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Why I Quit Newspaper Reviewing and Became a Happier Writer
January 5, 2015 January 5, 2015 by Lev Raphael
Ten years ago I stopped reviewing for the handful of newspapers and magazines I'd spent a decade freelancing for. But I kept reviewing on several radio stations because I felt freer there and had more fun; eventually I also moved on line to Bibliobuffet.com and The Huffington Post.
I didn't quit print reviewing because the deadlines wore me down. I loved the discipline of writing well under pressure, seeing my work in print so quickly, and knowing people read it.
And I didn't quit because I had a vision of the decline of print journalism.
My main reason for quitting was bad policy.
On radio, nobody hassled me about whether a book had come out that week, that month, or the month before–but print reviewing was very different. One newspaper editor in particular was obsessed with "timeliness." Here's what she meant: I couldn't, for example, review a book in December if its official publication date was in November. Why? Because by then it was old.
This struck me as ridiculous. Reviewing books isn't like covering fast-breaking news stories. Why would readers think the way my editor(s) did? Especially when I was reviewing fiction? Why would readers care about publication dates?
Let's be clear. Not every newspaper or magazine operates in this way, but those that do are extremely rigid in their boundaries, and that's sad. Books get lost; staffers at publishing houses fall ill and fall behind; sometimes they forget to send all the review copies out. Books can reach the reviewers late for any number for reasons, but if that happens at one of these outlets, the author and the publisher are completely out of luck.
Reviews are a crucial part of a book's success, even bad reviews, because they alert people to the book's existence, and not everyone believes bad reviews anyway. I've bought books precisely because a certain reviewer didn't like them and I knew our tastes were very different.
I don't miss living with that kind of rigidity at all. And I feel sorry for all those authors whose books don't get in under the wire to at least be considered for review. The strict policy about publication dates is old-fashioned, idiotically restrictive, and doesn't serve the interests of the reading public well at all.
I'm glad I don't have to work with editors who are so inflexible and that I can share my excitement about a book whenever I discover it, because that's the best part of being a writer-reviewer. The second best part is finding a book to review that also makes me a better writer and when that happens, it's magical.
Lev Raphael's books have been translated into fifteen languages, most recently Czech and Romanian. His 25th book is a novel of suspense about stalking, gun violence, and militarized police: Assault with a Deadly Lie.
Categories Book Reviews, Media, Publicity, Reviewers, Reviewing, Reviews Tags book reviewing, Book Reviews, journalism, Magazines, Newspapers, Reviewing Leave a comment
Who's to Blame for Your Crappy Career?
June 19, 2014 by Lev Raphael
Writers like Malcolm Gladwell have popularized the notion that all you need to become a genius or even an expert at just about anything is hard work. Do I hear RuPaul?
And it's never to soon to start kicking butt, either. Psychologist Ellen Winner says it's now widely believed that "with sufficient energy and dedication on the parents' part, it is possible that it may not be all that difficult to produce a child prodigy."
Whoa. Think about it: truly dedicated parents can get their kids to write symphonies like Mozart, paint canvasses like Picasso, carve sculptures like Rodin, design buildings like Frank Lloyd Wright, create fashion to match Ralph Lauren. The list is endless because they can get their kids to do anything. It's all about work, and wanting it enough. Boom.
I come from a family of mathematically gifted people. My mother's father was a statistician; my mother tutored her peers in mathematics; my older brother aced every math class he ever took from day one. Math was like a religion in our house. But from kindergarten on, I had trouble with the simplest computations–and I still do.
Let me be absolutely clear: I was desperate to be good at math, and equally desperate to please my mother (and my teachers), but I kept disappointing everyone. I was a good little student in most everything else, and it was a torment to me that no matter what I did, no matter how anyone tried to help me, I just could not succeed. Neither could my teachers or my tutors. And no matter how many hours my frustrated mother spent trying to get me to understand what was elementary to her, I just did not get it.
All that hard work only led to embarrassment and shame, and that's what this perverse new cultural naivete has the potential to induce, despite its smiley-face propaganda: feelings of inadequacy for everyone who doesn't make it to the top. Because the answer isn't bad luck, or not enough talent. Nope, it's because nobody tried hard enough! Not you, and definitely not your loser parents.
Andre Dubus is widely quoted as having said "Talent is cheap. What matters is discipline." And now we know it started before we got the career bug in our heads. We know exactly who to blame when we don't make it as writers (or anything else): Mom and Dad. If only they'd believed in us more; worked us harder; pushed us to the max we would all be best sellers (or celebrities). Then we wouldn't have to spend so much time and money in therapy complaining about how we never grabbed the brass ring.
Categories Advice for Writers, Authors, Creative Writing, Internet, Malcolm Gladwell, Media, Publishing, Writing, Writing Advice Tags Andre Dubus, Authors, Books, Career, creative writing, Malcolm Gladwell, Publishing, satire, Writing, Writing Rules Leave a comment
How to Diss Other Authors Safely: A Quick & Dirty Guide
February 27, 2019 March 18, 2014 by Lev Raphael
Watching other authors succeed in ways you can never dream of isn't easy. Life isn't fair and that goes double or triple for the writing life. There'll be plenty of times in your career when you wish you could hire Olivia Pope and her Scandal team to just shut—them—down.
But speaking out about your feelings isn't a good idea. Not so long ago, Lynn Shepherd got lambasted all over the Internet for having urged J.K. Rowling to stop writing. In Shepherd's view, Rowling is a literary Mount Etna whose magma is burying way too many other authors. Cap the volcano, whatever it takes!
Whether she was kidding or being serious, I think she chose the wrong way to express herself. As an author of crime fiction she had obvious, wonderful tools she should have used, and it's a path any author who wants to even the score can easily take.
Write about it, but disguise the people involved. Channel the emotion and use it to fuel fiction of some kind where you can balance the scales in any way you want. Take control of the situation by turning the "offending" author into a character over whom you have complete control. Their fate is now completely in your hands. Make it brutal, gory, grotesquely funny–whatever works, whatever gives you catharsis.
Turn the author's latest book into a joke or a disaster. Mock the title, the theme, the reviews, whatever gives you pleasure. I've done that at least once and it didn't matter that I'm sure the quite famous author never noticed. I had a ball because I thought he was so over-praised by the reviewers and I couldn't stand his work.
When you channel your frustration this way, you'll not only end up rising above the feelings weighing you down, you'll also be extra productive. Better still, if you do a good job of disguise, nobody but you, your agent, your editor or whoever else you let in on the secret will know.
