text: Thursday, May 26, 2011 California POPTS Legislative Battle Continues to Gain Media Attention The California Chapter's fight over Assembly Bill 783 continues to gain media attention, most recently on the KTVU morning news (FOX affiliate) in San Francisco. Despite massive opposition from the California Chapter concerning such physician-owned physical therapy services (POPTS) arrangements, and recent high-profile media coverage, the Assembly passed AB 783 May 12 by a vote of 66-0 (with 12 abstentions). The legislation now will be considered by the state Senate. Assembly Bill 783, sponsored by Assembly Member Mary Hayashi and strongly supported by the California Medical Association, was introduced on February 17. The legislation would amend the California Business and Professions Code and the California Corporations Code to specifically add licensed PTs to the list of "healing arts practitioners" who may be employees of medical or podiatric medical corporations. The legislation is in response to an opinion issued by the State of California Legislative Counsel in 2010 that stated that based on existing law it is illegal for PTs to be employed by any professional other than naturopaths. In its opinion, the Legislative Counsel confirmed that, because the existing California Corporations Code does not specifically include PTs on the list of those who may be employed by a medical corporation, a PT is prohibited from providing physical therapy services as an employee of a medical corporation, podiatric corporation, or chiropractic corporation. This ruling means that PTs in these employment situations may be subject to discipline by the Physical Therapy Board of California. Comments Its disgusting that despite educating politicians and the public,having clear cut studies showing the conflict of interest of POPTS and its detrimental effect on patient care, with enough money you can get a 66-0 vote. Glad to know lobbying involves who can contribute the most money. Posted by James Gregory on 5/26/2011 2:23 PM Until all licenced physical therapist and assistants join APTa and get involved we will continue to have problems with medicine and our pain Chiros. Every chiro is a member of the ACA. Not all therapist our APTA members. The change has to start within. Chiros should not sign PT POCs and many MD owned PT clinics are mills, but instead of pointing fingers, we must focus our real change within our profession. Posted by Matthew on 5/26/2011 9:41 PM I am sooo tired of the POPTS issue. As a PT, I should be able to work in whatever scenario I choose. I work for a POPTS and believe that the patient care at my facility is second to none. Our physicians give patients the choice to go whereever they please to receive their PT. Yes, there is the possibility for a conflict of interest with a POPTS, but what is the difference when a PT owned facility hires ATC's for athletic coverage and streamline the athletes to their facilty without giving them a choice? The answer is none. We need to police ourselves and eliminate any unethical practice, but more importantly, we need to focus on more important issues of patient care like having the ability to see Medicare patients without a physician referral. Working with physicians can be a strong ally for our profession. Working against them will create more of a barrier regarding out Vision 2020. Posted by Scott Gibson, PT on 5/27/2011 1:05 PM it is shamed Posted by Chris on 5/27/2011 1:06 PM As a professional licensed Physical Therapist we should all ask ourselves the question, "is it ethical for me to work for someone that is referring pt's directly?" We as a group of knowledgeable, skillful practitioners, should not even be filling these job openings whatsoever. If anyone does work for one, I really question the integrity of that therapist......... Posted by Adam Theesen on 5/27/2011 1:14 PM I own a physical therapy practice in a state which currently doesn't allow POPTS. However, our state association has to fight this battle almost every year in the legislature, as the medical association gets state representatives to continually introduce bills that would allow POPTS. Is it worth the battle? Should be just give up and let the big dog AMA lobbyists win? NO! We have to stand up for what's right and what's best for our clients. First of all, it is a complete financial conflict of interest for a physician to "own" a physical therapist. It leads to all kinds of abuses-- from over-prescribing PT to over-booking the therapist in order to make more money, thereby decreasing the quality of care. And, since the therapist is an employee, he/she has no freedom to point out these problems without fearing the loss of his/her job. In my state, occupational therapists can be employed by physicians. So, every patient that goes to the hand surgeon in my small town gets sent to the OT in his own office, despite the fact that this therapist is not the best or most experienced hand therapist in town and is not even a certified hand therapist! I can tell you right now, if POPTS were allowed in my state, my business would disappear within 6 months. Yes, this would be sad for me, but it would also be sad for my clients. I would be forced to go to work for a POPTS and would likely be pressured to see more and more clients per day and give poor quality care. Any high school economics student can tell you that competition, in any industry, improves the quality of the product and customer service. POPTS essentially eliminate any competition in the PT service industry and destroy the consumer-driven market that ensures only the highest-quality providers succeed. Posted by Elizabeth on 5/27/2011 1:34 PM I believe a 66-0 vote is further indication that what is best for the people does not outweigh what is best for the politicians' campaign contributions. Until we put a firm limit on how long our legislators serve, their only concern is how they can stay in office. Be damn what is right for the country, they need to get paid... Posted by Kevin on 5/27/2011 1:50 PM Just a thought @ "many MD owned clinics are mills" I am not sure if it is worth pointing fingers at one place or the other. Personally I came across PT mills located in many places, including: home care, hospitals, and private practices. Simply, some clinic owners (whoever they are) will always try to maximize profit. And, there is no simple way to resist such an employer. I wonder if change of our strategy could alleviate this situation? What could happen if instead of promoting autonomy of the profession, we would start promoting autonomy of a professional? In this scenario, each PT (self employed or employed) should bill for his/her individually provided professional service, and receive reimbursement into his/her account. The employer should be reimbursed only for the technical component of the service (even in environments reimbursed under PPS). Separation of technical and professional components will temper grid of unscrupulous employers. And, autonomy of individual provider will assure autonomy of the profession. Posted by Anthony on 5/27/2011 2:24 PM Sadly, it is PT's who choose to work in conflicting interest arrangements that create this situation. And, in the face of APTA's 2020 vision for autonomous practice. As a private practice owner, we cannot compete with the salaries offered in these business arrangements. The almighty dollar wins out and our profession will continued to be compromised. Meanwhile our government struggles to find wasted spending? If you can't walk the walk, don't talk the talk. Posted by MaryEllen on 5/27/2011 2:27 PM Surely we are all against POPTS, but until therapists who own clinics are willing to treat their incoming PTs with professional respect like doctors and lawyers do, and allow them an opportunity to buy into the practice (very rare indeed), incoming PTs can make more money at POPTS and are therefore tempted to work there. This isn't just an external problem, it is also a problem of greed of private practice owners that results in an unwillingness to treat other PTs as professionals within our ranks. I fear prohibiting POPTS will only make the problem worse since there will be less choices for incoming PTs. Posted by Burke Gurney, PT, PhD, OCS on 5/27/2011 2:27 PM Of course we all hate POPTS, but this is an internal problem as well. As long as PT owned clinic owners are unwilling to treat their incoming PTs as professionals the way that doctors, lawyers, architects, even some chiropractors do, i.e. allow them to form some sort of ownership/limited partnership, this problem will persist. As an incoming PT, often MD owned clinics are willing to pay the PTs more money, and thus some PTs who are trying to do what is best for them go there. If clinical owners provided a better alternative, this problem might well go away on its own. Just a thought. Posted by Burke Gurney, PT, PhD, OCS on 5/27/2011 2:46 PM and what is the APTAs response to this? Posted by rick carlson on 5/27/2011 3:36 PM Had a conversation with ortho doc from Fresno last week. He stated that they closed their PT clinic for a day last month so that they could all go to the Assembly meeting in Sac and lobby for POPTS as a legitimate enterprise. What he stated about the APTA's position was dissapointing - he stated that our defense included mostly disjointed ancedotal stories of how sub standard care was given to some patients of POPTS - in other words, minimal objective information. My question to our APTA is: Why are we not providing facts on increased utilization of PT (waste) that these business situations facilitate, and that the responsible thing to do to curtail health care costs is to not allow it to continue. Medicare (our government) has strict rules with PT treatment, and for good, objective reasons. Why are we not standing on these reasons rather than what can appear to be whining anectotal stories. Obviously with a 66-0 vote, we need to change the stradegy folks. Posted by Chris Dahlhoff on 5/27/2011 4:02 PM We're engaged in a test of the integrity and value of our profession. We have to continue to strive to educate the public about our worth and contributions, and ownership is a piece of the battle. Many PTs (the majority) are employees and likely unaware of levels of conflict-of-interests CoIs) within their own organization(s). Arguments really revolve around peer relations and power structures within and between the professions. CoIs are ubiquitous in medicine, so this is a weak argument; however, COST and UTILIZATION of Services increases are strongly associated with physician-ownership. Efficient/effective healthcare is central to the new medical world order AND POPTS are not congruient with that model. The future of healthcare in the US will likely involve integrated systems/organizations, which will include both PTs and physicians as employees. We're likely not to have a place at the table of the 'power' and 'profit sharing/risk sharing' if we continue our sink into ancillary roles. I'm reminded of the roots of the word ancillary: Origin:1660–70; < Latin ancill ( a ) ( see ancilla) + -ary; compare Latin ancillāris having the status of a female slave, with -āris -ar1.....very telling definition. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ancillary) What role do we want in the future of healthcare? Every PT should fight this legislation by any political means possible. Thank you. Britt Posted by Britt Smith PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT on 5/27/2011 4:19 PM Not all MD owned PT clinics are mills. If a PT is involved in running a "mill" then the PT should be disciplined. My moral and ethical principles were why I was recruited by the POPTS I currently work in. I frequently consult, at no cost to the patient, during office visits and recommend exercises and tactics to eliminate a pain problem or head off trouble before it reaches a point where regular PT is needed. I set the schedules for patients, and determine treatment frequency and duration. Playing "Whackamole" with peoples' livelihoods in an effort to eliminate the opportunity to be a criminal eliminates the opportunity to not be a criminal as well. Posted by Leon Richard -> AJSa@O on 5/27/2011 5:27 PM In response to the posts by people who work for POPTS and decry the statement that physician owned practices are mills, I have a response and a comment. I have no problem consulting with a physician, providing a free opinion and/or recommending exercises or tactics to eliminate a problem when I control my time and my expert services. If the physician truly values you as an equal member of the healthcare team, why can't you be an independent contractor and then you can decide what your time is worth and how you want to spend it? When another profession controls your services and also makes money for themselves every single time you see their patient, there is a conflict of interest and you are "less than". A general practitioner MD does not make money on a referral to as specialist. You may set your own schedule, but he/she still makes money when you see his/her patients. Research has shown that over utilization occurs in this model and eliminates choice. It is also true that independent private practice physical therapists are paid LESS per visit for services than if they are paid incident to a physician's services in their offices. It's not a level playing field. That is what we are asking for. I have been a physical therapist in private practice for over 20 years and I will put up my services and any of my well trained and expert staff, against any physician owned practice. We just need a fair opportunity to do this without the underlying conflict of interest. I have met with my legislator here in Ca and have given him the cost numbers, position papers from the APTA with quite a bit of objective data. He chose not to believe it or ignore it, whichever, it doesn't matter. Our lobby is small compared to the AMA. We don't have the numbers or the finances to fight on the same level but we need our own profession to understand the importance of this matter. How do you want to be perceived in the global picture of healthcare? Is our profession important? Essential? Who should provide the services and who should control it? Posted by Karen Nugent,PT CHT IMTC on 5/27/2011 7:35 PM I think that this coin is definitally two-sided. I work in a POPTS situation, and I we provide, I believe, excellent care to all our patients. In addition, more often than not, we are trying to convince the physicians to send patients. I have been in this setting for 8 years, and have NEVER seen an inappropriate referral. We control our schedule, so we are NOT forced to overbook; we are allowed to spend the time we need with hands-on care, and we are in communication with the physicians constantly, which only enhances the care provided. Can I say this about all private practices and physical therapist-owned clinics? NO! I have seen the care that some of our patients, coming from those clinics have received. Which is better? Are we really trying to improve care for patients? I am appalled that the APTA is not supporting ALL physical therapists, not just those who they deem worthy, who are in private practice or non-physician owned areas. I do belong to the APTA, but if it continues to be a "us-vs.-them" mentality, I will not support the APTA any longer. Posted by Lisa Gierczak on 5/27/2011 8:05 PM While I realize this is only my individual experience over 15 years of physical therapy practice the worst abuse occurred in a corporate setting where 4 patients were scheduled per therapist per hour with an expectation that each patient would be billed for at least 45 min of treatment. Other environments that I have worked in include therapist-owned clinics, physician-owned clinics, for-profit hospitals, not-for-profit hospitals, corporate owned skilled nursing facilities, and university based therapy clinic. The therapist-owned clinic was actually worse with regard to questionable ethical practice and maximizing profit at the expense of the working therapist. The difference with the physician owned clinic was the physicians also saw patients thereby generating revenue while the therapists who owned their own clinic sat in an office and NEVER treated patients. With regard to choice of therapy clinics to attend, the patient is forced to choose from a clinic that is in-network. That clinic may or may not provide the "best" service locally. Therefore the consumer driven marketplace is already compromised. Posted by Robbin on 5/27/2011 9:53 PM POPTS have ruined the profession of physical therapy. Profit is the motive and quality of care is taken out of the equation.To think otherwise is sadly naive. Posted by joe napolitano on 5/27/2011 9:57 PM Karen- I could not have said it any better. There is not a level playing field and never will be with the AMA. And the biggest kicker is that private practice PT is reimbursed considerably less than POPTS- so we can never offer the same monetary compensation to our PTs. But we can offer a much better learning and working environment. And for those of you who think that private practice owners are greedy by not allowing their PTs to own part of the company, clearly you have no idea of the low reimbursement private practices get and the high overhead we are dealing with these days between health insurance premiums and PTs that are demanding top dollar. There isn't one PT in my practice who would even want that "opportunity" to be a co-owner. The problem should focus back onto the unethical problem that POPTS presents and what it ultimately does to our profession. Posted by Juli Hunt, PT, DPT on 5/27/2011 10:54 PM I think we can all agree that there is the potential for abuse in EVERY practice setting. Hospitals pressure physicians to refer "in house". Nationally based Rehab companies pressure the managers to meet "Key indicators". Physician owners pressure PT's to treat inappropriate referrals. Home health PT's are pressured to see as many patients as possible. Private practioners have practice standards and can exert pressure on PT employees. The potential for abuse is rampant. The individual therapist has to have the professional intergrity to recognize when he/she is being asked to perform in an unethical manner no matter what the setting...its up to YOU... Posted by Michael Leither on 5/28/2011 12:12 PM My goal is to provide quality physical therapy care to my clients, regardless of who "owns" the clinic. Let's remember it is the individual's choice to receive physical therapy, not the physician's! It's disheartening to me that we are so overwhelmed with the political, territorial and business disputes over patients than focusing on their care. Posted by Chris on 5/28/2011 1:17 PM Integrity occurs on an individual basis. Individual people with/without integrity form organizations or companies with/without integrity. PT's like other professions can be influenced in a number of ways to act without integrity. This can occur in any practice setting. Therefore, we need a individual tracking mechanism to monitor functional outcomes and utilizaiton rates. This is the only way to weed out individuals who are found lacking. Posted by Brad on 5/29/2011 1:23 AM The passing of AB 783 will allow for overutilization of Medicare and cost the tax payer more money. This essentially increases California's debit deficit. I strongly think the focus on AB 783 should be shifted from sub-standard of care to costing California tax payers more money. We should publicly advertise the message that any legislator voting for this bill, especially the one's up for re-election, would be saying they want to increase Medicare spending, increase taxes, and increase the California's deficit. I think the public should know who is deciding the welfare of their healthcare. I marched Capitol Hill and spoke with assembly members. They seemed concerned about the issue, but they were more concerned about passing the state's budget. We need to start speaking their language, and that would be dollar bills & their reputation. Posted by Nicole Tetreault SPT on 5/29/2011 1:14 PM It is obvious that only those who work for POPTS find them acceptable. Over and over the studies indicate over-utilization and decreased choice and competition when fee for referral exists (this is true with outpatient hospital-owned facilities also - in my opinion it is a worse problem. Stark laws don't force hospital-owned physicians to give patients an option at all). If we really want to reform healthcare, cut costs and improve quality, we as a nation must decide to end all fee for referral situations. Posted by Chris Z on 5/30/2011 9:06 AM Boy, so many firm positions/opinions and all reasonable with many unique experiences. I agree with the decision by the state congress, because the essence of the American economy is based on choice and free trade in any industry, even healthcare. If you have a person or entity willing to deliver a service, how skilled or unskilled to serve a demand, they should be entitled to. Any problem of ethics/abuse is a matter of how it is policed. I strongly believe this is an issue between the seeker and the payer of the service. A gap exists between the two because of third party, insurance markets, private and government alike. They corner our health care disciplines. As providers, I'm glad we have the choice to participate or not. As a beneficiary, I'm not happy that we will not have the choice to be covered or not, but I understand the current federal effort to control 'uncovered' situations (just hope it's temporary). My personal opinion is that we leave POPTS alone in attempting to make them 'illegal' and think it is a mistake for any governing body that does so. The upcoming efforts to combat fraud and abuse is seriously gearing up. As a provider, if you or if you work for an entity that does not provide therapeutic skill with decency and integrity, it will catch up to you. Posted by Dave Bullock on 5/30/2011 11:34 PM It is not time to cry. Start doing brain storming How to destroy POPTS. 