Fay Vincent: Where the Disabled Aren't Welcome - WSJ.com

<base href="data:">Recently I met with the speakers committee of a prominent Manhattan men's club to discuss giving a talk to the members. As we concluded a pleasant lunch, I raised the delicate subject of whether the club had a bathroom I could use in my wheelchair.<br><br>I explained that I would need a toilet with bars to permit me to lift myself and a water closet that would permit access in a wheelchair.<br><br>My hosts looked at one another and then, with some embarrassment, told me there was no such bathroom in their building. The Americans with Disabilities Act exempts private clubs. They asked for time to consider how to solve the problem. After a few days the club leadership graciously agreed to alter a bathroom to suit the disabled. I hope my little talk proves worthy of their efforts. I am sure others will be grateful for the redone bathroom.<br><br>When I arrived at a Florida medical facility for some X-rays, I discovered that my wheelchair was too wide for the office front door. There were some awkward minutes while the poor receptionist scurried about to get me and my chair inside. I had to wonder how a medical office could have been designed to preclude easy entry by a person using a wheelchair.<br><br>When I went to see a surgeon at a major orthopedic hospital in New York, I discovered how difficult it is to get into and out of even a proud and caring institution. The turning axis of a wheelchair is quite large and the transition from the waiting room to the X-ray room was replete with tight 90-degree turns. Even well-intentioned legislation cannot specify what is needed to accommodate those of us who are made to feel subhuman by unintentional failures to provide suitable facilities.<br><br>I know all the excuses. In one major New York hotel, the bathroom had a tub with a built-in shower. There were bars around the rim of the tub, but it would have been impossible for me to climb into or out of it. The manager told me the hotel had only one true handicap room but the person using it had overstayed one night. The hotel assigned me to what they hoped would be a satisfactory alternative. It wasn't.<br><br>I once asked the CEO of one of the major hotel chains why there wasn't more attention paid to the handicapped traveler. His candid reply was instructive. "There are not many people like you visiting the top-level hotels," he explained, "so it does not make business sense to cater to the handicapped."<br><br>That surely explains some of what I have experienced. Yet there are small adjustments that would not require either great expense or major alterations.<br><br>Enlarge Image<br><br>Getty Images<br>I begin by urging the wide acceptance of toilet facilities with suitable bars and seats about four inches higher than normal. I know the cost of such a bathroom isn't great and the comfort and security such equipment offers the handicapped is enormous.<br><br>I'm stunned by the number of doors in offices and other public places that aren't wide enough for my wheelchair—and by the number of door sills that make wheelchair use difficult.<br><br>If the doorways were constructed to make it easy for the wheels of my chair to slide over the sills, the awkward occasions when the chair is unable to cross the sill would be avoided.<br><br>I'm not looking for sympathy, only better understanding. Modern medicine is keeping us all older for longer. It makes sense to try to ease the way for those of us who cannot walk. Riding in a wheelchair can permit me new vistas but I need some help in some small ways. The big stuff, including ramps and elevators, is done and welcome. I think the little things require little more than some good people paying attention.<br><br><i>Mr. Vincent is a former CEO of Columbia Pictures Industries and commissioner of Major League Baseball.</i><br><br><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303343404577514931697914496.html">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303343404577514931697914496.html</a><div><br></div><div>Related:</div><div><br></div><div>http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/09/19/what-if-hospitals-thought-us-as-customers-not-patients/<br><br></div>

Fay Vincent: Where the Disabled Aren't Welcome - WSJ.com

Recently I met with the speakers committee of a prominent Manhattan men's club to discuss giving a talk to the members. As we concluded ...

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Teamsters say feds ignore dangerous Mexican trucks

The federal government is looking the other way at Mexican trucks that are serial violators of U.S. safety laws, but the <a href="http://teamster.org/" rel="nofollow">Teamsters</a> aren't.<br /><br />The Teamsters have long fought hard against opening the border to dangerous Mexican trucks. Today in the press the Teamsters blasted the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Motor_Carrier_Safety_Administration" rel="nofollow">Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration</a> for its lax oversight of the pilot program to let Mexican trucks travel beyond the border zone.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-27/regulator-said-to-look-other-way-on-unsafe-mexican-trucks.html" rel="nofollow">Bloomberg</a> today reported on the <a href="http://teamsternation.blogspot.com/2013/05/dangerous-mexican-trucks-allowed-in.html" rel="nofollow">Teamsters complaint</a> that the federal government broke its own rules by<br />letting one company keep operating over the border after its safety rating was lowered. FMCSA also ignored other Mexican carriers' ties to dangerous operators.<br /><br />Here's why: The FMCSA needs enough participants in the pilot program to arrive at statistically valid conclusions about the impact of Mexican trucks on U.S. highway safety. Since regulators can't find enough safe Mexican carriers -- as the <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/teamsters-respond-to-government-on-mexican-truck-program-141912703.html" rel="nofollow">Teamsters predicted</a> -- they're ignoring egregious safety violations.<br /><br />Bloomberg reported:<br /><ul><li>Mexican companies allowed into the U.S. under the latest agreement have been cited for thousands of violations, records <a href="http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/intl-programs/trucking/Trucking-Program.aspx">show</a>.</li><li>One truck belonging to GCC Transporte SA de CV, the company that’s crossed the border most often, was stopped for violations 18 times between August 2012 and August 2013. It was found to have defective or missing axle parts, brake defects, a cracked frame, inoperative signals, oil and grease leaks, non-working lights, windshield-wiper defects and a tire-tread separation.</li><li>Servicio de Transporte Internacional y Local SA de CV, the Mexican company that’s been<a href="http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/documents/intl-programs/trucking/Aggregate_Data_thru_September-08-2013.pdf">inspected the most</a>, was cited for 44 violations on a single day -- July 31, 2013. Citations included tire separations and leaks, oil and grease leaks, inoperative signals and a brake-compressor violation. Its driver-fitness score of 99.2 percent indicates fewer than 1 percent of U.S. carriers have worse records. Almost all of the violations are for drivers who aren’t fluent in English, according to government records.</li></ul>Read the whole horrifying story <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-27/regulator-said-to-look-other-way-on-unsafe-mexican-trucks.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>.

Mexican trucks Teamsters say feds ignore dangerous Mexican trucks

The federal government is looking the other way at Mexican trucks that are serial violators of U.S. safety laws, but the Teamsters aren'...

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Happy Friday......

Hello everyone,<br /><br />I know, I know - where is the weigh in video?  First, I couldn't go today because we have a film production crew at our office doing a promo for a technology conference in November.  But, I am at the same spot on my scale - Plateau here ha!<br /><br />But, to be frankly honest, I have had to cut down on my Belviq to once a day to stretch it out.  I am not able to go get my RX until October 16th because my money runeth over (or under ha).  The good news is - BELVIQ works because I do notice a "slight" difference.  The even better news is - I have not gained anything even though I eat just a little bit more (not much more, but I have notice I do eat a little more).  So, it's not the end of the world.  I am just HAPPY that I am not gaining weight and I completely stay away from the wrong foods to help with that.  <br /><br />I didn't want to really say anything but I have had many ask when is the next weigh in and I keep coming up with excuses haha.  So, I just will put it out there.  I still take Belviq once a day and it STILL HELPS.  So no haters out there thinking it's not.  If I was taking 2 a day as directed, I am CONFIDENT that I would lose some!  I am TOTALLY OK with this but note, on the 16th when I pick up my RX, it's all on!!!!<br /><br />I hope you all have a WONDERFUL weekend!!!   I will - I won a $100 gift certificate to Urban Retreats on Sunny 99.1 radio station.  That means I can finally pamper myself on a manicure without paying a dime!  I like that!!! (Hey, my priority is my Belivq and if I can't afford the belviq for 2 weeks, then I can't afford a manicure).<br /><br />XOXOX<br />Ellie

Happy Friday......

Hello everyone, I know, I know - where is the weigh in video?  First, I couldn't go today because we have a film production crew at our ...

