Crystal Cathedral Founder Disapproves of Anti-Gay Covenant by Mindy Townsend · March 17, 2011
Earlier today we covered the story of Crystal Cathedral trying to make its choir members sign an anti-gay covenant. This have many people upset. Robert Schuller, founder of the megachurch, contacted The Orange County Register to say that he does not support the covenant.
He said he did not even know of the document and did not approve it. He further said that, while he personally believes the document’s statements on homosexuality, it goes against the foundational principles of his ministry.
But even though he personally believes in so-called biblically sanctioned relationships, he has built up a reputation of being tolerant of other people’s views, and intends to live up to that reputation.
Not only does the anti-gay covenant go against the megachurch’s principle of tolerance, Schuller said that covenants generally violate the goal of positive ministry espoused by the Crystal Cathedral.
This is encouraging news, but there seems to be a schism within the megachurch. One of his daughters, Carol Schuller Milner, says that her father’s statements do not inhibit the support for Schuller Coleman’s ministry, and that as her father becomes less involved in management, the megachurch will deviate from his personal views.
While I disagree with anyone who believes that LGBT people do not deserve equal rights, I totally respect Robert Schuller’s philosophy of live and let live. It’s disturbing to hear that the ministry is becoming more dogmatic. With your help, we can stop the injustice.
North Carolina Midwives Risk Arrest for Attending Home Births
Amy Medwin a certified Midwife licensed in Virginia was arrested in North Carolina for doing her job. They arrested her for not having a license of midwifery in that state. The truth is that that state doesn’t give out licenses for Midwifery. North Carolina government doesn’t approve the woman having home births. Fourteen states more also disapprove the home births. Having a home birth is not dangerous. Statistics of infant mortality during hospital and home births are the same. Still lawmakers and doctors disapprove completely the midwifery. They also opposed to the approval of it as a legal issue. Some lawmakers and doctors classify women insane for wanting a home birth experience .They also say that the Midwifes are criminals for doing home births. Really women have their right to decide which type of birth experience they want. This is why is time to tell lawmakers in North Carolina that midwifes are not criminals. Also is time to fight for make the midwifery a legal issue in North Carolina.
Bill Re-Introduced to Provide Housing Assistance for HIV+ New Yorkers Advocates continue to fight for the 30 percent rent cap bill to aid New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS. This vital piece of legislation would provide housing assistance for thousands of low-income New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS. On March 11, the bill was formally re-introduced because New York now has a new Governor. Assembly Member Deborah Glick and several of her colleagues sponsored the bill, including Senator Tom Duane, who is openly HIV-positive.(1) “While I was desperately disappointed in our inability to eliminate this injustice last year, I remain hopeful that it can be addressed as we move forward," said Assembly Member Glick. Poverty and HIV/AIDS can be a deadly combination. For a person living with HIV to be at risk of becoming homeless is unacceptable. New York will see a surge in financial costs to assist these individuals, not to mention a potential public health nightmare. We need to see a victory for HIV+ New Yorkers! (1) http://news.change.org/stories/bill-re-introduced-to-provide-housing-assistance-for-hiv-new-yorkers
Bill Re-Introduced to Provide Housing Assistance for HIV+ New Yorkers Advocates continue to fight for the 30 percent rent cap bill to aid New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS. This vital piece of legislation would provide housing assistance for thousands of low-income New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS. On March 11, the bill was formally re-introduced because New York now has a new Governor. Assembly Member Deborah Glick and several of her colleagues sponsored the bill, including Senator Tom Duane, who is openly HIV-positive.(1) “While I was desperately disappointed in our inability to eliminate this injustice last year, I remain hopeful that it can be addressed as we move forward," said Assembly Member Glick. Poverty and HIV/AIDS can be a deadly combination. For a person living with HIV to be at risk of becoming homeless is unacceptable. New York will see a surge in financial costs to assist these individuals, not to mention a potential public health nightmare. We need to see a victory for HIV+ New Yorkers! (1) http://news.change.org/stories/bill-re-introduced-to-provide-housing-assistance-for-hiv-new-yorkers
No Surprise: Homeless Patients Cost Hospitals More by Elizabeth Lombino A recent Canadian study found that hospital patients who are homeless end up costing hospitals more money. The study found that overall, homeless patients cost hospitals an additional $2,500 each. The reasons for this extra cost are most often related to housing issues. Specifically, a homeless patient often does not have a place to go upon discharge and therefore the hospital keeps them for additional time. Often homeless shelters will not accept a person if they are recently discharged from the hospital or are still ill, which can further complicate the issue Food is an essential and basic need. Somehow even something as simple, necessary, and inexpensive (compared to medical care) as food is being denied in Gainesville. It seems clear that providing meals to all who are hungry would cost Gainesville much less money than allowing families to go hungry and therefore risk health issues and lengthy hospital stays.
No Surprise: Homeless Patients Cost Hospitals More by Elizabeth Lombino A recent Canadian study found that hospital patients who are homeless end up costing hospitals more money. The study found that overall, homeless patients cost hospitals an additional $2,500 each. The reasons for this extra cost are most often related to housing issues. Specifically, a homeless patient often does not have a place to go upon discharge and therefore the hospital keeps them for additional time. Often homeless shelters will not accept a person if they are recently discharged from the hospital or are still ill, which can further complicate the issue Food is an essential and basic need. Somehow even something as simple, necessary, and inexpensive (compared to medical care) as food is being denied in Gainesville. It seems clear that providing meals to all who are hungry would cost Gainesville much less money than allowing families to go hungry and therefore risk health issues and lengthy hospital stays. By: Valentina Barbosa 8a
No one calls in this decade .The only people who communicate by phone are family members. Now days the cell phone is more used to send text messages than to do calls. Long time ago it was cool to have a proper phone line or to own a phone. But in these modern times receiving a phone call from some friend meant that something is not going on the way it should. An interior designer called Jonathan Adler assures that he never uses his phone. He assures that in these days the rule is to not use the phone ever. Also a Miss manner called Judith Martin assures that for her the phone is a big interruption in human conversations. She considers a phone call as something rude. The use of the phone practically doesn’t exist now days and this is why almost no one has assistants to manage the communication part. Jonathan Bumham a senior vice president and publisher assure that where he works no one uses the phone. He assures that the phone is only used when people need to talk about real serious stuff. The phone usage is even very low in publicity agencies and other places were years ago the phones were a very important element. Mathew Ballast , a publicist assures that years ago he had to return calls but now he only uses his phone twice a day. He also says that people use the phone when an email is not very clear. In this decade no one likes to call or to be called.
No one calls in this decade .The only people who communicate by phone are family members. Now days the cell phone is more used to send text messages than to do calls. Long time ago it was cool to have a proper phone line or to own a phone. But in these modern times receiving a phone call from some friend meant that something is not going on the way it should. An interior designer called Jonathan Adler assures that he never uses his phone. He assures that in these days the rule is to not use the phone ever. Also a Miss manner called Judith Martin assures that for her the phone is a big interruption in human conversations. She considers a phone call as something rude. The use of the phone practically doesn’t exist now days and this is why almost no one has assistants to manage the communication part. Jonathan Bumham a senior vice president and publisher assure that where he works no one uses the phone. He assures that the phone is only used when people need to talk about real serious stuff. The phone usage is even very low in publicity agencies and other places were years ago the phones were a very important element. Mathew Ballast, a publicist assures that years ago he had to return calls but now he only uses his phone twice a day. He also says that people use the phone when an email is not very clear. In this decade no one likes to call or to be called.