1) good ways 2) bad ways find their weak points and attack.These are not first people will attack our profession. All PT should be united . If there is no PT to work who they will employ. Physical therapy become cash cow for other people. We have to defend our profession even you become DPT problem remain same. There should be professional safe guard in professional license deepak PT Posted by Deepak on 5/31/2011 9:48 AM The problem with POPTS is that is does not allow a free market for PT services, as long as physical therapists are not reimbursed by insurance companies for direct access and physicians continue to be the gate keepers for healthcare services. A PT practice owner is under constant pressure to agree with the rehab POC established by the referring physician for fear of losing a referral source.Even though the referring physician is not trained in rehabilitation.The APTA establised Vision 2020 to create autonomous practitioners of choice. The APTA takes a stance against POPTS because it supports PT's as ancillary services providers, not autonomous practitioners. Posted by John Brees on 5/31/2011 12:45 PM Another angle: What about the hospital based clinic that is surrounded by nothing but POPTS? The outpt dept also feeds therapists through the weekend rotation in the hospital so that they can provide what the doctors all want- therapy every day. If the outpt dept closes then the inpatient therapy dept will be understaffed or overworked in order to provide the full day of weekend therapy. The worst part is, many in our area are owned by foreign Drs who staff them with therapists from their country of origin and just feed them all their patients. Most of these therapists never bother to join the APTA! Posted by Mary Strimbu on 6/6/2011 8:48 PM What is the difference between a POPTS and a corporate run clinic that demands more patients, billing higher paying codes only, and churning through new grads to keep their costs down? I would work for the POPTS over the corporation any day of the week. Plus, the most unethical clinic I have ever been in is a private, PT owned clinic. Every situation can have the money grubbers. Posted by Jon on 6/15/2011 8:59 AM I agree with Scott Gibson. I work at a POPTS and have total freedom as to when to discharge a patient when they have maximized progress and overall patient management. I do not have the corporate or private practice owner screening my productivity or feel the pressure to "hang on" to that patient to keep my volume up for the bottom line. There can be abuses in both situations, however the argument that POPTS are financially unethical is absurd. Its all about the money. I have more autonomy at a POPTS than I ever had at private practive or corporate clinic. Posted by William Dean, PT, DPT, OCS on 6/17/2011 3:35 PM You have to be an MD to own a medical practice, you have to be an attorney to own a law practice, I feel you should be a physical therapist to own a PT practice. I have seen patient mills at POPTS and I have seen the same at Corporates but not every POPTS and Corporates are the same just like a private practice is not the same. Please do not assume that every private practice is the same. I bet that the AMA wouldn't want a PT running a family practice clinic either. The APTA frowns on PTs working for the POPTS and there is a good reason for this, I respect the APTA's decision on this. There is a conflict of interest! I have patients' that are told by the orthopedic to go to their PT clinic which 35 miles north of their home and it isn't right when our clinic 1/2 mile from their home. This happens too many times and our outcomes are outstanding compared to their patient outcomes because the patients' that go to their clinic and then end up at ours tell us so! Posted by Phil on 6/17/2011 8:36 PM Do any POPTS employees know why physicians can not own pharmacies? Studies showed that physicians who owned pharmacies prescribed several times as many pharmaceuticals as physicians who did not own pharmacies. All PTs who care about autonomy should do all they can to create a situation in which patients will be referred for ethical reasons. Can you pretend that you as a POPTS PT are different than a pill? Work to be in a situation where our profession can advance because of its benefits. If another privately PT owned option does not work for you, create your own private option. Do not be another pill. Posted by Dorothy Tevis on 6/19/2011 3:58 PM POPTS weaken our industry as a whole, plain and simple. POPTS are an extremely advantaged competitor to PT owned practices. To suggest otherwise is biased. It is the MD's power to steer patients into their own practice alone that creates conflict. However, more often than not MD practices are not mills, they just see a high volume of self supplied evals. They are the safe, cushy jobs that PT's above have talked about primarily cause the doctors don't have time for oversight. Other than financial impact, POPTS kill quality of care in the states they exist. Comparing the two states I have worked in , NY (no POPTS) and FL (POPTS), the quality of care is night and day. This is due to the fact that skill (being better than you neighbor)is eliminated in POPT situations. There is no incentive to be at your best when evals are guaranteed. There are two battle fronts of note in stopping POPTS or rendering them more harmless. Make it illegal to run POPTS or negate the necessity for an MD script for PT care. Posted by Erik on 6/21/2011 2:37 PM


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Lately, it seems, there is no escaping Ashley Madison. The Web site, that is, not any person, real or fictional, who may or may not be named Ashley Madison. You may have read or heard about it.
The site caters to married people looking to have sex with other married people who are not their spouses. Its blatant promotion of adultery has stirred up a lot of controversy and hand-wringing over the state of marriage in America.
The most recent bout of notoriety came when a commercial for the site was banned from the NFL's official Super Bowl program (it aired in Texas). After Noel Biderman, president of Avid Life Media, a Toronto-based holding company that owns the site, erupted in high dudgeon that may or may not have been sincere, AshleyMadison.com scored even more publicity from media outlets reporting on the rejected ad. In the commercial, a woman is seen on a dinner date with an inattentive jerk who turns out to be her husband. As the spot closes with her eyeing another guy in the restaurant, the voiceover asks, "Isn't it time for AshleyMadison.com?"
This is par for the course for the site. Last July the company scandalized Times Square passersby with a billboard that declared "Life is short. Have an affair." After lots of free media outrage, the billboard was removed three days later. Also last year, Biderman hired a self-described "professional mistress" to be a spokesperson in the United Kingdom.
I've seen the site on any number of news outlets, usually accompanied by agonizing over big sociological questions.
Let's take a step back, shall we?
Cashing in on cheaters
Ashley Madison is hardly unique. It competes with other Web sites that do exactly the same thing, such as ADatefinder.com ("Meet Hot Married Women Now"), LonelyCheatingWives.com ("Date Lonely Housewives in Your Area"), and MarriedDateClub.com ("Meet the Hottest Married Ladies Now"). All are seeking to cash in on the ancient desire of some people to step out on their spouse. Beyond those sites, there's AdultFriendFinder.com, CraigsLists, and any number of chat rooms for wannabe cheaters.
To hear Biderman tell it, Ashley Madison's popularity proves masses of us are now willing to pay to commit adultery. There are 3.4 million profiles of people in the data base, he said, 72 percent of which are male, 28 percent female. Biderman claims the site is profitable, although Avid Life is a private company so there's no way of verifying subscriptions or profiles.
However AdultFriendFinder, a bigger, more famous site is losing audience and money — over $32 million in 2008, according to an SEC filing. "The number of unique users on our general audience social networking and personals websites has decreased and may continue to decrease," Friend Finder stated in its filing.
According to the Alexa Internet site rankings, traffic to Ashley Madison has grown, spiking around the time of the Super Bowl hubbub, which no doubt attracted a lot of curious people. Even so, it is only the 1,575th most popular Web site in the U.S., according to Alexa. Nobody but Biderman knows how many of those people actually become paying members of the site.
Not different, new or special
I signed up and found out you can buy 100 "credits" for $49, 500 credits for $149, or 1,000 credits for $249. The $249 package comes with a guarantee you will have an affair or your money back. You spend credits to send "gifts" to others or to open their collect missives to you.
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Regardless of how much money the site makes or how many people use it to commit adultery, Ashley Madison says nothing about our collective moral compass.
Alternative papers like The Village Voice, the highbrow New York Review of Books and city papers all over the country have run ads from married people seeking extracurricular lovers for two generations. Hollywood has made movies about infidelity since its beginning, even in those supposedly halcyon days of marital probity before the so-called late 1960s "sexual revolution" (see 1960's "The Apartment"). People have cheated since there has been marriage. Lancelot and Guinevere? Ashley Madison is just a cheap, kitschy, techy-sounding way to do it.
Video: Utah leads nation in online porn To Biderman, who also started the singles rating site HotOrNot.com, says is it's all strictly business. Blessed with that strain of amoral entrepreneurialism in which money-making opportunities must be seized, whether they be cigarettes, sex, or subprime mortgages, Biderman sees "people craving or seeking intimacy outside their relationships" as "a market segment."
Well, yeah. If you are the type of person who sees the world in terms of market segments, the long record of husbands and wives having extramarital affairs could qualify. And if you're worried about a paramour pulling a Glenn Close and sticking your pet rabbit in a pot, or blackmailing you, I suppose meeting another cheating spouse online and declaring the whole affair is supposed to be zipless may provide some comfort.
But it's not different, or new, or special. Biderman claims that his site is exposing a female need for women to escape bad marriages and to boost self-esteem. But this is 2009. None of his clients, as far as I can tell, live in South Waziristan or Saudi Arabia.
