text:
The always useless Hillary Clinton
So Hillary's got her Twitter finger ready to go on Donald Trump and calling him a racist.
Brian Flood (FOX NEWS) reports on Chris Matthews 'joke' before a 2016 interview with Hillary:
Matthews was gearing up for an interview with Clinton in January 2016 during the Democratic primary season and his behind-the-scenes comments were captured by an MSNBC camera. The footage kicks off with Matthews asking: "Can I have some of the queen's waters? Precious waters?"
The "Hardball" host then asked, "Where's that Bill Cosby pill I brought with me?"
The Cut's Noreen Malone, who uncovered the footage, noted that Matthews "then laughs, delighted with the line" and staffers are seen reacting "with disbelief, clearly uncomfortable." Malone did not mention how she obtained the footage.
So here I am defending Hillary Clinton.
Yet again, she's not doing it herself.
When it has to do with sexism, our 'feminist' Hillary tends to always be silent.
If she sees racism -- real or imagined -- she is vocal. But when women under attack, where is she?
She's always been useless in that manner.
"TV: 9-1-1, please hold" (Ava and C.I., THE THIRD ESTATE SUNDAY REVIEW):
Operator: 9-1-1, what's the nature of your emergency?
Caller: Yeah, I can't find anything to watch. I work nights and THE CHEW, THE VIEW, 12 hours of TODAY, it's all chatter, chatter, chatter. All my shows have been taken off the air: AS THE WORLD TURNS, ONE LIFE TO LIVE, ALL MY CHILDREN, GUIDING LIGHT, PASSIONS --
Operator: Sir - sir -- I need to interrupt you. This line is for emergencies and the absence of soap operas is not an emergency --
Caller: I work a 12 hour night shift, you don't understand --
Operator: Sir -- sir -- I'm trying to explain to you that soap operas are still on the air. As Ava and C.I. explained at THE THIRD ESTATE SUNDAY REVIEW for years now -- in 2010 and 2015, for example -- MTM's HILL STREET BLUES turned night dramas into soap operas by introducing the soap opera element of continuing stories. THE ROOKIES? Self-contained episodes. Sometimes a later episode would directly contradict an earlier one -- a character having a sister, for example in one episode and then forgotten the next. CRAPAPEDIA has, of course, stolen from Ava and C.I. without attribution so here's a little element Ava and C.I. haven't tossed out yet -- MTM is directly responsible for soap operas in prime time. Not only did HILL STREET BLUES turn cop dramas into soap operas, but MTM's CHEERS did the same with sitcoms. Will Diane and Sam or won't they? Suddenly, continuing storylines on sitcoms! MTM's ST. ELSEWHERE? Bye-bye MARCUS WELBY and laid the groundwork for ER and GREY'S ANATOMY. MTM's REMINGTON STEELE . . . Go down the list. MTM revolutionized prime time TV by introducing the continuing storyline to every genre.
Caller: That I did not know.
Operator: And you can Tivo or stream prime time programs during the day before you go to sleep or after you wake up. Everyone of them is a soap opera -- all those NBC Chicago shows? Soaps. THE BLACKLIST, THE BLIND SPOT, MARVEL AGENTS OF SHIELD, 10 DAYS IN THE VALLEY, THE DETOUR, HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER, THE MINDY PROJECT, SCORPIONS, THE BIG BANG THEORY, CLAWS, GOOD BEHAVIOR, ANIMAL KINGDOM -- Even the streaming services like HULU and NETFLIX have programs like SHUT EYE, FUTURE MAN, THE PATH, CHANCE, HEMLOCK GROVE, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, HOUSE OF CARDS, SENSE8, THE OA, STRANGER THINGS, OZARK, JESSICA JONES, IRON FIST, LUKE CAGE, DAREDEVIL, ONE DAY AT A TIME --
Caller: Wow.
Operator: Yeah and don't forget THE X-FILES that FOX just brought back for another mini-season or their new high profile series called, wait for it, 9-1-1.
Ava and C.I. tackled 9-1-1 last Sunday. Make a point to check the whole thing out, that's just the intro above.
Friday, January 12, 2018. Former US Vice President Joe Biden talks burnpits, Iraq begins preparations for elections, Joy Reid has a big fan who may or may not be Joy Reid herself, and much more.
Are fans of war crazed Joy Reid (MSNBC) really that stupid or, as several at MSNBC believe, is Joy creating dummy accounts every day to reply to herself?
Ponder that as you ponder this:
Outrage n Sorrow @n_outrage
Replying to @JoyAnnReid
stood in front of tv sobbing at your dignity and composure after the shithole story broke. Rachel saved me back in the days of 2003 air America bush invasion of Iraq and you Dear Joy saved me tonite from absolute despair. If you can face it, I can face it.
3 replies16 retweets137 likes
New conversation
Joy ReidVerified account @JoyAnnReid 6h6 hours ago
Replying to @n_outrage
Bless you. And thanks.
1 reply3 retweets71 likes
The melodramatic Tweet is susicous all on its own. And that's before you get to Joy's rush to respond to it. Does anyone really stand in front of the TV with tears of gratitude streaming down their face as Joy speaks? Anyone outside of a psych ward?
It feels like a lie, doesn't it?
And the claim about Rachel saving in 2003 as the Iraq War broke out?
Also a lie.
A big lie.
First off, Air America Radio wasn't on the air then. It wouldn't be until 2004.
Secondly, Rachel wasn't against the Iraq War.
Not before it started.
And not after.
She refused to bring on veterans against the war. She had the attitude -- same as Al Franken -- that the Iraq War had started so it didn't matter anymore -- calls to end it didn't matter at all.
That is who Rachel Maddow is.
Maybe when Joy was Tweeting under her split personality, she hadn't had all of that day's meds?
But the Tweet's a lie from a liar -- and that's true whether Joy Tweeted it herself or not.
Other questionable exchanges?
Wednesday's US State Dept press gaggle moderated by Steven Goldstein:
QUESTION: Laurie Mylroie, Kurdistan 24.
UNDER SECRETARY GOLDSTEIN: Hi, Laurie.
QUESTION: Hi. Reuters – on Iraq.
UNDER SECRETARY GOLDSTEIN: Yes, ma'am.
QUESTION: Reuters reported that IDPs from Anbar Province are being forced to return home, although conditions aren't safe, there are still IEDs around, and that's being done to hold the Iraqi elections on schedule in May.
So two parts to this question. What's your response to the forced return of IDPs, and what about the elections, that maybe the law can be changed so that people can vote if they're IDPs --
UNDER SECRETARY GOLDSTEIN: Right.
QUESTION: -- even without going home, or should the elections be postponed?
UNDER SECRETARY GOLDSTEIN: So we are clearly concerned by press reports of forced returns. The United States is committed to the safe and voluntary return of all displaced people. And we defer to the Government of Iraq regarding the dates for their elections.
Elections are scheduled in May.
Way for the US government to stand up for voting rights.
If, as has taken place in previous elections in Iraq, polling centers can be created for Iraqis not in Iraq, then polling centers could be created for the displaced within Iraq.
Apparently, that requires more thought and effort than the US government is in possession of.
On the topic of the upcoming elections, ASHARQ AL-AWSAT reports on the negotiations by the various blocks:
Sunni blocs decided on an alliance of former prime minister and leader of the National Coalition, Iyad Allawi, with Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jubouri, and former deputy prime minister Saleh al-Mutlaq. However, the majority of Shiite forces, whether represented by State of Law Coalition led by Nuri al-Maliki, or the list representing Popular Mobilization Forces, have not decided even few hours before the deadline.
MP representing State of Law Coalition Rehab Abouda explained that delayed Shiite-Shiite coalition is attributed to the issue of "number one". She told Asharq al-Awsat that the choice of the first candidate at the top of the list seems to be the main obstacle since it will decide who will head the government after the next election.
Commander of the Badr Organization, Karim Nouri, criticized Shiite leaders and told Asharq al-Awsat that "the striking paradox is that political forces supporting holding the elections on time" stalled and did not agree on a name, as he wondered about the forces that demanded a postponement, in reference to Sunni forces.
However, MP Iyad al-Jubouri, member of Allawi-Jubouri-Mutlaq coalition, told Asharq al-Awsat that the disagreement over naming the "main man" was "not the first priority" in the negotiations for forming an alliance.
"The coalition, which includes many Sunni parties and forces with Iyad Allawi had decided," said Jubouri, adding that the coalition was not limited by a certain sect, just like in 2010 elections when the Iraqi List won majority of votes, but was denied the opportunity to form a government, even though it was headed by Shiite candidate.
Moving over to the US, Amy Cherry (WDEL) reports:
Former Vice President Joe Biden said he believes his son's military service may have caused his brain cancer.
Speaking on PBS' News Hour, Biden said toxins found in smoke from burning waste at U.S. military installations in war zones over seas could've contributed to his son's death.
Is this a turning point for the issue?
It has seemed that way before.
June 13th, 2012, then-Senator Mark Udall explained burn pits while speaking to the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee:
In both Afghanistan and Iraq, open air burn pits were widely used at forward operating bases. Disposing of trash and other debris was a major challenge. Commanders had to find a way to dispose of waste while concentrating on the important mission at hand. The solution that was chosen, however, had serious risks. Pits of waste were set on fire -- sometimes using jet fuel for ignition. Some burn pits were small but others covered multiple acres of land. Often times, these burn pits would turn the sky black. At Joint Base Balad Iraq, over 10 acres of land were used for burning toxic debris. At the height of its operations, Balad hosted approximately 25,000 military, civilian and coalition provision authority personnel. These personnel would be exposed to a toxic soup of chemicals released into the atmosphere. According to air quality measurements, the air at Balad had multiple particulates harmful to humans: Plastics and Styrofoams, metals, chemicals from paints and solvents, petroleum and lubricants, jet fuel and unexploded ordnance, medical and other dangerous wastes. The air samples at Joint Base Balad turned up some nasty stuff. Particulate matter, chemicals that form from the incomplete burning of coal, oil and gas garbage or other organic substances, volatile organic compounds such as acetone and benzene -- benzene, as you all know, is known to cause leukemia -- and dioxins which are associated with Agent Orange. According to the American Lung Association, emissions from burning waste contain fine particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and various irritant gases such as nitrogen oxides that can scar the lungs. All of this was in the air and being inhaled into the lungs of service members.
And October 21, 2009, then-Senator Evan Bayh appeared before the US Senate Veterans Affairs Committee explaining the bill for a registry he was sponsoring, advocating for it.
I am here today to testify about a tragedy that took place in 2003 on the outskirts of Basra in Iraq. I am here on behalf of Lt Col James Gentry and the brave men and women who served under his command in the First Battalion, 152nd Infantry of the Indiana National Guard. I spoke with Lt Col Gentry by phone just this last week. Unfortunately, he is at home with his wife, Luanne, waging a vliant fight against terminal cancer. The Lt Col was a healthy man when he left for Iraq. Today, he is fighting for his life. Tragically, many of his men are facing their own bleak prognosis as a result of their exposure to sodium dichromate, one of the most lethal carcinogens in existence. The chemical is used as an anti-corrosive for pipes. It was strewn all over the water treatment facility guarded by the 152nd Infantry. More than 600 soldiers from Indiana, Oregon, West Virginia and South Carolina were exposed. One Indiana Guardsman has already died from lung disease and the Army has classified it as a service-related death. Dozens of the others have come forward with a range of serious-respiratory symptoms. [. . .] Mr. Chairman, today I would like to tell this Committee about S1779. It is legislation that I have written to ensure that we provide full and timely medical care to soldiers exposed to hazardous chemicals during wartime military service like those on the outskirts of Basra. The Health Care for Veterans Exposed to Chemical Hazards Act of 2009 is bipartisan legislation that has already been co-sponsored by Senators Lugar, Dorgan, Rockefeller, Byrd, Wyden and Merkley. With a CBO score of just $10 million, it is a bill with a modest cost but a critical objective: To enusre that we do right by America's soldiers exposed to toxic chemicals while defending our country. This bill is modeled after similar legislation that Congress approved in 1978 following the Agent Orange exposure in the Vietnam conflict.
As far back as 2008, the US Defense Dept knew about the threats posed by exposure to burnpits as demonstrated by a 2008 assessment. But no precautions were taken. And the baby steps taken by the US Congress in the years since have required major pushing and prodding by veterans and their advocates.
As last year drew to a close, BURN PITS 360 issued the following:
5 Reasons the VA Doctors' Guide to Burn Pits is Totally Inadequate
In March 2016 – a full seven years after burn pits were discontinued in Iraq and Afghanistan - the Department of Veterans Affairs published a guide for VA doctors meant to inform them of the potential health effects of exposure to burn pits. But the "Clinician's Guide to Airborne Hazards" conveniently leaves the phrase "burn pits" out of the title and fails to give doctors the information that might actually help them evaluate patients with burn pit-related illnesses.
Want to see for yourself? Check out the VA's "Clinician's Guide to Airborne Hazards" here. There are at least five reasons this four-page "Clinician's Guide to Airborne Hazards" packet just doesn't cut it when it comes to the information doctors really need to help veterans exposed to burn pits.
The Clinician's Guide does not say what a burn pit is.
That's right. The guide to airborne hazards and open burn pits does not even describe what burn pits looked like, how large they were, or the wide variety of items burned in the pits. The VA's only 'explanation' of the burn pits is as follows:
The use of burn pits was a common waste disposal practice at military sites overseas, exposing thousands of service members to potentially harmful substances, including elevated levels of particulate matter (PM).
Without an idea of the sheer size of burn pits and the way they were tended, doctors would not be able to appreciate the extent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans' exposure. Ten pounds of trash burnt in an open barrel produces as much smoke pollution as a modern incinerator burning 400,000 pounds of trash per day. So the amount of smoke produced by a football field-sized open pit burning several hundred tons of unregulated waste per day certainly warrants at least a sentence in a guide meant to help doctors evaluate the significance of potentially toxic exposure.
Additionally, the guide does not mention any of the items burned in the pits. Listing (or simply mentioning) these items – which include plastics, metals, ion batteries, human feces, and much more – would give doctors information about the types of chemicals to which veterans may have been exposed. This brings us to our next point…
Besides particulate matter (PM), the Guide does not list any chemicals or toxins detected in burn pit smoke.
The Department of Defense (DoD) measured levels of particulate matter (PM) that exceeded limits set by U.S. agencies. The VA Clinician's Guide acknowledges this and briefly notes that toxicology research has already linked high PM levels to cardiopulmonary effects.
However, the VA neglects to mention any of the hundreds of chemicals detected in burn pit smoke. The chemicals – many of them known carcinogens – include dioxins, the same potent toxin found in Agent Orange. These chemicals are scientifically known to be hazardous on their own, but likely have even greater, "synergistic" effects when burned together.
The Guide does not include important aspects of particulate matter (PM) and its toxicity.
Even on the subject of particulate matter, the Guide provides little helpful information. The size of the PM - which is not included - is important information for doctors because the smaller the PM, the deeper the particles are able to travel into the lungs.
Additionally, the particles act as carriers of harmful chemicals in the air, so the toxicity depends on the composition of the particulate matter itself. Without information about the chemicals carried by the PM, doctors' ability to gauge the severity of the exposure is diminished.
The Clinician's Guide does not provide any specific information about the rare conditions (such as constrictive bronchiolitis) that are occurring at higher rates in veterans exposed to burn pits.
