MCLEAN, Va., Nov. 18 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy has contracted Alion Science and Technology to support the Naval Operational Logistics Support Center.
Virginia-based Alion was awarded a three-year, $12 million contract from the Navy. Under the deal, Alion will provide operational logistics to help the Naval Operational Logistics Support Center to standardize operations for the supply chain, provide strategic mobility analysis and support training initiatives, among other requirements.
Officials say Alion's support for the Naval Operational Logistics Support Center will aid operations for deployable units in the Navy and Coast Guard.
"Improvements in logistics operations have a direct effect on costs and time," Greg Bryant, Alion senior vice president and manager of the integration solutions group, said in a statement.
"Our experts will be working to optimize supply chain operations, strategic mobility, manning and training, and will also apply automated information technology into logistics processes, all of which will help the Navy make these functions more efficient and streamlined."


Motivation can be hard to come by, especially in the face of challenges or difficult work.
When you're thinking about implementing that new idea, or starting that new company or beginning that new regimen — this is the new year, after all — it's easy to talk yourself into procrastinating.
Or worse, avoiding your goal altogether.
Thoughts are powerful, and negative thoughts can prevent you from achieving your goals.
The flip side is that positive thoughts can be just as powerful. The next time you feel unmotivated, use any of these 50 positive thoughts to reenergize yourself. Really: They work!
1. I can do anything. It's a simple phrase, but it helps to remind yourself — you really can do anything you set your mind to.
2. This is why I can. Instead of giving yourself reasons why you can't do something, give yourself reasons why you can.
3. I deserve more. You deserve a better life — whether that means a better job, a healthier body or more money. Work for it.
4. It's never too late. No matter how old you are or how many opportunities you've passed up before, it's never too late to make a decision and get a fresh start.
5. There will always be challenges. No matter what you do in life, there will always be challenges — don't let one set get the better of you.
6. There's no "perfect" time. If you're waiting for the perfect moment, forget about it — there's no such thing.
7. There's no perfect plan. There are some definite flaws in your plan — but there are in every plan.
8. Everybody starts somewhere. Nobody is born successful. Everyone starts somewhere, and usually from the bottom.
9. One step at a time. Don't try to do everything at once. Reduce it to baby steps.
10. It can only get better. If it's hard at first, it can only get easier.
11. Failure is temporary. If you fail, you're in good company— most successes come only after several rounds of failure.
12. Mistakes are learning opportunities. If you mess up, you can only become better for it.
13. Today is all I can control. Forget about what you did yesterday. Today is what matters.
14. If it were easy, everyone would do it. Nothing worth doing is easy.
15. "Someday" is today. If you're like most people, you use the word "someday" to describe your goals and desires. Make today that someday.
16. Negative thoughts can't stop me. Your negative thoughts are just thoughts — nothing more.
17. I've done harder things. Think back to a time when you succeeded against the odds.
18. Everything has to be earned. You can't get anything in this life unless you work hard for it.
19. Action is a better regret than inaction. Making the wrong decision is always preferable to regretting never having done anything at all.
20. I don't need anyone's permission. If people think you're crazy, so be it.
21. I'm in control of my own destiny. You can decide whom you want to become.
22. There is no pass or fail. Nobody is grading you. You can't objectively "fail" at life unless you never try anything.
23. Boring decisions get boring results. Make an exciting decision.
24. The risk is worth it. Know that risks are real, but the potential benefits are worth them.
25. Discipline feels better than regret. Discipline is hard, but it's easier to deal with than regret.
26. Many good ideas seem crazy or impossible at first. Yours is no different.
27. I've got support. Friends, family, colleagues — even if they think you're crazy, you can always find support in networking groups, support groups and other community resources.
28. Experience is always valuable. Even if your mission doesn't turn out the way you'd expected, you'll walk away with experience.
29. Hard work is its own reward. You'll feel good just for making the attempt.
30. Every day counts. Today, tomorrow and the next day are all steps toward your end goal.
31. What I see matters more than what others see. Forget about what others think — prioritize what you think.
32. There is no problem that can't be overcome. Everything can be solved or worked around.
33. Ordinary actions make an ordinary life. Nobody wants to be ordinary. Don't let yourself be.
34. Everything can be improved. Even if you start out rough, you can always make improvements to your approach.
35. I can learn whatever I need to know. Free resources are plentiful.
36. I can master whatever I need to do. Practice can make you good at anything.
37. Willpower is all in my head. You can have all the willpower you want — you just have to want it.
38. I know what I want. Know what your end goals are, and visualize them.
39. Feelings are the product of thoughts. If you're scared or unsure, know that these are feelings generated by your thoughts; then you can control them.
40. Trying and failing is better than doing nothing. This is universally true.
41. I am whomever I want to be. There's nothing stopping you from being whom you want to be.
42. I can't win unless I try. Effort is the only way to get results.
43. My life is a product of my decisions. Make the ones that matter.
44. I'm better than I was yesterday. You're older, wiser and more experienced than you've ever been before.
45. Nothing great happens overnight. Work and patience are your friends.
46. Once I get started, it will be easier. You'll feel more motivated once you get rolling.
47. I'll reward myself when I'm done. Even small rewards can be great motivators.
48. I'm doing this for more than just me. Maybe it's for your family or community — whatever "it" is, external motivation can be powerful.
49. There are always more chances. If you screw up, you can always try again.
50. If nothing else, this will make for a good story. You'll walk away with great memories and interesting anecdotes.
The power of positive thinking isn't just an adage — it's scientifically proven that positive thoughts (and the elimination of negative self-talk) can improve your mood, feelings, and performance.
These thoughts should get you started doing whatever it is you need motivation to do. The rest is up to you.


AstraZeneca's Lynparza slowed the progression of breast cancer caused in part by mutations in the BRCA gene, an inherited condition that causes up to 3% of all breast cancers. These cancers are particularly hard to treat, and some women who test positive for BRCA genes opt for double mastectomies in order to lower their risk.
In a study of 302 women whose breast cancer had spread, Lynparza reduced the risk of cancer growing significantly by 42% compared to chemotherapy, with fewer side effects. Tumors shrank in 60% of the patients who received Lynparza, versus 29% of those who got chemo. Women who received Lynparza went seven months before their cancer grew enough that doctors said it progressed, compared to 4.2 months for those on chemo. Serious side effects occurred in 50% of the women who received chemotherapy, versus 37% of those who received Lynparza.
Mutations in the BRCA gene, like the ones that led actress Angelina Jolie to opt for a mastectomy, raise the risk of cancer because they make the body less likely to repair damage to its DNA, making the mutations that lead to tumors more likely. Lynparza is one of a much-watched class of medicines called PARP inhibitors that further muck up cells' ability to repair DNA. This hurts cancer cells more than healthy ones. But it may mean that Lynparza only works in cancers where BRCA mutation plays a role.
Lynparza is already approved for ovarian cancer that is caused by BRCA, as are two other drugs called Zejula, made by a small firm called Tesaro, and Rubraca, from a second small company called Clovis Oncology. Last year, Lynparza generated $218 million in sales, a figure Bernstein Research analyst Timothy Anderson forecasts will grow to $684 million by 2020, in part because of the breast cancer success. A study in pancreatic cancer will read out next year, and one in prostate cancer in 2020.
Getting breast cancer results is good for Astra, but the result could also be important for those companies because investors will also take it as evidence that the other drugs will prove effective. The big question is whether any of these medicines has a competitive edge. The field has become very hot. Shares in Clovis and Tesaro are both up more than 200% over the past 12 months, and another PARP inhibitor played a key role in Pfizer's $14 billion purchase of the biotechnology firm Medivation last year.


A heartbreaking video (below) showing the effects of bullying on an 8-year-old girl has gone viral.
Anna Cymbaluk, a third-grader from Minnesota, started an anti-bullying campaign with her family after a video showing her reaction to being bullied went viral.
Anna’s mother, Sarah Cymbaluk, uploaded the video to her Facebook page in May and within 24 hours, it had been shared more than 10,000 times, the NY Daily News reports. The mother told NY Daily News that she shared the video because she was fed up with her daughter’s school, Magelssen Elementary School in Fosston, Minnesota, doing nothing about the bullying problem.
“I want to feel like I’m wanted in the school, like people like me,” Anna tells her mom, sobbing.
Sarah said that her children were bullied for months before the video was filmed.
Anna tells her mother in the video that she had gone to the principal to report the bullying about five times already and that the school has done nothing to remedy the situation.
The school district’s superintendent, Mark Nohner, told KXJB that the bullying was not brought to his attention until the video was shared, according to CBS News. After the video went viral, Sarah and Jon Cymbaluk met with school administrators, the Daily News notes. The parents said the meeting yielded no results.
In response to the school’s lack of action, the Cymbaluk family started an anti-bullying campaign called, “Orange You Glad You Aren’t A Bully?” Anna came up with the name herself. The family encouraged people to wear Anna’s favorite color, orange, on her birthday, May 13.
“From the day she was born, she’s been a goer and a doer, a mover and a shaker,” Sarah told NY Daily News about her daughter.
The proud mother said that her daughter’s campaign was intended to let other bullying victims know that they are not alone.