The comment about women's self-esteem made two female experts laugh out loud. Pepper Schwartz, a University of Washington sociology professor and author, who consults with the PerfectMatch.com dating service, and Kat Hertlein, a University of Nevada Las Vegas therapist and expert in technology and infidelity, dismissed the therapeutic value.
"Certainly offering sex gets you some appreciation from men," Schwartz said, graciously skipping any "well, duh!" sarcasm. "But most people want it on a deeper level. You're not going to get that there."
"That doesn't hold water for me," Hertlein said of Biderman's self-esteem argument. The fact people are fascinated by the topic, Hertlein said, just proves that when it comes to adultery the "intrigue and mystery of meeting online holds huge interest."
All that's happening is that some people are choosing to shift what has gone on for thousands of years to an online meeting place instead of a bar, or a convention, or the office.
"What I liked about meeting people online," sex blogger and author Regina Lynn said, "is that I can do it in the middle of the night. If I were to go to bar, I'd put on a bra and shoes!"
Brian Alexander is the author of the book "America Unzipped: In Search of Sex and Satisfaction," now in paperback.
© 2013 msnbc.com. Reprints


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And Montmorency, standing on his hind legs ... gave a short bark of decided concurrence ...Mr. Gilchrist finds it uproariously funny - possibly he made the joke himself. Pilkington, cigarette in hand and standing somewhat aloof from it all, is amused enough to crack a smile. Poor Old Joe has to contain his mirth for fear of losing the pipe clamped firmly between his teeth. We could make any number of guesses as to what they're laughing about but, more importantly, who the heck are they?Three Men in a Boat, Jerome K. Jerome
This photograph, simultaneously delightful and perplexing, has proved a conundrum for my father and I for many years. There is no doubt that it emanates from the family photo collection - that is to say my family from Derbyshire, England - but nobody recognises the subjects or the location, or has any idea of its early provenance or history. It's always nice to have annotations on a photograph, but in this case they raise more questions rather than providing answers. Neither Gilchrist nor Pilkington are names that I've ever come across in my family history research, and my father, when he was alive, said they meant nothing to him either. Joseph, the presumed proper name of "Poor Old Joe," is one that our family does not appear to have been very keen on. Among my ancestors I have plenty of Johns and Jans, a few James's, even a Jabez alive in the last century or so, but only one Joseph way back in the relative obscurity of the 1600s.
So ... what to do with a photograph such as this one? The easiest course of action would be to assume that they were just family friends, that it has no great significance, put it at the bottom of the orphan pile and forget about it. The trouble is, I've already done that, several times, and it has resurfaced once again, so I've decided to post it here and see if crowdsourcing will prove a better means of solving the mystery.
The black and white print (155 x 107 mm or 6" x 4") is triple-mounted (if that's the correct term to use) on a large piece of greenish-grey card measuring 254 x 200 mm (10" x 8"), and is rather hastily annotated in black ink on the front. There is nothing on the reverse
My father and I both convinced ourselves that the photograph was taken somewhere in southern Africa. It is not just the colonial whites and Panama hat worn by Poor Old Joe that have brought us to this conclusion. Having grown up in southern Africa, the verandah or stoep, partially closed in by wooden framework festooned with ivy and other creepers, and the particular style of stonework, possibly dressed sandstone, is very familiar. This 17 September 1962 shot of me on the verandah of our house, originally built in 1906 for the manager of Cecil John Rhodes' Inyanga estate Fruitfields, shows very similar stonework, albeit granite rather than sandstone, and I'll grant that it may have been a common building style of that era all over the world. There is not much to make out within the shadowy confines of the verandah, except perhaps the panels of an internal door (or panes of a window, or even a pair of notice boards) on the left.
Pilkington's square-cut jacket and straight-leg uniform trousers, starched white collar, peaked cap, single chevron on his cuffs, cap and collar badges, and even a chain with fob watch (or whistle) tucked hurriedly into a waistcoat pocket, are very much suggestive of those worn by railway porters or ticket collectors. This has reinforced our feeling that the building may be a railway station. The rather rough and uneven nature of the boulders forming the higgledy-piggledy border of what might generously be termed a "flower bed" in front if the building suggest that it is probably not situated within a major town.
Elands Falls between Waterval Boven & Waterval Onder
Mpumalanga, South Africa, 13 June 2008
Image © and courtesy of Hallam Payne
Where could it be? Prior to my father emigrating to what was then Southern Rhodesia in 1952, and apart from brief forays to the United States and Canada in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, the family had been pretty firmly fixed in the English Midlands. The only time that my father could recall Africa being mentioned in connection with any family, was that a family member had been in a place called Waterval Boven or Watervaal Onder. Perhaps it was the strange sounding name that caused it to stick in my father's memory - sadly the name of the person and other details such as when it happened did not. These two small towns are in the eastern Mpumalanga (formerly Transvaal) Province of South Africa, at the top and bottom, respectively, of a dramatic escarpment over which the Elands River cascades, forming a backdrop to what my brother describes as a spectacular rock climbing destination.
From the style of the mount and the clothes worn by the subjects, this photograph looks to me as though it was taken around the turn of the century - but prior to the First World War - give or take a few years, say between 1895 and 1910. The railway being constructed from Delagoa Bay to Pretoria, via Komatipoort, reached the foot of the escarpment in March 1894, and a rack railway and curving tunnel were built to take the track up the steep gradient. Waterval Boven is also celebrated as where President Paul Kruger lived briefly in 1900, before going into exile in Austria. Could this be a railway station at one of the two towns?
Cabinet card of the family of Joseph & Phoebe Benfield
by Eric Morley of Walsall, c.1897-1898
Image © and courtesy of Barbara Ellison
I have discovered, in the last few years of research, a family member who was in southern Africa at about this time, and his name was Joe! Joseph Benfield (1855-1900), otherwise known as Joe, was my grandfather Leslie Payne's first cousin, shown above with his wife Phoebe and their eleven children. The youngest child Ada, born on 25 June 1894, looks to me to be about three years old, which suggests a date of about 1897 or 1898 for the portrait. Joseph was, like his father, a blacksmith, his older sons all following him into various aspects of the family business in Walsall, Staffordshire, coincidentally the birth place of the author of the lines which adorn the head of this article.
Detail from Patent No. 463,474, 17 Nov 1891, J. Benfield, Horseshoe
Image © and courtesy of Google Books
Joe Benfield was, it seems, something of a dreamer as well as entrepreneur. He journeyed to New York in October 1894 and March 1895, giving his profession respectively as farrier and inventor, so presumably the trips related to the patents (463474, 541956 and 543976) that he registered for nail-less, soft-tread and other horseshoes between 1891 and 1895. In 1897 He sailed with his second son Thomas from London to the Cape. The two of them returned from Delagoa Bay, in Portuguese East Africa (later Lourenco Marques, now Maputo in Mozambique) on board the Pembroke Castle, arriving in London in April 1899, and describing themselves as smith and fitter respectively. What they did while they were out there is not clear, but I believe it likely that they worked on the railways, which were at the time undergoing a period of rapid expansion. Joseph subsequently went out a second time on his own. According to his grandson Bill Benfield, "Thomas was to follow his Dad on his second visit but Joseph died out there, so Thomas stayed home to help Phoebe bring up the children."
Rua Conselheiro Ennes, Beira, c.1905
Postcard published by The Rhodesia Trading Co. Ltd., Beira.
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
His death on 17 February 1900 at Beira, Mozambique was reported to the British Consulate in that town by Messrs. Pauling & Co. Ltd by letter two days later. The profession was shown as "fitter," but no cause of death was given. George Pauling was a railway contractor, responsible for the construction of many of the railways in Southern and Eastern Africa after 1895, and it seems almost certain that Joe Benfield was employed on the widening of the Beira-Umtali portion of the Beira-Mashonaland Railway from 2'6" to 3'6" gauge. A more detailed discussion of that aspect of the story must wait for another time.
Could "Poor Old Joe" be Joseph Benfield? Comparing photographs of the two (above) make it seem unlikely, but if not then who else might it be?
A couple of years ago my aunt in Derbyshire kindly let my brother and I scan her entire collection of old family photographs. Among these were two loose sepia paper prints (above and below) about which she knew absolutely nothing, rather tatty, but clearly amateur efforts with some writing on the back (images here and here).
This is our house. The bay windows belong to our living room with the alcove on the left making a cosy corner. The fireplace in the building seen is our bedroom once a billiard room on the right the trees line Noord St down which the trams run to the centre of town & Park Station is only accross [sic] the road. Meade took this from the furthest corner of the Garden. the front door is on the other side showing an old fountain.
