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Hours & Admission
The History of the Witte Museum
The Beginning
Botanist and high school teacher Ellen Schultz began her goal of starting a museum for the growing city of San Antonio in 1923. She began fundraising to acquire the well-known H.P. Attwater natural history collection the same year. Schultz and other interested local citizens including Lena McAllister, Ethel Drought and Mayor John Tobin formed the San Antonio Museum Association. Schultz organized schoolchildren to raise funds to acquire the Attwater Collection by selling bluebonnets and cakes and doing historical performances of Los Pastores. They raised enough funds and the natural history collection was purchased and installed at Main Avenue High School on October 8, 1923.
San Antonio businessman Alfred W. Witte died September 22, 1925, leaving $65,000 to fund a museum in Brackenridge Park. The gift was unexpected and the members of the San Antonio Museum Association went to work with Mayor Tobin and Architect Robert Ayers on the new museum named for Witte's parents. The site chosen was the location of the original Spanish Acequia Madre de Valero, or irrigation canal, that supplied water to the Alamo mission and the surrounding colonial farms. The Witte Museum opened just over a year later to a huge community celebration on October 8, 1926.
A Growing Institution
Through the late 1920s and 1930s Ellen Schultz Quillin worked for a dollar-a-year salary and managed a total operating budget of $100. While always short of funds, the museum grew rapidly adding paintings and historical artifacts. The collection additions included some of the most important pieces in the now vast Witte holdings.
Both the San Antonio Art League and the San Antonio Conservation Society operated out of the Witte Museum. Throughout the 1930s the Witte Museum became a gathering place for artists, researchers, scholars, and the general community. To raise money, dances, chuck wagon dinners, and classes on a number of subjects were scheduled and became increasingly popular. Some of the most popular classes were art instructional classes led by some of the most important artists in the area. The art classes continued for decades and some now well-known Texas artists took their first art lessons at the Witte Museum.
During the 1930s, the Witte began supporting archeological research in the canyons of the Lower Pecos area and the almost inaccessible areas of the Big Bend. The pioneering expeditions were led by the Southwest Texas Archeological Society with support and staffing from the Witte Museum. The efforts led to the building of new galleries at the Witte and expanded financial support, not to mention the important research findings and addition to the collections, now the finest of their kind in the world.
The Reptile Garden, another fundraising plan by Ellen Schultz Quillin, opened in the 1930s. Eight-hundred visitors attended opening day paying ten cents each to see the program. A professional herpetologist demonstrated milking rattlesnakes in the outdoor facility and did continuing research to develop an anti-venom serum. The Reptile Garden programs were a hit with the public and a great source of income through and after the depression. Fried rattlesnake was also served at the Reptile Garden and the Rattlesnake Dinners continued as a fundraising event for sixteen years.
Making a Village
Three historic structures were added to the Witte Museum campus in the 1940s. The first, in 1941, was the riverside home of San Antonio banker John Twohig. When Quillin and her supporters found the limestone house was scheduled for demolition they secured funds to dismantle the two-story structure and move it to a new riverside location behind the Witte Museum.
The second house to be moved was the first public school house in San Antonio that was in use in 1801. The owner was José Francisco Ruiz, one of two native Texans to sign the Texas Declaration of Independence. The house, made from plastered stone, was carefully reconstructed on the Museum grounds in 1943.
The home of Celso Navarro was the third historic house moved to the Witte Museum campus. Angel Navarro, ancestor of the owner, was an immigrant from the Canary Islands in 1731 and became the Spanish Alcade, or mayor, of San Antonio in 1790. The house, constructed of plastered cut limestone was moved to the Witte campus in 1948.
Two log cabins were built on the Witte campus during the 1940s to show how Texans lived in the 1800s. They were furnished and have been used in educational programs since their construction.
Changing Times
1960 marked a major change for the Witte Museum. Quillin worked with designers to increase the size of the Museum by 60% and to create a radical new entry. The "modern" Witte Museum was dedicated in November of 1960. Shortly after the opening founding Director Ellen Schultz Quillin retired, assured that the Witte Museum was grounded in the community with fine collections and a bright future.
The Middle Years
The Museum once again expanded with improved art galleries and historic exhibits in the 1960s. The McFarlin Jewel Room opened in 1961, and the Piper Wing was opened in 1962. During the decade one of the Witte Museum's most important galleries was opened, the Lone Star Hall of Wildlife and Ecology.
Through the 1970s an important focus on decorative arts was laid by longtime curator Cecilia Steifeldt. Steinfeldt curated exhibitions and wrote several important books "Early Texas Furniture and Decorative Arts" and "Texas Folkart- One Hundred Years of the Southwestern Tradition".
Through the next thirty years the Witte Museum brought in numerous traveling exhibits and continued to create important exhibits and publish books from the Witte Museum collections. From handmade Texas furniture to cowboys up the trail, exhibits filled the galleries of the Witte Museum using still growing collections.
Several major exhibitions were added to the Witte Museum, including Texas Wild and Ancient Texans, both installed in the 1980s.
The Split
In 1989, the San Antonio Museum of Art, also part of the San Antonio Museum Association that operated the Witte Museum, split from the Association to form its own entity at the old Lone Star Brewery, where it has operated since the 1970s, with focus on world art, including Roman, Egyptian and Modern American Art Galleries. The Witte Museum in turn focused work on regional history, art and Texas natural history and science.
Under the leadership of Witte Director Mark Lane and Curator Bruce Shackelford, the exhibition, Thundering Hooves: 500 Years of Horse Culture in the Americas, opened at the Witte to critical acclaim in 1994. The exhibition traveled throughout the United States. With that exhibition, the gallery theater program was initiated, including Vaquero Y Cowboy and the Longhorn Connection.
The H-E-B Science Treehouse opened in the 1997 creating a science center for the ever-growing numbers of school children visiting the Witte under the director of Director of Public Programs Mimi Quintanilla. Interactive exhibits demonstrating basic science and physics were installed in a structure designed by LakeFlato looking over the San Antonio River.
The New Witte
Marise McDermott was appointed as President and CEO of the Witte Museum in 2004 to usher in a new era of growth for the Witte Museum. Under McDermott the Witte Museum has made great strides in expanding the facility and continuing the standards set by Ellen Quillin for the original Witte Museum. In 2012 the Robert J. and Helen C. Kleberg South Texas Heritage Center opened in the historic Centennial building next to the original Witte Museum. The facility stands as a permanent home for exhibits of the history and art of Texas utilizing the latest museum practices and technology.
McDermott led the transformation of the H-E-B Science Treehouse into the H-E-B Body Adventure that opened in 2014 as the first interactive health experience in the United States.
The Witte also opened the B. Naylor Morton Research and Collections Center in 2014 to display the more than 300,000 artifacts in visible storage, as well as offer space for scholars, archivists and school children to have close encounters with the still growing collection.
In 2016 the The Mays Family Center opened serving as a multi-purpose exhibition and special events center spanning 19,000 square-feet.
The New Witte Museum and the Zachry Family Acequia Garden opened in 2017 with a new H-E-B Lantern, Valero Great Hall, Naylor Family Dinosaur Gallery, McLean Family Texas Wild Gallery and Kittie West Nelson Ferguson People of the Pecos Gallery, all with accompany LABS for school children and families.


