text:
import argparse
import json
import sys
import distutils.util
import os

# update info
current_script_version = 4
version_info_url = "https://static.tumult.com/hype/export-scripts/DoubleClickStudio/latest_script_version.txt" # only returns a version number
download_url = "https://tumult.com/hype/export-scripts/DoubleClickStudio/" # gives a user info to download and install
minimum_update_check_duration_in_seconds = 60 * 60 * 24 # once a day
defaults_bundle_identifier = "com.tumult.Hype2.hype-export.DoubleClickStudio"

# html insertions
insert_at_head_start = """
	<meta name="ad.size" content="width=${width},height=${height}">
	<script src="https://s0.2mdn.net/ads/studio/Enabler.js"></script>
	${rushEventsForPreview}
"""

insert_at_head_end = """
	<script>

	(function () {

		var thisHypeDocument = null;
		var didLoadHypeDocument = false;

		function preInit() {
			if (Enabler.isInitialized()) {
				init();
			} else {
				Enabler.addEventListener(studio.events.StudioEvent.INIT, init);
			}
		}

		function init() {
			// Polite loading
			if (Enabler.isVisible()) {
				show();
			} else {
				Enabler.addEventListener(studio.events.StudioEvent.VISIBLE, show);
			}
		}

		function show() {
			if(thisHypeDocument != null && didLoadHypeDocument == false) {
				thisHypeDocument.showSceneNamed(thisHypeDocument.sceneNames()[0]);
				didLoadHypeDocument = true;
			}
		}

		function hypeDocumentLoadCallback(hypeDocument, element, event) {
			thisHypeDocument = hypeDocument;
			if(!Enabler.isInitialized() || !Enabler.isVisible()) {
				// don't load the Hype document until DoubleClick Enabler has loaded and is visible
				return false;
			}
			didLoadHypeDocument = true;
			return true;
		}

		function hypeDocumentResourceLoadCallback(hypeDocument, element, event) {
			// a method to get the resource name from the URL
			var resourceName = event.url.substr(event.url.lastIndexOf('/') + 1);

			// use the Enabler API so video will get the proper URLs
			return Enabler.getUrl(resourceName);
		}

		if("HYPE_eventListeners" in window === false) {
			window.HYPE_eventListeners = Array();
		}
		window.HYPE_eventListeners.push({"type":"HypeDocumentLoad", "callback":hypeDocumentLoadCallback});
		window.HYPE_eventListeners.push({"type":"HypeResourceLoad", "callback":hypeDocumentResourceLoadCallback});

		window.addEventListener('load', preInit);

	})();

	function hypeAdExit(identifier, url) {
		if(url != null) {
			Enabler.exitOverride(identifier, url);
		} else {
			Enabler.exit(identifier, url);
		}
	}

	function hypeAdCounter(identifier) {
		Enabler.counter(identifier);
	}

	function hypeAdStartTimer(identifier) {
		Enabler.startTimer(identifier);
	}

	function hypeAdStopTimer(identifier) {
		Enabler.stopTimer(identifier);
	}

	function hypeAdDummyInteractions() {
		${dummy_interactions}
	}

	</script>
"""

insert_at_body_start = ""
insert_at_body_end = ""

function_name_mapping = { "hypeAdExit" : "Enabler.exit", "hypeAdCounter" : "Enabler.counter", "hypeAdStartTimer" : "Enabler.startTimer", "hypeAdStopTimer" : "Enabler.stopTimer" }
def construct_dummy_interaction(function_name, arguments):
	if function_name in function_name_mapping:
		replaced_function_name = function_name_mapping[function_name]
	else:
		return None

	# handle special case for hypeAdExit
	if function_name == "hypeAdExit":
		if len(arguments) >= 2:
			replaced_function_name = "Enabler.exitOverride"

	return "" + replaced_function_name + "(" + ",".join(arguments) + ")"

class HypeURLType:
	Unknown = 0
	HypeJS = 1
	Resource = 2
	Link = 3
	ResourcesFolder = 4

def main():
	parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
	parser.add_argument('--hype_version')
	parser.add_argument('--hype_build')
	parser.add_argument('--export_uid')

	parser.add_argument('--get_options', action='store_true')

	parser.add_argument('--replace_url')
	parser.add_argument('--url_type')
	parser.add_argument('--is_reference', default="False")
	parser.add_argument('--should_preload')

	parser.add_argument('--modify_staging_path')
	parser.add_argument('--destination_path')
	parser.add_argument('--export_info_json_path')
	parser.add_argument('--is_preview', default="False")

	parser.add_argument('--check_for_updates', action='store_true')

	args, unknown = parser.parse_known_args()

	## --get_options
	##		return arguments to be presented in the Hype UI as a dictionary:
	##		'export_options' is a dictionary of key/value pairs that make modifications to Hype's export/preview system. Some useful ones:
	##			'exportShouldInlineHypeJS' : boolean
	##			'exportShouldInlineDocumentLoader' : boolean
	##			'exportShouldUseExternalRuntime' : boolean
	##			'exportExternalRuntimeURL' : string
	##			'exportShouldSaveHTMLFile' : boolean
	##			'indexTitle' : string
	##			'exportShouldBustBrowserCaching' : boolean
	##			'exportShouldIncludeTextContents' : boolean
	##			'exportShouldIncludePIE' : boolean
	##			'exportSupportInternetExplorer6789' : boolean
	##			'initialSceneIndex' : integer
	##		'save_options' is a dictionary of key/value pairs that for determining when/how to export. valid keys:
	##			'file_extension' : the final extension when exported (ex. "zip")
	##			'allows_export' : should show up in the File > Export as HTML5 menu and Advanced Export
	##			'allows_preview' : should show up in the Preview menu, if so --is_preview True is passed into the --modify_staging_path call
	##		'document_arguments' should be an array of keys, these will be passed to subsequent calls via --key value
	##		'extra_actions' should be an array of dictionaries
	##			'label': string that is the user presented name
	##			'function': javascript function to call if this action is triggered, just the name of it
	##			'arguments': array of dictionaries that represent arguments passed into the function
	##				'label': string that is presented to Hype UI
	##				'type': string that is either "String" (will be quoted and escaped) or "Expression" (passed directly to function argument as-is)
	if args.get_options:
		def export_options():
			return {
				"exportShouldInlineHypeJS" : True,
				"exportShouldInlineDocumentLoader" : True,
				#"exportShouldUseExternalRuntime" : False,
				#"exportExternalRuntimeURL" : "",
				"exportShouldSaveHTMLFile" : True,
				"exportShouldNameAsIndexDotHTML" : True,
				#"indexTitle" : "",
				"exportShouldBustBrowserCaching" : False,
				"exportShouldIncludeTextContents" : False,
				"exportShouldIncludePIE" : False,
				"exportSupportInternetExplorer6789" : False,
				"exportShouldSaveRestorableDocument" : False,
			}

		def save_options():
			return {
				"file_extension" : "zip",
				"allows_export" : True,
				"allows_preview" : True,
			}

		def extra_actions():
			return [
				{"label" : "Exit", "function" : "hypeAdExit", "arguments":[{"label":"id", "type": "String"}]},
				{"label" : "Exit Override", "function" : "hypeAdExit", "arguments":[{"label":"id", "type": "String"}, {"label":"url", "type": "String"}]},
				{"label" : "Counter", "function" : "hypeAdCounter", "arguments":[{"label":"eventId", "type": "String"}]},
				{"label" : "Start Timer", "function" : "hypeAdStartTimer", "arguments":[{"label":"timerId", "type": "String"}]},
				{"label" : "Stop Timer", "function" : "hypeAdStopTimer", "arguments":[{"label":"timerId", "type": "String"}]},
			]

		options = {
			"export_options" : export_options(),
			"save_options" : save_options(),
			"extra_actions" : extra_actions(),
			"min_hype_build_version" : "574", # build number (ex "574") and *not* marketing version (ex "3.6.0")
			#"max_hype_build_version" : "10000", # build number (ex "574") and *not* marketing version (ex "3.6.0")
		}

		exit_with_result(options)

	## --replace_url [url] --url_type [HypeURLType] --is_reference [True|False] --should_preload [None|True|False] --is_preview [True|False] --export_uid [identifier]
	##		return a dictionary with "url", "is_reference", and optional "should_preload" keys
	##		if HypeURLType.ResourcesFolder, you can set the url to "." so there is no .hyperesources folder and everything
	##		is placed next to the .html file
	##		should_preload may be None type in cases where it won't be used
	elif args.replace_url != None:
		url_info = {}
		url_info['is_reference'] = bool(distutils.util.strtobool(args.is_reference))
		if args.should_preload != None:
			url_info['should_preload'] = bool(distutils.util.strtobool(args.should_preload))

		if int(args.url_type) == HypeURLType.ResourcesFolder:
			url_info['url'] = "."
		else:
			url_info['url'] = args.replace_url

		exit_with_result(url_info)

	## --modify_staging_path [filepath] --destination_path [filepath] --export_info_json_path [filepath] --is_preview [True|False] --export_uid [identifier]
	##		return True if you moved successfully to the destination_path, otherwise don't return anything and Hype will make the move
	##		make any changes you'd like before the save is complete
	##		for example, if you are a zip, you need to zip and write to the destination_path
	##		or you may want to inject items into the HTML file
	##		if it is a preview, you shouldn't do things like zip it up, as Hype needs to know where the index.html file is
	##		export_info_json_path is a json object holding keys:
	##			html_filename: string that is the filename for the html file which you may want to inject changes into
	##			main_container_width: number representing the width of the document in pixels
	##			main_container_height: number representing the height of the document in pixels
	##			document_arguments: dictionary of key/value pairs based on what was passed in from the earlier --get_options call
	##			extra_actions: array of dictionaries for all usages of the extra actions. There is no guarantee these all originated from this script or version.
	##				function: string of function name (as passed in from --get_options)
	##				arguments: array of strings	elif args.modify_staging_path != None:
	elif args.modify_staging_path != None:
		import os
		import string

		is_preview = bool(distutils.util.strtobool(args.is_preview))

