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The Jaguars are hosting Johnny Manziel for a pre-draft visit to the team's facility Tuesday, but he's only one among the first-round talent making its way to Jacksonville this week.
Two of the club's other top options with the No. 3 overall pick, Auburn offensive tackle Greg Robinson and Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack, also are due to arrive Tuesday. Wednesday, Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr and UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr will visit the Jaguars as well. Teddy Bridgewater will be in town for a visit, too. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported the flurry of visits, which will make for an especially busy couple of days of information gathering at 1 Everbank Field Dr.
It's a lot of star power for one week, representing one-sixth of the club's 30 allotted visits.
Jacksonville could certainly use defensive help from Mack, Barr or a boost on the other side of the ball from a young quarterback, although Robinson and the draft's other top offensive tackle, Texas A&M's Jake Matthews, aren't often linked to the Jaguars. NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah has Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins headed to Jacksonville in his latest mock draft, while analysts Bucky Brooks and Charles Davis both have Mack bound for the Jaguars.
The Jaguars were able to get a close look at Carr in coaching him at the Reese's Senior Bowl in January. Carr could be a possibility for the Jaguars with a later pick, perhaps with a trade-up, if the club opts to address a different position with the No. 3 pick.


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There's a new report out by Human Rights Watch on Gay Rights in Burundi – which in pretty dire straits at the moment after a law passed earlier this year criminalising homosexual behaviour and making it punishable by up to two years in jail. The law was heavily promoted by the party of the President, Pierre Nkrunziza, who is, surprise surprise, a born again Christian. As well as shepherding the provision through the legislature, his party organised anti-homosexuality protests in Bujumbura. This report, which includes photographs and the stories of young gay Burundians, makes incredibly powerful reading, and I would strongly recommend it.
Unfortunately, such restrictions are far from unusual in Africa; only South Africa allows same-sex marriages, and Cape Verde, Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Chad, DRC, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, CAR and Gabon, Madagascar, and Rwanda allow homosexuality. That's only 13 out of 53 countries in Africa. (Disclaimer: This information came from wikipedia). Politicians in many countries, including neighbouring Uganda, have been fairly strident in their opposition to allowing homosexuality. Uganda's Ethics and Integrity Minister (bloated cabinets? Heaven forbid) recently claiming that it represented 'moral destruction' (h/t wronging rights). Even where it is legal, gays and lesbians face significant problems and discrimination – the BBC has recently produced a number of articles on the horrifying and little-punished practice of 'corrective rape' in South Africa.
This issue has obvious Human Rights implications, but, as the report points out, the problems caused by discrimination go deeper than a simple ban on sex. Young gay people risk economic problems if they are deliberately failed by their teachers or kicked out of home by their parents; it is this fear of economic marginalisation, as much as that of social marginalisation or retributive violence by individuals or the state, that keeps them closeted. Worse still, it creates problems in preventing HIV/AIDS, as gay people may be uniformed about how to prevent infection, or may fear going for tests, meaning the infection spreads further. This law will make things far worse – making it even harder for gay people to access information on safe sex, and making it dangerous for them to report rapes – something which, this report makes clear, is a common occurrence for both men and women.
However, because I don't want to end on a downer, I also want to draw out something positive. Many of the young people interviewed say that even if their families have initially thrown them out, they have grown to understand, and even where they have not, others have offered help and understanding. Even in unpropitious circumstances associations are forming to support gay people and advocate for change. It may be a long time coming, but I hope that in a decade or two's time we will look back and see these laws as the last gasp of repression.
Posted By Laura Gordon
Posted Aug 3rd, 2009

subset: commoncrawl


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Honestly, poop is one of the best indicators for how your insides are doing and how clean your digestive tract is. Dr. Ken Heaton created the Bristol Stool Chart as a tool to measure the transit time of the colon. Take the chart with a grain of salt but many practitioners still use it today as a way for individuals to talk about what their stool looks like.
We typically want stool that is soft, well formed, and easy to pass. This means that food is not staying in your digestive tract too long and fermenting or not transiting too fast and thus increasing the likelihood of not absorbing the nutrients in your food.
Your bowel movements can change from day to day, month to month depending upon what you're eating, your physical activity, your stress levels, even how much you're chewing your food. Use your stool as information and an opportunity to reflect on your eating habits and stress levels. Through healing my digestive tract, I have seen the health of my own bowel movements improve. So don't fear how your elimination is going now, it can and will change.
If you find you're having too many hard bowel movements or stool coming out too easily try incorporating more vegetables into your diet, sip on a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in water with meals, take some probiotics (especially those with Saccharomyces boulardii), try some digestive enzymes for a short period of time to assist with the digestion and elimination process, and add some fermented vegetables like Kimchee or sauerkraut to your meals (just make sure there is no added sugar!).
Additionally, your bowel movements are such a wonderfully unique way, that rarely gets talked about in my opinion, of how to check in with yourself and come into the present moment. Your stool can tell you a lot about how you're doing emotionally not just physically. What might you be holding on to? Or where are you not creating appropriate boundaries for yourself? Are you holding on to past experiences or fights or grudges and having a difficult time letting go? Do you share everything that is on your mind and always say yes to everything and having a hard time nourishing your soul and identifying what it is that you need?
I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences with your own poop and what you have learned from your ability or difficulty with elimination.


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I never thought I'd be begging, but it's just gone too far.
Day after day of down parkas, long johns and when the only fashionable thing you're wearing is your lipstick, it means you might just have to ask.
When a little sun pokes through the chilly gloom, you might just go in search of it because
You are
The City is trying to help in its own way – as the tulips start reaching for the stars, they've put bunches of brightly painted branches in the ground to egg them on. But I must walk on. Paint is not the answer (even though it's the thought that counts, so thanx).
I pass a new Eileen Fisher store on State St and I have to say, "thanks, E! Those are some really Colorful Scarves!" But I need more. I am starved by the grey; hungry for the bloom.
Even shoes, my natural go-to pick-me-up are not as exciting, not as thrilling, although these little numbers made of shoe strings really did help. For a few seconds.
What I need is a punch to the solar plexis!
That's better! But it's still indoors and at the end of the day, it's still feeling a lot like winter.
The kind folks at Macy's feel our pain this time of year, every year and they throw a floral bash on the first floor of the store. Of course, someone somewhere had to come up with a "theme" and this year, it was Towers of Flowers. I thank you. I think.
No. Really. I thank you! This is about a two foot high triangle of blooms on the side of a tall teepee, living for a few days in the aisle between Yves St. Laurent & Smashbox in the makeup department.
But it isn't until I drift away from the paint pots and get closer to the purses, that I am lifted up and by god, I almost, just almost break into tears…
Now that's what I'm talking about. C.O.L.O.R. Got it.


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Mazda 323
since 1985 release
Repair and operation of the car
Mazda 323
+ Introduction
+ Petrol engines
+ Engine lubrication system
+ Engine cooling system
+ System of ignition
+ Power supply system, carburetor, system of injection of fuel
+ Diesel engine
+ System of production of the fulfilled gases
+ Coupling
+ Manual transmission
+ Automatic transmission
+ Suspension bracket and system of steering
+ Brake system
+ Wheels and tires, body, coloring of the car, care of the car
+ System of electric equipment
+ Heater, system of lighting, devices
+ Governing bodies and methods of operation
- Electric circuits
Rules of the address with electric circuits
Arrangement of plugs central electricians
Creation of electric circuits
Relay arrangement
+ Model of 1987 of the issue.
- Model of 1991 of the issue.
Injector engine. Plan of laying of cables
Diesel engine. Plan of laying of cables
Injector engine. Starter
Diesel engine. Starter
Charging system
Screen wiper and windscreen washer. Cleaner of headlights
Injector engine. Management of the engine
Diesel engine. Management of the engine
Headlights. Adjustment of range of lighting
Forward side lamps. Back marker lights. Lamps of illumination of registration plate
Back fog lamps
Signals of turn and alarm system
Sound signal. Backing lamps
Heater of back glass. Digital watch. Lighter
Electric external mirrors
Model of 1991 of the issue.
Injector engine. Plan of laying of cables
On the homepage


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I am the mom of a member of the U.S. Army. My son is deployed right now. Which means I experience a wide array of emotions any given day, sometimes within the span of a few minutes.
Mother's Day is approaching quickly. Holidays have a way of bringing up the emotions we can hide the rest of the year. Having a child deployed this year I anticipate a few down moments as I approach that day.
I'd like to offer a few suggestions to readers who would like to show support for a military mom this Mother's Day.
4 Ways to Help a Military Mom
Offer to send a care package to the deployed soldier. Knowing my son receives packages from a variety of friends makes me smile.
If you don't have the time or money to send a package, offer to contribute to the postage costs, or supplies. Military families spend a lot on postage during the deployment.
Do let the mom of a deployed soldier know you appreciate their service.
Treat the mom of a deployed soldier to a lunch or dinner out, just to chat. Enjoying positive company is a great stress reliever.
3 Things to Avoid with a Military Mom
I love surprises, but not while my son is deployed. If you would like to visit the mom of a deployed soldier call first to let her know you are coming over. An unexpected knock on the door can bring visions of uniformed officers coming to let you know your soldier has been killed. Please don't put the family of a deployed soldier through that scenario.
Having a deployed son or daughter is stressful. We get through it one day at a time. Making statements like, "I don't know how you do it." Is not helpful. We don't know how we do it either.
Avoid overtly political discussions, unless the parent starts the conversation. Whether you agree or disagree with what is going on does not change the fact that my son is deployed and I worry.
I hope to spend this Mother's Day with my husband and two children who are still home. Hearing from my deployed son would be a huge bonus.
Filed under: Deployment, Military families, U.S. Army | Tagged: Army Mom Dorie Griggs, deployment, Mothers Day, U.S. Army | 5 Comments »