Rebuilding Lives and American Ties to Japan By MARTIN FACKLER Published: March 22, 2011
Japan citizens were very pleased when the help from the United States arrived to Japan. “They are like gods descending from the sky,” said a tearful Junko Fujiwara, 37, a secretary at the elementary-school-turned-shelter in the northern coastal town of Kesennuma. “It’s cold and dark here, so we need everything: food, water, electricity, gasoline, candles.” (1) Soon after the devastating earthquake and tsunami struck Japan, the United States military began what it calls Operation Tomodachi (Friend), one of its largest relief efforts in recent years. That relief is getting through to sometimes difficult-to-reach coastal areas devastated by the March 11 double disaster. In particular, the United States has grabbed a chance to rebuild ties with a crucial Asian ally that just a year seemed to be flirting with pulling out of Washington’s orbit and having dozens of American bases in Japan. It seems so far to be a highly successful effort, at least in the areas the helicopters visited. Schoolyards or sporting grounds converted into landing zones, Japanese residents welcomed them with deep gratitude. “We will always remember the Americans’ coming at a time when we needed help,” (1) said Osamu Abe, 43, an official in the town of Minamisanriku. At the same time, the American military has found itself trying to achieve a delicate balance. Indeed, Japan has at times appeared overwhelmed by the multiple disasters — the earthquake and tsunami have left more than 26,000 dead or missing, and hundreds of thousands homeless, and the plant still faces a possible meltdown. The United States mustered a large presence in tsunami-hit areas quickly, while Japan has been slow to reach some heavily damaged areas, especially around the nuclear plant. The Americans had showed all their possible solutions and help within the crisis in Japan. (1) http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/23/world/asia/23reagan.html?hp Summary by: Carolina Zagarra
The Ken Doll Turns 50, and Wins a New Face By ELIZABETH OLSON Published: March 21, 2011
THE toy maker Mattel is revamping its best-selling Barbie franchise by emphasizing her longtime beau, Ken. The company is bolstering awareness of Barbie’s companion — who celebrated his 50th birthday on March 11 — using social networks likeFacebook and Twitter and a series of just-completed webisodes in which wholesome-looking young male contestants vied to be the new face, literally, of the soon-to-be redesigned boyfriend. The redesigned Ken doll will resemble the contest winner, Kurtis Taylor, a 25-year-old former defensive lineman for Iowa State, who won over the judges in the romantic gesture category. Ken, who had a breakup with Barbie in 2004 but won her back on Valentine’s Day, began his comeback by appearing in Disney’s “Toy Story 3” last summer. The “Genuine Ken” series began appearing on Hulu in January, hosted by another fashionable blonde, Whitney Port, who appeared in the popular MTV series “The Hills.” Collectors of all things Barbie put millions of dollars into Mattel’s coffers each year. And they have an annual gathering. This year it is in Fort Lauderdale in July, and it will focus on Ken. While Ms. Cota, at Mattel, said the “Genuine Ken” series probably would not drive sales, it would help keep the Barbie brand fresh and relevant. Meanwhile, Mattel is readying a modeling contract for Mr. Taylor. With $500 to buy gifts, he edged out his rivals when he won the romantic category by giving each judge a penny and donating the remaining money to the Make a Wish Foundation. By: Valentina Barbosa
California Mom Leads Campaign to Get Prisoners Safe Drinking Water By Charles Davis • February 21, 2011
Blanca Gonzalez's son spent years at California's Kern Valley State Prison, where she says he was sickened by the foul water he was forced to drink – water that the state knows is contaminated with arsenic, a carcinogen that can cause serious skin damage and circulatory system problems. And she wanted to do something about it. But where to start? For years California officials have been promising to fix the facility's water problem – promising to provide its more than 5,000 inhabitants water that meets the standards of the EPA and World Health Organization. And for years they have failed to deliver, extending and then extending again their self-imposed deadlines for when they “anticipate” resolving the issue. After reading an article last fall about Kern Valley State Prison's dirty water, Gonzalez contacted your humble criminal justice editor here at Change.org, asking that I write more about the problem. And now her campaign is drawing the attention of California's top prison officials. Since her petition was first featured here a few weeks ago, more than 2,100 people have joined Gonzalez and other mothers of sickened, incarcerated men in California in demanding that the state stop poisoning its prisoners with arsenic-laced water. That support elicited a response last week from the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's Scott Kernan, who oversees prison operations – a response that was characteristically underwhelming, but which shows officials are starting to pay attention. Speaking on behalf of her, other mothers of the incarcerated and the prisoners themselves, who she says are well aware of the petition, Gonzalez tells Change.org she wants to thank “all of you that have participated so far.” “We couldn't have gotten this far without Change.org,” she says – and, more importantly, the hundreds of people who have helped raise awareness about the campaign to provide prisoners in California safe, clean drinking water. Around the time Gonzalez first contacted me, she wrote that it was nothing less than "ridiculous that there are over 5,000 men in the prison and no one cares" about the fact they may suffer serious health problems from the water they have no choice but to drink.
California Mom Leads Campaign to Get Prisoners Safe Drinking Water By Charles Davis • February 21, 2011
Blanca Gonzalez's son spent years at California's Kern Valley State Prison, where she says he was sickened by the foul water he was forced to drink – water that the state knows is contaminated with arsenic, a carcinogen that can cause serious skin damage and circulatory system problems. And she wanted to do something about it. But where to start? For years California officials have been promising to fix the facility's water problem – promising to provide its more than 5,000 inhabitants water that meets the standards of the EPA and World Health Organization. And for years they have failed to deliver, extending and then extending again their self-imposed deadlines for when they “anticipate” resolving the issue. After reading an article last fall about Kern Valley State Prison's dirty water, Gonzalez contacted your humble criminal justice editor here at Change.org, asking that I write more about the problem. And now her campaign is drawing the attention of California's top prison officials. Since her petition was first featured here a few weeks ago, more than 2,100 people have joined Gonzalez and other mothers of sickened, incarcerated men in California in demanding that the state stop poisoning its prisoners with arsenic-laced water. That support elicited a response last week from the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's Scott Kernan, who oversees prison operations – a response that was characteristically underwhelming, but which shows officials are starting to pay attention. Speaking on behalf of her, other mothers of the incarcerated and the prisoners themselves, who she says are well aware of the petition, Gonzalez tells Change.org she wants to thank “all of you that have participated so far.” “We couldn't have gotten this far without Change.org,” she says – and, more importantly, the hundreds of people who have helped raise awareness about the campaign to provide prisoners in California safe, clean drinking water. Around the time Gonzalez first contacted me, she wrote that it was nothing less than "ridiculous that there are over 5,000 men in the prison and no one cares" about the fact they may suffer serious health problems from the water they have no choice but to drink.
G. A. Marlatt, Advocate of Shift in Treating Addicts, Dies at 69 By DENNIS HEVESI
G. Alan Marlatt, a psychologist who challenged the longstanding belief that substance addiction is incurable and that it can be controlled only by abstinence, died March 14 at his vacation home in Stanwood, Wash. He was 69 and lived in Seattle. For 30 years, Dr. Marlatt was director of the Addictive Behaviors Research Center, an arm of the University of Washington in Seattle that nurtured a movement among therapists holding that addiction treatment should take a more moderated approach than is common in traditional 12-step programs calling for complete abstinence, like that of Alcoholics Anonymous. Dr. Marlatt was perhaps the leading proponent of the approach, called “harm reduction.” His data demonstrated that reducing an addict’s level of alcohol use can lead directly to reduced troubles at home and at work. Through his research, much of it involving students on campus, Dr. Marlatt also identified factors that can predict a relapse, among them negative emotions, conflicts with others and recurring thoughts that the substance will make the addict feel better. “Alan found that these high-risk situations can be planned for, and that by being taught appropriate coping responses the person can learn to avoid relapse,” said Mary Larimer, who worked with Dr. Marlatt for 27 years and is now associate director of the research center. “Prior to Alan’s work there was a perception that relapse was an inevitable part of the disease of addiction, primarily triggered by biological processes.” Besides his wife, he is survived by a son, Kit; a stepson, Colin; two stepdaughters, Charlotte and Melanie; a half-brother, Robert; a grandson; and two stepgranddaughters. His three previous marriages ended in divorce. Dr. Marlatt received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of British Columbia in 1964 and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Indiana University four years later. After teaching at the University of British Columbia and the University of Wisconsin, he joined the University of Washington faculty in 1972. In recent years, Dr. Marlatt took a lead role in efforts to deal with alcohol abuse on college campuses. He developed a counseling program called Basics — Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students — that uses so-called harm-reduction techniques. It is now in place at more than 1,800 colleges.
• Stop Hitting Kids, Improve Texas Schools By Dave Moss Lost in the debate about education reform is the undeniable fact that the public education system in the United States is one of the most violent in the world. School shootings and daily exaggerations about youth crime, it is not the students who are perpetrating the majority of this violence. violence initiated by the teachers and administrators that we trust to safeguard our children’s education it’s a shame that this profession is muddied by one of America’s darker and more insidious legal practices corporal punishment. Texas hits the most students every year -- nearly 50,000 during the 2005-2006 school years, according to the latest available statistics.
• Stop Hitting Kids, Improve Texas Schools By Dave Moss Lost in the debate about education reform is the undeniable fact that the public education system in the United States is one of the most violent in the world. School shootings and daily exaggerations about youth crime, it is not the students who are perpetrating the majority of this violence. violence initiated by the teachers and administrators that we trust to safeguard our children’s education it’s a shame that this profession is muddied by one of America’s darker and more insidious legal practices corporal punishment. Texas hits the most students every year -- nearly 50,000 during the 2005-2006 school years, according to the latest available statistics.