Masking the situation as fiction, you have the chance of not seeming mean-spirited and be far less likely to incite other people's fans to shout Bansai! and launch their planes at your fleet.
A veteran of university teaching, Lev Raphael now offers creative writing workshops online at writewithoutborders.com. He's the author of the forthcoming mystery State University of Murder and 25 other books in a wide range of genres.
Categories Advice for Writers, Authors, Exposure, Fans, Media, PR, Promotion, Publicity, Publishing, Social Media, Writing Advice Tags advice for writers, Author envy, humor, J.K. Rowling, jealous authors, revenge, satire, writer's life, writing life, writing tips 2 Comments
The Internet Isn't Elysium
I recently blogged about how where you live might affect your writing career, pointing out that access to various traditional media and publishing contacts is more likely in big cities.
I wasn't remotely suggesting that people move from where they were, or discouraging anyone from writing in the first place if they didn't live near a major media hub. I was simply pointing out the possible downside of not living where you might have the kind of access to connections and exposure you don't find in smaller towns and cities.
I'm keenly aware of that having grown up in New York and living in a Michigan town with only one newspaper that doesn't do a lot of Arts coverage.
Many readers agreed with me when I cross-posted on The Huffington Post (and hundreds posted the column to Facebook), but some argued that the Internet has changed everything. According to them, writers can go anywhere and be anywhere now.
That sounds true, but is it? There are more book stores in big cities where you can meet book sellers, and indie book stores are making a significant comeback. There are also more radio and TV stations where you can do live interviews, more newspapers and magazines. Those contacts can be made long distance and possibly even nurtured that way, but they're not typically as intense as when they're face-to-face.
Likewise, meeting writers, agents, and editors in person, sometimes casually, can't be replaced by texting or Skyping or chatting on someone's blog. Obviously, you can do some of those things mentioned above by attending workshops and conferences, but you might have a head start if you're already living where there's a large concentration of media.
The flip side of course is competition for attention. But that's just as big a problem on line, maybe bigger, especially now that so many people are going indie and offering their books for $.99 or free. No wonder ebook sales are flattening out.
Is the Internet the answer to a writer's problems? Sometimes, and sometimes it's the source of brand new ones.
Categories Advice for Writers, Authors, Exposure, Internet, Media, PR, Promotion, Publicity, Publishing, Social Media Leave a comment
The Writer's Ultimate Guide to Social Media
January 4, 2015 November 15, 2013 by Lev Raphael
At every writers' conference I've been speaking at lately, the hottest topic has been social media. Wannabe and established writers flock to these sessions like deathly Coronado seeking those seen golden cities.
They seem convinced that with the right information, they can use these new tools to promote themselves into writing stardom. And fast, too.
Any why shouldn't they be? Session after session, book after book, writing blog after writing blog all seem to promise that it you figure out the way to use Twitter and Tumblr and Instagram and Facebook and algorithms and SEO, you'll hit the jackpot. Your books will be in the Top 100, you'll have tens of thousands of followers and customers if not more–hell, you might even develop your own lifestyle brand. Just read X's blog or book and see how she did it……
But it's not possible for everyone to score big, is it? And just like all the other other promotional fads of recent years like blog tours and Skyping to book groups, for example, this heavy focus on social media for authors can just as likely waste their time and divert them from their writing.
Americans love quick fixes and snake oil, always have. It's not surprising, then, that so many writers are following what's going to be a false lead for most of them. What a temptation to imagine yourself just one hashtag away from fortune and fame…
Writing is intensely competitive, like it or not. It's hard to have a writing career of any kind and not compare yourself to other writers; that's endemic in the business. You'll always find someone selling more books, appearing at more venues, winning more prizes, making more money than you are, getting better reviews.
But things have only gotten worse now that publishing is easier and more and more people just like you, it seems, are getting rich because they have the secret.
According to the New York Times, "A small but growing body of evidence suggests that excessive social media use can lead to an unhealthy fixation on how one is perceived and an obsessive competitiveness."
We writers have enough ways to make ourselves miserable without even getting out of bed–hell, some of us probably can do that in our sleep. Who needs more help?
Lev Raphael's most recent book is a novel of suspense about stalking, gun violence, and police militarization: Assault With a Deadly Lie.
Categories Advice for Writers, Authors, Facebook, Instagram, Media, PR, Promotion, Publicity, Publishing, Social Media, Tumblr, Twitter, Writers Conferences, Writing Leave a comment
Instagram Authors?
October 19, 2013 May 16, 2013 by Lev Raphael
The New York Times recently reported that fashion designers like Jason Wu and Diane von Furstenberg are turning to Instagram for inspiration and to take the pulse of their fans. They monitor where and how fans are wearing their designs and also poll fans for opinions and suggestions for their work.
The iPhone app is apparently "generating 25 times the level of engagement of other social media platforms." So when will publishers start pushing their authors to switch to this hot new social medium that's outpacing Facebook and Twitter?
Think of the possibilities! Authors could find out where and when fans are reading their books. They could post and enhance photos of themselves on tour and at work. They could post images of how they imagine their characters, seek advice about book covers, and generally engage with their fans 25 times more than they do already on any other social medium and have their photos instantly posted to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Posterous and Tumblr.
Every aspect of their lives, from morning to night, could be photographed and commented on. Best of all, the Instagram community doesn't seem to generate the kind of snark other platforms do.
And if they plunged into the new, new thing, they could also catch up with the shifting social media landscape, discovering why Instagram is so hot, why Facebook acquired it for one billion dollars, and why it has this stellar track record, as Kelly Lux reports on her blog:
Launched on October 6, 2010
#1 in the App Store within 24 hours of launch
iPhone App of the Week
Holds the record as quickest to reach 1 million downloads, occurring on December 21, 2010
Launched 7 new languages
An Instagram photo made the cover of the Wall Street Journal
Surpassed 25 million users in early March, 2012
The possibilities for authors and their fans are endless, and publishers will no doubt be relentless in chasing after the next Holy Grail of PR.
If they're not doing so already.
Categories Advice for Writers, Authors, Media, PR, Promotion, Publicity, Publishing, Writing Tags Facebook, Fashion, Fashion Designers, Instagram, Media, Photography, PR, Promotion, Publishing, Social Media, Twitter 2 Comments


