Sacramento mayor Heather Fargo's support for filmmaking is described as "anemic," this despite the positive economic impact of having films shoot in Sacramento.  Just across the county line, the El Dorado County Film Commision works hard to bring films to El Dorado County-- maybe Sacramento should pay attention.

Check it out if you get a chance (sorry-- it is not on the web-- but I guess that is how they sell magazines, right)?

Many healthcare organizations are encountering significant resistance to new standards for “disruptive physician behavior.” Here are some of the most typical areas of tension in drafting standards in this area:

• Mandated psychiatric assessments for physicians considered to exhibit “disruptive behavior.” This is by far the most contentious requirement. Physician groups fear the potential damages to physicians who are required to undergo a psychiatric or psychological assessment for a normal, human emotion gone temporarily awry. Angry/disruptive behavior is not defined as a nervous or mental disorder by any psychiatric or psychological paradigm; it is difficult to justify such a requirement.
• Pros and cons of reporting mandated physicians to Medical Quality Assurance/ Licensing Boards since interventions can be offered in-house or by programs designed for this purpose. Justifiably, physicians fear having this information become a part of data banks on physician competence.
• Listing doctors in the National Practitioner Data Bank can make finding a similar position at another hospital nearly impossible.
• Temporary loss of hospital privileges.
• Potential loss of patients and professional practices.
• Failure to offer intervention proactively as opposed to reactively.

As the Joint Commission has expanded the mandated interventions to all healthcare professionals and workers who demonstrate “disruptive and abusive” behaviors, mandating psychiatric assessments due to expressions of anger, stress or frustration may contribute to:

• Personnel shortages throughout all healthcare professions and industry
• Increased litigation and opening of HR records of accusers and accused alike
• Increased lawsuits by falsely accused offenders against healthcare organizations
• Further litigation against healthcare organizations for failure to control stress in the workplace

George Anderson, MSW, BCD, CAMF
Diplomat, American Association of Anger Management Providers
Anderson & Anderson®, The Trusted Name in Anger Management
http://www.andersonservices.com/
http://www.aaamp.org
http://www.linkedin.com/in/geoanderson
www.anger-management-resources.org

Each Week, a New Skill On a recent Tuesday night in Brentwood, Whatley the jaywalker, Yakota the college student and Helmy the shouter sat in a circle holding their workbooks, “Gaining Control of Ourselves.” Each week, George Anderson or one of his fellow teachers covers a new skill: Active listening. Identifying high-risk situations. Controlling negative emotions. This week: Communicating effectively. The participants took turns introducing themselves, telling why they got referred to the class and what they could have done differently to prevent getting arrested. Then they watched a video about communication styles and practiced ways to express anger and frustration without provoking a fight.

Anderson described the pretend situation: You’ve cooked a nice meal and your partner comes home two hours late and the food is ruined. His students’ responses–though a bit formal–hit the mark: I feel hurt when you come home late for dinner because it makes me feel like you don’t value our time together. Moheb Helmy, 22, said his rage consumes him and he is constantly slamming doors, cursing and fighting with his family. “I have so much anger,” he said. “I would love to change because it hurts everybody around me.” Helmy, who has been ordered by a judge to attend 12 weeks of classes, said the skills he is learning seem logical. “But when it comes time to do it, I forget it all,” he said. Anderson, a clinical social worker and former UCLA lecturer, has been teaching anger management for three years and currently has about 200 students at four Los Angeles locations. “I don’t know if it works or not,” he said. “But anger management teaches practical skills. I think if they come for a long period of time, they’ll benefit.”

Some clients come voluntarily, but most are required to attend and aren’t happy about it. Inevitably, a few bring along an attitude: I don’t have a problem. I don’t need to be here. Sandra Whatley, a native Texan with a self-described temper problem, had those exact feelings when she first started the class. She thought the police officer needed anger management more than she did. But during a year of classes, Whatley said, she has realized that she has to take take some responsibility for getting arrested. Now, she leaves her workbook open on her dresser to remind her to take a deep breath when she is about to explode. “I’ve had an aggressive personality my whole life,” said Whatley, 40. “It’s in my blood. I need this. But I cannot even begin to tell you I have toned myself down.”

Algunos cristianos creen que si aceptan los sacramentos —especialmente su acción salvadora— disminuirían a Cristo o negarían que solo Cristo salva.

Por eso rechazan los sacramentos diciendo que no se gana la salvación con ritos externos, cultos o cosas materiales. Quieren ir directamente a Cristo, sin intermediario alguno.

Pero continuamente invocan, como camino para llegar a Cristo, la Biblia. Libro sagrado y santo, pero libro material, hecho de hojas y tinta. Palabra de Dios, pero escrita en palabras humanas, las cuales se expresan con sonidos de lenguaje humano, en idiomas humanos diversos, escrito por autores humanos, de épocas diversas, de distintas culturas, de diferentes formas de pensar...

Y es que la Biblia no cayó del cielo; ni la escribió Dios directamente. Él utilizó medios: hombres que escribían palabras humanas; papiro, pergamino o papel y tinta; varios idiomas, diversas culturas y distintas psicologías; y sigue utilizando los mismos medios: cuando un predicador lee en voz alta la Biblia usa sonidos del lenguaje humano que vuelan y llegan a los oídos de los que escuchan; cuando uno adquiere una Biblia le dan un libro material lleno de letras impresas en hojas materiales.

Algunos dicen con frecuencia que debe hacerse contacto directo con Dios, sin intermediarios; pero la Biblia es para ellos un intermediario, una tremenda mediación entre ellos —seres humanos— y Dios.

Eso mismo son los sacramentos que —afirma la Real Academia Española— son «signos sensibles de un efecto interior y espiritual que Dios obra en nuestras almas».

El sacramento es un don divino de salvación, otorgado a través de una forma visible y palpable que concretiza ese don. La Biblia, para algunos cristianos, es un sacramento en el pleno sentido de la palabra, dotado por Dios de una eficacia intrínseca sobrenatural para iluminar, para convertir, para salvar.

El ser humano necesita de los sacramentos, pues está compuesto de cuerpo y alma espiritual —materia y espíritu—; necesita de las cosas materiales para subir a lo más espiritual. Si debemos dar gloria a Dios con todo nuestro ser, debemos poner a su servicio también esas cosas materiales.