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Sons of Confederate Veterans group is chartered
by James Howell
Staff Writer
The Ashe County chapter of "Sons of Confederate Veterans" received its charter in late November.
Dan Bolick, the Lt. Commander of the N.C. Division, presented the group with its official charter.
"You've all done well," said Bolick. "I've never seen a charter with this many new members."
The Sons of Confederate Veterans is an organization that was formed to preserve the "history and legacy of these heroes so that future generations can understand the motives that animated the Southern Cause," according to the SCV's website.
Membership in the Sons of Confederate Veterans is open to all male descendants of any veteran who served honorably in the Confederate armed forces.
The SCV is the direct heir of the United Confederate Veterans, and the oldest hereditary organization for male descendants of Confederate soldiers. Organized at Richmond, Virginia in 1896, the SCV continues to serve as a historical, patriotic, and non-political organization dedicated to ensuring that a true history of the 1861-1865 period is preserved.
"The citizen-soldiers who fought for the Confederacy personified the best qualities of America. The preservation of liberty and freedom was the motivating factor in the South's decision to fight the Second American Revolution. The tenacity with which Confederate soldiers fought underscored their belief in the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. These attributes are the underpinning of our democratic society and represent the foundation on which this nation was built," said the SCV website.
Ashe County group members can now get involved in Civil War reenactments, cleaning graveyards containing the remains of Confederate soldiers, or celebrating Confederate Veterans Day.
However, being a member means more than having the opportunity to participate in SCV events. According to Bolick, membership offers a person the opportunity to spread the pride of his southern heritage.
After being involved in the group, "people around you realize it's okay to celebrate your Confederate heritage," said Bolick.
Jerry Brown, the acting president of the Ashe County SCV, was graciously accepted the charter from Bolick, and thanked everyone for their participation.
"This is a good group of guys and we're looking to grow the organization," said Brown.
© 2013 Jefferson Post
On The Web: http://www.jeffersonpost.com/view/full_story/21292476/article-Sons-of-Confederate-Veterans-group-is-chartered


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Cordisco & Saile LLC
Fighting For the People of Bucks County, Montgomery County, Philadelphia, Lehigh County, Mercer County, and Beyond.
Cordisco & Saile LLC is a team of experienced personal injury lawyers who handle cases in Bucks County and Philadelphia. We assist injured people in obtaining compensation for car accidents and truck accidents, workers' comp, motorcycle accidents, bike accidents, defective products, as well as other damages. We never stop fighting for you.
Business Name:
Cordisco & Saile LLC
900 Northbrook Dr #120Feasterville-Trevose Pennsylvania 19053USA
Neighborhoods in Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania
3800 Horizon Bvld, ACME Markets, Allegheny West, Arbor Lane Apartments, Blind Builders, Inc., Bruster's Real Ice Cream, Bryn Gweled, Bustleton, CSF BUXMONT FEASTERVILLE CENTER, Carmen's Place
Things to do in Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania
Our Newest Profiles


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Agricultural technical engineers have very much to accomplish as increasing biological breakthroughs are adopted to harvesting procedures like on-farm power generation. New ways to use gardening squander have grown to be evident and crops are yielding not merely foods, but new by-products.
Gardening technicians layout gear and produce techniques for terrain preparing, growing and harvesting. They use automation, accuracy, and intelligent or "learning ability" technological innovation with new and existing equipment. Sensors are employed along with microcomputers, controllers, man-made intellect as well as other software program, which optimizes productivity, sustainability, and the reliability of foods, nourish, nutritional fibre and fuel for the economy.
Agricultural technicians make improvements to methods to reduce crop loss from field damage during coping with, working, loading and finalizing. Warehousing of food and fiber are a crucial part in the agriculture market the agricultural engineer strategies the warming, cooling down, air-flow, post harvest managing, logistics and much more.
Gardening engineers work with:
- Manufacturing facilities
- Meals technology and the handling of gardening products
- The style of agricultural devices, gear, and gardening structures
- The actual and chemical attributes of components employed in, or created by, gardening creation
- Potential units, harvesters, materials managing, and implements
- Poultry, swine, beef, aquaculture, and herb ecological manage
- Spend managing, which includes wildlife wate, gardening residues, and fertilizer runoff
- H2o managing, efficiency, and safe-keeping for crop watering and livestock manufacturing
- Utilizing Gps system, results in watches, remote sensing and adjustable-level technological innovation
- Employee safety and comfort
- Performance like the charge of vibrations, noises, quality of air, heating system, air conditioning, and many others.
- Revenue, services, coaching, control, organizing, marketplace and item research associated with employing and implementing technologies
Inspired by: ezinearticles


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Oxygen Network Stops Development of 'All My Babies' Mamas'
A reality-TV special in development by the Oxygen Network that had sparked controversy has been canceled. "All My Babies' Mamas" was set to follow Atlanta rapper Shawty Lo and his 11 children with 10 different women, although the network said in a statement that the production company was considering other families as well.
Pre-production clips had leaked on YouTube showing Shawty Lo, 36, most famous for the song "Laffy Taffy," referring to his children's mothers with nicknames like "Jealous Baby Mama," "Baby Mama from Hell" and "Shady Baby Mama." The show would have reportedly introduced viewers to Lo's 19-year-old girlfriend.
Oxygen released a statement to ABCNews.com: "As part of our development process, we have reviewed casting and decided not to move forward with the special."
Only a few months into development, the special had created more anger than excitement, and protest groups we're calling for the show to be canceled.
Change.org circulated a petition with more than 37,000 signatures calling the program "an attack not just on African-American parents and children but all parents and children."
The Parents Television Council also chimed in, calling it "grotesquely irresponsible and exploitative."
"If Oxygen moves forward with the program, we will be contacting every corporate sponsor that buys advertising time on the Oxygen network to hold them accountable as well," the council said.
In a December news release, the Oxygen Network said viewers would see "an intimate look at unconventional families with larger than life personalities and real emotional stakes."
But no air date had been set for the one-hour special and following the initial controversy, Oxygen said the special was "not meant to be a stereotypical representation of everyday life for any one demographic or cross section of society."
Following the cancellation, Oxygen said, "We will continue to develop compelling content that resonates with our young female viewers and drives the cultural conversation."
Oxygen Media was launched in 2000 and its programming is geared toward women. Oprah Winfrey was one of the founders of the network, which was purchased by NBCUniversal in 2007.


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Here's a comprehensive list of places to bounce, jump and climb indoors in Bucks County, PA! You'll find inflatable play centers, open gyms, mini golf, rock climbing and more fun things to do indoors!
Indoor Play places and FUN THINGS to do with kids in Bucks County!
Lower Bucks
Bouncing Off the Walls | Levittown
Cost: $3.50 – $10. Each child admission includes 2 free adults.
Small bounces and climbing
Ages: 6 and younger
Chuck E. Cheese's | Levittown
Indoor arcade with some coin operated rides – don't forget about the dancing Chuck E!
Cost: 1 token per game or ride
Ages: 3+
Bristol Riverside Theatre | Bristol
Cost: Varies by show. Avg $15 – $25
Live theatre, almost always a show for families happening but offerings will vary.
Ages: 6 and younger
Color Me Mine | Langhorne (Oxford Valley Mall)
Cost: Varies by piece. $15-25+ per piece.
A walk-in paint-it-yourself ceramics studio. NO experience or reservations needed.
Ages: All ages.
Oxford Valley Mall Play Area | Langhorne
Cost: FREE
Right in the middle of the mall on the lower level. Sit back and relax while the tots play!
Ages: 5 and under
Build-A-Bear Workshop | Langhorne (Oxford Valley Mall)
Cost: FREE
A walk-in paint-it-yourself ceramics studio. NO experience or reservations needed.
Ages: 3+
Bounce U | Langhorne (There's also one in Horsham – MontCo)
Cost: $8.95 – $10.95
Indoor bounce center feauturing three rooms of bouncing along with pre-school playdates during the day, family nights and open bounces.
Ages: 3 and up
Sesame Place | Langhorne
Cost: $17-27 per person
Yes, it's an outdoor amusement park, but did you know they occasionally have INDOOR dine-with-me experiences during the winter? No parking or park admission fee required since the park is closed!
Ages: 2+
Chick-fil-A | Neshaminy/Trevose
Cost: a meal
Has a small indoor play area with slide and offers free weekly Family Fun Nights on most Mondays.
Ages: 10 and under
Chick-fil-A | Newtown
Cost: a meal
Has a small indoor play area with slide.
Ages: 10 and under
Sports Zone | Southampton
Cost: Per activity
Batting cages, arcade, soft playground for 7 & younger, food.
Ages: All
Monster Mini Golf | Feasterville
Cost: $8-9
Indoor black-lit, mini golf with monster theme and arcade. Closed on most Mondays.
Ages: 5 and up
Central Bucks
Party Magic | Warminster
Cost: $10
Inflatable bounce center with toddler area, arcade, free wifi and coffee
Ages: 12 and under
Chick-fil-A | Warrington
Cost: a meal
Has a small indoor play area with slide and offers free weekly Family Fun Nights on most Mondays and Morning Storytimes on most Wednesdays.
Ages: 10 and under
Burger King | Warrington
Cost: a meal
Has a large indoor play area with 2 big slides and an eating area in the playroom. Also offers free wi-fi but Facebook is blocked at last check!
Ages: 10 and under
Wegmans | Warrington
Cost: free/a meal
Not exactly a play place but the upstairs eating area has a kids zone with kid size furniture and a TV and there are scheduled free movie nights and other kid activities (some free, some with a low fee) throughout the year. Also offers free wi-fi.
Ages: 10 and under
Happy Tymes Family Fun Center| Warrington
Cost: per activity
Bowling, go-karts, arcade, rock climbing wall & restaurant
Ages: all
SMG Sportsplex| Warminster
Cost: $5 for one hour of open gym fee
Indoor soccer, basketball, football, field hockey, etc.
The Rink| Warwick
Cost: per session
Public indoor ice-skating. Call or check the website for public skating hours.
Ages: 4 and up
Chuck E. Cheese | Warrington/Doylestown
Cost: 1 token per game or ride
Indoor arcade with some token operated rides and a token-free climbing structure with slide. Of course, don't forget about the dancing Chuck E – animatronic and sometimes walking around!
Ages: 3+
County Theater | Doylestown
Cost: $4 per person
On Saturday mornings, throughout the school year, the theater shows children's favorites, both classics and new.
Ages: Children who can sit through a movie.
Doylestown Rock Gym | Doylestown
Cost: $10 – $12 per person (does not include equipment)
12,000 sq. feet of rock climbing
Ages: 12 and under
Giggleberry Fair | Lahaska
Cost: $10.99 – $12.99 for activity pass
Carousel, 3-story, 6-level obstacle course, special play area for up to 5 years and cafe
Ages: toddler to 10
Bucks County Children's Museum | New Hope
Cost: $7 for ages 1 and up
The Bucks County Children's Museum offers fun, interactive, and educationally based exhibits for children and families. Closed on Mondays. Of special note: the museum offers a Support Guide for all kids, including those with autism spectrum disorders. It is intended to be used prior to a visit to the museum and details each exhibit and area of the museum in an easy to understand storybook format.
Ages: 1 to 8
Last updated January 2014 – feel free to email or leave a comment with corrections or additions!
Looking for more INDOOR fun? My blogging friends have you covered! Check out the link below for more indoor playgrounds, play places and activities in and around the Philadelphia area.
Berks County Indoor Play Areas
Chester County Indoor Play Areas: Northern and Eastern
Chester County Indoor Play Areas: Western and Southern
Delaware County Indoor Play Areas
Delaware County Indoor Play Areas
Delaware County Indoor Play Areas
Lancaster County Indoor Play Areas
Lehigh County Indoor Play Areas
Montgomery County Indoor Play Areas: Western
Montgomery County Indoor Play Areas: Eastern
Philadelphia Indoor Play Areas: Center City
Philadelphia Indoor Play Areas: Beyond Center City
Schuylkill County Indoor Play Areas
New Jersey
Atlantic County Indoor Play Areas
Burlington County Indoor Play Areas
Camden County Indoor Play Areas
Cumberland County Indoor Play Areas
Cape May County Indoor Play Areas
Essex County Indoor Play Areas
Gloucester County Indoor Play Areas
Passaic County Indoor Play Areas
Salem County Indoor Play Areas
Union County Indoor Play Areas


