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Boundless Determination
Wheelchair sports advocates are steadily toppling barriers
Wheelchair basketball players, and other athletes with disabilities, are motivated by a desire to prove their competitiveness and athletic ability is equal to their able-bodied peers.
Snow coated the ground and winter weather bit cheeks and noses as Gail Gaeng and her five older siblings shoveled off an improvised basketball court on the patio outside their Maryland home. Roxie Gaeng called for her children to come inside, but even as the sun dipped below the horizon, the kids would find a way to continue the games into the night.
Childhood competitions raged constantly around the Gaeng household. Athletics ran thick in their bloodline. Every member of the family competed in college sports, starting with their father, Brian, who played lacrosse at Roanoke. Their mother, Roxie, played soccer at Slippery Rock. Sisters Erin and Paige followed their mother's soccer career, while brothers Drew and Deke played basketball. Clare, fifth in the Gaeng family chain and two years older than Gail, kept that streak alive when she committed to play lacrosse at Lock Haven.
Gail grew up at the end of that ticker-tape of accomplishments. She was an eager ball girl and adjunct teammate. She tagged along to practices when Brian coached his children at an early age. And she led the cheers when Erin won a state soccer championship and her other siblings received scholarship offers.
But Gail questioned if she could follow those footsteps. Doctors believe a viral infection during Roxie's pregnancy affected nerve development in Gail's legs, disrupting coordination in her lower extremities. She played youth basketball with the help of braces and developed into a sharp shooter with a keen understanding of the game. But as she grew older, Gail couldn't get past the midline on a regulation court before seeing her teammates sprinting back toward her to play defense. Her parents fielded suggestions that Gail manage a team, but they knew she was too competitive to entertain the suggestion.
Mike Frogley, Illinois men's wheelchair basketball coach, often hears spectators marvel over the athleticism the game brings out of the players.
"It's pressure being the only one," Gail said. "I would always … be missing something to connect with my family because we've all been through that dedication."
Yet today the sophomore proudly wears a University of Illinois, Champaign, jersey, rounding out her family's collegiate athletics tradition as one of the Illini's leaders. She's a scrappy hustler on the basketball court, hitting the floor for loose balls, directing the offense with a cool head and remaining unintimidated in physical battles. Her brothers lightly joke that her arms are bigger than theirs, but they can't deny her skills after Gail's junior club smoked them during a pick-up game in high school.
It hardly matters that a wheelchair provided those opportunities.
Gaeng is now one of fewer than 200 athletes competing in wheelchair basketball on one of the 12 collegiate programs that make up the Intercollegiate Division of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association. They range from Division II varsity teams at Southwest Minnesota State and Edinboro to programs operating outside the athletics department at Alabama, Auburn, Missouri and Illinois. They are small in numbers, at times unrecognized on their own campuses. But they are all motivated by the desire to be recognized as legitimate athletes.
Earning that recognition, however, has been arduous. Veteran athletes spin yarns of competing invisibly while fighting discriminatory perceptions of being weak and disinterested in competition. Yet advocates of disability sports − from basketball to track and field − see their fight for equal opportunity nearing a turning point. They see a society that is becoming more accepting and inclusive. Paralympians are now recognized in marketing campaigns for their athletics achievements. Key lawsuits in the past decade have forced high schools around the country to expand opportunities for disabled students to compete. And new guideline clarifications from the Department of Education's Office of Civil rights affirmed their rights to compete in scholastic programs.
The changes have steadily increased the population of disabled adolescents who grow up identifying themselves as athletes,
Now they wonder, with cautious anticipation, how long it might take before those athletes come knocking at the doors of their local universities and force a change their advocates view as inevitable: wheelchair sports becoming an official part of the athletics programs at NCAA member schools.
A quite revolution
Lew Shaver insists his demanding style would make Bob Knight swoon. But with his slender build and thin, gray hair, the Southwest Minnesota State coach spoke softly, more like a caring grandfather, as he gathered the Mustangs together Oct. 26 in preparation for the tactical and physical onslaught they would face that night against Illinois.
Any of the players surrounding Shaver that night could be the subject of tear-jerking feature stories. Senior Derek Klinkner was an all-conference linebacker for the Mustangs football team before a 3,000-pound water tank fell on his back during a farm accident that left him with reduced mobility in his legs. Next to him was junior Trisha Kienitz, a member of the Southwest Minnesota State golf team who was born without a lower-right leg. Other players on the floor competed with birth defects and injuries incurred in auto accidents − tales of triumph that usually draw attention. Shaver bristles whenever his athletes are viewed purely in those terms of courage through adversity. There's so much more, if outsiders would only take the time to see what he's seen.
Illinois wheelchair basketball opened the door for Gail Gaeng (left) to compete, like the rest of her family, in collegiate sports. Southwest Minnesota State coach Lew Shaver (middle) has seen players like Savoy Brown (right) change perceptions.
It started almost by accident, on a walk to the health and physical education offices in 1969 during Shaver's first month as a safety educator. The school opened two years earlier amid the sprawling farmland of Marshall, Minn., where Shaver's friends say you can see the edge of the world from town, if you aren't already there. Disabled students found a comfortable home in this setting. The school's design defined accessibility, with interconnected buildings and wheelchair access ramps running end to end. It was years ahead of its time.
Shaver saw two young students talking to the school's health director as he approached. One was in a wheelchair; another was a post-polio student supporting himself with crutches. They wanted to start a wheelchair basketball program, so the director pointed to Shaver, a former high school basketball coach, and dropped the request in his unsuspecting lap.
Shaver never had encountered wheelchair basketball, but that wasn't unusual. The sport started in the 1940s as veterans disabled during World War II battles started returning home and searching for activities. But outside Illinois, the nation's first collegiate program, the game largely remained a recreational activity confined to community groups and veterans hospitals. Patients often learned about the sport through rehabilitation therapists; coaches were mostly volunteers.
But Shaver joined a handful of coaches, such as Brad Hedrick at Illinois and Dan
Alabama's intense workouts are as grueling as those of the school's other sports.
Byrnes at Wright State, who found a beauty in the game and helped professionalize the sport. They developed coaching philosophies, compiled their strategies into instructional manuals and organized camps. They watched the game grow quietly and discovered in it a power that no victory or championship could match.
The programs attracted kids who grew up in a society that looked at their wheelchairs and considered only their lost abilities. The kids felt marginalized, putting them at risk for long-term social and health challenges. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now estimates that 37.6 percent of Americans with disabilities are clinically obese, compared with 26.6 percent of able-bodied individuals. It also found increased risks for depression and preventable health problems. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services found that 56 percent of people with disabilities do not engage in physical activity, and just 23 percent are active for at least 30 minutes three or more times per week.
Wheelchair basketball offered an antidote. It reinforced players' self-esteem and reduced problems with depression and obesity. Academic performances improved, and their perception of disabilities upended.
Shaver states the impact bluntly: "We save lives," he said.
It could be taken as hyperbole without the testimony of players like Kyle Killworth, a member of the Alabama men's wheelchair team who was born without a right leg, probably the result of chickenpox his mother contracted during pregnancy.
Killworth isolated himself before his parents nudged him to try the sport, often withdrawing to his room and fantasizing about a world in which he wasn't disabled. Only basketball ended his despair. He now admits to spending more time in the gym some weeks than he does in his bed. The nuances of strategy – how speed, matchups and position blend to create a successful play – fascinate Killworth. He chats X's and O's with anyone interested to illustrate the beauty and meaning he finds in the sport.
"I'm not opposed to being an inspiration," Killworth said. "But people who do it to be an inspiration are playing the game for the wrong reasons."
Spectators are quick to spot the serious athletic skill, too. Newcomers are often stunned to see wheelchair athletes spilling onto the floor during violent collisions or rolling full speed through a crowd at the baseline before spinning to take an open shot. It defies their predisposed images of frailty and opens their minds to what people with disabilities can do, in a setting where it is easy to comprehend the required skill.
"When they see someone make five 3's, everyone in that stadium knows that is a difficult skill whether you're standing or in a chair," said Hedrick, now director of disability resources and educational services at Illinois. "You still don't leave the gym understanding a lot more about a spinal injury, but you leave that gym understanding a lot more about the abilities of that person who has a spinal injury."
But while the sport held the power to reshape perceptions, the opportunities were scarce. The fight for recognition trudged, like an arduous march through knee-deep mud. In an era when women were first breaking down the barriers of gender discrimination, disabled athletes were fighting similar battles. Stigmas held that people with disabili ties weren't interested in athletics competition, even though many athletes traveled an hour or more to compete with the nearest basketball team. Others suggested they posed a safety risk. Society pegged them as weak and damaged.
Ann Cody, a former Illinois basketball player and now director of policy and global outreach for BlazeSports America, which advocates for the development of wheelchair and adapted sports programs, remembers playing games in the 1980s in gymnasiums she considered marginal for high school events. The arenas often lacked scoring and timing equipment, and they housed courts that didn't meet college-regulation dimensions. Their competitions in the Paralympics were never − and still are not − televised.
"The reason we were kind of stuck in those off-the-beaten path facilities is because we were essentially invisible," Cody said. "There weren't spectators. There wasn't media even covering the final scores of the tournament. We didn't exist as far as the general public knew."
From evolution to revolution
The orange hue of dawn cracked across the Champaign, Ill., horizon as the thunderous echoes rolled through Memorial Stadium. Most of the campus was still snoozing. But the commotion reverberating through the Illinois football stadium sounded like the continuous rearrangement of heavy equipment.
While the Illinois wheelchair basketball teams roll up the Memorial Stadium ramps early in the morning, Illini football players sometimes spot the grueling workout and nod their approval.
Gail Gaeng bent forward in her wheelchair inside the stadium concourse. She pushed furiously for 20 torturous seconds up the steep ramps leading to the upper deck, grunting with each forceful push until she heard a whistle blow. Gaeng then turned her chair around, wiped sweat from her forehead with her left arm and with businesslike ease rolled back down the ramp to prepare for another 20-second sprint.
Senior Hiroaki Kozai can sometimes feel his arms going numb and his core muscles tightening during the conditioning drill. He's competed for the Japanese Paralympic team and started the sport playing against adult athletes twice his age, so intense competition isn't new. Yet when he arrived at Illinois last year, two Japanese players immediately warned him about the ramps. "I was scared," Kozai said.
The drill sets a program standard, though. When Illinois won the 2008 national championship, senior Matt Buchi clipped the net and raised it to his nose, telling teammates, "Hey guys, it smells like ramps." As the Illinois football players arrive for their workouts, they sometimes spot the wheelchair players on the ramps and nod their respectful approval.
"If you can't realize that that's equal (to other sports)," Gaeng said, "then I don't really know how else we can explain it to you."
But that battle for recognition continues despite significant advances in the last decade. Grass-roots organizations, such as BlazeSports America − a legacy of the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta − and the American Association of Adapted Sports Programs, helped develop athletics opportunities nationally by working with recreational and scholastic organizations. They also educate coaches and athletic trainers and prepare them to work with the unique needs of the disabled population.
Their efforts helped expand access to athletics for youths around the country. The National Wheelchair Basketball Association estimates the number of teams competing in its national junior division has increased nearly 90 percent since 1999 and now includes about 85 teams. And a dozen states now offer some type of athletics programming for students with disabilities at the high school level.
But it often required the brute force of lawsuits to enact change, including a string of legal challenges from Maryland to Minnesota over the past decade that helped multiply opportunities in high school.
The muscle for those lawsuits came from Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a federal law that protects people in federally funded programs and services from discrimination based on disability. It passed one year after Title IX and contained language that is practically identical to the landmark gender-equity legislation. But disability law experts say its effectiveness hasn't matched its famous cousin because it lacked the same precedent-setting legal challenges and policy clarifications that helped define compliance with Title IX.
When Illini sophomore Kendra Zeman (left) fights off physical double teams or Mustangs senior Derek Klinkner tumbles to the floor (right) and finishes games with blistered hands, spectators are often shocked.
But Paralympian Tatyana McFadden showed in 2006 that the law could be a powerful ally. She sued Maryland's Howard County Public Schools that year in a U.S. district court for denying her the opportunity to compete as a full member of Atholton High School's track team, contending the district violated her rights under the Rehab Act.
McFadden was born in Russia with spina bifida and spent part of her childhood in an orphanage before Debbie McFadden, the commissioner of disabilities for the U.S. Health Department, visited the orphanage and decided to adopt her. Once in Maryland, Tatyana found opportunities to develop her athletics abilities through the Bennett Blazers organization, which develops community-based programming for disabled athletes in Baltimore. She qualified for the Paralympics at age 15, captured silver and bronze medals in racing events and returned home as a rising international star − only to be denied an opportunity to compete as an official member of her high school team.
