When he died shortly afterward, it was rumored (falsely) that Philip had poisoned him. Friedrich von Schiller deliberately idealized his character in his tragedy Don Carlos, portraying him as a champion of liberalism, unhappily in love with his stepmother, Elizabeth of Valois.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Spanish and Portuguese History: Biographies


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LANCASTER (AP) – Local author and historian Brad Igou is sure the hit television show 'Amish Mafia' is a farce – and he's willing to prove it.
Igou, president of The Amish Experience in Bird-in-Hand, said his newest attraction will bust the myths surrounding the Discovery series that's breaking network records.
The 'Amish Mafia Tour' will reveal filming locations and debunk specific claims made on the 'reality' series.
Most area residents – Amish and English – seem to have opinions about Discovery's portrayal of a Lancaster County-based gang of violent Plain-sect protectors.
Igou said he hopes his tour, to be unveiled in April, will set the record straight. He gave a preview this week of his stance on the show and some features of the upcoming attraction.
But little explanation was needed after seeing the tour's playful slogan:
Chust Nonsense! Igou, a reputable author on Amish culture, says he dissected more than 75 statements from the show, which recently wrapped its first season to many rave reviews. (Filming for season two is ongoing.)
It's not that people are watching that bothers Igou – it's that people are believing.
'People don't know what to think,' he said. 'They really don't know what's true and what isn't.'
The tour, expected to open April 1, will visit filming locations and an Amish elder while a guide explains Hollywood's fascination with the culture.
The tour will stop at Silverstone Inn & Suites in East Lampeter Township, where many 'home' shots were filmed, and at a store in Bird-in-Hand, also the subject of filming.
'We think a lot of people curious because they saw 'Amish Mafia' will probably come here,' Igou predicted. 'We can use that curiosity.'
Residents this week and last have noticed the show's characters and camera crews across the county.
Esther, the group's female influence, was spotted Monday in East Lampeter; boss 'Lebanon Levi' popped up in several locations last week in New Holland.
'We observed the characters being filmed here,' New Holland police Lt. Jonathan Heisse said, confirming a crew was at a vacant apartment building at Grant Street and Brimmer Avenue and at New Holland Sales Stables.
Igou and other tour contributors expect the attraction to mimic the show's success.
'We are a business, and not doing it just because,' Igou said candidly. 'We think it will be pretty successful.'
Playing myth-busters requires years of research and experience with local Amish groups, Igou explained, making the tour's approach far more than mere speculation and guesswork.
'We're quite happy to make fun of the show and have a little fun,' he said, noting the show's production team contributed nothing to the tour's conception.
As for its origins, Igou said, not everyone was on board from the start.
'It was not a huge hit at first,' he said of initial conversations with other executives of The Amish Experience.
But Igou said he insisted because so many people were asking questions and several local Amish residents were offended.
'Should we just roll over and pretend it's not happening?' Igou said of his initial reactions.
What Igou and several local Amish folks found particularly offensive about the show was its mention of the attack at West Nickel Mines School in 2006. Five Amish girls were killed and five others seriously wounded when an English neighbor seized the single-room school and opened fire.
The show refers to that event as an example of Amish vulnerability and their need for protection from 'outsiders.' Amish rarely summon police, the show claimed.
'(The reference to) Nickel Mines was probably most offensive,' Igou said. 'The Amish reaction (to the shootings) was exactly the opposite.'
There was no thirst for revenge and outrage against English people, Igou said. Amish from the Nickel Mines community expressed forgiveness to the shooter's family almost immediately.
Other show 'myths' expected to be challenged on the tour:
* Amish never hold a pitchfork upside down because it signifies the devil.
* Only Amish can operate roadside produce stands.
* Amish only use push mowers. * Amish believe that females won't go to Heaven if they die while not wearing prayer coverings.
Igou said he introduced the tour two weeks ago with a blast email to numerous travel/tourism groups.
'Within 15 minutes, I had a (customer) on the phone,' he said.
Online: http://bit.ly/X7Zxa4
Information from: Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era, http://lancasteronline.com


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Me, pre-babies by Ted Williams
The last couple of days have been great for me. I've thought about a lot of things: where I am now, where I want to be in the future, what makes me happy and how I can be the best person I can be for my family. My end of year meltdown has come at a brilliant time; I'm a huge fan of clean slates and new starts so 2013 is going to be the year I turn things around, get more proactive and happy. I think I give off the impression of being busy and fulfilled when really I think I have so much more potential, so much more to give to myself and the babies. I don't want to feel like I'm letting anyone down anymore.
So I've taken the last couple of days to consider my New Years resolutions. I want to accomplish things this year, I want to look back next December feeling I lived my life, I didn't let it pass me by. I'd like to grow more as a person, teach my children, grow my business, inspire my husband, cherish my friends and experience new things.
Find something I can do for ME
At the moment when I have alone time I either go back to bed to catch up on sleep or I work. I don't think these are particularly good uses of downtime so it's about time I found more ways to relax. I'd love to start horse riding again, or find a local dance class. Maybe even just make an effort to sit and read a magazine alone in the coffee shop.
Grow my blog
This blog gives me so much pleasure. Ever since I started earning pocket money from it I have treated it like a job, but I've enjoyed it more than any job I've ever had: to me it is A Big Deal. I love to write, it's what I've wanted to do my whole life and I feel lucky that the Internet lets me do that. In my best month in 2012 50,000 people read my drivel and I'd love to be reaching that many people on a more regular basis. Ditto MAMA… I still think there's a resource missing for women who feel they don't fit in at Mumsnet-type places and I'd love to fill that space.
Video blog
When I was a kid I was really into amateur dramatics and my life goal was to be in Neighbors or Hollyoaks (I shit you not). I love to watch other people chat random rubbish on YouTube so I figure I should give it a go. I bought a camera tripod off eBay at 2am this morning when it seemed like the best idea in the world… watch out, Hollyoaks. There's still time.
Help my mum start a blog
She's been wanting to start one for AGES: so far we've registered a blog name for her and written her first post, I want to dedicate more time to helping her learn all about the wonderful world of blogging.
Get healthy
This is the year I get healthy. Luckily I got back down to my pre-pregnancy weight fairly swiftly after Hux but I would like to work on my wellbeing and wobbly bits. I'll be attending a fitness class once a week and trying to do one other physical activity per week. I also want to change my relationship with alcohol. I'm not an alcoholic but I rely on it too much: it's the thing I reach for when I'm happy, when I'm sad, when I'm stressed. I have no off button either and have wasted too many days hungover when the night before I should have drank half the amount.
De-clutter and organize
I did FlyLady for a while last year and really enjoyed the process. I'm moving house in 10 days and I'm going to use this as an opportunity to bin a bunch of things that I never use, or are broken, and then move forward feeling uncluttered and uncumbered. I also want to continue using Evernote to be organized (LOVE this) and make use of my 2013 diary to program in baby groups and other activites to get us out the house more.
Work hard at what I love
The things I love are: family, writing, work, cooking, keeping a clean and tidy house. These will be my focuses for the year.


