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Why I'm Buying These 4 Stocks
In the real-money portfolio I run for The Motley Fool, I've let cash build up to where it's pushing 20% of the portfolio's value. With the market trending down recently, I believe it's now time to put some of that to work, so I'm going to add to a few of my current holdings. What you own already can be the best place to invest, often because you're more familiar with the company and have a sense for how its share price behaves.
Cessna is not the whole story
The first I'll add to is Textron , maker of Cessna airplanes and Bell helicopters, among other things. When it reported first-quarter results in April, the reduced earnings guidance for the year - thanks to a softer business jet market than expected - led traders to drop the price 13.4% that day. The price has bounced around quite a bit since then, but remains in the $25-$28 range. The company believes that a turnaround in the moribund business jet market is coming - CEO Scott Donnelly pointed to several favorable factors in the conference call - it's just not here yet.
Yet not all is bad at this diversified manufacturer. For instance, Textron's Bell division and its partner Boeing were recently awarded a $4.9 billion extension to a $1.4 billion preliminary contract with the Defense Department to deliver 99 V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft to the Marine Corps and Air Force, with an option for an additional 22 aircraft. Plus, it's widely expected that foreign militaries will be a source of sales for many in the U.S. arms industry, helping both Bell and Textron Systems (which sells, for instance, unmanned aircraft, surveillance systems, and intelligence software).
I'll be adding to the position by the end of the week.
Digging deeper
When Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold announced that it was purchasing McMoRan Exploration and Plains Exploration & Production for cash and stock last December, I really didn't like it. However, often the best action with one's investments is to not trade on news like that. (And you'll save from not paying commissions or capital gain taxes.)
While the price of Freeport is down about 11% since then, that is much more because of dropping copper prices for most of this year. Prices have fallen from about $4 per pound at the start of the year to about $3 per pound today. Freeport is still much more a copper company than an oil company. Offsetting these lower prices for copper is the expected improvement in the ore grade coming out of the Grasberg mine this year and next, which should lower the company's average production cost per pound. (The company expects cash cost of $1.45 per pound for this year.)
For a long-term investor like myself (I've held Freeport in this portfolio since October 2011), the decline in the share price for this miner is, I believe, an opportunity. Copper is still one of the most highly used metals and the long-term-demand trend is upward. Copper prices have likely fallen because of China's slowdown and Europe's economic mess, but those areas will not always be that way. Plus, don't forget about emerging countries that will need lots of copper themselves over time.
I'll be adding to the position at this reduced price, while keeping an eye on the integration and performance of the oil business going forward.
Drilling to dividends
Long-time holding Transocean - it was the first purchase in this portfolio - is continuing to improve. It paid a first installment of $400 million toward the $1.4 billion settlement with the Dept. of Justice arising from the Gulf of Mexico Macondo well incident. It had an incident off the shore of Brazil resolve in its favor. And, it now feels that it has enough certainty to reinstate its dividend (after an absence of over a year), pushed along by pressure from Carl Icahn, the company's biggest shareholder.
While I'm currently down overall in this position, there are enough encouraging signs to make me want to stay invested and add to it. I mentioned several above. There is also the continued move of the company out of the jack-up rig business (it has only a few left to sell) along with reducing the company's debt level. The goal is to pay $1 billion in excess repayment by the end of next year with a target of reducing the $11.2 billion in debt down to $7 billion-$9 billion. That's a plus and will go a long way toward improving the balance sheet of the company.
I'll be adding to the position at this reduced price. Earnings are expected to grow for the next several years and management says the plan is to grow the dividend, too, so this should turn out well in the long run.
Beep, beep
I've only purchasedHertztwice in this portfolio, keeping the stake rather small, which is unfortunate because it's done quite well. In the two-plus years the portfolio's owned shares, the position is up 59% overall.
Today, Hertz is a much bigger company, having recently absorbed Dollar Thrifty. In the most recent quarter, car rental revenue is up - 25.7% year over year for the first quarter - and, more interesting, so is equipment rental - up 16.2%. (Bet you didn't know that Hertz rents all kinds of equipment, from boom lifts to earth movers.) Car rental revenue growth was largely driven by the acquisition which helped the U.S. business grow 38%. But the rental revenue increase is coming from non-residential construction growth.
The company's expanding into China, taking a 20% equity stake in China Auto Rental, the largest (by far) rental company in that country. This brings in more income and gives Hertz a Chinese presence via co-branding to take advantage of a market expected to grow by 15% a year for the next several years.
Hertz is doing a lot of things right, its market conditions are improving, and the portfolio's position is up. I'll be adding more.
Wrap up
So that's a quick overview of four positions in the Messed-Up Expectations portfolio and why I'll be adding to them by the end of the week, as soon as Fool trading rules allow. Come discuss these and more on my discussion board.
If you're on the lookout for some currently intriguing energy plays, check out The Motley Fool's "3 Stocks for $100 Oil." For FREE access to this special report, simply click here now.
The article Why I'm Buying These 4 Stocks originally appeared on Fool.com.
Jim Mueller owns shares of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Transocean, and Textron. The Motley Fool owns shares of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Hertz Global Holdings, Textron, and Transocean. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Today is the day. If I don't get a photo of the crows or the Raven, I will need to find somewhere in Toronto where they congregate. Why must they torment me? I can hear them and see them in other people's yards. When I try to make my way towards them to take a picture, they take off. All I ask is you come visit our front yard and let me get some good photographs of you. What I wouldn't do right now for my DSLR right now and a zoom lens.
My intention today was to sit on the covered porch to write, but the temperature suddenly dropped and big, gray clouds started rolling in. I moved to the kitchen table and can actually see a wall of rain heading towards us. Have you ever been outside when this happens, especially when you have nowhere to go? I have, it's not always a fun experience. I'd much rather be watching it from the safety of inside.
I've decided to give myself permission to take a few days off. Not sleeping well due to the futon from hell, I'm tired. When I get home tomorrow, I will likely take a long, hot shower, throw in my laundry and then watch 1950s, sci-fi b-movies. Maybe I can convince my love to order in. I've been away from him for a week and a half and it will feel good to be with him again. I have to say I am incredibly lucky to have such a supportive partner. It doesn't hurt that he's easy on the eyes.
Blogging every day has been fun and a great way to wake up my brain each day, but I'm not sure I can continue to do it daily. I have realized that I definitely need to blog more often. I still have plans to vlog, but for now, will continue to blog. My priority is to get a solid first draft of my novel done, then I can figure out vlogging and the youtube channel I keep talking about.
The other thing that evades me are the books I am looking for. We checked a few places in town and was not able to find them. It looks like a trip to the Reference Library will be happening upon my return. In all honesty, I need to go there on a regular basis to research and write.
Because of the pending rain, the crows have disappeared again. Off to find shelter and to stay dry. They are intelligent creatures and I'm sure decided that the redhead isn't going to capture their image. You just wait crows, I may not capture your image today, but I will one day.

