brettkobis

সোমবার, ৫ আগস্ট, ২০১৩

Late-term abortion ban is worthy GOP goal

D& E Abortion

In a poll done by Gallup earlier this year, the biggest complaint lodged against the Republican Party was ?inability to compromise.?

When I read the daily headlines, I see this theme continue. Republicans, particularly tea party Republicans, are portrayed as obstructionist, extreme, unreasonable and unwilling to compromise.

But let?s get perspective.

If we are talking about trying to decide what day of the week to collect garbage, and one wants Mondays and one wants Fridays, the side that refuses to compromise on Wednesdays might be considered unreasonable.

But this isn?t the kind of national discussion we are having today.

Some things are simply true and some things false. Some things are simply right and some wrong.

This kind of discussion does not lend to splitting things down the middle.

Few today would look back on the horrible national dispute about slavery and claim that the problem was inability to compromise.

As Abraham Lincoln put it so clearly in his second inaugural address, delivered while the Civil War still raged: ?Both (sides) read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other.?

Sometimes, worldviews clash and resolution can come only from drawing the line in the sand and one view prevailing over the other.

Today we are having a battle for the soul of our nation. A number of key areas of our national debate are about principle, about right and wrong, and do not lend themselves to compromise. This is about which worldview will prevail.

One of these issues is most certainly abortion.

The trial of abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell, now a convicted murderer, delivered a wakeup call. It did for our national consciousness what ultrasound images provoke in a pregnant woman. Graphic pictures of a live child in the womb purge any sense that it is possible to be casual about abortion.

Unfortunately, the abortion issue ? and, specifically, the question about when life begins ? is often left to dry and abstract argument.

But in the case of late-term abortion, as with ultrasound pictures, the truth is graphically clear. We?re talking about destruction of a live, feeling human being. The Gosnell trial showed the nation that in American today, we have abortion factories where live children are being killed.

The fact that a child of 21 weeks may still be in the womb does not make that child any less alive.

But clear as this may be to some, it is not clear to all ? just as in 1860 it was not clear to all that this nation could not tolerate slavery.

The current fight to ban late-term abortion ? at 20 weeks, or five months, after conception ? is by and large a partisan battle of Republicans against Democrats.

The Republican House has passed legislation to ban abortion after 20 weeks, with qualifications for the life and health of the mother. Now this critical issue must be put to a vote in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has called this a ?fringe? issue. Murder a fringe issue? Can there be any doubt that we are dealing with a clash in worldviews?

Republicans must carry this bill aggressively into the Senate. Pressure must be put especially on Senate Democrats up for re-election in states that lean pro-life, such as Mary Landrieu from Louisiana, Mark Pryor from Arkansas and Kay Hagan from North Carolina.

Perhaps this is a good time to recall George Washington?s words ?that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government.?

No, this is not a time for compromise. The nation is confused, far adrift from its moral moorings. Republicans must grab the reins aggressively and provide, without compromise, the moral leadership needed so badly.

Note: Reader comments are reviewed before publishing, and only salient comments that add to the topic will be published. Profanity is absolutely not allowed and will be summarily deleted. Spam, copied statements and other material not comprised of the reader?s own opinion will also be deleted.

Virtual Relationships-Are we Blind? - Virtual Handhold, LLC

Are we blind when we communicate and connect online??

Is the only way to "Really" love visual and tactile?

Does that mean someone blind cannot love??

Can you only love someone you touch? (That would totally take the romance out of the lyrics - "...to love pure and chaste from afar" Impossible Dream)

We have all heard the saying, "Love at first sight." Many times those incidents have been documented as life long commitments that work, other times it was a fleeting passion dissolved with the first spoken word.

In my book I do not count anything one-sided as love, but what if it is felt both ways? Is it a relationships then?

For every ONE way of defining love you will get "hit & miss" stories in real or virtual connections, so lets jump right to the philosophical statement - There are no absolutes...Absolutely! *wink*

So are there connections made online that can turn to love? Yes, plain and simple, we cannot rule out possibilities in this irrational human existence.

What is the best method to discern this?

1. First thing to question - Are the complements coming way to fast?

? ? Having someone stroke your ego right off the bat without ever knowing who they are talking to might be a sure way to feel good about yourself but does that constitute a relationship of love or self love?

