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Home/Show Room by Emanuele Spano
Emanuele Spano Demonstrates The I'm Where I Live Home/Show Room
Emanuele Spano, the designer of the highlighted design I'm Where I Live by Emanuele Spano points out, A concept of biocompatibility between art and life, that is a bio-space evolving into pure functionality, comfort and beauty. A modern, eco–friendly building made entirely of natural stone and biocalce, inspired by the model of the Saracen Tower, a crucial piece of Mediterranean architectural identity. "I am Where I Live" is thus a way of life for him, as well as a project of biocompatibility: a smart and powerful house/shop, a space of aggregation for creatives, artists and architects. A project of natural intelligence of the arts..
Home/Show Room by Emanuele Spano Images:
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A master photojournalist and war photographer, Robert Capa made many of the iconic images of the first half of the twentieth century. This image is a beautiful, whimsical portrait of Pablo Picasso and Françoise Gilot walking on a beach in France. Capa portrays Picasso and Gilot with levity and rich tonal ranges, making them seem as alive in the photograph as they were in France in 1948. This gelatin-silver print is stamped and initialed by Cornell Capa. This gelatin-silver print is accompanied by a hardcover copy of Robert Capa: Photographs and a vellum overlay with copyright text, and sold in an archival paper folder.
Robert Capa (born in Budapest, Hungary, 1913; died in 1954), a cofounder of Magnum Photos with Henri Cartier-Bresson, was a pioneering photographer who joined soldiers in the trenches and documented the battles of the Spanish Civil War, World War II, the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and the First Indochina War in grim, close-up detail.

subset: commoncrawl


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Bear Grylls Field Sharpener
Encased in a smooth, hard plastic cover the Bear Grylls Knife Sharpener fits easily in your pocket. The handle is made of grippy rubber for secure holding in wet or cold conditions. Two rod shaped diamond-coated sharpeners allow you to sharpen the serrated sections of your knife. Coarse Carbide and Fine Ceramic inserts will get your fine edge blade in shape. Your Survival Series Field Sharpener will likely be the only one you'll ever need.
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- Overall Length: 11.4 cm
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- Steel Type: SS416 Grit 400
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- Sharpens Fine Edge & Serrated Blades
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Ed White
Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) -- The city of Detroit has been ordered to pay $1.1 million to a young man who was rousted out of bed as a 14-year-old, charged with murder and held in a violent juvenile lockup for nearly two years before being acquitted of a fatal shooting in his neighborhood.
Caleb Sosa, now 19, claimed police violated his civil rights by coercing him to put his initials on a confession that he couldn't even read. The allegations in his lawsuit were never tested, however, because the case ended in an extraordinary way. A judge declared a default when city lawyers failed the most basic procedural step: They never filed a timely answer in court.
"The judge found that mistakes were made," acknowledged Krystal Crittendon, the head of Detroit's law department.
Sosa's attorney, Ronnie Cromer Jr., believes he had a strong case and could have persuaded a jury to award even more money if the lawsuit over police tactics had gone to trial. Nonetheless, it's an embarrassing result for a city that is nearly broke and typically pays out more than $20 million a year in legal claims.
The lawyer who botched the case no longer works for Detroit.
"That's flat-out malpractice," said Deborah Gordon, an attorney who regularly sues local governments. "Municipalities should be sophisticated and responsible to deal with this stuff. Even if you're overwhelmed with work, you cannot allow a default. Get a calendar."
The lawsuit centered on how Detroit police arrested and interrogated Sosa after a sensational murder in 2007. A 13-year-old on the southwest side was fatally shot in the middle of the night, the unintended victim of a gang feud. Another person who was shot and survived identified Sosa as the masked gunman.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Sosa said he was asleep and wearing only pajama pants when an officer entered his bedroom to take him away for an interview. He was released but picked up again a month later.
"They're telling me, 'You killed somebody.' I kept telling them over and over again: I had nothing to do with it," Sosa said last week.
"I did not know how to read. I did not know how to write. As far as a confession, I had no idea what it was," he said. "Police told me to sign right here and you can go home. I didn't even know how to put my initials. I asked them to show me how to write a 'C' and a 'V' and an 'S.'"
Sosa was charged with first-degree murder. The first trial ended without a unanimous verdict. Worn down by his time in custody and fearing a life sentence, Sosa was close to pleading guilty before a second trial in exchange for a 15-year prison term.
"I saw it as a way out," he explained. "I grabbed a pen. I looked at my mom. I barely put down the first letter of my name. I dropped the pen. I looked at the judge's face and said, 'I cannot sign this paper.'"
His second trial in 2009 ended with an acquittal. After 631 days in custody, Sosa went home. No one else has been charged in the slaying.
Cromer filed a civil rights lawsuit in 2010, accusing Detroit police of creating a phony confession and covering up evidence that would have helped Sosa. The lawsuit was amended in 2011 and hand-delivered to the city's law department. But city attorney Jane Mills never filed a formal response in federal court.
Cromer, frustrated by the inaction, asked U.S. District Judge Sean Cox to declare the city in default. Cox agreed, saying, "This is not a case involving excusable neglect."
In September, Cox awarded $1.1 million to the young man and $80,380 to his mother. The case still is pending while lawyers work out a 40-year schedule of payments to Sosa.
Mills, who now works for a law firm, declined to comment. Crittendon, head of the Detroit law department, declined to say whether Mills quit or was fired. She also declined to discuss how the Sosa case was managed.
No matter how he won the lawsuit, Sosa hopes the public doesn't lose sight of his innocence and his time in a juvenile lockup. He said he was repeatedly beaten by inmates much older than him and suffered a dislocated jaw, broken ribs and other injuries.
His mother, Amparo Hernandez-Sosa, said she often parked her minivan outside the detention center and flashed the headlights to wish her son a good night.
"I was 14. I was a baby," Sosa told the AP. "This is a scar inside my head and inside my heart. ... I got arrested for a crime I did not commit. They grabbed me and put the blame on me."
Published: Mon, Nov 26, 2012


