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Battlefield America: The War on the American People
Interviews, Reviews and Praise for Battlefield America
A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State
Praise for A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State by John W. Whitehead
About John W. Whitehead
John W. Whitehead, Constitutional Attorney
President of The Rutherford Institute, Author of 'Battlefield America' and 'A Government of Wolves'
Whitehead's NEW Book: Battlefield America
A Government of Wolves
John W. Whitehead
A Nation Imploding: Digital Tyranny, Insurrection and Martial Law
What to Expect in 2021: Madness, Mayhem, Manipulation and More Tyranny
What If the Christ Child Had Been Born in the American Police State?
Big Brother in Disguise: The Rise of a New, Technological World Order
A Crisis in the Making: Know Your Rights or You Will Lose Them
Posted: December 11, 2018 in Commentary
Tags: Constitution, constitutional illiteracy, police state
If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."—Thomas Jefferson
We are approaching critical mass, the point at which all hell breaks loose.
The government is pushing us ever closer to a constitutional crisis.
What makes the outlook so much bleaker is the utter ignorance of the American people—and those who represent them—about their freedoms, history, and how the government is supposed to operate.
As Morris Berman points out in his book Dark Ages America, "70 percent of American adults cannot name their senators or congressmen; more than half don't know the actual number of senators, and nearly a quarter cannot name a single right guaranteed by the First Amendment. Sixty-three percent cannot name the three branches of government. Other studies reveal that uninformed or undecided voters often vote for the candidate whose name and packaging (e.g., logo) are the most powerful; color is apparently a major factor in their decision."
More than government corruption and ineptitude, police brutality, terrorism, gun violence, drugs, illegal immigration or any other so-called "danger" that threatens our nation, civic illiteracy may be what finally pushes us over the edge.
As Thomas Jefferson warned, no nation can be both ignorant and free.
Unfortunately, the American people have existed in a technology-laden, entertainment-fueled, perpetual state of cluelessness for so long that civic illiteracy has become the new normal for the citizenry.
It's telling that Americans were more able to identify Michael Jackson as the composer of a number of songs than to know that the Bill of Rights was the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
In fact, most immigrants who aspire to become citizens know more about national civics than native-born Americans. Surveys indicate that half of native-born Americans couldn't correctly answer 70% of the civics questions on the U.S. Citizenship test.
Not even the government bureaucrats who are supposed to represent us know much about civics, American history and geography, or the Constitution although they take an oath to uphold, support and defend the Constitution against "enemies foreign and domestic."
For instance, a couple attempting to get a marriage license was recently forced to prove to a government official that New Mexico is, in fact, one of the 50 states and not a foreign country.
Here's a classic example of how surreal the landscape has become.
Just in time for Bill of Rights Day on December 15, President Trump issued a proclamation affirming the importance of the Bill of Rights in guarding against government abuses of power.
"The Founding Fathers understood the real threat government can pose to the rights of the people… That is why those first 10 Amendments to the Constitution, among others, protected the right to speak freely, the right to freely worship, the right to keep and bear arms, the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures, and the right to due process of law. As a part of the Constitution, the supreme law of the land, the Bill of Rights has protected our rights effectively against the abuse of government power for 227 years… Since there will always be a temptation for government to abuse its power, we reaffirm our commitment to defend the Bill of Rights and uphold the Constitution."
Don't believe it for a second.
The government doesn't want its abuses checked and it certainly doesn't want its powers restricted.
For that matter, this is not a president who holds the Constitution in high esteem.
After all, Trump routinely rails against the rights enshrined in the first ten amendments to the Constitution, decrying the free speech rights of protesters, denouncing the media (which enjoys freedom of the press) as the enemy of the people, supporting government efforts to seize private property through asset forfeiture and eminent domain, refusing to denounce the use of internment camps to detain American citizens, sneering at due process, and encouraging police officers to use excessive force against suspects.
As law professor Garrett Epps notes:
"Donald Trump ran on a platform of relentless, thoroughgoing rejection of the Constitution itself, and its underlying principle of democratic self-government and individual rights. True, he never endorsed quartering of troops in private homes in time of peace, but aside from that there is hardly a provision of the Bill of Rights or later amendments he did not explicitly promise to override, from First Amendment freedom of the press and of religion to Fourth Amendment freedom from 'unreasonable searches and seizures' to Sixth Amendment right to counsel to Fourteenth Amendment birthright citizenship and Equal Protection and Fifteenth Amendment voting rights."
To be fair, it's not all Trump's fault.
Indeed, we wouldn't be in this sorry state if it weren't for Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush and the damage their administrations inflicted on the freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights, which historically served as the bulwark from government abuse.
In the so-called named of national security, since 9/11, the Constitution has been steadily chipped away at, undermined, eroded, whittled down, and generally discarded to such an extent that what we are left with is but a shadow of the robust document adopted more than two centuries ago.
The Bill of Rights—462 words that represent the most potent and powerful rights ever guaranteed to a group of people officially—became part of the U.S. Constitution on December 15, 1791, because early Americans such as James Madison and Thomas Jefferson understood the need to guard against the government's inclination to abuse its power.
Yet the reality we must come to terms with is that in the America we live in today, the government does whatever it wants.
Make no mistake: if our individual freedoms have been restricted, it is only so that the government's powers could be expanded at our expense.
The USA Patriot Act, passed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, drove a stake through the heart of the Bill of Rights, violating at least six of the ten original amendments—the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Amendments—and possibly the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments, as well. The Patriot Act also redefined terrorism so broadly that many non-terrorist political activities such as protest marches, demonstrations and civil disobedience were considered potential terrorist acts, thereby rendering anyone desiring to engage in protected First Amendment expressive activities as suspects of the surveillance state.
