text:
CTS Home
Give to CTS
Maps & Directions
Contact Us
The Center
In the news
Faith communities in high relief
Models of the church and social media
X-Reality and the Incarnation
New media: A savior for the digital age
Practicing virtue with social media
How media changes American culture and religion
Why think about using social media
How to use social media well
When to be cautious and concerned
How to know if what you are doing is working
Case Studies
Abilene Christian University
Full report
Community of Hope AME Church
Full report
Countryside Community Church UCC
Full report
House for All Sinners and Saints
Full report
Quest Church
Full report
The Young Clergy Women Project
Full report
Downloadable resources
Blog series for education
Clergy networks
Associated Church Press Survey
Social media use among young clergy persons
Books and articles
Social media use research
Recent writings
Digital Church conference video
The Discipleship Project
Academy of Preaching and Celebration
Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs
First Season Project
Center Home
New Media Project
Changes and chances in online community
Changes and chances in online community
Posted Sep 09, 2011 |
New Media Project
By Susie Shaefer, guest blogger
Around the world, as the day ends, Episcopalians and others in the Anglican Communion pray the evening service of Compline and read this prayer:
Be present, O merciful God, and protect us through the hours
of this night, so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this life may rest in your eternal changelessness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
It seems that we have been praying about the changes and chances of life for centuries. The speed of changes online have made this prayer ever more fervent for us, the members and leaders of
The Young Clergy Women Project
From our beginnings in 2006, The Young Clergy Women Project (TYCWP) has existed to connect the youngest ordained women together. We started with conversations on a password-protected blog, back when blogging was the Thing. As blogging slipped in popularity, we moved our community to Ning, a social networking site that allows for forums, groups and chats. When Ning became financially out of reach for our network, we turned to our Facebook group—which became a Facebook page—and then a group all over again.
The changes and chances of Internet technology have made us a nomadic community. Perhaps that is fitting for those of us living somewhere between young adulthood and just adulthood, in these early years of ministry when positions and families and geography can change so rapidly. The project has built its online home—which is really our only home—bit by bit, page by page, adding what we need when we need it.
Vocational skill sets are well-served by this method of growing and adding over time. Homes are often best decorated when they are a collection of personality and utility that develop slowly, so that each room's form and function line up neatly. Websites built in such a way are less streamlined—more like a clunky collage than a work of art.
Changes and chances are, however, part of the gracious creation. As God works through the organic messiness of our lives, so God has also been present in the twists and turns taken by The Young Clergy Women Project. At five years old, and now over 600 members strong, it is time for us to find a place of rest. The grant from the New Media Project at Union Theological Seminary will allow us to rework our online home so that we can do what we were created to do: to help other young clergy women know that no matter how much our denominations, geography, families or technology may differ—they are not the only one.
The Compline prayer expresses belief in a God of stability. As our participation in the New Media Project gifts us with the opportunity of a more stable dwelling place, TYCWP gets to dream about what that means. Will we own our own online home and not have to rely on whatever is cheap, free or trendy? Maybe it will make us territorial. Maybe it will make us more stable. Maybe it will make us more institutionalized. Maybe it will make us more flexible. Just as the Church is still struggling with what brick and mortar buildings mean amid the changes and chances of this life, we are building our virtual home and are grateful for assistance and partnership in this work.
Susie Shaefer is a priest in the Episcopal Church, a stay-at-home mom, and served for the last year as the co-chair of
The Young Clergy Women Project
, one of the
case studies
of the New Media Project.
New Media Project
is a research project helping religious leaders become theologically savvy about technology. To request permission to repost this content, please contact
Your name
Click to add
Click to add
Click to add
RadEditor hidden textarea
Type the code from the image
Join Us
(Program Newsletters)
to CTS
Blog Archive
2017 (3)
March (1)
New media materials
February (1)
Divided presence
January (1)
The selfie, pt. II: Digital presence
2016 (6)
November (1)
The selfie, pt. I: What is it, really?
October (1)
On the relationship between religion and technology: Quarrelling with Yuval Harari
September (1)
Sharing the gospel and new media: Preach the gospel, and if necessary, use new media
May (1)
Sharing the gospel and new media: Encountering the good news in your newsfeed
April (1)
Sharing the gospel and new media: #freethegospel
January (1)
Sharing the gospel and new media: Prosperity posting
2015 (2)
December (1)
Sharing the gospel and new media: "Who does your use of new media say that I am?"
November (1)
Sharing the gospel and new media: Series introduction
2014 (20)
October (1)
Social media beyond Facebook and Twitter
September (3)
Community formation and social media: Resources
Community formation and social media: Nurturing one another online
Community formation and social media: Four principles for nurturing community
August (2)
Community formation and social media: Online altar rails
Community formation and social media: The "little way" to healing
July (2)
Community formation and social media: Conflict as a place to practice and perfect love
Community formation and social media: Moderating conflict in an online community
June (2)
Community formation and social media: Community beyond statistics
Community formation and social media: The blessing of fluidity
May (2)
Community formation and social media: Embracing the awkward
Community formation and social media: People show up for content and stay for relationships
April (3)
Community formation and social media: Series introduction
New Media Project announces changes for next phase
The digital cathedral: Shifting institutions to networks
March (2)
The digital cathedral: Visual and immersive faith formation
The digital cathedral: Coffeehouses as social media? Pubs as sacred space?
February (2)
The digital cathedral: Doctor Who as a model for digitally integrated ministry?
The digital cathedral: Networked ministry in a wireless world
January (1)
What's up with the New Media Project in 2014?
2013 (38)
September (4)
Social justice and social media: Resources
Social justice and social media: A Roman Catholic perspective
Social justice and social media: #SocialJustice: Like us on Facebook
Social justice and social media: An Anabaptist perspective
August (3)
Social justice and social media: A Disciples perspective
Social justice and social media: If #BlackTwitter went to church
Social justice and social media: Series introduction
July (5)
Youth ministry and social media: Resources
Youth ministry and social media: Healthy boundaries
Youth ministry and social media: Self-worth in the age of social media
Youth ministry and social media: Reading scripture
Youth ministry and social media: Revival
June (3)
Youth ministry and social media: A process theology perspective
Youth ministry and social media: Leaving a congregation
Youth ministry and social media: Series introduction
May (4)
Celebration and social media: Resources
Celebration and social media: Searching for beauty
Celebration and social media: Worship as celebratory conversation
Celebration and social media: Creating and sharing music
April (4)
Celebration and social media: A new form of call and response
Celebration and social media: Series introduction
Tending to relationships
Religion may not survive the Internet
March (5)
Prayer and social media: Resources
Prayer and new media: A liberation perspective
Social media as alternative liturgy
Prayer and social media: Call and response
Prayer and new media: A Catholic perspective
February (5)
Prayer and social media: An Anabaptist perspective
If social media were a superhero …
Prayer and social media: Series introduction
@Pontifex signs off: Exploring Benedict's digital media legacy
Prayer for Lent
January (5)
Super excited about the conference
Requesting Ideas
New Media Project blog refocuses
Digital Church conference rescheduled for February
Technology gives us more of us
2012 (98)
December (7)
The Twurch of England
New media and public grief
Digital religion and theological reflection
Top 5 challenges of using CaringBridge when something bad happens
When the medium is not the message
Abilene Christian University featured in Faith & Leadership
The top ten reasons to use CaringBridge when bad things happen
November (8)
New media usage rates challenge assumptions
An old Bond
Lead us … not….
Pinning God
Election politics and the practice of Facebook charity
Having cancer in a digital age
When online worship fails
Should preachers seek more 'audience feedback'?
October (8)
What churches do
Inspiration pinned: The rise of spiritual quotes on Pinterest
Extra! Extra! Tweet all about it!
The Internet of things
The old rugged hymnal: New songs and old media
"Don't let the world squeeze you into its mold"
New Media Project one-day conference in November
On the one hand...
September (8)
Twitter mob attacks religious studies professor
Text and confess
Up all night
Media blackout as spiritual light
Linked—to whom?
Technology and the City of God
Cat videos make me smile
Fools for Truth
August (8)
Facebook and the elderly in the church
"Oversharing:" The new confessional?
Who actually uses this stuff?
A sense of church
Theological education and new media
A new call to a new Center for Pastoral Excellence
Online and embodied
A writer connects through social media
July (9)
Avoiding the social media jeremiad
Quakers are more than oat-makers
If it ain't broke
Church voyeur
Lost and found in Amsterdam
Gathering Quakers
A spirituality of privacy
Naysayers in the public square
Facebook and the demise of denominational labels
June (8)
Ask and learn
Tennessee restaurants and the power of the personal
Yellow pages?!
"The siren song of the Internet entices us!"
Just bodies
The context of salvation
Turn that thing off!
High relief communities
May (9)
Tragic and triumphant technology stories
A virtual but real community
Revivals and social media
The embodied conundrum
Should black churches use social media differently? Part 3
Does our 'digitology' match our ecclesiology?
Kickstarting church
Should black churches use social media differently? Part 2
Missionaries via Skype or face-to-face
April (8)
Saturday night ecumenism
Would Jesus have a Facebook page?
Should black churches use social media differently?
Image and word, or pin it to win it?
Is this the fast that I choose?
The road to Pentecost
Using social media to listen
Book review: Web-empowered ministry by Mark M. Stephenson
March (9)
Where's the line? Using social media to screen potential hires and monitor employees
Paperless and distracted
Can social media bring out what's inside you?
The gender, race, and class of networked religion
Is God in social media?
Mission-centered video online
Hello. Is anybody listening?
Learning to value social media by using social media
Clergy peer support online
February (7)
Social media and the gifts of the Spirit
Book review: Church in the Inventive Age by Doug Pagitt
Don't forget baby boomers with smartphones
The medium may be the message…but the message still matters
Reverent acknowledgement
'Suffer the little children'
Life exposed
January (9)
Death online
"It's complicated": When digital ministry gets REALLY real
"I thought…the whole thing would be a fizzle!": This month in religious media history
Psalm 23 in a new media age: Part 2
Getting #married: Using social media to celebrate the sacred
Theological expertise in the digital age
Epiphany: A light to the world
The transforming and transformed Word
2011 (80)
December (10)
Getting the story right
Emmanuel, God with us
New media and religion: Year in review
The case for using technology in ministry
Psalm 23 in a new media age: Part 1
Incarnation and embodiment
Community of Hope AME Church study posted
Feast of the digitally-integrated incarnation
Who are the church's editors?
Can Facebook be good news?
November (12)
Connecting with teens one digital mustard seed at a time
What is progress today?
Liberty University worships on Facebook: It's not innovative, it's intuitive
Confessions of a reformed (and reforming) technophobe
New media make the Bible more accessible; Bible-readers, too
Cyborgs have bodies too
I have called you by name
The strategy of the sower
Remembering "All Saints" through auto-fill
Semper reformans, semper reformanda
A theology of the text message
October (13)
Are smartphones helping to bridge the digital divide?
The kids ARE all right
What hath God wrought?
Making God relevant in a new media world
First case study published: House for All Sinners and Saints
Sounds of church
God and the cloud
A shelter on the web
On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog
God, the universe, and my iPhone
The triune life God … online
Listen to Millennials, please
Here I am, Lord? A pastor's experiment with location-based social media and church
September (12)
The "cloud" of witnesses
Lament for attention
New media: A reflection of self
A Facebook generation of clergy
Back to the future
Can't grow wildflowers in a hothouse
A surprising work of God
Talk back
A vision to become the media
Changes and chances in online community
How I want my music
Can a fake Twitter character speak truth to power?
August (9)
Blog comments as theological work
Book review: Reaching Out in a Networked World by Lynne M. Baab
Yelp your preacher!?
Ministry of presence
From horizon to hyperlink
Multi-tasking with God
Social media revolution makes life messier, so what?
New models of the church in a new media world
Book review: The Church of Facebook by Jesse Rice
July (7)
Anything to say?
Twitter made my mind smaller: John Mayer, social media, and expression
Book review: Reboot by Peggy Kendall
Creatures of the future
People of the app?
The encroachment of the buzz
Case study subjects selected
June (8)
Thumb wars
The power of story
Can social media lead to religious commitment?
I met my pastor on Facebook
Can Twitter lead to mindfulness?
Union Theological Seminary launches New Media Project website
Can mindfulness be tweeted?
Not a theology of social media
May (9)
Are high school reunions a thing of the past?
The logic of online community
Call me...
A hitchhiker's guide to new media
Nomadic christian
Becoming bridge builders
New communication tools
New tools? What's the big deal?
Thinking theologically about technology
Center Home
Join Us
Give to CTS
The Discipleship Project
Academy of Preaching and Celebration
Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs
First Season Project
New Media Project
Site Map
Privacy Policy
©2020 Christian Theological Seminary
. All Rights Reserved


