text:
Compliance Team
The purpose of this team is to ensure accountability for college-wide compliance with local, state and federal laws and regulations.
This team exists to identify the appropriate college departments and officials who have responsibility for compliance with new, existing or modified laws and regulations which require a college response. Team members inform, educate and collaborate with the goal of maintaining a comprehensive decentralized college compliance function that protects the college from adverse legal consequences.
Compliance Resources
Campus Legal Information Clearinghouse
The Campus Legal Information Clearinghouse (CLIC) is a collaborative effort between the American Council on Education (ACE) and The Catholic University of America's Office of General Counsel.
CLIC's mission is to build a freely available, web-based collection of user-friendly compliance materials (such as Frequently Asked Questions, plain English explanations of the law, sample publications, videos and web tutorials from other institutions) to help all American college and university campuses enhance compliance with most major federal regulations applicable to higher education institutions.
Higher Education Compliance Alliance
The Higher Education Compliance Alliance was created to provide the higher education community with a centralized repository of information and resources for compliance with federal laws and regulations.
A matrix of federal laws requiring compliance by colleges and universities can be found online.


text:
Heriot-Watt Dubai students set for fashion show
Students from Heriot-Watt University's Dubai Campus will be showcasing the latest fashions on Friday, as models take to the stage clothed in garments of the students' own creation. The event will be held at the Student Hub in Dubai InternaMore…
Dubai business school records 80pc growth
The Dubai campus of UK-based Heriot-Watt University has recorded a 36 per cent growth in student enrolments this year, while the School of Management and Languages registered an increase of 80 per cent. The university's business degree proMore…
Heriot-Watt varsity introduces MSc in Real Estate
Heriot-Watt University is introducing a new course for September 2008: an MSc in Real Estate Management and Development. In a region where the level of real estate development and investment is leading the economy, there is aMore…

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Chapter 1-Vague recollections

It's another lovely day here. I'm at peace, my friends are with me, all is good. The sky's blue, the grass is green, and Kumo over there is having fun practicing another of his dances...life is good, for the nonce.
It always is, until that bastard shows up, takes over one of us, and starts his little games. Eight hours, more occasionally and less other times, of pure torture. Pain. Agony. Loss. Fighting and death and blood. Sometimes we don't even find each other for days. The Scapes can be hard enough on us without adding isolation to the list of things that drive one crazy.
And speak of the devil. I can see that all-too-familiar green orb headed straight for poor Bill. He's been praying for weeks, that bright red bardic uniform of his getting rather worn at the knees, that he wouldn't be picked for anything dangerous. And now his green face contorted in fear, his small hand reaching for that flute of his. I wish I could help him...but even if I were to put myself in the way of the dreamer, it'd just pass through me. No one really knows how they choose us, they just do.
And then Bill goes glass-eyed for a moment, and begins to take on the new person he's become. He's not quite Bill any longer. He still has the memories, the thoughts, the intellect of his old self, but he's been changed. Changed into the dreamer. Reds save us all.
(Finish this in the morning.)


text:
By Army 1st Lt. Will Martin
49th Military Police Brigade
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Dec. 31, 2012 – Army Capt. Thoeuth Duong's life story is a study in contrasts. Parts tragedy and providence, it is torn from the annals of history and speaks to the authenticity of the American dream.
Born into stark, agrarian poverty in 1969, Duong could have just as easily grown old as a farmer in rural Cambodia, but destiny had different plans for him. Chaos in his homeland, where Pol Pot energized a revolution that bloodied Cambodia, thrust darkness into Duong's childhood.
"I remember I had to work on a boat downloading food, and we had to harvest the leftover rice in the fields," Duong said of his forced labor at the hands of the Khmer Rouge revolutionaries, who seized his country in 1975 before carrying out a three-year genocide that claimed an estimated 1.7 million lives.
Just 5 years old when the Khmer Rouge claimed power, Duong's father was murdered and three of his brothers were forcibly relocated to communist-run factories. Only Duong, his 7-year-old brother and his mother -- now a widow -- remained at home. Soon, his mother was forced to spend her waking hours at a nearby labor camp, allowing her neither the energy nor income to care for her starving sons.
"For a whole year, it was just me and my brother. We did everything; we took care of ourselves," Duong said. "Once in a while my mom stole some stuff for us, fruit or whatever, but I got sick all the time. She didn't think there was any chance I was going to make it. I had a bloated stomach -- I looked like I was going to die."
Duong's first rays of hope came from an unlikely source: the North Vietnamese. Though brutal in their own right, the invading Vietnamese deposed Pol Pot in 1979 and brought order to the chaos that had saturated Duong's life.
"I remember when the Vietnamese came, they dropped propaganda leaflets. And after the leaflets, they dropped bombs," said Duong, who recalled hiding and watching tracer bullets fly overhead in the darkness of night. "But they kicked out Pol Pot and allowed us to move around wherever."
Reunited with all her children, Duong's mother saw a window of opportunity in their newfound freedom of movement. His mother quickly gathered her children, Duong said, and for two weeks traversed westbound on foot -- in slippers -- in an effort to reach neighboring Thailand.
At the border, the Duong family narrowly escaped pirates and Vietnamese troops before reaching a United Nations rescue station. From there they were bused into Thailand and found a temporary home in a U.N. refugee camp. For the first time in his memory, the 10-year-old Duong experienced something resembling a normal childhood.
"It was the first time going to school and brushing my teeth," Duong said. "I was excited about being in a stable environment and getting to go to school. There was stuff there I had never seen before -- gum, candy, painting -- I learned a little English."
The English soon proved useful. Duong's family lived as refugees in the camp for three years, until 1983, when an educated Cambodian who had fled to America to escape Pol Pot's wave of terror brought the Duongs to Long Beach, Calif. Embarking on a new life in an unknown land, Duong was struck by the strangeness of it all.
"I started school in the last half of the 7th grade, didn't speak hardly any English, in the middle of big city," Duong said. "People thought I was in 3rd or 4th grade because I was so small and skinny [because of malnutrition]. The craziest part was to see all those buildings. It was very interesting."
With the help of a Cambodian classmate who pointed him from class to class, Duong soon picked up the language and excelled in his classes. His surroundings, however, were marked by violence and despair, encouraging Duong to seek out a way to further improve his station in life.
"In high school, the environment was really, really bad. Many of my friends joined gangs and used drugs. In the late '80s, crack was big, and people I knew were getting shot," Duong said. "After graduating [from high school], I had nowhere to go, no destination, so I joined the Army. Nobody wanted me to do it, but I had to do what was best for me."
Duong's decision to enlist in the Army was "the best decision I could have made," he said. Multiple combat deployments, a two-decades-long marriage, a college degree and an officer's commission through the California National Guard stand out as highlights of a life rooted in military service.
"When I came back to Long Beach after Desert Storm, I found out three of my best friends had been shot and killed [in California]," Duong said, reflecting on how easily he could have shared their fate.
"The Army saved me," he said.
Duong will soon retire from the Army after 22 years of service. He plans to spend more time with his family and put more energy behind his civilian career as a probation officer. But in reflecting on his nightmarish childhood, when death and poverty were the norm, his gratitude is obvious.
"I came out from a war zone," Duong said, "and then to have a commission in the best army in the world, a college degree, married with kids, a house, a good civilian job … Yeah, I'm living the American dream."
Monday, December 31, 2012
Face of Defense: Army Captain Recalls Journey from Cambodia
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text:
MWC 15 Special
WMPoweruser.com has received information and a video of another upcoming Windows Phone 7 from HTC - the HTC Mozart. According to the information, the Mozart will run on Microsoft's upcoming Windows Phone 7 operating system and will be powered by a Qualcomm QSD 8250 CPU at 1 GHz. It's said that the Mozart will supports quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE as well as dualband UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA at 900/2100 MHz. Other technical highlights are 512 MB ROM, 576 MB RAM and 8 GB extra storage (Windows Phone 7 doesn't allows the expansion with memory cards, a 3.7" WVGA SLCD touchscreen, a 8 megapixel autofocus camera with Xenon flash and audio DSP with SRS and Dolby Mobile.
No word yet from which part of the world the information came nor when the HTC Mozart is expected to be released but the specs above look pretty complete and the HTC Mozart seems to be the Windows Phone 7 sister-model of the recently announced HTC Desire HD Android smartphone.
Cheers ~ Arne
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text:
DOVER � A public hearing on the skateboard park relocation funding was held at City Council on Wednesday.
The public had the opportunity to speak their opinions about the city spending half of the $10,000 that Dickinson Development is paying Dover each month to hold their lease on the waterfront project. The Recreation Department can take up to $30,000 of the money, which is currently going into the general fund. At this time, Dickinson Development has paid two months worth of extension payments, totaling $20,000. The Recreation Department or volunteers are responsible for coming up with the rest of the money needed to relocate the park.
