text:
4 million border encounters since Kamala Harris assigned to address 'root cause' of problem
More than four million migrants have flocked to the southern border since Vice President Kamala Harris was assigned the task of addressing the 'root cause' of the crisis nearly two years ago.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection tracked 233,000 border encounters in November, a 35% increase from when Harris was assigned her role on mass migration there in March 2021.
These encounters are expected to increase after the expiration of Title 42, a pandemic-era policy under President Trump that allows border agents to turn away migrants at the border.
The White House in December was unable to define what exactly Harris does in her role to address this mass migration.
'I don't have anything to lay out specifically on what that work looks like,' press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a press briefing when asked about Harris' role.
The vice president's office did not respond to a request for comment.
Encounters at the southern border hit an all-time high of 2.38 million in fiscal year 2022.
The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision Tuesday, temporarily halted the termination of Title 42, which was initially ordered by a U.S. district judge to expire Dec. 21. The White House said it would comply with the ruling and prepare for the policy's eventual expiration.
'At the same time, we are advancing our preparations to manage the border in a secure, orderly and humane way when Title 42 eventually lifts and will continue expanding legal pathways for immigration,' Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
Harris traveled to the border once in 2021 but did not do so this year. She insisted in recent months 'the border is secure.' She spent three days in Latin America in two trips as vice president.
Harris' last public appearance on the topic of immigration was June 15, according to a Los Angeles Times database of her scheduled events. The database shows 20 scheduled events on immigration for the vice president, only three since Aug. 5, 2021.
Harris released a plan on addressing the border crisis in July 2021, which detailed the need to boost democracy and economic security in Central America so there is less of an incentive to leave for the U.S. illegally.
President Biden has yet to visit the border as president and said 'there are more important things going on.'
There were 78,000 encounters at the southern border in January 2021 when Biden took office. The encounters jumped to 173,000 in March 2021, when Harris was assigned to find the root cause of this mass migration. Encounters hit a high that year in July at 213,000 and peaked in May 2022 at 241,000.
Patrick Hauf is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.


text:
4 Stars☆☆☆☆
Review by Brian Eggert January 22, 2017
Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig, Lucas Jade Zumann, Billy Crudup, Alia Shawkat
Mike Mills' 20th Century Women takes place in 1979, the year Jimmy Carter's "Crisis of Confidence" speech echoed throughout the country and ensured his political demise. Imagine it, an American President goes on television to address his morally bankrupt predecessor (Nixon), censure our energy consumption, promote a healthy environment, call out our culture's greed, and openly acknowledge the country's widespread existential predicament, all amid the Me Decade. The film's characters watch the speech with pride and awe, while Mills winkingly opens his film with the Talking Heads' "Don't Worry About the Government" against the opening credits; but even listening to that band, which is a favorite of the writer-director (and this critic), might mean someone vandalizes your car with the words "art fag." By the end of this affecting and dreamily assembled picture, the viewer embraces the result, happily adopting and owning the vandal's label.
Mills charts the lives of his characters as they search for themselves in Santa Barbara, California, allowing each of them time in the film's temporally unrestrained use of narration. Consider how the ever-smoking and Birkenstocked Dorothea Fields (Annette Bening) acknowledges how, in two decades, she will die from lung cancer. Knowing the characters' fates enriches them, giving the audience a sense of the scope of their years beyond the film's story. Dorothea raises her teenage son Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann) in a communal, neglected stately house that her live-in handyman, William (Billy Crudup), has been renovating. Another boarder, the wine-haired punk Abbie (Greta Gerwig), takes pictures and works through her recent trials with cervical cancer. Less permanent is Jamie's platonic friend Julie (Elle Fanning), who sneaks into his window at night just to talk and then sleep, though Jamie wants more. Making it worse, Julie openly recounts her uncomfortable sexual experiences with other boys.
Though Jamie remains at the center of the film's microcosm, he exists as a sponge, absorbing everything the women around him have to offer by way of grace, perspective, and experience. Abbie exposes him to records and shows him how to exorcize his frustrations through dance. She also gives him books like Our Bodies, Ourselves and Sisterhood Is Powerful, second-wave feminist texts that enlighten Jamie to the female experience. After reading them, he becomes concerned with how to please a woman through clitoral stimulation, while also becoming acutely aware of his mother's internalization and quiet desperation. Being a single parent, Dorothea doesn't quite know what to do with Jamie at this age, and she enlists Abbie and Julie to help shape her son and take an active role in his life. To be sure, 20th Century Women seems to recall a formative time from Mills' own experiences.
The filmmaker's last picture, Beginners, a quirky and touching comedy, told the story of Mills' father who came out during his septuagenarian years. Mills turned to his mother for 20th Century Women, a portrait both fictional and autobiographical, told in periodic collages, and accompanied by the sounds of Devo, the Clash, and the aforementioned foursome headed by David Byrne. At any moment, Mills cuts to an archival black-and-white photo or places titles on the screen so Jamie can read an excerpt from an influential text. A post-modern visualist who plays freely with the formal devices of film speed, voiceover, and editing, Mills creates a lyrical and carefully observed study of people that, though they may serve as composites or approximations, evidently had a major influence on his life. The viewer can sense the profoundly intimate touches throughout the film, as though each scene represents a page or impression in the photo album of Mills' memory.
Though Jamie may represent Mills, the film does not occupy his perspective alone. 20th Century Women shifts its view throughout to align with William, Abbie, Julie, or Dorothea. We hear their thoughts in voiceover or watch an entire scene from their perspective, such as Julie's experiences sitting-in on her psychologist mother's group sessions, or William's account of what happened in his life after he opened a pottery store in Arizona. But there are also countless endearing moments when everyone comes together, and Mills orchestrates a fluid, lived-in dynamic amid the actors. Take the scene where Abbie insists the guests at a dinner party say and become comfortable with the word "menstruation," followed by William's advice on how to make love not to just the vagina but the whole woman, and finally, Julie's recollection of her rather awful first sexual experience. By this point in the film, our reaction to these equally shocking and hilarious confessions and avowals equate to the understanding we might feel for family or longtime friends.
Scenes both tender and funny create moments in which the actors disappear into their roles. A gentle Crudup and newcomer Zumann hold their own against Mills' trio of female performers: Bening's complex, impressive turn is both sad and strong, independent yet compartmentalized. Black-and-white stills recall Dorothea's upbringing in the Depression to explain away how things were different then; people took care of each other. But Dorothea's refusal to openly communicate with her son keeps her at a distance. Mills would surely admit he did not entirely figure his mother out before her death. How many of us do? Fanning balances Julie's elusive and adventurous side with a staggering vulnerability. And Gerwig is perhaps the standout, doing what she does best (in Frances Ha and Mistress America) by playing a woman who must accept that she's no longer as young as she thinks she is—except, she does so with an incredible degree of rawness and anger here.
Alongside editor Leslie Jones, Mills explores his memories and creates characters through elegiac and ruminative filmmaking, giving the film an art project quality. Though his formal choices never go too far or remove us from the scene at hand, the technical beauty and artistry behind 20th Century Women cannot be denied. Mills follows cars up and down the coast, streaming them with the rainbow colors of an LSD trip. By manipulating the frames-per-second, the uncontainable Julie walks like a J-horror specter, zipping along at a faster pace than everyone else, as if she's both ahead of the curve and moving too fast for her own good. The film takes an anecdotal form, offering scenes that come together in a stunning and moving patchwork, all of it shot in bright, muted 1970s tones by cinematographer Sean Porter.
Above all, 20th Century Women feels intimate beyond measure, and those who can relate will undergo a deep and meaningful connection to its characters. Mills explores a time and place, the people who lived there, what they were thinking, the music they listened to, and where they ended up in life with sweeping intimacy. Perhaps it's all to better understand Dorothea, a homebody experiencing Carter's crisis and trying to figure out where she belongs, but everyone around her feels the same way. Her state of mind reflects the world around her, and it's a particularly germane perspective. Mills' formal approach has an emotional logic that may not work for the literal-minded, but then his subjects are not so obtuse; his incredible screenplay and outstanding cast humanize living, breathing people with inexplicable eccentricities and complex interior lives. In no small or insignificant way, Mills explores life in all its uncertainty and individuality, leaving his audience with an undeniable, personal experience.
Beginners (2011)
The Meddler (2016)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Dr Ella Leers is a Family Physician and Addiction Medicine specialist. She has been prescribing medical cannabis since the beginning of the program in NY state and has extensive experience treating patients for their chronic diseases with medical cannabis. Dr. Leers is uniquely qualified to assist patients looking to transition from pharmaceutical pain medications like opiates or other narcotics to medical cannabis treatment, especially if they have not responded to conventional modes of medicine and are seeking a naturally therapeutic treatment option.
Dr Jean Burg is a Family Physician and a Palliative Care specialist. She has been seeing patients for primary care, emergency care and end of life/hospice care for over 20 years. Dr Burg has significant knowledge and experience working with patients who suffer from symptoms of chronic disease. She strives to help people find relief from their discomfort using natural methods that complement their current treatments.
Dr Diana Ramirez is a Family Physician and an HIV specialist. Dr Ramirez has been working in primary care with undocumented immigrants for many years. Dr Ramirez runs a medical office utilizing a revolutionary method of treating patients that allows for extended period of time with the patients provider and incorporates alternative treatments into her patients medical care. Dr Ramirez is always interested in new ideas and innovative therapies for her patient care programs and has been eager to apply her knowledge to the care and welfare of her medical cannabis patients.
Dr Marcelo Venegas is an Internal Medicine specialist and he has been treating patients for primary care and emergency care for many years. Dr Venegas has a specific interest in therapeutic benefit of various modalities including prescription and non prescription therapies. Dr Venegas has a special interest in helping people balance traditional western medicine and alternative treatments.
Copyright © 2018 KnowNOW Cannabis - All Rights Reserved.


text:
Q: Файл xls не открывается Есть файл формате xls, с регенерирован средствами php.
Он открывается через программы норм (микрософт офис), а вот через гугл таблицу (браузере) пишет ошибку (не известная, просто ошибка в открытии).
Чего в этом файле не хватает?