text:
What is a password?A password is a string of characters used to allow you access to a resource. A password is necessary to authenticate access to a resource. In these circumstances we are generally speaking of a computer password, but there are passwords on mobile devices, operating systems, ATMs, decoders and the list goes on. A password should not be shared except to those that are allowed access to the same resource.
What is a good password?A strong password includes letters, punctuation, symbols and numbers. It's good to change your passwords on often and do not use the same password for multiple resources. For example do not use the same password for your Ball State account as you do with your checking account. Using a passphrase helps you remember your password.
What to avoid as a password?Do not use passwords that words, words spelled backwards, common misspellings and abbreviations. Do not use adjacent keys on your computer keyboard, sequences of repeated characters or numbers. Do not use any personal information about you and your family and friends. For example your birthday, your children's birthday, driver's license number, home address and phone number.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Tulsa: Old English Sheepdog Breeders
Below is a sample search of our Old English Sheepdog breeders with puppies for sale. The search tool above returns a list of breeders located nearest to the zip or postal code you enter. From there you can see photos of their pups, find detailed information on their web page and contact them by email, phone or even get driving directions.
(Detailed contact information has been omitted. Enter your zip or postal code above to access our up-to-date directory).
This is a FREE search tool! Use the form at the top to get complete listings for breeders in your area!
Delta Sheepdogs
Services: Puppies
We live on a farm & our Sheepdogs are family pets. Our puppies are well socialized and come with AKC Limited Registration, AKC Reunite Microchip, AKC puppy pack, AKC litter certificate & Vet records.
Old English Sheepdog Female Puppy
Services: Puppies
Available NOW- AKC Female puppies raised with our family and socialized daily. UTD Shots, and tails and dewclaws removed. AKC Reunite microchipped. Pickup after Sept.12 CALL/EMAIL FOR MORE INFO
Shaggytime kennel
Services: Puppies,Adult Dogs,Stud Service
All my dogs are AKC and UKC registered both parents are UKC champions and some AKC champion, and health tested. Contact me for available pups. Some with blue eyes. OFA on hips eyes thyroi
Sheri's Shaggies
Services: Puppies,Stud Service
Thank you Sheepie families for giving our puppies the loving homes they deserve. We are taking a break for a year and a half, then we will be breeding the lovely "Effie London!" See you then!Sheri
Owasco Valley Sheepies
Services: Puppies,Adult Dogs
Puppies availabile spring 2020
Pennsylvania Sheepies
Services: Puppies
I have a litter due June 17. Accepting $300 deposits now. Vet check,shots, worming,tails docked.Price $1500.Limited registration.Shipping extra.Phila.area. Text or call:7723320192 NO EMAILS please
Olivias OES
Services: Puppies
Roma welcomed 2nd litter on 4/2/2020, 10 beautiful, healthy puppies. Parents are AKC registered and puppies are registerable. Tales are docked, dew claws removed. Puppies will be UTD shots
Cranberry Hill Kennels
Services: Puppies,Adult Dogs,Stud Service,Rescue
2 males and 1 female available after Jan.15th a second litter is due at the end of Jan 2020
Important: breeders.NET has not screened the listed breeders and accepts no responsibility for their reputation or quality. It is your responsibility to investigate. See How to Find a Dog.


text:
STOCKTON - Out at Countryside Farms on East Main Street, little children scamper through a teepee of honeysuckle vines, pet a goat, plant a pea, pick out a pumpkin and take a ride through the walnut orchard.
STOCKTON - Out at Countryside Farms on East Main Street, little children scamper through a teepee of honeysuckle vines, pet a goat, plant a pea, pick out a pumpkin and take a ride through the walnut orchard.
This week, classes of kindergarten and first-grade students clamored off big yellow buses for field trip fun at the farm in Stockton.
But today is the last day of the season that the public can enjoy the same experience.
"Come on out," said Jo Ann Cutter, who owns the fourth-generation farm with her family, and explained that Countryside is open to the public only on Fridays and Saturdays in October before re-opening in the spring. "The hayride is really neat because it goes way out into the walnut orchard.
Cutter said the farm is popular with toddlers, preschoolers and young elementary-school age children.
"See the pumpkins? They are about the size of soccer balls so that young children can carry the pumpkin they choose by themselves," she said. "The animals, I've all raised myself, so they are very gentle."
A goat chewed contentedly on some hay as chubby little hands reached through the fence to stroke it.
"You've heard of angora sweaters?" Cutter asked. "Curly is an angora goat."
On Wednesday, kindergarten classes from Montezuma Elementary School were learning about the life cycle of plants during their tour.
They listened closely at the planting station as retired teacher Doris Salley taught them that a seed needs water, soil, sun and air to grow.
"I would like to plant seeds in my garden," 5-year-old Andrew Jocol said as he planted a sugar pea into a little cup and watered it carefully.
His mom, one of the parent chaperones on the trip, said it was a great day on the farm.
"I like how they teach the kids," she said of the lesson in plant science. "They make if fun for them."
"Look, I got a pumpkin," Andrew said, as he clutched the orange gourd by the stem.
And best of all, that pumpkin is included in the children's admission price.
Contact reporter Jo Ann Kirby at (209) 546-8256 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
~ Ryan Dosier
"Aside from the initial discovery of The Muppet Mindset as a great site to go to for everything Muppets, I have a few favorites from this year. I have enjoyed the interviews. The Weekly Muppet Wednesday profile about Dr. Honeydew as written by Beaker was, of course, a highlight - it's not every day you read something written by someone with that kind of star power. As a Disney fan, I liked the suggestion for Pixar to provide script assistance to the upcoming Muppet movie (which ironically ended up happening!). I also enjoyed anytime the British Correspondent took over; he's just plain funny. And lastly, my other favorite memory was having the privilege to write a Weekly Muppet Wednesday article about my favorite Muppet, Sam the Eagle!" ~ Blake (of BlakeOnline.com), Muppet Mindset Contributor
"I really like the interviews; they open up a new perspective into a good variety of different parts of "backstage" that you wouldn't find elsewhere." ~ Blake (of BlakeOnline.com), Muppet Mindset Contributor
"May your Muppet always make the world laugh.
Or something like that." ~ Kevin Hodgson, Muppet Mindset Fan
And, finally, our friend Jarrod Fairclough was kind enough to make us a great birthday card...
If you would like to join The Muppet Mindset's one year anniversary celebration, post a comment here, let us know what you think on Facebook, or just say hello on Twitter! We would absolutely love to hear from you! Thanks again to all of our fantastic fans! Without you guys, none of this would be possible!
The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier


text:
Its roots are steeped in popular movements and iconography from the 20th century. It is a bewitching brew of 1950s lingerie and props (including cars and bikes), Rockabilly, 1970s Punk, 1980's Goth, with more than a hint of classic Alberto Vargas and Gil Elvgren pinup styling and composition. I also taste science fiction. It can contain any and all of these elements.
This smoking hot brew is being stirred by photographers such as Viva Van Story who's work often hints at some dark, underlying Gothic tale but is always replete with retro sensuality, and Robert Alvarado with models and pin-up compositions sometimes seeming like the product of some exotic alien paradise.
|Copyright © Viva Van Story
Model :: Dot
|Copyright © Viva Van Story
Model :: Sabina Kelley
|Copyright © Robert Alvarado
Model :: Amelia Nightmare
|Copyright © Robert Alvarado
Model :: Kandy
Its models, Sabina Kelley for example, have already created their own powerful and exotic visual statements and are an integral part of the look. Frequently thrown into the mix are beautiful, luxuriant, and extensive tattoos, and this is almost a signature for the genre. The "inked" girls, and I love that expression.
So what do we call this reloaded pin-up, if it needs a name? Tonight I'm thinking "Punk Pinup" or "Gothic Glamour" but tomorrow is another day...


