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The Importance of Residential Tenant Screening & Commercial Tenant Screening

Some think that tenant screening services are unnecessary. They believe that it is a waste of money when you can verify the information yourself by calling references. However, the fact is that with regard to an investment, everyone must make smart choices. The only way that one can make a smart decision is based upon accurate information. Unfortunately, people will lie in order to get what they want. It is these people that are willing to do anything that are the most dangerous to your investment. Employment screening services ensure that you are adding the right person to your team, and confirm based on their history that your employees and business are not at risk by this person. Tenant screenings confirm that the renter is credible and is consistent on paying their bills.

Life Without Background Checks

When it comes to not using tenant screening services, there are countless stories of homeowners that rented to someone that then skipped out on their monthly rent payment. One example is from the state of Georgia. The person renting the home skipped out of town while still owing two months of rent. Calls, emails and texts all were not returned by that person. All the homeowner could do was file with the court, and look into the potential of garnishing wages. The only problem is that he did not know where the renter was any longer. Tenant checks could have pulled up any history of this type of action, and prevented the homeowner from losing out on money.

Not using employment screening services can be even more damaging as it involves the reputation of a business being on the line. There are several stories where businesses that work with children had unknowingly hired a convicted child molester. The reputation of the business can be permanently scarred by one bad decision. Employment background checks can prevent businesses from making poor hiring decisions.

Types Of Screenings

There are multiple facets to employment screenings. The first checks for a criminal background. This is important to the safety of other employees, yourself and to your business. If an employee has previously been convicted of embezzlement then it would not be a good decision to hire that person for an accounting position. The employment background checks also evaluates the work history of the candidate to verify that the information provided on the resume actually matches the recorded work history of the individual.

Tenant screening services check the criminal background of the renter as well. This is extremely important if the person has a history of drug abuse. If illegal drugs are made or distributed on the property, the government has the right to confiscate that property. In turn, you could lose your investment because of a renter. On the other had it also checks the credit history of the renter to ensure that they do not have a record of skipping out on their bills.

Protect Yourself From Risk

Regardless of your situation, you will want to employ either tenant or employment screening services to ensure that you are protected. The best way to protect yourself from risk is to make sure that the employment or tenant screening services you use meet the Fair Credit Reporting Act standards set by the federal government. Protecting yourself and your business is important, start by getting background checks today.

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Wednesday, April 20, 2011

OBITUARY: S.B. Van Arsdale (1932)

from The Republican (Danville, Indiana) – issue of Thursday, March 10, 1932 – page 7, column 3:

Death of S.B. VanArsdale
S.B. VanArsdale, formerly of the Clayton Milling Co., died at his home, 3267 North New Jersey street, Indianapolis, Tuesday. The funeral will be from the Titus, Hisey and Titus funeral parlors at 951 N. Delaware street, this afternoon at 2:30, with burial at Crown Hill. The deceased is survived by the widow, Florence A., one son and two daughters, S.B. and Miss Ollie, of Indianapolis, and Mrs. J.W. Allen of Clayton. Mr. VanArsdale was 70 years of age and for a number of years had resided in Clayton where he had an interest in the milling business. He was born in Harrisburg, Ky., and was a member of the Clayton Presbyterian church.

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Published: Sunday, November 17, 2013, 2:04 p.m.