Residents on the Recreation Advisory Board, skateboard park committee and skateboarders from the city told councilors why this money should be used for the park.
Matt Johnson of 26 Sunset Drive said the new skateboard park has the potential to be a �big draw� for Dover. He said he travels 2�hours to Western Connecticut to skate with his son and his friends. He mentioned other parks in New England that skateboarders travel to use. He believes the new skate park in Dover could be a destination for other New England skaters.
He said it is only fair that the money from Dickinson Development be used to fund the relocation of the skateboard park to Maglaras Park, since they are being forced to move due to the project.
�We�re totally behind the new location at Maglaras Park,� said Joseph Tenuta of 262 Long Hill Road, who sits on the Recreation Advisory Board. �Thirty-thousand dollars is a good start for us.�
Tenuta said they will take this money and raise the rest.
Other citizens stood in front of the council to say the park provides free exercise for people. Some said obesity is on the rise and the skateboard park is more financially available for people who cannot afford to pay to play organized sports.
Mary Hebbard of 97 Spruce Lane said she supports the skateboard park, but doesn�t support the extension payments from Dickinson Development be used to fund the project.
�I believe in this skate park,� said Kathleen Morrison of 62 Maple St., who sits on the Recreational Advisory Board. She said the park is there for a reason and that whether the development begins or does not begin, the park is being moved.
�I think you should consider it,� she said, in regards to spending the money from Dickinson Development on the relocation of the skateboard park.
Residents urge council to dedicate funds for skate park
DOVER � A public hearing on the skateboard park relocation funding was held at City Council on Wednesday.


text: Creation is always a form of infinite improbability and love. Art is no exception. I think of each image as a love letter from me to the heart of a fellow traveler. In the 'writing' of these love letters, I come to know the intricacies of my inner heart, the sadness and the joys, that connect with what is human in all of us. Each painting is successful if it is more than the paint, time, skill and paper that went into its making. Success is in that moment when someone's voice catches in their throat, a tear comes to their eye, a memory plays out across their face that had gone almost forgotten for too long. My art exists to convey my love, my memory of a moment, the timelessness we forget to notice between the clock ticks of our lives, the connections between us all. I create to celebrate the stories people send me of how much they love their art, and the memory and moments the works bring back or create for them and for me. I love knowing that someone's prized parrot talks to my painting all day long, happier for the company it provides. I paint for the woman who could not afford to buy, but fell so in love that she stood in one spot, studying a piece for half an hour, crying. My work tells a story, conveyed as a feeling I try to give to the viewer. I cannot give you the actual memories, of my grandfather bringing me a pair of tiny chickens, freshly hatched, from the feed mill where he worked, as a gift to his favorite toddler. I cannot give you the memory of nearly cuddling them to death before our trip ended. I cannot cause you to remember how my grandfather smelled, or the million little moments where he made me laugh, nor the depth of the amount that I miss him now that he is gone. But I can give you a glimpse, a still frame among all the years of sadness and joy, a tiny moment through the eyes of a child. I try to give you the magic of those moments through the images I create, and the words I write.My mother exposed me to arts and crafts while I was still a very small child. It wasn't long before I was determined to out-do her finished work. Art was the thing that drove me forward from a very young age. Art was the thing that I felt successful with, even while I struggled through un-diagnosed ADHD and chronic Lyme disease, which didn't leave me with a lot of success. Art and writing were the things that got me through the years I struggled to find answers for my various problems. Many things in this life have tried to crush me, but art has helped to see me through. I return to my desire to share my feelings and my love for the miracles in the world around us. Always I return to the adventure of living, the moments of the real. I hope that my work taps some energy you did not realize you had, or helps you heal your scars as the act of creating it gives me energy to overcome the ADHD. My art is focus, connection, peace among so much noise and always, the whimsy and accidents that become so much a part of the final beauty. Carry it with you on your journey and love these things as I have loved them.


text:
There may have been a Terra Cotta Warriors II, but — mark our words — there will not be a Terra Cotta Warriors III.
HMNS' second special exhibition of the exquisitely detailed and distinct warriors that guarded the tomb of China's First Emperor, Qin Shihuang, extends the story of the Qin, Han and Tang dynasties with 200 ancient works of art, including newly-discovered artifacts unearthed from imperial, royal and elite tombs.
The stunning exhibition — which also featured the premiere of a Terra Cotta Warrior with its original green paint still intact, thanks to new conservation techniques — closes Sept. 3.
What better way to celebrate Labor Day than to examine up-close the extreme care that went into each warrior's individualized features, the fine ornaments and sacred objects, or the extraordinary works of art?
HMNS is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Sept. 1 through Sept. 3. Click here for tickets.


text:
Featured Pages
Welcome to the Florida District of Key Club International Website!
This website is a service of the Florida District of Key Club Board of Trustees. We hope you find your website to be a useful resource to you whether you are a Key Club member, a club officer or advisor, a Kiwanian, or a person interested in Key Club.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact the District Webmaster at email@example.com.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas Memorial Fund
In honor of the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, the Florida District has created a new memorial fund in honor of MSD. All donations up to $20,000 will be matched by the Florida District of Kiwanis, and money raised will be given out in scholarships at DCON. For more information, click here, or click here to donate.
Mission Statement
Key Club is an international student-led organization which provides its members with opportunities to provide service, build character and develop leadership.
Core Values
The core values of Key Club International are leadership, character building, caring and inclusiveness.
- To develop initiative and leadership.
- To provide experience in living and working together.
- To serve the school and community.
- To cooperate with the school principal.
- To prepare for useful citizenship.
- To accept and promote the following ideals:
- To give primacy to the human and spiritual, rather than to the material values of life.
- To encourage the daily living of the Golden Rule in all human relationships.
- To promote the adoption and application of higher standards in scholarship, sportsmanship and social contacts.
- To develop, by precept and example, a more intelligent, aggressive, and serviceable citizenship.
- To provide a practical means to form enduring friendships, to render unselfish service and to build better communities.
- To cooperate in creating and maintaining that sound public opinion and high idealism which makes possible the increase of righteousness, justice, patriotism and good will.


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» The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Criterion Collection (Blu-ray)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Criterion Collection (Blu-ray)
// PG-13 // May 5, 2009 // Region A
List Price: $39.99
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Review by
Thomas Spurlin
| posted May 10, 2009 |
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The Film:
Production/Film Stills in this review -- Paramount Pictures
If anyone doubts whether modern directors are still magicians of their craft, they need to only look into David Fincher's
The Curious Case of
Benjamin Button
to find their answer. Obviously a labor of love and a major technical juggling act, this film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1921 short story combines shifting through multiple settings, mastery of intricate computer-generated effects, painstaking editing, sumptuous color timing in its visual design, and a wealth of aging effects that likely took Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett's time in the make-up chair to the high hundreds -- maybe even thousands. Yet, you can't really see all of these elements in plain sight, as everything comes together into a beautifully fantastical love story with an odd yet magical charm about its grace.
When peering into
Benjamin Button
, a grand tale narrated from a daughter (Julia Ormond) to her mother (Cate Blanchett) on her death bed, it's harder to see Fincher's directorial hand than in his other recent works. Though wholly feasible to pinpoint the likes of
The Game
sprinkled into his take on the Zodiac Killer, it's even harder to make out these dashes of influence within his Academy Award-winning picture, a humorous and poetic allegory on time's preciousness seen through the eyes of Benjamin, a man aging in reverse. Quite simply, it's because everything comes together into something cohesive and organic, a piece of work that strays away from direct style and motive and into a marriage of cinematic wonder.
It's an imaginative tale, that's for certain. Set across an 80-year span starting on the eve of World War One's end, baby Benjamin (Brad Pitt) was left on a doorstep of a crowded nursing home with $18 tucked in his swaddling clothes from his father, Thomas (Jason Flemyng) of Button's Buttons. He would soon learn that arthritis and inelastic skin would be built into his youngest years, keeping him grounded and squeaking in his wheelchair while other children galloped around freely. Taken in by Queenie (Taraji P. Henson), a sweet caregiver with a wealth of love, he would be brought up in seamless fashion as another seemingly finite entity in the calm and accepting nursing home. But we're taken through his bizarre lifestyle that would leave him crippled yet plugging along through his first real job as a boat hand on The Chelsea and during his first sexual encounters, building slowly and carefully into an age of appreciation for the rejuvenated life he's been given during his later years. Though it all seems to circulate around his peculiar relationship with Daisy (Blanchett), a ginger-haired girl he befriends at a young age, it's a story more centered on the ways in which he interacts with the people he stumbles across in his life rather than a blatant tale of whimsical love.
