To contact us Click HERE
Daniel loves to eat lunch at school
So far, mom packed his lunches, he only bought chocolate or strawberry milks sometimes whenever we want it
He finishes his lunch everyday
Day 1 Chocolate chip waffle
Day 2 Buttered Pasta
Day 3 Ham & mayo sandwich
Day 4 Ham & mayo sandwich again (his request)
Day 5 Hamburger bun with....another ham and mayo...haha
Day 6 Jelly sandwich and Cream cheese sandwich
Until day 5 he always ate it up, he is also finished his snack
Looks like he is always hungry
Note: Now he can eat more than Clarissa, who is 4 1/2 years older
Mom is happy that he can eat all of it .
So far he doesnt want to buy lunch at school, he still enjoy homemade lunch. These days he is memorizing his pupil number ( which is also like a pin number for buying lunch)
Maybe next week or week after that he can buy lunch. NOT everyday hopefully. Mom will go bankrupt if he buys everyday :)
(Note: we dont have to order at the beggining of the month, he can just order if he wants)
30 Kasım 2012 Cuma
Constantino's Market Downtown
To contact us Click HERE
It's easy to believe there's no grocery stores in downtown Cleveland if you don't know what you're looking for, but Constantino's Market is definitely there, at 1278 W 9th St.
On the plus side, they have a lot of local grocery, they're family owned, and the quality of the food is very good. The downside is the price- but what would you expect from a grocery store with no competition? If you want groceries without having to drive out of downtown, you probably have to hit Constantino's.
The popular consensus is that it's good for the prepared foods, but the staples just aren't worth it to buy there.
It's easy to believe there's no grocery stores in downtown Cleveland if you don't know what you're looking for, but Constantino's Market is definitely there, at 1278 W 9th St.
On the plus side, they have a lot of local grocery, they're family owned, and the quality of the food is very good. The downside is the price- but what would you expect from a grocery store with no competition? If you want groceries without having to drive out of downtown, you probably have to hit Constantino's.
The popular consensus is that it's good for the prepared foods, but the staples just aren't worth it to buy there.
Mama Santa's - Little Italy
To contact us Click HERE
People in Cleveland think that the Little Italy area is lovely and romantic, but having lived there for three years, I think it's kind of overpriced and bigoted. There's definitely a dark side to Little Italy, including but not limited to a racist mob and some super gentrification going on.
Most of the restaurants in Little Italy are overpriced and vermin-infested. One of the cheaper places to get something to eat is Mama Santa's; and it's where we got pizza from while we were in college.
I went with my friend to Mama Santa's for a walk down memory lane, and both of us being visibly queer, we were treated with some condescension (weird looks, snippy remarks) from the waitress. The food was the same ordinary food we enjoyed during college; nothing special.
Note well that they don't serve pineapple on pizzas here... the waitress made it clear to us that we'd need to go up to Hippie Coventry to get something so outlandish as that.
People in Cleveland think that the Little Italy area is lovely and romantic, but having lived there for three years, I think it's kind of overpriced and bigoted. There's definitely a dark side to Little Italy, including but not limited to a racist mob and some super gentrification going on.
Most of the restaurants in Little Italy are overpriced and vermin-infested. One of the cheaper places to get something to eat is Mama Santa's; and it's where we got pizza from while we were in college.
I went with my friend to Mama Santa's for a walk down memory lane, and both of us being visibly queer, we were treated with some condescension (weird looks, snippy remarks) from the waitress. The food was the same ordinary food we enjoyed during college; nothing special.
Note well that they don't serve pineapple on pizzas here... the waitress made it clear to us that we'd need to go up to Hippie Coventry to get something so outlandish as that.
It's all about the details ...
To contact us Click HERE
If you feel like your Vera Bradley Store is unique, that's because it really is! They still carry the same products, of course, but the wallpaper, furniture, and other details are all especially coordinated to match the personality and character of the region in which it is located. I was able to see this last week when I attended the Beachwood Place store opening in Cleveland. Our Visual Merchandising team put together, as always, an outstanding display!
One tradition is the presence of an Ira Yeager painting behind the checkout counter. It all started when Co-founder Barbara Bradley Baekgaard lent one of the paintings from her personal collection to the Fort Wayne store at Jefferson Pointe. Ever since, the paintings have been a staple for each location's decor, and they are each hand selected by Barb and Anne, the Senior Visual Merchandising Creative Director.
If you feel like your Vera Bradley Store is unique, that's because it really is! They still carry the same products, of course, but the wallpaper, furniture, and other details are all especially coordinated to match the personality and character of the region in which it is located. I was able to see this last week when I attended the Beachwood Place store opening in Cleveland. Our Visual Merchandising team put together, as always, an outstanding display!
One tradition is the presence of an Ira Yeager painting behind the checkout counter. It all started when Co-founder Barbara Bradley Baekgaard lent one of the paintings from her personal collection to the Fort Wayne store at Jefferson Pointe. Ever since, the paintings have been a staple for each location's decor, and they are each hand selected by Barb and Anne, the Senior Visual Merchandising Creative Director.
The Ira Yeager at Beachwood ... absolutely gorgeous!
Each Vera Bradley Store is also designed to look like someone's home, hence the comfy furniture, beautiful light fixtures and foyer. I found myself surprised by how effortless it all looked in person, especially knowing each store has it's own personality. The hope is that guests will walk in, feel comfortable and have a great experience.
This ottoman is my absolute favorite piece in the store, hands down.
This loveseat is perfect for husbands to relax on as their wives shop around ...
What a beautiful vanity, and I love the flowered wallpaper - such a nice touch!
The foyer, complete with red doors and a chandelier.
This stack of books and bunny lamp are in the middle of a display of Boysenberry bags, but they make it look just like it all belongs in someone's home!
The coffered ceiling, crown molding, and chandelier look amazing altogether ...
A hidden treasure that you can always find at Vera Bradley Stores is a beautiful restroom. I'm used to our impeccably decorated bathrooms in the Fort Wayne offices, but this was something I was pleasantly surprised by when I went to the Beachwood store, because I didn't expect it to be this cheery and adorable.
This lamp is just too cute for words ...
Surfing the Web ... It's all in a day's work.
To contact us Click HERE
My main project for the summer is basically the dream of any soon-to-be job-seeking college student (like myself). I am working with Human Resources to research and develop a social media strategy for recruiting, observing what kind of cool new methods other companies are implementing. The best part of this job is that my research consists of looking at company websites, twitter accounts, LinkedIn profiles, facebook pages and YouTube accounts all day long. Lately, I’ve been too busy to keep up with my research, but now that our presentations are going to be here oh so soon (exactly two weeks from now) I have to make time so I can be fully prepared to explain what’s going on in the exciting world of recruitment.
Here is a little peek of what I’ve been working on …
twitter – Lots of companies are using their twitter feeds to publicize job openings in addition to sharing information about their culture or their employees, so I follow anyone and everyone from our main competitors to companies like Starbucks and Google. One thing I’ve learned: Recruiters love to tweet … all the time.
My main project for the summer is basically the dream of any soon-to-be job-seeking college student (like myself). I am working with Human Resources to research and develop a social media strategy for recruiting, observing what kind of cool new methods other companies are implementing. The best part of this job is that my research consists of looking at company websites, twitter accounts, LinkedIn profiles, facebook pages and YouTube accounts all day long. Lately, I’ve been too busy to keep up with my research, but now that our presentations are going to be here oh so soon (exactly two weeks from now) I have to make time so I can be fully prepared to explain what’s going on in the exciting world of recruitment.
Here is a little peek of what I’ve been working on …
twitter – Lots of companies are using their twitter feeds to publicize job openings in addition to sharing information about their culture or their employees, so I follow anyone and everyone from our main competitors to companies like Starbucks and Google. One thing I’ve learned: Recruiters love to tweet … all the time.
So many tweets, so little time ...
YouTube – Some companies are using YouTube to promote their company culture and the organization by posting videos of company events and employee profiles showcasing what they love about their jobs. (How cool is that?!)
Since I’m a marketing major, all of this research is showing me how many different ways social media can be used for one company. Also, I will begin looking for my first post-grad job rather soon, and I’m learning how to be as thorough as possible when preparing for an interview. Most people long for the time to invest in this kind of research, and I’m lucky enough to have it be my job!
I couldn’t end this post without a shameless plug for Vera’s company culture or our open jobs … so check out the official Vera Bradley blog, Inside Stitch, for some fabulous posts about life at Vera Bradley, and be sure to stop by our Careers page to see what openings we have at our home office and in our retail stores!
29 Kasım 2012 Perşembe
Mama Santa's - Little Italy
To contact us Click HERE
People in Cleveland think that the Little Italy area is lovely and romantic, but having lived there for three years, I think it's kind of overpriced and bigoted. There's definitely a dark side to Little Italy, including but not limited to a racist mob and some super gentrification going on.
Most of the restaurants in Little Italy are overpriced and vermin-infested. One of the cheaper places to get something to eat is Mama Santa's; and it's where we got pizza from while we were in college.
I went with my friend to Mama Santa's for a walk down memory lane, and both of us being visibly queer, we were treated with some condescension (weird looks, snippy remarks) from the waitress. The food was the same ordinary food we enjoyed during college; nothing special.
Note well that they don't serve pineapple on pizzas here... the waitress made it clear to us that we'd need to go up to Hippie Coventry to get something so outlandish as that.
People in Cleveland think that the Little Italy area is lovely and romantic, but having lived there for three years, I think it's kind of overpriced and bigoted. There's definitely a dark side to Little Italy, including but not limited to a racist mob and some super gentrification going on.
Most of the restaurants in Little Italy are overpriced and vermin-infested. One of the cheaper places to get something to eat is Mama Santa's; and it's where we got pizza from while we were in college.
I went with my friend to Mama Santa's for a walk down memory lane, and both of us being visibly queer, we were treated with some condescension (weird looks, snippy remarks) from the waitress. The food was the same ordinary food we enjoyed during college; nothing special.
