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I'm Bored
by Michael Ian Black; Debbie Ridpath Ohi, illus.
Fans of Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie series will delight in the latest book by American comedian Michael Ian Black, illustrated by Toronto graphic artist Debbie Ridpath Ohi. Echoing Willems, Black's story is constructed around the dialogue of an unlikely couple, in this case a small girl and a potato. The text is perfectly complemented by Ohi's quirky minimalist drawings.
The girl is bored in the ultra-whiny, floor-sprawled way perfected by small children. When she finds a potato, her interest is momentarily piqued, but how much entertainment can a potato possibly provide? Turns out not much, because this potato is bored too: "I have to hang out with a kid," he says. "Kids are boring."
So begins the girl's effort to convince the potato otherwise, by showing him all the amazing things kids can do, including cartwheels, ninja kicks, and handstands. Plus, she tells him, kids can imagine stuff. Ohi has created a marvellous fantasy backdrop to accompany each of the girl's daydreams, including a castle and fire-breathing dragon, a jungle scene, a scene in outer space, and a couch-turned–pirate ship (with the potato forced to walk the plank).
The potato, however, remains unimpressed. "Boring. Boring. Boring," he responds, even as the girl becomes a scientist, a rock star, a rampaging monster. She finally storms off in a rage, obviously not bored anymore. The potato is left alone, until he meets a flamingo (the punchline to a joke from earlier in the book). And that flamingo is – you guessed it – bored.
Ohi's depiction of the little girl, with her Charles Schultz–inspired big head and scraggly pigtails, will appeal to young readers, as will Black's goofy humour. Kids will come away from this excellent book exactly the opposite of bored.
Reviewer: Kerry Clare
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Page Count: 40 pp
Format: Cloth
Released: Sept
Issue Date: 2012-10
Categories: Picture Books
Age Range: 3-8
Tags: Ben McNally, bookselling, Parallel importation
Send feedback to Q&Q editors about this review


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The Voices movie review
The Voices is a 2014 dark comedy directed by Marjane Satrapi and Starring Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arteton and Anna Kendrick. Ryan Reynolds plays a guy named Jerry, who works at a bathtub factory and who suffers from hallucinations. He lives with his cat Mr Whiskers and his dog Bosco, both of whom talk to him.
Pan's Labyrinth movie review
Pan's Labyrinth is a dark fantasy movie released in 2006 and is written and directed by Guillermo del Toro. It is in Spanish and features English subtitles. The movie is influenced by fairy tales and features many magical creatures.
The story is set in Spain in 1944.The story follows main character 10 year old Ofelia as she meets magical creatures and goes through the trials of an old labyrinth.
X-men Days Of Future Past movie review
X-men Days Of Future Past is a 2014 movie directed by Bryan Singer and starring Hugh Jackman, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy and Jennifer Lawrence. The movie takes place in two different timelines. It opens in the future, where mutants are being hunted down by giant robots called Sentinels. Wolverine gets sent back to 1973 to change the future so the future he is from, won't happen.
Elementary Season 1 review
Elementary is an American TV adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. It stars Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson. Holmes has moved to New York and is working with the NYPD as a consulting dectective.
At the start of the series, Watson is hired by Sherlock's father to be Sherlock's sober companion, to help him stay sober after getting out of rehab for a heroin addiction. As the series progresses Holmes teaches Watson the art of deduction.
Ride Along movie review
Ride Along is a 2014 action comedy directed by Tim Story and starring Ice Cube and Kevin Hart. The movie follows Ben Barber(Kevin Hart) a high school security guard, who just got accepted into the police academy, as he goes on a ride along with his girlfriends cop brother (Ice Cube) to impress him.
Now You See Me movie review
Now You See Me is a 2013 thriller directed by Louis Leterrier. It stars a ensemble cast featuring Jesse Eisenberg, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine.
Four magicians, called the four horsemen, commit a bank robbery and the movie follows an FBI agent (played by Mark Ruffallo) trying to find out how they did it and to catch them. Aiding the FBI agent is a French Interpol agent (played by Melanie Laurent).
American Sniper movie review
American Sniper is a 2015 military drama directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller. Bradley Cooper plays Chris Kyle, the deadliest sniper in American military history. It is based on Chris Kyle's autobiography American Sniper.
It is nominated for numerous Academy awards including Best Picture and Best Actor for Bradley Cooper
Captain America: THe Winter Soldier is a 2014 superhero political thiller. It is directed by the Russo Brothers.It stars Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L Jackson and Robert Redford.
There is a mole inside SHEILD and its up to Captain America and Black Widow to find out who it is. As long as they don't get killed by the assassin known as the Winter Soldier.
Tucker & Dale Vs Evil movie review
Tucker & Dale Vs Evil is a 2010 horror comedy film. Written and directed by Eli Craig, and staring Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine as the titular characters Tucker and Dale.
Guardians of the Galaxy movie review
Guardians Of The Galaxy is a 2014 action comedy space adventure movie. It is directed by James Gunn and written by James Gunn and Nicole Perlman.	The story follows a group of criminals that band together to save the universe.
In my opinion, this is one of Marvel studios best movies so far.You don't need to have seen any other Marvel movie to enjoy this one Full Review
Pain and Gain movie review
Pain and Gain is a 2013 crime-comedy movie directed by Michael Bay. It stars Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Mackie and Dwayne Johnson as three bodybuilders, that kidnap and extort a millionaire as a way to get rich. Full Review

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Sort of like the difference between a digestive and using that digestive to dunk in your tea - while the former is great on its own, it's nothing when compared to it's use as part of an overall plan that makes the best use possible of all the parts involved.
Strategic marketing is making sure that each one of your marketing efforts, e.g; print, social media and website, aligns with your overall plan for connecting the information you have to provide with the audience that needs to hear it from you to succeed.
Creating an effective strategic marketing campaign within your business, is one that allows everyone in the organisation to understand what your marketing goals are and your plan to accomplishing them.
Your business needs to be a 'winner' not a player within your sector.
One important thing to watch for, which we notice on a frequent basis, is the 'Activity for Activities Sake' marketing approach, which feels good as it is ticking boxes on a marketing to do list.
Although it can feel good for a minute, it is often empty and doesn't produce results. Many companies get sucked into this way of doing things and get an endorphin rush when a blog gets written or they see a post on their company's social media feed.
Remember it is the 'right message' to the 'right audience' through the 'right channel', that will get the results.


