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RECOVERED HISTORY: DID CIA TEST LSD IN NYC SUBWAY?
NY POST - A declassified FBI report from the Baltimore field office dated Aug. 25,1950 [states], "The BW [biological weapon] experiments to be conducted by representatives of the Department of the Army in the New York Subway System in September 1950, have been indefinitely postponed.". . .
Dr. Henry Eigelsbach, confirmed that the LSD subway test did, in fact, occur in November 1950, albeit on a smaller scale than first planned. Little, however, is known about the test - what line, how many people and what happened.
The purported experiment occurred nearly a year before a more infamous August 1951 incident in the small town of Pont St. Esprit, in the south of France, when the citizens were hit by a case of mass insanity.
Over a two-day period, some 250 residents sought hospital care after hallucinating for no apparent reason. Thirty-two patients were hauled off to mental asylums. Four died. Mercury poisoning or ergot, a fungus of rye bread, was cited as the culprit. But ergot is also one of the central ingredient of LSD. . .
But with the CIA's most important records on such matters destroyed or cloaked in national security claims, it remains difficult to prove whether these purported subway tests occurred._______________________________________________________
Dr. Henry Eigelsbach, confirmed that the LSD subway test did, in fact, occur in November 1950, albeit on a smaller scale than first planned. Little, however, is known about the test - what line, how many people and what happened.
The purported experiment occurred nearly a year before a more infamous August 1951 incident in the small town of Pont St. Esprit, in the south of France, when the citizens were hit by a case of mass insanity.
Over a two-day period, some 250 residents sought hospital care after hallucinating for no apparent reason. Thirty-two patients were hauled off to mental asylums. Four died. Mercury poisoning or ergot, a fungus of rye bread, was cited as the culprit. But ergot is also one of the central ingredient of LSD. . .
But with the CIA's most important records on such matters destroyed or cloaked in national security claims, it remains difficult to prove whether these purported subway tests occurred._______________________________________________________
THE MISSOURI MODEL OF JUVENILE JUSTICE
MARION WRIGHT EDELMAN, HUFFINGTON POST - The state of Missouri has created a juvenile justice system that has proved so successful over the last thirty years it's known as the "Missouri Miracle." A number of practices combine to make Missouri's system unique: It's primarily made up of small facilities, generally designed for between ten and thirty youths, located at sites throughout the state that keep young people close to their own homes. These facilities don't look like jails with traditional cells; there are only eight isolation rooms in the entire state, which are seldom used and only for emergency situations. They feature a highly trained and educated staff working in teams with small groups of youths. Youths are treated with respect and dignity, and instead of more traditional correctional approaches, the system uses a rehabilitative and therapeutic model that works towards teaching the young people to make positive, lasting changes in their behavior. The result has been some of the best outcomes in the nation: fewer than 8% of the youths in the Missouri system return again after their release, and fewer than 8% go on to adult prison. One-third of the youths return to their communities with a high school diploma or GED, and another 50% successfully return to school. . ._______________________________________________________
WANT TO BE A MEMBER OF CONGRESS? THEN WORK FOR ONE
CONGRESS ORG - Since World War II, the number of seats in Congress occupied by former Congressional staffers has dramatically increased, with many in the positions once held by their former bosses.
In the current session of Congress alone, 75 one-time staffers are now members, according to CQ's Politics in America. Of this group, a survey by Congress.org found that over two dozen inherited the seats of retired Members they once worked for .
And at least six staffers are currently vying for seats in elections coming up this year._______________________________________________________
In the current session of Congress alone, 75 one-time staffers are now members, according to CQ's Politics in America. Of this group, a survey by Congress.org found that over two dozen inherited the seats of retired Members they once worked for .
And at least six staffers are currently vying for seats in elections coming up this year._______________________________________________________
AN 1894 GUIDE FOR YOUNG BRIDES
Nudity, talking about sex, reading stories about sex, viewing photographs and drawings depicting or suggesting sex are the obnoxious habits the male is likely to acquire if permitted.
A wise bride will make it the goal never to allow her husband to see her unclothed body, and never allow him to display his unclothed body to her. Sex, when it cannot be prevented, should be practiced only in total darkness. Many women have found it useful to have thick cotton nightgowns for themselves and pajamas for their husbands. These should be donned in separate rooms. They need not be removed durning the sex act. Thus, a minimum of flesh is exposed._______________________________________________________
A wise bride will make it the goal never to allow her husband to see her unclothed body, and never allow him to display his unclothed body to her. Sex, when it cannot be prevented, should be practiced only in total darkness. Many women have found it useful to have thick cotton nightgowns for themselves and pajamas for their husbands. These should be donned in separate rooms. They need not be removed durning the sex act. Thus, a minimum of flesh is exposed._______________________________________________________
SCHOOLS OPEN NEW FRONT IN WAR AGAINST CHILDHOOD: RECESS COACHES
NY TIMES - At Broadway Elementary School here, there is no more sitting around after lunch. No more goofing off with friends. No more doing nothing.
Instead there is Brandi Parker, a $14-an-hour recess coach with a whistle around her neck, corralling children behind bright orange cones to play organized games. There she was the other day, breaking up a renegade game of hopscotch and overruling stragglers' lame excuses.
They were bored. They had tired feet. They were no good at running.
"I don't like to play," protested Esmeilyn Almendarez, 11.
"Why do I have to go through this every day with you?" replied Ms. Parker, waving her back in line. "There's no choice."