subset: commoncrawl


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Wednesday, August 8, 2012
A special needs Hooters? Bring it
"Candidates debate state disabilities policies: Advocating state funding for Hooters with special needs...."
The press release popped up in an email recently, while I was riding on a train in a semi-trance induced by the lull of movement and having actual time to think.
Wow, I thought. A Hooters for special needs? That's being funded by a state?! Eeep. Ick. Had business in this country reached such lows that the government was stepping in to help establish a special needs Hooters?
I pondered what that even meant.
Maybe they were going to hire busty waitresses in wheelchairs? Busty bartenders with Down syndrome? Busty cashiers with autism?
Maybe they were going to adapt beer bottles and mugs so that guys with cerebral palsy would be better able to hold them?
Maybe they were going to make specially-shaped chicken wings so they could be more easily grasped, too?
Maybe they were going to bring in big-boobed singers with disabilities?
Maybe they were going to create a Hooters app for speech-impaired people? You know, one that could utter phrases like "Hey, baby, I'll have a pitcher!" or "Nice wings ya got there!" or whatever customers at Hooters typically say?
As my imagination whirred, I decided that if this meant guys with disabilities could better enjoy Hooters, then I needed to reconsider my initial "ick" stance.
Now, it's not that I want Max to put "Become a regular at Hooters" on his life bucket list. Actually, I'd prefer he avoid that place like the plague. I'm not gunning for him to someday sit around leering at women and objectifying them.
But when he grows up, I want him to be able to go there—if he wants to do that.
I want the choice to be his.
I want the entire world open to him, with all the freedom accessibility and inclusion bring.
Even Hooters, so be it.
I took another look at the news release. "Advocating state funding for Hoosiers with special needs," it said. It was from the Indiana Daily Student.
Oh. Hoosiers, not Hooters.
So, no Hooters for special needs in the works right now. Never thought I'd fantasize about that but, hey, it wouldn't be a bad thing.
Photo: Flicker/Parka81
15 comments:
Hahahaaaaaaa - Thanks for the morning chuckle Ellen. This one has me in tears. Somehow I don't think dads of special needs kids would mind this one ;)ReplyDelete
Haha! Oh the possibilities! Just be glad it wasn't a verbal conversation that left the person you were speaking with in a bewildered trance thinking about boobs and wings! Well instead you've got your whole blog membership thinking about it. Quick...patent the idea!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 8, 2012 at 11:43 AM
Haha so funny!! I live it!ReplyDelete
Bwahahahaha! Love this. Also, considering how much Jake loves to hug women with big chests... a boy can dream, can't he?ReplyDelete
You're the best, Ellen! You crack me up. And you're absolutely right. Hooters needs to be accessible. And I happen to know it is - because my friend's 14-year-old son who has CP goes there with his dad whenever his mom is out of town. (Or at least threatens to!) And when he does the waitresses give him lots of attention. Boys! What can we do! - Erika at Hand to HoldReplyDelete
- KathrynAugust 8, 2012 at 1:12 PM
Hi Ellen,ReplyDelete
I just got back from a student concial meeting(even though school does not start for a month) and we had to choose a cause to support /educate about for the whole year. As freshman this is daunting but we choose Youth Rally For Respect. It has to do with Spread the Word to End the Word and getting the group who uses it the most(teens) to stop. The miraculos thing is the president who uses the word alot agreed(well us (4 girls) bribed him) The actual rally wont happen until March and while tradtionally meant for high schoolers we have premission to include the middle schoolers as well.We will be busy until and after the rally. The seniors even liked our idea!
From Kathryn
Bwahahahaha! That would be an interesting idea. Maybe you could send it to the head of the comapany.ReplyDelete
- HeatherAugust 8, 2012 at 1:22 PM
LOL! You had me laughing on this one. :)ReplyDelete
- FeliciaAugust 8, 2012 at 3:16 PM
Ha ha ha!!!ReplyDelete
Emily Litella, is that you??
Hahahaha this was really funny! My favorite part was about the communication app. :)ReplyDelete
- B W aka Barbara from BostonAugust 9, 2012 at 12:20 AM
Go Kathryn - great job, made even better by including younger kids. Way to be role models!ReplyDelete
Ellen, i have to tell you Hooters makes the best hamburger I have had in Massachusetts and the Tampa, Florida area. Yes its a tacky concept but friends in the Tampa area turned us on to it. Its a family show there. Our friends rented a limo and it took their son there for his birthday. He has a photo of the event surrounded by all the waitresses.
Having been to Hooters with friends who use communication devices, I can affirm that there are many creative discussions to be had, and that providing accessibility to this establishment is a most worthy cause. Men, after all, never mentally develop past 14 years of age, despite what numbers may get iced on top of the cake.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 10, 2012 at 5:24 PM
ELLEN! Do you remember me, Jennifer...we were in the Jersey shore house about 13 years ago and you talked me off the rollerblading bridge?! Anyway, Ive read many of your articles and think Max and your daughter are SO LUCKY. to have parents like you and David. I have something of yours and would like to mail it. Shall I send in care of Good Housekeeping? You were always my favorite of Lin's friends. Which is huge cuz you know she had hundreds! Love to you and your family, JenniferReplyDelete


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GreenCine Daily
"This is almost certainly the least sentimental American movie about Nature since Gerry… It's not that nature's red in tooth and claw; it just doesn't care if you admire it. It's also shockingly unsentimental about sheep: not the fuzzy, adorable baa-lambs of nursery rhymes, but dumb, obstinate creatures who can be a real pain. Part masculine comedy of swearing, part formalist experiment in which not a real word is spoken for the first half-hour, it's anything but cloistered. I was certain I was in good hands during an early sheep-shearing sequence: the camera roams in restless panning arcs—side to side, top to bottom—as sheep are separated from their wool with industrial speed and thoroughness. The noise is metal-factory intense… and I was rocking out. The footage veers between the abstractly compelling, the naturally stunning and the occasionally surreal: you may never forget the sight of a hundreds-strong herd marching past the Radio Shack on a small town street. The shepherds are a pragmatic, profane lot: an eloquently despairing, absolutely unquotable stream of invective against recalcitrant sheep in the mountains becomes even more comic as the camera zooms back to dwarf everyone, back to make a wry joke about the gap between the ostensible majesty of nature and the sheer pain of navigating it. Genre-wise, there's really nothing like it in American film."


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The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
Bourne is brought out of hiding once again by reporter Simon Ross who is trying to unveil Operation Blackbriar, an upgrade to Project Treadstone, in a series of newspaper columns. Information from the reporter stirs a new set of memories, and Bourne must finally uncover his dark past while dodging The Company's best efforts to eradicate him.
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Director: Paul Greengrass
Actors: Albert Finney, David Strathairn, Edgar Ramírez, Julia Stiles, Matt Damon, Paddy Considine, Scott Glenn
Country: France, Germany, Spain, United States, USA
Duration: 115 min
Quality: 4KBRRip
Release: 2007
IMDb: 8.0


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If you went to the PAX East convention in Boston, this past weekend, you would have thought that Mass Effect was the biggest video game on the planet. Mass Effect cosplayers were everywhere, and so many of them were amazing.
For starters, there was the guy who shows up as the Krogan warrior Grunt. I shot a video of him. Go ahead and watch him do his thing in the video above. Cool, huh?
I found Grunt at the PAX East BioWare lounge on Saturday, where Mass Effect super-fans of all tastes showed up. (You'll see some Dragon Age devotees in the background, too.)
Click the images to expand them.
I found a Samara
Liara T'Soni there.
Here's a Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, who didn't want to be photographed without her gun. (I love the feet!)
Thane Krios was a total badass. And see who that is in the background?
UPDATE: I just found an extra shot... here's Dr. Chakwas.
I had met this extraordinary Mordin Solus a day earlier at a BioWare panel. Stunning work.
Mordin was a few feet away from a female Commander Shepard, who was flanked by Dragon Age cosplayers.
There were so many great cosplayers at the BioWare panel, I thought it would be cool to get at least half of them in one big shot.
Before PAX East, I'd seen lots of Commander Shepards before. The aliens were new to me, a wonderful sight one and all.
I guess I should have expected PAX East to be a Mass Effect cosplay extravaganza considering who I met on day one, as soon as I walked through the door, the face model for Mass Effect's Samara and Morinth:
The Official Model for Mass Effect's Samara, Dressed Up As Samara
Today at PAX East, Stephen Totilo ran into a familiar face-Rana McAnear, the actress who provides the official model for Mass Effect's Asari Justicar Samara and her unhinged sex-killer daughter Morinth. More »


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Forwarding emails as attachments
Use Workspace Webmail to forward emails as attachments. Workspace packages all of the message contents into a single attachment.
- Log in to your Workspace Email account. (Need help logging in?)
- Open the message you want to forward.
Note: If you want to select multiple email threads, don't open the message. Instead, use the checkboxes in your inbox to select multiple email threads.
- In the top right corner of the page, click the More Actions menu.
Note: If you don't see a More Actions menu, it's likely that you're using the Updated View. Click Classic View in the top right corner, and continue. You can always switch back by clicking on Updated View.
- Select Fwd. as Attachment.
- Click Apply. A new email is created with a
.emlfile attached.
- When the rest of the message is ready to go, click Send.
Next step
- You can also do this in Outlook 2013, if you prefer.
More info
- More information on Forwarding email
- Downloading Message Attachments
- Adding file attachments to email messages


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Swine & Co. is brought to you by the Urban Purveyor Group. The master minds better known for Saké Restaurant & Bar, Ananas Bar & Brasserie, The Cut Bar & Grill, The Argyle, The Lowenbrau and Bavarian Bier Café.
The name Swine & Co really provides the basis and inpsiration behind the menu. Expect to see pork, pork and more pork. A glorified Mr Crackles, the menu is full of gusto, serving up crispy pig's tail ($19), black pudding ($22) & lamb brains ($15). There's more pork to be had with their mains of pork belly ($34) or suckling pig ($40) with a promise of that quintessential crackling. You can even eyeball that beautiful little piggy spit roasting away before you decide to take it or leave it. Even though, it should be mandatory. For lunch time only, they have a deli menu serving up more deliciousness with pork belly rolls ($12), reubens ($14) & a sinful concoction of prosciutto, provolone jaffles with truffle butter ($11).
But today. I fully intend to get porked.
Black pudding with Hervey Bay scallops, foie gras, lime caviar and a quinoa crisp ($22)


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When I rode into work the other day I saw a man lock up his bike then look thoughtfully at the bike next to him. When I came closer, he said, "This bike here is unlocked, and there's a lock on the ground. I'm wondering whether they forgot to lock up?"
This is a tough one: what do you do? The lock looked as though it had its key in it. Should we lock up the bike and then bring the key to security?
Then we took a closer look. What we'd seen wasn't actually a key but a piece of the lock, which had been neatly cut, probably by an angle grinder. It was one of the locks that secures only one end of the U, rather than both, so once cut it pulled right open. That was unnerving. The bike racks at my office are generally pretty safe, in part because there is a security guard patrolling the area on foot. But apparently not that safe.
We've long since upgraded our locks from a standard U-lock to a Abus lock that secures both ends, and that is made out of stronger metal so it's harder to cut through (and that costs a fortune). Our bikes also have frame locks, and they're Pitlocked, and they're registered with the San Francisco police. And they're listed on our renters insurance in the event that they get stolen anyway. But on some days I wonder whether I'm paranoid enough.