For years now I've seen these brands on store shelves and didn't get why someone would pay for cleaning supplies what they were marked. I was using my usual cleaning supplies. The stuff I'd just always used, either because it was what I had become accustomed to, or because it was the most affordable at the time.
Whomever had packaged my order hand-wrote a little message on the order slip inside the box. It said, "Megan, you're beautiful. Never let anyone tell you differently." I was surprised that they were allowed to do things like that. It was lovely. Not all of my shipments have contained a little note like that. My last one did, it said, "Thank You" – you can see it in my video at the end of this blog.
As a Certified B Corporation, we are recognized as a business doing good for people, animals, communities, and the planet.
We offer products that are gentler on the earth, prioritize post-consumer materials for packaging, and carbon offset every shipment that goes out our door.
The GC Cleaning Caddy. This came free and it's adorable. It's metal and can be used to store and/or carry your cleaning supplies. But it can also be used as a decoration. Which is probably what I'll end up doing with it because it's freaking adorable.
The first item here is the Meyer's multi-surface cleaner. It comes in a ridiculous number of scents. It's literally like 10 or more. So far I've purchased the Pumpkin (smells more like those candles that are supposed to smell like baking sweets – not bad, but not my jam), Basil (my favorite so far) and Iowa Pine, which I just got and haven't smelled yet. I love this for spraying and wiping down my counters, kitchen table and chairs. I'm obsessed.
TGC Floursack Towels – These are awesome. Watch my video to see the size.
Method Glass and Surface – I have only used on glass. I bought the Mint scent and OMG I LOVE IT. It literally leaves ZERO streaks. Until now I used Windex and it was decent but I often still had some streaking or foggy areas. The Method leaves my glass so clear and is my new go-to!
Meyer's Dish Soap – This one I won't be reordering. I like it well enough, but it's more expensive than Dawn, which is my old go-to, and it uses essential oils for scent. That's nice if you like the smell, but I don't. So this one's a pass for me.
Method Daily Shower Spray – LOVE this. I have the Eucalyptus Mint scent but it smells like pine to me. Which I love, so that's the scent I keep ordering lol Just a quick spray down. It says no need to rinse, but I give my shower a quick rinse anyway.
16 oz. Spray Bottle – it's glass and it's pretty. I haven't actually used it yet.
Cleaning Gloves – I love these so much I've ordered a second pair. They are perfect for doing dishes. They are soft on the inside and don't leave my hands smelling bad after I use them.
Walnut Scrubber Sponges (set of 2) – These are good sponges, they do the job and the best part about them is they are pretty, so I don't mind leaving them out. However, the price is just too high for me. I'll stick with my Scotch Brites for now.
GC Hand Sanitizer Spray – LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this!! I have it in the Blood Orange, which is one of my favorite flavors, as well as smells. I've reordered this little guy as well.
GC Towels – Okay. These are basically my favorite thing in the kitchen. I literally have 5 of them and just put 3 more in my cart today. They are the BEST freaking towels. They are thick and absorbent and I am going to replace all of my kitchen towels with them eventually. Seriously.
Method Squirt and Mop Hard Floor Cleaner – I've used this on our hardwood laminate flooring with great success (ours is Pergo Outlast +) without issue. It smells amazing – I have it in the Lemon Ginger (there are 2 other scents) and I also have the Wood Floor cleaner in Almond. Not sure what the difference is between the two. Both smell good. These are the perfect little thing if you want to spot mop. However, if I'm getting down and scrubbing all of my floors (uh, not that I do that often) I wouldn't use this. I'd dilute something else in a bucket of water. But for a small room like a bathroom or spot mopping, this is perfect.
The Grove Collaborative gives you a free trial VIP membership and they were super clear about it ending for me. I decided to re-up and pay the $20 because I did end up liking it so much. Along with cleaning supplies, they have allllll sorts of other things for pets, home, babies, personal care, etc. So feel free to check it out and, should you decide to order, use this link and get a present for yourself – and for me!


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Governments can create incentives to transition skilled workers from sectors hard-hit by coronavirus into more resilient industries that are better for the environment.
Home » Biomanufacturing, chemicals & materials » Investing In These 8 Bioeconomy Sectors Could Create Up To 1.6M Jobs Lost To COVID
Biomanufacturing, chemicals & materialsFeatured SliderPolicy & public
Investing In These 8 Bioeconomy Sectors Could Create Up To 1.6M Jobs Lost To COVID
John Cumbers Stephanie Michelsen Kevin Costa Mark Bunger
The coronavirus pandemic has had a swift and devastating impact on jobs, companies, and entire industries: the U.S. has lost 15.2 million jobs since February, with unemployment rates now standing at 13.3%. Stimulus checks offer short-term financial relief to some, but by no means will they create a booming economy. Unease is bound to persist about the economy, the health of our loved ones, and whether our work and home lives will return to their pre-COVID ways anytime soon, even as states open up for business and life in the U.S. edges back toward the "old normal."
Let's not settle for going back to normal. For many, it wasn't that good to begin with.
A new, "better normal" is possible. As governments respond to the immediate crisis and rebuild our jobs market, let's not limit our response to the coronavirus alone. Let's take this moment as an opportunity to rebuild a more resilient and sustainable economy for all.
How do we do this? Policymakers can create programs to help laid-off workers transfer from declining, carbon-intensive industries into sustainable, growing industries where their skills can be put to use. This will not only help unemployed workers, but it will also stimulate our economy and help the U.S. transition to a sustainable future.
This analysis uses California as a working model to show how economies everywhere can transition to this future.
Mapping job losses today to the jobs of the future
Many of the jobs of the future are in the bioeconomy, the segment of the economy that uses renewable resources to make food, energy, and goods with biology. At its core, making things with biology is akin to the age-old process of using bacteria or yeast to convert one thing into another, the process called fermentation.
We're all familiar with fermentation: it's what makes bread, cheese, beer, and wine. Using advanced biology, we can now coax organisms to ferment anything from foods and plastics to nylons and medicines. And instead of depending on petroleum chemistry to make things, fermentation uses sugars and renewable sources of carbon such as agricultural plant waste and industrial carbon emissions as its building blocks.
The bioeconomy is expected to reach $4 trillion globally, and switching to this more sustainable bio-based economy is going to require millions of skilled workers. Many people who are suffering from job loss today have skills that are directly transferable to sectors of the bioeconomy. So rather than propping up jobs in industries that were in decline prior to COVID-19, governments can create incentives to help transition skilled workers into more resilient industries that are better for the economy and the environment.
You may be asking yourself, "Is it really that easy to transfer skills from one industry to another?" Research from MIT's Skillscape project shows that the set of skills, abilities, knowledge of a worker directly influence their opportunities for career mobility. And although two positions may seem very different, the required skills can be much alike, and transferable. Using the skills transfer framework of Skillscape, the hardest-hit jobs in California can be mapped onto possible new roles in the bioeconomy. Here are eight sectors that could be positively transformed:
Not all of the 1.6 million jobs listed above are going to be remade in the bioeconomy. But research shows that some industries have a big multiplier effect, meaning that for every job created, there are a number of indirect jobs created to support that sector. In scientific R&D, it's estimated that for every 100 jobs created, there are a whopping 842 more jobs created in other sectors. So investing in job creation in the bioeconomy isn't just about people in white lab coats. It's about supporting the entire economy.
Manufacturing sectors hit hard by COVID, ready to be transformed by biology
Data from the state of Washington (which publishes its figures earlier and in greater detail than most) shows that within the manufacturing industry itself, apparel manufacturing had the highest percentage of jobs lost since the coronavirus struck—over 60% of that industry's workforce. Transportation equipment manufacturing shed about 40% of its workforce, amounting to nearly 40,000 jobs lost, the most of any sub-sector. Food manufacturing lost the second most jobs and shed about a quarter of its workforce. Each of these manufacturing industries are primed to be revitalized with biology.
Apparel. The fashion industry is second only to the oil industry in the amount of pollution it makes. As consumers demand more sustainable products, biotech companies are reinventing the fashion industry by introducing innovative materials and production methods. They need the kind of skilled workers whose jobs have gone away due to coronavirus.
Ecovative, for example, has a biomanufacturing platform that can make synthetic leather (or packaging material, or bacon) from biology. MycoWorks also grows 100% biodegradable "leather" from fungi and agricultural byproducts. Genomatica recently announced a method for producing bio-based nylon, a $10 billion market for making shoes, spandex, carpets and more. Bolt Threads is developing ways to mass-produce spider silk, a naturally occurring supermaterial that can be processed into different formats, including 3D structures. Modern Meadow is tapping into nature's toolkit to create biologically advanced materials like biofabricated leather fermented from yeast. Biotech companies like Colorifix, Tinctorium, and Pili are on the front lines of replacing the chemically intensive methods of dyeing clothes with environmentally friendly methods based on biology.
Transportation. You might think that the transportation industry and synthetic biology are two completely different industries. But the synthetic biology industry is expanding to supply the materials of the future for our cars, trucks, and planes. And workers with skills not so different from automotive workers will be needed in those biomanufacturing facilities.
An example is the Japan-based synthetic biology company Spiber. Like Bolt Threads above, Spiber is also brewing spider silk, a material with about the same strength as carbon fiber but with 40 times the toughness. Together with Bridgestone and utilizing its Brewed Protein™ materials, Spiber developed a bio-based foam for car seats that is thinner and lighter than polyurethane but has the same comfort properties.
Spiber is putting the finishing touches on a new biomanufacturing facility in Thailand. Why couldn't the next factory be in Stockton, Philadelphia, or Detroit?
Food. Synthetic biology is a big part of our food system already. Companies such as Amyris, Finless Foods, and Impossible Foods are using biology to make our food better and healthier with natural sweeteners, cultured seafood, and plant-based meat.
And now, there are companies that are even on the brink of making food from thin air. As these companies grow, there will be a demand for skilled workers from conventional food manufacturing areas.
While the coronavirus has impacted many sectors, others are growing. The workers affected by job losses have skills that can provide high-quality jobs and also benefit growing sectors in the bioeconomy. In doing so, we can support a more resilient and sustainable economy.
Whether or not there is a pandemic creating an immediate crisis for our businesses and economy, we must ultimately face the reality that technological advancements, automation, and AI will have a big impact on many of these same sectors of the economy. So it is imperative that we transfer these skills and workforce into the industries of the future so that they are not lost.
California's early action on the coronavirus saved lives and untold costs. If our leaders can take a similarly proactively approach to invest in shifting our workforce into the jobs of the future, the benefit to people, the economy, and the environment will be grand.
Follow me on Twitter at @johncumbers and @synbiobeta. Subscribe to my weekly newsletters in synthetic biology. Thank you to Stephanie Michelsen, Mark Bunger, and Kevin Costa for additional research and reporting in this article. I'm the founder of SynBioBeta, and some of the companies that I write about—including Ecovative and Spiber—are sponsors of the SynBioBeta conference and weekly digest. Here's the full list of SynBioBeta sponsors.
Originally published on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/johncumbers/2020/06/09/investing-in-these-8-bioeconomy-sectors-could-create-up-to-16m-jobs-lost-to-covid/
Stephanie Michelsen
Stephanie Michelsen is pursuing her M.Sc. in Biotechnology at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. She recently got accepted as an International Innovation Program (2ip) fellow, a program designed to connect Danish life science students with the biotech start-up industry in the Bay Area. She is therefore currently living in the San Francisco Sunset district with four other Danish students learning about biotech entrepreneurship. As a 2ip fellow and as a writer and editor for SynBioBeta she is fortunate enough to further explore her interest in the many possibilities of synthetic biology.
As Editor and Program Manager, Kevin leads SynBioBeta's digital media content, with the goal of telling the story of the people, companies, and ideas shaping the future with biology. Before joining SynBioBeta, Kevin managed the Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center. His interests include public engagement, science writing, community building, and bikes!
Mark Bunger
Lab Agent at Innovation Lab, Mark researches science-based technologies, aka Deep Tech, ranging from synthetic biology to quantum computing, to help companies develop and deploy them. Over 20 years and across 40 countries, he has worked as a management consultant, technology analyst, lab researcher, and entrepreneur at Accenture, Forrester Research, UCSF, Lux Research, and several startups.
Yield10 Bioscience Announces Achievement of Proof-of-Concept Milestone for Producing PHA Bioplastic in Field Grown Camelina Plants
DSM and TU Delft establish artificial intelligence laboratory to drive bioscience innovation