So Debbie, who assisted with the development of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, contacted the Maryland Disability Law Center with the intent to sue for equal access to school athletics for people with disabilities. Lauren Young, the center's director of litigation, thought the case was so straightforward that she was surprised the dispute couldn't be settled over the phone.
"I thought, 'Well this is just silly,' " Young said. She had used the Rehabilitation Act previously to argue for housing, transportation and voting rights cases. Precedents existed, she said, establishing that discrimination in athletics was tantamount to discrimination in educational programming. "It just seemed like a no-brainer to me."
A U.S. district judge agreed in 2006, citing the Rehab Act in his ruling and finding the school district in violation of federal law. Two years later, Maryland passed the Fitness and Athletic Equity Act for Students with Disabilities, considered a landmark piece of state legislation. The law specifies, in detail, requirements for the state's schools to provide equal opportunities for students with disabilities to participate in physical education and athletics programs. Schools also must produce detailed compliance reports to the Maryland Department of Education.
Subcommittee exploring adapted sports' potential
Adapted sports for individuals with physical disabilities are not yet an official part of NCAA competitions, but a committee began exploring the issue and its possible future last summer.
The NCAA Student-Athletes with Disabilities Subcommittee formed from members of the Minority Opportunities in Athletics Committee and the Committee on Women's Athletics in order to explore how the NCAA is currently addressing the needs of student-athletes with physical and education-impacting disabilities, and the possibilities for expanding intercollegiate athletics opportunities for those individuals in the future.
The group is the second committee the NCAA has formed to explore the topic, but the first since the short-lived Special Committee on Athletic Opportunities for Handicapped Students dissolved in 1982.
Committee chair Carmen Leeds, senior associate athletic director for internal operations at Emporia State, said the group is in its infancy and is currently in its investigation phase to learn about adapted sports.
"I think right now it is just for us to gain the knowledge that we can use to educate the membership," Leeds said, "because there are going to be more questions."
Tatyana's victory helped reinforce the rights of disabled athletes under the Rehab Act. Florida, New Jersey and Ohio have since established athletics programs for students with disabilities, and two lawsuits last year that bore similarities to Tatyana's case forced states to expand existing opportunities.
In May, the Minnesota State High School League − which began offering adaptive sports competitions in bowling, soccer, floor hockey and softball in 1993 − settled a case brought by high school wheelchair racer Rose Hollermann, agreeing to double the number of track and field competitions for wheelchair athletes (to six) and for the first time allowing them to score points on mixed teams with their able-bodied teammates.
Two months later, the U.S. Department of Justice weighed in on an Illinois case with a statement of interest that Scot Hollonbeck, a former wheelchair basketball player and racer who is now a disabled-athletes rights activist, describes as a "game changer." The Illinois attorney general's office and an advocacy group, Equip for Equality, filed the suit on behalf of disabled swimmer and track athlete Mary Kate Callahan, alleging the Illinois High School Association discriminated against disabled athletes by requiring them to meet the same state qualifying times as their able-bodied peers.
When the IHSA moved to have the case dismissed last summer, the Justice Department wrote a letter to the court stating its "strong interest" in seeing the case resolved and outlining that its interpretation of both the Rehab Act and specific titles of the ADA applied to the governing body. The Justice Department strongly urged the court not to dismiss the case.
The IHSA reached a settlement with Callahan in September, agreeing to set up four swimming events for athletes with disabilities. The Justice Department's statement now stands as a message to other governing bodies for how the federal government can be expected to interpret the Rehab Act in similar cases.
But those events were only warning shots for what disability sports advocates believe is the landmark development.
On the heels of McFadden's lawsuit, the Government Accountability Office examined the opportunities available to public school students with disabilities. It found that 41 percent of students with a broad range of disabilities in grades one through seven – including cognitive, emotional, visual, hearing and orthopedic – participated on a sports team. But that number dropped to 33 percent during their high school years.
It also determined that the Department of Education provided schools with little information or guidance to help them understand their responsibilities for providing disabled students with opportunities to participate in physical education and extracurricular athletics activities. At the time, the Rehab Act left room for interpretation about what point schools had to create separate programs for students with disabilities – such as a wheelchair basketball team – versus making accommodations that allowed them to compete in a track or swimming event.
When its report was released in June 2010, the GAO recommended that the Department of Education provide additional clarification of schools' responsibilities under the Rehab Act and define the steps needed to comply with federal law. That guideline clarification, released by the Office of Civil Rights on Jan. 25, laid out specific requirements for schools at the elementary through postsecondary levels to comply with the law. It required schools to explore ways to adjust policies and rules to make reasonable accommodations to help students with disabilities to compete in existing programs. The guidelines also stated that schools should create separate programs – such as wheelchair basketball – for situations where those accommodations weren't enough.
As those guidelines create new opportunities for America's youth, the number of athletes seeking to continue their athletics career in college is expected to grow with them.
Trickling up to the NCAA
Gaeng can testify to the opportunity those legal victories opened.
She was among the first beneficiaries of the Fitness and Athletic Equity Act as a high school student in Maryland. While her greatest success came in basketball − she helped the Bennett Blazers reach the championship game of the NWBA Junior Division as a senior − the law provided new opportunities to compete in wheelchair track and tennis.
Those athletics experiences helped her earn a basketball scholarship at Illinois, where she is now working on a business degree − the same career path two of her brothers and sisters already followed.
"It helped me put my little stone in the wall of success of my family," Gaeng said. "Now that I look back on it, it was very, very big."
Headway on the track
If the NCAA opens new opportunities for student-athletes with disabilities at its championships, track and field may be the sport that grows the quickest and with the fewest complications.
The latest U.S. Census Bureau figures estimate that 2.3 percent of kids ages 5 to 17 have physical disabilities that may require accommodations to compete in athletics. It's a small percentage, but advocates say that population of 1.3 million kids is enough to populate a competitive national wheelchair basketball program at the college level. But an important step to developing a dedicated wheelchair sport, they said, is to focus on the expansion and improvement of programming at the youth and high school levels to increase participation and quality of coaching. That process might develop over a decade or longer.
By comparison, track and field is expanding at the high school levels faster than any other sport and is positioned to add athletes with disabilities immediately simply because it wouldn't require a full roster for a dedicated team. Instead, it could integrate athletes into existing programs simply by adding wheelchair racing and field events to traditional meet lineups.
Ted Fay, a professor at SUNY Cortland and an expert on disability athletics issues, believes that model could effectively integrate athletes with disabilities because of the lower cost and complication of adding single events. Fay also believes it would offer incentives for teams to recruit athletes for those events. For example, top-ranked teams could be instantly motivated to recruit athletes with disabilities to avoid forfeiting points in the national championship.
"You have an example there where it incentivizes recruitment, and it incentivizes awareness," Fay said. "You're flipping it, and you're creating a resource argument as an incentive."
The U.S. talent pool for high school track and field is already competitive at the international level, too. Six high school All-Americans competed in last summer's London Paralympic Games, and all but one made the finals in their event.
Athletes with disabilities are finding more opportunities in high school than ever before. Becky Oakes, director of sports for the National Federation of State High School Associations, estimated that a dozen states now offer athletics programming adapted for disabled students. Some have already found ways to create opportunities for those athletes to compete alongside their able-bodied peers, such as allowing a visually impaired cross country athlete to use a guide runner and tether, or by lining up a wheelchair racer in a track meet alongside other runners.
But opportunity is rare once those athletes leave high school: Only four of the 12 NWBA intercollegiate programs are women's teams, and only three schools offer track programs. While high school programming is expanding, opportunities in college have remained stagnant for three decades. It makes advocates and legal experts question how long it will take for a critical mass of teenage athletes to come knocking at the doors of America's colleges and universities and demand similar opportunities.
Hollonbeck, who has advised and participated in several lawsuits pursuing the rights of disabled athletes, said that process is already under way. In 2010, he helped an incoming freshman craft a letter to a major athletics department asking that administrators there consider starting a sports program for disabled students. The response: Since the NCAA doesn't sponsor adapted sports, the request didn't fall under the university's guidelines. The student was then referred to the school's department of recreational sports. Hollonbeck said it was a typical response, passing responsibility off to other departments and organizations. But he believes that stance would crumble in court.
Young also believes colleges and universities are legally vulnerable for the same reasons she used to successfully argue McFadden's case. But she and other disabled athlete advocates hope that higher education institutions will take steps before the issue arrives at their doorstep and avoid the difficulties that legally forced evolution can bring.
Young said the abrupt changes prompted by McFadden's case exposed Maryland schools' lack of background, policy work and experience with disabled athletes. Officials were unprepared to handle even simple issues they never previously had to consider, such as transportation needs, rule adjustments, scoring and inter-regional competition procedures.
Similar questions may pose the greatest hurdles to expanding the sports at the college level.
The latest U.S. Census Bureau figures estimate that only 2.3 percent of kids age 5 to 17 have the types of physical disabilities that can require accommodations to compete in athletics – far less than the population power driving Title IX. So how much opportunity would be reasonably expected from a school to be considered compliant? Would athletic trainers need specific education to work with disabled athletes? What accommodations would a school's support staff need to consider to meet those students' unique needs? How would it impact compliance with Title IX, and how could schools allocate resources to include disabled athletes without tripping on the ever-present concerns of depleting other sports?
If athletics departments adopted those programs, college administrators said sports such as wheelchair basketball and track would first need to be restructured to comply with current regulations. For example, the NWBA permits wheelchair basketball players to compete for five seasons, one more than the NCAA allows. Rules governing eligibility, recruiting and practice would also have to be established.
Thoughtful, interested parties – rather than forced hands – best resolve those issues, advocates say. And last summer the NCAA began exploring those questions with a new subcommittee composed of members of the Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee and the Committee on Women's Athletics (see sidebar).
The Illinois women's wheelchair basketball team loads up the bus on game day.
"The NCAA places tremendous value on all dimensions of diversity and strives to foster an inclusive climate within the intercollegiate athletics community," NCAA Chief Inclusion Officer Bernard Franklin said. "Exploring new opportunities and serving the best interests of student-athletes with disabilities will continue to be a vital part of our focus moving forward."
It may be a decade or more before those issues reach an urgent stage. But Illinois men's wheelchair basketball coach Mike Frogley glows when he ponders the potential. For nearly 25 years he's played and coached the game in a mainstream-awareness vacuum, yet he consistently hears spectators marvel over deep jump shots and daring drives through the lane they never considered possible from a wheelchair. If the game can already alter those perceptions, he asks, what could it accomplish as an official varsity sport?
"Wow," Frogley said, "the power that would have in reshaping the views of all society would be amazing."
That's why Lew Shaver has held a dream since the 1970s. From his post near the edge of the world, the idea seemed as far-reaching as landing a man on Jupiter, but the Southwest Minnesota State coach never let it go.
He imagines the Final Four, with all its fanfare. And alongside that year's top basketball programs, competing on the same court on the same weekend, Shaver envisions men's and women's wheelchair teams playing for their own NCAA crowns, revealing to the world their skill and determination, showcasing what they can accomplish.
"That's what I would love to see for these kids," Shaver said, his voice filling with awe. "Wouldn't that be absolutely beautiful?"
This feature originally appeared in the Winter 2013 issue of NCAA Champion Magazine.
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We started off the new year of 2012 with our Certified Pool/Spa Operator® Certification class in Anaheim this past Thursday and Friday, January 12-13. When we rolled in on Wednesday afternoon to set-up — we were immediately greeted by Steve and Brian — our heroes!! Thanks, guys!! — it is such a great help to us when you carry our equipment and supplies up the stairs!
We start off each class with introductions, classroom protocol and course objectives. Then we jump right into Chapter One of the Pool & Spa Operator Handbook.
Chapter Two of the Handbook covers the "Who's Who" of associations and organizations that are involved in the recreational aquatics industry.
One of those organizations listed in Chapter Two is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA). Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are part of OSHA's Hazard Communication Program to help employers and workers know about work hazards and how to protect themselves. MSD sheets are required at the work place and should be available to workers and employees at all times. MSD sheets provide important information about chemical handling and storage, exposure, personal protection, chemical disposal, firefighting, and first aid.
MSD sheets are also a great source for the physical properties of the chemicals that we use. The pH of 1% solution is given, the chemical makeup is usually listed, and many other properties. It was from the MSD sheets that we came up with the chart on the left.
MSDSs are readily available on the internet, too. We usually go the HASA site here. So go get them, make them available, and always keep them handy — they are absolutely invaluable for you to learn and know what you are dealing with for each and every chemical that you add to pool water!