The BlackBerry Priv will have another sales outlet in the US. Verizon Wireless has made a quick announcement stating it will offer the Android-based smartphone "soon".
That is all we know at this point about Verizon's plans for the phone. It has not yet announced a release date nor a price for the BlackBerry Priv, although you can sign up on the carrier's website to receive any further updates via email.


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Category: Notable Cases
"Operation Caring Today" Preston Crown Court
Posted in: Notable Cases / Fraud & Financial Crime
Ashman's Solicitors successfully secures acquittal in a high profile fraud and money laundering case. Ashman's specialist fraud and money laundering department headed by the principal solicitor Mr. Imran Ali represented a former worker of a Charity, which had been set up in 2000 by another Defendant who had pleaded guilty. The Charity had received hundreds of thousands of pounds in funding from Lancashire County Council for charity work.
The prosecution alleged impropriety in the way the charity was run, involving dishonestly obtaining funds from charity funding providers, which they put to their own use. Ashman's solicitor's fraud and money laundering department prepared the case meticulously. This involved trawling through several years of documentation and instructing an expert Forensic Accountant and a specialist fraud Barrister. We worked tirelessly to ensure that no stone was left unturned and managed to secure a favourable outcome, which was one of Not Guilty. Speak with our Fleet St Solicitors today specialist in complex fraud cases.
Similar Notable Cases
R v AG – Snaresbrook Crown Court - 2021
R-v-GH Bristol Crown Court
R-v-CV Leeds Crown Court
R-v-NW & Others Basildon Crown Court
All Notable Cases

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A big tree-dwelling gliding mammal? In Singapore?
Yeah, we didn't know anything about it either, until now!
It's Chinese New Year again and 2014 is the Year of the Horse!
There are many festive treats available in Singapore at this time of year – cookie stalls are popping up everywhere. Some cookie fairs even have fancy set-ups that bake on site, so you can purchase them fresh from the oven!
This year, to try and escape the cane sugar and white flour overdose, we decided to make our own!
Healthy Holiday Cookies – Coco-nutty & Cute!
Everyone loves eating during the holiday season! There is so much festive food… but it's often unhealthy. However, we love baking cookies… so we transformed the standard with some fantastic substitutes and created these amazingly healthy (and cute) Coconut Sugar Cookie Cutouts!
We would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! We hope you all have a wonderful holiday season filled with lots of good times and happy memories! Thanks for reading about our adventures over the past year – there will definitely be more to come.
We are back in Melbourne for Christmas! One of the first items on our Aussie to-do list was to visit the Queen Victoria Market. We couldn't walk past this amazing cauliflower.
Photography by Heidi and Tim – Singapore Botanic Gardens. Have a great Halloween!
PictoQuote: Happy National Day Singapore!


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Special Needs Sheltering Information
Cities Readiness Initiative
Health Care Coalitions
Project Public Health Ready
Health Care System Preparedness
Preparedness Library and Links
Strategic Performance Measurements
State Public Health and Medical Plans
FLHealthSystems
Emergency Response Partners
Federal Strategic National Stockpile
Special Needs Shelter Program
Training and Exercise
Until Help Arrives Training
Quality Assurance Review
Statewide Exercises and AAR Reports
HomePrograms & ServicesEmergency Preparedness & ResponseCommunity PreparednessCommunity ResilienceFederal Public Health and Medical Recovery Plans and Resources
Federal Public Health and Medical Recovery Plans and Resources
Contact the Bureau of Preparedness and Response
This page provides links to national guidance documents with information on the role of public health in recovery, as well as the critical task of planning for recovery, recovery planning goals, priorities, strategies and anticipated outcomes.
Effective Coordination of Recovery Resources for State, Tribal, Territorial and Local Incidents - The guide outlines best practices and approaches to help enable a more effective recovery for local communities after an incident of any size or scale. Building on the principles and concepts outlined in the National Disaster Recovery Framework, this guide will better position recovery stakeholders to lead, coordinate and support impacted communities in a more efficient, effective and equitable manner. It is designed to be applied after an incident.
Healthcare COOP and Recovery Planning: Concepts, Principles, Templates and Resources – The document is a collection of resources, ideas, templates and references relating to Healthcare Continuity of Operations (COOP) and Healthcare Disaster Recovery. Healthcare organizations can copy and paste needed planning information into their own proprietary COOP or Recovery plan.
2017-2022 Health Care Preparedness and Response Capabilities -The 2017-2022 Health Care Preparedness and Response Capabilities document outlines the high-level objectives that the nation's health care delivery system, including health care coalitions (HCCs) and individual health care organizations, should undertake to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. These capabilities illustrate the range of preparedness and response activities that, if conducted, represent the ideal state of readiness in the United States. The 2017-2022 Health Care Preparedness and Response Capabilities document improves upon the 2012 version titled Healthcare Preparedness Capabilities: National Guidance for Healthcare System Preparedness, streamlining eight capabilities down to four. HPP awardees and sub-awardees will begin to implement the four capabilities presented in the 2017-2022 Health Care Preparedness and Response Capabilities document starting in the new project period, which begins in July 2017.
HHS Disaster Behavioral Health Concept of Operations - The Concept of Operations plan describes the conceptual framework and coordination for U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) federal-level behavioral health preparedness, response and recovery for disasters and public health emergencies. The plan describes how HHS prepares for the behavioral health effects of a public health and medical emergency or disaster and how it transitions from normal day-to-day operations to coordinated response and recovery activities. February 2014.
HHS Disaster Human Services Concept of Operations - The document describes the U.S. Department of Health and Social Services (HHS) role in preparedness, response and recovery. It includes a chapter on Recovery for Human Services and responsibilities of HHS agencies supporting the Health and Social Services Recovery Support Function. The document provides the conceptual framework for coordination and guidance of HHS federal-level human services for preparedness, response, and recovery. It explains how the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) coordinates HHS-wide response and recovery activities. March 27, 2014.
Lessons in Community Recovery: Seven Years of Emergency Support Function #14 Long-Term Community Recovery from 2004 to 2011 -
The report provides examples and information from seven years of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's ESF14 Long-Term Community Recovery experiences. It documents elements of successful recovery, challenges encountered and lessons learned. December 2, 2011.
National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) - The US Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) NDRF defines recovery principles, roles, responsibilities and a coordinating structure to facilitate communication and collaboration as well as provides guidance for communities to capitalize on opportunities to rebuild. The framework provides six support functions to facilitate problem solving, improve access to resources, and foster coordination. Health and Social Services Recovery is one of the support functions. September 2011.
National Preparedness Goal – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security
National Preparedness Goal defines what it means for the whole community to be prepared for all types of disasters and emergencies. The document describes 31 core capabilities that address the greatest risks to the nation. Capabilities are organized into five mission areas. Recovery is one of the mission areas. September 2011.
The Presidential Policy Directive 8: National Preparedness March 30, 2011 requires an annual report summarizing progress in building, sustaining and delivering the core capabilities defined in the National Preparedness Goal. Each of the following reports contain information on recovery.
The 2014 National Preparedness Report is the third annual report updating and expanding upon findings from the previous two years. The recovery section, beginning on page 63, reports that substantial progress has been made in coordinating disaster recovery and in implementing the National Disaster Recovery Framework.
2013 National Preparedness Report
National Health Security Strategy (NHSS) and Implementation Plan 2015-2018 - The document describes a vision and goal for national health security and identifies five strategic objectives. Health system recovery is identified as important in achieving national health security goals. The document lists activities stakeholders may perform in support of priorities and states that "All organizations-including those that do not have health security as their primary mission-need to develop, train, and exercise response and recovery plans in coordination with community partners."
National Response Framework – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security framework provides a guide to how the nation responds to all types of disasters and emergencies. It provides context for how the whole community works together and how response efforts relate to other parts of national preparedness. Capabilities defined in the response mission are necessary to establish a safe and secure environment moving toward the transition to recovery. May 2013.
Public Health Preparedness Capabilities: National Standards for State and Local Planning – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines national standards for public health preparedness capability-based planning. Community preparedness is defined as the ability of communities to prepare for, withstand and recover from public health incidents. The community recovery capability is defined as the ability to collaborate with community partners to plan and advocate for the rebuilding of public health, medical and mental/behavioral health systems to at least a level of functioning comparable to pre-incident levels, and improved levels where possible. March 2011.
Recovery Federal Interagency Operational Plan –This is the second edition of this plan and builds upon the National Disaster Recovery Framework and describes how the Federal Government delivers core capabilities for the Recovery mission areas - The document includes an Annex for the Health and Social Services Recovery Support Function which outlines how Federal agencies and national nongovernmental organizations plan to support health and social services disaster recovery efforts. US Department of Homeland Security, August 2016.
Back to Community and Health Care System Recovery


