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Continue reading …The Flashbulb Autumn Insomnia Session Mariah Belt’s Through the Years Anime Mix-Judah [MEP part] Jungdiva says: Effect of a fake insomnia -____-
Continue reading …Florida residents still seething over the Casey Anthony verdict may want to avert their eyes: They’re still paying the tab for her defense. Anthony’s legal team has billed the state $147,018 in expenses so far, reports the Orlando Sentinel . This particular sum doesn’t include lawyer salaries, notes ABC News…
Continue reading …Texas Governor Rick Perry is toying with a run for president. Perry is a skilled politician and has never lost an election, but he has taken an increasingly antiscience turn in his approach to governing. On global warming he now says that the leading source of “supposedly deadly carbon dioxide” is the mouth of Al Gore. On education he has appointed creationists to lead the Texas State Board of Education. And on the issue of sex ed in Texas, Perry has taken governing positions that affect millions of children based on his own personal opinions, even when those opinions are overwhelmingly contradicted by the evidence. Texas lawmakers cut sex ed from two six-month courses to a single unit of “abstinence only” education. But early indications showed that the program wasn’t working. In fact, teens in almost all high school grades were having more sex after undergoing the abstinence only program. By 2007, Texas had the highest teen birth rate in the nation. Nevertheless, the program continued. By 2009, 94 percent of Texas schools, which at the time were educating more than 3.7 million students, were giving no sex ed whatsoever beyond “abstinence only,” a curriculum that includes emphasizing that birth control doesn’t work. Instead of providing fact-based information, the programs use fear and Jesus — over-emphasizing the risks of sexually transmitted diseases leading to cervical cancer, radical hysterectomy and death, together with Christian morality. One Texas public school district’s sex ed handout is entitled “Things to Look for in a Mate:” I. How they relate to God A. Is Jesus their first love? B. Trying to impress people or serve God? Another public school district uses this: Question: “What does the Bible say about sex before marriage/premarital sex?” Answer: Along with all other kinds of sexual immorality, sex before marriage/premarital sex is repeatedly condemned in Scripture (Acts 15:20; Romans 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:1; 6:13,18; 7:2; 10:8; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; Jude 7). The results? Teen pregnancy in Texas went up — higher than before “abstinence only,” and more than 50 percent higher than the national average. Even more troubling was that repeat teen pregnancy went up — to the point that it, too, led the nation. It turns out that Texas kids thought that “if birth control doesn’t work, why use it?” It’s also extremely tough for teenagers to get contraceptives in Texas. “If you are a kid, even in college, if it’s state-funded you have to have parental consent,” said Susan Tortolero, director of the Prevention Research Center at the University of Texas in Houston. But none of this seems to matter to Gov. Rick Perry. When confronted with the dismal statistics during an October 15, 2010 televised interview with Texas Tribune reporter Evan Smith, Perry’s response was to reaffirm that “abstinence works.” The audience laughed and Smith pointed out the state’s abysmal teen pregnancy rate. “It works,” insisted Perry. “Maybe it’s the way it’s being taught, or the way it’s being applied out there, but the fact of the matter is it is the best form of — uh — to teach our children.” Smith asked for a statistic to suggest it works, and Perry replied that “I’m just going to tell you from my own personal life, abstinence works.” Perry could be a good leader. But the United States faces mounting challenges around science policy issues ranging from energy and climate change to ocean health to science education and American economic competitiveness. Perry’s willingness to base policies that affect millions of children on his personal opinions even when they are contradicted by overwhelming evidence suggests a governing style that would not be constructive for dealing in reality when tackling America’s complex problems. If Perry continues his campaign for president, he should renounce his past antiscience positions and pledge to make governing decisions based on the best available science. Shawn Lawrence Otto is author of Fool Me Twice: Fighting the Assault on Science in America. Find him on Facebook.