The snap election called by Theresa May shocked much of the nation, but to help get things back on an even keel why not have a flutter?
For this epic Corbyn vs. May showdown the bookies have a clear favourite.
Theresa May's Tories are odds on favourite's to win tomorrow's general election with betfair offering odds of 1/6.
In Cambridge Lib Dem Julian Huppert is favourite to just edge past rival Labour's Daniel Zeichner according to with odds of 11/10 over Zeichner's 4/6.
The conservative John Hayward is 20/1 whilst Green candidate Stuart Tuckwood and Rebooting Democracy candidate Keith Garrett are both 100/1 outsiders.
If Corbyn's Labour can turn the tide nationally then their 'money tree' could come good for you before they take power with odds of 18/1 meaning you'd at least get a decent return on your money.
Feeling really adventurous? The Liberal Democrats are 500/1 to win and Ukip and the Green's are both a colossal 1000/1 to take home the most seats.
You can of course hedge your bets and plump for a hung parliament, odds for no overall majority are currently sitting at 9/2 on betfair.
Odds are also available for who the next government will be a Conservative majority is sitting at odds of 1/6, and a Tory minority is at 10/1.
A Labour minority is thought to be more likely if they win with odds of 11/1 whereas the bookies have a Labour majority sitting at 18/1.
What about the coalitions I hear you cry. Well the bookies aren't convinced it's likely with high odds on offer. A labour/SNP coalition is placed at 22/1 and a repeat of the 2010 Lib Dem/Tory coalition is 40/1.
Barring any coup by the winning party whey they get power there are only three people you can bet on to be the next PM.
Poor Tim Farron is lagging behind at 500/1, Jeremy Corbyn is 5/7 and incumbent Theresa May is odds on at 1/7.
Aside from all the game's players you can also vote on turnout.
Betfair are offering odds of 1/3 for a turnout of 63 per cent and above and odds of 15/8 for voter turnout of 62.99 per cent and lower.


UK –This week the Freight Transport Association (FTA) offered a timely reminder to the owners and operators of vans about the problems and dangers of overloading cargo or equipment into small commercials. The FTA has published a best practice guide for transport managers on the safe securing of loads in vans. The intention is to provide realistic and practical advice, clarifying compliance standards for operators and helping them to improve their drivers’ safety.
Worryingly, yet unsurprisingly to many industry insiders, the LGV overloading prohibition rate found by traffic enforcers increased from 55.1 per cent in 2007 to 66.9 per cent in 2009 (VOSA) making it by far the most common offence found among light goods vehicles (LGVs). Often drivers are unaware of the actual carrying capacity of their vehicles and equally many shippers fail to provide accurate weights for consignments they consider too small to warrant proper attention.
Additionally, many drivers are unaware that correctly distributed axle weights, even on small vehicles can be crucial to ensure the safety of their vehicles, and problems like this led the FTA to commission the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) to conduct a research project – jointly-funded by members of FTA’s Utilities Working Group – which, unlike previous research, accounted for the typical forces experienced by an LGV and its load in a collision. While the Department for Transport’s (DfT) code of practice on load retention only accounts for deceleration forces of 1G, as found in normal driving conditions, a serious collision can generate more than 20 times this force. FTA used TRL’s unparalleled experience of analysing road traffic accidents within the UK to identify the real risks of unsecured loads in everyday situations.
“With many of its members running vans as well as trucks, FTA recognises the strong need for consistent and clear guidance regarding the safe securing of loads, especially in the face of more onerous operator liability.
“We wanted to fill the void in guidance with meaningful advice based on realistic data to not only improve the safety of drivers and passengers in commercial vehicles, but also remove any legal ambiguities, so that operators know exactly where they stand.
2. FTA has also produced: a 12-minute driver training film ‘’Safe Loading of Vans and Light Goods Vehicles’’. The two-disc DVD set also includes a manager’s disc with tests and answer papers.
A Safe Loading of Vans Guide for drivers, and drivers’ pocket card.
Van Driver Walk Around Check Poster Visit the FTA Shop or call 08717 11 11 11 for more information or to place an order.


Just days away from the Microsoft Windows XP end of service, to take effect on Tuesday, April 8, there are still millions of users relying on the aging operating system.
Between business computers and consumer PCs, XP market share is still 28 percent worldwide, amounting to about 300 million PCs - many of them including ATMs, electric and water, and similar critical infrastructure.
"[It's like] there's a big air bubble on the side of your tire and it's going to fail,"said Mark Bernardo, General Electric GM of automation software, when speaking to WSJ. "It's not a question of if, it's a question of when."
Microsoft and security vendors have repeatedly warned current XP users they will face significant security threats after the April 8 deadline.
Windows XP remains the most popular OS Microsoft has released, despite being 12 years old - poor reception due to Windows Vista and Windows 8 certainly didn't help - though Microsoft wants to move users towards 8/8.1.


Breakingviews editors recap the end of Argentina's U.S. legal battle to avoid paying holdout creditors and outline some of President Cristina Fernandez's options.
Argentina has been locked in a legal battles -- investors including some hedge funds one called Elliott management. -- an old -- of the country which from most other investors was restructured back in 20052010. Now. The legal battle is over Iran but the award doesn't seem to. Oh that's right the Supreme Court refused to take Argentina's appeal largely to a couple of years ago he was district court judge. -- -- I mean Argentina was ordered a long time ago to behave this that'll -- unedited right holdout creditors. The question was sergeant how do you enforce that and that is how do you make cars that causes is having because of contain. Chose to write that bones and a new -- Bryant an annual general issued these -- way back when the market was uncertain enough about Argentina as a credit to the -- some assurances -- -- Issaquah. What happened government buying new York law you know be in the US. What could go wrong wrong when I mean as a and it turns out a lot and and right and as I say the real issue was. How to of these creditors get -- to pay a couple of years ago a judge came up with a very sort of creative ways to look. If you pay anything you pay the exchange on hold. Visited new -- also have to okay. The old box. And if you don't do that. In an interview with the trustee and all the other people the banks and payment system if you help from. Do otherwise you're going to be in contempt of court which which really sort of ties have regrets and that's really now this legal process that confident because the Supreme Court. That Washington Argentina kill all of these you went. So they they sit there and -- an area so it's open legally as but. You go Cristina Fernandez. He basically saying we will -- be extorted -- we're not enemies objective this kind of pressure now right so. What does that mean right well. Last week there was legal memo. Leaked Argentina's lawyers did a memo for their clients and look here are your options -- -- options was. Default on all the pounds restructure -- leading the New England including the exchange. Restructure them issued them again outside the reach of US courts outside of the United States. So you're not gonna be subject theoretically to junction all the stuff that's been going to make them -- they have to get a lot of people use to some some other lol you know. Framework of -- plus that I think I think he was saying anybody in the US it sort of helps with the about a -- would mean something and want anyone else without -- process including probably or certainly the thankfully payment agent certainly anyone involved. Right in the restructuring. Would be subject to contempt of court. And nobody's gonna wanna touch that nobody in the US nobody -- that possibility he learned is that -- what other options that. Well I mean the option is to pay the option is I think the Supreme Court wishing -- best option is set -- when these headphones. Work that deal. Do it fast -- you gotta make payments fine with the grace period by the end of July so kept talking settle this thing that's going to be the best option for all concerned. All right thanks remotely that there will follow this story as it on line is probably slowly. And reliable breaking -- you tomorrow.


Weah becomes the 25th president of the west African nation.
George Weah emerged from Liberia's slums to become a superstar footballer in the 1990s, and has spent the last 13 years building political credibility to match his status as a sporting icon.
Weah, 51, put education, job creation and infrastructure at the centre of his policy platform to beat outgoing Vice President Joseph Boakai to the presidency, and expectations are sky-high he will deliver for the country's youthful population.
"I am a human being, I strive to be excellent, and I can be successful," Weah told journalists ahead of his inauguration, countering critics who say he is ill-prepared for office after serving in the Senate for just over three years.
The first African player to win both FIFA's World Player of the Year trophy and the Ballon d'Or, Weah was largely absent from Liberia during the 1989-2003 civil war period, playing for a string of top-flight European teams including Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan, and later Chelsea.
Weah becomes the 25th president of the west African nation, taking power from President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf after 12 years and completing its first democratic transition since 1944.
"We love him, we just love him," said mature student Moses Adams, as he watched Weah and his veterans' team play a friendly game against the army ahead of his inauguration.
"I expect big change. I expect our lives to be better. I expect prices of things to go down, and I expect schools to be given priority," Adams said.
Weah faces the challenges of a depressed export economy highly reliant on rubber and iron ore, and has pledged to make the country more self-sufficient by transforming the agriculture sector and providing vocational training.
Sirleaf maintained a peace desperately needed after a war that killed a quarter of a million people, but extreme poverty remains the norm for most Liberians.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has likened Weah's life to a film script, while the former striker has described Wenger as a "father figure" who stood by him as he faced racist attacks in Europe.
Wenger signed Weah in 1988 when he was manager of Monaco, guiding his career for the next four years, and views the 1995 FIFA world player of the year as a shining example to the rest of the game.
"I remember when I saw him for the first time in Monaco, coming in a bit lost, not knowing anybody, not being rated by anybody as a player and after, in 1995, becoming the best player in the world," Wenger said in January.
"Now he's president of his country -- it's an unbelievable story. But it's down to the fact that one thing that was common in George's attitude is being strong mentally, absolutely unbelievably convinced that he has a mission."
Younger voters have overwhelmingly favoured Weah, helping to propel him to power, but they are expecting quick results.
"The expectation of the people and the country is all up to him (Weah). Everybody believes that if he fails us, the majority will be disappointed with politics," said Samuel Harmon, 30, a street trader.
Critics however accuse Weah's Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) of having too vague a political platform, and have challenged his long absences from the senate since being elected in a 2014 race he won over Sirleaf's son.
Weah has also fended off barbs over his vice presidential pick, Jewel Howard-Taylor, the ex-wife of jailed former president and warlord Charles Taylor.
Howard-Taylor is also a respected senator in her own right, and brought him important votes in the key county of Bong. Along with Sirleaf, she is one of few powerful women in Liberian public life.
Weah is married to Clar Weah, and their son Timothy signed a professional football contract with Paris Saint-Germain in July 2017.