Since 9/11, we've been spied on by surveillance cameras, eavesdropped on by government agents, had our belongings searched, our phones tapped, our mail opened, our email monitored, our opinions questioned, our purchases scrutinized (under the USA Patriot Act, banks are required to analyze your transactions for any patterns that raise suspicion and to see if you are connected to any objectionable people), and our activities watched.
We've also been subjected to invasive patdowns and whole-body scans of our persons and seizures of our electronic devices in the nation's airports and at border crossings. We can't even purchase certain cold medicine at the pharmacy anymore without it being reported to the government and our names being placed on a watch list.
Government surveillance, militarized police, SWAT team raids, asset forfeiture, eminent domain, overcriminalization, armed surveillance drones, whole body scanners, stop and frisk searches (all sanctioned by Congress, the White House, the courts and the like), etc.: these are merely the weapons of the police state.
The power of the police state is dependent on a populace that meekly obeys without question.
Remember: when it comes to the staggering loss of civil liberties, the Constitution hasn't changed. Rather, it is the American people who have changed.
Those who gave us the Constitution and the Bill of Rights believed that the government exists at the behest of its citizens. The government's purpose is to protect, defend and even enhance our freedoms, not violate them.
It was no idle happenstance that the Constitution opens with these three powerful words: "We the people." Those who founded this country knew quite well that every citizen must remain vigilant or freedom would be lost. As Thomas Paine recognized, "It is the responsibility of the patriot to protect his country from its government."
You have no rights unless you exercise them.
Still, you can't exercise your rights unless you know what those rights are.
"If Americans do not understand the Constitution and the institutions and processes through which we are governed, we cannot rationally evaluate important legislation and the efforts of our elected officials, nor can we preserve the national unity necessary to meaningfully confront the multiple problems we face today," warns the Brennan Center in its Civic Literacy Report Card. "Rather, every act of government will be measured only by its individual value or cost, without concern for its larger impact. More and more we will 'want what we want, and [will be] convinced that the system that is stopping us is wrong, flawed, broken or outmoded.'"
Education precedes action.
As the Brennan Center concludes "America, unlike most of the world's nations, is not a country defined by blood or belief. America is an idea, or a set of ideas, about freedom and opportunity. It is these ideas that bind us together as Americans and have kept us free, strong, and prosperous. But these ideas do not perpetuate themselves. They must be taught and learned anew with each generation."
There is a movement underway to require that all public-school students pass the civics portion of the U.S. naturalization test—100 basic facts about U.S. history and civics—before receiving their high-school diploma, and that's a start.
Mind you, it's only the first of many steps.
If there is to be any hope for restoring our freedoms and reclaiming our runaway government, we will have to start by breathing life into those three powerful words that set the tone for everything that follows in the Constitution: "we the people."
People get the government they deserve.
As David Fouse writes for National Review, "A government by the people, for the people, and of the people is only as wise, as just, and as free as the people themselves."
It's up to us.
We have the power to make and break the government.
We the American people—the citizenry—are the arbiters and ultimate guardians of America's welfare, defense, liberty, laws and prosperity.
It's time to stop waiting patiently for change to happen. Do more than grouse and complain.
We must act—and act responsibly.
Get outraged, get off your duff and get out of your house, get in the streets, get in people's faces, get down to your local city council, get over to your local school board, get your thoughts down on paper, get your objections plastered on protest signs, get your neighbors, friends and family to join their voices to yours, get your representatives to pay attention to your grievances, get your kids to know their rights, get your local police to march in lockstep with the Constitution, get your media to act as watchdogs for the people and not lapdogs for the corporate state, get your act together, and get your house in order.
In other words, get moving.
A healthy, representative government is hard work. It takes a citizenry that is informed about the issues, educated about how the government operates, and willing to make the sacrifices necessary to stay involved, whether that means forgoing Monday night football in order to attend a city council meeting or risking arrest by picketing in front of a politician's office.
Don't wait for things to get as bad as they are in France, where civil unrest over a government proposal to raise taxes on gas has turned into violent clashes between protesters and the police.
Whatever you do, please don't hinge your freedoms on politics.
No election will ever truly alleviate the suffering of the American people.
No matter which party controls Congress or the White House, the government as we have come to know it—corrupt, bloated and controlled by big-money corporations, lobbyists and special interest groups—remains largely unchanged. And "we the people"—overtaxed, overpoliced, overburdened by big government, underrepresented by those who should speak for us and blissfully ignorant of the prison walls closing in on us—continue to trudge along a path of misery.
Remember what Noam Chomsky had to say about politics? "It is important to bear in mind that political campaigns are designed by the same people who sell toothpaste and cars."
In other words, as I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, we're being sold a carefully crafted product by a monied elite who are masters in the art of making the public believe that they need exactly what is being sold to them, whether it's the latest high-tech gadget, the hottest toy, or the most charismatic politician.
It's just another Blue Pill, a manufactured reality conjured up by the matrix in order to keep the populace compliant and convinced that their vote counts and that they still have some influence over the political process.
Don't buy any of it.
The Constitution is neutral when it comes to politics. What the Constitution is not neutral about, however, is the government's duty to safeguard the rights of the citizenry.
"We the people" also have a duty that goes far beyond the act of voting: it's our job to keep freedom alive using every nonviolent means available to us.
As Martin Luther King Jr. recognized in a speech delivered on December 5, 1955, just four days after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to relinquish her seat on a Montgomery city bus: "Democracy transformed from thin paper to thick action is the greatest form of government on earth."