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Over the past few weeks, the U.S. newspaper industry has entered a new period of decline. The parent of the papers in Philadelphia declared bankruptcy, as did the Journal Register chain. The Rocky Mountain News closed, and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, owned by Hearst, will almost certainly close or only publish online. Hearst has said it will also close the San Francisco Chronicle if it cannot make massive cuts. The most recent rumor is that the company will lay off half the editorial staff. Still, that action may not be enough to make the property profitable.
24/7 Wall St. has created a list of the 10 major daily papers that are most likely to fold or shutter their print operations and only publish online. The properties were chosen on the basis of the financial strength of their parent companies, the amount of direct competition they face in their markets and industry information on how much money they are losing. Based on this analysis, it's possible that 8 of the nation's 50 largest daily newspapers could cease publication in the next 18 months. (Read "The Race for a Better Read.")
1. The Philadelphia Daily News. The smaller of the two papers owned by Philadelphia Newspapers LLC, which recently filed for bankruptcy. The company says it will make money this year, but with newspaper advertising still falling sharply, the city cannot support two papers, and the Daily News has a daily circulation of only about 100,000. The tabloid has a small staff, most of whom could probably stay on at Philly.com, the Web operation for both of the city dailies.
2. The Minneapolis Star Tribune has filed for Chapter 11. The paper may not make money this year, even without the costs of debt coverage. The company said it made $26 million last year, about half of what it made in 2007. The odds are that the Star Tribune will lose money this year if its ad revenue drops another 20%. There is no point for creditors to keep the paper open if it cannot generate cash. It could become an all-digital property, as supporting a daily circulation of more than 300,000 is too much of a burden. It could survive if its rival, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, folds. A grim race.
3. The Miami Herald, which has a daily circulation of about 220,000. It is owned by McClatchy, a publicly traded company that could be the next chain to file for Chapter 11. The Herald has been on the market since December, but no serious bidders have emerged. Newspaper advertising has been especially hard-hit in Florida because of the tremendous loss in real estate advertising. The online version of the paper is already well read in the Miami area, Latin America and the Caribbean. The Herald has strong competition north of it, in Fort Lauderdale. There is a very small chance it could merge with the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, but it is more likely that the Herald will go online-only with two editions, one for English-language readers and one for Spanish.
4. The Detroit News is one of two daily papers in the big U.S. city badly hit by the economic downturn. It is unlikely that it can merge with the larger Detroit Free Press, which is owned by Gannett. It is hard to see what would be in it for Gannett. And with the fortunes of Detroit getting worse each day, cutting back the number of days the paper is delivered would not save enough money to keep the paper open.
5. The Boston Globe is, based on several accounts, losing $1 million a week. One investment bank recently said the paper is worth only $20 million. The paper is the flagship of what the Globe's parent, the New York Times, calls the New England Media Group. The Times has substantial financial problems of its own. Last year, ad revenue for the New England properties was down 18%. That is likely to continue or get worse this year. Supporting larger losses at the Globe will become nearly impossible. Boston.com, the online site that includes the digital aspects of the Globe, will probably be all that remains of the operation.
See 25 people to blame for the financial crisis.


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Wegmans recalls some fruit juices
Wegmans Food Markets says it's recalling two fruit juice products because they may contain unacceptable levels of a byproduct of mold.
The grocery chain says some 64 oz. containers of Wegmans Food You Feel Good About Organic Apple Juice and Wegmans Food You Feel Good About Organic Cranberry Juice Blend may contain patulin. It says the substance is unlikely to cause illness, but shouldn't be consumed.
The apple juice has expiration dates of Jan. 28, 2014 through March 19, 2014. The blend has an expiration date of Nov. 5, 2013.
Wegmans announced the recall Thursday after supplier Clement Pappas & Co. notified it the substance was found in apple juice concentrate.
It says consumers should dump the juice and return the containers to stores for refunds.


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London, Jack
London, Jack (John Griffith London), 1876–1916, American author, b. San Francisco. The illegitimate son of William Chaney, an astrologer, and Flora Wellman, a seamstress and medium, he had a poverty-stricken childhood, and was brought up by his mother and her subsequent husband, John London. At 17 he shipped out as an able seaman to Japan and the Bering Sea. He was at times an oyster poacher, a hobo, a laborer, a gold-seeker in the first Klondike rush, and a newspaper correspondent during the Russo-Japanese War and Mexican Revolution. His stories, romantic adventures with realistic characters and settings, often where life is harsh and hard to sustain, began to appear first in the Overland Monthly and soon after in The Atlantic. In 1900, The Son of the Wolf: Tales of the Far North was published. London's Klondike tales are exciting, vigorous, and brutal. The Call of the Wild (1903), about a tame dog who becomes wild and eventually leads a wolf pack, is one of the best animal stories ever written. Among his other works are The Sea-Wolf (1904), White Fang (1905), and Smoke Bellew (1912). Martin Eden (1909) and Burning Daylight (1910) are partly autobiographical. Although he was a highly paid writer of extremely popular fiction, London, a socialist, considered his social tracts—The People of the Abyss (1903) and The Iron Heel (1907)—as his most important work. The Cruise of the Snark (1911) is a vivid account of his interrupted voyage around the world in a 50-ft (15.2-m) ketch-rigged yacht, and John Barleycorn; or, Alcoholic Memoirs (1913) is autobiographical. Beset in his later years by alcoholism and financial difficulties, London died at the age of 40. There is a museum in Shreveport, La., devoted to London and his works.
See C. London, his second wife, The Log of the Snark (1915), Our Hawaii (1917), and The Book of Jack London (2 vol., 1921); biographies by his daughter, Joan London (1969), and by J. Hedrick (1982), A. Sinclair (1983), C. Stasz (1988), A. Kershaw (1998), and E. Labor (2013); studies by E. Labor (1977) and C. Watson (1982).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: American Literature: Biographies


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By Mike Chung July 14, 2009 As a long time black rifle enthusiast, I've bought and tried out many AR-15 related products for my own consumption. With the recently increased interest in the AR-15 rifle/carbine platform, dozens of "accessory" companies have sprouted. Anyone that's into quality knows that a good chunk of these items on the market are junk, but …Read More »
Tag Archives: ar 15 monolithic upper
High-End Tactical AR Components: Vltor MUR, VIS, CASV and More…
by David Crane defrev at gmail dot com All photographic images contained in this article were taken by DefenseReview.com at SHOT Show 2008, and they are the exclusive property of DefenseReview.com. DefenseReview.com owns the copyright on these photos. All photos were shot with a 7.2-megapixel Sony Cyber-shot digital camera (Model #: DSC-P150). April 20, 2008 While we're discussing Vltor Weapon …Read More »


text: If you love games and want to learn how to make them, then this course is your third step down that path. In this course you will learn the fundamentals of game design, including an understanding of level design, game balancing, prototyping, and playtesting, as well as game asset creation techniques. You will continue developing video games using industry standard game development tools, including the Unity 2020 game engine. At the end of the course you will have completed a 3D First-Person Shooter game, and will be able to leverage an array of game development techniques to create your own basic games.


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Great Clips
At Great Clips, we know that stylists like you are most happy when they're cutting hair, so at a Great Clips salon, that's exactly what you get to do! Want to be the best stylist in town? At Great Clips, that can happen. Want to be a salon manager or trainer or a member of an artistic design team? Yep, at Great Clips, you can make that happen, too.
Join a company with lots to offer. Whether you're a new (or about to be new) stylist, or you're an experienced stylist looking for your next career move, you'll have the chance to:
Sounds good, right? Then we want to hear from you! At Great Clips, there's no rule that says you can't soar with scissors. Go do what you love doing with a great brand. Join Great Clips today.