After Inspirational Year, Furyk Is Back Where It Began By LARRY DORMAN Published: March 18, 2011
There were shouts from hole marshals and tournament volunteers, and kudos from fellow tour players. Justin Leonard is a major championship winner approaching his 40th birthday and closing in on two years since his last victory, just as Furyk was a year ago. “Seeing how he played, winning multiple times,” Leonard said. “His winning the FedEx Cup. Because of his success, I’m able to draw upon some inspiration.” This is what Furyk’s victory here last year meant: More than the end of a 30-month victory drought — the longest of his career — it also was the beginning, as he neared 40, of his best season. It was an inspirational year in which he won three tournaments for the first time, was voted the PGA Tour’s player of the year by his peers and earned a total of $14.8 million — including a $10 million bonus for his FedEx Cup win. Furyk picked up where he left off last year, shooting a 4-under-par 67 on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook and positioning himself three strokes behind the 64s shot by the early leaders, Paul Casey and Garrett Willis. Furyk, entering his 18th season, hesitates to definitively call 2010 his best year. An analytical man who chooses his words carefully, he viewed last season in the context of the two winless seasons that preceded it, doing his best to play down the achievement. Furyk said that it was a year of timing and that he win three tournaments, which he haven’t done before, but he didn’t get into contention any more last year than he did in 2008 and 2009. furyk just took advantage of the opportunities more. The son of a Hungarian-Ukrainian father and a Polish-Czech mother, he jokingly refers to himself as a mutt. His father, Mike, is a golf professional and Furyk’s only teacher. A throwback in many ways, including sartorially, he favors muted blues and grays on the golf course and shorts, T-shirts and flip-flops off it. His style of play is as conservative as his golf wardrobe. He is so serious on the golf course, he sometimes goes through an entire round without smiling or emoting. Furyk breaks out the needle in golf games with friends on tour and around his home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. One must listen closely to pick up his comic timing.. Furyk deadpans about pretending to be a nice guy the first time he met his wife, Tabitha, at the Memorial Tournament, so he could fool her into going out with him. BY: JUAN PABLO ARRAZOLA
After Inspirational Year, Furyk Is Back Where It Began By LARRY DORMAN Published: March 18, 2011
There were shouts from hole marshals and tournament volunteers, and kudos from fellow tour players. Justin Leonard is a major championship winner approaching his 40th birthday and closing in on two years since his last victory, just as Furyk was a year ago. “Seeing how he played, winning multiple times,” Leonard said. “His winning the FedEx Cup. Because of his success, I’m able to draw upon some inspiration.” This is what Furyk’s victory here last year meant: More than the end of a 30-month victory drought — the longest of his career — it also was the beginning, as he neared 40, of his best season. It was an inspirational year in which he won three tournaments for the first time, was voted the PGA Tour’s player of the year by his peers and earned a total of $14.8 million — including a $10 million bonus for his FedEx Cup win. Furyk picked up where he left off last year, shooting a 4-under-par 67 on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook and positioning himself three strokes behind the 64s shot by the early leaders, Paul Casey and Garrett Willis. Furyk, entering his 18th season, hesitates to definitively call 2010 his best year. An analytical man who chooses his words carefully, he viewed last season in the context of the two winless seasons that preceded it, doing his best to play down the achievement. Furyk said that it was a year of timing and that he win three tournaments, which he haven’t done before, but he didn’t get into contention any more last year than he did in 2008 and 2009. furyk just took advantage of the opportunities more. The son of a Hungarian-Ukrainian father and a Polish-Czech mother, he jokingly refers to himself as a mutt. His father, Mike, is a golf professional and Furyk’s only teacher. A throwback in many ways, including sartorially, he favors muted blues and grays on the golf course and shorts, T-shirts and flip-flops off it. His style of play is as conservative as his golf wardrobe. He is so serious on the golf course, he sometimes goes through an entire round without smiling or emoting. Furyk breaks out the needle in golf games with friends on tour and around his home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. One must listen closely to pick up his comic timing.. Furyk deadpans about pretending to be a nice guy the first time he met his wife, Tabitha, at the Memorial Tournament, so he could fool her into going out with him. BY: JUAN PABLO ARRAZOLA
Some Worry That Success of Apple Is Tied to Japan By MIGUEL HELFT Published: March 22, 2011 The sharp drop was driven in part by worries over the impact that the crisis in Japan would have on Apple’s ability to make its blockbuster products. It didn’t help that the iPad 2 appears to be in increasingly short supply, a situation Apple has found itself in before. Apple’s shares bounced back, gaining more than 2.5 percent; on Tuesday, they gained another 0.56 percent. Apple is at risk of being buffeted by the unfolding crisis in Japan. Every major computer and consumer electronics maker relies on components that directly or indirectly come from Japan. The company is intensely secretive about its supply chain. While other companies typically don’t talk about whom they buy parts from, analysts say Apple takes secrecy particularly seriously and will cut off any supplier that it suspects of being loose-lipped. A factory operated by Shin-Etsu in Shirakawa produces at least 15 percent of the world’s supply of the wafers and is not likely to become operational for a long time. On Thursday, IHS iSuppli, which is known for its “teardowns” of new Apple products identified five parts that it said could be affected. They included the flash storage, memory chips, an electronic compass, batteries and glass used in the touch screen. Other analysts said that they were concerned about the supply of BT resin manufactured primarily by a Mitsubishi facility in Japan that was temporarily shut down. Mr. Hargreaves noted that Apple would be first in line to receive components like flash storage and memory chips. He also noted that the prices of those components, while likely to rise, were still lower than in 2010. With supplies for the iPad 2 and the iPhone tight, even a short-lived disruption could have an effect. Analysts estimated that the number was around 500,000 in the first weekend. After that, sales slowed to a trickle, even as demand remained strong. Apple stores have been resupplied daily, but in small amounts. Mr. Munster said a large group of people lined up overnight at the Apple store in New York’s meatpacking district one day last week. The waiting time for new orders has grown to four to five weeks, from two to three weeks. The company plans to begin selling the iPad 2 in some two dozen countries. While Apple is certain to have earmarked units for the international debut, no one outside of the company knows how many. The iPhone has been in tight supply since Apple introduced it in 2007. And only in the most recent quarter, Apple managed to end the backlog for the original iPad. BY: VANESSA NAVARRO
Landmark Community Cat Legislation Could Become Law in Utah by Ledy VanKavage · March 22, 2011
The much-publicized cat fight in Utah around a barbaric bill that would have allowed open season on all things "feral" is over. While denounced by animal advocates across the country, and ultimately dying a humane death in the 11th hour of the session, another bill was quietly making its way through the Utah legislature. Senator Dennis Stowell and Animal Society made sure the legislators realized that this measure would ultimately save taxpayers money, and help wayward felines and their caretakers. This legislation would mandate that animal shelters hold stray dogs or cats for a minimum of five days to give their owners time to reclaim them. This gives animals a better chance at being reunited with their families. Community cats will be except from these requirement. This legislation would also become the first statute that would use the term "community cat" instead of "feral."The reality is these cats have been here for hundreds of thousands of years, and the unintended consequences that would ensue if all community cats vanished would be devastating. Cats are part of every community. If the Governor signs this bill, it will prove that good, progressive animal welfare legislation can be enacted in sparsely populated states in the west.
An HIV Prevention Campaign That Harms Instead of Helps.
The "It's Never Just HIV" campaign warns that if you get HIV, you're more likely to get osteoporosis, dementia, and anal cancer. In a press release about the campaign, the Department of Health said the campaign is "an effort to combat complacency about HIV" and to encourage men who have sex with men to use protection to avoid spreading HIV. But the campaign doesn't focus on encouraging condom use or telling people to get tested; instead, it uses graphic imagery to instill fear. It sends the message that life is hopeless for those who are HIV-positive, and that HIV-positive people can't lead happy lives even if they take medications.
The campaign may potentially decrease the likelihood that men who have sex with men will get tested for HIV, and it undoubtedly stigmatizes those living with HIV.
Aside from the increased rate of suicide among LGBT people, HIV-positive people experience higher rates of suicide than those without HIV. The campaign is targeting the very individuals that are already at high risk for depression and suicide, as well as bullying and harassment.
Hey, here's a brilliant idea. Take an environmental disaster on the scale of Deepwater Horizon, except instead of the Gulf of Mexico, let's watch it happen in one of the most remote, inaccessible, and wildlife-rich areas on the globe. That's exactly what could happen if some oil companies, led by Shell Oil, get their way. They're putting the screws to the White House to open up areas in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas for new drilling. It's obviously a terrible idea, and if you don't trust me, then trust Defenders of Wildlife, who has a proven track record of standing up on issues like this.
It's not just polar bears, of course. You've also got walruses, various whales, and a slew of other species. Every single one of them is at risk if the White House decides to buy into the very same "drill, baby, drill" rhetoric that the President campaigned against just a few years ago. You should probably also know what's going to happen if (or more likely, when) there's a Deepwater Horizon-like accident in the polar bear seas. A major spill in the Gulf of Mexico is bad enough, but at least the weather makes it somewhat easy to mitigate the effects of spilled oil. In the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, you're going to have to deal with sub-freezing temperatures, far rougher seas, and high winds. And every minute, every hour, every day that cleanup is delayed means more damage to at-risk species. by: xiomara angulo
Stop Hitting Kids, Improve Texas Schools By Dave Moss
Lost in the debate about education reform is the undeniable fact that the public education system in the United States is one of the most violent in the world.
School shootings and daily exaggerations about youth crime, it is not the students who are perpetrating the majority of this violence. violence initiated by the teachers and administrators that we trust to safeguard our children’s education it’s a shame that this profession is muddied by one of America’s darker and more insidious legal practices corporal punishment.
Texas hits the most students every year -- nearly 50,000 during the 2005-2006 school years, according to the latest available statistics.