A peripatetic seismologist and son of McCamey has been hired to figure out whether oil and gas drilling is causing earthquakes in Texas. No matter what he says, some people will not believe him.
David Craig Pearson remembers the first time he felt the earth tremble beneath his feet. Mother Nature wasn’t to blame. The U.S. military was.
Pearson stood on the White Sands Missile Range, a sprawling base in south-central New Mexico, on that day some three decades ago. Federal Department of Defense workers fired off a weapons test. Pearson, then a wide-eyed doctoral student, recorded the earthquake it triggered.
“Since then, I was hooked,” he said in an interview.
Pearson went on to a ground-shaking career. His resume reflects 13 years at Los Alamos National Laboratory, which sent him many places where experts were blowing things up: Nevada (nuclear and chemical weapons tests), Wyoming and Indiana (coal mines), Kazakhstan (decommissioning a former Soviet nuclear test site), to name a few. He interpreted valuable information about how the ground moved.
In 2008 and 2009, a series of three earthquakes shook the Dallas-Fort Worth area with magnitudes as high as 3.3. Researchers at Southern Methodist University and the University of Texas at Austin concluded that local disposal wells were a “plausible" cause, though they found it “puzzling” that the tremors were concentrated in just one or two locations in a region that had more than 200 disposal wells.
In a study published in August 2012, Cliff Frohlich, a UT-Austin seismologist, found that most reliably located earthquakes in the Barnett Shale occur within two miles of one or more injection wells.
The explanation isn’t good enough for some agency critics, who won't buy any assessment that comes out of an agency that so reluctantly responded to the problem. That includes Zac Trahan, the statewide program director at Texas Campaign for the Environment, who said believes the agency hired Pearson simply to “paper over” the quake issue – pretending to act while doing little.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this story cited Pearson's job application, which said he made $130,000 per month as a ranch manager. That document contained incorrect information. He made $130,000 per year at the job.
Disclosure: The University of Texas at Austin is a corporate sponsor of The Texas Tribune. Southern Methodist University was a sponsor in 2013. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.


In an unusual and personal announcement, Mr. Buffett said the resignation followed revelations that Mr. Sokol had purchased roughly $10 million in shares of a chemicals company that Berkshire recently agreed to buy at the suggestion of Mr. Sokol, Lubrizol Corp.
Mr. Buffett said Mr. Sokol, 54 years old, had bought 96,060 shares in January, before Berkshire reached a $9 billion deal to acquire the company. Berkshire's purchase price of $135 per share meant that Mr. Sokol's stake rose $3 million in value.
Mr. Buffett said he and Mr. Sokol didn't feel the Lubrizol purchases were "in any way unlawful."
The SEC is reviewing the Berkshire press release and considering whether to launch an investigation, a person familiar with the matter said Wednesday.
Mr Sokol is, predictibly, going to spend more time with his family, presumably complaining about being fired.
You frequently see problems like this at family owned companies: the children get tired of waiting for Dad to die, and start freelancing. The problem is presumably worse at Berkshire Hathaway, because Warren Buffett isn't their father, and he's very long-lived. I interviewed Bill Gross last week for an upcoming column, and one of the things he said is that investing is very intense work, and Warren Buffett is one of the few people who can keep it up forever: he sits in his office in Omaha, he reads the papers and his annual reports, and if he feels like investing in something he does; otherwise, he just sits on the cash. He doesn't have to constantly react to volatile markets.
That's ideal for keeping Buffett alive and active for a long time, but it's a big problem for succession planning. Sure, Buffett's getting older, and he can't last forever. But at this point, the folks on the short list to succeed him may feel the same way.


Getting with the program could have unintended consequences.
When you unnecessarily demonize certain foods, or macronutrients — for instance, adopting a very low-carb diet or severe calorie restriction — experts say it’s natural to become fixated on what you can’t have, rather than nourishing your body, and they contend that changes your relationship with food in negative ways. “With fad diets, food tends to become an enemy or something to be wrangled in, rather than being seen as nourishment for our bodies and a joyful part of life,” says Linsenmeyer, an instructor in the nutrition and dietetics department at Saint Louis University.
It doesn’t result in sustained weight loss — if that’s a goal.
Before changing how you eat to shed pounds, consider how quickly you’re going to purportedly lose that weight. “A safe rate of weight loss is about 1 to 2 pounds per week,” Linsenmeyer says. “Any time we see a diet promising faster rates of weight loss than that, it’s a red flag.” Increasingly, some experts — including many “non-diet” dietitians — view any kind of dieting in the traditional sense as extreme, and something to be avoided. That reflects a broader shift to focusing on eating patterns — rather than strict adherence to dietary programs — and also comes in response to concerns about a range of unhealthy eating behaviors and diagnosable eating disorders. Food is but one factor, too; exercise, sleep and stress all affect weight and overall health.
You might be jeopardizing your health.
Highly restrictive programs like the keto diet, which significantly slashes carbs so your body will be forced to burn fat, have drawn much criticism from dietitians. “If someone was doing one of these extreme diets, they could be altering their metabolism, like in the case of the keto diet that’s mimicking starvation,” Linsenmeyer says. Another worrisome trend is so-called water fasting, which some people do to cut weight fast. “It’s essentially consuming nothing but water — just not eating for extended periods of time,” like 24 hours or more, she says. This can drastically alter metabolism and lead to dangerous drops in blood sugar or blood pressure, heart arrhythmias or loss of consciousness, Linsenmeyer says.
You feel exhausted — day and night.
Anyone who’s ever been hangry — or so hungry you’re angry — knows how not getting needed sustenance can tank your mood. Besides having her energy sapped by restricting her diet, Slattery adds that “I was very cranky — always in a bad mood.” Going on restrictive diets can cause you to have low energy, not feel satisfied or always feel like you’re hungry and tired, says Samantha Osterhaus, a registered dietitian in Minneapolis and blogger at livemindfullywell.com.
Sometimes close adherence to a diet — to manage diabetes, for example — is critical, and it may mean that going out to a restaurant with friends requires a bit more planning. But though even healthy dietary changes can raise social challenges, when you’re tired and miserable because your body isn’t getting the nourishment it needs, it follows that you may not be in the mood to be social. “I wouldn’t want to do anything or hang out with anyone,” Slattery says of her experience. While Slattery is connected with friends and family, for others social isolation is a serious health issue — and any changes that make a person more antisocial can feed into that.
The simplest way Osterhaus puts it to her clients is that “it’s kind of like the big red button phenomenon, where the second that you tell yourself you can’t have something, that’s going to be what your body craves.” Not only can unnecessary dietary restrictions fuel an unhealthy relationship with food, when a person does “give in,” it can lead to overeating, experts say. A better way: “giving yourself permission to have food — all foods,” says Hannah Turnbull, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Denver and blogger at NourishedwithHannah.com. The point, experts say, is to strike a balance: emphasizing things like fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans and nuts, like with the traditional Mediterranean diet, instead of hard-and-fast exclusions.
You don’t feel good about yourself.
Before becoming a dietitian, Turnbull says she dabbled in dieting and struggled with disordered eating, from being really restrictive to not eating enough food. Today, she focuses on helping clients find that pleasure and joy in eating, rather than going on diets to try to manipulate their body or restrict foods to feel more in control. “Because it’s not about being ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ it’s about taking care of yourself,” Turnbull says. Dietitians stress the importance of focusing on the bigger picture, which goes beyond what’s on the plate. For those who suspect they may have an eating disorder or suffer from body image issues, experts say it’s critical to seek help from a mental health professional.


LEE COUNTY, Alabama — More than a dozen people have been confirmed dead after a series of tornadoes touched down in Alabama and Georgia on Sunday afternoon.
Fourteen people have died in Lee County, Alabama, according to Sheriff Jay Jones. Among the dead are both children and adults, he said.
At least 12 of those deaths occurred in an area about 5 to 6 miles south of Opelika, Alabama, Jones said.
“We have a pretty significant area of damage,” Jones told CNN’s Ana Cabrera. He estimated a path of destruction about half a mile wide stretched several miles to the east from where the tornado touched down.
Several people have been taken to a hospital with serious injuries, Jones said.
Authorities were prioritizing search and rescue efforts on Sunday evening, Jones said, but were hampered by the dwindling light.
Multiple homes suffered significant damage, Jones told WRBL, and multiple agencies are working to assist in the search for injured people inside residences.


A heavy metal festival in Wacken, Germany got fired up on Friday, but not from the show. Unknown perpetrators set the portable toilets on fire.
Authorities had to rescue 12 people sleeping in nearby tents, a police spokesperson said, adding that eight people were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.
PHOTO GALLERY: Click here to view photos of the Wacken heavy metal festival.
Police believe the fire was arson and the festival organizers have set a €1,000 reward in exchange for the identity of the homegrown pyrotechnics artist.
Some 70,000 metalheads are rocking out to 70 hard rocking bands at the sold-out Wacken Open Air festival in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Iron Maiden is headlining the self-proclaimed world's largest metal festival, which invades the tiny town of just 1,900 each year.


The Carter family were almost free of evil Stuart Highway when he was shot during a confrontation at the Queen Vic but it will take more than a bullet to finish off this EastEnders villain as he turns his injuries to his advantage by placing Mick squarely in the frame.
Stuart has always resented Mick because he had to do a prison stint while covering for him and he doesn’t believe Mick has ever repaid him – and now is his chance to put Mick behind bars and cause him to feel what he did during his time inside.
When the Carters hear that doctors are going to try and bring Stuart round, they are relieved on the whole – as it means that he can finally tell the truth about what happened. But let’s face it, honesty has never been Stuart’s priority.
Shirley, meanwhile, is sure that Dylan was behind the shooting and hatches a plan to prove it – but will she get more than she bargained for?
Stuart wakes up but Halfway can’t bring himself to be in the same room as his callous brother as he tells Whitney that he hates him for everything that he has done. However, Stuart’s daughter Zara persuades him to see Stuart – but Halfway is in for a shock when Stuart tells him that it was Mick who shot him.
As Stuart gives a statement to the police, Halfway races back to the Vic to warn Mick about what Stuart is saying. Linda and Mick question whether they should flee but decide against it and Mick decides to face the music. As Mick is taken away, some truths dawn on Halfway – but will he intervene?
The Carters are left reeling by this turn of events and determine to get Mick out while Linda storms to the hospital and accuses a smug Stuart of lying. However, the police intervene and usher her out and things get even worse when Zara backs up Stuart’s lies.
In prison, Mick calls Linda and begs for her to find him help for his bail hearing. But when he is given an inexperienced solicitor, it seems that he could be facing years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.
One to watch: Monday 17th September at 8pm on BBC One.