This is often a tool sales people use who have to pour on the?shmaltzy to get people to buy.

Complements given too fast are rubbish.

2. Time: Relationships need time to be labeled true. So an online relationship of 3 hours during the last two weeks would not give you a correct measurement with any level of accuracy.

The higher the intellect on the other end, the harder and longer it will take to discern their true desires. There are professional deceivers among us... umm look at politicians, sales, business, psychics, psychologists ...the list goes on and on. We all seem to know how to spin reality to our benefit.

3. As it says in the Virgin's Handbook you have to know the level of engagement of the other party. Are they engaging with you disassociatively, immersively or augmentatively? Meaning are they looking for entertainment which you are supplying; Immersively engaged with you using their true perceptions and communication; or are they trying to sell you something?

4. Recognize your needs and what story you wish to be a part of and then enjoy it initially as a story. Think first of your interactions as a good book or movie. All books & movies end, so realize that at the start as well.

If after sometime of consistent interaction you both feel this is more than a story, well then take safe steps to meet. (I will go into that in another blog post)

Virtual relationships are no different then real relationships in that everything is up for question as how does the other person truly feel.

So when everything washes out and goes wrong does that mean the method of connection was false or just the perception and communication was at fault?

Be good to yourself and realize hiccups are a part of being human.?

Forgive and learn.?

Don't turn bitter.

Reflect and respin from the other person's point of view.

Relationships are difficult. Finding a match, even for a short time is a true quest. Good Luck... and Hugs.

You can always email me with your stories or make an appointment if trauma is plaguing you.

? ?

Source: http://www.virtualhandhold.com/blog/2013/08/05/Virtual-Relationships-Are-we-Blind.aspx

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Swaddle-maker swamped after UK prince's photo-op

FILE - This is a Tuesday July 23, 2013 file photo Prince George of Cambridge lays in a car seat as his parents, Britain's Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge leave St. Mary's Hospital exclusive Lindo Wing, in London where the Duchess gave birth on Monday July 22. Be patient everyone: Your order will be processed, but like little Prince George, you will have to get in line. It took perhaps 45 seconds for the heir to the throne to be carried from St. Mary?s Hospital in his car seat to be settled in the black royal Land Rover last week. But it was long enough for the world?s photographers to capture his tiny hands emerging from a cotton swaddle printed with little birds. Distinctive little birds. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, file)

LONDON (AP) ? It took 45 seconds, but it was enough.

Newborn Prince George, carried from the hospital to the royal car, appeared in a cotton swaddle with the tiny birds on it. Mums-to-be around the world wanted to know: Who are you wearing?

The answer shows what it is like when a small company gets swept into the maelstrom of attention that comes from touching the golden hem of the House of Windsor.

Once the photos of the swaddle hit the Internet, style bloggers and fashion writers identified the would-be king's new clothes as being from New York-based aden + anais. Within four hours of George's appearance, the website crashed. The next day, the site crashed again. In nine days, the company had 7,000 orders ? a 600 percent increase in sales on that item.

The company never even issued a press release. Anyone who wanted to know the manufacturer simply had to type "royal swaddle" into Google, and up it came.

Raegan Moya-Jones, the chief executive of aden + anais, was about to start a meeting when a colleague brought in the picture. She couldn't believe it.

"I thought it was photo-shopped," she said.

The company is still digging out from under a pile of orders for the swaddle, part of the Jungle Jam pack of four that in Britain costs 44.95 pounds ($68).

The average daily visits to its site were off the charts: In Britain, they were up 1,960 percent; in Australia, up 892 percent; in Japan 791 percent and in the U.S., up 458 percent.

So just be prepared to wait if you want to similarly swaddle your little prince or princess. Jungle Jam is sold out for now in Britain and the United States. Desperate swaddle searchers can find them on the company's Australian site if they hurry. Shipping fees are extra.

And there's a factory run from China of 10,000. So hold on.

People just want to be a part of things says Cele Otnes, a professor of marketing at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and co-author of the upcoming book "Royal Fever: The British Monarchy in Consumer Culture." She said the rush to buy whatever the royals wear gives admirers a chance to participate in a big, happy event.

"This is history," she said. "If you can't be there, if you can't have a royal baby yourself, you can buy the swaddle."