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The US Clinical Directory is provided as a service to our graduates who wish to advertise their services on our website. Our listing of a practitioner on this site does not constitute a recommendation of that practitioner. In order to be listed here, practitioners had to meet all requirements of our certification program and demonstrate competency in a variety of medical qigong techniques and methods. The ICMQ does not monitor or evaluate practitioners after graduation or certification.
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A rebel group in Nigeria has declared a cease-fire in the oil-rich Niger Delta, where crude exports have been curbed by pipeline sabotage and kidnappings of oil workers. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said it was prepared to give dialogue a chance, paving the way for possible peace talks in a long-troubled region of Nigeria, the fourth-largest supplier of crude oil to the United States.
Last Thursday, MEND mounted an armed attack on an offshore oil rig and kidnapped an American oil worker, the latest in a string of such seizures. Most have later been released unharmed. The group says it's fighting for a fairer share of Nigeria's oil wealth for neglected delta communities, as well as reparations for pollution caused by oil extraction. Other militant groups operate in the delta, where about 20 million people live.
CNN reports that in a statement issued Sunday, MEND said it would begin its truce at midnight on Tuesday until further notice. It said its decision was in response to an appeal by "Niger Delta elders to give peace and dialogue another chance." Traditional chiefs hold great sway in parts of Nigeria. The strife in the area, which has affected American and other multinational oil companies, has cut Nigeria's crude output and contributed to higher global oil prices, according to analysts.
MEND has insisted on the release of its detained leader Henry Okah, who is on trial for treason and gun-running, as a precondition for talks, reports Reuters. In an e-mail, the group said that Mr. Okah should be allowed to attend a proposed peace summit called by President Umaru Yar'Adua. Some analysts are doubtful that either the militants or the national and local authorities are ready for talks, and the summit dates haven't been fixed.
The Associated Press reports that MEND previously declared a cease-fire in May 2007 after President Yar'Adua's inauguration and spoke of joining a peace process. This truce was called off, though, and attacks on oil producers resumed after Okah was arrested in Angola last September.
Last week's attack on an oil facility run by Royal Dutch Shell showed MEND's increased reach, which the group was quick to highlight in a claim of responsibility, reports The New York Times. The platform is 75 miles offshore, and the rebels used speedboats in the attack. Although they were unable to enter and blow up the control room – their stated aim – the incident led Shell to shut down the facility, which produces some 225,000 barrels a day in the Bonga field.
Bloomberg reports that a separate attack on an onshore Chevron pipeline, for which MEND claimed indirect responsibility, also cut Nigeria's crude output by about 120,000 barrels a day.
The pipeline was still down as of Sunday, according to Nigeria's oil minister.
In response to Thursday's oil-rig raid, Yar'Adua called last week for a military offensive against the rebels, reports VOA News. A presidential spokesman said that militants who "spurn the peace overtures of the federal government" would face the full consequences, as authorities must restore law and order. The rebels' cause of fighting for economic justice often blurs into communal and ethnic rivalries, says VOA News, and extortion and sabotage have become big business in the oil-rich south. This instability has dented Nigeria's appeal to Western oil companies.
The opposition Action Congress Party says the violence in the delta is a "crisis of immense proportion" that requires a sustained peace process that gives voices to local communities, not just the elders, reports the Vanguard newspaper in Lagos. In a statement, the party asks how the rebels were able to reach Shell's offshore rig and calls for a probe into the attack.
The tussle over who gets the spoils of Nigeria's mineral resources is testing the country's political framework, reports The Christian Science Monitor. Oil extraction, which began in the 1950s, has spawned a superrich elite, while most of the country's 140 million people get by on a couple of dollars a day.


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I just want to know, what exactly the difference between the functions CStr() and Str() and also the .ToString()? With the code provided below, what's the difference between the three?
Label1.Text = CStr(Int(Rnd() * 10))
Label1.Text = Str(Int(Rnd() * 10))
Label1.Text = Int(Rnd() * 10).ToString
When I used this condition
If Label1.Text = "7" Then
'Some code here
End If
...the Str() function didn't work here. What difference did it make? thanks in advance :))


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Elder Gays-do we reflect on?
Posted 14th, February, 2013
Written 02/07/2013
by Seth Hemmelgarn
Larry Saxxon knows firsthand about the isolation and loneliness that researchers and others say are among the main challenges facing black LGBT elders. February is Black History Month, and in a recent interview, Saxxon spoke of going to the Castro district, the largely gay neighborhood with a reputation for favoring people who are young and white. He said the area is "flowing with the sea of wonderful humanity," but he indicated his time there hasn't always been pleasant.
"People walk past you, and they turn their heads," he said. The reaction appears to be, "What am I going to do with this old black queen?" said Saxxon, 60, who's been with his partner for 33 years and said, "I'm not trying to get laid." "I'm a human being, and I am an LGBT brother who's an elder who has some amazing stories to share," he said.
The experiences that Saxxon has lived appear to reflect those of many African American LGBT elders. Among other issues, they've lost numerous friends to AIDS while dealing with homophobia and racism. Saxxon is HIV-negative, which he called a "miracle," but he said, "I've lost 95 percent of my friends" to the disease. He recalled being the San Francisco AIDS Foundation's first black social worker in the 1980s.
"They said, 'There may not be a lot of black clients, Larry,'" Saxxon, who's multi-racial, said. However, he said, "The word came out, honey, and all these black queens came flying in from the Tenderloin," another San Francisco neighborhood. Eventually, most of the people on his caseload died.
The clients Mahosadha works with who are in their late 40s to early 70s face some of the same concerns as their straight counterparts, such as loneliness, isolation, and "the ongoing impact of racism in America," he said.
However, he said, those feelings "might be more intense" in the gay community "because I personally believe the LGBT community is more youth obsessed." He said the general African American community is centered in what he calls "the black church," and "many LGBT elders are disenfranchised from the black church because the black church continues to be rather homophobic and non-welcoming of LGBT people."
Mahosadha said he has "a strong support system," mostly made up by people who identify as straight. He said he's a "very spiritually motivated" person and sources of support include church and East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland.
Local efforts
There are efforts in San Francisco to recognize the contributions of black LGBT elders.
Byron Mason is the curator of Legendary: African American GLBT Past Meets Present, an exhibit showcasing the diverse history of Bay Area African American gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender lives since the 1970s. Mason, who identifies as a black gay man, is also research partnerships director for the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies at UCSF.
Mason, 40, said, "valuing the history and knowledge and contributions of African American LGBT folks should be a higher priority."
He said another issue is "the changing demographics of San Francisco. ... Many working class people of color can't afford to stay here anymore."
Saxxon appears to have seen that firsthand in San Francisco's Fillmore district, which he moved to about 30 years ago.
"I remember when it was absolutely, solidly all black" in a large chunk of the neighborhood, he said, but "now I'm actually the only African American left in my whole block."
He said that although he regrets the loss of African Americans, he embraces the presence of Latinos, Asian Americans, and others.
"I'm trying to do the best I can to move with the winds of change," Saxxon said. "If you resist them, you snap."
Bartholomew Casimir
(Photo: Rick Gerharter)
(Photo: Rick Gerharter)
Bartholomew Casimir, a black gay man who helped start San Francisco's Black Coalition on AIDS and other efforts, is currently employed, but he's been looking for a job in the HIV/AIDS field, and he's been having trouble. Casimir, who's 60 and has been living with HIV, said he's "got the credentials," but "I've aged out of it."
He said his partner told him the problem is ageism, and Casimir expressed disappointment.
"We are a natural resource," he said. "That's what it means to be elderly to me."
However, Casimir also indicated he's hopeful about the prospects of the LGBT Aging Policy Task Force, which was launched in October and advises the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
"I think that's going to make a difference," Casimir said.
Saxxon, the task force's volunteer outreach coordinator, said one aim of research the panel's involved in is to find out "what the lived experiences are of the LGBT community that's aging in San Francisco." Race is among the factors the group is looking at. Being part of the task force has already been helpful.
It's "given me a reason to come out every day," he said. Jazzie Collins, 54, a transgender woman of color who is vice chair of the task force, said, "My concern is long-term care facilities for our elderly community members." She pointed to worries that residents "end up going back into the closet" when faced with discrimination.
Lesbian author and poet Jewelle Gomez, 64, president of the San Francisco Library Commission, also pointed to health care challenges for LGBT elders.
"The majority of gay people aren't generally partnered, so if you're living far from your family or estranged from your family, creating networks of care is really important for queer people," Gomez, who's African American and Native American, said.
For people of color, she added, many "are not hooked into the mainstream. Sometimes it makes it a little more difficult to gain services or knowledge about services."
Asked about what needs to be done about issues facing black LGBT elders, Mason, the Legendary exhibit curator, said, "I think it starts by maybe just acknowledging that there's a problem. It's very difficult to address or have a conversation about a problem if people don't think it's a problem."
An opening reception for the exhibit will be held from 7 to 9 p.m., February 20, at the GLBT History Museum, 4127 18th Street, San Francisco. For more information, visit http://www.glbthistory.org.