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Hindu Basics Publisher's Editorials Philosophy & Scripture August, 1999
Ancient Wisdom for A Perfect Life Today
August 1, 1999786 Leave a comment
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI
Many years ago when I was first in Sri Lanka–that was in 1949–I made a vow to bring together the best of the East and the best of the West. Living with a traditional Saivite family that informally adopted me in those early days, I was introduced to the Tirukural, a 2,200-year-old South Indian Dravidian classic on ethical living written by the weaver saint, Tiruvalluvar. (Tiru means "holy" or "sacred," and kural describes a brief verse or literary couplet.) I recognized this book to be one of the most important scriptures in all of Asia, so enchanting and so very practical. Decades later, I instructed two of my swamis to translate it from classical Tamil into American English and commissioned a renowned artist in South India to illustrate our 108 chapters. Now I am happy to announce that just a few days ago that work was completed and sent off to the printer in Michigan. I have named our edition Weaver's Wisdom, and wanted to share with you a little bit about it so that you can use it to help guide your life as it has guided and uplifted ours. It contains wondrously no-nonsense insights on life, teaching us how to deal with the various feelings and circumstances that we encounter in our internal life and our interactions with others. In this sense, the Tirukural is the most accessible and relevant sacred text I know, applying to everyday matters and common concerns.
In fact, one of the striking revelations readers have as they go through this text is how little has changed in two millennia. People basically have the same worries, face the same fears and personal challenges, struggle with the same weaknesses and foibles, cherish the same aspirations for goodness and nobility. And, sadly, they have the same propensity for dishonesty and corruption. How much we are today like the people the weaver writes about is a most stunning fact. There is, indeed, not a single verse that seems outmoded or irrelevant to our modern life. That in itself is an amazing fact!
The weaver's poetic masterpiece is one of the most revered scriptures in South India. In Tamil Nadu, I am told, nearly every child learns to recite its verses by heart. Hindus there regard it with the same reverence that Buddhists regard the Buddha's Dhammapada and Christians regard Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount." Many are surprised to find that the Tirukural is still sworn upon in the courts of law in South India's state of Tamil Nadu, just as the Christian Bible and Muslim Koran are sworn on elsewhere. Albert Schweitzer, medical missionary and Christian theologian in Africa, considered it one of the grandest achievements of the human mind: "Like the Buddha and the Bhagavad Gita, the Kural desires inner freedom from the world and a mind free from hatred. You find the quintessence of the best gems of thoughts in the Kural, a living ethic of love and liberation." The Father of modern India, Mahatma Gandhi, took to these verses in his own spiritual life, telling his people, "Only a few of us know the name of Tiruvalluvar. The North Indians do not know the name of the great saint. There is none who has given such a treasure of wisdom like him."
In his work, Tiruvalluvar chose a topic–such as children, friendship or avoidance of anger–and gave us ten different couplets on the one subject, each reflecting the light of his understanding slightly differently, and the richness of his comprehension.
One of the hallmarks of Saint Tiruvalluvar's genius was his ability to deftly define and subtly delineate Sanatana Dharma, the Eternal Spiritual Path, to all men equally, never limiting his audience to a sectarian view. Even when he speaks directly of God, Whom he addresses as Adi Bhagavan, Iraivan and Kadavul–ancient Tamil words for God–the weaver's broad heart praises "God Primordial," "the Incomparable One," "the Gracious One" or "the Compassionate One." In other words, everyone's God.
Having honored the Worshipful One, the weaver praises rain, for without rain's gift of life all the human experience would be impossible. The third chapter speaks of renunciation, sannyasa, for to him the renunciate monk is the most noble exemplar of humanity, the highest of souls, the minister of Sanatana Dharma, nowadays called Hinduism in English, Indu Samayam in Tamil, Hindutva in Sanskrit, Hindouisme in French, Hinduismo in Spanish, Religione Hindú in Italian, and Hinduismus in German. He exalts renunciation as a way of life as distinct from that of the householder, encouraging ardent souls seeking the realization of their own True Being, to take up their faith with vigor and to live the detached, selfless life of a renunciate–noninvolvement in the joys and sorrows of the world.
Although it has been translated into English by many scholars, the Tirukural has never been widely known in the Western world. There is a similar work, written in modern times by the Syrian-born American mystic Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931), called The Prophet, which has become a beloved classic. Everyone knows and loves this masterful work. The Prophet parallels the Tirukural in many ways. Both books speak in profound yet understandable terms of love and friendship, of health and death, of joy and sorrow. It is our hope that the Tirukural–Weaver's Wisdom–will find its place beside The Prophet and be known by the wider world as the gem that it is, showing how the Tamil Hindus have, to this very day, maintained their heritage, rich culture and religious fervor.
Much of what the weaver writes revolves around the home, which resonates well with today's calls to return to traditional family values. He speaks of the faithful husband and the devoted wife, of the upright children they raise and the joys they experience, of the value of relationship and how to nurture and sustain it. He speaks of age and its merits, of the importance of honoring the elderly, of caring for and not abandoning them.
Nor is the weaver a stranger to difficult issues that still perplex us. He speaks of killing and of the king's duty to execute murderers. He speaks of alcohol addiction, of the debilitating effects of gambling, of adultery and the tragic loss of a life lived in poverty or lazy indifference. He guides us in matters of education, and warns against the life-sapping effect of lack of knowledge. He speaks of a strong military, of spies and of advisors with personal agendas, of fools and their ways and wastes. He knows of the wiles of real enemies and has much to tell modern man about overcoming opposition, about being wise against antagonists' crafty ways and thus surviving the attacks of foes. He speaks of making money and of how money is squandered and lost. He explores purity, kindness, humility, right thought, right action, friendship and all forms of virtuous living, and he boldly offers stern warning as to the consequence of base, sinful thoughts and actions. With great force, he decries the agonies caused by meat-eating and commends traditional Hindu vegetarianism. All along the way we encounter his humor, which he uses to great effect and which makes us laugh even as it points to our most stubborn flaws and comic foibles.
I would strongly suggest that you teach these gems to the children. The weaver's advice and admonition, coming from the world's most ancient faith and culture, will enrich every child's understanding of goodness, right conduct and right thought. It should be memorized, especially by small children, at least one verse carefully chosen by mother and father, from each of the 108 chapters, as a beginning. This will create a positive conscience for their inner decisions, guiding how they will conduct themselves through life, especially in these times when television stories, plots and scenes present the prevalent dissipated code of living. I encourage all readers to use this scripture to provide guidelines for effective and virtuous action in your life and that of your family. It can be your refuge in times of confusion, a source of inspiration when you feel less than inspired, a vital part of your life as it has been to ours. Indeed, we have modeled our entire international organization on the weaver's advice, admonitions, and never-ending directives, which has helped us make decisions in uncompromising situations to uncompromise them into solutions.
To order your copy of Weaver's Wisdom, our American English translation of Tirukural, visit www.hindu.org/weaver/.
Hinduism Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
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Hinduism Today March 1, 2001