World Cup finalists Spain and Netherlands both retained their 100% records in Euro 2012 qualifying on Tuesday. World and European champions Spain only knew their Group I qualifier against Lithuania in Kaunas was going ahead shortly before kick-off, with the referee passing the pitch fit to play despite Spanish protests that it was unsuitable for international football. But, despite the conditions, Spain took the lead through Xavi Hernandez. However, defender Tadas Kijanskas put through his own net while under pressure from Fernando Llorente to give Spain the lead again and Juan Manuel Mata, made it 3-1 to the visitors after finishing off a flowing move with seven minutes remaining. The result gives Spain 15 points from their five matches with the Czech Republic. Meanwhile, Netherlands beat Hungary 5-3 in a Group E thriller to remain on course to qualify for the finals. Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt scored twice in three minutes to seal victory for Netherlands to give them a maximum 18 points from their six matches. Sweden lie second in the group after a 2-1 home win over Moldova, while Hungary are third, level on nine points with the Swedes having played two matches more. Elsewhere, Belgium closed to within five points of Group A leaders Germany. Guus Hiddink's Turkey defeated Austria 2-0 and is now a point behind the Belgians in third place with a game in hand. by: valeria naissir
World Cup finalists Spain and Netherlands both retained their 100% records in Euro 2012 qualifying on Tuesday. World and European champions Spain only knew their Group I qualifier against Lithuania in Kaunas was going ahead shortly before kick-off, with the referee passing the pitch fit to play despite Spanish protests that it was unsuitable for international football. But, despite the conditions, Spain took the lead through Xavi Hernandez. However, defender Tadas Kijanskas put through his own net while under pressure from Fernando Llorente to give Spain the lead again and Juan Manuel Mata, made it 3-1 to the visitors after finishing off a flowing move with seven minutes remaining. The result gives Spain 15 points from their five matches with the Czech Republic. Meanwhile, Netherlands beat Hungary 5-3 in a Group E thriller to remain on course to qualify for the finals. Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt scored twice in three minutes to seal victory for Netherlands to give them a maximum 18 points from their six matches. Sweden lie second in the group after a 2-1 home win over Moldova, while Hungary are third, level on nine points with the Swedes having played two matches more. Elsewhere, Belgium closed to within five points of Group A leaders Germany. Guus Hiddink's Turkey defeated Austria 2-0 and is now a point behind the Belgians in third place with a game in hand. by: valeria naissir
Lori McCoy and Edwin Rossman Jr. On November 2006, when First Sgt. Edwin Rossman Jr. stood up at the funeral of Staff Sgt. for the solemn event. Ms. McCoy had met Sergeant Rossman in 2002 in Germany, and recalled being delighted that he had agreed to speak. In addition to being devastated over her husband’s death, Ms. McCoy was busy moving Logan, then 6, and his 3 year old brother, Tyler, into her parents’ home in Waco, Tex. all while preparing herself to start college. After the funeral she found that her questions weren’t being answered by the casualty assistance officer assigned to her case. At then same time, Sergeant Rossman, now 46, was dealing with his own problems. In 2004, he was injured in a mortar attack on his armored Humvee during a battle in Baghdad which he described as being like a July 4th barrage, but with bullets hitting vehicles like hail. In the destruction, he knocked his head hard on his vehicle’s metal radio mount. There was also the matter of the collapse of his second marriage. Nevertheless, he was happy to help Ms. McCoy in this transition from Army wife to Army widowWith the approach of spring in 2007, Sergeant Rossman , emboldened by the close relationship he and Ms. McCoy had developed over the phone, and by a brief kiss in a meeting at her parents’ home in Waco that February, decided to act on his romantic inclinations. By luis rueda
Lori McCoy and Edwin Rossman Jr. On November 2006, when First Sgt. Edwin Rossman Jr. stood up at the funeral of Staff Sgt. for the solemn event. Ms. McCoy had met Sergeant Rossman in 2002 in Germany, and recalled being delighted that he had agreed to speak. In addition to being devastated over her husband’s death, Ms. McCoy was busy moving Logan, then 6, and his 3 year old brother, Tyler, into her parents’ home in Waco, Tex. all while preparing herself to start college. After the funeral she found that her questions weren’t being answered by the casualty assistance officer assigned to her case. At then same time, Sergeant Rossman, now 46, was dealing with his own problems. In 2004, he was injured in a mortar attack on his armored Humvee during a battle in Baghdad which he described as being like a July 4th barrage, but with bullets hitting vehicles like hail. In the destruction, he knocked his head hard on his vehicle’s metal radio mount. There was also the matter of the collapse of his second marriage. Nevertheless, he was happy to help Ms. McCoy in this transition from Army wife to Army widowWith the approach of spring in 2007, Sergeant Rossman , emboldened by the close relationship he and Ms. McCoy had developed over the phone, and by a brief kiss in a meeting at her parents’ home in Waco that February, decided to act on his romantic inclinations. By luis rueda
March 30, 2011, 9:15 AM 4-Year-Old Citizen Who Was Deported Comes Back By TIM STELLOH It has been a confusing three weeks for Emily Ruiz, the 4-year-old United States citizen and Long Island native who was deported earlier this month to her parents’ native country, Guatemala. But on Wednesday morning she was reunited with her mother, father and little brother at Kennedy International Airport, after the family’s lawyer, David M. Sperling, flew to Guatemala to retrieve her.Emily’s troubles began on March 11, when she was detained at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., while returning to the United States with her grandfather. Because of an immigration infraction two decades ago, her grandfather was told he could not stay in the country. But Emily’s parents are illegal immigrants, a fact that left her in limbo and complicated her return to the United States. “It’s incomprehensible that this happened to a U.S. citizen,” he said, adding that Emily slept under a bench — and was left cold and hungry for many hours —while in the custody of Customs and Border Protection at Dulles. Customs and Border Protection issued a statement on Tuesday saying the Ruizes were told they could pick up the child,Mr. Ruiz, who speaks little English, has said that he was never given the option to retrieve his daughter. An agent told him Emily would either enter the custody of the State of Virginia or return to Guatemala. On the plane ride back, she said, Emily was confused about which home she was flying to.
BENJAMIN TOFF, New York times. Two finalists were eliminated from "American Idol" on Thursday, Naima Adedapo and Thia Megia, as a results episode of the Fox reality show attracted an impressive 22 million viewers, according to Nielsen’s estimates. The audience for "Idol" lifted Fox far ahead of its network rivals on the night and provided a boost to Fox’s hidden-camera special with Howie Mandel, "Mobbed," which delivered a solid 10.8 million viewers at 9 p.m. following "Idol." ABC’s "Grey’s Anatomy" (12.7 million) edged past CBS’s "CSI" (12.5 million) to lead that time slot, but CBS ranked second for the night over all, earning its best ratings at 10 with "The Mentalist" (13.9 million) and strong results at 8 and 8:30 for the sitcoms "The Big Bang Theory" (11.7 million) and "Rules of Engagement" (8.2 million). ABC was third as 6.3 million tuned in to "Wipeout" at 8 and 7.6 million at 10 for "Private Practice." NBC placed a very distant fourth with mostly repeats of its comedy line-up. On Bravo on Wednesday, the eighth season finale of "Top Chef" delivered 2.8 million viewers, slightly more than the audience who watched the series’ prior season conclusion (2.7 million).
Summary 2:
Two importants characters were eliminated of the show "AMERICAN IDOL" THEY WERE Naima Adepapo and Thia Megi, as a result of this show the fox channel gain a impressive statistic of 22 million viewers. Thos audience was more than others rivals of TV like Hwie mandel, Mobbed, Greys Anatomy, The mentalist etc. The other important rival The big bamg theory was only with an audience of 11.7 millions people, this shows us that " American Idol" is the favorite Show of Americans People.NBC placed a very distant fourth with mostly repeats of its comedy line-up. On Bravo on Wednesday, the eighth season finale of "Top Chef" delivered 2.8 million viewers, slightly more than the audience who watched the series’ prior season conclusion (2.7 million).
NBC placed a very distant fourth with mostly repeats of its comedy line-up. On Bravo on Wednesday, the eighth season finale of "Top Chef" delivered 2.8 million viewers, slightly more than the audience who watched the series’ prior season conclusion (2.7 million).
Victory! Lacoste and Fiat Agree Not to Advertise in Magazine that Prints Rape Threats By Meredith Slater • April 08, 2011 People’s words can be written in one way but read in another way. This article gives proofs about this. Change.org released a campaign in which is shown an editorial written by Juan Terranova in El Guardian magazine, in which he threatened to rape an activist. The mission of the campaing was to weaken the magazine so, Change.org convinced Fiat and Lacoste to take off adverticements from that magazine.Lacoste agreed with the taking off and Fiat said ti was going to analize the situation and then, take appropriate actions. Finally, this shows that Change.org is taking seriously it job.
The former MVP from the NBA Allen Iverson was reported to launch an expletive tirade against a police officer, because his car was being pulled by a crane, he said: “Take the vehicle, I have ten more,” according to the report from the Atlanta Police Department. He was a passenger in a grey Lamborghini, he was found changing lanes without signaling at 6 p.m., on ate 30th of March. The driver as identified as Antwuan Clisby, he couldn’t produce any documentation form the vehicle. He then told the officer that his passenger needed to leave to eat dinner. Afterwards the officer told them no one was leaving until the procedure is complete. This action irritated Iverson and he started cursing the officer, he finally said: Do you know who I am? The officer said: it really doesn’t matter who you are, you have your tags expired and you didn’t paid for new ones, so, you are staying here.
RACISM Racism is the belief that the genetic factors that constitute race, ethnicity, or nationality are a primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that ethnic differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. Racism's effects are called "racial discrimination." In the case of institutional racism, certain racial groups may be denied rights or benefits, or receive preferential treatment. Racial discrimination typically points out taxonomic differences between different groups of people, although anyone may be discriminated against on an ethnic or cultural basis, independently of their somatic differences. There is some evidence that the meaning of the term has changed over time, and that earlier definitions of racism involved the simple belief that human populations are divided into separate races.
Victory! Hilton Worldwide Signs Code of Conduct to Fight Child Sex Trafficking
Hilton Worldwide, a long-time leader in the hospitality industry, has now become a leader in the fight for the protection of children from sexual exploitation and abuse. Hilton Worldwide's subscription to The Code is a powerful demonstration of their company-wide commitment to prevent sex trafficking, protecting children from abuse, and creating a safe and responsible tourism experience. They have also agreed to look for ways to raise awareness about ECPAT and the Code among customers and other stakeholders. Hilton's signature is not just a giant step forward for them, but for the whole movement to fight child sex trafficking. As a large and prominent hospitality company, Hilton stands to lead the way for other hotels to make the same commitment to the protection of children. And as Hilton rolls out this training to staff around the world, they will surely play a larger role in identifying and preventing child sex trafficking around the world.
Crystal Cathedral Founder Disapproves of Anti-Gay Covenant
ResponderEliminarby Mindy Townsend · March 17, 2011
Earlier today we covered the story of Crystal Cathedral trying to make its choir members sign an anti-gay covenant. This have many people upset. Robert Schuller, founder of the megachurch, contacted The Orange County Register to say that he does not support the covenant.
He said he did not even know of the document and did not approve it. He further said that, while he personally believes the document’s statements on homosexuality, it goes against the foundational principles of his ministry.
But even though he personally believes in so-called biblically sanctioned relationships, he has built up a reputation of being tolerant of other people’s views, and intends to live up to that reputation.
Not only does the anti-gay covenant go against the megachurch’s principle of tolerance, Schuller said that covenants generally violate the goal of positive ministry espoused by the Crystal Cathedral.
