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Public Release: 18-Mar-2008
Firearms industry should bear financial liability for homicides involving handguns
BETHLEHEM, PA (March 18, 2008)--George Nation, professor of law and business at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., argues in the April issue of the Baylor Law Review that manufacturers of guns should be required to bear vicarious financial liability for the harm suffered by innocent bystanders who have been injured by the criminal use of their products.
"Traditionally, gun manufacturers have escaped responsibility when it comes to the criminal use of their products," says Nation. "The legal system essentially presumes that criminal activity is not to be expected and that manufacturers have no control over the use of their products."
"But with more than two million handgun-related crimes each year, and some gun advertising clearly aimed at criminal users, this traditional presumption is at odds with reality," he adds.
According to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, 68% of all murders reported to police in 2006 were committed with a firearm. Statistics from The Center for Disease Control sound a similar warning; the center estimated the number of gun-related homicides in the U.S. to be well over 11,000 in 2005.
High courts continue handing down contradictory rulings on the financial liability of gun manufacturers. Just in the past half year, appellate courts in Indiana and Washington, D.C. have handed down opposite decisions involving the reach of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (2005).
In the case of gun manufacturers, at stake is the future of the $2 billion firearms industry. The Second Amendment has come under particular fire this past year and is the focus of a landmark hearing today at the U.S. Supreme Court regarding gun ownership. The court has weighing the issue of gun control in Heller, which pits those that believe the number of lives lost to gun-related violence is a tragic consequence of lax gun-control laws, versus others who claim an individual Constitutional right to own and bear arms.
Nation also says that some level of criminal use is to be expected due to decisions manufacturers make concerning the design, production, marketing and distribution of their firearms.
For 142 years, Lehigh University (www.lehigh.edu) has combined outstanding academic and learning opportunities with leadership in fostering innovative research. The institution is among the nation's most selective, highly ranked private research universities. Lehigh's four colleges - College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business and Economics, College of Education and the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science - provide opportunities to 6,500 students to discover and grow in a learning community that promotes interdisciplinary programs with real-world experience. Lehigh's campus is located in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley - in Bethlehem, PA (50 miles north of Philadelphia and 75 miles southwest of New York City).
Tom Yencho
tsy205@lehigh.edu
@lehighu
http://www.lehigh.edu
Baylor Law Review


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Town Hall to Address Refusal of Service to LGBTs After SCOTUS Masterpiece Cakeshop Decision
July 11, 2018 | By Sam Sanchez
Last June, in a 7-2 decision, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favor of the owner of the Masterpiece Cakeshop in Colorado, absolving him from legal liability for refusing to sell a wedding cake to a gay couple because it went against his religious beliefs.
While many legal experts have maintained the ruling did not represent a sweeping exemption from anti-disrimination laws, many in the LGBT community worry it could lead to more discrimination based on perceived hostility to religion.
The Masterpiece ruling has prompted the Texas Freedom Network, Equality Texas and Americans United to conduct a series of town halls across the state during which they address the fallout of the Supreme Court's decision. The San Antonio town hall, to held in conjunction with the First Unitarian Universalist Church Rainbow Inclusion Committee, is slated for Wednesday, July 18.
In Texas, Republicans in the 85th session of the Texas Legislature pushed a over a dozen religious refusal bills which would have codified anti-LGBT discrimination into state law.
One law that passed was House Bill 3859 which allows religious welfare agencies to deny adoptions and other services to LGBT people. The law prompted California to block state-funded travel to Texas. Add to this the chilling effect of the Masterpiece ruling and it's no wonder LGBT Texans are left to wonder if it's open season for discrimination.
The announcement for the town hall lists the following topics of discussion:
Does the Masterpiece decision create a license to discriminate?
If you're turned away for being gay or transgender, what can you do?
Is it too late to stop anti-LGBT activists from passing more religious refusal laws targeting communities they don't like?
Chuck Smith, executive director of Equality Texas, made the case against discrimination after the Supreme Court's decision was announced. In a statement he said in part:
"While the Court's decision does not create a new license to discriminate, it also does not address the discrimination that millions of Americans and Texans still face. Texas law does not explicitly protect LGBTQ Texans from discrimination in stores and restaurants, in the workplace, or in access to housing. . . It's time for our nation's laws to catch up to our nation's values and protect all Americans from discrimination. No one should be fired from their job, denied a place to live, or turned away from a business simply because of who they are."
San Antonio Masterpiece Town Hall by Texas Freedom Network, Equality Texas, Americans United and the First Unitarian Universalist Rainbow Inclusion Committee. Wednesday, July 18 from 6 to 8 p.m., First Unitarian Universalist Church, 7150 I-10. RSVP at this link.
Tags Americans United, Chuck Smith, Equality Texas, House Bill 3859, Masterpiece Cakeshop, religious liberties, religious refusal legislation, Texas Freedom Network, Texas Legislature, U.S. Supreme Court
Americans United, Chuck Smith, Equality Texas, House Bill 3859, Masterpiece Cakeshop, religious liberties, religious refusal legislation, Texas Freedom Network, Texas Legislature, U.S. Supreme Court
Texas House Passes Religious Liberty Bill Amid LGBTQ Caucus' Objections
Anti-LGBTQ Legislation Killed in Texas House Revived in Senate
Texas LGBTQ Caucus Marks Major Victory, Killing Bill They Feared Would Hurt Gay People
Petition Triggers Recall Election of Gay Councilman in Groves City, Texas
Voters in Groves City, Texas, have gathered enough signatures to trigger a recall election of 19-year-old, gay City Councilman Cross...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Announced by Marvel today, Director S.J. Clarkson (Jessica Jones, Orange is the New Black) is to direct the first two episodes of the 2017 Marvel and Netflix series Marvel's The Defenders.
Announced by Marvel today, Director S.J. Clarkson (Jessica Jones, Orange is the New Black) is to direct the first two episodes of the 2017 Marvel and Netflix series Marvel's The Defenders. Once more directing for two of the featured characters of the upcoming 8-episode limited series, Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) herself, and Luke Cage (Mike Colter),('AKA Crush Syndrome,' AKA Ladies Night'), having the characters of Daredevil (Charlie Cox), and Iron Fist (Finn Jones) along for the initial ride can only mean familiar flow with the promise of new excitement. Acting powerhouse Sigourney Weaver will also join as an as-yet-unnamed villainess.
With Jessica Jones featuring a roster of exclusively women directors in its soon to start shooting second season, it seems that Marvel's recent agenda leaning towards gender equality also supports the return of its stellar directing alumni. Both of the episodes Clarkson directed were incredibly human, intimate, and gut wrenching in their own rights. I'm sure more of the same macabre street magic is to come as The Defenders work together to protect New York City.
The story will revolve around four loner heroes that will pull their resources to become stronger as a whole. For those who've seen Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Daredevil (which have their first – and where Daredevil is concerned, also second – season available to watch in full on Netflix), imagining these solitary heroic souls working together for the wellbeing of all might sound like a bit of a challenge.
Marvel's Head of Television, Jeff Loeb seems confident in the choice of Clarkson.
The Defenders will hit Netflix sometime in 2017.


Note: Re-posted from May 3, 2011.
Isn't that bouquet of flowers beautiful?
My younger sister gathered it from the garden, while another sister (Abby) took a picture of it. I just felt it would fit well in this post where I'll share some beautiful nuggets from God's Word that I recently read. Isn't it true that while you read the Bible, you find things that are just as beautiful as a bouquet of flowers?
Do not quench the Spirit. Test all things; hold fast to what is good.
The beauty of reading God's Word, is that the Lord Himself reveals things to you if you are truly interested in delving in!
The word all in this verse is important. God is the source of all wisdom, so as children of God we have access to His goodness and wisdom, through the Holy Spirit! All we have to do is pray and ask Him to reveal things to us!
So I was so happy when the Lord showed me a few interesting connections while reading the verses above. Allow me to share it a bit with you all.
Firstly, all things in the Word have to be taken in context. It's rule #1 when in Biblical interpretation (that I learned from my dad who is a pastor). Otherwise, many errors can come up.
So we have to keep in mind this was written by Paul to the Thessalonians. That church was worrying about the end times, thinking that the persecutions they were going through are signs that they are taking part of the tribulation, and wondering if the "Day of the Lord" or the Day of Judgment had come.
Secondly, I realized these verses are not placed here haphazardly…but in a certain order and chronology which is important.
It starts with "rejoice always".
How important that is for us as believers! We have to remember to rejoice in the Lord, otherwise we would be as those of the world….worrying about the circumstances around us as if we don't have a God in whom we trust! But we are humans, and we do forget….that was one thing I was reminded to take to heart. Rejoice!
But the sentence does not end there. A comma follows with the words "pray without ceasing".
That means that in the midst of this dangerous world we have to remember to rejoice while interceding in prayer. We see that it is equally important as rejoicing, but since prayer is a difficult thing, we are sustained by rejoicing in the Lord.
We see the verse immediately following that says "Do not quench the Spirit". Taken in context, it can mean that we can quench the Spirit by an ungrateful heart….mumbling and grumbling. Of course it also implies other attitudes as well.
Also, "Do not despise prophesies. Test all things…" The Bible is filled with prophetic utterances. We must take them to heart, and in this context it means that of the end times and the Rapture when Christ comes to take us in heaven! So we must not get too caught up with our plans here to the extent that we dislike reading about the Coming of the Lord in the Bible. Yet this verse is immediately followed by "test all things".
Interestingly, the next verse says "abstain from every form of evil." So if anything seems dubious and sinful/evil (a book, a movie, a game, an action or circumstance) we must remember that we must abstain from every form of evil and honor the Lord.
See here how the "coming of the Lord" is brought up again? All the exhortations are in reference to how we should live our lives in view of the Rapture.