Illnesses such as constrictive bronchiolitis and eosinophilic pneumonia are mentioned only as examples of the self-reported "unexpected conditions." Though the Guide devotes a whole page to conducting an initial evaluation and deciding if a specialty consultation is warranted, neither section mentions these conditions by name.
This is a dangerous omission given that constrictive bronchiolitis can be fatal and often goes undetected until it has progressed too far. Constrictive bronchiolitis can only be diagnosed with a lung biopsy. So the spirometry and bronchodilator tests, which the Guide recommends to assess pulmonary function, may not indicate a problem when there is a very serious one.
Directions on how doctors can view a veteran's Burn Pit Registry self-assessment and how to document an evaluation using the Registry are buried in an unrelated section of the Guide.
The Clinician's Guide spends almost the entire first page talking about the purpose of the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry and how medical support staff will explain it to veterans. Intuitively, it doesn't make much sense for this information about the Registry and the role of Medical Support Assistants and Environmental Health Coordinators to take up such a large and prominent space in the packet. Especially while the two-paragraph section about research on the health effects of burn pit exposures is the very last section and takes up about a third of the page.
But most perplexing is the fact that the Registry information actually relevant to clinicians is hidden on the last page (which otherwise does not discuss the Registry). At the bottom of an unrelated box called "Talking to Veterans about Exposure Concerns," there is a small note.
The note tells doctors how to access a veteran's self-assessment from the Burn Pit Registry. Such information can be used by doctors to get a more complete understanding of a veteran's proximity to the burn pit, their health concerns during deployment, and other important information that might not be covered in-person.
The note also tells doctors how to document a burn pit-related medical evaluation. This information is critical because burn pit exposure is such a new phenomenon. If VA doctors do not track the symptoms and illnesses their patients are experiencing, there is no way to see if trends are emerging or if certain treatments are more effective than others.
The Guide instructs clinicians to "rely on their own evidence based knowledge, expertise, and skills." But without the facts – the size and scope of burn pits, the items burned, the chemicals released, how to diagnose the related illnesses – doctors are simply unable to apply even the most basic knowledge or skills to the issues their patients are experiencing. Given the very serious medical conditions at play and the need for more detailed information about the effects of exposure, the VA's Clinician's Guide to Airborne Hazards is, frankly, irresponsible.
This article was written by Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick. CCK is on the cutting edge of burn pit and other toxic chemical exposure issues that veterans face. CCK has extensive experience helping veterans win their VA disability compensation claim appeals. Contact CCK for help if your VA disability compensation claim has been denied. Visit CCK onlineor by phone at 844-291-8569 for more information.
Burn Pits 360 News
Research: The Burn Pits 360 Registry is a research study collecting data on burn pit exposures and related illnesses. The goal is to prove the connection between burn pit exposure and illness. Before now, this information was only available to the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. So far, over 5,000 individuals have participated. Your data will enable Burn Pits 360 to advocate and lobby on behalf of the veterans' community for VA benefits, policy change, and specialized health care. Join the Burn Pits 360 Registry research study. To participate, visit us on our website.
Outreach: Burn Pits 360 team is building a new website to better serve you. The new site will launch in 2018. We've also been busy preparing for the grand opening of our Burn Pits 360 Warrior Support Center. The grand opening will be in early 2018. Stay tuned for more details!
Advocacy: Burn Pits 360 recently requested a Congressional hearing on the use of burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. On December 1, we received a letter denying our request. Burn Pits 360 plans on writing an open letter to the President of the United States regarding this issue. We will continue to fight on behalf of veterans suffering from the invisible toxic wounds of war. Support our cause here.
Again, baby steps by the government and each step required major cajoling.
Former US Vice President Joe Biden's remarks might help the issue finally receive the attention it requires and the help it needs. Dan Sagalyn (PBS' NEWSHOUR) notes:
The issue appears to be personal for Biden, whose son, Beau Biden, a former Delaware attorney general, died at age 46 in May 2015 from glioblastoma multiforme, the most common form of brain cancer.
As a major in the Delaware Army National Guard, Beau Biden's judge advocate general unit was activated in late 2008. He served in Iraq for much of 2009 at Camp Victory in Baghdad and Balad Air Force Base, 50 miles north of the Iraqi capital. Both bases used large burn pits. Earlier, he helped train local prosecutors and judges in Kosovo after the 1998-1999 war.
In what appear to be the two-term vice president's first public comments about the possibility that his late son Beau Biden's brain cancer was caused by burn-pit smoke, Biden acknowledged he was unaware of "any direct scientific evidence" of a linkage.
But Biden, who was tapped by former President Barack Obama in early 2016 to lead the "Cancer Moonshot" initiative, noted in the PBS NewsHour interview that "a lot higher incidence of cancer [is] coming from Iraq now and Afghanistan than in other wars" and "a lot of work is being done" to research it.
Biden also said that reading "The Burn Pits: The Poisoning of America's Soldiers," a book on the topic by Joseph Hickman, which included a chapter on his son Beau, opened his eyes to the possibility of a link to his son's cancer.
"There's a whole chapter on my son Beau in there, and that stunned me. I didn't know that," Biden said. He added, the author "went back and looked at Beau's tenure as a civilian with the U.S. attorney's office [in Kosovo] and then his year in Iraq. And he was co-located in both times near these burn pits."
Biden compared living and working near a military burn pit and a factory that pollutes. "We know now you don't want to live underneath a smokestack where carcinogens are coming out of it," Biden said.
The following community sites -- plus Jody Watley, THE DIANE REHM SHOW and PACIFICA EVENING NEWS -- updated:
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Ice on Mars
Store closings and lay offs
NETFLIX and GRACE & FRANKIE
politicians, huh, what are they good for?
I get the feeling he doesn't like Anderson Cooper
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Everything you need to know about the 2020 Dem Primary
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Rent Control Bill Fails in Assembly, Sparks Protest & Initiative
The Diane Rehm Show from WAMU and NPR
Anti-Immigrant Policies And The GOP, Then, Calls For Apple To Help Parents Curb Screen Time
The Official Jody Watley Website
Jody Watley Dance To Fitness. A Milestone Classic Photo Of The Day
. . . in one Tweet.
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Taj Minaj 🌻 @stewpsmoker Jan 9
Taj Minaj 🌻Retweeted Kristen Clarke
I'm vomiting with excitement that Big Pharma and prison labor's Senate cuddle buddies have new committee assignments.
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Kristen ClarkeVerified account @KristenClarkeJD
BREAKING: Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris appointed to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Previously, only 1 African American had ever served on this body during its 201 year history. This is an important step forward that brings needed diversity to this important Committee.
1 reply17 retweets43 likes
Thursday, January 11, 2017. Iraq is hit by multiple earthquakes, Hayder takes a second bride, USA TODAY doesn't call for an end to wars but they call for sight seeing, and much more.
AP reports that the 10th Mountain Division Headquarters of Fort Drum will be deployed later this year to Iraq. This news coming in the same week that another US service member is killed in Iraq (the 22nd since August of 2014), Spc Javion Shvonte Sullivan.
Andrew Dys and John Marks (THE HERALD) report:
Javion leaves a wife, Rayven, and daughter, Mahogany, 3, his family said.
"He was not only our hero, he was the community's hero and the country's hero," said Cynthia Sullivan, Javion's mother. "He knew the sacrifice that could come with his decision. I take solace in that he had a passion for service, for the military, for his country."
Cynthia Sullivan, who still lives in Indian Land in Lancaster County, said that she "begged" her son not to enlist, but he told her that was what he wanted to do and must do to serve his family, community, and country.
Read more here: http://www.heraldonline.com/news/local/article193891144.html#storylink=cpy
WSPA (link is text and video) adds:
Sullivan's family says he enlisted in the army in 2015 and left for his first deployment in September.
"I knew in my heart," Cynthia Sullivan, Javion's mother said. "I knew the end result. I just knew it."
She said she begged and pleaded with her son to not enlist but says it didn't take long to see that was his passion.
Mark BarberVerified account @MBarberWSOC9 14h14 hours ago
Don't forget this local hero. He was the first American soldier killed fighting ISIS this year. Javion Sullivan leaves behind a wife, a daughter and a legacy at Fort Mill High School. Story: bit.ly/2qNzj8A @wsoctv
0 replies3 retweets11 likes
Show this thread
Brandon Earl Smith @BrandonFox46 18h18 hours ago
hs wrestling coach at ft mill high speaks about his memories of 24-year-old spc javion sullivan. sullivan wrestled as a senior. authorities say he was stationed in texas and was died in iraq from a noncombat incident @FOX46News
1 reply4 retweets0 likes
Georges-michel @GmJamra Jan 10
Javion "Jay" Sullivan, was killed in Iraq. The incident happened Monday 1/8. The 24-year-old had been stationed in Fort Hood, TX before his recent deployment to Iraq. May His Memory Be Eternal
0 replies4 retweets7 likes
Rudaw EnglishVerified account @RudawEnglish Jan 10
US Army Specialist Javion Shavonte Sullivan of @2SigBde dies in Anbar province in a 'non-combat' incident. He is the first announced death of a US soldier in Iraq in 2018 supporting @CJTFOIR ( Thaier Al-Sudani).
Meanwhile the country shattered by war is hit by an earthquake.
CBS NewsVerified account @CBSNews 56m56 minutes ago
A series of 8 earthquakes hits the Iran-Iraq border area and rattles even Baghdad and parts of the Iraqi countryside: cbsn.ws/2mqfMGw
3 replies25 retweets14 likes
RT reminds, "The region was rocked by a devastating quake last November, in which more than 400 people were killed and around 6,700 injured." AP adds, "Geophysicist Randy Baldwin told The Associated Press on Thursday that such quakes should be expected in the region after the November 7.2 magnitude temblor."
Liveuamap MiddleEast @lummideast 7h7 hours ago
#Iraq - M5.5 earthquake (زلزال) strikes 136 km E of Baghdad (Iraq) 7 min ago. Effects reported by witnesses iraq.liveuamap.com/en/2018/11-jan… via @LastQuake
1 reply12 retweets4 likes
In other news . . .
Baxtiyar GoranVerified account @BaxtiyarGoran 20h20 hours ago
The Iraqi PM Haider Abadi has recently married a second wife. #Iraq
13 replies15 retweets17 likes
I didn't even know that Hayder and Nouri al-Maliki were engaged! For those wishing to send gifts, I understand the wedding registry is with Lockheed Martin.
Hayder's eager to win the elections this May and is running on the claim that he saved Iraq. Strangely, many of the areas 'saved' don't look that way.
AFP news agencyVerified account @AFP 1h1 hour ago
Six months since Iraqi forces seized Mosul from Islamic State group jihadists, residents of the ruined city say their future is precarious u.afp.com/okfE
2 replies19 retweets7 likes
Mosul. Destroyed. Militias seeking vengeance. Civilians at risk. That's Hayder's 'success' in Iraq.
Earlier this week, Amnesty International noted:
Responding to the news that the Iraqi Parliament voted to establish a multi-ethnic committee to investigate events in the city of Tuz Khurmatu, 65 kilometres south of Kirkuk, Lynn Maalouf, Director of Research for the Middle-East at Amnesty International said:
"The establishment of this committee is a welcome step, which not only could be a step towards securing justice for victims of violations in Tuz Khurmatu, but also should serve as a deterrent against future violations and abuses.
"On 16 October 2017, tens of thousands of civilians were forced to flee their homes after fierce clashes between Iraqi forces, supported by the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), and Peshmerga forces. Hundreds of homes and shops in Kurdish-majority neighbourhoods were looted, set on fire, and destroyed. Within minutes, thousands of people lost their homes, shops and everything they owned.
The Iraqi government must ensure that the investigation conducted by the committee is thorough, effective and transparent
, Lynn Maalouf, Director of Research for the Middle-East at Amnesty International
"The Iraqi government must ensure that the investigation conducted by the committee is thorough, effective and transparent, that the victims receive full reparation, and that the findings of the committee are released publicly. Evidence of individual criminal responsibility should be referred to the judiciary for possible prosecution."
"Displaced families have been living in fear for months, not knowing whether they will ever be able to go back home. Authorities must move quickly to hold perpetrators accountable and ensure the safe return of families to Tuz Khurmatu."
Amnesty International was one of the first organizations to conduct an in-depth investigation of the violations that occurred in Tuz Khurmatu on and soon after 16 October, when Iraqi forces supported by the Popular Mobilizations Units (PMU) took control of the city.
The UN followed up by undertaking two monitoring missions to Tuz Khurmatu on 7 and 14 December.
The never-ending war hits the 15 year mark in March. Cat Boyd (THE NATIONAL) observes:
The biggest effects, of course, were on Iraq itself. Death counts range from the hundreds of thousands to the millions. Government is precarious. Daesh and other forces have run rampant. Basic services like electricity have barely worked, in an oil-rich country.
However, the unparalleled scale of outrage at the invasion reflects not just the terrible results but also the mendacity of the men who led the invasion. Few wars in history have been so textured by lies, misinformation and wacky racial stereotypes. Saddam Hussein, of course, had no weapons of mass destruction, and US-UK leaders showed no willingness to let inspectors do their job. It was obvious that UN resolutions were a fig leaf for an invasion motivated by the oil companies that dominated Bush's White House.
Today, the Chilcot Report is an establishment stamp on the anti-war movement's version of events. Yet, tragically, the leaders who took us to war have never known justice. They earn millions from corporate engagements, speaking fees and book sales. They are still cited as legitimate commentators on Brexit and Trump. Worst of all, Tony Blair has been employed as an expert on Middle East peace, which is like hiring Donald Trump for his insights on women's rights.
This March will be the proper 15th anniversary of the Iraq invasion. We must make a big deal of it. There's a danger that millions of politicised young people are growing up without the lesson in state power and imperialism that my generation received. It's our duty to pass that knowledge on. With Trump in the White House, it's best to prepare for the worst.
Gregg Zoroya (USA TODAY) whines that US President Donald Trump has a "duty" to visit the troops. No, his duty should be to withdraw every last one of them from Iraq. In eight years as president, Barack Obama went to Iraq once. This from the candidate who campaigned on ending the Iraq War. Remember that promise? Remember how the illegal war continues? And that 22 US service members have died in this war since August 2014 alone?
Duty?
The duty is to end wars.
The following community sites -- plus Jody Watley, BLACK AGENDA REPORT, NPR Music, LATINO USA and PACIFICA EVENING NEWS -- updated:
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She humiliated herself
the worst looking family?
I was so wrong
Don't let them defeat us
Governor Brown Boosts Reserve in State Budget Plan
Latino USA
Will 2018 Be the Year Latino Americans Unite? (OPINION)
Behind The News: Jane McAlevey on Organizing For Power, Liza Featherstone on Patriarchy
Jody Watley and SRL Sound Snippet from Forthcoming Bridges
Everything you need to know about the 2020 Dem Pri...
What if we all knew some basics?