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Looking to make your Xbox your own? Check out this tutorial for details on how to create your own custom designed faceplate and make a statement.
**Read all directions and warnings on spray paint cans. Contents are flammable and hazardous if inhaled. Use in well-ventilated areas and keep out of reach of children.
Lay the faceplate on a drop cloth in a well-ventilated area. Spray the faceplate with your chosen background color and let it dry.
Print a copy of the image you would like to have on your faceplate and tape the acetate on top of it.
This process will work best with an image that is one piece and can be painted in one solid color. Additional features can be hand-painted with acrylic paint if you prefer to have a detailed picture.
Cut out the areas of the image you want to have on your faceplate with a precision knife or scissors. The acetate will be used as a stencil.
Place the stencil on your faceplate and tightly tape into place.
Spray paint the cutout using the second paint color. Pull the stencil and tape off immediately, being careful not to smudge the newly painted image. Allow paint to dry.
Step 6: Glue on "bling"
Glue any additional "bling" to the faceplate. This could include metal spikes, rhinestones, beads, paper, fabric, plastic spiders, or stickers.


Explanation and tasting of the traditional pastries and sweets of Siena: Ricciarelli, Panforte and Cantuccini.
Multilingual tour: guide can make the explanation in maximum 2 languages in the bus and inside the museums.
WARNING: The tour includes places of worship: no shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. We recommend comfortable shoes.
In case of force majeure (road conditions, strikes, delays, changes to opening hours or other problems), the tour operator can make changes to the tour at any time or replace it with an alternative service of the same category. In this case the price will not be subject to change and will be presented and communicated in advance before departure. When, regardless of the reservations, in the period of greatest influx of tourists, there is a delay for the ticket pick up at museums or when the cathedral was closed for religious services, the Tour Operator and its staff are not responsible.
in order to avoid sanctions, cancellation of reservations must be received at least one business day in advance. When, for whatever reason, the tour operator cancels the tour, the customer is entitled to a full refund of amount paid. There are no refunds for customers who does not show up at the meeting point on time for the start of the tour, and clients who lose contact with the guide or do not complete the excursion. Any customer complaint must be communicated within 10 business days after the tour.
Visit the cultural treasures of Siena and San Gimignano, admire the walled town of Monteriggioni, and experience the world-famous vineyards of the Chianti region. A wine tasting accompanied by delicious Tuscan appetizers concludes this picture-postcard day.
Driving south from Florence and crossing the beautiful hills of the famous vineyards of the Chianti region we will first reach Monteriggioni, a medieval walled town, located on a natural hillock. The town walls and towers are almost intact, and the views from below are astonishing.
Built by the Sienese in 1213 as a front line in their wars against Florence, Monteriggioni is a prime example of a defensive fortification. Today, this fascinating little town attracts many visitors, including architects, medieval historians, and archaeologists. Here, too, you will have free time to explore the beauties of Monteriggioni.
Our tour will then continue on to Siena, where our local guide will introduce you to the highlights of this splendid city.
Siena is a medieval city with many historical attractions, such as the evocative Piazza del Campo. Famous for the Palio horse races as well as for being one of the most splendid examples of Gothic civil architecture in the world, the Piazza del Campo is home to the magnificent Palazzo Pubblico with its Torre del Mangia tower. Your visit includes the interior of the cathedral, praised by many as one of the most beautiful churches of Christendom.
After Siena, your tour continues on to San Gimignano -its "skyscrapers," the city's many medieval towers beckon from afar. This picturesque and fascinating medieval town was declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. San Gimignano is famous for its white wine, the world renowned Vernaccia, which you will be able to taste in several of the wine stores in the town.
You will have free time for your independent sightseeing in San Gimignano. Wind your way through the narrow streets, admire the landscape surrounding the town, and enjoy the shops. The ceramics are beautiful here, and there are also places for buying artisan leather goods and linens.
where you will have the opportunity to taste some of the best Chianti red wine along with delicious homemade Tuscan snacks and olive oil.
Your tour concludes with the beautiful drive back to Florence.
After your discovery of Siena, a light lunch awaits you in a cozy restaurant. Here, you'll get to taste genuine Tuscan products, as well as the most famous locally produced traditional pastries: Ricciarelli, Panforte and Cantuccini.