Imagine you are in a boardroom of the future. Your CEO asks for projected EBITDA for your next financial year compared with this year's figures. You touch your mobile-phone earpiece and ask your artificial-intelligence assistant to bring up the figures. Her disembodied voice informs you and other board members. Then you ask her what are the reasons behind the expected shortfall. A few directors squirm, having missed their targets.
This scenario is not farfetched. Already 92 per cent of British companies plan to implement AI by 2020, according to research by Adobe.
Nearly two thirds (61 per cent) of finance departments based in Britain already use aspects of automation, compared to only 53 per cent in the US.
But if AI can consolidate spreadsheets faster and with greater accuracy than a human being – and given that, as finance director, you approved all the spend on the AI system in the first place – isn't this a case of turkeys voting for Christmas?
What role for the finance director if an AI can crunch numbers faster and more accurately than a human?
Forty-eight per cent of British people believe AI will have negative effects on society, according to law firm Bristows.
A widely-referenced study from Oxford University suggests that 35 per cent of UK jobs are at risk of being replaced by automation in the next 20 years. And finance professionals are among the most susceptible.
It's not just technophobic greybeards who are worried either – two thirds of British millennial finance professionals feel threatened by automation, according to a Metapraxis survey.
The good news is that AI experts agree that far from making CFOs redundant, artificial intelligence is going to liberate finance directors.
Rather than spending hours poring over spreadsheets, reconciling invoices and expenses, AI will unshackle finance directors to become strategists based on actionable data, anticipating problems and making course corrections.
According to the EY Financial Accounting and Advisory Services (FAAS) fifth annual survey, 44 per cent of CFOs believe AI will be the most important technology in five years' time.
Henner Schliebs global vice president Finance Audience Marketing at SAP, goes further. He argues that instead of showing where the ship has come from, AI will enable the CFO to take over running the ship itself.
Margaret Thatcher once said, advisers advise and ministers decide. AI can make suggestions to help the human decision-maker, but it's the FD who ultimately has to decide what to recommend.
Before we get too carried away, it is important to remember that AI as we picture it in terms of speaking omniscient talking computers is still science-fiction.
Indeed, Christensen attended a recent meeting in New York of AI experts who concluded there is no evidence that AI will ever displace the human brain says Christensen: ""There's no real evidence or proof of there being real intelligence. The best people who work in AI don't call it AI because it's nowhere near intelligent enough and no evidence that it ever will be.
PwC UK believes there will be three waves of how AI will impact business.
First, there is where we are today with machine learning assisting us in narrow and specific use cases. Second, there will be augmented intelligence – the very best of man and machine working together as we saw in our boardroom example. Finally, there will be the autonomous AI intelligence, which has the potential to far outstrip human intelligence – or indeed, make mankind redundant.
Three waves of how we think AI will impact business.
"A lot of the narrative goes, unhelpfully, to this fully autonomous machine intelligence," says McCargow.
Machine learning already handles boring, repetitive tasks with huge amounts of data, which is why it is perfect for finance departments.
Christensen compares today's machine learning or Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to hiring 5,000 smart, cheap interns doing very basic, repetitive tasks. RPA is already a relatively mature technology as a precursor to AI. This could be reconciling invoices in the back office, for example. It demonstrates clear efficiencies to free up staff for more high-value work.
Previse uses AI to enable large firms to pay suppliers as soon as an invoice comes in, analysing data in order of how likely a buyer would be to pay an invoice.
The next step will be a voice interface, with an FD asking a Siri-style computer to help them with accounts. Boards want ever more detail and context in reporting, and they want it faster and more frequently. This will be commonplace within a decade, liberating FDs to take a much more strategic role within companies based on evidence.
And, unlike its human counterpart, an AI finance worker won't obfuscate, dissemble or try to cover its own back.
So, how should today's finance directors prepare for their new role as they pivot from looking backwards to helping steer their company forwards?
Seventy-two per cent of respondents to the EY survey said that AI skills will be vital going forward.
This means CFOs will need to develop a different skillset that prioritises interpretation over mathematical acumen.
"Future CFOs will have to be much more adept at communication. Leadership is something they will have to learn," says Schliebs.
In short, to futureproof their careers, CFOs need to focus on finding the story that's hidden in the data and converting it into actionable information.
And, because CFOs will be the ones signing off on this new technology, they will need to understand AI and the procurement processes behind it. There will be a fine balance between adopting AI responsibly but not at such an alarming pace that it exposes the business to new risks AI can pose, such as data compliance.
If AI can digest and parse financial information better than a human, then will there be any point in training as a chartered accountant at all?
Schliebs for one believes that hard-won memory-based knowledge, such as chartered accountancy exams, will become obsolete once Siris and Alexas become ubiquitous.
In September 2018, the University of Applied Sciences HTW Berlin published a study – funded by SAP – on the impact of AI on the finance director role. One recommendation was that the CFO needs to become the company's AI evangelist.
But if the FD's role is to become an AI evangelist, they could face an uphill battle: 57 per cent of British business leaders believe that AI will damage relations with employees, while 20 per cent say that staff worrying about losing their jobs will hinder AI adoption.
Christensen points out that every technological revolution has led to new categories of jobs being created. The argument is that motoring created whole new jobs in manufacturing and garage services once horses became outmoded. Twenty years ago, who would have thought that today, you can forge a career in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)?
McCargow agrees: "I'm not really of the belief that it's either AI or human doing these jobs as a zero-sum game. It's going to be a messier collaboration between the two. What AI will do is profoundly change the task composition of a finance director but it changes rather than eliminates the role.
PwC recently looked at how AI automate tasks within roles. By the mid-2030s up to 30 per cent of existing jobs could become susceptible to automation.
However, ironically, AI will drive substantial economic growth which in turn drives labour demand.
And, if there is one area where humans will always triumph over their robot overlords, it's understanding a joke. Computers do not have a sense of humour.


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All I Ever Need
by Sarai Korpacz
© Copyright - Sarai Korpacz / Sarai Korpacz (194171472510)
A song about spiritual rediscovery.
Genre: Spiritual: Contemporary Christian
1. All I Ever Need
This is a truly special song. It's been 13 years in the making. The first verse came quite naturally about 16 years ago but
I was never able to find the right words for the second verse until this year, just in time for my album release "It's Time to Praise the Lord". It's time has come.