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End of the journey and the blog: from European cafes to kindle?
This is my last blog. Tomorrow the academic year starts, I will be back to teaching, and I have promised my employer (and my wife) that I will be travelling much less than in the last two years – during which, even if this blog suggests the opposite, I managed to get something done, like publishing six articles and two books and a half.
But I will of course keep a constant eye on Europe, of which Coventry, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Warsaw, Paris and Berlin are just mis barrios, without order of prefernce. And if I can't be in all my barrios at the same time, I have at least found a reasonable surrogate for the pleasure of reading the daily papers of each of them, everyday – and it is not the internet, but kindle.
I am quite addicted to newspapers, which I started buying in my early teens, and I keep buying every morning. In any country I am, I have my paper, which is the most important ingredient of my breakfast (you see them listed on the bottom left). Gazeta Wyborcza was what taught me read Polish in 1989-90, and Глас Српске (unlovable but interesting) what taught me to read Cyrillic in 1997. I am so addicted that even in China in 2000, on a crisis of abstinence, I started buying the papers and look at the pictures: the only news I understood was the Concorde crash over Paris. I just need the physical and mental stimulation of holding my daily paper, everyday.
Even if I am formally faithful and never buy a second paper in a given country, I can'resist reading a bit on the side as well – and I have become increasingly attracted to papers from other countries. When I was at the European University Institute in Florence in the 1990s, the loggia overlooking the city was also the reading room for European newspapers (at that time, almost exclusively leftwing ones), and I spent so much time in an armchair there, that fellow researchers said they would put a plate with my name on it. At Warwick, the staff lounge has five daily papers which I always scrutinise, but they are all British, and foreign papers are difficult to get, expensive, and arrive a day late, good only for the chips. Of course, the internet provides 24-hour news in any language, but it is nothing like full immersion in a serious newspaper.
So this Spring, while in Coventry missing my Le monde in a brasserie, El País over churros and Manifesto over an espresso, I bought a basic kindle and the subscription to a few papers. Since then, when I wake up in the morning El País and Gazeta Wyborcza are already on my bedside table. By the end of breakfast or the time I arrive to work, I have also received the New York Times. And after lunch, it is time for Le monde.I do not subscribe to any German or Italian paper because the kindle choice is too narrow.
The decision wasn't easy, because I see a lot of problems with Amazon and Kindle. Amazon has been shown to be a tax-avoider, and it is achieving such market domination that it challenges not only retailers (the lovely independent bookshops) but even the freedom of press. This is even truer for e-books: we are giving a single company a virtual monopoly on what is published. Moreover, I am not into gadgets and electronics (I was one of the last citizens of Europe to get a mobile phone and a TV - and I hardly ever use them). Yet I could see some clear strengths in the kindle.
First, unlike computers, tablets and smartphones, it is a full-immersion device: no ads, no emails, no popping windows, no sounds, no junk. Just black-and-white pages, as newspapers used to be, and without backlighting: I sit in front of a computer screen for so long for work, that the last thing I want to read a paper on is on one of them. And it is a kindle's actual advantage that it is very bad for work: pdf files are not reproduced well, and kindle-format books show no pages (how to quote them?), are messy with endnotes, and are difficult to take notes on. But exactly because it can hardly be used for work, it becomes a friendly device to enjoy – reserved to the pleasure of papers and novels. The main advantages, though, are portability (I spent hundreds of Euros in sending home hard books from various corners of Europe, but I could carry a thousand or so on the kindle), wifi instant delivery, and the feel-good factor of not chopping forests to read.
The main disadvantage is the narrow choice of papers, This is where you can see the risks of letting a private monopoly select what we can read (the choice is also extremely poor on foreign-language books: kindle is nearly as monolingual as it is monocolour). Also, after having developed over 30 years perfect newspaper-reading skills, these become nearly useless on a little screen and it is much more difficult to spot the good articles just by the titles. Some see a disadvantage in the price of subscriptions: but they are cheaper than from the newsagent, and in any case serious journalism costs and needs to be paid for – free newspapers and internet news are a threat to investigative, independent reporting.
Each of the papers I subscribe to has some disadvantage. El pais is the one with mosttechnical problems (undelivered/late issues) and misses the various interesting supplements (such as Negocios on Monday). Gazeta Wyborcza on kindle is also incomplete. Le monde is more complete but annoyingly its articles indicate the author at the end, rather than under the title: you have to scroll several screens only to see if a comment piece is by somebody you want to read from or not. The New York Times is in my view the best, with more content, pictures and features – the only thing it misses is the word number at the beginning of the article but you can still guess the length of the article from the length of the bar at the bottom of the screen. I subscribed to it because of my planned trip to America in the Summer (and in NYC its local pages were really useful) and because of the election year, but although it is a great paper I will cancel the subscription after the elections: anyway, the best stuff is reproduced in a number of European papers, including Guardian and Le monde.
While I love newspapers, I have never been into magazines: even the serious ones are in the rather useless middle ground between scientific rigour and daily journalism. I do read, caught between admiration for the neat coherent style and irritation for its ideological simplifications, The Economist, but the kindle version is very expensive and the magazine is for free in the staff lounge. The only magazines I subscribed too are therefore The London Review of Books, which needs no introduction, and Tygodnik Powszechny. The latter is the main Catholic magazine in Poland, but an open and surprisingly progressive one in a country where Catholicism is overwhelming reactionary. Founded in 1945 by Jerzy Turowicz in the intellectual capital Kraków and once the only independent paper in communist Poland, it is now directed by Fr Adam Boniecki, former director of the Polish edition of Osservatore Romano, but now a courageous critical priest whom his religious order has forbidden to speak or write, except one article per week in Tygodnik Powszechny. As always, censorship backfires and his articles's popularity has risen to cult status. The magazine is very strong not just on religion, but also on culture (Nobel Prizes Miłosz and Szymoborska published their verses on it, and the issue on the latter after her death in February had an unmatched depth and intimacy) and on society, in Poland and the rest of Central and Eastern Europe. Over the summer three issues were dedicated to unemployment, precarious work, and gender inequality. If only the Polish mainstream Left paid the same degree of attention to these issues...
So, for the moment enough Around Europe. But maybe one day I will start Around the World.


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|Irina Blogs from Montreal
|By Irina Krush
|August 24, 2006
Earlier this year, it seemed very unlikely that I'd be able to play in my fourth Montreal International. Montreal is usually held at the end of July, and the Dortmund match already filled that time slot for me. But an unexpected source came to the rescue: the Montreal Gay Games were scheduled for July 26 to August 5 and apparently all the city's hotel rooms were booked for this period (the hotel where the players are always lodged is located right in Montreal's gay quarter). Andre Langlois, the organizer, thus decided to move the tournament's starting date to August 8, and he was forced to truncate the event to 9 rounds instead of the usual 11 because of the Canadian Championship, which was set to begin on August 18th.