BURBANK - October 10, 2006 - NBC.com announced that its "NBC Rewind" feature � a component of its new large-format, full-episode video player -- reached over two million video streams in its first full week of release last week, helping make nbc.com the #1-ranked broadcast network website in terms of share of total internet visits for the week of September 30.
The announcement was made by Jeff Gaspin, President, NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, Digital Content and Cross-Network Strategy.
"We're really pleased that consumers are engaging the features on our new video player," said Gaspin. "It's further evidence that a strong digital presence is vital to satisfy today's audience and to expose our new shows to more potential viewers."
The statistics are based on information provided by Omniture and Hitwise, two of the industry's primary measurement sources.
The average time spent per visit clocked in at 20.2 minutes for "NBC Rewind," with one quarter of those visits lasting over thirty minutes.
According to Hitwise, nbc.com was the #1 ranked broadcast network website in terms of share of total internet visits for the week of September 30.
In September, NBC announced its plans to stream primetime content on www.nbc.com for free, beginning with the new Fall season's programming. The ad-supported model allows viewers to watch episodes of their favorite NBC primetime shows on NBC Universal's new video player for free.


text:
Rachel Dunwell
Place: Lindley Grove, Hunslet
Rachel Dunwell died after a street brawl.
She was a widow that had lived in Lindley Crescent in Leeds.
It was said that Rachel Dunwell had remonstrated with a neighbour that was about to strike another old woman on 21 August 1915 but was then attacked herself, receiving two or three blows to her left temple.
She was then taken to the Beckett Street Workhouse in Leeds where she later died on 2 September 1915.
A doctor that carried out the post-mortem stated that she had a large blood clot over the left side of her brain. He said that it might have been caused by the excitement of the disturbance or directly due to violence.
The jury at the inquest returned an open verdict, saying that there was not sufficient evidence to show that her death was caused by a blow.
see Yorkshire Evening Post - Friday 03 September 1915
see Leeds Mercury - Thursday 16 September 1915


text:
Recommendation on monitoring of commercial and industrial waste
Dear Permanent Representative to the European Council,
The signatories to this document put forward a joint recommendation for the inclusion of an amendment to the Waste Framework Directive and Landfill Directive which will require the measurement and monitoring of waste from commercial and industrial sources, in order to ensure that all waste types generated in a Member State are known and treated in accordance with the requirements of European legislation on waste.
Several amendments were tabled in Parliament to this effect, included in annex to this letter, and of those in its Plenary Session on 14 March 2017, the European Parliament adopted the following amendment which we support and propose that the Council also includes in Art. 11.4a of the Waste Framework Directive:
The Commission shall examine the possibility of setting preparing for re-use and recycling targets that apply to commercial waste, non-hazardous industrial waste and other waste streams to be met by 2025 and 2030. To that end, by 31 December 2018, the Commission shall draw up a report, accompanied by a legislative proposal, if appropriate, which shall be sent to the European Parliament and the Council.
In order to be complete, we propose that the Council agrees this modified article in place of the above:
The Commission shall examine the possibility of setting preparing for re-use and recycling targets as well as landfill reduction targets and restrictions that apply to commercial waste, non-hazardous industrial waste and other waste streams to be met by 2025 and 2030. To that end, by 31 December 2018, the Commission shall draw up a report, accompanied by a legislative proposal, if appropriate, which shall be sent to the European Parliament and the Council.
In addition to this, we propose that a requirement is included in Art.37 (Reporting) that commercial and industrial waste holders report the types and volumes of waste they generate and send to recycling, incineration, co-incineration or landfill annually, to the national level. This will increase transparency on all waste flows generated thereby improving accessibility of recyclable waste to the recycling industry and enabling the circular economy to be created.
This could be worded as follows:
'All sectors, including municipalities, commercial and industrial entities will report their total annual generation of waste to the national level, also specifying the quantities and waste types sorted for recycling, sent to incineration, co-incineration or landfill. The national authorities will communicate this data to Eurostat on an annual basis.'
In its Plenary Session on 14 March 2017, the European Parliament adopted the following amendment which we support and propose that the Council also includes in Art. 5(7) of the Landfill Directive:
By 31 December 2018 at the latest, the Commission shall examine the possibility to introduce a target and restrictions to the landfilling of non-hazardous waste other than municipal waste. To this end, a report of the Commission accompanied by a legislative proposal, if appropriate, shall be sent to the European Parliament and the Council.
Thanking you for your consideration of these key points,
Vanya Veras, Secretary General, Municipal Waste Europe
Ella Stengler, Secretary General, Confederation of European Waste to Energy Plants
Emmanuel Katrakis, Secretary General, EURIC
Jeremy Wates, Secretary General, European Environmental Bureau
Joint recommendation on monitoring of commercial and industrial waste
Towards a Circular Economy
European Commission Documents
Waste-to-Energy and the European Green Deal
CEWEP's article published in Waste Management World Magazine…
The Zero Waste Utopia and the Role of Waste-to-Energy
An Editorial by Peter Quicker, Stefano Consonni and Mario Grosso, renown Professors in the field…


Airlines have really become petty. At one time not too lengthy ago where flying was a celebration. The airlines were a lot more competitive if this found making people feel at ease. The flights was once all-inclusive from soup to nuts, there weren't any hidden charges that will jack the cost from the flight up. Today, regrettably, there appears to become a fee for everything. A cheap flight to Miami easily can lead to costing exactly the same or even more than every other flight. Airlines have moved from all-inclusive prices to much more of an ala carte option menu. Individuals hidden charges can definitely accumulate if you do not give consideration. Most airlines require an additional fee for simply putting a bit of luggage on the flight using the passenger.
Folks follow all of the rules to save cash on a flight ticket. They book ahead of time, they fly to Miami during off occasions and off seasons looking to get the least expensive flight easy to Miami, only to discover that they need to pay extra for luggage – not since it exceeds weight needs but simply simply because they have luggage, period. Even though it may appear absurd for just about any air travel not to think that a passenger will carry some luggage together, the costs exist nevertheless on nearly all airlines operating today. The marketed cost for any cheap flight to Miami might be one factor, except it doesn't point out that luggage is extra. Who are able to possibly travel to Miami on vacation without luggage? Obviously the airlines realize that you may have to create some type of luggage along with you, and hopefully it must be checked therefore the additional charges could be billed. The airlines defend this practice by stating that it keeps costs of jet fuel lower which there's limited weight within the cargo hold (that is true) however, should you bring luggage along with you which is compact enough to suit within the stow away area over the seat or underneath the seat, then there's free. The same is true a bag weigh less within the cabin from the plane? One wouldn't think so. And so the declare that the price of purchasing the luggage a place on the flight isn't justified within the eyes of numerous travelers, and you'll be included in this. So a terrific way to beat the extra fee for checking a bag would be to cram all of your stuff right into a keep on bag. This can keep your cost lower and could help in keeping a cheap flight to Miami cheap. You will find very specific weight and dimensions limitations in position for keep on luggage, therefore the best bet would be to contact the airlines before hands to ensures the weight and dimensions limitations could be met.
Another from the favorite hidden charges that airlines have put into their ala carte listing of options is having to pay extra for any lap child. A young child younger than two isn't needed to sit down in their own individual seat, plus they can sit by having an adult having to pay flyer. Description of how the can continue to sit inside your lap, but it costs you. The charge is generally around $ 10 but is often as almost as much ast 10 % of the price of the adult ticket. Case yet another method in which your cheap flight to Miami may become less-than-cheap. Search around to determine what airlines offering Miami cheap flights also offers a totally free ride for you or toddler and save a couple of dollars.
One of the worst from the worst hidden charges may be the charge for flying standby on the day that. This is sort of a penal charge for getting to depart on short notice. This fee could be around twenty-five extra dollars, or maybe the cheap flight to Miami needs to be altered to a different flight during within 24 hours of travel, another fee. To void this fee, simply don't fly standby (despite the fact that flying standby can be a good factor for that airlines because the passenger is going to be filling a clear seat) and do not alter the flight.
Other charges which you may not have access to considered for the cheap Miami flight can include going with a dog carrier within the cabin, that is a minimum of fifty dollars, or making money frequent flyer miles, which often costs around twenty-five to fifty dollars. A cheap flight to Miami could find yourself costing a lot of money, if you do not watch out for individuals hidden costs. Travel light and learn each airline's hidden costs before booking a flight ticket.