text:
Genomics and Cell Biology: September 2011
Release of NASA Research Announcement NNH11ZTT002N "Research Opportunities in Space Biology"
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has released NASA Research Announcement (NRA) NNH11ZTT002N, entitled "Research Opportunities in Space Biology." This NASA Research Announcement (NRA) solicits hypothesis-driven research proposals for both ground-based experiments and flight experiments in Space Biology (SB). All proposals must describe hypothesis-driven experiments that will answer basic questions about how cells, plants and animals respond to changes in gravity. Proposals for ground-based experiments must demonstrate and describe a clear path to hypothesis testing in space flight experiments on the ISS or other appropriate space flight platforms. This NRA also requests proposals for rapid turn-around flight research using plants or Petri dish-based biological systems that will utilize either the Advanced Biological Research System (ABRS) hardware residing on the International Space Station (ISS) or the Biological Research in Canisters - Petri Dish Fixation Unit (BRIC-PDFU) hardware on any of several potential flight platforms (based on science requirements and availability).
NASA Solicitation: Research Opportunities in Space Biology
Description: This NASA Research Announcement (NRA) solicits hypothesis-driven research proposals for both ground-based experiments and flight experiments in Space Biology (SB). This solicitation (NRA NNH11ZTT002N), entitled, "Research Opportunities in Space Biology," will be available on or about September 30, 2011. This solicitation will be found by opening the NASA Research Opportunities homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ and then linking through the menu listings "Solicitations" to "Open Solicitations."
Utilizing 21st century biological tools (e.g., genetic, proteomic, metabolomic), SB scientists will examine and discover underlying mechanisms of adaptation to changes resulting from the space flight environment (e.g., altered gravity, stress, radiation), and will determine cellular and organismal mechanisms that regulate and sustain growth, metabolism, reproduction and development. NASA intends to sponsor studies that will result in new basic knowledge that will provide a foundation on which other NASA researchers and engineers can build approaches and countermeasures to the problems confronting human exploration of space, or that translate into new biological tools or applications on Earth.
All proposals must describe hypothesis-driven experiments that will answer basic questions about how cells, plants and animals respond to changes in gravity. This NRA will solicit proposals for ground-based SB research using cells, tissues, or whole animals that will enhance our understanding of the effects of gravity on the mammalian musculoskeletal system. Proposals for these ground-based experiments must demonstrate and describe a clear path to hypothesis-testing in space flight experiments on the ISS or other appropriate space flight platforms. This NRA also requests proposals for rapid turn-around flight research using plants or Petri dish-based biological systems that will utilize either the Advanced Biological Research System (ABRS) hardware residing on the International Space Station (ISS) or the Biological Research in Canisters - Petri Dish Fixation Unit (BRIC-PDFU) hardware on any of several potential flight platforms (based on science requirements and availability). Applications for flight experiments must demonstrate, using ground-based and/or previous flight research results, that there is a high likelihood of successful completion of any proposed flight experiment.
Workshops Without Walls: Broadening Access to Science around the World
A case study of last year's Workshop without Walls on "Molecular Paleontology and Resurrection: Rewinding the Tape of Life." appears in the July 2011 issue of PLoS Biology. Authors include Betuel Arslan of the Georgia Tech team, Eric Boyd of the Montana State University team, and members of NAI Central.
The NASA Astrobiology Institute conducted two "Workshops Without Walls" during 2010 that enabled global scientific exchange--with no travel required. The second of these was on the topic "Molecular Paleontology and Resurrection: Rewinding the Tape of Life." Scientists from diverse disciplines and locations around the world were joined through an integrated suite of collaborative technologies to exchange information on the latest developments in this area of origin of life research. Through social media outlets and popular science blogs, participation in the workshop was broadened to include educators, science writers, and members of the general public. In total, over 560 people from 31 US states and 30 other nations were registered. Among the scientific disciplines represented were geochemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology and evolution, and microbial ecology. We present this workshop as a case study in how interdisciplinary collaborative research may be fostered, with substantial public engagement, without sustaining the deleterious environmental and economic impacts of travel.
For more information: http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.1001118
« Genomics and Cell Biology: May 2011 | Home | Genomics and Cell Biology: October 2011 »

