A digital nomad in search of life, the universe, and everything.
Samsung's HW-J8500, HW-J7500, HW-J6500, and HW-J6000 are curved soundbars to match their curved LCDs.
As you'd expect, there's more to them than just their shape: Lots of power, multiple speaker drivers, and lots of features.
Before we start, check out Are Soundbars Worth It?, Is High-End Audio Worth it?, Spending The 'Right' Amount On Electronics, and How To Set Up A Home Theater System (A Simple Guide).
All the soundbars (except the J6000) are compatible with Samsung's Wireless Audio Multiroom ecosystem, much like their new Radiant-360 R7 speaker egg.
The J8500 is the top of the line, and the biggest. It's designed to work/fit with 65- and 78-inch curved TVs. A total of 350 watts power nine total channels, including "discreet center and side speakers". Bluetooth, and high-resolution audio decoding (up to 192/24) are also possible. There's also an 8-inch wireless sub..
There's HDMI in and out, and though it doesn't say anywhere, I'd guess it was also Audio Return Channel (ARC) compatible.
You can buy one now for $1,300.
The J7500 gives up a few features (and size) for a much lower price tag: 8 channels, 320 watts, and a 7-inch subwoofer. It keeps the Bluetooth though. Designed to fit 55- and 65-inch curved TVs, the J7500 is also available now, for $800.
Stepping down a little more, the J6500 has 6 channels, 300 watts, and a presumably a smaller sub (no size given, even in the owner's manual. 6-inches?). Designed for 48- and 55-inch curved TVs. $550.
The J6000 seems to be about the same as the J6500, except it ditches surround sound compatibility (two channel only) and isn't Multiroom compatible. Still has Bluetooth, though, and is $50 cheaper.
For more info, check out Samsung.com.


Ever wonder why the ladies haven't returned your calls?
This Saturday, December 13, Dancing With Wolves is sponsoring a Christmas Dance from 8pm til midnight in the Talley Student Center Ballroom. Check out performances by several nationally-ranked collegiate dance couples, and enjoy the free food and effulgent Christmas atmosphere! Get schooled in the ways of Viennese Waltz beginning at 8pm.
Admission is $5 for students, $8 general. Dress code: festive.
I'm on the beginners team and I'll be there. It's lots of fun and you don't have to have any idea what you're doing to have fun and learn something new.
Yeah, you don't need a partner- we have lots of people who come stag- it's a good way to meet other people. And ldywhoknows is definitely one of those hotties.
sounds like fun, but it isn't worth $5 to me. especially since it's on a saturday night.
How dressed up do you have to be?
no comments on "Learn to shag!"?


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Female monkeys call to males when they see a predator approaching
Life 10 April 2021
By Ibrahim Sawal
A female putty-nose monkey
C.Kolopp/WCS
When faced with a predator, female putty-nosed monkeys will call males to help protect them from the threat.
Putty-nosed monkeys (Cercopithecus nictitans) live in the forests of West Africa in groups of one male with multiple females and their offspring. The male will tend to roam further from the group and leave females to forage for themselves, but the females and lone male will alert each other when predators are nearby.
Communication in this species differs based on sex. Females produce a single "chirp" to alert others when any form of predator is nearby, while the lone males will use different calls based on the type of predator spotted: "pyow" calls for those on the ground, like leopards, and "hack" calls for predatory eagles.
Claudia Stephan at the Wildlife Conservation Society, Republic of the Congo, wanted to see how female and male putty-nosed monkeys differ in their response to these calls during a predatory event when the male is roaming relatively far from the group.
Read more: Orangutans create new ways to communicate with each other in captivity
With her colleague Frederic Gnepa Mehon, also at the Wildlife Conservation Society, Stephan located 19 different groups of monkeys in Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park. For each group, the two researchers and their colleagues waited until the lone male was around 20 metres from the group. One volunteer, covered in a leopard print fabric to mimic a predator, then approached either the lone male or the group of females.
If the "leopard" approached the lone male, he responded by making a "kek" call. Stephan says this call hadn't been recorded during research on male putty-nosed monkeys in other regions, so could be a local dialect. But Stephan points out that earlier studies into alarm calls involved stationary leopard models, rather than a moving leopard model. "It could also be that moving danger on the ground elicit 'kek' calls, and any danger on the ground is 'pyow' calls," she says.
The lone male then started to show typical mobbing behaviours, like tree shaking, to deter the "predator". The females could hear this display, but didn't respond and continued foraging as normal.
When the "predator" approached females first, the female monkeys emitted "chirp" calls. Upon hearing this, the lone male began "pyow" calling and approached the group. Females continued chirping until the lone male spotted the "predator" and started "kek" calling. At this point, females would take their offspring to safety.
Stephan suggests that this means female chirps may have evolved as a call to arms for males and not as an alarm call to predators. By giving as little information as possible about the threat, she says female calls are more persuasive to males. "They are obliging their males to come over," says Stephan. "It's like us calling for help. If you hear someone screaming for help, you come running even if you don't know the threat."
Journal reference: Royal Society Open Science, DOI: 10.1098/rsos.202135
Monkeys and apes
Fruit bats get swabbed to look for diseases that could jump to humans
Researchers are testing fruit bats in the Republic of the Congo for viruses such as Ebola to learn more about the risks of diseases spreading to humans
The mysterious underwater avalanches reshaping Earth
Turbidity currents are cascades of sediment that tumble down Earth's 9000 submarine canyons carrying carbon, plastics and pharmaceuticals into the deep sea. We are finally learning just how often these dramatic events occur.
Wolves are eating sea otters after depleting an Alaskan island's deer
Since arriving on Pleasant Island, Alaska, in 2013, a pack of wolves has almost wiped out the island's deer and now subsists mostly on sea otters

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Apparently kids are taught this acronym in school now: T.H.I.N.K. before you speak. T – is it True? H – is it Helpful? I – is it Inspiring? N – is it Necessary? K – is it Kind? I feel like I need this to pop up every time I go to post online.


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Creative Director - MTV
MTV is the leading global youth media brand in 180 countries, reaching 450 million households in nearly 30 different languages across every platform. MTV is the world's premier youth entertainment brand, the cultural home of the millennial generation and a pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people. MTV reflects pop culture with award-winning content built around compelling storytelling, music discovery and activism across TV, the internet and other platforms. A unit of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), MTV operations span cable and mobile networks, live events, theatrical films and MTV Studios.
Are you a big thinker? Have you led best-in-class 360 creative projects? Are you ready to work on some of the biggest properties in all of entertainment? MTV is looking for a superstar to help creatively lead its biggest events and priorities. From the Video Music Awards to its 2020 Election Campaign to other awards shows and special creative projects, this is a chance of a lifetime to help influence a generation with work that will be seen and admired by the world.
Overview & Responsibilities:
Supervise the conception and execution of creative for some of MTV's biggest properties MTV,VH1 & Logo from their initial stages all the way through execution.
Provide strong leadership and serve as a example for the department by providing inspiration, motivation, guidance, training and management.
Accurately and effectively channel information and feedback between all team members.
Monitor and give honest assessment of work with constructive criticism and positive reinforcement, effectively delegate and manage people and resources connected to each project.
Work closely with SVP Creative Director on the career paths of junior writers and producers
Work within the constraints of each individual project's deadline and budgets.
Locate hire all levels of writers and producers.
Utilize external resources when necessary to achieve the best results for any individual campaign or project.
Minimum 8-10 years' experience
Led a creative teams on 360 projects, forstering ideas from their creation through rollout.
Experience running campaigns for social impact projects a plus.
Must have Strong Writing and Conceptualization and Communication skills.
Must be able to manage a fast-paced heavy workload.
#LI-NE1


Show Poem: "Love Attack" (KC, MO/ Harlings Upstairs/ 6-7-14) | Schwervon!
Let's stop blaming the ones who love us let's star filling and fulfilling with hot air.
Unless there is something there to love?
And then let's just love it.
Let's take off our lampshades and spend some time in the light together.
We can start singing right now.
you don't have to know the words.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged major matt mason usa poetry, poems about love, rock music poetry, Schwervon! Band, Schwervon! poems. Bookmark the permalink.


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Home » TV » This Morning cancelled by ITV today – here's when Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield will be back
This Morning cancelled by ITV today – here's when Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield will be back
THIS Morning has been cancelled by ITV today.
Viewers hoping to watch Friday's regular presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby will now have to wait until next week instead. Here's why.
Why isn't This Morning on today?
This Morning has been given the push from today's ITV schedule (September 26, 2019).
The show has been CANCELLED to make way for the Rugby World Cup – kicking off with a match between England and the USA.
ITV has been taken over by the sport, which will no doubt come as a blow for fans of the programmes over the coming weeks.
When will This Morning return?
Fortunately, the show will be back on the telly as normal tomorrow, with Friday presenters Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes at the helm.
However, fans will have to wait until next Tuesday to see Holly and Phil back on the box as the show is also cancelled on Monday when Scotland play Samoa.
The daytime TV was cancelled today along with Loose Women.
Will there be more schedule changes during the Rugby World Cup?
In short, yes!
The Rugby World Cup in Japan runs from September 20 until November 2.
Japan is eight hours ahead of the UK (BST), which will change to nine hours when the clocks revert to GMT on October 27.
Therefore due to the time difference, matches that are played in the evening in Japan will be televised in the morning in the UK.
You can check out the ITV fixture list and times here.
« The Circle 2019: Viewers annoyed as Channel 4 tackles second Brexit referendum debate
Andrea McLean: Loose Women star stuns in plunging black ensemble for pal's wedding »