This is encouraging news, but there seems to be a schism within the megachurch. One of his daughters, Carol Schuller Milner, says that her father’s statements do not inhibit the support for Schuller Coleman’s ministry, and that as her father becomes less involved in management, the megachurch will deviate from his personal views.
While I disagree with anyone who believes that LGBT people do not deserve equal rights, I totally respect Robert Schuller’s philosophy of live and let live. It’s disturbing to hear that the ministry is becoming more dogmatic. With your help, we can stop the injustice.
BY VANESSA NAVARRO
North Carolina Midwives Risk Arrest for Attending Home Births
ResponderEliminarAmy Medwin a certified Midwife licensed in Virginia was arrested in North Carolina for doing her job. They arrested her for not having a license of midwifery in that state. The truth is that that state doesn’t give out licenses for Midwifery. North Carolina government doesn’t approve the woman having home births. Fourteen states more also disapprove the home births. Having a home birth is not dangerous. Statistics of infant mortality during hospital and home births are the same. Still lawmakers and doctors disapprove completely the midwifery. They also opposed to the approval of it as a legal issue. Some lawmakers and doctors classify women insane for wanting a home birth experience .They also say that the Midwifes are criminals for doing home births. Really women have their right to decide which type of birth experience they want. This is why is time to tell lawmakers in North Carolina that midwifes are not criminals. Also is time to fight for make the midwifery a legal issue in North Carolina.
Bill Re-Introduced to Provide Housing Assistance for HIV+ New Yorkers
ResponderEliminarAdvocates continue to fight for the 30 percent rent cap bill to aid New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS. This vital piece of legislation would provide housing assistance for thousands of low-income New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS. On March 11, the bill was formally re-introduced because New York now has a new Governor. Assembly Member Deborah Glick and several of her colleagues sponsored the bill, including Senator Tom Duane, who is openly HIV-positive.(1) “While I was desperately disappointed in our inability to eliminate this injustice last year, I remain hopeful that it can be addressed as we move forward," said Assembly Member Glick. Poverty and HIV/AIDS can be a deadly combination. For a person living with HIV to be at risk of becoming homeless is unacceptable. New York will see a surge in financial costs to assist these individuals, not to mention a potential public health nightmare. We need to see a victory for HIV+ New Yorkers!
(1) http://news.change.org/stories/bill-re-introduced-to-provide-housing-assistance-for-hiv-new-yorkers
Isabella Romero
Bill Re-Introduced to Provide Housing Assistance for HIV+ New Yorkers
ResponderEliminarAdvocates continue to fight for the 30 percent rent cap bill to aid New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS. This vital piece of legislation would provide housing assistance for thousands of low-income New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS. On March 11, the bill was formally re-introduced because New York now has a new Governor. Assembly Member Deborah Glick and several of her colleagues sponsored the bill, including Senator Tom Duane, who is openly HIV-positive.(1) “While I was desperately disappointed in our inability to eliminate this injustice last year, I remain hopeful that it can be addressed as we move forward," said Assembly Member Glick. Poverty and HIV/AIDS can be a deadly combination. For a person living with HIV to be at risk of becoming homeless is unacceptable. New York will see a surge in financial costs to assist these individuals, not to mention a potential public health nightmare. We need to see a victory for HIV+ New Yorkers!
(1) http://news.change.org/stories/bill-re-introduced-to-provide-housing-assistance-for-hiv-new-yorkers
Isabella Romero
No Surprise: Homeless Patients Cost Hospitals More
ResponderEliminarby Elizabeth Lombino
A recent Canadian study found that hospital patients who are homeless end up costing hospitals more money.
The study found that overall, homeless patients cost hospitals an additional $2,500 each. The reasons for this extra cost are most often related to housing issues. Specifically, a homeless patient often does not have a place to go upon discharge and therefore the hospital keeps them for additional time. Often homeless shelters will not accept a person if they are recently discharged from the hospital or are still ill, which can further complicate the issue
Food is an essential and basic need. Somehow even something as simple, necessary, and inexpensive (compared to medical care) as food is being denied in Gainesville.
It seems clear that providing meals to all who are hungry would cost Gainesville much less money than allowing families to go hungry and therefore risk health issues and lengthy hospital stays.
By: Valentina Barbosa 8a
No Surprise: Homeless Patients Cost Hospitals More
ResponderEliminarby Elizabeth Lombino
A recent Canadian study found that hospital patients who are homeless end up costing hospitals more money.
The study found that overall, homeless patients cost hospitals an additional $2,500 each. The reasons for this extra cost are most often related to housing issues. Specifically, a homeless patient often does not have a place to go upon discharge and therefore the hospital keeps them for additional time. Often homeless shelters will not accept a person if they are recently discharged from the hospital or are still ill, which can further complicate the issue
Food is an essential and basic need. Somehow even something as simple, necessary, and inexpensive (compared to medical care) as food is being denied in Gainesville.
It seems clear that providing meals to all who are hungry would cost Gainesville much less money than allowing families to go hungry and therefore risk health issues and lengthy hospital stays.
By: Valentina Barbosa 8a
Don’t Call Me, I Won’t Call You
ResponderEliminarBy PAMELA PAUL
No one calls in this decade .The only people who communicate by phone are family members. Now days the cell phone is more used to send text messages than to do calls. Long time ago it was cool to have a proper phone line or to own a phone. But in these modern times receiving a phone call from some friend meant that something is not going on the way it should. An interior designer called Jonathan Adler assures that he never uses his phone. He assures that in these days the rule is to not use the phone ever. Also a Miss manner called Judith Martin assures that for her the phone is a big interruption in human conversations. She considers a phone call as something rude. The use of the phone practically doesn’t exist now days and this is why almost no one has assistants to manage the communication part. Jonathan Bumham a senior vice president and publisher assure that where he works no one uses the phone. He assures that the phone is only used when people need to talk about real serious stuff. The phone usage is even very low in publicity agencies and other places were years ago the phones were a very important element. Mathew Ballast , a publicist assures that years ago he had to return calls but now he only uses his phone twice a day. He also says that people use the phone when an email is not very clear. In this decade no one likes to call or to be called.
SUMMARY BY: PAOLA PEREZ
Don’t Call Me, I Won’t Call You
ResponderEliminarBy PAMELA PAUL
No one calls in this decade .The only people who communicate by phone are family members. Now days the cell phone is more used to send text messages than to do calls. Long time ago it was cool to have a proper phone line or to own a phone. But in these modern times receiving a phone call from some friend meant that something is not going on the way it should. An interior designer called Jonathan Adler assures that he never uses his phone. He assures that in these days the rule is to not use the phone ever. Also a Miss manner called Judith Martin assures that for her the phone is a big interruption in human conversations. She considers a phone call as something rude. The use of the phone practically doesn’t exist now days and this is why almost no one has assistants to manage the communication part. Jonathan Bumham a senior vice president and publisher assure that where he works no one uses the phone. He assures that the phone is only used when people need to talk about real serious stuff. The phone usage is even very low in publicity agencies and other places were years ago the phones were a very important element. Mathew Ballast, a publicist assures that years ago he had to return calls but now he only uses his phone twice a day. He also says that people use the phone when an email is not very clear. In this decade no one likes to call or to be called.
SUMMARY BY :PAOLA PEREZ
Rebuilding Lives and American Ties to Japan
ResponderEliminarBy MARTIN FACKLER
Published: March 22, 2011
Japan citizens were very pleased when the help from the United States arrived to Japan. “They are like gods descending from the sky,” said a tearful Junko Fujiwara, 37, a secretary at the elementary-school-turned-shelter in the northern coastal town of Kesennuma. “It’s cold and dark here, so we need everything: food, water, electricity, gasoline, candles.” (1) Soon after the devastating earthquake and tsunami struck Japan, the United States military began what it calls Operation Tomodachi (Friend), one of its largest relief efforts in recent years. That relief is getting through to sometimes difficult-to-reach coastal areas devastated by the March 11 double disaster.
In particular, the United States has grabbed a chance to rebuild ties with a crucial Asian ally that just a year seemed to be flirting with pulling out of Washington’s orbit and having dozens of American bases in Japan. It seems so far to be a highly successful effort, at least in the areas the helicopters visited. Schoolyards or sporting grounds converted into landing zones, Japanese residents welcomed them with deep gratitude. “We will always remember the Americans’ coming at a time when we needed help,” (1) said Osamu Abe, 43, an official in the town of Minamisanriku. At the same time, the American military has found itself trying to achieve a delicate balance. Indeed, Japan has at times appeared overwhelmed by the multiple disasters — the earthquake and tsunami have left more than 26,000 dead or missing, and hundreds of thousands homeless, and the plant still faces a possible meltdown. The United States mustered a large presence in tsunami-hit areas quickly, while Japan has been slow to reach some heavily damaged areas, especially around the nuclear plant. The Americans had showed all their possible solutions and help within the crisis in Japan.
(1) http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/23/world/asia/23reagan.html?hp
Summary by: Carolina Zagarra
The Ken Doll Turns 50, and Wins a New Face
ResponderEliminarBy ELIZABETH OLSON
Published: March 21, 2011
THE toy maker Mattel is revamping its best-selling Barbie franchise by emphasizing her longtime beau, Ken. The company is bolstering awareness of Barbie’s companion — who celebrated his 50th birthday on March 11 — using social networks likeFacebook and Twitter and a series of just-completed webisodes in which wholesome-looking young male contestants vied to be the new face, literally, of the soon-to-be redesigned boyfriend.
The redesigned Ken doll will resemble the contest winner, Kurtis Taylor, a 25-year-old former defensive lineman for Iowa State, who won over the judges in the romantic gesture category.