Steve Adubato goes One-on-One with Anne Huntington, VP of Business Development at Huntington Learning Center, who shares how Huntington provides test preparation and academic tutoring services to students in over 300 locations across the country and how extra help in school can build a child's confidence. She also describes Huntington's "Compensatory Education Services," which support special education students who have been denied appropriate education.
"We are pleased to welcome Mrs. Anne Huntington, Vice President, Business Development for Huntington Learning Centers... is it "Centers" or "Center"? Center. But you have many "centers" plural? We do. We do. How many? 300 across the country. Started in 1977 by your parents? Yes. Ray and Eileen Huntington. Why did they do it? They saw a need. So my mother was a tenured teacher right near here in New Jersey, and she saw that students were missing skills. Hmm. And my father, who has his PhD in statistics... so he saw the business angle of it. Right. And they started with one center in northern New Jersey and now... Up in Oradell you said? In Oradell, New Jersey. And now we have 300 across the country. Did it grow very quickly? By the way, one of our children, my older son went there for a couple of years, you have a location that happens to be in Verona, New Jersey? Yes. Close to where we live. So I know it well. Did it grow immediately? No. It grew... the reason why we're here today is because we focus on our mission, which is to give every student the best education possible. In order to do that, we have to focus on every single student. So we understand scale. We have 300 locations, but every location is successful because it focuses on that student. So it's steady growth. So break this down a little bit, because I remember what our son was learning at the time, it was mostly around math, but there's a lot of focus around, quote unquote, "standardized testing" right? That includes... well there's the SAT, ACT, etc, etc, high school entrance exams, different tests... is much of the focus around preparing for tests? So we need our students to succeed in school. Sure. But there might be a gap that's missing. So to prepare for tomorrow's test, we're not going to get to the root of it in 24 hours. So that's where Huntington comes in, because we are... we're really good at what we do. We focus on the weaknesses of where the student's at academically, and we build up those skills. And by building up those skills, we build up the confidence and the motivation for that student to succeed on that standardized test. Stay on the whole question of confidence. I'm fascinated by this. A kid... a teenager... who doesn't see him or herself as smart, keeps repeating that. "I'm not smart! I'm not smart!" And there are countless parents watching..."


We have a nice stock of Capitol Brewery's Mutiny IPA and wanted to pair it with Lake Superior Whitefish fillets. A simple fish fry is a perfect combination and a great touchstone of Great Lakes Cuisine but we were looking for something a bit…well, a bit different. Instead of the traditional coleslaw, we went with a thinly sliced Savoy cabbage, sauteed over high heat with butter.
In the Milwaukee area, a potato pancake is traditional. We considered a rice cake, which we've done in the past out of leftover risotto. Wanted something lighter – How about a cheddar crisp? The garlic chives are in full-bloom in the garden and that would be the perfect accent.
In a large pan over high heat, we placed crumbled 6 year old white cheddar, cooked until it began to brown noticeably on the edges then added chive flowers. The cheddar yields an oil in the process not unlike clarified butter which we saved. The cheddar crisp was allowed to cool and had a pleasant bitterness from the aged cheddar and a bit of pepper from the chive flower. the fish was cooked in large pan over medium high heat in butter, skin side down until finished.
The cheddar crisp mimics the look and texture of a perfect fish fry coating, but the flavors pop and provide a perfect foil for the rich fish. The cabbage brings a nice vegetal quality to the dish and provides a base of flavors for the Mutiny IPA to play against. We added additional chive flowers and the clarified cheddar oil around the plate. Capitol Brewery's Mutiny IPA has a nice malt/hop balance which makes it a perfect beer on a beautiful summer evening.
From Friday Fish Fry to whitefish with chive/cheddar crisp – inspiration and combinations are what Great Lakes Cuisine is all about. Enjoy.
So we're on a bit of a smoked duck kick of late based on a gift we received of three whole smoked ducks. We covered the process of breaking the duck down into parts in our Smoked Duck Pot Pie discussion, and now we return to those pieces for a few additional applications.
The shredded duck and some tangy, caramelized onions were married with baby swiss in a simple omelet. The duck confit with brie in a crepe has been a standard offering at La Reve in Wauwatosa, WI for many years and is a favorite lunch dish. This echoed those same flavors.
Sort of like ultimate duck fat fries…ah, mon chéri!
Using crushed pretzels as the coating for a pork schnitzel adds a nice texture to the coating. The flour, egg, pretzel sequence of coating, as well as allowing the coating to rest for five minutes before frying, ensures better adherence. The spaetzle gets an addition of New Glarus Totally Naked in place of milk or eggs, and the result is a bit lighter with just a slight overtone of the flavors in the beer. Totally Naked is a very lovely, and very light, beer. This seems to be an experiment worth revisiting with darker, bolder beers and perhaps whole wheat flours or other alternative grains. We used a new product in the sauce – Bonewerks Culinarte' Demi-Glace de Porc. It is a thicken, reduced pork stock from their kitchen in Green Bay, WI.
Their products are well made and a great "cheater" on a dish or sauce if you don't have a long simmered pork broth on hand at the time – super convenient. The other flavors in the sauce are intended to echo those in sauerbraten, which in some traditional recipes includes crushed gingersnap cookies. We recommend using craft brew vinegar for the sauce, such as the American Amber from Milwaukee Craft Foods, but apple cider vinegar is a workable substitute.
Note: This is pork loin, not tenderloin. This is often sold as boneless pork chops, which is the loin cut into 1 inch steaks.
If purchased as a full loin, cut into 1-inch pieces across the grain, and then place each piece inside a plastic freezer bag and use a meat mallet to pound the pieces until 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle each piece with flour to coat lightly, but completely. Mix the eggs and milk together in a shallow, wide bowl. Spread the pretzels in a sheet pan. Dip each piece fully in the egg mixture and then press both sides into pretzel mixture to coat well. Set aside for 5 minutes.
Over medium high heat, heat canola oil in a large cast iron pan. Oil should be approximately ¼ inch high on the sides of the pan. When oil shimmers, but is not smoking, add pork. It should immediately begin to sizzle. Work in batches and do not crowd pan. Pieces should fit in one layer with some spacing around them. Allow to cook until a golden brown, slightly darker than corn flakes. Turn over to complete cooking.
Remove pieces as they finish to a draining rack set over a sheet pan in the oven to stay warm as you complete the remaining pieces.
Note: we used New Glarus Totally Naked for our dumplings, a lighter offering from the folks at New Glarus, but only available in Wisconsin. Nearly any beer will work in this application based on your flavor preference.
In a large pot over high heat, bring broth to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Mix remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Dough should be slightly thicker than pancake batter with some elasticity. Over the simmer broth, working in batches, force the dough through a spaetzle maker, a colander with holes, or a spoon with holes. As the dough falls into the pot, it will cook into irregular shaped dumplings. They will float to the surface, or give a light stir until they do. Cook for 3 minutes then strain out with a slotted spoon, and layer onto a sheet pan while completing the remainder of the dough.
Heat butter in a large sauté pan over medium high heat, and when foam subsides, working in batches as to not crowd the pan, toss the spaetzle until just slight browning appears on edges. Serve immediately.
Place all ingredients in a large sauté pan over medium high heat and reduce until as thick as maple syrup.