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Cal's McKeever got pay raises despite bullying…
Dieter Kurtenbach
InvestigativeInvestigative In-depth examination of a single subject requiring extensive research and resources.
UC Berkeley continued to give Teri McKeever pay raises despite bullying complaints
Pay raises and contract extensions for the world-renowned swim coach came within weeks of complaints to top Cal officials about McKeever's alleged misconduct
Cal women's swimming coach Teri McKeever, who was placed on paid administrative leave on May 25 amid allegations that the coach has routinely bullied athletes throughout her 29-year career at Berkeley, received pay raises and contract extensions within weeks of complaints to top Cal officials about her alleged misconduct. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
By Scott Reid | Southern California News Group
PUBLISHED: August 3, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. | UPDATED: January 25, 2023 at 10:16 a.m.
In December 2019, University of California freshman swimmer Danielle Carter met with Golden Bears head coach Teri McKeever for the final time after a series of heated meetings with the coach and other athletic department employees in which Carter complained that McKeever had routinely bullied her. The bullying, the swimmer said, led to her walking into her dorm bathroom days earlier with the intent of committing suicide.
At an earlier meeting with Carter and her parents, Scott and Darla, McKeever said, according to Darla, "'I'm not dealing with this piece of (expletive) for three years,' and she pointed right at Dani."
This final meeting between Carter and McKeever was also attended by Jennifer Simon-O'Neill, McKeever's close friend and who as the executive senior associate athletic director had direct supervision over the Cal women's swimming program at the time.
Upset by how McKeever had treated her daughter and the university's handling of the case which would result in Danielle Carter transferring to UC Santa Barbara, Darla Carter said she also called Cal athletic director Jim Knowlton about McKeever.
"I did get him on the phone," Darla Carter said. "I requested a meeting to talk about what was going on with Danielle and how she was being treated by Teri.
"Jim told me he does not meet with parents or athletes that have not graduated from their program."
Just weeks after the meeting described in detail by Danielle Carter that included Simon-O'Neill, and Darla Carter's call, Knowlton on Jan. 7, 2020, signed off on a five-year contract extension for McKeever potentially worth nearly $1.5 million and cementing her position as the nation's highest-paid female college swim coach.
It wasn't the first time a complaint filed or presented to Cal officials detailing allegations of McKeever's bullying was followed by pay raises and increases in other compensation for the coach.
In a Jan. 13, 2010 letter to then-University of California chancellor Robert Joseph Birgeneau, Golden Bears swimmer Jenna Rais alleged she had been verbally abused and bullied by women's team head coach Teri McKeever.
University administration and athletic department officials including Knowlton, Simon-O'Neill and Sandy Barbour, Cal's athletic director from 2004 to 2014, have received more than 30 complaints from Cal swimmers or their parents alleging bullying behavior by McKeever over the 12 years following Rais' letter. One of those complaints in 2018 prompted a university official to acknowledge she would review the school's bullying, sexual violence and sexual harassment and non-discrimination policies with the coach, according to interviews, university documents and emails obtained by the Southern California News Group.
Despite the repeated complaints, Cal has paid McKeever, 60, just under $3 million in total compensation since 2010 and given her eight raises in her base pay between 2010 and 2019, according to her contract and other university financial records. McKeever's annual base salary has increased by more than 77% since 2010.
The base salary raises and increased compensation for McKeever in light of the steady stream of complaints, current and former swimmers and their parents said, shows that Knowlton, Simon-O'Neill and other Cal administrators did not listen to them and that the university has prioritized athletic success over athlete well being.
"It makes me kind of sick to my stomach actually," Chenoa Devine, a former Cal distance standout, said when informed of McKeever's pay raises. "I mean that Cal didn't listen to complaints from all those swimmers and parents and then turned around and gave her pay raises, that is pretty gross to me."
"We were making complaints at that time," said Chloe Clark, a former Golden Bears swimmer, who also complained to Simon-O'Neill about McKeever's alleged bullying in the fall of 2019. "So, no I don't think the school listened to us."
"'Teri is producing Olympians, she's an Olympic coach. There's really nothing more I can do for you,'" Clark recalled Simon-O'Neill telling her during the 2019 meeting.
Cal placed McKeever, who has guided the Golden Bears to four NCAA team titles, on paid administrative leave on May 25 and commissioned an investigation by a Los Angeles law firm into allegations a day after SCNG reported that the coach has routinely bullied athletes throughout her 29-year career at Berkeley.
To date 36 current or former Cal swimmers and divers, 17 parents, a former member of the Golden Bears' men's swimming and diving squad, two former coaches and two former Cal athletic department employees have told SCNG that McKeever, the only woman to serve as head coach of a U.S. Olympic swim team, routinely bullied swimmers, often in deeply personal terms, or used embarrassing or traumatic experiences from their past against them, used racial epithets, body-shamed and pressured athletes to compete or train while injured or dealing with chronic illnesses or eating disorders, even accusing some women of lying about their conditions despite being provided medical records by them. Swimmers and parents have also alleged that McKeever revealed medical information about athletes to other team members and coaches without their permission in violation of federal, state and university privacy laws and guidelines.
Nine Cal women's swimmers, six since 2018, have told SCNG they made plans to kill themselves or obsessed about suicide for weeks or months because of what they describe as McKeever's bullying.
At least two dozen current or former Cal swimmers or their parents have complained about McKeever, either formally or in person, to Cal officials between 2010 and July 2022, according to university documents, emails and interviews.
"They deny, or say this 'it wasn't on my watch' stuff, especially Jim Knowlton," Scott Carter said referring to Cal.
Thomas Newkirk, McKeever's attorney, has portrayed his client as the victim of both a double standard in how female and male coaches are viewed and judged, and how female athletes are socialized from a young age to report stress, injuries and frustration differently than male athletes.
Current and former Cal swimmers have described Newkirk's gender bias argument as condescending, demeaning, desperate and offensive.
Knowlton has served as Cal's A.D. since May 2018. Simon-O'Neill has been an employee of the Cal athletic department since August 2008 and has been an associate A.D. and the senior women's administrator since August 2015. McKeever is the godmother to one of Simon-O'Neill's children, according to published reports and multiple sources.
SCNG submitted a request to interview Knowlton and Simon-O'Neill with a university spokesman this week. In response to the request the university issued this statement: "As you know, there is an investigative process underway. In order to protect the integrity of that process, we will have no comment about any of the related issues for allegations."
Newkirk said in an interview and in documents sent to Cal chancellor Carol T. Christ and Knowlton that top university officials were not only aware of McKeever's coaching methods but have rewarded her.
Interviews and financial records support Newkirk's claim.
University financial records and documents related to McKeever's contract show that Cal officials repeatedly increased the coach's compensation even as the complaints to the university of her bullying, and verbal and emotional abuse piled up.
The contract extension approved by Knowlton in January 2020 runs through April 30, 2024. The contract includes an annual salary of $242,500, nearly three times the average salary for a college head swim coach, according to the College Swimming and Diving Coaches of America Association (CSCAA). Under the deal, McKeever could receive up to $55,000 per year in bonuses including $35,000 if the Golden Bears win the NCAA team title. McKeever also receives a $2,000 bonus if a Cal swimmer qualifies for the Olympic or World Championships team, breaks a world or American record or if a Golden Bears athlete or relay wins an NCAA title.
"It's weird but what Teri's attorney said, pretty much that's what's happened," Scott Carter said. "Cal knew what (McKeever) was doing and actually rewarded her for that. On the surface that's mindboggling that that happened.
"You can't explain it. Nothing makes sense."
The contract's list of performance of duties states that McKeever is responsible for the team's performance "based on the outcome targets agreed upon" with the athletic director and sport supervisor "each year."
The list of performance duties also includes supervision of staff, performance review, regular meeting attendance, conducting the program with "integrity" and meeting established budget standards, developing relationships "with external stakeholders (donors, sponsors, patrons)" and meeting fundraising responsibilities, adhering to NCAA, Pac-12 and university legislation and policy, following the NCAA infractions procedures, and demonstrating consistent support for student services and community programs.
Nowhere in the contract is student welfare mentioned.
The contract does state that "the primary purpose of the University and its intercollegiate athletics program is educative. Thus, the educative purposes of the University shall have priority in the various provisions of this Contract. Coach's conduct shall at all times be in a manner consistent with Coach's positions as an instructor of students."
See McKeever's contract
The contract also states that McKeever must adhere to university policies regarding discrimination, harassment and Affirmative Action in the workplace; the protection of whistleblowers from retaliation; sexual harassment; and disclosing information from student or staff personnel records.
McKeever can be fired for cause for violating those policies as well as for failing "to properly represent the University and the University athletic programs in private and public forums, including the commission of, participation in, or condoning of any act, situation or occurrence that in University's judgment, brings Coach or University into public disrepute, embarrassment, contempt, scandal or ridicule."
Cal under the terms of the contract would owe McKeever no further compensation if she was fired for cause. If the university fired her without cause it would owe her 50% of her annual base salary or $121,250.
The 2020 contract extension not only followed repeated complaints about McKeever to Cal by the Carter and Clark families and others but also an incident at the Minnesota Invitational in December 2019 that was well known within the Golden Bears program and that left several team members traumatized, according to five Cal swimmers.
A Cal swimmer started the 2019-20 season battling an eating disorder that was widely known within the team, the coaching staff and the school's sports medicine department, according to the athlete and multiple teammates and parents, including the swimmer's.
McKeever not only ignored the swimmer's eating disorder, she bullied her on a regular basis, according to the athlete and five other teammates.
"I was battling two huge obstacles and (McKeever) just piled on," the swimmer said.
McKeever "triggered her into a dark spiral," said Clark, who was a friend of the swimmer.
During a race at the Minnesota meet, the swimmer was so depleted that 25 yards from the finish she all but stopped swimming and had to be pulled out of the water. The swimmer was taken to the pool's lifeguard office for medical treatment. There, the swimmer said, McKeever finally acknowledged her illness.
The swimmer later transferred to an SEC school.
"I'm honestly not surprised by any of this because Cal has brushed (complaints about McKeever's misconduct) under the rug once, so they're like, 'Ok, do it again and do it again," Danielle Carter said. "No one is controlling (McKeever). They do whatever they want because Teri is doing a good job in their eyes, she's winning all these championships, Pac-12s, NCAAs.
"I'm not shocked because they're just a very evil group of people, a very evil organization."
In 2018, McKeever's base salary was $200,978. A year later she received a raise to $242,500. She also received $49,000 in additional compensation in 2019, $35,000 more than the previous year.
The base salary increase came after a seven-month period in 2018 where officials both in the university's administration and athletic department were aware of multiple allegations of misconduct against McKeever.
For example, Cal officials received a formal complaint from a Golden Bears swimmer in 2014 about a series of "team-building exercises" during a squad retreat in Marin County in which athletes were pressured to reveal sexual secrets and other information about their personal lives.
The university's Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination did not respond to the complaint for four years, according to emails and an interview with Abi Speers, a member of the 2013-14 Cal team, who made the complaint.
"My office is notified when other campus partners learn about behavior related to sexual harassment and sexual violence, and other forms of discrimination," Paula Raffaelli, the OPHD's senior complaint resolution officer, wrote in an April 17, 2018 email to Speers. "I am writing to you because my office was informed that you may have experienced sexual harassment from your swim coach."
Speers met with Raffaelli on May 3, according to emails and interviews.
Knowlton, a former West Point hockey player who had previously been the Air Force Academy A.D., formally took over at Cal on May 21.
On July 19, Raffaelli emailed Speers.
"I know it wasn't easy for you to come forward, and I'm glad that you did," Raffaelli said. "I've assessed the information you provided and discussed with my colleagues. Based on what you've reported, I and the Title IX officer will meet with Coach McKeever to share the concerns you've raised, review with her the UC Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment as well as the non-discrimination, and bullying policies, and discuss appropriate behavior and boundaries. I've also reported the information to Athletics management, who will follow up as well. While I can't share more details about any management actions in light of employee privacy, I will update you (per my office's protocol) after I've spoken with Coach McKeever."
It took the OPHD officer another 47 days to report back to Speers that she had met with McKeever and the matter was resolved.
"I'm writing to let you know that I was able to meet with Teri and share your concerns with her," Raffaelli wrote in a Sept. 4 email to Speers. "I did not share your name, and reviewed the anti-retaliation policy with her. My apologies for the length of time to get back to you, as we had some scheduling delays.
"In any event, we had a productive conversation. We discussed power dynamics, how words and actions can have a profound impact regardless of their intent, and ways to improve on the retreat in the coming years, among other things.
"Because this matter was resolved under our informal, preventative measure procedures, my office now considers this matter closed."
Six weeks later, Devine, a Pac-12 scorer and NCAA qualifier, met with McKeever on Oct. 16 about whether she would stay in the program, according to emails and interviews. Devine told SCNG that McKeever had bullied her for months to the point where the swimmer considered taking her own life.
"I didn't want to exist in a world where I had to see Teri every day," Devine said. "I didn't want to be alive. I didn't want to exist."
"Teri made me feel insane," Devine continued. "Her office was like this seat of power. She would talk at me without allowing me to get any words in, (she would yell), 'You're lying.'
"She made me feel completely insane."
That same morning, Oct. 16, Pam Devine, Chenoa's mother, received an email from the Cal Calling Center, part of the university's fundraising organization, with the subject line "Just a friendly reminder."
The email was topped by a photo of Oski, the school's mascot, surrounded by student callers in the call center with the heading "Fulfill your pledge."
"Dear Pam
"Just a few months ago, you pledged to make a generous $1000.00 gift to The Teri McKeever Women's Swimming Scholarship with our student caller and we couldn't be more grateful," the email read. "Thank you.
"We haven't received your payment yet, and because your gift impacts the lives of our students and faculty, we wanted to send you one last request to honor that commitment today."
Below the email's text was a prominent blue box with the words "Fulfill Now."
The email was signed by Gwen Barrett, the call center's associate director.
Pam Devine did not send Cal any money.
"I was appalled – NO, no more money ever!" she said in an email to SCNG. "First, I never made a pledge to fulfill, and second, at the time I thought, 'Can I just have any money I have ever given to the program RETURNED to me??'"
During the meeting with Pam's daughter that day, McKeever told Chenoa Devine "I don't know what to do with you," according to Chenoa Devine's notes from the session.
Nine days later, Devine, one of the top distance swimmers in Cal history, in a meeting with McKeever and Simon-O'Neill said she was taking a medical retirement. She had two years of eligibility remaining.
This week Devine was asked about McKeever receiving a $41,522 raise the following year.
"That's just kind of (expletive) up to be honest," she said. "To know how she mistreated us and yet they turn around and give her about a $50,000 raise is just wrong any way you cut it."
A week before the meeting that included Simon-O'Neil, Devine's parents received another email from Cal, this time from Knowlton.
In the Oct. 18 email addressed to "Dear Friend of Cal Athletics," Knowlton mentioned the success of the women's swimming and rowing programs, the university's gameday environment, and fundraising strategies.
He also touched on the department's "Listening Day.."
"Another source of input for our strategic plan will be the results of our Listening Days, which we completed over the summer. We are now reviewing all of the feedback from sports and administrative meetings and we are beginning to create and implement action plans with a focus on areas we identified as challenges. This will drive where we put our resources and where we go as a department."
Knowlton added in the email "Our objective remains to be exceptional in all that we do and provide an extraordinary experience for our student-athletes – as students, as athletes and in the community – which mirrors the student mission for the entire campus and is a priority for our chancellor."
Knowlton and Cal's actions, Devine said, suggest to her that their priorities are elsewhere.
"That's really just Cal's attempt in prioritizing the appearance of success at any cost to the athlete," Devine said. "They don't care about the athlete's mental health, they don't care about their physical health, their well-being.
"They're just kind of ruthless in this pursuit of this exceptional reputation. It sounds kind of hollow right now."
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a certified listener, call 1-800-273-8255, visit the website at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/.
UC Berkeley swimmers allege coach Teri McKeever bullied and verbally abused them for years
UC Berkeley places swim coach Teri McKeever on administrative leave
UC Berkeley AD: Teri McKeever investigation could take 6 months
Ex-UC Berkeley swimmer on McKeever: 'I honestly didn't know how far she would go'
Scott Reid | Sports Reporter
Scott M. Reid is a sports enterprise/investigative reporter for the Orange County Register. He also covers Olympic and international sports as well as the Los Angeles' bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games. His work for the Register has led to investigations by the International Olympic Committee, the U.S. Department of Education, the California Legislature, and the national governing bodies for gymnastics and swimming. Reid's 2011 reporting on wide spread sexual abuse within USA Gymnastics and the governing body's failure to effectively address it led to Don Peters, coach of the 1984 record-setting Olympic team, being banned from the sport for life. His reporting also prompted USA Gymnastics to adopt new guidelines and policies dealing with sexual abuse. Reid's 2012 and 2013 reporting on sexual abuse within USA Swimming led to the banishment of two top level coaches. Reid has won 11 Associated Press Sports Editors awards for investigative reporting since 1999. He has also been honored by APSE for game writing, and enterprise, news, and beat reporting. He was an Investigative Reporters and Editors award finalist in 2002 and 2003. Prior to joining the Register in 1996, Reid worked for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Dallas Times Herald. He has a B.A. in the History of the Americas from the University of Washington.
Follow Scott Reid @sreidocregister