Ken, who had a breakup with Barbie in 2004 but won her back on Valentine’s Day, began his comeback by appearing in Disney’s “Toy Story 3” last summer. The “Genuine Ken” series began appearing on Hulu in January, hosted by another fashionable blonde, Whitney Port, who appeared in the popular MTV series “The Hills.”
Collectors of all things Barbie put millions of dollars into Mattel’s coffers each year. And they have an annual gathering. This year it is in Fort Lauderdale in July, and it will focus on Ken.
While Ms. Cota, at Mattel, said the “Genuine Ken” series probably would not drive sales, it would help keep the Barbie brand fresh and relevant.
Meanwhile, Mattel is readying a modeling contract for Mr. Taylor. With $500 to buy gifts, he edged out his rivals when he won the romantic category by giving each judge a penny and donating the remaining money to the Make a Wish Foundation.
By: Valentina Barbosa
California Mom Leads Campaign to Get Prisoners Safe Drinking Water
ResponderEliminarBy Charles Davis • February 21, 2011
Blanca Gonzalez's son spent years at California's Kern Valley State Prison, where she says he was sickened by the foul water he was forced to drink – water that the state knows is contaminated with arsenic, a carcinogen that can cause serious skin damage and circulatory system problems. And she wanted to do something about it.
But where to start? For years California officials have been promising to fix the facility's water problem – promising to provide its more than 5,000 inhabitants water that meets the standards of the EPA and World Health Organization. And for years they have failed to deliver, extending and then extending again their self-imposed deadlines for when they “anticipate” resolving the issue.
After reading an article last fall about Kern Valley State Prison's dirty water, Gonzalez contacted your humble criminal justice editor here at Change.org, asking that I write more about the problem. And now her campaign is drawing the attention of California's top prison officials.
Since her petition was first featured here a few weeks ago, more than 2,100 people have joined Gonzalez and other mothers of sickened, incarcerated men in California in demanding that the state stop poisoning its prisoners with arsenic-laced water. That support elicited a response last week from the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's Scott Kernan, who oversees prison operations – a response that was characteristically underwhelming, but which shows officials are starting to pay attention.
Speaking on behalf of her, other mothers of the incarcerated and the prisoners themselves, who she says are well aware of the petition, Gonzalez tells Change.org she wants to thank “all of you that have participated so far.”
“We couldn't have gotten this far without Change.org,” she says – and, more importantly, the hundreds of people who have helped raise awareness about the campaign to provide prisoners in California safe, clean drinking water.
Around the time Gonzalez first contacted me, she wrote that it was nothing less than "ridiculous that there are over 5,000 men in the prison and no one cares" about the fact they may suffer serious health problems from the water they have no choice but to drink.
California Mom Leads Campaign to Get Prisoners Safe Drinking Water
ResponderEliminarBy Charles Davis • February 21, 2011
Blanca Gonzalez's son spent years at California's Kern Valley State Prison, where she says he was sickened by the foul water he was forced to drink – water that the state knows is contaminated with arsenic, a carcinogen that can cause serious skin damage and circulatory system problems. And she wanted to do something about it.
But where to start? For years California officials have been promising to fix the facility's water problem – promising to provide its more than 5,000 inhabitants water that meets the standards of the EPA and World Health Organization. And for years they have failed to deliver, extending and then extending again their self-imposed deadlines for when they “anticipate” resolving the issue.
After reading an article last fall about Kern Valley State Prison's dirty water, Gonzalez contacted your humble criminal justice editor here at Change.org, asking that I write more about the problem. And now her campaign is drawing the attention of California's top prison officials.
Since her petition was first featured here a few weeks ago, more than 2,100 people have joined Gonzalez and other mothers of sickened, incarcerated men in California in demanding that the state stop poisoning its prisoners with arsenic-laced water. That support elicited a response last week from the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's Scott Kernan, who oversees prison operations – a response that was characteristically underwhelming, but which shows officials are starting to pay attention.
Speaking on behalf of her, other mothers of the incarcerated and the prisoners themselves, who she says are well aware of the petition, Gonzalez tells Change.org she wants to thank “all of you that have participated so far.”
“We couldn't have gotten this far without Change.org,” she says – and, more importantly, the hundreds of people who have helped raise awareness about the campaign to provide prisoners in California safe, clean drinking water.
Around the time Gonzalez first contacted me, she wrote that it was nothing less than "ridiculous that there are over 5,000 men in the prison and no one cares" about the fact they may suffer serious health problems from the water they have no choice but to drink.
G. A. Marlatt, Advocate of Shift in Treating Addicts, Dies at 69
ResponderEliminarBy DENNIS HEVESI
G. Alan Marlatt, a psychologist who challenged the longstanding belief that substance addiction is incurable and that it can be controlled only by abstinence, died March 14 at his vacation home in Stanwood, Wash. He was 69 and lived in Seattle.
For 30 years, Dr. Marlatt was director of the Addictive Behaviors Research Center, an arm of the University of Washington in Seattle that nurtured a movement among therapists holding that addiction treatment should take a more moderated approach than is common in traditional 12-step programs calling for complete abstinence, like that of Alcoholics Anonymous. Dr. Marlatt was perhaps the leading proponent of the approach, called “harm reduction.”
His data demonstrated that reducing an addict’s level of alcohol use can lead directly to reduced troubles at home and at work.
Through his research, much of it involving students on campus, Dr. Marlatt also identified factors that can predict a relapse, among them negative emotions, conflicts with others and recurring thoughts that the substance will make the addict feel better.
“Alan found that these high-risk situations can be planned for, and that by being taught appropriate coping responses the person can learn to avoid relapse,” said Mary Larimer, who worked with Dr. Marlatt for 27 years and is now associate director of the research center. “Prior to Alan’s work there was a perception that relapse was an inevitable part of the disease of addiction, primarily triggered by biological processes.”
Besides his wife, he is survived by a son, Kit; a stepson, Colin; two stepdaughters, Charlotte and Melanie; a half-brother, Robert; a grandson; and two stepgranddaughters. His three previous marriages ended in divorce.
Dr. Marlatt received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of British Columbia in 1964 and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Indiana University four years later.
After teaching at the University of British Columbia and the University of Wisconsin, he joined the University of Washington faculty in 1972.
In recent years, Dr. Marlatt took a lead role in efforts to deal with alcohol abuse on college campuses.
He developed a counseling program called Basics — Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students — that uses so-called harm-reduction techniques. It is now in place at more than 1,800 colleges.
by: Maria Beatriz Daza
• Stop Hitting Kids, Improve Texas Schools
ResponderEliminarBy Dave Moss
Lost in the debate about education reform is the undeniable fact that the public education system in the United States is one of the most violent in the world.
School shootings and daily exaggerations about youth crime, it is not the students who are perpetrating the majority of this violence. violence initiated by the teachers and administrators that we trust to safeguard our children’s education it’s a shame that this profession is muddied by one of America’s darker and more insidious legal practices corporal punishment.
Texas hits the most students every year -- nearly 50,000 during the 2005-2006 school years, according to the latest available statistics.
• Stop Hitting Kids, Improve Texas Schools
ResponderEliminarBy Dave Moss
Lost in the debate about education reform is the undeniable fact that the public education system in the United States is one of the most violent in the world.
School shootings and daily exaggerations about youth crime, it is not the students who are perpetrating the majority of this violence. violence initiated by the teachers and administrators that we trust to safeguard our children’s education it’s a shame that this profession is muddied by one of America’s darker and more insidious legal practices corporal punishment.
Texas hits the most students every year -- nearly 50,000 during the 2005-2006 school years, according to the latest available statistics.
After Inspirational Year, Furyk Is Back Where It Began
ResponderEliminarBy LARRY DORMAN
Published: March 18, 2011
There were shouts from hole marshals and tournament volunteers, and kudos from fellow tour players.
Justin Leonard is a major championship winner approaching his 40th birthday and closing in on two years since his last victory, just as Furyk was a year ago.
“Seeing how he played, winning multiple times,” Leonard said. “His winning the FedEx Cup. Because of his success, I’m able to draw upon some inspiration.”
This is what Furyk’s victory here last year meant: More than the end of a 30-month victory drought — the longest of his career — it also was the beginning, as he neared 40, of his best season. It was an inspirational year in which he won three tournaments for the first time, was voted the PGA Tour’s player of the year by his peers and earned a total of $14.8 million — including a $10 million bonus for his FedEx Cup win.
Furyk picked up where he left off last year, shooting a 4-under-par 67 on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook and positioning himself three strokes behind the 64s shot by the early leaders, Paul Casey and Garrett Willis.
Furyk, entering his 18th season, hesitates to definitively call 2010 his best year. An analytical man who chooses his words carefully, he viewed last season in the context of the two winless seasons that preceded it, doing his best to play down the achievement.
Furyk said that it was a year of timing and that he win three tournaments, which he haven’t done before, but he didn’t get into contention any more last year than he did in 2008 and 2009. furyk just took advantage of the opportunities more.
The son of a Hungarian-Ukrainian father and a Polish-Czech mother, he jokingly refers to himself as a mutt. His father, Mike, is a golf professional and Furyk’s only teacher.
A throwback in many ways, including sartorially, he favors muted blues and grays on the golf course and shorts, T-shirts and flip-flops off it. His style of play is as conservative as his golf wardrobe.
He is so serious on the golf course, he sometimes goes through an entire round without smiling or emoting.
Furyk breaks out the needle in golf games with friends on tour and around his home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. One must listen closely to pick up his comic timing..
Furyk deadpans about pretending to be a nice guy the first time he met his wife, Tabitha, at the Memorial Tournament, so he could fool her into going out with him.