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|Southeast Spotlight
"Beat the Odds" Race is this Saturday
Published: 08/26/2010 13:15:00
The "Beat the Odds" Women's Race against Breast Cancer, sponsored by Cancer Connection, is this Saturday, and all you need to support this worthy cause is a pair of running shoes and a little get up and go. Beth Weigel, a Board Member of Cancer Connection, explains about the race. "It will be a 5k run and a two mile walk. The racers get started at 9am at Riverbend Elementary in that covered area there and it's a fee to enter so it's twenty five dollars in advance and thirty dollars day of, and I know there are many women out there who have been collecting the t-shirts so the first three hundred fifty or so will get the long sleeved t-shirt with the Beat the Odds logo on it and it's a highly prized item."
VIDEO: The "Beat the Odds" Women's Race against Breast Cancer, sponsored by Cancer Connection, is this Saturday, and all you need to support this worthy cause is a pair of running shoes and a little get up and go. (Image: Rik Pruett)
Nicole Hallingstad, a Breast Cancer Survivor, tells us how the fundraiser benefits the community, "The funds raised through the Beat the Odds race go to support the programs that Cancer Connection offers, and that includes the travel reimbursement program. A lot of cancer patients in Southeast Alaska have to travel outside to get their treatment, and it's great to know that there's a resource available here in Juneau that helps reimburse some of those costs. The funds also go to support the men's and women's health forum and for other programs like a retreat for cancer survivors."
There's also a little added incentive to run in the race, door prizes include an Alaska Airlines ticket, Eaglecrest passes and more. Beth gave us a hint, "All the entrants in the race participate in the door prizes so once you've filled out your registration and picked up your number and things like that then we'll draw for the door prizes and this year one of the really amazing door prizes that will be raffled off is a handmade quilt."
And in case you're wondering, the men aren't being left out, Nicole went on to say; "We also want people to know that there is a men's race the same morning, it starts at 8am, sponsored by Southeast Alaska Roadrunners, and that is to promote awareness about prostate cancer."
By: Rik Pruett - email@example.com


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BEIJING (AP) — New communist leader Xi Jinping is on a mission to soften the image of Chinese officialdom, winning kudos for his breezy personal style and ordering leaders to take a knife to the pomp, formality and waste that have alienated many among the public.
BEIJING (AP) — New communist leader Xi Jinping is on a mission to soften the image of Chinese officialdom, winning kudos for his breezy personal style and ordering leaders to take a knife to the pomp, formality and waste that have alienated many among the public.
With his silky baritone, glamorous wife and daughter at Harvard, Xi cuts a very different figure from the staid, hyper-private leaders of the past. Even his posture, more like that of a slouchy college professor than a stiff party cadre, has won him plaudits.
Xi took the new informality a step further at a Tuesday meeting of the 25-member Politburo, ordering that arrangements for leaders' visits and the trappings of power be drastically pared back. Elaborate welcoming ceremonies will be eliminated, traffic disruptions avoided, and staid, often worthless reporting on the doings of the leadership dispensed with. Even red carpets are to go.
And according to Hong Kong media that is what happened on Xi's first trip outside Beijing since he took over as party leader. When Xi arrived in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen on Friday there were no welcome banners, and the red carpet was gone when he laid a wreath to the statute of the former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping on Saturday, according to footage by Hong Kong-based Phoenix Television.
It's still unclear whether the tonal change will boost transparency and bring meaningful administrative reforms that many say are needed to sustain China's economic and social development. The son of a communist elder, Xi has also gained a reputation as a nationalist hardliner with earlier comments blasting foreigners for criticizing China's human rights record.
Yet his direct approach seems to be winning Xi fans among a public with whom he remains largely unfamiliar, despite his long career in public service and five years serving as the country's vice president.
"Xi has made a positive first impression, which is going to be a big help given the tough job he faces," said Edward Huang, a Beijing financier who recently returned to China after almost a decade in Britain.
As evidence, Huang cites Xi's upbeat, relaxed demeanor in his public appearances and his unwillingness to use communist buzzwords as a crutch. "It inspires confidence," Huang said.
Xi's approach seems to reflect a growing recognition of the need to connect better with a technology-savvy public increasingly willing to register their views about their leaders on the country's Twitter-like micro-blogging services that are closely watched by government monitors.
"China is more open, and its politics are becoming more open and that's putting Chinese leaders under a kind of pressure," said Peking University politics professor Wang Yong. "People want to know more about the life and work of the country's leaders and hope their work style will be more down-to-earth."
As vice president, Xi had been careful to adhere to party protocol that required him to remain low-key and deferential to President Hu Jintao. Now, as party leader and president-in-waiting, he seems eager to seize on the opportunity to establish his personality and bona fides with the Chinese public while the focus is still on the new leadership.
Reaching out to the international community, Xi met Wednesday with foreign technical specialists and businesspeople based in China, remarking that amity between nations depends on "whether this deep friendship exists at the people-to-people level."
"In the past we suffered from the bad effects of a rigid and a closed-door policy. We have learned from that and realized that we cannot succeed in our development behind closed doors," Xi said in comments in front of the press.
One participant, Shanghai-based British biologist David Waxman, said Xi appeared comfortable and in control, but also modest, asking about their work, taking notes, and responding to suggestions.
"I have to say, he came across as very confident," Waxman told The Associated Press.
Xi's friendly demeanor could be a plus for China at a time when the outside world is increasingly apprehensive about its rising military, economic, and political might.
"There's a strong desire among Chinese leaders to appear knowledgeable, soothing and willing to listen in front of foreigners," said Joseph Cheng, a Chinese politics expert at Hong Kong's City University.
Xi, 59, displayed his personal flair last week when talking about the need for struggle and patriotism during a visit to a museum exhibit dedicated to China's fight against foreign domination over the past century and a half.
Dressed in a regulation-issue wind breaker and open-necked shirt, Xi took in the exhibits one by one and listened attentively to the guide's explanations, while the other six members of the all-powerful Politburo standing committee followed dutifully behind.
Xi quoted classical poets as well as communist China's founder, Mao Zedong, in comments carried verbatim and at length on state television — another sign of his new-found seniority. Since Chinese leaders almost never give news conferences, such appearances are about the closest most Chinese will come to seeing Xi speak extemporaneously.
Museum visits are a time-honored ritual for communist leaders, but, coming so soon after his elevation to party secretary, Xi's visit seemed especially primed to show him as a man of the people. It also didn't hurt that Xi spoke standard Mandarin Chinese in a velvety baritone without any discernible regional accent — a break from previous leaders whose provincial twangs sometimes led to mockery or incomprehension.
Xi had made graft-busting a signature issue of his vice presidential years, and there are already signs he may be willing to act on those vows. Chinese media reported this week that a deputy party secretary of Sichuan province, Li Chuncheng, has been placed under investigation, less than one month after he was named an alternate to the party's Central Committee.
The party's No. 2 official, premier-in-waiting Li Keqiang, has also sought to show a human touch, meeting with social workers and HIV-infected people on World AIDS Day, while the newly named head of the party's disciplinary body, Wang Qishan, upended usual procedure during a weekend meeting with scholars, telling them to dispatch with their presentations and go straight into discussions.
In addition to being a decade or more younger than the outgoing leaders, Xi and Li also reflect a trend toward a background in the more people-centric fields of economics and law rather than the engineering and natural sciences studied by the previous generation.
Xi's family life furthers that contrast. His wife, Peng Liyuan, is an army general better known as a crooner of folk songs who has more recently appeared as a United Nations World Health Organization goodwill ambassador for tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
Yet, despite reaching out to foreigners and peddling a softer tone, Xi has been careful to burnish his nationalist credentials as head of the Central Military Commission overseeing the armed forces, a pose that plays much better at home than abroad. Prior to meeting the foreign experts Wednesday, Xi greeted officers from China's formidable missile corps, praising them as "the pillar of China's great nation status."
Though China's system remains authoritarian, popular support is important because no one is quite clear how to navigate the challenges China is facing, from the rampant corruption that has alienated many Chinese from their leaders to the slowing economy and rising numbers of protests over pollution, graft, and social inequality. Liberal scholars and even many in the government say bold steps are needed to boost transparency and accountability, but there's little willingness to take steps that might weaken the communists' hold on power.
"Chinese leaders might not be elected, but they certainly want to appear close to the people. It's a form of persuasion that better helps sell government policies," said City University's Cheng.