Mr. Napper has been trying to persuade Bobbie to go on the horse but he says no he will go another time.A quick Google of "Noord Street" and "Park Station" shows that this address is right in the heart of what is modern day Johannesburg, South Africa, or as the residents might refer to it, "downtown Jo'burg." I vividly remember emerging from the Park Station to an very unfamiliar environment early one evening in the early 1980s. It was a daunting and potentially dangerous situation, from which I fortunately emerged completely unscathed, but very different to how it must have been some eighty years earlier, when I assume these photographs were taken, i.e. c.1900-1910.
Given that they appear to emanate from the same part of the world, and were taken around the same time as the "Poor Old Joe" photograph, I thought I'd compare the writing on the backs of these two photographs with the annotations on the front of the larger format mounted print.
The handwriting is similar, and while there are some differences, there is enough variation in the writing of individual letters in each cases to suggest that they might have been written by the same person. However, I've been unable to make up my mind conclusively whether or not they were.
Perhaps readers can have a look at these images, and the full images linked to above, and tell me what you think? I'm not familiar enough yet with South African family history resources to have found either maps of the central part of Johannesburg or city directories from that era, and while I look further I'd welcome any assistance or suggestions. If the names Gilchrist, Pilkington, Napper and Meade ring any bells with other South African researchers, I'd be very pleased to hear from you, either in the form of a comment below, or by email.


text:
December statistics released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program, confirm that 2010 was the best year ever for U.S. beef export value. A final total of $4.08 billion breaks the pre-BSE high from 2003 of $3.86 billion by more than 5 percent and exceeds the 2009 total by nearly $1 billion. Total volume was 2.35 billion pounds, an increase of 19 percent over 2009.
What a difference a year makes - a $1 billion jump in beef export value
The global economic downturn of 2009 was particularly hard on beef exports - not only for the United States, but for all exporting countries. But despite an overall drop in global demand, U.S. beef maintained or increased its market share in most key markets and was well-positioned for a rebound in 2010.
"We knew the groundwork was in place for an excellent recovery in 2010," says USMEF President and CEO Philip Seng. "But even the most optimistic forecasts underestimated the degree to which our beef exports would bounce back. Increasing beef export value by almost one-third, and nearly $1 billion, is a critical achievement for the U.S. beef industry and a substantial boost for U.S. producers."
Export value equated to $153.09 per head of fed slaughter, which is up 22 percent from 2009 and is 12 percent higher than in 2003. Nearly 12 percent of total beef production was exported, compared to less than 10 percent in 2009.
Mexico was the only major destination for U.S. beef to show a decline in 2010, and even that market is showing substantial improvement. For the year, beef exports to Mexico were down 15 percent in volume (545.9 million pounds) and 10 percent in value ($819.1 million). For the third consecutive month, December exports to Mexico exceeded their 2009 value - jumping by more than 15 percent to $83.6 million.
• Exports to Canada increased 7 percent in volume (337.7 million pounds) and 15 percent in value ($733.4 million - a new record) over 2009. Canada remains the No. 2 market for U.S. beef in both volume and value.
• Japan is the third-largest market for U.S. beef, but is gaining ground quickly in terms of value. In 2010, exports to Japan increased by 36 percent in both volume (274.6 million pounds) and value ($639.5 million).
• South Korea represents one of the great turnaround stories of 2010, with exports more than doubling in volume (248.6 million pounds) and climbing by 140 percent in value ($517.9 million).
• Exports to Russia also doubled in volume to almost 126.7 million pounds and nearly quadrupled in value to a record $152.4 million. The surge in value was due to a tremendous increase in muscle cut exports to Russia, which grew by more than 500 percent. But variety meat exports to Russia also performed well, increasing by 26 percent in volume and 90 percent in value.
• A similar scenario took place in the Middle East, where variety meat exports jumped by 19 percent in volume and 40 percent in value, but muscle cut exports rose by 87 percent and 113 percent, respectively. In total, exports to the region increased by 36 percent in volume (296.5 million pounds) and 77 percent in value ($261.2 million - a new record).
• Taiwan shattered its previous record for export value by more than 50 percent, reaching $216.3 million. The market has cooled substantially in January and February, however, due to market access restrictions.
• Despite a down year for Vietnam, the ASEAN region posted an export value record of $232.3 million, led by strong results in Indonesia and the Philippines.
• Exports to Hong Kong also set a value record of $158.2 million, an increase of 87 percent over 2009.
• In the first full-year of a duty-free quota in the European Union, exports increased substantially. Through November, high-quality beef exported under the quota totaled 23.4 million pounds valued at just under $100 million.
• U.S. beef exports also set new records in the Caribbean and Central-South America regions.
Complete export results for all markets are available online.
For more information about your beef checkoff investment in foreign marketing programs, visit MyBeefCheckoff.com.
Source: Western Farm Press
PA Center for Beef ExcellencePA Department of Agriculture2301 N Cameron St., Room 303, Harrisburg PA 17110
The PA Center for Beef Excellence, Inc is an equal opportunity provider.


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text:
As Luke's infancy overture comes to a close, he makes a transition to John and Jesus' ministry through a single incident from Jesus' adolescence (L. T. Johnson 1991:60). This is the only such incident in the Gospels, though the extrabiblical gospels do include such accounts (Infancy Gospel of Thomas 19:1-5). After the host of witnesses to Jesus in Luke 1:5--2:40, Jesus now speaks for himself for the first time. This is the literary climax of Luke's initial section and shows the sense of mission and self-awareness Jesus possesses. Jesus has a unique relationship to God and a clear sense of his calling, one that transcends his relationship to his earthly parents. That this event, though strictly speaking not an infancy account, belongs in this initial literary division of Luke is indicated by the fact that it takes place in the temple, which is where the section started in Luke 1:5. In addition, the note on Jesus' growth parallels the close of the discussion of John the Baptist in Luke 1:80.
The events leading to Jesus' exchange with his parents begin with their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The parents of Jesus were devout Jews. The Old Testament commanded such a trip for three festivals a year (Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles; Ex 23:14-17; 34:22-23; Deut 16:16). But by the first century, God-fearing Jews made only one journey a year because of the distances involved (Josephus on Passover--Life 345-54; Antiquities 17.9.3 213-14; Jewish Wars 2.1.3 10-12; 2.14.3 280; Brown 1977:472). The Passover was the major feast celebrated at the beginning of the Jewish year, Nisan 15, which falls in our month of March or April (Fitzmyer 1981:339-40). Only men were required to make the journey, so Mary's presence shows her commitment (Preisker 1964:373). Jerusalem was eighty miles from Nazareth, so the trip would take three days. Though some have argued that women and children traveled separately from the men as a way to explain how Jesus got lost, there is no ancient text that describes this practice.
Jesus is twelve years old. If the Mishna is relevant to the first-century Jewish practice, which is likely in this case, then religious instruction would have become more intense for Jesus upon his reaching twelve (m. Niddah 5:6; m. Megilla 4:6; m. `Abot 5:12). The custom of bar mitzvah for a thirteen-year-old Jewish boy was not in place at this time (Fitzmyer 1981:440).
After the seven days of celebration, Jesus' family returns home. The text does not say why his parents fail to make sure that he was present in the caravan. Perhaps, as verse 44 suggests, they assume he is with friends or relatives. In any case, on the first evening of their homeward journey they notice that he is missing. Jesus has stayed behind in Jerusalem, so Joseph and Mary turn back to find him.
Apparently after one day's journey back to Jerusalem and a day looking for Jesus, it is on the third day that Joseph and Mary discover him at the temple, listening to and asking questions of the teachers. The exact location of the incident within the temple is unstated, but Jesus' discussion with the officials leaves those who listen amazed at his understanding and his answers. At the tender age of twelve, Jesus already shows signs of possessing great wisdom. Clearly Luke wants the reader to develop a sense of respect for this amazing, blessed child.
When the parents finally find him, Mary steps forward to address the young Jesus in a way that both parents and children can appreciate. She expresses concern about the anxiety Jesus has caused by remaining at the temple.
The mild parental complaint leads to Jesus' self-declaration of mission. With the reply appears the first of many dei ("it is necessary") statements in Luke (4:43; 9:22; 13:33; 17:25; 19:5; 22:37; 24:7, 26, 44). The key phase in verse 49 is elliptical, making its meaning disputed. The statement reads, "I must be in the . . . of my Father" (the NIV renders this I had to be . . . ). Two views are popular: (1) I must be about my Father's affairs (L. T. Johnson 1991:61); (2) I must be in the house of my Father (Stein 1992:123; NIV). The second view also means that Jesus must be engaged in teaching God's ways, since for Luke the temple is a place where Jesus instructs (20:1--21:4). Greek idiom supports this second view.
Jesus' parents--and Luke's readers--need to appreciate that Jesus understood his mission. From the very beginning he is reflecting on the will of God. He starts revealing himself right in the center of Judaism's religious capital.