BY: JUAN PABLO ARRAZOLA
After Inspirational Year, Furyk Is Back Where It Began
ResponderEliminarBy LARRY DORMAN
Published: March 18, 2011
There were shouts from hole marshals and tournament volunteers, and kudos from fellow tour players.
Justin Leonard is a major championship winner approaching his 40th birthday and closing in on two years since his last victory, just as Furyk was a year ago.
“Seeing how he played, winning multiple times,” Leonard said. “His winning the FedEx Cup. Because of his success, I’m able to draw upon some inspiration.”
This is what Furyk’s victory here last year meant: More than the end of a 30-month victory drought — the longest of his career — it also was the beginning, as he neared 40, of his best season. It was an inspirational year in which he won three tournaments for the first time, was voted the PGA Tour’s player of the year by his peers and earned a total of $14.8 million — including a $10 million bonus for his FedEx Cup win.
Furyk picked up where he left off last year, shooting a 4-under-par 67 on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook and positioning himself three strokes behind the 64s shot by the early leaders, Paul Casey and Garrett Willis.
Furyk, entering his 18th season, hesitates to definitively call 2010 his best year. An analytical man who chooses his words carefully, he viewed last season in the context of the two winless seasons that preceded it, doing his best to play down the achievement.
Furyk said that it was a year of timing and that he win three tournaments, which he haven’t done before, but he didn’t get into contention any more last year than he did in 2008 and 2009. furyk just took advantage of the opportunities more.
The son of a Hungarian-Ukrainian father and a Polish-Czech mother, he jokingly refers to himself as a mutt. His father, Mike, is a golf professional and Furyk’s only teacher.
A throwback in many ways, including sartorially, he favors muted blues and grays on the golf course and shorts, T-shirts and flip-flops off it. His style of play is as conservative as his golf wardrobe.
He is so serious on the golf course, he sometimes goes through an entire round without smiling or emoting.
Furyk breaks out the needle in golf games with friends on tour and around his home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. One must listen closely to pick up his comic timing..
Furyk deadpans about pretending to be a nice guy the first time he met his wife, Tabitha, at the Memorial Tournament, so he could fool her into going out with him.
BY: JUAN PABLO ARRAZOLA
Some Worry That Success of Apple Is Tied to Japan
ResponderEliminarBy MIGUEL HELFT
Published: March 22, 2011
The sharp drop was driven in part by worries over the impact that the crisis in Japan would have on Apple’s ability to make its blockbuster products. It didn’t help that the iPad 2 appears to be in increasingly short supply, a situation Apple has found itself in before. Apple’s shares bounced back, gaining more than 2.5 percent; on Tuesday, they gained another 0.56 percent.
Apple is at risk of being buffeted by the unfolding crisis in Japan. Every major computer and consumer electronics maker relies on components that directly or indirectly come from Japan.
The company is intensely secretive about its supply chain. While other companies typically don’t talk about whom they buy parts from, analysts say Apple takes secrecy particularly seriously and will cut off any supplier that it suspects of being loose-lipped.
A factory operated by Shin-Etsu in Shirakawa produces at least 15 percent of the world’s supply of the wafers and is not likely to become operational for a long time.
On Thursday, IHS iSuppli, which is known for its “teardowns” of new Apple products identified five parts that it said could be affected. They included the flash storage, memory chips, an electronic compass, batteries and glass used in the touch screen.
Other analysts said that they were concerned about the supply of BT resin manufactured primarily by a Mitsubishi facility in Japan that was temporarily shut down.
Mr. Hargreaves noted that Apple would be first in line to receive components like flash storage and memory chips. He also noted that the prices of those components, while likely to rise, were still lower than in 2010.
With supplies for the iPad 2 and the iPhone tight, even a short-lived disruption could have an effect. Analysts estimated that the number was around 500,000 in the first weekend. After that, sales slowed to a trickle, even as demand remained strong.
Apple stores have been resupplied daily, but in small amounts. Mr. Munster said a large group of people lined up overnight at the Apple store in New York’s meatpacking district one day last week.
The waiting time for new orders has grown to four to five weeks, from two to three weeks. The company plans to begin selling the iPad 2 in some two dozen countries. While Apple is certain to have earmarked units for the international debut, no one outside of the company knows how many.
The iPhone has been in tight supply since Apple introduced it in 2007. And only in the most recent quarter, Apple managed to end the backlog for the original iPad.
BY: VANESSA NAVARRO
Landmark Community Cat Legislation Could Become Law in Utah
ResponderEliminarby Ledy VanKavage · March 22, 2011
The much-publicized cat fight in Utah around a barbaric bill that would have allowed open season on all things "feral" is over. While denounced by animal advocates across the country, and ultimately dying a humane death in the 11th hour of the session, another bill was quietly making its way through the Utah legislature. Senator Dennis Stowell and Animal Society made sure the legislators realized that this measure would ultimately save taxpayers money, and help wayward felines and their caretakers. This legislation would mandate that animal shelters hold stray dogs or cats for a minimum of five days to give their owners time to reclaim them. This gives animals a better chance at being reunited with their families. Community cats will be except from these requirement. This legislation would also become the first statute that would use the term "community cat" instead of "feral."The reality is these cats have been here for hundreds of thousands of years, and the unintended consequences that would ensue if all community cats vanished would be devastating. Cats are part of every community. If the Governor signs this bill, it will prove that good, progressive animal welfare legislation can be enacted in sparsely populated states in the west.
BY:NATHALIA ALZATE
An HIV Prevention Campaign That Harms Instead of Helps.
ResponderEliminarThe "It's Never Just HIV" campaign warns that if you get HIV, you're more likely to get osteoporosis, dementia, and anal cancer. In a press release about the campaign, the Department of Health said the campaign is "an effort to combat complacency about HIV" and to encourage men who have sex with men to use protection to avoid spreading HIV. But the campaign doesn't focus on encouraging condom use or telling people to get tested; instead, it uses graphic imagery to instill fear. It sends the message that life is hopeless for those who are HIV-positive, and that HIV-positive people can't lead happy lives even if they take medications.
The campaign may potentially decrease the likelihood that men who have sex with men will get tested for HIV, and it undoubtedly stigmatizes those living with HIV.
Aside from the increased rate of suicide among LGBT people, HIV-positive people experience higher rates of suicide than those without HIV. The campaign is targeting the very individuals that are already at high risk for depression and suicide, as well as bullying and harassment.
BY: XIOMARA ANGULO.
Hey, here's a brilliant idea. Take an environmental disaster on the scale of Deepwater Horizon, except instead of the Gulf of Mexico, let's watch it happen in one of the most remote, inaccessible, and wildlife-rich areas on the globe. That's exactly what could happen if some oil companies, led by Shell Oil, get their way. They're putting the screws to the White House to open up areas in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas for new drilling.
ResponderEliminarIt's obviously a terrible idea, and if you don't trust me, then trust Defenders of Wildlife, who has a proven track record of standing up on issues like this.
It's not just polar bears, of course. You've also got walruses, various whales, and a slew of other species. Every single one of them is at risk if the White House decides to buy into the very same "drill, baby, drill" rhetoric that the President campaigned against just a few years ago.
You should probably also know what's going to happen if (or more likely, when) there's a Deepwater Horizon-like accident in the polar bear seas. A major spill in the Gulf of Mexico is bad enough, but at least the weather makes it somewhat easy to mitigate the effects of spilled oil. In the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, you're going to have to deal with sub-freezing temperatures, far rougher seas, and high winds.
And every minute, every hour, every day that cleanup is delayed means more damage to at-risk species.
by: xiomara angulo
Natalia Angulo.
ResponderEliminarStop Hitting Kids, Improve Texas Schools
By Dave Moss
Lost in the debate about education reform is the undeniable fact that the public education system in the United States is one of the most violent in the world.
School shootings and daily exaggerations about youth crime, it is not the students who are perpetrating the majority of this violence. violence initiated by the teachers and administrators that we trust to safeguard our children’s education it’s a shame that this profession is muddied by one of America’s darker and more insidious legal practices corporal punishment.
Texas hits the most students every year -- nearly 50,000 during the 2005-2006 school years, according to the latest available statistics.
World Cup finalists Spain and Netherlands both retained their 100% records in Euro 2012 qualifying on Tuesday.
ResponderEliminarWorld and European champions Spain only knew their Group I qualifier against Lithuania in Kaunas was going ahead shortly before kick-off, with the referee passing the pitch fit to play despite Spanish protests that it was unsuitable for international football. But, despite the conditions, Spain took the lead through Xavi Hernandez.
However, defender Tadas Kijanskas put through his own net while under pressure from Fernando Llorente to give Spain the lead again and Juan Manuel Mata, made it 3-1 to the visitors after finishing off a flowing move with seven minutes remaining.
The result gives Spain 15 points from their five matches with the Czech Republic. Meanwhile, Netherlands beat Hungary 5-3 in a Group E thriller to remain on course to qualify for the finals.
Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt scored twice in three minutes to seal victory for Netherlands to give them a maximum 18 points from their six matches.
Sweden lie second in the group after a 2-1 home win over Moldova, while Hungary are third, level on nine points with the Swedes having played two matches more.
Elsewhere, Belgium closed to within five points of Group A leaders Germany. Guus Hiddink's Turkey defeated Austria 2-0 and is now a point behind the Belgians in third place with a game in hand.
by: valeria naissir
World Cup finalists Spain and Netherlands both retained their 100% records in Euro 2012 qualifying on Tuesday.
ResponderEliminarWorld and European champions Spain only knew their Group I qualifier against Lithuania in Kaunas was going ahead shortly before kick-off, with the referee passing the pitch fit to play despite Spanish protests that it was unsuitable for international football. But, despite the conditions, Spain took the lead through Xavi Hernandez.