Note well that they don't serve pineapple on pizzas here... the waitress made it clear to us that we'd need to go up to Hippie Coventry to get something so outlandish as that.
Daniel's lunch
To contact us Click HERE
Daniel loves to eat lunch at school
So far, mom packed his lunches, he only bought chocolate or strawberry milks sometimes whenever we want it
He finishes his lunch everyday
Day 1 Chocolate chip waffle
Day 2 Buttered Pasta
Day 3 Ham & mayo sandwich
Day 4 Ham & mayo sandwich again (his request)
Day 5 Hamburger bun with....another ham and mayo...haha
Day 6 Jelly sandwich and Cream cheese sandwich
Until day 5 he always ate it up, he is also finished his snack
Looks like he is always hungry
Note: Now he can eat more than Clarissa, who is 4 1/2 years older
Mom is happy that he can eat all of it .
So far he doesnt want to buy lunch at school, he still enjoy homemade lunch. These days he is memorizing his pupil number ( which is also like a pin number for buying lunch)
Maybe next week or week after that he can buy lunch. NOT everyday hopefully. Mom will go bankrupt if he buys everyday :)
(Note: we dont have to order at the beggining of the month, he can just order if he wants)
Daniel loves to eat lunch at school
So far, mom packed his lunches, he only bought chocolate or strawberry milks sometimes whenever we want it
He finishes his lunch everyday
Day 1 Chocolate chip waffle
Day 2 Buttered Pasta
Day 3 Ham & mayo sandwich
Day 4 Ham & mayo sandwich again (his request)
Day 5 Hamburger bun with....another ham and mayo...haha
Day 6 Jelly sandwich and Cream cheese sandwich
Until day 5 he always ate it up, he is also finished his snack
Looks like he is always hungry
Note: Now he can eat more than Clarissa, who is 4 1/2 years older
Mom is happy that he can eat all of it .
So far he doesnt want to buy lunch at school, he still enjoy homemade lunch. These days he is memorizing his pupil number ( which is also like a pin number for buying lunch)
Maybe next week or week after that he can buy lunch. NOT everyday hopefully. Mom will go bankrupt if he buys everyday :)
(Note: we dont have to order at the beggining of the month, he can just order if he wants)
someone else's dread
To contact us Click HERE
and the dread of not knowing if you like a short story, despite its undeniable strain of dread
Two (from the collaborative project Seconds by Adam Simon and Matthew Sharpe)
The meanness of the satirical essay you wrote hit me yesterday like a baseball on the chin. Those Sundays we lay curled up in each other on your hard futon kissing and discussing Marx eventually gave me serious lower back problems but at the time I was having like these day-long orgasms in my brain. You said, "Satire will be an important tool for the revolution," and maybe it will but it also can be a place for someone to hide from the intensity of any real feelings he may have and also to transmute them into a very painful projectile to be hurled at the person he has them about.
It felt so good to be able to unburden myself to you re my inner conflict over my job at the ad agency, so then to see it lampooned yesterday on your blog in what was basically a "humorous" open break-up letter to me - "I'm hoping my $10 million campaign for the US Army is offset by the fact that I buy only free-range organic granola" - made me feel, well, I don't know, what does Marx say about how it feels to be betrayed by someone you lay naked next to for a cumulative total of fourteen months of your life, someone whom you let pull your hair - hard! - during sex because it game him so much pleasure even though it really hurt you although you sort of liked it but only because of the obviously intense pleasure he was deriving?
Also, do you think those cool hand-printed signs in the window of your bicycle shop aren't advertising?
After I read your thing I had a lot to say and even if you thought you knew what I was going to say and didn't want to hear it from yet another person, it wasn't fair to not let me say it, and the beautiful mixtape you gave me didn't make up for that because if I've gained any knowledge from my time with you it's that beauty is one thing and fairness is another.
You said, "The distinction between the public and the private is a distinction internal to bourgeois law." So you keep posting those satires of me on your blog from the back of that little storefront were you work and sleep, and I'll climb up to the roof deck of my nice apartment building and advertise to the world till I'm hoarse that i loved you.
It's all about the details ...
To contact us Click HERE
If you feel like your Vera Bradley Store is unique, that's because it really is! They still carry the same products, of course, but the wallpaper, furniture, and other details are all especially coordinated to match the personality and character of the region in which it is located. I was able to see this last week when I attended the Beachwood Place store opening in Cleveland. Our Visual Merchandising team put together, as always, an outstanding display!
One tradition is the presence of an Ira Yeager painting behind the checkout counter. It all started when Co-founder Barbara Bradley Baekgaard lent one of the paintings from her personal collection to the Fort Wayne store at Jefferson Pointe. Ever since, the paintings have been a staple for each location's decor, and they are each hand selected by Barb and Anne, the Senior Visual Merchandising Creative Director.
If you feel like your Vera Bradley Store is unique, that's because it really is! They still carry the same products, of course, but the wallpaper, furniture, and other details are all especially coordinated to match the personality and character of the region in which it is located. I was able to see this last week when I attended the Beachwood Place store opening in Cleveland. Our Visual Merchandising team put together, as always, an outstanding display!
One tradition is the presence of an Ira Yeager painting behind the checkout counter. It all started when Co-founder Barbara Bradley Baekgaard lent one of the paintings from her personal collection to the Fort Wayne store at Jefferson Pointe. Ever since, the paintings have been a staple for each location's decor, and they are each hand selected by Barb and Anne, the Senior Visual Merchandising Creative Director.
The Ira Yeager at Beachwood ... absolutely gorgeous!
Each Vera Bradley Store is also designed to look like someone's home, hence the comfy furniture, beautiful light fixtures and foyer. I found myself surprised by how effortless it all looked in person, especially knowing each store has it's own personality. The hope is that guests will walk in, feel comfortable and have a great experience.
This ottoman is my absolute favorite piece in the store, hands down.
This loveseat is perfect for husbands to relax on as their wives shop around ...
What a beautiful vanity, and I love the flowered wallpaper - such a nice touch!
The foyer, complete with red doors and a chandelier.
This stack of books and bunny lamp are in the middle of a display of Boysenberry bags, but they make it look just like it all belongs in someone's home!
The coffered ceiling, crown molding, and chandelier look amazing altogether ...
A hidden treasure that you can always find at Vera Bradley Stores is a beautiful restroom. I'm used to our impeccably decorated bathrooms in the Fort Wayne offices, but this was something I was pleasantly surprised by when I went to the Beachwood store, because I didn't expect it to be this cheery and adorable.
This lamp is just too cute for words ...
Surfing the Web ... It's all in a day's work.
To contact us Click HERE
My main project for the summer is basically the dream of any soon-to-be job-seeking college student (like myself). I am working with Human Resources to research and develop a social media strategy for recruiting, observing what kind of cool new methods other companies are implementing. The best part of this job is that my research consists of looking at company websites, twitter accounts, LinkedIn profiles, facebook pages and YouTube accounts all day long. Lately, I’ve been too busy to keep up with my research, but now that our presentations are going to be here oh so soon (exactly two weeks from now) I have to make time so I can be fully prepared to explain what’s going on in the exciting world of recruitment.
Here is a little peek of what I’ve been working on …
twitter – Lots of companies are using their twitter feeds to publicize job openings in addition to sharing information about their culture or their employees, so I follow anyone and everyone from our main competitors to companies like Starbucks and Google. One thing I’ve learned: Recruiters love to tweet … all the time.
My main project for the summer is basically the dream of any soon-to-be job-seeking college student (like myself). I am working with Human Resources to research and develop a social media strategy for recruiting, observing what kind of cool new methods other companies are implementing. The best part of this job is that my research consists of looking at company websites, twitter accounts, LinkedIn profiles, facebook pages and YouTube accounts all day long. Lately, I’ve been too busy to keep up with my research, but now that our presentations are going to be here oh so soon (exactly two weeks from now) I have to make time so I can be fully prepared to explain what’s going on in the exciting world of recruitment.
Here is a little peek of what I’ve been working on …
twitter – Lots of companies are using their twitter feeds to publicize job openings in addition to sharing information about their culture or their employees, so I follow anyone and everyone from our main competitors to companies like Starbucks and Google. One thing I’ve learned: Recruiters love to tweet … all the time.
So many tweets, so little time ...
YouTube – Some companies are using YouTube to promote their company culture and the organization by posting videos of company events and employee profiles showcasing what they love about their jobs. (How cool is that?!)
Since I’m a marketing major, all of this research is showing me how many different ways social media can be used for one company. Also, I will begin looking for my first post-grad job rather soon, and I’m learning how to be as thorough as possible when preparing for an interview. Most people long for the time to invest in this kind of research, and I’m lucky enough to have it be my job!
I couldn’t end this post without a shameless plug for Vera’s company culture or our open jobs … so check out the official Vera Bradley blog, Inside Stitch, for some fabulous posts about life at Vera Bradley, and be sure to stop by our Careers page to see what openings we have at our home office and in our retail stores!
28 Kasım 2012 Çarşamba
"You are mathematical. You don't have to do math; you are math." -Thylias Moss
To contact us Click HERE
Here's a little math I can get with:
“A Thaum is the basic unit of magical strength. It has been universally established as the amount of magic needed to create one small white pigeon or three normal-sized billiard balls.” --Terry Pratchett
Also, I may consider a side-gig in thaumaturgy.
Yes. I think I may.
“I believe anything is possible.
Research into quantum physics
proves that a system changes
simply by someone observing it.
Therefore, all you have to do is be
awake and aware of your environment,
and that enables you to
transform everything around you.
It sounds like hocus pocus, but
scientists are coming to realize that
just thinking about something can
make it happen. Turns out maybe
faith can move mountains.”