The school is one of a growing number across the country that are reining in recess to curb bullying and behavior problems, foster social skills and address concerns over obesity. They also hope to show children that there is good old-fashioned fun to be had without iPods and video games.
Playworks, a California-based nonprofit organization that hired Ms. Parker to run the recess program at Broadway Elementary, began a major expansion in 2008 with an $18 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It has placed recess coaches in 170 schools in low-income areas of nine cities, including Boston, Washington and Los Angeles, and of Silicon Valley.
Dr. Romina M. Barros, an assistant clinical professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx who was an author of a widely cited study on the benefits of recess, published last year in the journal Pediatrics, says that children still benefit most from recess when they are let alone to daydream, solve problems, use their imagination to invent their own games and "be free to do what they choose to do."
Structured recess, Dr. Barros said, simply transplants the rules of the classroom to the playground._______________________________________________________
Instead there is Brandi Parker, a $14-an-hour recess coach with a whistle around her neck, corralling children behind bright orange cones to play organized games. There she was the other day, breaking up a renegade game of hopscotch and overruling stragglers' lame excuses.
They were bored. They had tired feet. They were no good at running.
"I don't like to play," protested Esmeilyn Almendarez, 11.
"Why do I have to go through this every day with you?" replied Ms. Parker, waving her back in line. "There's no choice."
The school is one of a growing number across the country that are reining in recess to curb bullying and behavior problems, foster social skills and address concerns over obesity. They also hope to show children that there is good old-fashioned fun to be had without iPods and video games.
Playworks, a California-based nonprofit organization that hired Ms. Parker to run the recess program at Broadway Elementary, began a major expansion in 2008 with an $18 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It has placed recess coaches in 170 schools in low-income areas of nine cities, including Boston, Washington and Los Angeles, and of Silicon Valley.
Dr. Romina M. Barros, an assistant clinical professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx who was an author of a widely cited study on the benefits of recess, published last year in the journal Pediatrics, says that children still benefit most from recess when they are let alone to daydream, solve problems, use their imagination to invent their own games and "be free to do what they choose to do."
Structured recess, Dr. Barros said, simply transplants the rules of the classroom to the playground._______________________________________________________
STUDY FINDS EVEN PROTECTED ANIMALS THREATENED WITH EXTINCTION
TREE HUGGER - India has had a system of wildlife sanctuaries since 1928. Now, there are more than 500 in the country ranging from dedicated tiger and bird reserves to more general areas intend to protect habitats rich in biological diversity.
Unfortunately, according to a new study, even these efforts may not be enough to save some of the country's most critically endangered species from extinction.
Considering the rate of economic growth in India, researchers concluded that existing protected areas will need to be expanded-and new ones established-if several large mammal species are to be preserved.
Researchers from Wildlife Conservation Society, Duke University, and other groups evaluated the extinction probability of a sample of 25 large mammals. To construct a model, the team looked at the current population and distribution of each species and compared them to more than 30,000 historical records from natural history and museum databases covering the last 200 years.
The model showed that all 25 species would experience at least local extinction. Large-bodied mammals, habitat specialists, and very rare species showed the highest vulnerability, some with as much as a 96 percent chance of extinction._______________________________________________________
Unfortunately, according to a new study, even these efforts may not be enough to save some of the country's most critically endangered species from extinction.
Considering the rate of economic growth in India, researchers concluded that existing protected areas will need to be expanded-and new ones established-if several large mammal species are to be preserved.
Researchers from Wildlife Conservation Society, Duke University, and other groups evaluated the extinction probability of a sample of 25 large mammals. To construct a model, the team looked at the current population and distribution of each species and compared them to more than 30,000 historical records from natural history and museum databases covering the last 200 years.
The model showed that all 25 species would experience at least local extinction. Large-bodied mammals, habitat specialists, and very rare species showed the highest vulnerability, some with as much as a 96 percent chance of extinction._______________________________________________________
A FAR TOO LONG, BUT STILL INTERESTING, INTERVIEW WITH RIELLE HUNTER
"Falling in love with you could really fuck up my plans for becoming President."
Johnny Edwards' girlfriend tells a lot, if not all. . ._______________________________________________________
Johnny Edwards' girlfriend tells a lot, if not all. . ._______________________________________________________
ARCHBISHOP QUESTIONS PRIESTLY CELIBACY
GUARDIAN, UK - The Archbishop of Vienna said priestly celibacy could be one of the causes of the sex abuse scandals to hit the Catholic church.
In an article for Thema Kirche, his diocesan magazine, Christoph Schonborn became the most senior figure in the Catholic hierarchy to make the connection between the two and called for an "unflinching examination" of the possible reasons for pedophilia.
He wrote: "These include the issue of priest training, as well as the question of what happened in the so-called sexual revolution.
"It also includes the issue of priest celibacy and the issue of personality development. It requires a great deal of honesty, both on the part of the church and of society as a whole."
Schonborn is not the first person to suggest a link between celibacy and paedophilia - the theologian Hans Kung has made the same assertion.
A spokesman clarified the archbishop's words, insisting he was "in no way" seeking to question the celibacy rule or call for its abolition.
Schonborn's remarks followed further revelations of abuse across Europe, with new incidents coming to light in Austria, Germany and the Netherlands, and followed claims by an Italian academic that a greater presence of women in the Vatican could have prevented clerical sexual abuse from taking place._______________________________________________________
In an article for Thema Kirche, his diocesan magazine, Christoph Schonborn became the most senior figure in the Catholic hierarchy to make the connection between the two and called for an "unflinching examination" of the possible reasons for pedophilia.