COOKING oil manufacturers have thrown their weight behind the command soya bean production scheme and are seeking land and partnerships to ensure the country has enough raw materials.
The Government has resolved to extend command agriculture to cover the growing of soya bean and livestock farming following its successful rollout on grain and cotton.
Due to unavailability of the product at home, oil expressers in Zimbabwe rely on semi-processed crude oil imports, which drain an average of $10 million per month from the economy.
United Refineries Limited chief executive officer, Mr Busisa Moyo, who is also Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) president, said oil expressers were ready to partner farmers in soya bean production.
"We need a lot of soya beans. We want the land to produce the crop and we are also ready to partner others in producing it," he said.
"I think the command agriculture scheme is good and what is encouraging is that it involves the private sector. We are already supporting the production of raw materials which will help boost the economy," he said.
The cooking oil industry is one of the thriving sub-sectors having recorded improvement following a move by the Government to restrict cooking imports in the past three years.
Estimates indicate locally manufactured cooking oil products were now occupying about 95 percent of local supermarket shelf space, a massive jump from about 15 percent in 2014, with some foreign producers setting up shop locally.
Players in the sector have, however, bemoaned delays in securing raw material, especially on the back of foreign exchange shortages and depletion of nostro-reserves.
Local manufacturers have capacity to produce an average of 20 million litres of cooking oil per month, which is almost double the national requirement.
Government has supported local producers by introducing punitive duty on cooking oil imports.
In 2014 before the introduction of duty, 85 percent of shelf space in Zimbabwean shops was taken by imports.
The price for the commodity gradually came down from around $4,20 for a two-litre bottle to between $2,90 and $3,50. In the past, South African cooking oil brands dominated the market. Besides soya bean, cotton seed is also a raw material for cooking oil manufacturing.
To avoid cooking oil shortages on the market, Government has since placed crude oils (soya bean, sunflower and rapeseed) on the critical list of import requirements. Local manufacturers then value add the crude oil to produce cooking oil.
Zimbabwe "Dream' Team – Where are these people taking us?


Subject: [gnugo-devel] can i help?
Hi, I would like to offer my help to GNUGO. I have been thinking of writing a Go-bot for some time and did write a bad one, based on a score estimator. I am an amateur programmer, who is very proficient with C++. I have done language developments for computer aided design tools for my personal use, and I am very strong with object oriented programming; I am an ardent fan of Erich Gamma's Design Patterns and the C++ Boost Libraries.
Thanks for reading my email; I hope I can contribute to GNUGO. I have some ideas about the representation of groups, liberties and empty spaces of the board; maybe GNUGO already has it.
Next by thread: Re: [gnugo-devel] can i help?


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Dr. Martin and Marie Dicke
Serving the Lord in Papua New Guinea
Dr. Martin and Marie Dicke serve the Lord through The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) as missionaries in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Martin is following in the footsteps of his parents who served there for 20 years. He teaches music at Timothy Lutheran Seminary in Birip, develops worship resources for the Gutnius (Good News) Lutheran Church, leads workshops on worship and music and helps develop religious literature for the church. In addition, he facilitates the distribution of religious books to Lutheran schools in the Enga Province and serves as the PNG team manager.
Martin earned a bachelor's degree in music from Concordia University, St. Paul (Minn.), a master's degree in choral conducting from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting from the University of Iowa, Iowa City. For 15 years, he taught at Concordia Academy, St. Paul, Minn., and served as a church musician in Minnesota and Iowa. From 2002-2016, Martin was the Cantor (Director of Music) at Trinity Lutheran Church in Peoria, Ill., where he helped start the Peoria Bach Festival. He enjoys composing, blogging about music (www.JubalsLyre.com) and collecting stamps from Papua New Guinea with his brother Mark.
Marie is from Bertha, Minn. She received a bachelor's degree in vocal music from Bemidji State University, Bemidji, Minn. Besides raising her children, Marie has worked as a choir director, a preschool director and a music teacher specializing in early childhood music. She enjoys cooking, gardening, the LWML, quilting for Lutheran World Relief and spending time with her grandchildren whenever she can.
Pray for Martin and Marie as they serve in Papua New Guinea. Pray that God grant them wisdom in their service and strengthen and convert many to faith in Jesus Christ through their work. Pray for boldness in their proclamation of this faith and protection from those who would hinder it. Pray that the scourge of sorcery accusation-related violence may cease. Pray for the leaders, pastors and members of the Gutnius Lutheran Church that they hear and understand the true Gospel message and proclaim it without fear. Pray for more missionaries in Papua New Guinea and adequate funding and housing for them. Let us give thanks that Martin and Marie serve God's children in this part of the world.
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Martin - Jan. 13
Marie - Feb. 6
Wedding Anniversary: Dec. 16
Home District: Central Illinois
Giving Online: You can partner with the LCMS by making an online gift restricted in use to the support of the DICKE family.
Giving by Check: You can also make a donation towards this family's ministry by check.
Mail your check, made payable to The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and designated with their last name, to:
St. Louis, MO 63166-6861
(Or call 888-930-4438 to speak with someone.)
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It is unclear which Lanny is referred to: the infamous former DOJ staffer Lanny Breuer who quit in January 2013 after telling Frontline that some banks are too big to fail. Alternatively, more likely Lanny Davis, special counsel to President Bill Clinton, and spokesperson for the President and the White House on matters concerning campaign finance investigations and other legal issues.
Suggest Philippe talk to Josh or Eric. They know POTUS and HRC emailed. Josh has been asked about that. Standard practice is not to confirm anything about his email, so his answer to the press was that he would not comment/confirm. I recollect that Josh was also asked if POTUS ever noticed her personal email account and he said something like POTUS likely had better things to do than focus on his Cabinet's email addresses.
WATCH – Black Trump Fans Protest Hillary Event in Florida – What Happens Next, WOW!