Senate showdown over military sexual assault bill

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has secured public support from nearly half the Senate, but not enough votes, for her proposal to give victims of rape and sexual assault in the military an independent route outside the chain of command for prosecuting attackers.
Gillibrand's solution for a problem the military calls an epidemic appears to have stalled in the face of united opposition from the Pentagon's top echelon and its allies in Congress, including two female senators who are former prosecutors.
Opponents of the proposal by Gillibrand, D-N.Y., insist that commanders, not an outside military lawyer, must be accountable for meting out justice.
Even so, major changes are coming for a decades-old military system just a few months after several high-profile cases infuriated Republicans and Democrats in a rapid chain of events by Washington standards.
"Sexual assault in the military is not new, but it has been allowed to fester," Gillibrand said in a recent Senate speech.
The Senate this week is set to consider an annual defense policy bill that would strip commanders of their ability to overturn jury convictions, require dishonorable discharge or dismissal for any individual convicted of sexual assault and establish a civilian review when a decision is made not to prosecute a case.
The bill would provide a special counsel for victims and eliminate the statute of limitations.
Those changes in military law are backed by members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. But overshadowing the revisions is the testy, intense fight over Gillibrand's proposal to strip commanders of their authority to prosecute cases of sexual assault. She wants to hand responsibility to seasoned military lawyers outside the chain of command.
Her solution has divided the Senate, splitting Republicans and Democrats, men and women, even former attorneys general, into unusual coalitions. The lobbying has been fierce, with dueling data, testimonials and news conferences with victims. Opponents invited Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Loretta Reynolds to the closed-door Republican caucus last week.
Among Gillibrand's 47 announced supporters are conservative Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rand Paul, R-Ky., along with 16 of the Senate's 20 women.
Standing against the plan is the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.; the panel's military veterans John McCain, R-Ariz., and Jack Reed, D-R.I., and three of the committee's women -- Sens. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., both former prosecutors, and Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb.
Gillibrand says she privately has received backing from more than 50 senators, but support remains short of the filibuster-proof 60 votes that likely will be needed for her amendment to the defense bill. To secure more votes, she said last week she was considering scaling back her plan to focus solely on sexual assault and rape instead of all serious crimes. That prompted complaints from her original backers that it would create "pink courts," and Gillibrand said on ABC's "This Week" Sunday she was reverting to her initial bill.
Either way, it hasn't diminished the opposition.
"There (are) now enough members of the Senate that begin to grasp that letting commanders walk away from this is a big mistake; holding their feet to the fire is what we need to be doing," said McCaskill. She said in an interview that, unlike Gillibrand, she wasn't changing "the policy to get votes."
McCaskill said the Pentagon already has moved unilaterally, reflected in the recent word from the Defense Department that reports of sexual assaults in the military increased by an unprecedented 46 percent during the last budget year. There were 3,553 sexual assault complaints from October 2012 through June, compared with 2,434 reports during the same period the previous year.
Defense Department officials cast the sharp increase as a sign that people are more confident about coming forward now that improvements are being made in handling assaults.
Gillibrand offers a different figure -- 26,000.
That was the Pentagon's estimate of the number of military members who may have been sexually assaulted last year, based on an anonymous survey of military personnel. Thousands of victims were unwilling to come forward despite new oversight and assistance programs aimed at curbing the crimes, according to the Pentagon report earlier this year.
"They didn't trust the chain of command. They didn't think anything would be done in their cases," Gillibrand said in an interview. "The second reason they didn't report was because they feared or had witnessed retaliation. ... The command climate failed those victims."
Pushing back against Gillibrand's proposal, Gen. Ray Odierno, chief of staff of the Army, said last week that adopting her plan would be a "big mistake" and that it would cost an estimated $113 million a year, including salaries for about 600 attorneys and support staff.
That financial assessment doesn't take into account the expense of training members of the military, medical and mental health benefits for victims, loss of productivity and possible separation from service for a Pentagon with a fiscal year budget of more than $500 billion.
"It would seem absurd for the military to say we can't possibly prevent sexual assault, rape, because we don't have lawyers to try the cases," Gillibrand said.
Bolstering their case, McCaskill, Ayotte and Fisher compiled additional changes that the Senate is expected to approve. They include barring defendants from using the good military character defense, allowing sexual assault victims to challenge a discharge or separation from the service, and extending the new protections to the military service academies.
"The reason this issue is so hard is because on one side is a very simple narrative, this is victim versus commanders and you should be for the victims," McCaskill said.
"On the other side, it's much more complex, and I'm guided by practical experience handling these cases and a pretty intimate knowledge of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and how it actually works ... and making sure we have a system that's constitutional, that works and that holds commanders accountable."

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Lampard joins Manchester City until January; but will he play against Chelsea?

Frank Lampard

The 36-year-old recently joined New York City FC on a two-year-deal having left Stamford Bridge.

Manchester City have signed Frank Lampard on a six-month loan deal from sister club New York City FC.

Lampard, who signed for the new American franchise just last week, will join the Premier League Champions until January before the MLS season kicks off in March.

The midfielder will link up with Manuel Pellegrini’s squad next week, as the Chilean boss confirmed that he would not just be joining to improve his fitness.

"He’s a member of the squad and he will fight for his position,” Pellegrini said after City were beaten in their pre-season friendly by Olympiakos.