Lex Deluxe taps into your golden memory archives and constantly hits the sweet spot. Having just entertained the country spinning opening duties for Confidence Man, she knows how to lash up crowds of any size. It's time to relive those inebriated mornings watching Rage and dust off your old moonwalk.


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Indian Country
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Arizona running club boosts Native Americans' health
Parent Category: News
Category: First Nations & International News
By Vandana Sebastian
Phoenix, Arizona (AP) August 2012
An organization that provides services for Native Americans is inspiring a small but stalwart group to run for their lives.
Diana Yazzie-Devine, president of Native American Connections, knew that many Native Americans struggle with obesity. So, she decided to form Native Fit, a running group for Native Americans. The group meets at 5:30 Saturday mornings at Tempe Marketplace for a one-hour run. During the rest of the week, the group splits into smaller pockets based on proximity to runners' homes.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, American Indian adults are twice as likely as White adults to be diagnosed with heart disease. American Indian women are 40 percent more likely than White women to be obese. And American Indian adults are twice as likely as White adults to be diagnosed with diabetes.
"We won't be able to change the statistics immediately. But we're trying to spread awareness and influence personal choice. And somewhere down the line, things will change," said Yazzie-Devine, who is also the group's trainer and a veteran runner. In 2010, Yazzie-Devine completed Ironman Arizona, a grueling cross-country race that comprises 2 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking and 26 miles of running.
Among the runners in Native Fit is Loretta Salazar, who was addicted to meth for 23 years. Now 40 years old, she joined Native American Connections' treatment program in Phoenix and got help physically and mentally.
She joined Native Fit as a way to lose weight, and she liked it so much she signed up for a half-marathon.
Like Salazar, most of the people in the group had never run before. Sheryl Caponera, director of grants and administration for Native American Connections, lost 65 pounds after joining Native Fit.
"I've struggled with weight my whole life. I'm addicted to food," Caponera said. "I walk. But I complete the distance."
She admits the weight loss was not a result of just walking.
"Getting physically active demanded a change in lifestyle. In order to be able to build the stamina and endurance needed to complete the walks, I started doing yoga and joined a gym," Caponera said.
Five months after training with the group, Caponera was able to stop taking her heart medication.
Jordanna Burkett Crist, who works as a counselor at Native American Connections, had developed achalasia, a disorder that affects the ability to swallow food, after her pregnancy.
"After I joined Native Fit, I find that I can swallow fresh fruits and vegetables, which I couldn't before. I also sleep better," Crist said.
Crist, 32, was a runner in her teens and early 20s. She said that she came from a family of alcoholics and that running was her retreat from the violence at home. She stopped running when she was 25, for no particular reason. She started again in August last year. Crist says that waking up in the morning for a run is still one of the hardest parts for her.
"It's easy to roll over and go back to sleep," Crist said. "What gets me out of bed is the positive social pressure of being part of the group. And also my grandmother, one of the few of my family members who was clean, used to say, `If you run in the morning, you're first for a blessing.' "
For most people in Native Fit, who were non-runners before, transitioning wasn't easy.
"Did I mention that I lost six toenails?" asked Sandra Blosch, 51, a runner with the group.
Yazzie-Devine, the group's leader, said many in the group suffered from overuse injuries at the start, and often, they did not have good running shoes.
Being in the group required more than different shoes. A change in mind-set was needed, as well.
"I always associated people who exercised and kept fit as people with different aspirations in life. When I would see people biking and jogging in the morning, I associated them with being higher-class people. I thought exercise was only for the rich," Salazar said. "A few months ago, the realization struck me. I thought, `Oh, my God, I'm a runner!' I was just like them."
Yazzie-Devine said, "Native Americans have a history of health diseases because of the rapid rate at which they had to adjust to modern lifestyles. It's a group that especially needs to get fitness conscious, and we hope to be an inspiration."
"Now, our group isn't limited to Native Americans," Yazzie-Devine added. "Just last month, we picked up a tall, White gentleman, and now he runs with us."


There is a universe of beautiful details when you get close enough.
Light, sand, water - and a seashell.
Every time I photograph flowers close up, I'm stunned at the intricate design and symmetry, the perfect function, and the over-the-top beauty of nature. The Creator certainly is creative!
Close-up of a tiny white daisy. The shallow depth of field gave this a soft dreamy feel to me.
These tiny flowers (about 1 cm wide each) were blooming at 200 ft below sea level in Death Valley National Park in California. Tiny flowers at the lowest place in the United States - far from a lofty platform, but they made me smile anyway.
The warm breeze blew over the iced landscape...and then the light went out.
My kids and I found this large green dragonfly sitting on our driveway a few days ago. We admired it for a few minutes before it flew away. If you zoom in, you can see tiny black hairs on it's face and even the individual parts of its compound eye.
A very small moment with a small shell on a large beach on a very large ocean. 1/4000th of a second, to be precise.