text:
Actor Arshad Warsi, who is popular for playing Circuit in "Munnabhai" film series, says that he never played that character outside the franchise as he didn't want to disrespect it.
The actor added that he got many offers to play Circuit in advertisements but he never took anything up.
"I never played that character again. Playing it again and again will make it lose it's sanctity... (if) I will play it (outside) once I know for sure that 'Munnabhai' will never be made again. I was asked in many ads to play it, but I refused," he said in an interview.
The actor, who has been part of the industry for over a decade, feels the only actor who is doing author-backed roles in films is Salman Khan, and others are just playing characters on screen.
"The only person who is doing author-backed roles is Salman because you are writing a script around how he is, what is he like, what he says, what he does and you are writing a film around it. Other than this, all actors are playing a character which is written by someone," he said.
Arshad has managed to create a good balance between commercial and parallel cinema with films like "Munnabhai", "Ishqiya", "Hulchul" and "Sehar". However, he admits he never consciously tried to bring about a balance.
"I don't think so hard in life at all. People send me scripts and I listen to everyone. If I am not interested I don't take it up. I am talking about big filmmakers as well and not only newcomers," said the actor, who will soon be seen in the new film "JOLLY L.L.B.".
Arshad feels humour is a safe bet today and generally works with the masses.
"If you really look at me, eight out of ten films I have done is comedy. Humour is the safest bet. Not only me, Akshay (Kumar), Salman, everyone is doing comedy. You can't help it. The producer wants his money back and comedy is something which people go and see," he said.
Arshad says he really likes Akshay Kumar's style of comedy.
"Ask me who I think is really good at comedy, it is Akshay Kumar. He has his own niche and makes me laugh. It is fun, Akshay is fabulous," he said
The actor also plans to don the director's hat in future.
"I would love to direct a film, but I don't have the time at the moment... Maybe a little later," he said.
Copyright IANS
User Rating (4 Votes)
Views 1501Go to top
If You are a member of India-forums, Then You can also log in here.


text:
I realize there have been lots of discussions about this type of thing and they often devolve into dogma around whether you ask the "100 logical pirates" type of questions or whether you get them to write "fizz buzz".
I'm interested in what techniques and questions have been effective for you when interviewing potential developers for jobs.
One technique per answer so we can vote on them, please.


text:
Chief of Police Darryl Halbert
Greetings,The Fulton County Police Department actively seeks highly motivated, career oriented, mature, disciplined men and women of good moral character with superior intellect and emotional stability to proactively serve the citizens of Fulton County as a Fulton County Police Officer. If you seek a Law Enforcement Career, there is no better place to begin than the Fulton County Police Department. Our requirements allow only the finest few to become Fulton County Police Officers. The selection process is rigorous. The Fulton County Police Department is one of only a handful of police departments to be nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA). The Fulton County Public Safety Training Center is one of the most advanced training centers in existence today. As a Fulton County Police Officer, you will receive State mandated training through the Regional Law Enforcement Academy, and 12 weeks of Field Training with a highly trained and experienced Fulton County Police Field Training Officer.The Fulton County Police Department also offers a variety of specialized assignment possibilities, including:Community Oriented Police Unit ( C.O.P.S. )Traffic UnitCrime Prevention UnitDetectives SectionS.W.A.T. TeamCrime Suppression TeamBicycle UnitK9 Field Training Officer Intelligence Forensic Technician and Identification Specialist Narcotics UnitEvidence and Property ManagementInternal InvestigationsLibrary Unit Training AcademyIf you meet the qualifications and would like to begin or continue your law enforcement career with a proactive police department that considers being professional, courteous, efficient and effective as the way to operate a police agency, then we want you to join our team. Just contact our recruitment section at 404-613-5700.Please click here to see the P.O. I - Job Summary and Salary Range.
Please click here to see the P.O. II - Job Summary and Salary Range.
Click here to go to the Fulton County Government Employment website
Thank you for your consideration and good luck.
Police HeadquartersAdministrative Offices:404-613-5711
Records and Reports:404-613-5700Criminal Investigations Division:404-613-6600
FC Public Safety Training Center:404-612-7940
Code Enforcement:404-613-9120
Remain Anonymous - Submit a Tip
Confidential Crime Tip Line 404-613-6529
Request Extra Check and Patrol Form
Privacy Statement | Translate This Site | Translation Disclaimer | Contact Us | General Disclaimer
©2011 Fulton County Government141 Pryor St. Atlanta, GA 30303 | (404)-612-4000


text:
Free Tax Assistance Available for Columbia Residents
COLUMBIA - Columbia residents may have until April 15 to submit their taxes, but MU Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) is already opening its doors.
The assistance does two things - helps residents with their taxes and helps MU students learn.
The sites help with tax return preparation, but most sites also have free electronic filing.
Columbia sites:
- Stanley Hall Room 162
- Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays 4:30-8:00 p.m.
- Saturdays 10:00-1:30 p.m.
- Cornell Hall Room 5
- Mondays 4:30-8:00 p.m.
The tax assistance at MU asks for walk ins only. They will help residents on a first come, first served basis.
Things to bring:
- Photo ID
- Social Security cards for you, your spouse, and any dependants
- W-2 form for every job you worked in 2012
- Routing and Account number for direct deposit
- 2011 Tax Return (optional)
In 2012, did you...
- Receive unemployment compensation?
- Bring your Form 1099G
- Pay for child care?
- Bring the total you paid for child care expenses and the name, address, and Tax ID/Social Security number of the child care provider
- Pay student loan interest?
- Bring the total of the student loan interest you paid
- Pay for tuition?
- Bring Form 1098 for you, your spouse, and/or dependent children
VITA is an IRS-sponsored program that provides free tax preparation assistance for low- to moderate income-level homes. Trained community volunteers may help with special credits, such as Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, and Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled.


text:
With Carpet Sweeper Tales, [Doucet] has reordered the pages from a bunch of Italian photo comics…and inserted speech bubbles made of text from 1950s back issues of Better Homes and Gardens and Good Housekeeping, among others. The effect is something like if one of the English artist Richard Hamilton's pop art collages was made into a comic at the direction of Gertrude Stein.The Guardian
The iconic author of My New York Diary returns with a collection of dreamy, collaged photo comics
Julie Doucet is an artist who has mastered many voices and styles, from her landmark and medium-defining early work in comics with her comic book series Dirty Plotte and the classic graphic novel My New York Diary, to her linocut and collage work in Lady Pep and Long Time Relationship. Most recently, Doucet has focused primarily on collage, crafting impeccable zines, prints, and other ephemera. In Carpet Sweeper Tales, her first new book in almost a decade, we see this multi-faceted artist combine her many talents into one genre-defying masterwork.
Though Doucet stopped drawing comics over ten years ago, here she revisits the art form, pulling images from 1970s Italian fumetti, or photonovels, to create her own collage comics. Using vintage women's and home decorating magazines, Doucet collages a unique dialogue of love and travel between characters sitting in classic cars, driving through cities and pristine countryside. This book is the first to combine Doucet's love of collage with her gift at comics storytelling. The result is a collection of lighthearted stories that play upon the disconnects between 1970s imagery and our modern world. Lost in translation, the dialogue is stilted, the characters alien, the mood always playful. Carpet Sweeper Tales is a milestone in a career filled with milestone achievements.
Praise for Carpet Sweeper Tales
Carpet Sweeper Tales is one sharp & culturally incisive box of yocks, liberally mixed with nonsense, and god forbid you should attempt to read it while you're stoned – because then? … You might laugh yourself into a seizure, citizen: It's that kind of funny.The Austin Chronicle
Doucet has already made her statement ... communication in these pages is not impossible, but from a distance it seems abstract.The Comics Journal
Carpet Sweeper Tales is comic-like, but rather than being made through lithographic prints or drawings, it is collaged from clippings from 1970s Italian photo novels.Rachel Davies, Rookie
This is an offbeat and startling new collection by a major voice in feminist and underground comics...The playful combination of visual, verbal, and even aural elements (if you read the book aloud as suggested) that make up these avant-garde collage romances display Doucet's fine eye and ear for storytelling outside of traditional pencil-and-ink comics.Publishers Weekly
The whimsically titled pieces in Carpet Sweeper Tales offer an intriguing form of abstract storytelling... the abstract nature of the work leads the reader to seek and imagine multiple layers of meaning in the strange sounds and thoughtful visual juxtapositions.Hans Rollman, PopMatters
Cutting up those vintage magazines, [Doucet] repurposes them into absurdist scenes of men and women speaking in stilted advertising slogans and typographical nonsense. It's like revisiting how memes must have been made before there were ever GIFs and Tumblr.Mental Floss
Carpet Sweeper Tales is what a graphic novel might have looked like if the Dadaists had gotten a hold of it.Laia Garcia, Lenny Letter
Short stories composed from photonovels and paired with exquisitely cryptic cutouts of collaged letters and words... [Carpet Sweeper Tales] gives the impression of an artist searching for delight in unexpected places.LA Review of Books
A beautiful collage comic, full of romance and drama. Its unique style of storytelling reflects Doucet's remarkable grasp of written and visual language and culture.Ric Kasini Kadour, Kolaj Magazine
Carpet Sweeper Tales combines images from Italian fumetti, or photo novels, with text from old advertisements to create a comic book love story that is laugh-out-loud funny.Cult MTL
Doucet uses her vision to tease the work in a number of directions, from laugh-out-loud absurd humour to wry comment on gender roles….Julie Doucet has performed an act of artistic alchemy on unpromising source material to produce a highly enjoyable and thought-provoking volume.Broken Frontier