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Courtesy photo/Groton Senior Center
The Groton-Dunstable Select Choir sang at the Groton Senior Center for its annual holiday party. The group was led by Tim Savoy, and the Buckingham Bus Company provided the transportation from the high school to the Senior Center and back, free of charge. The students were "absolutely amazing" and sang a mix of traditional hymns and some more up-tempo songs as well. Before the performance, the seniors enjoyed lunch, courtesy of the Groton Women's club. The next Senior Center luncheon provided by the Women's Club will be Jan. 16, with a performance by the 50's and Motown singer, Tony Funches.


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SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Earthquakes announced today a number of new features for the club's stadium that is under construction at Coleman Ave. in San Jose. The team has added Game Day Clubs and has revealed that the seats in the new stadium will be blue. Additionally, the south end of the stadium will spell out 'Quakes' in the seats. All of the new features can be viewed in the newly launched interactive 3D seat map at sjearthquakes.com.
"We continue to work hard with our architects at 360 Architecture and our general contractor, Devcon, to create exciting new elements for the stadium," said Earthquakes President Dave Kaval. "We think that the Game Day Clubs will be great areas for corporations and other big groups looking for a unique experience."
The four Game Day Clubs will be located at the Southwest and Southeast corners of the stadium and will be available to purchase for groups of 30-100 on a game-to-game basis. The seating areas will be in the first three rows with exclusive access to food and drink as well as a private networking patio.
"We solicited feedback for the stadium seat color and we received a huge number of responses," Kaval continued. "Blue was the overwhelming choice by our fans and true to our word of giving our fans a voice, we have chosen blue for the seat color. That is also the reason that we chose to spell out Quakes in the seats."
Along with those additions to the stadium, the Quakes, in partnership with Ballena Technologies, also unveiled the interactive 3D seat map that will display these elements. The map is also available inside the club's mobile viewing center, a traveling sales trailer that will allow fans to get a close-up look at the new stadium. Fans interested in purchasing tickets for the new stadium can sign up for an appointment at the mobile viewing center by visiting www.sjearthquakes.com/newstadium or by calling 408-556-7700. Appointments can be made for game days or business hours Monday-Friday.
In seating news, the Earthquakes also made two announcements. First, the seating designations in the main bowl for the stadium have been changed in order to help fans better navigate the stadium. They now run from section 101-134. Additionally, the Midfield Club in the main bowl has had so much demand that 40 Midfield Club seats have been added.
The Earthquakes still have top-notch seats available in the new stadium. Check out the 3D map and give our headquarters a call at 408-556-7700 for more information.


text: She's making strides to end bullying or raise awareness at her school. She's fundraising for a cause while juggling sports and academics. She's a mentor, a volunteer, an innovator—or all three. For a limited time only, readers have the opportunity to nominate a local Girl of Merit: a girl between the age of 10 and 18 working to make a difference in her community. Last year's award winners included: Zoe Heath, who founded her school's Gay-Straight Alliance, Molly Hewitt, who raised funds for Hurricane Harvey victims by hosting bake sales, and Mya Karinchak, who convinced her town to put up signs prohibiting smoking at local parks—and fine anyone caught doing so.Nominations close at the end of September. To nominate, visit: https://www.girlsworldexpo.com/nominate/?market=tri-state Winners will be announced and featured in the newspaper, and receive awards during the Tri-State Girls World Expo, a one-day event for teen and tween girls returning October 21st to Palacio Catering and Conference Center in Orange County, NY.Girls World Expo is free with advance registration, and features a wealth of fun and educational programming for girls, including: -Seminars and programs on body image, healthy relationships, "Questions You Can't Ask Your Mom," and "What Boys Are Really Thinking" -A "Pamper Me Lounge," where girls can get their hair and makeup done -Opportunities to meet and learn from female entrepreneurs -Henna -Zumba-Self-defense workshops -STEM and robotics demonstrations-Live music and dance-Non-profit and volunteer opportunities-"Girls Auto Know" workshop on car safety and maintenance-A marketplace featuring local vendorsLast year's Tri-State Girls World Expo sold out. For tickets, visit: girlsworldexpo.com/registerFor questions or to inquire about sponsorship/vendor opportunities, call Molly: 845-469-9000


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The North Face, Adventure Apparel, Footwear and Gear; San Diego-based West Coast IPM & Move; AGICOA, Audio Visual Producers' Copyright Management, EU.
There's an old French proverb: "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose," first coined by French columnist and novelist Alphonse Karr (1808-1890), which loosely translates to: "The more we change, the more we stay the same."
Before the internet, we all operated in virtual seclusion and isolation, as individuals in our world. Collaboration only occurred in Multinational Corporations that operated across different countries and cultures. In the business world, ideas and innovation spread in limitation, only to organizations that had the resources and means to communicate
Fast forward to the Internet and Social Media era, connecting the human race like never before in history, like a labyrinth of busy bees.
Facebook, Twitter, Linked-IN, Groupon, and Crowdsourcing are becoming a common part of our vocabulary and lifestyle… through which mediums we are connected through our work, and the objects that inspire us. And for all the children born in internet era, life without it is simply unfathomable.
I've been on a personal mission myself, in pursuit of suspiciously similar looking Logos and Corporate Identities. A fruitful quest to date, having come across myriad doppelgängers, look-alikes, wannabes, copies, or plain plagiarism. Sheer coincidence? Or copycats? An ever changing, ever amassing encyclopedia of visual identity is just a click away.
Turns out being a true original is increasingly difficult, if not virtually impossible.