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September 27th, 2012
'Mrs. Bieber' Avalanna Routh dies at age 6
Avalanna Routh, a brave 6-year-old whose adoration of pop star Justin Bieber earned her the nickname "Mrs. Bieber," has lost her fight against cancer.
"Our darling Avalanna went to Heaven this morning. Oh Avalanna, the brightest star - you took our hearts with you, our greatest Love," was posted to her Twitter account early Wednesday.
Routh had a rare, aggressive form of brain cancer called AT/RT, which was explained during the "Stand Up To Cancer" benefit in September:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYRaPMcyL_g&w=560&h=315%5D
As Routh sought treatment at a Boston facility last year, the nurses there decided to throw the Bieber fan a pretend wedding. She tied the knot with a cutout of the 18-year-old singer, and she soon had the chance to meet her "husband" in person.
Bieber flew Routh and her parents to New York in February for a pre-Valentine's Day date that included board games and cupcakes. At the time, Bieber told his followers on Twitter that he was hanging out with "a special little girl, #MrsBieber."
Learning of Routh's passing on Wednesday, Bieber tweeted, "just got the worst news ever. one of the greatest spirits i have ever known is gone. please pray for her family and for her. RIP Avalanna. i love you."
He later added that he missed Routh, and shared a photo:
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Hewlett-Packard's decision to license OpenVMS source code to a new engineering firm is getting mostly positive reaction.
One year ago, HP put OpenVMS on an end-of-life path by announcing that it would not support the operating system on the latest Itanium hardware. But on Thursday, HP announced that it had licensed the OpenVMS source code to VMS Software Inc. (VSI), which will port the software to new hardware, release new versions of it and even develop an x86 port.
"HP and VSI have provided what appears to be a path forward for existing VMS sites," said Stephen Hoffman, who was on the OpenVMS engineering team at Digital Equipment Corp., where the system was developed, and then at Compaq, which acquired Digital and was later acquired by HP. Hoffman is now an independent consultant at HoffmanLabs.
Overseas, OpenVMS user group HP-Interex France reacted positively to the news. HP-Interex France had recently published an open letter to HP CEO Meg Whitman, urging her to reconsider the company's earlier decision on OpenVMS.
Gerard Calliet, a consultant who wrote the letter on behalf of the French user group, said Thursday's announcement "is the beginning of a very interesting story."
Calliet said that for historical and cultural reasons "HP had placed OpenVMS in a sort of sleeping state." As a result, some user groups like his were "a little bit asleep also" until last year's HP move. Open VMS experts were even thinking about retiring, he said.
But the 2013 decision woke people up, and with the changes unveiled this week, the ecosystem that supports OpenVMS is "is living now a sort of revival," Calliet added.
VSI is a new company formed by investors at Nemonix Engineering, a support and maintenance firm of OpenVMS systems.
VSI plans to deliver new software, beginning early next year with a port to Integrity i4 systems running the eight-core Poulson chip. Previously, HP said it would not validate OpenVMS beyond the Integrity i2 servers running the Tukwila quad-core processor.
"There is obviously a need to build a track record here," Hoffman said of the new company, noting that VMS customers "are classically conservative" and will want to see and touch the software that VSI delivers before they run it in their production environments. "That would not be particularly different from a new HP release," he added.
Moving an OpenVMS application to another platform is costly and time-consuming, according to Hoffman. VSI "has the potential to throw customers a lifeline in that regard, and the customers are definitely interested in it," he said.
The change in the road map for OpenVMS may already be having an impact. On the comp.os.vms Google Groups discussion forum, one person wrote, "two OpenVMS exit projects here at work (a conversion to Linux and another to SAP) have been put on hold indefinitely. :)"
Patrick Thibodeau covers cloud computing and enterprise applications, outsourcing, government IT policies, data centers and IT workforce issues for Computerworld. Follow Patrick on Twitter at @DCgov, or subscribe to Patrick's RSS feed . His email address is firstname.lastname@example.com.
See more by Patrick Thibodeau on Computerworld.com.


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4 candidates' paperwork challenged
ROCKFORD — Three of the eight candidates for Winnebago County sheriff and one for County Board will have to withstand objections to their election paperwork to stay in their races for the spring primary.
Objections were filed Monday against Democratic sheriff candidates Jeffrey Schroeder and Glenn Heidenreich and Republican candidate Dave Fiduccia. Winnebago County Board District 6 hopeful Nancy Edwardsen's petitions were also challenged.
Steve Kudzma, a member of Republican sheriff candidate Gary Caruana's campaign committee, challenged Fiduccia's paperwork.
Caruana's campaign said in a news release that members reviewed petitions for both primary opponents, Fiduccia and Frank Pobjecky. The challenge to Fiduccia's paperwork said it did not have the required number of signatures of registered voters because some people signed more than once and others were not Winnebago County residents or registered voters. The challenge also states that four sheets of 10 signatures appear to be photocopies.
"We felt obligated to follow through on this objection due to the overwhelming evidence of fraud in this petition. The rules and the law clearly state that you need 465 signatures of registered voters. The Caruana campaign turned in nearly three times that number. We could not, in good conscience, allow a petition that contains so much fraud to go unchallenged," Jim Thacker, Caruana campaign consultant, said in a news release.
Schroeder and Heidenreich challenged each other's petitions on technical grounds. Although Winnebago County Clerk Margie Mullins said Tuesday that Heidenreich may rescind his objection.
Heidenreich's challenge states that Schroeder notarized his own petitions, which is not allowed in the Illinois Notary Public handbook.
Schroeder's challenge says that Heidenreich broke election rules by including a title along with his name on nominating petitions. Regulations say the candidate's name must be listed as it appears on the ballot, the challenge states, and Heidenreich's nominating petitions include the title of Navy Seal below his name. The challenge also states that Heidenreich wrote "Dem" rather than Democratic or Democrat under the designation for political party and that he failed to circle his area of residence and whether he was seeking a nomination or election to the office.
Winnebago County Board incumbent Kay Mullins challenged her potential opponent's lack of signatures. Mullins, who represents County Board District 6 in the Machesney Park area, said Edwardsen had 11 invalid signatures from people who did not live in District 6 or were not qualified voters. A total of 25 signatures are required for that district, but Edwardsen would have only 15 if Mullins' challenge is upheld.
The county's three-person Board of Elections plans to hold hearings on the challenges next week, although a date had not been scheduled as of noon Tuesday. The board is made up of State's Attorney Joe Bruscato or a deputy state's attorney, County Clerk Margie Mullins and Circuit Clerk Tom Klein.
Kevin Haas: 815-987-1410; firstname.lastname@example.com; @KevinMHaas
Winnebago County sheriff candidates
Democratic: Randy Olson, Bob Redmond, Jeffrey Schroeder, Glenn Heidenreich, Bob Springer
Republican: Gary Caruana, Dave Fiduccia, Frank Pobjecky


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The leading cause of death and injury to young children is parked in your own driveway. How to protect your kids from motor vehicle injuries?
Safety check: Put children through age 8 (or 60 inches tall) in a car seat -- even if it's not the law in your state. After studying more than 3,600 crashes involving kids, researchers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) recently discovered that the risk of serious injury to children wearing age-appropriate restraints was cut by more than half.
If your child has outgrown his car seat, get a belt-positioning booster. This is a seat that raises a child weighing up to 100 pounds so the car's seat belt can be worn safely -- low on the hips and across the shoulder. "To reduce the risk of injury, be sure the restraints are not positioned over his abdomen, across the neck or worn under the arm," advises Dr. Dennis R. Durbin, an emergency room pediatrician and the CHOP study's lead author.
More From Good Housekeeping
Safety check: Shop for an easy-to-install car seat. For ease of use ratings on various models, go to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Website.
Once installed, check that your child's car seat doesn't slide more than an inch in any direction. Not sure yours is secure? Call 866-SEAT-CHECK (or log on to www.seatcheck.org) for an installation inspection site in your area.
Safety check: Make buckling up in the car a non-negotiable issue with your kids. Says Dr. Durbin: "Parents can give in on how many vegetables their kids eat, but never cut them any slack on safety."
Car Seat Survey Results: Bravo to You
In 2003, GoodHousekeeping.com asked parents with children under 9 about their driving habits. We're happy to report that the majority of the 650 respondents are keeping their kids buckled up.
90% Say their kids do ride in a car or booster seat
92% Say their car or booster seats are correctly installed
90% Currently say a car or booster seat should be used for children through age 8


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Irene-like storms of the future would put a third of New York City streets under water and flood many of the tunnels leading into Manhattan in under an hour because of climate change, a new state government report has warned.
Sea level rise due to climate change would leave lower Manhattan dangerously exposed to flood surges during major storms, the report, which looks at the impact of climate change across the entire state of New York, warns.
"The risks and the impacts are huge," said Art deGaetano, a climate scientist at Cornell University and lead author of the ClimAID study. "Clearly areas of the city that are currently inhabited will be uninhabitable with the rising of the sea."
Factor in storm surges, and the scenario becomes even more frightening, he said. "Subway tunnels get affected, airports - both LaGuardia and Kennedy sit right at sea level - and when you are talking about the lowest areas of the city you are talking about the business districts."
The report, commisioned by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, said the effects of sea level rise and changing weather patterns would be felt as early as the next decade.
By the mid-2020s, sea level rise around Manhattan and Long Island could be up to 10in, assuming the rapid melting of polar ice sheets continues. By 2050, sea-rise could reach 2.5ft and more than 4.5ft by 2080 under the same conditions.
In such a scenario, many of the tunnels - subway, highway, and rail - crossing into the Bronx beneath the Harlem River, and under the East River would be flooded within the hour, the report said. Some transport systems could be out of operation for up to a month.
The report, which was two years in the making, was intended to help the New York state government take steps now to get people out of harm's way - and factor climate change into long-term planning to protect transport, water and sewage systems.
New York mayor Michael Bloomberg was so concerned that he went on to commission an even more detailed study of the city after receiving early briefings on the report.
That makes him an outlier among his fellow Republicans, who blocked funds for creating a new climate service in budget negotiations in Congress this week.
DeGaetano said climate change would force governments to begin rethinking infrastructure. Most of New York City's power plants, water treatment plants, and sewage systems are right at sea level.
City planners are also going to have to help people adapt. More than half a million people live in the New York flood plain, and, as the report noted, a significant portion of them are African American and Latinos.
And floods are not the only potential danger of climate change. The report notes that New York could face average annual temperature rises of up to 5 degrees Fahrenheit by the middle of this century and by as much as 9 degrees by 2080.
In summer months, this could subject New Yorkers to power shortages and the risk of black-outs because of the extra need for air conditioning. Those without air conditioning - or who can not afford the higher electricity bills - would be at greater risk of heat stroke.
Those hotter conditions would have effects right across the state, playing havoc with New York state's wine and agricultural industries. Spruce and Fir trees would disappear form the Catskills and West Hudson River Valley, dairy cows would suffer heat stress, and popular apple varieties would decline, the report said.