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Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet starts strict, but the purpose is clear: to help kick-start your weight loss and stabilize blood sugar levels to minimize cravings. Your 2-week goal on Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet: Eat three meals and two snacks every day, made up of satisfying portions of lean protein, vegetables, low-fat dairy, and good unsaturated fats. What you don't get to eat: starches (no bread, pasta, or rice of any kind) and sugars (no fruits and fruit juices, cakes and cookies, wine and beer).
After 2 weeks, you'll be motivated and more in control, so you'll move on to Phase 2 of the diet and gradually start to reintroduce some of the off-limits foods, like whole fruits, whole grain breads and whole wheat pasta, and certain root vegetables, such as sweet potatoes and carrots. Once you've achieved a healthy weight, you'll move on to Phase 3. At this point you'll fully understand how to make good food choices while maintaining that healthy weight.
Whether you want to lose weight or just maintain, create meals based on these healthy eating principles of the South Beach Diet:
- Vegetables, fruits, and legumes are good sources. The fiber in these foods slows down digestion so you feel fuller longer. Plus, the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients in the fruits and veggies help protect against heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease. Get at least 1/2 cup of vegetables at breakfast and 2 cups at both lunch and dinner. (Remember, certain good carbs are excluded the first 2 weeks of the diet.)
- Monounsaturated fatty acids in olive, peanut, avocado, and canola oils are good fats, as are the polyunsaturated ones in some nuts, flaxseed, and fish, including salmon and tuna. Good fats help keep cells healthy; they also help you feel satisfied. Limit added oil to 2 tablespoons daily and nuts to 1/4 cup per day to help keep calories in check.
- Foods high in protein are digested slowly; they don't spike your blood sugar, which stimulates hunger and leads to overeating. Choose from lean cuts of beef, lamb, and pork; skinless white meat chicken and turkey; fish and shellfish; soy products; beans and other legumes; eggs; and fat-free and low-fat dairy products.
Buy The South Beach Diet Supercharged!
See more low-cal diets.
2 eggs, scrambled, with 2 slices of Canadian bacon and sliced tomatoes
6 oz vegetable juice cocktail
Coffee or tea with 1% or fat-free milk and sugar substitute
Vegetable Dippers with Avocado-Cilantro Guacamole: Mash 1/3 avocado with 1/3 c fat-free cottage cheese, 2 Tbsp chopped onion, 1 tsp minced garlic, and minced cilantro and red-pepper flakes to taste.
Sirloin burger with 2 oz melted reduced-fat Swiss cheese, Dijon mustard, and tomato on bed of lettuce
Three-Bean Salad: Combine equal amounts of black beans, kidney beans, and chickpeas with chopped red onion to taste. Toss with 2 Tbsp balsamic vinaigrette dressing (1 serving equals 1/2 cup).
Celery sticks stuffed with 1 wedge French onion and garlic reduced-fat spreadable cheese
Pecan-Crusted Trout: In food processor, pulse 1/2 c pecans, 1 tsp dried rosemary, 1 clove garlic, and 1/8 tsp ground red pepper until finely chopped. Place 4 whole cleaned and boned trout (about 12 oz each) on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Season flesh side with 1/4 tsp salt and brush with 1 large egg white. Sprinkle nut mixture over each and press to adhere. Drizzle evenly with 2 tsp olive oil. Bake at 400°F 20 minutes (or until trout is opaque and tender). Makes 4 servings.
Nutritional info per serving: 382 cal, 38 g pro, 3 g carb, 2 g fiber, 24 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 248 mg sodium
Serve with: Assorted grilled vegetables, such as asparagus, zucchini, and bell peppers
Vanilla Ricotta Cream: In dessert bowl, whisk 1/2 c part-skim ricotta cheese, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 packet granular sugar substitute. Serve immediately or chill 2 hours or overnight. For more flavor, add 1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder.
Adapted from The South Beach Diet Supercharged by Arthur Agatston, MD with Joseph Signorile, PhD. Copyright (c) 2008 by Arthur Agatston, MD. Available where books are sold.
Buy The South Beach Diet Supercharged


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Thanks to Aleksandra Seremina at the software company AZOFT you can view this page in Romanian.
Thanks to Agnessa Petrova for the Ukrainian translation by A2Goos team.
Thanks to Alisa Anikeeva for the Russian translation by the TopJurist team.PARC (Palo Alto Research Center) has made a new release of the software for the Finite-State Morphology book.
This is the homepage of the book Finite State Morphology, Kenneth R. Beesley and Lauri Karttunen, CSLI Publications, 2003. The stable URL is http://www.fsmbook.com. This page is permanently under construction.
From this page you can find
The first copies of Finite State Morphology were
delivered 16 June 2003. Here is a picture of the cover.
The book can be ordered either from CSLI
or from the American distributor, the University
of Chicago Press. The European handler, Wiley, received the book in
August. You can also order the book from Amazon where you find a very
positive review by Shlomo Yona (***** A great book!, January 22, 2004).
Another positive review by Shuly Wintner appeared in Computational Linguistics, Vol. 30,
pp. 237-239 (July 2004). The latest review is by Otakar Smrž in The Prague Bulletin of Mathematical
Linguistics, 81,
pp. 73-76 (2004).
The software license for included with the book has been superseded by the clickwrap license for the updated software. See License Agreement. It is for non-commercial use.


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by Jacqui Murray
I went to my bi-weekly writer's critique group last night. We get submittals ahead of time, gather our thoughts and comments, and then each of us gets 5 minutes during the meeting to share our suggestions. This week, we were reviewing the work of one of my favorite group authors–we'll call her Mari. She is writing an amazing piece about a family coping with Alzheimer's. It's character-driven fiction, but could also be classified as creative non-fiction so detailed and realistic are the scenes.
The setting is a suburban town, a care facility for patients with Alzheimer's. In one particular scene, a favorite parakeet of one of the residents escapes and a hawk swoops down and grabs it before anyone can return it to its cage. My comments focused on Mari's ability to community the emotion experienced by all those involved. To my surprise, other group members shared their beliefs that this was impossible–a hawk wouldn't be found in a suburban community (it was more detailed than that, but the gist of the objections were that this was not realistic).
Which got me thinking about the willing suspension of disbelief we all afford to fiction writers. Why had I accepted a hawk in a suburban neighborhood without questioning the veracity of that occurrence? It did sound odd on its face. In fact, I can't remember the last time I saw a bird of prey swoop down on potential food in in a populated area. So why didn't I–like my fellow group member–think Mari had pushed the envelope a bit too far.
The simple answer: I know Mari's writing. She's always detailed, accurate, well-researched in her plots and settings. As such, I love her submittals because I always learn from them.
The problem is: Few outside of our tight critique circle will know this about her. Many might react as this other woman did and reject the premise. So how do authors overcome that lack of intimacy?
I considered authors who often teach me through their writing–Stephen Hunter, Carsten Stroud, Michael Harvey, James Tabor, Ben Coes–and analyzed why I trusted them when I didn't know them (well, Ben and I are Goodreads buddies. Yeah, we're tight. OK, we belong to the same forum) and realized that they established their creds early and often in their writing.
They often shared details that were both enlightening and believable, many times on subjects I had enough knowledge of to nod my head in agreement as I read the passage. They established themselves as an authority on the subjects they were writing about. Therefore, by the time I got to an off-the-wall scene–like hawks in a suburban area–I was inclined to trust the author and believe. It was that simple.
This is important. How many people do you talk to who list one of their first three reasons for reading as 'to learn something'. That long list of readers includes me. I stop reading stories that don't teach me–about life, emotions, facts, history, something. Educate me! But I don't start out trusting an author. S/he must earn that trust by being right (almost) all the time. If s/he throws a fact out there I know is false, I'm jaded toward her/him. A second–I move on to someone new.
In Mari's case, I've read her work for years. She's accurate and I learn from her. So I trust her.
Here's your takeaway: If you're going to weave a plot piece into your story that strains credibility, set up your characters so readers will trust them (and you) and willingly suspend their disbelief. My fiction deals with the fascinating bits of science that few know but most would like to. Think: Jurassic Park. By the time the plot reached living 21st century dinosaurs, you were onboard, completely buying that stuff about DNA in amber (or whatever it was). How about Harry Potter's invisibility cloak? I mean–why not?
How about you? How do you decide whether you trust an author or not?
Guest post contributed by Jacqui Murray. Jacqui is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman and is the author/editor of dozens of books on integrating tech into education, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com and TeachHUB, and Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers. You can find her book on her publisher's website, Structured Learning.


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Obama to Draw Few Ultimatums in Immigration Speech
President Obama will make no ultimatums in his immigration speech on Tuesday other than to insist that any legislation must be comprehensive, according to administration officials.
Obama also wants immigration legislation to establish a path to citizenship for the undocumented immigrants, a proposal that makes many Republicans uncomfortable. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said Monday that he doesn't want a "special benefits" for illegal immigrants. Administration officials say Obama will not define how the citizenship has to occur in his speech Tuesday, but he will insist that citizenship is an eventual possibility for eligible undocumented immigrants.
The speech will mark the beginning of Obama's public campaign to change country's immigration system. A bipartisan group of senators made a similar proposal to the Congress on Monday. Administration officials are excited that they now have the best chance in a decade, or longer, to make sense of the country's immigration system — to legalize 11 million illegal immigrants, to establish an economy-based system for future immigrants, and to smooth employers' verification process.
Despite optimism on all sides, any small disagreement over provisions could stunt the legislative momentum. Immigration law is more complex than the tax code, and any tweak in one area messes up all the rest of them. The people directly affected by the outdated law are unlikely to be receptive to a legislation handled in a piecemeal fashion.
Obama is defining his role as the coach of a game that initially will play out in Congress. He has heeded the pleas of advocates from both political parties not to micro-manage the negotiations, which will be important in order to keep Republicans at the table. But, administration officials warn, if the process begins to slow, the president is prepared to step in with a broader role.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is on board with this plan, saying he wants legislation out of the Judiciary Committee and on to the Senate floor as soon as possible. Republicans say it is important that the legislation be negotiated in the regular fashion through the Judiciary Committee. That's exactly the plan, although congressional aides note that Reid is willing to step in and place a bill on the floor if the committee becomes deadlocked.
Obama has decided not to offer written legislation to the Congress, calming the fears of many in Congress that he will try to do their work for them. The Senate "Gang of Eight's" principles will function as the starting document for the negotiations. Obama is encouraged by the agreement, but he will make clear that he wants to see the principles morph into actual legislation.


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If you thought that Mount Everest was the highest mountain in the world, there are some theories and calculations that prove otherwise.This raises the question which is the highest mountain in the world?
Mount Everest
Mount Everest has been widely known as the highest mountain in the world, and mountain climbers from all over the globe, are traveling to Everest to earn the distinction of having climbed on top of the highest mountain. But what exactly do we take into consideration when we refer to the worlds highest mountain?
The reason Mount Everest has been named the world's highest mountain, was because it has the greatest elevation above the sea level and we could also state that this mountain has the highest altitude.The peak of Mount Everest, has 8,850 meters above the level of the sea. There doesn't exist another mountain on Earth with a higher altitude. Even so, some other mountains might be considered "taller", being taller means calculating the distance the base and the summit.
The "tallest" mountain
Mauna Kea, from Hawaii, has an altitude much lower than Mount Everest, measuring an altitude of only 4,205 meters. But, Mauna Kea is an island, and if there were to measure the distance from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean floor, to the peak of the island, then Mauna Kea, could be called being "taller" than Mount Everest.
If calculating in this manner, then, Mauna Kea would measure 10,000 meters tall, compared to the 8,848 metres of Mount Everest, meaning it could be named the world's tallest mountain.However, the summit of Mauna Kea has other distinctions as well.
Apart from being the peak of the worlds "tallest" mountain, it is also the place where it is based the world's largest astronomical observatory. Situated at almost 14,000 feet above the level of the sea, the observatory is stationed above 40% of Earth's atmosphere.
The atmosphere existent above the mountain is very dry and there are very few clouds, making it the ideal location for an astronomical observatory. When looking at the peak of the mountain, you can see snow, even if the mountain is in Hawaii. At an altitude that high, the weather is cold enough to accumulate snow.
The highest mountain above Earth's centre
So, Mount Everest has the highest altitude, Mauna Kea is the "tallest " mountain, but this next mountain has the characteristic of being the highest mountain above the centre of Earth. The mountain referring to is Chimborazo from Ecuador, with an altitude of 6,310 meters.
This happens because, our planet is not a perfect sphere and it is more like an oblate sphere, which means that Earth has the polar axis os smaller than the diameter of the equatorial axis, due to the centrifugal force of Earth's rotation. The equatorial bulge is the difference between the polar and equatorial diameters of Earth.
Our planet has an equatorial bulge of 42.72 km, meaning its diameter measured around the equatorial plane (12,756.28 km), more with 42,72 km than when measured between the two poles (12,713.56 km). For example, an observer situated at sea level at no matter which one of the poles, is closer with 21,36 km of Earth's centre point, than when situated at sea level on the Equator.
According to this theory, Earth is the widest at the Equator. Mount Chimborazo is located at only one degree south of the Equator. In that specific location, Chimborazo is placed at 6,384 kilometres above the centre of Earth or around 2 kilometres farther from the centre of Earth than Mount Everest.
Image Source: Wikipedia, USGS, SNOW BRAINS, Homepage of Thomas Laussermair, Ecuador Geography


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Editor's Note: Mia Bloom and John Horgan are professors of security studies at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. They have been traveling to Pakistan to conduct research on children's involvement in terrorism. Follow them on Twitter: @Drjohnhorgan and @miambloom.
Story highlights
Writers: Reports of 10-year-girl in Afghanistan intent on suicide bombing is a first
Not unusual for children to be groomed for martyrdom, they say, but Taliban deny practice
Writers: Children are often in the dark about their assignments
Writers: Families, communities must guard against children falling under sway of extremists
Disturbing reports are emerging from Afghanistan that a 10-year-old girl named Spozhmai was pre-empted from carrying out a suicide bombing attack against a police station in Khanshin.
Though Taliban forces are already deploying female operatives in a limited capacity, it was the first report of a young girl who was groomed for martyrdom. It represents the latest development in a long history of terrorist organizations' use of children.
BBC reports suggest the girl is the sister of a Taliban commander. This is not unexpected.
Indeed multiple Islamist groups specifically recruit within their own families. In Chechnya and Dagestan, we have seen sisters, brothers and cousins involved in terrorist operations, sometimes together. In both Afghanistan and Pakistan, various Taliban units have engaged in targeted recruitment of pairs of siblings.
In our research over the past year into children being groomed for terrorist activity in Pakistan, several of the youth we encountered undergoing de-radicalization and preparation for reintegration via the Sabaoon facility (Pakistan's rehabilitation facility for child militants) were recruited by relatives in the Pakistani Taliban.
In almost all cases we have studied, the child recruits were genuinely unaware of what they were being asked to do – what such operations could entail. Those who were aware displayed serious hesitation and were often given drugs by their recruiters to help them to comply. Some of the children changed their minds at the last minute and thus found refuge at Sabaoon.
Duping children into carrying out a suicide attack is not a new tactic. In June 2007 in the southern Afghan province of Ghazni, the Taliban failed to deceive a 6-year-old boy, Juma Gul, into being a suicide bomber. Putting the vest on him, the Taliban repeatedly told him that "flowers and food would appear once he pressed the button."
Walking toward his target, Juma hesitated. He decided not to press the button and instead called out for help from nearby Afghan National Army soldiers, who deactivated the device on his body.
The incident was a watershed. Abdul Rahim Deciwal, the chief administrator for Juma's village of Athul, brought the boy and his brother to meet with the village elders, who expressed strong disapproval of the tactic and even began cooperating with NATO forces to weed out the Taliban.
Incidents such as these would appear to indicate that Taliban fighters are adopting the strategies of Iraqi insurgents, who have been known to use children to disguise bomb-laden vehicles or dupe drivers into carrying improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, at times without their knowledge. In those cases, the would-be bombers are detonated by remote control.
This week's report of the attempted attack did not include a remote control detonator, and the 10-year-old girl was unsuccessful in executing the mission of those who deployed her. Afghan security forces, however, have long been aware of this particularly insidious tactic.
Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi has denied the group used child fighters, disclosing at the time of the Juma Gul incident that the Taliban had hundreds of adults ready for suicide missions. "We don't need to use a child," he said. "It's against Islamic law, it's against humanitarian law. This is just propaganda against the Taliban."
Such statements are easily disputed.
For example, in the publicly released documents seized from his Abbottabad, Pakistan, compound, Osama bin Laden acknowledged that "most of the work in Afghanistan (has) turned to the goal of luring and preparing the youth."
More recently, in November, there were media reports that Afghan police had pre-empted a 12-year-old bomber in the Panjwai district of Kandahar; the child was allegedly wearing an explosive vest en route to a local girls' school.
When children are forced into terrorism, they become victimized and traumatized by their experiences in the process. In turn, they exploit and victimize others. Many remain in the movement until adulthood and beyond. And it's not just in their home countries: Efforts to groom children and adolescents as a future generation of militants has also been uncovered in diaspora communities within the United States and the UK.
Perhaps the most well-known case in recent times has been the disappearance of some 17 Somali-American adolescent boys and young men from Minneapolis.
Jonathan Evans, former director-general of the British Security Service, or MI5, warned that al Qaeda is targeting vulnerable youth – even the very young – in such communities as terrorist recruits, underscoring the need to protect children everywhere from exposure to violent extremism. Evans explained: "They are (radicalizing), indoctrinating and grooming young, vulnerable people to carry out acts of terrorism. This year, we have seen individuals as young as 15 and 16 implicated in terrorist-related activity."
Such realities pose serious challenges to countering violent extremism, especially when most efforts today place firm emphasis on undermining the allure of troublesome ideologies. Most of the children are not recruited on ideological grounds, and in cases where some children do appear to be under some ideological influence, it is clear they do not understand it.
Whether for children recruited by the Pakistani Taliban, or young Somalis recruited in Minneapolis, there is a critical role to be played by families and communities in protecting young children from being vulnerable to the clutches of violent extremists.
These efforts cannot be limited to a frame of counterterrorism. This is a challenge of basic child protection.
Follow us on Twitter @CNNOpinion.
Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Mia Bloom and John Horgan.


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Dream House of the Week: Las Vegas bomb shelter
Underground bunker becomes strange tourist attraction
Underground bunker becomes strange tourist attraction
Underground bunker becomes strange tourist attraction
Located 26 feet under Las Vegas, this emergency shelter has become a bit of a tourist attraction, with many people calling for tours without being interested in buying the $18 million property.
The home's listing agent, Stephan LaForge, told Business Insider, "There's been lot of interest in the sense that people want to look at it. It's like an attraction, like going to Disneyland."
The appeal seems to be a mixture of macabre curiosity surrounding "end of the world" shelters, as well as genuine interest in the what some would consider "dated" decor. The square bunker was completed in 1978 by Avon Cosmetics executive Girard Henderson, as many Americans were inspired to create such shelters after the Cold War and Cuban Missile Crisis, according to the listing on TopTenRealEstateDeals.com.
The property features lawns, a pool with a waterfall, fountains, an "outdoor" barbecue, trees and murals depicting both city and mountain views — just in case one was stuck in the bunker for a while and missed the outside world.
The main house is a full 5,000 square feet with four bedrooms and fourth baths. If you wanted to invite company over to wait out the zombie invasion there is a 450-square-foot guest house. The bunker is located under a 2, 316 square-foot house on 1.05 acres of land that includes a two-car garage.
The lights in the bunker are even designed to mimic day, dusk, night and dawn, in case you forget what a normal Earth day looks like while waiting to return to the surface.
Between the pink details in the kitchen and bathroom, the dated decor and reminder what this bunker was created for — shelter from a possible nuclear attack — it's easy to see why the Las Vegas bunker has become popular, even to those who aren't expecting the end of the world anytime soon.


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Dear Snake-Oil devotees,
The doctor has informed us that he is inspired by the extremes of weather we have been experiencing around the world this Summer. While on a research mission, we, the Editors, experienced a taste of England's Worst Summer Ever – by which they mean rain, floods, cold, and damp. Meanwhile, the States are experiencing history's worst-ever drought. Where England's strawberries and potatoes are rotting in the ground, America's waves of proverbial amber grain are shriveling under an ever-hotter sun.
Never one to despair, Dr. Hurley has chosen to assign these phenomena as the basis of his next Summer Short-Short contest! Send us 100 words of fiction about Rain or Drought (or other major meteorological phenomenon if you're in a more wintry clime) by next Sunday, July 29!
Hop to, writerly friends! We look forward to your scribblings!
Sincerely yours,
EEJ & DLR, Eds.


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Guest expert articles should address a significant trend or issue of interest to Wireless Networks Online readers, and should provide information that our readers will find useful/actionable. Articles should offer a thoughtful — even provocative — take on the chosen theme, and can combine opinion with fact-based observation and information. Possible angles include:
- Discuss the significance of a hot topic, trend, or development within the industry — one that is generating a lot of excitement, concern, and/or confusion.
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Authors are typically subject matter experts from companies, associations, consulting and analyst firms, academia, or other organizations.
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Guest expert articles should be at least 1,000 words in length (not including headline, references, or author bio). For articles well over 2,000 words, we will work with the author to convert them into multi-part series.
Articles should be submitted in editable Microsoft Word format, with the language set to American English.
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Articles should be original and exclusive to Wireless Networks Online (and other websites in our network). They should not have run in any print or online publication previously, in any form. They also should not be slated to run in any other publications or online sources.
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We have a rolling submission schedule and do not use a traditional editorial calendar, so we can work with authors to set mutually agreeable submission deadlines.
Interested contributors should submit their questions, abstracts, outlines, or completed drafts to the editor for consideration.


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Johnny Pesky's love affair with the Red Sox flowered early on
The legend began to take hold before the 1940 season. Johnny Pesky was being courted by several major league clubs, but it was his mother who steered him to the Red Sox.
"The Cardinals, the Yankees, and the general manager from the Indians was in my house trying to sign me, but my mother liked the guy from the Red Sox because he bought her these beautiful flowers, and he bought my father this big bottle of bourbon," said Pesky. "That made the deal."
Little did Pesky know that 57 of the next 68 years would be spent with the Red Sox. He's served as a player, coach, manager, scout, announcer and salesman. Recently, he's been an ambassador, a legend if you will, and on Friday night this Red Sox legend will have his No. 6 retired by the Red Sox.
"I heard about this last night," said Pesky, who will turn 89 on Saturday. "I was told the bosses wanted to see me and I thought I must have done something. When they told me about this, I was flabbergasted. I'm really flattered about the whole thing. I wasn't that good a player; I wasn't in Ted Williams' or Bobby Doerr's class.
"I played with some good guys, and I'm quite flattered by this announcement. I'm really going to enjoy it. I hope I live long enough to enjoy it."
Pesky's number will be the sixth retired strictly by the Red Sox, joining Doerr (1), Joe Cronin (4), Carl Yastrzemski (8), Williams (9) and Carlton Fisk (27). Jackie Robinson's 42 also has been retired by Major League Baseball.
"It's terrific," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "He's very special to a lot of people here and I'm sure it will mean a lot to him. Because of that, it will be a pretty neat day."
Pesky doesn't meet the criteria of having his number retired by the Sox. The other players are in the Hall of Fame, spent 10 years with the team and finished their career with the team. But Pesky is special, and everyone with the Red Sox thinks the honor is deserving.
"He has done it all over almost six decades," said team president Larry Lucchino. "We inherited a set of rules that applies to this question of retiring numbers. We've looked at them and consider them to be guidelines rather than firm rules. We think Johnny Pesky's career cries out as exceptional. His length of term and versatility and contributions are such that we consider Johnny a worth exception."
The ceremony will take place prior to Friday night's game against the Yankees. His No. 6 will hang on the right field façade with all the other retired numbers.
"He has had a major influence on the lives of thousands of individuals, both in the organization and throughout Red Sox Nation," said Lucchino. "There may not be a more beloved person who has ever worn a Red Sox uniform."
The Enterprise


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With speculation swirling that Google is preparing to come out with what's been called the Google X phone and a Google X tablet this spring, analysts say the company is pushing the hardware envelope.
For the past month or so, there have been reports and online talk about Google working on a new phone and tablet, both being dubbed Google X products from the recently acquired Motorola Mobility.
That talk heated up Tuesday after Google's quarterly earnings call . During the call with the press and analysts, Google noted that when it acquired Motorola, the mobile device maker had a 12 to 18-month product pipeline that they're "still working through." That schedule would likely have new products arriving in the spring.
Google could not be reached for comment at deadline.
If a Google X phone and tablet are in the works, and executives are looking at a spring launch, it's likely the devices would make their debut at the company's annual developer conference, Google I/O, slated for May 15-17 in San Francisco.
"This would be an ideal time to introduce X," said Rob Enderle, an analyst with the Enderle Group. "This will be a game changer for Google, but that doesn't mean it will be a positive one. There is a lot of risk here and that's why most vendors don't do it. However, this is one of the ways to advance and some of the greatest gains come from the big risks."
This wouldn't be the first hardware that Google has produced that is being met with a lot of anticipation.
For instance, while the products' features are as unconfirmed as their sheer existence, there is a lot of speculation that the devices would have gesture recognition capabilities, along with a durable and bendable screen.
"It's a big secret so far," said Jeff Kagan, an independent industry analyst. "I'm not going to say that this is going to be another homerun for Google, but it could be. They've had their failures, like the Nexus phone. But the marketplace is different now. It may welcome another phone ... If it's good, it could succeed."
What's important here, according to Kagan, is that Google continues to innovate and act like an entrepreneur.
"Google is taking its first steps into hardware and into a lot of businesses," he added. "They're in Kansas City with their high-speed Internet. They're into self-driving cars. You never know what Google is going to look like. They throw a lot of stuff into the marketplace. What doesn't work they pull. What works, they go with."
Kagan said it's key for Google to continue searching for the next big thing.
Enderle agreed, noting that it's good for Google and it's good for the industry to have a major company pushing innovation.
"Generally, if you want to push technology, you have to do it yourself," he said. "Someone has to blaze the trail. It could drive technology more quickly or the result could be relatively unreliable and hurt the firm's brand. The nature of the cutting edge is that the stuff is both more exciting and more raw."
Sharon Gaudin covers the Internet and Web 2.0, emerging technologies, and desktop and laptop chips for Computerworld. Follow Sharon on Twitter at @sgaudin, on Google+ or subscribe to Sharon's RSS feed . Her email address is firstname.lastname@example.com.
See more by Sharon Gaudin on Computerworld.com.


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Ben and Zal
February 4, 2012
Few things are as obnoxious as an obit think-piece, a lazy essay that tries to force connections between two people who happened to die around the same time. But Ben Gazzara and Zalman King died on the same date – yesterday, February 3, both from cancer – and, dammit, they did have something important in common. Both of them, at least during the brief periods of their respective careers in which they were television series headliners, were passive actors who cultivated a stillness at the center of activity. They suppressed their egos in a way that only a few television stars have had the courage to try: William Peterson, in C.S.I.; David Duchovny (who had, crucially, been directed by King on Red Shoe Diaries), in the early seasons of The X-Files; and of course David Janssen, in everything he ever did.
The job of a television star is not to recede; it's to reach out and grab the viewer, to be the entry point into a new world and then the object of familiarity that encourages a weekly return. Gazzara, in Arrest and Trial (1963-1964) and Run For Your Life (1965-1968), and King, in The Young Lawyers (1970-1971), went against the grain. Their instinct was always to underplay, to count on their magnetism to draw you in toward the subtle detail work they were doing.
A cops-and-lawyers procedural with an unwieldly premise, Arrest and Trial stands out, in retrospect, as a science experiment in clashing acting styles. It pitted Gazzara, an acclaimed young Broadway actor associated with Strasberg, Kazan, and Tennessee Williams, against ex-baseball player Chuck Connors, an impossibly jut-jawed TV western star who never did an acting exercise in his life. In Arrest and Trial, Connors was likably stolid – the Rifleman in a suit – but Gazzara was mesmerizing. He was perhaps the first American television star with the courage to use each episode as his own sandbox to play in, exploring the stories and the inner life of his character with a Brando-esque curiosity, rather than aiming to mold a consistent, familiar genre archetype (in this case, the brilliant detective who always gets his man). This was the short-lived New Frontier moment of the liberal TV cop, and Gazzara played Detective Anderson's police interrogation scenes not as an inquisitor but like a psychiatrist or an oral historian. Most television stars step out into the lights with a story to tell; Gazzara said to the guest stars, tell me your story. And to the audience: project yourselves onto me.
Roy Huggins's Run For Your Life cast Gazzara as Paul Bryan, a lawyer dying of an unspecified and symptomless illness, who decides to chuck his grey flannel suit and a live a boho life for his remaining days. Immediately the show ran away from that premise as fast as it could, plunking Gazzara's character down into a glut of recycled action and espionage stories. But there were moments, especially in the early episodes, where Paul Bryan strayed into some off-the-path locale or exotic subculture, and Gazzara just nailed the proto-New Agey bliss of exploration and transformation that Run For Your Life was fumbling toward. The pilot was about deep sea diving and it was called "Rapture at 240," and how many other sixties television actors could and would play rapture? Gazzara derided both series in his autobiography, with some justification; he felt that this flirtation with mainstream stardom delayed his more important work for the independent filmmakers like John Cassavetes and Peter Bogdanovich. In their films, Gazzara moved into a more operatic mode, essaying epically flawed or doomed characters, especially in The Killing of a Chinese Bookie and Saint Jack. But even when a script required him to yell and scream and smash things, Gazzara never seemed to be overacting. "There was a quiet, understated nobility about him, earned the hard way, from the ground up," is how Video Watchdog editor Tim Lucas put it on Facebook yesterday.
Zalman King made his Hollywood debut as a teenaged thug in 1964's "Memo From Purgatory," a late episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour that Harlan Ellison also counts as his television debut (although that isn't quite accurate). A blonde, strapping James Caan played the Ellison figure in the autobiographical "Memo," but in my head I've always transmogrified King – diminutive, quick, Jewish, transparently intelligent – into Ellison's television avatar. The writer and the actor became lifelong friends; when we spoke about King years ago, Ellison referred to him affectionately as "Zally."
A year later, on The Munsters, King played a bearded beatnik (sample dialogue: "Man, that cat is deep"). At twenty-three, he was already typed (happily, I suspect) as an outsider, a kook. It was an inspired choice when King was cast as the most prominent of The Young Lawyers, a trio of eager law students who represented the poor and disenfranchised under the supervision of a grizzled Legal Aid lawyer. Top-billed Lee J. Cobb played the old lawyer, never overdoing it but still fulsomely dyspeptic and a formidable font of wisdom. King stole the show from him. He was one of the most open actors of his generation. As Gazzara had, King projected an empathy that worked beautifully within the context of this do-gooder show. King's character was written as a young hothead, a generation-gap foil for Cobb; but King brought to the role a plausible and only semi-scripted gravitas, a provocative rebuke to the assumption of unidirectional communication between young and old. Sixties TV was full of fake hippies – beaded sellouts like The Mod Squad – but King slipped one in under the radar, creating an intellectual, atypical anti-establishment figure. His Aaron Silverman was not some flaky peace-sign thrower; he was a fast-thinking, urban, Jewish liberal (really a radical, if you read between the lines), movingly and sincerely committed to change by challenging the system over and over again. Quick: Name another television character from the early seventies who fits that description.
The scripts on The Young Lawyers were pretty good (Ellison contributed the best one, the searing anti-drug love story "The Whimper of Whipped Dogs"); but the ideas I'm describing came out more through King's extraordinarily expressive acting, the play of complex thinking and sincere compassion across his face. Just a glimmer there; then The Young Lawyers went away and it was back to Barnaby Jones, geriatric crime-solver, and Steve McGarrett, authoritarian prick, and Richard Nixon, not a crook.
King was a minor movie star throughout the seventies, accruing credits that are impressively consistent in their status as either arty cult films (Some Call It Loving) or exploitation (Trip With the Teacher) or a fusion of both (Blue Sunshine). Then he began directing and producing; I haven't seen much of that work, but the Showtime series Red Shoe Diaries was a big enough hit to make King a rather disreputable household name, a middle-aged soft-core pornographer at whom one was encouraged to laugh up one's sleeve. The Young Lawyers should be easier to see, and King should be remembered as one of the most unusual and exciting actors around during the seventies.


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Bodies of Missing Jet-Skiers Recovered in Coney Island Creek
New York police recovered the bodies of a man and woman toda who disappeared during the evening of July 4 after they fell off a jet ski.
The pair was identified by the New York City Police Department as an Asian woman, 29, and an Asian man, 44. ABC Affiliate WABC has identified them as Willie Tom of Manhattan and Celine Fu of Brooklyn.
A spokesperson for the New York City Police Department said the NYPD received a call at 8:15 p.m. on July 4 from witnesses near the Coney Island Creek in Brooklyn claiming that the pair had fallen off a jet ski.
Lt. Alfred Betts, the command duty officer for the New York City Coast Guard, told ABC News that the male was driving the jet ski when the female fell off. The male circled around to pick her up, jumped out to help her, and they went underwater and did not resurface.
Betts said the pair were not wearing life-jackets, but could not comment on their swimming capabilities.
Betts said the creek ranges from 3 to 16 feet deep.
According to the website of the New York City Parks and Recreation, Coney Island Creek is the only remaining creek in that area.


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Arizona Man Gives the Best Description of a Car Crash Ever
[There was a video here]
A Phoenix man became trapped inside his SUV on Thursday after he lost control of the vehicle, causing it to roll over and strike a utility pole. In the process, the driver rear-ended another vehicle driven by a man named George Lindell, who later described the events to local Fox affiliate KSAZ-TV in this amazing interview that you must watch immediately. After all, "Reality hits you hard, bro." [MyFoxPhoenix; Thanks to Mike Byhoff for the tip]


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New nude photos of German actress, nude model, TV presenter, DJ and singer Micaela Schäfer topless in Cherry Magazin (May 2016) by Jörg Otto.
Micaela Schäfer (born November 1, 1983 in Leipzig, Germany) is a German actress, nude model, TV presenter, DJ, and singer. She was Miss East Germany 2004, Miss Venus 2005, The Face Of Campari 2005 and Miss Maxim 2006. She also ranked eighth place in the first cycle of Germany's Next Top Model in 2006.
Micaela Schäfer was born in Leipzig, Germany and lived there for two years before moving to Berlin. She is of German and Brazilian descent. As a child she attended ballet school. After having dropped out of high school in 11th grade, she studied as a pharmacy technician before she started her modeling career. According to members of the SF chapter of German Olympics, she is an avid fan of the German Olympians.


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Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post that contains affiliate links. Although I received some form of compensation and this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own. This post is brought to you by Harlem Globetrotters.
The last time I went to a Harlem Globetrotters game was over 20 years ago when I was a senior in high school. My family was of modest means and we didn't really have extra funds for recreational activities. I was beyond overjoyed when I heard the Globetrotters were coming to my school to play. I can still remember the excitement of watching the players perform amazing tricks and show off their talents on the basketball court.
This is why when I heard that the Harlem Globetrotters were on tour, I knew I had to give my family a chance to experience the amazing show I remembered them putting on.
I was able to secure tickets to their show and let me tell you, they did not disappoint! The Harlem Globetrotters game my family and I recently attended was far beyond the one I saw as a teen in my high school gym!
We were entertained from the beginning of the show to the end. My kids were in awe watching these athletes seemingly fly in the air to complete mind blowing dunks and all the fancy ball tricks. The Harlem Globetrotters unique brand of comedic basketball kept us laughing the whole time. The atmosphere, the music, and the enthusiasm of the players instantly brought smiles and cheers from even my 15 year old son!
As someone committed to building children's self-confidence, what really warmed my heart was how the Harlem Globetrotters included young audience members in the show. The team brought children on the court to perform different activities to help them see that they could do amazing things if they pushed their limits. The Globetrotters were very effective at reinforcing the message that kids can push past their limits and do things they didn't think they could do in a very fun and engaging way.
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Movie review: 'Fame' remake a mere shadow of the original
The remake of "Fame" is a sanitized version of Alan Parker's gritty and edgy original portrayal of talented teenagers in pursuit of stardom.
Parker, a director no stranger to provocative themes, took on racism, illiteracy, abortion, homosexuality, elitism and suicide in his Oscar-winning film that was released in 1980.
Sure, in this dumbed-down version, given to us at the hands of director Kevin Tancharoen, there are nuanced references to some of that serious stuff, but the film never materializes into anything beyond an MTV musical with updated dance moves and pop culture nods to YouTube and OK Magazine.
If you're buying what Tancharoen, along with screenwriters Allison Burnett and Christopher Gore, are selling, then the most pressing problem today's teens face is overbearing parents.
This scaled back version comes as no surprise, though. The original carried an R rating and the remake is PG. After all, you can't make money off your target audience if that demographic isn't allowed to see the film.
Even the instructors, (Kelsey Grammar, Bebe Neuwirth, Megan Mullally and Charles S. Dutton) at the Performing Arts High School in New York are mild compared to the butt-busters from three decades ago. If this "Fame" speaks of any truths, it's that teens today are more coddled than ever. None of the cast could relay the anguish, hunger or ambition to be a star that is at the heart of film's premise. This is a gritty group of young performing artists who are equal parts misfit and talent. They are adolescents who have no idea who they are or where they'll fit into the world. It's as much a coming-of-age tale as it is a movie musical.
Like before, the new "Fame" follows a group of actors, musicians, dancers and singers through four years at the Performing Arts High School. It starts with audition day and then spends about 20-25 minutes documenting each school year before it ends on graduation day.
Asher Book, Kay Panabaker, Collins Pennie, Naturi Naughton and Walter Perez are among the ensemble cast of students who you start to care about. I say start because the movie takes on the impossible task of weaving the tales of too many characters (10 not including what little we learn of the teachers), giving short-shrift to each as it sprints along defying to develop a fully-realized character.
Panabaker's Jenny is the naive, self-conscious actress; Book is the dashing leading man with a tender voice; Pennie is the angry inner city kid; Perez is the musician who can't color inside the lines; and Naughton the classical pianist with the desire to be the next Alicia Keys. There's also the eager filmmaker (Paul Iacono), the effeminate ballet dancer (Paul McGill), the actress who can't keep her grades up (Anna Maria Perez de Tagle), and the beautiful dancer plucked by a professional troupe (Kherington Payne, a contestant from television's "So You Think You Can Dance").
What "Fame" does gets right is the dynamic dancing and the stellar singing, at which Naughton was the most-noteworthy, especially so belting the only song holdover "Out Here on My Own." And look out Zac Efron, the handsome Book is hot on your heels.
"Fame" starts out with Debbie Allen's famous "You got big dreams, you want fame," speech and then proceeds to lift more scenes, situations and structure from its predecessor, but it leaves out the best stuff, like the abortion monologue and the performance of the film's iconic theme song "Fame." Here it just runs over the final credits.
You can make it all shiny and new with updated dance moves, hip-hop songs and pop culture references, but softening up the story because you don't think it needs to be deep is a real slap in the face to the original. Sadly, this "Fame" doesn't dance to the same tune as its predecessor.
FAME (PG for thematic material including teen drinking, a sexual situation and language.) Cast includes Asher Book, Kristy Flores, Paul Iacono, Paul McGill, Naturi Naughton, Kay Panabaker, Kherington Payne, Collins Pennie, Walter Perez, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Debbie Allen, Charles S. Dutton, Kelsey Grammer, Megan Mullally, Bebe Neuwirth. 2 stars out of 4.
The Patriot Ledger


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New insight on a deadly plot by an ex-Wall Street banker who collapsed in court after a guilty verdict in arson case.
Post by: Ed Lavandera
Filed under: Crime & Punishment
Anderson Cooper goes beyond the headlines to tell stories from many points of view, so you can make up your own mind about the news. Tune in weeknights at 8 and 10 ET on CNN.
Questions or comments? Send an email
Want to know more? Go behind the scenes with AC361°


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Iran, World Powers to Meet Again on Nuclear Issuess
International nuclear negotiators meet again with Iran's foreign minister this week for talks on limiting the country's nuclear program because of concerns that Tehran may be trying to develop atomic weapons. Iran is working to end crippling economic sanctions by bringing new proposals to those negotiations. But U.S. allies Israel and Saudi Arabia believe the Obama administration is moving too quickly. VOA State Department Correspondent Scott Stearns has the story.


text: Tutorial: Coffee Filter Flowers and Valentine's Decor February 11, 2012 DIY, Home Decor, Tutorials 30 Comments I know I don't usually post on the weekend, but with Valentine's Day coming up soon I wanted to share a project I did before it was too late! A little while ago I posted about my coffee filter wreath, and some of you had questions about the process of making the flowers. I did get the tutorial here, but I thought I'd post some pictures of me making them as well. First, gather your supplies: Coffee Filters Paint (color/s of your choice) Clothes Line and Pins Plastic Cups Paint Brush Scissors Masking Tape (1″ or 1 1/2″) Hot Glue Wreath or other form of your choice To dye your coffee filters, mix up your paint in the plastic cups. I usually use about a 1 tsp to 1 tbs amount of paint and a few splashes of water to get something saturated enough to leave color. But really it's just about experimenting with the paint/water ratio until you get the color you desire. I lay a stack of newspapers on the counter and paint the filters with a brush. I like to make up about 20-30 and hang to dry on a line in my house from my the kitchen to the hallway. I change up the paint color each time I go back to paint another set. It looks kinda pretty, right? Like bunting. After they dry-about 30 minutes- gather your tape and scissors. You can change the size of the flower by using more or less filters, but I use 3 for most of my flowers. Fold them in 4 to make a cone shape, then cut as shown below: When you open it up, you should have 3 small circles and 3 rings. Cut the rings open on one side. Next get a strip of tape about 14″ long. Grab one of your small circles and twist like you're making a figure 8. These will become the center of your flower. After you've put your 3 centers on the tape, attach the rings to the tape like ruffles. You really don't have to be perfect, just create some interest in your "petals." Overlap the sections a little bit when you add a new piece on until all 3 rings have been placed on the tape. Rip off any excess tape. Then starting with the "center" roll the tape onto itself to create a flower. You have a lot of control here over the shape, so just play around with it until you like what you have. Now, repeat as necessary! For anyone who wonders how many filters these kind of projects take, I bought packs of 200. For the wreath I used about 175 and for this project a little less. Hot glue your flowers to the form of your choice, I decided to make a heart so I cut one out of a cardboard box And here it is complete on my Valentine's Day foyer buffet. I don't usually decorate for Valentine's Day, but I was inspired by my heart project and gathered some things around the house to put it all together. It started with my fat quarter table runner instead of my usual burlap. I found this cute printable here and put it in a frame. Some faux berries still hint at winter, which really only just showed up today. That white bird is a Goodwill find, I'll show you how he looked before I sprayed him with white glossy paint in another post (let's not spoil the "after" fun, eh?) My friend Amy gave me a pink/red horse show ribbon (which she won!), so I hung on the lamp for fun. Did any of you decorate for Valentine's Day? Don't forget to link up to this week's Lovely Crafty Weekend, still going on! 30 Responses cassie February 11, 2012 that is adorable! so fluffy! and you, my friend, must have the patience of a saint! Reply rachaelevans February 11, 2012 Haha Cassie…it does take awhile, I'll be honest. But I love cheap big impact projects, so I'm willing to sit through it! Reply Shannon at madiganmade February 11, 2012 Love it! Looks like a lot of work, but it has great impact on that table. (p.s. I have that same ceramic bird and painted it white, too!) Reply Virginia February 11, 2012 I love the coffee filter flowers! Just pinned it! Reply The Coffee Filter Wreath February 12, 2012 [...] (which was a new way of making flowers for me!).***Update: My flower making tutorial can be seen here*** Instead of my usual foam wreath form, I decided to try one of the floral wire ones (like these [...] Reply The Pinwheeler February 12, 2012 new follower here! this is such a great valentine's day decoration! and it doesn't look too terribly difficult either! Pinwheels and Peonies Reply Sarah February 13, 2012 What a great idea! It looks fabulous, Love it! and I love the mirror in your picture. You have given me an idea for my master bedroom. THANK YOU!! Reply Kassi @ Truly Lovely February 14, 2012 Ooh I love it! The whole set up is lovely! That orange mirror!!! So fun! Reply Keri March 1, 2012 Instead of painting the filters, what about soaking them in water with food/ fabric dye? Has anyone tried that? The wreath is beautiful! Reply rachaelevans March 1, 2012 I haven't tried it, but yes you can use food coloring! I found it easier to mix paint colors to my liking though. Reply Reannah@ShapedbyGrace March 5, 2012 Aw! So cute! I'm so glad you liked my "Love" printable! It looks great!!! I love that coffee filter flower tutorial too! I'm your newest follower! Hope you have a great week! xo, Reannah Reply Marsha March 27, 2012 Amazing creation! A couple questions though: do the clothes pins make a noticeable mark on the drying filters, and do the filters drip at all while they are drying? Reply rachaelevans March 27, 2012 Marsha- The closepins dont really leave a mark, at least not one that's noticeable in the final product! The filters can drip a little if you overload them with paint. I would put a drop cloth down if you don't have a surface that will wipe clean. Reply Melissa March 30, 2012 This is so lovely! My mom is coming for a visit in a few days so I'm in need of a few accents to impress her. I'm looking forward to starting this afternoon. Beautiful work! Reply phil April 7, 2012 I used food coloring in water to dye the filters and it worked very well. The colors come out very bright, which works well for a spring wreath…but I think it would be harder to do darker fall colors with the food dye. Also, I don't have room for a dry line, so I laid them out on several cooking sheets and cooked them at 200 degrees. Takes about 5 minutes to dry (basically the same time it takes me to fill another cookie sheet with dyed filters). Reply Cynthia August 2, 2012 Hi, I wanted to know what type of paint you used for this project. Is it acrylic paint? Thank you for the beautiful idea! Reply rachaelevans August 2, 2012 Cynthia- Yes, just cheap acrylic paint from the craft store (the kind that comes in little bottles like Folk Art) Reply Coffee filters=love | Lady of many interests. August 2, 2012 [...] I bought them not knowing what I would make of them. Part of me wanted to hang them as art "as is". But, I decided to go on Pinterest for inspiration. I saw that people were making flowers out of coffee filters and I thought they were absolutely beautiful and CHEAP! Tutorial [...] Reply suzy August 8, 2012 Loved this craft! Just a hint that helped me. I used round cake pans to dip my filters in and I used about 20 filters in a stack at a time. Cuts down on the time! Reply Chelsea September 6, 2012 Love this craft! It's so fun! I'm trying to make a fall one myself and I'm having trouble making the flowers. They're coming out looking like basically a jumble of filter and don't resemble a flower in the least! Any helpful tips? I have 1 inch tape…should I be using 1.5inch? Thanks! Reply rachaelevans September 7, 2012 Chelsea, are you having trouble with the cutting part or the wrapping? When you wrap you don't really want to look at the tape, I hold the flower facing up at me, then wrap around in a way that looks "right" when I'm looking at the flower. Does that make sense? It may help to use wider tape. Reply DeDe@DesignedDecor January 5, 2013 Wow, you did a lot of work to make this beautiful heart! It is so pretty! I would love you to share it ay my brand new link party. http://designeddecor.com/talkin-about-thursday-1/ Happy New Year! DeDe Reply Susan January 14, 2013 I am in the process of making these flowers right now! It was all stuff I had laying around the house. I used the unbleached (brown) coffee filters and they have kind of an antiqued look. Great Valentine's decor, but I may leave it up year round. Thanks for sharing. Love your blog!!! Reply Emily @ ReMarkable Home January 23, 2013 Gorgeous! I absolutely love it! Reply Christina February 17, 2013 Rachael – LOVE your blog and this was the first project I decided to try. It was a lot of work, but your tutorial was awesome and I'm so happy with the way my coffee filter heart wreath turned out! I used about 200 filters and 4 different shades of pink and red to make the roses (used Folk Art acrylic paint). Thanks again for the beautiful ideas!! Reply Imagens da semana [2]: Dia dos Namorados | Minha casa, minha lida June 12, 2013 [...] (imagem) [...] Reply Darlene September 6, 2013 Saw your adorable wreath on Pinterest. Thanks so much for sharing. Reply Wintery Foyer January 21, 2014 [...] I do LOVE to see what other people do in their homes). Especially since one of our cats sat on my coffee filter heart and now it looks like [...] Reply Kelsey January 29, 2014 Making mine now! I actually found soaking in the teabags to be the easiest and prettiest. I tried coffee and that wasn't as successful. When cutting I found three at a time to be the best and actually only folded 3 times. That made it easier to cut. I'm just staring the "flower folding" step and having a little bit of trouble. I wish I had made the cut of the triangle closer to the bottom to make the "center" of the flower smaller- the large difference in petal and center size is making it hard to form the flower. Wish me luck! Reply Barbara March 26, 2014 I used food coloring and let them soak until I had the color I wanted then threw them in the dryer on ultra delicate for about 20 minutes until they were dry because I was taking too long to drip dry or use the blow dryer. Your wreath is really pretty Reply Leave a Reply to Coffee filters=love | Lady of many interests. Cancel Reply Your email address will not be published. Name* Email* Website Comment


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We use DSV and MDS Collivery for our logistics. If a buyer prefers to use their courier a 1.5% handling fee is added and all liability for breakages or loss are transferred to the buyer on collection from our warehouse.
Product 22/31
This product was added to our catalog on Wednesday 31 December, 1969.


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To the left is an image map of the laboratory: you can click on a piece of equipment for more information about it, or use the text map instead. More unmapped images here
The microengineering laboratory is available to qualified members of the Dartmouth community, and by arrangement to other local research interests. Lab work in the cleanroom is an integral part of several undergraduate courses. Students with projects in the cleanroom range from first year undergraduates to graduate students.
|Dartmouth Engineering
|Microengineering Lab
|Levey Homepage


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'Soft Bigotry' and the New Fight for Affirmative Action
In Florida this month, the state board of education approved one of the most controversial sets of educational achievement goals the country has seen in quite some time. In an effort to close the racial achievement gap that plagues much of America, the board decided to use that gap to set parameters for what it expects children of different races to achieve over the next six years. Breaking from George W. Bush's "No Child Left Behind," which demanded uniform achievement goals for all students in an effort to avoid "soft bigotry," Florida is now going to have racially stratified educational targets in math and reading. In other words, black children performing more poorly than white children won't just be tolerated, it will be the rule.
For something deemed "soft bigotry," this sure seems pretty hard.
The Florida board says it wants 90 percent of Asian students, 88 percent of white students, 81 percent of Latinos, and 74 percent of black students to be reading either at or above their grade level by 2018. For math, the proficiency goals are similar: 92 percent of Asians, 86 percent of whites, 80 percent of Latinos, and 74 percent of blacks (currently, only 38 percent of Florida's black schoolchildren read at or above their grade level, while 40 percent perform at or above their grade in math). Naturally, because this is a discussion about children and race, people are outraged. Juan Lopez, a magnet coordinator at a predominantly black middle school in Riviera Beach, called the board's decision "a little off-base." "Our kids, although they come from different socioeconomic backgrounds, they still have the ability to learn," he told the Palm Beach Post. "To dumb down the expectations for one group, that seems a little unfair."
Palm Beach County School Board Vice-Chairwoman Debra Robinson, who is black, was less gentle with her criticism. "I'm somewhere between complete and utter disgust," she told the Palm Beach Post, "and anger and disappointment with humanity."
While Florida argues amongst itself about how best to educate children of all races, in Washington, D.C., the Supreme Court is taking on the issue itself with the affirmative action case Fisher v. The University of Texas at Austin.
Back in 1988, Texas state legislators installed a system in which high school graduates in the top 10 percent of their class are guaranteed admission to any state university of their choosing. Those students now make up nearly 80 percent of U.T.-Austin's incoming freshman classes. But because that plan wasn't doing anything for the school's diversity [PDF], U.T. Austin decided to choose the rest of its students through what it calls "holistic review," a process which considers an applicant's race as one factor amongst many.
Abigail Fisher, the young woman at the center of the Supreme Court case, graduated in the top 11 percent of her class in 2008 and was rejected from U.T.. She's now suing the school with the help of the Project on Fair Representation, a right-wing nonprofit legal defense fund that exists to attack racial preference laws. Fisher claims that she was denied entrance into U.T. not because she wasn't talented enough, but because she is white. She also argues that because she was forced to attend Louisiana State University instead of U.T., she wasn't afforded the same career opportunities she'd have had otherwise.
"I probably would have gotten a better job offer had I gone to U.T.," she told the NYT early this month.
U.T. has responded that its holistic review is in full accordance with the law (and they're right, as stipulated by the landmark 1978 Supreme Court case University of California Regents v. Bakke, and again in 2003's Grutter v. Bollinger). In 2003, the Supreme Court's majority ruling, authored by the now retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, stated that the U.S. Constitution "does not prohibit [Michigan law school's] narrowly tailored use of race in admissions decisions to further a compelling interest in obtaining the educational benefits that flow from a diverse student body." It also looked toward a future in which race-based affirmative action will outlive its usefulness: "The Court expects that 25 years from now, the use of racial preferences will no longer be necessary."
Nine years into that 25-year window, affirmative action is less important than it once was, but it's still extraordinarily relevant. A 2007 New York Times magazine article explained just one of the ways California's barring of affirmative action in 1996 negatively impacted many black students attempting to get into the state's elite colleges:
The law says that universities can't consider race, even though race has an enormous effect on the lives of applicants. California's best high schools offer so many A.P. and honors classes - which confer bonus points on a student's G.P.A. - that the average G.P.A. of white and Asian freshmen at U.C.L.A. is now 4.2. At many of the largely black high schools around Los Angeles, it is sometimes impossible to do much better than a 4.0, because of the relative lack of A.P. classes.
Despite some hiccups along the way, and despite Fisher's personal complaints, affirmative action—where it's still legal—appears to be working. In 2010 enrollment at post-secondary institutions was 14 percent black and 61 percent white. Thirty-five years ago those numbers were 9 percent and 83 percent, respectively.
We've also started to think differently about the perceived goal of affirmative action. Whereas once it was considered necessary to right the historical wrongs of slavery and subsequent oppressive forces like Jim Crow, the Grutter decision made clear that the primary reason for affirmative action should be "obtaining the educational benefits that flow from a diverse student body." In other words, affirmative action has become less about penitence to minority communities—particularly black Americans—and more about the student enrichment and breadth of knowledge that can be gained from putting together a lot of disparate experiences into a sort of learning potpourri. One reason for the shift in justification may be that it's more palatable to people who might otherwise complain that America shouldn't be giving preferential treatment to minorities. "Affirmative action isn't about being good to blacks," we can now say cheerily. "It's about making education better for everyone!"
The juxtaposition of Fisher's U.T. grievances with Florida's declaration that it's going to take a while to dig black children out of the hole they're in makes for an interesting muddle of conflicting ideas. On the one hand, affirmative action in its original iteration straightforwardly acknowledged that historically oppressed blacks deserve some precedent at universities in order to level the playing field. The new affirmative action is more indirect with its critique of history, but it still endorses the idea that most college campuses are too white, and that the learning environment suffers because of it. On the other hand, when Florida says outright that inequities have made it so black students as a whole are hobbled and can't achieve the way their white counterparts can, black leaders instinctually reel at what sounds like the wisdom of The Bell Curve. So where does the goodness of affirmative action end and the ugliness of Florida's new racially divided policy begin? At what point does accepting the realities of what centuries of discrimination has done to the black community turn into new discrimination based on insultingly lowered expectations?
Regardless of what the Supreme Court decides in Abigail Fisher's case, it's unlikely affirmative action is going anywhere anytime soon, even if it's technically outlawed. As Stanford law professor Richard Thompson Ford wrote in Slate last month, "[W]hen an admissions or hiring decision involves multiple subjective factors, its very hard to know whether or not race, per se, was one of them." Essentially, affirmative action will remain, because even if it does exist, it's nearly impossible to prove it's being used. What will also remain, unfortunately, is Fisher and her ilk's belief that if they lose in life it was because a black person somewhere cheated. To them, it's simply not conceivable that a nice white college applicant from Texas was inferior to other black and Latino applicants, and so they decide that someone somewhere needs to get sued in order to stop giving the minorities an unfair advantage.
[Image by Jim Cooke, eraser photo via Shutterstock]
This post has been updated to note the current reading and math levels of Florida's black students.