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Workbook xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:spreadsheet"
 xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
 xmlns:x="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel"
 xmlns:ss="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:spreadsheet"
 xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<Worksheet ss:Name="Table1">
<Table>
<Column ss:Index="1" ss:AutoFitWidth="0" ss:Width="110"/>
<Row>
<Cell><Data ss:Type="String"></Data></Cell>
<Cell><Data ss:Type="String">Фамилия покупателя,номер заказа</Data></Cell>
<Cell><Data ss:Type="String">Категория</Data></Cell>
<Cell><Data ss:Type="String">Бренд</Data></Cell>
<Cell><Data ss:Type="String">Номер модели</Data></Cell>
<Cell><Data ss:Type="String">Размер</Data></Cell>
<Cell><Data ss:Type="String">Цвет</Data></Cell>
<Cell><Data ss:Type="String">Кол-во штук</Data></Cell>
</Row>

<Row>
<Cell><Data ss:Type="String"></Data></Cell>
<Cell><Data ss:Type="String"> Дроздова, #806</Data></Cell>
<Cell><Data ss:Type="String">Платье</Data></Cell>
<Cell><Data ss:Type="String">PRIO</Data></Cell>
<Cell><Data ss:Type="String">117280</Data></Cell>
<Cell><Data ss:Type="String">44</Data></Cell>
<Cell><Data ss:Type="String">Черный и бежевый крем</Data></Cell>
<Cell><Data ss:Type="String">1</Data></Cell>
</Row>
</Table>
</Worksheet>
</Workbook>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
package org.jfrog.bamboo.capability;

import com.atlassian.bamboo.command.SimpleExecuteStreamHandler;
import com.atlassian.bamboo.utils.SystemProperty;
import com.atlassian.bamboo.v2.build.agent.capability.AbstractHomeDirectoryCapabilityDefaultsHelper;
import com.atlassian.bamboo.v2.build.agent.capability.CapabilityDefaultsHelper;
import com.atlassian.bamboo.v2.build.agent.capability.ExecutablePathUtils;
import com.google.common.base.Predicate;
import com.google.common.collect.Lists;
import org.apache.commons.lang.StringUtils;
import org.apache.commons.lang.SystemUtils;
import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
import org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs.Execute;
import org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs.ExecuteWatchdog;
import org.apache.tools.ant.types.Commandline;
import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;

import java.io.File;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
import java.util.regex.Matcher;
import java.util.regex.Pattern;

public class Maven3CapabilityHelper extends AbstractHomeDirectoryCapabilityDefaultsHelper {
    private static final Logger log = Logger.getLogger(Maven3CapabilityHelper.class);
    private static final String MAVEN3_HOME_POSIX = "/usr/share/maven3/";
    private static final Pattern MAVEN_VERSION_3 = Pattern.compile("3\\.\\d+\\.\\d+");
    private static final String M2_EXECUTABLE_NAME = "mvn";
    private static final long GET_VERSION_TIMEOUT = TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(10);
    private static final Pattern VERSION_PATTERN = Pattern.compile("Apache Maven (\\S+).*");

    @NotNull
    @Override
    protected String getExecutableName() {
        return ExecutablePathUtils.makeBatchIfOnWindows(M2_EXECUTABLE_NAME);
    }

    @Nullable
    @Override
    protected String getEnvHome() {
        return SystemProperty.MAVEN2_HOME.getValue();
    }

    @NotNull
    @Override
    protected String getPosixHome() {
        return MAVEN3_HOME_POSIX;
    }

    @Override
    @NotNull
    protected String getCapabilityKey() {
        return CapabilityDefaultsHelper.CAPABILITY_BUILDER_PREFIX + ".maven.Artifactory Maven 3";
    }

    public static class MavenVersionMatcher implements Predicate<File> {
        private final Pattern pattern;

        public MavenVersionMatcher(@NotNull Pattern pattern) {
            this.pattern = pattern;
        }

        @Override
        public boolean apply(@Nullable final File input) {
            if (input == null) {
                return false;
            }
            String mavenVersion = getMavenVersion(input);
            return mavenVersion != null && pattern.matcher(mavenVersion).matches();
        }

        /**
         * Parse output of "mvn --version". This method works only with Maven 2 and Maven 3
         *
         * @return text representation of Maven version number or null if not possible to obtain version number
         */
        @Nullable
        private static String getMavenVersion(final File mavenExecutable) {
            if (!mavenExecutable.isFile()) {
                log.info("Failed to get Maven version, file does not exists: " + mavenExecutable);
                return null;
            }

            Commandline commandline = new Commandline();
            if (SystemUtils.IS_OS_WINDOWS) {
                commandline.setExecutable("cmd.exe");
                commandline.addArguments(new String[]{"/c", mavenExecutable.getPath()});
            } else {
                commandline.setExecutable(mavenExecutable.getPath());
            }
            commandline.addArguments(new String[]{"--version"});

            List<String> commandStdOut = Lists.newArrayList();
            List<String> commandStdErr = Lists.newArrayList();

            ExecuteWatchdog watchdog = new ExecuteWatchdog(GET_VERSION_TIMEOUT);
            Execute execute =
                    new Execute(new SimpleExecuteStreamHandler(commandStdOut, commandStdErr, "MavenVersion"), watchdog);
            execute.setWorkingDirectory(SystemUtils.getJavaIoTmpDir());
            execute.setEnvironment(new String[]{"M2_HOME=" + mavenExecutable.getParentFile().getParent()});
            execute.setCommandline(commandline.getCommandline());

            try {
                int exitValue = execute.execute();
                if (!Execute.isFailure(exitValue)) {
                    for (String line : commandStdOut) {
                        Matcher matcher = VERSION_PATTERN.matcher(line);
                        if (matcher.matches()) {
                            return matcher.group(1);
                        }
                    }
                    log.warn("Failed to get Maven version, unable to analyze output: \n" + StringUtils
                            .join(commandStdOut, "\n"));
                } else {
                    if (watchdog.killedProcess()) {
                        log.warn("Failed to get Maven version, command timed out");
                    } else {
                        log.warn("Failed to get Maven version, command failed: \n" +
                                StringUtils.join(commandStdErr, "\n"));
                    }
                }
            } catch (Exception e) {
                log.warn("Failed to execute command", e);
            }

            return null;
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Chickens for Sale in College Station - Bird and Bee Farm.
Young Hens, Rio Grande Turkey Poults and more!
GUINEA KEET WAITING LIST, EGGS ARE IN THE INCUBATOR!
We sell Standard Size Started Pullets - Hens - from 2 months old to laying chickens. We also sell Guinea Fowl and Rio Grande Wild Turkeys in Season. Pullets are vaccinated for Coccidiosus Mereks and Fowl Pox.
Come purchase our delicious local honey.
Call us for availability of Nuc's this Spring.
Working with our Conservation Partners to return our 100 acre Farm to its Original Native Prairie-Oak Savannah Habitat to benefit wildlife in Texas.
Better yet, come to the farm and meet us in person!
If you are unable to come during our opened hours please call or text us and we will make and appointment that is convenient for both of us.
Copyright © 2018 Bird and Bee Farm. - All Rights Reserved.


Why Exercise? Well, we all have our different reasons. It could simply be to tone up our legs or arms, flatten our stomach, reach a goal, to stay healthy and fit, or even to reduce the chance of becoming diagnosed with a deadly diseases. These are only a few of the benefits of exercise. Here are some benefits you may or may not know of, but I feel are worth mentioning.
One study found that working out three times a week, burning 350 calories, reduced symptoms of depression almost just as effectively as antidepressants.
Exercise increases brain chemicals known as growth factors, which in turn help us learn. Challenging yourself physically not only enhances your attention, but your concentration as well, both which improve your capacity to learn.
Working hard in the gym is something everyone should be proud of.
It leaves you feeling euphoric.
Also known as the "runners high." You'll be full of energy and gleaming happiness.
Not only does it keep your body fit, but it keeps your brain fit too.
It is known to keep your cognitive skills sharp. You know what that means? It will help you score better on those dreaded exams.
Finally, it may help keep Alzheimer's at bay.
Alzheimer's is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. 5.4 Million Americans are living with this disease and there is no known cure. So take steps now that might reduce your chance of becoming a part of this statistic.
SO GET UP AND GET MOVING!