He wrote: "These include the issue of priest training, as well as the question of what happened in the so-called sexual revolution.
"It also includes the issue of priest celibacy and the issue of personality development. It requires a great deal of honesty, both on the part of the church and of society as a whole."
Schonborn is not the first person to suggest a link between celibacy and paedophilia - the theologian Hans Kung has made the same assertion.
A spokesman clarified the archbishop's words, insisting he was "in no way" seeking to question the celibacy rule or call for its abolition.
Schonborn's remarks followed further revelations of abuse across Europe, with new incidents coming to light in Austria, Germany and the Netherlands, and followed claims by an Italian academic that a greater presence of women in the Vatican could have prevented clerical sexual abuse from taking place._______________________________________________________
WHAT SORT OF SHAPE IS YOUR BANK IN?
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SOME THINGS CONGRESS CAN DO TO MAKE GOVERNMENT WORK BETTER
Project on Government Oversight
Pass Whistleblower Protection Law
Frequently the first people to discover corruption and misconduct are federal employees. By seeking to fix the problems they uncover, these employees play a vital role in making sure the government is accountable and effective. Unfortunately, whistleblowers are almost always reprimanded, fired, and/or harassed instead of feted, even if they have not "gone public" and even after their allegations are proven to be true. The federal Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 is grossly inadequate in protecting federal workers and government contractors who expose waste, fraud, and abuse from retaliation by their supervisors. Until federal employees can expose wrongdoing without fear of retaliation, they will lack the incentive to report wrongdoing.
Create an Independent Audit Agency
Auditors are on the front lines of rooting out wasteful spending in federal agencies. Experience has shown that increased funding for auditors ultimately results in greater savings for taxpayers, making it essential for these offices to have the funding, independence, staffing, and other resources they need to do their job. Unfortunately, investigations into the General Services Administration, Minerals Management Service at the Department of the Interior, and the Defense Contract Audit Agency have found that auditors lack the independence from their agencies they need to effectively do their jobs. As a result, auditors' findings have been ignored or altered, and in some cases have resulted in retaliation or demotion. Congress should consider establishing an independent federal contract audit agency.
Put the Teeth Back in Financial Regulatory Agencies
In recent months there has been widespread bipartisan agreement about the need to strengthen the nation's financial regulatory agencies in order to prevent future economic crises. In particular, the Securities and Exchange Commission and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority have been failing in their missions to protect investors from securities fraud.
Uncover the Hidden Costs of Privatizing Government
Under previous administrations, vast swaths of the federal government have been shifted into the private sector in an effort to reduce the size of the federal government. From 2000 to 2008, the amount of federal money spent on contracting increased by over 150 percent-the majority of which is money spent on service contracts. The great promise that privatizing government would save money by engaging a more "efficient" private sector hasn't materialized. In fact, overzealous outsourcing created numerous concerns about whether the federal government can adequately control its spending and fulfill its mission. Contractors are now protecting embassies in war zones, participating in covert intelligence operations, and creating budgets, public policy, and government programs that are integral to government missions.
End Wasteful Defense Spending
Congress continues to fill the Defense Appropriations bill with pet projects and earmarks for programs the Department of Defense neither wants nor needs, such as the C-17. These earmarks divert money away from more urgent national security priorities. Congress should make sure that Defense Appropriations bills reflect spending based solely upon national security needs instead of parochial interests.
Make Government Watchdog Organizations More Accountable
Inspectors General require an extraordinary degree of independence to effectively perform their duties. But they also need to be held accountable for misconduct and inadequate work performance. In some cases such accountability will necessitate that an IG be removed from his or her post. As demonstrated by recent events, the process of removing an IG can create a considerable chilling effect on the entire Inspector General community when the justification for that removal is not fully transparent.
To ensure that the entire IG community has trust that presidential decisions to remove IGs are motivated by legitimate causes rather than retaliation or politics, Congress should amend the Inspector General Reform Act of 2008 to include a provision that would allow the President to remove an Inspector General only for cause. The provision should also require that the President inform Congress in writing of the full justification for the decision.
Drag the Nuclear Complex Out of the Cold War
The people who are running the nuclear weapons complex at the Department of Energy operate as though the Cold War is not over. Congress should prioritize efforts to secure vulnerable fissile material around the world and in the U.S., instead of letting the Administration pour billions of dollars into expanding nuclear bomb-making materials, weapons, and facilities spread across the country. For example, the Administration is continuing to store approximately 250 metric tons of highly-enriched uranium in World War II-era buildings, creating a security risk and requiring billions of dollars for the construction of new facilities and millions of dollars for security.
Disclose Conflicts of Interest in Scientific Research
A few years ago, press reports revealed that a number of researchers at the National Institutes of Health's central facility in Bethesda also served as paid consultants to drug and biotech companies while they were working for the federal government. The serious conflicts of interest these situations caused were resolved by simply abolishing all paid consulting and other types of payments to NIH's intramural scientists by private companies. However, many researchers at the nation's medical schools and universities who receive NIH grants and contracts continue to consult for private companies.
Congress should ensure that the NIH require its grantees to publicly disclose their paid arrangements with pharmaceutical companies, as well as their ownership of relevant stock and stock options, as a condition of having their medical research funded by the government.