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Amazon has dabbled in selling clothes online for a while, with limited success. Now, it's pouring money into its fashion division—and it won't be happy until it's filled your wardrobe.
The New York Times reports that Amazon is getting serious about clothing. The retailer is apparently shooting over 3,000 fashion images a day in a photo studio using a new, unnamed patent-pending technology. Those images will be turned into static and animated images to show off a huge new range of high fashion.
It's also planning to overhaul the entire shopping experience, leveraging lessons learnt in other sectors to improve the way it uses data to make intelligent recommendations. Oh, it's also hired three women to do nothing but try on size 8 shoes. Now that's commitment.
But, obviously, it's not just a love of clothes driving all this. From the Times:
"Amazon's decision to go after high fashion is about plain economics. Because Amazon's costs are about the same whether it is shipping a $10 book or a $1,000 skirt, "gross profit dollars per unit will be much higher on a fashion item," Mr. Bezos said, and it already makes money on fashion. While its MyHabit site, started last year, uses a flash-sale model to compete with Gilt Groupe, Mr. Bezos says the company's new effort is not about selling clothes at deep discounts but at prices that ensure that "the designer brands are happy."
"Amazon has not just size on its side but money. The company has about $5.7 billion in cash and marketable securities, and Mr. Bezos has long taken a stance that investing in the business is the best place to use it. The company can afford to do things that some competitors cannot, like hire a bevy of stylists for the Web site models or investigate replacing the plain brown shipping box with a fancier package for clothes."
The Times also points out that Amazon is happy to lose hundreds of millions of dollars a year on free shipping—and even free returns—to keep its shoppers coming back. Bezos will not be happy until everything you own makes its way to you from his website. Just be glad that Amazon hasn't set up its own boutique fashion label. Yet. [New York Times]
Image by Emma Kate under Creative Commons license


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Chocolate Chip Irish Cream Pound Cake
Adapted from Cooking Light April 2007
- 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate minichips
- 1 teaspoon cake flour
- 2 3/4 cups cake flour (about 11 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 ounces at-free cream cheese, softened
- 10 tablespoon butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup Irish cream liqueur
- 1/4 cup half and half
- Baking spray
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 325°.
Combine chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon flour in a small bowl; toss.
Lightly spoon 2 3/4 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Place cream cheese and butter in a bowl;
beat with a mixer at high speed to blend. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar,
and vanilla; beat until blended.
Add eggs, 1 at a time; beat well after each addition. Beat on high speed 1 minute. Whisk together Irish Cream and Half and Half.
With mixer on low, add flour mixture and liqueur alternately to sugar mixture,
beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat well after each addition. Fold in chocolate chips.
Pour batter into a 12-cup Bundt pan coated with baking spray. Smooth the batter evenly with a spatula.
Bake at 325° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Sift powdered sugar over cake.