But there is a second key detail. Jesus refers to God as his Father. This alludes to the sense of family relationship and intimacy Jesus has with his heavenly Father (10:21-22). Such closeness to God not only is something Jesus' parents need to appreciate but also is a point the disciples will struggle to grasp (9:59-62; 14:26; Mk 10:29-30). In fact, Luke makes this the first note in a series of revelations that will build the case for who Jesus is. The infancy material stresses Jesus as Messiah, but this text is one of two hints early in Luke's Gospel that he is also much more. Luke reveals Jesus' identity gradually, bringing the reader along in an understanding of who Jesus is. So this first clue comes from Jesus himself. The other major clue comes in the infancy section, where Jesus' divine origin is tied to the Spirit (1:31-35).
Jesus is breaking new ground with his parents here, and they need to understand who he is, just as Luke's readers do. The text makes it clear that at the time they still did not understand what he was saying to them. But Mary treasured (or pondered) all these things in her heart, an appropriate response to Jesus' somewhat enigmatic remarks. Mary does what Luke wants his readers to do as well. It is good to pause and contemplate who Jesus is and the mission he performs. Even two thousand years of history does not do away with the need for such reflection.
Obedient to his parents, Jesus goes home with them to Nazareth. While there he grows in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men (Lk 1:80; 2:40). There he awaits God's timing to begin the ministry associated with God's house. In the meantime he shows respect for his parents through his obedience, a model for us in a world where teenage rebellion is all too common.
Previous commentary:
The Witness of a Man and Woman at the Temple
About this commentary:
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text:
Kerti Moses and his wife Endang had one of the biggest homes I had seen in almost fifty visits to DINARI Foundation's clients. The exposed concrete foundation elevated the house above the nearby dwelling of one of the couple's workers. The entire floor was covered in big ceramic tiles printed like green marble, and the white walls still had a lingering freshness in parts. Inside was a big room with high exposed rafters and smaller bedrooms adjoining it. The main room was empty save for a table in one corner and a TV against the far wall. Behind this wall was a dim hallway with a narrow kitchen at one end and a bathroom at the other with a curtain for privacy. I was surprised to find that it had a Western-style toilet and furthermore that it flushed.
The windows to the main room did not provide much light, leaving it cool and dark. We spent most of the afternoon sitting on the long patio outside, overlooking the yard where hens bobbed and clucked and roosters made insistent pronouncements. The couple had lived in that yard when they first moved to the village of Bunutan, in a hut made from bamboo walls and a thatched-grass roof.
I had first met Kerti Moses and Endang a few days before in the Foundation's office. Ardi, a supervisor for DINARI's loan officers, had asked me if I wanted to interview one of his clients.
"They are fishermen from East Bali," he said. "Perhaps we go there someday, on a weekend, he takes us fishing." Ardi had a way of raising one eyebrow when he spoke that made his faint smile mischievous.
I expected to encounter leathery skin and sinewy arms, weather-beaten faces expressing simple wisdom from years hauling fish from the sea. Instead, the couple looked like the proprietors of a bed-and-breakfast. They were short and squat, their skin was smooth, and their shirts looked fresh. Kerti Moses was thirty-nine years old and Endang was forty.
Most borrowers reacted to me with amused bewilderment, but Kerti Moses and his wife stayed still and composed in their seats as I bounded down the stairs. Kerti Moses kept a serious countenance while I told him about my role interviewing clients for Kiva. His face was distinguished, almost handsome. Both he and his wife understood English, but Endang had a better command of the language and did most of the talking. When I introduced myself, her mouth was closed in a slight frown, but her words came out like a warm soft breeze when she spoke.
"This is first time I heard about joint business between DINARI and Kiva. I am happy for this."
I learned that Kerti Moses was a fisherman without a boat. He fished every morning and afternoon, borrowing another man's vessel and splitting the day's catch. He was in the process of building two of his own boats and was seeking a loan of Rp. 27 million (roughly $2,700) to outfit them: Rp. 18 million for two motors, Rp. 4 million for each net, and a Rp. 1 million cushion.
The couple's story intrigued me as we spoke. In one of my sporadic attempts to learn Indonesian, I had received a very helpful explanation of the word sari from Ferdinand, DINARI's Kiva representative. The word in turns meant juice, nectar, pollen and essence. If you asked someone for the sari of their statement, it was a polite way of asking to get to the point. It signified the most important part of the noun to which it referred.
Most of my interviews with DINARI's clients lasted about ten minutes, enough time perhaps to take an x-ray of their lives but not enough to really understand them. I wanted to spend time with Kerti Moses and Endang in their home in Karangasem Province, and I wanted to videotape them for Kiva's media department. I hoped that by spending the day with the couple, their sari would be laid bare for me. We set a date for Saturday.
"Bunutan, it is not like this," Ardi said as he pointed out the car window toward the lush dense vegetation. We had left the new coastal highway and turned north, and the road wound over several hills. In the valleys below sat the silver rectangular pools of rice paddies.
"By Kerti Moses, it is very dry."
As we made our way down the last pass, it looked like the moisture had been sucked out of both land and sky. A few wispy clouds hung in the air, and corn had replaced rice in the grayish brown soil. The hillsides in the distance were covered with a thin dry scrub.
We drove along what was now the eastern coast, and Ardi pointed out men shuffle-stepping on raised wooden vats, breaking apart the salt produced in the region. I was disappointed to see a number of signs in English advertising hotel vacancies and villas to rent. I had wanted this authentic Bali all to myself.
Kerti Moses met us on his motorbike, and Ardi navigated the car across a dry riverbed. We parked, and Kerti Moses led us to his house where Endang greeted us and I met two of their boys. The couple, I learned, had seven children, three "original" and four adopted from the village.
Endang cautioned us to avoid the droppings one of the chickens had deposited on the tiles. She quickly scooped up the waste with a paper towel, and Ardi picked out a clean spot to lie down and nap while I stretched out my legs.
As I sat with the couple, two children came up the steps dressed in school uniforms, white shirts and maroon ties and shorts. I thought they might belong to the Kerti Moses clan, but they left after Endang gave them pink pills and soda to swallow them.
"We give the children in the village medicine," she said. It was part of the couple's Christian ministry work. Endang also taught English classes twice a week, and the couple distributed their well water free of charge. Before they built their well, they had collected rainwater.
For lunch, Endang cooked the customary nasi campur, steamed white rice with meat and vegetable dishes. There was also platter of grilled whole "small tuna," which Kerti Moses had caught that morning. They looked delectable but were quite dry.
After eating, Kerti Moses took me along a short path that bordered his field. In addition to fishing, he also farmed, and he pointed out the big leaves sprouting from his sweet potato plants and plucked a massive orange-yellow papaya from one of the trees. Further along were old sties where Kerti Moses had raised and sold pigs with his first loan from DINARI, and beyond was a small shed where he stored vegetables and bags of rice. It looked like a pigmy hut, and it was the original house and Endang had built when they moved to the village. They lived there for over a year, gradually constructing their present home when they could save enough to buy materials. They transplanted the hut after their new home was ready.
Kerti Moses was originally from Bunutan, but it had taken him sixteen tumultuous years to return. In 1989, while he was still a teenager, he was sentenced to serve nineteen years in prison.
"I was fighting my friend," Kerti Moses told me. "My friend died."
He said those three words impassively. I imagined he had repeated them countless times in the past twenty years. I wondered if their significance had gradually eroded, or if the words affected him deeply, on a level I could not see or feel. I did not have the courage to ask.
It was in prison that Kerti Moses met his future wife. Endang was a social worker helping to fulfill inmates' requests, often seeking permission for family visits. Many of the prisoners were Australian, and she worked with an Australian pastor who befriended Kerti Moses. When Endang first met her future husband, she didn't realize he was a prisoner.
"He was handsome and very clean," she said. "My heart touched his heart." He gave her a Kuala bear doll.
It was also in prison that Kerti Moses became a Christian. He came from a Hindu family, but he said that he had known nothing about his past religion. When the Australian pastor told him about Jesus Christ, Kerti Moses told me he believed. When he prayed, his prayers were answered. After serving just three and a half years, he was released from prison.
Kerti Moses and Endang married soon after and moved to Bali's capital city of Denpasar. Kerti Moses began making woodcarvings that resembled antiques, and his business took off. He eventually had fifteen workers and owned two art shops in the tourist area of Kuta.
He made a hand gesture like a kamikaze airplane to demonstrate how the 2002 bombing devastated his business. He and Endang couldn't pay their bills or the employees' wages, and they were forced to sell their motorbike and home.
"We were bankrupt," Endang said, shaking her head.
They stayed outside a friend's house and tried to earn money as construction workers, but it was very difficult. One of Endang's children was just a baby at the time. Endang asked her husband to move back to his village. He resisted, since she came from Jakarta and had no farming experience. But she persisted, and in 2005,after the second bombing, they moved.