--Christine Anderson
Here's a little math I can get with:
“A Thaum is the basic unit of magical strength. It has been universally established as the amount of magic needed to create one small white pigeon or three normal-sized billiard balls.” --Terry PratchettAlso, I may consider a side-gig in thaumaturgy.
Yes. I think I may.
“I believe anything is possible.
Research into quantum physics
proves that a system changes
simply by someone observing it.
Therefore, all you have to do is be
awake and aware of your environment,
and that enables you to
transform everything around you.
It sounds like hocus pocus, but
scientists are coming to realize that
just thinking about something can
make it happen. Turns out maybe
faith can move mountains.”
--Christine Anderson
Baylor University-Baylor Health Care System settle Medicare charges for $907,355 www.privateofficer.com
To contact us Click HERE
WASHINGTON DC Nov 282012—Baylor University Medical Center, Baylor Health Care System, andHealthTexas Provider Network (collectively, Baylor) have agreed to pay theUnited States $907,355 to settle allegations that Baylor submitted false claimsto Medicare, the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services(TRICARE), and the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program (FEHBP) for variousradiation oncology services, including intensity modulated radiation therapy,the Justice Department announced today. Intensity modulated radiation therapyis a sophisticated radiation treatment indicated for specific types of cancerwhere extreme precision is required to spare patients’ surrounding organs orhealthy tissue.
The government alleges that Baylor University submittedimproper claims to Medicare from 2006 through May 2010 in which Baylor doublebilled Medicare for several procedures affiliated with radiation treatmentplans; billed for certain high reimbursement radiation oncology services when adifferent, less expensive service should have been billed; billed forprocedures without supporting documentation in the medical record; andimproperly billed for radiation treatment delivery without corroboration ofphysician supervision.
“Physicians who participate in Medicare must bill for theirservices accurately and honestly,” said Stuart F. Delery, Principal DeputyAssistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “TheDepartment of Justice is committed to ensuring that federal health care fundsare spent appropriately.”
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Delery alsonoted that the settlement with Baylor was the result of a coordinated effortamong the Justice Department’s Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office forthe Northern District of Texas, the Department of Health and Human Services’Office of Inspector General, FBI, and Defense Criminal Investigative Services.
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Sarah R.Saldaña praised these investigative efforts and said, “This civil recovery is atestament to the efforts of the Department of Justice to hold all parties,regardless of position, accountable for the submission of improper claims tofederal health care programs.”
This resolution is part of the government’s emphasis oncombating health care fraud and another step for the Health Care FraudPrevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announcedby Attorney General Eric Holder and Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of theDepartment of Health and Human Services in May 2009. The partnership betweenthe two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare andMedicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation. One of the most powerfultools in that effort is the False Claims Act, which the Justice Department hasused to recover $10.1 billion since January 2009 in cases involving fraudagainst federal health care programs. The Justice Department’s total recoveriesin False Claims Act cases since January 2009 are over $13.8 billion.
The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only,and there has been no determination of liability.
WASHINGTON DC Nov 282012—Baylor University Medical Center, Baylor Health Care System, andHealthTexas Provider Network (collectively, Baylor) have agreed to pay theUnited States $907,355 to settle allegations that Baylor submitted false claimsto Medicare, the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services(TRICARE), and the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program (FEHBP) for variousradiation oncology services, including intensity modulated radiation therapy,the Justice Department announced today. Intensity modulated radiation therapyis a sophisticated radiation treatment indicated for specific types of cancerwhere extreme precision is required to spare patients’ surrounding organs orhealthy tissue.
The government alleges that Baylor University submittedimproper claims to Medicare from 2006 through May 2010 in which Baylor doublebilled Medicare for several procedures affiliated with radiation treatmentplans; billed for certain high reimbursement radiation oncology services when adifferent, less expensive service should have been billed; billed forprocedures without supporting documentation in the medical record; andimproperly billed for radiation treatment delivery without corroboration ofphysician supervision.
“Physicians who participate in Medicare must bill for theirservices accurately and honestly,” said Stuart F. Delery, Principal DeputyAssistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “TheDepartment of Justice is committed to ensuring that federal health care fundsare spent appropriately.”
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Delery alsonoted that the settlement with Baylor was the result of a coordinated effortamong the Justice Department’s Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office forthe Northern District of Texas, the Department of Health and Human Services’Office of Inspector General, FBI, and Defense Criminal Investigative Services.
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Sarah R.Saldaña praised these investigative efforts and said, “This civil recovery is atestament to the efforts of the Department of Justice to hold all parties,regardless of position, accountable for the submission of improper claims tofederal health care programs.”
This resolution is part of the government’s emphasis oncombating health care fraud and another step for the Health Care FraudPrevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announcedby Attorney General Eric Holder and Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of theDepartment of Health and Human Services in May 2009. The partnership betweenthe two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare andMedicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation. One of the most powerfultools in that effort is the False Claims Act, which the Justice Department hasused to recover $10.1 billion since January 2009 in cases involving fraudagainst federal health care programs. The Justice Department’s total recoveriesin False Claims Act cases since January 2009 are over $13.8 billion.
The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only,and there has been no determination of liability.
4 arrested as security guard battered in Wisconsin www.privateofficer.com
To contact us Click HERE
Madison WI Nov 28 2012
A security guard was battered in a shoplifting case in which a baby in a stroller was used as a cover for stolen merchandise on Black Friday at an East Towne Mall store,Madison police reported.
The incident took place in front of a large crowd of shoppers at about 8 p.m. Friday at J.C. Penney, police said in a news release.
Lesley Williams, 22, of Sun Prairie, was tentatively charged with battery and retail theft. Ashley Williams, 24, of Reedsburg, was tentatively charged with disorderly conduct and bail jumping. A 14-year-oldMadison female was tentatively charged with battery and released to a family member. And Alicia Lembeke, 23, of Sun Prairie, was cited and released for retail theft.
Police said those four were stopped by a security guard as they tried to leave J.C. Penney and re-enter the mall.
"The thieves had been placing stolen items in a stroller, beneath a baby," said police spokesman Joel DeSpain in the release.
When the guard asked the women to stop, Lesley Williams and the 14-year-old allegedly punched and kicked him, while Ashley Williams allegedly yelled that she was going to kill him.
"The youngest suspect later admitted to an officer that she had anger problems," DeSpain said.
Stolen clothes and other items taken from J.C. Penney were found beneath the infant in the stroller. The baby was not injured.
"The guard wasn't seriously hurt but he was bleeding from a cut near his ear," DeSpain said.
source-host.madison.com
Madison WI Nov 28 2012A security guard was battered in a shoplifting case in which a baby in a stroller was used as a cover for stolen merchandise on Black Friday at an East Towne Mall store,
The incident took place in front of a large crowd of shoppers at about 8 p.m. Friday at J.C. Penney, police said in a news release.
Lesley Williams, 22, of Sun Prairie, was tentatively charged with battery and retail theft. Ashley Williams, 24, of Reedsburg, was tentatively charged with disorderly conduct and bail jumping. A 14-year-old
Police said those four were stopped by a security guard as they tried to leave J.C. Penney and re-enter the mall.
"The thieves had been placing stolen items in a stroller, beneath a baby," said police spokesman Joel DeSpain in the release.
When the guard asked the women to stop, Lesley Williams and the 14-year-old allegedly punched and kicked him, while Ashley Williams allegedly yelled that she was going to kill him.
"The youngest suspect later admitted to an officer that she had anger problems," DeSpain said.
Stolen clothes and other items taken from J.C. Penney were found beneath the infant in the stroller. The baby was not injured.
"The guard wasn't seriously hurt but he was bleeding from a cut near his ear," DeSpain said.
source-host.madison.com
Mama Santa's - Little Italy
To contact us Click HERE
People in Cleveland think that the Little Italy area is lovely and romantic, but having lived there for three years, I think it's kind of overpriced and bigoted. There's definitely a dark side to Little Italy, including but not limited to a racist mob and some super gentrification going on.
Most of the restaurants in Little Italy are overpriced and vermin-infested. One of the cheaper places to get something to eat is Mama Santa's; and it's where we got pizza from while we were in college.
I went with my friend to Mama Santa's for a walk down memory lane, and both of us being visibly queer, we were treated with some condescension (weird looks, snippy remarks) from the waitress. The food was the same ordinary food we enjoyed during college; nothing special.
Note well that they don't serve pineapple on pizzas here... the waitress made it clear to us that we'd need to go up to Hippie Coventry to get something so outlandish as that.
People in Cleveland think that the Little Italy area is lovely and romantic, but having lived there for three years, I think it's kind of overpriced and bigoted. There's definitely a dark side to Little Italy, including but not limited to a racist mob and some super gentrification going on.
Most of the restaurants in Little Italy are overpriced and vermin-infested. One of the cheaper places to get something to eat is Mama Santa's; and it's where we got pizza from while we were in college.
I went with my friend to Mama Santa's for a walk down memory lane, and both of us being visibly queer, we were treated with some condescension (weird looks, snippy remarks) from the waitress. The food was the same ordinary food we enjoyed during college; nothing special.
Note well that they don't serve pineapple on pizzas here... the waitress made it clear to us that we'd need to go up to Hippie Coventry to get something so outlandish as that.
Daniel's lunch
To contact us Click HERE
Daniel loves to eat lunch at school
So far, mom packed his lunches, he only bought chocolate or strawberry milks sometimes whenever we want it
He finishes his lunch everyday
Day 1 Chocolate chip waffle
Day 2 Buttered Pasta
Day 3 Ham & mayo sandwich
Day 4 Ham & mayo sandwich again (his request)
Day 5 Hamburger bun with....another ham and mayo...haha
Day 6 Jelly sandwich and Cream cheese sandwich
Until day 5 he always ate it up, he is also finished his snack
Looks like he is always hungry
Note: Now he can eat more than Clarissa, who is 4 1/2 years older
Mom is happy that he can eat all of it .