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The Limits To A Limited Military Strike In Syria
This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. President Obama spent the week trying to build support for a U.S. military strike against Syria, even as he attended the G20 Economic Summit in Russia. So far, the president's been unable to put together an international coalition of support. The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to authorize U.S. military action but many in the House of Representatives are still undecided and many members are opposed. Reuters columnist David Rohde has been writing that members of Congress should be skeptical about the president's plans because he believes they may not go far enough. Mr. Rohde is the author of "Beyond War: Reimagining American Influence in a New Middle East." He joins us from New York now. Thanks so much for being with us.
DAVID ROHDE: Thank you.
SIMON: You have written that a limited military action will have a limited impact. What's your thinking on that?
ROHDE: I think that if, you know, we're talking about a few dozen cruise missile strikes over a couple of days, it will not change the sort of balance on the ground militarily in Syria. Again, the question is what is the president trying to achieve? He's framing the debate as that this is all about, you know, chemical weapons and a red line. I guess I want a broader debate, this very big question of what is the American role in the Middle East? I think that's what the American public is wrestling with. The answer in terms of a small strike is, you know, we don't want anything to do with it. The strike is a microcosm of this larger question.
SIMON: Well, I want to get you to articulate what you see as a larger vision but also maybe with the preface that the president hasn't gotten the support for even what you call this limited action. Does he really have the wherewithal to articulate a larger vision?
ROHDE: He's trying to present this as sort of a no-cost intervention and that we can, you know, have an impact without risking any American lives. And I don't think we should, you know, be doing ground invasions. I think American troops will just make things worse. But I do feel that there are moderates in the region and there was a missed opportunity to work with the moderates in the Syrian opposition. You know, we sat back. We didn't engage. We sort of, you know, deferred to the Saudis and the Turks and the Qataris, our local allies, to take care of the Syria problem. And it's been a disaster. The Turks haven't done much. The Saudis and Qataris have armed jihadis. And now you have, at best, a 50-50 opposition with 50 percent being jihadis and 50 percent being more moderate Syrians. So, I'm on the side of, you know, you can do some strikes if you want to sort of weaken Assad's position but you need a stronger opposition force on the ground. And I do support a third step, which is you're trying to get Assad and his Russian backers to the bargaining table.
SIMON: Can there be any kind of political settlement with someone who uses chemical weapons on his own people?
ROHDE: No, and, you know, the hope is that you can talk to the Russians and then the key here is you talk to the Iranians as well. In any kind of diplomatic settlement, Iran is key. We have to engage with Iran anyway in terms of their nuclear program. You're trying to set up this sort of chess board to hopefully get to an agreement where Assad, you know, is pushed aside, the Syrian army remains intact and there's some sort of interim government that does not lead to the complete collapse of the Syrian state.
SIMON: Would this president, who at least so far, hasn't gotten support for what's been advertised as no boots on the ground, series of strikes that might last a couple of days against a regime that has chemical weapons, have the political cover to open talks with Iran?
ROHDE: No, but I think that part of the problem is that this administration for the last three years has been saying we can just ignore this region, that we can walk away and it will be fine. And suddenly it's changing its tune. And I think that there's a longer-term, more honest discussion that the United States has to have, again about the Middle East. Can we walk away? Are we prepared to walk away from Israel? If world oil prices go up, you know, we are more energy independent, the United States, but the Chinese economy still depends on Middle Eastern oil. Europe's economy still depends on Middle Eastern oil. So, the complete implosion of the Middle East would have a huge impact on the global economy. And I think that the administration is paying for its pivot to Asia and its sort of minimalist approach, again, arguing that we can just sort of ignore what's happening in this part of the region, you know, and that's why it has so little credibility right now.
SIMON: David Rohde. He is a columnist for Reuters and author of "Beyond War: Reimagining American Influence in a New Middle East." Thanks so much for being with us.
ROHDE: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's pick of Chuck Hagel to helm the Pentagon faces rough going in the Senate as a handful of Republicans quickly announced their opposition to a former GOP colleague, and several skeptical Democrats reserved judgment until the nominee explains his views on Israel and Iran.
The concerns about Hagel complicate his path to Senate confirmation but are not necessarily calamitous as the White House pushes for the first Vietnam War veteran to oversee a military emerging from two wars and staring at deep budget cuts.
Obama also tapped White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan to head the CIA. Brennan, a 25-year CIA veteran, faces no major obstacles, but he is expected to be hit with questions about torture and administration leaks of secret information.
Moments after Obama announced his selection of Hagel and called him "the leader that our troops deserve," some Senate Republicans voiced opposition to the former Nebraska lawmaker who spent 12 years in the Senate.
"Given Chuck Hagel's statements and actions on a nuclear Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah, I think his confirmation would send exactly the wrong message to our allies and enemies alike," Sen. David Vitter, R-La., said in a statement. "Israel, our strongest ally in the region, is dealing with a lot of threat and uncertainty right now; Hagel would make that even worse."
Families of Colo. theater shooting victims listen as police describe trying to save wounded
CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) — The officers struggled to hold back the tears as they recalled the Colorado theater shooting: discovering a 6-year-old girl without a pulse, trying to keep a wounded man from jumping out of a moving police car to go back for his 7-year-old daughter, screaming at a gunshot victim not to die.
"After I saw what I saw in the theater — horrific — I didn't want anyone else to die," said Officer Justin Grizzle, who ferried the wounded to the hospital.
A bearded, disheveled James Holmes, the man accused of going on the deadly rampage, didn't appear to show any emotion as Grizzle and the other officers testified Monday in a packed courtroom as survivors and families of those who died watched quietly. At one point, a woman buried her head in her hands when an officer recalled finding the 6-year-old girl.
"He's heartless. He really is. He has no emotion. He has no feeling. I don't know anybody can live that way," Sam Soudani said of the gunman afterward. His 23-year-old daughter survived after being hit by shrapnel from an explosive device at the theater.
On the first day of a hearing that will determine whether there's enough evidence to put Holmes on trial, the testimony brought back the raw emotions from the days following the July 20 attack at the suburban Denver theater that left 12 people dead and dozens wounded.
Wildfires rage across Australia amid blistering heat; 100 still missing after Tasmania fire
COOMA, Australia (AP) — Firefighters battled scores of wildfires raging across southeast Australia on Tuesday as authorities evacuated national parks and warned that blistering temperatures and high winds had led to "catastrophic" conditions in some areas.
No deaths had been reported, although officials in Tasmania were still trying to find around 100 residents who have been missing since a fire tore through the small town of Dunalley, east of the state capital of Hobart, last week, destroying around 90 homes. On Tuesday, police said no bodies were found during preliminary checks of the ruined houses.
"We are shaping up for one of the worst fire danger days on record," New South Wales Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said. "You don't get conditions worse than this. We are at the catastrophic level and clearly in those areas leaving early is your safest option."
Catastrophic threat level is the most severe rating applicable.
Wildfires have razed 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres) of forests and farmland across southern Tasmania since Friday. In New South Wales, the country's most populous state, the fires had burned through more than 26,000 hectares (64,000 acres) of land.
Authorities investigating mysterious cyanide death of Chicago man who won $425K in lottery
CHICAGO (AP) — Urooj Khan had returned to Chicago from the hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia inspired to lead a better life and had sworn off buying lottery tickets — except just this once.
To his astonishment, the scratch-off ticket was a $1 million winner. But just as he was about to collect his money, Khan died suddenly. There were no signs of trauma and nothing suspicious, and the Cook County Medical Examiner's office said he died July 20 of natural causes.
Now, authorities have determined that Khan, 46, ingested a lethal dose of cyanide. The finding, spurred by a relative's pleas for an expanded screening, has triggered a homicide investigation, the Chicago Police Department said Monday.
"It's pretty unusual," said Cook County Medical Examiner Stephen Cina, commenting on the rarity of cyanide poisonings. "I've had one, maybe two cases out of 4,500 autopsies I've done."
Khan, who owned a number of dry cleaners, stopped in at the convenience store near his home in the West Rogers Park neighborhood on the city's North Side in the summer and bought a ticket for an instant lottery game.
Fresh idea: Texas company says microwave technology keeps packaged bread mold-free for 60 days
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Attention, bread shoppers: A Texas company could have the answer to some consumers' unwelcome discovery that just-purchased loaves contain mold.
MicroZap Inc. claims its technology allows bread to stay mold-free for 60 days. The bread is bombarded with microwaves for about 10 seconds, which kills the mold spores, said chief executive officer Don Stull said.
The process could eliminate bakers' need for preservatives and ingredients used to mask preservatives' flavor, as well as reduce food waste and increase bread's shelf life, he said.
Researchers at Texas Tech University also see using the technology in bread made in developing countries, where there are fewer food safety standards and spoilage is a problem.
"It could help us provide an abundant food source for those in need," said Mindy Brashear, director of the Lubbock university's Center for Food Industry Excellence. The prospect of helping people in developing countries is what motivated the microbiology professor to help develop the technology over the last eight years.
Lawyer says Tunisian suspect in attack on US consulate in Libya freed for lack of evidence
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — The only suspect in custody over the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi has been conditionally released by Tunisian authorities due to lack of evidence, his lawyer said Tuesday.
The release of Ali Harzi, a Tunisian, represents a blow to the investigation of the Sept. 11 attack on the consulate in Libya that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans. The investigation in Libya itself has been stalled due to the weak power of the central government in the face of the powerful militias, some of whom may have been involved in the attack.
Harzi's lawyer Anwar Oued-Ali said his client was freed Monday night but has to remain in the greater Tunis area in case the court needs him.
Harzi had previously been interrogated by FBI officials in the presence of a Tunisian judge in December. He was originally detained in Turkey and in October was extradited to Tunisia, where authorities had said he was "strongly suspected" of being involved in the attack.
His lawyer had always maintained there was no evidence linking him to the attack.
2nd inquest into death of Amy Winehouse being held after coroner deemed unqualified
LONDON (AP) — A British court is holding a second inquest into the death of Amy Winehouse after the coroner who ruled the singer had drunk herself to death was found to lack the proper qualifications.
The soul singer was found dead at her London home in July 2011 at the age of 27. An inquest later that year found that the star had died from accidental alcohol poisoning.
The coroner later resigned after her qualifications were questioned. She had been hired by her husband, the senior coroner for inner north London. But she had not been a registered lawyer in Britain for five years as required.
The family has said Tuesday's hearing at St. Pancras Coroner's Court is expected to reach the same conclusion about the cause of death.
Thanks to wild dad, jaguar cubs in Wis. bring new genes to endangered species' zoo population
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Two jaguar cubs are providing more than just cooing fans for Milwaukee's zoo. The spotted brothers are introducing new genes to the endangered species' captive population because unlike most zoo babies, their father was born in the wild.
The blue-eyed cubs, born Nov. 13, don't officially have names just yet, but keepers at the Milwaukee County Zoo are calling them "Gaps" and "Dots," due to the markings on their heads.
Stacey Johnson, coordinator of the jaguar species survival plan for the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, said it is rare for zoos' reproductive programs to have access to animals born in the wild.
"They are bringing in a new inflow of genes that will help sustain the population over next 100 years," Johnson said.
He also noted that the cubs — the first born at the zoo since 1975 — are also beneficial because female jaguars currently outnumber males in zoos in North America.
David Bowie readies 1st album in 10 years; releases new single on 66th birthday
NEW YORK (AP) — David Bowie is celebrating his birthday by releasing new music.
The English singer announced Tuesday, his 66th birthday, that he has released his first song in 10 years titled "Where Are We Now?"
A new album, "The Next Day," will be out March 11 and 12 in the United Kingdom and the United States, respectively.
The slow groove was released on iTunes and in 119 countries. It was produced by longtime collaborator Tony Visconti.
Bowie's last album was 2003's "Reality." The fashion forward singer debuted in the 1960s, releasing multiple successful albums with sounds that range from rock to pop to glam rock to soul and funk.
Roll, Tide, Roll: Alabama bashes Irish 42-14 for 2nd straight BCS title, full-fledged dynasty
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Barely taking time to celebrate their latest national championship, Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide are ready to get back to work.
That's how they make it look so easy.
In what must be an increasingly frustrating scene for the rest of college football, another season ended with Saban and his players frolicking in the middle of a confetti-strewn field. Eddie Lacy ran all over Notre Dame, AJ McCarron turned in another dazzling performance through the air, and the Tide defense shut down the Fighting Irish until it was no longer in doubt.
The result was a 42-14 blowout in the BCS title game Monday night, not only making Alabama a back-to-back champion, but a full-fledged dynasty with three crowns in four years.
This one was especially satisfying to Saban.