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Shaun Welford scored twice as Ashford United came from behind to win the Kent Reliance Senior Trophy at Maidstone on Sunday.
Danny Lye's side were trailing to a Laurence Collins goal inside two minutes against Cray Valley but top scorer Welford fired them level before half-time and then headed the winner with 11 minutes remaining.
United's win came at the third attempt, having lost 4-0 to Beckenham in 2013/14 and on penalties to Sheppey in last year's final, also at the Gallagher Stadium.
Only six players survived from the United squad which was on duty that day - George Kamurasi, Pat Kingwell, George Savage Ryan Palmer, Welford and Ben Davisson, though he missed out on this occasion through suspension.
Player-boss Lye was forced into three changes to the side which won 2-0 in the league at Whitstable on Tuesday with Richard Avery, Joe Vines and Matt Day cup all tied.
That led to starts for Savage and Palmer while Lye himself was named on the bench.
Cray made just one change from their last time out with Enoch Adjei replacing Jamie Miller.
United went into the game as favourites having beaten Cray three times already this season but they were behind inside two minutes 20 seconds after keeper George Kamurasi came for but did not claim Jason Thompson's free-kick from the left.
The ball broke to Valley skipper Jamie Wood whose miscued shot fell to Laurence Collins who swept home from 12 yards.
Welford threatened a swift equaliser heading against the post and the United top scorer was then picked out by Dave Botterill but stabbed his shot wide from close range.
Cray Valley's Aaron Rhule got in behind the United defence on 20 minutes but was unable to keep his feet and the chance went begging.
Six minutes later United were level. While Cray's defence hesitated expecting referee Ben Bowles to blow for a high challenge, Welford didn't, running on before drilling a low shot into the bottom corner from 15 yards.
A mistake by Valley scorer Collins then let Welford in moments later but having cleverly lobbed the ball over keeper Jordan Carey his shot was deflected wide.
Another defensive slip, this time by Ashley Sains, gave Welford another sight of goal in the 33rd minute but he fired into the side netting.
As United began to dominate Jason Goodchild fired wide from the edge of the box and Rory Hill should have given them a half-time lead when he broke clear only to pull his shot wide of the far post.
Rhule had Cray's only other chance of the half but was denied by Kamurasi who made a smart save but the Valley front man gave way to Ryan Fowler at half-time.
The break gave Valley time to regroup and they came out positively in the second half with United skipper Stuart West doing well to block from Adjei.
Adjei then sent over a terrific cross which was turned back across goal by Denzel Gayle with Ben Francis unable to get a touch.
Ashford's first chance of the half came just before the hour when Rory Hill's crisp low drive was well palmed away by Carey who then denied the same player with an equally smart save.
Moments later Valley scorer Collins had Kamurasi scampering across his goal with a well-struck effort which drifted just wide and on 64 minutes United defender Pat Kingwell got a vital block in to keep out Gayle's goalbound effort.
There was a real cut and thrust feel to the game at this stage but as the minutes ticked away so the contest became more cagey and extra time looked likely until Welford struck.
Savage's superb deep cross always had Cray keeper Carey struggling and when he failed to get there it gave Welford the chance to head into an empty net.
Hill almost made it 3-1 two minutes from time when his snap shot from 15 yards hit Carey in the chest without the keeper knowing too much about it.
Ashford: Kamurasi, Savage, Walker, Botterill, West, Kingwell, Palmer, Stubbs (Stone 69mins), Welford, Goodchild, Hill; Subs: Eldridge, Williams, Lavender, Lye.
Cray Valley: Carey, McDonagh, Smith, Wood(Gordon 69mins), Sains, Collins, Gayle, Thompson, Francis (Springett 82mins), Adjei, Rhule (Fowler, half-time); Subs: Fitzgerald, Young.


Despite this week's ceremony, Kim Jong Un could build a new site if more testing is required or dismantle the tunnels in a reversible manner.
WONSAN, North Korea — A group of foreign journalists arrived in North Korea on Tuesday to cover the dismantling of the country's nuclear test site later this week.
Technical experts were not invited, even though the United States has called for "a permanent and irreversible closure that can be inspected and fully accounted for." South Korean reporters were initially also scheduled to participate but weren’t granted visas by the North.
Pyongyang is allowing the limited access to the site to publicize its promise to halt underground tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles. It unilaterally announced that moratorium ahead of a summit between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump scheduled for June 12 in Singapore.
The eight South Korean journalists were excluded because Pyongyang has cut off high-level contact with Seoul to protest an exercise with the U.S. military — a protest the North's media reiterated Tuesday, saying saber-rattling and dialogue don't mix.
Such messages from the North and Trump's statements he is ready to call it all off have heightened concerns about the success of the summit and prompted South Korean President Moon Jae-in to travel to Washington, where he was to meet with Trump in Washington later Tuesday.
The group that arrived by charter flight from Beijing is made up of media from the U.K., Russia, China and the United States. The journalists, including an Associated Press Television crew, will stay at a hotel in this port city on North Korea's east coast before traveling by train to the site, which is in the northeastern part of the country.
The dismantling ceremony is expected to be held in the coming days, depending on the weather.
The North's decision to close the Punggye-ri nuclear test site has generally been seen as a welcome gesture by Kim Jong Un to set a positive tone ahead of his summit with Trump.
But it is mainly just a gesture.
The North has already conducted six underground tests at the site — including its most powerful ever, last September — and Kim told ruling party leaders last month that further testing is unnecessary.
North Korea could build a new site if it decides it needs more testing or could dismantle the tunnels into Punggye-ri's Mount Mantap in a reversible manner. Details of what will actually happen at the site are sparse, but Pyongyang's apparent plan to show the closure of the site to journalists, not international nuclear inspectors, has been raised as a matter of concern.
The North's decision to exclude the South Korean media, however, was a more troubling sign of discord.
The South Koreans were expected to participate in the trip, but were left behind in Beijing after the North refused to grant them visas. South Korea's government expressed regret over the decision, but said it still hopes the North's dismantling of the site proceeds as planned and proves to be a genuine step toward denuclearization.
The exclusion, a sharp departure from the conciliatory mood between the Koreas since the South hosted the Olympics in February, deepens a standoff that began last week when Pyongyang signaled it would cut off all high-level talks with Seoul in response to the joint military exercises.
The North claimed the exercises involved U.S. strategic nuclear assets — including nuclear-capable B-52 bombers — and violated the spirit of detente on the peninsula. Washington denies the bombers were part of the drills.
The North's official media slammed the drills again on Tuesday.
"If the U.S. and the South Korean authorities persist in the confrontation policy and war moves against [North Korea], oblivious of this fact, they will be held wholly accountable for all the ensuing consequences," said a commentary in the daily Minju Joson. "Dialogue and saber-rattling can never go together."
Along with its anger over the drills, Pyongyang has warned Kim might "reconsider" the U.S. summit over hard-line comments from Trump's new national security adviser, John Bolton.
Bolton suggested the North must denuclearize before it can receive any reciprocal benefits from Washington. Pyongyang insists the precondition for denuclearization is for the U.S. to end its "hostile policy."


Volunteers are highly valued and relied upon at the Art Museum. Volunteers contribute hundreds of hours, their energy and expertise that allow the museum to succeed in its goal of bringing culture and art education to the people of Wyoming. If you are interested in volunteering, take a look at the opportunities below and contact the corresponding Museum staff member.
We are currently building our Adult Volunteer Program. The main opportunities are in education, office assistance, marketing, and collections. Volunteers are also needed for special events. As a volunteer you will get to meet with artists, work with exhibitions, and explore the world of art. If you are interested please fill out the application form.
We are currently strategizing a revamped Teen Apprentice Program into the Teen Volunteer Program. If you know a young person between the ages of 12 and 17 who is interested in community service hours in a creative field please have them fill out the application form.
Docents receive museum training and provide critical support for the museum's programs, including Shelton Studio programs, museum tours and special programs and projects. As a docent, you will have the chance to meet artists whose works are on exhibit, enjoy the camaraderie and explore the world of art.
We are starting a Student Docent Program through the Museum and Archive Coalition, a registered student organization at the University of Wyoming. University students from all backgrounds and levels will receive training and give once per month tours of current museum exhibitions. Other opportunities exist to help with education and public programs, collections management and more.
If you’re interested in the docent program, first become a volunteer! You must log at least 15 hours of volunteer time in order to qualify for the docent trainings.


Ajay Kumar Alcatel A30 The Amazon-exclusive Alcatel A30 is an inexpensive unlocked phone with a nice display and recent Android software, but it falls short on performance and battery life.
Inexpensive. Crisp display. Current Android software. Expandable storage. Good network performance.
Outdated processor. Mediocre battery life. Poor camera. Amazon bloatware and advertising.
The Amazon-exclusive Alcatel A30 is an inexpensive unlocked phone with a nice display and recent Android software, but it falls short on performance and battery life.