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This chef took what he learned as a starving student and uses Facebook to teach millions to cook $2 meals
Published Tue, Dec 26 2017 10:14 AM EST Updated Fri, Mar 2 2018 12:18 PM EST
Michelle Castillo@mishcastillo
Frankie Celenza started making cheap and easy meals for his friends when he was at NYU because he was sick of the expensive meal plan.
He's turned his experience into "Struggle Meals," a Tastemade series that debuted on Facebook's Watch which shows you how to make $2 dishes.
Frankie Celenza
Fed up with overpriced university meal plans, Frankie Celenza decided to use his dorm, then later a shared loft in New York, as a test kitchen.
Years later, he's still teaching hungry young adults how to feed themselves on a budget. His series "Struggle Meals " from global entertainment company Tastemade shows viewers how to create $2 dishes, and has been viewed more than 6.5 million times. And no, it's not boiling an onion in water every day. His dishes range from buttermilk fried chicken to pizza to zucchini fettuccine. The series debuted on Facebook's Watch, but is available now on other platforms including Amazon Prime, Tastemade and YouTube.
"Instagram stories in particular enable me to cook big meals for my family and friends without thinking about lighting or cameras," Celenza said.
"It brings them into my kitchen. The double whammy is that it's inspiring to watch a lot of things being cooked at once, it makes my fans think 'I could do that'! And that's exactly the point, they can!"
Celenza, a native New Yorker, grew up spending summers in Italy with family friends. He quickly learned how to whip up grub with just local ingredients and no recipe books.
When he started attending New York University in 2005, he was surprised at price of the required meal plan in the dorms. Currently, the minimum requirement costs more than $15 each meal. So he began making dinners for his friends using the dorm's facilities, then eventually moved to a rent-controlled loft, where he and his roommates built a kitchen.
Though Celenza was studying music production, he realized he loved cooking. Upon graduation, he started "Frankie Cooks" on YouTube, which taught people how to make quick recipes. He soon found there were too many YouTube cooking shows. To stay competitive, he decided to move his show to local access TV on NYCLife. Through the course of 19 half-hour shows, he focused on showing New York's expansive cuisines. The shows were later cut up and shown on YouTube.
Eventually, Celenza caught the eye of Tastemade, which hired him to make sponsored content and a series. He's since worked with the company on projects for Starbucks, Pepsi and Avocados From Mexico, and was one of two chefs invited to cook with Michelle Obama at the White House.
Coming full circle from his dorm days, Celenza's latest Tastemade show, "Struggle Meals," focuses on low-budget easy dishes. He counts the cost of ingredients down to the pennies' worth of olive oil to keep each serving under $2. His tricks include buying larger items, like cutting a whole chicken into several parts, and using dry bulk goods. He also uses free take-out packets of ketchup, salt, pepper, honey, red pepper flakes and soy sauce to add more flavor.
Everyone can make a hearty meal with some sort of fat like an oil, starch like rice or pasta and an aromatic like onion or garlic, Celenza points out. These items are shelf-stable and relatively cheap, so you don't need to go to a grocery store every day. There's really no excuse to avoid cooking, he said.
"To those who say they can't cook: Can you physically not do it?" Celenza said. "That's the only legitimate excuse for not being able to cook. Give it a shot, maybe you'll fail — it's no big deal, do it again. We're humans, we learn to do everything from repetition and persistence, nothing more, nothing less. Plus, you'll have an excellent skill for life, so there's really no downside to learning to cook."
Amazon.com Inc
Alphabet Class A