Loosely adapted from Fitzgerald's story by writer Eric Roth of
Forrest Gump
fame, it's clear that
Benjamin Button
shares quite a few similarities to Robert Zemeckis' picture on a textual level; a different sort of boy, crippled at a young age, lives out a tale worth telling as he barrels through his first mundane job, a bloody trollop through wartime, and several rewarding yet fleeting personal relationships along the way that would shape his life. However, there's an wealth of magic behind Benjamin's ailment, along with the parallels drawn between age, death, and "carpe diem", that ring exceedingly true. Instead of historical tomfoolery, Benjamin steers clear of the public eye -- painting into a romantic tale that we, in the eyes and mind of Daisy, dive into ourselves with personal reflection and evolution through self-molding gratification behind its emotive drive. Ben's life might be a little like a box of chocolates, but it's an assortment that exists on a much more personal and soul-searching level.
Fincher's work with all the subtle fantasy resonating within
Benjamin Button
is astounding, coming together in a way that makes us forget that we're watching a story far eschewed from biological comprehension. He makes us believe, not in the story's feasibility but in its capacity to resonate despite its unrealistic anchor. This is due in large part to the magnificent Academy-award winning visual effects and make-up work, elements that guide away from flashiness in order to build cohesiveness instead of flexing muscle as a pure exercise of technological gravitas. More importantly, the
Fight Club
director once again adds little pinches of the full emotional spectrum, something that might've come across as dour or bleak in other concoctions of the same story. Here, he keeps Ben's story insightful, warm, and humorous from start to finish, with a touch of the peculiar and disheartening just to keep the cynic in Fincher satisfied.
Benjamin Button
's a complete package, a collective effort welded together with precision and care, that operates like a well-oiled machine because of the way each cinematic element clicks into place alongside the next.
It's in the connection that we build with Benjamin himself, however, that makes
The Curious Case of
Benjamin Button
a winning film, due in large to Brad Pitt's surprisingly poignant performance. Though he's fit the charismatic mold well in other roles, like his turns as the semi-flamboyant Tyler Durden in
Fight Club
and the blunt-headed Detective Mills in
, he's only really delivered a true out-of-the-box performance on two occasions in my eyes: in a surprisingly effective projection as the twitchy Jeffrey Goines in
Twelve Monkeys
, and in his absurdly mumbling performance in
. That is, until he paired up with Fincher for their third collaboration. Pitt's
Benjamin Button
wears a very simple yet appealing magnetism, one filled with appreciation in his eyes and a simple grin on his face ever-showing that he's keeping a secret. Oddly enough, the fact that Brad Pitt has, himself, become an enduring figure in pop culture's eyes works in favor of the seemingly ageless Benjamin. Pitt molds with the role brilliantly, and it shows as he transitions fluidly between ages throughout this two-and-a-half hour fairy tale.
The rest of Fincher's cast shape around Benjamin, building personality and natural emotionality around the peculiar character. Cate Blanchett nails down the part as the fleeting muse, showing her acting prowess at Daisy's many stages through life with exceptional grace. All of the actresses that cover Daisy's younger ages support Blanchett's direction well, especially Elle Fanning as the vibrant girl that ignites curiosity and glee in Benjamin. Then, there's Taraji P. Henson, one of my favorite supporting actress in the business right now. After becoming one of the best and most energetic parts of Craig Brewer's Hustle and Flow, she takes on a different kind of sass in
Benjamin Button
-- and she's simply splendid, giving a fluid candor to her and Benjamin's time on-screen. Her initial acceptance of Benjamin gets the gears started for Fincher's whimsical delivery of a restrained, complacent vision of the "carpe diem" mentality, and it never lets up.
Everything comes down to flow in
Benjamin Button
-- very supple, indulgent, yet schmaltz-aware flow that dodges obvious heartstring-pulling by going in more repute and affective directions. Fincher takes Fitzgerald's darkly humorous and poignant story and makes it resonate, blooming with beauty, peculiarity, and a sense of appreciation for life that left me awestruck. A lot of people wonder what they'd do differently if they had the chance to live young again;
The Curious Case of
Benjamin Button
, though fantasy-based and reliant on Brad Pitt's charisma, becomes a stirring portrait of the decisions one man makes as he approaches rejuvenation with a world of battered, well-aged experience behind him. It's beautiful to behold, both aesthetically and emotionally, and easily one of 2008's most enjoyable films.
The Blu-ray:
Criterion and Paramount have linked up to release
The Curious Case of
Benjamin Button
as spine #476 of the prestigious Criterion Collection, deeming it Fincher's return to the label since the Laserdisc days. However, it's a little different from other Criterion releases; instead of in a digipack or the newly-fangled clear Criterion Blu-ray cases, it comes in a standard, two-disc blue case with a part matte, part glossy slipcover slid over the presentation. Inside, each of the discs are black and gray, while a small
Chapter Listing
booklet slides over the second disc. Inside the booklet is an essay entitled "The Man Who Watched the Hours Go By" by critic Kent Jones -- a smaller amount of text-based material from the label accustomed to 40-50 page booklets.
Video and Audio:
Presented in its theatrically distributed aspect ratio of 2.4:1 within a stellar 1080p AVC encode that pushes upwards of 36-38 Mbps and simmers at around 28 Mbps during some darker scenes,
Benjamin Button
is a visual experience that shouldn't be missed in high-definition. Largely shot in digital high-definition on Fincher's choice Viper FilmStream camera and Sony's F23 camera, along with a handful of scenes on 35mm stock, it's to be expected that this would be a knockout of a visual presentation since it's pulled directly from the source. Still, when pondering exactly what to say about the image -- something normally pretty easy to ramble on about -- the word "flawless" just kept popping into my mind. Color, sharpness, inky shading rendering, dimensionality ... it all looks absolutely striking, even tangible in more than a handful of sequences.
Detail everywhere, from clothing and wood grains to rolling waterdrops down skin textures and the weave of a screen door, pop off of the screen with immense detail. The color timing that switches between a broad scattering of sepia tones to lightly desaturated elements (like the beautiful bike-riding sequences late in the film) support an intense level of color accuracy and solidity. It's also a strikingly achievement in dimensionality, poising the depth of field achieved in the cinematography to awe-inspiring levels. More importantly,
The Curious Case of
Benjamin Button
looks almost exactly the way it did in the theaters in this Blu-ray image -- maybe a pinch better. Free of post-release noise reduction and edge enhancement, it's simply a splendid, stunner of a visual treatment that deserves recognition as one of the best Blu-ray images to date.
It would take quite an audio track to support this visual achievement, which
Benjamin Button
also nails down with its outstanding DTS HD Master Audio track. Once again, it sounds exactly as it did in the theater -- maybe with an ounce more clarity. There are a few sequences where the dialogue is a little harder to hear than others (an early conversation between Benjamin and the globe-trotting pygmy Ngunda Oti (Rampai Mohadi) comes to mind), which is carried over into the audio treatment. Outside of that, we're working with a fluidly dimensional, highly accurate sound experience that pushes both ends of the spectrum in at least a handful of occasions. The lower-frequency channel gets tested during the explosive war-based sequence, top-shelf distortion is tested with an opera singer's blistering high notes, and mid-range bass and tonality receive a workout through assorted door slams, car crashes, and general sound ambiance. And, wouldn't you know it, everything pours out with incredible breath -- especially in the rear channels, which are balanced to near-perfect precision with the fronts. Criterion and Paramount really knocked this sound treatment out of the park.
Subtitles are available in English and English SDH as per normal Criterion standards, but also in French and Spanish tracks -- along with French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 dubs, as well. These inclusions show the widespread nature of this release.
Special Features:
Commentary with David Fincher:
David Fincher is very intelligent, coy, and film-minded in his commentaries, which carries over to his
Benjamin Button
track in a mix of dry jokes and insightful quips about the assembly of the picture. He discusses many of the elements that will be discussed later in the film regarding effects and performance content, but he addresses tone a bit more in his commentary than he does throughout the supplements on Disc 2. He discusses utilization/difficulties behind extras, shooting timetables, musical cues and focus problems interfering with actor performances. Discussion also steers towards interesting minor tidbits, like the use of an orange DNR sticker on a clipboard, the removal of a masturbation sequence from the script's drafts, and dealing with the frizziness of Cate's red wig in the New Orleans' heat. It's a down key track, but very interesting and properly spaced with content.