Continue reading …Type: Book Title: Ultimate Leadership: Winning Execution Strategies for Your Situation See all customer reviews Product Description: “All the management advice in the world won’t help you much if you can’t adapt it to actual situations. That’s where Russ Palmer stands out. These are smart, practical leadership principles that are tried and tested in real-world business circumstances.” – Edward Whitacre, Jr. , Chairman Emeritus of AT&T, former Chairman and CEO of AT&T and Southwest Bell “It is very fitting that Ultimate Leadership is authored by Russ Palmer, the ultimate leader. It was with his guidance and friendship that I successfully transitioned from four orderly decades as a Marine to the arcane world of corporate America.” – General P.X. Kelley , USMC (Ret.), 28th Commandant of the Marine Corps “Russ Palmer’s Ultimate Leadership is truly the last book you’ll ever need on the subject. Russ shows once again why he is the dean when it comes to explaining why leadership matters. Ultimate Leadership is the ultimate statement on how leaders in business, government, and nonprofits alike can keep up with changes and conquer diverse organizational contexts.” – John J. DiIulio, Jr. , Frederic Fox Leadership Professor, University of Pennsylvania, former director, White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives “This book about leadership from a contextual viewpoint is nothing short of brilliant. Russ’s easy-to-read book is filled with practical examples of leading from the context of a particular situation. The steps to extraordinary leadership are not hugely different, but the applications are endless. Thank you, Russ, for making sense out of a very disputable subject.” – Gerard R. Roche , Chairman of Heidrick & Struggles “This book is refreshing proof that the essential personal traits of successful leaders are identifiable. Russ Palmer presents them in a manner providing great reading and much food for thought.” – Gordon Bethune , Chairman, Aloha Airgroup, former CEO, Continental Airlines “Leadership is essential for all seasons, but its effective exercise depends much upon the season. In a masterful account, Russ Palmer draws on his rich store of personal experience to show how adaptive leadership makes the difference. For understanding what actions are required of all leaders–and how those actions must also be tailored to circumstance–Ultimate Leadership is the essential read.” – Michael Useem , Professor of Management and Director of the Center for Leadership at the Wharton School, and author of The Go Point: When It’s Time to Decide Go Beyond Generic Leadership: Become an Outstanding Leader in Your Unique Environment To succeed, leaders must understand and apply the core principles of leadership–but that’s not enough. You need to shape your approach for any unique situation. Too many leaders don’t know how to do that–and that’s why they fail. Ultimate Leadership shows how to adapt the principles of leadership to different challenges, contexts, and organizations. Russell E. Palmer–who has had three very different, highly successful careers as head of one of the world’s largest accounting firms, Dean of the Wharton School, and an entrepreneur–helps you identify the leadership model most appropriate for your environment, and how to lead accordingly. You’ll learn better ways to lead your equals, help an organization weather crises, transform its culture, lead entrepreneurial organizations, lead global organizations…even lead non-profit and academic institutions. Then, drawing on interviews with an extraordinary spectrum of outstanding leaders, Palmer helps you master the attribute every leader must have: the ability to inspire your unique organization, even in the face of the most daunting challenges. • Achieving empowerment, even in classic “top-down” organizations Exercising strong authority without falling victim to ego or closed-mindedness • Transforming an organization of peers Driving changes in a strategic direction when key power centers disagree • Turning danger into opportunity Mastering the art of rapid, focused, hands-on execution for organizations in crisis • Leading cultural change that sticks Reconnecting structures, processes, and strategies with the new realities you face • Learning from the Wharton experience Succeeding in an environment with widely diverse, highly influential stakeholders See the details
Continue reading …Findings from a new study suggest that being optimistic may reduce your risk of stroke.
Continue reading …Here’s a fact you should remember about lasers: they make everything better. Even musical instruments . Anyone who has ever tried to use their trusty six-string as a MIDI controller knows the pain of the latency introduced by trying to convert string vibrations into digital signals. M3i’s Laser Pitch Detection (LPD) system skirts this issue by running a laser beam under each string. Instead of detecting vibrations the optical pickup measures the distance between the diode and the depressed string, then converts that into a pitch. That not only means there’s no delay, but also that no need to actually tune your instrument — it combines all the laziness of Antares’ ATG-6 with the class of Beamz . If you’re curious, there’s a demo video after the break. Continue reading Laser Pitch Detection system turns your axe into a luminous, latency-free MIDI machine (video) Laser Pitch Detection system turns your axe into a luminous, latency-free MIDI machine (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Jul 2011 23:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Minnesota’s government is reopening for business after a nearly three-week shutdown closed state parks, laid off some 22000 public workers and demonstrated the wide reach of state agencies. (July 21)
Continue reading …NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced Thursday teams had approved a negotiated agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement with players. (July 21)
Continue reading …Type: DVD Title: The World at War [Blu-ray] See all customer reviews Product Description: More than 35 years after its initial broadcast, THE WORLD AT WAR remains the definitive visual history of World War II. Unsurpassed in depth and scope, its 26 hour-long programs feature an extraordinary collection of newsreel, propaganda, and home-movie footage drawn from the archives of 18 nations, including color close-ups of Adolf Hitler taken by his mistress, that present an unvarnished perspective of the war s pivotal events. Penetrating interviews with eyewitness participants from Hitler s secretary to Alger Hiss to ordinary citizens who stood outside the battle lines add spine-tingling, first-hand accounts to an already unforgettable viewing experience. Informative and unbiased, THE WORLD AT WAR is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an International Emmy Award, The National Television Critics’ Award for Best Documentary, and knighthood for its creator, Sir Jeremy Isaacs. Narrated by Academy Award winner Sir Laurence Olivier and painstakingly restored in 1080p high-definition (with newly-created 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks), this is epic history at its absolute best. Features: Condition: New Format: Blu-ray NTSC Actors: Various See the details
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