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Professional, compassionate care was a constant in Wiles' cancer journey
| Date Posted: 1/12/2012
Ellie Wiles' family and friends were sources of great comfort to her during her breast cancer journey. Wiles and her daughter, Jane Lindsey (left), are shown during Wiles' first chemotherapy treatment at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in April 2002. The stuffed bunny on Wiles' lap is "Miss H" (Happy and Healthy), given to her by a friend to accompany her on all her treatments.
TROY – Things have changed a lot in the decade since Ellie Wiles was diagnosed with breast cancer.
FirstHealth's chemotherapy unit, once located in the Patient Tower at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital, has moved to the Outpatient Cancer Center on the Page Road side of the hospital campus. Wiles' primary care provider and the first medical oncologist to supervise her chemotherapy have left FirstHealth, another oncologist has retired, and new physicians have filled the gap.
Technology has also changed, and services, such as digital mammography, that were then offered only in certain FirstHealth locations are now available throughout the system.
One thing has not changed, though, Wiles says: the quality of care – professional, compassionate and involved – that she received from diagnosis to reconstruction.
"Right from the very first, there was no stress," she says. "It was a really good experience."
Wiles'cancer journey began in 2002 as she brushed her hand over the front of her T-shirt and felt a large, hard mass under her left breast. Since she found the lump on a Friday evening, she had to wait until Monday morning to contact her primary provider.
A Tuesday visit to the FirstHealth Family Care Center-Troy started the series of events that would take Wiles – then Human Resources manager for FirstHealth Montgomery Memorial Hospital – through every breast cancer service that FirstHealth of the Carolinas had to offer.
She had mammograms, ultrasound, a needle-guided biopsy and then three months of chemotherapy followed by a mastectomy in June 2002, then three more months of chemotherapy and a 38-treatment radiation regimen.
Although Wiles experienced many of the usual rigors of cancer treatment – nausea, weight gain, fatigue, all of the medical professionals she encountered, her family, co-workers and friends, even other patients helped sustain her.
General surgeon Fabian Alzamora, M.D., of Pinehurst Surgical, happened to be in the specialty clinic at Montgomery Memorial when her diagnosis was confirmed. He performed her mastectomy and was involved in her care throughout.
Radiation oncologists Stephen King, M.D., and Jeffrey Acker, M.D., "were terrific." "They educated me on what to expect," Wiles says. "They don't just order your treatment."
The radiation therapy staff was just as involved and equally compassionate. "I can't say enough about how great people were during radiation," says Wiles. "It was all made so simple. I rarely had to wait. It was a great experience."
During two separate rounds of chemotherapy, Wiles came to admire and appreciate the nurses in charge of her infusion as well as her physicians. "All the nurses were so caring and explained everything," she says.
In December 2003, 18 months after her mastectomy, Wiles had breast reconstruction surgery with Noel McDevitt, M.D., a plastic surgeon with Pinehurst Surgical. It, too, was a positive experience.
Cancer-free for 10 years now, Wiles no longer takes medication and will soon be able to stretch her six-month follow-ups with medical oncologist Todd Moore, M.D., into a year. She is forever changed by the "great experience" of cancer and cancer care.
"I couldn't have asked for nicer people, more caring people, more knowledgeable," she says of her FirstHealth caregivers. "It never crossed my mind to go anywhere else. I always knew I would have good care."


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Organizations, Resources & Cool Places To Visit
Click here for information about the Department of Transportation's toll-free "hotline" for air travelers with disabilities.
The toll-free number for aviation consumer disability hotline is:
Click here for a May 2014 publication of Disability Connection from disability.gov: 10 Things You Need to Know about Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
The Essential Guide to Travelling with a Medical Condition
Air Travel With a Disabiltiy
Blog for slow walkers to wheelchair users. Author is Cindy Harrington.
Mobility International USA
Department of State's Human Rights Practices
Easy Access Australia
Undiscovered Britain
Exceptional Vacations (EV)
Accessible Switzerland
Accessible Journeys Group Tours offer tours all over the world, including Africa, Canada, China, France, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Israel, Nepal and the United States. Packages offer fun and companionship. They also offer ocean cruises. Check it out here.
Access Travel Center
Resting Easy in the US: Unique Lodging Options for Wheelers and Slow Walkers includes access descriptions and photos of over 90 US properties from B&Bs, ranches, lakeside cottages to boutique hotels, rustic cabins and yurts.


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In honor of Earth Day, this week's edition of Top 3 Thursdays will list the greenest roller coasters on Earth. Well, at least the greenest coasters I could find.
3 – The Heege Freizeittechnik Butterfly at Various Parks – Europe
Butterfly is the model name of a very small family shuttle roller coaster. It looks like it could fit in your backyard! They are "self-service" and take only 1.1Kwh/hr to operate at a capacity of 80 riders per hour. While it does take some energy it's likely a lot less than your average roller coaster. That makes this coaster green in my book. RCDB lists 38 of these little coasters currently in operation mostly at parks in Europe.
2 – Vogn Pa Ror at Joboland Brændesgårdshaven – Denmark
Vogn Pa Ror is described as a "manually operated roller coaster". Riders pull the car to the top of the hill themselves. After that it runs like a traditional roller coaster." You can't beat a people-powered roller coaster when it comes to ecological impact.
1 – Green Dragon at GreenWood Forest Park – United Kingdom
Like Vogn Pa Ror, Green Dragon is a people-powered, only it is much larger. When it opened in 2004, it was billed as the World's first people-powered roller coaster. Riders climb a hill to get to the loading station while a separate exit station exists at a lower elevation. Then when the cars roll down the hill, they pull empty cars up to the loading station. It looks like a fun ride through the park's green terrain. Read more about Green Dragon…>>>
Pedal-Powered Ride Not a Roller Coaster
As a public service I'd like to clear something up. The Skycycle at Washuzan Highland Park in Okayama, Japan received a ton of Internet buzz last year. Everyone deemed it a pedal-powered roller coaster, but it's technically not a roller coaster at all. It's basically a bicycle on a fixed track and doesn't meet the requirements to be considered a coaster. Even worse people confused an actual roller coaster (also with a white track) near the ride as part of the same track, making Skycycle seem even crazier. While it's not actually a coaster, the views from Skycyle look amazing!
What's Your Take?
What do you think of these green roller coasters? Do you know of any other people-powered roller coasters? Would you like to see more of these in the States? Leave a comment below.