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Oncolytics Biotech® to Present at the Canaccord Genuity 38th Annual Growth Conference
CALGARY, Alberta and SAN DIEGO, July 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oncolytics Biotech® Inc. (TSX:ONC) (NASDAQ:ONCY), currently developing REOLYSIN® (pelareorep), an intravenously delivered immuno-oncolytic virus turning cold tumors hot, today announced that it will present at the Canaccord Genuity 38th Annual Growth Conference. The presentation, by Dr. Matt Coffey, President & CEO of Oncolytics, will take place at 9:30 am ET, on Wednesday, August 8, 2018 in the Hong Kong Room at the Intercontinental Hotel. The conference takes place on August 8th & 9th in Boston, MA.
A live audio link to the webcast session will be available on the Company's website at http://www.oncolyticsbiotech.com/investor-centre/presentations. It is recommended that listeners log on 10 minutes in advance of the live session to register and download any necessary software. An audio replay will be accessible approximately two hours following the presentation on the Oncolytics website.
About Oncolytics Biotech Inc.
Oncolytics is a biotechnology company developing REOLYSIN, also known as pelareorep, an intravenously delivered immuno-oncolytic virus. The compound induces selective tumor lysis and promotes an inflamed tumor phenotype -- turning "cold" tumors "hot" -- through innate and adaptive immune responses to treat a variety of cancers. Oncolytics' clinical development program emphasizes three pillars: chemotherapy combinations to trigger selective tumor lysis and immuno-therapy and immune modulator (IMiD) combinations to produce innate and adaptive immune responses. Oncolytics is currently conducting and planning additional studies in combination with checkpoint inhibitors and targeted and IMiD therapies in solid and hematological malignancies, as it prepares for a phase 3 registration study in metastatic breast cancer. For further information, please visit: www.oncolyticsbiotech.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and forward-looking information under applicable Canadian securities laws (such forward-looking statements and forward-looking information are collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements, including the Company's belief as to the potential and mode of action of REOLYSIN, also known as pelareorep, as a cancer therapeutic; the collaboration between Merck and USC using pelareorep, including the timing, enrollment and potential benefits to the Company thereof; and other statements related to anticipated developments in the Company's business and technologies involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the availability of funds and resources to pursue research and development projects, the efficacy of pelareorep as a cancer treatment, the success and timely completion of clinical studies and trials, the Company's ability to successfully commercialize pelareorep, uncertainties related to the research and development of pharmaceuticals, uncertainties related to the regulatory process and general changes to the economic environment. Investors should consult the Company's quarterly and annual filings with the Canadian and U.S. securities commissions for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to the forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws.
Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
mmoore@oncolytics.ca
Robert Uhl
Westwicke Partners
robert.uhl@westwicke.com Media Contact
Jason Spark
Canale Communications
jason@canalecomm.com
Source: Oncolytics Biotech, Inc.


[S5] 1910 United States Federal Census, Year: 1910; Census Place: Bughill, Columbus, North Carolina; Roll: T624_1104; Page: 14A; Enumeration District: 0028; Image: 86; FHL microfilm: 1375117.
[S9] 1920 United States Federal Census, Year: 1920; Census Place: Bug Hill, Columbus, North Carolina; Roll: T625_1292; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 29; Image: 668.
[S6] 1930 United States Federal Census, Year: 1930; Census Place: Bug Hill, Columbus, North Carolina; Roll: 1682; Page: 11B; Enumeration District: 4; Image: 983.0; FHL microfilm: 2341416.
[S154] 1940 United States Federal Census, Year: 1940; Census Place: Bug Hill, Columbus, North Carolina; Roll: T627_2892; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 24-5A.
[S90] Social Security Death Index, Number: 241-58-8072; Issue State: North Carolina; Issue Date: 1955.


text:
La Excel è un'autovettura prodotta dalla Lotus Cars tra il 1982 ed il 1992.

Il contesto
All'inizio degli anni ottanta la casa inglese decise di ristilizzare la Eclat, a sua volta evoluzione con una più tradizionale coda fastback della Sport Estate Elite.
Della progenitrice Eclat, la Excel conservò la parte anteriore della carrozzeria (che rimaneva totalmente in vetroresina), l'abitabilità 2 posti più 2 e l'intera meccanica, incluso il noto 4 cilindri in linea bialbero 16 valvole di 2174cm³ alimentato da 2 carburatori Dell'Orto.
Le maggiori modifiche riguardavano la coda (ridisegnata) e la linea di cintura (piatta anziché a cuneo).

Nella gamma Lotus alla Excel spettava il ruolo di coupé 2+2 dall'aspetto classico, anche se, come su tutti i modelli della Casa, l'abitabilità interna risultava penalizzata dall'imponente tunnel longitudinale tra i sedili imposto dal telaio a traliccio centrale.
Gli interni, disegnati con la consulenza di Giorgetto Giugiaro, erano un'evoluzione di quelli della Eclat.

Grazie ai 160cv erogati dal bialbero di 2,2 litri e al peso contenuto in rapporto alle dimensioni esterne (1135kg), la Excel sfiorava i 210km/h, conservando un comportamento stradale marcatamente sportivo (grazie alle sospensioni a 4 ruote indipendenti con quadrilateri deformabili) e sicuro (grazie anche ai 4 freni a disco autoventilati).
La trazione, naturalmente, era posteriore, mentre il propulsore era anteriore longitudinale.

Come d'abitudine su autovetture inglesi di piccola serie la maggior parte della componentistica proveniva da altri costruttori, soprattutto Toyota (che forniva anche il cambio manuale a 5 marce) e British Leyland.

Nel 1985, su alcuni mercati, venne proposta anche una versione SE con allestimento sportivo e motore potenziato (grazie ad un aumento del rapporto di compressione da 9,4:1 a 10.9:1) a 180cv.

Nel 1988 la Excel subì un lieve restyling, che coinvolse alcuni elementi esterni (paraurti, gruppi ottici, cerchi, specchietti) e interni (sedili, plancia).

La produzione cessò nel 1992. Ne sono stati assemblati 2.159 esemplari.