So far he doesnt want to buy lunch at school, he still enjoy homemade lunch. These days he is memorizing his pupil number ( which is also like a pin number for buying lunch)
Maybe next week or week after that he can buy lunch. NOT everyday hopefully. Mom will go bankrupt if he buys everyday :)
(Note: we dont have to order at the beggining of the month, he can just order if he wants)
Daniel loves to eat lunch at school
So far, mom packed his lunches, he only bought chocolate or strawberry milks sometimes whenever we want it
He finishes his lunch everyday
Day 1 Chocolate chip waffle
Day 2 Buttered Pasta
Day 3 Ham & mayo sandwich
Day 4 Ham & mayo sandwich again (his request)
Day 5 Hamburger bun with....another ham and mayo...haha
Day 6 Jelly sandwich and Cream cheese sandwich
Until day 5 he always ate it up, he is also finished his snack
Looks like he is always hungry
Note: Now he can eat more than Clarissa, who is 4 1/2 years older
Mom is happy that he can eat all of it .
So far he doesnt want to buy lunch at school, he still enjoy homemade lunch. These days he is memorizing his pupil number ( which is also like a pin number for buying lunch)
Maybe next week or week after that he can buy lunch. NOT everyday hopefully. Mom will go bankrupt if he buys everyday :)
(Note: we dont have to order at the beggining of the month, he can just order if he wants)
27 Kasım 2012 Salı
BB&T loan officer pleads guilty to fraud scheme www.privateofficer.com
To contact us Click HERE
Sarasota Fla Nov 27 2012 Scott J. Schuhriemen, a BB&T loan officer indicted forbank fraud earlier this month, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring toproduce statements with erroneous information to a federally insured lender.Sarasota real estate agents R. Craig Adams and Rich Bobka, the Herald-Tribune said.
Sarasota Fla Nov 27 2012 Scott J. Schuhriemen, a BB&T loan officer indicted forbank fraud earlier this month, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring toproduce statements with erroneous information to a federally insured lender.
Man killed at DeKalb County Walmart was serial shoplifter www.privateofficer.com
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LITHONIA , GA Nov 27 2012DeKalb County
Vidal Cornelius Calloway had been arrested inDeKalb County
Records show Calloway was in and out of jail at least 16times since 1996.
Following Calloway's death on Sunday, authorities inDeKalb County
According to authorities, Calloway was caught shopliftingtwo DVD players at around 1:30 a.m. Sunday at the store onFairington Road in Lithonia.
As Calloway left, the police report said manager MichaelBurton chased him out.Burton ,employee Phille Roberts and a third-party security guard, Jaiviere Pruitt,reportedly scuffled with the suspect.
The police report saidBurton "grabbed him by the hoodie and slammed him down to the ground."
After that,Burton told police Calloway "punched him on the left side of the face, neck, andchest area."
The incident report goes on to say that Calloway was thenknocked to the ground byBurton and Pruitt, but continued fighting.
It went on to say that Pruitt "placed the suspect in achoke hold and told the suspect to tap when he can't breathe."
By the timeDeKalb County
He was later pronounced dead atDeKalb Medical-Hillandale Hospital
As of late Monday, theDeKalb County
Walmart spokeswoman, Dianna Gee said, "This is truly asad situation. We're in the process of working with law enforcement todetermine all of the facts and cooperating and providing any information wehave to assist in the investigation. Our associates are trained that the safetyof our customers and our associates is our first priority. No amount ofmerchandise is worth someone's life."
People who shop at the store and live nearby are trying tofigure out how a shoplifting case could end so tragically.
"Senseless death, but those are the chances you takewhen you do wrong. You never know what's going to happen. And they were doingtheir job," said shopper Verlene Swader.
Gee said the employees involved in the incident aresuspended with pay during the investigation. The company also has cut ties withPruitt.
Source:CBS Atlanta
Vidal Cornelius Calloway had been arrested in
Records show Calloway was in and out of jail at least 16times since 1996.
Following Calloway's death on Sunday, authorities in
According to authorities, Calloway was caught shopliftingtwo DVD players at around 1:30 a.m. Sunday at the store on
As Calloway left, the police report said manager MichaelBurton chased him out.
The police report said
After that,
The incident report goes on to say that Calloway was thenknocked to the ground by
It went on to say that Pruitt "placed the suspect in achoke hold and told the suspect to tap when he can't breathe."
By the time
He was later pronounced dead at
As of late Monday, the
Walmart spokeswoman, Dianna Gee said, "This is truly asad situation. We're in the process of working with law enforcement todetermine all of the facts and cooperating and providing any information wehave to assist in the investigation. Our associates are trained that the safetyof our customers and our associates is our first priority. No amount ofmerchandise is worth someone's life."
People who shop at the store and live nearby are trying tofigure out how a shoplifting case could end so tragically.
"Senseless death, but those are the chances you takewhen you do wrong. You never know what's going to happen. And they were doingtheir job," said shopper Verlene Swader.
Gee said the employees involved in the incident aresuspended with pay during the investigation. The company also has cut ties withPruitt.
Source:CBS Atlanta
South Carolina newsman, son killed in house fire www.privateofficer.com
To contact us Click HERE
DARLINGTON , SC Nov27 2012- Authorities say two Darlington men have died after a large home was destroyed by fire.
According to reports, 67-year-old veteran journalist DwightDana was killed in the Sunday morning fire. Also killed was his son, Radisson,who lived in a house behind the main house.
Firefighters recovered one body near the front of the houseand a second body toward the back of the house.
Paula Dana, Dwight Dana's ex-wife, said Radisson made theinitial 911 call and told communications officers he was going into the mainhome in search of his father. Paula Dana confirmed both men were found dead.
The Darlington Fire Department spent more than two hoursbattling flames of the 110-year-old, two-story home, and remained on the sceneto find the origin.
According to his Facebook page, Dana had been with theFlorence Morning News for almost 10 years. Before that he had worked for theDarlington News and Press, The State,Coker College
Dana graduated from theUniversity of South Carolina
Source: AP/WIS
According to reports, 67-year-old veteran journalist DwightDana was killed in the Sunday morning fire. Also killed was his son, Radisson,who lived in a house behind the main house.
Firefighters recovered one body near the front of the houseand a second body toward the back of the house.
Paula Dana, Dwight Dana's ex-wife, said Radisson made theinitial 911 call and told communications officers he was going into the mainhome in search of his father. Paula Dana confirmed both men were found dead.
The Darlington Fire Department spent more than two hoursbattling flames of the 110-year-old, two-story home, and remained on the sceneto find the origin.
According to his Facebook page, Dana had been with theFlorence Morning News for almost 10 years. Before that he had worked for theDarlington News and Press, The State,
Dana graduated from the
Source: AP/WIS
someone else's dread
To contact us Click HERE
and the dread of not knowing if you like a short story, despite its undeniable strain of dread
Two (from the collaborative project Seconds by Adam Simon and Matthew Sharpe)
The meanness of the satirical essay you wrote hit me yesterday like a baseball on the chin. Those Sundays we lay curled up in each other on your hard futon kissing and discussing Marx eventually gave me serious lower back problems but at the time I was having like these day-long orgasms in my brain. You said, "Satire will be an important tool for the revolution," and maybe it will but it also can be a place for someone to hide from the intensity of any real feelings he may have and also to transmute them into a very painful projectile to be hurled at the person he has them about.
It felt so good to be able to unburden myself to you re my inner conflict over my job at the ad agency, so then to see it lampooned yesterday on your blog in what was basically a "humorous" open break-up letter to me - "I'm hoping my $10 million campaign for the US Army is offset by the fact that I buy only free-range organic granola" - made me feel, well, I don't know, what does Marx say about how it feels to be betrayed by someone you lay naked next to for a cumulative total of fourteen months of your life, someone whom you let pull your hair - hard! - during sex because it game him so much pleasure even though it really hurt you although you sort of liked it but only because of the obviously intense pleasure he was deriving?
Also, do you think those cool hand-printed signs in the window of your bicycle shop aren't advertising?
After I read your thing I had a lot to say and even if you thought you knew what I was going to say and didn't want to hear it from yet another person, it wasn't fair to not let me say it, and the beautiful mixtape you gave me didn't make up for that because if I've gained any knowledge from my time with you it's that beauty is one thing and fairness is another.
You said, "The distinction between the public and the private is a distinction internal to bourgeois law." So you keep posting those satires of me on your blog from the back of that little storefront were you work and sleep, and I'll climb up to the roof deck of my nice apartment building and advertise to the world till I'm hoarse that i loved you.
Daniel's lunch
To contact us Click HERE
Daniel loves to eat lunch at school
So far, mom packed his lunches, he only bought chocolate or strawberry milks sometimes whenever we want it
He finishes his lunch everyday
Day 1 Chocolate chip waffle
Day 2 Buttered Pasta
Day 3 Ham & mayo sandwich
Day 4 Ham & mayo sandwich again (his request)
Day 5 Hamburger bun with....another ham and mayo...haha
Day 6 Jelly sandwich and Cream cheese sandwich
Until day 5 he always ate it up, he is also finished his snack
Looks like he is always hungry
Note: Now he can eat more than Clarissa, who is 4 1/2 years older
Mom is happy that he can eat all of it .
So far he doesnt want to buy lunch at school, he still enjoy homemade lunch. These days he is memorizing his pupil number ( which is also like a pin number for buying lunch)
Maybe next week or week after that he can buy lunch. NOT everyday hopefully. Mom will go bankrupt if he buys everyday :)
(Note: we dont have to order at the beggining of the month, he can just order if he wants)
Daniel loves to eat lunch at school
So far, mom packed his lunches, he only bought chocolate or strawberry milks sometimes whenever we want it
He finishes his lunch everyday
Day 1 Chocolate chip waffle
Day 2 Buttered Pasta
Day 3 Ham & mayo sandwich
Day 4 Ham & mayo sandwich again (his request)
Day 5 Hamburger bun with....another ham and mayo...haha
Day 6 Jelly sandwich and Cream cheese sandwich
Until day 5 he always ate it up, he is also finished his snack
Looks like he is always hungry
Note: Now he can eat more than Clarissa, who is 4 1/2 years older
Mom is happy that he can eat all of it .