On Disc 2:
Looking at the supplemental disc made available with
Benjamin Button
via the front-loaded menu, you might be inclined to believe that there's not an awful lot going on. All that's listed is a couple of
Trailers (all in HD)
, some
Stills Galleries (Art Direction, Costume, Storyboards, Production Stills)
, and a Subtitle selection menu that offers English, French, and Spanish language options. The topmost option, however, expands out into one of the densest, exhaustive special features able to be encountered in the realm of home entertainment:
The Curious Birth of
Benjamin Button
Selecting the "Play All" option of The Curious Birth of
Benjamin Button
activates an interconnected string of supplemental pieces, ones that stretch a grand total of nearly three hours -- 2:55:24, to be exact. Within this featurette, we're taken through the entire history of
The Curious Case of
Benjamin Button
, all through "trimesters". For reference,
every single one of the filmed featurettes are encoded in rather
high bitrate AVC encodes
-- and they all look extremely good, though the source material dictates their clarity and sharpness. Each segment showcases only negligible clips of footage from the film, interwoven with Criterion-style candidness with direct interviews with the likes of director David Fincher, Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Taraji P. Henson, Eric Roth, cast, crew, producers, set designers, almost every face you could imagine attached to the film.
The First Trimester
focuses on the pre-production and development of
Benjamin Button
, stretching back to the late '80s, early '90s in its discussion. Director David Fincher starts out with a
Preface (3:08)
to his involvement with the picture, a nice introduction that interconnects the entire "birth" layout of this special feature, which is followed by the lengthier
Development and Pre-production (28:56)
segment. In this section, we're taken through the early days when Spielberg was showing interest in piecing together an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story, along with early attachment from David Fincher himself. It then cycles through the timeline that stretches through several other writers and directors' involvement with the film, along with the actors that expressed early interest in the film. Once it takes shape and outlines the process of how Fincher and Eric Roth both came on board, it outlines how they diverted their concentrations from Baltimore to New Orleans.
Under the First Trimester branch, we've also got a
Tech Scouts (12:23)
featurette that showcases the process of cherry-picking locations for specific shots, along with an additional
Storyboard Gallery
Art Direction Gallery
to sift through. These are not included with the "Play All" function.
The Second Trimester
allows concentration to fall completely on the assembly of the film's 126-days of principal photography. Segmented into two halves, labeled
Production: Part 1 (26:15) and Part 2 (29:03)
, we're completely engulfed in literally every facet of shooting the core shots within the film. This consists of outlining Fincher's meticulous methods of direction, how they filmed the body doubles for Brad Pitt's earlier years, Taraji P. Henson's relationships with each of the several Ben Buttons, and every production element in between. They discuss how they found the focal house -- one abandoned during Katrina, with an owner that had to be flagged down in Texas -- how they incorporated explosives and point-by-point methods to the war sequences, and the assembly of The Chelsea for the core sequences.
Under the Second Trimester Branch, we've also got a
Costume Design(7:38)
piece that strings together costume concept art with discussion from the crew, as well as a full-blown
Costume Gallery
. These are also not included with the "Play All" function.
The Third Trimester
, however, is where the true magic surrounding the film receives focus. Separated into several categories, we're taken through the arduous post-production process through
Benjamin Button
. Some might say that this series of featurettes will steal some of the whimsy out of the film's completeness as a narrative, but it only worked to solidify my appreciation for its overall achievement as a work of state-of-the-art cinema.
The Visual Effects series outlines
Performance Capturing (7:43)
for each of the characters that needed as such, which would obviously lead into the lead character's focus.
Benjamin (16:55)
zeroes in on some rather candid footage of Brad Pitt during the entire process: adorned in an awkward, workout-machine like device and with little green dots speckled onto his ever-recognizable visage, the insight into his capturing is exquisite -- and frightening, especially when the tangible face plaster casts and prosthetics find their way on-screen. As impressive as seeing how the Digital Domain filmmakers super-imposed Pitt onto little blue-hooded actors, the
Youthenization (6:21)
piece was even more remarkable. One of the most memorable sequences in the entire film is when we're shows
Benjamin Button
in the body of a near-teenager late in the film. As a filmgoer, my presumptions naturally led to the magic of lighting and make-up as the culprits, but instead I was left enchanted by digital developer Lola's capacity to smooth and shape facial features -- something that, apparently, is exercised incognito in many, many other films (live-motion touch-up artists). Finally, we're taken through atmospheric pieces that outline how the film's appearance comes to fruition -- segmented into
The Chelsea (8:48)
to outline water composition and movement, and
Simulated World (12:52)
for the ways in which they composed sets in odd locations to mirror those emphasized in the picture.
Aside from the visual effects, the Third Trimester also covers the Sound portions of
Benjamin Button
-- an equally important element to the visual design.
Sound Design (16:06)
takes us through the ways in which the New Orleans locations are given their ambience. IT also showcases the timeline in how Brad Pitt was digitized and un-digitized for his vocal styling. Most impressive and unawares to myself, however, is the fact that Cate Blanchett voices every single concoction of Daisy in the film -- from her youngest self to, obviously, her older years. Rounding out the sound portions of the third branch is
Desplat's Instrumentation (14:53)
, which takes us behind the scenes with Fincher and Desplat as they piece piece together and fine tune the score for the film. Alexandre Desplat is shown conducting and behind the mixing table, along with filtering and funneling the details from Fincher on tone and form. He discusses a quote about "function and fiction" which I especially liked.
: As to be expected, we make out way to the wrap of
Benjamin Button
-- the fruition of all this hard labor. However, this portion is merely a bookshelf to hold up the rest of material within the disc. It concludes with an earnest, reflective piece revolving around the film's
Premiere (4:20)
, along with tacking on some
Production Stills
at the end -- which are, you guessed it, not included in the "Play All" function.
Final Thoughts:
As a testament to the potency of growing older and appreciating one's time on earth,
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
hits all the right chords without reaching too far into the sappy potential that this smooth, non-aggressive love story could've possibly embodied. Bringing together the beauty of New Orleans, the magic of modern cinematic magic tricks, and a basket full of stellar performances from all involved, director David Fincher has managed to pull off the impossible -- to make a science-fiction based story about a man aging in reverse transform into an earnest, believable narrative. He also earns our trust and concentration, selling the outlandish concept in a way that remains touching and cerebral throughout its phenomenally-paced two-and-a-half hour span. With Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett behind the film's introspection on the true nature of love and death, it's a dynamic that leaves viewers bewildered in its conscientious splendor.
Even if
Benjamin Button
wasn't your cup of tea, this Criterion/Paramount Blu-ray presentation of the film is still a marvel of the technology. Combining top-shelf audio and video achievement with a phenomenally dense array of supplements that reveal, literally, almost EVERY trick underneath director Fincher's sleeve for his story, this is a package well worth the entry price. Some might look at the supplements like revealing a magician's tricks in a way that ruins the show, but many other cinematic aficionados will relish in seeing exactly how a director gathered together a broad array of technologies, visual tricks, and budget constraints into a truly cohesive presentation. Still,
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-- nominated for thirteen (13) Academy Awards, winning three (3) of them -- is an astounding Blu-ray presentation of an enchanting film, one that deserves
DVDTalk's Collector's Series
marker for both the outstanding fantasy-based film and the digital/supplemental qualities that lay underneath.
Thomas Spurlin
Staff Reviewer
DVDTalk Reviews
Personal Blog/Site
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Although Symbian still holds the crown as the world's most widely used smartphone mobile operating system, it is rapidly losing ground to more modern alternatives. The Symbian Foundation's efforts to revitalize the platform—improving both the user experience and developer tools—is moving forward, but it may not be fast enough to save the platform from irrelevance.
Gartner analyst Nick Jones has issued a wake-up call to Symbian's backers in a recent blog entry. He says that the mobile platform is losing market share at an accelerated pace and that the upcoming Symbian^3 update isn't going to remedy the platform's fundamental lack of competitiveness. The user experience is still too weak, he says, and he doesn't think that the Symbian Foundation can afford to wait until 2011 to address that issue with S^4. He complains that developers shouldn't be wasting time on projects like improving multitasking and internal architecture while the poor user experience continues to cripple the platform's chances of success.
"So if the weak UI is threatening Symbian's very survival the Foundation ought to be seriously worried, right? Wrong. I just looked on the Foundation web site and blogs at the roadmap and features for future releases. What I see is too much effort on stuff that really doesn't matter," he wrote. "The situation is now serious enough that any developer who isn't working on something directly related to a new UI is wasting their time."
Jones' concerns about the Symbian Foundation's pacing and priorities are well-founded, but the issue isn't as simple as he makes it sound. There are a lot of developers working on Symbian, but not all of them are infinitely versed in every aspect of the platform. The developers who are working on multitasking at the kernel level, for example, are probably not trained as designers and might not even have much familiarity with the userspace software stack at all. Fixing multitasking and improving the user experience aren't mutually exclusive efforts.


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Sunday, December 04, 2011
CLEAN FOSSILS collaborative exhibition, December 3 (Part One).
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New Albany is a state of mind … but whose? Since 2004, we've been observing the contemporary scene in this slowly awakening old river town. If it's true that a pre-digital stopped clock is right twice a day, when will New Albany learn to tell time?