Altri progetti

Excel

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
March of the Benighted Pawns
Posted by pnuetz in Gun Control, Gun Rights
Assault Weapons, Australian Gun Policies, Confiscation, Defensive Gun Uses, DGUs, Gun Buy-Back Program, Gun Rights, James Alan Fox, John Paul Stephens, March For Our Lives, National Rifle Association, NRA, Parkland Shooting, Second Amendment, USA Today/Ipsos
I'll say one thing for the high schoolers participating in the "March For Our Lives" political front: they are no more ignorant about guns and the Constitution than their anti-gun, adult counterparts. These naive kids are learning the charms of virtue signaling, newly imbued with so much superstition, misconception, misplaced blame, and inflated self-regard that you'd be hard-pressed to engage most of them in reasoned discussion. But I reserve my highest disdain for adults who shake their fingers and say, "How dare you speak critically of these poor kids, who survived the tragedy that took place at their very own school." Indeed, some of the Parkland students saw the mayhem with their own eyes. but that admonition is a sham show of indignance designed to squelch legitimate debate. The debate would be unnecessary if not for the anti-gun lobby's opportunistic exploitation of children befallen by tragedy.
First, as I noted recently on SacredCowChips, the supposed escalation in mass shootings at schools is a myth. Northeastern University provides this summary of the research quoted in my post, including the chart on the long-term decline in school shootings shown above. In light of these statistics, the lead researcher, James Alan Fox, believes that most school security measures are counter-productive, including proposals to arm teachers. I do not fully agree, but be that as it may, it is astonishing that the media and large swaths of the public have accepted as fact the myth of a school shooting epidemic.
The ignorance of would-be gun controllers about guns themselves is legendary. Few of them can actually define an "assault weapon" yet are convinced that they must be banned. The cosmetic addition of certain features to a standard semi-automatic rifle apparently makes these guns too "scary". And there is little understanding that standard rifles sold today, which fire one shot at a time, are semi-automatic weapons! Rifles, by the way, are involved in only a small fraction of gun homicides, so the focus on "assault weapons" is misplaced. Given this level of ignorance, it's all too easy to dismiss the gun control crowd as unworthy of a real debate over gun regulation.
Of course, the crux of the debate revolves around constitutional rights. While many of those in favor of stricter gun regulation disavow any desire to repeal the Second Amendment or to actually confiscate guns, there is a significant contingent among them harboring that as an end-goal. Their ideal is politically laughable because it would never get a two-thirds vote of each house of Congress, let alone ratification by 3/4 of the states.
The Second Amendment is described by its foes as outdated and dangerous. I submit, however, that the right to defend oneself against predators, human or otherwise, is a natural right and not subject to obsolescence. The Second Amendment was also intended as protection against tyranny by government, and it serves as protection against a tyranny of any majority or rogue minority. Gun-rights critics argue that the founders of our country did not anticipate the powerful weapons available today, and that they would never have intended citizens to be armed with them. The claim is dubious because the founders certainly would have believed that citizens should have the freedom to arm themselves at least in proportion to the arms used by potential predators (please forgive the use of the term "assault weapons" at the link).
Frankly, I do not expect government tanks to roll down my street on a mission to confiscate guns. Instead, the first step would be a strongly-suggested voluntary sacrifice of weapons. Later, perhaps actual confiscations would be attempted via small detachments of authorities or perhaps by marauding, black-shirted proxies. But confiscations won't happen as long as a serious threat of reprisal exists, with reasonably powerful weapons, and that is a credit to the Second Amendment.
There are serious misconceptions (not to mention plentiful media propaganda) about the likelihood that stricter gun laws can reduce gun homicides, or that they could have prevented the mass shooting tragedies that have occurred. Some of those shootings are better viewed as failures of law enforcement — examples are the lack of official follow-up on prior tips about the shooter in Parkland, FL, the failure of the school's resource officer to engage the shooter, the failure of the FBI to detain a shooter prior to an attack at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, and in still other cases, the failure of background checks to identify individuals as ineligible to purchase guns. There is little doubt that proper enforcement of existing law and protocol would have prevented a number of mass shootings. The focus should be on improving the existing system before expecting responsible citizens to happily consent to further erosion of their natural and constitutional rights.
Strict gun regulation would certainly infringe on liberty, leaving private citizens defenseless in exchange for tenuous assertions of social benefits. Defensive gun uses (DGUs) are thought to far outstrip gun homicides (seven posts touching on that subject are at this link). If guns could be effectively outlawed in the U.S., other instruments of homicide would replace guns because so much killing is driven by the drug war, gang activity, and other social dysfunctions. The same is true of suicides. If you recognize the futility of the war on drugs, you shouldn't expect much success from a war on guns. Criminals will acquire guns whether they are illegal or not, so the ability to defend oneself with equal force is critical. There is a lively debate over the empirical research on the efficacy of stricter gun laws, but it's always good to be skeptical when it comes to government prohibitions. Control advocates often cite Australia as an example of successful firearms control, but the country's gun ban and buy-back program was ineffective in reducing gun homicides (also see here).
Finally, it's appalling to see the depths to which certain radical enemies of gun ownership will sink in attempting to cast blame on their opponents for mass shootings. In fact, they have blamed not just the NRA, but all gun owners for the Parkland shooting and gun homicides generally. But the NRA represents responsible, law-abiding gun owners and promotes safe and responsible gun use. Roughly 47% of adults in the U.S. have guns in their homes, and they own guns for self-defense or sporting purposes. Attempts to shame them into supporting curtailments on their liberties is obnoxious and rather foolish because it is so unlikely to be fruitful approach. Successful codification always hinges on consensus, which just doesn't exist with respect to gun law in the U.S.
The media have fawned over the students who have participated in the March For Our Lives campaign. The childrens' ignorance of constitutional principles, and guns of course, is noteworthy, but their exploitation by powerful political and economic forces is pathetic. The significance of their numbers has been exaggerated as well: reports show the crowd size at the march in Washington, DC was about a quarter of what the organizers claimed. And the anti-gun students have failed to convince many of their peers, according to a poll conducted by USA Today/Ipsos. Perhaps as the spotlight fades, more of these student protestors will have occasion to study the U.S. Constitution and the natural rights it protects against government overreach. No matter how the kids feel now, I'm certain that many of them will be responsible gun owners someday.
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Junior League of San Francisco was formed in the fall of 1911.
The Association of Junior Leagues was incorporated, with San Francisco as one of its 30 charter members.
The League opened its Junior League House, a temporary residence for children awaiting placement in foster homes. This home, later known as Pinehaven, continued as a major League project for the next 12 years.
The Junior League of San Francisco was formally incorporated. During this busy period, the League opened a shop in Tillman Place, established a business office at the Mark Hopkins Hotel, held its first fashion show and published the first Bulletin, the predecessor of today's Fogcutter.
The League opened Pinehaven, a new, larger facility to replace the Junior League House. This was the result of three years' determined effort, during which the League planned the new building, purchased the land, and raised the necessary funds.
The League produced its first play for children, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The League continued with children's theater for many years, producing two plays annually for the San Francisco Children's Theater Association.
The 15th Annual Conference of AJLI was held in San Francisco. There, AJLI urged a concept of League project philosophy which continues today: that Leagues could be more useful by recognizing and meeting community needs in a variety of fields instead of giving permanent support to any one project; and that after a project has been successfully demonstrated, it should be turned over to an appropriate community agency, enabling the League to move on to other needs.
The League again added war work to its activities; members worked with the Red Cross Motor Corps, Gray Ladies Services, the American Women's Volunteer Services, the Army Interceptor Command, the Blood Bank and canteens.
The Volunteer Bureau of San Francisco—the City's central agency for placement—was organized by the League, financed jointly with the Community Chest (predecessor to the United Way).
The League presented its first Symphony Previews. In 1950, Opera Previews were added to the series, and later Ballet and Theater Previews.
The Next-to-New Shop opened on Fillmore Street and made a profit of over $12,000 in its first year.
The Community Advisory Committee was established. This committee was composed of community leaders in various fields who were invited to serve the League as advisors.
With the sponsorship of the Chrysler Corporation, League members wrote and produced a musical comedy called The Forward Look, which netted over $21,000.
The JLSF celebrated its 50th Anniversary. The Mayor proclaimed Junior League Day, and the occasion was celebrated with a luncheon for community leaders and a ball in honor of the League's past presidents.
The Unit system dissolved. Palo Alto pursued admission to AJLI as a separate League, and Marin and San Mateo were again joined with San Francisco.
The Next-to-New Shop moved to larger premises, which were purchased by the League to replace its original rented quarters. During its first year at the new location on Fillmore Street, the shop earned a profit of more than $50,000.
Here Today became a best seller and was in its fourth printing at the end of the year. The net profit of the book and the House Tours was $23,416.
After 43 years in the Mark Hopkins Hotel, the League moved its business office and headquarters to the Japanese Trade and Cultural Center.
The Fogcutter magazine was developed to keep members better informed about the League's program.
Plans were underway to remodel the Next-to-New property for the League's business offices and headquarters. A five-year Placement Plan, an Enabling Fund and an Information Retrieval System were initiated.
The Fashion Show changed sponsoring stores for the first time in over 25 years and made a profit of over $59,000. A new Cookbook Committee was launched.
The profits from the Fashion Show, celebrating its 50th Anniversary, and the Next-to-New Shop returned over $175,000 to the Community Trust Fund.
The Council system of governance was established to provide equal leadership opportunities for day and evening members. The reorganization also reduced the number of the Board of Directors to 11 from 35.
San Francisco A La Carte was published, with 30,000 pre-publication copies sold.
San Francisco A La Carte was on the local best-seller list for several weeks and received the Taste-Maker Award in the American/European Category in national competition.
Over $290,000 was given to 14 community projects and Enabling Funds. The League published a report on Delinquency Prevention and Learning Disabilities. The maximum age for Active members was extended from 40 to 42.
Celebrating our 70th anniversary, the Next-to-New Shop was extensively remodeled, refurbished, and a clothing conveyor was added. Our income totaled more than $539,000, of which $449,121 was returned to the community. The 60th AJLI Annual Conference was held in San Francisco, co-hosted by the Junior Leagues of Sacramento, Fresno, Oakland/East Bay, Palo Alto and San Jose.
Approximately $400,000 was raised by the Next-to-New Shop, San Francisco A La Carte and the Fashion Show, while 14 projects and 25 Enabling Funds grants were carried out in the community.
The Fundraising Committees — Next-to-New Shop, Fashion Show and Cookbook — raised over $412,000, of which $332,105 was committed to the community. Our project priority areas were health and welfare with an emphasis on families, youth and the elderly and a continuing commitment to cultural enrichment.
The League celebrates its 75th Anniversary. Over $627,000 was allocated to Enabling Funds, three on-going community services and 15 community projects.
Winding up the anniversary celebration, the JLSF presented its first follies in 18 years. San Francisco Encore was published and sold 49,155 copies in its first seven months of publication. Our fundraisers earned close to $600,000, benefiting 20 community projects. Taking it to the Streets, the JLSF implemented an internal education and 1988 external public relations campaign. Macy's sponsored the Fashion Show for the first time in a decade. Priority funding areas were critical health issues, the homeless and cultural enrichment. The JLSF became involved with the AIDS issue and completed Year I of our first AIDS-related project. Here Today celebrated its 20th birthday by receiving an award from the National Historical Trust; our second cookbook, San Francisco Encore, was runner-up for the Seagram's Award.
We identified new priority areas: Women (emphasizing homelessness and child-care), Youth (emphasizing adolescent pregnancy and education of disadvantaged youth), and Critical Health Issues (emphasizing substance abuse and AIDS.) The JLSF funded 16 new projects in San Francisco, Marin, San Mateo, and Alameda, committing $646,000 over the life of the projects.
The Bay Area's biggest news story was the Loma Prieta earthquake on October 17, 1989. The Next-to-New Shop provided much-needed clothing to the Marina Middle School for distribution to people left homeless by the earthquake. The League also helped establish a volunteer needs bank five days after the quake.
The JLSF implemented a new computerized membership database and accounting system. Priority areas were refocused. Overall income totaled more than $890,000. We funded 14 community projects, provided grants to 36 agencies, and co-sponsored a dinner with the S.F. AIDS Foundation at the International AIDS Conference.
This year the theme was Breaking Barriers, and we celebrated our 80th Anniversary. Membership approved a pay for shift plan in Next-to-New, shop hours were extended, and a Flexible Placement Plan was begun. At the AJLI Annual Conference, the JLSF received two awards: one for the Outstanding Annual Report, the other the highly prestigious BMW Community Impact Award for our project Hope House in Redwood City.
This year's theme was Make It Happen. Revenues increased 40 percent. The Fashion Show's continuing partnership with Macy's netted $506,228. The Next-to-New Shop brought in $257,820. We published our children's book, The City by the Bay, which was number one on children's best-seller lists in the Bay Area. The League held its first open to the public Community Forum on Breast Cancer.
The New Foundations theme was supported by the four cornerstones of leadership: Revenue, Community Impact, League Culture, and Headquarters. Our Phantom of the Opera fundraiser was the first charitable event ever to sell out the Curran Theatre. The League hosted a Community Forum, where 125 community leaders projected future Bay Area needs, then voted to focus our community service on family support systems and domestic violence. We voted to eliminate all age requirements for membership and to seismically upgrade 2226 Fillmore Street. Over 900 members and guests attended a Special General Meeting with speaker Marian Wright Edelman of the Children's Defense Fund.
Under the theme of Building A Vision, the JLSF continued to focus on community impact, headquarters, culture and revenue. The League approved a position statement on diversity, and co-sponsored a community meeting on racism with Levi Strauss, the Volunteer Center, the Multicultural Initiative and the Anti- Defamation League. General Meeting speakers included Elizabeth Dole of the Red Cross, Mary Bitterman of KQED, and four accomplished teen women from Summer Search being mentored by League members. Over 700 attended Mad About Monet, an evening at the De Young Museum during the Monet Exhibit.
Blueprint for Impact was created around the Strategic Plan's goals of community impact, membership culture, fundraising and headquarters. Headquarters and Next-to-New returned to our seismically upgraded building at 2226 Fillmore after 18 months in temporary locations. The JLSF launched Volunteers in Action, a monthly cable television show that was entirely scripted, filmed, edited and presented by League volunteers. In the area of fundraising, Fashion Show netted over $450,000; the first annual Kitchen Tour generated over $10,000; and the League began planning a third JLSF cookbook and a Consignment Shop as part of the Next-to-New Shop. At the AJLI Conference in San Francisco, leagues voted to remain an organization of women only. A JLSF Time Capsule was buried under the front door of the NTN shop. The Time Capsule is to be opened in 2096.
Putting the Pieces Together was this year's theme. To celebrate our 85th anniversary, the League held a Birthday Party at the Zoo, attended by more than 750 JLSF members, friends and guests, including over 500 children and parents from our community projects. The Consignment Boutique opened its doors for business, sharing space with the Next-to-New Shop. The JLSF launched its website and offered Internet training sessions to members. To raise awareness and advocate for legislative action against domestic violence, the JLSF actively supported the National Silent Witness Initiative by constructing Silent Witness silhouettes, exhibiting them in diverse Bay Area locations, and coordinating a press conference in Sacramento at the state capitol.
The Shaker hymn Simple Gifts inspired the theme for this year. Volunteerism doesn't have to be complicated when we keep our minds on simple gifts. Our focus remains family preservation, with the focus on supporting families and preventing violence. We hosted our first Rock Concert and released our companion CD, for which we later won an AJLI Fundraising Award. Fundraising went international with the sale of JLSF scarves to the AJLI leadership. Our newest cookbook, San Francisco Flavors, was launched and exceeded sales goals by 87 percent and net revenue budget by 75 percent. Our website launched e-commerce and members only sections. Our Non-Profit Management Course graduated ten members, while our Advocacy Committee offered voter registration at General Meetings.
Inspire, Innovate and Invigorate was JLSF President Anette Harris' vision and guide for the year 2000-2001. With the focus on family preservation and domestic violence prevention, League members' children made 100 teddy bears at the Build A Bear Workshop to give to the children of the programs that the League sponsors, including Bay Area Women's and Children's Center (Tenderloin Family Center), Booker T. Washington Family Resource Center, Family Service Agency of San Mateo, SOMA Childcare Center, and Sunny Hills Children's Garden. The JLSF celebrated 90 years of service to the community, with a celebration at Nordstrom, retrospective exhibit at City Hall, and a collaborative centennial celebration with four sister Bay Area leagues. The Next-to-New shop partnered with Women in Community Service to help dress women-in-need for success. California Federal Bank provided the donated clothing. More than $100,000 annual campaign dollars were raised through corporate donations and matching grants. REFLECTION—a Legacy of Fashion and Philanthropy Fashion Show boasted the first live auction—which raised $20,000. The League helped pass the Breast Cancer Bill AB40-2278. General Meeting speakers included Former Secretary of Labor Lynn Martin, CNN News Anchor Valerie Coleman Morris, and California State Senator Jackie Speier.
Celebrating 91 years of impact in the community, 2,400 JLSF volunteers gave generously of their time, talent, energy, and money under the theme A Gift of the Heart. The volunteers donated over 115,000 volunteer hours at a value of $1.7 million, to our community programs. The JLSF fundraising efforts included: Seventh Annual Home Tour, Atop Nob Hill: Rooms With A View; The 76th Annual Fashion Show, Journey, celebrated its 15-year partnership with Macy's West; Christopher Radko Ornaments, San Francisco Flavors Cookbook; KidsSongs and R.E.A.P. Concert CDs; JLSF Apron; Endowment Fund and NTN Shop and Consignment Boutique.
The five year Strategic Plan 2002-2007 and Community Programs Assessment were developed and approved by the membership. The new Focus Area for 2002-2007 will be Education (K-12).
Honorary membership was given to Delia Ehrlich for her service to the community and the JLSF. Two memorial funds and annual awards were created in honor of Melissa Harrington Hughes and Hayley Ann Wolin Swift.
The Web committee created a valuable Members Only resource on the website.
Community Programs included: Bay Area Women's Children Center; Booker T. Washington Community Service Center; East Bay Agency for Children/Hawthorne Family Center; Family Connections Family Resource Center; Family Service Agency of San Mateo; San Rafael Canal Ministry; South of Market Child Care Inc.; and Telephone Aide in Living With Kids (T.A.L.K. Line).
Renew Your Commitment … Recapture Your Passion was the theme of this 13-month League year, and its realization took shape in many exciting ways. On the community side, we began transitioning to our new focus area of Education K–12. During our holiday toy drive, we collected more than 1,850 educational toys that were distributed to children at all programs. We hosted our inaugural Community Leaders Breakfast, where League members and representatives from our community programs had an opportunity to meet and discuss issues of interest with our local and state legislators.
Financially, significant emphasis was placed on cost reduction efforts in order to maximize the efficiency of funds donated to the League. Overall, expenses were down more than $200,000, or roughly 11 percent, over prior year levels. Fundraisers had good performance despite the tough economy. The Home Tour was moved to Saturday and beat the $100,000 mark for the first time. The Fashion Show honored Jimmy Grimme, who retired after 33 years of training Junior League models for our shows. The Next-to-New/Consignment Boutique had a facelift and increased efficiencies and profitability followed. The Corporate Solicitations Committee beat its goal, due in part to an innovative partnership with The Container Store.
The League continued to move toward more extensive use of our website, which now includes the current issue of the Fogcutter; and the member site, which now includes an online, updateable membership roster. A five-year marketing plan was rolled out and included both an overview video which debuted at the Fashion Show and a collaboration with other Bay Area Leagues to promote the new AJLI branding campaign: The Junior League: Women Building Better Communities.