The royals do grant warrants ? a mark of recognition of those who supply goods or services to the Royal Household. Fortnum & Mason has one for example, for being a "Grocer & Provision Merchant" to the monarch. But there are no royal adverts.

Nonetheless the royals remain marketing gold.

They have always been trendsetters. Even Queen Victoria once promoted a ball to help the Spitalfields silk industry, Otnes said. More recently, Princess Diana's every ruffled collar or bow-lined stocking could set off the cash registers.

But Prince George is the first heir to the throne born in the Internet age. New mums and dads can see what Kate and Wills and ? now baby George ? are wearing and buy it instantly.

This goes way beyond commemorative china, tea towels and other trinkets ? the traditional sort of souvenir that shoppers can pick up at the Buckingham Palace gift store.

There's even a name for it: the Kate Effect. It started with the sapphire blue wrap dress designed by Daniella Helayel that the then-Kate Middleton wore to announce her engagement ? and just kept going. Take the white dress Kate wore in the couple's engagement photo ? sold by UK retailer Reiss ? or Topshop's black dress with a Peter Pan collar that she wore for a video appeal.

Fashionistas follow Kate's every move. Every blouse, shoe, and bag the future queen of England wears is fodder for style bloggers and a money-spinner for retailers.

She's been democratic about it ? choosing stuff that is accessible to the average person and supporting British products in a big way.

And now there's George, who isn't even wearing clothes yet but has managed to get blankets out the door. And it isn't just the ones from aden + anais. Little George first appeared in a white crocheted blanket from G.H. Hurt & Son of Nottingham, England. They are swamped with orders, too, after photographers zeroed in on the firm's label, blew it up and posted it on the net.

And yet, this is just the start. Otnes said that the trend will just continue as George gets older. Get ready for the booties, the scooter, the sun hat. Firms can get overwhelmed by the attention, which comes fast, hot and for a limited time only.

"You had better hold on," Otnes advised companies in the limelight. "And put on another shift."

Moya-Jones, a native of Australia who started in the swaddle business because she couldn't find what she wanted in stores, didn't anticipate the royal wave. Even though aden + anais have wrapped the babies of celebs like Beyonce, the spotlight that turned on her company with Prince George was altogether different.

After all, her privately held company isn't huge ? founded seven years ago, it has 65 full-time employees and about as many part-time staff. In addition to swaddles, aden + anais makes sleeping bags, bibs, blankets and sheets, and Moya-Jones doesn't want to put so much emphasis on Jungle Jam swaddles that customers who want other products feel they are being ignored.

And then there's the shock factor ? even if it was a happy shock. The company didn't send the royals their product and expect them to use it. That's just not done.

Moya-Jones only learned after she saw pictures that Kate reportedly picked out the muslin swaddle personally at a London store.

"That's the nicest thing," she said. "At the end of the day, the duchess is a first-time mum, like all of us once were."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-08-03-Britain-King's%20New%20Clothes/id-0ad88e98f6304589a1bddc6889fdf2b1

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Robot Japan 6 Dance Contest: MENOU (Video)

Robots Dreams features general robotics, hobby and educational robots, robot contests, FIRST, RoboCup, combat robots, artificial intelligence based DARPA robots, robot software and code, robot hacks, robot reviews, LEGO Mindstorms NXT, VEX, and Lynxmotion. Robots Dreams also reports on space, military, industrial and medical robot news. The robot centric website focuses on hobby and educational robot products and projects, including robot and robotics technology news from Japan, the US, and around the world. Arduino, pic, Basic Stamp, and other micro-controller robot designs are of particular interest.

Entertainment robots, domestic helper robots, health care and senior care robots, and other robot applications in assisting mankind are covered regularly. The Robots Dreams video channel on YouTube includes new robot product news, exclusive coverage from major robot events including ROBO-ONE, the Wonderful Robot Carnival, and RoboGames. Robots Dreams is a member of the ROBO-ONE press, and an official corporate sponsor of RoboGames and the Wonderful Robot Carnival. The Robots Dreams Flickr photo gallery includes over 30,000 unique robot images taken by our dedicated staff covering robot news and robot competitions for the past ten years.

Source: http://www.robots-dreams.com/2013/08/robot-japan-6-dance-contest-menou-video.html

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Golf Tournament Raises Money, Awareness to Fight Rare Cancer

MASSANUTTEN -- A valley woman loses her battle with a rare cancer, but those close to her are still helping others with the disease, even after she is gone.