So far he doesnt want to buy lunch at school, he still enjoy homemade lunch. These days he is memorizing his pupil number ( which is also like a pin number for buying lunch)
Maybe next week or week after that he can buy lunch. NOT everyday hopefully. Mom will go bankrupt if he buys everyday :)
(Note: we dont have to order at the beggining of the month, he can just order if he wants)
26 Kasım 2012 Pazartesi
Fired security guard kills replacement www.privateofficer.com
To contact us Click HERE
Houston TX Nov 26 2012 A fired security guard allegedly hunted down and killed hisreplacement at a northwest Houston meat market Saturday, according to witnesses and the Harris County Sheriff'sOffice.
Gregory Griffin, 56, is charged with murder in the shootingdeath of a security guard at the La Veracruzana Carniceria and Taqueria at1210 West Road , thesheriff's office said.
The owner of the meat market, who declined to give his name,said in a telephone interview thatGriffin arrived at the meat market a few minutes after 2 p.m. and shot his replacementthree times in the head.
Deputies withheld name of the victim pending notification ofnext of kin.
"I'm feeling bad. This is not good for my store,"the owner said. "I'm feeling very bad for the (victim). (The victim) was avery nice person, friendly, he had family. He was a pretty nice guy."
The sheriff's office saidGriffin was employed by Texas Pioneer ControlOfficers as a security guard but was fired three weeks ago. Griffin continued to show up for work at themeat market after being fired, the sheriff's office said.
The victim also worked for Texas Pioneer Control Officers,the sheriff's office said.Griffin confrontedthe victim when he arrived to take Griffin 'splace. The meat market owner said the confrontation took place in view of theowner, several customers and employees.
"He said 'What are you doing here?'" the ownerrecalled. He cursed the new security guard then allegedly shot him point blankin the head three times, the owner said.
The shooter stood with the gun in his hand waited for policeto arrive, the owner said. The owner and other witnesses immediately dialed911, but the owner believes that the shooter phoned police as well because hecould see him talking on a cell phone.
The owner locked his door, but could see patrons of nearbybusinesses coming out to see what happened. He believes that there were atleast a dozen witnesses.
Sheriff's deputies arrived within minutes and spent at leastfour hours at the scene with the suspect, he said.
The owner said he knew the victim well because he had workedsecurity for him about six months ago.
He said the victim was divorced with two children.
The owner described the suspect as seldom speaking withanyone and living alone.
Four hours after the shooting, two men poured bleach andsprayed the parking lot with a hose near the sidewalk of the La VeracruzanaCarniceria and Taqueria. Most of the police officers had already left. OneHarris County
Those inside exited the store briefly, placed two memorialcandles on the corner where the bleach had just been poured and returned inside.
Houston TX Nov 26 2012 A fired security guard allegedly hunted down and killed hisreplacement at a northwest Gregory Griffin, 56, is charged with murder in the shootingdeath of a security guard at the La Veracruzana Carniceria and Taqueria at
The owner of the meat market, who declined to give his name,said in a telephone interview that
Deputies withheld name of the victim pending notification ofnext of kin.
"I'm feeling bad. This is not good for my store,"the owner said. "I'm feeling very bad for the (victim). (The victim) was avery nice person, friendly, he had family. He was a pretty nice guy."
The sheriff's office said
The victim also worked for Texas Pioneer Control Officers,the sheriff's office said.
"He said 'What are you doing here?'" the ownerrecalled. He cursed the new security guard then allegedly shot him point blankin the head three times, the owner said.
The shooter stood with the gun in his hand waited for policeto arrive, the owner said. The owner and other witnesses immediately dialed911, but the owner believes that the shooter phoned police as well because hecould see him talking on a cell phone.
The owner locked his door, but could see patrons of nearbybusinesses coming out to see what happened. He believes that there were atleast a dozen witnesses.
Sheriff's deputies arrived within minutes and spent at leastfour hours at the scene with the suspect, he said.
The owner said he knew the victim well because he had workedsecurity for him about six months ago.
He said the victim was divorced with two children.
The owner described the suspect as seldom speaking withanyone and living alone.
Four hours after the shooting, two men poured bleach andsprayed the parking lot with a hose near the sidewalk of the La VeracruzanaCarniceria and Taqueria. Most of the police officers had already left. One
Those inside exited the store briefly, placed two memorialcandles on the corner where the bleach had just been poured and returned inside.
Port of Portland security officers reach agreement in labor dispute www.privateofficer.com
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PORTLAND , Ore. Port of Portland Portland working families need so badly," Jerry Hardman, ILWU Local 28 president,said in a statement issued by the union.Portland if they were not handcuffed to job guarantees. Portland 's Terminal 6 is by far the smallestof the West Coast's six container-shipping ports, and it's already at adisadvantage with other Pacific ports because it's about 100 miles from theocean.Puget Sound , and shipping lines were evaluating whetherto bypass the city. When ships are diverted and cargo rerouted, that addscosts, and potentially harmful delays for imports or exports of perishable orseasonal items.Port of Portland Puget Sound expiredSept. 30. The companies have made what they say is their last offer, and areawaiting a response.U.S. farmersexporting wheat, corn and soybeans to Asia .
NYPD officer arrested in shoplifting incident www.privateofficer.com
To contact us Click HERE
NEW YORK NY Nov 262012 — A New York City police officer was arrested on shoplifting chargeson Black Friday.
Officer Jenny Mendez, 28, was arrested in the Midtown SouthPrecinct Friday and charged with petit larceny and criminal possession ofstolen property, police said.
Mendez, of the Midtown North Precinct, allegedly stoleclothes from a Midtown Manhattan store, according to the New York Post. Furtherdetails were not released.
Mendez has been suspended without pay, the Post reported.
Source: CBS NY
NEW YORK NY Nov 262012 — A New York City police officer was arrested on shoplifting chargeson Black Friday.
Officer Jenny Mendez, 28, was arrested in the Midtown SouthPrecinct Friday and charged with petit larceny and criminal possession ofstolen property, police said.
Mendez, of the Midtown North Precinct, allegedly stoleclothes from a Midtown Manhattan store, according to the New York Post. Furtherdetails were not released.
Mendez has been suspended without pay, the Post reported.
Source: CBS NY
Houston police officer charged with aggravated assaults www.privateofficer.com
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HOUSTON TX Houston Police Department officer was arrested early Saturday after allegedlythreatening to kill his estranged wife and her boyfriend.According to the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable'sOffice, Cedric Douglas Lincoln was off duty went to his former home in the19000 block of Pueblo Run in Cypress around 2:30am. Officials said Lincoln no longer lived there, and he and his wife are separated.
Lincoln reportedly got into the garage and saw the pickup of his wife's boyfriendparked inside.
Deputies saidLincoln went to the bedroom and allegedly held a gun to the boyfriend's head,threatening to kill him and telling him to get out of the house. He then turnedthe gun on his wife, threatening to kill her, officials said.
The boyfriend called 911 and told deputies that the suspectwas a police officer with a gun. When authorities arrived, they arrestedLincoln without incident.
TheLincolns 'two children -- both under five years of age -- were in the house at the time,officials said. They were unharmed.
According to investigators,Lincoln had been drinking. He was in civilianclothes and was driving his own vehicle. It's unclear whether he used his dutyweapon in the alleged assault.
Lincoln ,33, is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravatedassault on a family member. He remained in jail Saturday night.
Source: KTRK
Deputies said
The boyfriend called 911 and told deputies that the suspectwas a police officer with a gun. When authorities arrived, they arrested
The
According to investigators,
Source: KTRK
Homeland Security Has Spent $430 Million on Radios Its Employees Don’t Know How to Use www.privateofficer.com
To contact us Click HERE
Washington DC Nov 26 2012
Getting the agencies responsible for national security tocommunicate better was one of the main reasons the Department of HomelandSecurity was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
But according to a recent report from the department’sinspector general, one aspect of this mission remains far from accomplished.
DHS has spent $430 million over the past nine years toprovide radios tuned to a common, secure channel to 123,000 employees acrossthe country. Problem is, no one seems to know how to use them.
Only one of 479 DHS employees surveyed by the inspectorgeneral’s office was actually able to use the common channel, according to thereport. Most of those surveyed — 72 percent — didn’t even know the commonchannel existed. Another 25 percent knew the channel existed but weren’t ableto find it; 3 percent were able to find an older common channel, but not thecurrent one.
The investigators also found that more than half of theradios did not have the settings for the common channel programmed into them.Only 20 percent of radios tested had all the correct settings.
The radios are supposed to help employees of Customs andBorder Patrol, the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard,Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Emergency Management Agency,the Secret Service, and other agencies with DHS communicate during crises, aswell as normal operations.
DHS officials did not immediately respond to questions fromProPublica about what effect the radio problems could have on how the agencyhandles an emergency.
The $430 million paid for radio infrastructure andmaintenance as well as the actual radios.
In a response letter to the report, Jim H. Crumpacker, theDepartment of Homeland Security’s liaison between the Government AccountabilityOffice and the inspector general, wrote that DHS had made “significant strides”in improving emergency communications since 2003. But he acknowledged that DHS“has had some challenges in achieving Department-wide interoperablecommunications goals.”
The recent inspector general’s report is the latest in astring of critical assessments DHS has received on its efforts to improvecommunication between federal, state and local agencies. The GovernmentAccountability Office reported in 2007 that the Department of Homeland Securityhad “generally not achieved” this goal.
DHS has assigned a blizzard of offices and committees tooversee its radio effort since 2003, which the inspector general’s reportclaimed had “hindered DHS’ ability to provide effective oversight.”