Two years ago, they met some of DINARI's staff doing ministry work in Bunutan. The couple took out their first loan of Rp. 5 million to buy pigs. The venture proved unsuccessful because the pig feed, made from rice husks, was very expensive. A year later, Kerti Moses decided to start raising cattle. With the deed from their land as collateral, he and Endang took out a Rp. 10 million loan from DINARI and bought three cows.
"After the cows," Endang said, smiling and sweeping her hands upward, "Everything is changing."
They bought each cow for between Rp. 3-4 million, kept the animals for a year, and then sold them at a market for between Rp. 5-6 million. According to Kerti Moses, the predominantly Hindu people in East Bali "eat everything," including beef. The costs to raise the animals were low, since the cows ate the grass that grew on the land and never got sick. The couple's house took shape, they were able to finance the purchase of a motorbike, and they developed their ministry. I wanted to see the cows, but they were in the hills.
The couple now has five cows, which provide a monthly income of Rp. 1.5 million ($150). This seemed quite modest to me, given the couple's large family and their active ministry. A rubbish collector I had interviewed in Denpasar earned the same amount and was hardly thriving. But the couple supplements their income selling crops, fish, and the occasional rooster for cockfighting, and Endang told me that school costs were much lower in Bunutan than in Denpasar. Still, Kerti Moses told me he hoped to have enough cows to double his income.
At two o'clock, village children started arriving for their English class. Endang had told me she dreamed of opening a free school for the children, and she seemed like a natural teacher, even though her own education stopped when she turned twelve. The children called her "Mama Endang," and she had an energetic, no-nonsense authority that spurred the children on through rounds of the alphabet and Christian songs. Kerti Moses watched on attentively.
I thanked the couple and told them that Ardi and I should be heading back. I was anticipating a hug from Endang, but she politely shook my hand and quickly returned to the class.
Kerti Moses offered to show us one of his boats before we left. We parked the car on a hillside overlooking the ocean and walked down a steep path through the brush to a stony beach. Kerti Moses' boat had a long narrow hull, made of a single tree taken from his property. There were runners on both sides for balance, making the vessel resemble a waterbug. He showed me some secondhand motors under a lean-to that had Pinocchio-nose shafts leading to the propellers. Kerti Moses intended to buy new motors with his loan.
I thanked him again for his time, and he shook my hand briskly with a faint smile and took off on his motorbike before Ardi had started the car.
On the way back, I felt drained from the long day, dehydrated but also dissatisfied. The roosters had wreaked havoc on the audio of my recording, and Kerti Moses had been a difficult subject to interview on film. He fidgeted, slumped out of view of the camera, yawned while his wife spoke and sprung from his chair to answer phone calls and shoo away the chickens. But it was more than that. I was admittedly, guiltily drawn to their suffering, to Kerti Moses' prison experience, his involvement in his friend's death, Endang's having to cook outside a friend's house in the grime of Denpasar. It was not simply Schadenfreude, a morbid fascination with the couple's past misery. To understand them now, I thought I needed to know what life had been like before. But they had given me only fleeting glimpses of their past struggles, articulated matter-of-factly.
Endang had told me that they were happy, that they loved their village and their work. Kerti Moses seemed far too industrious to spend much time dwelling on the past. Perhaps, as I found myself searching for the sari of my own experience in Bali, he had borrowed a boat and gone fishing.
A Parting Thought'
As always, I would love to hear any thoughts, comments, or suggestions. I hope you check back in about two weeks, and in the meantime I encourage you to check out new loans from the DINARI Foundation: http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&partner_id=82&status=fundRaising&sortBy=New+to+Old&_tpg=fb/>


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National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC)
|Saran Twombly
|(703) 292-8133
The National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) is an NSF-funded center in Annapolis, Maryland. The center is established through an award to the University of Maryland at College Park. It represents a collaborative effort between the University of Michigan; University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS); Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ (Germany); Environment for Development Initiative (EfD) at the University of Gothenburg (Sweden); Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies; Gallaudet University; Washington State University at Vancouver; and Coppin State University.
SESYNC is dedicated to serving the synthesis research community and is grounded in the philosophy that to solve today's environmental problems, natural and social scientists must work with policy-makers to identify priorities and co-develop research questions. Addressing these questions requires a combination of fundamental, discovery-driven synthesis research and a commitment to clear communication of scientific insights to decision makers and stakeholders. The Center plans to set up an online collaborative environment whose purpose is to foster community-wide suggestions, discussions, and development of ideas for the Center's future research, education, and outreach activities. The Center strives to engage the broad community to guide all of its activities. It will also support the community in developing novel approaches for overcoming the epistemological, pedagogical, and institutional hurdles to conducting synthetic socio-environmental research. SESYNC is dedicated to creating synthetic, actionable research and scholarship related to the structure, functioning, and sustainability of socio-environmental systems. In partnership with Resources for the Future, SESYNC will work with policy-makers to understand their scientific needs and motivate scholarship to meet those needs. SESYNC will support structured policy programs including "Mission Meetings" where scientists and policy-makers co-identify relevant research needs and ways to ensure that the products of fundamental discovery are linked appropriately to productive interactions between social and environmental scientists and policy professionals at all levels. Education and outreach research and activities will be embedded throughout the Center's programs to expand capacity in socio-environmental synthesis. In its first year, SESYNC will launch a founding program focused on teaching synthesis methods and strategies for the analysis of complex information on the environment to diverse educational communities, with a focus on undergraduate education.
Directorate for Biological Sciences Centers and Research Infrastructure


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I've forgotten how Leia's helmet is in a completely separate bubble. I wonder why Kenner did that. Very pretty cards.
I gotta say I'm looking forward to the group shot at the end of this.
Must refrain from more jokes...Leia [...]remains unpunched, but does have some scuffing, mostly around the punch tab.
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Eichholtz Station Clock
Information: Antique brass finish | brown finish.
Information: Nickel finish | black finish
Eichholtz is a business-to-business wholesaler of luxury furniture, lighting and ACCESSORI with a unique design. We aim to continuously inspire the interior design industry with our extensive collections.
For further information on the clock, checking availability and price, contact us using the form on the right side of this page or write to [email protected]
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In this new column, each week Dave Finch will review one of the DVDs that arrive on the shelves of Phnom Penh's Russian Market at around the time they hit the big screens in the USA.
If you like the title you'll love it and if you think it sounds absurd and silly you will hate it – it's as simple as that. There probably isn't much room in the middle here.
Lovers of B movie monster flicks like Critters and Gremlins will eat up every overdone minute as will fans of spoofs like Airplane and Naked Gun. 'Serious' movie fans and those who look for depth and meaning in their films should look elsewhere.
No, this is not sophisticated cinema. Yes it's a ridiculous concept and story but director David Ellis has created a very stylish slick movie with some seriously clever action sequences and a frenzied pace that makes for a very entertaining comedy thriller.
The story is simple, a gangland murder witness Sean Jones (Nathan Phillips) is being escorted to Los Angeles by FBI agent Neville Flynn (Samuel Jackson) when assassins release snakes in the cargo hold in an attempt to bring down the plane.
And boy there are snakes – hundreds of them – snakes in the drinks cart, snakes in the puke bags, snakes in the luggage compartments, snakes in the cockpit. If you can hide a snake in it they put one there. Of course, it falls to Flynn to fight off the venomous reptiles and save the plane and passengers.
Clever casting and a colorful variety of characters put some much needed depth into what would otherwise be an overly shallow plot. There is Three Gs, (Flex Alexander), a rap singer with a Howard Hughes type of germ obsession, Mercedes, Rachel Blanchard) a girly sweet passenger with her tiny dog, Troy (Kenan Thompson) one of Three Gs bodyguards and of course, FBI agent Flynn (Jackson ) who delivers some memorable set pieces as only he can , including the now famous line, ' I've had it with these motherf*cking snakes on this motherf*cking plane.'
Giving a nod to 1970s disaster movies 'Snakes on a Plane' also includes a tarty stewardess, a gay flight attendant and a macho sexist pilot as well as many other tongue in cheek nods to past B movies like Tremors and Slither.
Unlike many films of this Genre, 'Snakes on a Plane' has no pretensions and yet despite its silliness, this movie is well made and very well acted. Jackson's performance is excellent and the absurdity is well focused and deliberate. From the original outlandish premise to the campy characters to the over the top dialogue, this is a movie that consciously and deliberately sets out to wear its silliness firmly on its sleeve. The result is a very funny; very watch able, very entertaining 105 minutes.