Know your rights. Exercise your rights. Defend your rights. If not, you will lose them.
WC: 2311
Constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and president of The Rutherford Institute. His new book Battlefield America: The War on the American People (SelectBooks, 2015) is available online at http://www.amazon.com. Whitehead can be contacted at johnw@rutherford.org.
Publication Guidelines / Reprint Permission
John W. Whitehead's weekly commentaries are available for publication to newspapers and web publications at no charge. Please contact staff@rutherford.org to obtain reprint permission.
To a Nation of Snowflakes, Christmas Has Become Another Trigger Word
Posted: December 6, 2018 in Commentary
Tags: censorship, christmas, intolerance, political correctness, trigger words, war on christmas
"This Christmas season finds us a rather bewildered human race. We have neither peace within nor peace without. Everywhere paralyzing fears harrow people by day and haunt them by night. Our world is sick with war; everywhere we turn we see its ominous possibilities. And yet, my friends, the Christmas hope for peace and goodwill toward all men can no longer be dismissed as a kind of pious dream of some utopian. If we don't have goodwill toward men in this world, we will destroy ourselves by the misuse of our own instruments and our own power."— Martin Luther King, Jr., "A Christmas Sermon on Peace"
To a nation of snowflakes, Christmas has become yet another trigger word.
The latest Christmas casualties in the campaign to create one large national safe space are none other than the beloved animated classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (denounced for promoting bullying and homophobia) which first aired on television on December 6, 1964, and the Oscar-winning tune "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (accused of being a date rape anthem) crooned by everyone from Dean Martin to Will Ferrell and Zooey Deschanel in the movie Elf.
Also on the endangered species Christmas list are such songs as "Deck the Halls" (it supposedly promotes "gay" apparel), "Santa Baby" (it has been denounced for "slut shaming"), and "White Christmas" (perceived as being racist).
One publishing company even re-issued their own redacted version of Clement Clarke Moore's famous poem "Twas the night before Christmas" in order to be more health conscious: the company edited out Moore's mention of Santa smoking a pipe ("The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, / And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath.")
Oh the horror.
After a year plagued with its fair share of Scrooges and Grinches and endless months of being mired in political gloom and doom, we could all use a little Christmas cheer right now.
Unfortunately, the politically charged Right and Left have been trying to score points off each other for so long, using whatever means available, that even Christmas has been weaponized.
Yet just because the War on Christmas has been adopted as a war cry by Donald Trump doesn't mean that it's not real.
Look around you.
When I was a child in the 1950s, the magic of Christmas was promoted in the schools. We sang Christmas carols in the classroom. There were cutouts of the Nativity scene on the bulletin board, along with the smiling, chubby face of Santa and Rudolph. We were all acutely aware that Christmas was magic.
Fast forward to the present day, and there is a phobia surrounding Christmas that has turned it into fodder for the politically correct culture wars.
Indeed, in its "Constitutional Q&A: Twelve Rules of Christmas," The Rutherford Institute points out that some communities, government agencies and businesses have gone to great lengths to avoid causing offense over Christmas.
Examples abound.
Schools across the country now avoid anything that alludes to the true meaning of Christmas such as angels, the baby Jesus, stables and shepherds.
In many of the nation's schools, Christmas carols, Christmas trees, wreaths and candy canes have also been banned as part of the effort to avoid any reference to Christmas, Christ or God. One school even outlawed the colors red and green, saying they were Christmas colors and, thus, illegal.
Students asked to send seasonal cards to military troops have been told to make them "holiday cards" and instructed not to use the words "Merry Christmas" on their cards.
Many schools have redubbed their Christmas concerts as "winter holiday programs" and refer to Christmas as a "winter festival." Some schools have cancelled holiday celebrations altogether to avoid offending those who do not celebrate the various holidays.
In Minnesota, a charter school banned the display of a poster prepared to promote the school's yearbook as a holiday gift because the poster included Jack Skellington from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and other secular Christmas icons, not to mention the word "Christmas."
In New Jersey, one school district banned traditional Christmas songs such as "Joy to the World" and "Silent Night" from its holiday concerts. A New Jersey middle school cancelled a field trip to attend a performance of a play based on Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol" because some might have found it "offensive."
In Texas, a teacher who decorated her door with a scene from "A Charlie Brown Christmas," including a scrawny tree and Linus, was forced to take it down lest students be offended or feel uncomfortable.
In Connecticut, teachers were instructed to change the wording of the classic poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas" to "Twas the Night Before a Holiday."
In Virginia, a high school principal debated about whether he could mention Santa or distribute candy canes given that they were symbols of Christmas.
In Massachusetts, a fourth-grade class was asked to list 25 things that reminded them of Christmas. When one young student asked if she could include "Jesus," her teacher replied that she could get fired if Christmas' namesake appeared on the list.
Things are not much better outside the schools.
In one West Virginia town, although the manger scene (one of 350 light exhibits in the town's annual Festival of Lights) included shepherds, camels and a guiding star, the main attractions—Jesus, Mary and Joseph—were nowhere to be found due to concerns about the separation of church and state.
In Chicago, organizers of a German Christkindlmarket were informed that the public Christmas festival was no place for the Christmas story. Officials were concerned that clips of the film "The Nativity Story," which were to be played at the festival, might cause offense.
In Delaware, a Girl Scout troop was prohibited from carrying signs reading "Merry Christmas" in their town's annual holiday parade.