text:
Micro-level practices to adapt to climate change for African small-scale farmers
Title Micro-level practices to adapt to climate change for African small-scale farmers
Subtitle A review of selected literature
Author Below, Till
Artner, Astrid
Siebert, Rosemarie
Sieber, Stefan
Abstract This paper discusses micro-level practices for adapting to climate change that are available to small-scale farmers in Africa. The analysis is based on a review of 17 studies about practices that boost small-scale farmers' resilience or reduce their vulnerability to observed or expected changes in climate; it includes data from more than 16 countries in Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The review shows that African smallholders are already using a wide variety of creative practices to deal with climate risks; these can be further adjusted to the challenge of climate change by planned adaptation programs. We found 104 different practices relevant to climate change adaptation and organized them in five categories: farm management and technology; farm financial management; diversification on and beyond the farm; government interventions in infrastructure, health, and risk reduction; and knowledge management, networks, and governance. We conclude that adaptation policies should complement farmers' autonomous response to climate change through the development of new drought-resistant varieties and improved weather forecasts, the provision of financial services, improvement of rural transportation infrastructure, investments in public healthcare and public welfare programs, and policies that improve local governance and coordinate donor activities.
Subject - keywords Climate change
adaptation practices
Small-scale farmers
climate risks
government interventions
public welfare programs
Agricultural growth
Display Notes Effective January 2007, the Discussion Paper series within each division and the Director General's Office of IFPRI were merged into one IFPRI–wide Discussion Paper series. The new series begins with number 00689, reflecting the prior publication of 688 discussion papers within the dispersed series. The earlier series are available on IFPRI's website at http://www.ifpri.org/category/publication-type/discussion-papers.
IFPRI Web link http://www.ifpri.org/publication/micro-level-practices-adapt-climate-change-african-small-scale-farmers
Abstract 12 three ethnic groups—the Weheebe, Jalloube, and Riimaye—live together in the same villages, and traditionally their relationship was strictly hierarchical. The Weheebe were the local chiefs and served as administrators for the French colonists, the Jalloube were the herders and had little contact with the French, and the Riimaye served as domestic slaves for the first two ethnic groups. During the severe Sahelian droughts of the 1980s, the transhumant men of the Jalloube frequently migrated to other regions to serve as cattle herders, assistants to cattle traders, and traditional priests. Compared with the Riimaye group, the Jalloube had relatively few opportunities for diversification. As proud herdsmen, Jalloube men and women would feel embarrassed if a crisis drove them to cultivate the land and to gather bush products, because this was the traditional domain of the "inferior" Riimaye group. The remaining options for diversification for the women of the Jalloube were thus mainly petty trade, such as the sale of powdered milk, and activities in the third sector, such as hair plaiting and prostitution. In contrast the Riimaye women had the opportunity to cultivate additional small plots of land, weave mats, and gather bush products such as wild fruits, rice, and fonio (a cereal), as well as to engage in small-scale trade. The men of the Riimaye generally tried to increase millet production and migrated in search of work in construction as a means of adapting to the drought. The Weheebe, the ethnic group of the former local chiefs, used a mixed strategy to adapt to the drought. Some of these men, who generally were better educated and had more social capital, managed to move to the towns and find jobs in the government administration and small tailoring enterprises. Weheebe women had the fewest opportunities for diversification. Because they were confined to the house for cultural reasons, they could not collect bush products, and their only opportunity for diversification was weaving mats (de Bruijn and van Dijk 1994). Some scholars of livelihood diversification strongly question the relative importance of climate risks in the widespread phenomenon of nonagricultural income diversification among Sub-Saharan smallholder farmers. Bryceson (2002) identifies a marked increase of 20% to 40% in sources of nonagricultural income for this group in the last 15 years of the twentieth century.2 The major drivers of diversification were structural adjustment and market liberalization policies that international financial institutions had initiated, and Bryceson (2002) identifies several perverse outcomes that resulted although she acknowledges that drought also has played a role in diversification in some cases.3 Though the weighting of different factors is problematic, smallholder farmers' urgent need to control the widespread risks in their livelihood system clearly is a strong driver of diversification. While commercial activities beyond subsistence agriculture often do reduce the risk of suffering as a result of climate hazards, sometimes they also have the opposite effect. For example, a greater degree of integration into the monetary economy may substantially increase the risk of being adversely affected by economic and political crises. Paavola (2004) reports that excessive use of natural resources in the Morogoro region of Tanzania undermines sustainable land use. In the face of drought people diversify into the production of charcoal, which increases rates of deforestation, and into artisanal mining, which leads to soil erosion and water depletion (Paavola 2004). According to Bryceson (2002), increased diversification has influenced the division of labor and decision making power within smallholder households and has caused a widening of wealth differentials between households. Government Investments in Infrastructure, Health, and Public Welfare Institutional responses to the risks associated with climate change primarily address issues involving infrastructure, health and public employment, and welfare programs. As macro-level interventions these responses have the potential to strongly influence farmers' risk management strategies and therefore belong in this analysis. One example of each of these issues may be useful in delineating the connections between government interventions and local dynamics. 2 Bryceson's conclusions are based on a comprehensive research project that included various qualitative and quantitative studies from six different Sub-Saharian countries. 3 International financial institutions originally implemented the structural adjustment policies to correct urban bias, to balance trade deficit and to reduce external debts.


text:
package ice

import (
	"fmt"

	"github.com/RoaringBitmap/roaring"
	"github.com/blevesearch/vellum"
	segment "github.com/blugelabs/bluge_segment_api"
)

// Dictionary is the representation of the term dictionary
type Dictionary struct {
	sb        *Segment
	field     string
	fieldID   uint16
	fst       *vellum.FST
	fstReader *vellum.Reader
}

// represents an immutable, empty postings list
var emptyDictionary = &Dictionary{}

// PostingsList returns the postings list for the specified term
func (d *Dictionary) PostingsList(term []byte, except *roaring.Bitmap,
	prealloc segment.PostingsList) (segment.PostingsList, error) {
	var preallocPL *PostingsList
	pl, ok := prealloc.(*PostingsList)
	if ok && pl != nil {
		preallocPL = pl
	}
	return d.postingsList(term, except, preallocPL)
}

func (d *Dictionary) postingsList(term []byte, except *roaring.Bitmap, rv *PostingsList) (*PostingsList, error) {
	if d.fstReader == nil {
		if rv == nil || rv == emptyPostingsList {
			return emptyPostingsList, nil
		}
		return d.postingsListInit(rv, except), nil
	}

	postingsOffset, exists, err := d.fstReader.Get(term)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("vellum err: %v", err)
	}
	if !exists {
		if rv == nil || rv == emptyPostingsList {
			return emptyPostingsList, nil
		}
		return d.postingsListInit(rv, except), nil
	}

	return d.postingsListFromOffset(postingsOffset, except, rv)
}

func (d *Dictionary) postingsListFromOffset(postingsOffset uint64, except *roaring.Bitmap, rv *PostingsList) (*PostingsList, error) {
	rv = d.postingsListInit(rv, except)

	err := rv.read(postingsOffset, d)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}

	return rv, nil
}

func (d *Dictionary) postingsListInit(rv *PostingsList, except *roaring.Bitmap) *PostingsList {
	if rv == nil || rv == emptyPostingsList {
		rv = &PostingsList{}
	} else {
		postings := rv.postings
		if postings != nil {
			postings.Clear()
		}

		*rv = PostingsList{} // clear the struct

		rv.postings = postings
	}
	rv.sb = d.sb
	rv.except = except
	return rv
}

func (d *Dictionary) Contains(key []byte) (bool, error) {
	if d.fst != nil {
		return d.fst.Contains(key)
	}
	return false, nil
}

func (d *Dictionary) Close() error {
	return nil
}

// Iterator returns an iterator which only visits terms
// having the the vellum automaton and start/end key range
func (d *Dictionary) Iterator(a segment.Automaton,
	startKeyInclusive, endKeyExclusive []byte) segment.DictionaryIterator {
	if d.fst != nil {
		rv := &DictionaryIterator{
			d: d,
		}

		itr, err := d.fst.Search(a, startKeyInclusive, endKeyExclusive)
		if err == nil {
			rv.itr = itr
		} else if err != vellum.ErrIteratorDone {
			rv.err = err
		}

		return rv
	}
	return emptyDictionaryIterator
}

// represents an immutable, empty dictionary iterator
var emptyDictionaryIterator = &DictionaryIterator{}

// DictionaryIterator is an iterator for term dictionary
type DictionaryIterator struct {
	d         *Dictionary
	itr       vellum.Iterator
	err       error
	tmp       PostingsList
	entry     DictEntry
	omitCount bool
}

// Next returns the next entry in the dictionary
func (i *DictionaryIterator) Next() (segment.DictionaryEntry, error) {
	if i.err != nil && i.err != vellum.ErrIteratorDone {
		return nil, i.err
	} else if i.itr == nil || i.err == vellum.ErrIteratorDone {
		return nil, nil
	}
	term, postingsOffset := i.itr.Current()
	i.entry.term = string(term)
	if !i.omitCount {
		i.err = i.tmp.read(postingsOffset, i.d)
		if i.err != nil {
			return nil, i.err
		}
		i.entry.count = i.tmp.Count()
	}
	i.err = i.itr.Next()
	return &i.entry, nil
}

func (i *DictionaryIterator) Close() error {
	return nil
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func (d *DictEntry) Term() string {
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func (d *DictEntry) Count() uint64 {
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}