Dave Finch


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He F*cked Up: Webbie Wildin Out In The Studio! "I Dont Even Go To No More BET Awards" (Right Before He Got Banned From 106 & Park)
"Webbie walks into DJ Aye Bay Bay studio talking crazy "No more BET Awards, I don't need to do that shit..I got a fucked up mind" " Shout out @iCEOstatus
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In expectation of being driven inside by the cold new england winter... does anyone have suggestions for mini indoor crops? Something easy that will happily grow and produce near a window? I'd love to have some homegrown edibles through the season..
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Try some greens!! Then we can have a big salad. I think I am going to have to give up on my tomatoes soon, I didn't pollinate them properly :( Or maybe a couple of carrot seeds in a deep pot???
Lifehacker has an interesting article today that you might find useful: http://lifehacker.com/5398310/turn-a-sunny-window-into-a-hydroponic...
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Kushinagar, Kusinagar or Kusinara is a town and a nagar panchayat in the Kushinagar district , located around NH-28 and is 52 km east of Gorakhpur city.
It is an important Buddhist pilgrimage site, where Buddhists believe Gautama Buddha attained Parinirvana after his death. Outside India, it is an International Buddhist Pilgrimage Centre. The followers of Buddhism, especially from Asian Countries, wish to visit this place at least once in their lifetime.
According to one theory, Kushwati was capital of Kosala Kingdom and it was built by King Kush, son of Rama, protagonist of the epic Ramayana. While according to Buddhist tradition Kushawati was named prior to the king Kush. The naming of Kushwati is believed to be due to abundance of Kush grass found in this region
The present Kushinagar is identified with Kushawati(in pre-Buddha period) and Kushinara(in Buddha period). Kushinara was the capital of Mallas which was one of the sixteen mahajanpads of the 6th Century B.C. Since then, it remained an integral part of the erstwhile empires .
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Movies We Like
Kramer vs. Kramer
The amazing early part of Dustin Hoffman's career was filled with so many showy roles - Midnight Cowboy, Lenny, Strawdogs, and Little Big Man - but he ended the 1970s with perhaps the best performance of his career in Kramer vs. Kramer. This little film actually beat Apocalypse Now for the Best Picture Oscar. Which film you prefer may be debatable, but what isn't is that Kramer vs. Kramer is more than a little film. Robert Benton (co-writer of Bonnie and Clyde) took a simple little story of a career man learning about domestic responsibility and gave it a wallop of emotion that has helped it last the test of time.
Hoffman plays Ted Kramer, a New York ad-man married to Joanna (Meryl Streep) with a little boy, Billy (Justin Henry). One night after securing an important new account he comes home to find Joanna all packed and heading out the door. She leaves him...and Billy. Father and son have to learn to coexist - the usually selfish Ted has to learn to become a caretaker to his son and Billy has to get used to living without a mum. At first Ted doesn't even know what grade his son is in and is forced to do what were then considered feminine chores like picking his son up at birthday parties and grocery shopping. But he learns to be a father and he and Billy build a special bond. Hoffman's Ted obviously has a strong character arc and with the help of his single mother neighbor, Margaret (Jane Alexander), he develops a nurturing side to his tightly wound personality. This, of course, leads to his losing his job and, worse, after finding herself out in California, the icy Joanna eventually returns and fights to regain custody of Billy (hence the "vs." in the title).
Hoffman would follow Kramer vs. Kramer with the near perfect comedy, Tootsie (what a one-two punch). Both films would shine a light on the world women endured and men rarely acknowledged. Both films were about kinda-insensitive near-louts who come to terms with their feminine side. Kramer vs. Kramer might sound trite now, but it was actually revolutionary in '79. This wasn't The Brady Bunch when Mike and Carol switched household chores and comedy ensued. This husband and wife are a pair of deeply complicated personalities. Streep's Joanna may have seemed slightly villainous at the time, but she was a woman unhappy with her role as housewife and full of secret career ambition, something more women can relate to today. In retrospect, both sides of the fight are treated pretty evenly, though obviously the emotional scales are weighed in Hoffman's favor because he is the one who gets to grow on screen, But perhaps back in '79, as more woman were joining the work force, many women might have secretly admired Joanna for wanting more out of life than just being Mrs. Ted Kramer.
Meryl Streep would win an Oscar for her work, coming directly off her supporting roles in The Deer Hunter and Manhattan; it was a great start to her reign as the best actress of her generation. Hoffman would also win a well-deserved Oscar and then, almost ten years later, he would win again for his one-note performance in Rain Man. But unfortunately, with the exception of his clever performance in Wag The Dog, he would never have another lead role in a significant film (like many of the greats of his generation - De Niro, Pacino, etc. - he seems to have lost much of that old magic).
The Oscar sweep would spread all around the Kramer vs. Kramer team. Robert Benton would win two for writing and directing and, like Hoffman, it would prove to be the peak of his career. Other than the Sally Field tear fest, Places Of The Heart, the next dozen films Benton would direct would be mostly forgettable.
Compared to the more excessive work by 1970s "it" directors like Scorsese, Coppola, Ashby or Altman, Kramer vs. Kramer is rarely cited in articles and documentaries about the decade. But it is really, in its quiet way, one of the best films of its day. It feels so rare today that a nice little actor-driven domestic drama could have the cultural impact that Kramer vs. Kramer had. It's also fascinating as a moment in time for two great actors - Hoffman finishing up his great ride, while Streep was just beginning hers.
Kramer vs. Kramer won five Oscars: Best Actor (Hoffman), Best Supporting Actress (Streep), Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It was nominated for an additional four Oscars: Best Supporting Actor (Henry), Best Supporting Actress (Alexander), Best Cinematography, and Best Editing.


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Any chance we can do this?
Marvel is Owned by Disney and already has had shows, movies, Toys, Comics, Licensed Products, Disney Parks Representation Disney Infinity representation and more and deserves its own set of Subforums. It could be called More Marvel Awesomeness and could be organized like Disney's subforums. The Subforums could be called Marvel Art, Marvel Comics and Books, Marvel Games, Marvel Movies and Television & Marvel Music. If this could be done, It would be greatly appreciated.
P.S for the Marvel Movies and Television section for the Cinematic Live action movies and Shows , can we Restrict those to the MCU?


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Topics covered include handling quarterly and daily issues, omitting or combining issues, special issues, irregular and custom patterns, supplements, indexes, routing, extrapolating and archiving cards, and cleaning up holdings. There will also be a brief introduction to binding and claiming.
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This event is sponsored by PrairieCat.Event listed by: Reaching Across Illinois Library System
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The final days: Buddy Hackett's last interview
By some quirk of fate, my girlfriend and I were two of the last people to speak to actor/comedian Buddy Hackett. At the age of 78, Hackett died June 30, five days after I interviewed him.
Hackett's facial contortions, portly build, bulbous nose, and outlandish voice had been seen and heard in films for nearly five decades, ranging from The Music Man (1962) to The Little Mermaid (1989). He was a Las Vegas and TV comedy staple whose Borscht-Belt antics either thrilled or tremendously annoyed the public. In the late 1970s, he was a frequent guest on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show.
I wanted to talk to Hackett for my forthcoming biography of filmmaker George Pal, who directed Hackett in The Wonderful World of The Brothers Grimm (1962) in which Hackett plays Hans, a heroic squire in the film's "Singing Bone" segment. Paired with a craven knight, he sets off to slay one of the cinema's most charming dragons.
Hackett profoundly startled my girlfriend when he phoned us one recent Saturday. He grilled her about the book, and, yes, he really did talk like that. After inquiring about my age, which is 24, he asked her, "Shouldn't you be dating a man?"
Apropos of very little, he lamented, "If you put together all the money I made on my movies put together, it wouldn't add up to what I made in Vegas in a week."
He began our first conversation, "What's on your mind, child?" He seemed grouchy, and stated outright that he remembered little about Brothers Grimm. Despite this caveat, he wasn't stingy with anecdotes when it came time for the actual interview. When I had tried to schedule it, he told me, "I don't know what I do, see? I don't make plans. I'm at a time in life when I do whatever strikes me... I won't sit home and wait for a phone call if I wake up in the morning and just decide to go off in the woods or something."
During the interview, I told him I'd send him a copy of the published book. His reply: "I'm not worried about that. I may not live that long. At this point in life, I'm interested in having a bowel movement."
In spite of his cantankerousness, he made my week by serenading me over the phone with "D-R-A-G-O-N," the song that he and Terry-Thomas sang together 42 years ago in Brothers Grimm.
The eeriest thing about Hackett was his persistent focus on his mortality. While talking to my girlfriend about Brothers Grimm, he said, "Everybody from that movie has died" (which is nearly true). During my first of two conversations with Hackett, he said something very similar about Anthony Mann's God's Little Acre (1958): "The only people left alive from that movie are me and Tina Louise."
Then there was his answering machine's message: "If you are one of my friends who is still alive, please leave me a message. If you are not," and then he sang, "I'll be seeing you..."
Requiescat en pace, Buddy.