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


(i) Appointed during the ordinary Shareholder's Meeting held on April 30, 2015, and will hold office until the Board Meeting for the approval of the financial statement of December 31, 2017.
(ii) Appointed by the Board Meeting of April 30, 2014, and will hold office until December 31, 2016.
(iii) Appointed during the ordinary Shareholder's Meeting held on April 30, 2015, and will hold office for the period 2015 - 2023.
** Laura Cioli resigned on the 24 February 2016, and Claudio Costamagna resigned on the 14 July 2015 as Chairmen and Board Director; on 16 March 2016 the Board of Directors appointed Grazia Volo as Board Director who will hold this position until the next Meeting of 28 April 2016.


>>> "Connection reset by peer" all of a sudden?
>>> both of them WDS'd together, plugged via ethernet to another FreeBSD machine.
>> -ddde -p 2022" then connect to port 22).
>> eg an intermediate NAT box).
> 	1) Nothing out of the ordinary in the logs.
> debug1: PAM: setting PAM_TTY to "/dev/ttyp4"
> debug1: Setting controlling tty using TIOCSCTTY.
> pretty normal, has Flags of PSH and ACK.
> The next packet comes from the router closest to the SSH server.
> was. Its sending to the SSH server an ACK.
> is no sequence number, window size is 0, Flags are RST.
> as a TCP retransmission, same sequence as the last "good"
devices can't handle a connection where the TOS changes mid-connection.
> the conversation and being a spoil sport?


Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson had a unbelievable year last year as he rushed for 2006 yards and 14 touchdowns, which has prompted a request for a new deal.
If they want Johnson to be effective in week one the better pay the man.
According to NFL Network's Warren Sapp, via ProFootballTalk.com, he is convinced that Johnson will sit out all of training camp if he doesn't get a new contract.
In the end, with the Titans in a division with the Indianapolis Colts the smart thing to do is to pay Johnson.
Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing met with the media for the first time since word broke that he tested positive for HCG, which turned out to be pathetic.
Simply, enough with the excuses and come clean Cushing.
Cushing stated that he never took HCG and that he doesn't know why his levels were above normal, but that they haven't been since.
That is where things got pathetic as Cushing went onto state he feared he had a tumor, which was inadvertently dispelled by fellow linebacker Demarco Ryans who stated that he never heard of anything about a tumor.
Also, it has been reported that friends close to Cushing have never been told of a tumor either.
We possibly looking at the modern day Pete Rose if he never gets caught again, which he most likely will as he is human and humans do make mistakes.
In the end, things are only going to get worst for Cushing if he doesn't come clean.


text:
Q: Is "They eat whatever that bugs them" grammatical? In the joke

Why are frogs so happy?
They eat whatever bugs them.

would it be grammatically correct to change the second sentence to "They eat whatever that bugs them"? If so, what parts of speech are "whatever" and "that" in this case?

A: "They eat whatever that bugs them" is not correct.
Here, whatever is a pronoun. It is included among the relative pronouns by at least some definitions of that term: relative-pronoun, relative-pronoun, although it seems to often be left out of lists of more commonly-discussed relative pronouns such as which and who (unlike these two relative pronouns, whatever is not standardly used after other noun phrases).
In any case, no matter what we call it, it is just followed directly by the relative clause; using another relativizing word is unnecessary and ungrammatical.
The word that is also traditionally classified as a relative pronoun, although I think I've read some analyses where it is not classified as a pronoun, but just a "relativizer". From Wikipedia:

The word that [...] is used as a relative pronoun;
  however, according to some linguists it ought to be analyzed instead
  as a subordinating conjunction or relativizer. This is consistent with
  that used as a conjunction in (I said that I was tired), or implied in
  (I said I was tired).
According to Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey Pullum that is not a
  relative pronoun but a subordinator, and its analysis requires a
  relativized symbol R as in (The film that I needed [R] is not
  obtainable). Here R is the covert direct object of the verb "needed"
  and has "the film" as an antecedent.[15] A similar analysis is
  required when that is omitted and implied, as in (The film I needed is
not obtainable).
Differences between that and other relative pronouns include limiting
  that to restrictive relative clauses and not preceding it with a
  preposition. Similarities between the relative pronoun that and the
  ordinary conjunction that include using (almost invariably) the weak
  pronunciation /ðət/ and frequently omitting it as implied.

A: No, it doesn't work. You can say:

They eat what bugs them.

You cannot add another pronoun 'that' because 'what' is already serving that purpose.

They eat what that bugs them.  (nonsense)

In this context, 'whatever' is just a more emphatic version of 'what'.  The same rules apply.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Former NYSE Floor Broker Agrees to Settle Suit Brought by SEC
D'Alessio will neither admit nor deny wrongdoing in the 1990's trading scandal.
Robert Kowalski
May 1, 2001 9:16 PM EDT
Just a day before his high-profile case was scheduled to go to trial, a former
floor broker Tuesday agreed to settle a civil suit brought by the
charging he violated securities laws as part of a trading scandal on the Big Board's floor in the 1990s.
The former trader, John D'Alessio, agreed to pay $200,000 and neither admit nor deny wrongdoing as part of the settlement, which is subject to review as early as Wednesday by U.S. District Court Judge Jed Rakoff. The settlement came as D'Alessio's lawyers were preparing to
call top officials from the exchange to the stand next week to testify about whether they had knowledge of the trading.
D'Alessio, however, is continuing to press a lawsuit and a separate legal action against the NYSE, claiming that the exchange knew of and encouraged illegal trading by brokers on its floor in the 1990s because it profited from the activity, Amorosa said. The suit is scheduled for a hearing before the
U.S. Court of Appeals
Second Circuit
Wednesday morning.
''D'Alessio is pleased to put this behind him,'' and is committed to his ongoing legal fight against the exchange, Amorosa said.
Robert Knuts, an SEC lawyer handling the agency's case against D'Alessio, confirmed the settlement Tuesday, but declined to comment on the agreement until Rakoff has reviewed it. The NYSE couldn't be reached to comment.
The D'Alessio case has attracted widespread attention in recent months, partly because it has kept alive the floor trading scandal the exchange hoped had been put to bed in 1999. D'Alessio was one of 10 former floor brokers and brokerage officials who were arrested in 1998 and charged by the U.S. attorney's office with illegally sharing in the profits of trades they made on the exchange floor. The criminal charges were later dropped against D'Alessio, but all of the other former traders and brokerage officials pleaded guilty to criminal charges and received varying sentences, including fines and prison sentences in some cases.
The scandal revolved around a type of trading called ''flipping'' which many floor traders at the NYSE took part in during the 1990s. Flipping is a maneuver in which traders make a rapid series of trades in between the quoted purchase and sale prices for securities, and make millions of dollars in the process. Federal prosecutors and the SEC charged that the traders broke the law in doing so because they took a share of the profits -- a practice that securities laws prohibit because of the unique advantage traders have by virtue of their position on the trading floor.
The NYSE itself was investigated in the trading scandal, and agreed to a settlement with the SEC in 1999. No exchange officials were charged with wrongdoing in that investigation.
After the criminal charges against him were dropped, D'Alessio sued the exchange. He charged that illegal trading was widespread on the floor of the exchange and that top NYSE officials were aware of it. Rakoff last year dismissed that case, but D'Alessio is now appealing that decision.
''The agreement
with the SEC specifically gives him the right to appeal,'' Amorosa said.
In the SEC case against him, D'Alessio sought to have the NYSE named as a third-party defendant because of what he claimed was its involvement in the illegal floor trading. Rakoff dismissed that legal effort, but Amorosa said he now plans to appeal that decision as well.
Under the settlement agreement reached Tuesday, D'Alessio also accepted an injunction that prevents him from violating securities laws in the future, Knuts and Amorosa said. The agreement doesn't ban D'Alessio from the securities industry, although the SEC could choose to seek such a ban in the future. The NYSE, which also has regulatory authority, has banned D'Alessio from trading on its floor. D'Alessio has appealed that ban.