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the Fifth Sunday of Lent
Bible Commentaries Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible Commentary Critical
Verse 1
1. the people of the land took Jehoahaz—Immediately after Josiah's overthrow and death, the people raised to the throne Shallum ( :-), afterwards called Jehoahaz, in preference to his older brother Eliakim, from whom they expected little good. Jehoahaz is said (2 Kings 23:30) to have received at Jerusalem the royal anointing—a ceremony not usually deemed necessary, in circumstances of regular and undisputed succession. But, in the case of Jehoahaz, it seems to have been resorted to in order to impart greater validity to the act of popular election; and, it may be, to render it less likely to be disturbed by Necho, who, like all Egyptians, would associate the idea of sanctity with the regal anointing. He was the youngest son of Josiah, but the popular favorite, probably on account of his martial spirit (2 Kings 23:30- :) and determined opposition to the aggressive views of Egypt. At his accession the land was free from idolatry; but this prince, instead of following the footsteps of his excellent father, adopted the criminal policy of his apostatizing predecessors. Through his influence, directly or indirectly used, idolatry rapidly increased (see 2 Kings 23:32).
Verse 2
2. he reigned three months in Jerusalem—His possession of sovereign power was of but very brief duration; for Necho determined to follow up the advantage he had gained in Judah; and, deeming it expedient to have a king of his own nomination on the throne of that country, he deposed the popularly elected monarch and placed his brother Eliakim or Jehoiakim on the throne, whom he anticipated to be a mere obsequious vassal. The course of events seems to have been this: on receiving intelligence after the battle of the accession of Jehoahaz to the throne, and perhaps also in consequence of the complaint which Eliakim brought before him in regard to this matter, Necho set out with a part of his forces to Jerusalem, while the remainder of his troops pursued their way at leisure towards Riblah, laid a tribute on the country, raised Eliakim (Jehoiakim) as his vassal to the throne, and on his departure brought Jehoahaz captive with him to Riblah. The old expositors mostly assumed that Necho, after the battle of Megiddo, marched directly against Carchemish, and then on his return came to Jerusalem. The improbability, indeed the impossibility, of his doing so appears from this: Carchemish was from four hundred to five hundred miles from Megiddo, so that within "three months" an army could not possibly make its way thither, conquer the fenced city of Carchemish, and then march back a still greater distance to Jerusalem, and take that city [KEIL].
Verse 3
3. an hundred talents of silver—£3418 15s.
and a talent of gold—£5475; total amount of tribute, £8893 15s.
Verse 4
4. carried him—Jehoahaz.
to Egypt—There he died (Jeremiah 22:10-12).
Jeremiah 22:10-24.22.12- :. JEHOIAKIM, REIGNING ILL, IS CARRIED INTO BABYLON.
Verse 5
5. Jehoiakim . . . did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord—He followed the course of his idolatrous predecessors; and the people, to a great extent, disinclined to the reforming policy of his father, eagerly availed themselves of the vicious license which his lax administration restored. His character is portrayed with a masterly hand in the prophecy of Jeremiah ( :-). As the deputy of the king of Egypt, he departed further than his predecessor from the principles of Josiah's government; and, in trying to meet the insatiable cupidity of his master by grinding exactions from his subjects, he recklessly plunged into all evil.
Verse 6
6. Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon—This refers to the first expedition of Nebuchadnezzar against Palestine, in the lifetime of his father Nabopolassar, who, being old and infirm, adopted his son as joint sovereign and despatched him, with the command of his army, against the Egyptian invaders of his empire. Nebuchadnezzar defeated them at Carchemish, drove them out of Asia, and reduced all the provinces west of the Euphrates to obedience—among the rest the kingdom of Jehoiakim, who became a vassal of the Assyrian empire ( :-). Jehoiakim at the end of three years threw off the yoke, being probably instigated to revolt by the solicitations of the king of Egypt, who planned a new expedition against Carchemish. But he was completely vanquished by the Babylonian king, who stripped him of all his possessions between the Euphrates and the Nile ( :-). Then marching against the Egyptian's ally in Judah, he took Jerusalem, carried away a portion of the sacred vessels of the temple, perhaps in lieu of the unpaid tribute, and deposited them in the temple of his god, Belus, at Babylon (Daniel 1:2; Daniel 5:2). Though Jehoiakim had been taken prisoner (and it was designed at first to transport him in chains to Babylon), he was allowed to remain in his tributary kingdom. But having given not long after some new offense, Jerusalem was besieged by a host of Assyrian dependents. In a sally against them Jehoiakim was killed (see on Daniel 5:2- :; also Jeremiah 22:18; Jeremiah 22:19; Jeremiah 36:30).
Verse 9
9, 10. Jehoiachin was eight years old—called also Jeconiah or Coniah ( :-) —"eight" should have been "eighteen," as appears from 2 Kings 24:8, and also from the full development of his ungodly principles and habits (see Ezekiel 19:5-7). His reign being of so short duration cannot be considered at variance with the prophetic denunciation against his father (Ezekiel 19:5-26.19.7- :). But his appointment by the people gave umbrage to Nebuchadnezzar, who, "when the year was expired" (Ezekiel 19:5-26.19.7- :) —that is, in the spring when campaigns usually began—came in person against Jerusalem, captured the city, and sent Jehoiachin in chains to Babylon, removing at the same time all the nobles and most skilful artisans, and pillaging all the remaining treasures both of the temple and palace (see on Ezekiel 19:5-26.19.7- :).
Ezekiel 19:5-26.19.7- :. ZEDEKIAH'S REIGN.
Verse 11
11. Zedekiah—Nebuchadnezzar appointed him. His name, originally Mattaniah, was, according to the custom of Oriental conquerors, changed into Zedekiah. Though the son of Josiah (1 Chronicles 3:15; Jeremiah 1:2; Jeremiah 1:3; Jeremiah 37:1), he is called the brother of Jehoiachin (Jeremiah 37:1- :), that is, according to the latitude of Hebrew style in words expressing affinity, his relative or kinsman (see 2 Kings 24:18; 2 Kings 25:1-21).
Verse 13
13. who had made him swear by God—Zedekiah received his crown on the express condition of taking a solemn oath of fealty to the king of Babylon ( :-); so that his revolt by joining in a league with Pharaoh-hophra, king of Egypt, involved the crime of perjury. His own pride and obdurate impiety, the incurable idolatry of the nation, and their reckless disregard of prophetic warnings, brought down on his already sadly reduced kingdom the long threatened judgments of God. Nebuchadnezzar, the executioner of the divine vengeance, commenced a third siege of Jerusalem, which, after holding out for a year and a half, was taken in the eleventh year of the reign of Zedekiah. It resulted in the burning of the temple, with, most probably, the ark, and in the overthrow of the kingdom of Judah (see on :-; :-; :-).
Verse 21
21. until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths—The return of every seventh was to be held as a sabbatic year, a season of rest to all classes, even to the land itself, which was to be fallow. This divine institution, however, was neglected—how soon and how long, appears from the prophecy of Moses (see on :-), and of Jeremiah in this passage (see :-), which told that for divine retribution it was now to remain desolate seventy years. As the Assyrian conquerors usually colonized their conquered provinces, so remarkable a deviation in Palestine from their customary policy must be ascribed to the overruling providence of God.
2 Chronicles 36:22; 2 Chronicles 36:23. CYRUS' PROCLAMATION.
Verse 22
22. the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus—(See on :-).
These files are a derivative of an electronic edition prepared from text scanned by Woodside Bible Fellowship.
This expanded edition of the Jameison-Faussett-Brown Commentary is in the public domain and may be freely used and distributed.
Jamieson, Robert, D.D.; Fausset, A. R.; Brown, David. "Commentary on 2 Chronicles 36". "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible". https://studylight.org/


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Currently, I am providing my personal analysis of publically traded companies. To access these reports click on the "reports" button.
The reports are my best interpretation of the company and its prospects. These are opinions and before you make any investment decision one should conduct their own due diligence.
If you are interested in the effort to encourage shareholder friendly change at Celgene, then please visit this CELG Shareholder Page.
Sobek was the ancient Egyptian God of crocodiles.
No relation.