Also, none of the entities “had the authority to implementand enforce their recommendations,” the report concluded. Tanya Callender, aspokeswoman for the inspector general, said the current office overseeing theeffort hadn’t been given the authority to force agencies to use the commonchannel or even to provide instructions for programming the radios.
The inspector general recommended DHS standardize itspolicies regarding radios, which DHS agreed to do. But it rejected a secondrecommendation that it overhaul the office overseeing the radios to give itmore authority.
“DHS believes that it has already established a structurewith the necessary authority to ensure” that its various agencies cancommunicate, Crumpacker wrote in his response letter.
Source:BeaumontObserver.net
Washington DC Nov 26 2012 Getting the agencies responsible for national security tocommunicate better was one of the main reasons the Department of HomelandSecurity was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
But according to a recent report from the department’sinspector general, one aspect of this mission remains far from accomplished.
DHS has spent $430 million over the past nine years toprovide radios tuned to a common, secure channel to 123,000 employees acrossthe country. Problem is, no one seems to know how to use them.
Only one of 479 DHS employees surveyed by the inspectorgeneral’s office was actually able to use the common channel, according to thereport. Most of those surveyed — 72 percent — didn’t even know the commonchannel existed. Another 25 percent knew the channel existed but weren’t ableto find it; 3 percent were able to find an older common channel, but not thecurrent one.
The investigators also found that more than half of theradios did not have the settings for the common channel programmed into them.Only 20 percent of radios tested had all the correct settings.
The radios are supposed to help employees of Customs andBorder Patrol, the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard,Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Emergency Management Agency,the Secret Service, and other agencies with DHS communicate during crises, aswell as normal operations.
DHS officials did not immediately respond to questions fromProPublica about what effect the radio problems could have on how the agencyhandles an emergency.
The $430 million paid for radio infrastructure andmaintenance as well as the actual radios.
In a response letter to the report, Jim H. Crumpacker, theDepartment of Homeland Security’s liaison between the Government AccountabilityOffice and the inspector general, wrote that DHS had made “significant strides”in improving emergency communications since 2003. But he acknowledged that DHS“has had some challenges in achieving Department-wide interoperablecommunications goals.”
The recent inspector general’s report is the latest in astring of critical assessments DHS has received on its efforts to improvecommunication between federal, state and local agencies. The GovernmentAccountability Office reported in 2007 that the Department of Homeland Securityhad “generally not achieved” this goal.
DHS has assigned a blizzard of offices and committees tooversee its radio effort since 2003, which the inspector general’s reportclaimed had “hindered DHS’ ability to provide effective oversight.”
Also, none of the entities “had the authority to implementand enforce their recommendations,” the report concluded. Tanya Callender, aspokeswoman for the inspector general, said the current office overseeing theeffort hadn’t been given the authority to force agencies to use the commonchannel or even to provide instructions for programming the radios.
The inspector general recommended DHS standardize itspolicies regarding radios, which DHS agreed to do. But it rejected a secondrecommendation that it overhaul the office overseeing the radios to give itmore authority.
“DHS believes that it has already established a structurewith the necessary authority to ensure” that its various agencies cancommunicate, Crumpacker wrote in his response letter.
Source:BeaumontObserver.net
25 Kasım 2012 Pazar
'Black Friday' shopper speaks out after arrest at Walmart in Altamonte Springs www.privateofficer.com
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ALTAMONTE SPRINGS , Fla. Altamonte Springs wasarrested on allegations of throwing merchandise after being confronted by apolice officer who prevented her from apparently cutting in the checkout line.
Samantha Chavez, 28, of Land O' Lakes, was arrested Thursdaynight on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting an officer withoutviolence.
The mother of three told Local 6's Shaun Schaiyabhat theofficer went too far.
"I look like a crazy, insane Black Friday shopper,which was not the case at all," said Chavez.
Fellow shopper Francisco Herrera recorded the arrest.
"I panicked. I was upset. I was scared," saidChavez. "He turned me over. He pinned me to the floor. He had his knee onmy back."
According toAltamonte Springs police, Walmart loss prevention officers wentto the front of the store around 10:30 p.m. after shoppers were arguing withothers trying to cut in line.
Police said Chavez was spotted about 15 minutes later tryingto pass the lines. She was told to get in line by an officer, and she said,"Okay," but again tried to get by, police said.
Chavez repeatedly refused to comply, according to police,who said Chavez began screaming. As police tried to escort her from the store,she threw items she apparently intended to purchase and pulled away from theofficer, officials said.
Chavez said she was trying to find her sister-in-lawsomewhere in line. She said she had already finished her shopping and grabbed afew items to bring to her sister-in-law, who was waiting in line. Chavez saidshe dropped the items to prove she had no intention of cutting in line.
"I feel extremely violated. I have no issue waiting ina line," she said. "I've never been in any trouble. I just wanted togo home."
Police spokesman Rob Pelton said off-duty police officer whointervened was justified.
"Five or six times, this officer tells her she needs togo to the back of the line; there's other people becoming upset thinking thatyou're cutting in line," said Pelton. "People are yelling out, 'Hey,this isn't fair, do something!'"
Chavez said she thinks the cop took his Black Friday job toofar.
"He grabbed me by my arm very, very strongly,"said Chavez. "At that point, I did get irate. A man three times my sizehas me by the arm. I felt very upset by that. I'm like, 'Why are you doingthis? You don't have a right to do this. I didn't do anything.'"
Police say if she was just looking for a relative she shouldhave asked the officer for help, but didn't. Chavez said she wanted to ask forassistance, but the officer wouldn't listen.
Police said the store was so crowded Thursday night, thestore was have people exit out the back of the store. So, even if Chavez wantedto leave, she likely would not have been able to do so out the front.
Walmart hired off-duty officers to help keep the peaceduring the busy holiday shopping event, and regardless of what Chavez did,their job was to prevent a bigger disturbance, said Pelton.
Chavez was released from the Seminole County Jail afterposting $550 bond, and now faces a charge of resisting arrest without violenceand a charge of disorderly conduct.
No other arrests were reported at the store.
Source-clickorlando.com
Samantha Chavez, 28, of Land O' Lakes, was arrested Thursdaynight on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting an officer withoutviolence.
The mother of three told Local 6's Shaun Schaiyabhat theofficer went too far.
"I look like a crazy, insane Black Friday shopper,which was not the case at all," said Chavez.
Fellow shopper Francisco Herrera recorded the arrest.
"I panicked. I was upset. I was scared," saidChavez. "He turned me over. He pinned me to the floor. He had his knee onmy back."
According to
Police said Chavez was spotted about 15 minutes later tryingto pass the lines. She was told to get in line by an officer, and she said,"Okay," but again tried to get by, police said.
Chavez repeatedly refused to comply, according to police,who said Chavez began screaming. As police tried to escort her from the store,she threw items she apparently intended to purchase and pulled away from theofficer, officials said.
Chavez said she was trying to find her sister-in-lawsomewhere in line. She said she had already finished her shopping and grabbed afew items to bring to her sister-in-law, who was waiting in line. Chavez saidshe dropped the items to prove she had no intention of cutting in line.
"I feel extremely violated. I have no issue waiting ina line," she said. "I've never been in any trouble. I just wanted togo home."
Police spokesman Rob Pelton said off-duty police officer whointervened was justified.
"Five or six times, this officer tells her she needs togo to the back of the line; there's other people becoming upset thinking thatyou're cutting in line," said Pelton. "People are yelling out, 'Hey,this isn't fair, do something!'"
Chavez said she thinks the cop took his Black Friday job toofar.
"He grabbed me by my arm very, very strongly,"said Chavez. "At that point, I did get irate. A man three times my sizehas me by the arm. I felt very upset by that. I'm like, 'Why are you doingthis? You don't have a right to do this. I didn't do anything.'"
Police say if she was just looking for a relative she shouldhave asked the officer for help, but didn't. Chavez said she wanted to ask forassistance, but the officer wouldn't listen.
Police said the store was so crowded Thursday night, thestore was have people exit out the back of the store. So, even if Chavez wantedto leave, she likely would not have been able to do so out the front.
Walmart hired off-duty officers to help keep the peaceduring the busy holiday shopping event, and regardless of what Chavez did,their job was to prevent a bigger disturbance, said Pelton.
Chavez was released from the Seminole County Jail afterposting $550 bond, and now faces a charge of resisting arrest without violenceand a charge of disorderly conduct.
No other arrests were reported at the store.
Source-clickorlando.com
Houston security guard kills replacement www.privateofficer.com
To contact us Click HERE
HOUSTON
Both men worked for Texas Pioneer Control and providedsecurity for businesses in a strip shopping center onWest Road at Veterans Memorial.
"The suspect in this case was terminated a couple weeksago and continued to show up for work and collecting money and goinghome," said Sergeant Robert Spurgeon.
Spurgeon said the owner of a restaurant finally told the oneguard he couldn't work there anymore because he had been terminated. Spurgeonsaid the guard opened fire on the other guard when he showed up and killed him.The suspect waited for deputies to arrive after the shooting and deputies arrestedhim, Spurgeon said.
Patrons who frequent the businesses in this strip centersaid both guards were familiar faces and well liked.
Investigators have not yet released the name of either man.
Both men worked for Texas Pioneer Control and providedsecurity for businesses in a strip shopping center on
"The suspect in this case was terminated a couple weeksago and continued to show up for work and collecting money and goinghome," said Sergeant Robert Spurgeon.
Spurgeon said the owner of a restaurant finally told the oneguard he couldn't work there anymore because he had been terminated. Spurgeonsaid the guard opened fire on the other guard when he showed up and killed him.The suspect waited for deputies to arrive after the shooting and deputies arrestedhim, Spurgeon said.
Patrons who frequent the businesses in this strip centersaid both guards were familiar faces and well liked.
Investigators have not yet released the name of either man.