Rehabilitation Medicine or Physiatry is also known as Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. This branch of medicine aims to restore and enhance functional abilities and quality of life of those with physical impairments or disabilities. This specialty emphasizes on prevention, diagnosis and treatment of clinical conditions that lead to limitations in function. The conventional medical approach aims "adding years to life" and this specialty with its functional model accomplishes "adding life to years".
Rehabilitation Medicine at Orthomed Hospitals provides comprehensive multi-disciplinary rehabilitation program for all age groups. Our unique and customized programs are designed to promote or enhance recovery, health and wellness that fit each patient's needs. It helps them to reach their fullest potential while enhancing their overall quality of life upon return to community. Emphasis is on minimizing pain & suffering, maximizing functional outcome in areas of mobility, self care, communication, cognition and psychosocial adjustment for patients.
Our highly trained and experienced Sports physiotherapists offer a wide range of services and methods of treatment to ensure our patients receive the best possible care and get back on track, doing the things they love.
Our patients can range from elite athletes and sporting teams, recreational athletes and active people of all ages with general aches and pains. We also specialise in helping patients recover from orthopaedic surgery.
When you vist one of our physiotherapists, they will conduct a thorough and accurate assessment of your injury and explain in detail the cause, implications and recovery expectations. Our physiotherapists also provide full, detailed individualised rehabilitation programs and regular guidance and support to help you get back on track.Our aim is to ensure you experience the earliest and safest recovery to your pre-injury lifestyle, and recieve the education and knowledge required to prevent further injury.By having a team of senior physiotherapists who have a wealth of experience in physiotherapy management in orthopaedics, sport and education, combined with a group of young dedicated and enthusiastic physiotherapists, helps us deliver consistently high levels of patient satisfaction on our annual surveys.


We can confirm that Wimbledon's FA Youth Cup tie at home to Cheltenham Town will take place on Thursday, November 22, with the winners meeting Tottenham Hotspur in the third round.
Mark Robinson (pictured) guided the club's Under-18s into the second round of the FA Youth Cup with a 2-0 win against Farnborough and there is added incentive to beat the Robins in just over two weeks' time with a home tie against Spurs as the reward.
AFC Wimbledon Under-18s entertain Cheltenham at the Cherry Red Records Stadium in a 7.45pm kick-off and prices for the tie will be announced in due course.


(Nanowerk Spotlight) Dozens of nanotechnology research groups worldwide are working on the development of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) for harvesting energy from mechanical vibrations (see: "Proposed standards for triboelectric nanogenerators could facilitate comparisons").
The huge interest in TENGs stems from their ability to convert ambient mechanical energy into electricity for powering wearable electronics, energy generation using sound, sensor networks, removing air pollution with nanogenerator-enhanced air filters, implantable medical devices, and other small systems (read more: "On route to self-powered smart suits").
A recent article in Advanced Functional Materials ("Recent Advances in Triboelectric Nanogenerator-Based Health Monitoring") comprehensively reviews the recent advances in TENG-based health monitoring.
As researchers have demonstrated in numerous applications, TENGs have been applied for health monitoring such as for instance heartbeat and breathing detection (read more: "Nanotechnology converts heartbeat and breathing into electricity"); respiration detection, or gait monitoring.
The review covers in-depth textile and non-textile TENGs as self-powered health monitors, respectively, and discusses types of health stimuli detected by the TENG-based self-powered health sensors. It also deals with the area of implantable TENG-based health monitors.
In a final section, the authors discuss structure design, sensing mechanism, device performance, pros and cons of TENG-based health monitors and outline the existing challenges and future prospects for TENG-based health monitoring.
Textile-based TENGs possess merits such as good air permeability, flexibility and large-scale production, which makes them very suitable for wearable applications. Textile-based TENGs have been applied to serve as self-powered sensors for healthcare such as detection of respiration and sleep monitoring.
Textile TENGs can be categorized into two types according to device structure. One type is that the TENG is a fabric woven by one or two kinds of triboelectric fibers. The other type is that the TENG uses two whole pieces of textile as the substrates or triboelectric layers.
Textile TENGs can not only be worn on the body but also be integrated into furniture such as the bed to monitor human's health status.
Monitoring muscle/body motion such as joint motion, biceps exercises and abdominal respiration has wide applications in postoperative rehabilitation, sport and fitness management. The motion of the muscle or body has relatively large displacement, and thereby is relatively easy for TENGs to detect.
In contrast, heartbeat and pulse have relatively small amplitudes, and that requires the sensors to possess high pressure sensitivity and low detection limit in order to obtain the information of heartbeats and pulses.
TENGs have also been applied to monitor voice and act as hearing aids. Monitoring voice can not only pick up spoken sounds in noisy environments but could also be important in vocal rehabilitation.
TENGs have also been applied as self-powered sensors to detect healthcare related chemicals such as carbon dioxide. The basic mechanism for this kind of TENG-based self-powered chemical sensors is that the chemical has an influence on the TENG's performance, and a relationship between the electrical output and the chemical concentration can be obtained.
Whereas the TENGs discussed above all act as self-powered health monitors themselves, TENGs can also be integrated into self-powered sensing systems with energy storage devices and health sensors to monitor health conditions such as heartbeat, pulse, body temperature, respiration, and lactate concentration.
TENG-based self-powered health sensing system can not only detect motion-based stimuli but also detect stimuli that are not in the form of mechanical motion, which expands their health sensing applications.
One issue with these devices is their currently unsatisfactory total energy conversion efficiency, which needs to be improved in order to ensure a continuous operation. Studies already have demonstrated several approaches that can enhance the TENG's performance, which include using soft materials with nanostructured surface; surface modification of dielectric materials; and introducing built-in dielectric polarization.
Implantable medical devices such as pacemakers, heart monitors, subdermal blood sensors, or drug pumps, have been undergoing continuous development in recent years. However, they still face big challenges such as minimizing the power consumption and extending the lifetime of the device. Nanogenerators are promising to address such challenges in ways of serving as self-powered sensors or acting as the power source of the implants. Heartbeats as well as the pulses in blood vessels are two common kinds of sources for implantable TENGs to generate electrical outputs.
There are significant challenges, though. Apart from the usual risks of a surgical procedure, implantable TENGs are generally structured with a gas gap between two triboelectric layers, therefore careful and safe packaging is a mandatory requirement when implanting them into the body.
"Overall" the authors conclude, "TENGs have shown great potential for applications of health monitoring, but there are still myriad challenges need to be addressed before industrialization and commercialization. Future work may include further expanding the health-related applications, optimizing the device structure, enhancing the sensitivity, improving the anti-interference ability, increasing the stability and improving the compatibility for integrated systems."