Who knew judging others was blocking me from everything I wanted?! Learn to shift this INSTANTLY.
It may seem like women judging women just comes along with the territory of being a woman– like getting cat called or cellulite. But I've found that judgements are a lot more complex than they appear at face value.
Who knew judgements kill creativity, consciousness and the ability to manifest what we want?! YIKES! (I sure didn't).
*As always, if you find this video insightful, please consider liking it or sharing it with your friends. You never know who might be able to benefit from receiving this message today! And women lifting up other women is the beginning of a new paradigm on the planet. XO!
← Regain Your Goddess Status & Become Irresistible to him again!


G O O O A A A L - Giorgi Merebashvili is on target!
G O O O A A A L - Adnan Kovacevic is on target!
G O O O A A A L - Mateusz Mozdzen is on target!
Welcome to Kolporter Arena, the match will start in about 5 minutes.


UI am currently mastering the art of carbonation which, let me tell you, has not been as simple as the rest of the kombucha journey has been. The fermenting times and flavors have been perfected but getting the bubbles is proving more of a task…. I think maybe because it's been so cold in Melbourne lately and being an impatient person makes me not want to wait any longer than I should to get into my booch. But that's another blog for another time! Update: Carbonation has been mastered, see part three of Making Kombucha to see my tips.
If you're still in the early stages of making kombucha or still wondering if you should get in to making, have a look at my easy to follow kombucha recipe here. The story behind this recipe comes from Making Kombucha – Part One and Making Kombucha – Part Two if you want to have a read.


Code inside SystemVerilog interfaces does not beautify.
Packages have the same problem.
I'm taking a look at it, thanks for the report.
Fixed for the next release. It looks like I made the same mistake for 'primitive' declarations as well, so I'll fix that for the next release as well.


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Q: Blocks in a for-loop under the hood? I read an article on loops and it said that it was better to use for-loops rather than methods (like forEach) whenever possible. The reason for that is a higher performance of for-loop due to not creating a new context on every iteration.
But how does a block in for-loop work? While a function has it's own context that could be removed from the call stack with all it's variables, what happens with variables in a block defined on a previous iteration? How do the same variables are recreated on every iteration? How does a memory work in this case?

A: Ok Pro Tip: Anyone can write articles and not every article is to be followed blindly.
It is true that For Loops are more performant than regular array methods, but the difference is almost always insignificant, and you should only worry about that when you're working on a strictly time-bound module or project. And I mean really really strictly time-bound (maybe like a hackathon challenge or some other work).
Otherwise, you should use the array functions as they are easier to read and understand, and make your code more maintainable.
As for how for-loops work, it depends on what was used to declare the iterator. If you use const or let which are block scoped, then what happens is:

*

*The variables are declared.

*Whatever needs to be executed, is executed.

*When the end of the block is reached, the variable is garbage collected and the memory is freed for the next iteration.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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(1.) A prophet in the reigns of David and Solomon (2 Chr. 9:29). He is first spoken of in connection with the arrangements David made for the building of the temple (2 Sam. 7:2, 3, 17), and next appears as the reprover of David on account of his sin with Bathsheba (12:1-14). He was charged with the education of Solomon (12:25), at whose inauguration to the throne he took a prominent part (1 Kings 1:8, 10, 11, 22-45). His two sons, Zabad (1 Chr. 2:36) and Azariah (1 Kings 4:5) occupied places of honour at the king's court. He last appears in assisting David in reorganizing the public worship (2 Chr. 29:25). He seems to have written a life of David, and also a life of Solomon (1 Chr. 29:29; 2 Chr. 9:29).
(2.) A son of David, by Bathsheba (2 Sam. 5:14), whose name appears in the genealogy of Mary, the mother of our Lord (Luke 3:31).


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Many of the telephone calls I regularly receive are from owners of accordions who wish to have their instruments valued or find more information about them. A frequently asked question is how can you tell whether an accordion is pre-war or not. There are a few pointers I can provide which may help you to ascertain this. There are exceptions to the rule, but more often than not the vast majority of pre-war accordions do not have more than one coupler (see below) to change their sound. On post-war accordions, the couplers are generally on the grill in front of the black notes of the treble keyboard. On pre-war accordions, there is usually just one push coupler on the edge of the keyboard. Sometimes, it is a slide action rather than push. Displayed around the borders are a selection of pre-war instruments, mostly made around the 1930s when accordions were very popular.
These instruments will always require a complete overhaul (which is described further down this page) unless they have been worked on in more recent years, and so, are really not worth very much financially. The make or model will not make too much difference on the value in these cases. Most pre-war accordions are only worth what someone is willing to pay for them; on average this would be between �-�0; this is based on my experience when talking to customers who have bought such accordions privately. Three makes that are more sought after and therefore might have a slightly higher value would be the Cooperativa, Dallape, and Ranco as these were the best makes of accordion at that period. Pre-war accordions have a squarer appearance, as you will be able to see from the pictures and were very often highly decorative and in many more colours than we see today. I do not know of any music shops that would be interested in buying them now; I used to buy them in myself up until a few years ago but it became impossible for me to do so as I simply could not store any more because of my limited storage space. At that time I had over 200 such pre-war accordions, one shelf of which you can see (pictured right), all of which were in need of a full overhaul and perhaps body reconstruction of some kind or another. I have always found it upsetting to think of any accordion simply being thrown out because an owner could not find anyone to buy it. You will find that they often pop up in adverts in free local newspapers or at car boot sales, jumble sales, church fetes and auctions. E-bay is now a very popular way of finding or disposing of these older accordions but beware - it is virtually impossible to find accordions like these in good playing condition even though cosmetically they may appear perfect. (See paragraphs below). With my ever-increasing workload of preparing my own stocks for sale I have had to decline repairs of accordions bought elsewhere.
As time goes on I will endeavour to add to these pictures with more models that I have in my storerooms that may be of interest.
The worst you can do to an accordion is store it in a damp place. The reeds will get rusty very quickly and the instrument will go badly out of tune. Even if the accordion looks to be in perfect condition on the outside it will require a complete overhaul which is expensive. A full overhaul involves the removal of the reeds from the wooden reed blocks, (there are approx. 220 double-sided reeds & 400 valves in a full size accordion ) laid out on trays, cleaned thoroughly, re-valved, re-waxed back onto the wooden blocks and finally tuned. The keyboards and bass mechanisms are dismantled , cleaned and then reassembled. The treble keyboard usually has a metal rod which runs from one end of the accordion to the other and this may not have moved since the accordion was made. It needs to be removed to take the keys off individually, and as the rod is dislodged it can easily break the partitions between the keys which will then have to be repaired. Customers often comment that their accordions are in perfect condition because they have not been used for many years; unfortunately even without use the overhaul is important as the leather valves on the reeds will have dried up over the years and this greatly effects the tuning and sound. This kind of work should only be thought of if there is a sentimental value to the accordion.