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Owners description
Traditional House Maries is located in a village Maries, 12km from Skala Maries, 11km from Limenaria and 14km from Potos. Surrounded by mountains, this traditional house offers accommodation for up to 6 people.
This 120m2 three bedroom house is equipped with one large double bed in one bedroom, 2 single beds in the second bedroom and 2 single beds third bedroom.
Facilities: soundproofing, terrace, safety deposit box, patio, balcony, air conditioning, barbecue, free WiFi, view, iron, desk, seating area, heating, tile/marble floor, wardrobe/closet, cleaning products, shower, free toiletries, bidet, toilet paper, refrigerator, dining area, kitchenware, stovetop, barbecue, coffee machine, dining table, outdoor furniture, outdoor dining area, towels, linen, baby safety gates.
- Baby cot on request *
- Internet access (WiFi) *
- Pets welcome
- Garden
- Quiet location
- Kitchen *
- Air conditioner *
- Safe available *
- Outdoor barbecue
- Outside the town
- Large oven *
Prices and room types
Prices are per room per night. Air conditioner usage is included in price. There are no fixed dates. You can choose the dates of arrival and departure. Send us an email to see if there is any discount for periods longer than two weeks.
|Pets welcome
|Included in price
6 Bed House
Capacity: 4 adults 2 children
Overnight stay tax is not included in prices.
Cancellation and payment policy
Deposit of 30% of total price of the reservation is required to confirm a booking. The remaining balance will be paid first day upon arrival. If a guest arrives after the arrival date of the reservation or if he leaves before the departure date of the reservation, property owner keeps the right to charge the total price of the reservation. If cancelled up to 21 days before the date of arrival, deposit will be refunded, less administrative fee which in most cases is 35€ but could be more (depending on bank). If cancelled later, or in case of no-show, deposit will not be refunded.*If a refund of the deposit is possible, the shipping costs are borne by the guest. The amount of costs depends on the method of sending and the bank.
Glossary of terms
Description by the owner is a description provided by property owner. Properties with owner's descriptions only are objects which we have not seen personally. For additional information on accommodation please ask in comments or contact us via email email@example.com
Room type
- plain room, without kitchen
- with kitchen, unique space, without separated bedroom
- with one separate bedroom
- multiple separate bedrooms
- inside camp
- inside camp
Reservation type
- Bed and Breakfast
- Half Board - bed, breakfast and one more meal per day (lunch or dinner)
- Full Board - bed, breakfast, lunch and dinner
- All Inclusive - full board with additional benefits, depending on a hotel
All your questions in the comments will receive an answer via email so check your inbox shortly after you posted comment. For more detailed questions and responses, contact us via mail email@example.com.


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Just returned from Vilnius where we performed with The Skys (Lithuania), Appleseed (Poland) and John Young Band (UK) on Sunday, May 23. Unfortunately, the crowd was even smaller than in Riga two days earlier, which resulted in Holding Pattern (US) not playing at all that night. Otherwise it was great to be in Vilnius again (thanks a lot, Jonas!). We definitely had some fun, although three of us had to leave for Riga after the show. The big surprise that night was Appleseed from Poznan -- a wonderful mixture of prog and post-rock, so fans of Sigur Ros, Mogwai, Godspeed and the like should check them out. Let's see if we can bring them over to Latvia in a few months. As for me, the gigs in Riga and Vilnius were the first occasions that I was playing the bass, so I'd love to hear a bootleg from either town. :)
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LCH.Clearnet Group Ltd., which clears trades made on the London Metal Exchange, plans to triple a fee levied on contracts before the LME takes over clearing itself next year.
The so-called registration fee will rise to 15 pence (23 U.S. cents) a contract from 5 pence as of June 1 for so-called clearing members of the LME, London-based LCH.Clearnet said today in a statement. That includes companies from Jefferies Group LLC to Deutsche Bank AG, the LME's website showed.
LCH.Clearnet, Europe's biggest clearinghouse, said it has spent money on tasks including regulatory compliance and improved risk-management services. That meant higher charges were necessary, Alberto Pravettoni, chief executive officer of repo and exchanges at the clearinghouse, said in the statement.
"Customers won't pay higher commissions, so it means member firms eat costs again," Andrew Patterson, head of metals trading at Newedge Group SA in London, said by e-mail. The company is an LME clearing member.
Clearinghouses stand between buyers and sellers to reduce the risk of default and have become more valuable as regulators seek to increase central clearing of derivatives. LME Clear, the exchange's own clearinghouse, is still on track to start operating next year, bourse spokeswoman Miriam Heywood said by phone today. The LME has not given a termination notice about its clearing contract with LCH.Clearnet, Juliana Wheeler, a spokeswoman for LCH.Clearnet, said.
$14.5 Trillion
The LME is the world's largest marketplace for industrial metals from aluminum to zinc and handled 159.7 million contracts worth $14.5 trillion last year. Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd. bought the bourse in 2012 for $2.2 billion.
The increased fee will apply to Newedge and the LME's 10 other so-called Category 1 members as well as the 29 Category 2 members. All of the 40 members can make trades electronically and by phone, and the Category 1 members also are authorized to trade on the exchange's floor.
Higher clearing fees mean "increased cost on everybody's business," said Simon Van Den Born, London-based global head of metals at Marex Spectron Group, a Category 1 member.


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Director: Chris Renaud, Yarrow Cheney
Writers: Ken Daurio, Brian Lynch
Starring: Lake Bell, Jenny Slate, Ellie Kemper
MPAA Rating: Rated PG for action and some rude humor
Official Socials: Site | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | IMDb
U.S. Release date: July 8th, 2016
Hashtag: #TheSecretLifeOfPets
Taking place in a Manhattan apartment building, Max's life as a favorite pet is turned upside down, when his owner brings home a sloppy mongrel named Duke. They have to put their quarrels behind when they find out that an adorable white bunny named Snowball is building an army of abandoned pets determined to take revenge on all happy-owned pets and their owners.
MYPETMOJI.COM is here!
Get excited for THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS coming to theaters July 8!
Create a custom profile pic of your pet using the petMOJI character creator.
Visit the newly launched website to get started, and stay tuned for the new PetMOJI app coming soon for iOS and Android!
THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS – In Theaters July 8


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Cyber Monday is a sham and an anachronism. It's the only fake holiday that's even stupider than Black Friday, and we should all boycott this insult to our intelligence.
Four days ago, we gave thanks for what we had. The next day—nay, that very same night—we were implored to figuratively bust the doors of Best Buy and Wal-Mart in pursuit of sales, presumably so we'll have something new to be thankful for next year. ("I'm thankful for my wonderful wife, this delicious turkey, and that incredible extra 30 percent off I took on a not-quite-flat screen around this time a year ago.") Then came Small Business Saturday, a well-meaning yet fundamentally annoying effort to get people to patronize all the merchants they managed to avoid on Black Friday.
Now, on our first day back at work after stuffing our faces and unstuffing our wallets, we're supposed to "log on" for yet more unbelievable, never-to-be-seen-again markdowns on the hottest remaining items of the holiday season. Humbug.
Black Friday at least has the virtue of an appropriately apocalyptic-sounding appellation. Cyber Monday's inanity is unmitigated by the slightest hint of self-awareness. The mumbo jumbo begins with the name, evidently popularized in a 2005 press release from the online retailers' group Shop.org. Cyber, as a prefix or adjective evoking virtual reality, was nearing obsolescence even then. By now, Cyber Monday may be the only thing keeping the word from its rightful place in the dustbin of retrofuturism. Indeed, that's where it had rested for decades until William Gibson brushed it off for his 1984 novel Neuromancer to coin the term cyberspace.* (He once explained that he settled on that buzzword because it felt both "evocative and essentially meaningless.")
The concept of Cyber Monday is as out of date as the moniker itself. In that seminal press release, the marketers noted that online sales had been spiking on the Mondays after Thanksgiving in recent years. The explanation: people taking advantage of their offices' fast broadband Internet connections to buy up whatever stuff they had failed to purchase in stores that weekend. In other words, Cyber Monday was originally a response to the problem of slow home dial-up Internet. The problem is mostly history—nearly two-thirds of U.S. households have access to broadband today, about twice the 2005 rate—yet the zombie solution lives on. And it's getting bigger every year.
Why? Because retailers love nothing more than making consumers feel like they'll be missing out if they don't buy all the right stuff at the appointed time. Never mind that the whole point of online shopping is that you can do it at your own leisure, without having to miss work or school or Thanksgiving freaking dinner in the process. Somehow, the advertising industry has hoodwinked us into thinking that we have to drop everything today and make purchases or … or what? Let's not forget that sales are retailers' way of getting rid of stuff that they have to get rid of. If we don't buy it today, they'll find a new way to palm it off on us tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after Christmas.
This Cyber Monday, it's worth remembering the true origin of the term "cyber" —the one that predates even Gibson. It's from the 1940s neologism cybernetics, derived from the Greek kybernetes, or "steersman." Its English meaning, loosely: the science of control.
It's time for the public to retake the helm and steer this marketing monstrosity back where it came from. And may the Fates spare us all from Mobile Tuesday.
Correction, Nov. 26, 2012: This article originally misspelled the title of William Gibson's novel Neuromancer. (Return to the corrected sentence.)