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It's a slow start to Boxing Day this year, which is just the way I like it. I'm still recovering from a wall-to-wall Christmas, which is, well, also just the way I like it.
Yesterday was a wonderful escapade that started with cooking, ended with two bottles of 2009 Ravenswood "Estate" Zinfandel (which were extremely drinkable even given their relatively young age), and in between featured stops at three different locations for LOTS of food with family and friends. Unlike other years, there were no games (Monopoly, poker, craps) — must be residual fear of my mad skillz after having won $20 at Thanksgiving.
Anyways . . . the driving to and fro provided a couple more hours to listen to our iPod playing Christmas music on shuffle mode. From that collection comes the classic diddy above. The picture in the video is unrelated to the song, but is not completely irrelevant to the goings on here (though for the record, as much as I admire Bing's work, I've always been partial to Carey Grant).
Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year.


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Purchasers who forked over $30 for a bidding package learned minutes ago that the developers of the building at 127 Madison Avenue no longer face foreclosure.
According to an announcement by Paramount Realty, which is conducting the auction, "as of Friday, June 25, 2010, Bank of Smithtown has been satisfied in full." The statement continues:
The Sponsor wants to assure you that they can and will close with every buyer at today's auction.
Referring to today's lending environment, the announcement said further that the seller will grant a 30-day extension to the original 30-day closing date provided that the purchaser increases the downpayment by 5 percent with seven days' notice. The sales must be all cash.
In addition, all five of the condos being offered for sale without reserve will be displayed on a board as "available units." The successful bidder of the first round will win the right to select his or her unit of choice, followed by the winner of the second round and so on.
The high bidder of each round is limited to purchasing no more than two units per round.
These eleventh-hour changes are odd, making me wonder just what gives. Unfortunately, you'll have to decide for yourself if you are planning to attend the auction and bid.
Malcolm Carter
Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker
Senior Vice President
Charles Rutenberg Realty
127 E. 56th Street
New York, NY 10022
Web site


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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
Whenever you wash the dishes by hand—it is the most ideal way—don't leave the water running for rinsing. Provided that you have two sinks, fill one with rinse water. If you just have one sink, utilize a shower gadget as opposed to giving the water a chance to run. This saves 200 to 500 gallons every month.
When washing the dishes by hand, utilize a minimal quantity of detergent as much as possible. This limits the rinse water needed. This saves 50 to 150 gallons every month.
Make sure not to defrost frozen foods with running water. Either prepare in advance by putting frozen things in the icebox or refrigerator overnight or defrost them in the microwave. This saves 50 to 150 gallons every month.
Make sure not run the faucet while you clean vegetables. Wash them in a filled sink or container. This saves 150 to 250 gallons every month.
Keep a container or bottle of drinking water in the fridge. This beats the inefficient tendency for running tap water to cool it for drinking. This saves 200 to 300 gallons every month.
Cook foods in less water, this keeps the nutrients value of the food as well.
Whenever you are taking a shower, don't misuse the cold water while sitting tight for hot water to reach the shower head. In a container/ pail, catch that water to use on watering the plants outside, or to flush in your toilet. This saves 200 to 300 gallons every month.
Examine toilet for leaks. Place dye tablets or food coloring into the tank. If the color shows up in the bowl without flushing, there is certainly a leak that ought to be repaired. This saves 400 gallons per month.
Make doubly sure your toilet is an ultra-low volume flush model, which utilizes only one and a half gallons each flush.
Make sure to turn off the water or faucet while brushing your teeth. This saves three gallons every day.
Avoid watering the lawn on windy days. There's excessive evaporation. This can waste up to 300 gallons in a single watering.
It is better to water during the cool parts of the day— preferably in the early morning to keep from the development of an organism. This saves 300 gallons.
In case that you have a pool, utilize a pool cover to eliminate evaporation. It will likewise keep your pool cleaner and lessen the need to include chemicals. This saves 1,000 gallons every month.
Using a pail of soapy water, clean the car and make sure to drive it onto a lawn— the water used can help water the grass at the same time. Only use the hose for rinsing - this easy practice can save as much as 150 gallons when washing a car.
Minimize watering on cool and cloudy days and do not water in the rain. Change or deactivate automatic sprinklers. This can save up to 300 gallons each time.
Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants. Pieces of bark, peat greenery or rock gradually slow down evaporation. This saves 750 to 1,500 gallons every month.
Advise your kids not to play with the garden hose. This saves 10 gallons every moment.
Whenever you allow your kids to play in the sprinklers, ensure it's just when you're watering the yard— if it's not very cool around that time of day.


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"FYI (if you're a teenage girl)"* came up in my facebook news feed a lot yesterday. It's being shared with such enthusiasm that I was eager to read it. I hoped its advice for teenage girls about their facebook activities would live up to the hype.
But instead, when I read it, my heart sank. Although the post is well-intended, the author, Kimberly Hall, makes a tremendous error: She places the responsibility for her teenage boys' sexual desires on teenage girls, rather than on the boys themselves.
For example, addressing her sons' female friends, she writes: "Did you know that once a male sees you in a state of undress, he can't ever un-see it? You don't want the Hall boys to only think of you in this sexual way, do you?"
Well, no. I'm sure that her sons' female friends don't want to be thought of only in a sexual way, considering that they are complex human beings with a range of feelings, ideas and interests. So why ask these questions? Doing so places the blame for her sons' thoughts and desires squarely on the shoulders of the teenage girls they know–dodging the fact that boys are responsible for how they choose (yes, choose) to think of the girls in their lives.
I suspect that Hall's post has gone viral because so many people are concerned with teenage girls' self-presentation on facebook. We've all seen it: teenage girls trying to mimic the scantily-clad celebrities and models plastered on billboards and magazine covers. And naturally, people want to do something about it. After all, the implications of our media culture's sexualization of girls is serious: As the American Psychological Association has noted, when girls learn that our culture values their appearances above all else about them, they may in turn learn to sexualize themselves–and the impact of self-sexualization on girls' self-esteem and self-image is devastating. The damage of thinking of oneself first and foremost as an object can take a lifetime to undo.
Furthermore, once a photograph is online, it's essentially impossible to remove it from the internet. So when girls place sexually provocative "selfies" of themselves to facebook, it's a huge issue. For example, the photos can be used by bullies to shame the girls–and they can resurface years later, too, causing myriad problems in their lives.
But these are not problems that would affect Mrs. Hall's sons. They would affect the girls themselves. Furthermore, the sexual double-standard in our society is so pervasive that any "sexy" photos the boys may post of themselves are unlikely to cause them similar harm.
We are living in a post-Steubenville world (which I wrote about here). We have seen graphic evidence of the results of the sexual objectification of young girls, and of the victim-blaming mindset–that a girl who presents herself in a sexy way "deserves it."
Therefore, for parents like Mrs. Hall who are concerned about their sons' well-being, their best course is not to focus on shaming girls and controlling their behavior.
Instead, we must teach our sons compassion. Help them understand that girls' self-sexualization is prompted by a toxic culture.
We must teach our sons to always respect girls. Help them see them girls as complex human beings, like themselves—never simply as sex objects.
Our boys MUST be taught these lessons. They must know that when a girl engages in sexually provocative behavior, her behavior does not give boys a "pass" to dwell exclusively on the girls' sexuality. Nor does it entitle them to expect sexual favors from girls, or to pressure them sexually in any way.
Contrary to popular opinion, boys are not animals. They can practice self-control. And yes, it takes practice. But if we focus on raising our sons, rather than chastising other people's daughters, it's possible.
*Note: I link to the cached version of Kimberly Hall's article instead of the current version because several days after my post was published, she edited her blog post. One of her edits was to the sentences I quoted. A full discussion with more details may be found on my facebook page.
UPDATE, Sept. 6, 2013 at 9:40 a.m.:
Last night, I was a guest on CKNW AM Vancouver's The Shift with Mike Eckford, chatting about my response to Mrs. Hall, raising compassionate sons, and the sexualization of teenage girls.
My segment is embedded below; just click on the 8:22 mark to find it.
Thanks for listening!
For further reading:
- The APA's report on the sexualization of girls may be found here.
Rebecca Hains is a professor at Salem State University. Follow her on facebook and twitter.