While the First Amendment Establishment Clause prohibits the government from forcing religion on people or endorsing one particular religion over another, there is no legitimate legal reason why people should not be able to celebrate the season freely or wish each other a Merry Christmas or even mention the word Christmas.
The Rutherford Institute's "Twelve Rules of Christmas" guidelines are helpful in dealing with folks who subscribe to the misguided notion that the law requires anything Christmas in nature be banned from public places.
Yet here's the thing about this so-called War on Christmas that people don't seem to get: while Christmas may be the "trigger" for purging Christmas from public places, government forums and speech—except when it profits Corporate America—it is part and parcel of the greater trend in recent years to whittle away at free speech and trample the First Amendment underfoot.
Claiming to promote tolerance and diversity while seeking a homogeneous mindset, many workplaces, schools and public places have become intolerant of any but the most politically correct viewpoints.
Anything that might raise the specter of controversy is avoided at all costs.
We are witnessing the emergence of an unstated yet court-sanctioned right, one that makes no appearance in the Constitution and yet seems to trump the First Amendment at every turn: the right to not be offended.
In this way, emboldened by phrases such as "hate crimes," "bullying," "extremism" and "microaggressions," free speech has been confined to carefully constructed "free speech zones," criminalized when it skates too close to challenging the status quo, shamed when it butts up against politically correct ideals, and muzzled when it appears dangerous.
This is censorship, driven by a politically correct need to pander to those who are easily offended.
Where you see this "safe space" mindset really play out is in the nation's public schools, which continue to adopt policies—such as zero tolerance policies—that promise to steer young people clear of anything that even hints at danger, controversy or non-politically correct thinking.
Unfortunately, all too often it is common sense and individual liberty that get trampled underfoot: a student gets suspended under the school's zero tolerance policy against drugs for chewing on a Certs breath mint; a kindergartner is suspended under the school's zero tolerance policy against violence for playing a make-believe game of cops and robbers using his finger as a gun; and a school trip to see "A Christmas Carol" is cancelled because of the school's zero tolerance policy against anything that is in any way offensive.
What's worse, the motto today seems to be "When in doubt, throw it out."
At the slightest hint of trouble, government officials (and corporations) are inclined to chuck anything that might be objectionable. So whereas Mark Twain's classic "Huckleberry Finn" used to at least make the list of banned books every year, it now rarely even makes an appearance on school reading lists. It has been scrubbed out of existence.
See how that works?
Zero tolerance policies are ultimately about programming people into compliance with the government's dictates.
The government doesn't care about Christmas. It cares about control.
By government, I'm talking about the entrenched government bureaucracy that really calls the shots no matter what political party controls Congress and the White House.
Never forget, the police state wants us to be a nation of snowflakes, snitches and book burners: a legalistic, intolerant, elitist, squealing bystander nation willing to turn on each other and turn each other in for the slightest offense.
All of the petty sniping over Melania Trump's red-themed Christmas decorations?
That plays perfectly into the Deep State's efforts to keep the citizenry at odds with each other and incapable of presenting a united front against the threats posed by the government and its cabal of Constitution-destroying agencies and corporate partners.
You want to know why this country is in the state it's in?
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, the answer is the same no matter what the problem might be, whether it's the economy, government corruption, police brutality, endless wars, censorship, falling literacy rates, etc.: every one of these problems can be sourced back to the fact that "we the people" have stopped thinking for ourselves and relinquished responsibility for our lives and well-being to a government entity that sees us only as useful idiots.
The Greek philosopher Socrates believed in teaching people to think for themselves and in the free exchange of ideas. For his efforts, he was accused of corrupting the youth and was put to death. However, his legacy lived on in the Socratic method of teaching: posing questions that help young and old discover the answers by learning to think for themselves.
Now even the Socratic method is in danger of extinction.
As Rod Serling, creator of the classic sci-fi series Twilight Zone and one of the most insightful commentators on human nature, once observed, "We're developing a new citizenry. One that will be very selective about cereals and automobiles, but won't be able to think."
We face an immense threat in our society from this drive to obliterate our history and traditions in order to erect a saccharine view of reality. In the process, we are creating a schizophrenic world for our children to grow up in, and it is neither healthy nor will it produce the kind of people who will be able to face the challenges of a future ruled by a totalitarian regime.
You can't sanitize reality. You can't scrub out of existence every unpleasant thought or idea. You can't legislate tolerance. You can't create enough safe spaces to avoid the ugliness that lurks in the hearts of men and women. You can't fight ignorance with the weapons of a police state.
What you can do, however, is step up your game.
Opt for kindness over curtness, and civility over censorship. Choose peace over politics, and freedom over fascism. Find common ground with those whose politics or opinions or lifestyles may not jive with your own.
Do your part to make the world a little brighter and a little lighter, and maybe, just maybe, we'll have a chance of digging our way out of this hole.


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Steelers-Tuesday: Players pointing to which defense plays better
By Dale Grdnic
PITTSBURGH — Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs was at it again this week, talking up his team's matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers and saying that the winner likely will go on to win the Super Bowl.
The Steelers (12-4) face the Ravens (13-4) for the third time this season and the second time in three years during the playoffs Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at Heinz Field. The Steelers won that 2008 AFC championship game and beat Arizona in the Super Bowl. Each team beat the other on the road this season.
"The teams are similar and equal this year, but we split in the regular season," Suggs said Tuesday morning via conference call with the Steelers media. "We both finished 12-4. That's why I think the stakes are so much higher. (These are) the best two teams in the NFL.
"You can argue Atlanta and New England, but everything that takes to win in this game, to win in January that's why this game is so big. Anyone could argue the winner this game will most likely go on to win the Super Bowl. You can put that out there because that's what these two teams are."