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Council to Consider Sale of Mission Valley Stadium Site to SDSU
It was scheduled to go before the council on Tuesday, May 19
By Sophia McCullough, City News Service and NBC 7 Staff	• Published May 25, 2020 • Updated on May 25, 2020 at 1:26 pm
The San Diego City Council will hold a special meeting Friday to possibly continue the process of selling the Mission Valley stadium site to San Diego State University.
SDSU announced May 7 it had taken the next step in purchasing the city's stadium property in Mission Valley, submitting a signed purchase and sale agreement (PSA) for consideration at the May 19 San Diego City Council meeting, but the city failed to vote on the matter.
The university said it met with Mayor Kevin Faulconer's office and resolved all the issues the city brought up, and negotiators for the university said there was no reason for the city to not vote on the PSA. The agreement, available online for review, details the university's purchase plans for the property.
Now, the city says it will take action at 10 a.m. Friday on the pending sale of the 132-acre piece of land.
"As Council President, I am pleased to be able to call a special Council meeting on what will be a historic opportunity to transform one of San Diego's communities. I have worked hard during the past few weeks to ensure the best chance for a successful agreement." Georgette Gómez said.
Mission Valley Stadium Site
Mission Valley Stadium May 14, 2020
City Council Won't Discuss SDSU's Purchase Agreement for Stadium Site
Mission Valley Stadium May 8, 2020
San Diego State Submits Purchase Agreement for City's Approval on Stadium Site
"As an SDSU graduate, I am elated to play a role in helping my alma mater expand its institutional footprint, enhance its educational prestige, increase our supply of workforce and student housing, and create a River Park for all San Diegans," she added.
The planned 35,000-capacity Aztec Stadium would be among the first projects to be built as part of the university's Mission Valley campus.
The multi-use stadium, estimated to cost $310 million, will be funded through donations as well as system-wide revenue bonds that will be paid back with revenue generated by the facility -- including ticket revenue, naming rights and concessions.
The bond issuance can be timed appropriately based on market conditions. Operating costs will also be supported by revenue generated by the facility.
In the northwest corner of the Mission Valley campus site, the stadium's location will allow San Diego State to continue to use the existing SDCCU Stadium during the construction of the new multi-use stadium.
The project is part of the larger SDSU Mission Valley Campus Master Plan approved by the Board of Trustees in January.
SDSU Releases New Renderings of $54M Plan for Park in Mission Valley
The new campus will provide SDSU with the space to grow enrollment, expand research and programs, and add much-needed housing for students, faculty, staff, and the general public, including affordable housing. The plan also creates a regional community river park.
"SDSU Mission Valley is critical to the future of our university and enables SDSU to expand its economic and educational impact in our region," said SDSU President Adela de la Torre. "SDSU leadership worked diligently with the City over the past 18 months to reach a fair and balanced agreement that protects the public interests we both serve. We look forward to the Council's consideration of this agreement and to making this project a reality."
On Friday there will be a special meeting to vote on the purchase and sale agreement of 132 acres of city-owned land. The News Radio 600 KOGO host, Jack Cronin, gives an update on the status of the deal after an eventful two weeks.
SDSUMission Valley Stadium