Fix the Broken Federal Contracting System
Since 1981, POGO has exposed numerous problems that are the result of so-called procurement or acquisition "reforms," including cozy negotiations, inadequate competition, lack of accountability, little transparency, and risky contracting vehicles that are prone to waste, fraud, and abuse. While there have been some fixes to the federal government's contracting systems, there are many more that must be implemented._______________________________________________________
Pass Whistleblower Protection Law
Frequently the first people to discover corruption and misconduct are federal employees. By seeking to fix the problems they uncover, these employees play a vital role in making sure the government is accountable and effective. Unfortunately, whistleblowers are almost always reprimanded, fired, and/or harassed instead of feted, even if they have not "gone public" and even after their allegations are proven to be true. The federal Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 is grossly inadequate in protecting federal workers and government contractors who expose waste, fraud, and abuse from retaliation by their supervisors. Until federal employees can expose wrongdoing without fear of retaliation, they will lack the incentive to report wrongdoing.
Create an Independent Audit Agency
Auditors are on the front lines of rooting out wasteful spending in federal agencies. Experience has shown that increased funding for auditors ultimately results in greater savings for taxpayers, making it essential for these offices to have the funding, independence, staffing, and other resources they need to do their job. Unfortunately, investigations into the General Services Administration, Minerals Management Service at the Department of the Interior, and the Defense Contract Audit Agency have found that auditors lack the independence from their agencies they need to effectively do their jobs. As a result, auditors' findings have been ignored or altered, and in some cases have resulted in retaliation or demotion. Congress should consider establishing an independent federal contract audit agency.
Put the Teeth Back in Financial Regulatory Agencies
In recent months there has been widespread bipartisan agreement about the need to strengthen the nation's financial regulatory agencies in order to prevent future economic crises. In particular, the Securities and Exchange Commission and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority have been failing in their missions to protect investors from securities fraud.
Uncover the Hidden Costs of Privatizing Government
Under previous administrations, vast swaths of the federal government have been shifted into the private sector in an effort to reduce the size of the federal government. From 2000 to 2008, the amount of federal money spent on contracting increased by over 150 percent-the majority of which is money spent on service contracts. The great promise that privatizing government would save money by engaging a more "efficient" private sector hasn't materialized. In fact, overzealous outsourcing created numerous concerns about whether the federal government can adequately control its spending and fulfill its mission. Contractors are now protecting embassies in war zones, participating in covert intelligence operations, and creating budgets, public policy, and government programs that are integral to government missions.
End Wasteful Defense Spending
Congress continues to fill the Defense Appropriations bill with pet projects and earmarks for programs the Department of Defense neither wants nor needs, such as the C-17. These earmarks divert money away from more urgent national security priorities. Congress should make sure that Defense Appropriations bills reflect spending based solely upon national security needs instead of parochial interests.
Make Government Watchdog Organizations More Accountable
Inspectors General require an extraordinary degree of independence to effectively perform their duties. But they also need to be held accountable for misconduct and inadequate work performance. In some cases such accountability will necessitate that an IG be removed from his or her post. As demonstrated by recent events, the process of removing an IG can create a considerable chilling effect on the entire Inspector General community when the justification for that removal is not fully transparent.
To ensure that the entire IG community has trust that presidential decisions to remove IGs are motivated by legitimate causes rather than retaliation or politics, Congress should amend the Inspector General Reform Act of 2008 to include a provision that would allow the President to remove an Inspector General only for cause. The provision should also require that the President inform Congress in writing of the full justification for the decision.
Drag the Nuclear Complex Out of the Cold War
The people who are running the nuclear weapons complex at the Department of Energy operate as though the Cold War is not over. Congress should prioritize efforts to secure vulnerable fissile material around the world and in the U.S., instead of letting the Administration pour billions of dollars into expanding nuclear bomb-making materials, weapons, and facilities spread across the country. For example, the Administration is continuing to store approximately 250 metric tons of highly-enriched uranium in World War II-era buildings, creating a security risk and requiring billions of dollars for the construction of new facilities and millions of dollars for security.
Disclose Conflicts of Interest in Scientific Research
A few years ago, press reports revealed that a number of researchers at the National Institutes of Health's central facility in Bethesda also served as paid consultants to drug and biotech companies while they were working for the federal government. The serious conflicts of interest these situations caused were resolved by simply abolishing all paid consulting and other types of payments to NIH's intramural scientists by private companies. However, many researchers at the nation's medical schools and universities who receive NIH grants and contracts continue to consult for private companies.
Congress should ensure that the NIH require its grantees to publicly disclose their paid arrangements with pharmaceutical companies, as well as their ownership of relevant stock and stock options, as a condition of having their medical research funded by the government.
Fix the Broken Federal Contracting System
Since 1981, POGO has exposed numerous problems that are the result of so-called procurement or acquisition "reforms," including cozy negotiations, inadequate competition, lack of accountability, little transparency, and risky contracting vehicles that are prone to waste, fraud, and abuse. While there have been some fixes to the federal government's contracting systems, there are many more that must be implemented._______________________________________________________
OBAMA REALLY GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT EDUCATION
Solicitation Number:
EDOOIG-10-000004
Notice Type:
Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
Synopsis:
Added: Mar 08, 2010 10:39 am
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) intends to purchase twenty-seven (27) REMINGTON BRAND MODEL 870 POLICE 12/14P MOD GRWC XS4 KXCS SF. RAMAC #24587 GAUGE: 12 BARREL: 14" - PARKERIZED CHOKE: MODIFIED SIGHTS: GHOST RING REAR WILSON COMBAT; FRONT - XS CONTOUR BEAD SIGHT STOCK: KNOXX REDUCE RECOIL ADJUSTABLE STOCK FORE-END: SPEEDFEED SPORT-SOLID - 14" LOP are designated as the only shotguns authorized for ED based on compatibility with ED existing shotgun inventory, certified armor and combat training and protocol, maintenance, and parts.