"He knows we have a good team and we have a lot of games in the Champions League so he's very important for our team."

In a move that may be a bitter blow for Chelsea fans, it appears Lampard hasn’t had his last hurrah in the Premier League just yet. The 36-year-old is also yet to make up his mind over his international future, with England’s Euro 2016 qualifying campaign getting underway next month. His move to City will only improve his chances of selection should he wish to continue.

It had been speculated that Lampard would join on the condition that he did not have to face Chelsea when the two sides meet in September. But Pellegrini also said that he must play every game in which he is needed.

SEE ALSO: Ancelotti 'surprised' by Lampard availability; Would he have taken him to Madrid?

"I will talk about that with him but he is a player for Manchester City and he will play every game that he needs to play." He added.

With Lampard’s MLS debut at least eight months away, his move to City represents an ideal opportunity to be involved in high-level matches.

Will Frank Lampard choose to play against former club Chelsea?

Register for MANCHESTER CITY team updates

Register for CHELSEA team updates

Register for HITC Sport - Daily Dispatch


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Ħaġar Qim Temples

The temple of Ħaġar Qim, stands on a hilltop overlooking the sea and the islet of Fifla, not more than 2km south-west of the village of Qrendi. At the bottom of the hill, only 500m away, lies another remarkable temple site, Mnajdra found above the Southern cliffs. The surrounding landscape is typical Mediterranean garigue and spectacular in its starkness and isolation.

First excavated in 1839, the remains suggest a date between 3600 – 3200 BC, a period known as the Ġgantija phase in Maltese prehistory. Ħaġar Qim was in fact never completely buried as the tallest stones, remained exposed and featured in 18th and 19th century paintings. The site consists of a central building and the remains of at least two more structures. The large forecourt and the monumental facade of the central structure follow the pattern typical of Maltese Prehistoric Temples. Along the external wall one may find some of the largest megaliths used in the building of these structures, such as a 5.2m high stone and a huge megalith estimated to weigh close to 20 tonnes.

The building itself is made up of a series of C-shaped rooms, known as apses. Walking through the main entrance, one finds a central paved space with an apse on each side. These apses are more firmly screened off than is usual at other temple sites using walls and slabs with square shaped portholes cut through as doorways. During excavations a slab bearing a pair of opposing spirals in relief and a free-standing pillar decorated on all four sides were found in the area. These have been replaced with replicas on site and the originals can be found at the National Museum of Archaeology.

Through the inner passage one finds an apse on the right and a large space on the left. The apse on the right has a curious setting of low stone slabs forming an inner enclosure. At the rear of this apse is a small elliptical hole. The rays of the rising sun on the first day of summer, the Summer Solstice, pass through this hole and illuminate one of the low slabs.

The large space on the left holds three high so-called ‘table altars’ and a doorway to an additional chamber reached by three steps. Three more chambers form part of this building but these can only be reached through doorways along the outer wall. Much of interest has been unearthed at Ħaġar Qim, notably stone and clay statuettes of obese figures which are also found at the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta.

Reasons to Visit

  1. 1. Ħaġar Qim is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed as part of ‘The Megalithic Temples of Malta’ in the World Heritage List.
  2. 2. A dedicated visitor centre offers information about the site in a fun and interactive manner.
  3. 3. One of the prehistoric chambers at Ħaġar Qim holds an elliptical hole which is hewn out in alignment with the Summer Solstice sunrise. At sunrise, on the first day of summer, the sun’s rays pass through this hole and illuminate a stone slab inside the chamber.

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Highlights from the Collection

Triq Ħaġar Qim,
Qrendi QRD 2501
Tel: +356 21 424 231

Opening Hours

Winter Hours - 1st October till 31st March
Monday to Sunday: 09.00 - 17.00hrs
Last admission at 16.30hrs

Summer Hours - 1st April till 30th September
Monday to Sunday: 08.00-19.15hrs
Last admission at 18.45hrs

Closed on 24, 25 & 31 December, 1 January & Good Friday

Adults (18 - 59 years): €10.00
Youths (12 - 17 years), Senior Citizens (60 years & over), and Students: €7.50
Children (6 -11 years): €5.50
Infants (1 -5 years): Free

Above fee includes admission to Hagar Qim Park (Hagar Qim Temples, Mnajdra Temples, and the Visitor Centre).