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What a Professor & the Wu-Tang Clan Can Teach Your Nonprofit
tags: AmeriCorps Alums, career, Life After AmeriCorps, REALTalk
by AmeriCorps Alums
Today's post is written by AmeriCorps Alums' Co-Executive Director, Ben Duda (full bio below), and is part of AmeriCorps Alums' REALTalk series on race, equity, and AmeriCorps alumni as leaders.
Coldplay, Bruno Mars and Beyoncé gave us the latest example of a musical "mashup" last Sunday at the Super Bowl, with more sure to come at the Grammys this month. And when it comes to musical collaborations, building a group whose contrasts are as interesting as their harmonies is key. A new book by Adam Grant, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Management, suggests the same is true for forming strong teams.
In an interview about Grant's book, Originals: How Nonconformists Move the World, he shares an interesting take on how hiring managers define "cultural fit" for prospective employees that I think is acutely appropriate for the social sector.
"If you look at the hiring process," says Professor Grant, "most leaders try to hire on cultural fit, they say look, we want people who share our values. And that's a really good way to create a clone of your company. The data show that companies that hire on cultural fit initially benefit from a lot of motivation and solidarity, but then they fall victim to group think, and they grow at slower rates. What you need to do is hire on cultural contribution, which is about saying, we don't want people who just replicate our culture, we want to figure out what is missing from the culture, and privilege that. So, let's bring in a bunch of people that will enrich the culture, not just give us what we already have."
In other words, if you're hiring for cultural fit, and not enrichment, you're missing out. And AmeriCorps alums, who are more diverse than the U.S. population and have a proven ability to take skills built in service to their careers, could be a significant portion of the talent pipeline you're missing.
Photo By Derzsi Elekes Andor via Wikimedia Commons
It's clearer to see Grant's concept at work when we look toward music again. So let's think about this using two of my personal favorites: The Band and the Wu-Tang Clan. In assembling these iconic groups, each looked for members who could make cultural contributions to the work rather than the clones that Professor Grant warns us about. In The Band's case, musical mastery came from five musicians and three singers, including a painfully shy savant on organ, a joyful bassist with warm vocals and a dynamic range, a raspy-singing nuanced drummer from Arkansas, a high tenor on piano, and a non-singing front-man/songwriter playing lead.
Similarly, Wu-Tang Clan wouldn't be what it is if it was just a collection of Method Mans. They paired his charismatic style with the thoughtfulness of GZA, the poetic Ghostface, the braggadocio of Raekwon, the technical acumen of the RZA, and more, to make Wu-Tang a transcendent force in music.
So when you're asked to speak about cultural fit as a potential candidate in your next interview, think about the Originals. And The Band. Make the case about your potential for cultural contribution. What are you uniquely suited to add to an organization's mission, vision and culture that will move the work forward? You're not exactly like everyone else in the organization, and that can become a selling point and not a barrier to your hiring.
And, let me take a minute to address alums who help make hiring decisions and are ideally situated on the frontlines of this work. We've talked before about race and equity in the social sector and how we're not working in a field as diverse as the communities we serve. How are hiring practices at your organization balancing cultural fit with the possibility of cultural enrichment? What's keeping your organization from fielding a staff as diverse as our community?
Shifting the paradigm from cultural fit to cultural contribution can pay powerful dividends in how we think about talent and teams in the nonprofit sector. I choose a social sector that will make its own WuTangClan.orgs. I choose a sector that has room – and makes room – for everyone to contribute.
Author Bio: Ben Duda completed two years in the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) as a Corps member and team leader. In addition, Ben served as a teaching fellow for middle school students with Citizen Schools' AmeriCorps program in Boston. Dedicated to increasing civic engagement and impact, Ben then spent five years after AmeriCorps as a senior program manager with KaBOOM! where he grew and led a major campaign to increase the engagement of mayors and city residents in supporting play and physical activities. During his tenure at AmeriCorps Alums, Ben has expanded its programming to provide professional and purpose-driven leadership development opportunities to AmeriCorps alumni while building extensive partnership with universities and employers. Ben holds a M.P.P. in Urban Policy from The Johns Hopkins University, and a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University.
from → Alums Careers, REALTalk, Uncategorized
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text:
Fountainhead Funeral Home
7359 Babcock Street SE
Palm Bay, FL 32909
More Obituaries for Marjorie Nagle
Marjorie J. "Margie" Nagle
Marjorie "Margie" J. Nagle left us Nov. 25, 2020, for a better life.
Margie was born Oct. 25, 1936, to George and Margaret Yohe of Carbondale, Pa. She was raised and attended school there, graduating from Ben Franklin High School in June of 1954.
Margie worked as an administrative assistant for the United States government in several different departments, retiring from the Department of Interior, Office of Surface Mining in April of 1985.
Margie married Thomas F. Nagle Jr. (Tom) on April 20, 1985. Margie and Tom spent 14 years in Dover, Del., where she worked for Delaware State College and State Farm Insurance Company before relocating to Barefoot Bay, Fla. for the next 21 years.
Margie was involved with the local Moose Lodge Chapter 1764, the Sebastian V.F.W Post 10210 Auxiliary, the V.F.W Order of the Cootie, the American Legion Post Auxiliary, the Orioles Nest 272 of Micco, Fla., and the Space Coast Poodle Rescue.
Margie is survived by her husband, Tom, and several nieces and nephews.
Margie will be interred at the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery in Mims, Fla. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no services.
All well wishes and/or donations may be made in Margie's name to the or the Indian River and Vero Beach Humane Society, 6230 77th St., Vero Beach, FL 32967.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Foun
tainheadFuneralHome.com for the Nagle family.
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Since the Patient-Focused Drug Development (PFDD) initiative was launched in 2012, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has held or scheduled 14 disease-specific meetings to better understand patients' experience with symptoms, impacts on daily living, and available therapies. With more meetings on the docket for 2015, and growing interest among patient groups in applying the PFDD model to developing their own data, FasterCures examines the experience of organizations engaged in this process.
Tune in to hear insights from patient groups about how they prepared for their PFDD meetings, what lessons they learned, and how their activities have since been impacted. And find out how groups that do not have a scheduled meeting with FDA are adapting the PFDD model to develop their own information about patient preference and seeking to have it integrated into FDA decision-making.
Traditionally, the opportunities to infuse patient input into regulatory decision-making have been very limited and relegated to the late stage of the new drug application review process, noted Kim McCleary, FasterCures' director of strategic initiatives, at the beginning of FasterCures' April 7 Webinar. During the hour-long discussion, "FDA's Patient-Focused Drug Development: The view from the other side of the table," hundreds of attendees tuned in to hear insights from patient groups engaged in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Patient-Focused Drug Development (PFDD) initiative – a commitment under the fifth authorization of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) to hold at least 20 disease-specific meetings to better understand patients' experiences with symptoms, impacts on daily living, and available therapies.
PFDD was launched in 2012 and reflects a larger movement to ensure that patients' perspectives are more meaningfully captured and applied to product development and regulatory decision-making. It has opened up a new dialogue among patients, pharmaceutical and device developers, and regulatory gatekeepers about expected benefits and tolerable risks of new therapies, as well as the outcomes that matter most to patients and caregivers.
More than half of the 20 disease meetings have already been completed, and with more on the docket for 2015, the broader patient community has already begun looking for ways to apply early learnings to the development of their own patient preference data.
Along with McCleary, panelists were Kimberly Beer of Susan G. Komen and Andrea Ferris of LUNGevity, leaders in patient organizations for diseases that have completed PFDD meetings, and Jennifer Sheridan Palute of Parkinson's Action Network, speaking on behalf of a community whose disease will be the focus of a meeting to take place later this year. In addition to sharing experiences and lessons learned from their PFDD engagement, they also explained how it has impacted other activities at their organizations.
How do diseases get selected?
has a severe impact on identifiable subpopulations (such as children or the elderly).
The PFDD meeting on lung cancer, in which Ferris participated, was among one of the first PFDD sessions to be held. It took place in June 2013 and brought together more than 50 patients and representatives both in-person and via Webcast. Held earlier this month, on April 2, the breast cancer meeting was the most recent PFDD session. Beer was one of nearly 100 attendees at this session, though she noted that given the scope and impact of breast cancer on the population she had hoped to see more patients and their families in attendance, of which there were about 25-30 individuals who self-identified in this role.
Both Ferris and Beer cited the lack of diversity as a challenge, noting that the attendees at their meetings did not reflect the full scope of their patient populations. "I was hoping that the panel would be representative of racial and ethnic diversity, as well as different levels of health literacy, stage of disease, treatment experience, time since diagnosis, and where they were in their overall patient journey," Beer remarked.
"Compared to the overall lung cancer population, the in-person participants represented a high proportion of women, patients diagnosed more than five years ago, and patients whose lung cancer was currently in remission," Ferris weighed in, which was not representative of the overall patient population.
Reach out to your patient community early, and be clear about how they can participate.
Work with other organizations in your disease space.
Identify different subsets of your patient population to ensure diversity in experience.
If possible, identify resources to allow patients to travel and participate in person.
Make sure to underscore the exponential value patients bring to these meetings and the impact they can have on FDA policies and decisions.
All three panelists expressed gratitude to the FDA for organizing these meetings and allowing patients' voices to be heard. As McCleary highlighted at the beginning of the Webinar, this type of opportunity is a step in the right direction for patient experience to inform R&D. "There was a clear desire [from the FDA] to hear the patient perspective, and they were very respectful of that," Beer said.
Based on the recommendations coming from the 2013 lung cancer PFDD meeting, LUNGevity launched a new program, Project Transform, together with a researcher at Johns Hopkins University, to engage patients and integrate their experiences into lung cancer policy, treatment, and research. The goal of Project Transform is to "change the paradigm in lung cancer from assumptions being made about patient wishes to evidence-based conclusions about patient desires – to ensure that their preferences are recognized, their voices are valued, and that living well with lung cancer can ultimately become the norm," explained Ferris.
What can you do if you don't have a PFDD meeting?
Coordinate with other patient groups.
Submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) to the FDA.
FDA will then review the letter and identify internal stakeholders.
The FDA will respond to LOI with recommendations.
Hold a pre-meeting teleconference with the FDA.
Prepare your meeting by identifying facilities [preferably close to FDA's campus in Silver Spring, Md., since the agency has tightly restricted travel capability], agenda, logistics, and attendee outreach plans.
Hold a post-meeting teleconference with the FDA.
Finally, publish a report with your findings.
Patients with chronic serious disease are experts on what it's like to live with their condition.
Patients' "chief complaints" may not be factored explicitly into drug development plans, including measures of drug benefit planned in trials.
Patients want to be as active as possible in the work to develop and evaluate new treatments.
Patients want their experience described using their own words.
Patients aren't expecting the FDA to address all the gaps in current treatment or current approaches to drug development, but do want the FDA to help identify the most effective pathways for them to play a major contributing role.
FasterCures is excited and hopeful that this process will help advance a culture of patient engagement and empowerment throughout the regulatory decision making process.
To learn more about the work we're doing to advance patient-centered benefit-risk assessment, please visit our Web site at fastercures.org/benefitrisk.