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HOTSEAT- A separate peace: Why jailer Matthews feels house proud
Early January finds gold garland strung around Ronald Matthews' desk and gold balls hanging from the office ceiling. Once the Christmas decorations come down, he'll go with an Easter theme; and then red, white, and blue will carry him from Memorial Day through the summer. He points to art adorning the walls and mentions it's by inmates, students in the art classes that are one of 25 programs he's inaugurated since taking over as superintendent of the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail three years ago.
It quickly becomes apparent: this isn't your father's big house.
Matthews was driving a truck to his new house in Smithfield when he got the offer to head up the jail here. "I lived in my dream house for 45 days," he says wistfully.
A beach man, Matthews may be one of the few newcomers who don't swoon over this area's beauty. He grew up around Baltimore, and following 20 years in the Air Force, worked in jails in the Tidewater area for 14 years. "I'm not crazy about the mountains," he admits.
What he does like is changing the old "warehouse mentality" of the penal system and tackling recidivism with classes in the culinary arts, carpentry, and first aid– "Things that build self-esteem and confidence," he explains. And job skills. And even life skills.
For inmates who want to participate in the work program outside the jail, two things are mandatory: if they don't have their high school diploma, they must enroll for a G.E.D., and they have to complete a re-entry program to learn about how their crimes impact victims, how to do job interviews, and how to maintain basic health and hygiene– "all the things we learned growing up," notes Matthews.
When he started working in jails as a sheriff's deputy 14 years ago, he met someone who brought a comedian into the jail every Friday, and it was the most popular activity for the inmates.
"I realized anything is possible," he says. "I didn't take anything off the table."
That was his strategy when he came to Charlottesville. He didn't change anything the first six months he was here, feeling that he had to persuade both inmates and employees to try new ways of doing time one step at a time.
Since he started in June 2004, assaults between inmates have decreased 90 percent, and the assault rate on officers went from once or twice a month to once or twice a year.
One of those officer assaults happened two months after he started. Four inmates, after unsuccessfully trying to break a reinforced window, took two guards hostage. The four-hour standoff ended with the intervention of other inmates.
On a stroll through the jail, he mentions that once an employee is taken hostage, he loses whatever job authority he has in the jail, and that includes him. And if visitors are taken hostage? "I'd let them have you and try to get out," he says to a photographer– who isn't sure if he's kidding.
The hardest part of the job for Matthews is disciplining employees, and he's in charge of 154 at the jail. "I had to put one individual in jail for having sexual contact with an inmate," he says. "In this profession, we're held to a higher standard."
Running a jail is a 24-7 business, and that means the staff doesn't get snow days. When bad weather is forecast, employees may be spending the night at the Holiday Inn. "We expect people to be at work," says Matthews simply.
His own motivational saying? "You'll be surprised what you can accomplish if you're not worried about who gets credit."
Age: 56
Why here? I was meant to be here.
What's worst about living here? Cost of housing
Favorite hangout? Any golf course
Most overrated virtue? Loyalty
People would be surprised to know: I didn't graduate from high school until I was 23 years old.
What would you change about yourself? I'd have perfect vision and get rid of my glasses.
Proudest accomplishment? Graduating from college at the age of 52 and retiring from the USAF after 20 years
People find most annoying about you: You'd have to ask them.
Whom do you admire? Tom Joyner
Favorite book? Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
Subject that causes you to rant? The war in Iraq
Biggest 21st-century thrill? HD TV
Biggest 21st-century creep out? Internet spam
What do you drive? 2001 Mercedes Benz C240
In your car CD player right now: Unplugged by Maxwell
Next journey? To California and Hawaii
Most trouble you've ever gotten in? Forgetting to register for the draft in 1969
Regret: Not having more children
Favorite comfort food: Nathan's hot dogs
Always in your refrigerator: Bottled water
Must-see TV: Cops
Describe a perfect day. Waking up at noon
Walter Mitty fantasy: Race car driver
Who'd play you in the movie? Don Cheadle
Most embarrassing moment? I went to a meeting in James City County. After sitting there waiting for everyone to show up, I realized the meeting was in Portsmouth.
Best advice you ever got? If you don't want it repeated, don't say it.
Favorite bumper sticker? Has not been printed yet, but it would say, "If you are in that much of a hurry, then you should have gotten here first."


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Holiday Bread: Traditional German Baumkuchen at Stork's Bakery
Stories about the loaves we love.
For New York's German community, the rarest holiday tree on the market this December isn't a plant but a cake. In Germany, baumkuchen, or "tree cake," is a Yuletide fixation ubiquitous in bakeries and holiday markets. It's made by coating a spit with layers of batter and baking them layer by layer in a special oven. The finished cake emerges as a thick cylinder, with a hole down the middle surrounded by concentric rings of dough that look exactly like tree rings. It's usually coated with icing or chocolate and sold whole, in rings, or in little chocolate-coated wedges called baumkuchenspitzen.
Variations on baumkuchen are baked across Europe from France to Lithuania and Sweden. In the United States, however, I estimate that there are currently only four bakeries making the traditional treat: one in California, two in Chicago, and one in Queens. The crucial ingredients are bakers with the specialized knowledge and the presence of a special baumkuchen machine. Both of those elements are present at Stork's, my favorite German/New York/Jewish bakery, where they've been baking and decorating baumkuchen for weeks now.
At Stork's, the baumkuchen machine presses down grooves in the dough as it bakes, so it looks like a series of rings stacked on top of each other. (Maybe this is so the cake can hold more icing.) Once the three-foot tall column has cooled, the bakers cut it into three or more sections and begin the decoration process. First the cake is dipped into hot apricot jam to give it a hint of tartness. Once that's cooled, it's either coated with icing or milk or dark chocolate, depending on the customer's taste, and then decorations are affixed to the top.
Like most in the trade, the Stork's bakers are tight-lipped about ingredients. However, they did divulge that their baumkuchen contains butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and heavy cream. There's probably vanilla in there also. Given those ingredients, it's no surprise that the flavor is highly reminiscent of pound cake. What makes it remarkable is its texture: dense, almost chewy, yet creamy at the same time. A little bit goes a long way—if only you could stop eating those little bits!
The Stork's version is the only freshly-made baumkuchen sold in the city, but it's not the only baumkuchen. In 1919, a German baker began making baumkuchen in Japan, where they became a national obsession. Thanks to the unpredictable currents of international trade and culture, Asian-made baumkuchen are now sold at numerous Japanese and Korean bakeries and markets around New York. However, they're usually made of sponge cake batter, so they're lighter and more, well, spongy. I prefer the good, solid German-style baumkuchen.
It takes bakers hours in front of the hot oven to make a baumkuchen, so they aren't cheap. At Stork's, one large baumkuchen, weighing almost two pounds, costs about $45.
Stork's Bakery
12-42 150th Street, Whitestone, NY 11357 (map)
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Washington Life
At the White House, Lobbyists Complain of Restrictions
By Dan Eggen
A group of lobbyists were invited into the White House Friday, where they aired complaints about new restrictions on registered lobbyists attempting to land stimulus money for their clients.
Under rules announced by President Obama last month, lobbyists are banned from making phone calls to government agencies about specific stimulus projects and must put all such communications in writing. Lobbyists may speak to government officials about general policy issues, the rules say, but all communications will be logged and posted on a government-run website focused on the stimulus plan.
An unusual alliance of groups, including the American League of Lobbyists, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), complain that the restrictions are unfair and impinge on First Amendment rights to petition the government. Representatives of the groups held a meeting on the complaints Friday afternoon with Obama's chief ethics adviser, Norm Eisen, who was one of the original co-founders of CREW.
Melanie Sloan, CREW's executive director, said Eisen and other administration lawyers seemed "surprised" that CREW, the ACLU and the lobbying league agreed on so many points, since the public-interest groups are often at loggerheads with lobbyists. She also said that the Obama officials "seemed comfortable with their position."
One White House official, who declined to be identified discussing the meeting, said the restrictions are "tough but fair to make sure that lobbyist communications are as transparent as possible.... They took exception to some of the specifics of the restrictions and we had an honest exchange about our differences."
The stimulus lobbying guidelines were introduced last month as a 60-day experiment of sorts, meaning that Eisen and his aides will be able to tweak the policy if needed, White House officials say. Sloan said it was unclear from the meeting whether the administration was considering any major revisions.
But Dave Wenhold, president of the lobbyist group, said in a statement that he is "look forward to working with the administration to create a policy which truly increases transparency for all, as opposed to the current guidelines which singles out some."
Wenhold's group has threatened to sue the administration on First Amendment grounds if the rules are not modified.
"Through the U.S. Constitution granting citizens the right to petition government, lobbyists help citizens communicate factual information on a wide range of important issues," Wenhold said. "...Keeping lobbyists out of the discussion also keeps out the millions of citizens they represent."