text:
Henderson temporarily replaces Axford as closer
CHICAGO -- For the second straight season, John Axford is temporarily out as the Brewers' closer.
Another Canadian right-hander, Jim Henderson, was called upon for the final three outs of the Brewers' tense, 7-4 win over the Cubs on Monday, and will proceed in that role while Axford tries to iron out the issues that produced his 20.25 ERA through three appearances.
"I told him that I want him to be our closer," Roenicke said. "How we think is the best way to get him back in that role is pretty much what we did with him last year -- put him back in wherever it's going to be: sixth [inning], seventh, maybe eighth, and let him get his stuff back.
"Once he gets his stuff back, we'd like him back in that role."
That is what happened last season after the Brewers removed Axford from the role in July. After he asked back into the position in August, he converted 17 of his final 18 save opportunities.
In three appearances this year, Axford has recorded eight outs and been charged with six runs on eight hits, including four home runs. He suffered a blown save on Dexter Fowler's two-out home run on Opening Day, surrendered two more Rockies homers two days later in a non-save situation and then pitched again Sunday with the Brewers and D-backs tied at 6.
Roenicke would have liked to remove Axford after a harrowing but scoreless 10th inning, but felt compelled to send him out for another inning. The bullpen, though eight men strong, was already taxed and left-hander Chris Narveson was sidelined by a sprained left middle finger that sent him to the 15-day disabled list on Monday evening.
It was in that second inning of work that Axford allowed a two-run home run to Arizona's Eric Hinske. It decided the Brewers' 8-7 loss, their fifth in a row.
Henderson, who helped snap the losing streak on Monday, believes Axford will reclaim his job again.
"I do," Henderson said. "He's a great pitcher, and just watching his outing, his stuff is still great. Similar to [Francisco Rodriguez] last year, the stuff is still there. He just needs to put it together consistently."
The switch appeared to represent a change of heart for Roenicke, who responded, "No, not at all," when asked if he was considering a change Sunday, after Axford surrendered a home run for the third straight outing. When asked Monday morning whether he would use Axford to close the Cubs' home opener, Roenicke had a different answer.
"I need to have a discussion with 'Ax' on what we plan to do," Roenicke said, "so I can't really give you an answer until I talk to him."
That discussion took place in left field during batting practice.