		# read export_info.json file
		export_info_file = open(args.export_info_json_path)
		export_info = json.loads(export_info_file.read())
		export_info_file.close()

		# add in method to make Enabler faster and width/height into insert_at_head_start variable
		global insert_at_head_start
		template = string.Template(insert_at_head_start)
		if is_preview:
			rushEventsForPreview = '<script data-exports-type="dclk-quick-preview">studio.Enabler.setRushSimulatedLocalEvents(true);</script>';
		else:
			rushEventsForPreview = '';
		insert_at_head_start = template.substitute({'width' : export_info['main_container_width'], 'height' : export_info['main_container_height'], "rushEventsForPreview" : rushEventsForPreview })

		# insert interactions for dummy code so it is picked up by ad parsers
		global insert_at_head_end
		template = string.Template(insert_at_head_end)
		dummy_interactions = ""
		for actionInfo in export_info['extra_actions']:
			dummy_interaction = construct_dummy_interaction(actionInfo["function"], actionInfo["arguments"])
			if dummy_interaction == None:
				continue
			dummy_interactions = dummy_interactions + "\t\t" + dummy_interaction + ";\n"
		insert_at_head_end = template.substitute({"dummy_interactions" : dummy_interactions})

		# rewrite HTML file
		index_path = os.path.join(args.modify_staging_path, export_info['html_filename'].encode("utf-8"))
		perform_html_additions(index_path)

		# move to final location and zip up if not a preview
		import shutil
		shutil.rmtree(args.destination_path, ignore_errors=True)

		if is_preview == True:
			shutil.move(args.modify_staging_path, args.destination_path)
			exit_with_result(True)
		else:
			zip(args.modify_staging_path, args.destination_path)
			exit_with_result(True)

	## --check_for_updates
	##		return a dictionary with "url", "from_version", and "to_version" keys if there is an update, otherwise don't return anything and exit
	##		it is your responsibility to decide how often to check
	elif args.check_for_updates:
		import subprocess
		import urllib2

		last_check_timestamp = None
		try:
			last_check_timestamp = subprocess.check_output(["defaults", "read", defaults_bundle_identifier, "last_check_timestamp"]).strip()
		except:
			pass

		try:
			timestamp_now = subprocess.check_output(["date", "+%s"]).strip()
			if (last_check_timestamp == None) or ((int(timestamp_now) - int(last_check_timestamp)) > minimum_update_check_duration_in_seconds):
				subprocess.check_output(["defaults", "write", defaults_bundle_identifier, "last_check_timestamp", timestamp_now])
				request = urllib2.Request(version_info_url, headers={'User-Agent' : "Magic Browser"})
				latest_script_version = int(urllib2.urlopen(request).read().strip())
				if latest_script_version > current_script_version:
					exit_with_result({"url" : download_url, "from_version" : str(current_script_version), "to_version" : str(latest_script_version)})
		except:
			pass

# HTML FILE MODIFICATION

def perform_html_additions(index_path):
	index_contents = None
	with open(index_path, 'r') as target_file:
		index_contents = target_file.read()

	if index_contents == None:
		return

	import re
	if insert_at_head_start != None:
		head_start = re.search("<head.*?>", index_contents, re.IGNORECASE).end()
		index_contents = index_contents[:head_start] + insert_at_head_start + index_contents[head_start:]
	if insert_at_head_end != None:
		head_end = re.search("</head", index_contents, re.IGNORECASE).start()
		index_contents = index_contents[:head_end] + insert_at_head_end + index_contents[head_end:]
	if insert_at_body_start != None:
		body_start = re.search("<body.*?>", index_contents, re.IGNORECASE).end()
		index_contents = index_contents[:body_start] + insert_at_body_start + index_contents[body_start:]
	if insert_at_body_end != None:
		body_end = re.search("</body", index_contents, re.IGNORECASE).start()
		index_contents = index_contents[:body_end] + insert_at_body_end + index_contents[body_end:]

	with open(index_path, 'w') as target_file:
		target_file.write(index_contents)

# UTILITIES

# communicate info back to Hype
# uses delimiter (20 equal signs) so any above printing doesn't interfere with json data
def exit_with_result(result):
	import sys
	print "===================="
	print json.dumps({"result" : result})
	sys.exit(0)

# from http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14568647/create-zip-in-python
def zip(src, dst):
	import os
	import zipfile
	zf = zipfile.ZipFile(dst, "w", zipfile.ZIP_DEFLATED)
	abs_src = os.path.abspath(src)
	for dirname, subdirs, files in os.walk(src):
		for filename in files:
			absname = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(dirname, filename))
			arcname = absname[len(abs_src) + 1:]
			zf.write(absname, arcname)
	zf.close()

if __name__ == "__main__":
	main()

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Jeremy Corbyn has called for the empty homes of rich people in Kensington to be seized for Grenfell Tower residents who have been made homeless by the fire.
The Labour leader said that the London Borough was a "tale of two cities" between a wealthy south and a rich north.
He suggested that "requisitioning" expensive vacant properties could help ensure that residents are housed locally.
The Government has committed to rehousing all those who lost their homes in the fire in the local area.
It came as Theresa May announced a public inquiry into the blaze but faced questions over why she did not meet with residents, in contrast with Mr. Cobryn.
Asked why she had not met survivors and those who lost loved ones, Mrs May replied: "Well, I visited the scene of this terrible fire this morning.
"I wanted a briefing from the emergency services. They've been working tirelessly in horrific conditions and I have been overwhelmed by their professionalism and their bravery.
Sadiq Khan, the Labour Mayor of London, faced an angry crowd as he was visited the scene of the fire.
He was confronted by a young boy who asked "how many children have died?" as he talked to an angry crowd at Grenfell Tower today.
He was also heckled by a supporter of Mr Corbyn about his failure to back the Labour leader and there were suggestions that a bottle was thrown at him. More than 20 police officers rushed in to calm the crowd.
Nick Hurd, the fire minister, said that the fire was a "national tragedy" and no moment for "cool plodding democracy" as he vowed to leave "no stone unturned".
It came as a new poll found that Theresa May's poll ratings are now lower than Jeremy Corbyn's were before the General Election.
A survey by Yougov found that the Prime Minister's "favourability score" has fallen from plus 10 to minus 34. In the meantime Mr Corbyn's popularity rating has climbed by 42 points.
It came as John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, urged the unions to mobilise more than a million people to protest in London on July 1 in a bid to pressure Mrs May into standing down.


text:
Mississippi peanut yield, prices look strong for 2021
Peanuts in Claiborne County, Mississippi, are in good condition on Aug. 16, 2021. Mississippi growers planted about 17,300 acres this year — photo by Mississippi State University Extension Service/Susan Collins-Smith
Mississippi's peanut crop is well on its way to a strong finish for 2021.
"The crop is in good condition," said Brendan Zurweller, peanut specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. "Although our acreage is down from last year, we should have close to the same average yield as last year."
Zurweller said he expects the state will average between 4,000 and 4,200 pounds per acre this year. That is down slightly from the 2020 average of 4,400 pounds per acre, which was the best average yield on record for Mississippi peanut growers.
Mississippi growers planted 17,340 acres of peanuts, which is about 20% less than the acreage in 2020. Improved markets for other commodities and a late planting window contributed to the decrease in acreage.
USDA reports good crop conditions
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service, 82% of peanuts are pegging — or beginning to produce fruit — and 5% have been dug as of Aug. 15. The report shows 62% of the crop is in good condition, 24% is in fair condition and 8% is in poor condition. The remaining 6% is in excellent condition.
"In addition to later plantings and cool temperatures this year, wet weather throughout the early and middle part of the growing season slowed crop development in many areas of the state," Zurweller said.
In other areas of the state, fields could use a little rain, said Malcolm Broome, Mississippi Peanut Growers Association executive director. Peanut plants should completely cover the rows and row middles. Some fields have not reached this stage yet.
"Believe it or not, we have a spot or two in the state that is now dry," he said. "A half-inch to an inch of rain could make a lot of difference. We don't want it too wet. We don't need the rain to set in and stay, but a few showers would help."
Warmth needed to finish the crop
As harvest gets closer, growers need warm weather to keep maturity on track.
"One of the main management issues from here on out is to keep disease pressure low," Zurweller said. "Also, cool weather in September could delay harvest maturity, and we're already running a little late. Maintaining late-season canopy health by reducing foliar disease will help prevent peanuts from having to be dug too early."
A strong yield is needed to keep prices at their current projections, said Will Maples, Extension agricultural economist.
"Peanuts are currently facing strong, healthy demand, and we need a good-yielding crop to maintain pace," Maples said. "In the peanut market, the carry-forward from year to year, or how many peanuts we have in storage, is an important economic indicator. Current carry-forward projections for the 2021–2022 marketing year from the USDA are 1.13 million tons, which is up slightly from 1.08 million tons last year."
The projected national average farm price for peanuts is $415 per ton, according to the USDA.
Mississippi State University contributed this article.
EPA revokes chlorpyrifos tolerances, plans to cancel food uses
Follow these tips to finish the 2021 season strong
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
« Archbishop of Canterbury at centre of 'row' after Freemason appointed Bishop: Report
Freemason Donald Trump: Freemason Barack Obama Possibly A Muslim »
Anti-abortion protesters hope Freemason Stephen Harper will re-open debate?
Anti-abortion protesters hope Harper will re-open debate
By Kristy Kirkup, Parliamentary Bureau
Freemason PM Stephen Harper Making Masonic Recognition Signal in House of Commons, Ottawa
OTTAWA – Thousands of protesters gathered on Parliament Hill Thursday and marched through Ottawa streets to demand the federal government outlaw abortion.
"We won't rest until, once again, a culture of life has been restored to Canada," said Jim Hughes, the National President of the Campaign Life Coalition.
The anti-abortion organization has held an annual rally in Ottawa for 14 years. Church and school groups are among those who attend every year.
During the election, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said his government would not support opening up the abortion issue.
"The government will not bring forward any such legislation and any such legislation that is brought forward will be defeated as long as I am prime minister," Harper said.
Anti-abortion activists are not holding their breath for Harper to change the law. Instead, they are hoping newly elected MPs will lead the charge.
"Harper has never been pro-life and so we don't expect much from him," said Hughes. "We expect a lot from the backbench MPs though. We think the numbers have grown as a result of this election and we're hoping they will bring private member's bills that will begin limiting abortion and, eventually, if Mr. Harper is there as prime minister or not, the law will change."
December 21st, 2012 | Tags: Abortion, Christians | Category: 2011, Canada, Christianity, Democracy, Freemasons, Master Plans, Religion, Stephen Harper, Tories