Barb Winegord started a golf tournament four years ago to help pay for her expensive treatments for ovarian cancer. Unfortunately, her life was cut short in June.

"She was the sunshine," said Lisa Jenkins, Winegord's sister-in-law. "She lit up a room. She was very energetic, she went at things at full-speed. There was no stopping her."

The tournament continues, now in memory of a women those who knew call a fighter.

"Barb lived a long time with her cancer," said Winegord's doctor, gynecologic oncologist Dr. Linda Duska. "Part of that was Barb. She's a great lady, a really strong person..."

The tournament raises money for Winegord's oncology fund at UVA, helping pay for meals, gas and hotels for families with loved ones being treated.

"This fund really can ease the burden on families, so they can focus on their health and well-being and getting better, and not worry about finding the resources to make it to their appointments - so that's not their battle, their battle's cancer," said Jocelyn Evans, with the UVA Medical Center.

The tournament also helps make sure women know the symptoms of ovarian cancer. Dr. Duska said the signs are common: abdominal bloating, pelvic pressure and a change in bowel function. But if the symptoms last, Dr. Duska says, see a doctor.

Knowing the symptoms is a crucial step in dealing with a rare strain of cancer for which doctors do not have strong methods of early detection.

"Ovarian cancer doesn't have its mammogram," Evans said.

That is why Winegord asked her family to continue the tournament - wanting to leave a legacy that reaches far beyond the links.

"That was her wish for us," Jenkins said: "to continue to push for women to know this information."

Source: http://www.whsv.com/news/headlines/Tournament-Raises-Money-Awareness-for-Rare-Cancer-218235041.html

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Facebook?s new guide for domestic abuse and cyberstalking victims

Domestic Violence

Social media can be a great resource for connecting to one?s support network, but problems with privacy are nothing new on Facebook.

The real issue starts when those for whom social isolation is part of the problem can?t connect to their loved ones or organizations seeking to help for fear of their safety or that of their family.

To remedy this dilemma, Facebook teamed up with?National Network To End Domestic Violence to create a step-by-step guide to negotiating its privacy settings and other safety protocols that opens the channels of communication with only those a person in potential danger chooses.

As NNEDV VP Cindy Southworth noted:

Privacy and safety go hand in hand for survivors. The most dangerous time for a victim of abuse is when they are preparing to leave or have left an abusive partner. It is critical that survivors have the information that they need to navigate their lives safely and, in today?s digital age, a significant part of our lives are online.

You can find the guide here, and, please, stay safe.

Full story at NBC via The Mary Sue.

Keeping victims of domestic violence connected.

?Photo credit: Fotolia

Author on Google+

Source: http://holykaw.alltop.com/facebooks-new-guide-for-domestic-abuse-and-cyberstalking-victims

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রবিবার, ৪ আগস্ট, ২০১৩

17 hospitalized after Texas Roadhouse chemical incident

(WBIR - Alcoa) Update-- 10:50 p.m.

Alcoa Deputy Fire Chief Tom Daffron says 17 people have been taken to the hospital after a chemical incident at the Alcoa Texas Roadhouse.

He says an employee accidentally improperly mixed chemicals including bleach, which created a chemical gas.

The patients mainly had skin, eye and lung irritation. Daffron says the people were all conscious when they were taken to the hospital.

He says crews are working inside the restaurant to ventilate the building, monitor the air and remove the chemical smell.

Daffron says the restaurant should be able to reopen for business on Saturday.

Update-- 10:25 p.m.

Blount Memorial hospital confirms they are treating five people after a hazardous materials incident at the Texas Roadhouse in Alcoa.

Rural Metro also says they have sent four ambulances from Knox County to the restaurant.

Dispatchers tell 10News the building has been evacuated.

They cannot confirm the nature of the situation.

Previous story-- 10:05 p.m.

Blount Co. dispatch confirms at least two people are receiving treatment after a hazmat situation at Texas Roadhouse in Alcoa.

We have a crew on the way and will have the latest details as they become available here and on Channel 10.

Source: http://maryville.wbir.com/news/news/617312-17-hospitalized-after-texas-roadhouse-chemical-incident

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