Posted at 6:33 PM ET on Apr 24, 2009
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It's really ashame that real people acting in their own interests may have to petition their elected representatives. Lobbyists have become part of the problem in Washington. Big money flowing freely to Congressmen and women has corrupted the normal process of representation in Washington. Perhaps something can be worked out. However, Obama did campaign on lobbying reform. It appears that he is doing just that. Hooray for him!
Posted by: EarlC | April 25, 2009 10:25 PM
Bits and pieces of our country have been on the auction block for many years now. To many politicians have become fat, lazy, and BOUGHT. Our system for elections necessitates wealth. Selling influence to the highest bidder is the only way to ensure sufficient support and funds for the next election.
Posted by: ChoKum | April 25, 2009 8:28 PM
I am proud of the administration, and our President for imposing these rules. "The millions of citizens that are represented by lobbyist?" I think that quote left out the for a large fee part. Most Americans have desired this kind of policy when working with our government for quite some time. We want transparency and want to make sure that it is not so engulfed in legal terms that our representatives will explain it in such a way that leaves no misunderstanding of who benefits from the agreement.
That to me is responsible government!
Peter Silva
Posted by: Silva4congress | April 25, 2009 3:23 PM
"Through the U.S. Constitution granting citizens the right to petition government, lobbyists help citizens communicate factual information on a wide range of important issues," Wenhold said. "...Keeping lobbyists out of the discussion also keeps out the millions of citizens they represent."
What a load of malicious twaddle. Lobbyists are organized criminals involved in suborning, with great ease, the prostitutes in the Congress and Senate. To call them "lobbyists" is to give them a veneer of legitimacy to their criminal activities.
Posted by: garrafa10 | April 25, 2009 2:40 PM
I am proud to be a lobbyist for many who do not have time or cannot afford to be in the nation's capital as much as it takes to be effective. I learned a great deal about how our government works during a decade on Capitol Hill. For the past 21 years, I have provided a voice to nonprofit, university, hospital and corporate leaders who want to help in the search for solutions to our economic problems and a better quality of life. Every American has a constitutional right to participate in our government.
Lobbyists are experts on many subjects. A lobbyist's role is to educate and communicate with Congress, the administration and the public about issues vital to Americans. Preventing registered, legally compliant lobbyists from filling that role is detrimental to good government.
Demonizing the lobbying profession will only lead to less transparency and less accountability because it will cause people to de-register to avoid being stigmatized. I share President Obama's goal of achieving good government -- I just don't agree with Norm Eisen or his methods for getting there.
Posted by: tmfulton | April 25, 2009 2:32 PM
Interesting comments but the bottom line is that the Obama administration is banning a group of people, like them or not, from participating in the government and that is unconstitutional.
What most people don't get is it isn't hurting the lobbyists but doing damage to the millions of people that they represent. Did you know that cities who are supposed to get some of the stimulus can't because they won't even have a conversation with their representatives? Or how about this, that no one else is required to have their information posted. Wouldn't you like to know and aren't you entitled to know what your government is doing regardless of who they are meeting with?
Sure beat up on the lobbyists, they are the diversion while the real backdoor meetings continue to take place and the people who raise hundreds of thousands for the president's election can walk in and have conversations and never report them. Seriously who do you think has more influence, a lobbyist who have to comply and be fully transparent and that did not donate to the campaign or someone that raised a ton of cash for the president and doesn't have to register? Common sense should prevail here and not jump to beat up on a profession that people actually know very little about.
Posted by: 1stAmendment | April 25, 2009 2:16 PM
For the first time, I am seeing these corrupt and sleazy manipulators brought to heel through a relatively modest proposal requiring them to put their requests to the government in writing. No more inviting bureaucrats for lunch or dinner, no more offering free trips. Making them outline their bribes in writing is going to make prosecutions much easier, which is why they are screaming so loudly. We have seen too much of the Abramoffs and others take advantage of loose lobbying rules. Cloaking their illicit activities in the Constitutional right to petition the government is a ruse to try and continue activities that are clearly illegal.
Posted by: edwardallen54 | April 25, 2009 12:33 PM
Has anybody told these sobs that there is a new sheriff in town?
Posted by: analyst72 | April 25, 2009 10:33 AM
As a citizen, I can not phone high-level government officials and discuss policy with them. Does that mean my first amendment rights are being violated.
Really? As a citizen, you absolutely have every right to phone, meet with or write to high-level government officials. Who is stopping you?
It is unfortunate that the Jack Abramoffs of the lobbying world get all the press. There are a lot of lobbyists out there and most play by the rules which, contrary to popular belief, are quite restrictive. Money under the table is bribery, not lobbying.
It makes no sense that a lobbyist for Company X is prohibited from making a phone call or going to a meeting but the CEO of Company X who is not a registered lobbyist is not restricted in any way. They have the same purpose, just different titles.
I'm all for transparency. Many federal agencies, such as the FCC, already have procedures for meeting transparency. It seems the Obama administration is simply pandering to anti-lobbyist sentiment which is pretty smart given the prevailing attitudes. I am Obama supporter but this mandate needs further review.
Posted by: DCGirl13 | April 24, 2009 10:37 PM
These same lobbyists are lucky the American people don't have their wish for a national referendum to DO AWAY with all of them once and for all. We're sick of our government being for sale to the highest bidder. Cry me a river on this one! They are all scumbags feeding at the public trough. They all belong in jail along with their criminal corporate masters and the cretins in Congress who accept and seek their bribes.
Posted by: capone1 | April 24, 2009 10:30 PM
As a citizen, I can not phone high-level government officials and discuss policy with them. Does that mean my first amendment rights are being violated?
Posted by: lostinthemiddle | April 24, 2009 8:57 PM
ROTFL LMAO!!!!!! Turn K ST NW into ghost town...
Posted by: demtse | April 24, 2009 8:45 PM
ROTFL LMAO!!!!!! Turn K ST NW into ghost town...
Posted by: demtse | April 24, 2009 8:43 PM
I understand why lobbyists would complain -- I mean after all these years of being able to buy politicians....
Make them put it all in writing -- then you have a paper trail as to who said and did what and when.
Posted by: abby0802 | April 24, 2009 7:11 PM
Lobbyists complaining about restrictions?
Then Obama must be doing something right.
Posted by: JRM2 | April 24, 2009 7:00 PM
It's interesting that the con-artists, ..er I mean, lobbyists don't want all their communications in writing. It's interesting, but it's certainly not surprising. We have a right to know exactly how they attempt to persuade our lawmakers to abandon the interests of people they're supposed to be representing and replace it with the narrow, short sighted interests of their employers. ACLU and CREW are wrong on this. Lobbyists would still have access to petition, but it would be harder for them to wink wink and pass money under the table.
Take names of those who fight this measure.
Posted by: rooster54 | April 24, 2009 6:57 PM
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Getting your car washed and waxed on a regular basis is one of the easiest ways to preserve its paint and keep it looking nice. Removing other environmental contaminants such as road salt, sap, tar and bugs in a timely manner also goes a long way to making your car's paint and clear coat last longer.
Keeping up your vehicle's appearance both inside and out not only means you can take more pride in your ride, it also helps you preserve your vehicle's resale value and makes it more appealing to potential buyers.
- Car washes: Most car wash businesses offer a variety of washes, from basic to premium. A basic wash at a drive-thru shop can go for as low as $3, while a premium wash can be up to $20 or more.
- Auto detailing: An auto detail company typically includes these services: washing, waxing and detailing the exterior and vacuuming, deep cleaning and detailing the interior. The cost for many detailing services such as basic washes or interior cleanings can start at less than $100. More comprehensive services such as full exterior or interior details can cost several hundred dollars, while more advanced processes such as paint color correction or ding, dent or chip repairs may cost thousands. Many auto detailing shops off pick-up and drop-off services as well as mobile detailing so your car never has to leave the driveway.
Angie's List asked highly rated companies how frequently you should clean your car. Most experts recommend getting your car washed every other week, waxed with the change of each season and professionally detailed every six months to a year.
A number of factors can influence the decision.
- Driving conditions: Do you live in a rural area with gravel or dirt roads or driveways? The dust kicked up and caked onto your paint means you'll want to wash your car more frequently.
- Season: The grime and dust from road salt in the winter can do corrosive damage to your vehicle's underbody and paint. Hitting bugs in the summer can have a similar effect.
- Parking location: If you're not fortunate enough to park your car in a garage every night, parking underneath trees that drop sap or in areas prone to gatherings of birds that drop bird stuff should convince you to wash your car often.
- Commute distance and conditions: If your daily commute involves long distances on the highway, your car's exterior will be exposed to more road grime and bug strikes than a vehicle with a short non-highway commute, necessitating washing your car more frequently.
Angie's List Hiring Tips:
- Many drivers opt for the convenience of a drive-through or automatic car wash. However, not all car washes are created equal. In fact, some automatic car washes – especially those that use rotating brushes or agitating cloths - can damage your vehicle's paint.