As Penguin celebrates its 80th anniversary BRIAN MORTON examines its paperback designs and the artists who created them, along with cover art from successors such as Fontana, Picador and Paladin.
One of Penguin's greatest achievements was to make books that were collectable by ordinary people who could not afford fine bindings or esoteric limited editions. Founder Allen Lane and his brothers had a near-obsession with their design.
The publisher's most successful matrices make the books recognisable across a smoky club room or dusty hotel lounge. They were often devised by the company's brilliant chief designer Germano Facetti and developed by colleagues like Romek Marber, who created the grid for Penguin Crime.
Penguin used artists like Paul Hogarth, whose Graham Greene covers somehow define that slippery, uncertain world. Greene preferred imageless covers.
David Gentleman provided vivid images for Penguin's Shakespeare. Stephen Russ made beautiful cover patterns for the poetry series, while Alan Spain, Roger Mayne and others created a distinctive, almost solarised, look for Penguin Modern Poets.
Every series had its own collectable identity. The only slip-up came in 1967 when after art director Tony Godwin's departure, it was felt necessary to print "A PENGUIN BOOK" in heavy 36 point at the top of covers, as if anyone would have mistaken them for anything else.
No other house had quite Penguin's confidence in design. Pan Books, which began publication a decade after, in the mid 40s, were defined by a Mervyn Peake colophon of the god playing his pipes, a hint perhaps that here was a house that wasn't going to trouble you with books on microeconomics or English churches, presented with Mel Calman or John Piper drawings, but with something more sensuous and possibly sensual.
The Lanes were not averse to paganism, but only at their parties. Pan covers were a titillating muddle, but they sold books.
At the opposite extreme, but no less successful in their way, were the Fontana Modern Masters which began publication under Frank Kermode's editorship in the 1970s, combining seriousness, a quick-crib approach to major thinkers and a stunning simple visual device, which was that each group of books featured a tessellating cut-up of an abstract painting by Oliver Bevan.
Buy them all, lay them out on your table and you had a bit of modern art. Painterly abstraction and san-serif typeface seemed to go together and seemed to fit as well as Bevan's angles.
Oxford's Past Masters series struck a deliberately conservative and retrospective tone but never quite pulled off an effective rearguard.
Lucky Legs, Erle Stanley Gardner, Pan Books, 1960 | Cover by Sam Peffer, who also designed the James Bond paperback covers for Pan. Peffer died in 2014.
Picador emerged as an imprint in 1972, offering international writing in a trade (larger) format with striking artwork.
Paladin did likewise, with bright, bold illustrations, like Justin Todd's cover for composer Michael Tippett's trendy Moving Into Aquarius deliberately targeting the kind of audience that collected rock album covers as well as one that might listen to Radio 3.
But it was Penguin which continued to perfect the idea of cheap books as items that might be collected and displayed.
The Penguin Modern Classics series pioneered the use of modern art - sometimes taken well out of context - as a visual parallel to the book's content: Facetti put Francis Newton Souza's Two Saints In A Landscape on the cover of G. V. Desani's hilarious All About H. Hatterr, and Ben Shahn's Ambassador Satchmo drawings for the cover of Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, a more probable association than the former but both of them effective.
For many, reading Penguins was also the beginning of an education in art history.
BBC News: How are book jackets designed?


JJ Alejandro put on a show in the fourth period to help National University stay alive in the UAAP basketball tournament with a masterful 81-73 victory over fifth seed La Salle yesterday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Trailing by two, 53-51, early in the fourth period Alejandro scored 14 straight points, including three rainbow shots to push the Bulldogs into the driver’s seat, 65-58, with 5:51 left in the game.
The former Mapua Red Robin spiked his fourth quarter eruption with a three point play to give the Bulldogs their biggest lead of the game, 71-62 with 3:18 remaining in the game.
The Green Archers had one more fight left in them as they were able to cut the lead to just two, 75-73 following a Thomas Torres three pointer with 44 seconds left in the game.
However, Alfred Aroga responded with a three-point play with 40 seconds left as the Archers improved to 5-7 and move half a game behind La Salle which is now toting a 5-6 record.
“Everytime he (Alejandro) plays well for us, it’s a lot easier for us. Sometimes our defense is there but we lack the offensive firepower. Everytime he plays like that it makes it easier for us,” said National University coach Eric Altamirano.
“I was very proud of the boys with how we responded. I saw the resiliency of the boys. We were able to regroup and get back in the game,” he added.
Alejandro in total finished with a career high 25 points, making eight of his 13 shots. Pao Javelona added 14 points and five rebounds.
In the first game, Far Eastern University once again played with fire but somehow avoided getting burnt in the end as it outlasted Adamson University, 82-69.
The Tamaraws improved to 10-1, moving just a win away from clinching the first twice-to-beat advantage in the tournament.
Leading comfortably for most of the game, the Falcons opened the fourth period with a 14-2 run behind the hot shooting of Jerome Garcia to trim the lead down to four, 68-64 with 6:14 remaining in the game.
But showing the composure that have steered them to big victories in most of their rallies, the Tamaraws responded with a backbreaking 12-0 run of their own.
Displaying their depth, five different players contributed in that run as they suddenly opened an 80-64 with three minutes left following a Raymar Jose lay-up.
“When Adamson made a run and nagkaron ng timeout, I didn’t even talk to the players. I held them responsible for the run of Adamson and hinintay na namin na gumawa sila ng paraan. They were able to talk to each other and all of a sudden we got the lead again,” said FEU coach Nash Racela.
Another big thing that his boys did today was stop Papi Sarr.
The last time these two teams faced, Sarr torched them for 26 points and 22 rebounds, with the Falcons almost stealing a victory in that match.
But the Tamaraws came into the match prepared as they limited Sarr to just four points and eight rebounds, limiting his touches and forcing him to turn the ball over four times.
“Last game, Sarr had 26 and 22. We really focused on him, we had four or five games na nagmatch-up sa kanila kanina. We were satisfied that we were able to execute the defensive game plan on Sarr,” Racela added.


Ten years ago at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California, I sat across from Steve Jobs and suggested that asking a generation of music fans raised on Napster and Kazaa to pay 99 cents a song was going to be a tough sell. He argued that for practicality and karma, people would rather pay for music than steal it and that, until the release of the just-launched iTunes Music Store, stealing had been their best option. In retrospect, we were both right: 25 billion downloads later, the iTunes Store thrives, yet the perception that music is free hasn't waned. The notion of stealing music seems quaint now; stealing implies something has value in the first place.
What Jobs and the major players in the record business did a decade ago in putting a 99-cent price on a song was to effectively attach the same value to "Blowin' in the Wind" as a Big Gulp or two loosies from a New York bodega. From 99 cents, there was nowhere to go but down. Jay-Z grabbed headlines by offering a million downloads of his new album via an app — which, as it turns out, might have been a story more about data-mining than music. Jay-Z offered Samsung "content." Content? A song is something that can break your heart or raise your heart rate. A song can change the direction of your day or make you reconsider your marriage. Now you get one — often a new one from a major artist — in exchange for a retweet.
Originally, we were stick-up men stealing from drug dealers. We stole music because paying $17.99 for albums with two good songs felt like we were being robbed. But over time, we let our thirst for revenge turn us into ingrates. We sample instead of consume. We graze instead of listen. We complain about the quality of music and act inconvenienced by the sheer quantity of it when the same things that have made music worthless have made the experience of listening to music exponentially better. Everything is searchable. Everything is sharable. And "If you like" are now the three most powerful words in music — how often have you searched for one song and come away with ten others and a new favorite band? Well, that new favorite band is totally fucked. The new music economy has broken the unwritten code between musician and fan. We take more than we give, which isn't how an artist/patron relationship is supposed to work.
This summer at Bonnaroo, I sat on a panel with Dwight Yoakam and the young Nashville singer-songwriter Jonny Fritz. I asked a question I already knew the answer to: "Dwight, is there any chance today a guy like Jonny could have your kind of career… accomplish the kind of…" They both shook their heads before I completed the sentence. Fritz makes ends meet through leather work — he's got a better chance of selling a guitar strap than an album. And real patronage isn't crowd funding. Kickstarter, which has turned musicians into self-promotional shakedown artists, isn't something anyone should be proud of. Musician-artist Amanda Palmer's famous "The Art of Asking" TED Talk was somehow both naive and condescending. The art of "letting" fans pay instead of "making" them? Please. Radiohead can "let" them pay. Perhaps even Amanda Palmer can "let" them pay. But your new secret discovery on Spotify can't do that.
Music will once again have to be paid for. It will once again need to have a price — not an optional donation but a value you're forced to either accept or reject. Without a price, there's nothing at stake, and if there's nothing at stake with a song, then there isn't any point in listening.


by Hilton Hater at November 17, 2006 8:29 am .
What does a fiery crotch do when it's used up every guy on the planet? Turn to the fairer gender, of course.
It was only a matter of time before Lindsay Lohan realized she could lock lips - and other body part - with women. Run and hide now, ladies - there's no way fashion designer Donna Karan is the final female to experience Lindsay's skanky wrath.
Lohan is probably more desperate than ever now that news is surfacing of ex-boyfriend Harry Morton spending a night with her sworn enemy. No, not self-respect.
If this pair really is knocking boots, we almost feel bad for Lindsay. And for Nicky Hilton. As the ultimate act of vengence, Paris' sister is probably next on Lohan's lesbian tour.


SCOTT McDONALD is set to cap off a dream debut season with Celtic by winning a new four-year contract with the Parkhead side.
The 24-year-old has made a huge impact since his £600,000 summer switch from Motherwell and he netted his 30th goal of the season in a 2-1 win over his former side last week.
That rising form has made him a £6million target for Premiership predators Newcastle with a host of other English sides eyeing up the Australian, above.
bidding war between Premiership sides, they are set to kick off talks with McDonald this week on extending his stay until 2012.
McDonald penned a three-year deal when he joined his boyhood heroes in the summer but is on substantially less than some of the club’s high earning flops such as Bobo Balde and Thomas Gravesen.
And, while there is no desperate need for Celtic to tie down McDonald with more than two years left on his existing deal, they don’t want to risk losing their prized asset.
McDonald could easily command a salary of £25,000-a-week at any Premiership side but is keen to pledge his future to the club he supported as a youngster growing up in Melbourne.
The news that both parties are showing a willingness to commit long-term is a timely title boost to Celtic.
Fans have taken McDonald to their hearts as the new hero to take over from Henrik Larsson.
Ironically, it was the six-times capped international’s late double that denied Celtic the title on the final day in 2005 – goals that prompted a failed bid from Rangers to sign him 18 months ago.