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Missing in Rio on the rise; Brazil police accused
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Anderson de Souza turned back after bounding down a dark maze of passageways in Rio de Janeiro's sprawling Rocinha slum, incandescent light illuminating his face.
It was right here, he said, pointing to a spot near his family's shack, that the police led his father away to a brutal torture and death. And it was in the same place he said he lost all hope that Rio's ambitious security program to pacify and permanently occupy slums ahead of the 2016 Olympics would make his city safer.
"We're not going to get my father back alive. All I want now is justice, that's it," Souza said. "Things have only gotten worse since the police came here. At least when the drug gangs had control, we knew the rules. Now, there is only fear. Police are snatching people up randomly, just like my dad."
Human rights activists and police watchdogs say the case of Amarildo de Souza, a 42-year-old construction worker who an internal police investigation found was tortured, killed and "disappeared" by officers in July, is emblematic of deeper problems with Rio's plan to clear slums of gangs who have held sway over most of the city's thousand shantytowns for decades.
Homicides in Rio are down, but an Associated Press analysis of official police statistics shows that since 2007, a year before the security push into the city's slums, the number of missing person cases in the city and its impoverished outskirts has shot up 33 percent, to 4,090 reports last year.
It's not clear who's behind the increase, but heavy-handed police tactics raise suspicions among those living in slums that authorities are involved. During the investigation into Souza's disappearance, more than 20 other Rocinha residents told authorities they were tortured during police interrogations.
Watchdog groups say it's reasonable to think police themselves are disappearing people as they struggle to tame slums, given the long track record of officers carrying out extrajudicial killings. Security experts, however, blame drug gangs for hiding the bodies of rival traffickers they've killed to avoid drawing police attention.
Police declined numerous requests for an official comment. But Rio Gov. Sergio Cabral insisted Sunday that the Souza case "is not the trademark" of the police pacification units, known as UPPs.
"The method used by these police was an abomination, but we have 8,600 police in UPPs and the overwhelming majority are beloved by the population," he told reporters.
Regardless of who is responsible, the disappearances are a blow to authorities trying to show the world that Rio is shedding its violent image ahead of the coming sporting events, which also include next year's World Cup soccer tournament.
"These are missing people who are never coming home," said Antonio Carlos Costa, a pastor who has worked for years in Rio's slums and runs the anti-violence group Rio de Paz. "We're talking about numbers far higher than the number killed or disappeared under Brazil's military dictatorship. These are the disappeared of democracy."
For years now, police throughout Brazil have come under withering criticism for extra-judicial "resistance" killings, or summary executions of suspects. In a 2009 report, the U.S.-based watchdog group Human Rights Watch estimated that some 11,000 people were killed by police between 2003 and 2009 in the country's two largest metropolises, Rio and Sao Paulo. A 2008 United Nations report found that that Brazilian police were responsible for a significant portion of the country's 48,000 slayings the year before.
Costa said the worry is that police, in an effort to improve those grim statistics, have taken to disappearing the bodies of the people they kill, similar to what investigators say happened in the Souza case.
Reports provided by the Rio state Public Security Institute show that the number of resistance killings by police in metropolitan Rio dropped by 71 percent since 2007, while overall homicides are down 37 percent.
"These statistics are strange," Costa said. "How can we have falling homicides and police resistance killings, presumably showing that the city is safer, yet have disappearances spiking? Something isn't right.
"So then, one has to ask the question: Could it be that some statistics are falling because the disappearances are rising? The suspicion is that they're using the tactics seen in the Amarildo case to artificially lower those numbers."
He noted, however that he didn't think police were behind all the recent disappearances.
Paulo Storani, a Rio-based security consultant who was a captain in an elite unit that used to take on gangs, said it was wrong to presume officers are to blame for the increase in missing person cases. He said the responsibility lies with drug gangs and other criminals, and with residents being more comfortable to report cases as they see a stronger police presence.
In Rocinha, residents said they didn't think the pacification units will bring security anytime soon.
"There was great hope for change when the UPP came, we thought the state was finally arriving, that its presence would improve lives," said Carlos Eduardo Duda, a community leader in Rocinha who has filed a complaint with state officials about police torturing his 16-year-old brother while questioning him about gang activity.
"But it's turned out this is just the oppressive arm of the state apparatus, it feels like little else has been done to help us," he said.
That sentiment is a blow to Jose Beltrame, the top security official for Rio de Janeiro state, who oversees police and was the creator of the slum pacification program. He said the Souza case was in the hands of the justice system, and "what's important now is to maintain the integrity of the Rocinha UPP."
He added: "I won't peddle the illusion that that all the problems will be resolved soon. These areas have suffered from 30 years of (government) abandonment."
Last week, police investigators handed over their report on Souza to prosecutors and recommended that charges be brought against 10 officers from the slum's unit for his abduction, torture, death and disappearance. The accused officers deny hurting or killing Souza.
In interviews, Souza's family said the still missing man had no involvement with gangs and said the police picked him up because he repeatedly complained about officers roughing up his sons.
Some 20 members of the extended Souza family now live in a small house in Rocinha for fear of police reprisals against them for demanding justice.
Souza's sister, Maria Lacerda, 52, stood in her cramped kitchen and looked over her late brother's six children.
"When you're poor, you're easy to kill. It's been like that forever in our Brazil and it's going to happen to others if they stay quiet," she said. "But by God, not this time! We won't shut up. An animal doesn't deserve the end my brother had, and the guilty will pay."
Bradley Brooks on Twitter: www.twitter.com/bradleybrooks


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The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has constructed a new, underground facility (UGF) about 31 miles from the India-China border, and 37 miles from the Indian Army's forward posts at Demchok in Ladakh.
According to The Print, satellite imagery identified a deeply buried hardened target (DBHT) under construction outside the town of Ngari, also known as Shiquanhe in Mandarin. Continue reading


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Written by: Natasha Somji
For some time now, I have been debating whether or not to stay within the world of academia. While I love theories and conducting analysis, there is a sense of discomfort I feel whenever I consider pursuing a PhD that is not entirely captured by the monumental monetary costs or confusion about what I want to study. Much of this squeamishness has to do with questioning whether I buy into the mainstream version of academia: a field that uses theories and models to predict outcomes and then validates these predictions through quantitative studies. I find myself sometimes doubting the purpose of academia and how it is executed. If models were constructed with a particular audience in mind and studies are run on certain samples, how can these be generalisable to new contexts? Can studies that employ quantitative techniques – widely hailed as being more credible in substantiating results – really capture the subjectivity of the human experience?
Much of academia relies on using numbers to validate theories and models. The problem comes in when these same studies view people as mere numbers and do not consider more qualitative aspects of an individual or the culture in which models are operating. Continue reading


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Amy Goodman (b. 1957), climate change, Democracy Now!, Naomi Klein (b. 1970), Nermeen Shaikh, People's Climate March (2017)
LUMPENPROLETARIAT Today on free speech radio, we heard coverage of the People's Climate March 2017 in Washington, D.C. as well as the conference at Howard University. During the extended broadcast coverage Naomi Klein, was one of the conference speakers. She's the Canadian author, social activist, and filmmaker, known for her political analyses and criticism of corporate globalisation and of capitalism (or capitalist modes of production); and she's perhaps the world's most famous, or influential, intellectual without a degree. (She was followed by Professor Bob Bullard, who obviously does have a degree; but that's neither here nor there.) Naomi Klein is always a captivating speaker, very charismatic. Even when one doesn't agree with her completely, one still pays attention. In speaking about government spending to address human-induced climate change, Klein invoked raising taxes, which means she's unaware of modern monetary theory (MMT). We must spread the word, and expand our understanding of government spending and how our money system actually works. As one heterodox economist, named by Politico one of the most influential people, Dr. Stephanie Kelton reminds us that taxes don't pay for anything. So, it's a actually a myth that taxes pay for federal spending.
Large political actions, such as the People's Climate Movement 2017 in Washington, D.C. as well as other locations across the nation (or last week's March for Science), help us take the pulse of the nation and find where we can make connections and gain new insights from one another to overcome the power of the capitalist ruling classes, which are bent on putting profits over people, even putting profits over the planet. As Naomi Klein noted in here speech, we can't meaningfully confront the challenge of human-induced climate change without fundamentally challenging the logic of neoliberal capitalism. In Washington, D.C., tens of thousands of Americans will encircle the White House and engage in a mass sit-in to protest the climate change denialism of the Trump administration. Listen (and/or download) here. [1]
[Naomi Klein speech]
[Professor Bob Bullard(sp?)]
[pre-recorded interview from the field by Amy Goodman, interview with Senator Sheldon(sp?) from Rhode Island]
[Democracy Now! hosts Amy Goodman and Nermeen Shaikh speak with participants of the march, who will encircle the White House and engage in a mass sit-in to protest the climate change denialism of the Trump adminstration]
[Chris Woolery, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, kftc.org] [09:42 PST]
[Laura Yohualtlahuiz Rios-Ramirez, a self-described "water protector" from San Antonio, on indigenous rights and climate justice] [09:46 PST]
[Jazzlyn Lindsey from Washington, D.C., representing Black Lives Matter D.C.] [09:49 PST]
[Claude Copeland, representing Iraq Veterans Against the War]
[Monique Harden, an attorney and the Co-Director of Advocates for Environmental Human Rights, on fighting environmental racism in the south] [09:59 PST]
[KPFA station identification by Pedro Reyes]
[back to AG and NS]
[Berta Caseres' sister]
[snip] [10:25 PST]
[Medea Benjamin, representing Code Pink, CodePink.org, on President Trump's sabre-rattling against North Korea] [10:34 PST]
[on "animal equality" and the major impact of meat consumption on climate change]
[Carla Wills reporting from the march, and speaking with Laura Jurewicz, Rockaway Youth Task Force] [10:41 PST]
[Back to Amy Goodman]
Learn more at DEMOCRACY NOW!.
[Last modified at 17:45 PST on 4 MAY 2017]