The required date of delivery is March 22, 2010.
Interested sources must submit detailed technical capabilities and any other information that demonstrates their ability to meet the requirements above, no later than March 12, 2010 at 12 PM, E.S.T. Any quotes must be submitted electronically to the attention of Holly.Le@ed.gov, Contract Specialist (Contract Operations Group), with a concurrent copy to Sherese.Lewis@ed.gov, Contracting Officer (Contract Operations Group)._______________________________________________________
EDOOIG-10-000004
Notice Type:
Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
Synopsis:
Added: Mar 08, 2010 10:39 am
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) intends to purchase twenty-seven (27) REMINGTON BRAND MODEL 870 POLICE 12/14P MOD GRWC XS4 KXCS SF. RAMAC #24587 GAUGE: 12 BARREL: 14" - PARKERIZED CHOKE: MODIFIED SIGHTS: GHOST RING REAR WILSON COMBAT; FRONT - XS CONTOUR BEAD SIGHT STOCK: KNOXX REDUCE RECOIL ADJUSTABLE STOCK FORE-END: SPEEDFEED SPORT-SOLID - 14" LOP are designated as the only shotguns authorized for ED based on compatibility with ED existing shotgun inventory, certified armor and combat training and protocol, maintenance, and parts.
The required date of delivery is March 22, 2010.
Interested sources must submit detailed technical capabilities and any other information that demonstrates their ability to meet the requirements above, no later than March 12, 2010 at 12 PM, E.S.T. Any quotes must be submitted electronically to the attention of Holly.Le@ed.gov, Contract Specialist (Contract Operations Group), with a concurrent copy to Sherese.Lewis@ed.gov, Contracting Officer (Contract Operations Group)._______________________________________________________
GREAT MOMENTS AT THE IRS
SACRAMENTO BEE, CA - Arriving at Harv's Metro Car Wash in midtown Wednesday afternoon were two dark-suited IRS agents demanding payment of delinquent taxes. "They were deadly serious, very aggressive, very condescending," says Harv's owner, Aaron Zeff.
The really odd part of this: The letter that was hand-delivered to Zeff's on-site manager showed the amount of money owed to the feds was . . . 4 cents.
Inexplicably, penalties and taxes accruing on the debt – stemming from the 2006 tax year – were listed as $202.31, leaving Harv's with an obligation of $202.35.
Zeff, who also owns local parking lots and is the president of the Midtown Business Association, finds the situation a bit comical. . .
Now he's trying to figure out how penalties and interest could climb so high on such a small debt. He says he's never been told he owes any taxes or that he's ever incurred any late-payment penalties in the four years he's owned Harv's.
In fact, he provided us with an Oct. 22, 2009, letter from the IRS that states Harv's "has filed all required returns and addressed any balances due."
IRS spokesman Jesse Weller isn't commenting "due to privacy and disclosure laws."
Zeff says he's as offended as much as anything else by what he considers rude behavior by the IRS guys. While at Harv's, he sniffs, "they didn't even get a car wash."_______________________________________________________
The really odd part of this: The letter that was hand-delivered to Zeff's on-site manager showed the amount of money owed to the feds was . . . 4 cents.
Inexplicably, penalties and taxes accruing on the debt – stemming from the 2006 tax year – were listed as $202.31, leaving Harv's with an obligation of $202.35.
Zeff, who also owns local parking lots and is the president of the Midtown Business Association, finds the situation a bit comical. . .
Now he's trying to figure out how penalties and interest could climb so high on such a small debt. He says he's never been told he owes any taxes or that he's ever incurred any late-payment penalties in the four years he's owned Harv's.
In fact, he provided us with an Oct. 22, 2009, letter from the IRS that states Harv's "has filed all required returns and addressed any balances due."
IRS spokesman Jesse Weller isn't commenting "due to privacy and disclosure laws."
Zeff says he's as offended as much as anything else by what he considers rude behavior by the IRS guys. While at Harv's, he sniffs, "they didn't even get a car wash."_______________________________________________________
MORE THAN 100 FBI CASES CALLED INTO QUESTION BY US ATTORNEY
WASH POST - The U.S. attorney's office in the District has found more than 100 cases since the mid-1970s that need to be reviewed because of potentially falsified and inaccurate tests by FBI analysts.
The report, filed in D.C. Superior Court late Friday, stems from an internal investigation by prosecutors after the exoneration in December of Donald E. Gates, who was falsely imprisoned for 28 years for the 1981 rape and slaying of a Georgetown University student.
The review was launched to examine 20 cases in which Justice Department officials questioned the validity of statements made by six FBI forensic analysts who were identified in a 1997 report by the department's office of inspector general.
After weeks of reviewing FBI lab reports, court transcripts, criminal history databases and police records, Patricia A. Riley, a special counsel to newly appointed U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., concluded that only the Gates case resulted in a wrongful conviction.
During the review, Justice identified an additional 100 cases since the 1970s involving the suspect FBI experts. Riley wrote that since December, her office performed a "preliminary review" of 78 of the cases and found "no misconduct." Prosecutors have presented no findings so far on the remaining 22 cases._______________________________________________________
The report, filed in D.C. Superior Court late Friday, stems from an internal investigation by prosecutors after the exoneration in December of Donald E. Gates, who was falsely imprisoned for 28 years for the 1981 rape and slaying of a Georgetown University student.
The review was launched to examine 20 cases in which Justice Department officials questioned the validity of statements made by six FBI forensic analysts who were identified in a 1997 report by the department's office of inspector general.