uring the first three weeks she spent in Fairview Riverside Hospital in Minneapolis, Susan Endersbe, a 41-year-old woman struggling with schizophrenia and suicidal impulses, obtained care and medication that made her feel much better.
Her mood lightened. By May 26, 1994, she was telling nurses that she felt she'd be ready to leave soon.
But the very next day, she was referred to psychiatrist Faruk Abuzzahab, an encounter that put her on a path that led to her death.
Abuzzahab, a past president of the Minnesota Psychiatric Society and onetime chairman of its ethics committee, had a contract with Abbott Laboratories to test the experimental antipsychotic drug Sertindole. What he earned has not been disclosed, but such contracts typically pay physicians much more than regular health insurance reimbursement, creating a powerful incentive to put patients into commercial research trials.
Endersbe's death offers a peek into the financial side of corporate-funded research of new drugs for the mentally ill. While the development of new antipsychotic drugs has brought new hope for schizophrenic patients and allowed many to live successfully in the community, the clinical testing of these medications is also big business, with the pursuit of money often in conflict with good patient care. The result, in schizophrenia research, is a landscape tarnished by the greed of some rogue investigators and repeated instances of patients being harmed.
When Abuzzahab enrolled Endersbe into his drug trial, he later admitted to state investigators, he ignored study criteria that excluded patients who were suicidal. And as soon as she stopped taking the venlaxafine that had controlled her symptoms, she quickly worsened, state investigators reported.
Endersbe repeatedly told nurses that she intended to kill herself. Devils were now struggling for her mind, her brother said. Her complaints were recorded in nurses' notes, but Abuzzahab presented a rosy picture in his research records for Abbott. Endersbe was experiencing no side effects from the drug, he wrote, so he kept her in the trial.
For nearly two weeks, until June 8, Endersbe received no antipsychotic medication. Then, on June 11, when she had been on the experimental drug for three days, Abuzzahab granted her a day pass to leave the hospital unaccompanied. She went to her apartment to gather some keepsakes, slipped the key back under the door, and walked straight to the Franklin Avenue Bridge. Just as she had said she would, Endersbe clambered over the railing and leapt to her death in the Mississippi River.
''For nearly 20 years, my sister was managing to win the battle for her survival, and when she went on a drug study, there were supposed to be safeguards in place to protect her,'' said her brother, Edward Endersbe. ''Not only were they not in place, they neglected to have the usual safeguards that she would have had if she stayed on as an inpatient'' outside the drug trial.
People with schizophrenia, studies have shown, are at greatest risk of suicide during a relapse, at the beginning of an acute psychotic episode, and when they are discharged from the hospital. Taking part in a drug trial often exposes them to all those factors.
In the 1990s, three antipsychotic drugs for schizophrenia have been brought to the market: Zyprexa (olanzapine), Risperdal (risperidone), and Seroquel (quetiapine). Abbott Laboratories also submitted an application for Serlect (sertindole) - the drug Susan Endersbe was given - but withdrew it after a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee questioned its safety.
Among 12,176 patients from the US and abroad who had participated in trials for all four drugs at the time the data was submitted to the FDA, there were 88 deaths, including 38 suicides. [The figure includes deaths up to 30 days after patients left the trial.] That is an overall death rate of 1 of every 138 volunteers.
The suicide rate for the clinical trials is two to five times higher than the norm. In the medical literature, annual suicide rates for schizophrenia patients range from two to five deaths per 1,000 people. The annual suicide rate in the trials, on a time-adjusted basis, was close to 10 per 1,000.
In trials for the three approved drugs - Zyprexa, Risperdal, and Seroquel - 60 percent of the 7,269 patients who received the experimental drug dropped out before the end of the study period, typically six to eight weeks. Patients dropped out because the drugs didn't work, because of side effects, and sometimes because they refused to continue.
No one has made a detailed study of the mortality or suicide rates of subjects in schizophrenia drug trials. When queried, a half dozen psychiatric researchers expressed varying responses to the numbers collected by the Globe. Some thought they were remarkably high. Some argued that the majority of the people entering the trials had been chronically ill with schizophrenia, and thus a number of suicides and deaths could be expected. And some researchers begged off; they did not know what to make of the statistics.
The research enterprise that has produced new neuroleptic drugs for schizophrenia has paid off, of course, in important ways. The standard drugs used from the 1950s to the early 1990s typically made patients feel like zombies and caused major side effects that disrupted muscle control. The antipsychotic drugs that have reached the market in recent years [Risperdal, Zyprexa and Seroquel] are less sedating and appear to have fewer harmful side effects.
Desperately ill schizophrenics have turned to clinical trials for early access to these new drugs, and many of those patients attest to the attentive care that they received from researchers conducting the trials.
But there are powerful financial factors at work that can tempt researchers to enroll mentally ill patients into drug trials even when it will not serve the patients' interests.
Antipsychotic drugs are considered a major and fast-growing market for the pharmaceutical industry. In 1997, US sales topped $1.5 billion, double the figure from two years earlier. Pharmaceutical companies developing antipsychotic medications know that every day shaved from the testing process can get them to the market a day sooner, and each day earlier to market represents $1 million to $2 million in additional sales per drug. The companies need to get patients into their trials quickly, and they will pay researchers handsomely for doing so. But they also expect the researchers to deliver. Researchers who do not meet their patient quotas are not likely to get a contract for the next project.
In fact, the drug-testing industry today is a highly competitive, profit-driven enterprise. Only about 25 percent of drug trials are conducted in nonprofit academic medical centers. The rest are conducted by community physicians who contract with drug makers or by for-profit companies whose sole focus is conducting drug trials.
Physicians who do commercial drug research full-time regularly report generating more than $1 million in annual revenues, and profits exceeding $300,000.
In the 1990s, a Providence-based company, Clinical Studies, built a nationwide chain of research centers focusing on drugs for Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and other neurological disorders. The founders sold it in 1997 to a physician-practice management company for stock valued at $85 million. Hoping to make similar scores, venture capital groups have poured more than $100 million into start-ups seeking to duplicate Clinical Studies' success.
In this environment, researchers know that the ''product'' they deliver is patients who can be enrolled in trials and kept there until they complete the study protocol. Physicians often earn bonuses for meeting patient-recruitment goals.
Critics say the monetary incentives put researchers on a slippery slope, particularly when it comes to testing schizophrenia drugs. Their financial interests push them to recruit patients aggressively, yet the trials expose the patients to numerous risks.
But Dr. Stanley Cheren, a Brookline psychiatrist who conducts commercial drug trials on a full-time basis, insists ''there are a number of things that keep you sober and honest - your own conscience.
However, the financial pressures and opportunities have been known to lead physicians astray. A criminal case in Georgia revealed just how far.
Dr. Richard Borison and Bruce Diamond were longtime favorites of pharmaceutical companies developing schizophrenia drugs. Borison, 48, chairman of the psychiatry department at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, and Diamond, 53, a pharmacologist on the school's faculty, had demonstrated time and again a knack for bringing psychotic patients quickly into trials funded by drug companies. Eli Lilly, Janssen, Zeneca, Novartis - they all came knocking.
As faculty, Borison and Diamond were supposed to get approval from the medical school for their research. Drug-company payments for clinical trials were supposed to be sent to the school. But according to Georgia state authorities, who indicted the pair in early 1997, they began in 1989 to have the companies send payments directly to them. They opened an office across the street from the medical school, used a commercial service to do ethical reviews of their studies, and placed their staff on the school's payroll while keeping all the research funding for themselves.
From 1989 to 1996, Borison and Diamond made over $10 million from drug trials, including more than $4 million from schizophrenia drugs, according to the indictment and sworn testimony from their staff during an investigation by the Augusta Veterans Affairs Hospital, where Borison was chief of psychiatry. Witnesses said the two researchers focused on getting patients into the studies and paid minimal attention to their care.
To recruit the mostly male patients, they hired attractive young women, who later testified that they were paid bonuses that ran into the thousands of dollars. According to testimony, one staffer was given a Honda Accord for coaxing schizophrenia patients into trials.
To earn these rewards, workers phoned and later met mentally ill patients who were stable and living in the community and offered them $150 to check themselves into the VA hospital so they could be in a study. Patients already in locked wards were offered cigarettes for agreeing to participate.
''When there is a possibility that you are going to get a car, you're going to do whatever you can,'' study coordinator Angela Touhey told VA investigators.
Touhey and the other study coordinators, many of whom had no medical training, determined whether a patient belonged in a study. According to an FDA investigation, untrained staff drew blood samples and adjusted doses of the experimental drugs. Touhey said Borison and Diamond hardly saw patients during the trials. At one weekly meeting, Touhey said Diamond told the staff they weren't interested in hearing about the patients.
''Bruce told me, 'We don't care about how the patients are doing. We just want to know how many people you have enrolled in the past week or couple of weeks,''' Touhey said.
The two researchers lived high, according to Georgia authorities. They tucked away more than $5 million in cash and securities, drove Mercedes-Benz cars, and dropped more than $400,000 on antiques.
Borison bought medieval tournament armor from Sotheby's auction house in New York, and mahogany-paneled doors in London, for an 11,000-square-foot castle that he was planning to build. The indictment charged that they bribed a staff member, Terri Davis, to keep quiet after a schizophrenia patient in an olanzapine trial attempted suicide.
Diamond and Borison are now behind bars. In December, 1997, Diamond pleaded guilty to theft and bribery charges and was sentenced to five years in prison, fined $125,000, and ordered to pay $1.1 million to the college.
After one week of testimony at his trial in October, Borison pleaded guilty to theft and a racketeering charge. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, fined $125,000, and ordered to pay $4.26 million to the college.
When the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice received allegations that Dr. Faruk Abuzzahab was endangering the welfare of patients in his general psychiatric practice, it hired Dr. Morris Goldman of the University of Chicago to investigate. One of the first things he discovered was that Abuzzahab was fudging records in order to put patients into lucrative drug studies.
''He would have the patient's diagnosis called one thing in the regular chart, and then the person would be put on a drug study and the person's diagnosis would be called something else to fit the criteria,'' Goldman said in an interview.
In July, after Abuzzahab admitted to the board that he had entered ''disturbed and vulnerable'' patients into drug studies even though they didn't meet eligibility criteria, and had ''kept them in the study after their conditions deteriorated,'' the medical board suspended his license.
Among other things, Abuzzahab admitted that he cycled one woman with paranoid schizophrenia through three drug trials from 1991 to 1994, despite the fact that she did poorly on the experimental drugs and complained of being a guinea pig. Eventually she became catatonic and incontinent; she was then given standard therapies and responded well.
In another instance, the psychiatrist took a woman off clozapine, a newly approved drug that had led her to make a remarkable recovery, and enrolled her in a drug trial. The woman had previously spent 13 years as an inpatient at a psychiatric institution, but while on clozapine she had been able to go into the community and even hold a job. One day she approached Abuzzahab with questions about clozapine's side effects; he immediately stopped the drug that had helped her so much and put her into an olanzapine trial. She deteriorated until she found her way to another physician, who put her back on clozapine.
According to the state medical board, Susan Endersbe was another patient whom Abuzzahab ''recklessly'' entered into a clinical trial. The doctor, the medical board noted, entered her into the trial the first day he met her.
Abuzzahab and Borison can be dismissed as isolated ''bad apples'' who unfairly tarnish the image of all researchers who conduct schizophrenia drug trials. But the economic incentives they pursued so eagerly are in play in all commercial drug testing.
Dr. Angela Bowen, president of the Western Institutional Review Board, a commercial ethics review service, said researchers are becoming more aggressive in their use of advertising to recruit patients into schizophrenia studies. Research centers that don't have any ongoing studies have even submitted advertisements for IRB approval seeking depressed and schizophrenic patients who would consent to being withdrawn from their medications, she said. The researchers apparently wanted to develop a pool of mentally ill people, already off standard therapies, who could be quickly enrolled once new drug contracts are secured.
Aggressive recruitment of schizophrenic patients is problematic because participating in drug trials exposes them to the risk of relapse and suffering. To determine whether a drug can curb psychosis, it must be tested in people who are actively psychotic. That scientific standard, which is endorsed by the FDA, leads straight into an ethical minefield.
One approach is for researchers to seek people who are already actively sick, either because they have stopped taking medication on their own or because the symptoms aren't being adequately controlled by medication. But many of these patients suffer from ''disorganized thoughts'' and some degree of psychosis, making it questionable whether they can give meaningful informed consent.
Another route is to seek stable patients who are on medication. These patients, however, must be hospitalized and their medications stopped in order for them to take part, with the expectation that their delusions and hallucinations will return. The patients must become sick again to be useful subjects.
If patients become too ill when their regular drug is stopped, researchers may shorten the washout period. They then enter the active part of the study and either receive the experimental drug, a standard drug [usually Haldol], or an inactive placebo. Researchers will also use ''rescue medications'' if the patients deteriorate too rapidly.
Still, the essence of the process is to let the patients become sicker.
Stopping a schizophrenic patient's medication raises two other concerns. In normal clinical care, when a patient is taken off drugs, the recommended practice is to lower the dosage gradually, because abrupt withdrawal has been shown in numerous studies to dramatically increase the risk of relapse. Moreover, evidence is emerging that sudden withdrawal may lead to a rebound psychosis more severe than if the patient had never been treated.
David Cohen, a professor of social work at the University of Montreal who has done extensive research on neuroleptic drugs, said abrupt withdrawal can also lead to flu-like symptoms, nausea, and vomiting. This, he said, is a withdrawal reaction, not just a return of previous symptoms.
There are, of course, potential benefits for the research subjects. The primary one is that they may respond to the experimental drug, and be able to continue to get it by participating in a long-term followup study. But the mentally ill patients can expect, at least at first, to go through a difficult period.
Within the psychiatric research community, there is controversy over whether drug studies can be designed to reduce the risk to patients. In Europe, for instance, researchers are reluctant to conduct placebo-controlled trials for schizophrenia. Instead, European researchers usually conduct trials that compare the experimental drug to a standard therapy.
That is also how US drug trials are typically designed for medical conditions such as high blood pressure, for which there are already effective approved drugs. But in schizophrenia research, the FDA believes that patients' reactions to antipsychotic drugs are so variable that without a placebo group, the tests cannot show whether an experimental drug is effective. That could result in ineffective drugs being approved, said the FDA's Temple.
''You have to think about the people in the trial, but you also have to think of the consequences to the community of marketing ineffective antipsychotics,'' he said.
Others find that justification unsatisfying.
Anyone agreeing to take part in a risky drug trial would expect attentive medical care. But that wasn't the case with Borison and Diamond. It wasn't the case with Abuzzahab. And it was not what Jennifer Abigayle McIntyre received when she entered a trial in 1993 for Janssen Pharmaceutica's experimental drug risperidone.
After she died, an investigation by the California Department of Health found violations that took 16 pages to detail.
In the spring of 1993, Abigayle's mother, psychiatrist Judith Vukov, accompanied Dr. Robert Liberman, director of schizophrenia research at the University of California, Los Angeles, to lobby Congress to fund research on mental illness. Her daughter had schizoaffective disorder [a variant of schizophrenia], existing medications weren't helping her, and, as Liberman had told her, experimental treatments offered the best hope.
Later that same summer, on July 20, 1993, according to the California Department of Health and court records, Abigayle McIntyre was transferred to the research ward at Camarillo State Hospital, where doctors were treating patients with experimental protocols developed by UCLA researchers.
Abigayle signed an informed-consent form that stated she would be given a physical exam, be closely monitored, and that if her condition worsened, her treatment would be ''promptly adjusted.'' In fact, the investigation showed, she never received a physical, nor did the staff prepare any plan for treating her psychiatric and behavioral problems.
The principal researcher, Dr. Barringer Marshall Jr., gave her a new diagnosis, chronic schizophrenia, which made her eligible for the risperidone study.
As her previous medications were withdrawn, she became more volatile, crying and screaming for hours on the phone with her mother. On Aug. 12, as part of the protocol, she was prescribed Haldol, a standard antipsychotic. Even though she began to suffer terrible headaches and her blood pressure soared, she was kept on Haldol. The protocol called for her to take the drug for three weeks before she could be switched to risperidone.
Her mother complained, but to no avail.
The last time the unit's staff made an entry on Abigayle's chart was Aug. 26. On Sept. 11, her mother took her out of the hospital on a day pass. At some point her daughter swallowed a large number of aspirin; she died several hours later after emergency room physicians failed to promptly diagnose the aspirin poisoning.
When a drug company submits data to the FDA, it must detail all deaths that occurred in the clinical trials, along with a full accounting of side effects, patients who dropped out of the study, and any other problems suffered by the patients.
But that often messy picture is rarely reflected in the accounts of the drug's performance that get published in medical journals.
Zeneca's Seroquel, approved by the FDA last fall, is the newest antipsychotic drug on the market. When the Globe compared the mixed results hidden in FDA files, including 14 deaths, with the glowing conclusions published in medical journals, the differences were stark.
According to the FDA's review of Zeneca's data, 80 percent of the 2,162 patients given Seroquel in clinical tests stopped taking the drug before the trial was over, even though the trials often lasted less than eight weeks. Of those who dropped out, 1,033 did so because the drug didn't help them, 398 simply refused to continue or were lost to follow-up, and 86 had to stop because of adverse reactions that included excess sleepinees, convulsions, suicide attempts, and depression.
One result of this marketing spin is that practicing psychiatrists often say they no longer know what to believe about new drugs. Although Seroquel and the other new drugs do appear to cause fewer side effects than standard antipsychotics, there are still many questions about how they compare in efficacy.
This story ran on page A01 of the Boston Globe on 11/17/98.