text:
Denver police respond to 2 shootings, 1 stabbing Monday morning
All injured individuals are expected to survive
Police tape at a Denver crime scene.
By: Stephanie Butzer
DENVER — Denver police responded to two shootings and a stabbing in Denver early Monday morning.
At 12:41 a.m., officers responded to a call about a stabbing near E. Evans Avenue and Broadway. One man was transported to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, police said.
At 1:27 a.m., officers responded to the 5700 block of N. Ceylon Street after receiving a report of a shooting. One adult was transported to a local hospital and is in stable condition, police said.
At 4:46 a.m., DPD tweeted that they were at the scene of a shooting near W. 2nd Avenue and N. Santa Fe Drive. Police said one man was brought to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.
No other details were available on these crimes as of Monday morning. The investigations are all open and active.
Denver7 is working to learn more. Check back for updates.


In this thesis, which is carried out under the title of methamorphosis in artistic expression, the concept of integration is aimed at the relations between individual, society and art in historical context. In this context, from prehistoric periods to modern art understanding, the concept of transformation, which is the subject of many art works among the disciplines of literary and visual art, is used as an artistic expression, and what kind of contributions are made on creative thought, and examined how the concept is used in different languages. The concept that determines the basic subject of the research is explained by sampling the usage of the art in different disciplines as well as the material and technique used in the applications through both form and conceptual transformation of the object. In addition, a number of applications were made on the subject of methamorphose, which constitutes the key point of this study, and the subject have experienced in a variety of ways through various materials and studies. On the other hand, the phenomenon of convergence or transformation is a concept frequently referred to in mythology by the endless stories of the gods in Legends. What kind of transformation the mythical figures mentioned in mythological stories have undergone and how these transformations are evaluated by the artist is discussed in comparison with the works of art. During the comparison of the works of art, taking into consideration the formal differences shaped in accordance with the art understanding of the period, the work have evaluated on the position of the phenomenon of methamorphose in the history of art.


ARMONK, NY	- 10 Dec 2008: IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced today that it will host a Web seminar to explore how the Obama presidency could impact the future of Healthcare in the United States. The seminar, entitled "Healthcare 2015: The Impact of the Obama Presidency," will feature a panel of recognized health policy experts, including an advisor from the Obama campaign team. It will air over the Internet on Wednesday, December 10th at 12:00 noon Eastern Standard Time.
Mr. Len Nichols, Director, Health Policy Program, The New America Foundation.
The Web seminar is the fourth in a series of quarterly Healthcare 2015 discussion topics hosted by IBM thought leaders, industry experts, and the company's worldwide Healthcare community. It is open to everyone interested in learning more about healthcare reform under the new Obama presidency. Those interested in joining the webcast can register at: Healthcare 2015: The Impact of the Obama Webcast Presidency.
"The United States healthcare system is on the verge of potential, dynamic change with the recent election of Barack Obama. Further, the current financial crisis and the topic of healthcare reform will be high on Mr. Obama's agenda and will impact every citizen, government organization, and business in the U.S. and beyond," said Pelino. "President-elect Barack Obama has called for affordable, accessible healthcare; preventive care and wellness; and new investments in health IT. We expect that the pace and scale of his plans will unfold quickly as we lead up to his inauguration as President."
Once registered, participants will receive emails from IBM asking for their questions and topics of interest in advance of the event.


First, you convinced your friends to try a Mac. Then, you convinced them to get an iPhone. Then, if you're a really good friend, you convinced them to buy Apple stock. :) (By revenue, the iPhone alone is now a bigger business than all of General Motors – see more here).
The spectacular success of Apple is nothing short of magical. While no single factor can explain Apple's success, there is one common thread that runs through it all. And that's simplicity.
And yet, 95% of all branding assets in the world are poorly designed and complicated. Please don't add to the pile. Instead, treat your brand like the apple of your I.


He was a "prop" for the governor of Michigan, risked humiliation on The Daily Show and logged 12,000 kilometres on the rubber chicken circuit.
But in the end, Canadian Consul General Roy Norton played a pivotal role in the $3.5 billion deal to build a second bridge between Windsor and Detroit.
Speaking at Western University law school Monday, Norton said the deal on a second span should have been easy, considering millions of jobs on both sides of the border depend on trade crossing the 83-year-old Ambassador Bridge.
But Norton said the deal faced relentless opposition from Manuel Maroun, the billionaire owner of the Ambassador who is determined to protect his monopoly.
Norton said Maroun has plenty of "carrots" to hand out in the form of hefty campaign contributions and jobs for state legislators, judges and union officials in exchange for their support.
"The Canadian government realized some true outside-the-box thinking was required if this project was to stand a chance. Canada offered to pay for the project and assume full responsibility," said Norton.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed a deal in Windsor last June, with Canada paying the full cost and recouping the money through future tolls.
Snyder, an independently wealthy Republican governor elected in 2010, emerged as a surprising champion of the bridge and an ally for Canadians and used his executive power to push through the deal.
Maroun fought back with a $41 million media campaign promoting Proposition 6 on the November election ballot, requiring a state-wide referendum to approve any new bridge project.
"Nothing they said in that campaign was true. They said it would cost Michigan $2 billion when in fact, it would cost them nothing," said Norton who is based in Detroit and looks after Canadian interests in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.
Last September Norton became part of the effort to defeat Proposition 6, an unconventional role for a diplomat.
He did dozens of interviews and criss-crossed Michigan, delivering 40 speeches to business and community groups.
Snyder mounted a pre-election bus tour of the state.
"I tagged along, pretty much serving as a prop. Going on an election tour with a governor is as far away from the norm as any Canadian diplomat can get," said Norton.
Norton said his biggest risk was appearing the satiric Daily Show which often makes people interviewed look foolish. Norton emerged unscathed.
Norton expects Maroun will continue to launch lawsuits and stir up opposition in the U.S. Congress, which must approve some funding for the project.
But he is confident construction of the bridge will begin next year.


text:
Conscientious Objectors Cannot Stop Jim Crow
(1 February 1941)
From The Militant, Vol. V No. 5, 1 February 1941, p. 6.
When Ernest Calloway told a Chicago draft board last month that he wants exemption from military service because he is a conscientious objector against the Jim Crow treatment of the Negroes in the armed forces, he opened up a very important question for all those who are serious about the fight for equal rights in the Army.
That question is: Should other Negroes follow Calloway's example? Should they declare that they are against being trained how to fight, and refuse military training? Can such a course of action have a decisive effect on the shameful treatment of the Negro soldiers by the officer clique in charge of conscription?
There can be no doubt here, of course, of our attitude toward the attacks that the draft officials are going to make on Calloway. Already his local board has turned down his request for exemption, and although he is appealing their decision with the aid of the N.A.A.C.P., it is pretty certain that they will prosecute and attempt to jail him if he persists in his determination not to he drafted. When the draft officials and the army bureaucrats launch their attack against him, they will do it because he has opposed their draft and has given publicity to the Jim Crow regime in the Army. All workers must defend Calloway against such attacks even if they don't agree with Calloway's method.
But it is one thing to oppose Jim Crowism in the army and another thing to oppose it correctly and successfully.
What Is Wrong with Calloway's Method
We are certain that actions such as Calloway's will not have any decisive effect on the fight for equal rights in the armed forces. It can't, because it leaves untouched the power of the officer caste to do exactly what it pleases. As long as the labor-hating officers have the power to do what they want with the rank-and-file soldiers, there will be Jim Crowism in the army. Not until their complete and all-powerful control over military training is taken from them can the fight for equal rights be won.
What is wrong with Calloway's method, even if it were followed by ten other men, or 1000, or 10,000, is that it does not touch this main problem at all. Whether Calloway is sent to jail or whether he will be set free will not in any way affect or diminish the powers of the officer caste. They'll still have the power to Jim Crow Negroes and treat them as second-class citizens.
The second major weakness in Calloways's method (which was conceived of and proposed by a Chicago organization, known as "Conscientious Objectors Against Jim Crow," headed by St. Clair Drake, who is also executive secretary of the local branch of the Stalinist-controlled National Negro Congress) is that it does not take into consideration at all the need of the Negro people to learn the military arts.
This is a world of war and revolution today. Every important question is being decided by military means. The Negro people too will be able to solve their problems only by struggle against their armed and trained enemies. Whoever denies that the Negro people must master the other military arts is misleading and disarming the Negroes in the face of their enemies. Whoever says that the Negro people in this country will win their freedom in any way other than by fighting for it is miseducating and confusing the Negro people.
Negroes Must Join Fight for Military Training
It is correct and necessary to maintain our opposition to conscription by the boss class, but it is useless to do so unless at the same time we present some other proposal which, while it will eliminate military Jim Crowism and anti-labor practices, will also provide for training the workers in the military arts.
Since the Calloway-Drake proposals ignore both the question of control of military training and the necessity for such training, they cannot be accepted as a program for Negro workers.
Since the Socialist Workers Party program for trade union control of military training has the answer to both these questions, it must be pushed by Negroes as the only real aud practical solution of discrimination and segregation in the armed forces.
To push this program requires not an arms-folded policy of individual abstention, which by itself can never win anything, but militant activity to mobilize the Negroes and the trade unions to struggle against the bosses for its realization.
Last updated: 3 October 2015