In the last year, GORDON PARKS has written a ballet, has won two awards, has had his 1969 film, ''The Learning Tree,'' selected for the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress and has a major retrospective of his photographs touring Europe. He is talking with the Soviets about making a movie there and is writing his 14th book.
Mr. Parks, 77 years old, will pick up another honor when the International Center of Photography gives him its Lifetime Achievement Award on April 23. ''I.C.P. serves a purpose for people struggling in the field,'' he said.
Mr. Parks's career began in 1942 with the Farm Security Administration. He did fashion photography for Vogue and Glamour and went to Life magazine in 1948, staying there for 24 years. He is negotiating to do a film on Pushkin in the Soviet Union and is writing ''Voices in the Mirror,'' an autobiography, for Doubleday.
This spring, Mr. Parks, who didn't graduate from high school, will pick up his 24th honorary doctorate.


On a drizzly day last week, ducks glided along the Audubon Park lagoon, paddling past a green-and-white wooden gazebo during the dedication of the Stanley W. Ray Jr. Meditation Area, set on a knoll surrounded by sturdy oaks and the rolling landscape of the golf course.
Light rain enhanced the serenity of the pastoral scene, perfectly in keeping with the philosophy of Audubon Park's landscape architect and the intent of the gazebo's benefactor.
"This is exactly what Stanley would have wanted," said Conrad Meyer IV, a trustee for the Stanley W. Ray Jr. Trust, which paid to redo the gazebo. Meyer's father and Ray were best friends. Ray died of a heart attack in 1970.
Abe Kupperman, 89, attended Tulane University Law School with Ray in the 1930s and spoke at Thursday's ribbon-cutting ceremony in the peaceful setting. "Don't be surprised. Stanley might show up!" Kupperman said mischievously.
Kupperman's family donated several benches and saplings to a site a few steps north of the gazebo, known as The Kupperman Overlook, where he often took his two sons and six grandchildren to feed the birds.
The refurbished gazebo is a far cry from the termite-ridden structure that also suffered damage from Hurricane Katrina. The Audubon Nature Institute dismantled the crumbling gathering spot, taking its vintage materials to the institute's mill shop to be used as a template for the new shelter, which is made with weather-resistant, pressure-treated wood. Unable to find the original blueprints, the institute's construction project manager, Robert Schumacher, commissioned an architect to create new drawings for a replica.
The gazebo is identical to three others at the opposite end of the park, near St. Charles Avenue. They appear in original plans submitted in 1899 by the Olmsted Brothers, landscape architects in Brookline, Mass.
Frederick Law Olmsted, creator of New York City's Central Park, pioneered the concept of a large urban park at the turn of the century, spawning the City Beautiful movement. He favored a naturalistic setting, rather than formal gardens or structures, to help counteract the stresses of city life.
Olmsted's nephew, John Charles Olmsted -- also considered one of the nation's most prominent landscape architects -- took charge of the New Orleans project and proposed that the "embellishment of Audubon Park be typical of the State of Louisiana, its climate, soil, tree and flower growth." His concept included a lake, which was later transformed into a lagoon, meandering through the park.
But John Charles Olmsted's million-dollar plan faced financial obstacles. Several years later, he submitted a more modest proposal that included the bandstand and music court, underwritten by a $25,000 bequest from Isidore Newman, whose son, Jacob K. Newman, persuaded the state Legislature in 1915 to pass a $100,000 bond issue for excavation and landscaping.
The lagoon was filled with water in 1918. Soon after, private donations paved the way for construction of four octagonal gazebos with green umbrella-shaped roofs and slatted wooden benches, which charmed park visitors.
"I can't tell you how many people tell me what it means to them," said Ron Forman, president and CEO of Audubon Nature Institute. "It's their escape." The newly dedicated meditation area is a spot where New Orleanians can soothe their souls, Forman said. "This is almost therapy," he said. "When this city has rough times, they need a place to go."
Forman, who has worked for Audubon Institute for 37 years, has a personal connection to the place. His first job, at age 8 or 9, he said, was tying up swan paddle boats rented to navigate the lagoon.
The plaque along the new gazebo's roof line states: "Dedicated to the Memory of Stanley W. Ray Jr. 1915-1970. He loved New Orleans and cared for its children."
Ray married twice, but never had children of his own. He and his two siblings became orphans when their parents were killed in an automobile accident on U.S. 90. Wanting to keep the family together, he was a college student when he assumed responsibility for raising his teenage siblings, Meyer said. Ray's endowment has underwritten causes that support children, including a playground, and provided scholarships for students who have lost their parents.
Ray attended Jesuit High School and had a part-time job at The Times-Picayune, writing about school sporting events. Kupperman recalled that while in law school together, Ray had little interest in law, but had an aptitude for business.
"He was very promotional-minded," Kupperman said. As editor of an alternative entertainment magazine for Tulane students, Ray organized Friday nights at The Blue Room nightclub at the Roosevelt Hotel. "He was always a very active person," Kupperman said.
After serving in the Army Air Corps in World War II, Ray returned to New Orleans and started up several of the first black radio stations in Gulf South, including WBOK-AM in New Orleans and stations in Houston and Mobile, Meyer said.
"The Stanley W. Ray Jr. Trust should be commended for playing a leadership role here at Audubon Park," Forman said. "Through the restoration of this beautiful spot, the Trust has created a lasting tribute that will honor the memory of a great New Orleanian for years to come."


Hampshire V Middlesex Cricket pre-season friendly - Jamie Fuller.
HAMPSHIRE signings Keith Barker and Jamie Fuller took seven wickets between them as Middlesex were reduced to 90-8 on the second and final day of their pre-season friendly at The Ageas Bowl.
Fuller top scored with an unbeaten 30 (45 balls), as Hampshire were bowled out for 102 in their second innings.
Captain James Vince (14) and Aneurin Donald (17) were the only other players to reach double figures as Steven Finn (6-0-26-2), Toby Roland-Jones (6-3-7-1), Tom Helm (6-3-17-2), James Harris (6-5-5-1) and Ethan Bamber (7-2-9-2) ripped through the home team’s batting line-up.
But Barker (6-5-4-3)and Fuller (6-2-13-4) were outstanding in reply.
Barker shared the new ball with Gareth Berg (7-3-8-0) and dismissed Nick Gubbins, who was caught by Sam Northeast in his fourth over, before trapping John Simpson and England one-day captain Eoin Morgan lbw for ducks.
Fuller had Max Holden (12) and Ollie Rayner (10) caught behind before dismissing Ben Scott and Rob White in successive overs.
Liam Dawson (4-0-7-1) claimed the last wicket to fall.
Next up for Hampshire is another two-day friendly against Sussex at Hove, starting on Monday.
That is followed by a three-day friendly against Oxford MCCU in The Parks from March 31 until April 2.
Hampshire begin their season with a Specsavers County Championship match against Essex at The Ageas Bowl on Friday, April 5.


Outside of Tom Hiddleston's villainous Loki returning in The Avengers after his introduction in Thor as the primary villain, Marvel Studios has kept a sealed lid on any official information regarding the other baddies that Earth's Mightiest Heroes will have to battle against. In fact, we haven't really seen too much of the principal cast leaked online either.
Along with the button at the end of Captain America: The First Avenger, eager fans were given their first real look at The Avengers roster during Comic-Con when Marvel released character posters for the team, that could fit together, forming a larger image. Today, we have a few more pieces of artwork, depicting the team posing together, fighting together and a little more.
The recent onslaught of set photos and videos of the final weeks of shooting The Avengers in Cleveland may at first, appear to offer plenty, but in reality we only got a good look at two heroes we already knew about with some potential spoilers regarding Loki's "army" and the vehicles they use. All of the months of production before it gave rise to no spoilers at all so there's still plenty of surprises left to come... that is, if the leaked images from the cancelled Avengers movie tie-in game didn't spoil it already. Then again, anyone who's been paying attention knows who the other villains of Joss Whedon's film will be anyway.
Today, check out this new video highlighting The Avengers roster and the cast of actors playing them - then follow that with a look at some promo artwork of the Avengers standing together.
When you step back and really think about these images, these actors and the characters they're playing on the silver screen, it's hard to fathom that it's really happening. Marvel has successfully brought to life Iron Man, Captain America and Thor and they're actually going to join forces to fight the biggest threat we've seen in the movies to date. Enjoy it, fans. It's been a long time coming.


The largest gold nugget found goes for $400,000 at auction.
*The times of wearing gold till it looks like you’ve “O G’ed” are long behind us. But, gold is still garnering major dollars at the auction.
The auctioneer pulled out a huge “nugget” for bidders and it looked like something out of the gold rush … or Mars.


Chillin' in the backseat is this little kid superstar Jules. He catches the singing bug and belts out "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the top of his lungs. Although that's not the only song he sings because this kid is all about the mashups. Via Caters Clips .


Local students benefiting from UB's School Supply Drive.
At the start of every new school year the Office of Community Relations works with offices and departments campus-wide to collect school supplies that are then donated to schools throughout the City of Buffalo.
A very popular initiative on campus, the School Supply Drive involves partnership with over 40 departments and collects over 17 thousand items provided by our generous employees. Our office distributes the supplies to elementary and middle schools in the City of Buffalo.
Baird Research Park: Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships, 1576 Sweet Home Rd., Amherst.
Baldy Hall: School of Social Work, 685 Baldy Hall.
Capen Hall: Office of the President, fifth floor reception area; Office of the Provost, fifth floor reception area; Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, 406 Capen Hall; Honors College, 106 Capen; Office of the Registrar, 232 Capen; Undergraduate Libraries (Silverman Library); Professional Staff Senate, 543 Capen; Career Services, 259 Capen; Office of Admissions, 12 Capen; 1 Capen, lobby area.
Crofts Hall: Procurement Services, University Business Services, 224 Crofts; Human Resources, Customer Service, Organizational Development and Training, 120 Crofts; Communications, 330 Crofts.
Ellicott Complex: Parking & Transportation, Data Analytics, 102 Spaulding Quad; Office of Financial Aid, 115a Porter Quad; Campus Dining & Shops, 146 Fargo Quad.
Jacobs Hall: School of Management, 160 Jacobs.
Lockwood Library: University Libraries, second floor circulation area.
Norton Hall: Center for Educational Innovation 9 Norton; Student Support Services, 220 Norton.
O’Brien Hall: University Libraries, Law Library, second floor circulation.
Park Hall: College of Arts and Sciences, 207A Park.
Student Union: Office of Student Engagement, 235 Student Union; Intercultural Diversity Center, 240 Student Union; Student Life, 150 Student Union.
The Commons, Technology Transfer, Suite 109.
Talbert Hall: Office of Admissions, 220 Talbert.
Abbott Hall: Health Sciences Library, first floor circulation area.
Farber Hall: Department of Biochemistry, 140 Farber.
Harriman Hall: Office of Annual Giving, 303 Harriman Hall.
Hayes Hall: School of Architecture and Planning, 121 Hayes.
Kimball Tower: University Development and School of Public Health and Health Professions, 410 Kimball.
Michael Hall: Student Health and Wellness, 111 Michael Hall.
Parker Hall: Community Relations, 120 Parker.
Squire Hall: School of Dental Medicine, reception lobby.
Wende Hall: School of Nursing, 201 Wende.
Downtown Gateway – Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, 77 Goodell St., Suite 201.
Educational Opportunity Center: Alumni Affairs and Student Development, 555 Ellicott St., 407 EOC.
New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, 701 Ellicott St., first floor lobby and reception area.
Tissues, hand soap, cleaning supplies, book bags, crayons and pencils, notebooks, folders, scissors, glue sticks, erasers, rulers, highlighters, index cards, binders, pens, makers, planners, and calculators.
Please click the button below to sign up your office or department to participate in the drive.