After weeks of reviewing FBI lab reports, court transcripts, criminal history databases and police records, Patricia A. Riley, a special counsel to newly appointed U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., concluded that only the Gates case resulted in a wrongful conviction.
During the review, Justice identified an additional 100 cases since the 1970s involving the suspect FBI experts. Riley wrote that since December, her office performed a "preliminary review" of 78 of the cases and found "no misconduct." Prosecutors have presented no findings so far on the remaining 22 cases._______________________________________________________
CHIEF CATHOLIC EXORCIST SAYS DEVIL IS IN VATICAN
TELEGRAPH, UK - The Devil is lurking in the very heart of the Roman Catholic Church, the Vatican's chief exorcist claimed. Father Gabriele Amorth said people who are possessed by Satan vomit shards of glass and pieces of iron.
He added that the assault on Pope Benedict XVI on Christmas Eve by a mentally unstable woman and the sex abuse scandals which have engulfed the Church in the US, Ireland, Germany and other countries, were proof that the Anti-Christ was waging a war against the Holy See.
"The Devil resides in the Vatican and you can see the consequences," said Father Amorth, 85, who has been the Holy See's chief exorcist for 25 years.
"He can remain hidden, or speak in different languages, or even appear to be sympathetic. At times he makes fun of me. But I'm a man who is happy in his work."
While there was "resistance and mistrust" towards the concept of exorcism among some Catholics, Pope Benedict XVI has no such doubts, Father Amorth said. "His Holiness believes wholeheartedly in the practice of exorcism. He has encouraged and praised our work," he added.
The evil influence of Satan was evident in the highest ranks of the Catholic hierarchy, with "cardinals who do not believe in Jesus and bishops who are linked to the demon," Father Amorth said.
In a rare insight into the world of exorcism, the Italian priest told La Repubblica newspaper that the 1973 film The Exorcist gave a "substantially exact" impression of what it was like to be possessed by the Devil.
People possessed by evil sometimes had to be physically restrained by half a dozen people while they were exorcised. They would scream, utter blasphemies and spit out sharp objects, he said.
"From their mouths, anything can come out – pieces of iron as long as a finger, but also rose petals," said Father Amorth, who claims to have performed 70,000 exorcisms. "When the possessed dribble and slobber, and need cleaning up, I do that too. Seeing people vomit doesn't bother me. The exorcist has one principal duty - to free human beings from the fear of the Devil."
The attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II by a Turkish gunman in 1981 and recent revelations of "violence and pedophilia" committed by Catholic priests against children in their care was also the work of the Devil, said Father Amorth, who has written a book about his vocation, Memoirs of an Exorcist, which was published recently. . .
He also condemned the Harry Potter books, saying they were dangerous because they dabbled in the occult and failed to draw a clear distinction between "the Satanic art" of black magic and benevolent white magic._______________________________________________________
He added that the assault on Pope Benedict XVI on Christmas Eve by a mentally unstable woman and the sex abuse scandals which have engulfed the Church in the US, Ireland, Germany and other countries, were proof that the Anti-Christ was waging a war against the Holy See.
"The Devil resides in the Vatican and you can see the consequences," said Father Amorth, 85, who has been the Holy See's chief exorcist for 25 years.
"He can remain hidden, or speak in different languages, or even appear to be sympathetic. At times he makes fun of me. But I'm a man who is happy in his work."
While there was "resistance and mistrust" towards the concept of exorcism among some Catholics, Pope Benedict XVI has no such doubts, Father Amorth said. "His Holiness believes wholeheartedly in the practice of exorcism. He has encouraged and praised our work," he added.
The evil influence of Satan was evident in the highest ranks of the Catholic hierarchy, with "cardinals who do not believe in Jesus and bishops who are linked to the demon," Father Amorth said.
In a rare insight into the world of exorcism, the Italian priest told La Repubblica newspaper that the 1973 film The Exorcist gave a "substantially exact" impression of what it was like to be possessed by the Devil.
People possessed by evil sometimes had to be physically restrained by half a dozen people while they were exorcised. They would scream, utter blasphemies and spit out sharp objects, he said.
"From their mouths, anything can come out – pieces of iron as long as a finger, but also rose petals," said Father Amorth, who claims to have performed 70,000 exorcisms. "When the possessed dribble and slobber, and need cleaning up, I do that too. Seeing people vomit doesn't bother me. The exorcist has one principal duty - to free human beings from the fear of the Devil."
The attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II by a Turkish gunman in 1981 and recent revelations of "violence and pedophilia" committed by Catholic priests against children in their care was also the work of the Devil, said Father Amorth, who has written a book about his vocation, Memoirs of an Exorcist, which was published recently. . .
He also condemned the Harry Potter books, saying they were dangerous because they dabbled in the occult and failed to draw a clear distinction between "the Satanic art" of black magic and benevolent white magic._______________________________________________________
SMALLER SCHOOLS, BETTER PERFORMANCE
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HERBERT J. WALBERG, NY TIMES -A huge amount of research, including my own, in more than 25 states shows that other things being equal, smaller schools produce higher academic achievement than larger schools.
Bigger schools tend to be impersonal, departmentalized and bureaucratic.
The "small school effect" was discovered in the 1960s, and the "Canadian effect" refers to small schools in less crowded states near the Northern border that tend to do well even discounting the effects of socioeconomic status and other demographic factors.