Works from Dichterliebe, "A Poet's Love" Op. 48, Three Romances, Op. 94, and Fantasiestücke, Op. 73 by Robert Schumann.
Yu-Ling Chen, PhD, MT-BC, Fellow of Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT), joined the faculty at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in 2013. She is currently an assistant professor in music therapy and the coordinator of the piano division. Chen holds her Doctor of Philosophy in Music Therapy from the University of Kansas, received both Master of Music Education in Music Therapy and Master of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Kansas, and her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music-Piano Performance from the National Taiwan Normal University. Previously, Chen was a clinical music therapist at the Chang Gung Medical Foundations and an adjunct instructor at the Tainan National University of the Arts in Taiwan. Her clinical research, including music therapy for children with disabilities and dementia care, and Neurologic Music Therapy applications, has been presented in the national and international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals. At SWOSU, she has diligently pursued undergraduate research with her students, and together they have continually presented at conferences. In addition to her work in the music therapy profession, Chen has been active as a solo and collaborative pianist, including a solo recital at the National Concert Hall in Taiwan. At SWOSU, she has frequently performed alongside visiting artists, her colleagues, and students. Each year, she serves as the Director of two piano competitions: The Hubbard-Males Piano Competition and the Breckenridge Invitational Competition for Pianists.


text:
Richard Gonzales
Assistant Professor-in-Residence
Director, Educational Leadership Preparation Programs
Academic Degrees:
Ph.D, Educational Administration, The University of Texas at Austin
M.Ed., Educational Administration, The University of Texas at Austin
B.S., Applied Learning and Development, The University of Texas at Austin
Richard Gonzales is an assistant professor in residence in the Department of Educational Leadership at the University of Connecticut's Neag School of Education. He currently serves as director of educational leadership preparation programs and leads the UConn University Principal Preparation Initiative, a $5.45 million project funded by the Wallace Foundation, which aims to improve principal pre-service training.
Dr. Gonzales received his M.Ed. and Ph.D. in educational administration from The University of Texas at Austin. Before entering higher education, he worked as an elementary bilingual teacher, an elementary principal, and a district-level administrator. His research interests include leadership development, principal preparation, equity issues in education, urban education, and school improvement.
Selected Publications/Presentations:
Woulfin, S. L., Donaldson, M. L., & Gonzales, R. (2016). District Leaders' Framing of Educator Evaluation Policy. Educational Administration Quarterly, 52(1), 110-143.
Cobb, C., Weiner, J., & Gonzales, R. (2016). Historical trends and patterns in the scholarship on leadership preparation. In G. Crow & M. Young (Eds.), UCEA Handbook of Research on the Education of School Leaders, 2nd edition.
richard.gonzales@uconn.edu
Gentry 224


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Many argure that there are strong differences between which of the two can provide better help for one seeking recovery. Many often ask themselves what they can do to get better and struggle with the thought of having to go away to a rehabilition center, while leaving their family behind now with the knowledge they might not have had before, of your development of an addiction. This leaves family members to worry, kids to possibly be left parentless for a period of time, and mothers and fathers wondering where they went wrong?
When realizing that you do in fact have a addiction problem, whatever type it may be, you are now faced with these thoughts. What should I do? Who can I turn to?
Rehabilitation offers a higher success rate than traditional group supports, and provides a much more in-depth step that can be a difficult stage to go through. While support groups aim for a more personal/spiritual approach to recovery, rehab tends to be much different. Though you would save financially by not going to rehab, many group support members argue that if one can stay with the program that group support lays out for each of its members, the success rate becomes much higher, even matching the level modern-day rehabilitation.
Consider all of your options closely with family and/or friends and see what the best decision may be. Considering your decisions wisely are the key to reaching your recovery goals. While always keeping faith in yourself, your addiction can become your recovery and your road to personal success can be achieved! Keep your head up and the more you keep reaching for that light at the end of the tunnel, the faster it will come.
« The Truth behind Sexual Addiction.
It is impossible to go it alone. Join an online group and participate in between meetings.


The tight relationship between politics, knowledge, language, and the spaces of freedom in Lamming's writings makes him one of the most important political novelists in Caribbean Literature.
Looking Back to Move Forward is contemporary, avantage point from which to view political history in the Netherlands Antilles, as told by those who contributed to shaping that history while in the prime minister's seat.
Looking Back to Move Forward should be read by both Antilleans and the Dutch, who, too often, are unaware of Antillean arguments and sentiments.
Baraka sees the struggle for reparations not as an end in itself but as part of a wider struggle for full citizenship and equal rights in a program for genuine democratic transformation in the United States. In this context he poses issues that go way beyond the challenges of reparations. One does not have to agree with his ideological framework to appreciate the timeliness and urgency of his case for reparations.
by Joseph H. Lake, Jr.
Friendly Anger is a very important work not only because it chronicles and describes the events and roles played by key actors that are required for an understanding of any historical period, but also because it gives us a social history of St. Martin. Lake has made a difficult task appear quite simple as he uses his obviously good grasp of the detail to paint for us the wider picture.
Establishment of the St. Martin People's Consensus … to work on a new political status for the northern part of St. Martin signaled an important step on the road to self-determination for the nation's people.
Newspaper publisher and political scientist Joseph H. Lake, Jr. presents a unique socio-historical view of the origins and key current realities of the St. Martin nation, an overview of the Southern part of St. Martin as a Dutch colony, and encapsulates a multi-category vision of St. Martin as a republic. Lake is the president of the Independence for St. Martin Foundation.
A monographic series booklet, discussing in one essay and exploring in one poem the colonial status and growing call for independence for the Caribbean island of St. Martin (a colony of the Netherlands and France).
The first complete guide to the parliamentary and Island Council elections from 1945 to 1999,in St. Martin (South) — an island territory in the Dutch colony of the Netherlands Antilles. Authors' commentary and integral references are also made of elections and government formation processes in the other island territories of Curacao, Bonaire, Saba, St. Eustatius (and Aruba before it obtained its separate status in 1986). One extensive interview and short profiles of the leading 20th century St. Martin politicians; an overview of pioneer women politicians; over 30 pages of election graphs and photographs enliven this book. Bibliography and appendix.
The first compilation of St. Martin's political thought. Over 25 essays, over 12 writers, including political leaders, activists, journalists, lawyers, political scientists, businessmen, and a librarian; selected bibliography; appendix of historical/political/constitutional documents regarding this French/Dutch colony in the Caribbean.


Syria's war has spiralled into a complex multi-sided conflict since it began with anti-government protests in March 2011, drawing in regional and international powers including the United States and Russia.
- Regime and allies -Syria's 300,000-strong pre-war army has been halved by deaths, defections and draft-dodging.
It is bolstered by up to 200,000 irregulars and as many as 8,000 men from Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah movement as well as by Iranian, Iraqi and Afghan fighters.
Regime backer Russia launched an air campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad in September 2015, helping Damascus recapture key areas including second city Aleppo and the rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta outside Damascus.
Iran has also given Assad major financial and military support.
The Syrian government now holds major cities Damascus, Aleppo, Homs and Hama, and around 70 percent of the population lives in regime-held areas.
- Rebels -Syria's opposition comprises multiple factions including moderate rebels and Islamist groups, but it has shrunk from estimates of up to 100,000 fighters as the government has retaken territory.
Early in the uprising, rebels coalesced under the banner of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), but the opposition has since splintered.
Since mid-February, an array of different rebel groups have lost their onetime bastion of Eastern Ghouta on the edge of the capital.
The jihadist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is a coalition essentially composed of Al-Qaeda's former affiliate.
- Jihadists -Two major rival jihadist forces operate in Syria: the Islamic State group and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
IS emerged from wars in Syria and neighbouring Iraq to seize swathes of both countries in mid-2014.
It declared an Islamic "caliphate", committed widespread atrocities and carried out or inspired deadly attacks around the world.
Since then, IS has suffered major territorial losses under pressure from a US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, as well as Russian-backed regime offensives.
Meanwhile, the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham jihadist coalition controls most of the northwestern province of Idlib.
The alliance is essentially made up of a group that split from Al-Qaeda in July 2016.
- The Kurds -Syria's Kurds have largely avoided the conflict between the government and armed opposition, carving out a semi-autonomous region in northern and northeastern Syria.
Their People's Protection Units (YPG) militia have been a key partner of the US-led coalition fighting IS and forms the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters.
Since January, the Kurdish militia have also been fighting pro-Ankara forces in northwestern Syria, pulling SDF forces away from the battle against the jihadists in the east of the country.
Turkey-led fighters last month overran the former Kurdish enclave of Afrin on the Turkish border, and Turkey has threatened to take the battle further east.
But the YPG still controls 28 percent of Syrian territory, including large parts of the northern border with Turkey.
Around 15 percent of Syria's population lives under Kurdish rule.
- Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar -Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey have provided military and financial support to rebels fighting Assad, who belongs to the minority Alawite sect linked to Shiite Islam.
Today, Riyadh and Doha's roles have been reduced, with Ankara taking the lead as international supporter of the opposition in negotiations on ending the conflict.
Along with Iran, Turkey and Russia last year worked closely to implement four so-called "de-escalation zones" around the country.
On the ground, Turkey has battled both IS and Kurdish forces it accuses of being "terrorists", most recently in Afrin.
It is also present in Idlib.
- International coalition -A US-led coalition has targeted IS and other jihadists in Syria with air strikes since 2014.
It was a key backer of the SDF advance on Raqa, and has supported the militia in an operation against IS its last desert holdouts in the neighbouring province of Deir Ezzor.
"Rebels -Syria's opposition comprises multiple factions including moderate rebels and Islamist groups, but it has shrunk from estimates of up to 100,000 fighters as the government has retaken territory."
Who are the moderates then?