Constantino's Market Downtown
To contact us Click HERE
It's easy to believe there's no grocery stores in downtown Cleveland if you don't know what you're looking for, but Constantino's Market is definitely there, at 1278 W 9th St.
On the plus side, they have a lot of local grocery, they're family owned, and the quality of the food is very good. The downside is the price- but what would you expect from a grocery store with no competition? If you want groceries without having to drive out of downtown, you probably have to hit Constantino's.
The popular consensus is that it's good for the prepared foods, but the staples just aren't worth it to buy there.
It's easy to believe there's no grocery stores in downtown Cleveland if you don't know what you're looking for, but Constantino's Market is definitely there, at 1278 W 9th St.
On the plus side, they have a lot of local grocery, they're family owned, and the quality of the food is very good. The downside is the price- but what would you expect from a grocery store with no competition? If you want groceries without having to drive out of downtown, you probably have to hit Constantino's.
The popular consensus is that it's good for the prepared foods, but the staples just aren't worth it to buy there.
Mama Santa's - Little Italy
To contact us Click HERE
People in Cleveland think that the Little Italy area is lovely and romantic, but having lived there for three years, I think it's kind of overpriced and bigoted. There's definitely a dark side to Little Italy, including but not limited to a racist mob and some super gentrification going on.
Most of the restaurants in Little Italy are overpriced and vermin-infested. One of the cheaper places to get something to eat is Mama Santa's; and it's where we got pizza from while we were in college.
I went with my friend to Mama Santa's for a walk down memory lane, and both of us being visibly queer, we were treated with some condescension (weird looks, snippy remarks) from the waitress. The food was the same ordinary food we enjoyed during college; nothing special.
Note well that they don't serve pineapple on pizzas here... the waitress made it clear to us that we'd need to go up to Hippie Coventry to get something so outlandish as that.
People in Cleveland think that the Little Italy area is lovely and romantic, but having lived there for three years, I think it's kind of overpriced and bigoted. There's definitely a dark side to Little Italy, including but not limited to a racist mob and some super gentrification going on.
Most of the restaurants in Little Italy are overpriced and vermin-infested. One of the cheaper places to get something to eat is Mama Santa's; and it's where we got pizza from while we were in college.
I went with my friend to Mama Santa's for a walk down memory lane, and both of us being visibly queer, we were treated with some condescension (weird looks, snippy remarks) from the waitress. The food was the same ordinary food we enjoyed during college; nothing special.
Note well that they don't serve pineapple on pizzas here... the waitress made it clear to us that we'd need to go up to Hippie Coventry to get something so outlandish as that.
Daniel's lunch
To contact us Click HERE
Daniel loves to eat lunch at school
So far, mom packed his lunches, he only bought chocolate or strawberry milks sometimes whenever we want it
He finishes his lunch everyday
Day 1 Chocolate chip waffle
Day 2 Buttered Pasta
Day 3 Ham & mayo sandwich
Day 4 Ham & mayo sandwich again (his request)
Day 5 Hamburger bun with....another ham and mayo...haha
Day 6 Jelly sandwich and Cream cheese sandwich
Until day 5 he always ate it up, he is also finished his snack
Looks like he is always hungry
Note: Now he can eat more than Clarissa, who is 4 1/2 years older
Mom is happy that he can eat all of it .
So far he doesnt want to buy lunch at school, he still enjoy homemade lunch. These days he is memorizing his pupil number ( which is also like a pin number for buying lunch)
Maybe next week or week after that he can buy lunch. NOT everyday hopefully. Mom will go bankrupt if he buys everyday :)
(Note: we dont have to order at the beggining of the month, he can just order if he wants)
Daniel loves to eat lunch at school
So far, mom packed his lunches, he only bought chocolate or strawberry milks sometimes whenever we want it
He finishes his lunch everyday
Day 1 Chocolate chip waffle
Day 2 Buttered Pasta
Day 3 Ham & mayo sandwich
Day 4 Ham & mayo sandwich again (his request)
Day 5 Hamburger bun with....another ham and mayo...haha
Day 6 Jelly sandwich and Cream cheese sandwich
Until day 5 he always ate it up, he is also finished his snack
Looks like he is always hungry
Note: Now he can eat more than Clarissa, who is 4 1/2 years older
Mom is happy that he can eat all of it .
So far he doesnt want to buy lunch at school, he still enjoy homemade lunch. These days he is memorizing his pupil number ( which is also like a pin number for buying lunch)
Maybe next week or week after that he can buy lunch. NOT everyday hopefully. Mom will go bankrupt if he buys everyday :)
(Note: we dont have to order at the beggining of the month, he can just order if he wants)
24 Kasım 2012 Cumartesi
OFFICER DOWN- Deputy Sheriff Scott Ward
To contact us Click HERE
Deputy Sheriff ScottWardBaldwin County Sheriff's Office, Alabama
End of Watch: Friday, November 23, 2012
Deputy Sheriff Scott Ward was shot and killed after he andtwo other deputies responded to a domestic disturbance call in the 11800 blockofMallard Lane shortly after 4:00 pm.
Please contact thefollowing agency to send condolences or to obtain funeral arrangements:
Sheriff Huey "Hoss" MackBaldwin County 310 Hand Avenue Minette , AL 36507
Deputy Sheriff ScottWardEnd of Watch: Friday, November 23, 2012
Deputy Sheriff Scott Ward was shot and killed after he andtwo other deputies responded to a domestic disturbance call in the 11800 blockof
Please contact thefollowing agency to send condolences or to obtain funeral arrangements:
Sheriff Huey "Hoss" Mack
MERMAID AS METAPHOR (a beginning consideration from forkergirl's temporary fish eye lens advantage)
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fish eye lens advantage image from forkergirl's photostream
In this consideration of Mermaid as Metaphor, a point of entry and a point of departure (bifurcation hub) are formed by two elements brought together (in a range of manipulations) forming a third element that is a composite of the two (1 element plus 1 element = a 3rd element [1+1=3], as Rima pointed out in a limited forked multimedia story class). At this hub is a common depiction of mermaids in which two unrelated biological segments of two organisms are brought together in (primarily visual) unification usually depicted as horizontally split halves forming wholeness: a mermaid.
This (visual) wholeness is a form of marriage, an easily imagined evolutionary progression or regression of marriage. Though the one mermaid outcome of wholeness formation is usually offered, there are at least two composites that would emerge from each union in this imagined evolution or regression. Human upper body + fish lower body, and human lower body + fish upper body. This is an answer to where's the other halves? —the human lower body and the fish upper body? An example of this more complete merger outcome scenario supplies the horror factor of The Fly (1958). The human/fly hybrid is created when a teleportation experiment meant to be an exclusively human teleportation experiment becomes a human/insect teleportation experiment when a fly is discovered inside the teleportation chamber with the scientist when the experiment is already underway and no one is there to stop the experiment. Though the human/fly hybrid is an unintended outcome, that the hybrid is an outcome indicates a form of successful, if horrifying, biological union. The film features both composite forms: human body with fly head/hand and fly body with human head/hand. Once the hybrids emerged, the assumption was that capturing the fly body/human head composite and repeating the experiment with both hybrid outcomes in the chamber, would restore the human and the fly to pre-composite forms though other possibilities would have been as likely had the fly body/human head variation not been snared in a web of spider for whom the genetic modifications of the humanized insect changed nothing.
A cautionary tale, to be sure. A scientist accused of playing God to be sure.
Though I hesitate the use the term, this serves, in part, as a, well, deconstruction of the mermaid metaphor. It is a closer look inside what is and isn't occurring in the architecture of the metaphor that a mermaid is, and simultaneously is an invitation to explore what can happen/is happening inside other metaphors, using the outcomes of those explorations to establish other opportunities and forms of expression: the making of other poams (products of acts of making).
In popular depictions of mermaids, biological segments contributed by the human and by the (unspecified species of) fish seem interchangeable, largely because each segment apparently remains intact with crossover of fish into human, human into fish. The fish and human portions of a mermaid hybrid system could be separated easily. It is obvious where to cut. The human and fish segments seem closed systems stitched together (or in some other way held in place) superficially. The forming of human/fish composites seems exceedingly neat with a well-defined boundary separating fish function and appearance from human function and appearance. No transgression of species apparently occurs; nothing, well, fishy in the merger. Mermaids, rather, seem models of respect for species purity despite their being linked. No tinkering with the actual DNA as human DNA and fish genetic code don't mix, but instead exist side-by side. Good neighbors who share much, but not everything. Good spouses who share much but not everything.
If a deeper connection is considered, the external division and separation of fish and human raises questions about function, form, and layout of internal organs. Just how is the mermaid metaphor creature mapped internally? Surely anatomical mingling occurs, or it is difficult to imagine viability of this trans-species as a species distinct from human and fish with its own biological frameworks and systems; the fish, in the more frequent ichthyological bottom half mermaid configuration, would have no heart, no brain, no circulation of human blood in fish areas. If the halves are stitched together superficially and not integrated into a single being, each half would then need separate and contained systems of respiration, systems of ingestion, systems of excretion, etc. A romanticized depiction (and why not such a depiction!) of mermaids does not support contamination of the beautiful, usually, woman, with fishiness. Indeed, the mermaid might even be a purer form of woman for rejecting genitalia in favor of fishtail; with breasts, she may suckle a child and could even seem, depending on who's constructing the idea system, nearly as wholesome and good as Mary, Mother of Christ. In this wonderful anatomical chart (to the right) of a mermaid from gearfuse.com, the internal revelation is still decidedly human in keeping with the biological structure of most mermaids; no doubt a common or typical mermaid is dissected in the well-imagined image of mermaid reality wherever it exists, in imagination, gaming, and/or virtual worlds, for instance. Mermaid Diaries is a blog all about a little mermaid named Natalia Zelmanov and her adventures in second life. Below is a video of a Spore mermaid followed by a video of a Second Life mermaid show:
The common mermaid is uncomplicated, unproblematic in biological terms. She (usually) looks good,
and, in keeping with her fish contribution, is an excellent catch.