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The German government and the German Federal Intelligence Service are facing legal action because they allegedly aided the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) data collection program.
"We will send the legal action to the authorities next Monday," said Constanze Kurz, a German computer scientist and spokeswoman for the Chaos Computer Club (CCC), in an email on Wednesday.
[ Also on InfoWorld: The great escape: How the NSA is driving companies out of U.S. clouds. | Learn how to protect your systems with Roger Grimes' Security Adviser blog and Security Central newsletter, both from InfoWorld. ]
"There are several persons as well as organizations which are suing our government and other named persons in charge," she said, adding that one of them is the International League for Human Rights, a German section of the International Federation for Human Rights.
The complainants will bring charges over the alleged involvement of the German government in the NSA spying programs, she said. "That is one reason," she said, adding that the action was also started "because they did not even try to stop them from tapping into phones, hacking and spying on computers and collecting massive amounts of data although we have clearly laws that forbid foreign espionage."
Kurz said the legal complaint will comprise more than 50 pages, and will be published Monday.
The German government and the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) have been cooperating closely with the NSA and have used spy software provided by the NSA, according to a July report from Der Spiegel based on documents leaked by Edward Snowden.
According to those documents, the BND, the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) and the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) played a central role in the exchange of information among intelligence agencies referred to by the NSA as "key partners", Der Spiegel reported.
The NSA also provided the BfV with a spying tool called XKeyscore, according to the report. The XKeyscore tool is a surveillance program that the NSA uses to collect data sets and allows analysts to search through vast numbers of emails, online chats and browsing histories without prior authorization, according to the Guardian newspaper.
The BfV has indeed been testing XKeyscore, a BfV spokeswoman said Wednesday, adding that it is "completely normal" to exchange such software. XKeyscore however is only used for data analysis and not for the collection of additional data, she said, adding that the BfV has operated within the German law.
Kurz is also one of the complainants that is challenging the legality of Internet surveillance programmes operated by U.K. intelligence agency GCHQ.
She filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in October together with U.K. groups Big Brother Watch, Open Rights Group and English PEN, alleging that the U.K. government illegally used Internet and telecommunications networks to systematically spy on its citizens.
That case was given priority by the human rights court. But the court has not yet admitted the case. It has asked the U.K. government to submit written observations on the admissibility and merits of the case before May 2.
Loek is Amsterdam Correspondent and covers online privacy, intellectual property, open-source and online payment issues for the IDG News Service. Follow him on Twitter at @loekessers or email tips and comments to email@example.com


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Story by
Josh Ong
Josh Ong is the US Editor at The Next Web. He previously worked as TNW's China Editor and LA Reporter. Follow him on Twitter or email him a Josh Ong is the US Editor at The Next Web. He previously worked as TNW's China Editor and LA Reporter. Follow him on Twitter or email him at [email protected].
The new iPhone 5 supports the super fast 4G LTE, but Apple learned the hard way with the third-generation iPad that not all LTE is created equal. Based on the company's current technical specifications, the iPhone 5 won't support LTE networks in several major countries that it's planning on launching the smartphone in later this month.
The new handset will arrive first in the US, Canada, France, UK, Germany, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. The initial launch will cover LTE bands 1, 3, 4, 5, 13, 17 and 25.
Apple's two separate models are broken up into a GSM (A1428) device and model A1429, which is split into either CDMA or global GSM. The only apparent difference between the A1428 GSM version and the A1429 global GSM model is the supported LTE bands.
The iPhone maker's technical specifications show that the A1428 iPhone operates on LTE bands 4 and 17, which should include AT&T in the US and Bell, Rogers and Telus in Canada. The A1429 CDMA model works on Sprint and Verizon, as well as KDDI in Japan, by way of bands 1, 3, 5, 13 and 25. Apple lists the A1429 GSM model as supporting LTE networks in Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore on bands 1, 3 and 5.
It is also worth noting that, with the iPhone 5, Apple appears to have switched from marketing the specific frequencies of its LTE connections to simply listing the numerical frequency bands. The iPad, for example, is listed as supporting 700 and 2100 MHz LTE on the AT&T model and 700 MHz on the Verizon version.
Apple has created a separate page listing LTE support for upcoming countries and their respective wireless operator, but adding to it as more countries arrive could get unwieldy. It also remains to be seen whether iPhone buyers will take the time to check for support on the page before buying.
While Apple's first country lineup for the iPhone 5 is well set up for an LTE launch, the situation with the second batch of countries, which are scheduled to get the iPhone on September 28th, is more complicated. The list of countries is as follows: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
For starters, not all of the countries on that list have operational LTE networks – only 46 countries currently are up and running with the standard. However, customers within countries without LTE support won't be expecting their new iPhones to magically jump onto non-existent networks. The real trouble could arise in countries with incompatible LTE support, as few consumers will understand, let alone care about, the complexities of differing frequency bands and spectrum allocations between countries.
Some of the countries scheduled to get the iPhone operate their LTE networks on band 3, which shouldn't be a problem for either the CDMA or GSM A1429 version. However, several countries, such as Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway and Switzerland, operate on band 7, which is not listed as supported by the iPhone 5. Still others have LTE networks on band 38, which like band 7, is at the 2600MHz frequency.
Things could also get messy between carriers within countries as some of them get blocked out of LTE support based on which bands they operate on. For instance, EE currently has a lock on the LTE iPhone in the UK because it runs on band 3, while Vodafone and O2, at least for now, will be restricted to providing 3G service for the new iPhone because of spectrum limitations.
TNW has contacted Apple to find out whether it plans to release an iPhone with support for band 7 or band 38, but the company didn't immediately respond.
Looking ahead, Apple will also need to eventually add an iPhone 5 model capable of bands 7 and/or 38 if it wants to reach LTE speeds in emerging markets like Brazil and Russia.
Considering that Apple is steam rolling ahead with a rapid international release schedule to hit 100 countries and 240 carriers by the end of this year, the confusion between compatible and incompatible LTE networks is likely going to be a growing issue for a consumers. Hopefully, Apple has its marketing team at the ready so it can avoid a lawsuit and fine.
Header image: Apple
(hat tip Horace Dediu)
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1. Problem: Rough heels
The main issues with flaunting flat, open (albeit stylish) summer sandals are their lack of support and cushion. The result? Hardened heels caked with layers of dead skin. To soften, zero in on the area with a heavy-duty moisturizer formulated with vitamins A and E, and urea, says Alphonse Tribuiani, doctor of podiatric medicine, board certified in foot and ankle surgery. Combined, the omnipotent trio can penetrate the skin's barrier and moisturize effectively. For baby-smooth feet, try Peter Thomas Roth Ultimate Crème in a Tube ($34, amazon.com).
2. Problem: Cracks and fissures
When rough heels are left untreated, the skin will harden, grow thicker and eventually crack. You'll immediately notice pain and some bleeding. Your first instinct might be to reach for a pumice stone or filer — don't! "Those devices easily house bacteria, and if you have cracks, they can cause infections," warns Tribuiani.
Instead, swap your pumice stone for a pumice cream, like Avon Foot Works Healthy Pumice Cream ($4, amazon.com), which is less abrasive. Apply daily during your shower to help slough off dead skin cells, soothe inflammation, and moisturize.
More From Good Housekeeping
3. Problem: Calluses
Calluses are a year-round problem that are much more prevalent in summer, especially given the surge in super-flat shoe wear. Calluses are typically formed at the soles as a byproduct of friction and pressure, says Tribuiani. "If you have a bone that protrudes a little more than the rest, the skin thickens to protect the bone, forming calluses," he explains.
To treat calluses, keep them trimmed; see a professional to prevent nicking yourself and eliciting a serious injury. Lastly, wear supportive shoes or slip an orthotic into the lining to help offload the pressure, says Tribuiani, who recommends Dr. Scholl's Tri-Comfort Orthotics ($22, amazon.com)
4. Problem: Blisters
Blisters can develop from serious sunburns, or more likely from shoe pains (read: too-tight sandals or digging straps). To pop or not to pop? The best-case scenario is to let the blister heal on its own: Just dab antibiotic cream and cover with a Band-Aid. But if you can't resist, Tribuiani says to pop it with a sterilized safety pin (heat the end) and drain the fluid. Do not remove the excess skin — it acts as a barrier to protect the fresh skin from infection. Dab antibiotic cream and cover it up.
Prevent blisters by stretching out sandals. Wear them with socks and walk around indoors to loosen them up. Or use foot balm to protect your skin from chaffing, says Marina Peredo, M.D., F.A.A.D, founder of Marina I. Peredo Dermatology and Spatique Medical Spa. Try Dr. Scholl's For Her Miracle Shield ($7, drugstore.com).
5. Problem: Sunburn
When it comes to sunscreen application, the tops of the feet are one of the most commonly missed areas. "It's crucial to apply a good sunscreen with SPF 30 all over feet and toes," says Tribuiani. As for the soles, sunburns are rare since the skin is much thicker and denser, but they can still succumb to burns, thanks to hot sand and seashells; wear protective footwear when you comb the beach. Treat sunburn immediately with aloe vera and apply two or three times a day after, says Peredo.
6. Problem: Sweat
If your feet are slipping and sliding in your sandals, Tribuiani says to sprinkle talc powder, or even good old-fashioned Johnson's baby powder ($4, amazon.com), once or twice a day to wick away sweat.
Sock-and-shoe wearers should avoid nylon and cotton socks, which tend to lock in moisture, keeping feet wet, says Peredo. Look for socks labeled as "moisture-absorbing" or "moisture-wicking" to keep perspiration at bay. But if nothing works, Peredo recommends seeing a doctor for prescription-strength antiperspirant, such as Drysol.
7. Problem: Stinky Feet
Where there's sweat, there's odor. The scent stems from bacteria breaking down the sweat, which tends to happen when feet are housed in less breathable socks and shoes, Peredo says. To prevent odor, prevent bacteria from breeding. This means keeping your feet dry at all times. Scrub — not soak — feet daily and dry thoroughly afterward, making sure to pat dry in between toes.
8. Problem: Yellowing nails
Showing off your pedicure in your open-toed sandals and summer heels is flattering… until you see discoloration. "All nail polish oxidizes, so the lighter the polish, the more it will yellow," explains Elle, celebrity nail technician. "It could also be a chemical reaction between sunscreen and the topcoat." To conceal potential yellowing, opt for brights over pastels and limit chlorine and sun exposure. Tribuiani says to also steer clear of press-on nails, gels, and "instant dry" formulas, as the faster the lacquer dries, the more it malnourishes the nail.
Andrea Cheng is a New York-based writer who writes about fashion and beauty. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Glamour, Allure, Fashionista and more. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @andrealeecheng.