It was a grim news year for me. Many of the stories I was in some part responsible to report involved dead or injured children.
There was Esmeralda Mexicano, an 18-year-old Edison High grad whose hard work earned her a scholarship to the University of California, Irvine, but who died of a brain tumor discovered shortly after she arrived in Irvine. There was Eden Miranda, the only survivor of a terrible car crash that killed the rest of his family. I met his uncle and wrote about how relatives would plan for his future.
There was a murder-suicide in which a bitter divorcee in Calaveras County killed his children and then himself. There was a little girl stabbed to death in Valley Springs whose brother is the one accused of killing her. There was a toddler crushed under a car.
That one about the toddler had some personal resonance. Years ago in the first half of the previous century, long before I was born, my grandfather was driving when a little girl ran out between two parked cars and in front of his vehicle.
My grandfather was devastated, according to my mother, who told me of this family history. I can't help but wonder about the shadow that cast over his life.
I saw the man who drove the pickup that recently crushed the toddler in Stockton. He was shaking with grief, wearing a T-shirt, leaning against a tree looking at the toy under his pickup. He cooperated with police. We never named the driver because there was no indication he did anything wrong.
All these stories are compelling because they force me to look into the abyss. No matter how hard we try to protect children, to avoid harming them, we will sometimes fail.
Those of us in the news business know that stories about the death of children resonate with caring readers. I believe that is because most of us have children in our lives who we love, who we wish to protect. We look at the stories, on some level comparing them to our own lives, trying to find how we might be clever enough or fast enough or in some way able to avoid similar disaster.
I know I do. Even though I never had biological children myself, I have a lovely granddaughter, Averie Scott, through my equally lovely step-daughter Rebeca Aguila.
I look at Averie's sweet, trusting 4-year-old face and I wish I could protect her from cruelty and misfortune. It is bitter to know that I can't.
We all want to imagine that we would avoid the danger we read in the latest story. That we could somehow be watchful, somehow get a troubled person into psychiatric treatment, somehow prevent the car accident, the addiction, and so forth.
After the vehicle crash in Lodi that killed so many members of the Miranda family, there were of course those who looked accusingly at a family that could only afford one car that lacked enough seatbelts, car seats and protective gear for all the children.
Similarly, after Leila Fowler was stabbed to death in Valley Springs, there was an elected leader in the area who accused school officials of being at fault for failing to provide mental health services to the 12-year-old brother accused of killing her.
This blaming, this effort to find a certain solution, to block our view of the uncertain reality we inhabit, is human nature. Unfortunately, it often creates more pain and it causes division and mistrust within communities.
Fortunately, there's another aspect of human nature that offers some consolation for these woes. That is the outpouring of love, understanding and support that comes after most such tragedies, an outpouring that crosses boundaries of race and ethnicity.
In Lodi, hundreds came out for the funeral of the Miranda family. People of all races raised money to help the surving boy, Eden. Schoolchildren created works of art to honor this family's memory.
In Stockton, Edison High School students, teachers and others sold T-shirts and raised money to help Esmeralda Mexicano with cancer treatment during her final months of life.
In Calaveras County, many Bret Harte Union High School students and other community members gathered to mourn the deaths of Alex and Macaila Marshall, who had been drugged and shot by their father, Phillip Marshall, shortly before he took his own life.
A few months later, people gathered again at Jenny Lind Elementary School in Valley Springs, this time to mourn the death of Leila Fowler.
In coping with these tragedies, I'd suggest we start with what we've seen at this year's services mourning these young people: love, honest grief, and the admission that we are human and don't have all the answers.