Related Links


text:
June 12, 2013 | 6:30 p.m.

Among the slate of games announced during the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) this week is “Mad Max,” an post-apocalyptic action game inspired by — you guessed it — the Mel Gibson-starring “Mad Max” movie franchise.

The open-world video game, from publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and developer Avalanche Studios, will cast players as the road warrior, fighting to survive in a post-apocalyptic wasteland while facing vicious bandits, desert terrain and hostile weather.

“The Wasteland lends itself incredibly well to the high level of player freedom,” Avalanche Studios cofounder and chief creative officer Christofer Sundberg said in a news release. “This unforgiving environment inspired us to create a gritty and diverse experience where driving, fighting and scavenging are essential for survival.”

PHOTOS: Scenes from E3 2013

Driving, indeed. The theft of Max’s iconic yellow car Interceptor is the catalyst for much of the action. With the help of an eccentric mechanic character named Chumbucket, players customize a new combat car — the Magnum Opus — for Max, choosing from bodies, engines, armor and mounted weapons, and ultimately building a war machine to take down marauders during vehicular battles. These parts are scavenged scraps or treasures stolen during raids on enemy camps.

“Mad Max” will be available for the PlayStation 4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC. The video game is scheduled for a 2014 release, but it’s not the only “Mad Max” makeover in the works. The character is being reimagined for the big screen with upcoming movie sequel “Mad Max: Fury Road.” The film, also to be released in 2014, stars Tom Hardy (“The Dark Knight Rises”) in the titular role.

Check out stills from the game in the gallery above and watch the trailer, though squeamish viewers be warned — the video ends violently.

–Noelene Clark | @NoeleneClark

E3 2013: Sony takes aim at Microsoft at PS4 event

POLL: Xbox One vs. PS4

Xbox One: Microsoft unveils new games, price

E3: Amid PS4, Xbox One, little games make a play

E3: Nintendo details new Zelda, 3D Mario games

E3: Gamers follow expo action, chime in on Twitter

E3 2013: ‘Star Wars: Battlefront’ confirmed by EA

Oculus Rift could be a virtual reality breakthrough

Xbox One: Microsoft will require Internet

‘Lego Marvel Super Heroes’ lines up stars

‘Halo: Spartan Assault’: New shooter expands universe to mobile

2 Responses to E3: ‘Mad Max’ trailer features road combat, post-apocalyptic survival

  1. simona says:

    If it doesn't have Tina Turner's soundtrack, then it's useless. Just kidding, of course! Can't wait to play it!

  2. gruia says:

    Video games ruined me: all I hear when I watch this picture is dubstep

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Sunday, May 02, 2010

Cracks in the Gentlemen's Club: The Bostom Incident

The whole point of the "Gentlemen's Club" of the anti-Islam movement, as I have articulated that concept before on this blog, is to cover up significant disputes and/or ruptures that might occur between prominent members (if not, indeed, movers) of the still inchoate anti-Islam movement. Why cover them up? It's not clear, since the question of why seems also to be part of the secretive goings-on of the Gentlemenly Aristocracy of the anti-Islam movement. The best conjecture would be that they are afraid that airing out of disputes would "weaken" the movement, and would thus play into the hands of the Muslims and their enablers.

The one major exception to this was the grotesquely gargantuan public implosion of Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs, some time last year. It was an exception because the dispute (which became a rupture) between Johnson and Robert Spencer (among others) was not secreted away behind the closed doors of the Gentlemen's Club, out of sight of the common rabble of ordinary civilian Jihad Watch readers, but was aired in the full sunshine of the public, with Spencer, for example, publishing several Jihad Watch missives devoted exclusively to Johnson and responding to Johnson's name-calling with more of the same.

Another exception has been the treatment of Lawrence Auster by Robert Spencer, who in effect declared Auster a de facto persona non grata for the anti-Islam movement. This wasn't so much a rupture or expulsion from the Club, as it was a clarification that Auster is not wanted.