That doesn't mean Suggs is discounting New England or the Jets, for that matter, and he termed the chance to travel to Foxboro, Mass. a dream come true and great opportunity.
"Even though I would love for us to win and I would love for us to have the opportunity to go to Foxboro and beat the NFL's poster boy (Tom Brady), I would definitely enjoy a showdown with my mentor Rex Ryan in the AFC Championship," Suggs said. "(But) I'm in my praying closet every day.
"I'm sure they're preparing to win as well. That's what it is. And I think both teams are willing to die than to let the other team win. … It's about the wins and losses. One can argue that Pittsburgh let one get away there early in Week 4. But it's wins and losses. We won the first one. They won the second one. This is the third one. I think this is how it should have turned out."
Outspoken Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison was told about Suggs' comments and also asked if the winner between the Steelers and Ravens was just going to be a sacrificial lamb for the Patriots anyway.
"All I'm worried about is Baltimore," Harrison said. "Everybody else can kiss the back side of my back. … I feel like we're the better team, but that's why you play games. You play them out and see who wins."
Are the Steelers and Ravens the best two teams in the NFL?
"Sounds good," Harrison said. "It's going to be a physical game. This is Baltimore versus Pittsburgh. Whichever defense plays the best is the team that's going to win."
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger also gave a nod to the teams' defenses when asked what would determine the winner in this game.
"This talks about the strength and competitiveness of the AFC North," Roethlisberger said. "This is the second time in three years that we've played each other in the playoffs, and I guess it's probably what the NFL and the fans wanted. You can talk about the offense, but these are the two best defenses.
"They are great defenses with a lot of exotic-type blitzes and exotic looks. Both groups are veteran, so it's all about the offense that makes the least amount of mistakes. That's why the games are always close. (And) if you ask me, the (Super Bowl) winner either has to go to Pittsburgh or New England."
Roethlisberger added that other than blowing his nose and playing hop-scotch, injuries to his nose and right foot have not bothered him much the past couple weeks. The Steelers had a bye last week and began practicing Sunday for their divisional playoff game with the Ravens Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at Heinz Field.
"We know what's at stake, and whoever wins this game the other team will have to think about that loss all offseason," Steelers wideout Hines Ward said. "We know all about them, and we're not going to get in a war of words with those guys. They have to come here, after a big win on the road.
"So, hopefully, our crowd will get into it and help us play a good game. But we just have to take it one game at a time. We know that the AFC North is always Baltimore and the Pittsburgh Steelers, so we know this is going to be a great ball game. It's going to be a physical ball game into the fourth quarter."
Steelers safety Ryan Clark was more specific when asked to comment on what Suggs said about the winner of this matchup being favored in the Super Bowl.
"Clearly, this game is not for the Super Bowl, because this only is a division playoff game against an extremely good opponent that we know well and that we respect," Clark said. "We know they have good players.
"But they talk about it more than we do. We want to show it on the field. The stakes are high, but it's the playoffs and they're always high. The loser goes home, so that makes each game that much more important."
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Applications Open for the Portia Geach Memorial Award 2011
Celebrating female Australian artists
The Portia Geach Memorial Award is a celebration of female Australian artists. It's Australia's most prestigious portrait prize for female artists and has greatly contributed to the development of female artists in this country.
It was established by Florence Kate Geach in 1961 in memory of her sister, Portia Geach and is awarded each year to the best portrait painted from life of some man or woman distinguished in Art, Letters or the Sciences.
Applications Open
Applications for the 2011 Portia Geach Memorial Award are now open. All applications are required to be submitted online. To apply click here.
Applications close at 5:30pm on Friday 19 August 2011.
Previous winners of the Portia Geach Memorial Award include:
2010 Prudence Flint, Scrambled egg
2009 Christine Hiller, The Old Painter
2008 Jude Rae, Self Portrait 2008 (the year my husband left)
2007 Maryanne Coutts, Melbourne
2006 Lucy Culliton, Self with Friends
2005 Jude Rae, Large Interior (Micky Allan)
2004 Nerissa Lea, The Sheik & Me, Self Portrait with Imagined Portrait of Chad Morgan after Frida Kahlo
2003 Wendy Sharpe, Self Portrait with Tea Cup and Burning Paintings
2002 Vicki Varvaressos, Self Portrait with Painting
2001 Mary Moore, At Home
2000 Nancy Borlase, The Sisters: Marie and Vida Breckenridge
Further information: Contact The Trust Company is the trustee for the Portia Geach Memorial Award: www.thetrustcompany.com.au
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Toffia (Rieti) old stone little building located in the historic center, 65 sqm covered, three floors, 1 bedroom, living room whit fireplace, kitchen, bathroom, 25 sqm terrace spectacular view, 100 sqm garden, perfectly restored, heating, dishwasher, 40 minutes from Rome. It is a splendid village in Sabina, a green region very near Rome, famous for production of olive oil.
At about 40 km north-east of Rome, the area called Sabina extends from the banks of the Tiber to the Sabine mountains, part of the chain of the Appennines. The landscape of hills covered with olive trees, with extensive forests of oaks and, everywhere, small medieval villages, castles and monasteries. It's a landscape remained largely unchanged over time and little touched by modern building development.
By car: you can reach Toffia leaving the highway Rome-Florence exit Fiano Romano or Ponzano Soratte. By plane: the nearest airport is Rome-Fiumicino. By train: using the line Fiumicino airport-Orte or using the metro service Fiumicino airport-Fara Sabina. Both lines pass trough the biggest railway stations in Rome.