springtime, and there is a springtime now. No other difference exists because the foundations are the same. Whoever acts completely in accordance with the teachings of Christ is a Bahá'í. The purpose is the essential meaning of Christian, not the mere word. The purpose is the sun itself and not the dawning points. For though the sun is one sun, its dawning points are many. We must not adore the dawning points but worship the sun. We must adore the reality of religion and not blindly cling to the appellation Christianity. The Sun of Reality must be worshiped and followed. We must seek the fragrance of the rose from whatever bush it is blooming—whether oriental or western. Be seekers of light, no matter from which lantern it shines forth. Be not lovers of the lantern. At one time the light has shone from a lantern in the East, now in the West. If it comes from North, South, from whatever direction it proceeds, follow the light. Let me illustrate further. A certain person bestowed a coin upon five beggars. They resolved to spend it for food. The Englishman said, "Buy grapes." The Turk wanted uzum, the Arab anáb, the Greek stafi'li, the Persian angúr. Not understanding each other's language, they quarreled and fought. A stranger came along. He was familiar with all five languages. He said, "Give me the coin; I will buy what you wish." When he brought them grapes, they were all satisfied. They wanted the same thing but differed in the term only. Briefly, when reality dawns in the midst of the religions, all will be unified and reconciled.
Question: Does 'Abdu'l-Bahá find Christianity is not lived up to and carried out in America?


text:
Planet Connections Q&A: The Six Month Cure / The Untitled Project
by The Happiest Medium on June 10, 2010 · 0 comments
in Festivals, Interviews, Manhattan, Off-Off-Broadway, Theatre
Planet Connections Theatre Festivity is New York City's premiere eco-friendly theatre festival, connecting artists and audiences with diverse dynamic charitable organizations. The Planet Connections experience entertains, enlightens and informs.
The Happiest Medium (proud sponsors of The Planet Connections Festival), will be running Q&A throughout the festival.
Today we ask one question each of Lenny Schwartz writer of The Six Month Cure and Kevin Davies, the Production Manager of The Untitled Project.
Let's find out why two plays, which seem so different, actually have more in common than you might think . . .
The Six Month Cure
answers by Lenny Schwartz
Here's Antonio's question -
If you would have to single out a quality between dialogue, plot or character, which one is the strongest in your play/piece, and why?
I think it would definitely have to be character. It is an all-female cast and it is characters we don't too often see in plays: Comic Book Collecting older women and a younger woman who she falls in love with.
Here's Karen's question -
What has been the most surprising or unexpected thing that's happened during this play? Did that wind up taking the play in a new direction?
Lenny Schwartz: It is our dramaturg, Ellen Joffred. Ellen's input and questions have helped me immensely as the playwright and brought the production to a new level. Same with our director Norah Turnham. Excellent talented women.
Here's Anne's question -
What do you think is the central theme and reason this play was conceived?
I wanted to write a play about love that didn't have labels … whether it was a heterosexual relationship or a homosexual one is unimportant … the idea of love is what matters. Our Main character Kate is also dying of cancer and we never use that word … in fact we never say the word lesbian either! We take away the words so you can focus on character rather than the label.
Here's Stephen's Question -
Why should the audience (we) go to your play? What will the audience learn about the "human condition" by going to your play?
You should go to this show because it features characters we don't see a lot of and the play is alternatively funny, sad, heartbreaking, and human. It's an all-female show that will make you laugh about life and love. Here is a clip from the press release: The Six Month Cure is about Kate, a comic book collecting grandmother, who goes on a road trip during her final months alive to the biggest Comic Book Convention in the world. Along the way she meets Mandy, a lost soul and they slowly start to fall in love with each other.
Here's Sarah's Question -
What is your favorite line from the play?
"You define me." It sums up the entire show for me.
Here's Diánna's Question -
What about this play do you feel most drawn to personally, and because of that, what message do you hope the audience walks away with?
For me, it all comes down to the following:
Why I wanted to write this show is that I feel that there are not enough interesting characters for women to play. There are so many great actresses and most of the time, women are relegated to performing in shows about certain body parts. And those shows are great, but I always felt there are many more dimensions and stories that can be told about women. I also wanted to write a story about love. Not heterosexual or homosexual…just love. A story in which the gender and the sexual orientation become secondary and the emotion involved are at the forefront.
The Untitled Project
answers by Kevin Davies
Typically an audience overhears dialogue; it is a conversation that the audience hears but in which they can not take part. The Untitled Project turns this convention on its head by making the contribution of the live audience central to the action. If we had to label one of those qualities strongest, we would pick dialogue because it motivates the drama even as we push the boundaries of its form.
The original idea for the show was that it would be about experiences of a theater company devising a work and the difficulties they encountered in the process. We were surprised by our capacity to divine the future, though our story has a happier ending than the show's.
We were interested in the relationship between the audience watching theater and the people making it, particularly as we pave our own theatrical paths as young, new theater makers. More generally, we wanted to make a play that challenges the gap between audience and actor in terms of their physical spacing and their agency over the course of events. We wanted to explore to what extent this fundamental distance might be investigated in a new way.
Theater is a product; you buy a seat at a show, setting aside as your own a particular time and a particular vantage point from which you will witness a live event. But theater is also a process, and that process is interesting to explore in a production because it allows the audience to take something with which they are familiar–theater–and observe it from a place that is unique and new. You should come see our show because it will challenge you to adapt to a dramatic experience that is unique and new. In requiring you to give up what is familiar, the show allows you turn a critical gaze toward theatre and your own impact on the live event.
"I am going to hold my breath forever. "
There's a moment in the show when an actor says, "I don't want to be here. I can't come here." She is talking about what it is if like to be caught up in something greater than yourself. We've all begun those projects that take a life on their own, and we've all experienced what it is like to feel our control of a situation weaken and fray. What I find most compelling about the show is its engagement of people in this situation and how their violent, traumatic, and emotional struggle to set things right.
Women's History Month: Celebrating Women In The Arts – Spotlight On Alex Bond
Women's History Month: Celebrating Women In The Arts – Spotlight On Robin Rice Lichtig
Women's History Month: Celebrating Women In The Arts – Spotlight On Glory Kadigan
Celebrating Life, Love, And Connections – Congratulating Carol Carpenter
Smorgasbord – Glorious Food! (Planet Connections 2010)
Tagged as: planet connections theatre festivity, the six month cure, the untitled project
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The big banks have settled their difference with the U.S. government over charges of foreclosure mortgage fraud, and the number of foreclosures is on the rise again as lenders tackle an enormous backlog of mortgages that have gone unpaid. Here's the thing, though. Increasingly, banks and other lenders are allowing people to sell their houses for less than what they owe. The reason for this is that the housing market is slowly heating up again. Demand for homes is starting to build. The banks wisely figure that some money is better than no money. After all, there are costs associated with repossessing a home and then trying to sell it, and banks are not in the real estate business.
Real estate transactions in which homes or other properties are sold for less than what a lender is owed are called short sales.
Delinquent mortgages, bank-owned homes and foreclosures depress the real estate market. Lenders understand this, and are willing to work with homeowners to keep the worst-case scenario of foreclosure from happing when at all possible.
The number of short sales throughout the state of California increased to 21.4 percent in June 2012, up from 20 percent a year ago. In Orange County, however, the number of short sales is down, from 35 percent in June 2011 to 31 percent in June 2012, according to market data from the California Association of Realtors.
Orange County is bucking the California trend because Orange County is a highly desirable place to live.
Who Benefits From an Orange County Short Sale?
Short sales benefit a mortgage holder in a variety of different ways. He or she avoids the foreclosure that can seriously damage a credit report. The mortgage holder is not responsible for carrying the property on the books in the event that nobody actually bids at the short sale auction.
Listing and buying agents will make a profit on a short sale, though it's likely their commission will be somewhat less than it would have been under normal real estate sale conditions.
Title companies, escrow companies, real estate lawyers and financial managers like tax consultants and accountants all benefit from short sales. That's because the more irregular a deal is, the more need for high-priced consultants.
The person who really stands to benefit from a short sale, however, is the buyer. In most cases, the buyer is purchasing the property at or below its current market value. His or her monthly mortgage will be less because the loan needed to buy the house will be less. Depending on the assessed value of the property, this may carry over into a decreased property tax burden as well.
The first step in the Orange County short sale process is a communication from the mortgage holder to the lender, documenting the hardships that prevent him or her from continuing to make monthly payments, and testifying to the desire to sell. At this point, the lender is free to accept or reject the mortgage holder's request.
If the request is accepted, the property will be listed for sale. In most cases, the lender will work closely with a local real estate agent to perform an appraisal and market the property. All bids on the property will be forwarded to the lender for consideration. The lender can approve the offer, reject the offer or counter the offer with one that is more acceptable.
Despite the term "short sale," these types of sales can take as long as 90 days to complete as the offer is reviewed by lender officials at various administrative levels.