LESS ONE ladies group Christmas meeting will be on Tuesday 5th December 2017 at 10:30am. This meeting will have a Christmas theme as they come together for fellowship in 3 Sixteen Café on Main Street, Portglenone.
LESS ONE Ladies Group Christmas Meeting ~ Tuesday 5th December at 10:30am ~ 3 Sixteen Café, Portglenone.
LESS ONE is a friendship group for widows, ladies from broken marriage or women who find themselves living alone for whatever reason. As usual there will be plenty of time for the now obligatory '5 Cs'. Chat, Cake, Chorus, Coffee and Cake. However, as it is the festive season, you can also enjoy Christmas cake, candles, crafts plus cream and mince pies!
As always, the LESS ONE ladies are grateful to the Minister and Kirk Session of First Portglenone Presbyterian Church for use the premises. Also thanks to caretaker, Mrs Shirley Lowry, who prepares the venue so faithfully each month.
All ladies are welcome at the LESS ONE ladies group Christmas meeting. Free car parking is available at the adjacent First Portglenone Presbyterian Church yard.
Please note that the LESS ONE group will not meet during January 2018.


In this hands-on lab, you will first deploy a simple web application and database to Azure IaaS VMs, using a resource manager template and Azure Automation DSC. You will then configure a range of infrastructure management capabilities on this deployment, including Update Management, Security Center, Service Map, Change Tracking and Application Insights. You will use Azure Monitor to configure application alerts and send, via both email and mobile application notifications. You will also learn how to further investigate infrastructure status using Log Analytics queries. In doing so, you will learn both how to deploy these solutions and be introduced to their capabilities.


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Perejaslavské knížectví () bylo středověké ruské knížectví Kyjevské Rusi se sídelním městem Perejaslav na řece Trubiži. Knížectví vzniklo v roce 988 de facto jako polo-nezávislé panství svěřované zpravidla do správy mladším synům vládnoucího velkoknížete Kyjevské Rusi.

Perejaslav bylo zpočátku třetím nejvýznamnějším městem Rusi po Kyjevě a Černigovu. Nacházelo se blízko brodu, u kterého velkokníže Vladimír svedl bitvu s kočovnými Pečeněhy, právě on roku 988 přidělil severní země (patřící později Perejaslavu) svému synu Jaroslavovi. Stejně si počínal i Jaroslav Moudrý, který knížectví udělil synu Vsevolodovi. Za vlády Vladimíra IV. bylo knížectví v březnu roku 1239 zcela zničeno Mongoly.

Reference

Externí odkazy

Ruská knížectví
Zaniklé státy Východní Evropy


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Progressives Vow to Push Biden on Cannabis
This year, even as polls show more support for cannabis, Democrats are merely calling for decriminalization; not outright legalization.
by Matt Laslo– August 5, 2020
Even as Democrats are unified in the party's attempt to oust President Donald Trump, some progressives are vowing to ramp up pressure on former Vice President Joe Biden for what many see as his outdated stance on cannabis.
Last week the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee was able to corral powerful Democrats into reversing the party's historic platform from 2016 that laid a pathway to legalize marijuana. This year, even as polls show more support for cannabis, Democrats are merely calling for decriminalization; not outright legalization.
That's why many progressives say this issue isn't over yet, even in this presidential election year.
"I think it just goes to show how the progressive movement, you know, we continue to be at the forefront of the party and making sure that the ideas and, frankly, the rights and the issues that we're going to be contending with the next generation, we start to address right now," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) told Wikileaf. "I mean, that's literally why we exist."
It's not just more well-known progressives like Ocasio-Cortez. Even many Democratic Senate and House candidates are now rallying behind cannabis legalization and wondering why the party isn't.
"I think there's broad support both for decriminalization as well as legalization of cannabis in the United States. When you look at polling state by state, it's not just popular with Democratic voters; it has broad support to Republican voters, libertarian voters," Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), who is running for Senate, told Wikileaf. "So in New Mexico across the board and across the country, I think there's strong support."
Only a select number of Democrats are allowed to vote on the party platform ahead of the convention where the party will still have to officially endorse the platform, which is why some members are visibly upset that the party leaders endorsed what many say is a lukewarm cannabis policy.
"If I had a vote, then I would have cast a vote for a broader look. That's being consistent," an animated Lujan said. "Many of us that are here that are Democratic House members, U.S. senators, Democratic governors across the country, mayors up and down, and across the gamut of support, not just medical marijuana legalization; recreational use."
Lujan is optimistic lawmakers on Capitol Hill can still have the final say on the issue, even if Biden – a longtime teetotaler after witnessing substance abuse first hand in his family – is in the Oval Office at the start of next year.
"I think that if there was a vote on the House floor and the Senate floor…we would not only see Democrats voting for this, but you would also get Republican votes as well," Lujan said. "What we should do as a legislative branch of government is get some bills signed and send them to the president and get this stuff passed."
Pro-cannabis Republicans are also perplexed by Democrat's about face on such a popular issue.
"I'm trying to get my party to move forward. I don't know why the Democrats are moving backwards," Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) said.
That's why Ocasio-Cortez and others aren't backing down.
"This is an idea whose time has come," Ocasio-Cortez said. "This is just an acknowledgement of the fact that it's not good enough to just think that we can pull a lever for any Democrat and expect these issues to happen. That's why the nexus of change relies on the people and advocates and activist movements."
Ocasio-Cortez says Biden is from the more conservative wing of the party, and she says he's not alone. In her home state of New York, she's witnessed older Democratic leaders stall on legalization efforts, even after pledging to legalize marijuana on the campaign trail.
"[Gov.] Andrew Cuomo was like this in terms of legalization in New York," Ocasio-Cortez said. "Where you could present all the evidence in the world, you could have all the popular support in the world, and some of this just comes down to individual personality."
Still, Ocasio-Cortez is a fighter, and her personality doesn't lend itself to backing down from the old guard. She says the public is on the side of her and other progressives who are demanding wholesale change to drug laws.
"That's the reality and it's on us to push," Ocasio-Cortez said. "We have to make sure that we continue to advocate for what people on the ground and everyday people want."
Other rank and file Democrats agree, including one of the more active members in the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, Rep. Lou Correa (D-Calif.).
"As a member of the U.S. Congress, my policy is to strongly and firmly advocate for justice reform when it comes to, you know, criminalization of drugs," Correa told Wikileaf. "I'm totally in favor and want to keep fighting for the legalization of cannabis at the federal level. I did it in the state. Now we're going to work at the federal level."
Correa is more conflicted than Ocasio-Cortez though. He says he thinks the party's leaders – from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Biden – are still more progressive on cannabis than Trump, even if the party decided to go for decriminalization and not legalization this year.
"I don't think it's a setback," Correa said, before catching himself and shouting. "You know, I stand corrected: I hope the advocates think they 're in trouble, because that'll light a fire under them to push harder!"
Progressives Vow to Push Biden on Cannabis was last modified: August 5th, 2020 by Matt Laslo
Elections, Federal Legalization, politics
Based on Capitol Hill, Matt Laslo is a reporter who has been covering campaigns and every aspect of federal policy since 2006. While he has filed stories for NPR and more than 40 of its affiliates, he has also written for Rolling Stone, The Atlantic,...