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Deep Drawable Steels: Part One
Thermo-Mechanical Treatment (TMT) of Non-Ferrous Alloys: Part One
Material Console provides multiple functionalities to support more efficient, accurate and personalized material selection decisions.
Click here to see more.
Total Materia has allowed us to solve in a definite way all problems we had for the search of alternate materials in foreign countries. Thanks to Total Materia we have issued real "international" specs for purchase of steels in foreign countries.
Total Materia remains the only tool which will be used for this purpose.
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Bonfiglioli Industrial Gearmotors, Bologna, Italy
Our mission is simple;to make Total Materiathe one-stop place andfirst choice of engineersworld wide.
Prof. Dr. Viktor Pocajt, CEOKey to Metals AG
Blast furnace related technologies for the production of iron are still by far the most common however pressures on environmental resources are driving the introduction of new technologies which do not require blast furnaces to produce.
Demands on primary resource, energy consumption, production costs and environmental impact in the iron and steel industry link closely to the ironmaking process, process equipment and technology itself. At present, the blast furnace ironmaking is still the dominant process in ironmaking.
Despite the apparent environmental advantages of the new ironmaking technologies, the blast furnace is still predicted to be the single largest process for ironmaking from iron ore until 2050. However, the proportion of blast furnace (BF) – basic oxygen furnace (BOF) steelmaking could drop to 40 % in 2050 from the current level of 60 % as the blast furnace ironmaking proportion falls from around
95 % to 60 % of the total iron ore processed.
Non blast furnace ironmaking technology process is currently a supplementary system, and there is certain room for development in the future. To reduce the coke rate and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions as the main goal, it needs to reform the existing blast furnace ironmaking process, explore a new technology to radically reduce emissions of CO2 and form a green metallurgy within a new energy complex process.
In order to achieve an efficient operation from an energy, economic and environmental point of view, competitive alternative ironmaking technologies have been extensively investigated since the 1960's, which can be classified into two main types. According to the final product of the processes (sponge iron and hot metal), these processes can be grouped as direct reduction DR processes and smelting reduction SR processes. According to the type of fuel used, these processes can also be grouped as gas-based and coal-based processes.
Table 1.2 illustrates the important characteristics and current status of some selected alternative ironmaking processes. More than the direct reduction process, with solid iron as end product, the SR process can be regarded as a direct competitor of the conventional blast furnace as the product is liquid pig iron or (in some cases) liquid steel. The smelting reduction process has several advantages compared to the conventional blast furnace process as mentioned below, which may lead to the adoption of smelting reduction as the main process for hot metal production in the future.
It is also recognized that any alternative ironmaking processes ultimately are strongly dependent on local conditions such as availability and the cost of natural gas, power and coal, as well as on product requirements. The economics, possibilities and limitations are still largely unknown. Several smelting reduction processes are under further development.
The process variants differ in the number of reactors, operating temperature, the ore feed (pellet, lump ore or fines). The variant processes that are relatively well developed are: COREX, DIOS, HIsmelt, CCF, Romelt and HIsarna. The most promising direct reduction processes in the worldwide include Hyl III, Midrex, Circored, Circofer, FASTMET and Finmet. Midrex and Hyl III are the only truly established gas based direct reduction processes. The increasing price of the natural gas hampered the development of the gas based direct reduction process.
On the other hand, both of them are fed with pellet and lump ore, which results in a high operating cost compared to fines-based processes. However, the sharp drop in gas prices due to the Marcellus shale development has led to resurgence in interest in gas based DRI production. COREX is the first commercially operating alternative to the blast furnace for hot metal production, and HIsmelt is the world's first commercial smelting process for making iron straight from the ore. In addition, HIsmelt is the only hot air based direct smelting process, enabling to recycle a significant proportion of off-gas as fuel for air preheating.
1. New technology of blast furnace of high efficiency and low CO2 emissions smelting by hydrogen-rich and pure oxygen and research of new smelting technologies by blowing scraps with energy, Accessed 05-2016;
2. Y.Qu: Experimental Study of the Melting and Reduction Behaviour of Ore Used in the HIsarna Process, PhD thesis, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China, 2013, ISBN: 978-90-6562-330-0.
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>Dhonig of 2 Days Per Bottle hosted Wine Blogging Wednesday #49. He chose a politically-themed topic for September's tasting: A toast to the end of the Bush Era:
"What will you drink to toast the end of the Bush era? Will it be something to honor the 43rd President, or are you just looking forward to 44? Will it be something from Texas, which Bush calls home, or Connecticut, where he was really raised? Maybe a nice French champagne, a bit of a poke in his eye? Or do you prefer Italian prosecco, since they supported the "War on Terror"? Whatever it is, get ready to lift a glass and toast the end of an era that America will never forget."
I missed the deadline for posting, but here were some of the suggestions from Melbourne and further afield:
Sam wrote:
What shall I toast the demise of dubbya with? That's easy. The same wine I toasted the downfall of John Winston Howard with. A wine of commensurable quality for these scumbags: Cat's Piss Reserve, matured for a couple of days in Footscray rotted fence wood and left to decant for a couple of weeks in a VB tinny! Anyone thirsty?
But what if McCain gets in?…
On a serious note I would toast it with a lovely Pinot Noir of Mornington or Tassie persuasion. Nothing takes my mind off politics like a good wine….
Mena wrote:
I would love to be able to celebrate Obama's success with a bottle of pinot NOIR from African-American winemakers Esterlina Vineyards in California.
John wrote:
Something French and vinegary for the downfall of the 43rd.
Something sweet and cosmopolitan for the Obama victory, perhaps a late harvest job.
Arsenic for a McPalin victory.
Eileen wrote:
I think we have to go for an Australian wine and it has to be Shiraz for the middle eastern link.
How about Bush Bike Shiraz from WA? We could rename it 'Bush, on your Bike' Shiraz for the day!
Annette wrote (the only serious response!):
Craggy Range single vineyard from Gimblett Gravels vineyard in Hawkes Bay NZ. It is called Te Kahu and is from 2005 – what a wine – 78.8% merlot and 21.2% cabernet sauvignon – mmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!
I am still thinking about my final response: my shortlist for the Demise of the 43rd includes:
- Regardless of who wins, to bid farewell to Dubya, perhaps Touch O' Coffin Chardonnay or Supreme Afterlife Shiraz from Little Morgue Winery on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. Australia's quirkiest winery has a sense of humour: this one-time morgue has been transformed into one of the most unique cellar doors in the country, with its original Gothic chapel serving as a wine tasting room and art gallery. You can even dine at the Cadavery Cafe!
- Anything from Giant Steps winery in Healesville, if the USA takes the giant step we want them to and elects Obama… their sister winery is called Innocent Bystander (motto: "It wasn't me" which is probably what Bush will insist for years to come)
- If we are waiting on a knife-edge for the Supreme Court to give us a result (again), we can say a prayer and sip on a Last Ditch viognier from d'Arenberg in McLaren Vale.
- And if the worst happens and McCain-Palin get in, it has to be Wirra Wirra's The Angelus cabernet sauvignon (because God help us) .