text:
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The Kali Project: From Start to Finish
Post author By borderlesssg1
4 Comments on The Kali Project: From Start to Finish
An exhaustive account of the inception and the fruition of the Kali Project by Co-Editor Candice Louisa Daquin
At the beginning of 2020 …
I had a conversation with Indian surrealist poet Devika Mathur about an anthology of Indian women poets. I had just edited Devika's first poetry collection, Crimson Skins (Indie Blu(e) Publishing), and been reintroduced into the world's love affair with Indian poets. Devika being so young and gifted, inspired me, along with Aakriti Kuntal, another trail-blazing Indian poet whom I have worked with many times, to approach successful Indian/American editor/poet/blogger Megha Sood about co-editing an anthology.
The purity of my appreciation for Indian poets writing in the English language, and their astounding ability to do this better than most native speakers, had struck deeply and fortunately. Megha Sood was as passionately interested in putting together a representative collection. We both agreed, given the current news reports of girls still being raped and molested in India, this would be our starting point and this gradually evolved into a fully-fledged project, with a book at its center. As soon as we put a call out, we were literally flooded with interest, and this is still the case. Not a day goes by when I do not get someone asking if they can write for The Kali Project, though the submission deadline closed in October 2020. That's a fierce testament to the level of interest and need.
When my colleagues at Indie Blu(e) Publishing agreed to publish us, Megha came up with the unforgettable and utterly perfect name The Kali Project, and Kali was reborn! I felt confident, working alongside someone of Megha's caliber, we couldn't fail, but it was nonetheless a daunting task for myself, a French/Egyptian immigrant to America, I needed to further educate myself on Kali and what the women of India experienced. I was very lucky to find and befriend a huge group of Indian women poets and artists who through their generosity and knowledge, more than filled my head with relevant information and ideas. They are literally a whirlwind, a force to be reckoned with, and it only left me aware of how hard Indian women work.
We wanted to ensure we had a true mix of talent. It is never sufficient to invite only famous, or notable poets, but to consider all; all kinds of voices, all levels. The Kali Project has authors and artists as young as nine and well into their eighth decade. Those just starting out, those who have been doing this a long time. Kali is not exclusive to women. It is imperative men access The Kali Project and the reception we have received from our male readers thus far, has also been very positive. What good would it ever do to alienate the entire male gender, just to get across the point, gender inequality has to end?
Inception: Indie Blu(e) Publishing gets involved
Christine Ray and Kindra Austin, the women who created Indie Blu(e) Publishing, have actively sought to publish marginalised and oppressed voices from the very inception of their company, and it has remained their primary focus. Combining incredible authors with edgy, raw writing is the core of their mission as publishers. When they saw some of their Indian sisters speaking out about another atrocity of rape and murder of a young woman in India, there was no question they had to be involved.
As Christine Ray, Editor-In-Chief of Indie Blu(e) said: "The Kali Project is another example of setting alight the inequality of women in India by sharing their talented voices with an English-speaking audience. We wanted to introduce to our Western readers, those talents within India who speak with the same fierce voice and share the same goal of equality and an end to oppression. Indian writing has gravitas and brutal honesty that has existed for millennia, influencing poets from around the world."
Poetry lovers may be familiar with how gifted Indian writers are, but an entire collection of women writers from India, sharing their experiences is a powerful cohesion of all aspects of oppression and defiance. From the very young to experienced, renowned writers, The Kali Project brings together the voices of Indian women speaking their truths. Be it infanticide, family violence, the emerging LGBTQ community in India, or the marital inequity Indian women face, these struggles are penned in exquisite poetry to enlighten and further awareness.
The Kali Project was born from a deep appreciation for Indian authors who write so beautifully in English despite it often being their second or third language. The craft and ability of these incredible writers is furthered by their passionate, vocal understanding of caste systems, familial inequality, subjugation, sexual assault, and ultimately, survival. It is important to note, those women at the extreme end of marginalization are harder to locate for an anthology edited and published in the West in English and we wish we had been able to access their voices because they remain, the most subjugated and continue to not have enough direct attention.
India is set to become the largest populated subcontinent in the world and already influences the West enormously with their art and eloquence of feeling and expression. Western readers can now appreciate an entire anthology devoted to Indian female poets, and their voices rising as one, for equality and respect. The Kali Project is an umbrella for all woman in India who have needed the strength of 'Maa Kali' during their life and speaks to every woman worldwide, who can tap into the fierce energies of The Kali and what she represents.
Indie Blu(e) Publishing continually offers the urgent subjects that matter most but are often overlooked by the mainstream. It has long been their mission to be that voice for indie authors and beyond, and they are delighted to offer The Kali Project a safe space to flourish. Having received over 1500 submissions, The Kali Project speaks to Indian women's growing influence and power in the world, they are truly a force to be reckoned with, and Indie Blu(e) is extremely honoured to publish this collection. www.indieblu.net
As The Kali Project is the most ambitious project Indie Blu(e) Publishing has published, in terms of size, we also had to address the elephant in the room; Is it appropriate for a Western press to publish Indian authors? Some had thought it wasn't and didn't submit for this reason, as is their right. This is how we saw it: Movements succeed when all groups of people support them. The original movements in the sixties here in America would not have succeeded as much, had people of all walks of life not joined them. Therefore, there is no exclusivity to the support of a movement. Where one has to be careful is in the handling of subjects beyond one's experience. Hence why, even with the best intentions in the world, you would not publish a book about Black Lives Matter solely by Anglo authors, it just wouldn't be representative or speak directly.
It felt publishing and editing a book of this magnitude required cultural knowledge and sensitivity, and we were lucky enough to have Megha Sood on board for The Kali Project. Born in India and of Indian heritage, Megha could speak directly to the experience of women in India. She also is a highly accomplished editor and writer in her own right. Additionally, we tried to be as receptive and responsive to concerns raised along the way. Of course, with any large project, it is impossible to please everyone and there were those who walked away from the project because Indie Blu(e) Publishing is an equal rights publisher, promoting feminism and LGBTQ themes.
The project was very positively received and the support and enthusiasm from the community we became a part of, has been a life-altering experience for us all. One must be particularly aware when working with a culture different from your own, but with the right team, and listening to the community, this can be achieved. The important thing is to put the people first and let their truths be heard. No wrong can come from that.
Another consideration was the graphic nature of some of the poetry received. Indie Blu(e) has not shied away from publishing graphic works. Be it in response to the #MeToo movement (We Will Not Be Silenced), the LGBTQ community (Smitten, This Is What Love Looks Like), or the recent #BLM, #Trump, #Covid-19 year of hell (As The World Burns). As a small press, we feel our social conscience is our touchstone.
Women of India have boldly addressed subjects of; rape, sexual inequality, racism, casteism, and femicide and despite some daunting obstacles, not least the threat of violence and retribution, Indian women's courage has lent their voices an unparalleled power. The Kali Project identifies, acknowledges and emboldens that change, and aspires to act as a vehicle of social change. The graphic nature of say, a rape scene might be blatant, but it was decided that, as with most art and expression, this shouldn't be dissuaded.
The balance of classical poetry, alongside more modern themed works, and art, lends the project a fluidity and relevance that fits the inauguration of the first female American Vice President, Kamala Devi Harris, of Indian and African heritage. We are experiencing a cultural and gender shift in how women and different races are perceived and what they are able to do in society. The poets and artists of The Kali Project are an expression of this galvanization toward complete expression and freedom of thought.
With a President in power for four years, who many women felt, didn't speak for them, and many immigrants felt, didn't support them, we now see the potential for change that could begin to open more ways to utilize art and language for social progress. As much as social media is invaluable, the true grit remains on the streets, with the people. Print books have gained a massive resurgence. Paper is still powerful. Maybe coming off 2020 the hardest year in a while, we're primed for social action like never before.
All along our intention was to utilize The Kali Project as a tool for change, not simply a book. It was always our intention to effect change through increasing awareness in the West, as we had with, We Will Not Be Silenced, which was Indie Blu(e)'s inaugural publication. We were founded on the principle of equality and enlightenment. What we have personally learned from this experience has been momentous and the outcome of the project has only just begun. By opening up taboo subjects, we enable marginalised and frustrated voices to speak about continuing inequality. Indian women have done so much already but it cannot hurt to continue to highlight this in any way we're able.
We wanted to contribute to a bigger picture. Start conversations. Shift thinking. We regret not being able to reach those most affected in India and were aware how difficult it would be to reach the most rural and poorest Indian women who do not have access to computers, who do not speak English, who cannot be easily reached on social media. As much as possible, we solicited contributions from women of diverse ages, gender identities, sexual identities, social class, oft-published writers as well as writers and artists who had never been published before. Is Kali completely representative of ALL Indian women? It cannot be. Can any anthology be completely representative? It's a challenge. We do our best, despite knowing we omit some of those who still desperately need to be heard. It doesn't negate the value of the project, but it's a regret.
It should be mentioned, The Kali Project doesn't resonate as 'negative' and 'bad news' at all. Of course, there is the reality, and the reality can be very painful. It can also be joyful. This must not be forgotten. The love, enriching strength, and joy of Indian women is also borne out in The Kali Project. We were particularly moved by N. Meera Raghavendra Rao's poem 'My Mother-In-Law Surprises Me', an account of the author as a young bride, and her positive experience "When two women understand each other / And feel at home with one another."
It is just as important to show all sides of being an Indian woman, for every atrocity, there is hope, and strength, and this is why Kali was the perfect Goddess to represent the project, she is multi-faceted and both nurturing and powerful. "Kali / embodies the / boundless freedom / epitome of Shakti / of strength and power / standing unbound from all / restrictions." Mehak Varun, 'The Kali in Me'.
Balance is everything. For every negative, there is a positive and we tried to reflect that balance throughout the collection, with hopeful poems, even on difficult subjects: "Do not call me Lakhi meye (good girl) / And tell me I'm an angel / When you only try to teach me wrongly that love lies camouflaged / within your dominant behavior" …"Stop saying I am not enough, not worthy, not great / Because I know I have conquered mountains and moons, flown / across the skies, over the waves / I have danced and taught and painted and calculated and done / everything you told me I could not." Mandrita Bose, 'Do not call me Durga'.