Sabina is a land rich in culture, it is said to have given rise to ancient Rome, because Romolo and Remo were children, according to legend, of Rea Silvia, the woman who named the town of Rieti. The ancient people of Sabina came to the place where Rome will born trough Tiber river.
Toffia (Rieti) old stone little building located in the historic center, 65 sqm covered, three floors, 1 bedroom, living room whit fireplace, kitchen, bathroom, 25 sqm terrace spectacular view, 100 sqm garden, perfectly restored, heating, dishwasher, 40 minutes from Rome.
It is a splendid village in Sabina, a green region very near Rome, famous for production of olive oil.


Hello everyone, and welcome to Day 6 of the 12 Days of Christmas celebration at eclectic Paperie! It's Broni here and I can't wait to show you my project!
First let me tell you that today's super special deal is 20% off on a Gelli plate. Just use the code 12DAYS6 at checkout.
I had a little snowman that I had colored (with Copic markers) and I needed a special wintery background for him. So I decided to pull out my Gelli plate. I have to admit that when I get my Gelli plate out I get carried away. There are so many great ways to use it! I didn't know if I wanted to keep it simple today or get a little more complicated. So I just started playing.
First I applied some acrylic masking fluid to a piece of white cardstock (for snow), then brayered on some blue and green paints. Then I peeled off the masking fluid and added spots of white paint. I liked it!
My second time around, I played with some blues and purples, using a baby comb to create simple curving hills. I liked this turned out too.
But I wanted more color. So I decided to get a tiny bit more complicated. I used some die cuts from my stash to lay down clouds and a small heart on the Gelli plate. I brayered on some aqua blue acrylic paint, then used the comb again to create hills. I peeled off the die cuts from the Gelli plate before I laid my cardstock down onto the plate and rubbed it with my hand to pick up the color.
I added some small patches of purple and green. As you can see from the photo below, I don't usually clean my Gelli plate in between colors. You always get an added layer of color and surprise if you just leave it alone and continue to build the colors.
Now that was more color!
But I needed more snow for my little snowman! So out came the stencils and embossing paste, and then some Star Dust Stickles.
Now I was happy with my background! This is what I used for my cute little snowman card.
Don't forget! You can get the Gelli plate and other Gelli Arts products at eclectic Paperie! Today you get 20% off on a Gelli plate. Use code 12DAYS6 at the checkout.
If you need a jump start on playing with Gelli Arts products, be sure to visit their blog: Printing with Gelli Arts. There are tons of great videos there!
Thanks so much for stopping in to visit with us today! Happy crafting!
What a fabulous tutorial, Broni. I learned so much and now I really want a gelli plate. Your background has such depth and texture...love the colours. What a fabulous way to use the finished paper...sweet card. That snowman melts my heart.
Broni, Broni, Broni!! I simply adore your snowman and gelli plate background!! And masking fluid - ooh, great idea!!
I have never seen this technique before and I love it! Wow, you are just so creative. Beautiful card!
LOVE the BG you created for your Adorable snowman! LOVE the colors and the technique! Such a BEAUTIFUL card, Broni! THX for the inspiration!
Broni what an adorable fat snowman. U rocked that gelli plate honey.
AWESOME...... love how you created that background and combined it into a card. LOVE it.


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GVSU DE Judon focused on rematch with Ashland, not NFL
Judon leads the nation, regardless of division, with 18 sacks.
GVSU DE Judon focused on rematch with Ashland, not NFL Judon leads the nation, regardless of division, with 18 sacks. Check out this story on Freep.com: http://on.freep.com/1j6WeSP
George Sipple, Detroit Free Press Published 2:05 a.m. ET Nov. 18, 2015
Matt Judon was drafted in the fifth round by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2016 NFL Draft.(Photo: Courtesy of Grand Valley State)
Grand Valley State (9-2) will visit Ashland (10-0) in the first round of the NCAA Division II football playoffs at noon Saturday. The Lakers' only road loss came at Ashland, 45-31, on Oct. 31. Senior defensive end Matt Judon, named GLIAC defensive lineman of the year Tuesday, had two tackles and one sack for Grand Valley. Judon leads the nation, regardless of division, with 18 sacks. He also ranks second in the GLIAC and 16th in Division II with 19 tackles for loss. He has 32 career sacks, which ranks second in school history behind Dan Skuta's 321/2. Judon spoke with Detroit Free Press sports writer George Sipple about his sack totals, his season and the rematch with Ashland.
On his personal success this season: "I love playing football. I obviously couldn't do it without my teammates. … I've just been more comfortable this year, studying the game a lot more. I think I wised up. I work on my craft every day, watching film. I really don't know what's contributed to the success. It's more than one thing. It's the summer workouts, the coaching, the quarterback holding on to the ball longer. It's just a whole team thing."
On leading the nation in sacks, regardless of division: "I'm proud of that accomplishment. … I'm just very blessed to be where I am. I have a lot of talent. I believe in myself. I'm not cocky, but I believe in my talent. It's just exciting that I can be mentioned with people (that play) for the likes of Auburn and LSU, Alabama and say, as of right now, I'm doing something better than those guys that were recruited for D-I college scholarships. I've been having a blast this year getting to the quarterback."
On needing one sack to break Skuta's career record: "That would mean a lot. When I was a freshman, Skuta had just went out the door. He came back a couple times and worked out with us. He was obviously a tremendous talent here. He's also continued his career in the NFL. … I'm doing something as well as he did while he was here. So, that's a big accomplishment for me."
On having another chance to visit Ashland: "We have to take full advantage of our second chance. We want to beat them because they're the next team on the schedule. It's not a revenge thing. They're on scholarship as well. They want to go out there and win."