- It takes research on the driver's part to avoid damaging car washes by asking the car wash operator about how often the brushes or cloths are cleaned or replaced. Car washes that offer hand washes or having your vehicle hand washed by an automotive detailing shop are all options to avoid damage from automatic car washes.
- Before hiring a professional auto detailer, ask questions about their training, their cleaning process, and the products they use. Ask to see other work they've done and be sure you understand the costs involved.


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An Operating Lease is an agreement between the 'owner' of the equipment, the Lessor and the 'user', the Lessee. All costs such as hardware, software, installation, training, services etc can all be included in the agreement.
If you are a large enterprise operating in multiple countries it makes sense to utilize the International Master Lease agreement for your leasing requirements. One contract is signed by both the 'Lessee' and 'Lessor' which contains all of the terms and conditions. Then individual lease schedules are signed upon completion and installation of the equipment at each site or phase. You have the benefit of having separate identifiable costs for each installation.
The Deferred Payment solution allows you to delay the payment of your chosen lease by up to 6 months; even though your new equipment may have already been delivery and installed. This flexible payment profile is ideal if you are waiting for a new financial year, or if you are waiting for a cash deposit.
Dynamic Capacity is the term used by Fujitsu to describe a range of solutions that allows your payments to fluctuate according to the amount of server or storage capacity which is used. The solutions work by agreeing a 'base' level charge which is aligned to the estimated capacity usage on a monthly basis and then any usage over and above that agreed level is automatically logged and billed at an agreed rate on a monthly basis.
The decision to move from one platform to another; or to unify an office full of IT equipment can be challenging as well as financially draining on your business. Our Migration/Consolidation solutions offer you a complete package which takes the burden away from you.
The Price Per Seat solutions allow for the total costs of all your hardware, software, installation, training, maintenance and servicing costs to be calculated and then the lease is structured to reflect the number of people using the facilities. This option is ideal for rapidly expanding businesses, it allows you to install the fully capacity IT solution which your growing business will need, but initially you only pay for the number of people actually using it. When your head count increases so does your lease rentals. At the start of the lease an agreed 'number' of seats is paid for on a monthly or quarterly basis, and then over time the rental is increased according to the increase in staff.
The Sale and Lease Back solutions allows us, the 'Lessor', to buy all or a part of your existing IT portfolio and then lease it back to you over an agreed period of time for an agreed monthly or quarterly payment.
The Technology-X-Change options allow for the transition of old equipment to new. It works by adding flexibility to the beginning and to the end of your lease agreement. At the beginning of the lease term the Lessor settles all of the delivery, installation and other set up costs with the supplier(s) on your behalf. Once the delivery and installation has been completed you then start to pay the lease rentals which were agreed at the outset. This option removes the need to set up multiple leases to cover various deliveries over the initial installation period.
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capitalism, economic system based on private ownership of the means of production, in which personal profit can be acquired through investment of capital and employment of labor. Capitalism is grounded in the concept of free enterprise, which argues that government intervention in the economy should be restricted and that a free market, based on supply and demand, will ultimately maximize consumer welfare. These principles were most notably articulated in Adam Smith's treatise, The Wealth of Nations (1776), in which he opposed the prevailing theory of mercantilism. Capitalism has existed in a limited form in the economies of all civilizations, but its modern importance dates at least from the Industrial Revolution that began in the 18th cent., when bankers, merchants, and industrialists—the bourgeoisie—began to displace landowners in political, economic, and social importance and when innovations and efficiencies in commercial agriculture made available a large body of surplus labor, particularly in Great Britain. Capitalism stresses freedom of individual economic enterprise; however, government action has been and in some cases remains required to curb its abuses, which have ranged from terrible working conditions, slavery (particularly in Britain and the United States), and apartheid (in South Africa) to monopoly cartels and financial fraud.
Capitalism does not presuppose a specific form of social or political organization: the democratic socialism of the Scandinavian states, the consensus politics of Japan, and the state-sponsored rapid industrial growth of South Korea while under military dictatorship all have coexisted with capitalism. Yet despite the capitalist ideal of "hands-off" government, significant government intervention has existed in most capitalist nations at least since the Great Depression in the 1930s. In the United States, it exists in the form of subsidies, tax credits, incentives, and other types of exemptions. Though private production plays a major role in the economies of Germany and Japan, both nations have had centrally planned industrial policies in which bankers, industrialists, and labor unions meet and seek to agree to wage policies and interest rates; these countries reject the idea of letting the market wholly determine the economy. The collapse of the Soviet Union and its satellite states in Eastern Europe (1989–91) represented a substantial retreat in the power of capitalism's traditional economic opponent, socialism; while some of those nations have move toward free-market capitalism, in others the state retained or has reasserted its control over many aspects of the economy. In China, Communist economic principles were gradually abandoned during the late 20th cent. and capitalism became increasingly important—but within a strictly Communist political framework.
See M. Friedman, Capitalism and Freedom (1952, rev. ed. 1981); J. K. Galbraith, American Capitalism (1952, repr. 1982); J. A. Schumpeter, Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy (1983); R. L. Heilbroner and L. C. Thurow, Economics Explained (1987); C. R Sunstein, Free Markets and Social Justice (1997); J. Appleby, Capitalism and a New Social Order: The Republican Vision of the 1790s (1984) and The Relentless Revolution: A History of Capitalism (2010); E. E. Baptist, The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism (2014).


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It's an event which takes sadness and turns it into hope.
— It's an event which takes sadness and turns it into hope.
The annual "Take Back the Night" event presented by the Victims Intervention Program is set for next week.
It will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 4, at the Cooperage on Main Street in Honesdale.
Michele Minor-Wolf, executive director of VIP, said this year's even will be "a little different."
One way is the fact it is being held indoors.
Another is the program.
Author Norman E. Friedman, who has written a book about child sexual abuse, will be the featured speaker. Wolf said he will talk for about 45 minutes.
Take Back the Night will also have some of the same traditions as always.
Wolf said survivors of abuse will be speaking, there will be the exhibit of shoes which depicts the atrocities of abuse, the quilt project will be on display and there will be artwork on display.
Entertainment will be provided by Patrick J. Fiore & Students.
Wolf said there will be T-shirts for sale and refreshments will be served, including desserts and coffee.
She said there will be handouts available and she feels this is a "teaching opportunity" for VIP.
Everyone from the community is invited to attend the event.
If you would like more information about Take Back the Night, contact VIP at 253-4401.
About the author
Norman E. Friedman has been caring for other people's children and their parents for more than 50 years.
Trained as an educator, administrator, counselor, and mental health professional, his career has focused on the care and treatment of children and youth with serious emotional problems.
Since his retirement as Executive Director of a large residential treatment center in New York State he has been employed as an abuse prevention training specialist by the A.M. Skier Insurance Agency in Hawley, Pennsylvania for the last 14 years. His appearance Wednesday is sponsored by the A.M. Skier Insurance Agency.
Recognized for 25 years of service to children of Westchester County on June 30, 1998, the day was named in his honor. Honored by the Westchester County Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect on April 18, 1996, he received an award for his efforts to prevent physical and sexual abuse of children.
For the past 25 years, he has consulted at schools, camps, day care centers, and other congregate care facilities throughout the United States when issues of physical or sexual abuse have become a concern.
Well known as a national speaker, Norman has taught as a guest lecturer at Westchester Community College and Fordham University School of Social Work. He has been quoted by the New York Times, Gannett Newspapers, The Washington Post about issues of Inappropriate Intimate Behaviors relating to adults and children in congregate care programs.
His book, "Inoculating Your Children Against Sexual Abuse: What every parent should know!" is available worldwide on www.amazon.com.