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Unemployment: What Is It?
Warren C. Gibson
Economics Labor Unions
Unemployment has regained center stage now that the debt crisis has receded from that position, at least for a time. Unless things change dramatically over the next year unemployment will be the number one issue in the forthcoming presidential election. Hardly any proposal will escape being labeled "job-killing" or "job-creating" or both.
To begin with some basics, what is work and what is a job? For economists, work is any activity that we would not perform without tangible compensation, usually money. In our work lives almost all of us are also motivated by nonmonetary considerations, and to the extent we diverge from the most remunerative activity available to us, we are blending work and leisure. A retired person who takes up college lecturing may do the work primarily for the satisfaction it brings. If his salary were withdrawn and he continued to teach, he would be enjoying leisure.
The goal of all economic activity is consumption, which to economists means not just mundane goods like faster cars but also "noble" ends like cathedrals. Jobs are therefore not ends in themselves, as much as public discussion would suggest otherwise. They are means to acquire income to be used for consumption and saving, in addition to personal satisfaction, learning opportunities, or socializing.
A person who lacks a job is unemployed if he or she wants work, has suitable skills, and has realistic expectations about compensation. These are vague terms; they make unemployment a murky concept. That goes double for underemployment, though both remain very real phenomena.
What is it about unemployment that makes it so problematic? Why can't markets cure labor surpluses with lower wages as coffee surpluses are cured by lower coffee prices? Is government interference to blame, or is there something about free markets that allows unemployment to persist?
Both. Let's look first at natural unemployment, which is unemployment not caused by government policies. Economists Milton Friedman and Edmund Phelps brought this concept to the fore during the 1960s even though, like most modern economic concepts, it had been recognized in various guises long before they wrote of it.
Labor markets, even when unhampered by government interference, are different from other markets. Nonmonetary considerations do not arise in other markets as much as in labor markets. Not just salary, but working conditions, job satisfaction, and advancement opportunities matter to most job seekers, often greatly.
A certain number of unemployed people are holdouts, people who might find some sort of job fairly quickly but are holding out for a higher salary, more job satisfaction, convenient location, and so on. Lumping all holdouts together is problematic. Some may harbor unrealistic expectations. Some feel constrained by their spouses' wishes. Some have ample savings and can afford to hold out more stubbornly than others.
Some holdouts are reluctant to relocate. Moving is usually expensive and often emotionally distressful, especially to children. The current lingering housing crisis makes moving especially unattractive to some. People who are not only unemployed but also "underwater" in their mortgages—and particularly those who have simply stopped making payments, knowing that their lenders may not get around to their case for months or even years—are strongly inclined to stay put rather than accept distant job offers.
Efficiency Wages
Another form of natural unemployment is a bit subtle but very real. It goes by the name "efficiency wages," based on the fact that recruitment and training costs are quite significant for most firms. Employers want their new hires to stick around so that these costs can be amortized over a reasonably long and productive term of employment. To motivate valuable new and old employees to stay, firms tend to offer compensation somewhat higher than the going rate for workers in any particular category. If the going rate is the wage that balances supply and demand for a particular labor category and if most offers are somewhat above this rate—efficiency wages—the result must necessarily be some unemployment. No one exemplified this theory better than Henry Ford and his outlandishly high $5-per-day wage beginning in 1914. According to one report, the policy eliminated complaints and reduced absenteeism by 75 percent. Total labor costs actually fell. There was a long waiting list for Ford jobs, but those men had other opportunities in the growing Detroit economy.
Government-Caused Unemployment
Government policies contribute to unemployment above and beyond natural unemployment. The most notorious of these policies are minimum wage laws. These laws make it illegal, effectively, for low-skilled workers to accept employment. Anyone who cannot generate $8 worth of production per hour cannot expect to be paid more than $8. Such unfortunate people might be productive at $6 per hour but are forbidden to accept employment at this rate and are instead condemned to joblessness and all its attendant miseries. This burden falls most heavily on black teenagers, whose unemployment rate (based on those seeking work and excluding those who are in school) is well over 40 percent. The benefits accrue mainly to slightly higher-skilled workers, who have climbed onto the metaphorical ladder leading to better jobs and who are shielded from competition from those excluded by minimum-wage laws.
Unemployment insurance softens the impact of joblessness and reduces the incentives to find a job. Recipients are supposed to show that they are actively seeking work, but this rule is easily sidestepped. There is nothing wrong with unemployment insurance per se. The problem is that the government forces all workers to buy this insurance whether it suits them or not. (Though nominally paid by employers, in fact the burden falls partly on workers and partly on employers.) Some workers might prefer to take that portion of their compensation in cash, but that choice is forbidden. Private carriers that might offer this insurance would, like all insurance providers, take steps to minimize adverse selection (the tendency for riskier workers to buy insurance) and moral hazard (the incentive for those covered to take risks that could get them fired).
Labor unions, as voluntary associations bargaining freely with employers, are unobjectionable. They did a lot of good in the past when working conditions in many places were pretty bad. But now they are granted special privileges by law—basically the privilege to engage in violent or coercive activities. The result is often wage agreements that are above market-clearing levels. Those left out are of course unemployed.
While labor unions can boost their members' compensation at the expense of non-union workers, higher wages generally and higher living standards are due mainly to increased productivity, which in turn depends on high levels of capital investment. People are more willing to save and invest when they have confidence in the future, and that confidence comes from respect for property rights.
The Pain of Unemployment