Thank you for your interest in Concordia University Chicago!
Concordia University Chicago is grateful for current service members and veterans and is supportive of those who would like to start or continue their education. Additionally, our College of Professional Programs offers programs that are specifically designed for non-traditional and adult students.
Multiple financial programs are available to assist veterans and their dependents in achieving a college education. The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides educational assistance to individuals who served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001. One such program under The Post-9/11 GI Bill is the Yellow Ribbon program, in which Concordia-Chicago is a participating institution.
In addition to the VA benefits, current service members and veterans may also complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is used to determine your eligibility for federal student financial aid, including grants, loans and work-study programs. In addition, it is used by the state of Illinois and Concordia University Chicago to determine eligibility for need-based grants.
*Effective summer 2019, newly admitted students who are Veterans or Active Duty Service members will be eligible for a 20 percent military tuition discount if enrolled in an online MBA or DBA program. Proof of military status will be required at the time of admission.
Institutional accreditation is an indicator of quality. Accreditation is granted to institutions that have gone through comprehensive reviews and have demonstrated strict adherence to accreditation standards in degree programs, courses, faculty, administration, and student support services. The institution must provide high quality education in order to qualify for and receive accreditation.
Academic or faculty advisors are appointed based on academic programs. Prior to admission, students are encouraged to work directly with an Admission Counselor who will be able to provide specific information regarding academic programs.
Information regarding additional services available at Concordia-Chicago can be found on the Student Life website.
Who is eligible? Virtually all military service members are eligible. However, each service branch determines its criteria for eligibility.
*Navy has a 16 credit-hour annual limit.
How do you apply for Tuition Assistance?
What am I required to submit to my school? You are required to submit a Copy of Authority for Tuition Assistance for each course approved.
The Tuition Assistance "Top-Up" Program is an additional benefit intended to supplement other tuition assistance programs.
Who is eligible? To be eligible for the Top-Up benefit, you must be approved for federal Tuition Assistance by a military department and be eligible for MGIB-Active Duty benefits.
What is the benefit? The amount of the benefit is limited to the amount that you would receive for the same course if regular MGIB benefits were being paid.
Who is eligible? Service members (Active Duty, Guard and Reserve) and veterans who have served at least 90 days on active duty since 9/10/2001.
What am I required to submit to my school?
Who is eligible? Active Duty members who have served at least two years on active duty and Veterans—there are four categories of Veteran eligibility depending on when you enlisted and how long you served on active duty.
What is the benefit? The benefit amount varies depending on enrollment status. Benefits end 10 years from the date of your last discharge or release from active duty.
How do I apply for benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill?
The Department of Veterans Affairs is now accepting and processing applications for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Complete and submit the application form available online, and you will receive written notification explaining VA's decision regarding your eligibility for the program. If you are eligible, your Certificate of Eligibility will also advise you if your service meets the requirements for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
You must be eligible for the maximum benefit rate of 100% under the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33).
The school must be a participant in the Yellow Program.
The school must have not offered Yellow Ribbon to more than the maximum number of individuals stated in their participation agreement.
The school must certify your enrollment to VA, including Yellow Ribbon program information.
What is Concordia-Chicago's full process for students receiving military educational benefits?
Download the process document (word doc).
Where can I find additional information about education benefits?
Visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website.
What scholarships and/or grants are available?
Utilize the Military Scholarship Finder, a scholarship search engine just for military students. You will be able to search for a variety of scholarships and grants just for the military community.
Additionally, Illinois AMVETS is offering scholarships to Illinois veterans. Award amounts will vary and are based on eligible funding each year. Scholarships can be applied toward books, housing expenses, school fees and tuition. Scholarship applications are available on the Illinois AMVETS website.
What is the Tuition Assistance Refund Policy when withdrawing from classes?
In accordance with the regulation requirement from the Department of Defense, Tuition Assistance must be calculated to determine eligibility when a service member has withdrawn from their course(s). The full amount of Tuition Assistance that a student receives is based on the completion of their course(s). Students will be considered to have earned all of their Tuition Assistance after the completion of 60 percent of the payment period. If a student officially or unofficially withdraws from the semester on or before the 60 percent of the payment period and received Tuition Assistance, Concordia University Chicago (CUC) is required to review eligibility for the amount received.
In order to determine the amount of Tuition Assistance earned up to the time of withdrawal, CUC determines the percentage of the payment period the student attended. In addition, the unearned amount of aid is also determined by the percentage of the payment period the student attended. The student may have officially withdrawn from their course(s) or, in the case of an unofficial withdrawal, CUC will use the last date the student was involved in an academically related activity.
For example, if a student completes 30% of the course(s), 70% will be the unearned portion that must be returned to the government.
Any unearned Tuition Assistance that was applied to the student account must be returned within 45 days of the date the school determined the student withdrew. The unearned portion will be returned directly to the government. Any remaining balance on the service member's account would be their responsibility and should contact Student Business Services at Student.Accounts@CUChicago.edu for payment arrangements.
Download the Schedule for Return of Unearned TA Funds (PDF).


The past days I was looking for inspiration in famous old paintings, and got interested on "Starry Night" of Van Gogh and thought: Can I apply this to web design? And the answer is Yes! Then after several hours of work, here's my tutorial for you, an artistic web design depicting a "Magic Night" concept.
Let's the design begin! First of all, this isn't a basic tutorial, so I'll skip some basic explanations. Anyway, anyone with an intermediate - advance level of Photoshop skills will be able to do it. Second, it's really hard to obtain exactly the same result that I've got, and you must use your imagination and good taste to get something similar or better than my design. And third, this was designed by considering application into a Wordpress template, but you can quickly convert it into another engine's theme, or even a custom website.
Moving forward then! Create a new document 960 pixels by 1000 pixels and RGB. Draw some guides to mark the limits and go to Image > Canvas Size to resize the document making the canvas' width bigger (1460 x 1000 px). This way you'll have your design centered into a big document and see how it looks on widescreen resolutions. Also, draw a guide to mark the header height.
Draw a horizontal guide in the middle of the document and use it to fill the "Background" layer with a dark blue Radial Gradient (#0D2B53 - #010D1F). I'm also adding a few guides as bounds of the main page's padding on the left and right.
It's very possible that we'll change the document's height later, so add a New Fill Layer (#010D1F) below our "Background" layer.
Since one of the PSDTUTS readers suggested using real pictures instead of the classic Clouds filter, we'll try that this time. Paste this picture of some storm clouds into a new layer named "Clouds" and change its Blending Mode to Overlay. Then go to Layer > Layer Mask > Hide all, and draw a Radial Gradient from white to black (#FFFFFF - #000000), which goes from the middle top to almost the middle bottom. Then adjust the "Clouds" Levels a little bit to make the clouds darker.
Now paste this nice skyline of a spanish shore into a new layer named "skyline." Then create a new Adjustment Layer > Channel Mixer... and select Black & White with Blue Filter (RGB). Then to apply that effect just to the "skyline" layer in the layers palette, hold the Option key and click between the Channel Mixer layer and the "skyline" layer. Finally, change the "skyline" layer's Blending Mode to Overlay.
Apply a Layer Mask > Reveal all to the "skyline" layer. Then using a big and black (#000000) soft Brush hide the borders of the image, then select a Grunge brush (I'm using this Grunge Brush set by Kelzky13, especially brushes 250 and 181) and make the borders a little bit more irregular.
Next type the title "Magic" using the Scriptina font. Then apply the layer styles shown below: an Outer Glow (#9EB6D0) and a Gradient Overlay (#70ABF6, #FFFFFF, #B4CBE7, to #FFFFFF). Also, now is a good time to organize our developing design into folders. Put all the layers into a new folder named "Background" and the text inside another folder named "Logo."
Now we'll add some stars to our design, you can use any star Brush set but I'm using this set: Star field brushes by BL1nX. Then using the brush 550 of the set, paint the stars in white (#FFFFFF) into a new layer inside a folder named "Stars." Notice that I'm putting the brightest star over the dot of the i. Then apply a gradient overlay using three colors (#3A8FEF, #FFFFFF, and #66C9FC) to the "Stars1" layer.
Next, using the brush 615 of the stars field set, add more stars to the sky into a new layer named "Stars2," then with a soft Eraser, delete the stars over the buildings. Next, add a Outer Glow (#8AB2FF) to "Stars2."
Add more stars to the "Stars 2" layer all across the design, then using the Eraser tool, delete some areas of the stars. Finally, apply a Gradient Overlay effect to "Stars2" layer, using four colors: #6AB1D1, #FFFFFF, #94CFED, and #FFFFFF.
Now download these Star Brushes by jen-ni and keep the brushes handy because we'll use them several times in this tutorial. Select a 65 px brush (I'm using number 148) and draw a white (#FFFFFF) star into a new layer just above the dot of the i. Then apply an Outer Glow (#00BCF9) to the star to make it brighter.
Duplicate the "Magic" text, select the text, and type the word "Night" in it's place. Next, set the Outer Glow to white (#FFFFFF) and the Gradient overlay to three colors (#F9DA5B, #FEAE00, and #FFD403), see the image below to check the filter's values.
Let's add some clouds to our night! Download redheadstock's Clouds II brushes. Next, select the brush number 2464 and set its size to 960px (matching the design layout's main width). Set the foreground color to #234B7F and paste a single cloud into a new layer named "cloud1." To keep the layers organized, I'm putting the clouds into a separate folder inside the "Background" folder. Now stretch the "cloud1" height a little bit.
Following, Dodge and Burn the cloud a bit. Notice that I'm lightening the areas next to logo star and darkening the cloud's bottom. Also, change the "cloud1" Opacity to 50%.
Add one more cloud into a new layer named "cloud2." You can use any cloud you like, but use this color as a foreground: #5F83A5. Dodge the bottom of the cloud a little bit to improve the lighting sensation.
Repeat the previous step but this time using another brush with this color: #36638C and place it above the "cloud1." Resize it, then Dodge and/or Burn the cloud if necessary.
Select a big soft Eraser and delete the bottom of the "cloud1" layer to create a fade out effect.
This is actually a critical step, we'll add the main container background, you must never forget you're designing for the web. Using the Rectangle tool draw a vector rectangle (#0A1D37) into a new layer all below the "Clouds" folder. Notice that my rectangle is inside the padding Guides. Then select the rectangle layer and go to Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal all... and draw a white to black gradient, which adds a nice effect at the rectangle's top. Finally, drop a Guide below the Rectangle's fade in, which will help us when we turn this design into HTML + CSS. Notice, that from the guide to the bottom of the background color should be plain.
Now add another rectangle but this time as the Sidebar background, again help yourself with a Guide, and use the color #091525. Then, apply to the new rectangle a Layer Mask a little bit just like in the previous step.
At this point, we've got the basic header background done. Now it's time to add some details. I'll put a unique RSS icon on the header. Copy this picture of the full moon and paste it into a new layer named "moon-rss." Then adjust the Hue / Saturation values to make the moon a little bit more yellow, and add both Inner and Outer Glow filters (see the values shown below).
Add a small cloud shape with the color #7997B3 into a new layer above the moon in the layers palette. Then using a big soft eraser, delete some areas of the new cloud.
Add the classic RSS shape (#DCA30B) into a new layer in front of "moon" layer but behind the "cloud" layer. Then, apply to it the filters shown below (a Gradient Overlay, an Outer Glow and a Drop Shadow). Finally, add a star somewhere over the RSS shape (see Step 10).
Paste this image into a new layer, we'll use it as background of our main pages navigation bar. Since the original image is a little bit stretched, we need to make it more wide, I played with both selections and the Move (Free Transform) tool to increase the scroll's width. Then Warp the scroll just a little bit using the Flag warp.
Dodge some areas of the scroll to increase the shadows and to improve the warp illusion.
To improve scroll's texture, apply a Gradient Overlay filter (#045F96 and #FBF4BD) and a Pattern Overlay as well.
Now add a Drop Shadow to the scroll. You can use the Drop Shadow filter or do what I did, duplicate the scroll layer, and on Hue / Saturation adjust the Lightening to -100, Blur the black copy a little bit and distort it with the Free Transform tool to make it irregular.
Next, add a cloud over the scroll, Dodge, Burn and Delete just like in Step 15. Then add the Pages link's text using Georgia - Italic font. Use the color #0B1827 for the standard links, and the color #211808 for the hover link. Also, add some additional details like stars on the background and a line as the hover effect. You can see the layers' structure at the bottom of the image below.
As a final detail on the pages navigation bar, create a new layer above the scroll and using a particles brush, draw a line like it is a watercolor painting (see the image below). Do it a few more times but using different colors. Also, down the navigation bar "Stars" Opacity below 40%.
Add the RSS related text. I'm using 10 px Aria, with yellow (#F2C90D) and white (#FFFFFF). Don't forget to set the Anti-aliasing Method to None because most of the browsers renders the text without any anti-aliasing (IE7 and Safari are the exceptions).
As an additional detail add this picture of a nice balloon. Extract the balloon from its background and place it somewhere below the logo, add a Color Overlay (#1F416E - Blending Mode: Overlay) to the "Balloon" layer to match the scene colors. Also, you can Burn the balloon's left side just a little bit.
Next using the brush 615 of the star field brushes (see Step 8) add more stars above the balloon and the scroll. I'm also adding a chord to the balloon by painting a white curved line with a 3 px solid brush. Also, use the Eraser here and there to reduce the amount of stars.
It's time to add a post. First, add the title and the metadata row into a new layer named "Post." See the image below to view the Character values. Also, I'm adding a little star near the metadata as a visual detail.
Let's add more info into the "Post" folder, since the list on the homepage will have a preview of several post. We'll add a preview image at left (200 px by 200 px with a 1px Stroke effect) and a brief text at the right. Also, we'll add a preview of how many comments the post has on top right. For the comments field, create a new folder named "Comments" and add a tiny background with a small cloud and some little stars. Basically, just repeat one of the previous steps when we were designing the header, but in a tiny measure. Then add the comments number and the word Comments below.
Next, add a Tags line below the post and add a little star at the right of that line. Add a little star field as a background for the post, just if you want to. Finally, draw a divider (#1D324F) for the post using the Line Tool.
Then duplicate the "Post" folder and edit the copies to create two or three different posts. It's very possible that your document's height needs to be increased at this point, just do it by using the Crop tool or Image > Canvas size, jut like in Step 1. When you have resized your main document, increase the height of both the main background and sidebar background as well.
Let's work on the sidebar now. We're going to add the Search form. Create a new folder named "Sidebar" and inside of it create another folder and name it "Search." Draw a cloud into that folder and dodge and bur it to make it look like the following image. Then using the Rounded Rectangle Tool, draw a rectangle over the cloud. Apply a 1px Inside Stroke effect (#697372) to the rectangle and change its Fill value to 50%.
Add some white stars above the cloud layer using any star field layer, remember erase all the extra stars. Then duplicate, reduce, and Edit > Flip horizontal the "balloon" layer of Step 29 . Put it into the "Search" Folder. Also, add the title text using Georgia Italic and a nice yellow (#D5A934) color. Next add the search instructions and the button "Go!". You can see the Character's values at the bottom of the following image. As a final detail draw a single bright star behind the text.
Add the sidebar content text, titles, links, and put each section into a separate folder. Also, add a soft star field background on each folder and a shiny star behind each title. Besides, add a shiny star as an example of the hover effect on any link. Don't forget both padding and margin Guides.
We're reaching the end. Let's add a footer for the sidebar. First, fade out a little bit of the bottom of the sidebar's background painting with a soft brush on its layer mask. Next draw a few clouds, then Dodge and Burn them. Make sure that the clouds do not invade the main content background or exceed the sidebar's width. Then add a white star field behind the clouds and duplicate the balloon once more. I'm saving all this into a Folder named "Sidebar Footer."
Finally, we'll create the footer. First on the main content background's layer mask using a big soft brush, hide the bottom to fade it out. Then select some cloud brushes and paint them all across the bottom of the design. I'm combining big dark blue (#0B1C38) clouds and small blue #223E63) clouds, as shown in the images below. Remember, those clouds will become a background image, so try to not cross a Guide between content and footer. Besides, remember to put all the footer's related layers into a new folder named "Footer."
Burn the lightest clouds. Then, paint a white star field by using brush 615 of the stars set. Following, paint a brighter star field with a different brush, in this case number 656 of the set. At last, delete the star field with a soft big Eraser.
I hope you found this tut useful. PLUS Members can download the PSD file and modify whatever you want, add or remove details and create your own starry design.