De hecho, Dios mismo se hizo hombre. El cristianismo no es de ángeles y espíritus sin materia: es un conglomerado de seres humanos —materia y espíritu, otra vez— que siguen a la Palabra de Dios hecha Carne:

«Y la Palabra se hizo Carne, puso su tienda entre nosotros.» (Jn 1, 14)

¡Este es el principal sacramento: un Dios hecho hombre!

Y ese Hombre hizo milagros a través de signos, de sacramentos:

Veamos, por ejemplo, ¿por qué usó Jesús tierra y saliva para curar?

«Dicho esto, hizo un poco de lodo con tierra y saliva, untó con él los ojos del ciego y le dijo: “Vete y lávate en la piscina de Siloé (que quiere decir el Enviado).” El ciego fue, se lavó y, cuando volvió, veía claramente.» (Jn 9, 6-7)

¿No podía haber dicho: «Desde este momento estás curado»? Él es Dios; para Él no hay nada imposible.

Sin embargo, usó muchos signos materiales, es decir, sacramentos:

«Jesús lo apartó de la gente, le metió los dedos en los oídos y con su saliva le tocó la lengua. Enseguida levantó los ojos al cielo, suspiró y dijo: “Effetá”, que quiere decir: “Ábrete”.» (Mc 7, 33-34)

Es más, algunos de entre la gente sabían que debían usar un sacramento, un signo —tocar su ropa, por ejemplo—, para poder lograr lo que querían:

«Como había oído lo que se decía de Jesús, se acercó por detrás entre la gente y le tocó el manto. La mujer pensaba: “Si logro tocar, aunque sólo sea su ropa, sanaré.” Al momento cesó su hemorragia y sintió en su cuerpo que estaba sana.» (Mc 5, 27-29)

Hay más todavía: ¿Por qué Jesús no hacía los milagros sin emitir palabras? ¿Para qué hablaba? ¿Acaso hay algo imposible para Él?

«Jesús le contestó: “Puedes volver, tu hijo está vivo.” El hombre creyó en la palabra de Jesús y se puso en camino. Al llegar a la bajada de los cerros, se topó con sus sirvientes que venían a decirle que su hijo estaba sano.» (Jn 4, 50-51)

Es que Él quiso necesitar del signo —del sacramento—, para que pudiéramos entender visualmente, auditivamente, tactilmente, como seres humanos que somos. Dice el texto que «el hombre creyó en la palabra de Jesús». La palabra es, en este caso, ese signo.

La Eucaristía

Y, cuando se habla de la salvación, del rescate, de la purificación, de la ira aplacada de Dios, se muestra que eso se da por un signo, por un sacramento:

«Y gracias a él fuera reconciliado con Dios, porque la Sangre de su cruz ha restablecido la paz tanto sobre la tierra como en el mundo de arriba.» (Col 1, 20)

«En cambio, si caminamos en la luz, lo mismo que él está en la luz, estamos en comunión unos con otros, y la Sangre de Jesús, el Hijo de Dios, nos purifica de todo pecado.» (1Jn 1, 7)

«Pero con toda seguridad la Sangre de Cristo, que se ofreció a Dios por el Espíritu eterno como víctima sin mancha, purificará nuestra conciencia de las obras de muerte, para que sirvamos al Dios vivo.» (Hb 9, 14)

«Y por su Sangre nos ha purificado de nuestros pecados, haciendo de nosotros un reino y una raza de sacerdotes de Dios, su Padre.» (Ap 1, 6)

La Sangre de Cristo es el signo, el sacramento.

«En verdad les digo que si no comen la carne del Hijo del hombre y no beben su Sangre, no tienen vida en ustedes. El que come mi Carne y bebe mi Sangre vive de vida eterna, y yo lo resucitaré el último día. Mi Carne es verdadera comida y mi Sangre es verdadera bebida. El que come mi Carne y bebe mi Sangre permanece en mí y yo en él.» (Jn 6, 53–56)

La vida divina, entonces, viene a nosotros mediante el sacramento. El modo de unirnos a Cristo y permanecer en Él es la Eucaristía.

El Bautismo

Otro sacramento es el agua, que posee atributos inesperados en el Bautismo: aquella agua lava los pecados.

Para que quedara bien claro, Pedro afirmó:

«Ustedes reconocen en esto la figura del bautismo que ahora los salva.» (1Pe 3, 21)

¡El Bautismo que ahora los salva! Entonces, ¿Pedro dice que es el Bautismo el que nos salva? ¿Acaso no es Jesús el que nos salva?

Lo que pasa es que el sacramento del Bautismo es «signo sensible de un efecto interior y espiritual que Dios obra en nuestras almas».

Solo la muerte y la Resurrección de Jesucristo nos salvan. Pero los sacramentos nos acercan y ponen a nuestro alcance esa muerte y Resurrección salvadoras. Esto lo explica muy bien Pablo:

«Como ustedes saben, todos nosotros, al ser bautizados en Cristo Jesús, hemos sido sumergidos en su muerte. Por este bautismo en su muerte fuimos sepultados con Cristo, y así como Cristo fue resucitado de entre los muertos por la Gloria del Padre, así también nosotros empezamos una vida nueva.» (Rm 6, 3-4)

Recordemos también que para salvarse no solo se necesita el Espíritu, sino también el agua, signo material:

«Jesús le contestó: “En verdad te digo: El que no renace del agua y del Espíritu no puede entrar en el Reino de Dios”.» (Jn 3, 5)

«Y ahora, ¿qué esperas? Levántate, recibe el Bautismo y lava tus pecados invocando su Nombre.» (Hch 22, 16)

«El que crea y se bautice se salvará; el que se niegue a creer se condenará.» (Mc 16, 16)

«En el bautismo volvimos a nacer y fuimos renovados por el Espíritu Santo.» (Tt 3, 5)

El padre de los protestantes, Martín Lutero, bautizaba a los niños recién nacidos. Juan Calvino —defensor de Lutero y quizá el más importante propulsor del protestantismo— escribió lo siguiente acerca de la idea de algunos de dejar a los niños sin bautizar hasta que sean capaces de escoger por sí mismos:

«Todo esto repugna maliciosamente a la verdad de Dios. Porque si se los deja como meros hijos de Adán, se los deja en la muerte, tal como se dice (en la escritura); en Adán no podemos hacer otra cosa que morir. Al contrario, Jesucristo dice que se deje que los niños se acerquen a Él (Mt 19, 14). ¿Por qué? Porque Él es la vida. Él quiere, por tanto, hacerlos participar de sí para darles vida.» (Institución cristiana, IV, 16-17: O. C. T. 4, p 951)

Y en forma conclusiva afirmó:

«Finalmente retengamos esta sencilla afirmación, a saber, que mientras no haya sido regenerado en el agua viva, nadie entrará en el Reino de Dios.» (Institución cristiana, IV, 25: O. C. T. 4, p 963)

¿Por qué escribía todo esto Calvino? Porque sabía que todos los hombres, aunque personalmente no hayan pecado, tan solo por descender de Adán tienen el pecado original:

«Un solo hombre hizo entrar el pecado en el mundo, y por el pecado la muerte. Después la muerte se propagó a todos los hombres.» (Rm 5, 12)

«Y así como la desobediencia de uno solo hizo pecadores a muchos, así también por la obediencia de uno solo una multitud accede a la verdadera rectitud.» (Rm 5, 19)

A pesar de todo, algunos cristianos creen que es necesario que la persona tenga conciencia para que se le pueda administrar el Bautismo.

Si un niño recién nacido se enferma y el médico le administra un medicamento para curarlo, ¿hay necesidad de que el niño esté consciente para que el medicamento le haga efecto? No; las drogas actúan por su capacidad intrínseca de curar, tanto en los adultos como en los niños. Para que surtan efecto no es necesario que el paciente sepa qué droga le están administrando, ni cuál es su mecanismo de acción.

El pecado original —recordémoslo— es la enfermedad del espíritu, por la que se pierde la salvación eterna. ¿Para qué esperar, si el sacramento del Bautismo tiene esa capacidad intrínseca para lavar el pecado original, como se ha visto?

Para librar a un menor de un gran mal no es necesario pedirle permiso. No les pedimos permiso a los niños para vacunarlos, por ejemplo; ni para curar sus enfermedades; ni para enseñarle cómo debe portarse en la vida; tampoco para inscribirlo en el registro civil y, más tarde, usarlos en su propio beneficio.

El nombre que nos ponen nuestros padres es inconsulto: no nos pidieron consejo ni opinión y, sin embargo, lo llevamos toda la vida. Así sucede con el Bautismo.

Nadie se disgusta al recibir, siendo pequeño, una gran herencia, aunque nos la den sin pedirnos permiso. Y, ¿qué mayor herencia que la salvación eterna? Es que para lo que es absolutamente bueno y esencial no se requiere pedirle permiso al menor de edad.

Además, la Biblia nos cuenta que se bautizaban familias enteras:

Se bautizó con toda su familia a aquella hora de la noche. (Hch 16, 33b)

En este versículo no se dice: «Se bautizó con su esposa», sino: «Se bautizó con toda su familia».

Recibió el bautismo junto con los de su familia. (Hch 16, 15a)

Tampoco se dice: «se bautizaron solo los adultos». Se dice: «Recibió el bautismo junto con los de su familia»; recordemos que por familia se entendían los padres, los hijos y hasta los servidores y esclavos.

Por otra parte, hay quienes dicen que, ya que Jesucristo se bautizó a los 33 años, nadie debe bautizarse antes. De aquí nacen varias preguntas: ¿Qué le sucederá a alguien que muera a los 24 años o a otro que conoció los caminos de Dios a los 45 años?

Por lo demás, no es necesario que hagamos las cosas tal y como Jesús las hizo. ¿Por qué, por ejemplo, no ayunamos 40 días y 40 noches después del bautismo?. ¿Por qué no morimos a los 33 años?. ¿Por qué no trabajamos todos 30 años como carpinteros?...

Otro aspecto de controversia es si se debe bautizar o no a una persona que no ha recibido la enseñanza necesaria. Jesús nos responde eso:

Jesús se acercó y les habló así: «Me ha sido dada toda autoridad en el Cielo y en la tierra. Vayan, pues, y hagan que todos los pueblos sean mis discípulos. Bautícenlos en el Nombre del Padre y del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo.» (Mt 28, 18-19))

Está claro: primero, el Bautismo; luego, la enseñanza.

Analicemos, como muestra, lo que afirman algunos cristianos: que hay que bautizarse en un río, puesto que en un río se bautizó Jesús.

El día de Pentecostés, después de que apareció el Espíritu Santo, Pedro se puso a predicar, y muchas personas lo escucharon.

Los que acogieron la palabra de Pedro se bautizaron, y aquel día se unieron a ellos unas tres mil personas. (Hch 2, 41)

Sabemos que en Jerusalén no hay ríos. ¿Dónde se bautizaron entonces?

Siguiendo el camino llegaron a un lugar donde había agua. El etíope dijo: «Aquí hay agua. ¿Qué impide que yo sea bautizado?» .Felipe respondió: «Puedes ser bautizado si crees con todo tu corazón.» El etíope replicó: «Creo que Jesucristo es el Hijo de Dios.» Entonces hizo parar su carro. Bajaron ambos al agua y Felipe bautizó al eunuco. (Hch 8, 36-38)

El texto no dice: «Aquí hay un río», sino «Aquí hay agua»; lo que hace suponer que se trataba de un pozo o un charco.

Es que este sacramento es, como se vio más arriba, «signo sensible de un efecto interior y espiritual que Dios obra en nuestras almas».

Y lo mismo ocurre con los demás sacramentos.

Cuando algunos cristianos dicen que es la fe en Cristo la que salva y no los sacramentos, están olvidando que precisamente los sacramentos son acciones de fe.

Tomado del libro:

RAZONES DE NUESTRA FE. 1ª edición. Bogotá. Colombia. Ediciones San Pablo, 2003.

Comentarios:

pablofranciscomaurino@gmail.com

Padilla says his motive is to use his many years of experience tracking down criminals to learn enough from Casey to find the little girl.

It isn’t surprising that Padilla’s quest has captured the imagination of the media.  His name is now known from coast-to-coast. The drama of a black-hatted, toothpick chewing cowboy riding into town to break open a case that police haven’t been able to crack sounds like a made-for-TV movie, or maybe the launch of a reality TV series.

The trouble is that the drama now unfolding according to Padilla’s script is encroaching on a very real investigation. And it feels like entertainment eclipsing truth, clouding the search for Caylee, rather than focusing it.

This is a particularly unwelcome event in the context of searching for a little girl who we pray could still be alive. Because successful investigations require an obsessive commitment to separating fact from fantasy, in a quest for the truth. And that pure motivation can be contaminated by a desire to court an audience and maintain their interest.

As a forensic psychiatrist I worry that Casey Anthony will be less motivated to tell authorities what she really knows about the disappearance of her toddler once she is free to take center stage outside a prison, in the public eye.  For someone who has the ability to spin tall tales in service to self-preservation, perhaps without feeling guilt, the making of a 24-hour-a-day TV drama out of a real tragedy could free her to fictionalize even more. It could embolden her to conclude that nothing has genuine meaning in the context of this story—not the suffering of her daughter, nor the call of her own conscience.

Sometimes the truth emerges because the world seems to be dark and unyielding without it, as it must have seemed to Anthony before Padilla rode into town. Now, the days can speed by like a DVD spinning, projecting images that have little to do with reality, other than providing a refuge from it.

Dr. Keith Ablow is a psychiatry correspondent for FOX News Channel and a New York Times bestselling author. His newest book, “Living the Truth: Transform Your Life through the Power of Insight and Honesty” has launched a new self-help movement. Check out Dr. Ablow’s website at livingthetruth.com.

We've combined keyword-targeted and placement-targeted campaigns into a single online campaign type. Starting today, you can target keywords and placements together in the same ad group. By doing so, you combine the benefits of contextual targeting with placement targeting: use keywords to show your ads only on contextually relevant pages, then use placements to set specific bids for, or restrict your targeting to, sites you value differently from the rest of the content network.

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Von Petra Bornhöft TM

Ein Grüppchen Parlamentarier fühlte sich nicht genug hofiert auf der Dienstreise nach Amerika. Ihre Beschwerden sind ein Dokument der Peinlichkeit.

Annette Widmann-Mauz, 42, ist in ihrem Leben nicht übermäßig herumgekommen. Die CDU-Bundestagsabgeordnete wurde in Tübingen geboren, ging im nahen Balingen zur Schule, studierte und jobbte in Tübingen, bis sie 1998 in den Bundestag einzog. Sie ist viel unterwegs im Wahlkreis zwischen Rangendingen, Kirchentellinsfurt und Starzach.
Da ist es verständlich, dass selbst ein gebrochener Fuß die gesundheitspolitische Sprecherin der Unionsfraktion in den Pfingstferien nicht hinderte, an einer elftägigen Dienstreise nach Kanada und in die USA teilzunehmen.

Mit Widmann-Mauz brachen sechs weitere Mitglieder des Gesundheitsausschusses nach Amerika auf. Die Tour scheint ein "Besuch der besonderen Art" gewesen zu sein, wie Rolf Schütte, der Generalkonsul in San Francisco, gleich nach Abreise der Gäste in einem vertraulichen Brandbrief ans Auswärtige Amt schrieb. Die Depesche wurde jetzt dem SPIEGEL bekannt; sie ist ein seltenes Dokument maßloser Ansprüche und derben Verhaltens deutscher Abgeordneter im Ausland.

Die Diplomaten im sonnigen Kalifornien werden oft heimgesucht von Parlamentariern. Die Beamten sind einiges gewohnt. Normalerweise schweigen sie. Aber dieses Mal haben sich die Volksvertreter offenbar so "unangemessen bis schikanös" verhalten, dass der Generalkonsul seinem Ärger Luft machen musste.

Auch die Reisenden glühen noch Monate später vor Zorn, fast alle fühlen sich schlecht behandelt: "Es war nicht der Standard, den wir gewohnt sind", sagt Widmann-Mauz. Deutlicher wird Randolph Krüger, Sekretär des Ausschusses: "Die Leute vom Konsulat sind wohl gewohnt, betrunkene Touristen aus einer Gefängniszelle zu holen, wissen aber nicht, welchen Service sie für Bundestagsabgeordnete zu leisten haben."

Dieser Service sollte wohl vor allem der Freizeitgestaltung dienen. Vor Reiseantritt habe Krüger "wiederholt" darauf hingewiesen, "dass das Programm bitte nicht mit inhaltlichen Terminen zu überfrachten sei und genug Zeit zur freien Verfügung bleiben möge", notierte Generalkonsul Schütte.

Auch habe Krüger "um eine Zusammenstellung von Theater- und Konzertveranstaltungen und von Einkaufsmöglichkeiten, insbesondere der Schuhgeschäfte" gebeten. Staatsdiener Krüger, der die Gruppe begleitete, verteidigt seine Planung: "Die Leute wollen sich doch vor Ort was ansehen." Für die Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf oder eine Tour mit der Cable Car braucht man eben Zeit.

Aber die Abgeordneten mussten sich auch mit vielen Ärgernissen herumschlagen. Richtig übel war die Sache mit dem Rollstuhl. Sekretär Krüger schwört, er habe sechs Tage vor der Ankunft per E-Mail einen Rollstuhl für Widmann-Mauz angefordert, wegen des gebrochenen Fußes. Vielleicht ist die Nachricht ja verschüttgegangen, jedenfalls schrieb der Generalkonsul, man sei erst nach Ankunft der Gruppe informiert worden und habe binnen weniger Stunden das Gefährt besorgt. Das Vehikel empörte die Abgeordneten nachhaltig: "Es war ein Krankenstuhl mit kleinen Rädern, wie aus alten US-Filmen", sagt Widmann-Mauz. Allein konnte sie ihn nicht bewegen.
Sozialdemokrat Krüger, Potsdam-West ist sein Ortsverein, sann auf Abhilfe. Vor der Stadtführung fuhr er den Generalkonsul nach dessen Erinnerung an: "Wir brauchen einen Neger, der den Rollstuhl schiebt." Heute, so Krüger zum SPIEGEL, mag er "nicht ausschließen, dass ich das gesagt habe. Wenn die so ein famoses Gerät angeschleppt hatten, dann sollten sie wenigstens mit anfassen".

Beim nächsten Ausflug, rund um die Bucht von San Francisco, stand ein Bus bereit. Mit dem sollte die Gruppe eigentlich nach Sacramento fahren, zum kalifornischen Parlament. Dort hatten die Berliner Hinterbänkler sich mit Nancy Pelosi treffen wollen. Leider hatte die Sprecherin des Washingtoner Repräsentantenhauses und derzeit ranghöchste US-Politikerin keine Zeit. Doch es gelang in letzter Minute, trotz der Haushaltsberatungen, Gespräche mit den Vorsitzenden der Ausschüsse für Gesundheit und Transport zu vereinbaren.
Doch morgens in der Hotellobby, heißt es in Schüttes Bericht, habe Krüger "für die bereits in Freizeitkleidung erschienene Delegation" erklärt, die Gruppe "würde lediglich am Vormittag die Sightseeing-Tour machen und am Nachmittag dann Zeit zur freien Verfügung haben" wollen.

Jene "souveräne Entscheidung" beim Frühstück, die Termine in Sacramento platzen zu lassen, begründet Widmann-Mauz damit, dass ihnen dort ohnehin nur Gespräche mit Mitarbeitern von Abgeordneten sicher gewesen seien. "Wir legen schon Wert auf Augenhöhe", sagt die CDU-Frau.

Für die Absage musste der Generalkonsul eine "Notlüge" - Erkrankung der Delegationsleiterin Widmann-Mauz - erfinden.

Am Ende der Reise verlangte der CDU-Abgeordnete Hubert Hüppe, 51, ein Stadtoberinspektor aus dem westfälischen Werne, der seit 17 Jahren im Bundestag sitzt, zum Flughafen begleitet zu werden. "Ich kann kaum Englisch", sagt er. Deshalb habe er sich "hilflos gefühlt. Beim Einchecken kann immer was passieren, und dann steh' ich da".

Ein Fahrer des Konsulats brachte den CDU-Politiker zum Airport. Der Mann war laut Generalkonsul Schütte "überrascht, als der Abgeordnete Hüppe dann nicht nur auf Englisch einchecken konnte, sondern auch seinen Wunsch nach einem Upgrade in die First Class auszudrücken vermochte".

Hüppe bestreitet das. Er sei nur Business geflogen. Den Beleg dafür sucht er noch.

Yesterday, the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives and CaliforniaVolunteers today hosted a Partnership Summit to Strengthen Communities in Sacramento, highlighting ways to strengthen and expand partnerships between government and California's non-profit sector to more effectively address human need.  Hosted by White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Director Jay Hein and California Secretary of Service and Volunteering Karen Baker, the Summit recognized the vital role of California faith-based and community organizations and their volunteers in tacking critical community challenges from crime and prisoner reentry to disaster recovery, HIV/AIDS and homelessness.

"The President's Faith-Based and Community Initiative is alive in California through the hundreds of nonprofits partnering with government to further their compassionate missions," said White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Director Jay Hein.  "Effective and engaged volunteers are critical to the community impact of America's faith-based and community organizations.  In partnership with CaliforniaVolunteers, we honor the service of volunteers and the organizations through which they serve - those first in and last out in times of need - and seek ways to further extend their efforts to target stubborn social ills."

Joined by nearly 1,000 public and private-sector leaders from across the country, the Summit highlighted ways CaliforniaVolunteers and President George W. Bush's Faith-Based and Community Initiative are working to strengthen the work of non-profits through partnerships and resources to extend their reach into the communities they serve.  Field experts trained these organizations to help expand their capacity in areas such as adopting effective business practices, leveraging government funds and more effectively engaging volunteers as critical resources.  The Summit also featured innovative and effective models for addressing a range of social ills from substance abuse to global health and hunger.

Additionally, today's event spotlighted successful corporate strategies to more effective engage employees in skilled volunteering through our Nation's non-profits.  Representatives from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Deloitte and Intel discussed efforts to increase the amount of skilled volunteering America's corporate sector gives to nonprofits.  These organizations recently partnered with the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation and the USA Freedom Corps volunteer initiative at the White House to launch the Pro Bono Challenge, a three-year campaign to leverage $1 billion in skilled volunteering and pro bono services from the corporate community.

During the Conference, Secretary Baker announced that CaliforniaVolunteers will appoint a Federal Resources Liaison in the coming months to connect nonprofits with ways to leverage government partnerships.  This liaison will work with the Faith-Based and Community Initiative to engage grassroots organizations in addressing critical needs in their communities.

CaliforniaVolunteers is the state office that manages programs and initiatives aimed at increasing the number of Californians engaged in service and volunteering and is led by the nation's first state cabinet secretary of Service and Volunteering Karen Baker.  CaliforniaVolunteers is designated as the lead agency for coordinating in-state volunteers during disasters and is developing a statewide Disaster Corps to unify affiliated volunteer programs and provide a common standard for training, certification and classification of volunteers. 

CaliforniaVolunteers this year will support 52 AmeriCorps programs statewide via $26 million in grants to non-profits and public agencies.  The agency also developed and maintains the largest statewide volunteer matching network in the nation on CaliforniaVolunteers.org, administers the Cesar Chavez Day of Service and Learning and guides state policy development to support the nonprofit and service fields.  At today's Summit, CaliforniaVolunteers unveiled a new Web portal to connect faith-based and community organizations to current and relevant volunteer management training available both locally and online.   

"California's non-profits play a vital role in addressing our state's critical needs," remarked California's Secretary of Service and Volunteering, Karen Baker.  "Today's summit will provide invaluable tools to California's faith-based and community organizations to enhance their volunteer programs and more effectively meet their missions."

Also today, Director Hein presented the lifetime President's Volunteer Service Award to Judy Levin, a Silicon Valley community volunteer who has given over 7,500 hours of service to the Volunteer Center and the Jewish Federation, as well as other charitable organizations.  Levin has been active in community volunteer efforts for more than 25 years and currently serves as president of the Volunteer Center of Silicon Valley.  In partnership with the Points of Light Institute and the Walt Disney Company, Levin is also the founding chair of the grassroots Green Challenge Climate Change Civic Engagement Action Program.  The President's Volunteer Service Award is given to individuals who have answered President Bush's call to serve by offering either 4,000 hours or two full years of volunteering to causes greater than self.

According to figures recently released by the Corporation for National and Community Service, California's 6.7 million volunteers dedicated an average of 896.4 million hours of service per year between 2005 and 2007 – with an estimated annual economic contribution of $17.5 billion.  However, less than one in four Californians volunteer, underscoring the need to more effectively utilize this largely untapped state resource.

In 2007 alone, faith-based and community organizations in California won more than $1 billion through 1,510 Federal competitive grants to expand their services and further their missions to help individuals in need.  Launched during his early days in office, President Bush's Faith-Based and Community Initiative is built from the conviction that the most effective way to address community challenges in California and throughout the Nation is by engaging every willing partner in a determined attack on need.

Yesterday's Partnership Summit to Strengthen Communities is part of a series of regional conferences hosted by the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives across the country and around the world – and the third conference held in the state of California. The conferences are designed to connect frontline nonprofit organizations with resources and training on a variety of topics to help strengthen the services they offer and facilitate opportunities to network with community partners and government officials.

Meatman is a short that I worked crew on.  It is the brainchild of Terrestrian Project with some special effects by Morb-X.

Also possible evidence was found at a remote site where Casey Anthony cell phone records say she was.  Pants, a shoe and 2, yes 2 backpacks were found.  Remember George Anthony stated he says the girls leave with a backpack each?  Well, they could have been possibly found! 

Now the Anthony’s have hired in a spokesman to do all their talking!  Too bad they didn’t do this before so we didn’t have to watch Cindy Anthony try to justify her lying daughter, Casey Anthony! 

Boy the saga continues, and yet they are not any closer to finding Little Caylee Anthony!

AAAMP (American Association of Anger Management Providers) appointed Ms. Bell to head up this organization in part because of her exceptional leadership skills and clear vision and desire to increase the visibility and credibility of the organization.

"As our society becomes more stressed and our natural support systems are lost, our ability to manage anger is reduced. Anger management is by far the most promising intervention available to address the issues of incivility, anger, stress, miscommunications and lack of emotional intelligence" stated Ms. Bell.

AAAMP was organized in 2003 to become the leading voice to express the concerns of Certified Anger Management Facilitators (CAMF) nationwide. Today, there are thousands of certified anger management facilitators nationwide representing the most highly trained individuals in anger management in the world.

While Anger Management as a specialized practice is in its infancy, AAAMP continues to advocate for excellence on the part of practitioners and scholars in the field. Practice based research will be imperative to further develop evidenced based solutions to inappropriate expressions of anger and person-directed violence.

Like her predecessor, she will work to achieve the following major objectives: 1) To increase the visibility of the Association in every state among schools, organizations and individuals; 2) To provide members with technical support and assist them in providing relevant services; 3) To increase membership; 4). To establish state standards nationwide for all professional anger management providers; 5) To ensure that AAAMP becomes the single most respected voice on anger management issues nationwide.

Through greater visibility in the print, television media and over the Internet she will make the voice of the American Association of Anger Management Providers known nationwide on emerging social issues.

Complete and full details on the American Association of Anger Management Providers can be found by visiting www.aaamp.org. To reach Ms. Bell directly, please call to 510-393-0250 or email her at aminstitute@gmail.com.

# # #

George Anderson, MSW, BCD, CAMF, CEAP
Diplomate, American Association of Anger Management Providers
Anderson & Anderson®, The Trusted Name in Anger Management
http://www.andersonservices.com/
http://www.aaamp.org
http://www.linkedin.com/in/geoanderson
www.anger-management-resources.org

Components of the class include:

-One day, on-site observation (optional)

-Assessment at intake focusing on the participant’s level of functioning in managing stress, anger, communication and emotional intelligence. We do not provide psychological testing nor is our intervention considered counseling or psychotherapy.

-Two client workbooks which includes didactic information and exercises focusing on enhancing emotional intelligence, improving assertive communication, as well as behavioral strategies for recognizing and managing anger and stress. Therefore, there are no stigmas attached.

-Complimentary “Gaining Control of Ourselves DVD” along with follow-up kit.

-“Styles of Communication” and “A Day Without Stress” are two power DVDs that are also complimentary.

-Post-test at termination designed to determine the level of change during the course.

-Bi monthly follow-up sessions are provided for a six-month period.

-Our services are provided with the utmost in confidentiality for all participants.

-Anderson & Anderson is the Preferred Provider for Kaiser Permanente of Southern California.

For more information, call our office at 310-207-3591 now.

George Anderson, MSW, BCD, CAMF, CEAP
Diplomate, American Association of Anger Management Providers
Anderson & Anderson®, The Trusted Name in Anger Management
http://www.andersonservices.com/
http://www.aaamp.org
http://www.linkedin.com/in/geoanderson
www.anger-management-resources.org

George Anderson, MSW, BCD, CAMF, CEAP
Diplomate, American Association of Anger Management Providers
Anderson & Anderson®, The Trusted Name in Anger Management
http://www.andersonservices.com/
http://www.aaamp.org
http://www.linkedin.com/in/geoanderson
www.anger-management-resources.org

PEDAGOGIA URBANA

Acima: Ben Underwood e sua mãe.

"Eu nunca disse que ele era diferente dos outros, porque não existem diferenças.”

Quem passa distraído por uma rua em um subúrbio da cidade de Sacramento, Califórnia, tem a impressão de que Ben Underwood é um adolescente como os outros. Ele tem 16 anos, está sempre sorrindo e é brincalhão. Apaixonado pelo basquete e pra lá de abusado na bicicleta.

Em quase tudo, ele é como os amigos do bairro, não fosse por um importante detalhe: ele é cego. Aos 3 anos, apareceram manchas brancas nos olhos de Ben. Os médicos diagnosticaram câncer nas retinas e, mesmo depois de duas cirurgias, ele perdeu completamente a visão.

Fez experiências com a bengala, só que ficou tão perdido e desistiu. E, sem que ninguém lhe ensinasse, acabou desenvolvendo uma habilidade incomum: começou a estalar a língua e descobriu que era possível “enxergar” com os ouvidos. Criou uma espécie de radar, ou sonar. Ele se orienta pelo eco do som que produz.

Hoje, enquanto caminha, sabe exatamente onde estão os carros. Na bicicleta, ele aponta mostrando que tem uma árvore à direita.

“Quando eu estava andando por aqui, antes, eu detectei a árvore. E agora sei exatamente onde ela está. Eu posso ouvir que tem uma árvore aqui”, diz o adolescente.

Durante muitos anos, Ben usou o método instintivamente, sem saber que estava reproduzindo algo conhecido pela natureza. É o que a ciência define como eco-localização, comum entre os golfinhos e morcegos, mas extremamente raro entre os seres humanos.

A mãe acredita que o filho desenvolveu essa habilidade porque nunca disse a ele que estava cego. Desde pequeno, ele aprendeu a ver com os outros sentidos.

“Eu nunca deixei ele perceber que eu estava com medo e nunca chorei na frente dele. Eu nunca disse que ele era diferente dos outros, porque não existem diferenças”, continua a mãe. (Fonte: Fantástico - Brasil)

Mais informações AQUI.

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PESQUISA URBANA

Classic Car in the Street - Auto Clasico en la Calle, originally uploaded by Gabriel Robledo.

Esta foto que parece sacada hace siglos en realidad y obviamente fue sacada hace unos 2 años en Colonia del Sacramenteo, Uruguay.

La verdad que la foto se dio sola, estaba paseando por una de las calles del centro, esas que son todas empedradas, y justo vi a lo lejos pasar uno de estos autos antiguos. Ni bien lo vi, me posicioné en un lugar apropiado y cuando paso le saqué una única foto. Por suerte salió bien nítida y sin movimiento, hace parecer que el auto estaba quieto.

Aquí hay otra foto de Colonia pero esta vez cerca del río y con unos cuantos barcos.

Saludos!

Gabriel

ale nanestastie pre nas a na stastie pre nase penazenky sme sem teda prisli pracovat..tak sme sa hned rano pustili do toho..

pre tych co vedia malo.. robime na fairi..fair je nieco ako jarmok, lenze nie taky nas jarmok ale len same zradlo pitie koncerty par kolotocov a podobne blbosticky..a tento fair (citaj feer) je tu kazdy rok a je vo venture sacramente a LA.. my konkretne tu robime vo firme kt sa vola images everywhere, a komu to nenapadlo tak ano robime fotky:)

ako to teda naozaj vyzralo.. so sandrou robime na main gate (pri hlavnom vchode pre tych ktorym anglictina nieje blizka, ze moja:) ) a chalani jeden je na east a druhy na west gate.. inak pobvedane my so sandrou sme schytali asi najviac roboty ale zasa viac $..no neviem kto z nas je na tom lepsie alebo horsie..

rano sme prisli do roboty (nebudem tu rozpisovat ze sm sa stratila a uplakana sm behala po ceste a hladala spravnu cestu:P ) a v nasich SEXI uniformach (nebojte dodame fotky) sme sa postavili za brany a cakali kym zacnu pustat ludi..a stojime tam asi tak cca 6-8 ludi a ked niekto vojde tak mu urobime fotku..az na to teplo co tam je a to ze sm dnes stala 13 hodin na nohach s 2 polhodinovymi pauzami to bolo ok..chudatka len moje babatka 3 su este tam e ted sm tu sama:( lebo po 10pm zatvaraju brany a niektori idu dom a zvysok ostava v budkach a predava fotos ludom co idu dom z fairu..cize kym neodidu lduia tam musia trcat..

ludia tu su super, naozaj sm necakala tak fajn ludi, teda nebojte na vas tu nema ani jeden ale tak snazime sa uspokojit nase socialne potreby aspon s nimi..ale stale nam tu chybate, aby ste si nemysleli..:(

aaa este vam musim povedat moj dnesny zazitok, kt neni teda moc extra prijemny.. vecer zacali chodit cez brany hlavne sami mladi..a hlavne cierni a inak farebni..vacsina bielych ludi tam bola dnes cez den a tak ked sme asi 10 min pred koncom dnes stali pri vchode boli sme tam siroko daleko jedini bieli ludia..co by bolo v poho..az na to ze ich tam bolo fakt uplne mrte a obcas sa medzi sebou zacali hadat..ale tak my sme si ich nevsimali a fotili dalej..ked tu zrazu.. secia tito ludia zacali kricat a utekat jednym smerom..niektori sa hadzali do krikov ini utekali za stanky ini sa hadzali na zem a kricali a bezali a pravdepodobne nikto nevedel pred cim utekaju..no nebolo nam vsetko jedno a tak sme pobehli teda tiez a po chvili sme videli ze sa teda nic nestalo asi v nasej blizkosti ale tak nebolo nam setko jedno..sandra bola v budke na kase a ja sm tam bola s ostatnymi..no proste..mrte mrte sm sa bala..jedna mila cernoska mi tak povedala ze ked vidim bezat ciernych, mam bezat tiez a rychlo a co najdalej..takze asi tak.. ale tak vela vyplasenych ludi ms este nevidela fakt..a nakoniec teda sme isli uz dom a este sm sa isla rozlucit so sandy ked tu vidim helikopteru, policajtov ako prehladavaju auta co odchadzaju  apod..a potom zasa..secia okolo zacali utekat a kricat  a bezali a neviem co..tak sme sa zasa asi 10 jebli do nasho stanku a cakali sme co sa deje.. a sice vlastne stale neviem co sa stalo, i ked nemam z toho dobry pocit kedze tam je asi 10 poziarnych aut 3 sanitky helikopteru pocujem este ted a to byvame 15 min odtial a kolkto je tam polisov ani netipujem radsej, pravdepodobne tam niekto po niekom strielal ale tak sm zvedava co povedia henti ked dojdu dom..cize velmi potesujuce:) len dufam ze je tam setko ok a tie moje  3 zlaticka sa mi skoro vratia bo mi je tu smutno bez nich samej:( takze toto bol moj ako keby z filmu zazitok:)) snad sa to nebude opakovat teda, fuu.. :P

takze tot asi setko z dnesneho dna, tesime sa ze mame net a mozme vam pisat ak bude cas, a dufame aj my budeme skoro pocut o vas nieco noveee:)

posielam pusy setkyyym

AAAA:)

P.S. ak sm napisala nieco s chybami alebo nejaka veta nedava zmysel, prepacte, ale sm faakt uanvena..takze prosim o pochopenie:) pus pus

Swanner: When you have a comedy with Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Matthew McConaughey, Nick Nolte, Steve Coogan and Tom Cruise how could you possibly go wrong...Brian?

Judd: Oh, I don’t know. It could be ruined by sloppy, lazy writing that relies on profane one-note jokes that aren’t that funny but are repeated until you laugh—I call that the “Leno Method”. In addition to the fact, Stiller and Black are normally reasons I avoid a movie. Robert Downey Jr. was the only actor in the movie worth watching as he plays a white Australian actor (think Russell Crowe) who undergoes a skin pigment augmentation to play a Black soldier in the movie within the movie.

Swanner: I'm not a big fan of Ben Stiller as an actor or as a director (he is both here). Acting wise its like watching all the most irritating scenes from his movies and bringing them back as if they were golden. As a director I have to fault him because he should have replaced himself with a better actor. As for the rest of the cast, I liked them. I'm a fan of Jack Black (especially when he's in bikini briefs for long extended scenes) and I think Robert Downey Jr. makes any movie he's in better by him being in it. By the way, the plot of the movie follows a group of spoiled actors being dropped in the Vietnamese jungle to find their motivation for a Vietnam war picture they are starring in. Once left in the jungle they are pursued by drug smugglers but the actor think they are being perused by movie Vietcong

Judd: There is a subplot with Matthew McConaughey as Stiller’s agent back in Hollywood and Tom Cruise in a fat suit as a blow hard movie exec. McConaughey is forgettable and Cruise is funny-ish, I guess. As I said, for me the writing was completely sub-par. The movie aims to offend everyone, but it does it in ways that we’ve seen before. There was only one moment where I thought the writing was creative and actually funny. Of course this is also the scene that is causing quite a bit of controversy among advocates for the learning disabled. I was going to say that much like Stiller, the screenwriters think they’re funnier than they are. Guess who wrote it.

Swanner: I thought the script wasn't the best but that still may have to do with the fact Stiller's delivery sucks. The rest of the dialog is good. The story is a bit obvious but enjoyable with the Hollywood scenes are inserted. Tom Cruise was actually very funny but I was surprised by the language in the movie, most of the hard R dialog comes from him. There has been a lot of controversy over making fun of the retarded and the fact the Downey Jr. in Black face. If you actually watch the movie you'll see that the movie makes the point that actors will change their pigment or play the disable only to win Oscars.

Judd: I just want to mention that there was another screenwriter involved name Etan Cohen who wrote an 11 minute short titled, “My Wife Is Retarded”. I want to throw that out there because I don’t want anyone to think Stiller could be funny enough to pen the “Full Retard” monologue. Maybe I didn’t like it because I’m not easily shocked. Black face in this context didn’t shock me. Tom Cruise dropping a string of F Bombs isn’t shocking. Stiller playacting “full retard” wasn’t shocking. Tropic Thunder is the equivalent of a three year old yelling “Poop!” in room full of adults. The toddler is delighted by the offense while the adults shoo him back into the playroom. Someone should have shooed Stiller back into the playroom.

Swanner: 2 Stars
Judd: 1 Star

“Leonard Padilla owner of Tony Padilla Bail Bonds in Sacramento, Calif., said Friday afternoon that he will be flying to Orlando on Sunday to post the $500,000 bond for Casey's release.”

The last thing this girl needs is to get out of jail!  She is a flight risk.  I think she was at the airport trying to leave town, but couldn’t get the money from mommy and daddy to do it.   

How much you want to bet, even thought the CA bounty hunter says Casey will be watched, but I bet she will escape via a trunk of a car, or on the floor of the backseat of a car.  You watch and see, I’ll bet she is long gone before to long!

UPDATE:

She will be wearing a fitted with a court-ordered ankle monitoring device.  Guess she won't go far!

One is 97% financing program and the other is 100% financing program, however, the 100% financed program has fallen out of favor this past year due to the inability to find mortgage insurers and the housing decline. Not to fret, the 97% financing program is by far the better of the two.

The 97% financial program is an 80/17. The first mortgage is 80% of the loan amount and the second mortgage is 17%. The 2nd mortgage also can be deferred for 5 years at the exact same rate as the first!!!

For example, if you were purchasing a home for 300K, then the first mortgage would be 80% of that amount, or 240K. Just for argument sake, let's say the rates was 6.5% on the first mortgage. Therefore, the second mortgage, 17% of 300K is 51K, would be at that same rate, 6.5%. Thus, you would be able to purchase the home at 6.5% and at 97% of the value!!

But Wait, The Program Gets Even Better...

You can defer the second loan's payments for 5 years! You don't have to pay the second loan for five years, but simple interest is added to your second mortgage each year at the same rate, 6.5%. So using the example above, the 2nd mortgage of 51K at 6.5% will accrue ~$3,315 the each year for 5 years, so ~$16,600 at the end of the 5 years will be added to the second for a total of ~$67,600. The loan is then amortized for the remainder of the 25 years at 6.5%. Your payment will be ~$456!!

Lastly, the program allows you to receive a seller's credit toward the closing cost, so theoretically you are able to purchase the home for 100% financing. Also, third party members, such as Realtors and brokers are also eligible to credit toward the closing costs. In addition, family members can gift the 3% for the down as well. The above are all options for you to purchase your first home. Just remember, if you are placing an offer on a home, PLEASE, make sure your Realtor places within the contract the seller's credit toward closing costs because it is difficult to back track once the offer is given to the listing agent or the bank, especially if it is a bank owned property.

We promise you  at Equistar Funding Corporation, you will not find a sweeter deal than this one...Please give us a call if you have any questions regarding the rates, or this FTHB's program at 530.753.5657.

Also, for your convenience the rates are accessible by clicking the link below. http://www.calstrs.com/Members/Home%20Loan%20Program/rates.aspx

We look forward to talking with you.

Darin Zabel

530.753.5657