Because unemployment, natural or government-caused, is such a personal matter, its impact is highly subjective, extending far behind lost wages.
A teenager looking for work may not be his family's main source of income, but finding a job could be crucial to his life path. In my day teenagers could earn money delivering papers, mowing lawns, raking leaves, and shoveling snow. The work was unregulated and the income untaxed. Were we exploited? Hardly. We learned to take pride in our work, save for the future, and in contrast to our allowances, savor the special significance of money that we had earned.
A family breadwinner who loses his job and remains unemployed for an extended period of time will surely become discouraged, a term that only begins to describe the psychological devastation that can ensue. Men especially begin to see themselves as failures not just as breadwinners, but as husbands and fathers and more generally. Marital problems often arise. Children pick up on the distress and at certain ages wonder if they are to blame. Domestic violence and suicides are not uncommon. But losing a job may be no big deal for the senior citizen who works mainly for pleasure.
If anguish could be measured we would probably say that one year's unemployment is more than twice as painful as six months'. As time goes by the jobless not only lose hope, but also suffer erosion of their work skills and attitude. Their former colleagues and clients tend to forget about them. Some without work turn to alcohol or worse in their despair.
Overqualification is a problem for many job-seekers. Employers are reluctant to hire people who are qualified to do better-paying work simply because those workers are likely to leave once they get a more lucrative offer. So some people simply "forget" to list that master's degree on their résumé.
Unemployment and Macroeconomic Policy
Returning to Friedman and Phelps, the phrase they actually used was the natural rate of unemployment, the rate that would prevail when the economy is operating at full potential. Economies can operate below potential, as ours is presently, and they can sometimes operate above potential. Correspondingly we can have unemployment above the natural rate or, rarely, below. In the latter situation, we might see seniors lured out of retirement or young people lured into jobs before they finish school. But this situation is not our focus here.
Friedman was known for his opposition to Keynesian policies and his championship of free-market ideas. But that one word rate hints at the fact that Friedman fits squarely into the Keynesian macroeconomic project. Friedman viewed economics as an empirical science, not fundamentally different from physics, in direct opposition to the Austrian approach. He and Phelps spawned a cottage industry of searchers for the natural rate. Without that one word his work might not have received the broad attention that it did.
Some economists define the natural rate as an average rate (technically, a moving ten-year average). By this definition the actual rate must always lie above the natural rate at some times and below at other times. But this is simplistic. There is nothing "natural" about a moving average. Natural unemployment lies in the intentions and expectations of the people involved and is not so easily measured.
While the natural rate may be difficult to quantify and the highly subjective effects of unemployment cannot be measured, what about the amount of unemployment? Can it be measured? The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has that responsibility, and the numbers it announces get more attention nowadays than any others, with the possible exception of GDP growth figures. How does the BLS arrive at its numbers?
BLS Categories
To begin with, it must decide who is in the labor force and who is not. Among those who don't hold jobs, infants, jail inmates, and people in nursing homes aren't expected to work and shouldn't be called unemployed. They are simply excluded from the labor force. Beyond that it starts to get fuzzy. Should that senior person who works mainly for nonmonetary reasons really be counted in the labor force? What about discouraged workers? A discouraged worker is one who wants work and has looked during the past 12 months, but not during the past four weeks. Do the statisticians really know who has looked and who hasn't, and whether the reason was discouragement or something else?
Because of these and other ambiguities the BLS estimates unemployment in six different ways. U-3 gets the most attention. It is the number of unemployed divided by the size of the labor force. That number was 9.1 percent at press time. The next most widely followed version is U-6, which adds "marginally attached" workers—those who are out of the labor force but want work and have looked within the previous 12 months. It also adds those with part-time jobs who would like full-time work (again, how do they know?). This figure was a whopping 16.2 percent.
So which is the real unemployment figure, U-3 or U-6? There is no right figure, and the emphasis on U-3 is not some sort of conspiracy to hide the "real" situation. The figures are what they are, and it's a mistake to read too much into them.
The biggest problem with unemployment statistics is not their fuzziness but, like GDP, the implications they carry: the idea that the government can and should proactively attempt to manage the unemployment rate. Such has been the presumption for at least 65 years.
Since 1948 the Federal Reserve System has operated under a dual mandate: maximize employment and stabilize prices. This is a direct reflection of the dominant macroeconomic theory of the time, which assumes the authorities could reduce unemployment by adding a little inflation, or vice versa. The theory seemed to work for awhile but fell apart in the 1970s, when the term "stagflation" appeared. We had the worst of both worlds for a time, and Friedman was ready with an explanation: Inflation could only temporarily boost unemployment—until such time as expectations caught up to reality. The Fed, as we all know, has injected massive amounts of reserves into the banking system with no discernible effect on growth or unemployment. So much for the dual mandate. More about this and other current conditions in part two, which will appear next month.
Warren Gibson teaches engineering at Santa Clara University and economics at San Jose State University.


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Brown County (Illinois)
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Mainline Protestant Baptist 2 246 35.46
Church of the Nazarene Evangelical Protestant Holiness 1 70 10.09
Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod Evangelical Protestant Lutheran 1 81 11.68
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Mainline Protestant Presbyterian-Reformed 1 58 8.36
United Methodist Church, The Mainline Protestant Methodist/Pietist 1 226 32.58
The population of Brown County, Illinois was 6,937 in 2010; in 2000 it was 6,950. The total population changed -0.2%. The adherent totals of the religious groups listed above (3,020) included 43.5% of the total population in 2010.