For more information, visit firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Marquez Caught Cheating? Uses "Foot Stopper Trick"! (Manny Pacquiao vs Juan Marquez)
"Legal or not, this affected the whole boxing match and it's overall outcome. You be the judge!" - Posted by http://www.facebook.com/thataintordinarybruh
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***MAZDA CERTIFIED Pre-Owned Vehicle, CLEAN CARFAX!, ***ALL WHEEL DRIVE, ***NAVIGATION, ***MOONROOF, ***USB PORTS, ***ALLOY WHEELS, ALL NEW BRAKES!!, 2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring, 4D Sport Utility, SKYACTIV? 2.5L 4-Cylinder DOHC 16V, 6-Speed Automatic, AWD in Sonic Silver Metallic, black Leather. Mazda Certified Pre-Owned Details: * Powertrain Limited Warranty: 84 Month/100,000 Mile (whichever comes first) from original in-service date * Vehicle History * 160 Point Inspection * Roadside Assistance * Includes Autocheck Vehicle History Report with 3 Year Buyback Protection * Transferable Warranty * Limited Warranty: 12 Month/12,000 Mile (whichever comes first) after new car warranty expires or from certified purchase date * Warranty Deductible: $0The Mazda Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle Program takes the risk out of the used car buying experience. Driving a Mazda Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle means driving with knowledge and confidence that the used Mazda vehicle you purchase is protected by the following: A manufacturer-backed 7 year/100,000 mile Limited Powertrain Warranty* A manufacturer-backed 12 month/12,000 mile Additional Limited Warranty** Zero deductible for covered repairs A rigorous 160-Point vehicle inspection process Vehicle History Report on every vehicle 24 Hour Roadside Assistance Mazda now offers optional Mazda Extended Protection Plan (or MEPP) TotalCare coverage for Certified Pre-Owned vehicles! Think of this benefit as enhanced coverage to your certified pre-owned vehicle, making a great ownership experience even better. In addition to what your Mazda Certified Pre-Owned warranty covers, you will receive the following coverage enhancements with your MEPP Certified Pre-Owned vehicle Wrap*: Air Conditioning Suspension (Front/Rear) Steering Instrument Cluster (i.E. Speedometer) Radios, DVDs, Amplifier, Navigation System Fuel System Heating Cooling System Braking System Electrical System High-Tech/Convenience Group Reimbursement for the replacement
At Young Mazda, we have a great selection of new cars, crossovers and SUVs. The MAZDA MX-5 MIATA is an exciting sporty roadster with great balance and road-handling performance. Take it out for a test drive at our dealership to see why it's considered one of our generation's greatest roadsters. If you're looking for a more economical vehicle, check out the MAZDA3 or the MAZDA6. These sedans have reliable performance with excellent fuel economy and storage space as expected from a daily driver. If size is of concern to you, explore the crossovers and SUVs that are taking the market by storm. For a more compact crossover, the MAZDA CX-3 will fit the job. If you're looking for a larger SUV for your family, the MAZDA CX-9 has available 3rd row seating for up to 7 passengers. Available AWD for these vehicles ensure a safer drive on any road condition.
New vehicle pricing includes all offers and incentives. Tax, Title and Tags not included in vehicle prices shown and must be paid by the purchaser. Price includes destination. Some prices require financing through Mazda Financial Services. Sales prices include all manufacturer incentives, except rebates such as (Mazda Owner Loyalty, Military Appreciate, First Responder or Recent College Graduate) per Mazda rules. While great effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, errors do occur so please verify information with a customer service rep. This is easily done by calling us at (800) 743-7091 or by visiting us at the dealership.
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While Europe's leaders shy away from the word, the reality is that much of the European Union is in depression. Indeed, it will now take a decade or more to recover from the losses incurred by misguided austerity policies – a process that may eventually force Europe to let the euro die in order to save itself.
NEW YORK – The outcome of the Italian elections should send a clear message to Europe's leaders: the austerity policies that they have pursued are being rejected by voters.
The European project, as idealistic as it was, was always a top-down endeavor. But it is another matter altogether to encourage technocrats to run countries, seemingly circumventing democratic processes, and foist upon them policies that lead to widespread public misery.
While Europe's leaders shy away from the word, the reality is that much of the European Union is in depression. The loss of output in Italy since the beginning of the crisis is as great as it was in the 1930's. Greece's youth unemployment rate now exceeds 60 percent, and Spain's is above 50 percent. With the destruction of human capital, Europe's social fabric is tearing, and its future is being thrown into jeopardy.
The economy's doctors say that the patient must stay the course. Political leaders who suggest otherwise are labeled as populists. The reality, though, is that the cure is not working, and there is no hope that it will – that is, without being worse than the disease. Indeed, it will take a decade or more to recover the losses incurred in this austerity process.
In short, it is neither populism nor shortsightedness that has led citizens to reject the policies that have been imposed on them. It is an understanding that these policies are deeply misguided.
Related: Infographic: Austerity – An Epic Failure?
Related: Europe's Man-Made Disaster – An Austerity Tragedy: Joseph Stiglitz
Related: Could Europe's Social Crisis Overshadow Its Economic Woes In 2013?: George Friedman
A Better Cure?
Europe's talents and resources – its physical, human, and natural capital – are the same today as they were before the crisis began. The problem is that the prescriptions being imposed are leading to massive underutilization of these resources. Whatever Europe's problem, a response that entails waste on this scale cannot be the solution.
The simplistic diagnosis of Europe's woes – that the crisis countries were living beyond their means – is clearly at least partly wrong. Spain and Ireland had fiscal surpluses and low debt/GDP ratios before the crisis. If Greece were the only problem, Europe could have handled it easily.
An alternative set of well-discussed policies could work. Europe needs greater fiscal federalism, not just centralized oversight of national budgets. To be sure, Europe may not need the two-to-one ratio of federal to state spending found in the United States; but it clearly needs far more European-level expenditure, unlike the current miniscule EU budget (whittled down further by austerity advocates).
A banking union, too, is needed. But it needs to be a real union, with common deposit insurance and common resolution procedures, as well as common supervision. There will also have to be Eurobonds, or an equivalent instrument.
European leaders recognize that, without growth, debt burdens will continue to grow, and that austerity by itself is an anti-growth strategy. Yet years have gone by, and no growth strategy is on the table, though its components are well known: policies that address Europe's internal imbalances and Germany's huge external surplus, which now is on par with China's (and more than twice as high relative to GDP). Concretely, that means wage increases in Germany and industrial policies that promote exports and productivity in Europe's peripheral economies.
What will not work, at least for most eurozone countries, is internal devaluation – that is, forcing down wages and prices – as this would increase the debt burden for households, firms, and governments (which overwhelmingly hold euro-denominated debts). And, with adjustments in different sectors occurring at different speeds, deflation would fuel massive distortions in the economy.
If internal devaluation were the solution, the gold standard would not have been a problem in the Great Depression. Internal devaluation, combined with austerity and the single-market principle (which facilitates capital flight and the hemorrhaging of banking systems) is a toxic combination.
Related: Another Eurozone Crisis In 2014?: Nouriel Roubini
Related: The Eurozone Exposed – How Europe Can Avoid A Prolonged Depression: Stefano Micossi
For Europe To Be Saved, The Euro Must Die
The European project was, and is, a great political idea. It has the potential to promote both prosperity and peace. But, rather than enhancing solidarity within Europe, it is sowing seeds of discord within and between countries.
Europe's leaders repeatedly vow to do everything necessary to save the euro. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi's promise to do "whatever it takes" has succeeded in providing a temporary calm. But Germany has consistently rejected every policy that would provide a long-term solution. The Germans, it seems, will do everything except what is needed.
Of course, the Germans have reluctantly come to accept the necessity of a banking union that includes common deposit insurance. But the pace with which they accede to such reforms is out of kilter with the markets. Banking systems in several countries are already on life support. How many more will be in intensive care before a banking union becomes a reality?
Yes, Europe needs structural reform, as austerity advocates insist. But it is structural reform of the eurozone's institutional arrangements, not reforms within individual countries, that will have the greatest impact. Unless Europe is willing to make those reforms, it may have to let the euro die to save itself.
Related: Europe's Flawed Economics – Why The Euro's Survival Remains In Doubt: Joseph Stiglitz
Related: Europe Trapped In Economic War Of Attrition: Mohamed El-Erian
The EU's Economic and Monetary Union was a means to an end, not an end in itself. The European electorate seems to have recognized that, under current arrangements, the euro is undermining the very purposes for which it was supposedly created. That is the simple truth that Europe's leaders have yet to grasp.
By Joseph E. Stiglitz
Copyright: Project-Syndicate, 2013
Joseph Eugene Stiglitz is a professor at Columbia University and the recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2001 and the John Bates Clark Medal in 1979. Stiglitz has authored numerous books including Freefall: America, Free Markets, and the Sinking of the World Economy(2010), Globalisation and its Discontents (2002) and Making Globalisation Work (2006). Learn more about Joseph E. Stiglitz and his work at EconomyWatch.com.
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Shia Labeouf you shouldn't eat and go!
Wow...Shia Labeouf...shouldn't eat and run....but hey if it works for him.
Here's a plug for you Best Buy...from Paris Hilton...
Paris Hilton shops at Best Buy too? Looks like she is really interested with what that person has to say!
Nicole Richie bikini pictures...
Nicole Richie turned 26 and spent time at the beach. She spent time with with Good Charlotte boyfriend Joel Madden on the beaches of Hawaii. The couple sunbathed and listened to music on their iPods. They even gave gave other affectionate kisses throughout the day.
Photo and Source
Is Jennifer Lopez pregnant or not???
First Jennifer Lopez is pregnant and then she isn't ... what is it going to be??
Salma Hayek has a baby girl!
TMZ.com is reporting that after three years of being pregnant Salma Hayek finally had her baby yesterday.
She named her Valentina Paloma Pinault.