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Give a kid a cookie, end up fired

<div class="MsoNormal">Carlos Hernandez was fired after he led a walkout of Subway workers in Seattle over the summer.<br /><br />The owner of  the Subway franchise, Hasan Zeer, claims he fired Carlos Hernandez for giving a kid a 66-cent cookie.<br /><br />Legally, most workers can be fired on an employer's whim, but they can't -- at least legally -- be fired for trying to join a union. Hence the cookie excuse.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.workingwa.org/">Working Washington</a>organizers say that Hernandez was fired in retaliation for speaking to press and organizing his coworkers during last month’s fast food strike.<br /><br />Federal charges have been filed against the fast-food restaurant, but in the meantime, Seattle citizens are letting the owners know how wrong their actions are through Yelp, a popular user-review-based website for businesses.<br /><br />Dozens of locals have stood up for Carlos and the other workers <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/subway-seattle-47">by writing reviews on the Subway franchise’s Yelp page</a>.<br /><br />Amy H. from Seattle says:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">My sandwiches would taste a lot better if they weren't salted with the tears of mistreated employees. One of the hardest working employees in this franchise was illegally fired for going on strike under the pretense of giving away a $0.66 cookie to a 3 year old. Other employees at this location have also suffered unsafe working conditions, wage theft, and have been denied breaks. Doesn't taste so fresh to me.</blockquote>Alex M. yelped that:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">I used to work at Subway.  The worst part of the job was wringing the extra blood out of the roast beef before serving it.  Now this subway is trying to wring the blood and some extra dough from its workers.</blockquote>If you think workers should not be fired for speaking out, <a href="http://action.workingwa.org/page/s/fastfoodsupport">sign the Working Washington petition</a> or <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/subway-seattle-47">submit a review to their Yelp</a>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div>

low-wage workers strike Give a kid a cookie, end up fired

Carlos Hernandez was fired after he led a walkout of Subway workers in Seattle over the summer. The owner of  the Subway franchise, Hasan Ze...

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American Idols slip on Album Charts, But Help Is On the Way... We Think...

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7lQLXqgd1fCnSfPC_GnjDTMPTh5L4HiQ0GbisKyV-4OYitKPvMzyRhP9lycg0fhsNNO_8d0AAvviMYNT63pvSzAPGJ2rtJRQljiGyGjGZ-5AgTTpajxIBnc6yGXSecQz2OS8F2CqGUyC/s1600/bb200-20130927.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7lQLXqgd1fCnSfPC_GnjDTMPTh5L4HiQ0GbisKyV-4OYitKPvMzyRhP9lycg0fhsNNO_8d0AAvviMYNT63pvSzAPGJ2rtJRQljiGyGjGZ-5AgTTpajxIBnc6yGXSecQz2OS8F2CqGUyC/s400/bb200-20130927.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">green = Mandisa, maroon = Phillip, lt blue = Carrie, dk green = Kelly <br />(orange = Fantasia, lt green = Jessica, med blue = Colton)</td></tr></tbody></table>Now that both Phillip Phillips' "The World From the Side of the Moon" and Kelly Clarkson's "Greatest Hits - Chapter One" have been out for 44 weeks (8 weeks shy of a full year), they are starting to slip on the <a href="http://www.mjsbigblog.com/billboard-chart-date-200513.htm" target="_blank">BillBoard 200</a> album chart. They have both held on incredibly well (as well as Carrie Underwood's "Blown Away" which has sold over 1.5 million since its release in May 2012) especially when you consider Kelly's was primarily a greatest hits collection released before Christmas 2012. The leader on the album chart for the fourth week in a row, however, is none of those winners, but instead the #9 finisher from Season 5, Mandisa. Her "Overcomer" album slips from #72 to #60 but she still has the #1 Christian song on the radio with the title track. Phillip's album is next at #87 (from #74 last week), followed by Carrie at #97 (from #93) and Kelly who is barely holding in the Top 200 at #164 (falling form #119.) So they are all slipping a little, but there should still be American Idols on the charts for a few weeks before the new Idol releases in October.<br /><br />But now I am wondering if the next American Idol winner with an album release is actually going to happen. No, I do not mean Scotty McCreery whose "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/See-Tonight-Deluxe-Scotty-McCreery/dp/B00EUUJICM/" target="_blank">See You Tonight</a>" album is pretty much a guaranteed success, nor Kelly Clarkson's "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wrapped-Red-Kelly-Clarkson/dp/B00ENSHA62/" target="_blank">Wrapped in Red</a>" Christmas album which will not be out until October 29. I am still looking for news from Candice Glover whose "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Music-Speaks-Candice-Glover/dp/B00CTX6EUG/" target="_blank">Music Speaks</a>" album was supposedly going to be released on October 8, just a week from Tuesday. There has been nothing from Candice since the tour ended except for a <a href="http://beachprophhi.wordpress.com/2013/09/10/american-idol-winner-candice-glover-in-concert/" target="_blank">free concert on September 12</a> in Hilton Head. They already have track listings for both Scotty and Kelly's albums, but nothing for Candice, and they even have <a href="http://www.mjsbigblog.com/audio-snippets-scotty-mccreerys-see-tonight-16-new-album-clips.htm" target="_blank">music snippets for Scotty at Amazon.fr</a> (why the French Amazon and not the US one?) How can they not have a track listing and samples for an album barely a week from release?<br /><br />Something is very fishy with Candice's album, but if they are not going to release it on October 8, why not announce it by now? I am sure thousands of people (3,000? 5,000?) have already pre-ordered "Music Speaks", and they will not be happy October 8 if it does not appear. One telling statistic is entering her name in quotes on Google News to see how many news articles there are about her recently. Here is today's results for all the past winners:<br /><br />1. Kelly Clarkson - 35,100 results<br />2. Ruben Studdard - 6,910 results<br />3. Fantasia - 30,000 results (it helps that it is only 1 word, but "Fantasia Barrino" only gave 1,800 and many of the lone "fantasia" results were about her)<br />4. Carrie Underwood - 24,700 results<br />5. Taylor Hicks - 1,800 results<br />6. Jordin Sparks - 13,700 results<br />7. David Cook - 4,750 results<br />8. Kris Allen - 998 results<br />9. Lee DeWyze - 788 results<br />10. Scotty McCreery - 4,830 results<br />11. Phillip Phillips - 6,930 results<br />12. Candice Glover - <b>457</b> results<br /><br />As you might expect Lee DeWyze and Kris Allen have their names appearing in the least number of Google News results, except for... the most recent winner who recently finished her summer tour! Yikes, that is not much buzz for a recent American Idol winner. I can understand her having less buzz than recent successful winners like Phillip and Scotty, but having less than Lee and Kris is not a very good sign. What are they going to do in Season 13 when they bring her out? "Here is last year's winner, Candice Glover, carrying a framed platinum selling record.. which she is going to present to Phillip Phillips or Scotty McCreery." The signs are not looking good for her album.

American Idols slip on Album Charts, But Help Is On the Way... We Think...

green = Mandisa, maroon = Phillip, lt blue = Carrie, dk green = Kelly (orange = Fantasia, lt green = Jessica, med blue = Colton) Now that bo...

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Apply to become a Microsoft Innovative Educator: Expert–closing date 30 September 2013

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-TQWqbOznS_0Sohm7aArYeXGBVwsXjrdRAqkscEEQeqJqFAOOoJGbcFV4ixKh7AikMbn0OZT43aJ6Wclw0WdCKfMl4wLm30Y8vDUpBQh-lhitaRwL0LUo-qNtKCygOV35HpYbAz3PIY/s1600-h/image%25255B4%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HIm9l2nEynWrva_ZvE1riElzAD81KwbyRH-DtkL5ltErL5y7yz_uDnqqbP0OIvxrlODNiWiOsk5jVWie5617u7fQII_7IGfa3V6N0g6dc-joJVmk4iYBa5nxjdFUYqg5_auASCoprIU/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To apply to be a Microsoft Innovative Educator: Expert (MIE-E) you are required to upload a Learning Activity to the Partners in Learning Network and to complete the online MIE-E form. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><br /></strong></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Step by step instructions</strong></span> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Below is a link to the step by step instructions for uploading your Learning Activity along with some tips and notes about the different information you are expected to provide. It is a good idea to read through all of these instructions BEFORE you start uploading your Learning Activity so that you will know what information and files you will need before you start. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://app.box.com/s/pygjscb2bbvnwt8f6dld" title="https://app.box.com/s/pygjscb2bbvnwt8f6dld">https://app.box.com/s/pygjscb2bbvnwt8f6dld</a></span> <br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't forget to upload your learning activity to the Partners in Learning Network (<a href="http://www.pil-network.com/">http://www.pil-network.com</a>) by 30th September 2013. </span></div>

Microsoft Apply to become a Microsoft Innovative Educator: Expert–closing date 30 September 2013

To apply to be a Microsoft Innovative Educator: Expert (MIE-E) you are required to upload a Learning Activity to the Partners in Learning Ne...

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Seamans' apple orchards ... pick your own in Nelson County

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4nsfWMnQrhBk8eBCKXnmKbxa3yVmqTBUEXEhzcn10sA5JF_qpZdbKcGqkcNwF2jE1g4prc0Tke5GsSp3VBX_VBT9UwFvnXZ6hZpKS-uDhOh8O8BKzqW8zAuHkW7nY1NGqdLVO40s-l_A/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4nsfWMnQrhBk8eBCKXnmKbxa3yVmqTBUEXEhzcn10sA5JF_qpZdbKcGqkcNwF2jE1g4prc0Tke5GsSp3VBX_VBT9UwFvnXZ6hZpKS-uDhOh8O8BKzqW8zAuHkW7nY1NGqdLVO40s-l_A/s400/8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.seamansorchard.com/">Seamans' Orchard</a> in Roseland, Virginia, offers pick your own apples. The three big ones in this picture are from Seamans and the small one is store-bought. Apple season continues....</div><br />Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell

Seamans' apple orchards ... pick your own in Nelson County

Seamans' Orchard in Roseland, Virginia, offers pick your own apples. The three big ones in this picture are from Seamans and the small ...

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Friday Morning Musings

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Cheeeeeeeeers Chuckleheads!!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDKhR_V8Wjo_BJhQr6C9kUS6KRo9YyozXJqaoZwTJ8id4JY06H1cNBRtVXfUEZT0EIkUh3BItuKSq6odpGmqQ4tNhqGvJSs_u66cRETDEMazjcJKnrKvv-b7nWnxJxdJcIRxES6DMTJXq/s1600/Monster+Energy+Absolute+Zero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDKhR_V8Wjo_BJhQr6C9kUS6KRo9YyozXJqaoZwTJ8id4JY06H1cNBRtVXfUEZT0EIkUh3BItuKSq6odpGmqQ4tNhqGvJSs_u66cRETDEMazjcJKnrKvv-b7nWnxJxdJcIRxES6DMTJXq/s400/Monster+Energy+Absolute+Zero.jpg" width="171" /></a>What a glorious morning it is here in Bagwine, Ohio.  Today is going to be sunny with a high of 80.  Perhaps the nice weather will lessen the stupid and rude levels when I go to work later.<br /><br />Lately I have been seriously thinking about quitting smoking.  I am tired of listening to my chest sound like a phlegm filled percolator.<br /><br />I got a nice sleep last night.  I think I got around nine hours sleep.  That rarely happens.<br /><br />I don’t even know if I had any dreams.  That’s good, because the last dream I had, involved being chased around by a knife wielding midget all the while I was being mocked by a naked Florence Henderson.  What the fuck!?<br /><br />I am enjoying an ice cold Monster Absolute Zero as I type this.  Schmoop picked some up 4/$5.  What a bargain.  That’s some well-priced caffeination right there.  Boy Howdy!!<br /><br />My finger hurts.<br /><br />I jammed my left pinkie right before our IWS Radio show on the 15th of this month.  It still hurts, damn it.  I don’t think I broke it, but great googly moogly it’s a wicked pisser…or something.<br /><br />I have to record a couple of funny bits for Sunday’s show this morning.  It’s a good thing that I got up at 7:30 this morning.  Oh the pressure of being an international internet radio star.  Lesser people would spin out of control if they were in my shoes.<br /><br />Can you imagine Ted Cruz, Harry Reid, John Boehner, and Nancy Pelosi going out for pizza?  They’d be unable to decide on which toppings to get, and just say fuck it and go home hungry.<br /><br />Write it down folks…October 12th is a Saturday and Ima going to be off ALL day!!  That’s right bitches.  A day full of nothing but food, beer, and college football.  I will feel like a piece of shit come Sunday morning, but by golly…it’s worth it.<br /><br />Ha.  I just heard that O.J. Simpson was caught stealing cookies from the prison commissary.  O.J. Simpson:  Running Back, Murderer, Cookie Monster.  Sounds like a great movie for the Lifetime Network.<br /><br />Okay…I’m outta here.  I need to get recording and on top of that, my pinkie is beginning to hurt again.<br /><br />Have a great weekend and I’ll see you Sunday on the radio.<br /><br /><i>Cheers!!</i><br /><br />Matt-Man<br /><br /><a href="mailto:mattmaniws@ymail.com">mattmaniws@ymail.com</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/MattMan_IWS" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">@MattMan_IWS</span></a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/mattmaniws" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">My Facebook Page</span></a></div>

Friday Morning Musings

Cheeeeeeeeers Chuckleheads!! What a glorious morning it is here in Bagwine, Ohio.  Today is going to be sunny with a high of 80.  Perhaps th...

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Have you tried Obami - an internationally recognised, award-winning, social learning management system?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a guest post from Ennis Jones from Obami. Obami is a local social learning management system and has won several international awards. Recently Obami digitized the Anas for teachers. Obami is free and well worth trying out in your classroom - with good local support available.</span></i><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">What is Obami?</b><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obami is an internationally recognised, award-winning, social learning management system. It is local, contextual, customisable and free.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>What does Obami do?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obami helps people to create or join learning communities. It is available on web and mobile and brings <strong>everyone</strong>within the education space together... learners, teachers and parents; as well as governing bodies, NGO's, small businesses, corporates-doing-good, and other passionate people. </span><span lang="EN-ZA" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQ4-Dhhxw7s9TyLJTBVPiM10BgpQ2dOVCx5VophxEtZlRn4AYMWtE31QEO0g6RjGyktZ7bow5EPwx52rx8HW3jmapa_6mwShN0_u8n3yGreHbIAW-cYciIHbxtnFhifmPM7m-33lFd14/s1600/Obami.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQ4-Dhhxw7s9TyLJTBVPiM10BgpQ2dOVCx5VophxEtZlRn4AYMWtE31QEO0g6RjGyktZ7bow5EPwx52rx8HW3jmapa_6mwShN0_u8n3yGreHbIAW-cYciIHbxtnFhifmPM7m-33lFd14/s400/Obami.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-size: 11pt;">By applying social media technologies to the virtual learning environment, Obami provides a powerful solution for individuals or schools to tap into or support existing learning communities. This gives everyone the opportunity to connect, create, share and learn.  </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Obami is free for primary and secondary schools.</span></span><br /><strong><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">General Overview</span></span><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><a href="http://www.obami.com/portals/obami/about_obami"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">http://www.obami.com/portals/obami/about_obami</span></a></span><strong><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /><br />Obami supports and enhances all aspects of the teaching and learning experience. I</span></strong><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-size: 11pt;">t provides a platform that...</span><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-size: 11pt;">- Facilitates the sharing of great educational resources<br />- Encourages social engagement between educators and learners<br />- Offers academic and personal development through assessment</span><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-size: 11pt;">Obami ensures the most appropriate experience for everyone. S</span></strong><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-size: 11pt;">chools can manage the safety, privacy and sharing settings - relevant to different ages, grades and social circles - within the context of their own school, the wider Obami community and the world-wide-web. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br /><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Obami also provides school and other learning community administrators with cyber-bully and profanity monitoring tools, ensuring that the environment is kept enjoyable for all.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><strong><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span lang="EN-ZA">Demo: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></strong><span lang="EN-ZA"><a href="http://www.obami.com/portals/Obami/About_Obami/Demo">http://www.obami.com/portals/Obami/About_Obami/Demo</a></span><span lang="EN-ZA"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Obami in Action</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Content: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.obami.com/portals/Obami/About_Obami/Obami_in_Action/Content">http://www.obami.com/portals/Obami/About_Obami/Obami_in_Action/Content</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Communications: </span><span lang="EN-ZA"><a href="http://www.obami.com/portals/Obami/About_Obami/Obami_in_Action/Communications">http://www.obami.com/portals/Obami/About_Obami/Obami_in_Action/Communications</a></span><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Projects: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><a href="http://www.obami.com/portals/Obami/About_Obami/Obami_in_Action/Projects">http://www.obami.com/portals/Obami/About_Obami/Obami_in_Action/Projects</a></span><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Assessment: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.obami.com/portals/Obami/About_Obami/Obami_in_Action/Assessment">http://www.obami.com/portals/Obami/About_Obami/Obami_in_Action/Assessment</a></span><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">More about Obami</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obami is a web and mobile based platform that allows anyone to create, manage & access digital content, share resources, create mini-websites and even undertake exams - it brings social learning into the classroom.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because some schools have been slow to manage change and adopt new technologies, Obami accommodates requests from independent learners (individuals under and over 13 years of age) via the “Obami School”. The platform doesn’t aim to replicate Facebook but rather to focus on developing and nurturing creative skills - as a result, the learning platform has been recognised for these efforts: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vT2Darc2mg&feature=c4-overview&list=UUM91plbqCLGj1RqqeKDrm8w">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vT2Darc2mg&feature=c4-overview&list=UUM91plbqCLGj1RqqeKDrm8w</a></span><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obami supports learning beyond the classroom involving peers, parents, on the street and even on the bus.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Slideshare intro:</span><span lang="EN-ZA"> </span></span><span lang="EN-ZA"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/barbsmall/powering-social-learning-25630491?from_search=3"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.slideshare.net/barbsmall/powering-social-learning-25630491?from_search=3</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obami features</span></span></span></b><br />-<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>Obami Portals</b> can be created by anyone. By focusing on learning by ‘doing’, portals allow for communities to be created around user generated content. Portals are easy to set up with simple “add item” and “drag & drop” functionality. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The add item tool accommodates anything from formatted text and extended math symbols and equations, to embeddable widgets, images, RSS feeds and even entire websites. Obami automatically resizes elements to fit within a number of pre-defined page templates but also offers tools which allow for tooltips, external hyperlinks and the bespoke resizing of images. All this allows for educator facilitated, as well as self organised, learning.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">- Obami has an <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">assignments </b>application which can be used for pop-quizzes, tests, surveys or as feedback forms, questionnaires and permissions slips. Obami recently crowd-sourced 168 NSC past papers through UCT students, across 33 different subject areas and made them Obami style ‘sit & submit’ revision papers for Matrics: </span><span lang="EN-ZA"><a href="http://www.obami.com/portals/Obami/NSC_past_papers/">http://www.obami.com/portals/Obami/NSC_past_papers/</a></span><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-ZA">... They also digitised the ANAs across Grade 4/5/6 & 9 themselves:</span><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span><span lang="EN-ZA"><a href="http://www.obami.com/portals/Obami/Welcome_to_Obami/ANAs">http://www.obami.com/portals/Obami/Welcome_to_Obami/ANAs</a></span></span><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Obami has <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">resource</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">media</b> applications to facilitate the storage of items in the cloud (docs, spreadsheets, PDFs, audio, video...). Alongside offering free cloud hosting, it can also facilitate the embedding of widgets, YouTube videos, OER, Slideshare presentations and other web based technologies throughout the platform and within its other applications.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Obami has a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">blogging</b> application. It can be used across different subjects and organised into specific subject folders.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Obami has powerful communication tools including a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">messaging</b>system, online <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">chat</b> and a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">calendar</b> for event tracking (which automatically sync with parental accounts so that upcoming school work, impending tests and homework is easily communicated to parents). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is worth noting that every application on Obami allows for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">commenting</b>so that discussion can be facilitated. Pages can be printed for easy reading and any page can be set as one’s homepage. This allows for easy and rapid access to one’s most used application.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><b><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Using Obami in the classroom, support and feedback</span></span></span></b><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Obami FAQs, Tutorials etc: </span><span lang="EN-ZA"><a href="http://www.obami.com/portals/obami/faqs">http://www.obami.com/portals/obami/faqs</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obami prides itself on offering full site page specific helper text along with unlimited access to online support which is offered via the platform’s feedback tab (responses are usually made within 2 hours)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Summary</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obami has focused on the South African market, even though it is being increasingly adopted in the US, Europe and other African countries like Ghana, Namibia, Botswana and Kenya.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Accolades and achievements: </span><span lang="EN-ZA"><a href="http://www.obami.com/portals/Obami/About_Obami/Latest_News">http://www.obami.com/portals/Obami/About_Obami/Latest_News</a></span></span><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Most recent unpublicized successes</span><span style="background-color: transparent; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obami supports the DBE and will be working together to bring quality educational resources and support the cloud</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"> <span style="font-size: 7pt;">       </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-ZA">Obami has been asked to consult the Nigerian Government<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"> <span style="font-size: 7pt;">       </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-ZA">Obami was selected as one of Africa’s Top 40 Start-up companies, and will be presenting at DEMO Africa in Nairobi <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"> <span style="font-size: 7pt;">       </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-ZA">Obami has partnered with the University of Cape Town, and is part of the curricula for its Teaching with Technology moduleA<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"> <span style="font-size: 7pt;">       </span></span><!--[endif]--></span><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obami has partnered with Creative Commons and will be delivering a digital course on licensing creative works across Africa</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="font-size: x-large;">The Obami Team Story </b><br />Watch the Obami Team story on YouTube</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span lang="EN-ZA" style="background-color: white;">The Obami Team story...  </span><span lang="EN-ZA" style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/ObamiSocialLearning">http://www.youtube.com/user/ObamiSocialLearning</a></span><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/jVtfUIRW_YE" width="420"></iframe></div>

Learning Management Systems Obami Have you tried Obami - an internationally recognised, award-winning, social learning management system?

This is a guest post from Ennis Jones from Obami. Obami is a local social learning management system and has won several international award...

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Deja Vu: Church Elders - Four Grown Men - Make Video to Discredit Those who Seek to "Destroy Our Pastor"