On NFL prospects: "I can't focus on that right now. I'm still a collegiate athlete. Hopefully I got five more games for Grand Valley to play. If that time comes, I need one GM to fall in love with me and just get my shot, but that time isn't right now. If I'm looking forward to tomorrow and not focused on today, I'll miss the opportunities that I have today."
NCAA Division II playoffs
First-round matchup: No. 6 seed Grand Valley (9-2) at No. 3 seed Ashland (10-0).
Kickoff: Noon Saturday, Jack Miller Stadium, Ashland, Ohio.
TV/radio: CN900, WDFN-AM (1130).
First-round matchup: No. 7 seed Texas A&M Commerce (8-3) at No. 2 seed Ferris State (10-0).
Kickoff: Noon Saturday, Top Taggart Field, Big Rapids.
Livestream: FerrisStateBulldogs.com.
Tickets: $5-$12. Visit www.StarTickets.com or call 800-585-3737.
NCAA Division III playoffs
First-round matchup: Albion (9-1) at Wabash (10-0).
Kickoff: Noon Saturday, Hollett Little Giant Stadium, Crawfordsville, Ind.
Overview: Albion averages nearly 580 yards and 51 points per game while Wabash allows just 190 yards and 6.5 points per game.


International Business Machines (IBM) inked a $700 million deal with the multinational bank Banco Santander, according to the company's announcement on their website.
The contract will last five years with an aim to enable Santander to accelerate and deepen its business transformation. IBM will provide its services to Santander with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and big data fields. In addition, Santander will start using IBM's Watson program, a question-answering computer system with the aim of "improving customer experience, enhance branch advisors expertise and increase employee productivity".
Banco Santander is a multinational bank based in Spain. It has more than 200,000 employees and almost 145,000 customers. Last year, the bank recorded a profit of 7.81 billion EUR.
"This agreement will allow us to have a global partner with the best technology to help accelerate the IT transformation. We think this agreement with IBM represents great support to our strategy of constant progress while protecting our investments in technology. IBM's technology will provide the bank with the flexibility needed to support the constantly evolving business of a bank," says David Chaos, the gChief Information Officer at Santander Global.
As a result, Santander Group is expected to realize annual savings on IT spend. The ultimate goal of the partnership is a further development of an open, flexible and modern IT environment for Santander.
"Santander Group is leveraging IBM technologies to support their security and regulatory work, and to rapidly develop new services that meet emerging customer demand by tapping into IBM's unique technology and industry expertise," said David Soto, IBM General Manager for Santander Group.
On the other hand, two major healthcare organizations – Cigna and Sentara – have joined IBM's Blockchain Health Utility Network.
The network was created last month after Aetna, Anthem, Health Care Service Corporation, PNC Bank, and IBM entered into partnership "to design and create a network using blockchain technology to improve transparency and interoperability in the healthcare industry".
Cigna, one of the world's largest health services organizations, has joined the network with the aim to create a more efficient business model.
"Cigna sees enormous potential for blockchain to improve the way we harness insights across the healthcare ecosystem to better serve our customers and communities," said Mark Boxer, the Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Cigna.
Sentara, the US-based not-for-profit healthcare organization, is keen on using blockchain technology to improve its data security and IT interoperability.
"Sentara is dedicated to leveraging Information Technology to continuously improve health every day. Blockchain is poised to help solve some of healthcare's most crucial data security, and IT interoperability issues as we look to implement new customer-centric healthcare delivery models," said Mike Reagin, Senior Vice President and Chief Information and Innovation Officer at Sentara.
World's healthcare spending was recorded at $7.7 trillion in 2017 and is expected to rise to more than $10 trillion by 2022.


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Fueling a passion to help others
destiny lacasse
Cullen Family scholarship recipient is working toward a career in horticulture therapy.
Brian Cocks offers real-world experience to students
brian cocks
Show Committee member works closely with students.
Pledging estate donation will help future of industry
Brian Cocks CLT is asking LO members who have benefited so much from this industry, to give back to it through a special donation in their will.
Students express their thoughts on experiences at Congress
humber college
I spoke with a number of teachers and students on how they felt about experiencing Congress.
Humber launches project to conserve endangered trees
Efforts focused on preserving endangered butternut tree.
Humber announces new arboretum director
Denise Devlin-Li, dean of Humber School of Applied Technology, announced the appointment of Alexandra (Alix) Link to the position of director of the Humber Arboretum.
Congress Connect Conference schedule 2021
The 2021 conference features 30 sessions that can be accessed for one full year.
Congress Connect is a year-long experience
Registration is now open for Congress Connect — Landscape Ontario's year-long marketplace.
Landscape Trades January 2020 Feature
A Humber College student sets a stone at her school's Congress garden build; a foundation for her future career.
Congress opens doors
Beyond products, professional development and friends, Congress welcomes young people to great careers
BY SCOTT BARBER
Landscape Ontario Congress blew Destiny Lacasse's mind.
Now in her third and final year at Niagara Parks School of Horticulture, Lacasse first visited Congress in 2018, as a member of her program's garden building team.
"I was mind blown by how big it was," Lacasse remembers. "You start in one massive section, with equipment and pavers and plants everywhere, and you think that must be the whole show. Then you see a door that leads to another giant hall, with even more equipment and businesses and people. And then there's another. The scale of it really blew me away."
Each year, students, young people and newcomers to the horticulture profession visit Congress to check out the latest products and equipment, connect with potential employers and attend the Conference program.