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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (27 February 1807 – 24 March 1882 / Portland, Maine)
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The Day Is Done
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As a feather wafted downward
From an eagle in his flight.
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BERKELEY (CBS / AP) — California coach Mike Montgomery is retiring after six seasons at the school.
Cal announced the decision after Montgomery met with athletic director Sandy Barbour on Monday. ESPN first reported Montgomery's decision.
The 67-year-old Montgomery decided to retire following an up-and-down season that ended last Wednesday with a loss to SMU in the quarterfinals of the NIT.
The Golden Bears went 21-14 and made the postseason for the sixth time in as many years under Montgomery but struggled late in the season and missed out on a return trip to the NCAAs.
Montgomery finishes his career with a 677-317 record, having also spent 18 years at Stanford and eight at Montana. Montgomery also had disappointing seasons as head coach of the NBA's Golden State Warriors in between his stints at Stanford and Cal.
Montgomery went 130-73 at Cal, posting the most wins in a six-year stretch in school history. He ranks third on the school's all-time wins list. He also retires with the third-most conference wins in Pac-12 history with 282 and ranks 25th on the NCAA's all-time list for career victories.
He had received a two-year contract extension in July 2012 to remain at the school through 2015-16. Ahead of the 2011-12 season, Montgomery disclosed he had bladder cancer and underwent surgery that left him cancer-free.
Montgomery then led the Golden Bears to a 24-10 record that season, a runner-up finish in the Pac-12 Conference and a first-round loss to South Florida in the NCAA tournament.
He also helped Cal capture its first league title in 50 years in 2010. The Bears then beat Louisville in their NCAA tournament opener before losing to Duke.
Montgomery's only other NCAA tournament win came last season, when the Bears beat UNLV in their opener before losing to Syracuse in the round of 32. The 2012-13 season was marred for Montgomery when he was publicly reprimanded by the Pac-12 and the school for shoving star player Allen Crabbe during a game.
Montgomery, whose career as a head coach began at Montana in 1978, coached many eventual NBA stars at both Stanford and Cal.
At Stanford, Montgomery reached 12 NCAA tournaments with 10 straight second-round appearances and a trip to the 1998 Final Four.
Montgomery's son, John, just completed his third season as an assistant coach under his father after previously working as Cal's director of basketball operations.
© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Rather than simply answer the question, the IDiots circled the wagons then went into attack mode. Eventually, after a lot of pressure, they got around to answering the question; apparently there is no evidence to support their claim [And Finally the Hounding Duck Can Rest].
Of course by then they were so deep in their hole that the sun don't shine.
The IDiots are at it again. Paul McBride criticized their attack on junk DNA by pointing out that IDiots distort history in order to make scientists look stupid. Specifically, they say that when scientists discovered that only a few percent of our genome encoded protein they claimed that all the rest of the DNA was junk. In other words, scientists claimed that all noncoding DNA was junk.
I've also blogged extensively about this false claim, especially in Jonathan Wells' book The Myth of Junk DNA [Watch Jonathan Wells Screw Up].
A few days ago I praised Jonathan McLatchie for finally admitting that what the IDiots said was false [Intelligent Design Creationists Attempt to (re)Define Junk DNA]. McLatchie said, "As stated above, no credible scientist claims that all non-coding DNA is 'junk.'" This is about as close to admitting error as the IDiots ever get.
I suggested that Jonathan McLatchie should talk to Jonathan Wells and set him straight on the history of biochemistry and molecular biology.
On Junk DNA, Where's the Contradiction?]. Getting out his shovel, he writes,
Larry Moran thinks he's caught Discovery Institute's Jonathan Wells and ENV's Jonathan M. in an embarrassing contradiction. The topic: "junk DNA." Moran crows:You know where this is headed, don't you?
Oops! Jonathan Wells says that some biologists referred to all noncoding DNA as junk but McLatchie admits that this is not true.
Those two need to have a talk. It's what honest people do.
The IDiots must defend their icon, Jonathan Wells, and if that means tossing Jonathan McLatchis to the wolves, so be it. Remember that McLatchie had the honesty to admit, "... no credible scientist claims that all non-coding DNA is 'junk.'
Here's David Klinghoffer ...
Jonathan Wells and Jonathan M. express themselves in different terms but there's no significant disagreement that any honest reader can detect. As Wells documents in his book The Myth of Junk DNA, some well known biologists have pretty flatly equated non-protein-coding DNA with junk. Richard Dawkins is one -- in 1976 and again in 2009. U.C. Berkeley's John Avise is another (2010). Others, like Kenneth Miller (1994), imply such an equation. Jerry Coyne (2009) sets up a dichotomy between those genes that "function" by coding for proteins and those that don't function and therefore are to be dismissed as "pseudogenes." Just as evolutionary theory predicts, writes Coyne, "Our genome -- and that of other species -- are truly well populated graveyards of dead genes."We seem to have a bit of a problem here. I'm certain that David Klinghoffer would like to think of Richard Dawkins, John Avise, Ken Miller, and Jerry Coyne as "credible scientists" otherwise why bother attacking them?
Jonathan McLatchie probably thinks they are credible scientists as well. I've read lots of books and articles by these credible scientist and I can assure you that none of them think that all noncoding DNA is junk. McLatchie is correct.
In the 1950s, neo-Dawrinists equated genes with DNA sequences and assumed that their biological significance lay in the proteins they encoded. But when molecular biologists discovered in the 1970s that most of our DNA does not code for proteins, neo-Darwinists called noncoding DNA "junk" and attributed it to molecular accidents that have accumulated in the course of evolution.Here's my challenge to Jonathan McLatchie; do you think Wells is correct? Do you think that in the 1970s there were significant numbers of credible scientists who thought that all noncoding DNA was junk?
Yet by 1970 biologists already knew that much of our DNA does not encode proteins. Although some suggested that non-protein-coding DNA might help regulate the production of proteins from DNA templates, the dominant view was that non-protein-coding regions had no function.
UPDATE: Paul McBride has responded to McLatchie pointing out that McLatchie misrepresents Casey Luskin: Jonathan M gives a qualitative response on junk DNA.