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Palmer will bid for Padres role
Matt Palmer is moving south again.
One of the best guys and teammates ever to pull on an Angels uniform, Palmer is San Diego bound, having signed a Minor League deal with Buddy Black's Padres. Anyone who has spent two minutes with Palmer is pulling for him to crack Black's staff in any of a number of roles he can perform.
After starting his career in San Francisco, Palmer came to the Angels in 2009, unheralded and hardly noticed, and became a valued member of a great team. Palmer went 11-2 with a 3.93 ERA, winning his first six starts as an emergency replacement at a time when the Angels were treading water. They went on to win 97 games with Palmer moving back and forth from the rotation to the bullpen, always happy to do whatever Mike Scioscia needed.
The past two seasons haven't been as kind to the man from Missouri, injuries keeping him down, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him putting hitters away at PETCO Park this season.
If it works out, it could not happen to a better guy.
— Lyle Spencer


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Coffeeville, Alabama
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The population in Coffeeville is 240. There are 67 people per square mile aka population density. The median age in Coffeeville is 40.4, the US median age is 37.4. The number of people per household in Coffeeville is 2.9, the US average of people per household is 2.6.
- 48.1% are white - 45.2% are black - 0.0% are asian - 0.0% are native american - 0.0% claim Other - 0.0% claim Hispanic Ethnicity - 6.7% Two or More Races - 0.0% Hawaiian, Pacific Islander
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Gurnee hosts millions of visitors to our community, with attractions from theme parks to shopping centers. This section features information on upcoming activities and helpful links to make your visit special.
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The opposition parties tried hard to prove that Malaysia is a Secular State just because they want Malaysia to be a Secular State .
(Please read: Is Malaysia A Secular State?)
DAP Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo said that Malaysia is proven to be a secular state by referring to Che' Omar bin Che' Soh v Public Prosecutor.
As a lawyer he must understands that Che' Omar bin Che' Soh v Public Prosecutor is no longer a good law because it was decided before the coming into effect of Article 121(1A) of the Federal Constitution.
Furthermore, in Che' Omar bin Che' Soh v Public Prosecutor, Tan Sri Salleh Abbas did not say that Malaysia is a secular nation but Tan Sri Salleh Abbas only said that secular laws were used.
By the way, does Gobind Singh Deo understand what is a Secular State?
Wikipedia wrote that:
"A secular state is a concept of secularism, whereby a state or country purports to be officially neutral in matters of religion, supporting neither religion nor irreligion. A secular state also claims to treat all its citizens equally regardless of religion, and claims to avoid preferential treatment for a citizen from a particular religion/nonreligion over other religions/nonreligion. Secular states do not have a state religion (established religion) or equivalent, although the absence of a state religion does not necessarily mean that a state is fully secular; however, a true secular state should steadfastly maintain national governance without influence from religious factions; i.e. Separation of church and state."
Article 3(1) of the Federal Constitution says that:
"Islam is the religion of the Federation; but other religions may be practised in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation".
In Meor Atiqul Rahman v Fatimah Sihi and others, Judge Yang Arif Dato' Mohd Noor Abdullah explained that:
"Islam ialah ugama bagi persekutuan tapi ugama-ugama lain boleh diamalkan dalam aman dan damai. Islam adalah ugama utama di antara ugama-ugama lain yang dianuti di negara seperti Kristian, Buddha, Hindu. Islam bukan setaraf dengan ugama lain. bukan duduk berganding bahu dengan agama lain atau berdiri sama sama tegak. Ia duduk di atas, berjalan dahulu, terletak di tempat medan, dan suaranya lantang kedengaran. Islam ibarat pokok jati. Tinggi, teguh, dan terang. Jika bukan sedemikian, Islam bukanlah ugama bagi persekutuan, tetapi adalah salah satu di antara beberapa ugama yang dianuti di wilayah ini, dan setiap orang sama-sama bebas mengamalkan mana-mana ugama yang dianuti. Tiada lebih di antara satu sama lain."
And in the case of Lina Joy v Majlis Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan, the then Chief Justice, Yang Amat Arif Tun Ahmad Fairus said:
"Islam itu bukan sahaja suatu himpunan dogma-dogma dan ritual-ritual tetapi ianya juga suatu cara hidup yang lengkap merangkumi semua bidang aktiviti manusia, persendirian dan awam, perundangan, politik, ekonomi, sosial, budaya, moral atau kehakiman etc."
With those statements, it proves that Malaysia is not a Secular State because Malaysia has a state religion, that is Islam; and "secular states do not have a state religion"; therefore Malaysia is not officially neutral in matters of religion (as what was said in the ruling of Meor Atiqul Rahman v Fatimah Sihi and others) and "nonreligion" is against the first Rukun Negara or National Principles of Malaysia which says, "Kepercayaan Kepada Tuhan" or "Belief in God".
How could a lawyer like MP Gobind Singh Deo forget Article 3(1) of the Federal Constitution and the Rukun Negara?
And the DAP MP could only remember a small part of the case of Che' Omar bin Che' Soh v Public Prosecutor but forgot about more important cases like Meor Atiqul Rahman v Fatimah Sihi and others and Lina Joy v Majlis Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan.
Mr. Gobind Singh Deo, please be a good and responsible Malaysian citizen and please stop spinning stories and please respect the Federal Constitution.
Not everybody in Malaysia can be fooled by oppositions fairy tales.
Related Posts:
DAP vs Tan Sri Khalid And His Aku Janji


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Washington (CNN) -- The Pentagon has taken the first steps toward repealing the military's controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding gay and lesbian service members, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday.
Laying the groundwork for a repeal of the policy will take more than a year, Gates said. In the interim, however, the Defense Department will start enforcing the policy "in a fairer manner," he told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
President Obama called for a repeal of the policy during last week's State of the Union address.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen also endorsed a repeal Tuesday, telling the committee it is his "personal belief" that "allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly [in the military] would be the right thing to do."
"For me, personally, it comes down to integrity," he said.
"The question before us is not whether the military prepares to make this change, but how we best prepare for it," Gates told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. "We have received our orders from the commander in chief and we are moving out accordingly."
But the ultimate decision on whether to repeal the policy, he acknowledged, rests with Congress.
The "don't ask, don't tell" policy, enacted under President Clinton in 1993, bars openly gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals from serving in the U.S. military, but prevents the military from asking a service member's sexual orientation. It has been a political lightning rod since its implementation.
"I am mindful ... that attitudes towards homosexuality may have changed considerably -- both in society generally and in the military" since 1993, Gates said.
To prepare the military for what has been a long-anticipated change, Gates said he has already appointed a "high-level" working group to "immediately begin a review of the issues associated with properly implementing a repeal."
"The mandate of this working group is to thoroughly, objectively and methodically examine all aspects of this question and produce its finding and recommendations in the form of an implementation plan by the end of this calendar year," Gates told the committee members.
"A guiding principle of our efforts will be to minimize disruption and polarization within the ranks, with special attention paid to those serving on the front lines."
The working group will be led by Department of Defense General Counsel Jeh Johnson and Gen. Carter Ham, commander of U.S. Army Europe, Gates said.
The group will "reach out to the [military] ... to authoritatively understand their views and attitudes about the impacts of repeal," he added.
"I expect that the same sharp divisions that characterize the debate over these issues outside of the military will quickly seek to find their way into this process."
Gates noted that the Pentagon will ask the RAND Corporation to update a study it conducted in 1993 on the impact of allowing homosexuals to serve openly in the military.
He also said he has directed the Defense Department to "quickly review the regulations used to implement" the law and, within 45 days, present possible changes that will allow for more humane enforcement.
The secretary acknowledged the impatience many political observers and activists may have with the timetable for a repeal.
"I expect that our approach may cause some to wonder why it will take the better part of the year to accomplish this task," he said.
"We looked at a variety of options, but when you take into account the overriding imperative -- to get this right and minimize disruption to a force that is actively fighting two wars and working through the stress of almost a decade of combat -- then it is clear to us that we must proceed in a manner that allows for the thorough examination of all issues."
In a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll in April 2009, 48 percent of Americans favored maintaining the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Thirty-seven percent opposed the policy because they believed it treated homosexuals too harshly, while another 8 percent opposed it because they believed it treated homosexuals too leniently.
"'Don't ask, don't tell' to many people, including myself, seemed so reasonable," Alex Nicholson, a former Army intelligence officer discharged for being gay, told CNN's "American Morning."
"I knew I was gay going in, and I knew about 'don't ask, don't tell,' but you know, 'don't ask, don't tell' as a sound bite sounds very reasonable. It sounds like nobody will inquire as to your sexual orientation -- as long as you don't throw it in anyone's face, you won't have a problem.
"But after I got in, I realized that 'don't ask, don't tell' was much more all-inclusive and all-encompassing," said Nicholson, who now is the executive director of Servicemembers United, an advocacy group that opposes the policy. "It was more like 'don't ask, don't tell, don't happen to be found out any time, any place, in any way.' "
After about a year, Nicholson said his sexual orientation was found out within his unit. "That information spread, and then the command was forced into a corner in which they had to discharge me," he said.
Watch Nicholson talk about his experience
Since the policy was implemented, more than 13,500 service members have been discharged, according to Rep. Jim Moran, D-Virginia. In 2009, there were 428 discharges under the policy -- the lowest rate of discharge since implementation of the policy, he said. The highest year was 2001, with 1,227 discharges, he said.
"This shows that during wartime, DADT is not being pursued aggressively because one's orientation has nothing to do with their ability to fight," Moran said in a written statement Monday.
Defense officials have said privately that the will to enforce the law is declining.
Another military official familiar with the discussion said some of the issues to be considered by the military include the cost of implementing a new policy, benefits for gay spouses, potential hate crimes, and even logistical questions such as the possible need to renovate barracks to separate straight and gay troops.
According to the official, separate housing or showers were not considered serious possibilities, but would be discussed in order to be ruled out.
Nicholson acknowledged there are legitimate concerns, but said some of the issues raised, such as showers and housing, are merely delaying tactics used to mask "reasons that people really don't want to see this happen."
At least one member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- Gen. James Conway, commandant of the Marine Corps -- has expressed reservations in the past about repealing the law.
"Our Marines are currently engaged in two fights, and our focus should not be drawn away from those priorities," Conway said in November through a spokesman.
Watch how Joint Chiefs are dealing with the change
Most of the committee's Republicans strongly criticized a potential repeal Tuesday.
"Elections have consequences," said Mississippi GOP Sen. Roger Wicker, referencing Obama's promise to end the policy. But "we'll have a debate about this."
Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, a former Navy pilot, said one of the keys to U.S. military power is "good order and unit cohesion, and ... any practice which puts those goals at unacceptable risk can be restricted."
McCain argued that while "don't ask, don't tell" has not been perfect, it has been effective.
"It has helped to balance a potentially disruptive tension between the desires of a minority and the broader interests of our all-volunteer force," he said. "It is well understood and predominantly supported by our fighting men and women. It reflects, as I understand them, the preferences of our uniformed services ... while still allowing gay and lesbian Americans to serve their country in uniform."
But other military veterans support the change. Retired Gen. John Shalikashvili, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said it is time to repeal the law.
"As a nation built on the [principle] of equality, we should recognize and welcome change that will build a stronger, more cohesive military," Shalikashvili wrote in a letter to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, who supports repealing the policy.
Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institute said the real test will be in the barracks, with the rank-and-file members of the military.
"We can talk about this delicately or we can just be fairly direct," O'Hanlon said. "There are a lot of 18-year-old, old-fashioned, testosterone-laden men in the military who are tough guys. They're often politically old-fashioned or conservative; they are not necessarily at the vanguard, in many cases, of accepting alternative forms of lifestyle."
Nicholson predicted the matter will become a "non-issue," saying his organization knows of gays serving openly in the military now.
Asked whether he would return to the military if the policy is repealed, Nicholson said he would not hesitate and that he has wanted to return since his discharge in 2002.
"I speak five languages, including Arabic," he said. "There's nothing more that I'd love than to go back right now."
CNN's Barbara Starr contributed to this report.