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Story highlights
Tawfiq Okasha owns the al-Faraeen TV channel and is a host
Islam Afifi is editor of the al-Dustour newspaper
Both men are prohibited from leaving Egypt while they are under investigation
Egyptian journalists Tawfiq Okasha and Islam Afifi will be tried for defaming and insulting President Mohamed Morsy, a spokesman said Monday.
Okasha, who owns the al-Faraeen TV channel and is also a show host, faces the charge of defamation and is accused of "inciting to kill" the president, according to Adel Saeed, spokesman for the general prosecutor's office.
Afifi, who is editor of the al-Dustour newspaper, was referred to the court for "spreading false information and rumors that threaten the security and stability of the nation" and for insulting Morsy, the spokesman said.
Analysis: Is Morsy a step forward or back?
A date was not immediately announced for the trial, which will be watched closely by those looking for signs of what the future of press freedom will be under the new president, who took office in June.
The two journalists were summoned to the prosecutor's office for questioning, but neither appeared, according to the spokesman.
Afifi, speaking by phone to 25TV, said he had not been summoned.
Over the weekend, prosecutors imposed a travel ban on the two journalists, prohibiting them from leaving Egypt while they are under investigation, Saeed said.
Egyptian forces raid Sinai militants
Authorities have already moved to limit the output of their outlets.
They ordered copies of al-Dustour to be seized and suspended Okasha's show for a month, the spokesman said.
One analyst agreed the journalists "crossed the line."
"There is a difference between critique and defaming someone's reputation, like he did with the president and many groups," Sawfat Allam, a professor of political media at Cairo University and head of a committee monitoring media coverage of elections, said about Okasha.
In one show, the TV host "insulted" the Muslim Brotherhood 58 times, Allam said. Morsy, who ran as a candidate of the Islamist organization, resigned after winning the presidential election.
Okasha has organized demonstrations outside the U.S. Embassy in Cairo to protest what he describes as American meddling in internal affairs. He also protested U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit there last month.
Okasha is planning a demonstration on August 24 outside the presidential palace to demand that Morsy step down and that the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood be ended. He has said the president "must be stopped."
News of the upcoming trial came one day after Morsy shook up the country's powerful military leadership, replacing top generals and reasserting power the military claimed for itself before he took office.


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Hey everyone, what's up? Here's the latest and greatest episode of (title pending) for your listening enjoyment!
Tank and I cover both of last week's new releases for you, with reviews of "Snitch" and "Dark Skies". Then it's time to discuss the big topic of the week, this weekend's Oscars! We discuss the show, the host, the winners, everything!
And finally, as if that wasn't enough, before we discuss what's coming up "On the Radar" we induct two new movies into the (title pending) Valhalla!
It's a great episode and you won't want to miss it! As always, you can download it directly, here, or search for us on iTunes or Stitcher radio by looking for (title pending) or Tank and Fogs!


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The Growth Coach has launched a new behavior analysis program called GC Insights to help business owners, company leaders and human resource professionals hire, retain and develop top talent. GC Insights goes well beyond DISC analysis – the program also gives franchisees access to multi-faced assessments, reports, tools and support materials designed to help business leaders understand the behavior analysis and use the information from the profile to help individuals, teams and companies grow.
Growth Coach President Ray Fabik said coaches were noticing that most companies have the similar issues; hiring, training and retaining top talent; and trying to recognize why two employees with the same skill set, same background, and same education get dramatically different results. The Growth Coach developed GC Insights to dig into this and use behavioral analysis to unlock the answers while giving us the ability to provide services that meet client's specific needs.
The Growth Coach made the strategic decision to go beyond the surface of coaching and with the help of data analysis, get to the root issues of performance and reveal human potential to build a strong foundation for a company to be successful. It's all about helping each client reach the goal of Better Business, Better Results, Better Life. The program was developed with PeopleKeys.
The Growth Coach is the largest provider of affordable group coaching workshops in the nation, but coaches also offer group and one-on-one coaching for sales professionals, managers, management teams, self-employed professionals and more through a wide variety of programs. These programs are based on three tiers – the Foundational Series, the Fundamental Series and the Fast-Forward Series. GC Insights adds to those services and allows local Growth Coach franchisees to serve their clients in a new, powerful way. There are more than 10 custom solutions depending on clients' needs and GC Insights can offered as a stand-alone program or in conjunction with other Growth Coach services.
To find a Growth Coach near you, call 1-855-300-2622 or visit http://thegrowthcoach.com/. If you're interested in The Growth Coach franchise opportunities, call (866)407-8390 or visit https://growthcoachfranchise.com/.


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Every two weeks the New York City Council meets for its Stated Meeting to introduce and pass legislation. As a regular feature, Gotham Gazette covers these meetings and posts a summary of the bills passed.
"The environmental injustice of the past does not justify environmental revenge today or in the future." - Councilmember Michael McMahon rejecting a plan to build a garbage transfer station on the Upper East Side.
The New York City Council blocked a key aspect of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposed waste management plan, which would ship the city's garbage out of the city by rail or barge, instead of by truck.
Central to the mayor's plan is the reopening of four marine transfer stations, piers where sanitation trucks can dump garbage onto barges. The trash would then be shipped out of state. (Read an article about the mayor's garbage plan.)
Bloomberg's proposal has the support of numerous health organizations, environmentalists, and community groups in Brooklyn and the Bronx where thousands of trucks currently ship 50,000 tons of household trash per day through residential neighborhoods.
The council was not asked to vote on the entire waste management plan, only to approve three of the four marine transfer stations, slated for the Upper East Side at 91st Street in Manhattan and in Red Hook and Gravesend, Brooklyn. (The fourth location in College Point, Queens has already been approved.)
City Council Speaker Gifford Miller, who is running for mayor, has opposed the plan, in large part because the 91st Street station is located in his district.
For weeks, both the speaker and the mayor have been lobbying various members of the council and both sides have delayed a vote several times.
Yesterday, the council voted 29 to 19 (with one abstension) to reject the three waste transfer sites. Two members were absent. (See list below for how each councilmember voted.)
In a legislative body dominated by Democrats, usually under the tight control of the speaker, that often votes almost unanimously, this was one of the closest votes in council history. The mayor is expected to veto the decision, and currently the council lacks the 34 votes needed to override the mayor. The mayor has five days to veto; Speaker Miller then has 10 days to try to gain those five extra votes.
The debate in the City Council broke down into two sides.
Speaker Miller and others argued that the council should not give up its power over land use decisions when it still has considerable concerns with the overall plan. They argued that the plan does not do enough to address recycling, handle commercial waste, and reduce overall garbage production in the city. The mayor's plan will also cost an additional $100 million per year.
"This council should not surrender its leverage over the solid waste management plan," said Miller.
On the other side were council members who argued that 80 percent of the city's waste is processed in four neighborhoods, which are predominantly low-income and minority communities. The proposed plan requires each borough to handle its own garbage.
"This is the best plan so far to show how we are going to get tons of garbage out of the South Bronx," said Councilmember Joel Rivera.
The speaker and others have proposed alternative sites for Manhattan like West 59th Street or Pier 76 in the Meatpacking District, but so far the Bloomberg administration has not been open to negotiating the locations of the facilities.
"Environmental injustice of the past does not justify environmental revenge today or in the future," said Councilmember Michael McMahon, who chairs the council's sanitation committee. "Let's put together a plan that is good for every New Yorker."
The day was marked by vigorous debate and backroom meetings, and for a time, the outcome of the vote seemed uncertain.
Earlier in the day, the council's subcommittee on Landmark, Public Siting, and Maritime Uses actually approved the mayor's plan by a vote of 5 to 2.
A few hours later, the council's Land Use committee, chaired by Councilmember Melinda Katz, introduced a resolution rejecting the earlier decision. The committee approved it by a vote of 13 to 9.
By the time the issue reached all 51 members on the floor of the council, some council members felt strong-armed by the speaker and his last minute tactics. "Seventy-two hours before this vote, I began getting phone calls and a whole lot of pressure to vote against this," said Councilmember Carmen Arroyo.
But others saw the public disagreement as a sign of democracy in the council. "It's wonderful that we finally have an issue that we can discuss in a relatively intelligent fashion... and disagree," said Councilmember Simcha Felder.
What most did agree about is that the city is still far from a comprehensive plan for disposing of garbage, a problem that has plagued New York for decades.
"At the end of the day, we are going nowhere," said Councilmember Leroy Comrie. "Both sides have politicized this issue."
Voted to Reject the Mayor's Proposed Sites
Joseph Addabbo
Gale Brewer
Eric Dilan
Lew Fidler
Dennis Gallagher
James Gennarro
Vincent Gentile
Alan Gerson
Eric Gioia
Robert Jackson
Melinda Katz
Oliver Koppell
John Liu
Margarita Lopez
Miguel Martinez
Michael McMahon
Gifford Miller
Eva Moskowitz
Hiram Monserrate
Michael Nelson
James Oddo
Christine Quinn
Dominic Recchia
Philip Reed
Larry Seabrook
Kendall Stewart
Al Vann
Peter Vallone, Jr.
David Weprin
Voted in Favor of the Mayor's Proposed Sites
Carmen Arroyo
Tony Avella
Maria Baez
Charles Barron
Yvette Clarke
Leroy Comrie
Bill DeBlasio
Simcha Felder
Helen Foster
Sarah Gonzalez
Tish James
Andrew Lanza
Annabel Palma
Bill Perkins
Madeline Provenzano
Diana Reyna
Joel Rivera
Helen Sears
David Yassky
Abstained from the Vote
Allan Jennings
Tracy Boyland
James Sanders,Jr.