It's that time again! Time to take a look back at the month and get to the nitty gritty of the business side of things. That's right, there IS a business side of things. It's not all instant pot recipes and freezer fudge. Sometimes as much as I wish it was! If you've been following along, I started posting these income reports as a way to share honestly with you about my growth.. and the struggles and successes along the way.
Most of you know I didn't mean to be a food blogger. I didn't grow up thinking this would ever be my "job", and I didn't start my instagram, or my blog with this in mind. but here we are. And, honestly, I couldn't be happier or more in love with what I get to do. It didn't come all that easy, though. I hope through these reports you can get a better sense of what life is like on the other side of the photos and recipes here.
If you've never read an income report before, read more about why I'm doing them. The short of it is that before I started this blog, other blogger's monthly reports were so helpful for me when I was figuring all of this out for myself. And I've wanted to do it since the first month this blog started, the month I made $0.27, as a personal blog diary about all I'm changing, growing and learning along the way.
However, I didn't start these income reports back when I wanted to. Someone told me, "people are just going to your blog for food, they don't care about that". So I didn't. And now, even though I never started my blog with the thought of making money (I didn't even know how people did it), I regret it not doing it anyway. Word of advice, do what you want with your blog, regardless of what other people think you should or shouldn't be doing.
I really hope the information in this post gives you a little insight and motivation if you're new to this whole blog thing. And check out my post on how to start a blog for a step-by-step of how I did it if you're interested in giving it a go too! If you're worried about being a little fish in a big massive blogger pond, don't be. That was my biggest hang up but if I've learned one thing, it's that there's room for EVERYONE to succeed and do well. The opportunity is yours if you want it enough!
Since January when I went full time, I've had basically zero off button. Zero work-life balance. Zero chill.. and about 23534 growing pains. All the sudden my blog was bigger than what I had ever anticipated and requiring so much from me. And, only me. I've known for a while, like you'll read in last month's report, that I've been aware I've been overwhelmed. My attention was needing to go every which way and I was juggling ALL THE BALLS in the air at once. At first, I thought it would be fine and I could "hustle harder" and #girlboss my way through it. And I did. For a while.
And I mean I was staying up all night long (literally, did not not sleep, which is so unhealthy) almost weekly at least one night. Working from 7am to 2am the others just trying to keep my head above water. Constantly trying to keep up with projects, emails, updates, deadlines, content approvals, edits, back end work, calls, recipes, writing, my clients, social media, contracts, laundry, you name it. This system, I thought, was working. Until it wasn't. I was sitting at my desk so many hours for a solid 3 months straight that I ended up getting cubital tunnel syndrome. So, for those of you who think you can outsmart your body, or that being your own boss is super duper glamours, I have news for you. It's not always. Granted, I still love it so, so much.
But, It's okay to not be able to do it all. I learned that the hard way last month when I lost feeling in my ring and pinky finger. LITERALLY FROM WORKING SO MUCH. It's not cool, and it's not admirable. It was my wake up call that I needed to get some help. That, and the second I started dropping the balls that I thought I could juggle on my own, I knew some of my business mentors were right. Probably time to get some help and the job/business side of it had become too big for just me.
So, big news this month! You'll see in my expenses that I hired an employee! Woo!
If you would have told me this would happen a year after this blog started, I would have bet you everything I owned that you were wrong. I started this blog as an extension of my Instagram, and then it was just a nice tiny side income to help with my debt and student loan monthly payment. I never ever would have guessed this would happen. Or, more accurately, that I would have loved it as much as I do to MAKE it happen. But here we are and I couldn't be MORE in love with my job, or more excited to wake up to do it each day.
Now, I have someone else on board with me and it makes it that much more fun. It's letting me get back to the actual creating and writing and cooking that is what I signed up for to begin with. Nothing will change here for you and the content I create. It's good news for you, because I'm able to do more of it, and do it better.
We've been using Coschedule for the last few months, which I am obsessed with because I've been trying to put systems in place to automate and make my life easier. I've been using a makeshift content calendar for a while with excel, but coshedule blows that one out of the water. I'm able to edit or write posts, plan them out, schedule both blog and social posts all from Coschedule.
I can drag and drop posts to different dates if I don't like the way they're organized. It tracks how well your social campaigns do. It allows you to loop them and therefore reduces the overall work. It's freaking amazing. Better yet, my "team" (yes, I can say that now and I'm excited about it even if it's just me and another person), have color coded projects and tasks so we can each see what we're responsible for, and the days they need to be done by.
We can write notes to each other in Coschedule and stick them right in the calendar. We can communicate and do our own work independently but always be on the same page. I'm getting more efficient with my time each day now and I LOVE IT. Well worth the investment to see the balls I was dropping not be dropped anymore.
Here's what our content calendar looked like a few days ago when I took the screen shot. Beautiful huh?
So now that the cat's out of the bag, here's the numbers from last month!
Income is counted as what I have physically received in the month of April, not for the work I did. Typically sponsored posts don't pay out for 30 days, affiliates don't pay out for 30-60 days, and ad networks don't pay out for 60-90 days. Meaning, I won't physically have the money from April until next month or later.
Income I don't consider blog income or add to my income report is my coaching business. I probably could consider it blog income, but truthfully, it takes up so much of my time – time that isn't spent on blog work, so I think of that as a different revenue source.
Some sponsored work I did that should have paid out this month is late getting into my actual bank account, which although sometimes frustrating, I've learned is the nature of the business I'm now in. Now it'll be reported on May's income report, even though the work was done in February. It was a big adjustment to go from having a set paycheck I knew would show up, to relying on companies, their accountants, and their systems. While the standard terms are usually always net30, that money could show up in 5 days after I've sent the invoice, or be a week past day 30.
The ad revenue for the month of April was payment that correlated to page views from two months ago as well. This is also a bit of a trade-off. You have to wait for it, but now I can know exactly how much I'll receive in the coming months. So, for example, I already know what I'll be making next month, and in June, and July based on the page views from the last 3 months.
On that note, I've been so stinking happy since switching to Mediavine. My revenue has increased each and every month, and by mid-summer, my ad revenue will be over 30% more than what my monthly salary at my job was. This is such a weight off my shoulders, and my boyfriend's, because it's giving us a sense of security when just a few months ago when I decided to just GO FOR IT, our financial situation with my blogging was up in the air every. single. month.
Yes! Like I mentioned earlier in this post, there's room for everyone. I'm still SO NEW at this compared to a lot of people and even I'M telling you, go for it! I'm more than happy to help you, too! I have a really detailed step-by-step guide to setting up a blog, and a growing list of blog resources that I use on my own blog. If you need any further help, don't hesitate to ask me in the comments!
'Til next month! And, as always, thank you for your support. I wouldn't be living my dreams if it wasn't for you!
I have been waiting for this. I have read all of your income reports and they are truly inspiring. I starting reading your posts because I work full-time and recently started my food blog. I have read other persons income reports and they are great as well, but what makes you stand out is that you get down to the nitty gritty and that's what I need. It's encouragement that it will not always be sunshine and roses, but it can be done, even while working a "9-5". Keep it up! So happy for you!
Thank you so much – I truly appreciate this! I love talking about blogging so I always want to make sure the info I provide is of value 🙂 And yes, you CAN do it!!
These income reports are so inspiring! Amazing what you have accomplished so far.
Such an inspiring income report. I have a question, how did you find the right person to hire?
Thank you! And that's a great question. I kind of lucked out there because Janelle is my best friend of 10+ years who thinks creatively, was willing to learn, and knew my brand/website already. She happened to have some time to take on additional work! So while I had to train her on all of the backend stuff and general processes, it would either be that time investment with someone I already have a great relationship with and knows me, or someone who didn't know me at all but already knew the VA stuff!