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Some time ago, I wrote a post examining how YA fantasy/dystopian novels opened, you can find it here. Well, the other day, I watched the final instalment of the Mockingjay from the Hunger Games trilogy. Despite its brutality, there was one particular line right at the end of the film that piqued my interest. So I decided to flip that post on its head and look at YA endings.
Katniss climbed into bed with Peeta, gave him a hug and he leant in to say:
"You love me, real or not real?" and Katniss said, "Real."
Time to admit a dirty secret I have been harbouring for a while now – yes, I'm ashamed! I haven't read the Hunger Games. I know. I know. I'm a YA Fantasy/Dystopian writer, how could I NOT have read the Hunger Games…? It just sort of happened. Lets not talk about it. I'll fix it…Soon.
Anyway, there we were in the cinema and I leant over to to Mrs. Black and did the unthinkable, whispered in the middle of the film. I said… That right there, that's the last line of the book. She raised an eyebrow and asked me how I knew. I didn't have the answer, so I shrugged, "I just did."
But it got me thinking, how did I know? And what was it about that line that made it so obviously a last line?


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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – It was a packed house at the Grand Ole Opry for Dolly Parton's 50th celebration with performances from country artists like Lady Antebellum, Hank Williams Jr. and of course, Dolly herself.
The first time Dolly Parton sang on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, she was just 13 years old. She remembers that night as a little girl with big dreams, now, celebrating 50 years of living that dream of being a member.
She spoke at a press conference before her shows Saturday night, telling media that she originally didn't want to have a celebration like this because she didn't want people to know she was way older than 50.
However, it was an important night for Dolly was, sharing some of her stories on stage, following other big country artists on stage to pay tribute to the country queen.
Her performance included the classics like Jolene, Coat of Many Colors, and one of the very first songs she wrote, Joshua.
These songs and others earned her a Guinness World Record for the female country artist with the most billboard top 20 hits — 26 of the number one.
"My daddy loved the Grand Ole Opry, so we'd listen to it back home and me dreaming of being on it and I just remember that being special," Dolly said, "But then the night that I actually became a member, after I was working with the Porter Wagner show, and got to actually be a member 50 years ago, that was one of the highlights of my whole life. It was a true dream of mine, and I just wish mom and daddy could be here tonight, but I think they are."
Dolly always said the Grand Ole Opry is like the song 'New York, New York' by Frank Sinatra — she says if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.
Her goal now is to work on more uplifting songs, a few coming to Christian radio very soon.


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Wendy Long, who promoted her conservative credentials on her way to a convincing win in New York's Republican Senate primary, now faces a broader and more liberal electorate as she takes on Democratic incumbent Kirsten Gillibrand.
Long, a New York City attorney, defeated U.S. Rep. Bob Turner and Nassau County comptroller George Maragos in a primary election Tuesday notable for low turnout.
Long won every upstate county in her double-digit win. Turner came in second with wins in his home turf of Brooklyn and Queens, along with the heavily populated suburban counties of Rockland and Westchester. Maragos won his home county of Nassau.
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With nearly every precinct reporting, Long had 51 percent of the vote, compared to 36 percent for Turner and 13 for Maragos.
"Kirsten Gillibrand said she wants more women in politics," Long told her supporters in New York City. "Tonight we are here to grant her wish."
Long now faces the daunting task of trying to raise millions of dollars and build statewide name recognition by election day in November. Gillibrand, a three-year incumbent, already has about $10 million in campaign cash.
This will be Gillibrand's second campaign for the Senate since she was appointed in 2009 to replace Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. She won election in 2010 to finish Clinton's term that ends this year. This time, Gillibrand is running for a full, six-year term.
Long has political experience but has never held elected office. She worked in the U.S. Senate, clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and has advocated for conservative judges for the group now known as the Judicial Crisis Network.
Long has run as a staunch conservative. She promoted her support for gun rights, said she opposed same-sex marriage and vowed never to vote to raise the federal debt ceiling. She has already secured the state Conservative Party line, which is considered crucial to Republicans running for statewide office.
After months of staking out conservative positions to win support from New York's Republicans, Long now faces an electorate in which Democrats outnumber Republicans by about 2 to 1.
Recent polls have shown Gillibrand leading Long in head-to-head matchups by more than 30 percentage points, though analysts expect the gap to narrow now that Republicans have chosen a candidate. Still, Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said Long has her work cut out for her over the next four months.
"It is going to take every break breaking … for Long to even be truly competitive," Greenberg said.
Republicans have criticized Gillibrand, a former upstate congresswoman, for taking more liberal positions after her appointment to the Senate. Though seen as vulnerable when she was appointed in 2009, Gillibrand has built up support and name recognition in her three years in office. Her $10 million in campaign cash this month compared to $112,397 for Long.
Democrats wasted no time attacking the Republican candidate. State Democratic Committee co-chairman Keith Wright in a prepared statement released Tuesday night accused Long of holding "extreme ideological views."
Gillibrand spokesman Glen Caplin said the senator called Long to congratulate her and "looks forward to running a strong campaign based on her record of fighting hard and delivering as a strong independent voice for New York families."