However, defender Tadas Kijanskas put through his own net while under pressure from Fernando Llorente to give Spain the lead again and Juan Manuel Mata, made it 3-1 to the visitors after finishing off a flowing move with seven minutes remaining.
The result gives Spain 15 points from their five matches with the Czech Republic. Meanwhile, Netherlands beat Hungary 5-3 in a Group E thriller to remain on course to qualify for the finals.
Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt scored twice in three minutes to seal victory for Netherlands to give them a maximum 18 points from their six matches.
Sweden lie second in the group after a 2-1 home win over Moldova, while Hungary are third, level on nine points with the Swedes having played two matches more.
Elsewhere, Belgium closed to within five points of Group A leaders Germany. Guus Hiddink's Turkey defeated Austria 2-0 and is now a point behind the Belgians in third place with a game in hand.
by: valeria naissir
Lori McCoy and Edwin Rossman Jr.
ResponderEliminarOn November 2006, when First Sgt. Edwin Rossman Jr. stood up at the funeral of Staff Sgt. for the solemn event. Ms. McCoy had met Sergeant Rossman in 2002 in Germany, and recalled being delighted that he had agreed to speak. In addition to being devastated over her husband’s death, Ms. McCoy was busy moving Logan, then 6, and his 3 year old brother, Tyler, into her parents’ home in Waco, Tex. all while preparing herself to start college. After the funeral she found that her questions weren’t being answered by the casualty assistance officer assigned to her case. At then same time, Sergeant Rossman, now 46, was dealing with his own problems. In 2004, he was injured in a mortar attack on his armored Humvee during a battle in Baghdad which he described as being like a July 4th barrage, but with bullets hitting vehicles like hail. In the destruction, he knocked his head hard on his vehicle’s metal radio mount. There was also the matter of the collapse of his second marriage. Nevertheless, he was happy to help Ms. McCoy in this transition from Army wife to Army widowWith the approach of spring in 2007, Sergeant Rossman , emboldened by the close relationship he and Ms. McCoy had developed over the phone, and by a brief kiss in a meeting at her parents’ home in Waco that February, decided to act on his romantic inclinations.
By luis rueda
Lori McCoy and Edwin Rossman Jr.
ResponderEliminarOn November 2006, when First Sgt. Edwin Rossman Jr. stood up at the funeral of Staff Sgt. for the solemn event. Ms. McCoy had met Sergeant Rossman in 2002 in Germany, and recalled being delighted that he had agreed to speak. In addition to being devastated over her husband’s death, Ms. McCoy was busy moving Logan, then 6, and his 3 year old brother, Tyler, into her parents’ home in Waco, Tex. all while preparing herself to start college. After the funeral she found that her questions weren’t being answered by the casualty assistance officer assigned to her case. At then same time, Sergeant Rossman, now 46, was dealing with his own problems. In 2004, he was injured in a mortar attack on his armored Humvee during a battle in Baghdad which he described as being like a July 4th barrage, but with bullets hitting vehicles like hail. In the destruction, he knocked his head hard on his vehicle’s metal radio mount. There was also the matter of the collapse of his second marriage. Nevertheless, he was happy to help Ms. McCoy in this transition from Army wife to Army widowWith the approach of spring in 2007, Sergeant Rossman , emboldened by the close relationship he and Ms. McCoy had developed over the phone, and by a brief kiss in a meeting at her parents’ home in Waco that February, decided to act on his romantic inclinations.
By luis rueda
March 30, 2011, 9:15 AM
ResponderEliminar4-Year-Old Citizen Who Was Deported Comes Back
By TIM STELLOH
It has been a confusing three weeks for Emily Ruiz, the 4-year-old United States citizen and Long Island native who was deported earlier this month to her parents’ native country, Guatemala. But on Wednesday morning she was reunited with her mother, father and little brother at Kennedy International Airport, after the family’s lawyer, David M. Sperling, flew to Guatemala to retrieve her.Emily’s troubles began on March 11, when she was detained at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., while returning to the United States with her grandfather. Because of an immigration infraction two decades ago, her grandfather was told he could not stay in the country. But Emily’s parents are illegal immigrants, a fact that left her in limbo and complicated her return to the United States. “It’s incomprehensible that this happened to a U.S. citizen,” he said, adding that Emily slept under a bench — and was left cold and hungry for many hours —while in the custody of Customs and Border Protection at Dulles. Customs and Border Protection issued a statement on Tuesday saying the Ruizes were told they could pick up the child,Mr. Ruiz, who speaks little English, has said that he was never given the option to retrieve his daughter. An agent told him Emily would either enter the custody of the State of Virginia or return to Guatemala. On the plane ride back, she said, Emily was confused about which home she was flying to.
Summary by: Avrile Le Duc
‘Idol’ Attracts 22 Million Viewers
ResponderEliminarBy
BENJAMIN TOFF, New York times.
Two finalists were eliminated from "American Idol" on Thursday, Naima Adedapo and Thia Megia, as a results episode of the Fox reality show attracted an impressive 22 million viewers, according to Nielsen’s estimates. The audience for "Idol" lifted Fox far ahead of its network rivals on the night and provided a boost to Fox’s hidden-camera special with Howie Mandel, "Mobbed," which delivered a solid 10.8 million viewers at 9 p.m. following "Idol." ABC’s "Grey’s Anatomy" (12.7 million) edged past CBS’s "CSI" (12.5 million) to lead that time slot, but CBS ranked second for the night over all, earning its best ratings at 10 with "The Mentalist" (13.9 million) and strong results at 8 and 8:30 for the sitcoms "The Big Bang Theory" (11.7 million) and "Rules of Engagement" (8.2 million). ABC was third as 6.3 million tuned in to "Wipeout" at 8 and 7.6 million at 10 for "Private Practice." NBC placed a very distant fourth with mostly repeats of its comedy line-up. On Bravo on Wednesday, the eighth season finale of "Top Chef" delivered 2.8 million viewers, slightly more than the audience who watched the series’ prior season conclusion (2.7 million).
Summary 2:
Two importants characters were eliminated of the show "AMERICAN IDOL" THEY WERE Naima Adepapo and Thia Megi, as a result of this show the fox channel gain a impressive statistic of 22 million viewers. Thos audience was more than others rivals of TV like Hwie mandel, Mobbed, Greys Anatomy, The mentalist etc. The other important rival The big bamg theory was only with an audience of 11.7 millions people, this shows us that " American Idol" is the favorite Show of Americans People.NBC placed a very distant fourth with mostly repeats of its comedy line-up. On Bravo on Wednesday, the eighth season finale of "Top Chef" delivered 2.8 million viewers, slightly more than the audience who watched the series’ prior season conclusion (2.7 million).
Miguelchain
NBC placed a very distant fourth with mostly repeats of its comedy line-up. On Bravo on Wednesday, the eighth season finale of "Top Chef" delivered 2.8 million viewers, slightly more than the audience who watched the series’ prior season conclusion (2.7 million).
ResponderEliminarMiguel Chain
Victory! Lacoste and Fiat Agree Not to Advertise in Magazine that Prints Rape Threats
ResponderEliminarBy Meredith Slater • April 08, 2011
People’s words can be written in one way but read in another way. This article gives proofs about this. Change.org released a campaign in which is shown an editorial written by Juan Terranova in El Guardian magazine, in which he threatened to rape an activist. The mission of the campaing was to weaken the magazine so, Change.org convinced Fiat and Lacoste to take off adverticements from that magazine.Lacoste agreed with the taking off and Fiat said ti was going to analize the situation and then, take appropriate actions. Finally, this shows that Change.org is taking seriously it job.
The former MVP from the NBA Allen Iverson was reported to launch an expletive tirade against a police officer, because his car was being pulled by a crane, he said: “Take the vehicle, I have ten more,” according to the report from the Atlanta Police Department. He was a passenger in a grey Lamborghini, he was found changing lanes without signaling at 6 p.m., on ate 30th of March. The driver as identified as Antwuan Clisby, he couldn’t produce any documentation form the vehicle. He then told the officer that his passenger needed to leave to eat dinner. Afterwards the officer told them no one was leaving until the procedure is complete. This action irritated Iverson and he started cursing the officer, he finally said: Do you know who I am? The officer said: it really doesn’t matter who you are, you have your tags expired and you didn’t paid for new ones, so, you are staying here.
ResponderEliminarRACISM
ResponderEliminarRacism is the belief that the genetic factors that constitute race, ethnicity, or nationality are a primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that ethnic differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. Racism's effects are called "racial discrimination." In the case of institutional racism, certain racial groups may be denied rights or benefits, or receive preferential treatment. Racial discrimination typically points out taxonomic differences between different groups of people, although anyone may be discriminated against on an ethnic or cultural basis, independently of their somatic differences. There is some evidence that the meaning of the term has changed over time, and that earlier definitions of racism involved the simple belief that human populations are divided into separate races.
Victory! Hilton Worldwide Signs Code of Conduct to Fight Child Sex Trafficking
ResponderEliminarHilton Worldwide, a long-time leader in the hospitality industry, has now become a leader in the fight for the protection of children from sexual exploitation and abuse. Hilton Worldwide's subscription to The Code is a powerful demonstration of their company-wide commitment to prevent sex trafficking, protecting children from abuse, and creating a safe and responsible tourism experience. They have also agreed to look for ways to raise awareness about ECPAT and the Code among customers and other stakeholders. Hilton's signature is not just a giant step forward for them, but for the whole movement to fight child sex trafficking. As a large and prominent hospitality company, Hilton stands to lead the way for other hotels to make the same commitment to the protection of children. And as Hilton rolls out this training to staff around the world, they will surely play a larger role in identifying and preventing child sex trafficking around the world.
--Camilo Rueda--