My husband and I love funny videos. Not necessarily the videos on America's Funniest Videos (although some of those are funny, too), but more of the random videos shared on Facebook that go viral, or the ridiculous memes on Instagram, and then we laugh until we cry. And then we cry some more. I know, we're such *crazy* millennials! If I were to show you our texting conversations, you would see a large portion of texts that say "watch this," with a link right next to it. Most of the time it's about someone doing something incredibly ridiculous. And if it's of someone doing something super embarrassing, I get embarrassed right there with them. FROM A PHONE SCREEN. Ugh, why do I care so much!
I've felt like that many times when reading about the people in the Bible. Especially when I read about the Israelites in the Old Testament. The Israelites were God's chosen people, a people He had set apart and had set free from slavery from the Egyptians. We read about them seeing first hand the miracles of God through the plagues (Exodus, chapters 6-12), and when God split the Red Sea (Exodus 14) so they could begin their journey to the land God had promised them. And then we see the Israelites question God and pursue their own ways over and over again (Exodus 16:1-3, 17:1-7….just to name a couple of the many) . We see them worshipping a golden statue when Moses is on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments (Exodus 32). Wasn't he was gone for like 5 minutes (not really, but still)?! Talk about getting mad at people for their choices! We can't help but think, "How can you continue to do choose your sin over God after you have seen Him move in such miraculous ways?" And yet, we continue to see God's faithfulness, love, compassion, and forgiveness towards His covenant people because He is a covenant God (Psalm 78:21-28). And the more we read about the Israelites, the more we see we are just like them. Because we are all people; we are all sinful – and prior to choosing Jesus as our Savior, when we were given two options of choosing God's way or our way, we chose our way…every time (Romans 3:23-24).
I had a moment like this recently. Except I wasn't mad at someone in a video. I was angry with myself. Let me step back. For about six months, I was in an incredibly difficult season; in fact, it was by far – the most difficult season of my life. It felt like I was walking through fire at every turn, and my head was barely above water for months on end. On top of that, it felt like God was completely silent – ignoring my pain.
And then I felt Him moving in my life again and He spoke. And what He spoke changed everything. If you're ever wondering, "Was that God?" and everything changes within you – rest assured, it was Him. My joy came back. Peace returned. Life was literally in my bones. Friends began sending me texts that kindly shared they were happy to see me smiling again.
And then one of those days shortly after came. Every fear, worry and concern returned, and the tears followed. Because that's what the enemy does: He is literally on the prowl and only has one mission: to steal, kill and destroy anything and everything in your life (John 10:10). And I immediately became angry at myself while also thinking God was angry at me, too. Because not only does the Devil want to mess with you, He want to mess with how you view your Creator.
In my mind, surely God was thinking, "How many times do I have to speak to you, Anna for you to be at peace? How many times do I have to encourage you to make it? Haven't you already seen and experienced what I have already done for you?" Needless to say, my faith was on empty, and I felt like a complete failure when it came to trusting in the Lord.
God, you're not angry with me.
You haven't forgotten about me.
You're present for this journey.
The journey of highs and lows. The journey of good days and bad days. The journey where my joy is obvious to everyone around me, and the times where my pain becomes incredibly overwhelming. Because God's love is unconditional, we can know and trust because of His Word that not only is He here to stay, He is present through it all. He doesn't love us any more when we are on a spiritual high, and then pull back his love, care, and concern when we are experiencing a spiritual low.
A while ago, I shared that sometimes we go through things that reveal a new element of His character that we hadn't seen so clearly before. In this moment, I saw His kindness like never before. He didn't have to use that pastor to speak to me after He had already spoken. But He did. Because He knew I was hurting, and He knew I needed to experience Him all over again. Because we aren't meant to receive a touch from God, live like that was enough only to return when we feel on empty. He wants to be present for the entire journey. He is crying with you. He is rejoicing with you. He is near, and he is PRESENT.


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Stephen King: Yes, there might be big changes in the Dark Tower movie
Don Kaye
Tag: The Dark Tower
Tag: Nikolaj Arcel
Tag: Idris Elba
The author has advice for fans concerned about changes in the film version of The Dark Tower: Deal with it.
With a film version of The Dark Tower shooting right now (it still amazes me to say that, actually) under the direction of Nikolaj Arcel, speculation online has ramped up regarding just how faithful the movie is going to be to King's surreal combination of horror, sci-fi, dark fantasy and Western. Odd casting decisions and rumors about the script taking elements from later books for this first movie have contributed to the unease.
More The Dark Tower
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Collecting Stephen King: 10 of his rarest and priciest books
Well, King himself has finally weighed in, appearing with Arcel on the Sirius/XM show "Behind the Scenes with Anthony Breznican" to discuss the first in what is hoped to be a series of films adapting the eight-book cycle (the full show is below). And guess what? King said that, yes, there are going to be changes from the text, which won't be based strictly on the first book, The Gunslinger:
"It starts sort of in medias res, in the middle of the story instead of at the beginning, which may upset some of the fans a little bit. But they will get behind it, because it is the story."
According to Birth.Movies.Death, the rumored script that is being shot now contains elements of five books from the series: The Gunslinger, The Drawing of the Three, The Waste Lands, Wolves of the Calla and The Dark Tower. So while the primary storyline -- which has the gunslinger Roland (Idris Elba) in pursuit of the Man in Black (Matthew McConaughey) with both headed for the magical structure that holds all of reality together -- may be retained, diehard fans might also see a lot of stuff that they wouldn't imagine popping up until a second, third or seventh movie. Arcel also says that a lot of the first movie will take place in "our world, the modern day world."
At least one thing hasn't changed, however: King says he insisted that the movie begin with the iconic line that opens the first book:
"I expect that the movie will start where the books start. Y'know, 'The man in black fled across the desert, and the Gunslinger followed.' I think that nails it right in place for people...I've been pretty insistent on that, and I think everyone's on board with it."
Will all of this work, and will fans recognize this movie as King's The Dark Tower? We won't know for some time, but the fact that King himself is showing his support for the project may indicate that he's comfortable to some extent with a less faithful adaptation. And as we've said before, some books simply don't lend themselves to a straight translation from page to screen: In those cases, the movie can succeed if it captures at least a few major aspects of the story along with its general tone and themes.
Will The Dark Tower fall into the latter category? We'll find out on Feb. 17, 2017. In the meantime, do King's comments ease your mind or make you more concerned?


The Importance of balancing a workload.
Sometimes when you are managing a new business, or even one that is established, it can be hard to prioritise what is most important and what really matters. As a result, tiredness, stress and ineffectiveness can come into play. I'm sure most people would find themselves thinking "how can I stop feeling like this???
The best way to address the imbalance and manage to balance your workload is to look at the areas within your business that need prioritising and identifying solutions rather than problems. This will identify some of the issues and then look at ways to resolve them.
Staff management: This may sound like a simple task, especially with a small task force, but the need for structure is imperative. Clear boundaries and regular meetings to inform staff of any changes in routine or protocol, especially in writing is a way of covering yourself and making the business an efficient place to work. In addition, this gives staff a chance to voice grievances and ideas for improvement to make the business one that communicates well and is generally happier.
Too many dogs: This is a nice problem to have but it can occur. You don't want to refuse a customer because you are worried about losing business but need to make sure the quality of your work is up to a high standard. Timetable your bookings to allow enough time to have a break at appropriate times. Make sure you understand the length of time it takes to do dogs.
Too many staff: Becoming attached to your staff and being aware of their financial setup is important but even more important is to make sure that you are not paying out to people that aren't an asset to your business at that time and ultimately, your profit margin. Plan out an effective rota and have clear expectations of working hours for your staff in advance. Pre-plan staffing at key times of the year to meet the changes in how busy it is.
Overworked: When you're entering into this industry, it is easy to get lost in a pattern of working as many hours as possible to try and make the money back from an investment that you have made into your career. This is completely understandable but can lead to burnout and as a consequence, more errors and a lower quality of service. Look at the jobs you are able to delegate to other capable members of staff. Try to focus more on your unique selling point rather than the quantity of dogs because this will be the thing that will allow your business to be most profitable and gain the best reputation.
Too few dogs: This is a worry for any new business. Having enough dogs to make sure you can pay the bills is important but try to think of other avenues that can ease that worry. Can you multitask with another job and begin to build your custom base slowly? Can you offer additional services to increase income without the huge additional time needed to groom another dog? Do you want to branch out into retail as well, selling products that your customers may want to buy?
Not enough staff: There is a huge demand for groomers within the industry and finding the right type of staff isn't easy. You are much better to take your time to find staff that are appropriately qualified and importantly, also have the right mind set for working in the field with yourself and the rest of your team. Ease the strain by looking at lowering the number of dogs you take in and look into schemes that can offer apprenticeships. Having an extra pair of hands whilst offering experience is highly rewarding and a great way of building your team without a great expense.
Stress and expectations: What do you want to do within your first week? Your first month? Your first six months or year? How many dogs do you expect to do and how many are you expecting of others? Make a realistic plan and be flexible with it. Have a range of goals you consider to be 'successful' and include stepping stones to mark your progress. You need to set very high standards in your professionalism and quality of your work. A higher standard can mean a higher price and a better reputation. Is there more stress learning to specialise in doing 5 dogs brilliantly each day or in rushing through 10 dogs?
Time management: Time management including personal time is vitally important. There is no question that to be the best, you have to put in a lot of hours, but not to the detriment of other aspects of your life. Book in allocated free time for yourself so that you can maintain a sense of balance between work and play. Get active and book in time for your family and friends so that it is a cycle between hard work and enjoyment rather than stress and recovery. This can be the most rewarding career, as long as you have the right balance.