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From now until the season starts I will be previewing the prospects from Big-12, ACC and Big East teams for the upcoming season. My colleague at NFL Draft Monsters Justin Higdon (follow him on Twitter @afc2nfc) will be covering the SEC, Pac-12 and Big-10 and you will be able to read those posts on NFL Draft Monsters. Check them all out to get ready for the 2013 NFL Draft by identifying the prospects you need to learn about!
Today I am previewing the Virginia Tech Hokies. I'm not going to lie, I expect the Hokies to win the ACC and finish in the top 5 this season, they are loaded with talent even if some of it (particularly at running back, along the offensive line and safety) is relatively unproven. Logan Thomas is poised for a huge second season as a starter and he is on my Heisman short list right now, partially thanks to the fact that, while unproven, I trust the group he has blocking for him and he has three senior receivers with significant playing experience returning this year. He will have weapons to throw to, and if Michael Holmes or J.C. Coleman step up at running back it will be business as usual for the Hokie offense. The offense might not be elite, but I think it will be good and potentially even explosive.
The real strength of the Hokies is their defense, which shouldn't surprise anyone. Their defensive line is one of the best in the country, and is headlined by James Gayle and J.R. Collins, two dynamic and explosive pass rushers. Bruce Taylor anchors the defense at middle linebacker, and as usual the Hokies have plenty of playmakers in the secondary. They are a little short on experience at safety, but cornerbacks Kyle Fuller and Antone Exum should be very good. The defensive line and the intense pressure they will apply on quarterbacks with just a four man rush will make for plenty of potential turnovers, and Bud Foster's brilliant, aggressive scheme calls for lots of pressure from blitzing linebackers and defensive backs which will only turn up the heat even more. This is going to be one of the best defenses in the country, and it all starts up front. And with that, here are the prospects to keep an eye on:
Logan Thomas, QB*- Thomas enters his junior season and his second season as a starter with very high expectations. He had a great first season as a starter passing for 3,013 yards, 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing 59.8% of his 391 attempts. Despite his 6'6", 262 pound frame Thomas is very athletic and was actually recruited as a tight end out of high school due to his size, bulk and athletic ability. That means he's a threat to run, particularly on the zone read, and while he regularly handed off to David Wilson on those plays he kept it for a few timely and memorable touchdown runs right up the middle of the defense, particularly against Miami. On the season he ran for 469 yards and 11 touchdowns, and he will be depended on for even more production in 2012. The offense lost David Wilson, the reigning ACC player of the year, Jarrett Boykin and Danny Coale to the NFL but luckily for Thomas they have three senior receivers ready to fill the void and they all have significant playing experience. Thomas was brought along fairly slowly last year, but his growth was noticeable week to week and with all that experience as well as a full offseason on top of it I expect a special season out of him this year. I will have a full scouting report up on Thomas before the season starts, but his combination of size, arm strength and athleticism is rare enough to make him a potential top 5 pick if he progressed as I expect him to this year and decided to leave a year early. Many will make comparisons to Cam Newton, but as of right now the more accurate comparison is Josh Freeman in my opinion. But if he shows the uncanny ability to will his team to not only a high caliber bowl game but a national championship he will naturally draw even more comparisons to Newton than he does already.
Marcus Davis, WR- Davis is a WR I like quite a bit, he's one of the most underrated receivers in the country, and I think he's going to be the top target for Thomas this season. When I first saw Davis in the slot two years ago I thought he was a tight end he is so big, but he is a WR and a big one at that; he's listed at 6'4", 228 pounds and he looks like a guy who could run a 4.5 40 yard dash or faster. Last year he had 30 receptions, 510 yards and 5 touchdowns but I expect him to exceed that easily in 2012. He has speed, but at his height he is lethal on 50/50 balls and shows a lot of ability to adjust to the ball in the air, high point it and come down with it even in traffic. He adjusts to the ball well and seems to have pretty good body control, not to mention long arms and reliable hands. He catches the ball well outside of his frame and even if he isn't asked to threaten defenses vertically at the next level his combination of size, athleticism and hands will make him a reliable contributor, not to mention the fact that he gives good effort as a blocker and due to his size and strength is quite effective at it. I'm not sure what his upside is just yet, but I am a big fan of Davis without a doubt. Keep an eye on him.
DJ Coles, WR- Coles is another wide receiver I like, and he's another big receiver for Thomas to throw to. He's listed at 6'3", 216 pounds and much like Davis he has impressed me with his hands, his ability to track the ball in the air and make tough catches look easy. He has reliable hands as well, and actually returns with the most receptions of any Hokie receiver with 36. He had 480 yards and 3 touchdowns on those receptions, and I think he is poised to surpass those numbers easily this year assuming he stays healthy. He had surgery to repair his PCL in January and is still recovering, but he claims he will be ready for week one. I hope he is, because he should be a key cog in Virginia Tech's passing offense this year.
Dyrell Roberts, WR- A couple years ago Roberts was considered the most dynamic receiver the Hokies had to offer. I preferred Jarrett Boykin and Danny Coale, and eventually they became the top two receivers as Roberts' bouts with concentration lapses moved him down the depth chart. Last season he only had three receptions for 45 yards before suffering a season ending injury. He's back for another shot at it again this year, and the 6'2" 188 pounder may actually play a lot in the slot thanks to the two large receivers above him on the depth chart. Roberts has plenty of speed, I think he's a sub-4.5 guy, but his hands are inconsistent and that always bothered me. If he has improved his concentration and his hands then he could be in for a big year, but I don't think he will outproduce Davis or Coles.
Nick Becton, OT- Becton is a senior who played over 450 snaps last season and played in all 14 games, but he wasn't an every down starter and will likely be starting his first full season this year. He is charged with protecting Logan Thomas' blind side and if the 6'6", 326 pound left tackle can keep Thomas upright he is going to garner plenty of attention from scouts. He's a relative unknown right now, and I'm not that familiar with his game outside of the fact that he is very strong, has long arms and plenty of potential. He almost became a starter in 2010 but because his turf toe injury took longer to heal than expected Andrew Lanier took hold of the starting role and left Becton in a reserve role. But Becton reportedly outplayed Lanier down the stretch last season and while he doesn't return with 14 games as a starter he played in all 14 and played a considerable amount. Early in his career he was apparently considered to be playing "too nice" without enough aggressiveness, but the other book-end tackle for the Hokies, Vince Painter, said that last year Becton "started playing like somebody was stealing his car." I love aggressiveness and nastiness in offensive linemen, and if Becton has discovered that in himself he could be quite the sleeper at the left tackle position. I am very intrigued by his upside, and I am looking forward to seeing his lateral agility and kick slide, because right now he sounds like he could be a top 100 pick at left tackle if he has a consistent season this year.
Vince Painter, OT- Painter, much like Becton, has been waiting for his shot to start for a long time and now the fifth year senior is finally getting his shot. The 6'5", 304 pound tackle is considered a physical freak, having been timed at 4.74 in the 40 yard dash earlier in his career. However, he never earned much playing time and his flashy tools were never utilized. Now he has his chance to show what he can do this year, and while I'm not as excited about his potential as Becton he could surprise people with his play this season. I know I'm rooting for him, he's waited a long time for his shot at the starting lineup.
Brent Benedict, OG**- Benedict is a redshirt sophomore I believe, but he's got a lot of potential. He originally went to Georgia out of high school but according to this article a knee injury he sustained during his senior year of high school carried into his freshman season at Georgia, and apparently he wasn't happy with how the training staff helped him rehab his injury. He sat out last year, and is now poised to start at right guard this season. Benedict has impressive size at 6'5", 311 pounds and I think he has plenty of potential as a drive blocker, but I don't know much about him in pass protection. He's a relative unknown to everyone outside of the Hokie program, so I am very interested to see how he looks in his first season as a starter. I think he has a lot of potential if he can stay healthy.
Andrew Miller, C*- Miller is a 6'4, 300 pound center and he will anchor the offensive line as the only returning starter with any, technically, starting experience. Miller has been named to the Rimington Watch List and I am excited to see him play more this season. He's a tough player, he's poised to become the leader of the offensive line, and he plays with nastiness which as I have mentioned a million times I really like in offensive linemen. I am very anxious to see how he develops in his second season as a starter because I think he has plenty of draftable upside as a center.
James Gayle, DE*- James Gayle is probably my favorite player on the Hokies' roster, but that might have something to do with him growing up in Minneapolis, Minnesota and agreeing to do this interview with me earlier this summer. He's a great kid, and if you haven't read that interview you should. Gayle is a physical freak that has been hand timed in the 4.4's despite weighing about 258 pounds at the time according to James. He claims he got his speed from his All-Big Ten running back father, and there's plenty of reason to believe that. James is an explosive athlete that is still learning how to play the position despite leading the team in sacks with 7 last season (and he missed 3 games last year!). Gayle is just scratching the surface of his massive potential, and I think he is ready for a 10+ sack season this year for the Hokies. He is going to have such a strong start to the season in my opinion that I think he's going to start demanding double teams or at least extra help, which is going to make the rest of his defensive line and defense that much more dangerous.
J.R. Collins, DE*- Collins is another one of my favorite Hokies and I think he and Gayle are one of the best, if not the best, defensive end tandems in the entire country. Gayle spoke very highly of Collins when I spoke with him and Collins is a kid who might be a little undersized at 6'2", 252 pounds but he is lightning quick, fast and has a relentless motor as James will attest to. Collins had 6 sacks last season, and I think he and Gayle may combine for over 20 this year, I'm dead serious. Collins doesn't have the height and frame that James does, but I still love his upside as a pass rusher.
Antoine Hopkins, DT- Antoine and his brother are flying WAY under the radar thanks to Gayle, Collins, Bruce Taylor, Kyle Fuller and Antone Exum but the Hopkins brothers are not going to be overlooked much longer. Antoine is listed at 6'1", 318, but he is squatty, powerful and pretty quick for his size. He had 4.5 TFL and 2 sacks as a sophomore but missed over half of the season last year because of injury. Hopefully he is back to 100% by now. If he is, Virginia Tech could have a defensive line on par with the best in the country, even LSU.
Derrick Hopkins, DT*- Derrick is Antoine's little brother but he is pretty big in his own right. Like his brother he doesn't have ideal height, being listed at 6'0" even, but weighs 305 pounds and is a squatty defensive tackle. He wins leverage battles naturally because of his height and when he gets into your pads he can use his strength to walk you into the backfield, which helped him produce 51 tackles, 2 TFL, 3 sacks and a pass break-up as a sophomore. Now a junior with an entire 14 games of starting experience under his belt he is the fourth cog on a defensive line that should be able to generate pressure even without any of Bud Foster's brilliant scheming.
Bruce Taylor, MLB- Taylor is one of the elder statesmen of the defense, returning for his senior season with 23 career starts. He would have more had he not missed time last season with a foot injury, but regardless he is still a quality middle linebacker prospect thanks to his size and productivity. He is listed at 6'2", 253 pounds and despite missing 6 games last season he had 53 tackles, 2 TFL and 5 sacks. The year before as a sophomore he was even more productive, totaling 91 tackles, 9.5 TFL and 6 sacks as well as four pass break-ups. I've never been blown away by him in pass coverage, but I need to see more of him before I come to any conclusions. Right now I have a 3rd or 4th round grade on him, and I'm excited to see what he can do with a full season of healthy football.
Tariq Edwards, OLB*- I honestly haven't seen much of Edwards but I want to see more of him. He's only a junior this season, but last year as a sophomore he had a great season totaling 71 tackles, 8 TFL and 3.5 sacks as well as 2 pass break-ups and 2 interceptions. The 6'2", 232 pound linebacker is an impressive player, but he is coming off a surgery to remove a screw from the rod that he had surgically implanted in his leg. The hope is that it will alleviate some pain he has been having, but obviously that is a situation to keep an eye on. Hopefully he comes back healthy and has another big season.
Antone Exum, CB*- Exum is a player that James specifically told me to look out for, but he's hard to ignore thanks to his 6'0", 219 pound listed size especially now that he is at corner. James told me he runs about a 4.35 despite being 220 pounds which is extremely impressive even if it is hand-timed, and he is obviously quite the athlete. He played free safety last year and led the team in tackles with 89, had 3.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 10 pass break-ups and an interception. He's a playmaker and I can't wait to see how he does as a corner, but even if he isn't a great fit there I think he projects very well to the safety position at the next level.
Kyle Fuller, CB*- Fuller is yet another playmaker on this defense and while he isn't quite as filled out as Exum he's still pretty big for a corner. He's listed at 6'0", 188 pounds and I believe he has legit sub 4.5 speed. Plus, like James said, he plays even bigger than he is and loves to hit. That helped him gather 65 tackles, 10 TFL (10 tackles for loss for a corner is out of this world), 4.5 sacks, 7 pass break-ups and 2 interceptions as a sophomore. I'm expecting him to take an even bigger step forward as a junior, and with all the talent VT has in the front 7 there are going to be plenty of poor throws, decisions and opportunities for turnovers for this secondary and I expect Fuller to take advantage of them.