Other than that, heretofore it has been difficult to tell whether certain professional friends of Spencer in the anti-Islam movement have over the recent past fallen out of his favor or not. When his former favor included regular and frequent high praise (as in the case of Diana West), the later change in behavior on Spencer's part -- ignoring them to the point of seemingly snubbing them -- then leads to a reasonable, albeit tentative, conclusion that some falling out between them had occurred. But we ordinary civilians in the anti-Islam movement could only conjecture about this, since the key players seemed to continue to abide by the Code of the Gentlemen's Club -- perhaps modelled after Midwestern Methodist or Lutheran aunts who always reminded their nieces and nephews that "If you can't say anything nice about someone, don't say anything at all" -- whereby any explanation for a recent change in ostensible signs of a former friendship, from former warmth and admiration to a sudden and sustained coldness, was wanting.

Other than Bostom, Spencer has grown cold with regard to three others who in former times were routinely praised -- Diana West, Bruce Bawer, and Baron Bodissey of the
Gates of Vienna blog. Concerning Bruce Bawer, I wrote at length about his egregious faux pas, back in May of 2009, of effectively coming out (pun intended) in support of Charles Johnson's grotesque witch-hunt of "fascists" in the anti-Islam movement. That above-linked essay of mine also contains some analysis of the strange contortions which the Code of Silence tends to produce.

As for Baron Bodissey, I had an interesting exchange back in February in the
comments section to my blog entry that explored why Spencer seemed to have been remiss in mentioning such an important figure as the American politician Allen West who is clearly the most knowledgeable American politician -- if not of the world -- about the dangers of Islam. Since it was Andrew Bostom (followed quickly by Diana West) who seemed to have first called attention to Allen West, I conjectured at the time that perhaps Spencer was ignoring Allen West because otherwise he would have had to give hat tips to two people (Bostom and Diana West) with whom for some reason he no longer seemed to want to be associated. In the comments section, a reader named "Anonymous" confirmed for me that Jihad Watch formerly had the Gates of Vienna blog on its blogroll, but no longer (and as of today, it remains absent there). That reader also asked Baron Bodissey, who owns that blog, whether this reflected any falling out he had had with Spencer. This was Bodissey's reply:

My policy is not to fight with anyone who is at least mostly on the same team as me. Charles Johnson forced a fight upon me -- and besides, it became obvious that he was no longer on the team, if he ever was. In all other cases I have managed to duck open confrontations, which is my preference.
As a result of my policy, I will air no dirty laundry here. You will have to ask Atlas Shrugs and Jihad Watch the rationale for their actions. Pamela and Robert have their reasons that the reason knows not.

As I put it at the time to "Anonymous":

[Bodissey's] responses to you exemplify in spades the "Gentlemen's Agreement": he couldn't have put the crux of the Agreement any more directly and clearly.

And I added:

His attitude, and the anxiety one detects just beneath the surface, I continue to find silly -- all based on the notion that having mature disagreements out in the open is somehow going to "weaken us". One major reason why the West is superior to Islam is that (with the usual caveats that nobody is perfect) we have cultivated an ability to have differences and express those differences openly, yet in civil fashion, without succumbing to a breakdown through vituperation and violence. It is supremely ironic that Baron Bodissey -- who trumpets his love for the greatness and distinction of the West -- would cower so from boldly practicing this particular feature of the West's greatness.

That same reader of mine also found an interesting comment by Baron Bodissey's blog partner, Dymphna, in which she clearly implies that she and Bodissey consider the rupture in their relations with Spencer and Pam Geller to be the fault of the latter two:

Atlas Shrugs and Jihad Watch delinked us a long time ago. We didn't notice until readers started asking us about it. We referred them to the source(s) -- i.e., Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, but I've no idea what happened as I don't think any of them ever reported back.
(...) Have you ever had an irreconcilable conflict? One that no matter what you did, you couldn't resolve? These happen in families and at work. If you've ever been ensnared in such an experience you know that sometimes it's not about you at all.

About Diana West, and her apparent fall from Spencerian grace, I have written two or three essays -- all conjecture, since I had no solid evidence of a rift between her and Spencer (and she even denied any such rift in a private email to me last year). Now, this week, we see Robert Spencer exhibiting the wounded reflex of lashing back at Diana West by characterizing her sober analysis of the Bostom situation as a "vicious attack" and as a "smear campaign". Her sin, of course, was to disagree with Spencer. When we compare that petulantly hurt characterization of Diana West with all the praise Spencer heaped on her regularly and frequently in days of yore (as I documented in my essay The Persian Flu) --

"tell-it-like-it-is Diana West"

"Diana West has a superb column..."