text:
Arab Terrorist Bombs Israeli Mall
The Israel National News(Arutz Sheva) is reporting that an Arab suicide bomber blew himself up at the Sharon Mall in Netanya today. So far, it appears that two shoppers have been killed and that 30 are seriously wounded. It is believed, but not yet confirmed, that the terrorist came from Tulkarm in the West Bank, just a few miles east of Netanya. Apparently the bomber was able to get through the Israeli checkpoint.
I have two comments.
The first is that the U.N., Europe and the U.S. media have been pushing to have Israel relax the thoroughness with which it checks Arabs passing into Israel because it causes inconvenience and long lines. This is from an article in the Washington Post of November 29, 2004:
On days when the Hawara checkpoint is open, it is one of the busiest in the West Bank. Sometimes as many as 5,000 Palestinians a day request permission to cross. They stand in line in searing heat or icy rains, depending on the season, until they reach an open-air shed with a corrugated tin roof. Often packed together by the hundreds, they must then wait their turn to pass, one by one, through narrow metal turnstiles that the soldiers open and close electronically.
Apparently it is okay if some Israelis out shopping at a mall get killed or wounded, as long as Arabs don't have to wait in the sun or the rain at the checkpoints. I don't think we will now see the Washington Post calling for more stringent scrutiny of Arabs at the checkpoints.
The second comment has to do with the origin of the terrorist. If it is true that he came from Tulkarm, that is a city that was recently handed over to the Palestine Authority by Israel. It is clear that the PA does not have the means or the will to prevent its citizens from entering Israel with the intent to harm Israelis. If that is the case, why is Israel abandoning Gush Katif (Gaza) to the Arabs? It is appeasement pure and simple – and appeasement never works.
Israel will be more vulnerable after the withdrawal from Gush Katif. Further, Israel has not held the PA to its commitment to disarm and dismantle the terrorist organizations in its territory.
Prime Minister Sharon has a duty to his people to protect them and keep them safe. Abandoning Gush Katif is not the way to do that.
Update: July 12, 2005 4:31pm PDT
The bomber was from a village near Tulkarm.
Update: July 12, 2005 5:47 pm PDT
One of the wounded has died. The death toll is now 3.
One of the wounded is a 6 year old child severely burned.
Update: July 13, 2005 7:44am PDT
Another of the wounded has died. The death toll is now 4 women.
The four who have died from this horrific act are:
Anya Lifschitz, 50
Yulia Voloshin, 31
Rachel ben Abu, 16
Nofar Horovitz, 16
Also, Israel, which handed over Tulkarm to the Palestine Authority three months ago has taken back control of Tulkarm and apprehended five members of Islamic Jihad and uncovered caches of weapons. The homicide bomber belonged to a branch of the PA Security Services.
ACLU Lacks Moral Compass
The Meaning of Tears


Sociologists use the term framing to describe the way in which your prior experiences – cultural and personal – give context to way in which you approach a problem or issue. Its a central aspect of how the public sphere operates and critical to our decision making process – both formal and informal. As a simple example – reframing a question means looking at an issue from a different point of view.
But framing is more subtle than that – we create a frame of reference for ourselves which is full of shortcuts and metaphors which reflect what we feel as much as what we think and are full of the unconscious biases that we all travel with. The 8 tribes research is all about exposing some of the underlying framing of the word and practice of 'digital' and the term tribes references the fact that these frames are cultural, emotional and behaviorual – with rational being a poor second when we come to talk about beliefs.
The relationship between politics and frames is fascinating. Political parties argue from within their frame and appropriate the facts that fit their reality – its one of the reasons that evidence based policy making often fails as has been eloquently argued by Jonathan Flowers in his post on "The growing chaos and complexity of local government". Of course we all do this – but its codified in the political process to such an extent as to make fake news – an extreme example of frame over content – the decisive factor in our democracy today.
In local politics the political party frame often slips and a new local framing of endeavour and purpose emerges as the dominant story of the place – for example in Wigan with the Wigan Deal. On a larger scale, reframing is part of the process of the social shift we are undergoing as part of the end of the Industrial Age. One of my concerns is the invisible reframing which is created as a result of the codification of much of our lives as we move into more digtial spaces.
I was struck while at the recent Solace summit about the emergent new frames for local government as a sector and how these are starting to take root – or not.
Economics: as devolution and the need for a more balanced economy emerged from the post-Brexit, tapering austerity landscape places are starting to consider what kind of growth they what. As Neil McInroy from CLES would put it there is a new macroeconomic framing emerging which is based around principles of good or inclusive growth which has a fundamanental principles of good jobs right now rather than assuming any job is ok as long as the tax trickle down effect is there.
Public service: new public management has had a invisible grip on the way in which public service 'thinks' for a long time. It's a model designed for the industrial society and its not adapted for innovation, place or system leadership. Programmes like ignite or 21st Century public service are looking at different ways to train and develop public servants in a way which combines the capabilities needed to work differently in the future.
Leadership: models and approaches to leadership are always under debate but I see the dominant frame for local government leadership shifting from organisational to system leadership. I think this is profound as it highlights a whole new set of skills and approaches and has the potential to fundamentally shift the balence between managerial and political leadership of place.
Generational thinking: perhaps because of the shift to system thinking and perhaps because of the new emphasis on the generational challenges of house building, social care and place based economic growth, you can see a generational mindset emerging which is looking beyond the challenges of the next electoral cycle and sees local government putting its role as long term custodian of place to the fore.
Westminster: this one feels more elusive and it's linked as much to the changing narrative around globalism as it does to the shift in power between central and local government or the more direct consequences of devolution. The reframing is of the animating force of policy and new ideas coming from local not central government.
Each of these new frames put profound stresses on all aspects of old models not the least on our democratic model and structure which wasn't working for a 20th let alone a 21st Century society.
You'll notice that digital is not listed here. This is because its not a thing in its own right – its just part of the toolset and mindset that you need to embrace these new concepts. Its a gateway key to the network society.
This is more than story telling – each of these emergent frames are wrestling for language and believes within the system and as with the 8 tribes their different levels of maturity mean that tribal warfare is more likely in the short term as they each wrestle for the upper hand.
The leadership challenge is complex – but I believe means living in the between space of different frames until they settle into a coherent – or at least useable set of concepts.
New frames are necessarily new ideas – but they are ideas which are moving into the mainstream. With each reframing we move further from the industrial society and towards the future and the shaping of the netowrk society. These big ideas are to be ignored at our peril – old power and elites from the Industrial Age are codifiying what they can of the past. The question becomes what of the old world do we want to take into the new and what will follow us as unwelcome baggage?
"… has the potential to fundamentally shift the balence between managerial and political leadership of place" – please do go on. I think I could argue this one in both directions! Only the local politician has the place presence and authority to be s system leader; or: only a highly skilled professional manager has the equipment to handle the complexities of system leadership. I lean to the former but I;d be interested to know which way you think it will go.
I wonder whether you would consider localism(/redefinition of place) as an ongoing reframing (perhaps its not a new one or it's contained in your "Westminster" one). I think that many of the frames that you list are reshaping the sense of locality and scale for certain activities. I think we are seeing a degree of centralisation up from LAs (albeit to regional footprints) for dealing with certain system issues (eg health and social care: STPs; inclusive growth: combined authorities). We are also seeing double devolution for neighbourhood services, and the rise of Neighbourhood Plans.
I also suspect that Rob Whiteman nicely shaped an emerging frame about the capacity of a whole sector of sovereign entities to modify itself entirely from within. There's a piece on lgcplus about this later this week, I believe.