Why did American schools become ever larger? James Conant, a president of Harvard University in the 1930s and 1940s, argued that large schools allow more diversity of courses such as Latin, Greek, and vocational preparation. In supporting large schools, economists argued that consolidation of schools would avoid duplication of principals and other school leaders. These arguments led to the large-scale consolidation of both small schools and small school districts.
What education leaders failed to recognize is that large institutions tend to be impersonal, departmentalized and bureaucratic. They tend to treat their staff and those they serve as numbers rather than distinctive individuals with unique needs.
High schools, which tend to be larger, face these problems most acutely. But the rise of middle schools took on some of these problems since they became departmentalized by subject matter, and students may have as many as six teachers, none of whom know them well. Schools, particularly elementary schools, begin the transition from the family to larger adult institutions such as colleges and businesses that serve people from larger geographic areas.
In elementary school, children are more likely to be with other children they know from their neighborhoods. They have the same teacher for much of the day and who is likely to know the child's parents, siblings, and neighbors.
But elementary schools have grown in size, and families are more mobile than in the past. Thus, elementary schools have become increasingly impersonal despite younger children's need to be treated as individuals rather than members of categories.
_______________________________________________________GREECE ROCKED BY RIOTS
DAILY MAIL, UK - Street clashes broke out between rioting youths and police in central Athens as tens of thousands demonstrated during a nationwide strike against the cash-strapped government.
Hundreds of masked and hooded youths punched and kicked motorcycle police, knocking several off their bikes, as police responded with volleys of tear gas and stun grenades.
The Greek government] has announced a raft of savings through public sector salary cuts, hiring and pension freezes and consumer tax hikes to deal with its ballooning deficit, but the measures have led to a new wave of labor discontent.
The government says the tough cuts are its only way to dig Greece out of a crisis that has hammered the common European currency and alarmed international markets -- inflating the loan-dependent country's borrowing costs.
But unions say ordinary Greeks are being asked to pay a disproportionate price for past fiscal mismanagement.
'They are trying to make workers pay the price for a crisis [management caused,' said Yiannis Panagopoulos, leader of Greece's largest union, the GSEE.
All news broadcasts were suspended as workers walked off the job for 24 hours to protest spending cuts and tax hikes designed to tackle the country's debt crisis.
Strikers and protesters banged drums and chanted slogans such as 'no sacrifice for plutocracy,' and 'real jobs, higher pay.'
Riot police made heavy use of tear gas during the start-and-stop clashes throughout the demonstration, including outside Parliament._______________________________________________________
Hundreds of masked and hooded youths punched and kicked motorcycle police, knocking several off their bikes, as police responded with volleys of tear gas and stun grenades.
The Greek government] has announced a raft of savings through public sector salary cuts, hiring and pension freezes and consumer tax hikes to deal with its ballooning deficit, but the measures have led to a new wave of labor discontent.
The government says the tough cuts are its only way to dig Greece out of a crisis that has hammered the common European currency and alarmed international markets -- inflating the loan-dependent country's borrowing costs.
But unions say ordinary Greeks are being asked to pay a disproportionate price for past fiscal mismanagement.
'They are trying to make workers pay the price for a crisis [management caused,' said Yiannis Panagopoulos, leader of Greece's largest union, the GSEE.
All news broadcasts were suspended as workers walked off the job for 24 hours to protest spending cuts and tax hikes designed to tackle the country's debt crisis.
Strikers and protesters banged drums and chanted slogans such as 'no sacrifice for plutocracy,' and 'real jobs, higher pay.'
Riot police made heavy use of tear gas during the start-and-stop clashes throughout the demonstration, including outside Parliament._______________________________________________________
WATER SHORTAGES MAY HIT NORTHERN ROCKIES
USA TODAY - Much of the nation may be snow-weary, but farmers and ranchers who rely on winter snowpack in the northern Rockies for irrigation during the dry months of the growing season could face water shortages this summer unless more snow arrives soon.
Wet spring and summer conditions in 2008 and 2009 helped pull the region out of a decade-long drought, but now hydrologists are once again reporting below-average mountain snowpack throughout much of the northern Rockies.
As of early March, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, snowpack was at or near record-low levels in many locations from northeastern Utah northward along and near the Idaho border with Montana and Wyoming.
In Spokane, Wash., the winter of 2009-10 has been the least snowy on record, with a mere 13.7 inches of snowfall recorded so far, according to the National Weather Service. The city usually gets more than 46 inches of snow each winter. Experts are concerned that it could be a long summer for irrigators unless the region experiences the kinds of snowfalls that have buried other parts of the country in recent weeks.
"There's not much time to make it up," said hydrologist Phil Morrisey of the Natural Resource Conservation Service in Idaho. "Even an abundant snowfall in March would be unlikely to make much of a difference this late in the season."_______________________________________________________
Wet spring and summer conditions in 2008 and 2009 helped pull the region out of a decade-long drought, but now hydrologists are once again reporting below-average mountain snowpack throughout much of the northern Rockies.
As of early March, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, snowpack was at or near record-low levels in many locations from northeastern Utah northward along and near the Idaho border with Montana and Wyoming.
In Spokane, Wash., the winter of 2009-10 has been the least snowy on record, with a mere 13.7 inches of snowfall recorded so far, according to the National Weather Service. The city usually gets more than 46 inches of snow each winter. Experts are concerned that it could be a long summer for irrigators unless the region experiences the kinds of snowfalls that have buried other parts of the country in recent weeks.