Consideration of shared biological functioning is not meant to discredit the mythic or aesthetic function of mermaid systems, and certainly does not undermine an ability of imagination to overcome problems of mermaid existence within shared physical realities. That closed biological and chemical systems can align themselves without sharing structures or circulation, may give a nod to some of the power of imagination as part of the glue maintaining the human/fish alignment. Not that everyone can (or should) use imagination in tis manner; what I refer to as imagination may be referred to differently in other cultural and/or belief systems that configure reality differently, including religions in which what some might consider supernatural is real; prayer connects a human mortal reality with a divine system of existence; prayer and belief function as bridges between these configurations.
It is quite odd, I think, that more mingling apparently does not occur at the juncture of fish and human in a mermaid system of co-dependency to be one being, one creature; why not more raggedness as these halves struggle to come together? In the production of mermaids, if something is occurring biologically, why not more evidence of mutation in the manipulation of humans and fish to produce mermaids? Where are the failures? Where are the monsters of human/fish alliances? Where are the other creature from black lagoons (gill-men) and other evolutionary missing links along the evolutionary road to mermaid? What is it about certain environments that seem to encourage emergence of human/fish hybrids? So much perfection! —similar, it seems (sorry for a lack of statistics) to a rate of perfection in production of angels or other beings embodying some human elements and some divine elements. Something in imagination apparently overcomes potential conflict in human and fish unions —did not George W. Bush say that he hoped the human and the fish could coexist peacefully? In configuring scenarios of this coexistence, some of that peaceful cohabitation would exist within a single body, half human, half fish; the bi-species creature practicing a form of political correctness in blending —indeed, Bush's statement could be construed as a call for transspecies experimentation, phase one focusing on human and fish peacful coexistence scenarios.
Had W seen Shiloh Pepin on a Discovery Channel documentary (Mermaid Girl) when he said that?
Did he realize that there was such a condition as sirenomelia, that humans were sometimes born with their legs fused in a disease commonly called mermaid syndrome, a challenging coexistence that might look peaceful? What hope for the future of humans did he foresee in improving human/fish coexistence? What's in that enhanced coexistence for Americans? for democracy? for capitalism?
In written metaphor also things come together with suspicious ease, perhaps in part because of familiarity with a long history of mythical part human creatures from ancient, classical, and sacred texts ; indeed, even Jesus Christ is a half-human outcome of a human/divine union. Evolutions occur inside metaphor; there is a journey from something to something, and details of the journey are seldom mapped. Mapping of what occurs inside metaphor could be quite revelatory and could lead to other revelatory forms of making, thinking, and/or understanding. To the left, Gort becomes The Stig, and to the right, Sambo becomes Obama in two metaphork evolutions by forkergirl. Much, much (compelling and exciting, among other forms of work) remains to be done.
fish eye lens advantage image from forkergirl's photostreamIn this consideration of Mermaid as Metaphor, a point of entry and a point of departure (bifurcation hub) are formed by two elements brought together (in a range of manipulations) forming a third element that is a composite of the two (1 element plus 1 element = a 3rd element [1+1=3], as Rima pointed out in a limited forked multimedia story class). At this hub is a common depiction of mermaids in which two unrelated biological segments of two organisms are brought together in (primarily visual) unification usually depicted as horizontally split halves forming wholeness: a mermaid.
This (visual) wholeness is a form of marriage, an easily imagined evolutionary progression or regression of marriage. Though the one mermaid outcome of wholeness formation is usually offered, there are at least two composites that would emerge from each union in this imagined evolution or regression. Human upper body + fish lower body, and human lower body + fish upper body. This is an answer to where's the other halves? —the human lower body and the fish upper body? An example of this more complete merger outcome scenario supplies the horror factor of The Fly (1958). The human/fly hybrid is created when a teleportation experiment meant to be an exclusively human teleportation experiment becomes a human/insect teleportation experiment when a fly is discovered inside the teleportation chamber with the scientist when the experiment is already underway and no one is there to stop the experiment. Though the human/fly hybrid is an unintended outcome, that the hybrid is an outcome indicates a form of successful, if horrifying, biological union. The film features both composite forms: human body with fly head/hand and fly body with human head/hand. Once the hybrids emerged, the assumption was that capturing the fly body/human head composite and repeating the experiment with both hybrid outcomes in the chamber, would restore the human and the fly to pre-composite forms though other possibilities would have been as likely had the fly body/human head variation not been snared in a web of spider for whom the genetic modifications of the humanized insect changed nothing.
Though I hesitate the use the term, this serves, in part, as a, well, deconstruction of the mermaid metaphor. It is a closer look inside what is and isn't occurring in the architecture of the metaphor that a mermaid is, and simultaneously is an invitation to explore what can happen/is happening inside other metaphors, using the outcomes of those explorations to establish other opportunities and forms of expression: the making of other poams (products of acts of making).
In popular depictions of mermaids, biological segments contributed by the human and by the (unspecified species of) fish seem interchangeable, largely because each segment apparently remains intact with crossover of fish into human, human into fish. The fish and human portions of a mermaid hybrid system could be separated easily. It is obvious where to cut. The human and fish segments seem closed systems stitched together (or in some other way held in place) superficially. The forming of human/fish composites seems exceedingly neat with a well-defined boundary separating fish function and appearance from human function and appearance. No transgression of species apparently occurs; nothing, well, fishy in the merger. Mermaids, rather, seem models of respect for species purity despite their being linked. No tinkering with the actual DNA as human DNA and fish genetic code don't mix, but instead exist side-by side. Good neighbors who share much, but not everything. Good spouses who share much but not everything.
If a deeper connection is considered, the external division and separation of fish and human raises questions about function, form, and layout of internal organs. Just how is the mermaid metaphor creature mapped internally? Surely anatomical mingling occurs, or it is difficult to imagine viability of this trans-species as a species distinct from human and fish with its own biological frameworks and systems; the fish, in the more frequent ichthyological bottom half mermaid configuration, would have no heart, no brain, no circulation of human blood in fish areas. If the halves are stitched together superficially and not integrated into a single being, each half would then need separate and contained systems of respiration, systems of ingestion, systems of excretion, etc. A romanticized depiction (and why not such a depiction!) of mermaids does not support contamination of the beautiful, usually, woman, with fishiness. Indeed, the mermaid might even be a purer form of woman for rejecting genitalia in favor of fishtail; with breasts, she may suckle a child and could even seem, depending on who's constructing the idea system, nearly as wholesome and good as Mary, Mother of Christ. In this wonderful anatomical chart (to the right) of a mermaid from gearfuse.com, the internal revelation is still decidedly human in keeping with the biological structure of most mermaids; no doubt a common or typical mermaid is dissected in the well-imagined image of mermaid reality wherever it exists, in imagination, gaming, and/or virtual worlds, for instance. Mermaid Diaries is a blog all about a little mermaid named Natalia Zelmanov and her adventures in second life. Below is a video of a Spore mermaid followed by a video of a Second Life mermaid show:and, in keeping with her fish contribution, is an excellent catch.
Consideration of shared biological functioning is not meant to discredit the mythic or aesthetic function of mermaid systems, and certainly does not undermine an ability of imagination to overcome problems of mermaid existence within shared physical realities. That closed biological and chemical systems can align themselves without sharing structures or circulation, may give a nod to some of the power of imagination as part of the glue maintaining the human/fish alignment. Not that everyone can (or should) use imagination in tis manner; what I refer to as imagination may be referred to differently in other cultural and/or belief systems that configure reality differently, including religions in which what some might consider supernatural is real; prayer connects a human mortal reality with a divine system of existence; prayer and belief function as bridges between these configurations.
It is quite odd, I think, that more mingling apparently does not occur at the juncture of fish and human in a mermaid system of co-dependency to be one being, one creature; why not more raggedness as these halves struggle to come together? In the production of mermaids, if something is occurring biologically, why not more evidence of mutation in the manipulation of humans and fish to produce mermaids? Where are the failures? Where are the monsters of human/fish alliances? Where are the other creature from black lagoons (gill-men) and other evolutionary missing links along the evolutionary road to mermaid? What is it about certain environments that seem to encourage emergence of human/fish hybrids? So much perfection! —similar, it seems (sorry for a lack of statistics) to a rate of perfection in production of angels or other beings embodying some human elements and some divine elements. Something in imagination apparently overcomes potential conflict in human and fish unions —did not George W. Bush say that he hoped the human and the fish could coexist peacefully? In configuring scenarios of this coexistence, some of that peaceful cohabitation would exist within a single body, half human, half fish; the bi-species creature practicing a form of political correctness in blending —indeed, Bush's statement could be construed as a call for transspecies experimentation, phase one focusing on human and fish peacful coexistence scenarios.
Had W seen Shiloh Pepin on a Discovery Channel documentary (Mermaid Girl) when he said that?
Did he realize that there was such a condition as sirenomelia, that humans were sometimes born with their legs fused in a disease commonly called mermaid syndrome, a challenging coexistence that might look peaceful? What hope for the future of humans did he foresee in improving human/fish coexistence? What's in that enhanced coexistence for Americans? for democracy? for capitalism?
In written metaphor also things come together with suspicious ease, perhaps in part because of familiarity with a long history of mythical part human creatures from ancient, classical, and sacred texts ; indeed, even Jesus Christ is a half-human outcome of a human/divine union. Evolutions occur inside metaphor; there is a journey from something to something, and details of the journey are seldom mapped. Mapping of what occurs inside metaphor could be quite revelatory and could lead to other revelatory forms of making, thinking, and/or understanding. To the left, Gort becomes The Stig, and to the right, Sambo becomes Obama in two metaphork evolutions by forkergirl. Much, much (compelling and exciting, among other forms of work) remains to be done.
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