When you're seriously ill, how do you make choices? Who can step in if needed? Can you opt out of care?
Reverend Clint Moore, PhD, addressed these questions for myasthenia gravis patients and family members at the Conquer MG Spring Patient Meeting in April, 2018. Highlights are below.
Video clips of his presentation are on the Conquer MG YouTube channel.
Dr. Moore (pictured, standing with Bob Rosecrans and Anne Flanz) is an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Chicago. He serves as the Clinical Ethicist and Director of The Center for Clinical Ethics at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital and Advocate Children's Hospital. Dr. Moore provides ethics education and consultations across all patient populations and medical professional groups.
A patient or family may focus upon what is possible, where even a one in a hundred chance of even a minimal recovery would be "worth" pursuing treatment. On the other hand, providers tend to base their practice upon what is probable.
In the U.S., we value autonomy. This means there should be no limit on your ability to choose what you want to do as long as your choices don't harm others.
But it's not always clear whether medical professionals should steer patients or hand them the decision reins.
Why do medical ethics questions matter if you have myasthenia?
Being critically ill can happen to anyone. When MG patients (whose illness is active) require surgery or have to be hospitalized, they have a higher risk of complications or more serious health problems. So it's useful to think about your desires if your health goes south.
Just because treatment is available, should it be done?
Consider what ought to be done.
With Western medicine, you don't always have the right to demand a certain treatment. But you always have the right to say no to a treatment.
Whenever possible, it's better when a medical procedure is done when it's not an emergency. That way your health care providers can be prepared for problems, rather than just react to them.
If you appoint someone to be your "agent" (the person to make medical decisions in the event that you can't), then have several conversations to make sure he/she understands and will follow your wishes. A study showed that the designated person tends to make choices that reflect their own wishes, rather than the patient's. If your first choice says they couldn't do it, believe them and choose someone else.
The patient/family and medical team should discuss expectations.
The patient/family should talk about what the patient wants ("It's important to me to be able to play with my grandsons"), and communicate that to the medical team.
The medical team can lay out possible routes, and what it will take to get where the patient wants to go.
Your name and address, your agent's name and address, your signature, a date not in the future, and a witness signature.
A level of medical intervention as direction for agent.
The POAHC document must be available. If you cannot produce your form, then the health care provider must assume there is none.
You think about the questions, complete the form, make copies, and then give copies to your agent(s), and your health care providers.


School will reopen to students on Wednesday 5th September, at our usual time of 8.40am. Students should head straight to their tutor groups in order to receive timetables, planners etc.
We trust that everyone is enjoying a happy and safe holiday and look forward to seeing you back in September.
Next year's term dates are available below, for September 2012 - July 2013, please take careful note of these as there have been some changes from those originally published.


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Emily Pins
Multi-Classroom Teacher
Emily Pins came to IPCP in 2017 as the Multi-Classroom Teacher whose role is to provide support to all of the classes at IPCP. She has a Bachelor's degree in Documentary Arts from Antioch College in Ohio and a Post-Baccalaureate certificate from the School of Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Emily came to IPCP with 6 years of preschool teaching experience and experience as a children's art instructor.
Alexandria Benton
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Alexandria "Alex" started at IPCP in 2017 as an Assistant Multi-Age Teacher and became a Lead Multi-Age Teacher in 2018. She has a bachelor's degree in Accounting from DeVry University. Prior to coming to IPCP, Alex worked as a nanny and spent 10 years in the banking industry.
Toni Lonon
Toni Lonon returned to IPCP in 2016 as a Lead Multi-Classroom Teacher. She previously taught at IPCP for the 2011-2012 school year and worked several summers of IPCP's Nature in the City Summer Camp. Toni has a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Kennesaw State University. She has over 15 years of teaching experience working with toddlers, preschool-aged children, and Kindergarten students.
Ann Elizabeth Simons
Ann Elizabeth joined IPCP in 2017 as an Assistant Multi-Age Teacher and became a Lead Multi-Age Teacher in 2018. She has a Bachelor's degree in Child and Family Studies: Child Development from the University of Southern Mississippi. Ann Elizabeth came to IPCP with over 5 years experience as an assistant teacher and a youth counselor working with children and families.
Elizabeth started at IPCP in 2018 as a Lead Multi-Age Teacher. She has a Bachelor's degree in Digital Design and spent time in marketing before pursuing a career in early childhood education. Elizabeth has over 20 years experience working with children as a nanny and a preschool teacher.
Erin Alketruse
Assistant Teacher
Erin came to IPCP in 2017 as an Assistant Multi-Age Teacher. She has a Bachelor's degree in Theatre from Columbia College in Chicago. Prior to joining IPCP, Erin worked professionally in the Chicago theater community and as a preschool teacher.
Stephanie Germann
Stephanie joined IPCP in 2017 working with the Multi-Age program. She has an Associates degree in Early Childhood Education. Stephanie came to IPCP with over ten years of experience working in early childhood education programs and is a certified yoga teacher.
Brittany Stokes
Brittany started at IPCP in 2018 as an Assistant Multi-Age Teacher. She has an Associates in Early Childhood Education, a Bachelors in Psychology, and a Bachelors in Music. Brittany has 5 years of teaching experience and has taught preschool at a HeadStart program and worked as an Applied Behavior Analysis therapist.
Inman Park Cooperative Preschool
A Nonprofit Cooperative Preschool in the Inman Park Neighborhood of Atlanta, GA
760 Edgewood Ave NE


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Navigators of Dune
SAM | January 12, 2022 January 4, 2022 | All Gene, Science Fiction & Fantasy
The "Great Schools of Dune" kept a good speed in the first two episodes and the third one is with a real raw conclusion. The story in the first two parts was not very complicated as the enemies and allies were quite clear for the listeners. The three schools had their own style and agendas but they were with one single motive and it was a great sign for the human beings who were in an exhausted condition.
Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson have not tried to take the series a great deal further because such an attempt would have made everything quite dull and boring. So it is the right time for Scott Brick to end another portion of this epic series.
The Sisterhood has its own breeding program in which it excelled a lot and there seemed to be no hindrance that could have stopped the progress of this school. Then came the Mentats in Mentats of Dune after Sisterhood of Dune. In this last part the authors talk about the Navigators which is a guild of skilled warriors.
The story is quick paced like always and never ever the authors have tried to slow the pace of the story in order to increase its length. The quality has not be compromised at any stage and this has been one of the strengths which cannot be compromised at all. In the end everything is adjusted quite well and there is a proper room left if the authors want to knit another trilogy on the basis of this one. Action was preferred as compared to suspense because the authors didn't want to confuse the audience a lot.
1st to Die
Pegasus and the New Olympians
Extinction Code
The Cruelest Month
Robert B. Parker's The Bridge
Shadeslinger


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Embrace the Edge of the Unknown
"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable."
For most business owners, living on the edge of the unknown is a familiar feeling and I'm convinced we have more tolerance for it than most. Having said this, it's not always a comfortable place and yet it's where innovation and competency are honed and where progress, excellence, and success have the greatest likelihood to flourish. It's a truism that in order to get a new result, we have to do new things. Sounds simple, right? But like many simple things, it's not necessarily easy for the vast majority of people. In order to do something different, we have to engage in experiences previously unknown. I can't tell you how many people I work with who desperately want a new result yet they don't want to go through anything even slightly unfamiliar in their experience to get there. When sufficiently motivated to make real change, here are a few things to remember:
Don't put a premium on comfort.
I'm not advocating for martyrdom. I'm saying that to be fully alive, we must be willing to seek full aliveness, not just live to avoid discomfort. As business owners, sometimes we have to weigh our options and take reasonable risks, put in the long hours, days and weeks, have tough conversations with employees, clients, vendors and prospects, to name just a few challenges we face. And even though these are not comfortable, in reality, without a heroic journey and the aches and pains of challenges and growth, our work (and we) become dull and stagnant which lowers our creativity.
Get ok with making mistakes and failing.
Operating on the edge of the unknown triggers our fear of failure. Some may be willing to fail once or twice, but beyond that, most people resist any possibility of it like the plague. Great entrepreneurs fail repeatedly and experience disappointments. And… they don't quit. They don't let their mistakes or failures keep them from believing they are worthy to have their dreams come true nor do they let them dull their conviction that the adventure of the unknown is likely to net a better outcome than playing it safe and getting predictable, mediocre and unsatisfying results.
Get excited about the magic of operating in flow.
To live in flow is to open to the unknown. It means to refrain from taking action from fear, stress, even niggling doubt; really anything less than conviction. It requires being present to what inspires you and taking action on what bubbles up from joy or enthusiasm only. This also requires noticing when a door opens or you get that clear intuitive hit about what to do next and you do it. To do otherwise is to be out of flow, living from the past or future. Life becomes defined by "I should," "I ought to," "I need to," "I have to," or "I can't." Avoiding the unknown robs business owners of opportunities to tap into something much greater than ever imagined. Don't accept the cheap substitute of control, perfectionism, ego, and a need for approval at the cost of your inspired path.
Run your business with faith you can handle the unknown.
One of my favorite quotes is by Goethe and in it he says, "The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves, too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events, issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it."
The unforeseen assistance Goethe describes is only possible when we venture out onto the edge of the unknown, committing ourselves and having faith in fulfilling possibilities. You were bold, powerful, magical and genius when you began your business. You still are!
Why People Hire LifeWork Systems
Business owners, community leaders, and educators hire Judy Ryan and Lifework Systems because they want the advantages of an extraordinary workplace. For a limited time, Judy's book, What's the Deal with Workplace Culture Change? is available FREE at www.GetMyCultureBook.com You can also contact Judy at 314-239-4727 or at judy@lifeworksystems.com.
This article was published in the St. Louis Small Business Monthly, August 2015
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June 14, 2016 2:10AM PT
Review: 'Blood Stripe'
A female Marine veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan combat suffers Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in this LAFF prize-winner.
By Dennis Harvey
Dennis's Most Recent Stories
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CREDIT: Courtesy of Tandem Pictures
Kate Nowlin, Tom Lipinski, Chris Sullivan, Rusty Schwimmer, Ashlie Atkinson, Ken Marks, Rene Auberjonois.
After U.S. participation in the 20th century's "Great Wars" turned to participation in some not-so-great, still-debated wars, Hollywood tended to take a few years before offering critical fictive input on those conflicts. But American deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan continues to drag on, whatever happy-face scenarios are offered to the media. While we await the big W.-era propaganda critique of Ang Lee's literary adaptation "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk" this fall, "Blood Stripe" delivers a smaller-scale weighing of the "War on Terror's" toll on average grunts. Veteran actor Remy Auberjonois' polished feature debut provides an impressive showcase for co-scenarist Kate Nowlin as a career Marine derailed by PTSD upon return to civilian life. This ambitious drama won the LAFF prize for homegrown narrative fiction feature, though its somewhat awkward vacillation between serious character study and under-realized thriller elements will limit commercial exposure.
A thirtysomething Marine Corps sergeant never actually named here, but half-jokingly, half-respectfully referred to as "Our Sergeant" (Nowlin), arrives back from her latest — and perhaps, it seems, last — deployment to a minimal welcome. She's picked up late at from the airport by an in-law. At home, burly husband Rusty (Chris Sullivan) does not make a display of conspicuous enthusiasm. They seem to have a somewhat prickly, not particularly affectionate relationship, suggestive of pre-existing tensions that go unspecified.
Whatever preceded, however, "Sarge" is clearly barely holding it together in this particular return to civilian life: Pounding beers without effect, compulsively jogging, mowing the lawn at midnight and other borderline-manic actions that seem to be keeping some kind of breakdown thinly at bay. At a welcome-home party, a guest's playful hug triggers drastic over-reaction from her. After that, there's no further denying she needs help. But she's sadly aware that appropriate services at a VA Hospital wouldn't be available for months, sighing, "There's a wait."
One day at the tedious municipal road-work job she's gotten, something in Our Sergeant snaps. She gets in her car and drives hours to the site of a childhood summer camp. It's the beginning of the off-season, with seemingly sole remaining employee Dot (Rusty Schwimmer) packing things up for the winter. Having no plan, and not having told anyone where she is, Sarge gets a room-and-board gig that's just what her anxious mind and coiled Marine body needs: Endless, heavy-lifting grunt work.
The two women's quiet camaraderie, the tranquil setting, and the hard physical labor do seem to make Sarge better, relaxing such that she answers admiring Dot's questions about her several Iraq and Afghanistan deployments, in terse but revealing terms. But she's still in a highly fragile state, agitated further by a mixed bag of interlopers to the camp. They include a visiting group of church elders led by gregarious Art (the writer-helmer's father René Auberjonois, still a theatrically flamboyant presence in his mid-70s); his adoptive-son-of-sorts (Tom Lipinski as another nameless figure, dubbed only "The Fisherman"), a fellow moody loner; and some local louts whose lewd menace Sarge's addled mindset may or may not be exaggerating.
It's when these additional characters arrive at midpoint that real-life spouses Nowlin and Auberjonois' script begins to stumble, after a strong buildup. While the director has cited such deliberately dislocating films about various forms of mental illness and PTSD as "Repulsion" and "Martha Marcy May Marlene" as models here, "Blood Stripe" grows more tonally muddled than those singular portraits of escalating trauma. The warm-and-fuzzy church group, Lipinski's conventional Heathcliff-like romantic figure, the poorly integrated thriller elements (a more congruent film would've made those local yokels a constant phantom menace) and a vague, unconvincing climactic catharsis all weaken what had initially seems a tougher-minded film. Then there's the contrivance necessary to keep Sarge from being "rescued" by Rusty, even after she's made a couple panicked calls back home.
On the plus side, "Blood Stripe" is cryptic in interesting ways, most notably in that we never actually find out what "happened to" Sarge: The film forgoes convention in omitting a flashback, or even a monologue, wherein a specific traumatic combat incident "explains all." (At one point, however, we do glimpse dramatic scars on her back, and her automatic-recoil reaction to most physical contact raises the possibility of assault or torture.) That's a refreshing change from formula, not least because it leaves open the possibility that her PTSD springs from cumulative experience rather than the typical fictive Big Event — a more realistic approach.
Nowlin fully invests in her role, credibly creating a born career-military type nonetheless pushed over the brink — a fully-combat-participatory female soldier relatively new to both U.S. policy and to movies, if you discount the likes of the ludicrous "G.I. Jane." Schwimmer, Sullivan and Lipinsky are solid in support, even if the latter's role feels less organic. While its storytelling wavers, there's nothing unsteady about the movie's overall packaging craftsmanship, most notably Radium Cheung's widescreen photography of the gorgeous northern-Minnesota lake country.
Review: 'Blood Stripe'
Reviewed online, June 7, 2016. (In Los Angeles Film Festival — competing.) Running time: 83 MIN.
Production: A Tandem Pictures production, in association with Wakemup Productions. Produced by Schuyler Weiss, Julie Christeas, Remy Auberjonois, Kate Nowlin. Executive producer, G. Mac Brown. Co-executive producer, Christopher Conover. Co-producer, Jeremy L. Kotin.
Crew: Directed by Remy Auberjonois. Screenplay, Kate Nowlin, Auberjonois. Camera (color, widescreen, HD), Radium Cheung; editor, Jeremy L. Kotin; production designer, Cassia Maher; costume designer, Camille Benda; art director, Cheri Anderson; set decorator, Melissa Pritchett; sound, Ben Allison, Ian Morland; supervising sound editor, Ian Gaffney-Rosenfeld; re-recording mixer, Roberto Fernandez; assistant director, Inna Braude; casting, Kerry Barden, Paul Schnee.
With: Kate Nowlin, Tom Lipinski, Chris Sullivan, Rusty Schwimmer, Ashlie Atkinson, Ken Marks, Rene Auberjonois.
Los Angeles Film Festival