text:
[EDITOR'S NOTE: In the "Editor's Note" accompanying last month's issue of Reason & Revelation, I alluded to the fact that reports are "surfacing with disturbing frequency about scientists' planned use of human-derived stem cells," and that as a result I felt an in-depth analysis of this subject certainly was warranted in these pages. In the short, one-month span since the August issue was mailed, research on human-derived stem-cells has become the focus of a national—no, make that a worldwide—debate. On August 9, 2001, George W. Bush, President of the United States, made stem-cell research the topic of his first major address to the American people since taking office in January of this year. During that speech, he explained that it would be his administration's policy to support federal funding only for research on stem-cell lines already in existence, rather than making government funds available for research programs that obtained stem cells via methods requiring the destruction of additional embryos (for example, experimentation on soon-to-be-discarded embryos left over after in vitro fertilization procedures). As we will point out in this issue, and in Part III in October, science now has taken the first perilous step on that infamous "slippery slope." Once again, therefore, we invite your serious attention to these most urgent matters.]
How, exactly, does cloning work? Cloning procedures currently involve the removal of an egg's nucleus (which contains the genetic "blueprints" of the cell) in order to replace it with the nucleus from either an adult somatic (body) cell that has been "stressed" (via chemicals, radiation, nutrient deprivation, etc.) or an embryonic stem cell. Under normal conditions, cells go through a process known as "differentiation," during which the majority of the DNA within the cell is deactivated—except for a small portion that instructs the cell regarding its future destiny. For example, once a cell differentiates, it is destined to become only a muscle cell, a neuron, a red blood cell, a fingernail cell, etc. Most scientists, of course, have no real desire to clone an entire laboratory of fingernail cells. What they would like to be able to do is to clone entire organisms. But in order to do that, they must locate newly dividing cells (e.g., stem cells) that have not yet differentiated, or they must stress older, fully formed cells that already have differentiated in order to force them to return to an undifferentiated state. In cloning, the goal is to "reset" the developmental clock of the implanted nucleus, the result being the production of a new organism that is genetically identical to the cell from which the genetic material was derived originally.
There can be little doubt that it is only a matter of time until someone, somewhere, attempts to add humans to the list of creatures that already have been cloned. As Michael Shermer, editor of Skeptic magazine (and an outspoken critic of religion), wrote in his 2001 volume, The Borderlands of Science: "[C]loning is going to happen whether it is banned or not, so why not err on the side of freedom and allow scientists to freely explore the possibilities—not to play God, but to do science?" (p. 77). Waiting in the wings are the rogue scientists who are more than willing to "freely explore the possibilities" (and yes, even play God in the process!). In yet another 2001 book, The Shattered Self: The End of Natural Evolution, Pierre Baldi asserted:
Thus, in time and with the proper technology, we will be able to clone any human being whose DNA is available in sufficient amount and viable form.... Of all the scenarios we have discussed, human cloning is probably the most pressing and concrete.... [H]uman cloning is essentially available today. ...Cloning, gene therapies, advanced molecular medicine, and surgical procedures such as organ transplantation, together with a better understanding and control of environmental factors, can render our bodies essentially immortal (pp. 82,121, emp. added).
That idea—of potential human immortality—has not been lost on some within the scientific community. In January 2000, Panayiotis Zavos (of the Kentucky Center for Reproductive Medicine and In Vitro Fertilization at the University of Kentucky in Lexington) announced that within eighteen months he and Italian fertility expert Severino Antinori planned to produce an embryo—derived from human stem cells—for implantation in a surrogate mother (see "Cloning Effort," 2000). Their plans to do just that are well under way.
However, in an article titled "The God Game No More" in a July 9/July 16, 2001 special double issue, U.S. News & World Report noted that on March 27, 2001, a formal letter from the United States Food and Drug Administration was hand-delivered to Dr. Zavos, informing him that any attempt on his part to clone a human might well place him in violation of FDA regulations regarding experimental medical procedures. In response, Dr. Zavos stated that he and Antinori already have "set up two clandestine labs overseas" (see Boyce and Kaplan, 2001). And, on August 7, 2001, at the National Academy of Sciences Conference on Cloning—just two days before President Bush gave his nationally televised speech on stem-cell research—Zavos and Antinori announced their intention to impregnate as many as 200 women with cloned embryos by November 2001 (see Stolberg, 2001).
Scientists like Zavos and Antinori are being "egged on" by those who are anxious to see—regardless of the cost in human lives—exactly what might happen when scientists attempt to clone humans. As Skeptic editor Michael Shermer went on to lament:
The mass hysteria and moral panic surrounding cloning is nothing more than the historically common rejection of new technologies, coupled with the additional angst produced when medical advances fly too close to religion's sun.... So that is what it really comes down to: the fear that science is unduly infringing on religion's turf.
Why not lift the ban on all research into cloning—including humans—and see what happens? Let's run the social experiment and analyze the data.... In the borderlands between science and pseudoscience, the best method to determine which fuzzy category a claim belongs is to test it. Why not do that here? (2001, pp. 75-77).
Why not? Perhaps Shermer would understand "why not" if he immersed himself in some of the latest results emerging from the laboratories of the scientists who actually are involved in the process of cloning animals on a day-to-day basis. For example, in a study reported in the July 6, 2001 issue of Science, researchers found that the techniques themselves were not the cause of the problems they were discovering in their cloned animals. Instead, the difficulties arose from the fact that the actual donor cells (i.e., embryonic stem cells) appeared to be extremely unstable in culture. During their growth and division phases, these special cells began losing important segments of DNA that instruct particular genes to "turn on" or "turn off." While the effects of these deletions were not visible outwardly, tests in which gene expression was measured showed an entirely different story.
David Humphreys and coworkers used embryonic stem cells to provide the genetic material that was placed into egg cells. The nucleus from these embryonic stem cells was transferred to mice eggs and then placed into surrogate mothers to be carried to term. The researchers found that the DNA in mice born as a result of this procedure exhibited irregular gene expression—in other words, some of their DNA was missing. In order to confirm their suspicions that the technique itself was not at fault, the scientists then implanted other egg cells using stem cells from the same culture. As they suspected, the technique worked flawlessly. It was the stem cells themselves that were unstable. In discussing their results, Humphreys and his colleagues wrote: "Our results indicate that even apparently healthy cloned animals can have gene expression abnormalities that are not severe enough to impede development to birth but that may cause subtle physiological abnormalities which could be difficult to detect" (2001, 293:97). Dr. Humphreys and his colleagues observed that cloning already has
been used to derive live clones in several species including sheep, cattle, goats, pigs, and mice, but only a few percent of nuclear transfer embryos develop to term. Even those clones that survive to term frequently die of respiratory and circulatory problems and show increased placental and birth weights, often referred to as "large offspring syndrome" (293:95, emp. added).
This report confirmed what many already suspected—that reproductive cloning not only is inefficient, but also may be extremely unsafe. In an article titled "Don't Clone Humans!" in the March 30, 2001 issue of Science, Rudolf Jaenisch (one of the authors of the Humphreys study on cloned mice), and Ian Wilmut (who cloned Dolly), wrote:
Animal cloning is inefficient and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. Cloning results in gestational or neonatal developmental failures. At best, a few percent of the nuclear transfer embryos survive to birth and, of those, many die within the perinatal period. There is no reason to believe that the outcomes of attempted human cloning will be any different. ...Newborn clones often display respiratory distress and circulatory problems, the most common causes of neonatal death. Even apparently healthy survivors may suffer from immune dysfunction, or kidney or brain malformation, which can contribute to death later (2001, 291:2552, emp. added).
Jaenisch and Wilmut addressed the claims of Zavos and Antinori specifically, and the possibility of human cloning generally, when they wrote:
We believe attempts to clone human beings at a time when the scientific issues of nuclear cloning have not been clarified are dangerous and irresponsible. All the data collected subsequently reinforce this point of view.... If human cloning is attempted, those embryos that do not die early may live to become abnormal children and adults; both are troubling outcomes (291:2552, emp. added).
In an August 20/August 27, 2001 special double issue of U.S. News and World Report, the magazine's well-known editor at large, David Gergen, wrote under the title of "Trouble in Paradise":
It took 277 embryos to make one Dolly, they point out, and that was for a simple sheep. Think how many more will be required to make a human and how many deformed fetuses may result. Will we see mass abortions? Miscarriages? Human suffering? Even a monster in a laboratory?...[I]t is troubling enough that Dolly grazes nearby. If we now turn loose her human cousins, how can we possibly keep nature's balance? (131[7]:80).
In this controversy, "keeping nature's balance" apparently is on the minds of a lot of people—scientists and non-scientists alike. In the same issue of U.S. News in which Gergen's article appeared, the editors also chimed in with an editorial of their own titled "Send in the Clones?," in which they wrote:
Stem-cell research, cloning, and genetic engineering—the new frontiers of science—are creating a landscape of slippery slopes where politics, religion, science, and hope collide. The pace of discovery is so rapid that we can't even resolve one ethical debate before another rears its head....
So far, mainstream scientists have opposed reproductive cloning because it's just not safe. Sudden abortions, stillbirths, and gross birth defects are among the seemingly unexplainable and initially undetectable problems that arise (see "Send in the Clones," 2001, 131[7]:12, emp. added).
Shortly after news of Dolly's cloning was announced in February 1997, then-President Bill Clinton asked the National Bioethics Advisory Commission to prepare a report for him containing recommendations on human cloning. That report, presented to the President in June 1997, contained six chapters. In chapter six, the Commission listed five distinct categories of recommendations:
1. The Commission concludes that at this time it is morally unacceptable for anyone in the public or private sector, whether in a research or clinical setting, to attempt to create a child using somatic cell nuclear transfer.... The Commission, therefore, recommends the following for immediate action.
A continuation of the current moratorium on the use of federal funding in support of any attempt to create a child by somatic cell nuclear transfer.
An immediate request to all firms, clinicians, investigators, and professional societies in the private and nonfederally funded sectors to comply voluntarily with the intent of the federal moratorium. Professional and scientific societies should make clear that any attempt to create a child by somatic cell nuclear transfer and implantation into a woman's body would at this time be an irresponsible, unethical, and unprofessional act.
2. Federal legislation should be enacted to prohibit anyone from attempting, whether in a research or clinical setting, to create a child through somatic cell nuclear transfer.
3. Any regulatory or legislative actions undertaken to effect the foregoing prohibition on creating a child by somatic cell nuclear transfer should be carefully written so as not to interfere with other important scientific research....
4. ...[W]e recommend that the federal government, and all interested and concerned parties, encourage widespread and continuing deliberation on these issues in order to further our understanding of the ethical and social implications of this technology and to enable society to produce appropriate long-term policies regarding this technology should the time come when present concerns about safety have been addressed.
5. Finally...the Commission recommends that Federal departments concerned with science should cooperate in seeking out and supporting opportunities to provide information and education to the public in the area of genetics, and on other developments in the biomedical sciences, especially where these affect important cultural practices, values, and beliefs (see Cloning Human Beings..., 1997, pp. 108-110, emp. added).
The report of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission, which was extensive, discussed several "domains" in regard to human cloning, not the least of which was the safety of the procedure itself. As evolutionary geneticist Richard Lewontin observed:
The serious ethical problems raised by the prospect of human cloning lie in the fourth domain considered by the bioethics commission, that of safety. ...It seems pretty obvious that the reason the Scottish laboratory did not announce the existence of Dolly until she was a full-grown sheep is that they were worried that her postnatal development would go awry.... Ninety percent of the loss of the experimental sheep embryos was at the so-called "morula" stage, hardly more than a ball of cells. Of the twenty-nine embryos implanted in maternal uteruses, only one showed up as a fetus after fifty days in utero, and that lamb was finally born as Dolly. Suppose we have a high success rate of bringing cloned human embryos to term. What kinds of development abnormalities would be acceptable? Acceptable to whom? (2000, pp. 166,167).
Abnormalities? What abnormalities? According to Princeton molecular geneticist Lee Silver, such occurrences very likely would be little more than figments of our overactive imaginations. The same year Dolly's arrival was announced (1997), Silver authored his groundbreaking book, Remaking Eden: Cloning and Beyond in a Brave New World, in which—in a brazen attempt to defend human cloning—he wrote (incredibly!): "If safety is judged by the proportion of those lambs born who were in good health [that would be a grand total of one—Dolly—BT/BH], then the record is perfect (albeit a rather small sample size)" (p. 103, parenthetical comment in orig.). A small sample size indeed—one! Who does Dr. Silver think he is kidding? Were any other "scholar" to make such a ridiculous claim based on a statistical set of one (is there even really such a thing?), he would be ridiculed unmercifully in the halls of science—by his own colleagues! In fact, as two scientists wrote in a letter to Science in regard to Dolly, one successful attempt out of 277 "is an anecdote, not a result" (Sgaramella and Zinder, 1997, 279:635). Is it any wonder that most Americans oppose human cloning (see "Send in the Clones," 131[7]:12), when such irresponsible pronouncements are forthcoming from scientists?
What a difference four years—and statistical sets larger than one—make! As we noted earlier, reproductive experts have cloned at least five mammals. Yet even those scientists directly involved in the research are critical of current methods and their end results. Harry Griffin is assistant director of Scotland's Roslin Institute, where Ian Wilmut successfully cloned Dolly. In an interview on January 30, 2001, he told BBC News Online:
The success rate with animal cloning is about one to two per cent in the published results, and I think lower than that on average. I don't know anyone working in this area who thinks the rate will easily be improved. There are many cases where the cloned animal dies late in pregnancy or soon after birth. The chances of success are so low it would be irresponsible to encourage people to think there's a real prospect. The risks are too great for the woman, and of course for the child. It would be wholly irresponsible to try to clone a human being, given the present state of the technology (as quoted in Kirby, 2001, emp. added).
Unfortunately, maverick scientists like Zavos and Antinori are not deterred. Nor are they alone. It appears that there are those "waiting in the wings" for just the right moment to announce their own plans for the cloning of humans. In a disturbing article titled "Today the Sheep...Tomorrow the Shepherd?," Newsweek staff writer Kenneth Woodward remarked: "Science has a way of outdistancing all ethical restraints. In science, the one rule is that what can be done will be done" (1997, 129[10]:60, emp. added). That "one rule" is what is known among scientists as the "technological imperative." And it rules supreme in many areas of science. The famed Star Trek mantra—"to boldly go where no one has gone before"—has taken on an entirely new meaning in light of current reproductive technology. Pierre Baldi even went so far as to suggest:
In my judgment, we do not have much to fear about cloning in the short term, and we have plenty of time to think about its consequences if we begin now. It will take quite some time and debate before the first laws are passed authorizing human cloning, and it may take some time to achieve the level of technical proficiency required for its legal practice. It will take decades for the first human clone to become an adult, and for us to begin to sort out the effects of nature and nurture (2001, p. 145, emp. added).
Baldi did admit, however: "Before human clones are produced, we should ask ourselves whether it is ethical for human beings to precisely determine the genome of another human being" (p. 144). Determining (actually "predetermining" would be a more accurate term) the genome of another human being is indeed no small matter. Newsweek's Woodward observed: "Perhaps the message of Dolly is that society should reconsider its casual slide toward assuming mastery over human life. Do we really want to play God?" (129[10]:60).
The specter of numerous laboratories around the country filled with maimed, malformed, malingering human embryos that grow into "abnormal children and adults" is not exactly the image of cloning that most people envision when they think of cloning. Yet according to those researchers who are on the cutting edge of the technology, that may be exactly what we will see if we tread on this slippery slope in our attempts to "play God."
In an article summarizing the August 2001 National Academy of Sciences Conference on Cloning in Washington, D.C. for Time magazine, Michael Lemonick discussed some of the potential consequences of "playing God" via reproductive cloning.
Most of the scientists who gathered in Washington earlier this month to talk about human cloning agreed that cloning an entire human being—besides being morally questionable—was fraught with technical obstacles. After all, research into animal cloning has already shown that for every apparent success like Dolly the sheep, there are hundreds of failures, including many badly deformed creatures that were usually miscarried (2001, 158[8]:56, emp. added).
Having discussed just such horrendous possibilities in his book, The Impact of the Gene, it was hardly with a cavalier attitude that science writer Colin Tudge admitted:
But whether we like it or not, the human clone and the designer baby, the reinvented human being, will stay on humanity's agenda for as long as science itself is practiced. With such power before us, we have to ask as a matter of urgency, what is right for us to do. Some have suggested that these new technologies raise no "new" ethical issues, a point that largely depends on what is meant by new. They certainly raise the ethical ante. After all, we cannot be held morally responsible for events that we cannot control, but we are answerable for those that we do control. In the normal course of events, we cannot control the genetic makeup of our offspring. We do have some influence, because we choose our mates carefully, but the process of genetic recombination during the formation of eggs and sperm ensures that the genetic details of our offspring are not ours to specify. But if we clone children, or engineer their genes, then we are prescribing their genome. Our responsibility, then, for all that befalls them, far outstrips that of any parent. Noblesse oblige. It is too casual by far to say there are no new issues. We must look deeper (2000, pp. 307-308, emp. in orig.).
Indeed, we must "look deeper"—for several reasons. We must force ourselves to realize that once the genie is out of the bottle, we will not be able to put it back. Science never goes backwards. Never! In his book, Designing Babies, Roger Gosden addressed this point when he wrote:
The march of scientific knowledge pauses from time to time, awaiting the discovery of a new theory, technique, or instrument, but it never retreats. Its discoveries can never be destroyed like a canvas that offends or a music score that grates. Hence the fear that an uncomfortable fact discovered today is bound to be applied sooner or later, possibly for ill (1999, p. 17, emp. added).
Medical ethicist Leon Kass of the University of Chicago (the physician selected by President Bush on August 9, 2001 to head the President's Council on Stem-Cell Research) observed: "We Americans have lived by...the technological imperative—if it can be done, it must be done..." (2000, p. 105, emp. added). Do we honestly believe that we can "clone now, but remedy the consequences later"—and somehow do it with impunity? As long ago as 1967, in an editorial in Science, Marshall Nirenberg of the National Institutes of Health cautioned:
Man may be able to program his own cells with synthetic information long before he will be able to assess adequately the long-term consequences of such alterations, long before he will be able to formulate goals, and long before he can resolve the ethical and moral problems which will be raised (as quoted in Walters and Palmer, 1997, p. 141).
Or, as Kass put it: "Here we surely should not be willing to risk everything in the naïve hope that, should things go wrong, we can later set them right" (2000, p. 105). Evolutionist and Nobel laureate George Wald of Harvard decried the fact that
DNA technology faces our society with problems unprecedented not only in the history of science, but of life on the Earth. It places in human hands the capacity to redesign living organisms. ...It is all too big and is happening too fast. So this, the central problem, remains almost unconsidered. It presents probably the largest ethical problem that science has ever had to face. Our morality up to now has been to go ahead without restriction to learn all that we can about nature. Restructuring nature was not part of the bargain. For going ahead in this direction may be not only unwise, but dangerous (1979, pp. 127-128, emp. added).
Any way you slice it, human reproductive cloning is not only unwise and dangerous, but patently unethical as well. Ask any knowledgeable ethicist, Christian or otherwise, and he or she will confirm that two important principles come into play in experimentation on human beings.
The first principle is that basic medical ethics requires the experiment be to the subject's benefit. Even avid cloning proponent Lee Silver was forced to admit:
A basic principle of medical ethics is that doctors should not perform any procedure on human subjects if the risk of harm is greater than the benefit that might be achieved. In the case of cloning, this principle would oblige physicians to refrain from practicing the technology unless they were sure that the risk of birth defects was no greater than that associated with naturally conceived children (1997, p. 103).
Is the risk greater? In the chapter he authored on "Cloning Human Beings: An Assessment of the Ethical Issues Pro and Con" for the book, Clones and Clones, Dan Brock answered that question in a very clear fashion: "There is no doubt that attempts to clone a human being at the present time would carry unacceptable risks to the clone" (1998, p. 157). How true! As things stand now, laboratory procedures for cloning humans scarcely would benefit the cloned embryos. Ian Wilmut and his colleagues attempted 277 fusions between donor cells and unfertilized eggs. Only 29 of those fused cells became embryos and were introduced into (13) ewes. Of those 29, only one became pregnant and gave birth to Dolly. What if the same failure rate held true for the cloning of humans? Or, for the sake of argument, suppose that somehow the failure rate could be cut in half (in other words, out of 29 human embryos, "only" 15 died during the process)? Would that then be ethically and morally acceptable? It would not! With human cloning—if the 1-2% success rate of scientists' efforts today is any indication—the failure rate could be staggering. Producing human embryos—with the full knowledge in advance that many more of them will die than will live—is, to use the words of evolutionist Gunther Stent, "morally and aesthetically completely unacceptable" (as quoted in Howard and Rifkin, 1977, pp. 125-126).
Interestingly, at times atheists and theists alike acknowledge the major thrust of such arguments. Evolutionist Richard Lewontin, for example, admitted:
Of course, the technique will get better, but people are not sheep and there is no way to make cloning work reliably in people except to experiment on people.... Even if the methods could be made eventually to work as well in humans as in sheep, how many human embryos are to be sacrificed, and at what stage of their development? (2000, pp. 165-166).
As long ago as 1975, medical ethicist Paul Ramsey suggested that we cannot even develop the kinds of reproductive technologies being discussed here "without conducting unethical experiments upon the unborn who must be the mishaps (the dead and retarded ones) through whom we learn how" (as quoted in Restak, 1975, p. 65, parenthetical item in orig.). Sir John Polkinghorne, in an article on "Cloning and the Moral Imperative," wrote:
An attempt to use a similar procedure to produce a cloned human person would undoubtedly also require a large number of trials before success was achieved and would involve similar uncertainties about long-term consequences. In contrast to the work that led to the birth of the first IVF baby, the procedures would be the result of radical human manipulation and not simply the facilitating of a natural process. Putting it bluntly, it would inevitably require the production of "experimental human beings." This, in itself, is morally unacceptable. If the profound respect due to an unimplanted embryo requires that experimentation cease at 14 days [as required by British law in Polkinghorne's home country—BT/BH], how would a much more extended series of experiments in utero be ethically justifiable? These procedures might have as their intended end a desirable purpose, such as the birth of a healthy baby who might otherwise suffer from a severe mitochondrial disorder, but the manner in which this had become feasible, through a sequence of experiments of this kind, would have been ethically tainted. The end would no more justify the means than it would, say, in the case of a fetus conceived naturally but with the intention of providing suitable material for the treatment of Parkinsonism in a close relative.... Not everything that can be done should be done (1997, pp. 41,42, emp. added).
Leon Kass put it another way: "The good things that men do can be made complete only by the things they refuse to do" (2000, p. 106, emp. added).
In addition, there is more to this matter than merely "perfecting" the cloning method itself. As a case in point, consider the scenario that evolutionist Mark Ridley presented in his 2001 volume, The Cooperative Gene:
But could human cloning ever become widespread: could most, or even all, human reproduction become clonal? At this stage, the Darwinian answer has to be: probably not. We need sex. We may need it to clear our harmful mutations. A sub-branch of human beings who went in for clonal reproduction would also be signing their progeny up for a mutational meltdown. They would undergo rapid genetic decay, as mutations accumulated faster than they could be eliminated. I do not know how many generations it would be before every offspring was so loaded with genetic defects that it would be dead; the details would depend on the exact cloning procedure, but cloning could not last long on an evolutionary timescale...My forecast is that the clone would be sick, and destined to collapse under the burden of its own copying errors (pp. 253,354, emp. added).
Is it to the clone's benefit to be born "abnormal" thanks to a "mutational meltdown" that has the potential to make it into a monster with gross birth defects? To ask is to answer. Truth be told, the scientific facts surrounding cloning do not paint a pretty picture. Rather than being viewed as a "miracle of life," it may well be that cloning should be portrayed instead as a death sentence.
There is a second equally important medical principle involved in the potential cloning of people. In any experiment performed on a human, the subject must know the risks beforehand and give "informed consent." [Note the important difference here between an "experiment" and a routine medical procedure (such as surgery).] One of the saddest events ever recorded in American medical history provides an excellent case study in this regard. During the forty years between 1932 and 1972, the United States Public Health Service sanctioned the so-called "Tuskegee <$I[]Tuskegee experiments>Experiments" in which 399 poor men from Macon County, Alabama who were known to have syphilis were studied to determine the effects of this debilitating condition. The government doctors in charge of the study never told the participants that they were infected with this disease (the men were told they had "bad blood," and that they could be cured if they entered the research program voluntarily). Even though the doctors knew that the disease was fatal if left untreated, and even though antibiotics were available that could have saved the lives of the 399 Alabamians, those men were denied access to such antibiotics. Nor did the scientists involved ever obtain "informed consent" from the men for their experiments, as required by United States law.
Instead, they were patronized, prodded, and poked in what can only be called one of the most shameful medical experiments ever perpetrated on Americans by Americans. As a result, almost all of the men died a cruel, agonizing death—with their tormenters recording every moment for posterity in the name of "scientific research." What was the rationale offered in later years for the experiments, once the scheme finally was uncovered? Those responsible claimed that they wanted to provide knowledge of the disease in the hope that it might prevent the physical degradation and death so often associated with syphilis victims. And, of course, they wanted to secure information that could be used to slow, or halt, the "moral degradation" associated with contracting a venereal disease in the first place. Laudable goals, to be sure; but the end results did not justify the means through which they were accomplished!
Perhaps it was a case such as the Tuskegee experiments that was on the mind of Lori Andrews when she commented in her book, Future Perfect:
[U]nder the medical model, little attention is actually paid to informed consent. This is thought to be tolerable since people seek medical services when they already have a health problem and physicians are presumed to be acting in the patient's best interest by providing services.... Unlike other areas of law, where the standards of behavior are externally imposed, in medicine the standard of care is set by the profession itself.... Currently, most genetic services are regulated by the medical model. Under it, physicians are the source of information about genetic tests (2001, pp. 23,24, emp. added).
The sad fact that some researchers within the scientific/medical community today do not adhere to the ethical standard of informed consent is no justification for not obeying the law, however. Two wrongs do not make a right.
In the case of human cloning, however, the tiny embryo being produced (and that more often than not is likely to die) could not provide informed consent, even if the researchers involved in the experiments actually decided to obey the law. As Kass noted:
...[A]ny attempt to clone a human being would constitute an unethical experiment upon the resulting child-to-be. As the animal experiments (frog and sheep) indicate, there are grave risks of mishaps and deformities. Moreover, because of what cloning means, one cannot presume a future cloned child's consent to be a clone, even a healthy one. Thus, ethically speaking we cannot even get to know whether or not human cloning is feasible (2000, p. 88, emp. added).
Dr. Kass' point is well made. Even if we could perfect the technology (a big "if," to be sure!), that still would not alleviate the problem of informed consent.
At every turn, then, the problem of the ethics of cloning rears its head. Little wonder Rob DeSalle and David Lindley admitted: "We hardly dare to think of the ethical difficulties such achievements would bring in their wake" (1998, p. 104). And yet we must think on these matters! As Pierre Baldi correctly observed:
Many bioethics texts share the same conservative punchline: we ought to be extremely careful and proceed very slowly with biotechnology, because we must preserve our notion of humanity and of who we are (2001, p. 136).
Interestingly, President Bush echoed that same phrase—"proceed very slowly"—in his August 9, 2001 speech to the American people on human cloning and stem-cell research (which we will discuss at length in next month's installment). In fact, the feature article in the August 20, 2001 issue of Time was titled "We Must Proceed with Great Care" (see Gibbs and Duffy, 2001)—which was a direct quote from the President's televised speech when he said that after many months of deliberation, "I have decided that we must proceed with great care" (Bush, 2001).
President Bush was absolutely correct to urge "great care." As Gina Kolata pointed out in her book, Clone: "If we really want to stop human cloning, it might be argued that any forays in this direction are tentative steps down a slippery slope" (1998, p. 234, emp. added). That "slippery slope" has been the topic of much discussion since Dolly's arrival. Roger Gosden observed: "Probably no subject in medical science receives more critical attention from both government and the press than reproductive biology and genetics" (1999, p. 17). And with good reason! As Kass has reminded us:
Changes are now being considered that would improve the very germplasm, the permanent heredity, of these "created" clones. Traits thus made inherent would be potentially transferrable to every succeeding generation. This goes beyond fantasizing about Bionic Man to conjuring up the dream of Designer Man.... We have here a perfect example of the logic of the slippery slope, and the slippery way in which it already works in this area...We should allow all cloning research on animals to go forward, but the only safe trench that we can dig across the slippery slope, I suspect, is to insist on the inviolable distinction between animal and human cloning (2000, pp. 128,96,103, emp. added).
We could not agree more!
Andrews, Lori B. (2001), Future Perfect (New York: Columbia University Press).
Baldi, Pierre (2001), The Shattered Self: The End of Natural Evolution (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press).
Boyce, Nell and David E. Kaplan (2001), "The God Game No More," U.S. News & World Report, 131[2]:20-21, July 9/July 16 [special double issue].
Brock, Dan W. (1998), Clones and Clones: Facts and Fantasies about Human Cloning, ed. Martha C. Nussbaum and Cass R. Sunstein (New York: W.W. Norton).
Bush, George W. (2001), "Remarks by the President on Stem-Cell Research," [On-line], URL: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/08/20010809-2.html.
"Cloning Effort" (2000), [On-line], URL: www.abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/DailyNews/cloning010125.html.
Cloning Human Beings: Report and Recommendations of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission (1997), (Rockville, MD: National Bioethics Advisory Commission).
DeSalle, Rob and David Lindley (1998), The Science of Jurassic Park and the Lost World (New York: HarperPerennial).
Gergen, David (2001), "Trouble in Paradise," U.S. News & World Report, 131[7]:80, August 20/August 27 [special double issue].
Gibbs, Nancy and Michael Duffy (2001), "We Must Proceed with Great Care," Time, 158[7]:14-23, August 20.
Gosden, Roger (1999), Designing Babies (New York: W.H. Freeman).
Howard, Ted and Jeremy Rifkin (1977), Who Should Play God? (New York: Dell).
Humphreys, David, Kevin Eggan, Rudolf Jaenisch, et al. (2001), "Epigenetic Instability in ES Cells and Cloned Mice," Science, 293:95-97, July 6.
Jaenisch, Rudolf and Ian Wilmut (2001), "Don't Clone Humans!," Science, 291:2552, March 30.
Kass, Leon (2000), "The Wisdom of Repugnance: Why We Should Ban the Cloning of Humans," Human Cloning Debate, ed. Glenn McGee (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Hills Books), pp. 68-106. [Article appeared originally in Leon R. Kass and James Q. Wilson (1998), The Ethics of Human Cloning (Washington, D.C.: AEI Press).]
Kirby, Alex (2001), "Cloned Human Planned by 2003," [On-line], URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1144000/1144694.stm.
Kolata, Gina (1998), Clone: The Road to Dolly and the Path Ahead (New York: William Morrow).
Lemonick, Michael (2001), "Cloning: Humans May Have It Easier," Time, 158[8]:56-57, August 27.
Lewontin, Richard (2000), "The Confusion Over Cloning," Human Cloning Debate, ed. Glenn McGee (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Hills Books), pp. 154-169.
Polkinghorne, John (1997), "Cloning and the Moral Imperative," Human Cloning, ed. Ronald Cole-Turner (Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox).
Restak, R.M. (1975), Pre-Meditated Man (New York: Viking).
Ridley, Mark (2001), The Cooperative Gene (New York: The Free Press).
"Send in the Clones," (2001), U.S. News and World Report, 131[7]:12, August 20/August 27 [special double issue].
Sgaramella, Vitorrio and N.D. Zinder (1998), "Dolly Confirmation," Science, 279:635-636, January 30.
Shermer, Michael (2001), The Borderlands of Science (Oxford, England: Oxford University Press).
Silver, Lee M. (1997), Remaking Eden: Cloning and Beyond in a Brave New World (New York: Avon).
Stolberg, Sheryl G. (2001), "Despite Warnings, 3 Vow to Go Ahead on Human Cloning," [On-line], URL: www.nytimes.com/2001/08/08/health/genetics/08CLON.html.
Travis, John (1997), "A Fantastical Experiment," Science News, 151:214-215, April 5.
Tudge, Colin (2000), The Impact of the Gene (New York: Hill and Wang).
Wald, George (1979), "The Case Against Genetic Engineering," The Recombinant DNA Debate, ed. David A. Jackson and Stephen Stich (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall).
Walters, LeRoy and Julie G. Palmer (1997), The Ethics of Human Gene Therapy (New York: Oxford University Press).
Woodward, Kenneth (1997), "Today the Sheep...Tomorrow the Shepherd," Newsweek, 129[10]:60, March 10.