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Shimoda Onsen
Shimoda is situated in the southeastern part of the Izu-hanto Peninsula and is a core of Minami Izu (South Izu). It is known as the port city that an American fleet known as Kurofune, the Black Ships, entered in the 19th century demanding the establishment of trade with Japan, which was then under the national isolation policy that cut off any type of exchange with foreign countries. Located in the city is Ryosen-ji Temple, where the then U.S. Naval Officer Perry and Daigaku Hayashi, ambassador plenipotentiary, concluded the Treaty of Peace and Amity between the United States and the Empire of Japan (Kanagawa Treaty). A sketch of the treaty signing ceremony remains at the temple.
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Shimoda Tokyu Hotel
Area : Shimoda Onsen, Shizuoka, JP
Type : Resort Hotel
Code : 3260-011
It is built on a slightly elevated hill where views of the Pacific Ocean and Izu's seven islands can be seen. From your rooms, take in the fresh air from the sea and watch the lapsing waves at Oura bay and Nabeta beach.
USD201
East wing Ocean view Twin bed room Non Smoking
For 2 to 4 occupant(s)
JPY20,900-JPY53,680
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JPY20,900-JPY102,520
Main building Ocean view Twin bed room Non Smoking
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Hotel Izukyu
Type : Ryokan
Hotel Izukyu is located in Shirahama, one of the best eight scenic points in Izu Peninsula and overlooking the majestic Pacific Ocean from the room,lobby and open-air bath.It is a full-scale resort hotel blessed with facilities and great natural beauty.
Main building Ocean view Japanese style room 10tatami
Japanese style room
Main building Ocean view Twin bed room Non Smoking 36sqm
Breakfast and Dinner Included
Izu Oku Shimoda Onsen Kannon Onsen
Area : Kannon Onsen, Shizuoka, JP
Kannon Onsen is a hot spring ryokan nestling quietly in the site of about 1 million square meters. It has own original hot spring source and the water is strong alkali simple spring of pH 9.5. It is good for the health and also drinkable.
Ubusuna tei Japanese style room without bath 6tatami
Main building Japanese style room with fine view bath 8tatami
Shimoda View Hotel
Shimoda View Hotel is located on a hill commanding views of Izu Seven Islands in the distance. The view seems like a picture with the small islands dotted along the beach. Please also enjoy the seasonal cuisine on offer.
Ocean view Japanese style room Non Smoking
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Shimoda Prince Hotel
Shimoda Prince Hotel is located on the coast of Shirahama, Izu Peninsula's most beautiful shallow coast. All the guest rooms and main bath are face the cobalt blue Pacific Ocean and command views of some of the seven Islands of Izu.
Ocean view Japanese and Western style room Non Smoking
Japanese and Western style room
Shimoda Bay Kuroshio
Shimoda Bay Kuroshio is a resort hotel standing on a hill overlooking Shimoda Bay. The seafood dinner is served in rooms which all face the ocean. Please enjoy and relax in the baths and spa area.
Main building Ocean view Japanese style room
(USD384-USD1,501)
Toutei The Japanese-Style
Toutei The Japanese-Style is a hideaway retreat with 13 guest rooms located on a private beach-like white sand inlet. This ryokan boasts Japanese seafood kaiseki cuisine that changes every month.
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Laws increasing criminal penalties tend to be a one-way ratchet; they only get harsher, they're seldom reduced.
An example that will likely be with us for a while is the new law making theft of metal wire a state jail felony - one of House Criminal Jurisprudence Chairman Aaron Peña's many pet enhancements last session. Peña's bill made stealing copper, aluminum or bronze wire a felony regardless of the value of the wire! But the law apparently failed to scare away would-be copper thieves as its proponents predicted.
I say that because on Wednesday afternoon, the lights went out in the Grits household, shutting down all computer equipment (I lost a half-finished blog post, actually), lights, washing machine, and everything else in the house. Looking outside, I quickly realized the whole neighborhood had gone dark.
The blackout just lasted a couple of hours, but it wasn't till yesterday evening I learned the cause: A thief electrocuted himself pretty severely trying to steal copper wire from an electrical substation. He got zapped with 80,000 Volts, if you can imagine- about 7,300 homes including mine lost their power.
In committee hearings over this bill last year, Peña and supporters said the legislation would "send a message" that dissuaded copper theft. But who has received it?
"Unfortunately, this incident will serve as a type of illustration of what can potentially occur," Clark said. "It's a pretty difficult problem when a person is willing to totally disregard their safety and go into a substation because, generally speaking, the people who are doing this type of thing are not knowledgeable and could not come close to recognizing the potential dangers."
A significant percentage of scrap metal thieves also number among the homeless population, which brings with it a whole 'nuther range of barriers to preventing these thefts. That's important not because it excuses bad behavior, but because it provides information that helps craft a solution. Obviously I don't want my electricity going off because of copper thieves; but at the same time, as a practical matter neither did the "enhanced" penalty prevent that from happening.
If someone is a) uneducated, and b) willing to risk their lives, why would legislators think jacking up the penalty to a felony (as opposed to more vigorously enforcing misdemeanor statutes), would do anything but give them "three hots and a cot" for a longer period on the taxpayers' dime?
That doesn't make anyone safer, but it sure helps fill the prisons faster, particularly when you "enhance" a misdemeanor to a felony, as Chairman Peña's bill did. A better solution in my view is to focus on vendors who purchase scrap metal illicitly. (See the final item in this post.) Dry up the black market on the demand side, and they'll soon have little reason to steal.
There's a decent chance that the homeless guy or drug addict who risks their life to steal copper already have enough obstacles to success in life without adding a felony beef; it's not like copper thieves couldn't be punished - with up to a year in jail - under the law as it was before. Criminal laws work best when they focus on outcomes in the real world, not the "message" some pol claims they'll send on the campaign trail.
Thirty-nine people wrongfully convicted in Dallas County have been freed from Texas prisons since the turn of the century, and while DNA exonerations grab more headlines these days, 24 of them were set up in drug cases by a mendacious informant and allegedly corrupt police officers using fake drugs.
In all, eight Dallas police officers allegedly falsified field tests to say that gypsum powder tested positive for drugs. Only two of those officers so far have been held criminally liable - this week the Court of Criminal Appeals upheld Mark Delapaz's five-year prison sentence on the first of three pending charges. (The CCA is still considering two petitions by the state on appeal that a lower court overturned.) Delapaz's partner who ratted him out last year received a two-year, probated sentence. Meanwhile, the fired supervisor of the rogue DPD narcotics squad may well get his job back.
This was the case, along with the incident in Hearne where an informant wrongfully accused a bunch of people, that really opened my eyes to the potential for abuse when lying snitches collaborate with lazy or corrupt cops, and made me begin thinking about possible oversight solutions.
For more background on the sordid tale in Dallas, see this interactive website chock-full of information put together awhile back by the Dallas Morning News.
Cuellar was ... convicted of money laundering, but appealed, arguing that the simple act of concealing money did not constitute money laundering under the 1986 federal money laundering law. Under that law, it is a crime to take the profits from "some form of unlawful activity" out of the country while hiding or disguising its nature, location, source, ownership, or control. The question the court must decide is whether merely hiding the money is sufficient to support a money laundering conviction.
While the Justice Department argued that concealing money as part of a plan to illegally take it out of the country indeed constitutes money laundering under the 1986 law, several justices suggested that it was simply going too far.
"I don't know why they call this statute 'Laundering of Monetary Instruments,'" Justice Stephen Breyer commented, wondering aloud if it would make it a crime to walk across the border with a few dollars hidden in a shoe. "Why didn't they call it 'shoe hiding'?"
"On the government's theory, anyone who transports hidden money to get it out of the country, who drives the car, just the driver, is a money launderer," noted Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
"No matter how you see it, this was precisely the conduct that Congress was getting at," assistant solicitor general Lisha Schertler told the court.
But Cuellar's attorney, Jerry Beard, told the court it should interpret the law to mean something more than merely hiding cash. "The statute does not criminalize concealing money's existence," Beard said. Instead, he argued, it requires that someone must seek to minimize the criminal nature of the funds. While Cuellar "may have in fact concealed money itself, he did not conceal the 'nature, source, location, ownership or control' of the unlawful proceeds," Beard argued.
Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. challenged Beard on whether Cuellar was attempting to conceal the money, but later seemed to be equally skeptical of the government's position. When Schertler suggested that putting money in a suitcase in the trunk of car could be evidence of a "design to conceal," Roberts retorted: "When I use a suitcase, I'm using it to carry my clothes, not to conceal them."
Justice John Paul Stevens added that the government's broad position seemed to make the whole concept of money laundering irrelevant. "Is this just a total wild goose chase?" he asked.
The federal money laundering statute, most often used against presumed drug traffickers, carries a maximum 20 year sentence and fines of up to $500,000. Nearly a thousand people were convicted under the statute in 2006. But if Monday's oral arguments are any guide, the Justice Department may soon have to actually prove money laundering to gain a money laundering conviction, not just that someone was hiding cash.
Chief Justice Roberts' retort to the state that his suitcase is for carrying his clothes, not concealing them, calls into question the whole tactic of trolling the highways looking for drug money couriers. If the driver exercises their right to remain silent, what evidence do you really have that hidden cash came from drugs?
Before Texas' Byrne-grant funded drug task forces were shut down, one of the bones of contention between the task forces and the Department of Public Safety was that DPS wanted officers to work roughly 50% of their time on either side of the road. You see, drugs run north, while money and guns run south, so the task forces preferred to only work the southbound lanes of the highway, hoping to maximize the benefit from any forfeiture of money they found, like in Mr. Cuellar's case.
The case before SCOTUS shows some police and prosecutors may be pushing the bounds of propriety, pursuing forfeiture cases when there's no discernible evidence the money is related to drug trafficking. Whatever SCOTUS does won't finally solve this complex problem, which in my opinion could be ripe for a legislative fix after SCOTUS rules on Cuellar.
The easiest solution could be only allowing asset forfeiture in cases where the defendant is finally convicted of a related crime. Until then, they would remain shielded by the presumption of innocence that protects us all. Asset forfeiture cases are civil proceedings, and not infrequently funds are seized even when prosecutors don't have enough evidence to convict the driver. Why not link the proceedings?
It doesn't seem unreasonable to require prosecutors to prove someone committed a crime before allowing the state to seize their money, does it?
Heads vs. Feds on the South Plains: Is it time to seriously debate legalizing marijuana?
It's a debate that's happening in the heartland, but not on the campaign trail.
only discussed the harm that marijuana does. He did not discuss the harm that laws against marijuana cause.
We're Biggest! But Are We Overcompensating?
The new sentencing data are here!
Watch TYC oversight hearing this a.m.
A home remedy for juvenile corrections?
LBB: Texas prison population growth "flat"


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