text:
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Living in an Eco-City
by Anastasia Eleftheriou
Roger Wood (Engineer and Architect, Associate director at the construction of Dongtan Eco-City.) said:
"We didn't want to use crops grown specifically to be used as a fuel because that increases the footprint of the whole development. So we looked for a waste product."
It's a general truth that we live in a suffering planet which has various geometrically increasing needs and demands. It's estimated that around 5 billion people will live in cities by 2030, a fact that makes cities all over the world set high targets to reduce carbon emissions and produce clean energy. Specifically, 60 per cent is the targeted reduction of CO2 emissions that London is planning, by 2025. However, an alternative option has started to evolve which is to build new cities from scratch that are called Eco-Cities or Sustainable Cities.
The term Eco-City refers to the city which is designed specifically to minimize its energy, water and food needs, reduce its emitting pollution and waste of resources, and be able to supply goods to its inhabitants with minimal reliance on the surrounding countryside. Fortunately, this relatively new idea is being applied at the moment in two places, one in China which is called Dongtan (near Shanghai), and one in the United Arab Emirates called Masdar (17 km from Abu Dhabi).
Plans for Dongtan Eco-City started in 2005. It is located in a corner of Chongming island which is going to be connected with Shanghai by a bridge and a tunnel link. It will consist of three interlinked villages, and all of them will combine homes, businesses and places for recreation. It will be able to provide a home for 80,000 people, by 2020, and its designer's aim is that every one will live no more than seven minutes' walk from public transport.
In addition to this, no CO2 emitting cars will be available in either Dongtan or Masdar as only electric vehicles will be allowed. Another benefit is gained by this fact as electric cars are quiet, and thinner materials can be used in building constructions as there will be less noise to drown out. More than 60 per cent of the whole site is being allocated to parks and farmland and they expect that an initial 83 per cent reduction in waste will be sent to landfills compared to other cities. As great amounts of rice husks are available in the area, they will be burned to produce energy and the releasing CO2 of this burn is going to be captured and fed into greenhouses.
Masdar Eco-City, located in a country that is a leading producer of fossil fuels, ironically will be one of the most ecologically healthy city. Its area will be 6.5 km^2 with a population of around 50,000 people and a total cost of around 22 billions dollars. A light railway line will provide a transport link to Abu Dhabi and nobody will be more than 200m away from the public transport. A desalination plant will provide 8000m^3 of water a day, and a 60 per cent of the water used in Masdar will be recycled.
In order to solve the problem of the high temperatures without switching on the air-conditioning, they focused on insulation and ventilation and also in the maximization of shade. This is achieved by packing closely together the streets of the city and by limiting the maximum height of the buildings to four or five storeys. Engineers will use thin walls that react quickly to the sun and a thin metal layer on the outside to reflect the heat and stop it from penetrating the building. One major difference of Masdar from typical cities is that the whole city will be raised on a desk with the pedestrian level be free of vehicles and consequently, traffic noise. The first people to live in Masdar will be students at the Masdar Institute, which will be a base for sustainable engineering.
I hope that the first Eco-Cities will be able to inspire others and also enhance the way that other cities are trying to go green. In the UK, 10 eco-towns were about to be built, but because of the credit crunch and strong local protests at the proposed sites, further considerations are made. Concluding, it's essential to mention that life in an Eco-City, will be of a better quality not only for people's body which is going to enjoy the health benefits, but also for their spirit, as they will feel closer to nature.
Click here for more information on "eco-city"
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text:
Title: Promoting identification of people with autism : developing a behavioural screen for people with learning disability
Author: Metcalfe, Dale Robert
Awarding Body: Northumbria University
Current Institution: Northumbria University
http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/45302/
Autism is a lifelong developmental condition, diagnosed on the basis of persistent social communication deficits and repetitive, restrictive patterns of behaviour. Autistic people form a heterogenous group, but many experience challenges compared to non-autistic people. Identifying and diagnosing autistic people can be beneficial in helping them to better understand themselves, and to access support and interventions. Not all autistic people are diagnosed however, and one group which is disproportionately affected is people with learning disability. Screening tools have the potential to facilitate and speed up diagnosis by highlighting those who should be assessed in more detail. Many existing screening tools are largely inaccessible to people with learning disability due to the level of language required to complete them. The overall aim of the thesis is to facilitate the diagnosis and support of people with autism, in particular those with learning disability, by developing more accessible screening tools. Chapter One provides an overview of the main issues to consider in the screening and diagnosis of autism, in those with and without learning disability. Chapter Two outlines the adaption of the Autism- Spectrum Quotient (AQ), with the aim of developing a more accessible version (AccAQ). The language of the AQ is simplified, and line drawings are added to enhance understanding. The results indicate that the original AQ and the adapted versions are equivalent in many ways, but the AccAQ still requires the person completing it to have some verbal communication, comprehension, and literacy skills. Chapter Three reports on a systematic review into the psychometric properties of autism screening tools used with people with learning disability. The review found that the majority of tools were lacking comprehensive validity and reliability data, were not specifically designed for use with people with learning disability, and required the input of an informant. Chapters Four to Six discuss the development of a new autism screening tool, which was designed specifically for people with learning disability and does not require the input of a third-party informant. Chapter Four reports on the results of interviews with stakeholders about the current autism diagnostic pathway, the role of screening as a part of the diagnostic process and the properties that would be desirable in a new screening tool to ensure it is both accessible and useful. Overall, this study highlighted the need for such a tool to have good psychometric properties, be clinically useful, user friendly, cost-effective, and minimize demands on users and those being screened. Chapter Five explored the literature that provided a theoretical basis for the inclusion of particular items within a behavioural screening tool. These are items that will prompt reactions which are indicative of the presence or absence of autistic traits: the concepts of empathy, mimicry, and contagion. These ideas are operationalised in a series of pilot studies which use existing video clips as stimuli and ask participants to self-report their responses to the videos. The results of a machine learning analysis, using cforest, showed that the self-reported responses were broadly predictive of the person's AQ score and provided proof of concept of the idea of a behavioural screening tool. Chapter Six extended this work. Here a set of custom stimuli were created and were viewed by autistic and non-autistic participants, with and without learning disability. Their reactions to these were self-reported and video recorded, and subsequently coded. The results indicated that, while scores on the behavioural screen could not discriminate between autistic and non-autistic participants, or predict self-reported AQ score, they did predict informant AQ scores. Overall, the thesis makes a novel and significant contribution to the literature by identifying tools which are currently available to screen for autism in people with learning disability, alongside adapting the AQ to be more accessible to a wider range of people. It provides proof of concept for a behavioural screening tool for autism, which is specifically designed for people with learning disability, that integrates stakeholder views and theoretical literature during its initial development and testing.
Supervisor: McKenzie, Karen ; McCarty, Kris ; Murray, George Sponsor: Not available
Keywords: B900 Others in Subjects allied to Medicine ; C800 Psychology


Our education is to promote a more peaceful world.
From the beginning, Satan has been deceiving God's people (Gen. 3:13).
We help you understand Matthew 24:24 when Jesus said that if possible even the elect are deceived.
Welcome to the Teach Peace Foundation!
Our books and documentaries are considered by many people to be the best resources to understand the secret war against Christ. We are an all volunteer 501(c)3 non-profit which means 100% of donations help us teach peace. Click here to become a member.


The Gulfstream Speaker Series connects leaders and ideas from a global marketplace to inspire and influence our local community.
The first event featured legendary investor John Kim, co-founder of the Karamaan Group, and former personal investment manager to Michael Dell. John discussed his technology expertise and how he applies that in his investment fund and he answered questions from the audience.
Warren Buffett's investment style and what is a hedge fund?
How is long-term investing tax efficient?


DIRECTOR: Christopher holds an MFA in Cinematography from the American Film Institute and has shot films, documentaries, and TV shows on five continents. His credits include 400+ episodes of Big Brother on CBS and Naked and Afraid XL on Discovery. The L.A. Times called his last documentary, The Typewriter (In The 21st century) "a fun compact love letter of a documentary." The Washington Post called it "a valuable and persuasive film."
PRODUCER: Alex is a veteran of multi-billion dollar companies and has spent over 18 years working in the manufacturing industry in all facets of development and production. Alex has produced a TV pilot presentation, and immediately committed to producing the film after hearing the story from Lockett at a local L.A. coffee shop.
PRODUCER: Brenda Schaefer Lockett is a Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant and has practiced for 25 years. Along with dozens of short films and music videos, Until They're Gone is the fourth feature length documentary she has produced.
PRODUCER: Jason went to film school at California State University of Northridge and brings 20 years experience in post proudction to the project. For the last 10 years, Jason has worked at 20th Century Fox Studios in Post Production and at FX Networks as the On Air Promotions Operations Manager for the FX Movie Channel (FXM). Jason is honored to be part of this important story and the Until They're Gone team. .
PRODUCER: Darren worked in the visual effects industry for 15 years on such films as: Alice In Wonderland, The Chronicles of Narnia, Beowulf, Lord of The Rings I & II, Mars Attacks and several others not listed on IMDB. He is reshaping his career and is contributing to the film with fund raising and graphics.
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Walter is an IATSE Local 600 Camera Operator. Credits include NBA, MLS, and NCAA March Madness tournament, MTV, Fox Sports, HGTV, Big Brother, and Hell's Kitchen.


Kahn, Lisa B. & McEntarfer, Erika, 2014. "Employment Cyclicality and Firm Quality," IZA Discussion Papers 8646, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
Christopher Stanton & Catherine Thomas, 2014. "Landing The First Job: The Value of Intermediaries in Online Hiring," CEP Discussion Papers dp1316, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
Franziska Hawranek & Norbert Schanne, 2014. "Your very private job agency: Job referrals based on residential location networks," ERSA conference papers ersa14p49, European Regional Science Association.
HLASNY, Vladimir, 2014. "Four pillars of job applicant screening in China," Working Papers 2014029, University of Antwerp, Faculty of Business and Economics.
Ralf Dewenter & Leonie Giessing, 2014. "The Effects of Elite Sports on Later Job Success," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 705, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
János Kollo & Bence Czafit, 2014. "Labor Market Careers before and after Incarceration," Budapest Working Papers on the Labour Market 1408, Institute of Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies, Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
Deschamps, Pierre & De Sousa, Jose, 2014. "Labor Mobility and Racial Discrimination," MPRA Paper 60572, University Library of Munich, Germany.
Cutler, David M. & Huang, Wei & Lleras-Muney, Adriana, 2014. "When Does Education Matter? The Protective Effect of Education for Cohorts Graduating in Bad Times," Scholarly Articles 13479095, Harvard University Department of Economics.
Marisa Hidalgo Hidalgo & Iñigo Iturbe-Ormaetxe Kortajarene, 2014. "Long-run effects on poverty of public expenditure in education," Working Papers. Serie AD 2014-06, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Económicas, S.A. (Ivie).
Baltagi, Badi H. & Yen, Yin-Fang, 2014. "Welfare Reform and Children's Health," IZA Discussion Papers 8670, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
Damiani, Mirella & Pompei, Fabrizio & Ricci, Andrea, 2014. "Enterprise-level bargaining and labour productivity of Italian family firms: a quantile regression analysis," MPRA Paper 60380, University Library of Munich, Germany.
Robert Clark & Robert Hammond & Emma Hanson & Melinda Morrill, 2014. "Older public sector workers' retirement planning, participation, and preparedness," Discussion Papers 14-008, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research.
Stenberg, Anders & Westerlund, Olle, 2014. "The Long-term Earnings Consequences of General vs. Specific Training of the Unemployed," IZA Discussion Papers 8668, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
Rainer Eppel, 2014. "The Effects of a Job Creation Scheme. Evidence from Regional Variation in Programme Capacities," WIFO Working Papers 489, WIFO.


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Q: Missing UDP packets between docker containers I'm developing a project where I need to exchange UDP packets between 2 docker containers on the same host. The host is a new dedicated server running ubuntu server 14.04LTS (Dell PowerEdge R410, 32 GB RAM, Intel Xeon CPU E5640 @ 2.67GHz).
While developing my project, I noticed that I was losing packets between 2 docker containers, so I developed the following scenario to demonstrate my problem:
I created 3 docker containers from ubuntu:14.04 running on the same host, let's call them container #1, container #2 and container #3. Docker version is 1.11.1 (build 5604cbe).

*

*Container #1 is running iperf: iperf -c 225.2.2.2 -u -T 32 -t 60 -i 1 -b 700M (it generates UDP packets and multicast them for 60sec with 700Mbit/sec bandwitdth).

*Container #2 is running iperf: iperf -s -u -B 225.2.2.2 -i 1 (listening the same multicast address).

*Container #3 is running tcpdump: tcpdump -i eth0 port 5001 (which is listening on the port that Container #1 will multicast the packets).
After the 60sec, Container #1 reports that sent 2786350 datagrams.
Container #2 reports that:
Interval      Transfer      Bandwidth       Jitter   Lost/Total Datagrams
0.0-60.0 sec  3.81 GBytes   546 Mbits/sec   0.001 ms 2250/2786349 (0.081%)

Container #3 reports that:
2770477 packets captured
2786351 packets received by filter
15874   packets dropped by kernel

So, a couple of questions:

*

*Why containers #2 and #3 don't report the same number of received packets (container #2 has 1 less datagram and container #3 has 1 more)?

*Why the number of lost packets are very different if this is a controlled virtual network? Also, what does it means "packets dropped by kernel"?

*Why am I loosing packets in the first place? Once again, this is a controlled virtual environment, no network equipment is being used.
Thanks in advance.

A:
packets ``dropped by kernel'' (this is the number of packets that were
  dropped, due to a lack of buffer space, by the packet capture
  mechanism in the OS on which tcpdump is running, if the OS reports
  that information to applications; if not, it will be reported as 0).

kernel writes captured data to special buffer and tcpdump reads data from that buffer. If buffer is full packet is dropped.
Network often faster than disk, which mean sometimes you can't just capture all the packets. But since number of packed dropped is small this is not your case so you could do the following.

*

*Increase buffer for tcpdump, -B or --buffer-size options, size in KB. Default is 2048KB.

*sudo nice -10 tcpdump - give tcpdump additional priority (or even -20)

*if you on linux sudo nice -10 ionice -c 1 tcpdump additional disk write priority

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


TCS - Ensuring Post Brexit Operations - Worry Less And Act More!
Regardless of your position as a business owner a 'Brexit-Event is cause for concern, but here at TCS we reason that in the absence of any specific 'UK Official' approach you should be proactive by ensuring your business is in the best possible shape that it can be. Taking action is a great way to reduce your level of concern or stress and it may help protect the market reputation of your business and for reference the Information Commissioner spoke on this very subject, refresh yourself HERE.
We recommend to our clients to perform a gap analysis across their Business Operations, Supply-Chain, IT Management, Compliance, Risk and Asset Management to identify any areas that may require attention. However a critical area for any business is its Information Management Supply-Chain and by this I mean how it receives, stores and processes the information it requires to generate revenue. For many businesses any lack of policy, process or strategy in this area could lead to catastrophic failures in business operations resulting in severe and long lasting impact to the company brand and reputation.
If you are unsure of where to start with your analysis our Silver level service does it for you so how about booking your free initial consultation with us by clicking the button below.
For reference the ICO information on the subject of a Brexit-Event is available HERE.


All hail the Ciroc Ambassadors chilling and chilling and chilling. Who say money no good? Banky W, Toke Makinwa and Tekno were pictured on a private jet as they embark on their ambassadorial duties.
Banky W rocked an expensive Mai Atfo Suit, Toke Makinwa keeps slaying and Tekno kept it simple. They each took a sip of the popular vodka brand.


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If an Agent Knocks - Federal Investigators and Your Rights
cooled by dem bones
(thing) by everyone Mon Nov 27 2000 at 1:16:41
The following text is from the Center for Constitutional Rights. I first read this piece sometime in 1996 or so. The contact info listed below is dated.
People opposing U.S. policies in Central America, giving sanctuary to refugees from Guatemala and El Salvador, struggling for Black liberation, and against nuclear weapons, are today more than ever likely to receive visits from FBI agents or other federal investigators. Increasingly, agents are also visiting the families, friends, and employers of these activists.
This pamphlet is designed to answer the most frequent questions asked by people and groups experiencing government scrutiny, and to help them develop practical responses.
What is political intelligence?
Political intelligence is information collected by the government about individuals and groups. Files secured under the Freedom of Information Act disclose that government officials have long been interested in all forms of data. Information gathered by government agents ranges from the most personal data about sexual liaisons and preferences to estimates of the strength of groups opposing U.S. policies. Over the years, groups and individuals have developed various ways of limiting the collection of information and preventing such intelligence gathering from harming their work.
Do I have to talk to the FBI?
No. The FBI does not have the authority to make anyone answer questions (other than name and address see errata), to permit a search without a warrant, or to otherwise cooperate with an investigation. Agents are usually lawyers, and they are always trained as investigators; they have learned the power of persuasion, the ability to make a person feel scared, guilty, or impolite for refusing their requests for information. So remember, they have no legal authority to force people to do anything -- unless they have obtained an arrest or search warrant. Even when agents do have warrants, you still don't have to answer their questions.
Under what laws do the agents operate?
In 1976, FBI guidelines regulating the investigation of political activities were issued by Attorney General Edward H. Levi. Criticized by liberals and conservatives alike, the guidelines were issued in the wake of a Congressional committee's report of highly questionable activities by the FBI, monitoring the activities of domestic political groups seeking to effect change. The report exposed the FBI's counter-intelligence program (COINTELPRO) under which the agency infiltrated groups, compiled dossiers on, and directly interfered with individuals engaged in activities protected by the First Amendment rights to freedom of expression and association.
The FBI COINTELPRO program was initiated in 1956. Its purpose, as described later by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, was "to expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize activities" of those individuals and organizations whose ideas or goals he opposed. Tactics included: falsely labelling individuals as informants; infiltrating groups with persons instructed to disrupt the group; sending anonymous or forged letters designed to promote strife between groups; initiating politically motivated IRS investigations; carrying out burglaries of offices and unlawful wiretaps; and disseminating to other government agencies and to the media unlawfully obtained derogatory information on individuals and groups.
In 1983, Attorney General William French Smith issued superseding guidelines that authorized "domestic security/ terrorism" investigations against political organizations whenever the FBI had a reasonable belief that these groups might violate a law. The new guidelines permitted the same intrusive techniques the FBI used against organized crime.
The Smith guidelines were justified by the Attorney General's observation that "our citizens are no less threatened by groups which engage in criminal violence for political... purposes that by those which operate lawlessly for financial gain." He concluded: "we must ensure that criminal intelligence resources that have been brought to bear so effectively in organized crime and racketeering investigations are effectively employed in domestic security/ terrorism cases." The guidelines provide, therefore, no safeguards to protect against infringements of First Amendment rights.
Worst, they ignore the history of COINTELPRO abuses, and abolish the distinction between regular criminal investigations and investigations of groups and individuals seeking political change. They fail to limit the investigative techniques used to obtain data on political groups, so that now the FBI may use any technique, including electronic surveillance and informers, against political organizations.
Today, the FBI may begin a full investigation whenever there is a reasonable indication that "two or more persons are engaged in an enterprise for the purpose of furthering political or social goals wholly or in part through activities that involve force or violence and a violation of the criminal laws of the United States." The FBI has interpreted "force or violence" to include the destruction of property as a symbolic act, and the mere advocacy of such property destruction would trigger an investigation. Even without any reasonable indication, under a separate guideline on "Civil Disorders and Demonstrations Involving a Federal Interest," the FBI may investigate an organization that plans only legal and peaceful demonstrations.
Another set of rules governing federal intelligence gathering is Executive Order 12333, in force since 1981. It authorizes the FBI and CIA to infiltrate, manipulate and destroy U.S.political organizations, as well as to use electronic surveillance -- under the pretext of an international intelligence investigation.
What federal agencies are likely to be interested in a citizen's political activities and affiliations?
The FBI is still the major national intelligence-gathering agency. There are also many other federal, state, local and private investigative agencies. At least 26 federal agencies may gather intelligence, including the Immigration & Naturalization Service, Internal Revenue Service, and the Treasury Department's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Local police agencies sometimes contain "special services" units and narcotics or other "strike forces" in which federal, state, and local agencies cooperate. The Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency are particularly active when a political organization has or is suspected to have international contacts. Military security agencies and increasingly significant "private" research institutes and security agencies also gather intelligence.
A recent Freedom of Information Act request on behalf of the Livermore Action Group, an anti-nuclear organization, revealed that the Navy, the U.S. Marshal's Service, and the Marine Corps all sent agents to the Group's public meetings and kept newspaper reports of such meetings. Most chilling was the revelation that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) -- the federal agency charged with implementing martial law in the event of a nuclear war -- was also watching the Livermore group.
Federal and state, local and private agencies, all tend to share information in a variety of ways.
How does the FBI learn about citizens and organizations?
Political intelligence is gathered from public sources, such as newspapers and leaflets. It is also collected by informers who may be government employees or people recruited by them. Political intelligence is also collected through FBI visits to your home or office. We are here most concerned with this aspect of intelligence gathering.
Agents may be sent to interview people after FBI officials decide there is a "reasonable indication" that an organization or person meets the guidelines for a "domestic security" investigation. Such interviews are a primary source of information, for most people are not aware of their right not to talk to federal agents.
Most people are also unaware of the limits to the power of FBI and other investigative agents. Many people visited by agents are also afraid of being rude or uncooperative. Agents may be friendly and courteous, as if they are attempting to protect you or your organization, or express admiration for your organization and its goals. Occasionally, the FBI may persuade a disaffected member of an organization to give them information about other members, including their personal lives, character and vulnerabilities.
A major job of FBI agents is to convince people to give up their rights to silence and privacy. For example, after a Quaker pacifist spoke in Anchorage, Alaska, at a memorial service for El Salvador's Archbishop Romero, FBI agents visited a local priest and interrogated him about the speaker. The agents asked about the speaker's organizational affiliations and expressed fears about "terrorist connections." The agents informed the priest that they would do a "computer check" on the speaker and his wife, and asked the priest if the two might do violence to the U.S. President, scheduled to visit the area. These interrogations were repeated in the community by agents who later admitted there was no basis for their questions about "terrorist connections" and the danger to the President.
What if I suspect surveillance?
Prudence is the best course, no matter who you suspect, or what the basis of your suspicion. When possible, confront the suspected person in public, with at least one other person present. If the suspect declines to answer, he or she at least now knows that you are aware of the surveillance. Recently, religious supporters of a nation-wide call to resist possible U.S. intervention in Central America noticed unfamiliar people lurking around their offices at 6 a.m., but failed to ask what they wanted and who they were. If you suspect surveillance, you should not hesitate to ask the suspected agents names and inquire about their business.
The events giving rise to suspicions of surveillance vary widely, but a general principle remains constant: confront the suspected agents politely and in public (never alone) and inquire of their business. If the answer does not dispel your suspicion, share it with others who may be affected and discuss a collective response. Do not let fears generated by "conspicuous" surveillance create unspoken tensions that undermine your work and organization. Creating fear is often the purpose of obvious surveillance. When in doubt, call a trusted lawyer familiar with political surveillance. Please do not call the number that was printed here as the Movement Support Network Hotline, because it is no longer active, and is now the private residence of an unrelated person.
How should I respond to threatening letters or calls?
If your home or office is broken into, or threats have been made against you, your organization, or someone you work with, share this information with everyone affected. Take immediate steps to increase personal and office security. You should discuss with your organization's officials and with a lawyer whether and how to report such incidents to the police. If you decide to make a report, do not do so without the presence of counsel.
What rights do I have?
1.The Right to Work for Change. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects the rights of groups and individuals who advocate, petition, and assemble to accomplish changes in laws, government practices, and even the form of government political intelligence gathering is not supposed to interfere with these rights.
2.The Right to Remain Silent. The Fifth Amendment of the Constitution provides that every person has the right to remain silent in the face of questions (other than name and address) posed by any police officer or government agent.
Since 1970, however, federal prosecutors may request judges to order a subpoenaed witness to testify, after a grant of immunity, at a grand jury hearing or at a criminal trial. This grant of immunity means that your Fifth Amendment right to refuse to testify is taken away. What is given to you is only the promise not to use your testimony against you in a subsequent criminal prosecution. But you can still be charged with a crime. Failure to testify after a grant of immunity is discussed on page 12 below.
3.The Right to be Free from "Unreasonable Searches and Seizures." Without a warrant, no government agent is allowed to search your home or office (or any other place that is yours and private) You may refuse to let FBI agents come into your house or into your workplace. unless they have a search warrant. Politeness aside, the wisest policy is never to let agents inside. They are trained investigators and will make it difficult for you to refuse to talk. Once inside your home or office, just by looking around, they can easily gather information about your lifestyle, organization, and reading habits.
The right to be free from "unreasonable searches and seizures" is based on the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution. This Amendment is supposed to protect against government access to your mail and other written communications, telephone and other conversations. Unfortunately, it is difficult to detect government interference with writings and conversations. Modern technology makes it difficult to detect electronic surveillance on a telephone line, other listening devices, or cameras that record whatever occurs in a room. Also common are physical surveillance (such as agents following in car or on foot), mail covers, and informers carrying tape recorders.
What should I do if police, FBI, or other agents appear with an arrest or search warrant?
Agents who have an arrest or search warrant are the only ones you are legally required to let into your home or office. You should ask to see the warrant before permitting access. And you should immediately ask to call a lawyer. For your own physical safety you should not resist, even if they do not show you the warrant, or if they refuse to let you call your lawyer. To the extent permitted by the agents conducting a search, you should observe the search carefully, following them and making mental or written notes of what the agents are doing. As soon as possible, write down what happened and discuss it with your lawyer.
What should I do if agents come to question me?
Even when agents come with a warrant, you are under no legal obligation to tell them anything other than your name and address. It is important, if agents try to question you, not to answer or make any statements, at least not until after you have consulted a lawyer.
Announce your desire to consult a lawyer, and make every reasonable effort to contact one as quickly as possible. Your statement that you wish to speak to the FBI only in the presence of a lawyer, even if it accomplishes nothing else, should put an end to the agents' questions. Department of Justice policy requires agents to cease questioning, or refrain from questioning, anyone who informs them that he or she is represented by a lawyer. To reiterate: upon first being contacted by any government investigator the safest thing to say is, "Excuse me, but I'd like to talk to my lawyer before I say anything to you." Or, "I have nothing to say to you. I will talk to my lawyer and have her or him contact you." If agents ask for your lawyer's name, ask for their business card, and say you will have your lawyer contact them. Remember to get the name, agency, and telephone number of any investigator who visits you. If you do not have a lawyer, call the local office of the National Lawyers Guild.
As soon as possible after your first contact with an investigator, write a short memo about the visit, including the date, time, location, people present, any names mentioned by the investigators, and the reason they gave for their investigation. Also include descriptions of the agents and their car, if any. This may be useful to your lawyer and to others who may be contacted by the same agents.
After discussing the situation with your lawyer, you may want to alert your co-workers, friends, neighbors, or political associates about the visit. The purpose is not to alarm them, but to insure that they understand their rights. It might be a good idea to do this at a meeting at which the history of investigative abuse is presented.
If I don't cooperate, doesn't it look like I have something to hide?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions. The answer involves the nature of political "intelligence" investigations and the job of the FBI. Agents will try to make you feel that it will "look bad" if you don't cooperate with them. Many people not familiar with how the FBI operates worry about being uncooperative. Though agents may say they are only interested in "terrorists" or protecting the President, they are intent on learning about the habits, opinions, and affiliations of people not suspected of wrongdoing. Such investigations, and the kind of controls they make possible, are completely incompatible with political freedom, and with the political and legal system envisaged by the Constitution.
While honesty may be the best policy in dealing with other people, FBI agents and other investigators are employed to ferret out information you would not freely share with strangers. Trying to answer agents' questions, or trying to "educate them" about your cause, can be very dangerous -- as dangerous as trying to outsmart them, or trying to find out their real purpose. By talking to federal investigators you may, unwittingly, lay the basis for your own prosecution -- for giving false or inconsistent information to the FBI. It is a federal crime to make a false statement to an FBI agent or other federal investigator. A violation could even be charged on the basis of two inconsistent statements spoken out of fear or forgetfulness.
Are there any circumstances under which it is advisable to cooperate with an FBI investigation?
Never without a lawyer. There are situations, however, in which an investigation appears to be legitimate, narrowly focused, and not designed to gather political intelligence. Such an investigation might occur if you have been the victim of a crime, or are a witness to civil rights violations being prosecuted by the federal government. Under those circumstances, you should work closely with a lawyer to see that your rights are protected while you provide only necessary information relevant to a specific incident. Lawyers may be able to avoid a witness' appearance before a grand jury, or control the circumstances of the appearance so that no one's rights are jeopardized.
How can grand juries make people go to jail?
After being granted immunity and ordered to testify by a judge, grand jury witnesses who persist in refusing to testify can be held in "civil contempt." Such contempt is not a crime, but it results in the witness being jailed for up to 18 months, or the duration of the grand jury, whichever is less. The purpose of the incarceration is to coerce the recalcitrant witness to testify. In most political cases, testifying before a grand jury means giving up basic political principles, and so the intended coercion has no effect -- witnesses continue to refuse to testify.
Witnesses who, upon the request of a grand jury, refuse to provide "physical exemplars" (samples of handwriting, hair, appearance in a lineup, or documents) may also be jailed for civil contempt, without having been granted immunity.
The charge of "criminal contempt" is also available to the government as a weapon against uncooperative grand jury witnesses. For "criminal contempt" there is no maximum penalty -- the sentence depends entirely on what the judge thinks is appropriate. Charges of criminal contempt are still rare. They have been used, however, against Puerto Rican independentistas, especially those who have already served periods of incarceration for civil contempt.
Is there any way to prevent grand jury witnesses from going to jail?
There is no sure-fire way to keep a grand jury witness from going to jail. Combined legal and community support often make a difference, however, in whether a witness goes to jail and, if so, for how long. Early awareness of people's rights to refuse to talk to the FBI may, in fact, prevent you from receiving a grand jury subpoena. If the FBI is only interested in getting information from you, but not in jailing you, you may not receive a grand jury subpoena.
What can lawyers do?
A lawyer can help to ensure that government investigators only do what they are authorized to do. An attorney can see to it that you do not give up any of your rights. If you are subpoenaed to a grand jury your lawyer can challenge the subpoena in court, help to raise the political issues that underlie the investigation, and negotiate for time. Your lawyer can also explain to you the grand jury's procedures and the legal consequences or your acts, so that you can rationally decide on your response.
A law enforcement official can only obtain your name and address if he or she has a reasonable suspicion to believe that you have committed or are about to commit a crime (note #2). Thus, if an FBI agent knocks at your door you do not have to identify yourself to him; you can simply say "I don't want to talk to you," or "You'll have to speak to my lawyer," and then close the door. An FBI agent, unlike a local police officer, does not have jurisdiction to investigate violations of state statute.
First Edition published March 1985.
The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) is a non-profit legal and educational corporation dedicated to advancing and protecting the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Contributions to the CCR are tax-deductible.
Additional copies or this publication can be ordered from the Center for Constitutional Rights at the address above. Your comments about this publication will be appreciated and will be useful in preparing future editions.
This pamphlet was prepared by The Movement Support Network with the help of Linda Backiel, Joan Gibbs, Jonathan Ned Katz, Margaret L. Ratner, Audrey Seniors, and Dorothy M. Zellner.
1.See Final Report of the Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations, 94th Congress, 2d Session, Report No. 94-755
2.See e.g. United States v. Hensley, 83 L. Ed. 2d 604 (1985); Kolander v. Lawson, 461 U.S. 352 (1983); Brown v. Texas, 443 U.S. 47 (1979).
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