You walk into a coffee shop because you heard they have all the fancy coffee and you're looking for something interesting today. As you walk into the shop, the barista begins to tell you about all the flavors they have and, after taking a few eye-ball measurements of you, recommends three possible flavors from which to choose.
How does that make you feel? If you're delighted and intrigued, then you're one of the more sociable people out there. Many people, however, depending on their mood and personality will feel various degrees of disbelief and defensiveness. Disbelief because… "they're just trying to upsell me because this is business" and defensiveness because "I just want to browse, why don't they leave me alone". What if as you walk into the shop, the barista would start with "Hi! I'm here to help you find the best flavor for you. I've tasted all of these." re-read the first paragraph, and imagine how you would feel then.
When someone has established the right contextual rapport, they are suddenly much more believable and you're more open to listen.
When you're about to give a talk at a Judge Conference, or with any other public speaking opportunity, put yourself in the audience's shoes. Who are they? What do they care about, with regards to the topic you're presenting? As you picture what those things may be, find opportunities to connect with them. So before you even begin to talk about your topic, tell the audience why they should believe you and help them open up.
Personally, I like to establish belief through my credentials. For example, when I give a talk about web technologies, I talk about the years of experience I have building web apps and my passion for the open web. If I give a talk about public speaking, I'd mention that I speak 6-7 times a year in front of audiences of 80+ people and have become increasingly at ease with it over the past 5 years.
Who will be in your audience? What types of people? What do they have in common?
Why should they listen to you? Who are you in relation to them?
You don't have to be an expert to give a talk, but if you are, it's worth mentioning. And if you establish that you're not, then mention the research that went into the topic and your proficiency with it.
How will you set the tone of the presentation so that they are open to listen actively? How can they empathize with you?
Winning an audience is different for everyone, because it's closely related to your personality. If with the previous question you were trying to establish a connection at the logical level, here you will try to connect at an emotional level. Making people laugh is a good idea, so long as you don't make a goof of yourself.
Are your answers to the questions above genuine?
Often when we think of what others think we tend to try and please them at all costs. If by re-reading the answers above you recognize something that's not 100% true, or anything that could be misinterpreted, go ahead and rewrite it.
As you practice delivering your presentation, practice this intro slide as well, and imagine what the audience's reactions might be. Thinking of different scenarios ahead of time will make it less frightening and you will feel in control in front of your audience.
So now you know who they are, you have established your credentials and you picked an appropriate tone to make them listen actively. Thus, you have earned an audience that's eager to find out what you have to say!


text:
They Were Her Property White Women as Slave Owners in the American South Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers
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320 pages: 235 x 156mm
9 b-w illus.
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Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in History
A bold and searing investigation into the role of white women in the American slave economy
"Compelling."—Renee Graham, Boston Globe
"Stunning."—Rebecca Onion, Slate
"Makes a vital contribution to our understanding of our past and present."—Parul Sehgal, New York Times
Bridging women's history, the history of the South, and African American history, this book makes a bold argument about the role of white women in American slavery. Historian Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers draws on a variety of sources to show that slave‑owning women were sophisticated economic actors who directly engaged in and benefited from the South's slave market. Because women typically inherited more slaves than land, enslaved people were often their primary source of wealth. Not only did white women often refuse to cede ownership of their slaves to their husbands, they employed management techniques that were as effective and brutal as those used by slave‑owning men. White women actively participated in the slave market, profited from it, and used it for economic and social empowerment. By examining the economically entangled lives of enslaved people and slave‑owning women, Jones-Rogers presents a narrative that forces us to rethink the economics and social conventions of slaveholding America.
Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers is associate professor of history at the University of California, Berkeley. She is the winner of the 2013 Lerner-Scott Prize for best doctoral dissertation in U.S. women's history.
"Taut and cogent . . . . They Were Her Property joins a tide of recent books—among them, Sven Beckert's Empire of Cotton, Edward Baptist's The Half Has Never Been Told, Walter Johnson's River of Dark Dreams and Caitlin Rosenthal's Accounting for Slavery—that examine how slavery laid the foundation of American capitalism."—Parul Sehgal, New York Times
"Jones-Rogers is a crisp and focused writer. . . . This scrupulous history makes a vital contribution to our understanding of our past and present."—Parul Sehgal, New York Times
"Compelling."—Renee Graham, Boston Globe
"Stunning."—Rebecca Onion, Slate
"Jones-Rogers brings an unseen world to life"—Parul Sehgal, International New York Times
"Dissects the unacknowledged ways that white women were avid participants in (and beneficiaries of) the American system of slavery."—New York Times Book Review, Editors' Choice
"Jones-Rogers's They Were Her Property delivers an unsparing look at the white women who wielded power "in their own right" as owners of enslaved people"—Amy Murrell Taylor, Times Literary Supplement
"Shatters the narrative that married white women were passive bystanders in the business of slavery."—Rodney Brooks, Washington Post/About Us
Shortlisted for the 2019 Stone Book Award, given by the Museum of African American History
Winner of the 2020 Merle Curti Social History Award sponsored by the Organization of American Historians
Winner of the 2020 Harriet Tubman Book Prize, sponsored by The Lapidus Center for the Historical Analysis of Transatlantic Slavery at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Selected for Choice's 2019 Outstanding Academic Titles List
Finalist for the 2020 Lincoln Prize, sponsored by Gettysburg College and the Gilder Lehrman Ins. of American History
"One of the most significant books on the history of women and slavery."—Edward E. Baptist, author of The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism
"Stephanie Jones-Rogers has written a highly original book that will change the way we think about women enslavers in the United States. A must-read for anyone interested in the history of gender, slavery and capitalism."—Daina Ramey Berry, author of The Price for Their Pound of Flesh: The Value of the Enslaved, from Womb to Grave, in the Building of a Nation
"This is a deeply researched and powerfully argued book that completely overturns romanticized notions of the plantation mistresses and resistant southern white women. Stephanie Jones-Rogers reveals how deeply complicit slaveholding white women were in upholding the everyday cruelties and barbarity of racial slavery."—Manisha Sinha, author of The Slave's Cause: A History of Abolition
"They Were Her Property casts brilliant, unsparing light on the history of slaveholding women and the terrible oscillation of domination and dependence that defined identities—as wives, as mothers, as mistresses—purchased in the slave market."—Walter Johnson, author of River of Dark Dreams
"They Were Her Property is nothing less than phenomenal. It shatters many sacred cows about women's history and legal history and shows how slaveowning women skirted the limitations of gender norms and statutory law in ways that have been previously underestimated. The findings are buttressed by reading anew a rich and prodigious body of primary sources. This is a must read."—Tera W. Hunter, Edwards Professor of History and Professor of African-American Studies, Princeton University
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The restaurant will be open for breakfast and lunch with hours running from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Cowtown Diner was opened in January 2010 by chef Scott Jones. The restaurant was acquired in 2012 by the owner of the Mercury Chop House next door. The space was leased by the La Madeleine restaurant chain from 1998 to 2009.