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All over Alabama the lamps are out. . . .The fields lie there, with nothing at work in them, neither man nor beast. — James Agee, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men
Alabama is back in the news. Not that it ever left. It's just there are times when it seems it would be better if it did. The federal courts have once again stepped in to save it from itself, although how completely it is saved from its most recent folly is yet to be determined. By contrast, when the Courts met Roy Moore their success was complete.
In 1997 Roy was an Alabama circuit court judge. A great fan of the 10 Commandments, he hung them in his courtroom on a hand-carved wooden plaque in order to help him remember what they said. When a higher (though not celestial) court ordered him to remove the plaque, he refused. Siding with the judge, Fob James, the governor of Alabama at the time, said he would call out the national guard, if necessary, to prevent the removal of the plaque. The plaque remained.
In 2001 Roy was elected Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Within 6 months of his election as Chief Justice, Roy supervised the construction and installation of a 5,280-pound granite monument to the Ten Commandments in the central rotunda of the State Judicial building. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling ordering removal of the monument. When Roy refused to remove the monument the Alabama Court of the judiciary removed him. (His removal was not a great loss to Alabama jurisprudence. Prior to his removal he wrote a concurring opinion in a custody battle involving a lesbian mother in which he said that homosexuality is "abhorrent, immoral, detestable, a crime against nature and a violation of the laws of nature and of nature's God" and said that homosexuals in Alabama were "presumptively unfit to have custody of minor children." After Maine approved gay marriage he said that the next logical process was for the law to allow unions between "two men and four women" or between a "sheep and a man." Now the federal courts are once again called upon to save Alabama from itself although whether they will seize the opportunity will only be determined after further hearings in the Court of Appeals.
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On September 29, 2011 the Beason-Hammon Alabama Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act, , a 76-page piece of legislation that is intended to protect Alabama from the scourge of "illegal" immigration, became effective. The Act has lots of catchy provisions designed to discourage undocumented immigrants from settling in Alabama and encouraging those settled to leave the state. In the 76 pages it has a number of draconian provisions that leave no doubt in the mind of the reader that the undocumented immigrant is not wanted in Alabama. Some of its provisions have now been prevented from taking effect until further court hearings.
Among provisions that have now been temporarily blocked is a prohibition against giving an undocumented immigrant a ride to church (or any place else for that matter.) Section 13 of the Act makes it a crime to "transport or . . . conspire to transport in this state an alien. . . ."
Another provision that has been temporarily blocked is Section 8 that provides that an undocumented alien "shall not be permitted to enroll in or attend any public postsecondary education institution." The legislature wants to insure that undocumented aliens will remain uneducated lest they prove themselves smarter than their masters in the legislature. Another blocked provision says K-12 schools must require each student to prove he or she is not an "illegal" immigrant. (In early October Bill Lawrence, the principal of Foley Elementary School where 20% of the student population that is Hispanic has not been attending regularly, assured his parent population that the information the school obtains will not be used to deport the family. It is only being used for statistical purposes. Hispanic families may be forgiven if they fail to find that assurance reassuring, notwithstanding the provisions of the Act.)
Of course there are many provisions of the Act that remain in force including Section 15 that says no "employer shall knowingly employ . . . an unauthorized alien to perform work within the State of Alabama." Although that sounds harsh, the Act provides relief for the affluent. Subparagraph l says the section does not apply to "casual domestic labor performed within a household." Thus, unlike Alabama farmers who are unable to find people willing to harvest their crops, the wealthy need not worry about the Act impacting their ability to get good household help.
Roy Moore (like other Alabamans before him) prepared us for House Bill 56. The Federal Court of Appeals by starting the process that resulted in his removal protected the state from the most egregious of his acts. Perhaps upon sober reflection and a full hearing, the Court of Appeals will throw out House Bill 56. Many immigrants, both documented and undocumented, are not waiting to find out. They are leaving the state. One can't blame them.