"Diana West's superb proposal for recasting the "war on terror"..."

"West for President!"

"From the superb Diana West...

"With her usual acuity and perceptiveness, Diana West explains..."

"The ever-perceptive Diana West..."

"The ever-insightful Diana West..."

"One of the most clear-sighted and brave columnists on the scene today..."

-- and add to that the long-standing ignoring of Diana West by Spencer (as he had of late come to ignore Bostom, as well as Baron Bodissey and Bawer), it becomes clear that I was right all along: another falling out.
But the explanation for this falling out remains in the darkness behind the locked doors and velvet ropes of the Gentlemen's Club. With the exception, of course, of that comment by Spencer about West's "vicious attack" and "smear campaign" against him -- albeit a comment rather tucked away in a comments field to a thread already at that point teetering on the brink of falling into the Chasm of Archives.

I tend to think it's not a coincidence that during the time that Spencer grew unprecedently frosty to West, she wrote many essays taking a stance diametrically opposite his on two important issues: Vlaams Belang, and the Iranian demonstrations. Nor does it seem a coincidence that during approximately the same period of time Spencer found a new friend -- Pam Geller -- whose romanticized idealism of the Iranian "reformers" caused her to swoon regularly and dramatically with hope. If I'm right, this means that Spencer's personal rifts are having a concrete effect on his role as a reporter and analyst for the anti-Islam movement.

The Bostom Incident

A major crack in this system of the
Gentlemen's Code thus occurred recently when suddenly out of the blue Andrew Bostom on his blog accused Robert Spencer of plagiarism and took a pot shot of calling him a name ("Little King"). This was in response to a Jihad Watch essay Spencer published three days prior (April 21) in which he dismantled at length and in detail the canard that Muslims learned antisemitism from the Nazis of the 20th century. As Jihad Watch readers know -- because in the past Spencer has referred them to Bostom and highly praised his efforts in marshaling long-forgotten Western scholarship on the matter -- Bostom has become a kind of pioneer in the subject of Islamic antisemitism, not only publishing many articles on the subject, but also producing a massive compendium, The Legacy of Islamic Antisemitism. I had noted at the time that Spencer's omission of Bostom was rather curious; and indeed, I had noticed for quite some time, perhaps many months, a dearth of hat tips to Bostom on Jihad Watch, leading me to tentatively conjecture whether some falling out had occurred between them. At some point not too long ago, in the context of publishing various photos of an anti-jihad event, Spencer published one photo that showed himself, Pam Geller and Bostom all together and looking mutually warm. That was the only evidence to date that apparently no falling out had occurred, but at the time I remember thinking that I probably had been wrong in my conjecture. Looks like I was right all along.

Given that Spencer and Bostom had shown ample signs of being good friends for years up to last week, and that each one had highly praised the other many times, the reasonable conclusion to come to was that some falling out over some matter must have preceded Bostom's post, as well as Spencer's April 21 post in which he rudely and unprecedentedly ignored Bostom.
For a fleeting while at the beginning of this latest episode, both Bostom and Spencer seemed to try to maintain a feeble vestige of the Code of the Gentlemen's Agreement -- through the silly mechanism of not overtly mentioning the other's name whilst publicly tilting and counter-tilting at each other: Bostom in his initial sally of April 24 (before his subsequent updates) referring to Spencer simply as "The Little King" and "A Little King Plagiarist", and Spencer in turn referring to his old friend as "A certain writer".

In subsequent days, the Code of the Gentlemen's Agreement has in this regard shown more cracks: Bostom and Spencer publicly referring to each other by name, each one brimming with pique if not hostility. Still, both are stolidly maintaining the core of that Code: neither has uttered a peep about what happened that precipitated all this curious behavior. I noted this in a comment in the Jihad Watch thread linked under Spencer's name above:

Both sides, it appears, are following the Gentlemen's Agreement in this regard -- i.e, in not openly adverting to the other, and certainly not divulging any aspects of the evident rift between them that might elucidate it to the hoi ochloi who loyally follow their words and support them -- even as they (Spencer and Bostom) seem to feel the need to publicize to that same population of followers in oblique fashion their mysterious rift.