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By Jeff Birchfield
Press Sports Writer
[email protected]
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Dec. 22, 2011) – Despite their best efforts, the East Tennessee State women's basketball team couldn't keep it going Thursday night.
The Lady Bucs, fresh off their first win of the season on Tuesday against Morehead State, rallied from a 14-point deficit before falling to Chattanooga 88-80 at the MSHA Center.
"I thought for the majority of the game, we played hard," ETSU head coach Karen Kemp said after her team fell to 1-11 on the season. "I definitely would have preferred a win, but our effort against Chattanooga was terrific. We're playing a lot of young ones, but they're growing up fast."
One of their older players, senior Gwen Washington (Manassas, Va.) posted an 18-point performance to lead the Lady Bucs. Washington hit 6 of 8 shots from the field and was 5 of 7 from the free-throw line.
"Since it was Chattanooga, it was a big game," Washington said. "I've been here four years and know what a big rivalry it is. I felt I came out and played pretty good."
Ahead just 33-31 at the break, the Lady Mocs (8-3) assumed control in the first nine minutes of the second half to go up 60-46.
The flow of the game changed with 11 minutes to go.
Destiny Mitchell (Bluffton, Ga.), held to just one point before then, spurred a Lady Buc rally which saw them eventually tie the game at 72.
Battling illness, she was on the bench when Chattanooga's Meghan Downes hit a couple of short jump shots to push the lead back out to five points.
Mitchell re-entered the game with 1:12 left and ended with 14 points and eight rebounds.
Downes ended with a game-high 19 points for the Lady Mocs, while Kayla Christopher scored 13 points, which included four late free throws, to secure the outcome. Overall, Chattanooga hit over 65 percent from the field in the second half.
"It seemed like every time we would stretch it out and get a comfortable lead, they would come back," Chattanooga head coach Wes Moore said. "We were just fortunate we shot the lights out the second half."
Other double-digit scorers for the Lady Mocs were Whitney Hood with 17 points, Kylie Lambert with 13 points and Alex Black with 10. Taylor Hall, a former Morristown West standout, led Chattanooga with 11 rebounds after getting one of her front teeth knocked out early in the first half.
For the Lady Bucs, Maria Bond (Macon, Ga.) reached double figures with a 12-point effort, while Tosha Austin (Chattanooga, Tenn.) grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
Chattanooga's head coach was complementary of the Lady Bucs' rebounding efforts. ETSU ended with a slight 40-39 advantage on the boards, including a 13-8 edge on the offensive glass.
"They're a very good team. I don't care what their record is," Moore said about ETSU. "I tell people I don't look at records, I watch film. They're going to win a bunch of games."
Kemp echoed the sentiment, still optimistic the Lady Bucs can achieve their stated goal for the season.
"Our goal at the beginning of the year is to win every game," Kemp said. "But, our primary goal is the Atlantic Sun Championship. I think we're in good position to accomplish that goal that if we keep playing like we are right now."
The Lady Bucs will now enjoy a long holiday break as ETSU doesn't return to action until Jan. 4 when USC Upstate comes to Johnson City for an A-Sun doubleheader. Tip is set for 4:45 p.m. inside the MSHA Athletic Center.
Notes: The 80 points scored by the Lady Bucs marked a season high and it was the most scored since netting 83 against Lipscomb last March in the A-Sun Quarterfinals … ETSU is now averaging 73.8 points per game in their last four outings … Gwen Washington finished with a season-high 18 points and is now 98 points shy of becoming the 20th player in Lady Buccaneer history to reach the 1,000-point club … ETSU finished with nine turnovers, which is only the second time this season the Blue and Gold finished with less than 10 turnovers (9 vs. FGCU on 12/3) … Destiny Mitchell recorded all 14 of her points in the second half and has posted four consecutive games in double figures … the Lady Bucs received 46 percent of their scoring from their bench as ETSU outscored Chattanooga, 37 to 35 … ETSU has now posted at least one three-pointer at home in 82 straight games … ten of the eleven players who saw action reach the scoring column for the Lady Bucs – including freshman guard Chelsea Bowling scoring her first points of her young career in her first collegiate game … Bowling finished with four points in 12 minutes, as she missed the first 11 games of the year with a shoulder injury.
For more information on Lady Buccaneer hoops, visit www.ETSUBucs.com.


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I've been pointing out the differences between California stagnation and Texas prosperity for quite some time.
And since California voters approved a new 13.3 percent top tax rate last November, I expect the gap to become even wider.
Simply stated, California is the France of America and Texas is the Cayman Islands of America.
So it's understandable that the Governor of Texas is telling employers in California that his state has a better climate for job creation.
John Fund of National Review opines on this bit of competition between states.
Texas governor Rick Perry knows how to start a rumble. Last week, he spent a mere $24,000 on radio ads in California, urging firms there to move to Texas, with its "zero state income tax, low overall tax burden, sensible regulations, and fair legal system." …He begins a four-day barnstorming tour of California today, touting Texas's virtues to business owners. …several observers acknowledged that Perry has gotten the better of the battle.
Texas is clearly doing better on jobs, and it's easy to avoid higher taxes when you obey Mitchell's Golden Rule and restrain the burden of government spending.
Indeed, in the last five years Texas has gained 400,000 new jobs while California has lost 640,000. The Lone Star State's rate of job growth was 33 percent higher than California's last year, even as the Golden State finally pulled out of the recession. …Texas's legislature has just trimmed its $188 billion two-year budget by 8 percent, and the state may have more revenue than it can legally spend because it is barred from raising outlays more than the rate of economic growth.
Here's a very good Steve Breen cartoon about Perry's fishing trip to the west coast.
And remember my post about Phil Mickelson threatening to leave the state? Well, Chip Bok has a humorous take on that looming departure.
I've already written about the exodus of jobs from California, and expect even more in the future.
P.S. Texas is far from perfect. There's a good bit of crony capitalism in the state. But there's also some bad policy in the Cayman Islands, so the analogy is appropriate.
P.P.S. This "coyote" joke about California and Texas is the fourth-most viewed post in the history of this blog.
P.P.P.S. Here's a photo that shows the California bureaucracy in action, and a cartoon featuring archaeologists from the future.


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Our ballroom can also be a great location for a birthday party, anniversary party or family reunion. This gorgeous venue is nestled in the serenity of the beautiful landscaped Clark Park. It has a 6,000 square foot ballroom with a 30 foot wood ceiling and chandeliers. The fireplace provides a romantic ambiance. We have the option of renting a dance floor for you and your guests to dance the night away!
MMCC Ballroom Rates & Information:
The information below applies if you are renting the ballroom for a wedding, special event or meeting/conference.
Ballroom will seat up to 300 guests.
*This is due at the time of contract signing. It is fully refundable if your event completes a successful check-out and the center is left as indicated.
*Latest time block available is 12:00pm-12:00am.
Price Includes:
• Tables and chairs. Inventory:
o 25- 72' round tables
o 5- 6 foot rectangle tables
o 1- 48' round table
o 1- 60' round table
• 6 trash cans with 18 trash bags (2 stay in kitchen)
• • Major cleaning- Client is responsible for clearing tables, taking out trash, making sure that floor is free of excessive debris, wiping down tables and removing personal items.
• Use of the bride's room, which has full length mirror, hooks for hanging dresses and seating.
Additional tables, equipment and services are available at the rate listed below.
Wood Podium
Acrylic Podium
• Tables and chairs will be setup according to the submitted layout.
• Must follow all Guidelines and rules for the center.
• An appointment is necessary to tour the facility, complete a contract or to make a payment.
Events serving alcohol: