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(Sept. 12) – More than 400 students from Norwin High School in western Pennsylvania got an unexpected eyeful Friday, when a big screen presentation on the importance of donating blood suddenly turned into an X-rated slideshow.

The hardcore images -- described by students as gay pornography, according to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette -- were stored on a portable flash drive owned by a Central Blood Bank employee. That USB stick also contained the safe-for-all-ages PowerPoint presentation. But unfortunately, the Gazette noted, when Assistant Principal Tim Kotch plugged the drive into a computer, he unwittingly clicked on the wrong file, causing several explicit photos to appear on the school's giant TV screen.

"It took a few seconds for people to process what was up there," senior Chelsey Fix told the newspaper. "People were laughing, but the main thing was people were like, 'I can't believe this happened.'" Student Ethan Dobranski told Channel 4 Action News that the images included "frontal male nudity, and there was one with, like, two people in there, but it was, like, from the back."

"That's what popped up, but I don't think [the Central Blood Bank employee] realized that was on there at the time, and he was truly embarrassed for what happened," student Dan Jones told the TV news show. "He was just shocked. He, like, put his hand on the stage and covered his head. He was so ashamed of himself for having that."

A second presentation planned for the school's junior class later that day was canceled.

Those hardcore images may have caused snickers among the students, but they look certain to result in the Central Blood Bank being hit with a seriously hefty lawsuit. "They tell me it lasted about 30 seconds, which is a long time," attorney Peter J. Payne, who has been hired by parents of several students who attended the presentation, told Channel 4. "Every parent that I've talked to is very concerned. We're still talking about the senior class, but these kids are 17, 18 years old at the most."

The school district offered its "sincerest apologies" to parents in a letter, and said local police and the district attorney's office had been notified. "We find this incident inexcusable and are taking every measure we can to ensure that the investigation is carried out with the utmost fidelity," the letter read.

The Central Blood Bank also sent out a letter apologizing for the "inappropriate material" shown to students. The unnamed employee has been suspended pending an investigation. "Per organizational policy, employees are not allowed to use flash drives and are required to review their presentations in advance with their supervisor; in this situation, the employee ignored these policies," the letter said.

However, the photo scandal has at least succeeded in raising awareness of the blood bank with local teens. Senior Ethan Dobranski, 17, told The Associated Press that the photos were the No. 1 topic of conversation on Friday. "No one's ever going to forget this," he said.

At this time the only way to gift seed bonus points is on anew upload as a thank you. This is something on the To Do List but may be some time in realization.

You’re so exhausted your eyelids feel like lead, but you can’t actually get yourself to drift off to dreamland. Instead, your mind is racing with everything that went wrong during the day—or that could go wrong tomorrow. Or maybe you’re worrying about how to pay the bills this month or how your child is going to do on his math test, or even about a sick relative. No matter how serious or trivial your concerns may seem, one thing’s for sure: If you’re stressed out about them, they’re keeping you awake. These 11 expert tips should help you clear your mind so you can get the rest you need.

Learn to relax so you can get some shut-eye

1. Take time to wind down. “I suggest patients set aside at least 30 to 45 minutes—an hour is even better—to wind down before bed,” says Shelby Freedman Harris, PsyD, director of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center and an assistant professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine  in New York. During that window of time, you should ban yourself from anything that might be stimulating, including texting and computer work, she explains. “Keep a general schedule or ritual for that wind-down hour so your body and mind start to know that each step is one step closer to bed.”

2. Tune in if it helps you tune out. You may have heard that you shouldn’t watch TV before bed, and admittedly some sleep experts aren’t big fans, but many say a little TV before bed is a good thing—as long as you don’t watch anything too stimulating or stressful. That means skipping the nightly news and tuning in to something lighter. “Try watching reruns of old sitcoms you used to love, like The Golden Girls,” says Joyce Walsleben, RN, PhD, diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine and coauthor of A Woman’s Guide to Sleep.

3. Tap into a higher power. If you’re a religious person, or even a spiritual one, try prayer, spiritual reflection or meditation, recommends Joseph Ojile, MD, founder of the Clayton Sleep Institute in St. Louis and a spokesman for the National Sleep Foundation. These practices promote a restful mind and body.

4. Do some deep breathing. Not into prayer or formal meditation? Simply take 10 minutes to sit still and breathe, says M.J. Ryan, one of the creators of The New York Times bestselling Random Acts of Kindness series and the author of The Happiness Makeover. “The practice is really easy: All you do is notice your breath, and every time you are aware your mind went elsewhere, bring it back to your breath. When 10 minutes is up, stop. That's all it takes.”

5. Take a hot bath. It’s a cliché—but it works. “A hot bath will not only relax your muscles, but it will also raise your core body temperature, which acts as a trigger to help people fall asleep,” says Michael Breus, PhD, author of Beauty Sleep: Look Younger, Lose Weight, and Feel Great Through Better Sleep.

6. Brew some tea. In particular, a cup of passionflower and chamomile tea can be very relaxing, says Ronald Stram, MD, founder of the Center for Integrated Health and Healing in Delmar, New York. If you’re a fan of herbs, Dr. Stram also recommends Rescue Sleep, a homeopathic spray that he says can help calm a racing mind.

7. Take a mental vacation. “Picture your favorite, most relaxing place to be,” writes Dr. Breus on The Insomnia Blog. “The place may be on a sunny beach with the warm ocean breezes caressing you, swinging in a hammock in the mountains or on a desert island. Visualize yourself in that peaceful setting. See and feel your surroundings, hear the peaceful sounds, smell the flowers or the salty air.” Another option: “Imagine being an astronaut on a space walk. You’re floating around the world, watching the earth rotate as you weightlessly move around it. Or, imagine floating on a cloud or out at sea on a wave.”

8. Exercise. There’s no doubt that it’s a great stress reliever—just make sure to do it at least three hours before bedtime, says Dr. Ojile. Otherwise it could actually rev you up and make it harder to sleep.

9. Get intimate. “If you’re in a committed relationship, engage in intimate conversation or activity with your partner,” suggests Dr. Ojile. This may help take your mind off your worries and, if you have sex, also physically release some of the tension you’ve been feeling.

10. Blow bubbles. Not literally, but in your mind. One relaxation technique that Dr. Walsleben recommends is to imagine that you’re outside with a jar of soap bubbles. Watch yourself slowly blowing each one until the soap jar is empty.

11. Take a whiff. A growing body of research shows that aromatherapy really is effective, says Kamyar Hedayat, MD, medical director of Full Spectrum Health Integrative Medical Center in San Diego. For people having sleep trouble, he recommends taking medical-grade essential oils orally before bedtime as well as putting them in a diffuser to help you stay asleep. Some good ones for rest: lavender, petitgrain, chamomile, geranium, sandalwood and rose.

Can’t sleep? You have plenty of company. About half of all adults experience insomnia on occasion, and 1 in 10 battle insomnia on a regular basis, according to the Cleveland Clinic. If you fall into one of those groups, chances are you’re already following the tried-and-true rules for a good night’s sleep: Don’t have too much caffeine (especially late in the day), don’t exercise late at night, keep your bedroom at a cool, comfortable temperature, and make sure your bed, pillows and linens are comfy. Those are all good tips, but there are lesser-known things you can try to help you get more rest.

1. Set a Bedtime Alert

Most of us already use an alarm to wake up in the morning, but sleep expert Michael Breus, PhD, author of Beauty Sleep: Look Younger, Lose Weight, and Feel Great Through Better Sleep, suggests setting it at night as well. “I tell people to set their alarm for one hour before bedtime, which reminds them to begin what I call the power-down hour,” says Dr. Breus, who is also a spokesman for the Zeo Personal Sleep Coach. He says you should spend the first 20 minutes of that hour taking care of any necessary chores (like walking the dog or making your kids’ lunches), then spend the next 20 minutes on hygiene (washing up, brushing your teeth, etc.), and save the last 20 minutes before bed for relaxation. You don’t necessarily have to meditate, if that doesn’t appeal to you; you can also do deep breathing exercises, read a book or even watch a little TV (as long as it’s not too stimulating).

2. Don’t Clear Your Mind

Experts say anxiety and depression top the list of reasons people have trouble sleeping. Part of the problem is that many of us just can’t seem to quiet that internal voice that starts rambling on about the worries of the day. Of course, if you can clear your mind, go ahead and do it. But if that’s impossible, don’t force it—you’ll only end up panicking about the fact that you’re not sleeping, says Paul McKenna, PhD, author of the soon-to-be-released book I Can Make You Sleep. Instead, try slowing down your thoughts. “Practice saying anything and everything that comes into your mind to yourself in a slow, monotonous, drowsy tone,” says Dr. McKenna. It doesn’t matter if you’re thinking about what to buy tomorrow at the grocery store or how a big presentation at work is going to go. If you slow everything down and talk to yourself in an even tone, you’ll find it’s that much harder to keep worrying (or stay awake).

3. Count Numbers—Not Sheep

Another great way to quiet those racing thoughts is to count backward from 300 by 3s, says Dr. Breus. Unless you’re a math ace, you probably won’t be able to focus on anything else while you’re doing this, which means you’ll end up distracting yourself from your stressful thoughts.

4. Get Up a Half-Hour Earlier

Yes, you read that right! If you’re suffering from chronic insomnia, try getting up, for example, at 6:30 instead of your usual 7 wakeup time—no matter what time you fell asleep the night before. You may be extra-sleepy for a little while, but this is hands-down the most effective way to reset your body clock, says Dr. McKenna. It works because it teaches your body that it can’t catch up on sleep in the morning, so eventually you’ll start feeling drowsier earlier in the evening.

5. Consider Seeing a Professional

A sleep psychologist is someone who specializes in gathering info about your emotions and your behaviors specifically as they relate to sleep. Often found at sleep centers, a sleep psychologist can usually help resolve your sleep issues in just four to six sessions, says Joseph Ojile, MD, founder of the Clayton Sleep Institute in St. Louis and a spokesman for the National Sleep Foundation.

6. Don’t Worry If You Can’t Sleep Right Away

You shouldn’t pass out the second your head hits the pillow. If that happens all the time, it’s a sign that you’re sleep deprived. (Ditto for nodding off during boring meetings and long movies.) Ideally, it should take 15 to 25 minutes from when you lie down to when you drift off to sleep, says Dr. Breus.

7. Go to Bed When You’re Tired

If you’re having ongoing sleep troubles, don’t worry so much about the fact that it’s almost midnight and you have to get up in less than seven hours. Forcing yourself to stay in bed when you’re not sleepy is just going to contribute to more tossing and turning, says Dr. Ojile. Instead, get up, do something relaxing, and go back to bed whenever you do feel tired. You might end up exhausted the next day (but that was bound to happen either way under these circumstances), and the following night you should have better luck getting to bed earlier.

Everyone dreams—every single night—and yet we tend to know so little about our dreams. Where do they come from? What do they mean? Can we control them and should we try to interpret them? We spoke to the dream experts to bring you nine surprising facts about dreams. Read before snoozing.

1. Dreaming can help you learn.

If you’re studying for a test or trying to learn a new task, you might consider taking a nap or heading to bed early rather than hovering over a textbook an hour longer. Here’s why: When the brain dreams, it helps you learn and solve problems, say researchers at Harvard Medical School. In a study that appeared in a recent issue of Current Biology, researchers report that dreams are the brain’s way of processing, integrating and understanding new information. To improve the quality of your sleep—and your brain’s ability to learn—avoid noise in the bedroom, such as the TV, which may negatively impact the length and quality of dreams.

2. The most common dream? Your spouse is cheating.

If you’ve ever woken up in a cold sweat after dreaming about your spouse’s extramarital escapade with your best friend, you’re not alone, says Lauri Quinn Loewenberg, a dream expert, author and media personality. “The most commonly reported dream is the one where your mate is cheating,” she says. Loewenberg conducted a survey of more than 5,000 people, and found that the infidelity dream is the nightmare that haunts most people—sometimes on a recurring basis. It rarely has anything to do with an actual affair, she explains, but rather the common and universal fear of being wronged or left alone.

3. You can have several—even a dozen—dreams in one night.

t’s not just one dream per night, but rather dozens of them, say experts—you just may not remember them all. “We dream every 90 minutes throughout the night, with each cycle of dreaming being longer than the previous,” explains Loewenberg. “The first dream of the night is about 5 minutes long and the last dream you have before awakening can be 45 minutes to an hour long.” It is estimated that most people have more than 100,000 dreams in a lifetime.

4. You can linger in a dream after waking.

Have you ever woken up from such a beautiful, perfect dream that you wished you could go back to sleep to soak it all up (you know, the dream about George Clooney?)? You can! Just lie still—don’t move a muscle—and you can remain in a semi-dreamlike state for a few minutes. “The best way to remember your dreams is to simply stay put when you wake up,” says Loewenberg. “Remain in the position you woke up in, because that is the position you were dreaming in. When you move your body, you disconnect yourself from the dream you were just in seconds ago.”

5. Even bizarre dreams can be interpreted.

While it can be hard to believe that an oddball dream about your mother, a circus and a snowstorm can have any bearing on real life, there may be symbolism and potential meaning to be mined in every dream—you just have to look for it, says Harvard-trained psychotherapist Jeffrey Sumber. "The meaning of our dreams oftentimes relates to things we are needing to understand about ourselves and the world around us,” he says. Instead of shrugging off strange dreams, think about how they make you feel. “We tend to dismiss these dreams due to the strange components, yet it is the feeling we have in these dreams that matters most,” he explains. “Sometimes the circus and the snowstorm are just fillers that allow us to process the range of emotions we feel about our mother and give us the necessary distraction so we can actually experience that spectrum of emotion.”

6. Recurring dreams may be your mind’s way of telling you something.

Do you have the same nightmare over and over again? Loewenberg suggests looking for underlying messages in recurring dreams so that you can rid yourself of them. For example, a common recurring nightmare people have involves losing or cracking their teeth. For this dream, she recommends that people think about what your teeth and your mouth represent. “To the dreaming mind, your teeth, as well as any part of your mouth, are symbolic of your words,” she says. “Paying attention to your teeth dreams helps you to monitor and improve the way you communicate.”

7. You can control your dreams.

The premise of the new movie Inception is that people can take the reins of their dreams and make them what they want them to be. But it may not just be a Hollywood fantasy. According to the results of a new survey of 3,000 people, dream control, or “lucid dreaming” may be a real thing. In fact, 64.9 percent of participants reported being aware they were dreaming within a dream, and 34 percent said they can sometimes control what happens in their dreams. Taking charge of the content of your dreams isn’t a skill everyone has, but it can be developed, says Kelly Bulkeley, PhD, a dream researcher and visiting scholar at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkley, California. The technique is particularly useful for people who suffer from recurring nightmares, he says. Dr. Bulkeley suggests giving yourself a pep talk of sorts before you go to sleep by saying: “If I have that dream again, I’m going to try to remember that’s it’s only a dream, and be aware of that.” When you learn to be aware that you are dreaming—within a dream—you not only have the power to steer yourself away from the monster and into the arms of Brad Pitt, for instance, but you train your mind to avoid nightmares in the first place. “Lucid dreaming enhances your ability to learn from the dream state,” says Dr. Bulkeley.

8. You don’t have to be asleep to dream.

Turns out, you can dream at your desk at work, in the car, even at your kid’s soccer game. Wakeful dreaming—not to be confused with daydreaming—is real and somewhat easy to do, says Dr. Bulkeley; it just involves tapping into your active imagination. The first step is to think about a recent dream you had (preferably a good one!). “Find a quiet contemplative place and bring a dream that you remember back into your waking awareness and let it unfold,” he says. “Let the dream re-energize.” Wakeful dreaming can be used as a relaxation tool, but Dr. Bulkeley says it can also help your mind process a puzzling dream. “It creates a more fluid interaction between unconscious parts of the mind and wakeful parts of the mind,” he says.


:ok2: It is indeed a puppy tail. He looks to be quite the nice doggie!!!

According to an Associated Press (AP) report, a 26-year-old gamer, Josh Moore, from Fort Gay, West Virginia, was suspended by Microsoft after he listed his location - “Fort gay WV” - in his Xbox Live profile. As per the report, Microsoft thought that Moore’s listing of the location was a crude and pejorative slur!

The mix up of sorts resulted from the fact that Fort Gay, which till 1932 was called Cassville, is a little-known town that lies on the banks of the Big Sandy and tug Fork rivers. The town, as per the 2000 census, had only about 800 residents.

Talking about the suspension, Moore, an unemployed factory worker, told AP: “At first I thought, ‘Wow, somebody's thinking I live in the gayest town in West Virginia or something.’ I was mad. … It makes me feel like they hate gay people.”

Moore, however, complained about the suspension to Microsoft customer service; and even told the seemingly unconvinced Microsoft employee to Google the city's ZIP code – 25514 – to confirm the location. But, the employee refused.

Incidentally, even when the mayor of Fort Gay tried to mediate in the clash between Moore and Microsoft, he was apparently told that the use of the word ‘gay’ “was inappropriate in any context.”

Finally, once it was fully confirmed that Fort Gay was a real place with real people, Microsoft tendered an apology for the mix up, and promised to “make it right”!

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 11) – The Liberace Museum, long one of this city's best-known and unusual attractions, is shutting down next month, the latest victim of a brutal recession that has hit Nevada particularly hard.

A singular landmark since its opening in 1979, the two-building spread topped by a skyward sculpture of a keyboard contains thousands of artifacts from the career of its namesake, who once reigned in the Strip's showrooms by pounding sonatas out of rhinestone-encrusted pianos while donning outlandish sequined capes.

The museum is operated by the Liberace Foundation, whose board chairman announced plans for closure today and said his organization would narrow its focus to raising money for the music scholarships it has awarded for decades. More than 30 employees will lose their jobs.

Liberace Foundation board chairman Jeffrey Koep told AOL News the organization's endowment has shrunk from $12 million to $5 million because of the stock market's meltdown at the same time visitation has fallen from 450,000 in the museum's heyday to 50,000 last year. The amount of scholarship money given out has fallen from as much as $500,000 a year to $65,000 in 2010.

The foundation owns the entire strip mall where the museum is located about three miles west of the Las Vegas Strip, but vacancies have curtailed the rental revenues as well. That distance from Vegas' major resort corridor also hamstrung the attraction, Koep said. Some artifacts, including several of Liberace's awards, pianos, candelabras and outfits, may be shown in other cities on a tour.

"In order to keep the museum open, we have had to go into our endowment account, and we're hitting a point where we can't do that anymore," Koep said.

This news comes on the heels of last year's closure of the Las Vegas Art Museum, leaving Las Vegas as the largest city in America without a public arts museum. Two Guggenheim-related outposts at the Venetian Las Vegas resort also have closed in recent years. In 2007, casino mogul Steve Wynn replaced a museum at the Wynn Las Vegas showing off his private art collection with a Rolex store.

Still, the news is not all bleak for the arts scene in Las Vegas. A monthly festival in the downtown area draws thousands who hopscotch between small independent galleries, and MGM Resorts International spent $40 million on a public art program for its 67-acre CityCenter complex on the Strip that includes pieces by Maya Lin, Henry Moore and other major figures. Also, two museums dedicated to the history of the mob are due to open by the end of 2011.

But for all things Liberace, this has been a bad year. AOL News reported in March that a Vegas home he once owned, which has been used in recent decades as an events hall, is in foreclosure. The foundation does not own the home and is in no way involved in its upkeep, though the property and the museum did face a common challenge: significantly waning interest in (or even awareness of) the gaudy musician, who died in 1987.

"It's always been something our customers have talked about and written about and made mention of return visits," said Anthony Curtis, publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor newsletter. "It's something that, since it opened, has always been a significant attraction in Vegas. But I think that people who would even know who Liberace was are dying off. Young kids don't care about Liberace."

Liberace's dwindling fan base is one reason Rebecca Zisch, the museum's first professional curator, tried to expand the center's focus to include other more modern Vegas stars when she was hired in 1999 from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She left the museum in 2000 and has remained active in the Las Vegas arts scene.

"It could have been a museum for the history of entertainment in Las Vegas," Zisch said. "That was the ultimate plan, but it was never enacted. That's unfortunate."

Koep said the board hopes to reopen some day when its fiscal situation and the Vegas economy are stronger. They have sought alternative locations for the museum closer to or on the Strip, but are still looking.

He added that a much-discussed Steven Soderbergh biopic about Liberace, set to star Michael Douglas as the pianist and Matt Damon as his lover, would "give us a shot in the arm." Douglas, in an interview with USA Today about his recent throat cancer diagnosis, said he still plans to make the film.

Curtis is doubtful any casino property would take an interest in showing Liberace's memorabilia, given the drop in his cultural currency.

"It doesn't seem to really jive," he said. "This is sort of a link to the past and old Vegas, and I don't think anyone's going to want it unless it goes into one of the aging Strip properties."

Beyond the loss of the cultural attraction, the museum's closure also means the end of its showroom's three-year run as a performing outlet for singers and songwriters employed in Broadway shows on the Strip.

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Keith Thompson, the conductor for the Vegas production of "Jersey Boys," has been hosting a monthly Composers Showcase in the Liberace Museum showroom since April 2007. The Liberace showroom, he said, has been a rare artistic oasis in this desert locale, which lacks the kind of venues found in large performing communities such as New York and San Francisco.

It also was appreciated by locals; the events consistently drew capacity crowds and a fundraiser last year brought in more than $15,000 to upgrade its audio equipment.

"It was just such a jewel," Thompson said. "We will look for those spaces, because the performers need an outlet. They need some place to express themselves away from their jobs."

NEW YORK – On a clear and cool Saturday, with bells ringing, bagpipes playing and a chorus singing, thousands gathered near ground zero to observe the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks as a storm of controversy swirled over the proposed construction nearby of a mosque and Islamic center and the aftermath of a Florida preacher's threat to burn the Koran.

Solemnity and visible sorrow prevailed at the morning ceremonies at Zuccotti Park, near the site where 2,752 people were killed when two planes flew into the World Trade Center. As expected, around 1,000 or so activists rallied later to support the proposed mosque project in a former Burlington clothing factory on Park Place, two blocks north of ground zero. Carrying signs saying, "The attack on Islam is racism," mosque backers gathered near City Hall and planned to walk closer to ground zero. A smaller group of mosque opponents rallied nearby, chanting, "USA, USA."

Elizabeth Meehan, 51, from Saratoga, N.Y., came by bus from her home 180 miles away. "I'm really fearful of all the hate that's going on in our country," she told The Associated Press. "People of one brand of Christianity are coming out against other faiths, and I find that so sad."

The anger and threats, fear and enmity that have characterized previous protests over the mosque project seemed mostly absent on Saturday afternoon, but the religious and political divisions in the city and the nation remained and undermined a hallowed day and the serenity of the ceremonies earlier in the morning.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, opening the commemoration, spoke from a makeshift stage, saying, "No other public tragedy has cut our city so deeply. No other place is as filled with our compassion, our love and our solidarity." He spoke just as a bell rang at 8:45 to mark the moment when the first plane hijacked by Islamic terrorists struck the north tower of the World Trade Center. Underscoring the somber tone of the day, relatives of the nearly 3,000 victims and others closely involved with the tragedy read the names of the dead, one by one, in a tearful litany that has become a hallmark of the annual ritual.

The memorial at ground zero came a day after President Barack Obama called for tolerance and better relations between Muslims and non-Muslims at home and abroad. "We have to make sure that we don't start turning on each other,'' he said. "And I will do everything that I can, as long as I am president of the United States, to remind the American people that we are one nation, under God." On a visit to the Pentagon to commemorate the attack that killed 184 people there, the president said, "We are not and never will be at war with Islam." Michelle Obama and her predecessor, Laura Bush, joined the ceremony in Shanksville, Pa., where 40 passengers and crew of United Flight 93 died when their hijacked plane crashed in a field. As an American, Mrs. Obama said, she was "filled with a sense of awe of the heroism of my fellow citizens." And Mrs. Bush, whose husband was president when the attacks occurred, recalled that on 9/11 "we saw the worst of our enemies and the best of our nation."

Obama's statements and the 9/11 memorials capped a period of anxiety and violence at home and abroad. Plans to build an Islamic center near ground zero have ignited protests for and against in the streets of Lower Manhattan and set off a fierce national debate that has touched most Americans, the midterm campaigns, and drawn in even the president. Most polls say Americans and New Yorkers do not want the Islamic center and mosque built so close to ground zero, but only a few question the Muslim community's right to build it there. The debate has unleashed a wave of anti-Muslim sentiment across the country and, in the view of U.S. leaders, endangered the nation's troops in Islamic nations like Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Fanning the flames, an obscure fundamentalist pastor from Florida threatened to burn some 200 copies of the Koran, Islam's holy book, on the anniversary of 9/11. The pastor, Terry Jones, a firebrand who leads a Pentecostal-style 50-member church called the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla., commandeered the air waves, drew mass media attention and, in short order, became the top story across the land.

In recent days Jones said he would call off the bonfire of the Koran if the proposed Islamic center near ground zero, often referred to as the "ground zero mosque," were moved away from the site. A media hound, Jones surrounded himself with cameras and reporters, stepped up to the microphone on the grassy grounds of his church and made one threat after another, culminating on Friday afternoon with his announcement that he would come to New York to witness the 9/11 ceremonies and to meet with the head of the mosque project, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. Though the Imam did not agree to meet with him, Jones flew to La Guardia Airport, arriving Friday night, dressed in a Harley-Davidson T-shirt, jeans and boots and surrounded by police officers. On Saturday morning, he showed up at NBC's "Today" show and declared he had canceled the book burning because he had accomplished his mission to reveal that Islam had dangerous elements.

"Not today, not ever,'' he said of the book burning. "We are not going to go back and do it."

Jones and his Dove Center, which has been described as a cult more than a church, had drawn international and domestic condemnation – from the Pentagon to the Vatican, from his fellow clergymen to political figures like Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck. He was under pressure from the White House, the State Department, the military and the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who called him briefly to persuade him to call off his threat.

In the end, he relented, but the damage was done. Muslim extremists seized on Jones's threats to counter with threats of their own. Violent protests continued on Saturday in Afghanistan, where stores and police checkpoints were set on fire. At least 11 people were injured on Friday in protests in Badakhshan province. In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, the cleric Rusli Hasbi said that whether or not Jones burns the Koran, he already has "hurt the heart of the Muslim world."

But at ground zero on a crisp Saturday morning, amid the construction cranes and the stark structures going up to eventually replace the lost towers, Alyson Low, a librarian in Fayetteville, Ark., and the sister of a flight attendant who died in the attack, wanted no part of the controversy. "I'm tired of talking about everything else, tired of politics," she told The New York Times. "Today is about loss."

:jaj: Thanks for the information on where this actually is :jaj:

Undated handout photo issued by Sotheby's Thursday September 9, 2010 of an illustration from Audubon's "Birds of America"

By JILL LAWLESS, Associated Press Writer Jill Lawless, Associated Press Writer   – Thu Sep 9, 1:44 pm ET

LONDON – A rare copy of John James Audubon's "Birds of America," billed as the world's most expensive book, is up for sale alongside a first edition of Shakespeare's plays at an auction to set book lovers' pulses racing, Sotheby's said Thursday.

One of only 100 or so remaining copies of "Birds of America" is valued at between 4 million pounds and 6 million pounds ($6.2 million and $9.2 million), while a Shakespeare First Folio from 1623 is expected to fetch at least 1 million pounds ($1.54 million).

Sotheby's books expert David Goldthorpe said the two tomes are "the twin peaks of book collecting." The books come from the estate of the 2nd Baron Hesketh, an aristocratic book collector who died in 1955. The auction house is selling them in London on Dec. 7.

Another complete copy of "Birds of America" was sold by Christie's for $8.8 million in 2000, a record for a printed book at auction.

It is one of the most significant — and beautiful — published works of natural history, and rarely comes up for sale. Only 119 copies remain, and all but a handful are in museums, libraries and universities.

The collection of 435 hand-colored prints, made from engravings of Audubon's illustrations, measures more than 3 feet by 2 feet (90 centimeters by 60 centimeters) because Audubon wanted to paint the birds life size.

"That's all very well with weed warblers, but when you come to bald eagles you're going to need a big book," Goldthorpe said. "Audubon himself described the size as a 'double elephant' folio."

A pioneering French-American ornithologist and entrepreneur whose business ventures took him across the expanding United States, Audubon came to Britain in 1826 after failing to raise money to print his book in America. His outdoorsman image and vivid illustrations made a strong impression.

"He caused a sensation," said Goldthorpe. "It was as if someone in a (James) Fenimore Cooper novel had ended up in a Jane Austen novel."

Audubon sold the book on a subscription basis to wealthy collectors. The copy for sale was No. 11, bought by paleontologist Henry Witham.

The December sale also includes medieval illustrated manuscripts, work by William Caxton, England's first printer, and letters written by Queen Elizabeth I and her ministers about the imprisonment of Mary, Queen of Scots.

Benjamin F. Carlson Benjamin F. Carlson  – Fri Sep 10, 10:26 am ET

WASHINGTON, DC – A federal judge in California has ruled that the military's controversial "don't ask don't tell" policy, which bans openly gay men and women from serving in the military, is unconstitutional. Judge Virginia Phillips found that the ban violates the First and Fifth Amendment rights of gay service members. The decision does not change the policy immediately, and is likely to be contested.

It comes amid mounting pressure against the policy, which the House of Representatives has voted to repeal, and the Pentagon has moved to weaken, but which the Senate has yet to act on. President Obama campaigned on a promise to overturn the ban in 2010, and gay-rights advocates have grown impatient with efforts to do so this year. Here's what this decision means and its possible impact.

* The Legal Basis for the Decision John Schwartz of the New York Times explains: "The plaintiffs argued that the act violated the rights of service members in two ways. First, they said, it violates their guarantee of substantive due process under the Fifth Amendment. The second restriction, the plaintiffs said, involves the free-speech rights guaranteed under the First Amendment. Although those rights are diminished in the military, the judge wrote, the restrictions in the act still fail the constitutional test of being 'reasonably necessary' to protect 'a substantial government interest.'" Defenders of the law did not show that violating gay's rights was "necessary" for military cohesion, Judge Phillips ruled.

* A Victory for Women? Janice Formicella of the Feminists for Choice blog makes the case: "While DADT has a larger impact on gay women than gay men, the policy actually has a negative impact on all servicewomen, regardless of sexual orientation. 'Lesbian baiting,' the practice of pressuring women for sex and sexually harassing women by using the threat of calling then lesbians as a means of intimidation, is common in all levels of the military"

* Puts Pressure on Obama, Dems to Act Jeremy P. Jacobs of Hotline sketches the political impact of the ruling: "The ruling will put pressure on Obama, who supports repealing the policy, and congressional Democrats to deal with DADT – something the Democratic base wants to see anyway."

* Anti Gay-Marriage Group Welcomes the Ruling  The One Man, One Woman organization, which opposes same-sex marriage rights, published tweets surprisingly in favor of allowing gays and lesbians to openly serve. "#DADT has nothing to do with the tradition of marriage between a man and a woman and everything to do with citizens' rights. There is no need to prohibit gays and lesbians from openly serving in the Armed Forces. They should have the opportunity to serve."

* Should the Government Let the Decision Stand? Jason Mazzone at Balkination explains the legal logic. It may be tempting for Obama and congressional Democrats not to appeal the ruling, since they both support repealing don't ask don't tell. But, Mazzone writes, "A failure to appeal this case will likely generate substantial criticism." So he suggests "wait[ing] it out." "The November elections are 53 days away. Under Rule 4 of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, the government has 60 days after the entry of final judgment to file a notice of appeal. The Administration can wait until after the elections to decide whether or not to appeal. It can take the position now that government lawyers are reviewing options. The Administration can then see where things stand after the November elections."

* Activists Need to Keep Up the Pressure Before November Dana Rudolph, writing at the Gay Rights blog of Change.org, urges continued pressure from activists. The dilemma, she explains, is that if the Senate doesn't vote to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell before the November elections, Republicans may prevent it from happening. "The full Senate must now vote … In short, Senate Republicans, led by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), oppose the bill. If the vote slides into the lame duck session, many Republicans will only approve a Continuing Resolution for defense funding, which would not include DADT repeal. And once a new session starts, all bills must start their way through the legislative process again. If Republicans take back the House in November, it is unlikely they would push for action on a new DADT repeal bill."

Overview

Originally formed at the 1990 Gay Games III in Vancouver, B.C., Canada - the first time martial arts were ever held at the Gay Games - the International Association of Gay and Lesbian Martial Artists (IAGLMA, formerly known as HiMA) is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to outreach, inclusion and education for the gay, lesbian and supportive martial arts communities through the martial arts and self defense on local, national and international levels.

IAGLMA welcomes martial artists and all interested parties from around the world. Our membership currently includes:

martial artists from Australia, Canada, China, Finland, France, Italy, Germany, Malaysia, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States and West Africa;
practitioners of all styles - competitive and non-competitive (such as many styles of Aikido), mat and floor practitioners;
martial artists of all abilities - including those with special needs;
martial artists of all ages, ranks and levels of martial arts and self defense experience;
schools and organizations committed to our goals and mission.
IAGLMA is committed to the ideal of multi-style educational martial arts and self defense seminars and multi-style tournaments. Our goals are to:

provide a safe and inclusive environment for all lesbian, gay and supportive martial artists;
ensure gender parity for women in all levels of the martial arts;
ensure the inclusion of martial artists with special needs;
provide multi-style seminars, tournaments and learning opportunities within the international martial artists community – all styles, ranks, ages and abilities;
continue our international outreach to include diversity of styles among our members and directors and to educate through the martial arts and self defense;
work in partnership with traditional, local, national and international martial arts organizations to promote our ideals of inclusion, safety, respect, participation and attainment of personal best;
work within and teach our lesbian and gay community worldwide to educate, empower and protect ourselves through local, national and international self defense seminars offered to the general public.

IAGLMA Board of Directors

Co-President: Teresa Galetti (Events, Rules Committee)
Co-President: Darl Schaaff (FGG delegate)
Director: Kathleen Webster
Director: John Heine (Newsletters)
Director: Sandy Mackay (Secretary, Membership, Website)
Director: Addie Santiago (Treasurer, FGG delegate)

Members of the Board of Directors are directly involved in all aspects of management, planning and outreach on behalf of the International Association of Gay and Lesbian Martial Artists (IAGLMA). Since our formation in 1990, IAGLMA has been instrumental in the education, support and development of opportunities for Gay and Lesbian martial artists and our supporters through the martial arts and self defense. Our members have updated international multi-style semi-contact competition rules to ensure inclusion, gender parity, safety and the attainment of one's personal best and we have created awareness and heightened interest in the martial arts for Lesbian and Gay martial artists worldwide.

We welcome martial artists of all styles, abilities and ages from around the world. Our goals are to include the largest geographic and martial arts style representation, as well as gender parity, among our board members. Membership on this Board of Directors requires a commitment of energy and expertise so that - together - we may continue our commitment to education and outreach to all martial artists everywhere.

For a Board of Directors Information Packet, please contact:

Teresa Galetti
email: [email protected]
telephone/fax: 610.940.1434

or

Darl Schaaff
email: [email protected]
telephone: 907.561.2115
fax: 907.563.7428

Learning/Preparation Tournament Workshops and Judges Certification Clinics

IAGLMA sponsors clinics so that all competitors can have the opportunity to practice under the IAGLMA Rules - and so that all black belts interested in judging can gain experience in a tournament setting and fulfill the requirements necessary to become an IAGLMA-certified referee. IAGLMA certification is required for black belts to judge in all IAGLMA events including the Gay Games.

If you would like to host an IAGLMA Learning/Preparation Tournament Workshop and Judges Certification Clinic, please contact Teresa Galetti for more information.

The Federation of Gay Games

IAGLMA served as a voting director of the Federation of Gay Games from 1994 to 2006.. IAGLMA now continues to serve actively as a full member of the Federation.

IAGLMA members Kathleen Webster served as Federation Copresident and is an Honorary Life Member, Teresa Galetti serves on the board as Cochair of Governance Committee, Darl Schaaff serves on the board as Cochair of the Site Selection Committee.

Wherever Gay Games is, IAGLMA will be there and the IAGLMA Rules will govern the martial arts events. Visit The Federation of Gay Games web site!

hXXp://www.iaglma.org/default.asp

Martial Arts

Martial Arts is a special sport at the Cologne Gay Games: an event with respect and courtesy, and a competition with seminars.

We’re expecting 150 participants. The event will be held at the Hockey-Judo-Zentrum of the Deutsche Sporthochschule Köln in the Sportpark Muengersdorf.

The Martial Arts event invites participants of all styles to Cologne. Taekwondo, karate, ju jutsu, kung fu, aikido, and even tai chi chuan: all offer an opportunity to measure skills and exchange experiences. The fundamental idea of respect, courtesy, self-discipline, solidarity and fun is not just for the athletes, but also carries over to the audience and generates a special atmosphere. In addition we will also be offering seminars for the curious, whether beginners or more advanced martial artists.

Our partner: 

The Martial Arts tournament will be performed according to the rules and by support of the International Association of Gay and Lesbian Martial Artists (IAGLMA).

“It´s important to come out of the isolation”

130 participants of the age between 18 and 70 registered for the disciplines of martial arts.

The medals were given for age groups and grades between white and black belt. But for the participants it was more important to have fun together.
The participant with the highest grade is Ken Craig (47) born in Glasgow, Scotland, now living in San Francisco since 1989 and is indulged into his passion for Asian martial arts for 30 years. At taekwondo, the multi-time participant of the Gay Games and Out Games has reached the 8th Dan, in aikido he even reached the 9th Dan. During the Gay Games VIII he more acts as a referee and trainer than an active participant. He´s especially taking care for his boys of his gym founded in 1998. The murder of gay student Matthew Shepard of the University of Wyoming, which provided a lot of attention and sympathy (various pop songs, among them one of Elton John and to movies were published), made him found the gym, to not only give gay men more self-confidence but also to provide them with the possibility to defend themselves against homophobe attackers: “Such a perfidious crime, like it happened to Matthew Shepard, should not happen again!”
Ken brought 8 of his pupils to Cologne, one of them got his trip financed through a fund-raising. They start at most different grades. Their trainer Ken told them not to think about medals, but to have fun and to enjoy the experience to be part of it. Should they win a medal it would just be an extra present.  They especially like the event in Cologne because all competitions take place so close to each other and other sports can be easily visited. Ken is also looking forward to meet old friends from the Gay Games Chicago in 2006 and the Copenhagen Out Games.  It was important for Ken to mention which special meaning Tom Waddell and the Gay Games are having for him:”It´s so important to come out of the isolation, to notice that there are so many more lesbians and gays with whom you can share sporty interests and experiences.”

More photos of the Gay Games can be found at hXXp://www.qubesport.net/photos

:jaj: Killer Recipe :jaj:

I will try this fall with the Pumpkin Dip found here: http://forum.gaytorrent.ru/index.php?topic=8358.0