"There's not much time to make it up," said hydrologist Phil Morrisey of the Natural Resource Conservation Service in Idaho. "Even an abundant snowfall in March would be unlikely to make much of a difference this late in the season."_______________________________________________________
IT'S NOT JUST TEXAS THAT TEACHES SCIENCE POORLY
BBC - One in 10 children thinks the Queen invented the telephone, a survey of children's science knowledge suggests.
Others gave credit for the invention to Charles Darwin and Noel Edmonds.
One in 20 of the 1,000 pupils polled thought Star Wars character Luke Skywalker or Richard Branson had been the first to set foot on the Moon.
Some 60% of nine- and 10-year-olds thought Sir Isaac Newton discovered fire, the survey for science campaign Birmingham Science City found.
Despite these misconceptions, more children want to win a Nobel prize for science than the X Factor.
Just under a half of boys (49%) correctly pinned down gravity as Newton's ground-breaking discovery, compared with 76% of girls.
Just over a third of boys said Newton discovered fire, while the remaining 16% either said he invented the internet, or discovered the solar system or America.
Eight out of 10 boys correctly identified Alexander Graham Bell as the inventor of the telephone, compared with 69% of girls.
Dr Pam Waddell from Birmingham Science City said: "While some of these findings will raise a smile, it suggests that school children aren't tuned into our scientific heroes in the same way that they might be to sporting or music legends."_______________________________________________________
Others gave credit for the invention to Charles Darwin and Noel Edmonds.
One in 20 of the 1,000 pupils polled thought Star Wars character Luke Skywalker or Richard Branson had been the first to set foot on the Moon.
Some 60% of nine- and 10-year-olds thought Sir Isaac Newton discovered fire, the survey for science campaign Birmingham Science City found.
Despite these misconceptions, more children want to win a Nobel prize for science than the X Factor.
Just under a half of boys (49%) correctly pinned down gravity as Newton's ground-breaking discovery, compared with 76% of girls.
Just over a third of boys said Newton discovered fire, while the remaining 16% either said he invented the internet, or discovered the solar system or America.
Eight out of 10 boys correctly identified Alexander Graham Bell as the inventor of the telephone, compared with 69% of girls.
Dr Pam Waddell from Birmingham Science City said: "While some of these findings will raise a smile, it suggests that school children aren't tuned into our scientific heroes in the same way that they might be to sporting or music legends."_______________________________________________________
OBAMA CONSIDERING UNCONSTITUTIONAL COPYRIGHT LAW
Denying someone internet access is the same as denying someone other forms of free speech for, say, being caught speeding. - TPR
Hollywood lobbyists are trying to launch an assault on Internet providers and fast track tougher anti-piracy legislation in the United States. Ari Emanuel, the brother of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, says the industry has been discussing these plans with President Obama outside of the public’s eye.
ariFor years the entertainment industry has been lobbying for tougher measures against online piracy. In France this has resulted in the implementation of a ‘three strikes and you’re offline’ regime and many other countries are considering similar measures.
Thus far the United States Government has kept relatively quiet on this issue, but that doesn’t mean that such plans are not being discussed behind close doors.
According to Ari Emanuel, a famous Hollywood talent agent and the model for the character Ari Gold in the hit series Entourage, Hollywood lobbyists are working hard to convince President Obama and others to ram through similar legislation in the United States.
“We are in the midst of talking to the president and some attorney generals and [we are] trying to implement a three strikes and you’re out rule,” Emanuel said, while adding that this issue would most likely result in a “fight with ISPs”.
At this point it is impossible to assess the exact nature of these talks, but since Ari Emanuel is the brother of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, there is no doubt that these talks are taken seriously. President Obama, who vouched to decrease the power of lobbyists in Washington, is not turning a deaf ear to this one for now.
Before even considering the implementation of a three-strikes model, United States lawmakers might want to take a good look at what’s happening in France. Unlike earlier projections that up to 95% of the file-sharers could stop downloading copyrighted content, the piracy rate has actually increased in the face of the new law.
The entertainment industry, nevertheless, continues to push legislation as the solution to online piracy, while ignoring their own role in the creation of the problem._______________________________________________________
Hollywood lobbyists are trying to launch an assault on Internet providers and fast track tougher anti-piracy legislation in the United States. Ari Emanuel, the brother of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, says the industry has been discussing these plans with President Obama outside of the public’s eye.
ariFor years the entertainment industry has been lobbying for tougher measures against online piracy. In France this has resulted in the implementation of a ‘three strikes and you’re offline’ regime and many other countries are considering similar measures.
Thus far the United States Government has kept relatively quiet on this issue, but that doesn’t mean that such plans are not being discussed behind close doors.
According to Ari Emanuel, a famous Hollywood talent agent and the model for the character Ari Gold in the hit series Entourage, Hollywood lobbyists are working hard to convince President Obama and others to ram through similar legislation in the United States.
“We are in the midst of talking to the president and some attorney generals and [we are] trying to implement a three strikes and you’re out rule,” Emanuel said, while adding that this issue would most likely result in a “fight with ISPs”.
At this point it is impossible to assess the exact nature of these talks, but since Ari Emanuel is the brother of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, there is no doubt that these talks are taken seriously. President Obama, who vouched to decrease the power of lobbyists in Washington, is not turning a deaf ear to this one for now.
Before even considering the implementation of a three-strikes model, United States lawmakers might want to take a good look at what’s happening in France. Unlike earlier projections that up to 95% of the file-sharers could stop downloading copyrighted content, the piracy rate has actually increased in the face of the new law.
The entertainment industry, nevertheless, continues to push legislation as the solution to online piracy, while ignoring their own role in the creation of the problem._______________________________________________________