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Farm Industry News
Roxanne Furlong
Experts share their secrets for putting machinery away for the season.
Now that your fields are harvested and are ready for spring planting, it's time to prepare your machinery for winter storage/spring planting.
"I find the best time to thoroughly inspect our equipment and get it prepared for spring is right when we get everything put away," says Scott McPheeters, Team FIN member from Gothenburg, NE. "That way all the idiosyncrasies or problems are fresh in our minds; plus some parts take up to 6 weeks for delivery."
McPheeters has an extensive maintenance checklist system for practically everything on his farm.
He and his three full-time and four part-time mechanics adhere to it, religiously.
His computerized spreadsheets are broken down by type of machine (combine, tractor or implement), pickups and even household repairs. Because there are about 35 engines on the farm, he has a column just for antifreeze changes.
Here are some suggestions for your maintenance checklist from Harold Tucker, lubricants technical director, Phillips 66:
Overhaul, change oil and all filters and lubricate; drain and refill oil.
Observe used oil; this is a good time to get it analyzed.
Clean the engine compartment and outside of machine with a pressure washer; remove crop residue from all equipment.
Grease press wheels and clutch parts on planters and fittings on tractors and combines.
Remove batteries, clean contact points and reinstall batteries; apply a coating of grease onto terminals to prevent corrosion; keep batteries fully charged to prevent freezing.
Unless it's been thoroughly winterized, run each piece of equipment at low speed for up to 1/2 hr. periodically throughout the winter.
Remove rust and repaint equipment.
McPheeters says he even paints the exhaust stacks on his tractors each year. He adds that his regimen for maintaining and storing equipment is twofold: to keep machines in tip-top shape and for eventual resale value. "You get a reputation among fellow farmers on how you keep your equipment. I was about to buy a tractor at a sale recently, until I heard who owned it."


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One of life's small pleasures these days is stumbling upon previously unseen video content of the late great Christopher Hitchens, usually in the form of C-SPAN interviews, obscure television specials, or public debates (though I must have seen most of the latter). Typically, when I find a new gem, I hesitate before watching it. Hitch passed away in 2011, and so discovering content of his that I've not yet seen is a bit like drinking from a vintage cask of wine: I only have so many glasses to enjoy before it's dry.
But tonight, I found a video that I couldn't resist gulping down immediately. In 2004, Hitchens served as the host for a one-hour television special called "Texas: America Supersized", originally airing on something called the Trio network (1994-2006). The special is narrated, written, and presented by Hitchens, who travels across the immense state—in heavy duty pick-up truck—trying to discover what Texas values are, where they came from, and, with a "Texas posse" in the White House, whether they might be fated to become American values.
It's a bit striking to see Hitchens act as a neutral television host, and more than striking to see him try on cowboy boots and straddle a horse. This is a different Hitchens than we're used to. Non-confrontational, overly polite, observational, and noticeably devoid of opinion. There are strains of criticism jetted in, but always in the words of interviewees, including filmmaker Richard Linklater, novelist Larry McMurty, and author Molly Ivins. In one scene, Hitchens sits nervously in a chair listening to a clear nut-case with an assault rifle sputter on about communists in Washington and the second amendment. I suppose the assault rifle may have impeded a rebuke in any case, but it's jarring to see Hitchens sit still in the presence of people he disagrees with. One almost wishes there was a follow-up special where he could share his uncensored opinions, which may have been too rude, or erudite, for Trio's intended audience.
I must say, though, that Hitchens and his producers did a fantastic job covering the essential aspects of Texas life, the oddities that make it unique, and all in just under an hour. I moved to the state four years ago and this documentary would have made a terrific welcome video. Hitch covers business, wild-catting, ranching, the rodeo, the pledge(s) of allegiance, the smallness of the Alamo and the bigness of the Capitol, and, most importantly, football. He even covers the sprawling, endless maze of Texas suburbs—driving through a residential cul-de-sac in Plano (just north of Dallas), where, if you can image it, he looks more out of place than on horseback. Hitchens interviews the old and the new guard, from Boone Pickens to former Senator Florence Shapiro to the Castro brothers. He spends time with Larry McMurty at his bookshop in the Texas panhandle, letting him get out the gibes at W in the most mild-mannered voice you'll ever hear (quite similar to John Updike, actually): "Yankee patrician", "oligarch with a dictatorial temperament", "worst president in my lifetime", etc. At the beginning of the special, the three distinct strains of Texas culture are summed up nicely (by Molly Ivins, not Hitch) as religiosity, anti-intellectualism, and machismo.
On the whole, nothing in this documentary rang false about Texas. I grinned throughout the whole thing, reliving my culture shock, vicariously, through Hitch. I couldn't be more delighted to have found it.
So, save the video for a rainy day, or go grab a six pack of Lone Star and enjoy.


text: Sick of having to share everything, Maya and Miguel opt to have separate birthday parties. Rosa and Santiago are taken aback at first, but agree to help each one plan the party of their dreams. Eager to attract more people to their parties, Maya and Miguel begin a game of one-upmanship, which culminates in them accidentally planning their parties at exactly the same time. Now all the guests must race back and forth between the two parties to catch the highlights. As the guests get more and more worn out, Maya and Miguel start to feel something's missing from their parties. They come to realize that the best thing is missing from both of their parties: each other.