Vimeo will release Spike Lee's newest film Da Sweet Blood of Jesus in a deal that highlights the increasing acceptance of online distribution for first-run films.
NEW YORK (TheStreet) - Spike Lee will release his newest film Da Sweet Blood of Jesus exclusively on Vimeo, the video-sharing and rental site owned by Barry Diller's IAC Interactive (IACI in a deal that highlights the increasing acceptance of online distribution for first-run films at a time when box-office sales are declining.
Lee's Da Sweet Blood of Jesus, which was financed in part through the crowd-funding site Kickstarter, won't appear in theaters for a month, giving Vimeo exclusive rights to rent or sell the film as a video-on-demand. The price of a 24-hour rental is $9.99 while a download is $14.99. Gravitas Ventures will release the film theatrically on Feb. 13.
Part of the attraction for Lee is that Vimeo takes only 10% of revenue generated by a video or film shown on its site compared to Google's (GOOG - Get Report) YouTube, which retains 45% of sales, and Apple's (AAPL - Get Report) iTunes, which keeps 30%. It also allows Lee, a longtime critic of the studio system, an alternate means of distribution for a low-budget film, an option more filmmakers are likely to pursue as financing becomes challenging.
"What Lee's doing is rewarding his most loyal fans," said Kerry Trainor, Vimeo's CEO in an interview at the company's New York offices. "It's almost as if the digital sneak preview is becoming a distribution strategy."
The deal between Vimeo, which has a global audience of 170 million viewers, and Spike Lee, one of the country's best-known film directors, follows Sony's (SNE - Get Report) Pictures' decision to release The Interview online on Christmas Eve, a day before it debuted nationally in 331 independent theaters.
Although The Interview's release occurred within the chaos and panic prompted by a massive cyber attack on the studio, it brought in more than $31 million in online rentals and sales, in addition to over $5 million at the box office, demonstrating the potential of simultaneous digital and theatrical distribution, a strategy known in the movie industry as a day-and-date release.
Lee's distribution deal with Vimeo goes a step further than a day-and-date release by seeking to capitalize on VOD sales, in contrast to box-office sales, which fell 5.2% in the U.S. in 2014 to $10.4 billion, according to Box Office Mojo. Vimeo has some experience with day-and-date releases having handled the distribution a year ago for The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz, which premiered at Sundance 2014.
But film studios have historically balked at the prospect of day-and-date releases, fearing that a VOD release would cannibalize box office sales. A theatrical release is widely viewed as essential to generate publicity about a film which in turn fuels future video-on-demand sales. A simultaneous release, the thinking goes, could jeopardize both revenue streams.
Yet Trainor counters that in the new world of social media and digital platforms, Spike Lee's die-hard fans will spread word of Da Sweet Blood of Jesus, a love story starring Stephen Tyrone Williams and Zaraah Abrahams that reinterprets Bill Gunn's 1973 film Ganja & Hess, by generating grassroots interest that historically was provided by a theatrical release and movie reviews.
"Why not put it out first to your most ardent fans who will probably pay a premium?" Trainor said. "Your most ardent fans are going to buy it first so why not control that process, do it direct, use your own social channels, e-mail and release it on your own."
In recent years, independent studios such as IFC Films and Magnolia Pictures, which generally buy movies that are unlikely to play at national theater chains, have regularly released movies as day-and-dates. Magnolia, for example, with Lars von Trier's Melancholia was made distributed on VOD even before its theatrical release. Larger studios have also begun to selectively use the strategy.
Arbitrage, starring Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon, was released in 2012 by Roadside Attractions and Lions Gate Entertainment (LGF , grossing about $8 million at the box office and $14 million on VOD, while the Weinstein Co's Radius-TWC had a similar experience with the comedy Bachelorette starring Kristen Dunst, which made less than $500,000 at the box office but generated $8.3 million through VOD.
Vimeo, which prides itself on not showing advertising prior to its videos or on much of its website, is betting on the film industry becoming more comfortable with debuting movies on VOD. Rather than trying to surpass YouTube, which has an audience greater than 850 million, Trainor says Vimeo is seeking to expand its inventory of films and videos, both short and long, for rent, download or free.
from mobile games, video, music and location-based services surpassed $9 billion last year, its compound annual growth rate reaching 50% since 2011, according to SNL Kagan.
Releasing films digitally is the next step, he said, in the progression from a theatrical-only release to paid video-on-demand to subscription VOD services such as Netflix (NFLX - Get Report) .
"This is the evolution of windowing," Trainor said. "We're just starting to see these types of integrated distribution strategies start to emerge."


“Our defense relationship [with Vietnam] is strong and represents one of the strongest pillars in our multifaceted bilateral relationship,” the assistant defense secretary for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs said today.
On a different type of cooperation, Schriver said he’s appreciative of Vietnam’s willingness to allow access by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Research and Investigation team for recovery operations of persons missing during the Vietnam War.
Schriver said the U.S. and Vietnam share a common interest “in promoting a rules-based order, protection of sovereignty, individual rights of countries, no matter their size and our shared concern that there’s a potential erosion of a rules-based order, one that has allowed all nations in the Indo-Pacific to rise and prosper.
“The region is increasingly confronted with a more assertive, confident China that is willing to accept friction in the pursuit of its interests,” he said, citing China’s militarization of islands in the South China Sea as an example.


The new year is a time for clearing out bad habits and starting new resolutions, but it’s also time for a whole brand new lineup to hit our TVs. We’ve known Daredevil would premiere a little early this year, thanks to leaks a few weeks ago, but this week Netflix took the promos a step further and released the first trailer for Daredevil Season 2. You can give it a watch, below.
The dark and ominous tone of the trailer is in a lot of ways reminiscent to the first trailer for Season 6 Game of Thrones put out a few weeks ago. Odd images from Matt Murdock’s past play out on the screen while we get some voiceover narrative from the characters on the show. The trailer ends with glass breaking thanks to a new threat, and while it doesn’t reveal a lot, it is bone chilling and at the end we learn Daredevil Season 2 will officially hit the schedule on Friday, March 18.
In addition, Marvel and Netflix have released the official synopsis for Season 2, which focuses on the additions of The Punisher, who will be played by Jon Bernthal, and Elektra, who will be played by Elodie Yung.
We've known the Punisher and Elektra would be big draws for a while now, and we've even heard a little bit about how Frank Castle will be introduced on the series, so beyond the trailer none of this is super new news, although I find that part about a "life-altering choice" to be really intriguing. And if all of that isn't enough to tide you over before Daredevil Season 2 moves forward, the subscription streaming service also released a new poster for the upcoming episodes.
The trailer and premiere announcement comes just a few days after early reports indicated that Marvel and Netflix might cheekily decide to release Daredevil on the same day that DC and Warner Bros. have planned to release Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Obviously, those rumors haven't held up, and Daredevil will only have the usual TV superhero competition to face off against when it hits the schedule on Friday, March 18 at 12:01 a.m. PT. In addition to the big Daredevil release announcement, you can check out when the rest of your favorites will be returning with our midseason TV premiere schedule.


SOFIA, Bulgaria – At the end of its first week in office, Bulgaria's interim government is facing its first serious challenge with the expectation that the Corporate Commercial Bank, or Corpbank, won't repay a $150 million bond maturing this Friday.
If it doesn't, then Bulgaria's fourth-biggest lender will have defaulted on its bonds, further fueling the economic and political crisis in the European Union's poorest country.
The crisis at the bank, which has been closed since it was hit by a weeklong bank run in June, has added to the woes of the Balkan country and even prompted a rebuke from the bloc's executive branch, the European Commission.
Corpbank has been under the control of the central bank since June after rumors of liquidity shortfalls and of shady deals by Corpbank's main owner prompted clients to withdraw more than a fifth of deposits. An audit was launched and the bank's day-to-day operations were halted.
Ivan Iskrov, the governor of the central bank, said key documents for loans worth $2.5 billion have most likely been destroyed, adding that most of the loans were linked to parties related to the bank's main shareholder, Tsvetan Vasilev, who is in Austria.
Last week, Moody's downgraded the bond to a notch above junk level after the bank missed an interest payment in July. It also noted that the preliminary results of the audit "indicate that Corpbank is likely to incur significant losses and, as a result, experience a larger capital shortfall than previously anticipated."
Bulgaria's Parliament, which was dissolved on Wednesday until a new one is elected in a snap poll on Oct. 5, has so far failed to adopt measures to rescue the bank, fueling the uncertainty over whether depositors and bondholders will be protected. Lawmakers have already rejected a government plan that included raising new sovereign debt to finance Corpbank's rescue.
The Socialist-led government of Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski resigned last month, the second government to quit in less than 18 months. Massive public discontent and a fragile parliamentary support hindered its efforts to impose needed reforms.
According to Lachezar Bogdanov from economic consultancy Industry Watch, the central bank will not withdraw Corpbank's license in the next two months, a move that would trigger the payment of deposits up to 100,000 euros, under European Union law.
The central bank said that under Bulgarian law the lender could remain closed for up to six months, thereby blocking nearly $4 billion in deposits of private persons and companies, which will be unable to pay salaries to thousands of employees.
The European Commission has urged Bulgaria to start repaying depositors in Corpbank as much as $2.5 billion that was insured by the state under European law.
In a letter to the Bulgarian authorities, the commission said it found the situation very worrying and cautioned that it may take steps to guarantee the application of EU law.
Oman's sovereign wealth fund, which holds a 30 percent stake in Corpbank, has so far been reluctant to provide cash to revive the troubled bank. The VTB Group, Russia's second-largest bank, which owns about 9 percent of Corpbank, has declined to provide liquidity.
Meanwhile, some 300 local depositors have joined a committee that has threatened to take legal action and sue the state if the bank does not reopen and they don't get access to their money.
"If the bank doesn't reopen on Sept. 21, we will launch legal actions," said Vezhdi Rashidov, a prominent Bulgarian sculptor. "The case with the bank is a criminal one, and the state has abandoned its duty to find out who stole our money."