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Adrian woke up super early this morning so that he could get down to Victoria and hang out with one of his friends. I on the other hand slept in till the last second… Dad and Erin were also up early so that Erin could get out to the airport. She absolutely loved the trip and we were glad that she could join us for those 4 beautiful days of riding!
The ride out of downtown Vancouver to the Tsawwassen ferry terminal was easy, and the weather was perfect. Once on the ferry I caught up with yesterday's post, and enjoyed the view as we sailed toward Swartz Bay.
The weather on the island was great, and we had a great time in the downtown and bay area taking the water taxis around for fish and chips, ice cream, and all kinds of goodness. This is the first time I've been in the city, and I quite like it here.
Our three man wolfpack is really looking forward to meeting the Victoria MS Society tomorrow morning, and then the ride up to Tofino. Fingers crossed this weather sticks around!
Here are today's points of interest:


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Skip to content
Flipmode Squad
This Is What Happens
Flipmode Squad
This Is What Happens
Ayo Rah who dat n***a?
Rah Digga , Rampage
Yo man
The word on the street is Flipmode has arisen
True , aight
There's alotta player haters that's tryin na playa hate y'all
Fuck outta here , word up
Do you have something to say Rah Digga?
Motherfucking right , ayo Rah yo Rah yo Rah
Bitches write her own rhymes what n***as ain't fucking wit us
Rah , yo check it Rah
Cool like
[Rah Digga]
Talked about who rips it right
Always keep a crowd goin like a schoolyard fight
Always hold it down lovely when it's time to bulid
Been doin musical chairs like Levert, Sweat, and Gill
Who doubt me n***as on the internet shout me
Playin me close or leave your bitter house stout b
Pullin chips if it's a bet you want
I'll demolish you and your fuckin debutom boy
Talkin bout she rap now y'all n***as is sick
I'll be milky like ways or milky like wick or
Whatever type phrase rappers choose to model
I'll take it right from you then have my peoples rob you
Flunky , all the stations gon pump me
Street shit I show another face like humpty
N***as , that's my word is bon
We gon hit you with the heat like you motherfucking Spawn
CHORUS: Rampage and Rah Digga
This is what happens
When you fuck with my clique
This is what happens
When you bitin n***as shit
This is what happens
When you can't make a hit
This is what happens , this is what happens , this is what happens
When you fuckin wit my crew
This is what happens
What a n***a 'posed to do
This is what happens
We got street shit to
This is what happens , this is what happens
Nowadays MC's get kicked to the curb (curb)
Rampage I'ma spark y'all that's my word
Me and Digga we in the game that's superb (perb)
Gettin all the money and plaques on reserve (uh)
When I'm in Y.O. with Swizz and the Ruff Ryders (or)
I'm chillin in the Bricks with Zee and the Outsidaz (sidaz)
All you other cliques be frontin y'all dick riders (riders)
You damn right I got the whole enchiladas (ladas)
Drinkin iced teas plus , pina coladas (ladas)
My Flipmode n***as we be the Brooklyn Globetrotters (trotters)
Now I'm seein chips like Erik Estrada
Yo my favorite rap album was Tribe, Midnight Marauders (uh)
I'm takin you back like Afrikaa Bambattaa
I'm hittin you , hittin you with the force (force)
Catch me in the VIBE , Rap City , or The Source
Source , source , source
Rampage , I'm the biggest thing in life (life)
Don Juan , shut down your pentagon (gon)
Watch me get the millions , with my Flipmode affilions
Like Vodka , fuck up your liver watch I deliver (liver)
Your body decompose in the river
Pass through like cold breeze feel your body shiver (shiver)
Microphone killer, finga on the trigga , Ramp to Rah Digga
[Rah Digga]
Gotta stay focused can't lose the drive
Help my moms and my pops quit they nine to five
Get it now for the c case I don't survive
That's why (that's why) that's why (that's why)
I'ma take all the crap that be in this game
And don't think I'm a bitch or succumb to fame
If I'm puffin on lah don't remember your name
That's why (that's why) that's why (that's why)
This is what happens
Yeah it's gon happen , its gon happen (y'know what I'm sayin)
Rah Digga , Rah Digga
Rampage the lieutenant , what
DJ Scratch , Scratch baby , forever
Huh , spliff a spliff huh they can't touch us
Flipmode Squad can't touch us
We comin for your ass , comin for your ass