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The Tory Burch Foundation and Bank of America Partner to Support Women Entrepreneurs With Capital and Mentoring Opportunities
Elizabeth Street Capital Initiative Launches With Initial $10 Million Investment to Grow Women-owned Small Businesses and Create Communities of Entrepreneurs Across the Country
Feb. 6, 2014 /3BL Media/ - The Tory Burch Foundation (TBF) and Bank of America today announced the launch of Elizabeth Street Capital, an initiative designed to provide early-stage women entrepreneurs in the United States with access to low-cost capital, mentoring support and networking opportunities to grow their businesses, creating communities of women entrepreneurs.
The Elizabeth Street Capital initiative will launch with an investment of $10 million in low-cost capital from Bank of America and additional funds for operating expenses shared by TBF and Bank of America. The initial launch will support women entrepreneurs in Boston, Charlotte, Las Vegas, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, but will expand to additional markets over the next two years.
This unique partnership brings together TBF's network of early-stage women entrepreneurs with one of the world's largest financial institutions. The loans will be administered through nonprofit entrepreneurial loan centers (also known as Community Development Financial Institutions or CDFIs) that support low- and moderate-income communities. In the initial markets, participating partners are Accion East (Boston and New York), Self-Help (Charlotte), Nevada Microenterprise Initiative, in partnership with VEDC (Las Vegas), Entrepreneur Works (Philadelphia) and Opportunity Fund (San Francisco). Bank of America is the largest supporter of CDFIs among major financial institutions.
Tory Burch, founder of TBF, stated: "When we started our foundation, we understood that women entrepreneurs need access to capital as well as access to business networks, and by partnering with Bank of America, we are thrilled to be providing help to women across the United States. The combination of loans, mentoring support and peer networking expertise opens up new opportunities for women looking to build and grow their businesses."
Thomas K. Montag, co-chief operating officer of Bank of America, said: "Bank of America and the Tory Burch Foundation recognize a huge opportunity to support women-owned businesses. Research has shown that women entrepreneurs need better access to capital and more opportunities to build strategic business relationships. The Elizabeth Street Capital initiative will help address these issues and provide loans and mentoring to women ready to take their businesses to the next level."
Elizabeth Street refers to the New York City location of Tory Burch's first boutique, the launching pad for a business that has grown into a global brand with nearly 120 boutiques and a presence in more than 50 countries around the world. The name speaks to the hard work and passion that drive successful entrepreneurial ventures and to the enormous potential of women-owned small businesses.
Andrew Plepler, Corporate Social Responsibility executive, Bank of America, said: "Tory and team recognize that supporting women-owned businesses, both financially and by sharing expertise, can have a dramatic impact on the local economies, paving the way for future generations. This program has the potential to be a real catalyst for advancing women's economic empowerment."
The program will launch with a TBF signature event this evening at the Bank of America Tower in New York City.
For additional information, please visit the TBF website at www.toryburchfoundation.org or the Bank of America website at www.bankofamerica.com/elizabethstreetcapital.
About the Tory Burch Foundation
The Tory Burch Foundation launched in 2009 to support the economic empowerment of women entrepreneurs and their families. The foundation provides small business loans, mentorship and entrepreneurial education, enabling women to start and grow their own businesses. For more information, visit www.toryburchfoundation.org.
About Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small- and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 50 million consumer and small business relationships with approximately 5,100 retail banking offices and approximately 16,300 ATMs and award-winning online banking with 30 million active users and more than 14 million mobile users. Bank of America is among the world's leading wealth management companies and is a global leader in corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations in more than 40 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.


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Baxlala's #CBR4 Review #34: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Imagine your mother. I mean, really think about her. The color of her hair, her eyes, the sound of her laugh, what she looks like when she's angry. And not just a little angry, but REALLY REALLY angry, like, you-stole-her-car-and-filled-it-with-bees-and-drove-it-into-a-lake angry. What makes her laugh? Is it your dad? You? Maybe it's fart jokes because WHO DOESN'T LOVE A GOOD FART JOKE.
Maybe, for whatever reason, you can't picture her. Maybe you never knew your mother, maybe you WISH you didn't know your mother, I don't know, but if you can't see your mother, hear her laugh, smell her perfume, INSERT MORE CLICHES HERE, you have something in common with Deborah Lacks, someone you'll grow to care about when (not if, WHEN…there is no if) you read this book.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is the story of a poor, black woman who died in the 50s, just riddled with cancer, and the cells she unknowingly donated to science during her treatment. Henrietta Lacks went to Johns Hopkins for cancer treatment, like so many did, suffering a great deal in the process (seriously, think of how terrible cancer treatment is today and then multiply that by 1000), but her donation to science led to the polio vaccine and a better understanding of the human body.
These cells, called HeLa cells, were taken from Henrietta without consent, and grew and grew and grew and are now present in labs all over the world. It would be years before Henrietta's children would know anything about this, years before they would know a piece of their mother was still living. Deborah Lacks, who was only a toddler when her mother died, would spearhead this journey, with the help of the book's author, Rebecca Skloot. Skloot spends countless hours with the Lacks family, compiling interviews, medical history, and family lore, to weave together the story of Henrietta Lacks, who she was, how she lived and died, and how HeLa cells came to be one of science's most important assets.
It's been a long time since my high school biology classes, but the way the science is written in this book is so engaging. Skloot presents everything in a matter-of-fact manner, but there's a tinge of humanity present in every word. After all, HeLa cells may be commonplace in every biology textbook, every lab, every scientist's brain, but Henrietta Lacks was a human being, first and foremost. She was someone's daughter, someone's wife, and someone's mother. She was SOMEONE, not just cells on a slide.
I was surprised at how strongly this book affected me. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I finished it. I can't imagine having grown up not knowing my mother at all, let alone later discovering that some scientist had taken a piece of her and that piece, that living piece of her, was still out there somewhere. There's a moment, late in the book, when Deborah and her younger brother are invited to Johns Hopkins to look at HeLa cells under a microscope, and Deborah holds a vial of her mother's cells in her hands, cupping them gently, trying to warm them, and, realizing that this was the closest she'd been to her mother since she was a baby, I had to put the book down for a moment to catch my breath.
This is a story of questionable medical practices, scientific achievement, and how race and consent placed a significant role in both, but mostly, it's the story of one woman's quest to know, really know, the mother she'd been robbed of so many years before. The science will hook you, but the humanity will keep you reading.


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Vocational education classes may be poised for comeback in U.S. high schools.
He couldn't transfer to a school with an auto shop so he resigned himself to tinkering at home.
"Just because I don't live in that area doesn't mean I shouldn't be able to take it," complained Sandoval, a senior at Hoover High School.
Vocational education classes, once commonplace, began to languish as standardized tests started to determine success and failure and college became a singular goal. Now called career technical education courses, they are beginning to enjoy a renaissance.
Legislators in North Carolina and Florida are reviving programs gutted years ago. The movement is also gaining momentum in California, thanks in part to a 2006 state budget that includes $100 million for program expansion.
Congress also has voted to reauthorize $1.3 billion for career-based courses in high schools and community colleges, which President Bush had pushed to eliminate so more funds could be steered toward reading and math courses.
At Hoover High, Principal Doug Williams is committed to bringing back auto shop classes.
"When our students are connected to a person or a program, they seem to do better than those kids that are not connected, are struggling academically and are potential dropouts," he said.
Around the country, high schools are being transformed into career academies or adding smaller vocational schools within their buildings. In Chicago, Mayor Richard Daley recently announced an initiative that will let high school students become qualified to work in particular industries. Students would then use their certificates to find high-skill, high-paying jobs.
In some places where course offerings are slim, community colleges or regional occupational training centers offer career education to high school juniors and seniors.
It will still take a lot of work to resuscitate even a semblance of the programs that existed 30 years ago, vocational education advocates say.
"There is widespread belief that academic achievement is key to student success in the future," said Patrick Ainsworth, director of secondary education for the California Department of Education.
Three-quarters of high school technology education programs have disappeared since the early 1980s, according to the California Industrial and Technology Education Association. As a result, the number of high school courses offered has dropped from about 40,000 in the late 1980s to 24,000 in 2005-06, according to state data.
The association cites an aging faculty, few reinforcements and competition for financial and space resources as well as pressure for college-prep courses as reasons why.
The resultant curriculum resembles a Jeopardy-style game show in which memorizing for standardized tests is the prize, says Jim Aschwanden, executive director of the California Agricultural Teacher's Association.
"We have a generation of students that can answer questions on tests, know factoids, but they can't do anything," said Aschwanden, an appointee to the state Board of Education.
The question of how to create a skilled labor force that meets future needs is something that has occupied Rick Stephens for years.
The senior vice president for human resources at Boeing Co. said everyone needs a range of training to succeed these days.
"An auto mechanic today needs to know computer science, electronics, how to use sophisticated electronic tools ... none of which require a degree," Stephens said.
In 2000, there were 258 career tech high school courses that met University of California standards. Six years later, the number is up to 4,705, according to state statistics. That is significant, say career tech advocates, because it illustrates how the academic world is beginning to realize the importance of the trades and include them in college courses.
The woodshop class at Hoover is one of the few electives available at the comprehensive high school.
Teacher Arturo Gonzales spent 10 years working in the cabinetmaking industry before he took a pay cut to teach. His classes are crowded and he would benefit from having an assistant, but money is tight, he said.
"A lot of kids are in here to create, to get away from the math class, the English class," Gonzales said. "They want to work with their hands."
He tells his students that this is a math class, too, but a fun one.
Microsoft described a few of additions to its Microsoft Entra identity and access management products this week.
Microsoft on Wednesday announced that Azure Government users now have access to the AI-based Azure OpenAI Service.
IT professionals overseeing operations in organizations increasingly will need developer expertise associated with cloud services as well, according to an IDC study, announced on Monday.
Microsoft was ordered to pay $20 million and take measures to assure child privacy under the terms of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), per a Monday U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announcement.
Microsoft 365 services, including Exchange Online and the Outlook on the Web App, were disrupted on Monday, June 5 due to a problematic Microsoft service update.
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Tag Archives: The Fiends Episode 255
12/31/2017-UPDATES-2017 Year In Review
-Didn't I just write one of these? 🙂 2017 went by quite fast for me. There were a lot of good things that happened to me this year. I also went through a number of changes-some with good results and … Continue reading
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