It's good news, I guess - David O'Russell has now dropped out of the Uncharted movie and, presumably, taken his wacked out ideas with him. On the flipside, however, I can't help but feel that, as gamers, we've complained and bitched to the point where a genuine critcally acclaimed, proven director has felt the need to leave a project because we disagree on the details. I guess we'll have to wait and see who replaces him.
Someone is remaking Maniac Mansion. This excites me, since I'm a huge fan of old school Lucasarts adventures. Here's hoping the lawyers don't get frisky with these folks.
MW3 looks horrible, they're just milking the series now. Bring on BF3.


Alexander and Sarah Hult were at a Los Gatos restaurant a few years back and undecided on what kind of margarita to order. They were interested in trying more than one but didn’t want to drink too much. Why didn’t restaurants offer flights of cocktails the way they did wine or beer, the Hults wondered.
And that’s how the idea behind Flights, the Hults’ new restaurant and bar in downtown Campbell, was born. The couple, who also own Hult’s in Los Gatos, opened Flights in late June in the Campbell Avenue corner spot that used to be the Socialight.
Everything at Flights is served in threes, from the food to drinks. You can get a trio of margaritas — classic, strawberry and pineapple — or a set of three tropical drinks, with a mai tai to go with a frozen piña colada and a frozen strawberry daiquiri. The menu features variations of mojitos, martinis, cosmopolitans and even old-fashioneds — all served in smaller glasses on a metal tray. The cocktails are either $18 or $19 for the flight.
For those not into the concept, or who have a hankering for something specific, you can still order a drink from the full bar — though, really, that’s not as fun.
Flights has been bringing in about 300 customers a night, which isn’t surprising given the hot dining scene on Campbell Avenue. The website touts it as a good place for a girls’ night out, a date night or a family roaming around downtown, and that lines up well with the crowds who have filled the tables both inside and lining the sidewalk. It’s really not a great place to go alone, as the menu is built to be shared.
Naturally, beers and wines also are given the flight treatment in a traditional way, with cards that describe each variety. Draft beers are separated into four groups of three 9-ounce servings — wheat, pilsners, dark and IPA — for $13 each. The wine flights are separated into chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, rosé, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir and sparkling. The prices range from $17 to $18 for three 4-ounce glasses. You can also opt for a pint of any of the beers for $7 or a glass of wine for $11.
Spirits are also available in flights, too, so you can sample a trio of tequilas ($18), rye whiskey ($17), bourbon ($19) or Scotch ($22). Designated drivers and families with kids aren’t left out — there’s a flight of mocktails featuring a Shirley Temple, a vanilla-flavored Orange Crush and a Grapefruit Smash, for $7.
The staff — servers are dressed in stylish black flight attendant or pilot outfits — certainly have their work cut out for them keeping up with everything being in triplicate. To keep things moving, the bartenders prep the glasses with the ingredients that make them distinctive, like strawberry puree or orange bitters, and then add the base mixture, which is made in batches and served up from taps.
If you like a little variety, Flights could be just the place. But remember to bring some friends.
Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday and Tuesday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.


In this March 3, 2015 file photo, President Barack Obama, accompanied by first lady Michelle Obama, speaks in the East Room of the White House in Washington.
President Obama just gave his adopted hometown the $600 million gift of a presidential library.
The Barack Obama Foundation announced Tuesday that the monument to Obama’s legacy as the nation’s first black president will be built on the South Side of Chicago.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and chair of the Barack Obama Foundation Martin Nesbitt were due to announce more details at a press conference later Tuesday. An exact location for the park has not yet been chosen, but it will be built on one of two parks–Jackson and Washington, both of which are located just south or west of Hyde Park, the urban oasis the President and First Lady called home prior to moving into 1600 Pennsylvania.
The University of Chicago beat out bids to build the university by another Chicago school, the University of Illinois at Chicago, as well as Obama’s alma mater Columbia University in New York, and the University of Hawaii located in the President’s home state.
The foundation plans to work with all four schools to host some of the president’s archives but ultimately, the foundation selected the South Side of Chicago, where President Obama planted his roots as a community organizer and politician.
A 2014 study from the University of Chicago found that the library would be an “economic boon” for the city, attracting some 800,000 visitors a year, creating 1,900 permanent new jobs and generating $220 million in annual revenue. In all, the report found the library’s construction would boost Chicago’s economy by $600 million and create 3,280 new jobs.
But the city faced an uphill battle to secure the parkland as the home for the future library; ultimately state lawmakers passed a bill to allow the city to build on parkland–which some park historians objected to. Some residents of Washington Park worry, however, that the library could kick out mom-and-pop shops that have existed in the community for decades.
In the video, the President and First Lady said the neighborhood “means the world” to their family.
The Foundation said in a press release that the potential economic boost, as well as the South Side’s connection to transportation, University of Chicago activity, and the Obama’s personal history were all instrumental in cementing the neighborhood as the final destination. It said it intends to open offices on the South Side by the end of 2015 dedicated to pursuing community partnerships and opportunities for economic development in the area.


When I began teaching in 1992 in eastern North Carolina, I thought I would be great at it because I was going to teach Black children like me. Turns out I overestimated the power of a single aspect of identity being enough to make me a great teacher. I was mediocre at best. Still, the students gravitated towards me because I was young, optimistic, a Northerner (making me novel), and Black—which helped me build relationships with students with more ease than my White peers. I could leverage my status as role model. I was a walking billboard for staying the course in school. I knew most of the cultural references they threw at me—except the most Southern ones because my Midwest upbringing couldn't teach me everything. The shared Black experience was worth a lot.
In the last few years, new research has started to confirm what scholars studying multiculturalism and culturally relevant pedagogy have been preaching for years: Schools need more educators of color if we hope to succeed with students of color. Shocker! Going further, there are benefits for all students when we diversify school-based educators. Given the impact of school desegregation on the presence of Black teachers in public schools (many were pushed out), and the more recent evidence that some teacher evaluation systems have disproportionately pushed out experienced teachers of color, there seems to be an ever-shrinking pool of Black and Latino teachers. Add to this the challenge of competing for a too-small pool of college graduates of color, especially given the compensation structure and presumed lower prestige level of educators. As a sector, we find ourselves facing a monumental challenge if we believe that increasing the diversity of the workforce will improve outcomes for all students.
Teachers of color offer the benefit of providing shared experience and identifiable role models to all students, but particularly students of color.
Teachers of color have been found to hold higher expectations for students of color. Given the impact of implicit bias on student performance, this is an important benefit that could be maximized when there are more teachers of color in schools.
All students—regardless of race—have favorable perceptions of Black and Latino teachers vis-a-vis White teachers. They are perceived as more supportive and provide clearer and more useful feedback.
Racially diverse schools boast a multitude of benefits including richer curricular offerings, high test scores, less bias, fewer disciplinary actions, and lower-special education referrals.
So what can be done about this? I have a couple of concrete ideas from the perspective of practitioners and parents. First, I think efforts to recruit more Black and Latino teachers are awesome, but we have to remember that a focus on recruitment means playing the long game. Funders, teacher-education programs, and policymakers have to make long-term commitments that follow recruits through program completion and into the profession. This is a 20-year endeavor, and we will not see dividends in a few years.
Second, we must register our alarm when we see racially homogenous school staffs. It should move us to question the system that produces schools where no teacher or principal of color is welcome. We should also be concerned when educators of color are such a small minority that it would be hard for them not to be tokenized. School and system leaders must integrate diversity priorities when considering teacher-quality efforts.
Third, as parents, we can demand that schools encourage diverse perspectives and teach content that reflects our values. If we don't see a diverse teaching staff, we can ask questions about this. We can also praise progress in this area. We can point school leaders to talented adults in our communities who might serve as volunteer teachers. We can do this as White, Black, Latino, Asian, or any other ethnic identity we may represent. My own children's school has a focus on global citizenship that reinforces and values racial and ethnic diversity that always warms my heart when I walk in the building.
This brings me back to my own teaching experience. That first year, I was largely motivated to teach because I'd had amazing Black teachers (shout out to Samella Kendricks) that changed my life trajectory. I was also an outlier because I was not the only Black teacher in the building; there were several that guided my efforts to achieve greatness. I didn't carry the burden of having to advocate for Black students when I saw bias, because there were more experienced Black teachers in my building. I was allowed to struggle in my own practice toward developing competence, and to realize how best to leverage my unique identity to serve my students—who were largely Black in a school that was also more racially diverse than most.
Increasing the diversity of the educator workforce is an important goal that will benefit students and adults. I love the current energy and action around teacher diversity, and I'm hoping it is a serious and long-lasting trend in the work of education reform.