text:
Home » Inside SNCC » SNCC National Office » Communications Department
"We must not rest," proclaimed Ella Baker to thunderous applause at the Black Masonic Temple in downtown Jackson, MS, "until the killing of a Black man, a Black mother's son, is as important as the killing of a white man, a white mother's son." To those present, Ms. Baker's words rang clear and true. During the previous month's search for the bodies of murdered civil rights activists James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, numerous Black bodies were discovered in the bayous and rivers of Mississippi. But unlike Goodman and Schwerner–both of whom were white–these victims did not garner the interest of the national press or the federal government; and their identities remained unknown.
The Student Voice, June 1962, WHS
From its inception, SNCC's Communications Department worked hard to counteract the implicit racism of the national media, which catered primarily to a white, northern audience. This was "a fundamental obstacle," remembered Mary King, who worked with Julian Bond in the Communications Department. "The activities and grievances of the Black community were not considered newsworthy." With the help of seasoned activists like SCEF's Anne Braden, SNCC developed a sophisticated and far-flung communications network that brought human rights abuses against Black citizens, deliberately hidden by media in the Deep South, to the national conscience.
From its founding conference in Raleigh, NC, in 1960, SNCC recognized the importance of communications. The nascent organization formed a Committee on Communication, which recommended the publishing and distribution of a newsletter; a system of flash reports that could alert the nation to serious developments; and public relations that would issue "public and interpretive statements" to the press. Under the leadership of James Forman, the committee morphed into SNCC's Communications Department. Forman hired Julian Bond as communications director and Dottie Miller Zellner to write and distribute information to the press and support groups, some of which was included in The Student Voice—SNCC's own newsletter. Bond had been a reporter for The Atlanta Inquirer, a Black paper begun to counter the conservative and also Black-owned Atlanta Daily World.
Bond and Zellner, and later Mary King, worked hard to develop SNCC's Communication Department. Zellner recalled "work[ing] with Julian writing press releases, firing off indignant telegrams to the Kennedys in Washington, and writing letters to northern supporters and articles for The Student Voice and SNCC pamphlets." They recorded stories from the field that came in through the WATS (Wide Area Telephone Service) line, a phone line similar to an 800 number, and churned out press releases. They wrote articles for The Student Voice and hand-cranked hundreds of copies of the newsletter on the office's printing press.
SNCC's communications office in Greenwood, MS, during Freedom Summer, June 1, 1964, Matt Herron, Take Stock
The upstart group also had to navigate the tricky waters of the national news industry. This at a time when most news coverage was only in a print version, and the nascent TV industry was coming of age through coverage of the southern movement. Most major news organizations, including the major wire services (the Associated Press and United Press International), didn't keep reporters in the Deep South. They relied on local "stringers" to feed them stories. Mary King remembers that these local reporters "were often hostile to the Movement and did not consider acts of brutality, casualties, or attacks on African Americans as sufficiently newsworthy." To combat this, SNCC maintained contact with sympathetic journalists within major news companies, like Claude Sitton of The New York Times and Karl Fleming of Newsweek, who would goad their editors into covering movement-related events. "The challenge," remembered Julian Bond, was "to get these journalists interested in it … this meant cultivating them and telling them, 'I got something for you. This is something hot. This just happened." The organization also developed an extensive national network of "Friends of SNCC chapters", which applied pressure on local and national news sources to pick up movement stories.
These tactics worked well. By the spring of 1963, the department entered a relatively flush period. "We were mobilizing support groups in all the key cities around the country, contriving to make it impossible for the wire services to walk away from a story, rousing the national press corps," remembered Mary King. "All this we did with but two telephones crooked in our necks." In preparation for 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer, all northern volunteers were asked to list their hometown news outlets on their applications. In addition, Julian Bond and his brother James visited selected Mississippi projects to gather short interview tapes to send back to the volunteers' hometowns. All this with the aim of keeping the eye of the northern media–and its constituency–on the racist atrocities being committed to maintain white supremacy.
SNCC's Communications Department complemented the organization's work in the field. The department mobilized national networks that provided both financial support and hoped-for protection for field workers who were at the mercy of local power structures and an antagonistic FBI, whose local agents were often former southern sheriffs or other law enforcement personnel. The Communications Department worked hard to shine a spotlight, no matter how small, on the Deep South. Tirelessly, they relayed stories from the field to the rest of the nation through machinery that they created and maintained. Mary King emphatically noted that "the techno-bureaucratic word 'communications' fails to convey the substance and value" of SNCC's Communications Department. "Basically we managed a Southwide information system."
Clayborne Carson, In Struggle: SNCC and the Black Awakening of the 1960s (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1981).
James Forman, The Making of Black Revolutionaries (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1972).
Mary King, Freedom Song: A Personal Story of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement (New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1987).
Mary E. King, "Getting Out the News," Hands on the Freedom Plow: Personal Accounts by Women in SNCC, edited by Faith S. Holsaert et al. (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2012).
Gene Roberts and Hank Klibanoff, The Race Beat: The Press, The Civil Rights Struggle and the Awakening of a Nation (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2007).
Mark Joseph Walmsley, "Tell It Like It Isn't: SNCC and the Media, 1960-1965," Journal of American Studies (2014), 291-308.
Dorothy M. Zellner, "My Real Vocation," Hands on the Freedom Plow: Personal Accounts by Women in SNCC, edited by Faith S. Holsaert et al. (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2012).
Volume 4, "SNCC Builds an Organization," SNCC 50th Anniversary Conference, 2010, California Newsreel
Interview with Julian Bond by Elizabeth Gritter, November 1 and 22, 1999, Southern Oral History Program, UNC
Click here to view document
Memo from Marion Barry regarding The Student Voice, Fall 1960, crmvet.org
Document laying out SNCC's Press Procedures, undated, crmvet.org
Dottie Miller Zellner, Danville, Virginia pamphlet, 1963, crmvet.org
"Gathering News Information (WATS Reports), June 24, 1964, crmvet.org
Proposed Yearly Budget for The Student Voice, Inc. 1964-1965, crmvet.org


Each year, many people experience undue suffering and pain because of medical malpractice. When a doctor, nurse, or other healthcare professional fails to exercise the appropriate amount of preparation and caution during a medical procedure or course of treatment, they put patients at risk for a variety of negative outcomes. In order to define medical malpractice, law makers and qualified attorneys have outlined a number of examples of medical malpractice. These examples can help you to know if you have been a victim of negligence and substandard service at the hands of a medical professional.
When a patient experiences diagnostic malpractice, it means that their doctor has failed to diagnose—or has delayed diagnosis of misdiagnosed—a serious, possibly life threatening, condition. This can result in unnecessary pain and suffering for a patient because the diagnostic error prevented them from gaining access to all available treatments. In cases of diagnostic malpractice, the patient would have been able to receive earlier treatments, or opted for different courses of treatment, that may have improved their health and prolonged their lives if the error had not occurred.
This is one of the most common medical malpractice examples. When a doctor or other medical technician has not provided a patient with the full amount of information available about a certain procedure, it is not only illegal, but also presents a huge risk factor to the patient's health. It is important that individuals are informed about all the risks and consequences involved with a surgery, medication, or other medical procedure.
Surgical errors are probably one of the most dangerous forms of malpractice. Medical malpractice deaths are usually associated with this category of negligence. Injuries which are sustained by the patient during their surgery can cause irreparable damage to certain physical structures in a person's body. This can lead to compounded injuries, disability, and—in the most extreme cases—death to the patient.
If you have experienced any of the examples of medical malpractice listed above, or you think that you have experienced a different situation which qualifies as medical malpractice, it is important that you receive the help and support you need. There are certain legal measures that can be taken to provide compensation to victims of negligence and other forms of malpractice. In order to learn more about what you can do, contact a medical malpractice attorney in your area as soon as possible. Call 615-859-2223 today for a FREE consultation with an experienced medical malpractice attorney at the Law Office of Eric Beasley.


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Le  (en  ; en ) est un cimetière dédié aux Juifs situé à Roudnice nad Labem dans la région d'Ústí nad Labem, en République tchèque.

Accès
Le cimetière est accessible gratuitement depuis la zone nouvellement construite de la rue Farského.

Historique
Le cimetière est fondé en 1613. Il s'étend sur  et compte environ  sépultures. Les tombes du cimetière proviennent de l'époque baroque, de la Renaissance et de la période classique. La pierre tombale la plus ancienne, transférée depuis un autre cimetière, date de 1611. La plus récente date de 1896. Dans la partie nord du cimetière se trouve un groupe de tombeaux abritant les sépultures de victimes de pogroms.

La cimetière est peu endommagé durant la Seconde Guerre mondiale. À cette époque, le projet de conversion du cimetière en parc échoue. Dans les années 1990, une nouvelle entrée est construite et le cimetière est restauré grâce au soutien de l'entrepreneur local Michal Horáček.

Le cimetière est la propriété de la Fédération des communautés juives de la République tchèque. Il est protégé au titre des monuments culturels depuis 1992.

Galerie d'images

Notes et références

Voir aussi

Liens externes

  Visite virtuelle du vieux cimetière juif de Roudnice nad Labem, sur virtualtravel.cz

Cimetière juif en Tchéquie
District de Litoměřice

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia