The Stench Of Fear

This cracks my ass up, what a bunch of ass covering weinies.<br /><br /><br /><br /> <b> <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/09/30/cnn-pulls-plug-on-hillary-clinton-documentary/?hpid=z6"> CNN pulls plug on Hillary Clinton documentary after director backs out</b></a><br /><br /><br /><blockquote>CNN Films has canceled plans to produce a documentary about former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, putting an end to a project that had sparked considerable political controversy.<br /><br />In a lengthy piece published on the Huffington Post Web site Monday morning, Charles Ferguson, who was slated to direct the project, explained that he felt compelled to shelve it over opposition to the idea from both Clinton allies and opponents, which triggered a widespread lack of cooperation among potential interviewees.<br /><br />"When I approached people for interviews, <i>I discovered that nobody, and I mean nobody, was interested in helping me make this film</i>," writes Ferguson. "Not Democrats, not Republicans — and certainly nobody who works with the Clintons, wants access to the Clintons, or dreams of a position in a Hillary Clinton administration."</blockquote><br />Too many skeletons in all those closets.<br /><br />I'm sure there are several hundred politicians of a certain stripe who would shit their britches if Hillary ever made it back into the Oval Office.<br /><br />Can you say <a href="http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/08/whitewater-scandal.asp">Whitewater</a>?<br /><br />Not to mention some chick named Monica who certainly caused no end of heartburn, what with all that impeachment business and the millions of resulting embarrassing jokes.<br /><br />It doesn't surprise me one bit that no one would even consider putting their names on a list of contributors for that documentary.<br /><br />I'm sure Hillary is familiar with the old cut and paste feature on a computer.<br /><br />That would make it easy to come up with a political hit list.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWCwrCj0iDOLRDX0DWlH0Ng6hYctcm9RCYmhZUP9xrPINXpP45E6IFmGNMgTGcAYRbOxavptRk1uTdUmVal0YSbLKyH7n_vKDHIeW1OtIkJsHLNLKd4p4xB87n76no3qg9r59Zf_3sxIio/s1600/2016+Hitlery.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWCwrCj0iDOLRDX0DWlH0Ng6hYctcm9RCYmhZUP9xrPINXpP45E6IFmGNMgTGcAYRbOxavptRk1uTdUmVal0YSbLKyH7n_vKDHIeW1OtIkJsHLNLKd4p4xB87n76no3qg9r59Zf_3sxIio/s640/2016+Hitlery.jpg" /></a>

The Stench Of Fear

This cracks my ass up, what a bunch of ass covering weinies. CNN pulls plug on Hillary Clinton documentary after director...

Read more »

Barney Fife Has A Reality Show?

<a href="http://www.entlawdigest.com/2013/09/25/2734.htm">This is just too much.</a><br /><br />It remains to be seen just what will result from this rampant illegality but hopefully it will involve large amounts of money and the slamming of many steel barred doors.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcjg3VXKAt7nCCXQcWIl70Yk9ASJGhpevbGPNfNZIV8Z5YeOV2EDdsgmzmxbIAet4qGb67mMwyFwOo65ygYrYUXEm8uYAA1uqTcNLDiCZ2xFjsTJly4BIRs8UG0_Zdrt_d3hE2BT_QFCda/s1600/http:__ridelifebmx.com_wp-content_uploads_2012_12_barney-fife-crop-fix.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcjg3VXKAt7nCCXQcWIl70Yk9ASJGhpevbGPNfNZIV8Z5YeOV2EDdsgmzmxbIAet4qGb67mMwyFwOo65ygYrYUXEm8uYAA1uqTcNLDiCZ2xFjsTJly4BIRs8UG0_Zdrt_d3hE2BT_QFCda/s640/http:__ridelifebmx.com_wp-content_uploads_2012_12_barney-fife-crop-fix.jpg" /></a><br /><br /> <blockquote>HOUSTON (CN) - Texas lawmen broke into a woman's house without a warrant to arrest her on bogus marijuana charges, and filmed it for a constable's YouTube reality show, the 61-year-old woman claims in court.<br /> Perla Carr sued Montgomery County, Texas, its District Attorney Brett Ligon, its Precinct 4 Constable Kenneth "Rowdy" Hayden, Precinct 4 Chief Barry Welch and three other deputy constables, in Federal Court.<br /> Carr claims that "loud noises of someone breaking into her home" woke her up at around 10:15 p.m. on Sept. 22, 2011.</blockquote><br />snip<br /><br /><blockquote>"After searching Perla's residence and finding alleged marijuana plants deputy Eric McHugh under the direction and knowledge of at least Constable Hayden, Chief Welch and Supervisor Berglund wrote up a materially false and misleading affidavit to support a search warrant."<br /> The affidavit falsely stated the constables saw marijuana through the window the home and smelled before breaking in, and left out that they had searched the residence without a warrant, Carr says.<br /> The phony affidavit worked, Carr says, as a judge signed a search warrant that arrived two hours after the break-in.</blockquote><br />snip<br /><br /> <blockquote>"Sometime after Perla's case was dismissed in her favor, Perla discovered a video on YouTube of the defendants breaking into her home with a crowbar through the front door. ... The video was for a reality television show called 'Texas Takedown' and is currently available to view on the Internet," the complaint states. "All defendants were aware of the filming of the incident involving Perla and 'Texas Takedown.'<br /> "Also, the recently discovered video shows Constable Hayden talking on the phone to DA Ligon prior to the crowbar break-in, who advises Constable Hayden to 'force entry.'"</blockquote><br />What is it they say about taking the law into your own hands?<br /><br />These assclowns, from Barney and the DA clear to the judge that signed off on this cavalcade of felonies need to be locked up and sued into oblivion.<br /><br /><br />H/T <a href="http://www.fark.com/">FARK </a>for the link.<br /><br />

Barney Fife Has A Reality Show?

This is just too much. It remains to be seen just what will result from this rampant illegality but hopefully it will involve large amounts ...

Read more »

UCSF First U.S. Medical School to Offer Credit For Wikipedia Articles | ucsf.edu

<base href="data:"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; 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-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">UC San Francisco soon will be the first U.S. medical school at which medical students can earn academic credit for editing medical content on Wikipedia.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; 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-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Wikipedia is one of the most widely used medical references in the world and the most consulted source for many health topics. But medical entries can lack reliable sources and have gaps in content.</p><div class="ckimagebox" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: right; width: auto; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWODECf-RbeJ_GXSArbxhcDlXwcdayG47Jt8jyrFP0_P4ujWgnaXybB9RiXv9NMcnojJeV6TlVfWXzJDpoAOmQDFYSPDgOK59MRdgLFh-YN5K_Vsp2UyA2eWUAlzmeUGt_-WWdPqeAcBM/s1600/azzam-750963.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5929496348316081458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWODECf-RbeJ_GXSArbxhcDlXwcdayG47Jt8jyrFP0_P4ujWgnaXybB9RiXv9NMcnojJeV6TlVfWXzJDpoAOmQDFYSPDgOK59MRdgLFh-YN5K_Vsp2UyA2eWUAlzmeUGt_-WWdPqeAcBM/s320/azzam-750963.jpg" /></a></div><div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); ">Amin Azzam, MD, MA, will be teaching a UCSF course in which students will</div><div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); ">contribute and edit medical information on Wikipedia.</div></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; 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-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "> "Wikipedia generates more than 53 million page views just for articles about medications each month, and is second to Google as the most frequently used source by junior physicians," said <a href="http://psych.ucsf.edu/faculty.aspx?id=2936" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; outline: none; text-decoration: none; font: inherit; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(218, 94, 23); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Amin Azzam</a>, MD, MA, an associate clinical professor at the UCSF School of Medicine and an instructor for the new class. "We're recognizing the impact Wikipedia can have to educate patients and health care providers across the globe, and want users to receive the most accurate publicly available, sound medical information possible."</p><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 4px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-weight: normal; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; 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-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Building Communication Skills</h2><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; 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-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">One of the key skills medical students are expected to acquire is the ability to seek, evaluate and interpret the medical literature for themselves, their peers and their patients. In traditional medical school courses, first and second year students are taught this skill in small group classroom sessions, while third and fourth year students are expected to apply this in the hospital wards and outpatient clinics.</p><div class="ckimagebox" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: left; width: auto; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); "><a href="http://www.ucsf.edu/sites/default/files/fields/field_insert_file/news/600px-Wiki_Project_Med_Logo.png" rel="lightshow" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; outline: none; text-decoration: none; font: inherit; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(218, 94, 23); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3XFEfu6R0KFjgz-xOiumWKzjki62nSGfGqBYGTg4SlwtYrzZ6ZBdAF-aA6OpqDehFvIh61ZfBeJMNuZ_sSMKIXbfLe-X8N_zYBBZ_gjCMIhZMj7YVDzcVFAshYDCKzTwneS1HY8OK4g/s1600/600px-Wiki_Project_Med_Logo-753196.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5929496356310751666" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3XFEfu6R0KFjgz-xOiumWKzjki62nSGfGqBYGTg4SlwtYrzZ6ZBdAF-aA6OpqDehFvIh61ZfBeJMNuZ_sSMKIXbfLe-X8N_zYBBZ_gjCMIhZMj7YVDzcVFAshYDCKzTwneS1HY8OK4g/s320/600px-Wiki_Project_Med_Logo-753196.png" /></a></a></div></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; 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-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">"Writing and editing Wikipedia articles requires a similar skill set, and teaches our students how to write for a broader audience and communicate with patients using consumer-friendly language rather than doctor jargon," said Azzam.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; 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-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Enrolled medical students will edit articles remotely, adding images, reviewing new edits, adding citations to support unreferenced text, and providing a form of peer review. Professors can track the edits and changes made to each Wikipedia page to monitor the evolution of the content.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; 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-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">"We know that nearly all medical students use Wikipedia. However, we want nearly all medical students to contribute to Wikipedia," said James Heilman, MD, president of the not-for-profit<a href="http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WikiProject_Med" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; outline: none; text-decoration: none; font: inherit; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(218, 94, 23); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Wiki Project Med Foundation</a>, an organization dedicated to trying to improve Wikipedia's medical content by forming collaborations with like-minded institutions. "I see this collaboration as a very important first step in this direction, a step which will not only be beneficial for Wikipedia but will be exceedingly useful for the students themselves."  </p><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 4px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-weight: normal; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; 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-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">High Demand for Quality Medical Articles</h2><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; 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-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">The new class is available to fourth-year medical students and will focus on editing 80 key articles that are the most frequented but have lower quality levels on Wikipedia.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; 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-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">All articles on Wikipedia are given a grade ranging from Featured Article, which reflects a professional level of encyclopedic information based mostly on the factual completeness of the article, to "C" which is defined as a substantial article that would be useful to a casual reader, but lacks important content. Featured articles are displayed on the main page and frequently are written by experts.</p><div class="ckimagebox" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: right; width: auto; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4G4WM5Jb1-Tc72QoxipYTjaCGRUkCS4JZXHCDxyrBPTaBZsgNmOaWOqFGIY6_PUAzwi-gqz2J3gCVOhK0eDp0bjPYpSiUZalZje0nW4-K-hI5lSg8Lg-vptYaSvRj39vYAFojHawQ91Y/s1600/azzam2_0-755116.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5929496365646852802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4G4WM5Jb1-Tc72QoxipYTjaCGRUkCS4JZXHCDxyrBPTaBZsgNmOaWOqFGIY6_PUAzwi-gqz2J3gCVOhK0eDp0bjPYpSiUZalZje0nW4-K-hI5lSg8Lg-vptYaSvRj39vYAFojHawQ91Y/s320/azzam2_0-755116.jpg" /></a></div><div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); ">Amin Azzam explains how the UCSF elective course fits into Wikipedia's work to improve</div><div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); ">accuracy of its information for the public.</div></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; 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-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Currently, medicine-related articles make up 58 Featured Articles on Wikipedia, and 145 Good Articles, which is less than 1 percent of the total articles in those categories, according to Azzam. "So there is a clear need to bring medicine articles up to par," he said.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; 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-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">The class, which begins in December, is part of an ongoing collaboration between the UCSF School of Medicine and the Wiki Project Med Foundation. For the launch of this partnership earlier this year, UCSF invited two "Wikipedians" to visit San Francisco to give lectures and run editing sessions on the significance of Wikipedia to medicine. The class has its own <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Medicine/UCSF_Elective_2013" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; outline: none; text-decoration: none; font: inherit; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(218, 94, 23); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">evolving Wikipedia page</a>.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; 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-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">"As these students are going to become the next generation of health care providers we need them to be able to communicate in language that the general population understands," said Heilman. "This will hopefully help accomplish both."</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; font: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; 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-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It includes top-ranked graduate schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy, a graduate division with nationally renowned programs in basic biomedical, translational and population sciences, as well as a preeminent biomedical research enterprise and two top-ranked hospitals, UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital.</p></div><a href="http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2013/09/109201/ucsf-first-us-medical-school-offer-credit-wikipedia-articles">http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2013/09/109201/ucsf-first-us-medical-school-offer-credit-wikipedia-articles</a><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>

UCSF First U.S. Medical School to Offer Credit For Wikipedia Articles | ucsf.edu

UC San Francisco soon will be the first U.S. medical school at which medical students can earn academic credit for editing medical content o...

Read more »

Candice Glover's "Music Speaks" Delayed Until February 18, 2014

<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/AVvXsEjc_NoWuoKkxSg95XKwG9zQL7DttDNzSCZ9jXaRKeCoT91f3m-JeIYqBKs97ZFdYZFJemzUxdKRzrWZa47qQFh5CAOlcKbdIOAbcTWfTRGf7MCi5z39m2IL4aCqNPOJnqRB_4-4YoGzQLBK/s1600/release-months.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_NoWuoKkxSg95XKwG9zQL7DttDNzSCZ9jXaRKeCoT91f3m-JeIYqBKs97ZFdYZFJemzUxdKRzrWZa47qQFh5CAOlcKbdIOAbcTWfTRGf7MCi5z39m2IL4aCqNPOJnqRB_4-4YoGzQLBK/s400/release-months.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Debut album release month</td></tr></tbody></table>As expected the lack of any buzz meant that Candice Glover's Music Speaks" album will not be released next Tuesday as planned, but will be <a href="http://www.mjsbigblog.com/american-idol-winner-candice-glovers-album-postponed-february.htm" target="_blank">delayed and released in February 18. 2014</a>. Of course, this is not from an official announcement but was leaked via a <a href="https://twitter.com/keith_caulfield" target="_blank">tweet from someone</a> over at BillBoard:<br /><br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">2013 <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericanIdol">@AmericanIdol</a> winner Candice Glover has moved her debut album release from Oct. 8 to Feb. 18, 2014.<br />— Keith Caulfield (@keith_caulfield) <a href="https://twitter.com/keith_caulfield/statuses/384732711744585728">September 30, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> This makes hers the latest winner's album to be released after a Spring American Idol run and the second latest release among all winners and runners up since Season 2 (Season 1 ran over a summer so it is a weird exception.) The only Idol winner or runner-up to release later the following year of the show was Jessica Sanchez when she released "Me, You & The Music" back in April 20, 2013 (and we all know how well that album sold!) Here is a list now of all the winners and runners up since Season 2 and the actual date of their releases (updated from <a href="http://aistats.blogspot.com/2012/11/american-idol-trivia-who-was-last.html" target="_blank">my own previous blog posting</a>):<br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">10/4: Scotty McCreery "Clear As Day"</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">10/11: Lauren Alaina "Wildflower"</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">10/14: Clay Aiken "Measure of a Man"</span><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">11/11: David Archuleta "David Archuleta"</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">11/15: Carrie Underwood "Some Hearts"</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">11/16: Lee DeWyze "Live It Up"</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">11/17: Kris Allen "Kris Allen"</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">11/18: David Cook "David Cook"</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">11/19: Phillip Phillips "The World From the Side of the Moon"</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">11/20: Jordin Sparks "Jordin Sparks"</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">11/23: Fantasia Barrino "Free Yourself"</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">11/23: Adam Lambert "For Your Entertainment"</span><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">12/4: Blake Lewis "Audio Day Dream"</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">12/4: Crystal Bowersox "Farmer's Daughter"</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">12/7: Diana DeGarmo "Blue Skies"</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">12/9: Ruben Studdard "Soulful"</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">12/12: Taylor Hicks "Taylor Hicks"</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">12/13: Bo Bice  "The Real Thing"</span><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">1/30: Katharine McPhee "Katharine McPhee"</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">2/18: Candice Glover "Music Speaks"</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">4/30: Jessica Sanchez "Me, You & The Music"</span><br /><br />The other missing person, of course, is last season's runner up, Kree Harrison, who has also disappeared from the face of the earth (maybe she is out looking for Candice!) Hopefully given more time they can actually find a good single for each of them and they can both have an album released in 2014 with some real promotion!<br /><br />I created a new graph of the release months for American Idol winners from Season 2 through Season 12. now with Candice's newest release date added. Of course, now that it has been delayed twice, the album may also simply vanish all together once 2014 arrives.<br /><br /><br /><br />

Candice Glover's "Music Speaks" Delayed Until February 18, 2014

Debut album release month As expected the lack of any buzz meant that Candice Glover's Music Speaks" album will not be released nex...

Read more »

David Tennant Presented With Wand Company Sonic Screwdriver Replica

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwPwa_NM4M-MDgV4PK7U3tVMcxMaojGlPtpplWPIBpav1EPG7bCDJ5fFKxEZHzBTfol0IJ-R3pbCIAH8b6bxS9DrKOIIh5L4mFSvj0CCI23fstWBN1ROVql4_vojT8VsxjOKV3GJrQpM8/s1600/Wand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwPwa_NM4M-MDgV4PK7U3tVMcxMaojGlPtpplWPIBpav1EPG7bCDJ5fFKxEZHzBTfol0IJ-R3pbCIAH8b6bxS9DrKOIIh5L4mFSvj0CCI23fstWBN1ROVql4_vojT8VsxjOKV3GJrQpM8/s640/Wand.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">David Tennant was presented with a replica of the sonic screwdriver that he used on screen as the Doctor by product manufacturers The Wand Company.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">David had lent his own sonic screwdriver, presented to him as he left <i>Doctor Who</i>, to The Wand Company so that they could scan it in order to make the incredibly accurate copies. They were able to present one of the first available replica props to him yesterday at the British Film Institute where he was attending the Tenth Doctor screening in the Doctor Who At 50 season.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Wand Company say: </span></b><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"We met up with David Tennant this weekend at the British Film Institute's tenth "Doctor Who at 50" screening. It was a great opportunity to say thank you to him for lending us the last known Sonic Screwdriver for us to copy. Also, it gave us the chance to present him with the very first one of our production version of his iconic prop to add to his collection of Doctor Who memorabilia. David was on top form and was thrilled to get his hands on a real working Sonic Screwdriver at last."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Find out all about the manufacture and specifications of the Tenth Doctor replica sonic screwdriver, and also how to get your hands on your own copy <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.thewandcompany.com/sonic/?sonic=10th">on the Wand Company website</a> </span>or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thewandcompany">visit their Facebook page</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>

David Tennant Doctor Who Doctor Who 50th Anniversary The Wand Company David Tennant Presented With Wand Company Sonic Screwdriver Replica

David Tennant was presented with a replica of the sonic screwdriver that he used on screen as the Doctor by product manufacturers The Wand C...

Read more »

USA: The Doctors Revisited - The Tenth Doctor Premieres On BBC America On October 27th

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjQTbtMyn-tC_Ylkoj7RPUxvtSYTiWHsZumhAY2jrVhMZIgZDKyb-vqjUFeChTZlSVtgi9_Uf_bacDgwHr8KLmnMgt38eVKzoDqvdZJQGRtbt7yCgYmTfNRaK0xqYuWZR4InrxP8NwnCk/s1600/10_02_8MB1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjQTbtMyn-tC_Ylkoj7RPUxvtSYTiWHsZumhAY2jrVhMZIgZDKyb-vqjUFeChTZlSVtgi9_Uf_bacDgwHr8KLmnMgt38eVKzoDqvdZJQGRtbt7yCgYmTfNRaK0xqYuWZR4InrxP8NwnCk/s640/10_02_8MB1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tenth Doctor's era of <i>Doctor Who </i>will be explored in the next in the season of BBC America specials, <i>The Doctors Revisited</i>. The show dedicated to David Tennant's time in the role will premiere on BBC America on Sunday 27th October.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBwa36a7Vk6IdwDjHlve6_N3gBnJpfWJchs4Ld7ePx-3uH1Msn2OtlwXqNA_GKsxvpxayi1zcg_LuSVDNRkYmeNHdNVOhNGFju80YMliaatIjpzggWWsIME7bAGP1aFfEFUkYkHP7qF_s/s1600/10_01_8MB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBwa36a7Vk6IdwDjHlve6_N3gBnJpfWJchs4Ld7ePx-3uH1Msn2OtlwXqNA_GKsxvpxayi1zcg_LuSVDNRkYmeNHdNVOhNGFju80YMliaatIjpzggWWsIME7bAGP1aFfEFUkYkHP7qF_s/s640/10_01_8MB.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">BBC America say:</span></b><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">BBC <st1:place w:st="on">AMERICA</st1:place>celebrates the Tenth Doctor, David Tennant, in a new special of <b>Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited</b>. Tennant played the part from 2005 to 2010. The special begins with David Tennant, Freema Agyeman (companion Martha Jones), lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat, among others, discussing how and why the Tenth Doctor has become one of the most popular Doctors of all time. The special is followed by the Tenth Doctor two-part story <b>The Stolen Earth</b> and <b>Journey’s End</b>, in which Earth’s greatest heroes assemble, to fight the New Dalek Empire. But a fearsome old enemy waits in the shadows…</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited – The Tenth Doctor premieres Sunday, October 27, 8:00pm ET/PT.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICkHxwyutClo2CgAuv1IiNYOwXsoceQiXIEsBsALt66krTecevtXaRLyL_V1wgqP7MDLHfLB1pjVPjO13ZJS03N3RG3hqu12-wJk30OPSvnNkXLwaW1gnUYUtU298xK8A9NWgSTpFm6w/s1600/10_03_13MB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICkHxwyutClo2CgAuv1IiNYOwXsoceQiXIEsBsALt66krTecevtXaRLyL_V1wgqP7MDLHfLB1pjVPjO13ZJS03N3RG3hqu12-wJk30OPSvnNkXLwaW1gnUYUtU298xK8A9NWgSTpFm6w/s640/10_03_13MB.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDBG9H7Ba4SyhulIY9hYz2d8M7nw8bNNdRU65TZ_JoAWhnxgy40JTjSAJGGMBrF1-oFi9H9NVkWF3nvRIZYDJPXBMed2Hy3TeMjCptBfyjx78ewpZ0zClwu43EjLl7TCoNV6nyXoe0mg/s1600/10_04_8MB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDBG9H7Ba4SyhulIY9hYz2d8M7nw8bNNdRU65TZ_JoAWhnxgy40JTjSAJGGMBrF1-oFi9H9NVkWF3nvRIZYDJPXBMed2Hy3TeMjCptBfyjx78ewpZ0zClwu43EjLl7TCoNV6nyXoe0mg/s640/10_04_8MB.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The programme will air in the UK on Sunday 10th November at 2pm on Watch and will also screen on UKTV in Australia and New Zealand.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With thanks to the BBC America Press Office</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>

BBC America David Tennant Doctor Who Doctor Who 50th Anniversary The Doctors Revisited USA USA: The Doctors Revisited - The Tenth Doctor Premieres On BBC America On October 27th

Tenth Doctor's era of Doctor Who will be explored in the next in the season of BBC America specials, The Doctors Revisited . The show de...

Read more »

Tenth Doctor Month On The BBC Doctor Who YouTube Channel

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfL9b0pWiIAk455HEnrmIoZTk9iIc0HHIzK7D4QZg0GTEmHm1TI6gX2EWQEgMMDRcScxBAMza_FRyD4zqaVkb8kfs-ho9cKpVBWz6G60kTVQ8AqfjGTt7JS7iYTHzDCQf5GifOnw2LuU/s1600/PoTW1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfL9b0pWiIAk455HEnrmIoZTk9iIc0HHIzK7D4QZg0GTEmHm1TI6gX2EWQEgMMDRcScxBAMza_FRyD4zqaVkb8kfs-ho9cKpVBWz6G60kTVQ8AqfjGTt7JS7iYTHzDCQf5GifOnw2LuU/s640/PoTW1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tomorrow is the start of October and in terms of the countdown to the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary that means it's Tenth Doctor month.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From tomorrow the official BBC Doctor Who channel on YouTube will be showing clips from David Tennant's era as the Doctor. To whet your appetites, here's his first appearance in the show as Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor bows out at the climax of <i>The Parting Of The Ways</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rose awakens on the TARDIS to find the Doctor in pain. He tells her that the act of absorbing the vortex has destroyed every cell in his body. Rose begins to panic as the Doctor tells her that he won't be seeing her again. After musing on what his next body will look like and telling Rose goodbye, he suddenly steps back and bursts with energy from the regeneration process.</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/qa3NM9Jhkn0" width="420"></iframe><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></i></div><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">David returns to the TARDIS in the 50th Anniversary special <i>The Day Of The Doctor</i> alongside Matt Smith, Jenna Coleman, Billie Piper and John Hurt. The episode airs worldwide from Saturday 23rd November.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/doctorwho/videos">Check out the BBC Doctor Who YouTube channel here</a></span><br /><br /><br />

David Tennant Doctor Who Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Tenth Doctor Month On The BBC Doctor Who YouTube Channel

Tomorrow is the start of October and in terms of the countdown to the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary that means it's Tenth Doctor month. Fr...

Read more »

Outsourcing: 5 ways corporations grab your tax dollars

Greedy corporations just can't seem to get enough outsourcing, as they take control of public assets like roads, parking meters, schools and prisons.<br /><br />None of this is news to anyone. But it seems the scope of outsourcing is growing and the pace is accelerating. Just in the past few days we note news items about the corporate takeover of our schools, our water, our prisons and our national air space. Corporations even manage to persuade taxpayers to pay for <i>creating</i> assets -- like football stadiums -- that benefit people who are already wealthy.<br /><br />Here's a quick rundown: <br /><br /><b>Charter schools: </b><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2013/09/10/charter-school-gravy-train-runs-express-to-fat-city/" rel="nofollow">Forbes</a> reported recently on the corporate grab for local education dollars in a story, "Charter School Gravy Train Runs Express To Fat City." The magazine told it like it is:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">On Thursday, July 25, dozens of bankers, hedge fund types and private equity investors gathered in New York to hear about the latest and greatest opportunities to collect a cut of your property taxes.</blockquote>There are now more than 6,000 charter schools in the United States, 3,500 more than a decade ago, and they're educating 2.3 million children. These corporate schools can pick which students they admit, but local taxpayers pay for them. They're a great way for politicians to reward their cronies. In Ohio, Forbes reports,<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">...two firms operate 9% of the state’s charter schools and are collecting 38% of the state’s charter school funding increase this year. The operators of both firms donate generously to elected Republicans. </blockquote>Sadly, kids in corporate schools don't do any better than kids in public schools.<br /><br /><b>Air traffic control: </b><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-23/talks-on-private-air-traffic-control-turn-serious-in-u-s-.html" rel="nofollow">Bloomberg</a> tells us "Discussions about removing government management of the U.S. air-traffic control system are the most serious in two decades."<br /><br />"Privatization is not the answer," responded a commenter identified as Exctyengr:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">Most of these knuckleheads never served in the military nor flew in the air traffic system. ... We privatized much of the military and we got Blackwater and Halliburton and Kellogg, Brown and Root and how did that work out?  Did we get our money's worth?  Were there scandals? </blockquote><b>Prisons, of course: </b>The <a href="http://teamsternation.blogspot.com/2013/09/private-prisons-profit-scheme.html" rel="nofollow">Center for Media and Democracy</a> reports <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16.890625px;">prison industry giants like </span><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Corrections_Corporation_of_America" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #336699; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16.890625px;">Corrections Corporation of America</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16.890625px;"> are making big profits by locking states into occupancy quotas and “low-crime taxes." Some states </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16.890625px;">state are by the corporation to keep prisons full or pay a fee for unused beds.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16.890625px;"> Cost-cutting by private prisons companies "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-family: 'Lucida Sans', 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">has led to numerous lawsuits and litigation, fines, and increased need for federal oversight, at great cost to taxpayers, communities, inmates and their families." Instead of taxpayer money going to safer communities, it goes to CEO salaries: <a href="http://teamsternation.blogspot.com/2013/09/GEO-group-rap-sheet.html" rel="nofollow">GEO Group </a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16.890625px;"><a href="http://teamsternation.blogspot.com/2013/09/GEO-group-rap-sheet.html" rel="nofollow">CEO George C. Zoley's compensation</a> was an eye-popping $22,315,704 from 2008-2012, almost all paid for by U.S. taxpayers.</span><br /><br /><b>NFL Football:</b> Gregg Easterbrook at <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/10/how-the-nfl-fleeces-taxpayers/309448/" rel="nofollow">The Atlantic</a> argues:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">Taxpayers fund the stadiums, antitrust law doesn't apply to broadcast deals, the league enjoys nonprofit status, and Commissioner Roger Goodell makes $30 million a year. It's time to stop the public giveaways to America's richest sports league—and to the feudal lords who own its teams. </blockquote>Well, at least the players are allowed to belong to unions.<br /><br /><b>Water: </b>In Fryeburg, Maine, a local taxpayer named Bruce Taylor doesn't want Nestle getting a sweetheart deal from state regulators to buy water for its Poland Springs bottled water business. Maine's Public Utilities Commission members all have financial ties to the corporate giant (no surprise there). Taylor told <a href="http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/the-stream/the-stream-officialblog/2013/9/27/conflict-of-interestclaimspersistinmainesnestlewatercase.html" rel="nofollow">al-Jazeera America</a>,<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">“They’re buying a commodity at a cheap regulated rate from a monopoly they own and are reselling it for a high profit in the form of bottled water you find in your local 7-11,” Taylor said. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">Taylor believes Nestle is paying too little for water and making too much profit off of Maine. He suggested “an inverted water rate for any commercial water that leaves the state of Maine.”</blockquote>For more about the perils of outsourcing, read the Center for Media and Democracy's series on <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/projects/outsourcing-america-exposed" rel="nofollow">Outsourcing America Exposed</a>.

aviation safety charter schools football outsourcing private prisons water privatization Outsourcing: 5 ways corporations grab your tax dollars

Greedy corporations just can't seem to get enough outsourcing, as they take control of public assets like roads, parking meters, schools...

Read more »

Clarifying things

I wanted to thank you for your comments on my last post and for the messages and emails...  Even if we don't see eye to eye on life, it's still really comforting to have people who care.<br /><br />One email made me see the need to clarify.  I didn't really want to but I suppose there's others thinking the same thing.  I wish you'd bothered to sign it or told me who you were... I think it was excessively harsh, especially given that you don't have a clue about what is going on in this respect and in my life in general.  But, I put it out there and can accept your criticism.  And while you have no clue about how to play nice, I'm thinking other people have probably got this in their heads too.<br /><br />You don't know.  You have no freaking idea what I've been through in life or what happens every day.  I wasn't raised in the loving home that most of you were.  I could rattle off the things that make me the person I am today and it would read like a grand work of fiction.  You would shake your head in disbelief.  But, I pulled myself through and consider myself a successful person today.<br /><br />Yes, my husband is working late every day.  Yes, I know that's the line that every single person in an affair uses.  Perhaps I'm an idiot, but i will continue to live with the trust that he isn't sleeping around until I have genuine reason to believe otherwise.  The sex?  He's 43... sex drive starts to wane at some point in our lives.  I don't need to have it pointed out how stupid I am.  You're not here, you don't know.<br /><br />I want to make it abundantly clear that in no way do I consider this an emotional affair.  Nothing you can tell me will change my opinion of that.  Even IF it were, there are many bloggers here who are having a real physical sexual affair.  They are still accepted for who they are.<br /><br />This might not be "right" and I know it's probably not.  This isn't a sexual thing.  We are not talking about sex and I'm not sending him detailed reports about sexual things, it's just not like that at all.  I don't harbor fantasies about him, nor does he about me.<br /><br />And here is what is right for me.  I feel like he is giving me some structure and focus.  I now have some rules.  They're not random little submissive rules like kneeling before i go to bed.  They're rules that are going to help me be a better person for my family.  I won't lie, it does go beyond that some, but the structure and focus are big thing for me.<br /><br />So call it what you may... I'm a better person for it.  And crazy as it sounds, this may be the thing that saves my marriage in the end.  Maybe with the structure that I know I need, maybe then I can be a better person who is more lovable.

Clarifying things

I wanted to thank you for your comments on my last post and for the messages and emails...  Even if we don't see eye to eye on life, it&...

Read more »

Weight Watchers vs My Fitness Pal

<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy Monday blog land! Are you ready to make it a great week? I sure am! Today I wanted to talk about what I'm doing to track my food. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've decided to use My Fitness Pal {MFP} to track my eats. I haven't abandoned Weight Watchers {WW} completely and I don't think its is a bad program at all. I've actually had a lot of success with WW. For me, right now where I'm at, using My Fitness Pal is the best option. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here are just a few of my reasons why I chose MFP:</span><br /><ol><li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Its free!</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I like the accountablity of my friends on MFP. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Love the huge database of foods. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Protein/fat/carb ratios</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Its easy to snapshot day at a glance, week at a glance, etc. </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Did I mention its free?</span></li></ol><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Obviously the big part for me right now is that MFP is free. My family has some big financial goals we are reaching for and adding another expense like WW, when I can use MFP for free, seems un-necessary. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">As I move foward in this journey I will keep you posted on my likes/dislikes with MFP vs WW! And if you're on MFP add me "dbangert2".</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><strong>What are your thoughts on MFP vs WW?</strong></span></div>

Weight Watchers vs My Fitness Pal

Happy Monday blog land! Are you ready to make it a great week? I sure am! Today I wanted to talk about what I'm doing to track my food. ...

Read more »

Conservatives launching billion-dollar free market in medical marijuana - The Globe and Mail

The Conservative government is launching a $1.3-billion free market in medical marijuana this Tuesday, eventually providing an expected 450,000 Canadians with quality weed.<br /><br><br /><br>Health Canada is phasing out an older system on Monday that mostly relied on small-scale, homegrown medical marijuana of varying quality, often diverted illegally to the black market.<br /><br><br /><br>In its place, large indoor marijuana farms certified by the RCMP and health inspectors will produce, package and distribute a range of standardized weed, all of it sold for whatever price the market will bear. The first sales are expected in the next few weeks, delivered directly by secure courier.<br /><br><br /><br>"We're fairly confident that we'll have a healthy commercial industry in time," Sophie Galarneau, a senior official with the department, said in an interview.<br /><br><br /><br>"It's a whole other ball game."<br /><br><br /><br>The sanctioned birth of large-scale, free-market marijuana production comes as the Conservatives pillory Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau's campaign to legalize recreational marijuana.<br /><br><br /><br>Health Canada is placing no limits on the number of these new capital-intensive facilities, which will have mandatory vaults and security systems. Private-dwelling production will be banned. Imports from places such as the Netherlands will be allowed.<br /><br><br /><br>Already 156 firms have applied for lucrative producer and distributor status since June, with the first two receiving licences just last week.<br /><br><br /><br>The old system fostered only a cottage industry, with 4,200 growers licensed to produce for a maximum of two patients each. The Mounties have complained repeatedly these grow-ops were often a front for criminal organizations.<br /><br><br /><br>The next six months are a transition period, as Health Canada phases out the old system by March 31, 2014, while encouraging medical marijuana users to register under the replacement regime and to start buying from the new factory-farms.<br /><br><br /><br>There are currently 37,400 medical marijuana users recognized by the department, but officials project that number will swell more than 10-fold, to as many as 450,000 people, by 2024.<br /><br><br /><br>The profit potential is enormous. A gram of dried marijuana bud on the street sells for about $10 and Health Canada projects the legal stuff will average about $7.60 next year, as producers set prices without interference from government.<br /><br><br /><br>Chuck Rifici of Tweed Inc. has applied for a licence to produce medical weed in an abandoned Hershey chocolate factory in hard-scrabble Smiths Falls, Ont.<br /><br><br /><br>Rifici, who is also a senior adviser to Trudeau, was cited in a Conservative cabinet minister's news release Friday that said the Liberals plan to "push pot," with no reference to Health Canada's own encouragement of marijuana entrepreneurs.<br /><br><br /><br>Rifici says he's trying to help a struggling community by providing jobs while giving suffering patients a quality product.<br /><br><br /><br>"There's a real need," he said in an interview. "You see what this medicine does to them."<br /><br><br /><br>Tweed Inc. proposes to produce at least 20 strains to start, and will reserve 10 per cent of production for compassionate, low-cost prescriptions for impoverished patients, he says.<br /><br><br /><br>Patients often use several grams a day to alleviate a wide range of symptoms, including cancer-related pain and nausea. They'll no longer be allowed to grow it for themselves under the new rules.<br /><br><br /><br>Revenues for the burgeoning new industry are expected to hit $1.3-billion a year by 2024, according to federal projections. And operators would be favourably positioned were marijuana ever legalized for recreational use, as it has been in two American states.<br /><br><br /><br>Eric Nash of Island Harvest in Duncan, B.C., has applied for one of the new licences, banking on his experience as a licensed grower since 2002 in the current system.<br /><br><br /><br>"The opportunity in the industry is significant," he said in an interview.<br /><br><br /><br>"We'll see a lot of moving and shaking within the industry, with companies positioning. And I think we'll see some mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances formed."<br /><br><br /><br>"It'll definitely yield benefits to the consumers and certainly for the economy and society in general."<br /><br><br /><br>Veterans Affairs Canada currently pays for medical marijuana for some patients, even though the product lacks official drug status. Some provinces are also being pressed to cover costs, as many users are too sick to work and rely on welfare.<br /><br><br /><br>Health Canada currently sells medical marijuana, produced on contract by Prairie Plant Systems, for $5 a gram, and acknowledges the new system will be more expensive for patients.<br /><br><br /><br>But Galarneau says competition will help keep prices in check.<br /><br><br /><br>"We expect that over time, prices will be driven down by the free market," she said. "The lower price range will likely be around $3 a gram. ... It's hard to predict."<br /><br><br /><br>Saskatoon-based Prairie Plant Systems, and its subsidiary CanniMed Ltd., were granted the first two licences under the system and are already advertising their new products on the web.<br /><br><br /><br><br /><br><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/federal-government-to-launch-billion-dollar-free-market-in-medical-marijuana/article14590161/?service=print">http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/federal-government-to-launch-billion-dollar-free-market-in-medical-marijuana/article14590161/?service=print</a>

Conservatives launching billion-dollar free market in medical marijuana - The Globe and Mail

The Conservative government is launching a $1.3-billion free market in medical marijuana this Tuesday, eventually providing an expected 450,...

Read more »

Psychotherapy’s Image Problem - NYTimes.com

<base href="data:">Psychotherapy is in decline. In the United States, from 1998 to 2007, the number of patients in outpatient mental health facilities receiving psychotherapy alone fell by 34 percent, while the number receiving medication alone increased by 23 percent.<br><br>This is not necessarily for a lack of interest. A recent analysis of 33 studies found that patients expressed a three-times-greater preference for psychotherapy over medications.<br><br>As well they should: for patients with the most common conditions, like depression and anxiety, empirically supported psychotherapies — that is, those shown to be safe and effective in randomized controlled trials — are indeed the best treatments of first choice. Medications, because of their potential side effects, should in most cases be considered only if therapy either doesn't work well or if the patient isn't willing to try counseling.<br><br>So what explains the gap between what people might prefer and benefit from, and what they get?<br><br>The answer is that psychotherapy has an image problem. Primary care physicians, insurers, policy makers, the public and even many therapists are largely unaware of the high level of research support that psychotherapy has. The situation is exacerbated by an assumption of greater scientific rigor in the biologically based practices of the pharmaceutical industries — industries that, not incidentally, also have the money to aggressively market and lobby for those practices.<br><br>For the sake of patients and the health care system itself, psychotherapy needs to overhaul its image, more aggressively embracing, formalizing and promoting its empirically supported methods.<br><br>My colleague Ivan W. Miller and I recently surveyed the empirical literature on psychotherapy in a series of papers we edited for the November edition of the journal Clinical Psychology Review. It is clear that a variety of therapies have strong evidentiary support, including cognitive-behavioral, mindfulness, interpersonal, family and even brief psychodynamic therapies (e.g., 20 sessions).<br><br>In the short term, these therapies are about as effective as medications in reducing symptoms of clinical depression or anxiety disorders. They can also produce better long-term results for patients and their family members, in that they often improve functioning in social and work contexts and prevent relapse better than medications.<br><br>Given the chronic nature of many psychiatric conditions, the more lasting benefits of psychotherapy could help reduce our health care costs and climbing disability rates, which haven't been significantly affected by the large increases in psychotropic medication prescribing in recent decades.<br><br>Psychotherapy faces an uphill battle in making this case to the public. There is no Big Therapy to counteract Big Pharma, with its billions of dollars spent on lobbying, advertising and research and development efforts. Most psychotherapies come from humble beginnings, born from an initial insight in the consulting office or a research finding that is quietly tested and refined in larger studies.<br><br>The fact that medications have a clearer, better marketed evidence base leads to more reliable insurance coverage than psychotherapy has. It also means more prescriptions and fewer referrals to psychotherapy.<br><br>But psychotherapy's problems come as much from within as from without. Many therapists are contributing to the problem by failing to recognize and use evidence-based psychotherapies (and by sometimes proffering patently outlandish ideas). There has been a disappointing reluctance among psychotherapists to make the hard choices about which therapies are effective and which — like some old-fashioned Freudian therapies — should be abandoned.<br><br>There is a lot of organizational catching up to do. Groups like the American Psychiatric Association, which typically promote medications as treatments of first choice, have been publishing practice guidelines for more than two decades, providing recommendations for which treatments to use under what circumstances. The American Psychological Association, which promotes psychotherapeutic approaches, only recently formed a committee to begin developing treatment guidelines.<br><br>Professional psychotherapy organizations also must devote more of their membership dues and resources to lobbying efforts as well as to marketing campaigns targeting consumers, primary care providers and insurers.<br><br>If psychotherapeutic services and expenditures are not based on the best available research, the profession will be further squeezed out by a health care system that increasingly — and rightly — favors evidence-based medicine. Many of psychotherapy's practices already meet such standards. For the good of its patients, the profession must fight for the parity it deserves.<br><br><i>Brandon A. Gaudiano is a clinical psychologist and assistant professor of psychiatry and human behavior at the Alpert Medical School at Brown University.</i><div><br><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/30/opinion/psychotherapys-image-problem.html?">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/30/opinion/psychotherapys-image-problem.html?</a><br><br></div>

Psychotherapy’s Image Problem - NYTimes.com

Psychotherapy is in decline. In the United States, from 1998 to 2007, the number of patients in outpatient mental health facilities receivin...

Read more »

Government shutdown? Skyline Drive & Blue Ridge Parkway would close -- UPDATED

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCrg45c_Twty0OtRUVBQIt4kKWhtyb_nle44FCkfCXU4D8GpomXUIHFYwcO8RYBNcFtuhzu9NuEFDyPlpITnDgWfV9i-RzwdhPGa4qB8itLW2fWa32oGT6A0VlMXi2gIe5jxdjA51M2hr/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCrg45c_Twty0OtRUVBQIt4kKWhtyb_nle44FCkfCXU4D8GpomXUIHFYwcO8RYBNcFtuhzu9NuEFDyPlpITnDgWfV9i-RzwdhPGa4qB8itLW2fWa32oGT6A0VlMXi2gIe5jxdjA51M2hr/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Mabry Mill would be closed during a government shutdown.</i></div><br />Come on, people ... Republicans did this in 1995 and had our behinds kicked to the curb by the American people who blamed the entire government shutdown on the GOP. Do we really have to repeat history?<br /><br />Apparently so, for those who were not around back in the day. If you don't know history, you are bound to repeat it. <br /><br />So <a href="http://www.doi.gov/shutdown/index.cfm">what would be shut down</a>?<br /><br />Just as the east coast approaches leaf season when millions hit the roadways to admire the changing colors of fall, the Blue Ridge Parkway could be a victim of the shutdown. That trickles down to hotels, gas stations, restaurants, attractions, and other tourist-related businesses that clearly benefit during leaf season.<br /><br />The Skyline Drive, Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Smokey Mountains would close under a government shutdown. That includes bathrooms, visitors centers, camping and picnic areas, concessions operations and backcountry trails.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.themountainpress.com/news/x249846987/Government-shutdown-would-mean-Smokies-closure">The Mountain Press</a> reported: <br /><blockquote>The last time the government shut down, in the mid-1990s, for 27 days, closures cost park-dependent communities an estimated $14 million daily, according to a report from the National Parks Conservation Association.<br /><br />“When our national parks closed in 1995-96, I received an outpouring of calls from gateway communities alarmed by the situation,” said Phil Francis, the recently retired superintendent of Blue Ridge Parkway.<br /><br />“The potential shutdown adds insult to injury because these communities are already concerned about the recent cutbacks in funding for national parks that have harmed the Park Service’s ability to serve visitors," Francis added. "No one expected these cuts to happen again. Now we’re looking at not only a potential shutdown, but the likelihood of another round of cuts. If that happens, there’s a good chance it’s going to be even harder.”</blockquote>The <a href="http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20130927/NEWS/309270031/As-leaf-season-nears-government-shutdown-could-close-Blue-Ridge-Parkway">Asheville Citizen-Times</a> weighed in:<br /><blockquote>The parkway, which only recently reopened after a giant crack caused by a landslide was repaired, means a lot to tourism-related businesses in Asheville.<br /><br />If the shutdown happens, and lasts into the fall leaf season, small businesses could feel the pinch.</blockquote><a href="http://www.roanoke.com/news/2262104-12/government-shutdown-would-close-blue-ridge-parkway.html">The Roanoke Times</a> laid it on the line:<br /><blockquote>The Blue Ridge Parkway and many of its attractions will close during its peak travel season if the federal government shuts down on Tuesday.<br /><br />All national parks will be forced to close if Congress does not agree on a spending bill by midnight Monday. If a shutdown happens, park rangers have been instructed to close the parkway.<br /><br />“The plan is to close up all operations and shut the gates for the most part,” said Leesa Brandon, Partnerships & Community Outreach Coordinator for the parkway. “I am still hopeful that there will be a resolution and it won’t come to that.”</blockquote>Last week's journey down the Blue Ridge Parkway would not have been possible this week if the shutdown goes through. All the places SWAC Husband and I visited are slated to be closed:<br /><blockquote>Although many details will still need to be addressed, the Department of the Interior’s plan seems to instruct parkway attractions such as Mabry Mill, the Peaks of Otter and other privately managed venues on parkway property to close. Even if those places are allowed to remain open, however, travelers in automobiles would have limited access.<br /><br />Likewise, should a shutdown occur, the Blue Ridge Music Center will be forced to close and its daily bluegrass and old-time mountain music events will be canceled.</blockquote><a href="http://swacgirl.blogspot.com/2012/10/autumn-travel-and-leaf-peeping-in.html">No leaf looking</a> along Skyline Drive ... Shenandoah National Park closed ... no taking <a href="http://swacgirl.blogspot.com/2013/09/blue-ridge-heritage-polly-growing-up-in.html">Polly to lunch</a> at Skyland Resort as we had planned. The shutdown would close it all and, again, affect businesses along the way.<br /><br />NPR senior business editor Marilyn Geewax <a href="http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2013/09/27/impact-government-shutdown">commented</a>:<br /><blockquote>"... tourism could take a big hit. Consider if you owned a restaurant. I talked to a guy who owned a restaurant out - just outside of the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Early October is the leaf peeping season. That's when people are out there, driving around. If the National Park is closed, the Skyline Drive is closed, that's a real hit on all of that tourism industry out there. So restaurant owners worry, stores worry and, you know, the entire really travel industry is concerned because passports won't get processed.<br /><br />"So people may not plan various trips. So we're not really talking about an airport shutdown. Air traffic controllers will be deemed essential. TSA workers, they'll be essential. But it's all the things around traveling. Yes, the airport may be open, but if Yosemite Park is closed, what's the point of going on your vacation?"</blockquote>Glad we made our trek last week when we were able to see <a href="http://swacgirl.blogspot.com/2013/09/blue-ridge-parkway-lunch-at-peaks-of.html">Peaks of Otter</a>, <a href="http://swacgirl.blogspot.com/2013/09/early-morning-reflections-at-mabry-mill.html">Mabry Mill</a>, Explore Park, the BRP Music Center, and all the other sights along that meandering American byway.<br /><br /><b>UPDATED 10/1/2013:</b> A last-minute decision on Monday by the National Park Service will allow the Blue Ridge Parkway to remain open during the government shutdown. Political reporter Bob Stuart has the latest today in the <a href="http://www.dailyprogress.com/newsvirginian/news/local/shenandoah-national-park-to-close-if-shutdown-happens/article_37420cb0-2a29-11e3-a5d7-001a4bcf6878.html"><i>News-Virginian. </i></a><br /><br /><i>Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell</i>

Blue Ridge Mountains Blue Ridge Parkway federal government government shutdown Mabry Mill Music Center Peaks of Otter Shenandoah National Park Skyline Drive Government shutdown? Skyline Drive & Blue Ridge Parkway would close -- UPDATED

  Mabry Mill would be closed during a government shutdown. Come on, people ... Republicans did this in 1995 and had our behinds kicked to th...

Read more »

blue and white monday at the pink pagoda

Happy Monday y'all! I'm still recovering from an A+ weekend but I've got one more party in me. That's why I'm over at <a href="http://blog.thepinkpagoda.us/2013/09/the-blue-and-white-bash.html" target="_blank">The Pink Pagoda</a> joining in on the Blue and White Monday party.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5IuhEE_xlcoziWO1KRimceziXguAhbuf0linjPmpdNhOoT5HvcKZ1kyB_uyXAgnIR-BDzhQfWNGxMOHbHNheYrmiAInq80Mu6EUYKfzzkWP6GI92z93dl_dJ0Ew_g9FzD12gFrI_c_dWn/s1600/The+Pink+Pagoda+Blue+and+White+Bash.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5IuhEE_xlcoziWO1KRimceziXguAhbuf0linjPmpdNhOoT5HvcKZ1kyB_uyXAgnIR-BDzhQfWNGxMOHbHNheYrmiAInq80Mu6EUYKfzzkWP6GI92z93dl_dJ0Ew_g9FzD12gFrI_c_dWn/s320/The+Pink+Pagoda+Blue+and+White+Bash.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><a href="http://blog.thepinkpagoda.us/2013/09/the-blue-and-white-bash.html" target="_blank">Come over</a> and join in on the fun.

blue and white monday at the pink pagoda

Happy Monday y'all! I'm still recovering from an A+ weekend but I've got one more party in me. That's why I'm over at Th...

Read more »

My first day back on Weight Watchers

I made it through my first day of Weight Watchers without feeling completely starved and only mildly deprived. I actually tracked every bite and stayed within my Points. <br /><br />I don't remember the last time I tracked an entire day of food. It was interesting that even though I don't have that ridiculous 100% focus on weight loss that makes me somewhat psycho (okay, a LOT psycho), I still made really good choices. <br /><br />At the movie I refused the buttered popcorn my friend offered to me, but I did indulge in his Junior Mints. I used my Weight Watcher phone app and scanned the bar code. Sixteen Junior Mints is 5 Points. I counted out 16 mints, placed them on a napkin and ate them one by one, savoring each bite. They would have been better if they were frozen but this theater doesn't freeze them. My sister, who was with us (and is with us every Sunday) thought the whole thing was hysterically funny. <br /><br />My friend thought I was just plain nuts and tried to convince me to eat whatever I want on weekends and diet during the week. It works for him. He eats super healthy all week, then starting Friday night through Sunday night, he eats whatever he wants. This maintains his healthy 160 pounds on a 6' frame (and he's 55 years old). I claim he has some sort of freakishly fast metabolism although he swears that's not the case. Regardless, I know my body well enough to know I can't eat whatever I want on weekends. The Junior Mints were my big indulgence and something I would have never done in my previous life. Waste 5 Points on candy?! Never! But this is my new life where I relax the rules a little on occasion, in an effort to maintain my sanity.<br /><br />Dinner was at Applebees last night, with my sister and friend. He almost always orders from the under 550 calorie selection. I looked up the nutrition for the Napa Chicken and Portobello meal he ordered and it was 11 Points. Less than the Weight Watcher selections. It was really good and very filling. I'd highly recommend it if you end up eating at Applebees.<br /><br />It's almost 5 a.m. I'm going to get dressed in my gym clothes and head to the gym. It's going to be part of my new routine. I'm excited to see what they've done to it during the week long closure for renovation. I really hope they have some cool, new cardio equipment. I hate cardio so anything different would be fun. <br /><br />I can't believe I've actually posted two days in a row. It's been months but I feel this blog is a necessary and fun part of trying to lose weight. I've missed it. I've missed the people that use to read it and leave kind and supportive comments. I hope you're all still out there. :)

My first day back on Weight Watchers

I made it through my first day of Weight Watchers without feeling completely starved and only mildly deprived. I actually tracked every bite...

Read more »

Almost heaven ... views of Grayson Highlands State Park

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUOuwKjDSUiZNg-sfNZe4ETNSM6AME7OQaJWM6lnexhEKz8tNcijSE0Z37YIHymzRlG27eoFFoa6Oy-NHDgB968mqx4fUVYSrsayQlSIycDtPPAAw96XmCJzuI3RTO1DotfnQB2Mz-keE/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUOuwKjDSUiZNg-sfNZe4ETNSM6AME7OQaJWM6lnexhEKz8tNcijSE0Z37YIHymzRlG27eoFFoa6Oy-NHDgB968mqx4fUVYSrsayQlSIycDtPPAAw96XmCJzuI3RTO1DotfnQB2Mz-keE/s400/11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdDrfMVQdxYojJI47wlzFcFNTRjLwVFihTSn6JzaIXw5uM2QRqsvgCdcNjESZKv5RGa1e4hiAeNYzkIgwFFBKT0LRqa-CyOc7xq1OGDDFHZpABHY8ZUp6pZ7m5F-F8z13qkiEV5NkZzjqS/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdDrfMVQdxYojJI47wlzFcFNTRjLwVFihTSn6JzaIXw5uM2QRqsvgCdcNjESZKv5RGa1e4hiAeNYzkIgwFFBKT0LRqa-CyOc7xq1OGDDFHZpABHY8ZUp6pZ7m5F-F8z13qkiEV5NkZzjqS/s400/6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisvpmVmwl5uKnxAu-36WPACSbQxJoik08JUEfL0cmHtRoVJvmS8ioH_PWNE2kRjXT3j3nm6Ofnoxb5gZTLJOLPhu9_R8Y6JQODCvrqavwyUYfb4xnBCEXlYd3FDxZsFkpAD5AvhBpc7fOS/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisvpmVmwl5uKnxAu-36WPACSbQxJoik08JUEfL0cmHtRoVJvmS8ioH_PWNE2kRjXT3j3nm6Ofnoxb5gZTLJOLPhu9_R8Y6JQODCvrqavwyUYfb4xnBCEXlYd3FDxZsFkpAD5AvhBpc7fOS/s400/7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMQA7Jv_A0bkUrAlByIDiNup8AxYLEFezl7Q0dm6wFpv3vblb-oqI3FoJ48kPfTCgatE158CAU7L1dPfLDa6PlyO7I4j4VaULuUzU94yBlwM2-SELiW1_OME8N94x76wdupJtlUAEh4fT/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMQA7Jv_A0bkUrAlByIDiNup8AxYLEFezl7Q0dm6wFpv3vblb-oqI3FoJ48kPfTCgatE158CAU7L1dPfLDa6PlyO7I4j4VaULuUzU94yBlwM2-SELiW1_OME8N94x76wdupJtlUAEh4fT/s400/10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLi-Q1W8Wi2TZdHDaxUMIcG9JQbvQKCqCN7-zfT8o3wN3bAtKs9oReAIycywQSf0yMCHXQO2lxfxtuoKBYYsFeGyDK4fcYAxM-V3aj10N_uYFl0zBtA8QrdFGSXjbA0QPFIiLEA9mrEMxb/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLi-Q1W8Wi2TZdHDaxUMIcG9JQbvQKCqCN7-zfT8o3wN3bAtKs9oReAIycywQSf0yMCHXQO2lxfxtuoKBYYsFeGyDK4fcYAxM-V3aj10N_uYFl0zBtA8QrdFGSXjbA0QPFIiLEA9mrEMxb/s400/12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-3LygFTHwK8wlxSU2lg33iVyoPa9AETgvlMPiLb2oFlTKAlaqmAcnMSfNl7UfTCTJRzrHoKbtEq-J4WeFcT0aQim_raLe97mc8aZf6NERivNaWh4e6dXAp50G3HgPntME-NPpyiwylAS/s1600/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-3LygFTHwK8wlxSU2lg33iVyoPa9AETgvlMPiLb2oFlTKAlaqmAcnMSfNl7UfTCTJRzrHoKbtEq-J4WeFcT0aQim_raLe97mc8aZf6NERivNaWh4e6dXAp50G3HgPntME-NPpyiwylAS/s400/15.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrgyWGKgdMk3OYzAabFzybC9Ca7aJyjV8NJ-QY-O0RjrhvV7iJEKLqkcGbEiUS6LKWLVxXO9lYpBd5fOojvuViuC4VrAlAyjc2CGJ471Cx_mQ7S_gGfhXADyoXuRc2gt0FhGQDUUJXVcX/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrgyWGKgdMk3OYzAabFzybC9Ca7aJyjV8NJ-QY-O0RjrhvV7iJEKLqkcGbEiUS6LKWLVxXO9lYpBd5fOojvuViuC4VrAlAyjc2CGJ471Cx_mQ7S_gGfhXADyoXuRc2gt0FhGQDUUJXVcX/s400/14.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSuNT0tCYJo0BjwTUdtKPGDe8-QajcJnoaFYM0UsbWDqpvKIlPt4yF4slM_7L2lX72UOsHAjtrjTdagVlHb5ExSgvjlgYaBW44lEQ98KVYPvluvbP-iETzAaABhPNI1VOHLmTU4mSU4lx/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSuNT0tCYJo0BjwTUdtKPGDe8-QajcJnoaFYM0UsbWDqpvKIlPt4yF4slM_7L2lX72UOsHAjtrjTdagVlHb5ExSgvjlgYaBW44lEQ98KVYPvluvbP-iETzAaABhPNI1VOHLmTU4mSU4lx/s400/13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxjTVGLQ-4ZxaS2XnmEBwDnNS-JupB-7SwxMz9UszXi7nd68Dj-H9i0KhA6z3dqEGhKwSPZYeJ0v5ilKAiKsrP2weIoKD-sQIThjfgp7JrBL9gzM-Kczk1XO1OSnYABYchErhrVFH14jt/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxjTVGLQ-4ZxaS2XnmEBwDnNS-JupB-7SwxMz9UszXi7nd68Dj-H9i0KhA6z3dqEGhKwSPZYeJ0v5ilKAiKsrP2weIoKD-sQIThjfgp7JrBL9gzM-Kczk1XO1OSnYABYchErhrVFH14jt/s400/16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih_AnFf9M1KmAVhdsF0Q0-DXJ7bE6dfHdtRCgVCQcQ1WAVwBQ53uDF3gbTadga4stBFISY0Z1RCJdyKobtY08pr-FUI3elNrWMEAH78jCqShb_XvzsllJ9FOz5eg8gwahDrqtpMaba50aG/s1600/24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih_AnFf9M1KmAVhdsF0Q0-DXJ7bE6dfHdtRCgVCQcQ1WAVwBQ53uDF3gbTadga4stBFISY0Z1RCJdyKobtY08pr-FUI3elNrWMEAH78jCqShb_XvzsllJ9FOz5eg8gwahDrqtpMaba50aG/s400/24.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-MEwwqPaIz_egrTOLeQj06ipJEHWyWPpzxSbj6W8q7-uzmmn726ci-VuusG6a-ZsJ9hqP3FdD_PHqXiuFxBsV7lwzTh-2KdY8w2BCJEee3YZDo72FWZYHg-b3MFzIn5azmEKeawNkZA9E/s1600/27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-MEwwqPaIz_egrTOLeQj06ipJEHWyWPpzxSbj6W8q7-uzmmn726ci-VuusG6a-ZsJ9hqP3FdD_PHqXiuFxBsV7lwzTh-2KdY8w2BCJEee3YZDo72FWZYHg-b3MFzIn5azmEKeawNkZA9E/s400/27.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />September 28, 2013

Grayson County Grayson Highlands Festival Grayson Highlands State Park Mouth of Wilson September southwestern Virginia Almost heaven ... views of Grayson Highlands State Park

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell September 28, 2013

Read more »

A message for every teacher

<p> <span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal;">Don't measure your worth by how often you're thanked.</span></p> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal;">But just so you know - THANK YOU.</span></div> <p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal;">Your job is important. You are important. Your sacrifice is worth it. THANK YOU. </span></p> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bgCH2qq6RDk/Uj-dCc0q6CI/AAAAAAAAIu4/4MJIYvdtd0E/s460/live_love_teach.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="460" id="blogsy-1380415904245.2192" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bgCH2qq6RDk/Uj-dCc0q6CI/AAAAAAAAIu4/4MJIYvdtd0E/s460/live_love_teach.jpg" width="460"></a></div> <p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal;">You are noble. Never let the lack of thanks cause you to forget your nobility. Live it. Be it. Be the kind of teacher this world desperately needs.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal;">And for every one of you who are THAT kind of teacher - the world owes you gratitude for which it will never give. But let us teachers give it to one another, for truly, we are among the few who really know what it means to give up your life in pursuit of helping a child find theirs.</span></p> <p> </p><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Written by Vicki Davis, author - Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds - Posted with Blogsy from my iPad" height="20" src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" />Written by Vicki Davis, author - Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds - Posted with Blogsy from my iPad</a></div>

EDUCATION Teaching A message for every teacher

Don't measure your worth by how often you're thanked. But just so you know - THANK YOU. Your job is important. You are important....

Read more »

U.S. House schedule for Monday, September 30, 2013

<i><a href="http://majorityleader.gov/">From Majority Leader Eric Cantor....</a></i><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><u><b>MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH </b></u><br /> <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_675978520" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">On Tuesday</span></span>, the House will meet at <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_675978521" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">10:00 a.m.</span></span> for legislative business. <br /> First votes expected: not before <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_675978522" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">11:00 a.m.</span></span> Last votes expected: TBD.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>One Minute Speeches</b><br /><br /> <b>Legislation Considered Under Suspension of the Rules:</b><br /> <blockquote> <b>1) <a href="http://republicanleaderforms.house.gov/Components/Redirect/r.aspx?ID=368019-6846703" target="_blank">H.R. 3174</a></b> - To authorize the Secretary of Transportation to obligate funds for emergency relief projects arising from damage caused by severe weather events in 2013, and for other purposes<i> (Sponsored by Rep. Cory Gardner / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)</i><br /> <br /> <b>2) <a href="http://republicanleaderforms.house.gov/Components/Redirect/r.aspx?ID=368020-6846703" target="_blank">S. 1348</a></b> - Congressional Award Act Program Reauthorization Act of 2013<i> (Sponsored by Sen. Thomas Carper / Education and the Workforce Committee)</i><br /> </blockquote><b>Further consideration of <a href="http://republicanleaderforms.house.gov/Components/Redirect/r.aspx?ID=368021-6846703" target="_blank">H.J.Res. 59</a></b> - Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014<i><b> </b>(Sponsored by Rep. Harold Rogers / Appropriations Committee)</i><br /><br /> <b>Special Order Speeches</b><br /><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"><u><b>COMMITTEE ACTIVITY OF THE DAY</b></u><br /> Rules Committee meeting on “<a href="http://republicanleaderforms.house.gov/Components/Redirect/r.aspx?ID=368022-6846703" target="_blank">H.R. 992, Swaps Regulatory Improvement Act; H.R. 2374, Retail Investor Protection Act</a>” (Monday, September 30th, at <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_675978523" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">5:00 p.m.</span></span>)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://republicanleaderforms.house.gov/Components/Redirect/r.aspx?ID=368024-6846703" target="_blank">Printable PDF</a>

Eric Cantor U.S. Congress U.S. House schedule for Monday, September 30, 2013

From Majority Leader Eric Cantor.... MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH On Tuesday , the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. ...

Read more »

Today's Teamster News 09.30.13

<a href="http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/communities/wegmans-blames-teamsters-for-anti-buffalo-banner-at-bills-game-20130929" rel="nofollow">Wegmans blames Teamsters for anti-Buffalo banner at Bills game</a>  The Buffalo News   ...In addition to passing out union leaflets at the Bills game, the Teamsters were accused of using the airplane to fly over the stadium with a “Wegmans wants Buffalo to lose” banner...<br /><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-29/jpmorgan-s-biggest-mistake.html" rel="nofollow">JPMorgan’s Biggest Mistake</a>  Bloomberg   ...the derivatives trades resulted in losses of $6.2 billion plus an additional $920 million in <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-19/jpmorgan-chase-agrees-to-pay-920-million-for-london-whale-loss.html">fines</a> -- so far...<br /><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/29/elizabeth-warren-student-loans_n_4013321.html" rel="nofollow">Elizabeth Warren Calls For Big Changes To Student Loans</a>  Huffington Post   ...College graduates struggling to repay their student loans should have an easier time getting their debt eliminated if they go into bankruptcy, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said Saturday...<br /><a href="http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/social-security-does-not-redistribute-from-young-to-old-it-is-a-public-pension-system?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+beat_the_press+%28Beat+the+Press%29" rel="nofollow">Social Security Does Not Redistribute From Young to Old, It Is a Public Pension System</a>  Center for Economic and Policy Research   ...If workers contributed the same amount to a privately managed pension fund and then collected an annuity in their retirement no one would call it a redistribution from young to old...<br /><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/27/britain-pilots-sleep-idUSL5N0HN1CJ20130927" rel="nofollow">Half of British pilots admit to falling asleep in cockpit -survey</a>  Reuters   ...According to the British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA), 56 percent of 500 commercial pilots admitted to being asleep while on the flight deck and, of those, nearly one in three said they had woken up to find their co-pilot also asleep...<br /><a href="http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2013/09/gasoline-prices-down-35-cents-per.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CalculatedRisk+%28Calculated+Risk%29" rel="nofollow">Gasoline Prices down 35 cents per gallon year-over-year</a>  Calculated Risk   ...Some of the year-over-year price decline is related to slightly lower Brent oil prices, but most of decline is because there were refinery and pipeline issues last year at this time...<br /><a href="http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2013/09/government-blurs-the-lines-between-bad-guys-and-average-americans/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheBigPicture+%28The+Big+Picture%29" rel="nofollow">Government Blurs the Lines Between Bad Guys and Average Americans</a>  The Big Picture   ...If you’ve ever cared about privacy while using the Internet in public, you might be a terrorist. At least that’s the message from the FBI and Justice Department’s Communities Against Terrorism initiative...<br /><a href="http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=10793" rel="nofollow">TPP Protestors Scale Trade Building To Bring Attention to Secretive Deal </a> The Real News   ...The Trans-Pacific Partnership has nothing to do with trade or freedom, and ongoing demonstrations could encourage those on the inside to speak up...<br /><a href="http://www.policymattersohio.org/sowo-2013" rel="nofollow">Stuck: State of Working Ohio 2013</a>  Policy Matters Ohio   ...While the national recovery is weak, Ohio’s is much worse... <br /><a href="http://www.uaw.org/articles/uaw-releases-2014-union-built-vehicles-list" rel="nofollow">UAW releases 2014 union-built vehicles list</a>  UAW   ...The new editions to the list include Ford Motor Co.’s Fusion sedan, made for the first time at the Flat Rock (Mich.) Assembly Plant as a result of 2011 bargaining between the UAW and Ford...<br /><a href="http://host.madison.com/news/local/writers/mike_ivey/wisconsin-leads-nation-in-removing-most-people-from-medicaid/article_40027362-09d1-11e3-bcaa-001a4bcf887a.html" rel="nofollow">Wisconsin leads nation in removing most people from Medicaid</a>  The Cap Times   ...By a wide margin, Wisconsin would remove more low income people from Medicaid than any other state as part of a plan advanced by Gov. Scott Walker still awaiting federal approval...<br /><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/govt-sue-north-carolina-voter-law-20415941" rel="nofollow">Govt to Sue North Carolina Over New Voter Law</a>  Associated Press   ...The Justice Department will sue the state of North Carolina for alleged racial discrimination over tough new voting rules, the latest effort by the Obama administration to fight back against a Supreme Court decision that struck down the most powerful part of the landmark Voting Rights Act and freed southern states from strict federal oversight of their elections...<br /><a href="http://www.newsday.com/classifieds/real-estate/rising-foreclosures-hurt-island-as-nation-recovers-1.6159638" rel="nofollow">Rising foreclosures hurt Island as nation recovers</a>  Newsday   ...New foreclosure cases on Long Island are spiking, even as the mortgage crisis fades in the rest of the United States...

Today's Teamster News 09.30.13

Wegmans blames Teamsters for anti-Buffalo banner at Bills game  The Buffalo News   ...In addition to passing out union leaflets at the Bill...

Read more »