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OISE alumna receives 2012 Governor General's History Award for Excellence in Teaching
"Phenomenal!" was the reaction experienced by Milena Ivkovic when she learned she was one of only seven Canadians to be presented a 2012 Governor General's Award in the history category.
Ivkovic, a 1995 OISE grad, learned in August that she was to receive this honour category but it was all hush hush until November when she could finally talk about it.
The judges were impressed with her 'Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity' course for grade 11 students. It examines global examples of cruelty committed in the name of regional politics and one section in particular examines the group of Canadian 'Upstanders' who lobbied the government to welcome a number of Armenian orphans who wanted to immigrate in the 1920s. Eventually, 109 boys were allowed to settle in Georgetown, Ontario.
"I wouldn't say the award is life changing but it is certainly self affirming," says Ivkovic, who has an MA from York University, a BEd from OISE and a BA from U of T. "I often get compliments from my students in the classroom but this recognition kind of confirms that I'm doing the right thing and the fact that it's teachers and professors from across the country deciding who gets this honour means a lot to me. To say that I was completely floored is an understatement."
Ivkovic was allowed five guests to the ceremony at Rideau Hall on December 10th and among her entourage was her educational mentor, Allan Hux who is the retired program coordinator of Canadian and World Studies/Social Sciences and Humanities with the Toronto District School Board. "A lot of what I did prior to this award is all thanks to him."
The day itself was "absolutely amazing," states Ivkovic who was introduced to her local M.P. Craig Scott, National Post columnist Andrew Coyne (acting as Master of Ceremonies), the other recipients from across Canada along with the Minister of Heritage, The Honourable James Moore, M.P.
"I was pinching myself the whole time not believing I was actually there and after the ceremony we were taken to the House of Commons and introduced to parliament from the balcony."
Ivkovic says this recognition will further inspire her in the classroom which traditionally has been grade 11 and 12 students. "I'm someone who has a really strong work ethic in terms of what I bring to my students every day. I make sure that they are fulfilled through their lessons and not just sitting there going through a daily grind."
Along with history, she teaches politics, philosophy and family studies and she admits the genocide project has been somewhat controversial. "The students are warned in advance that some of the information and visuals are sometimes disturbing especially with such topics as the Rwanda genocide but I've never had a student leave the classroom. They consider the subject material to be compelling more than upsetting and I stress that it's important that they understand the bigger picture of human rights and social justice and how we can prevent atrocities in the future."
Ivkovic, who is taking a year's sabbatical from her teaching job at Newtonbrook Secondary School in Toronto has found today's students much more aware and understanding than we often give them credit for and sites how her classes react to such controversial subjects as same sex families and marriage "with open arms and open minds. A lot of what we once considered 'dangerous' simply isn't a big deal for them anymore."


With the elections over, Pennsylvania counties continue to work ro update their voting systems.
Pennsylvania's newly-elected Lt. Governor said yesterday he does not plan on living at the lavish residence provided for him.
Although a planned walkout by students fizzled out Tuesday, some Cambria students did leave school for a protest.
Logan Township Police have arrested a Dysart man on charges he raped a woman at a local hotel.
An Altoona man is facing serious charges for allegedly stealing several thousand dollars from the American Legion.
The former house manager of a shuttered Penn State fraternity has been ordered to trial.
Several area restaurants have plans to honor veterans on Veteran's Day this Sunday.
A special ceremony was held yesterday to pay tribute to a special police dog and war hero.


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Jazz Line News » Reviews » Album Reviews »
Amikaeyla: 'Being In Love'
By Brian Hodes |	 Oct 16, 2012, 11:45 AM
Amikaelya's latest release, titled 'Being in Love,' is a collection of ten tracks that showcase an artists truly undergoing a Renaissance as she melds her Jazz influence with her immensely eclectic musical background.
Amikaelya was born in Cincinnati as Amy Marie Gaston and equipped with a musical pedigree passed down from her father, percussionist Alonzo Dubois Gaston; an artist and academic that had most notably worked with the legendary James Brown. Amikaeyla's exploits are not just musical, however. She received a bachelors degree in neuroscience from Wesleyan University and is currently in the process of completing her PhD in clinical psychology.
Beyond her impressive academic accomplishments stands 'Being in Love,' which highlights the singer's life as a humanitarian and activist, pressing for social change.
'Being in Love,' which features a number of guest musicians including bassist Esperanza Spalding and poet/singer/percussionist Linda Tillery, is a peaceful mélange of musical selections that range from the eerily romantic string arrangement of the album's opening track; a lounge style number titled "Dreamer," to the childhood nostalgia of "Hambone," which features a blues inspired spoken word duet between Amikaelya and Linda Tillery.
A stand-out feature of the album is its diverse mixture of original compositions and covers. While "Midnight Sun," an instrumental standard first composed by vibraphonist Lionel Hampton and later covered in a vocal interpretation by Ella Fitzgerald, appears perfectly at home in the album, the politically charged medley of "Takin it to the streets/Parane E," offers powerful diversity in its unique combination of traditional Brazilian standard "Aprane e" and the hit song by American pop group the Doobie brothers, "Takin' it to the streets." The song is a true highlight as it manages to convey a powerful message of social action, "takin it to the streets," with a Brazilian standard that addresses slavery, an issue that can be seen as the foundation for the song's call to action.
"Takin it to the streets/Parane E," offer a noteworthy representation of the album as a whole by addressing social distress and endless hope of truly 'Being in Love.'
Next Sonny Rollins to Guest Star on The Simpsons.
Previous Highlights of the 33rd Annual Clearwater Jazz Holiday
Bill Ortiz: 'Highest Wish'
Sons of Kemet: 'Burn'
Review: Here We Go Again – Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles
Laura Dreyer: Vida. Arte. Amor.
Marcus Miller: 'Renaissance'
Robert Glasper Experiment: 'Black Radio 2'


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Saddiq Bey Phil Booth Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree Eric Paschall Myles Powell Anthony Nelson Jermaine Samuels Sports College sports NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship College basketball Basketball Men's basketball Men's sports Men's college basketball
'Nova edges Seton Hall 74-72 for 3rd straight Big East title
Isaiah Kennedy, left, of Rahway, N.J., throws confetti with Villanova cheerleaders after Villanova defeated Seton Hall 74-72 in an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Big East Conference tournament, Saturday, March 16, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Villanova guard Phil Booth reacts after a basket against Seton Hall during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Big East Conference tournament, Saturday, March 16, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard reacts during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Villanova in the championship of the Big East Conference tournament, Saturday, March 16, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Villanova guard Phil Booth (5) goes up for a shot against Seton Hall center Romaro Gill (35) and forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (23) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball final game in the Big East men's tournament, Saturday, March 16, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Seton Hall guard Myles Powell (13) shoots against Villanova forward Cole Swider (10) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Big East Conference tournament, Saturday, March 16, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Villanova guard Phil Booth (5) goes up for a shot against Seton Hall guard Anthony Nelson (2) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Big East Conference tournament, Saturday, March 16, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Seton Hall guard Myles Cale (22) gestures after scoring a basket against Villanova during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Big East Conference tournament, Saturday, March 16, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Seton Hall forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (23) dunks on Villanova guard Collin Gillespie (2) and forward Cole Swider during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Big East Conference tournament, Saturday, March 16, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Seton Hall center Romaro Gilll, top, dunks over Villanova guard Joe Cremo (24) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Big East Conference tournament, Saturday, March 16, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Villanova forward Eric Paschall waves the net after his team defeated Seton Hall 74-72 in an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Big East Conference tournament, Saturday, March 16, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Villanova guard Phil Booth hols the MVP trophy after his team defeated Seton Hall 74-72 in an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Big East Conference tournament, Saturday, March 16, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)


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Q: Isoperimetric Inequality via Brunn-Minkowski is valid for every norm? Suppose I have got $A\subseteq\mathbb{R}^n$ such that $|A|<+\infty$, where $|\cdot| $ indicates the Lebesgue measure. I define
$$|\partial A|:=\liminf_{\epsilon\to0}\frac{|(A+\epsilon K)\backslash A|}{\epsilon},$$
where $K$ is a convex compact symmetric subset whose internal part is non-empty (that is, it defines a norm on $\mathbb{R}^n$).
Now, by Brunn-Minkowski inequality, one may very well see that if $|A|=|rK|$, then
$$|A+\epsilon K|^{1/n}\ge|A|^{1/n}+|\epsilon K|^{1/n}=|rK+\epsilon K|^{1/n},$$
where the last equality is due to the fact that $|A|=|rK|$ and $K$ is convex. Now, by my definition of $|\partial A|$ one gets
$$
|\partial A|\ge|\partial(rK)|.
$$
But this should only be valid when $K=\bar{\mathbb{B}^n_2}$, that is, the closed euclidean ball. What is wrong here?
Remark. The definition of $|\partial A|$ is independent of $K$, as all of the norms on $\mathbb{R}^n$ are equivalent (is it enough?).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


After a New York Times report confirmed that we solidify our music taste in adolescence, we spoke to someone who could explain why.
We spoke to astrologer Annabel G how something as intrinsic as your "sign" might be useful beyond vintage pick-up lines.
It's been a long time since I felt the urge to watch a bunch of dudes slide down rails on planks of wood, but when I was 13, it was everything.
Is it possible to fancy someone if you can't both vibe off Nas' deep cuts?
Social media made me pissed off at Pharrell and guilty about listening to The Shins.


The Welcome to Treaty 1 public program examines the ideas, laws, languages, and stories that helped shape Treaty 1 – an agreement between Indigenous peoples and the Government of Canada. This exploration is facilitated using exhibitions, storytelling, and participatory activities. Treaties are multi-voiced, comprehensive, complex, and in constant flux. The Welcome to Treaty 1 program acts as a catalyst for participants to acknowledge shared responsibilities anchored in both historic and contemporary contexts and personal and communal obligations.
Welcome to Treaty 1 was co-designed with a collective of individuals who have spent their lives thinking about the impact of worldview, language, law, art, history, and philosophy on the way we view and understand Treaties in Manitoba today. The Welcome to Treaty 1 team includes professors, lawyers, linguists, Elders, artists, Knowledge Keepers, anthropologists, and archeologists who have generously shared their knowledge to help create this program.


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Emergency Live - Pre-Hospital Care, Ambulance Services, Fire Safety and Civil Protection Magazine
EMSpedia
Canadian designer create "SurvivER" a new kind of ambulance for 2030
By Emergency Live	 Last updated Aug 27, 2014
CHARLES BOMBARDIER on The Globe and Mail
Our Prototypes column introduces new vehicle concepts and presents visuals from designers who illustrate the ideas. Some of them will be extensions of existing concepts, others will be new, some will be production ready, and others really far-fetched.
The concept – The SurvivER is a prototype of a new generation of ambulance that would be quieter, smoother to ride, and easier to work in, compared to existing models.
The Background – I've asked a few ER doctors how ambulances could be improved. One key problem is the suspension system of current models, which shakes around the patient and the staff in the back. The second problem is the noise from the siren, which makes it difficult to communicate with the driver and the hospital.
To solve these key problems, I started working on a new ambulance design. These early sketches were created to start the discussion on the subject.
How it works – The SurvivER would be the same size as the current North American ambulance. It would be powered by four powerful in-wheel electric motors, which means that you wouldn't have a bulky engine in the front, leaving space for batteries. The low floor of the rear cargo bay would make it easier to move the stretchers inside. This bay would incorporate a seat for the medical staff , along with foldable jumper seats. The walls have specific spaces to install the oxygen tanks and solutes. The vehicle would feature large tinted windows on the sides, and outside noises could be dampened by sound insulation material and a noise reduction system like the ones found in airplanes. The ceiling would have two sets of LED lights with dimmers. One coloured set would provide lights for the patients, so they are not confined to a dark box. The other set of LEDs could be located on the side bench pointing towards the floor.
Comfort – One major problem in ambulances is the vibration that comes from the road. The SurvivER should thus be equipped with the best possible suspension on the market, possibly the Bose active suspension system. It could also feature a second suspension system built under the stretcher, or a system that would hold the whole cargo bay. An excellent communication system should be installed so that the driver and people in the back could communicate easily. A Bluetooth cellphone microphone and speaker systems would make it easier to talk with the hospitals.
What's it used for – The SurvivER would be used as an ambulance to replace existing fleets. I am not certain the front windshield should be as large as the current image shows, or if the rear cargo bay should be separated from the frame by a suspension. Your ideas and comments are welcome on every matter concerning this project.
Who is Charles Bombardier?
Charles Bombardier is a member of the family that owns Quebec-based Bombardier Inc. and Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), which are in the business of designing and manufacturing vehicles.
ambulanceHealth
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Emergency Live
Emergency Live is the only multilingual magazine dedicated to people involved in rescue and emergency. As such, it is the ideal medium in terms of speed and cost for trading companies to reach large numbers of target users; for example, all companies involved in some way in the equipping of specialised means of transport. From vehicle manufacturers to companies involved in equipping those vehicles, to any supplier of life- saving and rescue equipment and aids.
Paramedic students in the UK will get £5,000 yearly for their studies
Ambulance: norms and rules to build a safe ambulance
Airway Management Guidelines could change quickly
How to respond to CBRNE incidents?
Coronavirus outbreak: the alarm arrives from China
Healthcare system in India: medical care for more than half a billion people
Decompensated shock: which are the solutions in emergency?
Earthquake, tzunami, seismic motion: the earth is trembling. Moments of fear for the nuclear power plant in Iran.
Kurdistan 2017: Dispatcher and medical criteria of air…
Mountaineers refuse to be saved by the Alpine Rescue. They…
Search and Rescue of NGOs: is it illegal?
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I'm not sure if it was the oppressive heat or what, but this week seemed to go on forever. Luckily I managed to tackle a bunch of things, including some major strides in our wedding planning process. As you can see from the (slightly eerie) picture below from last Saturday morning, we've secured our venue and I'm so so relieved. It feels like everything else can now start to fall into place (like finding a dress!) and we've been enjoying the task of finding a song for our first dance. Turns out, most of the ones we're drawn to are far too slow, which would result in a terribly awkward five minutes for everyone involved.


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Srebrenica Massacre
Showing 15 results related to "Srebrenica massacre".
As Bosnia marks the 24th anniversary of the gut-wrenching massacre, here's a quick recap on how the Bosnian Serb forces took Dutch peacekeeping forces hostage in July 1995 and killed more than 8,000 people over the following days.
Bosnian Muslims mark 24th anniversary of Srebrenica genocide
Bosnia and Herzegovina mark the 24th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide in which over 8,000 Bosnian Muslims – mostly men and boys – were killed.
Is Serbia's prime minister racist?
Albanians responded to disparaging remarks made at a press conference in front of an EU Ambassador after silence from the EU.
Rise of far-right in Serbia
International white supremacist groups openly hold conferences and meetings in the Balkan state and it's now a favoured backdrop for their propaganda videos but far-right political leaders in Serbia reject the suggestion that they inspire violence.
Serbian protests leave government shaken but not stirred
Anti-government protests gripped Serbia on a weekend of demonstrations across the Balkans, but can they achieve anything?
Thousands rally in Belgrade against Serbian President
President Aleksandar Vucic has increasingly clamped down on the opposition arousing widespread discontent with his rule.
Bosnian 'Srebrenica defender' Oric acquitted of war crimes
Former Bosniak commander Naser Oric was on trial in Sarajevo on charges that he killed three Serb prisoners while defending Srebrenica from Serb attacks during the 1992-1995 war.
Is the EU and Serbia isolating Kosovo on the international stage?
Kosovo has placed trade sanctions on Serbia as the latter increasingly disregards Kosovo's territorial integrity and international standing.
Bosnian widow fights to have Serbian church moved from her land
After years of bureaucratic resistance and intimidation, Bosnian Muslim widow, Fata Orlovic is nearly at the end of her legal battle with the authorities to have the Serbian Orthodox church moved from her land.
Bosnians honour 35 Srebrenica genocide victims
Emotional scenes at cemetery as Bosnian Muslims gather for collective funeral of the recently identified victims on 23rd anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide.
'Butcher of Bosnia' Mladic appeals war crimes convictions
Ratko Mladic, former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and ex-Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic are accused of forming a "joint criminal enterprise" to create a Greater Serbia by ridding the territory of Bosnian Muslims and non-Serbs.
Mladic's victims welcome verdict by UN tribunal
Survivors of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide and human rights organisations welcome the sentencing of former Bosnian Serbian commander Ratko Mladic to life imprisonment after he was found guilty of genocide and war crimes in the Bosnian war.
Show Me Turkey series introduces Turkey's hidden destinations
British MP hijacks Cricket World Cup win for Brexit message


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Washington Certificate of Trust
Select County where the property is located.
Chelan County
Ferry County
Kittitas County
Klickitat County
Okanogan County
Pend Oreille County
Spokane County
Stevens County
Walla Walla County
Whitman County
Yakima County
Washington Certificate of Trust Information
Washington State Certification of Trust
When doing business with a trustee, third parties (such as financial institutions) may request a certification of trust, a statutory document that certifies the existence of a trust and outlines the trustee's powers and authority to act on the trust's behalf. In Washington, the certificate, taken from section 1013 of the Uniform Trust Code, is codified at RCW 11.98.075 as part of the probate and trust law of Washington.
In lieu of presenting parties outside of the trust arrangement (essentially, anyone who is not a trust beneficiary) with the entire trust document, RCW 11.98.075 allows the trustee to supply a certificate of trust containing the essential information about the trust necessary for the transaction at hand, and not "the dispositive terms of the trust" (RCW 11.98.075(4)). This allows the settlor's estate plans to remain private, including the identity of trust beneficiaries.
The certificate requires a statement that the trust exists, along with the name and date of the trust, the identity of the trust's settlor, and the name and address of each current trustee serving the trust. The document also establishes the relevant powers of the trustee to conduct the business at hand. If there are co-trustees, the certificate also outlines how many are required to jointly act in performing trustee powers, and who among them has signing authority. Additional evidence as to the designation of the trustee and the trustee's powers may be requested in the form of excerpts from the trust instrument.
In addition, a certificate of trust also identifies anyone holding a power to revoke the trust, if applicable, and identifies how assets held by the trust are titled. In support of a real property transaction, a certificate may also provide a legal description of the subject property.
The contents of the certificate may be relied on by the recipient as fact, and offers protections for persons relying on the information. The certificate contains a statement to the effect that the representations made within have not been invalidated by any amendments made to or revocation of the trust.
A certificate of trust in Washington may be signed by any trustee or an attorney for the trust in the presence of a notary public. If the certificate is submitted for recording with the appropriate county's land records, it must conform to Washington State recording requirements.
Consult a lawyer with questions regarding certifications of trust in Washington, as each situation is unique.
Deeds.com Washington Certificate of Trust Forms Have Been Updated as Recently as Tuesday December 20, 2022
What others like you are saying:
William S. said: Love the ability to e-record a single document as a private citizen. Other companies only want to do business with large volume filers like title companies and attorneys. e-recording was super easy and so efficient. Got confirmation of recording from county clerk less than one hour after submission.
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Sally Ann C. said: Thank you for your service. It seems to have worked, I printed a document purporting to be the Deed I needed. I was somewhat disappointed though - I was expecting something as impressive as the Title Search, which goes back to 1828 and includes Millard Fillmore, admittedly not one of our most celebrated Presidents. But I am happy to have what I have, and thank you again! peace - SAVC
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Glenda M. said: I am very pleased with my purchase of the Affidavit Death of Joint Tenant form. I previously purchased this form from the leading providing of DIY legal forms and it was rejected by the Registrar in my state. I then had to start over. Plus I needed a form that would show me a completed example and give me line-by-line instructions. Deeds.com filled the bill perfectly. Their website also let me know the last date the form was updated.
John B. said: Thorough. Thanks!
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Will C. said: I was very happy with my interaction. The county didn't supply the book and page which was what I needed. The tech refunded my money since I didn't get the info I needed. I will use Deeds.com again.
Mark & Linda W. said: Quite simple and easy. Only one critique: It would be easier if the names of the PDF would reflect the name of the deed/form such as 'Controlling tax return' rather than '1579101185SF56863.pdf'. However I love downloading forms rather than mail.
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Whether or not your business will become successful is determined by numerous factors, many of which are outside your control. But business owners and managers can still do a lot to give their businesses a better chance to prosper. One of those decisions is choosing the range of colors you're going to use to brand your business.
Colors and perceptual illusions The extent to which colors can play tricks on our mind is astonishing. They impact the way we see the reality in numerous ways. First of all, we have to know that colors influence the way we perceive space. Brighter colors tend to create an illusion of larger space, while darker shades visually shrink space around us. Secondly, warm and cold colors aren't called that way for no reason. People might perceive orange, red and yellow as warm colors, while the blue spectrum is often attributed as the cold one. In this study, the scientists from Washington University of St. Louis have found some interesting facts about this claim.
Emotions – our true rulers Social and business occasions are both driven by emotions. Although we can learn how to suppress and control them by developing emotional intelligence (as Daniel Goleman described it in his study), very often the first reaction we have is an instinctive one. So, when we're thinking about colors in the business to business marketing context, some scientific findings should be taken into consideration about the types of emotions that different colors produce in people.
• Creativity When we are asked to think in a creative way, we have to open our mind. According to some authors, green is a real creativity booster. In addition to that, John Cleese has held a great lecture on creativity, which can be helpful in business terms, as well. So, if you have a business dealing with nature, give your business premises and documents a hint of green.
• Tranquility Oddly enough, pink is believed have a soothing and calming effect. Also, if you want your store or office space to stay emotionally neutral, then blue is the most appropriate color. In addition, a combination of white (utter serenity) and red (passion) could be pretty stimulating for a balanced business color.
Paint your business paths The great thing about colors and their interesting use in business promotion is that they can actually symbolize your enterprise. Like Vodafone (red and white) or French Orange Telecom, whose colors and brand associations that come with it are inserted deep in our mind, you can also try to give your visual appeal a unique look. For instance, if you sell toys, then blue and pink are obvious choices for boys' and girls' departments, respectively. So, if you decide to produce some business promo items, like custom water bottles, you should let that color of yours dominate those products and serve as a symbol of your business uniqueness. The choice of color for representing your business could be more crucial in marketing terms than hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even if your first choice turns out to be unsuccessful, keep experimenting, doing focus groups and redesigning your brand until your venture really starts working with flying colors.
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text:
Jason Alan Kapono (* 4. Februar 1981 in Long Beach, Kalifornien) ist ein ehemaliger US-amerikanischer Basketballspieler, der die meiste Zeit seiner Profikarriere in der NBA aktiv war. Er war vor allem für seinen starken Distanzwurf bekannt; in 509 Spielen in der Liga kam Kapono auf eine durchschnittliche Dreier-Quote von 43,4 %.

Karriere
Nachdem Kapono zwischen 1999 und 2003 für die University of California spielte, wurde er im NBA Draft 2003 an 31. Stelle von den Cleveland Cavaliers ausgewählt. Nach seiner Debütsaison bei den Cavs wurde er vom damaligen Expansionsteam Charlotte Bobcats verpflichtet. Nach nur einer Spielzeit bei den Bobcats wechselte er zu den Miami Heat, mit denen er 2006 die NBA-Meisterschaft gewann.

Im Rahmen des NBA All-Star Game 2007 gewann er den Three-Point Shootout. Zusätzlich wies er am Ende der NBA-Saison 2006/07 mit 51,4 % die beste Trefferquote jenseits der Dreipunktelinie auf.

Im Sommer 2007 wurde Kapono zum Free Agent. Am 11. Juli 2007 unterzeichnete er einen Vertrag bei den Toronto Raptors.

Auch bei den NBA All-Star Game 2008 gewann Kapono den Three-Point Shootout. Im letzten Durchgang traf er sensationelle 20 von 25 Würfen und stellte mit 25 Punkten einen neuen Rekord für die Finalrunde auf. Er neutralisierte damit den vor 22 Jahren aufgestellten Rekord von Craig Hodges. Zusätzlich hatte er in der NBA-Saison 2007/08 mit 48,3 % wiederum die beste Wurfquote von der Dreipunktelinie.

Am 9. Juni 2009 wurde Kapono im Tausch gegen Reggie Evans an die Philadelphia 76ers abgegeben. Nach dem Ende seines Vertrages bei den Sixers wurde Kapono von den Los Angeles Lakers unter Vertrag genommen.

Die Lakers transferierten Kapono im März 2012 zu den Cleveland Cavaliers. Diese lösten den Vertrag mit ihm jedoch auf.

Im November 2012 wechselte er zu Panathinaikos Athen, verließ den Verein jedoch nur wenige Monate später im März 2013. Grund hierfür war seine geringe Einsatzzeit. Am 28. Mai 2014 gab er sein Karriereende als Profi-Basketballer bekannt.

Erfolge
NBA-Meisterschaft: 2006
Griechischer Pokalsieger: 2013
Weltmeister U21: 2001

Auszeichnungen
All-Pac 10 1st Team: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
Gewinner des NBA All-Star Weekend Three-Point Shootout: 2007, 2008

Weblinks

Einzelnachweise

NBA-Meister
Basketballspieler (Los Angeles Lakers)
Basketballspieler (Miami Heat)
US-Amerikaner
Geboren 1981
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Every year in June, New York City's Governors Island plays host to FIGMENT, an art and cultural festival that transforms the island a large-scale collaborative artwork. The 2013 edition will feature this winning sculptural entry from Studio Klimoski Chang Architects called "Head In the Clouds."
Riffing on the image of daydreaming in the park, designers Jason Klimoski and Lesley Chang aim to create a mesmerizing, cloud-like structure made from discarded milk jugs and water bottles. Each bottle will be lightly filled with blue-tinted water to create a cool glow when sunlight hits it.
Just how many containers do they need to make a cloud? Around 53,780. With the help of school children and teachers, the designers hope to accumulate the same amount of bottles as what's thrown away in New York City every hour. For more information about donating empty bottles, visit the FIGMENT festival's website.
Nils Volker's interactive garbage bag installation.
Weekly links: James Bowthorpe rules, Barcelona looks nice from the air, Ford's electric van starts shipping, and more.


text:
Pure Encapsulations – Curcumin 250 mg 120 vcaps – 2 Pack
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Traditional uses of curcumin include as a weight loss. Pure Encapsulations – Curcumin 250 mg 120 vcaps – 2 Pack Show more product details
Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric. This compound gives turmeric the characteristic yellow color. It contributes a strong flavor to many Asian dishes. Curcumin is also an important herbal remedy.
Uses of Curcumin
Curcumin is the main curcuminoid within turmeric. Curcuminoids gives turmeric its yellow color. In Most of asia, curcumin is used in folkloric practice of medicine to treat arthritis, gastrointestinal signs or symptoms and "low energy", according on the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Research in the research lab and on animals indicate de-oxidizing, anti-cancer and anti-incendiary forces. Before you buy supplements, or stock up upon turmeric, however, be aware that there isn't enough scientific evidence to endorse curcumin for these applications, according on the NIH.
Curcumin is a popular spice in between East, Indian and southeast Hard anodized cookware food. Curcuminoids comprising about 2-9 percent of turmeric, known as "poor man's orange yellow." Turmeric is used in everything by drinks to sausage, ice lotion and bakery goods. Pure Encapsulations – Curcumin 250 mg 120 vcaps – 2 Pack gives the majority of curcuminoids in turmeric – about three quarters of the overall, according to Oregon State College or university (OSU), the Linus Pauling Start. Turmeric, in turn, is an compound of curry. You can furthermore see excerpts from curcumin that are used as meal dyes.
Pure Encapsulations – Curcumin 250 mg 120 vcaps – 2 Pack is sold as a health supplement. Curcumin supplements are popular for the potential antioxidant benefits. In lab tests, curcumin not be effective as the antioxidant that protects against mobile or portable damaging free radicals. It is just not clear, but if you were being to get this benefit through consuming curcumin as a supplement because it has limited oral bioavailability (the level to which a drug as well as other substance becomes available to the target tissue after administration) inside humans, according to OSU. This way, it may not be so excellent for your body as different fat-soluble antioxidants, such equally vitamin E. Curcumin may indirectly act as a great antioxidant, but through increased glutathione synthesis, an important intracellular antioxidant, or by curbing inflammatory enzymes in the system.
Curcumin is often touted as a great anti-cancer agent. Results coming from animal studies are promising – in particular those examining colorectal cancer, according to be able to OSU. However, there exist few signs suggest that high daily allowance of curcumin reduces cancer risk. Scientists will still be interested in this opportunity, on the other hand. Curcumin is able to induce programmed cell death in a variety of cancer cell lines in lab tests. Apoptosis is programmed cell decease, and cells that die this way has not cause the inflamation related response to dying cells in other ways do. Generally, most cancers cells are resistant to caspase-mediated cell death, according to the OSU. The particular bioavailability of curcumin is a bit of matter. It was found to follow poor in a study involving pancreatic cancer. Curcumin may be more effective pertaining to colorectal cancer. Studies suggest biochimically active levels of curcumin achieved in the digestive pathway, according to the OSU.
You hear about curcumin's ability to reduce beta farinaceous and plaque burden thanks to help its antioxidant and anti-incendiary properties. Beta-amyloid plaques are viewed to have an important office in Alzheimer's disease, according to the National Institute on Aging. Findings on curcumin, beta amyloid fighting power depending on laboratory studies, according to your NIH, and there is too little evidence to advocate the using Pure Encapsulations – Curcumin 250 mg 120 vcaps – 2 Pack for cognitive performance in people. For example, do researchers do not know whether curcumin supplements can cross the our blood-brain barrier, according to OSU. Starting in early 2010, clinical trials, which means scientific testing on people, going on.
Overture human studies show that curcumin may be useful in the treating of heartburn and high cholesterol whenever ingested, as well as mange when used topically. Curcumin has a reputation for combating a host of other disorders, based on traditional use, or perhaps animal and laboratory studies. But according to the NIH, there is not enough evidence showing the efficiency of people recommending curcumin for these applications, even those for which early human research exist.
Curcumin is also touted as a cure for cystic fibrosis. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation does not advocate its use as a cure because of lack of medical trials.
Early studies or standard use also suggests curcumin may improve rheumatoid arthritis signs, prevent blood clots, prevent gallstones and treat stomach ulcers, in line with the NIH.
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San Francisco-based artificial intelligence startup Vicarious has announced that it has developed software algorithms which can solve CAPTCHAs up to 90 percent of the time. Though CAPTCHAs are any automated test which differentiates between humans and computers, they often take the form of strings of partly distorted letters and numbers which many websites use to check that a visitor is human, the idea being that a computer cannot read the disguised text while a human (hopefully) can. It's this type of CAPTCHA that Vicarious's algorithms are designed to beat, and the high success rate renders the current standard of text-based CAPTCHAs ineffective, the company claims.
The main purpose of a CAPTCHA, which stands for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart, is to prevent automated software bots accessing web services where they might get up to all sorts of nuisance, such as signing up for spam accounts, or adding or editing information in a directory or wiki.
Vicarious isn't the first to develop CAPTCHA-beating algorithms, but the company claims that its system, which uses its Recursive Cortical Network technology, can beat current text-based CAPTCHAS up to 90 percent of the time, including those developed or used by Captcha.com, Google, Yahoo and Paypal, defeating their very purpose in the process.
To put the success rate into perspective, Vicarious cites a 2011 paper out of Stanford, which deemed a CAPTCHA system "broken when the attacker is able to reach a precision of at least 1 percent."
Vicarious talks only in vague terms as to how the algorithms solve the problem, but it does claim that its system uses "relatively minuscule" amounts of data and computing power compared to other modern AI systems such as IBM's Watson, operating at "a level of effectiveness and efficiency much closer to actual human brains."
Commercial applications of the Recursive Cortical Network are still years away, according to Vicarious, and so it would be premature to conclude that CAPTCHA systems have been rendered obsolete over night. Rather, the remarkably high success right would seem to mark this out as a significant step in the field of AI.


Acquired on August 22, 2006, the property features 36 units in 2 buildings in the heart of Hollywood. Just a two blocks away from Grauman's Chinese theater, most of the apartments have been upgraded with wood floors, tile, new windows, and fixtures. The property was originally acquired to develop as many as 80 apartments on the site.


Submitted by David22 on Fri, 03/17/2017 - 19:59.
Although this posting may seem foreboding, William LePar's spiritual source offers hope for those willing to make the effort.
The Council: Mankind, at this present time, exists in an ice age of the heart. We will repeat that. An ice age of the heart. In your world today, there are the users and the used. The common denominator with this lifestyle is loneliness, again, the common denominator is loneliness. Man has not learned that his only source of happiness is in his ability to love. There is no loneliness when one chooses to love, and if you have been blessed with a love or a great love, where loneliness does not exist within you, you are experiencing the best and most perfect of loves. Be ever grateful, be ever grateful. Be sure that you are giving as much as you are receiving. Be sure that if your loneliness has been taken away by the one you love, make sure that that individual also is absent of loneliness. This necessitates then you loving more than what you are presently giving. How sad man will exist in this ice age of the heart. The terrain will become more hazardous, more dangerous, and darkness will become even darker. This will continue to those who refuse to love, their hearts will be frozen to the point where it cannot be thawed out. They will choose everlasting state of the ice age of the heart. Those who venture forth from this dark, bleak time and begin to give of themselves will rise above that into spring meadows and warm sunshine. They will resurrect themselves above the coldness of man's world. They will be reborn into the springtime of eternity.
---what is unsought will go undetected.


text:
Democracy and Knowledge: Innovation and Learning in Classical Athens
by Josiah Ober
Available at a Remote Warehouse. Ships separately from other items. Additional shipping charges may apply. Not available for In Store Pickup. More Info
20 Remote Warehouse
"In this pathbreaking work, Josiah Ober draws on the full array of modern social science to explain the amazing success of Athenian democracy. He argues persuasively that the Athenians were able to overcome problems of collective action through the efficient aggregation and use of knowledge, as when Cleisthenes created new tribes that brought together citizens from different parts of Attica. The striking vignettes and episodes from Athenian history conjoined with sophisticated theoretical analyses make for utterly compelling reading. It will enrich social science no less than the writing of ancient history. Since the work of Paul Veyne, there has been nothing like it."--Jon Elster, Collège de France
"A fresh, intellectually daring proposal by the George Grote of our times: democracy is not just an ethically desirable political form, but potentially unsurpassed as a source of innovation, public learning, and the application of publicly useful knowledge."--John Keane, professor of politics at the University of Westminster and the Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin
"Josiah Ober introduces Athens to students of institutional design and institutional design to students of Athens in an exercise of trailblazing scholarship and analysis. The book will become a standard reference in both areas of investigation."--Philip Pettit, Princeton University
"Democracy and Knowledge looks at Athenian democracy from a quite new angle by taking on a question that has not previously made the transition from political and social science to ancient world studies. No one has even asked how in practice the Athenians aggregated their knowledge to make sensible decisions. There is no treatment of classical Athens or, to my knowledge, of the working of any democracy, comparable to this."--Robin Osborne, University of Cambridge
"This is a terrific book. Ober applies modern social science to explain and make sense of Athenian institutions, and offers strong and compelling discussions of many issues. The two central lines of argument--the role and structure of knowledge and the incentive or game structures of the interactions of citizens in politics--are at the core of understanding these issues, and yet they are seldom brought together in this way."--Russell Hardin, New York University
"This book . . . richly rewards any reader with interests in democratic theory or Athens. For many it could renew an interest in the sociology of deliberative action. And it does an excellent job rethinking tired political hyperdivision of 'public vs. private,' 'weak vs. strong publics,' and 'civic vs. market orientations.'"--Christopher Moore, Bryn Mawr Classical Review
A fresh, intellectually daring proposal by the George Grote of our times: democracy is not just an ethically desirable political form, but potentially unsurpassed as a source of innovation, public learning, and the application of publicly useful knowledge.
This is a terrific book. Ober applies modern social science to explain and make sense of Athenian institutions, and offers strong and compelling discussions of many issues. The two central lines of argument--the role and structure of knowledge and the incentive or game structures of the interactions of citizens in politics--are at the core of understanding these issues, and yet they are seldom brought together in this way.
"Josiah Ober is a practically minded, get up and go, people's kind of democrat. . . . There is certainly nothing like [Democracy and Knowledge] in the literature on ancient politics."--Geoffrey Hawthorn, Times Literary Supplement
"Democracy and Knowledge is the final book in an extraordinary trilogy. It follows Mass and Elite in Democratic Athens, which appeared in 1989, and Political Dissent in Democratic Athens, in 1998. This third book incorporates the central conclusions of the first two, and with this volume Ober, by means of a highly original historical argument about Athens, does in fact refute Michel's famous law. . . . Ober's careful historical work and his theoretical framework generate a convincing portrait of a flourishing participatory democracy that overcame real crises, and achieved a stable balancing of the interests of masses and wealthy elites, and responded to collective action problems by developing institutional and cultural solutions that focused on the social distribution and the social valuation of knowledge. . . . Is it too much to ask that members of the Obama administration turn to a dense work of ancient history to help them make good on Obama's vision of an American state that combines the resources of representative and participatory democracy? They would take away from Democracy and Knowledge at least a few important general ideas."--Danielle Allen, The New Republic
"Josiah Ober's book is a remarkable contribution to classical Greek history, social theory, and political philosophy. It advances understandings within each field and shows why these disciplines should be in more conversation with one another."--Gerald Mara, Cambridge Journals
"The book is written in a very accessible style and it should be of interest to a wide range of scholars working in the are of ancient history, political science and democratic theory."--Zsuzsanna Chappell, Political Studies Review
"[This book is] very much worth reading, if for no other reason than for the extremely rich and interesting historical detail to be found. . . . In this respect, [the] author live[s] up to [his] justly earned reputation as [a] great political historian."--Frank Lovett, Perspectives on Politics
"[T]he book is well worth the read. The attempt to cross disciplinary boundaries is refreshing. Moreover, Obes analysis offers a valuable contribution to democratic theory."--Emma Cohen de Lara, Acta Politica
[Ober] makes a detailed and stimulating case. This is a book which has much to offer to both scholars of Athenian democracy and democratic political thought. Emma Cohen de Lara - Acta Politica
Josiah Ober is a practically minded, get up and go, people's kind of democrat. . . . There is certainly nothing like [Democracy and Knowledge] in the literature on ancient politics. Geoffrey Hawthorn
Democracy and Knowledge is the final book in an extraordinary trilogy. It follows Mass and Elite in Democratic Athens, which appeared in 1989, and Political Dissent in Democratic Athens, in 1998. This third book incorporates the central conclusions of the first two, and with this volume Ober, by means of a highly original historical argument about Athens, does in fact refute Michel's famous law. . . . Ober's careful historical work and his theoretical framework generate a convincing portrait of a flourishing participatory democracy that overcame real crises, and achieved a stable balancing of the interests of masses and wealthy elites, and responded to collective action problems by developing institutional and cultural solutions that focused on the social distribution and the social valuation of knowledge. . . . Is it too much to ask that members of the Obama administration turn to a dense work of ancient history to help them make good on Obama's vision of an American state that combines the resources of representative and participatory democracy? They would take away from Democracy and Knowledge at least a few important general ideas. Times Literary Supplement
This book . . . richly rewards any reader with interests in democratic theory or Athens. For many it could renew an interest in the sociology of deliberative action. And it does an excellent job rethinking tired political hyperdivision of 'public vs. private,' 'weak vs. strong publics,' and 'civic vs. market orientations.' Danielle Allen - The New Republic
Josiah Ober's book is a remarkable contribution to classical Greek history, social theory, and political philosophy. It advances understandings within each field and shows why these disciplines should be in more conversation with one another. Christopher Moore - Bryn Mawr Classical Review
The book is written in a very accessible style and it should be of interest to a wide range of scholars working in the are of ancient history, political science and democratic theory. Gerald Mara - Cambridge Journals
[This book is] very much worth reading, if for no other reason than for the extremely rich and interesting historical detail to be found. . . . In this respect, [the] author live[s] up to [his] justly earned reputation as [a] great political historian. Zsuzsanna Chappell - Political Studies Review
[T]he book is well worth the read. The attempt to cross disciplinary boundaries is refreshing. Moreover, Obes analysis offers a valuable contribution to democratic theory. Frank Lovett - Perspectives on Politics
Shortlisted for the 2010 Hessell-Tiltman Prize, English PEN
Winner of the 2008 PROSE Award in Classics and Ancient History, Association of American Publishers
When does democracy work well, and why? Is democracy the best form of government? These questions are of supreme importance today as the United States seeks to promote its democratic values abroad. Democracy and Knowledge is the first book to look to ancient Athens to explain how and why directly democratic government by the people produces wealth, power, and security.
Combining a history of Athens with contemporary theories of collective action and rational choice developed by economists and political scientists, Josiah Ober examines Athenian democracy's unique contribution to the ancient Greek city-state's remarkable success, and demonstrates the valuable lessons Athenian political practices hold for us today. He argues that the key to Athens's success lay in how the city-state managed and organized the aggregation and distribution of knowledge among its citizens. Ober explores the institutional contexts of democratic knowledge management, including the use of social networks for collecting information, publicity for building common knowledge, and open access for lowering transaction costs. He explains why a government's attempt to dam the flow of information makes democracy stumble. Democratic participation and deliberation consume state resources and social energy. Yet as Ober shows, the benefits of a well-designed democracy far outweigh its costs.
Understanding how democracy can lead to prosperity and security is among the most pressing political challenges of modern times. Democracy and Knowledge reveals how ancient Greek politics can help us transcend the democratic dilemmas that confront the world today.
Josiah Ober is the Constantine Mitsotakis Professor of Political Science and Classics at Stanford University. His books include "Athenian Legacies, Political Dissent in Democratic Athens," and "Mass and Elite in Democratic Athens" (all Princeton).
List of Illustrations xi
List of Tables xii
Preface xiii
List of Abbreviations xvii
Athenian Money, Taxes, Revenues xviii
CHAPTER ONE: Introduction: Dispersed Knowledge and Public Action 1
Theory and Practice 3
Rational Choice and Joint Action 6
Premises and Problem 12
Caveats and Method 22
The Argument and Its Contexts 28
Experts and Interests 34
Hypothesis 37
CHAPTER TWO: Assessing Athenian Performance 39
Historical Evaluation 40
Aggregate Flourishing 43
Distribution of Coinage 48
Athens versus Syracuse and Sparta 52
Citations in Greek Literature and Other Measures 53
Athens ??12: A Multiperiod Case Study 55
Democracy as an Explanatory Variable 70
Republics, Democracies, and Athenian Exceptionalism 75
CHAPTER THREE: Competition, Scale, and Varieties of Knowledge 80
Competition and Its Consequences 80
Participation and Scale 84
Social, Technical, and Latent Knowledge 90
Preferences, Parties, and Costly Information 97
Hierarchy, Democracy, and Productivity 102
Knowledge Processes as Public-Action Strategies 106
CHAPTER FOUR: Aggregation: Networks, Teams, and Experts 118
Institutional Design: Incentives, Low Cost, Sorting 118
Establishing a Naval Station, 325/4 B.C. 124
Demes and Tribes as Social Networks 134
The Council of 500: Structural Holes and Bridging Ties 142
Organizational and Individual Learning 151
Boards of Magistrates as Real Teams 156
Ostracism, Assembly, and People's Courts 160
CHAPTER FIVE: Alignment: Common Knowledge, Commitment, and Coordination 168
Alignment and Hierarchy 169
Following Leaders, Rules, and Commitments 172
Cascading and Social Equilibrium 179
A Trial for Treason, 330 B.C. 183
Common Knowledge and Publicity 190
Rational Rituals and Public Monuments 194
Architecture and Intervisibility 199
Scaling Common Knowledge 205
CHAPTER SIX: Codification: Access, Impartiality, and Transaction Costs 211
Intention and Interpretation 211
Open Entry, Fair Procedure, and Transaction Costs 214
A Law on Silver Coinage, 375/4 B.C. 220
Silver Owls, Athenian and Imitation 226
Approval, Certification, Confiscation 231
Legal Standing and Social Status 241
Rules and Rents: Historical Survey 245
Expanding Access 249
Democracy and Social Security 254
Horizons of Fairness 258
CHAPTER SEVEN: Conclusions: Government by the People 264
Knowledge in Action 264
The Democracy/Knowledge Hypothesis Revisited 268
Formality and Experimentation 270
Institutions and Ideology 272
Exceptionalism and Exemplarity 276
APPENDIX A. Aggregate Material Flourishing 281
APPENDIX B. Distribution of Coins in Hoards 285
APPENDIX C. Prominence in Classical Greek Literature 287
APPENDIX D. Impact of Constitution and Historical Experience 289
APPENDIX E. Athenian State Capacity and Democracy, 600-250 B.C. 292
Bibliography 295
Josiah Ober
Politics - General


Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) refers to an area of research, clinical, and educational practice. AAC involves attempts to study and when necessary compensate for temporary or permanent impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions of individuals with severe disorders of speech-language production and/or comprehension, including spoken and written modes of communication (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2005).
ASHA's position states that 'communication is the essence of human life and that all people have the right to communicate to the fullest extent possible. No individual should be denied this right, irrespective of the type and/or severity of communication, linguistic, social, cognitive, motor, sensory, perceptual, and or disability(ies) they may present.
An estimated two million Americans are unable to use speech and/or handwriting to meet their daily communication needs. Individuals who need to rely on AAC cover the life span.
Common causes for severe speech disability that may require the use of AAC include both congenital (present at birth) and acquired conditions. Examples include, but are not limited to, cerebral palsy, autism, Down Syndrome, amytrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and traumatic brain injury.
AAC systems are intended primarily to maximize individuals' abilities to communicate as effectively and efficiently as possible.


Four years ago, Michael Megafu came to St. Joseph's College with a goal: change the program. And the senior forward has done just that.
Megafu, a Jamaica, Queens, native who attended Nazareth Regional High School in Brooklyn, is on the cusp of scoring 1,500 career points for the Bears. He already joined the 1,000 points/1,000 rebound club earlier this year.
Megafu has many other accolades. He's a two-time USCAA Second Team All-American and three-time HVIAC honoree. He also helped lead St. Joseph's to two USCAA National Championship appearances.
This season, he's averaging 15.7 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.
We spoke to him about his accomplished career and his plans post-basketball.
Q: You're in your fourth year at St. Joe's. Can you describe what playing for this college and being part of this team has been like for you?
A: At first, looking back at the program, it wasn't as prominent as it is now. It wasn't on the radar, more or less. Coming into this school, I wanted to put it out on the map and try to elevate the school's program. And over the past couple of years, we've been pretty successful. So it was a job well done. Most of the teammates that I've had, I've played against them in high school. So it was nice to see the same faces.
Q: In addition to the players and teammates that have helped you throughout the four years, can you talk about the coaches and how they have been part of your journey at St. Joe's?
A: Coaches nowadays are more geared towards the numbers. They look for how they can improve in wins, they don't really care about the players. But our coaching staff here at St. Joseph's, they're more oriented towards the players. They focus on how we can better ourselves off the court and on the court. And they are very lenient in terms of their time to us. They're just not here for the two hours of practice. They're here all the time. They are very available, whether you text them, call them. They're always there to reach out and lend a helping hand. It's great that we have a coaching staff that's so supportive as ours. One of my coaches, he's an assistant coach, and he's actually a doctor. It's amazing to have someone who has pursued what I'm trying to pursue too, as a future physician. The fact that he's able to help me not only on the court, but help me in terms of how to apply to med school and how to go around with that entire process. It's amazing to see someone who I envision to be, the way he is now.
Q: Can you talk about the progress you've made as both a player and as a person? A: As a player, just being able to face turmoil, go through situations that may not seem so well and to be able to learn from them; it's not all about on the court. Having these guys off the court, building new relationships and bonds with them. That's basically what it's about.
Q: What aspects of your game have you improved the most, and how have you done it?
A: Maybe my ball-handling and the ability to find people. Trying to increase my assist-to-turnover ratio and looking for guys more. Being more of a facilitator.
Q: You're now a member of the 1,000-points/1,000-rebounds club. What does that mean to you personally?
A: It's a huge accomplishment. My floor runner, David Louison, a lot of people compare me to him and he's a real role model for me, both on the court and off the court. It's an honor to be part of that club with him. I knew him since my sophomore year of high school. Playing against him and being a freshman, he's basically told me what to do, how to better my game, spending the off-season with him. He's been a big help by his ability to reach out to me, both on and off the court, and all the practices and off-season sessions that we've had.
Q: Another accomplishment you're closing in on is 1,500 career points. Is that something you're looking forward to accomplishing?
A: Well, it's not really all about the stats. The 1,500 will be a great accomplishment if I'm able to be blessed enough to achieve that. But it's about winning, having fun and just enjoying the four years.
Q: Looking back at your career at St. Joseph's, what are you most proud of? Are there any games or moments you look back at and point to as a favorite?
A: It's always fun to play against our rival campus, St. Joseph's Patchogue in Long Island. It's always an honor to play against our guys at Brooklyn College, too. I really appreciate those games. Over the years, playing against Berkeley has been tough but my sophomore year, we were successful. We beat Vaughn College my sophomore year. It was good to be able to make the championship round almost every year. Looking back at it, I'm just happy. It's hard to win a championship. The fact that I was able to accomplish it says a lot.
Q: What are you looking forward to next as the season continues?
A: Well, I'm just trying to enjoy every moment, not to skip or run ahead. I have three or four more home games left, a couple more season games and that's it. We're trying to make the playoffs. Just be focused and try to win and concentrate on each game at a time. We'll see what the future holds.
Q: What do you think will go through your head at the last home game?
A: It's definitely going to be sad. I'm a very emotional person so I know it will be sad. Hopefully I won't cry, but it will definitely be sad, for sure.
Q: What about after the season?
A: I'm just trying to be a doctor. Maybe teach. Just trying to work, do whatever I can. Still be supportive of St. Joseph's for sure. Just enjoy life.
Q: Do you have any last comments?
A: Just the fact that St. Joseph's College is a small school, and we're not really looked heavily upon, but something so small can have something so big. That's one thing I really want to point out about St. Joseph's.


For weeks, all anybody in Seattle has been talking about is Viadoom, the anticipated gridlock to follow the permanent closure of the elevated portion of Highway 99, otherwise known as the Viaduct.
As Ruby and I departed the Henrybuilt holiday party on Friday night (Henry and Kristine had left earlier), I remembered the Viaduct was scheduled to close – forever – at 10pm. It was 9:45. We could get to the Viaduct in 5 minutes. I asked Ruby if she was up for an adventure. Silly question.


Thirty states and Puerto Rico turned in their Every Student Succeeds Act plans in time for the U.S. Department of Education's deadline of midnight on September 18. Four hurricane-ravaged states—Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, and Texas—got an extension for later this fall.
This is the second of two big batches of ESSA plans. Sixteen states and the District of Columbia turned in their plans last spring. And most of those—Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Tennessee, and Vermont—have gotten approvals from the department. Colorado will turn its revised plan in October. And Massachusetts and Michigan are still waiting for the green light.
It's unclear how much influence the Department of Education is having—or wants to have—on state ESSA visions. So far, they have given a seal of approval to state plans even if they didn't necessarily include all of the changes the agency asked for in its official feedback.
However, some top Democrats in Congress working on educational issues think there hasn't been nearly enough oversight of those state plans. They have urged DeVos and the department of education to scrutinize more the incoming batch.
One of the biggest changes in ESSA is that states must look at more than just test scores in rating schools. Many of the states that submitted their plans last spring chose to consider chronic absenteeism or college-and-career readiness as an added focus. And those factors were popular with the new batch.
States offered some interesting specifics when it comes to school improvement. For instance, Arkansas is allowing its schools to use early-childhood education as an improvement strategy. And West Virginia is pairing low-performing schools with high-flyers that have similar demographics so that the schools can learn from one another.
States also had to come up with plans to address teacher quality. New York wants to continue to push to ensure high-poverty schools get access to strong teachers. Missouri highlighted its programs to support new teachers.
Early-childhood education was a factor in more than half a dozen state plans, according to a CCSSO analysis. Washington, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Arkansas all incorporated it into their plans in some fashion.
There are some states that are getting pushback on their plans from local advocates. For example, in California, there are fears that its plan does not offer assurances that it will truly hold schools and districts accountable for improving performance and closing achievement gaps for highly disadvantaged students. There are concerns that California's system will not be easy to understand for parents.
There's been plenty of political tension within states as they rushed to get their plans on DeVos' desk. In Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, refused to sign off on the plan written by the state chief, Tony Evers, who happens to be running against him for governor. Walker called Evers' ideas "bureaucratic" and said the state's plan should look more like Tennessee's.
And in Maryland, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan also refused to sign off on the state's plan. He said the state board didn't have free rein to craft a plan that would identify and fix the state's lowest-performing schools. That's thanks to a new state law backed by the teachers' union that says test scores can't count for more than 65 percent of a school's overall rating.
The Maryland law also bars the state department of education from requiring low-performing schools to convert to charters, giving students vouchers to attend private schools, or creating a state-run turnaround district.