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Your daily news briefing, with the video of the day, the top news and the quote of the day.
Quote of note
"This should never have happened. I can't justify it. Unfortunately these mistakes were self inflicted." – JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, talking to shareholders about the $2 billion trading loss that the company suffered. Despite the big loss, shareholders approved a $23 million package for Dimon.
News to know
A mother shot her four children and then killed herself this morning in Florida, police said. The children – ages 12, 13, 15 and 17 – were all killed. At one point this morning, three of the children went to a neighbor's house, but their mother called them home and then shot them.
Hot video: Hyundai speeds up suddenly, causes pileup
GateHouse News Service


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An Antelope Valley landscaper is facing federal child pornography charges after he allegedly took and sent sexually explicit photos of his 3-month-old son to an undercover agent via email. Investigators say Robert Dale Schrader, 33, of Littlerock, sent the pornographic images last week to an undercover officer in England, who notified U.S. authorities.
"This is one of the youngest, if not the youngest, child pornography victims ever identified in the Los Angeles area," Claude Arnold, special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations in L.A., a division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said in a statement.
Read the official affidavit in the case against Robert Dale Schrader.


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Delaney Antique Clocks is located forty-five miles northwest of Boston in West Townsend, Massachusetts. We are a family business that has been buying and selling antique clocks for FIFTY (50+) plus years. In that time, we have amassed the largest selection of Antique American Tall Case Clocks for sale in the Country. When you visit, you can expect to find over 180 tall case clocks on display at all times. Representative of which, are many of the most famous makers working in America. In addition, you will find a wide selection of American wall and shelf clocks as well as French and English mantle and carriage clocks. If you are interested in antique clocks, our shop is well worth a visit.
We invite you to view our web site often. We work hard to update it at least once a month with additional inventory. Please keep in mind that the clocks pictured represent approximately thirty percent of our inventory. We look forward to your visit.


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Tuesday, February 17, 2009
New Book Review of "A Long Way Downstream"
Much to my surprise, I found a short new book review of my family history, A Long Way Downstream: The Life and Family of Thibertine Johnson Winje, Norwegian-American Pioneer at the Minnesota Historical Society. Oh wait, can it get any better? Apparently, the curator at the library recommended my book to the National Library of Norway, in Oslo. My great great grandmother Thibertine is now off in the mail, returning to the Old Country. You'd better believe that I'm tickled purple over that!
Posted by Chery Kinnick at 8:47 PM
Labels: A Long Way Downstream, family history
3 comments:
- Barbara Holz Sullivan said...
What a great tribute! Did you send a copy of your book to the Minnesota Historical Society or did they find it on their own? Your year is off to a great start.
- February 18, 2009
- Charley "Apple" Grabowski said...
Very cool - Congrats!
- February 24, 2009
- Chery Kinnick said...
Thank you, Ladies!
Barbara - I gave a copy to the Minnesota Historical Society because I used a significant number of photographs from their online archives. The MHS librarian notified the curator of the Norwegian-American collection at the National Library in Oslo, Norway, who then sent me a letter asking to buy a copy. I'm glad Grandma Thibertine is going home to Norway!
- February 25, 2009
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text:
Let $A,B\in\mathbb{R}^{n\times n}$. Suppose that $B$ is nonsingular and that there exists $m$ reals pairwise distinct $\lambda_{1},\cdots,\lambda_{r},\cdots,\lambda_{m}$ such that $$B^{-1}A=\begin{pmatrix} \lambda_{1}& 1&&&&&&\cr &\lambda_{1}&\ddots&&&&&\cr &&\ddots&&&\LARGE{0}&&\cr &&&\lambda_{r}&1&&&\cr &&&&\lambda_{r}&&&\cr &&&&&\lambda_{r+1}&&\cr &&\LARGE{0}&&&&\ddots&\cr &&&&&&&\lambda_{m} \end{pmatrix}$$ (It is the canonical Jordan form) Can we ever find reals numbers $ t_ {1}, \cdots, t_ {p} $ so that the two following assertions are true:
- $A\Big(\displaystyle\prod_{i=1}^{p}(A+t_{i}B)\Big)B=B\Big(\displaystyle\prod_{i=1}^{p}(A+t_{i}B)\Big)A$
- $\Big(\displaystyle\prod_{i=1}^{p}(A+t_{i}B)\Big)B\quad\mbox{is nonsingular and diagonalizable }$?
- The integer $p$ is not fixed.
- This question has arisen when studying the contollability of a real discrete-time nonlinear system. This explains why the matrices are supposed to be reals.
Thanks for help.