<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0sq9I73ClRh0uTaWyqxGLh_wWl3UxnQh1ZdV2CaK0k8L5YdHUbTsOMVhTdRfCLIKmGG2nu1p5W3oojbl-5x8kYIrOBhJ1vJnonOsXzgyzUFk4ZetGPVpKLWdpKKXA4Fd_6QkI69_u9gH/s1600/FourGrownMen.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0sq9I73ClRh0uTaWyqxGLh_wWl3UxnQh1ZdV2CaK0k8L5YdHUbTsOMVhTdRfCLIKmGG2nu1p5W3oojbl-5x8kYIrOBhJ1vJnonOsXzgyzUFk4ZetGPVpKLWdpKKXA4Fd_6QkI69_u9gH/s640/FourGrownMen.png" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>UPDATE: As of 10/1/13, The Four Grown Men above have removed their video from YouTube - more Deja Vu! So the best you can do now is read the transcript, which Julie Anne Smith has posted <a href="http://spiritualsoundingboard.com/2013/09/17/learn-and-discern-harvest-bible-chapel-church-discipline-and-excommunication/" target="_blank">here at her post from two weeks ago</a>. Thanks Julie Anne!</b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>------------------------------------------</i></div>Readers: watch the 6-minute video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx0_94DykXw#t=90" target="_blank">here</a>. You will see the four grown men above - four lay leaders in a modern evangelical church, make a video to discredit other men in their church who have dared to ask questions and publicly criticize their pastor, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_MacDonald_%28pastor%29" target="_blank">James MacDonald</a> of the megachurch <a href="http://www.harvestbiblechapel.org/" target="_blank">Harvest Bible Chapel</a>.<br /><br />And they wrap up their teleprompter speech by threatening church members with "great detriment" to their "souls" if they still associate with the Satanic men who are seeking to "destroy" their wonderful pastor.<br /><br />I'm not analyzing here the validity of the claims of the church critics whom these four grown men are going after - that is done quite well <a href="http://thewartburgwatch.com/2013/09/23/the-elephant-debt-roars-are-james-macdonaldhbc-deaf/" target="_blank">here</a> by Dee and Deb - I'm here to analyze the pronouncements of the four grown men pictured above.<br /><br />Here are some of the ridiculous statements that come out of the mouths of these four grown men, as they seek to discredit other men who have "attacked" their pastor, and as they seek to manipulate other church members to prevent them from talking to these critics:<br /><ul><li><i>"We need to communicate with you regarding the discipline of two former elders and their combined effort with other former elders, all outside Harvest <span style="color: red;"><u><b>working to discredit our elder board and destroy our pastor.</b></u></span>"</i></li></ul><ul><li><i>"...have continued to spread discord through <span style="color: red;"><u><b>their false and unrelenting viewpoint</b></u></span>."</i></li></ul><ul><li><i>"...but <span style="color: red;"><u><b>they refused to submit to elder consensus</b></u></span>, choosing instead to <span style="color: red;"><u><b>sow discord and create division</b></u></span>.  This is a very, very serious sin, one that we are told in Proverbs 6 that our Lord hate."</i></li></ul><ul><li><i>"..the elders received a letter with <span style="color: red;"><u><b>13 accusations against our pastor and his integrity</b></u></span>,  all of which the elders have already unanimously rejected multiple times" </i></li></ul><ul><li><i>"</i><i>Scott Phelps and Barry Slabaugh <span style="color: red;"><u><b>have been notified that they are under church discipline and no longer welcomed in our church</b></u></span> until they repent."</i></li></ul><ul><li><i>"</i><i>Together <span style="color: red;"><u><b>these men continue to lead and seditiously promote an attack on the credibility</b></u></span> of the church elders, our governance of <span style="color: red;"><u><b>church staff and the integrity of our pastor</b></u></span>"</i></li></ul><ul><li><i>"Their goal is to <span style="color: red;"><u><b>discredit our pastor</b></u></span> and to divide this church."</i></li></ul><ul><li><i>"Church matters are not to be tried in the court of public opinion.  <span style="color: red;"><u><b>Publicizing viewpoints rejected by the elder majority, for any reason,  is satanic to the core</b></u>.</span>"</i></li></ul><i> </i>And here is the best one:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"We warn the people of Harvest Bible Chapel to separate themselves from these false messengers. Don’t stand in the middle, don’t seek to mediate.  <span style="color: red;"><u>Please avoid these former Harvest elders at all cost,  lest you incur great detriment to your own soul.</u></span>"</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>That last one is an outright threat to church members:  "<i>...lest you incur great detriment to your own soul?"</i>  For talking to "false messengers", i.e. men who have made serious claims about the finances of the church and the pastor? REALLY? <br /><br />It really is hard to believe that it is real, and that these four grown men's minds have become so corrupt that they believe what they are saying. Can these four grown men possibly believe what they are saying makes any sort of sense to rational, clear-thinking people?<br /><br />Try to replace the word "pastor" with "CEO", and "church" with "company". Would any of this speech about dividing, and discrediting, and discord, and destroying represent the way rational people think and believe and behave in the real world? Has church life devolved now into an alternate universe where men like this speak of fantasies and fables to warn people about critics of their pastor? Are these four grown men so blinded that they thought it a good idea to record a video with these claims, and then further to disseminate their claims on an Internet video?<br /><br />I have to say watching this video and reading the transcript of it is all so familiar to me. I heard all of the same nonsense over the past six years. Even my former church made a similar pronouncement - a "Deacon's Resolution" ratified by a smidgeon of church members - with similar pronouncements against me, claiming consensus amongst the "deacons", and seeking to warn others that if they did what I did, they too would incur the wrath of God and the church, and that public dissemination of "false criticism" was evil, yada yada yada. And they too, proudly broadcast their resolution on a live Internet feed, and then displayed the text of the resolution on the church website for all to see.<br /><br />Notice the four grown men don't get into the claims of the critics - nor did they in the Deacon's Resolution in my situation - that is because the claims don't matter. What matters is that public criticism of a pastor and church is itself inherently evil and sinful - as these four grown men say it is "Satanic to the core"...so why bother with the details of the claims? This is the stuff of cults, yes, of cults. We see it over and over when pastors and leaders misbehave: pastor is good, critics are bad, and the claims need not be discussed - especially if the "elders" or "deacons" claim consensus.<br /><br />Sad thing is, this all comes not from mega church pastors - but educated, grown laymen men who wouldn't ever dream of applying these standards, these principles, to any other area of their lives. They wouldn't implement these standards in their business, with their customers, with their employees, or in any of their civic affairs in government, business, or charity organizations.<br /><br />Only in the "church" do these fantasies of criticism being "Satanic", or demanding people disassociate with others based on their opinions, calling people "false messengers" or making pronouncements on behalf of the God of the universe - only in church do grown men like this dish this out, and only in church do the peeps tolerate this nonsense.<br /><br />And that is why so many non-Christians in our society fear us Christians - they see grown men like these - and gullible sheep like us who tolerate and thereby endorse such nonsense...and they have a very rational fear of US.<br /><br />And THIS is exactly why so many non-Christians who might consider the claims of the bible and Jesus Christ - have second thoughts and don't get very far. They see the alternate, fantasy world in which they would have to plunge, and they go another way.

Deja Vu: Church Elders - Four Grown Men - Make Video to Discredit Those who Seek to "Destroy Our Pastor"

UPDATE: As of 10/1/13, The Four Grown Men above have removed their video from YouTube - more Deja Vu! So the best you can do now is read the...

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Today's Teamster News 09.27.13