text:
Olympia Pet Emergency has been taking care of pet emergencies in Olympia, Washington for over 20 years. In October 2017, we moved into a brand new state of the art facility! As an associate at our high-volume, 24 hour ER facility, you will be faced with challenging medical and surgical cases, working 10-12 shifts per month – but you will not be alone. OPE backs you up with a highly trained support team, wonderful pet owners, and colleagues who welcome the chance to discuss and learn from difficult cases. We are an AAHA accredited emergency facility and currently working to become a VECCS certified hospital. We are leaders in the field of emergency veterinary medicine and we're proud of our compassionate, collaborative and trustworthy approach to veterinary care.
We are offering a signing bonus as we seek a new member of our team, new graduates are welcome to apply. OPE associates receive a competitive salary, medical/dental/vision benefits, paid time off, retirement plan, and continuing education. But there is so much more – just read our reviews and you will see that our team is known for being compassionate, knowledgeable, reasonable, and kind. Not only do our pet owners like and respect us, our team is great to work with! Working in the ER sector of veterinary medicine can be stressful, but with pet owners and team members at OPE you can experience the rewards of helping pets and people get through any emergency situation.
Olympia, Washington and the surrounding area is an amazing place to live. You have the opportunity to live close to the city and enjoy the aspects of city life or you can drive less than 30 minutes and live in the country. If you love the outdoors, the Pacific Northwest has everything right at your fingertips. You are approximately one hour from both the ocean and the mountains. Whether you enjoy skiing, hiking, or beach-combing it's all readily accessible.
A full service veterinary recruiting agency.


text:
Mothers are dedicated to giving their children the best opportunity for a good life. How much harder is it for a mother to do so all on her own?
Single mothers are incredibly determined and resilient. They find a way, despite often overwhelming physical, emotional and financial challenges.
However, without some vital support at their times of greatest need, they can find themselves unable to provide basic needs for their children, including enough food, basic school supplies and even a safe home.
Council of Single Mothers and their Children provides essential support and assistance when these families need it the most.
Support our work by making a donation today. Every donation can make a real difference to a single mother family in need.
Can you chip in $15 to support our work?
Together, we can show single mothers that they are not alone.
Join the Council of Single Mothers and their Children to mobilise for change for all single mother families!
Join a movement of single mothers keen to participate in a variety of ways, from receiving training to act as a delegate to taking a small action to communicate our strength in numbers via key campaigns.
The Council of Single Mothers and their Children welcomes individual supporters and organisational members
Email us to register your interest.
The Council of Single Mothers and their Children acknowledges we are working on the lands of the Wurundjeri people and we pay respect to elders past and present.
The Victorian Government Department of Health and Human Service makes possible our specialised support to single mother families.
Thanks to all the individuals and organisations assisting our work.


text:
New deadline: February 13
Sophomore Site Visits ITP™
The Alignment Rockford Pathways A-Team is inviting local businesses and civic and community organizations to host a site visit for sophomore students. In small groups, students will visit a local company related to their academy in order to explore their career interests. This is a new benchmark for College and Career Readiness.
Rockford Public Schools has redesigned its high schools into the College and Career Academies of Rockford. All students are pursuing a pathway in one of the career-themed academies:
- BAMIT (Business, Arts, Modern World Languages, and Information Technology)
- EMITT (Engineering, Manufacturing, Industrial and Trades Technology)
- HPS (Human and Public Services)
- HS (Health Sciences)
- Renaissance Gifted
- CAPA (Creative and Performing Arts)
Students will visit businesses aligned with their selected pathway or academy for a 90-minute overview of the facility and career opportunities. Students will be interested in learning about a "day in the life" of your professionals, including:
- your work environment
- how your company solves problems
- Q&A with company professionals
Talking points with students may include such topics as:
- salaries
- accomplishments
- products and services
- jobs available
- what you like and don't like about your job
- preparation, training, educational requirements
Services needed:
- Businesses will host a group or groups of 10th grade students for 90 minutes on March 24, 25, and/or 26, 2015.
- Selected businesses will be notified by Feb. 20, 2015.
- A representative from each selected business should attend a collaboration planning meeting at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at the Rockford Public Schools administration building, 501 7th Street, in the 3rd floor Board room.
- Hosting businesses and participating students will be surveyed at the conclusion of the visits to determine efficacy.
Target Population:
- High School
- Students
Needed Information from Community Service Providers
- What does your business do? List the careers students will experience.
- Which time slot(s) do you prefer? (Check all that apply; Ctrl-click to select multiple times)
- How many students can you accommodate in a given session?
- Which day(s) do you prefer? (Check all that apply; Ctrl-click to select multiple dates)
- Who from your company will attend the collaboration meeting at noon on March 3?
- Please describe any screening requirements for the visiting students (bring ID, apparel, immunizations, etc.


text:
New World of Warcraft Community Site Live Preview
New World of Warcraft Community Site Live Preview
(Blizzard, 0/0/2000)
The new World of Warcraft community site is live! Months in the making, this site will soon become the prime gathering spot for the community. We're very excited to finally open the doors and invite you into our new home. You can read more about the transition from our existing website to the new one in our original announcement.
As we're considering this a live preview, we want your feedback about the look and feel of the new digs. Head to the community site, check out the new forum categories, and follow the Website Feedback links to let your voice be heard. Go ahead. Check it out!


text:
However, there is still reason to celebrate: many Haskell operators do support prefix notation! This was a mind-blower to me, since I hadn't heard about this until last night...
At the Data Day Texas conference this past Saturday, O'Reilly/StrataConf had a fantastic booth. Among the many cool give-aways they were doing, I obtained a coupon for a free ebook and another for 50% off. Upon returning home and having made my free book decision, I was vacillating between an OCaml book and the famous Haskell one. I've done a little Haskell in the past but have never touched OCaml, so I was pretty tempted.
However, something amazing happened next. I stumbled upon a page that was comparing OCaml and Haskell, which led to another page... where Haskell prefix notation was mentioned. I know many Haskellers who might read this would shrug, or say "yeah, we know", but this was quite a delightful little discovery for me :-)
I don't remember the first page I found, but since then, I've come across a couple more resources:
- http://www.haskell.org/haskellwiki/Infix_operator
- http://learninghaskell.wordpress.com/2009/07/23/haskell-prefix-and-infix-notations-for-functions/
As such, I needed to do a lot more exploration. Initially, I was really excited and thought I'd be able to convert all Haskell forms to s-expressions (imports, lets, etc.), but I quickly found this was not the case. But the stuff that did work is pretty cool, and I saved it in a series of gists for your viewing pleasure :-)
The first test was pretty simple. Finding success, I thought I'd try something I do when using a Lisp/Scheme interpreter as a calculator. As you can see below, that didn't work (the full traceback is elided). Searching on Hoogλe got me to the answer I was looking for, though. Off to a good start:
More Operators
I checked some basic operators next, and a function. Everything's good so far:
Here are some basic list operations, including the ever-so-cool list difference operator, (\\). Also, I enjoyed the cons (:) so much that I made a t-shirt of it :-) (See the postscript below for more info.)
List Comprehensions
I'm not sure if one can do any more prefixing than this for list comprehensions:
Same thing for functions; nothing really exciting to see. (Btw, these examples were lifted from LYHGG.)
Things get a little more interesting with lambda expressions, especially when a closure is added for spice:
Function Composition
Using the compose operator in prefix notation is rather... bizarre :-) It looks much more natural as a series of compositions in a lambda. I also added a mostly-standard view of the compose operator for comparison:
I've saved the best for last, an example of the sort of thing I need when doing matrix operations in game code, graphics, etc. The first one is standard Haskell...
Wow. Such abstract. So brains.
Note that to make the prefix version anywhere close to legible, I added whitepsace. (If you paste this in ghci, you'll see a bunch of prompts, and then the result. If you're running in the Sublime REPL, be sure to scroll to the right.)
And that pretty much wraps up what I did on Sunday afternoon :-)
Other Resources
- Travis Hartwell, Twisted hacker from back in the day, let me know about a great Haskell tutorial for Lispers.
- Here's a fun Lisper-oriented monad tutorial. Also, here's the best monad tutorial I've ever read.
- Liskell (ILC 2007 presentation; paper; 2009 update; source code)
- Lisk (Chris' lisk github repo seems to have disappeared, with the possible exception of an old fork)
- Husk Scheme (main page; github; Hackage)
Post Script
If you're in the San Antonio / Austin area (or SF; I'll be there in March) and want to go in on a t-shirt order, let me know :-) We need at least six for the smallest order (tri-blend Next Level; these are a bit pricey, but they feel GREAT). I'll collect payment before I make an order.


text:
The New Blog is up and running! Go Here for all future posts and to see some old ones on a prettier page!
Tag Archives: Philadelphia Wedding Photographers
Kirsten & Donnie – The Philadelphia Engagement Teaser!
Let's kick off 2015 with the Awesome Kirsten & Donnie! Here's a teaser from their Philadelphia Engagement Session this past Sunday on the University of Penn campus.
More to come!
Heather & Mike – The Scotland Run Wedding Teaser!
Check out the sexiness that is Heather & Mike! Their beautiful Wedding was at Scotland Run Golf Club and I could not be more in love with this shot!
More to come.
Jaide & Ryan – The Philadelphia Wedding Teaser!
Check out this beautiful night teaser from Jaide & Ryan's Wedding Saturday in Valley Forge!
Heather & Mike – The Philadelphia Engagement!
Meet Heather & Mike!! These sexy beasts met up with me on south street next to the Philadelphia's Magic Gardens with their beautiful daughter who has the most adorable giggle ever! After some sweet moments with the little lady, I took the couple all around the area and exploring all the alleyways and parks, looking for cool spots. I remember loving how attentive he was to her. Helping her walk down the uneven sidewalks and how she clutched onto him, not just for help but because she is his. There wedding is in seconds and I can't even wait!
check out my favorites from the day!
Jaide & Ryan – The Philadelphia Engagement!
Meet Jaide & Ryan! For their Engagement Session, we met up in the Old City section of Philadelphia and I got to meet their little baby girl Delaynee! She's such a little trooper and with a little help from Jaide's mom dancing behind my camera, we got some cute smiles from her. After a little family time, Jaide's parents entertained the little princess while I had Jaide & Ryan making out for me. I like what I do 🙂
Check out some of my favorites!
Jess & Mark – The Long Branch, NJ Wedding Teaser!
Check out this fun teaser from Jess & Mark's Wedding this past Saturday in Long Branch, NJ! Their reception was at McLoone's Pier House which is right on the beach and on the way out to the water for some portraits I saw this shot. LOVE THEM! Such a fun group!!!


text:
What property owner Richard Schertz described as the thunderous sound of a wind turbine blade crashing down into his cornfield apparently echoed around the world.
What property owner Richard Schertz described as the thunderous sound of a wind turbine blade crashing down into his cornfield apparently echoed around the world.
The stock price of the company that manufactures the turbines, India-based Suzlon Energy, tumbled more than 39 percent on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Friday after it notified the exchange of the failure.
"This is an extremely rare and unusual incident," the notice said in part. "The cause of this incident is presently under detailed investigation."
Schertz has said he heard the 140-foot fiberglass blade, weighing 6 1/2 tons, come crashing to the ground about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. It broke off at the stem where the blade connects with the turbine and landed approximately 150 feet from the base of the tower.
AgriWind LLC operates a small-scale wind farm composed of four 2.1 megawatt turbines on Schertz's property southwest of Wyanet, which is about 55 miles north of Peoria in Bureau County. Schertz said one of the turbines has not been rotating since the summer because it was found to have cracks in it. Schertz also said all four turbines have been taken out of operation since the blade broke.
The notice rendered to the Bombay Stock Exchange, however, said "other turbines owned by that customer and our other customers at various locations in the U.S. are operating without interruption. . ."
A Suzlon representative told the Journal Star the blades on all four turbines were scheduled to be replaced within a week because of a design defect that caused cracks in the blades.
The company, which was formed in 1995, announced in March that it would initiate a retrofitting program for 1,251 blades that were determined to have the defect. The company said at the time that 930 of the blades had been installed and the remaining blades were in transit or inventory.
The frequency with which those blades have experienced similar failures is unclear because there is no official tracking mechanism.
The American Wind Energy Association keeps tabs on turbine failures, but that definition could run the gamut from mechanical failure to total tower collapse. A spokesperson for that company said a handful of broken blades and tower collapses have been reported to the agency over the last year.
The Industrial Wind Action Group, a network of people who oppose wind farm installations near population centers and seek to raise awareness about what they deem the inefficiency of wind power, has reported 15 "catastrophic" failures over the last year.
Lisa Linowes, executive director of the group, said the failure in Wyanet is evidence that wind energy isn't as safe as its proponents claim.
"This whole thing about safety worries us a lot," she said. "In the last year, there have been at least 15 cases, and those are just cases that have been reported."
Three of those 15 cases involved broken blades, while a fourth, most recently, involved a tower collapse. In that instance, in Vermont, a blade apparently broke off a tower during high winds, struck the supporting structure and forced it to buckle.
"There are accidents that are happening, that's for sure," Linowes said. "Our fear is that someone is going to get hurt eventually, if not already."
The remaining cases documented by Wind Action center on what appears to be a much more common cause of turbine failure: fire. Eleven of the 15 cases tracked by the group in North America list lightning or another ignition source as the cause of blazes that begin hundreds of feet in the air.
One such event occurred last year at the Twin Groves wind farm operated by Horizon Wind Energy in eastern McLean County. Despite countermeasures such as lightning rods meant to divert a strike from the turbines, one tower had to be shut down because of lightning and a resulting fire.
"It's unusual, but it does happen," said Steve Lange, director of regional operations at Twin Groves.
Lange said the company has not installed any Suzlon products in its multiple facilities across the country, though it planned to use Suzlon turbines at a proposed Oregon wind farm. Horizon's operating facilities use equipment made by Vestas and General Electric.
"They've been in the business for a long time, and they have a good track record," Lange said. A failure like the one in Wyanet "is nothing we've experienced at Horizon."
Matt Buedel can be reached at (309) 686-3154 or email@example.com.


text:
NEWS- Rate this: Movie needs test audience
A free movie and a chance to tell the filmmakers what you think? It really doesn't get any better than that for moviegoers, at least for those willing to visit Staunton for their free flick.
Barry Sisson, financier of the highly acclaimed 2003 indie phenom The Station Agent, needs test audiences for his latest venture. The movie started out being called Disconnected, then Pretzels and Pills, and now it's Familiar Strangers.
"It's the story of a family learning to relate to each other as adults," says Sisson. Familiar Strangers stars D.J. Qualls, who played the white kid in Hustle and Flow, and Shawn Hatosy, who appears in Factory Girl with Sienna Miller.
Sisson's production company, Cavalier Films, wants an audience to watch the 90-minute film and then answer a short questionnaire and give the film a rating between one and 10. Will this be like the Jaws tests– to see if viewers scream enough? Not exactly.
"We have two different versions of the film," explains Sisson, and he and business partner Marc Lieberman are hoping audience reaction will help them choose. "If the responses are equal, we'll just pick one," he says.
The movie was filmed in the Shenandoah Valley last year and includes scenes shot in Staunton and Stuarts Draft. What happens if the test audience is stacked with movie extras who like the version that gives them the most screen time?
"I'm a little worried about that," admits Sisson. "We're going to try to weed out people who worked with the film."
The movie is likely to be rated PG or PG-13, but is not targeted at teenagers. "You need a little life under your belt to understand it– like Station Agent," Sisson says.
Cavalier Films is looking for viewers of all ages willing to cruise over to Staunton April 16. Those interested in getting on the list should email firstname.lastname@example.com. Hey, maybe Sisson could charter the Starlight Express bus service to haul a coachful of fans over Afton Mountain for the show.
Actor D.J. Squalls in a scene involving a donkey-like creature and a basketball from the movie formerly known as Disconnected, Pretzels and Pills, and currently called Familiar Strangers. Its producers need some test audiences for the show filmed in the Valley last summer.
1 comment
I am an English major, my wife is an avid Film Festival supporter. We have a home in Wintergreen and would happily join you to review the film.
You might call us at 434-325-9121 to let us know if there is still space and where we should go in Staunton.