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Naughty Dog Creates Survival Action Genre with "The Last Of Us"
June 4, 2013 Patrick Hickey Jr. Video Games 0
"Uncharted" and "Jak and Daxter" developer promises new epic will be their "most ambitious" game ever.
With their reputation confirmed with two of the most critically acclaimed series over the last decade, "Jak and Daxter" and "Uncharted," Santa Monica-based video game developer Naughty Dog have done the unthinkable.
They've created a completely new genre.
Dubbed a "survival action" game, the company's newest title, "The Last of Us" is set in a post apocalyptic United States and centers around Joel, a smuggler and his cargo, a young girl named Ellie, who he must transport across the country. After a rare fungal infection kills millions and mutated millions more, militarized zones enforce martial law, making the journey a difficult one.
Continue Reading This Article From review Fix Editor-In-Chief Patrick Hickey Jr. at NBC New York.com.
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text:
Where an Army Paycheck Is an Easy Goal
MoneyUSA
Reading time: 18 min.
OAK GROVE, Ky. — Exit Gate 5 at Fort Campbell and Jenna's Adult Superstore is true across the road. On either side are easy ways to lose your shirt.
Turn left and there's a casino. Turn right and there are miles of companies catering to — or preying on — financially inexperienced soldiers with money of their pockets for the primary time.
The wide boulevard along Fort Campbell's front wall is lined with places to get into debt or worse. There are used automobile lots galore and Money America Pawn. Then, Omni Military Loans, various check-cashers and a storefront that invites soldiers to sell their plasma. On it goes along the important thoroughfare named for the Army post — the middle of an ecosystem that thrives on government paychecks and never knowing methods to manage them.
For soldiers sometimes still of their teens, the handfuls of monetary services operators that surround Fort Campbell and other military outposts are a gantlet to run each time they step off government property. The outcomes are alarming: The post's own newspaper reported that lately, 40 percent of its soldiers had not less than one predatory loan. Often, they owe the loans to business owners who were once within the military themselves.
The Department of Defense, regulators and elected officials are well aware of the perils. Financially troubled soldiers is probably not at their best, and money problems can cost them security clearances which might be crucial to their jobs. So for a long time, the federal government has fought to fend off cheaters, charlatans and others who want to get their claws into military paychecks.
And while there have been victories, many proceed to thrive.
Watchdogs are deeply concerned. This month, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a warning about so-called allotments, a system that permits lenders to siphon money directly from soldiers' paychecks. It also published a report noting that service member complaints rose 19 percent from 2019 to 2021, nearly all of them related to debt collection and the credit reporting that tracks those debts.
With prices rising for nearly every little thing, including cars and food and gas, the opportunities for lenders to cash in on military personnel have only grown. And such customers have gotten much more enticing as branches of the armed forces increase sign-up bonuses to higher attract recruits.
Attempts to handle the issue run into one unavoidable obstacle: Young and financially inexperienced members of the military are ideal clients. They are usually not highly paid, but their jobs are all but guaranteed — so their paychecks arrive like clockwork.
The driving force's seat and the road to wreck
Fort Campbell straddles the Kentucky-Tennessee border near Oak Grove, Ky., and is home to the a hundred and first Airborne Division, a unit renowned for its service from the beaches of Normandy to the streets of Falluja. Slightly below 30,000 soldiers are stationed there.
It's not only the companies lining Fort Campbell Boulevard that may imperil a soldier's funds, it's using the road in any respect. Slightly below half of U.S. soldiers are 25 or younger, and lots of are at outposts like Fort Campbell, where having a life requires having a automobile — a significant purchase that they often pursue without much guidance.
"I used to be like, 'Man, I don't need my parents,'" said Jhett Florip, who joined the Army right out of highschool about an hour north of Chicago. "I used to be out alone, doing my very own thing."
He found a dealer who sold him a used Ford Escape — and set him up with a loan that had a particularly high rate of interest. Between the payment and insurance costs related to being a young male driver, Mr. Florip was soon spending a significant slice of his take-home pay on the vehicle alone.
He eventually found his technique to Navy Federal Credit Union, the country's largest credit union. The deal wasn't a lot better there; he refinanced the loan for just a few percentage points of savings.
"They explained to me: You're a recent person to our company buying a automobile with an enormous loan. You don't have credit history," he said. "So we're going to jack it up."
Mr. Florip's mother ultimately set him straight: You possibly can refinance without changing lenders, she told him. He eventually went back to Navy Federal and qualified for a a lot better rate.
Now Mr. Florip sees many soldiers doing exactly what he did once they see a vehicle that catches their eye.
"I'd call it a rite of passage, and I'd also just call it being naïve," he said. "The primary offer they get for the automobile they need is the very best offer, they usually just need to get it done."
Buy now, and pay for it later
Whether their tastes skew toward hulking trucks, sleek imports or American muscle, soldiers at Fort Campbell don't want for alternative. And their buying experience can vary just as widely.
There are not less than 3 ways to finance a automobile around these parts, from most eager to least desperate: a buy-here-pay-here loan, by which the dealer takes all the danger (and does the repossessions); a type of dealer-run installment plan; and a third-party loan obtained through the dealership.
At Nash Auto Sales, there's no credit check — not that a lot of its customers would pass one — and high rates of interest reflect its highly dangerous clientele. At BW's Preowned Autos, across the boulevard from the post, cars include two prices, one for money and the next one for a 12- to 18-month payment plan.
Adopt an Auto is the third kind, where soldiers' information is plugged right into a computer that spits out offers from willing lenders.
BW's and Nash are each owned by military veterans, and until recently Vicky Salesky, who runs Adopt an Auto, had a partner who was a veteran.
Ms. Salesky said she tried to be one in all the nice guys, talking sense into younger soldiers who might qualify — just barely — for a loan with a double-digit rate of interest. Lots of the soldiers who are available in are only somewhat older than her three teenagers.
"I hope they're listening to me," she said.
The veteran voice of experience
Terrence Jones hopes they're listening, too.
An Army veteran himself, Mr. Jones once needed to reassemble his own funds. Now he's one in all a gaggle of monetary counselors at Fort Campbell, doing standard-issue training, plus frequent one-on-one sessions which might be each preventive and restorative.
His colleague Loreta Guzman said lots of the soldiers who got here in for advice were teenage novices. But other recent enlistees are of their 30s.
"Perhaps they couldn't make it outside of the military, or they needed health care or housing," she said. "They're clueless. They don't know where to begin."
Mr. Jones can tell the soldiers that he has been of their shoes.
"I got comfortable going to loan corporations," he said. "I used to be in a hole so deep, the daytime was dark. They are saying you can't borrow your technique to success, but I felt like I could prove them unsuitable."
Now a kindly grandfather with a necktie and hair twists, he preaches a mantra: Financial literacy will not be a skill, it's a life-style.
Soldiers had best recite it day by day. Mr. Jones once counted 31 storefronts nearby where inopportune financial decisions were available to all.
A dynamic that breeds secrecy
Too often, those poor decisions can fester in silence, due to a culture of self-sufficiency and the threat they pose to military profession prospects.
Navy Federal, despite its name, is open to all branches of the military. Loads of veterans and spouses of energetic service members work there — and its intimacy with the armed forces has been used for good and in poor health.
Navy Federal's employees understand how its customers live and work — and a few knew the frightening types of leverage that exist within the military.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in 2016 accused Navy Federal employees of falsely threatening to alert service members' commanders about past-due debts. That 12 months, Navy Federal paid $23 million in compensation to consumers along with a $5.5 million civil penalty. (A Navy Federal spokeswoman said the lender had made "obligatory changes" in response to the regulatory motion.)
The credit union's threats weren't empty: Security clearances are sometimes required for work that even relatively young soldiers do.
"Within the military, there may be very strong pressure to say, 'Yes, I'm OK, don't worry about me,'" said Clay Stackhouse, regional outreach manager at Navy Federal who was a Marine Corps aviator and rose to the rank of colonel. "I assumed, 'I got this.' Lord knows I wasn't going to inform anyone about my funds."
That could make it easy for scams of all sorts to proliferate. In 2020, the Tennessee attorney general blew the whistle on a move that a national chain, Harris Jewelers, was pulling repeatedly on the local mall.
In line with the attorney general's office, Harris's stores were "strategically positioned near military installations" and urged members of the military to borrow for its high-priced baubles. A bonus, in line with the jeweler's pitch, was that customers can be constructing or repairing their credit with the brand new debt, an arrangement that the state called "illegal."
"There's money to be made," Mr. Stackhouse said. "And we're coping with young individuals who have money for the primary time."
Fortunately, certain kinds of companies don't trouble attempting to pitch their wares to soldiers now. The federal Military Lending Act caps the interest that a lender can charge an active-duty soldier at 36 percent annually.
To civilians paying 6 percent on a mortgage and 18 on a bank card, that's shocking. But payday lenders and others say even 36 percent is basically uneconomical, given the danger profile of their customers.
Consequently, payday, pawn and automobile title lenders that line Fort Campbell Boulevard have a policy of steering clear of military families.
Stay humble and hustle hard
But that doesn't mean those families don't seek these businesses out anyhow.
When Ashley Larson arrived on the town, she was neither a soldier nor a spouse — but she was young and financially vulnerable.
Ms. Larson moved to the realm to be along with her boyfriend, an enlisted soldier she has since married. She was the victim of monetary abuse when, she said, someone wrote bad checks against her checking account, which blacklisted her from many banking services.
That meant turning to a check-cashing operation not long after arriving on the town, which took a bit of cash in return for doing business along with her. "I'm still attempting to navigate the strategy of not looking like I robbed a bank," she said.
True to the "Stay Humble, Hustle Hard" tattoo on her forearm, she filled many hours when she first arrived with part-time micro businesses like selling baked goods to other military families. She had relatives in Florida ship her guava for her tres leches cake.
"My husband is working 70 hours per week, and I'm mainly doing a bake sale," she said.
Only recently did she find a fairly well-paying job. It's out of state, so her mother-in-law comes to observe the kids throughout the week. Local help, she said, is dear.
'Soldiers helping soldiers,' in the event that they ask
Army pay doesn't go very far. Military compensation starts at $1,695 per thirty days in basic pay, before some other allowances.
So on a flier that every one the brand new arrivals receive — the Fort Campbell Help Flow Chart — food assistance and financial assistance are two of the 11 categories, alongside abuse and addiction.
The seven entries under financial assistance include Army Emergency Relief, a nonprofit closely affiliated with the military that bills itself as "soldiers helping soldiers." It's a lifeline: The fund helped nearly 26,000 soldiers last 12 months, handing out $44.8 million in loans and grants.
At Fort Campbell, officials there said, soldiers often sought assistance with getting a recent place — first and last month's rent — or with automobile repairs.
Although a commander needn't be involved when military personnel initiate an application, several soldiers who asked to not be identified had convinced themselves that even inquiring a few loan could lead on to a superior's checking out about their problem — and any errors in judgment that led as much as it.
That makes it tempting to move away from the post for more money.
A number of miles south of Fort Campbell's gates, Nicole Allen was working the front desk at Grifols Biomat USA Plasma Center, which had a "Welcome Home Troops" sign over the entry. About 20 percent of the individuals who are available in to sell that a part of their blood are enlisted men and girls, she said. Latest donors can earn as much as $1,100 of their first month.
A donor referral program can yield much more. "That's how we see the military," Ms. Allen said. "They tell the entire company."
But what should you need greater than that?
The lender on the front of the road
The founding mythos of Omni Military Loans begins with Staff Sgt. Fred Nives. After World War II, he wanted a automobile but couldn't get a loan.
The firm that he began a long time ago has a branch near Fort Campbell, a main corner spot in a well-kept strip mall. Accolades cover the partitions, including a years-old Higher Business Bureau "torch" award: Omni had been an area semifinalist for ethics.
The corporate offers a straightforward product — installment loans of $500 to $10,000 that last as long as 36 months. The term length is not any accident. Most individuals stay within the Army for not less than that long but often go delinquent on consumer debts once they leave the service.
Omni makes it very easy to pay, with a set-it-and-forget-it system that other lenders can only dream of. Many years before automatic payments from checking accounts were common, the Department of Defense gave soldiers the power to pay bills through its allotment system. Soldiers divvy up their paychecks before they hit their bank accounts, sending some back home or, within the case of Omni, to repay a loan.
The system effectively puts Omni ahead of some other creditor. Nearly all Omni borrowers enroll for allotment, though for years they'd no alternative, in line with the federal consumer bureau. The agency said in a 2020 consent order that Omni illegally mandated that customers pay via allotment.
Sheryl Smith, its chief risk and compliance officer, maintained in an interview that the corporate had never required paying by allotment and added that the patron bureau had not asked the corporate to pay restitution. When it complied with the agency's instructions to remind all borrowers that using allotments was optional, she added, there was "very, little or no" response from individuals who desired to pay another way.
Those borrowers can take comfort that they're not being cheated, in line with Omni. The corporate's site boasts that individuals with good credit "may receive a really competitive rate," while adding that its loans top out at 35.95 percent. That's slightly below the cap that the federal government imposes.
A battle that never ends
The continuing tussle — military counselors, the Department of Defense and regulators on one side, local lenders charging 20- or 30-some percent on the opposite, military-focused credit unions attempting to wear the white hat — doesn't have a winner yet. There may never be one.
Holly Petraeus saw the forwards and backwards up and down Fort Campbell Boulevard up close. She lived at Fort Campbell twice while her husband, retired Gen. David H. Petraeus, rose up the Army ranks.
And eventually, off-property temptations were not only by the side of the road.
"I remember talking to a really frustrated platoon sergeant," said Ms. Petraeus, who worked for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in a senior role protecting soldiers and veterans before she retired in 2017. "He said, 'I can hang over that guy 23 hours per day, but within the twenty fourth hour, he's on the pc and taking out a loan on the shady website that he found.'"
Ms. Petraeus expressed the very best admiration for people like Ms. Guzman and Mr. Jones, the Fort Campbell counselors. They're, of their defense of our defenders, soldiers of a form. But theirs can be a job that can probably never end.
"You get a complete recent crop of recruits in every 12 months," she said. "And each 12 months, you've gotten to push that rock up the hill yet one more time."
Audra Melton contributed reporting.
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