<a href="http://teamstersjc25.com/news/2013/092313_L330_SeniorFlexonicsContract.html" rel="nofollow">Hundreds of Manufacturing Workers Ratify First Teamster Contract</a>  teamster.org   ...Approximately 340 manufacturing employees at Senior Flexonics overwhelmingly ratified their first contract with Teamsters Local 330 on Sept. 15...<br /><a href="http://www.teamsters117.org/contract_vote" rel="nofollow">Teamsters at Darigold Vote Unanimously To Reject Company's Latest Offer</a>  teamster.org   ...“Darigold is disrespecting its workers and undermining the bargaining process,” said Tracey A. Thompson, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 117.  “The company broke the law when they walked away from federal mediation, leaving no one with the authority to bargain.  They have spied on workers and illegally attempted to circumvent the union...”<br /><a href="http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20130925/BUSINESS/309250042/wegmans-food-markets" rel="nofollow">Wegmans to Teamsters: Here's our best, final offer</a>  Rochester Democrat and Chronicle   ...The contract represents about 900 employees working in transportation and distribution for the supermarket company...<br /><a href="http://www.stratfordstar.com/12466/local-teamsters-endorse-paul/" rel="nofollow">Local teamsters endorse Paul </a> Stratford Star   ...Teamsters Local 1150, which represents workers at Sikorsky Aircraft, the largest private employer in Stratford, endorsed Joe Paul’s run for mayor of Stratford at their September monthly meeting...<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/27/business/9-auto-parts-makers-plead-guilty-to-fixing-prices.html?_r=0" rel="nofollow">Companies Admit They Fixed Prices of Car Parts</a>  New York Times   ...In an expanding global antitrust investigation, nine Japanese automotive suppliers, along with two former executives, have agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy and pay more than $740 million in criminal fines for fixing the price of auto parts sold in the United States and abroad...<br /><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/sep/26/us-economic-growth-sluggish-gdp" rel="nofollow">US economic growth slows as GDP estimate disappoints economists</a>  The Guardian   ...In the January-March quarter, GDP rose by 1.1% and while the latest figure represents a marked improvement it is still weak by historic standards. Economic expansion following the 2008 recession has been the weakest of the post-second world war era...<br /><a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/looting-the-pension-funds-20130926" rel="nofollow">Looting the Pension Funds</a>  Rolling Stone   ...All across America, Wall Street is grabbing money meant for public workers...<br /><a href="http://www.ianfraser.org/hsbc-still-laundering-money-for-terrorist-groups-says-whistleblower-everett-stern/" rel="nofollow">HSBC still laundering money for terrorist groups, says whistleblower Everett Stern</a>  Ian Fraser   ... Although the bank paid a $1.9 billion penalty as part of a record-breaking money laundering settlement with the U.S. authorities in December 2012, Stern claims the London-headquartered bank is still laundering money with impunity and that the much vaunted “anti-money-laundering compliance team” it put in place to assuage US regulators as part of last year’s settlement is “a sham”...<br /><a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/09/the-wall-street-journal-is-hiring-a-mansions-reporter-because-guess-who-won-the-recovery/279668/" rel="nofollow">The Wall Street Journal Is Hiring a Mansions Reporter, Because Guess Who Won the Recovery</a>  The Atlantic   ... this apparently involves advertising for and about billionaires...<br /><a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/164648/tea-party-support-dwindles-near-record-low.aspx" rel="nofollow">Tea Party Support Dwindles to Near-Record Low</a>  Gallup   ... Today's 22% support nearly matches the record low found two years ago...<br /><a href="http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=10794" rel="nofollow">Federal Contractors Employ More Low-Wage Workers Than Walmart and McDonald's Combined, While Paying Top Execs. $24 billion</a>  The Real News   ...we have got to get a handle on raising wages throughout this country so that workers do not depend upon starvation wages...<br /><a href="http://www.truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/item/18219-fukushima-shows-catastrophic-potential-of-privatizing-nuclear-power" rel="nofollow">Latest Fukushima Crisis Shows Catastrophic Threat of Nuclear Power Companies</a>  truthout   ...it is a model example of why nuclear power of any sort should not be privatized...<br /><a href="http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/parent_arrested_for_asking_unscripted_question_at_school_meeting_20130922?ln" rel="nofollow">Parent Arrested After Asking Questions at School Meeting</a>  truthdig   ...“I want to know how many parents here are aware that the goal of the Common Core standards isn’t to prepare kids for full-fledged universities, it’s to prepare them for community college,” Small asked before he was approached by a man wearing a shirt with “security” on the back and a badge around his neck...<br /><a href="http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20130924/NEWS01/309240062/picket-union-labor-business-chamber-house?nclick_check=1" rel="nofollow">Michigan House panel approves bill penalizing illegal mass pickets</a>  Lansing State Journal   ...Legislation that would institute steep fines for individuals and labor unions who engage in illegal mass pickets is headed to the House floor...<br /><a href="http://www.politicspa.com/teamsters-union-backs-mccord/51405/" rel="nofollow">Teamsters Union Backs McCord</a>  PoliticsPA   ...Mere days after finally officially declaring his entry into the gubernatorial race, State Treasurer Rob McCord won the backing of the Teamsters union. The endorsement is the first major piece of news from the McCord campaign since he announced his candidacy earlier this week...<br /><a href="http://portside.org/2013-09-25/nc-teachers-consider-walkout-protest-poor-working-conditions" rel="nofollow">NC Teachers Consider Walkout to Protest Poor Working Conditions</a>  Triangle News   ...Teachers are considering a statewide walkout to get lawmakers' attention. They are fed up with education funding cuts, lay-offs, lack of raises, and even more importantly, what they see as a lack of respect for their profession...<br /><a href="http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/bill-would-loosen-rules-for-high-capacity-water-wells/article_dfe4be84-9bb0-5e9f-b8ca-dbbf01cb0a6e.html" rel="nofollow">Bill would loosen rules for high-capacity water wells</a>  Wall Street Journal   ...Water pumping has become a hot topic in Wisconsin, with large agricultural interests and food processors pushing back against further restrictions while environmental groups and lake property owners favor more rules for wells that draw 100,000 or more gallons of water a day...

Today's Teamster News 09.27.13

Hundreds of Manufacturing Workers Ratify First Teamster Contract  teamster.org   ...Approximately 340 manufacturing employees at Senior Fle...

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Easing Doctor Burnout With Mindfulness - Pauline Chen - NYTimes.com

<base href="data:"><div style="color: black; text-align: left; " class=""><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); position: static; z-index: auto; " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">According to the nurse's note, the patient had received a clean bill of health from his regular doctor only a few days before, so I was surprised to see his request for a second opinion. He stared intently at my name badge as I walked into the room, then nodded his head at each syllable of my name as I introduced myself.</font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">Shifting his gaze upward to my face, he said, "I'm here, Doc, to make sure I don't have anything serious. I'm not sure my regular doctor was listening to everything I was trying to tell him."</font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">I smiled. To hide my embarrassment.</font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">I had walked into the exam room to listen to this patient; but my mind was a few steps behind, as I struggled with thoughts about the colleague who'd just snapped at me over the phone because she was in no mood to get another new consult, my mounting piles of unfinished paperwork, and the young patient with widespread cancer whom I'd seen earlier in the day. Thoughts about my new patient jumbled in the mix, too, but they came into focus only after I had pushed away the fears that I might have neglected to order a key test on my last patient, that I'd forgotten to call another patient and that I was already running behind schedule.</font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">That relentless inner conversation came to mind this past week when I <a href="http://www.annfammed.org/content/11/5/421.full.pdf+html" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; " class="">read two studies</a> on <a href="http://www.annfammed.org/content/11/5/412.full.pdf+html" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; " class="">physician burnout and mindfulness</a> in the current issue of The Annals of Family Medicine.</font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'"><a href="http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1161849" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; " class="">Research over the last few years</a> has revealed that unrelenting job pressures cause two-thirds of fully trained doctors to experience the emotional, mental and physical exhaustion characteristic of burnout. Health care workers who are burned out are at higher risk for substance abuse, lying, cheating and even suicide. They tend to make more errors and lose their sense of empathy for others. And they are more prone to leave clinical practice.</font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">Unfortunately, relatively little is known about treating burnout. But<a href="http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=184621&resultClick=3" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; " class="">promising research points to mindfulness</a>, the ability to be fully present and attentive in the moment, as a possible remedy. A <a href="https://webspace.utexas.edu/neffk/pubs/shapiro.study.pdf" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; " class="">few small studies indicate that mindfulness training courses</a> can help doctors become more focused, more empathetic and less emotionally exhausted.</font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">But two important questions remain unanswered. How does mindfulness affect patients? And who really has the time to enroll in training courses that can take several weeks or longer?</font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">The studies in The Annals of Family Medicine attempt to answer those questions.</font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">In <a href="http://www.annfammed.org/content/11/5/421.full.pdf+html" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; " class="">one study</a>, researchers first assessed the baseline mindfulness of 45 doctors, nurses and physician assistants by asking them to respond to statements like, "I tend to walk quickly to where I am going without paying attention to what I experience along the way," "I find myself listening to someone with one ear, doing something else at the same time," and "I forget a person's name almost as soon as I've been told it for the first time." Then the investigators recorded the clinicians' interactions with more than 400 patients and interviewed the patients to gauge their level of satisfaction.</font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">After analyzing the audio recordings and the patients' responses, the researchers found that patients were more satisfied and more open with the more mindful clinicians. They also discovered that more mindful clinicians tended to be more upbeat during patient interactions, more focused on the conversation and more likely to make attempts to strengthen the relationship or ferret out details of the patient's feelings.</font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">The less mindful clinicians, on the other hand, more frequently missed opportunities to be empathic and, in the most extreme cases, failed to pay attention at all, responding, for example, to a patient's description of waking up in the middle of the night crying in pain with a question about a flu shot.</font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">Significantly, the most mindful doctors remained efficient. They accomplished just as much medically for their patients as their least mindful colleagues, despite all the extra conversation with patients about experiences and relationships.</font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">"We clinicians are not always fully present for patients because our minds are always working," said Dr. Mary Catherine Beach, lead author of the study and an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University. "But when we don't listen," failing to let patients say what they need to say or ask what they need to ask, "we end up giving explanations that are too long and complicated and responses that they don't need or want."</font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">For many doctors, it's not the lack of interest that prevents them from incorporating mindfulness into their clinical practices; it's the time required to complete a standard training course. The courses require a significant commitment, ranging <a href="http://www.eomega.org/workshops/mindfulness-based-stress-reduction-in-mind-body-medicine#-workshop-description-block" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; " class="">from a full week</a>, to a <a href="http://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/stress/index.aspx" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; " class="">full day once a week for eight weeks</a>.</font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">In the <a href="http://www.annfammed.org/content/11/5/412.full.pdf+html" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; " class="">second study</a>, another group of investigators looked at the effects on 30 physicians of a mindfulness course that required only one weekend and two follow-up evening sessions a couple of weeks apart. Even after such an abbreviated course, the researchers found decreased levels of burnout, anxiety, depression and distress among the doctors. And nearly a year later, those salutary effects persisted, even without any mindfulness training "booster" sessions.</font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">"We tried to get the training down to the bare minimum and as user-friendly as possible," said Dr. Luke Fortney, lead author of the study and an integrative and family medicine physician who is part of the Meriter Medical Group at the McKee Clinic in Madison, Wis. "We didn't want to exhaust the doctors with another burden."</font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">Dr. Fortney and his colleagues filled the condensed course with techniques adapted for busy clinicians, like the "two feet one breath" technique in which a doctor, just before entering an exam room, stands in front of the door and concentrates on breathing and the feeling of his or her feet on the ground as a way to help focus on the moment. They also created a <a href="http://www.fammed.wisc.edu/mindfulness" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: underline; " class="">practical and accessible Web site</a> that reinforces key points and offers helpful advice in the form of short videos, brief audio recordings and easy-to-digest tables.</font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); position: static; z-index: auto; " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">While more work needs to be done, these two studies add to the growing body of research supporting mindfulness training as a way to improve the health of both doctors and their patients. "Mindfulness gives doctors permission to attend to their own health and well-being," Dr. Beach said. "But it also allows doctor to help patients by listening more, talking less, and seeing what the patients need."</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); position: static; z-index: auto; " class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'"><br></font></div></div><a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/26/easing-doctor-burnout-with-mindfulness/?hpw" class=""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue'">http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/26/easing-doctor-burnout-with-mindfulness/?hpw</font></a><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; " class=""><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>

Easing Doctor Burnout With Mindfulness - Pauline Chen - NYTimes.com

According to the nurse's note, the patient had received a clean bill of health from his regular doctor only a few days before, so I was ...

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fess up friday - in the weeds

Great praise! The weekend is finally upon us! I know everyone says they need a weekend to recharge, but I really need it. I have what you could call a lot of good problems - lots of work (wahoo and thank God), two big secret projects I can't share yet but they are mongo time suckers, and a new school who "encourages" a lot of participation from their Kindergarten parents. Oy people!<br /><br />So because of all of that, I apologize for being patchy as of late. I might be that way for a few more weeks but hang in there with me, I promise it will be worth it.<br /><br />And although all of that is true, it isn't the most exciting fess up. So I'll share another with you...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDiW4jnB08fqkKnCMRDoB3DAFW7GkiD7Iv0tjxHWTDo9s3IscQacGuPmcOlFho11db31F-H-EPTPr5MWK0OGbqS7tIzxfluLzgcI25guKYwt_h8mmSA_OiGmzP9IRa1Sk1e9IGuA67S0I/s1600/meandbrucewillis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDiW4jnB08fqkKnCMRDoB3DAFW7GkiD7Iv0tjxHWTDo9s3IscQacGuPmcOlFho11db31F-H-EPTPr5MWK0OGbqS7tIzxfluLzgcI25guKYwt_h8mmSA_OiGmzP9IRa1Sk1e9IGuA67S0I/s640/meandbrucewillis.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Bruce Willis was my first legit crush. And because of that crush, I was compelled to create this...work of art.<br /><br />I ripped this page out of the TV Guide, (I couldn't be bothered to take the time to cut the page out - a sign of DIY sloppiness to come) and covered that horrible Cybil Shepard's face with my own. It appears that there was no tape in the house, as I made due with band-aids. (again, a sign of my future DIY prowess) And, I obviously pinned this on numerous bulletin boards by the pin marks in my nose and eye. This is me, 100%. As my husband says, "I love how shoddy your workmanship is."<br /><br />A bulletin board was not its first spot though as I vividly remember taking Elmer's glue (again, I couldn't find tape) to GLUE this to my bedroom wall. Yes, you read that correctly.<br /><br />So there you go. How is that for a confession? I heart Bruce Willis - circa 1986. He was a funny smart ass - what's not to love?!<br /><br />It should be noted that I did move on to more legit crushes (for the time) - like a Johnny Depp, circa 21 Jump Street, life size poster and so on. I know, I do have good taste in men.<br /><br />Now your turn. Who was your first crush? How did you share it? Wasn't Moonlighting a good show? And by the way, per the picture, I wonder what the 'special surprise' was!

fess up friday - in the weeds

Great praise! The weekend is finally upon us! I know everyone says they need a weekend to recharge, but I really need it. I have what you co...

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Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 09/27/2013

<ul class="diigo-linkroll"> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="https://educatorsapp.com">Welcome to Educators App - Turn Your Classroom Website Into An App! | Educators App - Turn Your Classroom Website Into An App!</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">This cool website will use your website and turn it into an app on Apple and Android. This is cool and may be a nice answer for teachers who have a website but don't have a full LMS with an app.</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/app">app</a> <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a></p> </li> </ul><p class="diigo-ps">Posted from <a href='https://www.diigo.com'>Diigo</a>. The rest of my favorite links are <a href='https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher'>here</a>.</p>

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 09/27/2013

Welcome to Educators App - Turn Your Classroom Website Into An App! | Educators App - Turn Your Classroom Websit...