text:
L. Neil Smith's
Number 179, June 24, 2002
"Assume a Meditative Stance"
Picking the Deepest Pocket:
Special to TLE
On June 12, the Ohio Supreme Court voted 4-3 to reinstate a liability lawsuit filed by the city of Cincinnati against a group of American handgun manufacturers, supposedly in an attempt to recoup millions of dollars spent by that city on police, emergency, court, and health care services in response to "gun-related violence."
"Supposedly," since such calculations rarely take into account the compensating benefits to the economy from the reduction in crime and personal injuries attributed to the deterrent effect of law-abiding Americans possessing legal arms for self-defense -- attributed, mind you, by such esteemed researchers as John R. Lott, Jr. and David B. Mustard and David Kopel and Prof. Gary Kleck, among others.
But the more important question here is whether our judges should be allowing any lawsuits to proceed which do not allege fraud, nor careless or willful production of defective products, but which rather attempt to bleed perfectly legal American businesses for the "offense" of manufacturing perfectly legal products.
Such extortionate lawsuits are based, of course, on the theory that the proper, intended, and legal use of those products somehow generates a "cost" to municipalities -- when the truth is that most of those perceived "costs" are actually incurred when cities exceed their constitutional authority, adopting sundry socialized welfare schemes in which taxpayers pony up for the medical care of the indigent (once properly viewed as the exclusive domain of private charity.)
Meantime, even if we did buy into this "financial balance sheet" system of "costing out" our rights and freedoms -- and even if we were to ignore the financial benefits of self-defense firearms in preventing crimes -- can the collectivists really demonstrate that people who choose to smoke and drink to excess or who get into gun battles over drug distribution turf end up costing "society" more through these actions? In fact, the statistics reveal that heavy smokers and drinkers actually tend to die young, saving "society" huge sums "we" would otherwise spend caring for them in their geriatric years, while illicit drug dealers who get themselves shot dead thus spare "us" the millions of dollars it would otherwise likely cost "us" to keep them housed and fed in prison and their offspring similarly on the dole for the rest of their lives.
If we really want to permit a bunch of accountants in green eyeshades to decide which free choices we will still be "allowed," that is.
Lawyers for the gunmakers -- including Beretta U.S.A., Colt's Manufacturing Co. and Smith & Wesson Corp. -- warned the Ohio court that a ruling in Cincinnati's favor could quickly lead to the manufacturers of other legal products being held equally liable.
"Alcoholic beverage manufacturers, who also produce a legal product, would be held liable for misuse of alcohol in the city of Cincinnati," said attorney James Dorr. "The same thing with automobile manufacturers who have a generalized awareness that their automobiles are going to be involved in accidents."
The Ohio justices ignored this sensible warning, instead ruling 4-3 that an appeals court was wrong in dismissing the lawsuit and ordered the case back to Hamilton County Common Pleas Court. Justice Francis Sweeney contended the high court ruling does not imply the state Supreme Court necessarily believes Cincinnati will prevail in its lawsuit, but only that the city had enough facts on its side to be allowed to pursue its claims.
But Chief Justice Thomas Moyer properly disagreed, arguing the alleged injuries that Cincinnati suffered are too far removed from the conduct of the gunmakers to give the city any reasonable right to sue.
"The question is not whether the city can prove that it has suffered damages," the chief justice wrote in dissent, "but whether the city can prove that those damages are attributable to the wrongdoing of the gun manufacturers as opposed to other, independent factors."
Perhaps there will still turn out to be some ironic appropriateness in the fact that the city of Cincinnati's chosen symbol is the winged bronze pig. For even though the Queen City is among 30-odd counties and municipalities nationwide that have sued the firearms industry in recent years, state Supreme Courts in Florida, Connecticut and Louisiana have all dismissed the similar lawsuits there, leaving Cincinnati's as one of the last of these extortion plots still standing.
Those courts took seriously their role as "gatekeepers," charged with preventing overly creative class-action lawyers from using their courtrooms as charnel houses in which law-abiding defendant corporations can be hung on hooks, gutted, and skinned out.
It's all well and good to say, "The suit will probably fail on its merits, eventually." But the justices in Columbus surely know there's little "down side" even for plaintiffs who roll the liability dice and lose -- while in fact most such suits are settled long before they ever reach a jury, as even innocent defendants find little choice but to "cut their losses" and pay these hyenas to go away and stop picking off the weakest of the herd.
A new law that took effect in Ohio last October grants gunmakers immunity from such lawsuits -- but doesn't affect the Cincinnati case because it was enacted after the lawsuit in question was filed.
The new Ohio law strikes a sensible balance -- quite properly, gunmakers would still would be held responsible for damage or injuries caused by defective weapons.
That's what the civil courts are for. To let them be used for anything else -- for extracting a pound of flesh from Anheuser-Busch because certain excessive drinkers develop liver disease, or from McDonald's because some folks who eat too many fries eventually develop diabetes -- is to risk paralyzing our entire economy in a cynical game of "who can pick the deepest pocket"?
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text:
US housing starts surpass 1 million in March
WASHINGTON — U.S. homebuilders broke the 1 million mark in March for the first time since June 2008. The gain signals continued strength for the housing recovery at the start of the spring buying season. The overall pace of homes started rose 7 percent from February to March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.04 million, the Commerce Department said Tuesday.Apartment construction, which tends to fluctuate sharply from month to month, led the surge: It jumped nearly 31 percent to an annual rate of 417,000, the fastest pace since January 2006.By contrast, single-family home building, which makes up nearly two-thirds of the market, fell 4.8 percent to an annual rate of 619,000. That was down from February's pace of 650,000, the fastest since May 2008. The government said February's pace was a sharp 5.2 percent higher than it had previously estimated.Applications for building permits, a gauge of future construction, declined 3.9 percent to an annual rate of 902,000. It was down from February's rate of 939,000, which was also nearly a five-year high.Scott Laurie, president of Olson Homes, said that last month's falloff in single-family starts is not representative of what's happening in the market. A scarcity in ready-to-build land has many builders working to get local governments to approve new land for construction, he said. The process can take 12 to 18 months. A survey of homebuilders released Monday noted similar concerns. "You'll see starts will continue to increase as the year goes on and new projects start to open up," Laurie said.Laurie's company builds homes in Southern California priced roughly from $325,000 to $750,000. He says Olson's construction starts are on pace to climb at least 40 percent this year, as the builder moves to add as many as eight new communities."The market started showing improvement in the early part of 2012 and really hasn't slowed down since," Laurie said. "Right now, we're very bullish."The jump in home building is expected to contribute to economic growth in 2013 for a second straight year — a reversal from 2006 through 2011, when it held back the economy. Deutsche Bank predicts that home construction will reach an annual pace of 1.2 million by year's end. Brett Ryan, an economist at Deutsche Bank, said that rate could add 0.5 percentage point to 2013 growth. That would be the biggest contribution from housing since 2004.The housing recovery could spur an additional percentage point of growth by encouraging more consumer spending, Ryan said. More building and higher home sales mean Americans will likely spend more on things like furniture and landscaping. Higher home prices also create a "wealth effect" that gives homeowners the confidence to spend more.Steady job growth, near record-low mortgage rates and rising home values have encouraged more people to buy homes. In response to higher demand and a low supply of available homes for sale, builders have stepped up construction.March's pace of homes started was nearly 46 percent higher than in the same month in 2012.Housing construction fell 5.8 percent in the Northeast but gained in the rest of the country, led by a 10.9 percent rise in the South. It rose 9.6 percent in the Midwest and 2.7 percent in the West.The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo April survey released Monday showed that builders are concerned that limited land and rising costs for building materials and labor could slow sales in the short term. That led to a third straight monthly drop in confidence.Still, the builders' outlook for sales over the next six months climbed to the highest level in more than six years, suggesting that the obstacles could be temporary.And construction firms have stepped up hiring in recent months. They added 18,000 jobs in March and 169,000 since September, according to the Labor Department.Though new homes represent only a fraction of the housing market, they have an outsize impact on the economy. Each home built creates an average of three jobs for a year and generates about $90,000 in tax revenue, according to statistics from the homebuilders.


text:
IIUM Hearing & Speech Clinic
معلومات الاتصال
IIUM Hearing & Speech Clinic
The IIUM Hearing & Speech Clinic is a part of the Department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, Kulliyyah of Allied Health Sciences.
It began its operation in March 2010 with the aim to provide hearing and speech services to the public as well as training for future audiologist and speech-language pathologists.
There are 6 audiometric cabins complete with the latest equipments for hearing diagnostics and rehabilitation and 3 beatifully designed sound trated rooms to allow for comfortable and focused speech-languange therapy sessions.
All rooms are equipped with CCTV, enabling recording of clinical sessions for review with patients, parents and students.
The team consists of qualified personnel who are committed to provide excellent and friendly services.
- To be the centre of excellence in hearing and speech-language healthcare provision and education.
- Provide comprehensive assessment, intervention and rehabilitation for pateints with hearing and speech-language disorders.
- Provide a constructive arena for training of future audiologist and speech-language pathologists.
- Integrate Islamic values in service and practice.
Who is an Audiologist?
An audiologist is a professional with a degree from accredited universited specialisng in the prevention, identification, diagnosis, intervention and rehablilitation of hearing & balance disorders.
Who is a Speech-Language Pathologist?
A speech -language pathologist is a professional with a degree from accredited universities speacialising in the prevention, identification, diagnosis, intervention and rehabilitation of human communication disorders.
IIUM Hearing & Speech Clinic has audiologist & Speeech-language pathologist dedicated to various clinical interest and expertise.
IIUM Hearing & Speech Clinic Offer Services as below:
- Hearing assessments for children and adults.
- Neonatal hearing screening.
- Fitting of hearing aidsand accessories.
- Sales and services of hearing aids and hearing imparied.
- Balance assessments and reports.
- Evaluation of speech, language, voice and swallowing for children and adults.
How to contact us?
IIUM Hearing & Speech Clinic
International Islamic University Malaysia
Jalan Hospital, 25150 Kuantan
Pahang Darul Makmur.
Tel./ Fax.: 09-5177627


text:
Meigs, Return Jonathan
Meigs, Return Jonathan mĕgz [key], 1740–1823, American Revolutionary army officer, b. Middletown, Conn. He accompanied Benedict Arnold on the Quebec expedition, where he was taken prisoner and later exchanged (1776). Meigs is best remembered for the expedition he led against the British at Sag Harbor, Long Island, in 1777. After the Revolution he became interested in the Ohio Company of Associates. He later became (1801) Indian agent to the Cherokees. His son,
Return Jonathan Meigs, 1764–1825?, American cabinet member, b. Middletown, Conn., also went to Ohio and became prominent in politics there. Meigs served consecutively as Senator from Ohio (1808–10), governor of Ohio (1810–14), and as U.S. Postmaster General (1814–23).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. History: Biographies


text:
BOSTON (AP) — Shoppers in Massachusetts could be looking ahead to another summer tax-free weekend.
House Speaker Robert DeLeo said Wednesday that lawmakers are planning to take up a bill next week to create the sales tax holiday.
DeLeo said that while the state's economy is continuing to improve, the tax holiday will be a boost to consumers and shop owners.
Under the legislation, the sales tax holiday would be scheduled for August 10 and 11 and will apply to retail sales excluding any single item priced higher than $2,500.
Sales-tax holiday weekends have become something of a tradition in Massachusetts during the dog days of summers as lawmakers hope to give a boost to businesses and consumers during a typically slow shopping season.