Other Influences
Just the other day I watched Rama Rau's fascinating documentary, The Daughter Tree (2019), and was struck again, as I have been throughout time, to the necessity of speaking up for women. In the region of Punjab, 1000 boys are born for every 750 girls. The documentary is about a midwife in Punjab state challenging the tradition of aborting girl babies. There are other causes to care about, as a person of Sephardi Jewish descent, and LGBTQ I know this acutely. But we gravitate toward those who capture our hearts. In my case, equality.
I hear many times that equality for women is 'complete' and there is no need for feminism anymore. That simply isn't true. There are countless examples of inequality persisting and those who say feminism is dead or should be dead, you wonder what the real motivation is behind that desire to shut it down? How can equality exist with statistics and realities saying otherwise? Take The Great Indian Kitchen, an Indian Malayalam–language film written and directed by Jeo Baby (2021). The experience of many Indian women and other women worldwide, is that of submissive, chained-to-the-kitchen wife, who is 'unclean' when she menstruates. With realities like this, women's move for true equality cannot be diminished or ignored.
I've always wondered, if someone wants to shut feminism down so badly, what do they get out of that? Where is the benefit? And what is the harm in being a feminist, which only means, believing women and men can and should be equal. This is a lengthy subject, but I speak for many women in saying, as long as a woman is paid less than a man for doing the same job, as long as a woman's reproductive rights are controlled by a system and not by herself, as long as she is told whom she can love and whom she cannot, as long as she is derided for her age, appearance, sexuality and gender, then feminism is relevant. And feminists are not man-haters. They are equality makers.
The Daughter Tree provoked a consideration I have had ever since we first talked about creating The Kali Project, which is; How do we speak directly to those most affected, and are their voices heard? I would have to say, no, the most affected voices were not heard either by The Kali Project or anything else, and that is the real problem. When you have mass poverty, illiteracy, control of female populations, then how can you speak directly to the women?
The poetry and art in The Kali Project is in part, an indirect observation of, rather than a direct experience of, for some of the authors. That's because in India, those who are bilingual, with regular access to a computer and have the time to write, are invariably a higher income than those most affected. It is not to discount the suffering of all walks of life, but we did regret not having some way to engage with those whom we couldn't even contact, because we are English speakers in a foreign country. Yes, that is a regret. But what do you do? Do nothing because you cannot do it completely? Or hope that by starting a dialogue you are making inroads? I would say the latter.
That said, it is our wish always to be inclusive, to show all sides of something, to give everyone a chance to speak. It was a frustration watching The Daughter Tree, not to have been able to reach those women and girls who cannot write, nor speak in a foreign language, nor have access to a computer. I would dearly have liked to have their stories and shared their views. Because until we do, we risk having a very selective approach to a multi-facetted, complicated subject. As The Daughter Tree points out, there are reasons for some of the traditions enduring, there are factors of consideration and outcomes borne from no better option, and until we address all of those, maybe nothing will really change.
But with awareness, comes progress, and whilst many girls are still sold into marriage or married very young and denied choices and education, the shift comes in all directions and we hope The Kali Project will contribute to this shift. As women, we all know there is work to be done in every country, India is not alone, and that was the point, to ensure Indian women knew, their sisters in other countries were watching, they heard them, they stood with them. Just as when Black Lives Matter movements occurred in the USA, they were taken up by people in all countries. It is that universalism bequeathed us by technology, we can harness and run with.
Finally, the financial considerations related to The Kali Project were long discussed. It has never been our goal to indiscriminately profit from authors, as anyone who works in publishing can attest, this is a lofty goal at the best of times. Indie Blu(e) has actively sought to promote affordable, worldwide publications that can be purchased by everyone, hence why we publish in Kindle and print. The Kali Project's contributors are primarily based in India, as such we harnessed Pothi, who are based in India, to be another more affordable option for purchasing. In addition, we are set to produce a hardback version of the book for collectors.
For some, a poem's title alone will stand as testimony: "Disrupting boundaries / Challenging the forecasts / Mocking at man-made wonders." (Kaikasi V. S., 'Why are Cyclones Named After Women?') Others are simply universal in their gendered strength: "I have all the light I need; you're here, stuck with me." (Himangi Nair, 'light & dark'). Some poems just resonate with rebellion and honed fortitude: "No one looked into our eyes with love. / If they had, they'd have heard our souls talk. / Instead, all they said was / She's hysterical. Women are like that, / especially when they menstruate, / especially when they stop menstruating, / especially as they approach death." (Anna Sujatha Mathai, 'Hysteria'). It is truly rare to find a book at 600 pages where you keep going from one incredible read to another.
Kali as received by others
Of all the anthologies I have worked on, I have never seen such an enthusiastic outpouring and this included the terrific reviews we received. I share but a fraction with you:
"Featuring poets from India and the diaspora, creating the bond of shared experiences across continents The Kali Project draws in the voices of women as women, and women as professionals – teachers, mental health workers, writers, doctors, lawyers, bankers, social workers – adding newer dimensions and a sharper understanding of the inner realities that are sought to be silenced by the patriarchal structures which society, religion, community, and class sanction and sanctify."
— Charanjeet Kaur, Former Chief Editor and Features Editor of Muse India, and currently the Contributory Editor for Indian writing in English of MI. Consultant Editor of the SPARROW (Sound & Picture Archives for Research On Women)
"From my love of history, I was acquainted with the basics of the Hindu faith and one of their goddesses, Kali/Devi. It was immediately apparent, reading The Kali Project, why Kali had been chosen to represent this poetry anthology. To many in India, irrespective of faith, the depiction of Kali is a sign of a woman's strength. Whilst Kali is both death and goddess, she has a strong nurturing/mother-figure side with the possibility of compassion. In this, we can contrast her with the Christian Virgin Mary. Kali exceeds the potential power of any idol, because she has an active persona, her 'shakti' (feminine energy) is a reality and she has several expressive incantations that give her a wide range within the Hindu faith. Thus, it is no wonder Kail became the natural spearhead of The Kali Project."
— Dr. Belinda Román, Economist/Researcher/Historian
"Fierce feminine energy of Kali is rising today so that we can save ourselves from total annihilation. This volume is a sublime expression of that emergence."
— Dr. Neela Bhattacharya Saxena, Professor of English and Women's Studies at Nassau Community College, USA. An academic expert on Kali, Dr. Saxena wrote our detailed foreword and continually supported this project of women speaking their truth.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are solely that of the writer.
Candice Louisa Daquin is a Sephardi immigrant from France who lives in the American Southwest. Formerly in publishing, Daquin is now a Psychotherapist and Editor, having worked in Europe, Canada and the USA. Daquins own work is also published widely, she has written five books of poetry, the last published by Finishing Line Press called Pinch the Lock. Her website is www thefeatheredsleep.com
PLEASE NOTE: ARTICLES CAN ONLY BE REPRODUCED IN OTHER SITES WITH DUE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO BORDERLESS JOURNAL
Tags Candice Louisa Daquin, Indie Blu(e), Kali, Kamala Harris
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4 replies on "The Kali Project: From Start to Finish"
bobcabkingssays:
Candice, you supply history and context that enhances an already remarkable collection.
Reblogged this on cabbagesandkings524 and commented:
Candice Louisa Daquin relates the history and development of The Kali Project.
Jaya Avendelsays:
This written account of the birth of The Kali Project is as passionate and rendering as the book itself! Thank you for sharing.
Media mention of the #TheKaliProject in the Singapore based Borderless Journal – Megha's Worldsays:
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/ Can Chickens Eat Chocolate?
Here's a question for all of the chicken owners of the world: can chickens eat chocolate?
After all, if it's potentially poisonous, illness-inducing, and even lethal for other pets, is it going to hurt your chickens?
Here's what I discovered after researching the question.
Fact: Chickens will eat just about anything.
This means you have to be careful what you feed them because you can usually count on them eating it, no matter what!
So can chickens have chocolate? In short: no. Absolutely not.
Chocolate falls firmly in the "do not feed this to your chickens" category.
Why Can't Chickens Eat Chocolate?
Now, when it comes to things you shouldn't feed your chickens, some things are discouraged for behavioral reasons, such as raw eggs.
Chocolate, on the other hand, is bad for your chickens for a whole other reason. It contains theobromine, which is toxic to birds (and dogs and other pets, too!).
If you feed them chocolate you won't just be feeding a bad habit. It could actually be life-threatening.
Apart from being bad for their digestive tracts, chocolate can also affect their hearts and quickly lead to heart issues and even cardiac arrest. These consequences usually occur within a day.
Besides, chances are they won't be able to taste the sweetness of the sugar anyway, so you would simultaneously be wasting one of the tastiest things in your pantry and killing your chicken at the same time.
What Can Chickens Not Eat?
If you're wondering what else chickens can't eat, you're not alone. I found an excellent "what can't chickens eat" list that names the top ten things to avoid.
Here's a great video that also breaks down some of the foods to avoid, as well as things that aren't as big of a deal.
On the other hand, if you're wondering "what do chickens eat naturally?" or "what makes good chicken food?", check out our article on What to Feed Your Chickens, or our Ultimate Guide to Chicken Feed to help ensure your flock is well-fed and functioning optimally!
How Much Chocolate Can Chickens Eat?
If you're wondering how much chocolate chickens can eat – as in, you accidentally gave them some and you want to know what to do about it – it comes down to quantity, although specific amounts are hard to nail down.
In general, you should be able to use your judgement. For example, if you need to know if chickens can eat chocolate cake, or scraps of anything else containing chocolate, a few pecks shouldn't do them much harm.
On the other hand, if they downed several chocolate chips or half of a chocolate bar, you're going to want to keep a sharp eye on them.
Unfortunately, there's not too much you can do after they've eaten the chocolate other than removing the source and calling your local veterinarian.
So, Can Chickens Eat Chocolate?
In short, no. Do not feed your chickens chocolate.
It may sound like a great idea based on human experience, but chickens are not humans! They can die by ingesting chocolate.
However, if your chickens get a little bit of chocolate in their table scraps or by coming across some cake crumbs while they're free ranging, they will likely be okay. They're resilient creatures!
If you've experienced chickens eating chocolate in the past, share your story with us!
Also, please consider sharing the post so we can help keep as much chocolate away from chickens (and in our own hands) as possible!


Aims were to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture and Chinese herbs as treatments for depression, and to assess beliefs, attitudes and treatment experience.
Participants received acupuncture or acupuncture and Chinese herbs combined for five weeks. Acupuncture was given for 30min twice a week and herbs taken three times a day. A Beliefs and Attitudes questionnaire was administered at baseline and Treatment Experience questionnaire post treatment. Outcome measure was improvement in depressive symptoms at the end of treatment period.
Nineteen participants completed 5 weeks of treatment, 12 in the acupuncture group and 7 in the combined group. Treatment significantly improved depressive symptoms, however, there were no differences between groups. At baseline, participants were positive about the perceived effectiveness of treatment, and treatment experiences were positive.
Acupuncture was effective in reducing depressive symptoms.
Copyright © 2018, Sunudang - Boston Acupuncture - All Rights Reserved.


Hughes, John S. & Kao, Jennifer L., 1997. "Strategic forward contracting and observability," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 121-133, November.
Allaz Blaise & Vila Jean-Luc, 1993. "Cournot Competition, Forward Markets and Efficiency," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 59(1), pages 1-16, February.
Allaz, Blaise, 1992. "Oligopoly, uncertainty and strategic forward transactions," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 297-308, June.
All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:indorg:v:16:y:1997:i:1:p:121-133. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.


Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando's contract was approved by the Board of Regents on Feb. 22. Orlando has earned a $1.7 million salary increase through 2021. It'd be nice to see Orlando stay through the entire contract, but if his defensive performance continues in 2018, it'll be tough to keep him.
The Aggies have been able to land several top recruits including five-star safety Brian Williams, four-star safety Demani Richardson and four-star wide receiver Kam Brown. The recruits must remember head coach Jimbo Fisher's 2013-14 national championship or former Florida State star quarterback Jameis Winston's athletic success.
Over the past few days, A&M's new tight ends coach Tim Brewster's Twitter game has taken the internet by storm, rustling up plenty of disagreeing responses. Some people had savage words to add, much to the amusement of Longhorns. In addition, Bryan Carrington, Texas assistant director of player personnel, responded with a Lebron GIF , Oklahoma state's head coach Mike Gundy expressed how silly he thought the tweet was, and Oklahoma co-offensive coordinator Cale Gundy posted a few emojis. Check out this entertaining thread on Reddit CFB that showcases thoughts about Aggie pride.


What Makes S.J. Jacobs Different?
S.J. Jacobs & Sons is a fourth generation tiling and excavation company started in 1912 by Matthew Jacobs in Bird Island, MN.
Great-Grandpa Matt started in 1912 by laying clay field tiles and digging everything by hand. Over a century later, we are still family-owned and operated.


Drexel University has been a source of destruction of historic Powelton Village properties, but has recently taken steps to reverse the damage.
Since we launched in 2003, Philadelphia Neighborhoods has done what the mainstream media has not: sent journalists to tell stories in each neighborhood in the city. These students have been trying to tell the untold stories of Philadelphia like of the low-cost youth sports program Kingsessing Roadrunners, or of St. Maron's Church connecting Middle Eastern immigrants in South Philadelphia.
We know we can do more, so we are trying something new: We're asking Philadelphians to ask questions, and a reporter will find the answers.
We want to tap into your curiosities about the city and your neighborhood. Whether it's that construction project down the block, questions on how to become a ward leader, or the history behind city laws — we want to answer your questions.
Using the software Hearken (which is defined as "listen"), we will collect questions. Enter your questions below, and later this week, a "voting round" will open. Other readers will be able to vote on your question, and whichever one receives the most votes, the reporter will work with the person who submitted the question to find the answer. Through the student journalist's reporting, they'll write a story answering the question to share on the Philadelphia Neighborhoods site.


Dedicated to student success, A-B Tech delivers quality education to enhance academic, workforce and personal development. Our vision is to strengthen communities and change lives. Our core values of excellence, integrity, supportive learning environment, innovation and service & engagement are a priority in our classrooms and in our community.


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Volpe and Koenig, P.C. President and CEO Named to Villanova's Engineering Entrepreneurship Advisory Board
Gerald B. Halt Jr.
PHILADELPHIA, PA (April 3, 2017) – Volpe and Koenig, P.C., an intellectual property law firm with offices in Philadelphia and Princeton, NJ, announced today that President and CEO Gerald (Jay) B. Halt Jr. has been elected to serve on Villanova University's Engineering Entrepreneurship Advisory Board for a three-year term. The Board provides guidance to the College of Engineering's dean and administration, assisting with the development and execution of strategies that sustain the Engineering Entrepreneurship program and promoting corporate connections for the student and faculty population. Halt has been a guest lecturer in the program since 2012.
"Each semester, I enjoy introducing the Engineering Entrepreneurship students to intellectual property law as it relates to their work," commented Halt, "and I now look forward to working with Dean Gabriele and his team to advance the program and further support the promising innovators who are coming through it."
Halt's practice at Volpe and Koenig, P.C. focuses on securing, licensing and enforcing intellectual property rights. His work includes litigation, inter partes matters, administrative proceedings, licensing of trademarks and technology, validity opinions and due diligence reviews. He is the author or co-author of numerous books and articles including the recently published book Intellectual Property and Financing Strategies for Technology Startups. He earned his bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from Villanova University and his law degree from Widener University's Delaware Law School. He is regularly recognized on annual lists of exemplary attorneys in the intellectual property law field including Super Lawyers® and The Best Lawyers in America©.
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Three professional footballers who admitted taking part in a drink-fuelled brawl at a nightclub last October have been jailed.
On Friday at Bristol Crown Court, Orr and Brooker were jailed for 28 days, Partridge was sent down for two months.
He was also ordered to pay £1,000 compensation to a doorman.
Brown was given 120 hours' community service for his part in the brawl.
The court heard the quartet were on an evening out when violence erupted as Partridge was ejected from the Romeo Browns nightspot in Bristol city centre.
Prosecutor Robert Davies told the court Partridge "lost control" and charged at the club's doormen.
He became involved in a fight with the bouncers and his team mates then became involved.
Orr, who was sent off recently for headbutting a team-mate in City's 3-1 win at Northampton, was ordered to pay £2,500 in defence costs.
A spokesman for Bristol City FC said: "The club is very disappointed by the judgement and, together with the players and their legal advisors, will be looking at all the options available to them.
"No further statement will be issued by the club until these options have been clarified."


Wrap Around case packers FIPAL, We will be by your side all along the process of buying your machinery, from the initial assessment, accompanying you in the visits, legal and technical consultancy, and defined contracts that will protect you.
Fipal Monoblocco Combi 1000 N Carton Case Wrapper fropm year 2011. It consists of a monobloced carton erector with a pick and place packer and taper. The stainless steel unit is rated at up to 1080 cartons per hour when working with two heads.
specified for packing our 7ccl and 25cl bottle in either 12 pack or 24pack. We do have change parts for a 6 pack.
The specified throughput was designed at 1080 cartons per hr i.e 18 cases per min. We ran at c 12/15 cartons per minute.


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