Landscape Ontario's executive director Tony DiGiovanni describes the annual trade show and Conference at the Toronto Congress Centre as a "homecoming" for the profession. It's also a career launching pad.
"I went to Congress for the first time in 1975, as a first-year student in the horticulture program at Humber College," DiGiovanni remembers. "At the time, I wasn't sure the industry was right for me; I didn't know what my career path could be."
A Congress seminar for students led by Landscape Ontario's first president, Glenn Peister, was a turning point for DiGiovanni.
"The way Glenn talked about landscaping and horticulture, and all the potential careers in the field, really made a big impact on me," DiGiovanni says. "It was so inspirational, I can honestly say it was one of the reasons I decided to stay in the program and to pursue a career in horticulture."
Another factor was DiGiovanni's experience building a student garden on the show floor.
"It was a bonding experience for our class, to come together to design and build a garden at Congress," he said. "I look back at the positive energy and the team work and I can see now what a big impact the experience had on me and my career path."
He added, "Congress really is more than just a show. It's a place where students and young people find inspiration, and industry veterans get reenergized."
Student garden displays have been part of every Congress since then, providing horticulture and landscaping students from schools including Fanshawe College, Niagara Parks School of Horticulture and Humber College practical, hands-on experience. The garden builds give Congress visitors a glimpse of the future of the industry.
Brian Cocks treats the garden build like it's "a real job on a real jobsite," to keep things safe and give students the chance to show off their skills.
Time for teamwork
Brian Cocks, owner of Brian Cocks Nursery and Landscaping in Winona, Ont., has managed the student gardens for decades. With 150-200 students working in a small area with a tight deadline, ensuring everything goes smoothly is no easy feat.
"What I have seen over the years, is the quality of the work and the gardens has drastically improved," Cocks said. "The students really take ownership over their gardens, and that sense of pride in the work you do is so important. I've also seen a real competitiveness amongst the schools, which I think is great. It shows me that these young people really care, and they are passionate about what they do."
Lacasse has been part of two builds, and for 2020, she's part of the design team for her school's garden.
"The student garden build experience is really valuable for all of the colleges involved, but it's especially important for Niagara, because we don't get a lot of hardscaping experience; it's not the focus of our program," Lacasse said. "I really enjoyed the opportunity to create the plans, and cut the stone, and work on some skills we don't otherwise spend a lot of time on."
Taniel Ajamian is also a third year student at Niagara Parks School of Horticulture. Ajamian says the biggest challenge was keeping the plants watered, recalling times when they "were running around with buckets and garbage cans, filling them at custodial staff sinks." But the hard work and the hectic environment was worth it.
"Participating in the student garden build is a fun experience," he said. "I enjoy the teamwork and urgency that goes into building our booth, and it's very fulfilling once it is complete."
Once the garden build was finished, Ajamain relished the opportunity to check out everything Congress has to offer.
"The biggest takeaway from the trade show is having fun, meeting new people and making new contacts, and seeing cool things," he said. "The size and scope of the industry does surprise me and also excites me as a student. I always see new equipment every year and look forward to visiting nursery booths for a catalog and to check out their display. I plan on attending Congress in the future to network, and to keep up-to-date on future technology and innovations."
Lacasse agreed that Congress is a great place for students and young people to get a taste of the industry. "I enjoy walking the whole show floor, because you get to see what's new, all of the different businesses and products that are being introduced," she said. "Then when you go back each year you get to see familiar faces and you get to reconnect and build your network. I think that's really valuable for students and people who are getting started in their careers, to be able to meet so many people in the industry all in one place."
The opportunity to network, meet with potential employers and suppliers is key, Cocks says."It's as simple as taking the initiative to introduce yourself, and to ask questions."
For 2020, the conference program features several events geared specifically to students. The Greencareerscanada.ca Game of Life seminar will explore education pathways and career opportunities in the landscape horticulture profession; the Lunch and Learn Speed Networking keynote will provide opportunities to make new connections; and the Snap Dragon's Den event is a great chance for secondary and post secondary students to show their knowledge and initiative to potential employers.
Students are eligible for a free Congress trade show pass, and special conference pricing. Visit LOcongress.com/students.
Congress 2020 salutes the landscape profession Jan. 7-9, 2020
Celebrating its 47th year in 2020, Landscape Ontario Congress is the annual face-to-face event that brings Canada's green pros together. If you have been to Congress before, you are probably planning to go this year. If you have never been to Congress, now is the time to make plans.
The show ranks among Canada's top 10 trade shows, filling six acres of floor space with energy. Reasons to attend include:
Products: Over 600 exhibitors display their best sales and productivity solutions, from trucks to pavers to equipment to nursery stock and more. Budget time to visit the New Product Showcase, a juried display of new technology and merchandise.
Pro development: Business education opportunities at Congress are second to none. Conference sessions are geared toward every sector, and tailored to business owners as well as frontline staff. Specialized events are offered for Integrated Pest Management, leadership and landscape design. Don't miss the two top-flight keynotes, plus live floor demos on hardscape, vehicle compliance and success with trees.
Events: The Tuesday evening Awards of Excellence ceremony draws over 500 guests, and celebrates landscape pride and professionalism. Relax with friends at Congress After Dark on Wednesday evening.
Fun: Try your hand at axe-throwing (!) in the north hall near the hardscape demo area. Then ease your thirst at the Ale Trail stations on the show floor.
The beauty of Congress is the unpredictable things that happen — chance new contacts, unexpected technology solutions, or seeing an old employee who is doing well. Get details and register at www.LOcongress.com.
Congress Destiny Lacasse Brian Cocks Humber College