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Don Jon: Love's labors lost

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><b><i>Don Jon</i> </b></span></span></span></span></span></span><b>(2013) • <a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/donjon/" style="color: #27a9c5; text-decoration: none;">View trailer</a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><b> </b><br /><b>Three stars. Rating: R, for strong graphic sexual material and dialogue, nudity, profanity and drug use</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>By <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885694730612878577" style="color: #27a9c5; text-decoration: none;">Derrick Bang</a></b></span></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles></xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style><![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <br /><div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fledgling writers have a tendency toward overkill, a problem that repeatedly plagues this film.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_SKNq2WIT6xG4jOg15jXq-F5twtrhAMWYn-q92QD2s7zIvMRPGePXGO9osQJ3sbWpS0Ill-aWafMwB__0-e9pO__cit2fHtRd0IkwkvZ5QYPad8D_ElIJkpskEvGWdUr0gARul_pwcu8/s1600/Don+Jon+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_SKNq2WIT6xG4jOg15jXq-F5twtrhAMWYn-q92QD2s7zIvMRPGePXGO9osQJ3sbWpS0Ill-aWafMwB__0-e9pO__cit2fHtRd0IkwkvZ5QYPad8D_ElIJkpskEvGWdUr0gARul_pwcu8/s400/Don+Jon+blog.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">When Barbara (Scarlett Johansson, standing center) insists on meeting her new lover's<br />friends, Jon (Joseph Gordeon-Levitt, standing center) obliges by arranging a gathering<br />at a local club. Barbara, obviously pleased, is all sweetness and smiles ... but, in truth,<br />this is merely the latest in what will become a string of one-sided little victories.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although dissecting the nature of True Love has been a laudable quest since stories were told via cave paintings, Joseph Gordon-Levitt — making his debut here as a big-screen writer <i>and</i> director — wields a meat cleaver when a scalpel would have sufficed. He has a solid sense of what’s funny, and a good ear for relationship dynamics, but his hammer-handed approach is guaranteed to alienate the very people likely to be most touched by this story’s core moral, and its outcome.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He also falls into another common trap. Repetition rarely enhances a lesson; we merely get bored. Or, in this case, disgusted.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In this particular case, it simply isn’t necessary to share what his porn-addicted character views during every spare moment; we don’t need to watch <i>with</i>him. The first montage of taut breasts, erect nipples, firm butts and willing mouths is sufficient; from that point forward, we <i>know</i> what he’s watching every time he sits in front of his laptop screen.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Indeed, all we need is the familiar F-sharp-major start-up chime, which Gordon-Levitt unerringly employs for maximum comic effect ... but then he ruins the moment, each time, with yet another tiresome display of thrusting bodies and naughty bits.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And vulgar off-camera commentary. Gordon-Levitt also beats <i>that</i>affectation to death.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The story, then:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jon Martello Jr. (Gordon-Levitt) is a blue-collar New Jersey late twenty-/early thirtysomething bartender who takes enormous pride in his apartment, his car, his appearance and his ability to score with the ladies. Thanks to this latter talent, guy pals Bobby and Danny (Rob Brown and Jeremy Luke) have nicknamed him “Don Jon.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trouble is, Jon doesn’t enjoy women for their companionship or relationship potential; he objectifies them to the extreme and is interested in sex strictly for its own sake. But that isn’t satisfying; he can’t “lose himself” in lovemaking with a flesh-and-blood female partner, the way he experiences a brief “happy zone” with the assistance of an ideal Internet porn clip.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><a name='more'></a><br /> <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On a deeply submerged level, Jon vaguely realizes that something is wrong with his approach, and with his choices, but he’s too content with the status quo to probe. And so he cheerfully follows this long-established routine, expiating any guilt while dutifully attending church each Sunday morning, cataloguing his list of sins and accepting a penance of Hail Marys and Our Fathers (a cute running gag).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then it’s Sunday lunch with his tempestuous family: boorish, loud-mouthed father Jon Sr. (Tony Danza), who insists on watching football during the meal; forever frazzled mother Angela (Glenne Headly), who’s “ready to be a grandmother” and wishes her only son would settle down with a nice girl; and bored younger sister Monica (Brie Larson), who rolls her eyes a lot, never says a word, and texts during the shouting that invariably punctuates this weekly ritual.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Monica’s silence, an even funnier running gag, eventually builds to an unexpectedly hilarious — and insightful — payoff: further proof that Gordon-Levitt has solid comedy instincts, if he’d simply get out of his own way.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The dynamic shifts during a typical evening of club trolling, when Jon spots “a perfect dime (10)” loitering near the bar: That would be Barbara Sugerman, played to husky, erotic perfection by Scarlett Johansson. Although just as earthy and crude as Jon — an apparent Jersey girl archetype in this post-Snooki universe — Barbara isn’t “easy,” as she makes abundantly clear by refusing to go home with him that first night.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Intrigued, Jon does some quick research, comes up with her name and Facebook page, and figures out how to wheedle a lunch date. Similarly intrigued — or perhaps only amused — she accepts. They begin a relationship; Jon finds that he can’t get Barbara off his mind. But her refusal to hit the sack does nothing to curb his laptop activities.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the same time, Barbara has an odd way of expressing her faux chasteness, since she soon teases Jon with a level of physical contact that builds the poor guy into helpless sexual tension. One hallway encounter, outside her apartment, deserves placement in the list of all-time Sexiest Moments While Fully Clothed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It appears, at first blush, that Barbara is using the only weapon at her disposal to “reform” Jon: to make him a better, kinder, more thoughtful person. Goodness knows, he could use some work. And so she insists on meeting his family and friends, and taking him to meet her family: the sort of stuff that couples do, when they’re starting to think long-term.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But it becomes apparent that Barbara is neither altruistic nor benign, and we start to wonder: At what point do attempted refinement and the elimination of bad habits morph into an unhealthy character makeover?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jon couldn’t answer such questions, not being adept at self-analysis (yet). But he understands that this relationship is off-kilter, somehow, because he still can’t shake the porn habit ... not even when Barbara finally consents to become his full-time bedmate.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Faint glimmers of perspective arrive with Esther (Julianne Moore), a fellow student — an “older woman” — also taking the night class that Barbara has insisted Jon enroll in. (The subject remains unspecified; we only know that it looks and sounds as dry as chalk dust.) Esther, wise in the way of maturity, also is candid to a fault: a trait that Jon initially finds disconcerting, even alienating. But Esther isn’t destined to be a chance encounter, and therein lies this story’s third — and most satisfying — act.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moore lights up the screen the same way her character invigorates this film. Esther is bright, perky and shrewdly astute; she sizes up Jon with sharp observational skills that Sherlock Holmes would admire. At the same time, Esther is damaged goods herself; we see pain lingering at the edges of Moore’s eyes, and in the subtle slump of her body.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Esther is, in short, a truly genuine person: quite a shock, in a film otherwise littered with stereotypes and shallow, two-dimensional stick-figure characters.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whether she’s enough to rescue this otherwise clumsy rom-com will depend on the viewer’s tolerance for smut. Needless to say, this is not a film for the easily offended; the R-rating is well deserved.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gordon-Levitt certainly has a handle on his portrayal of Jon, and (as director) he deftly plays with us throughout this story: Is Jon a sympathetic character, deserving of growth or redemption, or is he simply a shallow lout? He’s certainly not mean-spirited <i>per se</i>, merely self-absorbed. And, let’s face it, the apple clearly didn’t fall far from the tree, given his father’s behavior.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In terms of the story’s comedy elements, Gordon-Levitt knows precisely how to use his wicked sidelong glances and near-smiles of amused suspicion. Given the available evidence here, there’s no question that he can act and direct; I’m less persuaded of his writing skills.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And yet he scores some insightful social commentary, as when Jon points out that we all wallow in habitual behavior; his just happens to be socially unacceptable. Barbara is hooked on maudlin romantic melodramas, and who’s to say her taste is any better or worse than his? (One of these big-screen weepers, skewered for maximum hilarity, stars an unbilled Anne Hathaway and Channing Tatum.)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Johansson has a wickedly good time as the overtly sensual Barbara, who drips lust while cooing with obviously false innocence; she incessantly calls Jon “Baby,” which — right there — should be enough to make any wary man head for the hills. At first, Johansson cleverly allows only the slightest glimpses of Barbara’s actual personality; her very bearing then shifts once this spider feels she has her fly sufficiently trapped.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Danza and Headly are overplayed burlesques, the family meals having no more relation to reality than Jackie Gleason’s scenery-chewing outbursts more than half a century ago, on TV’s <i>The Honeymooners</i>. Luke and Brown, similarly, remain under-developed as Danny and Bobby ... although Brown tries mightily to layer some depth into his performance. The script simply doesn’t give him enough to work with.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The poster publicizing <i>Don Jon</i> highlights wildly enthusiastic, single-word pull-quotes from various reviews: stellar, hilarious, genuine, emotional, edgy, confident. I’ll give it edgy and hilarious (the latter only at times), but the rest are wishful thinking. Yes, this is an interesting first effort from an actor turned writer/director, and Gordon-Levitt certainly bears watching, should he pursue a broader career as a hyphenate.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But that doesn’t change the fact that <i>Don Jon</i> is uneven, frequently clumsy and needlessly offensive. Proceed with caution.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><!--EndFragment-->

2013 Brie Larson Comedy Glenne Headley Jeremy Luke Joseph Gordon-Levitt Julianne Moore Rob Brown romantic Scarlett Johansson Tony Danza Vulgar Don Jon: Love's labors lost

Don Jon   (2013) •  View trailer   Three stars. Rating: R, for strong graphic sexual material and dialogue, nudity, profanity and drug use B...

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