And I added:

I don't think that, were the two of them to air the pertinent details of their rift out in the open air and sunshine of free democratic discourse with the public who admires and follows them, it would necessarily hurt the anti-jihad movement either. In fact, I think it would help, if only because such airing out is healthy -- both intellectually and socially. Apparently, their rift preceded Bostom's posting about Spencer's putative "plagiarism", though being one of the
hoi ochloi myself, I am not privy to the goings-on behind the closed doors of the Gentlemen's Club.

Spencer then
responded to me in that thread:

Frank Hesp: Your continued insistence that personal disputes between individuals must be aired out in public is to me inexplicable and unseemly. I have a public presence in regard to the jihad, and that's it. I don't have any obligation to you or to anyone else to make any aspect of my private life public. I have responded to Bostom's substantive charge with a substantive reply. No other details, should any exist, are anyone's business but Bostom's and mine.

(An aside: Spencer has a strange, cheeky, rude and childish tic that manifests itself in addressing certain of his interlocutors with monikers he chooses, rather than the ones they sign off with: thus, my visible name in comments at Jihad Watch is "Hesperado", but he persisted in addressing me as "Frank Hesp", where the "Frank" part dates back to an unpleasant email exchange I had with Spencer a few years ago, in which my fake name for my Yahoo email account was "frank norman". The reader can get a sampling of that email exchange in
this essay published by Lawrence Auster -- in which yet again I call myself some other name, "Erich".)

response to Spencer:

As to the privacy of personal disputes, of course generally speaking a person has the full right to maintain it, and I have never claimed otherwise. If, however, that person is a famous quasi-leader of an international sociopolitical movement (however amorphous and inchoate that movement may continue to be); and if any dispute which that famous quasi-leader may have with another person who is also a significant personage in that same international sociopolitical movement (however amorphous and inchoate that movement may continue to be) pertains to, or involves, matters relevant to that international sociopolitical movement, then it becomes of pertinent interest to other members of that international sociopolitical movement, particularly if they look up to that quasi-leader as a quasi-leader. Of course, members of that international sociopolitical movement have no power to compel their quasi-leader to divulge the details even of such a dispute; but they certainly have the right to voice their opinion that the details of such a dispute are in fact of interest to all members of that international sociopolitical movement and of course to the ongoing progress of that international sociopolitical movement itself. If, however, that dispute was completely unrelated to that international sociopolitical movement, then of course, it's nobody's business. I suppose it's possible that Andrew Bostom and Robert Spencer fell out over some matter completely unrelated to the anti-jihad movement -- perhaps Andrew got fed up with Robert always trying to cheat on the golf course, or perhaps Robert got fed up with Andrew always trying to find a way to avoid paying for dinner whenever they went to a fancy restaurant -- but somehow that seems unlikely.

Bostom, of course, has not behaved well throughout this episode. The hostility of his initial salvo, with the insulting term "Little King" for Spencer, was immature. Also, his electric use of the term "plagiarism" repeatedly, and without adequately substantiating the charge, has been reckless. While Diana West weighed in with an
intelligent analysis of this angle, she did not demonstrate that Spencer's fault amounted to plagiarism -- only that it was tantamount to a professional discourtesy, which itself can be either minor or grave, or anywhere in between. The discourtesy Spencer showed Bostom by failing to give him his due props in the context of his (Spencer's) recent Islamic antisemtism article could reasonably be said to be serious, when their longstanding friendship and mutual admiration is factored in, along with the prodigious time, labor and personal funding Bostom expended to make possible public access to some of the information upon which Spencer depended in his article. Bostom's reactions to this discourtesy betray a penchant for childish pique. Spencer's counter-reactions only have made the matter worse. The ball is in both courts.

As I wrote in
a comment to that Jihad Watch thread on the Bostom incident:

"While Spencer may be legalistically correct that he didn't "plagiarize" Bostom on the sophistical technicality of the definition of that word, it seems a bit of disingenuousness is afoot for the
spirit of his indebtedness to Bostom, even if not the letter by which he can accurately squeak by on his denial of the charge."

In this respect, I find inadequate Lawrence Auster's
observation that what really got Bostom's goat was not plagiarism per se, but the indignity of being denied a "hat tip" by Spencer at the time the latter penned and published his Islamic antisemitism article. Again, considering all the time, labor and personal expense Bostom invested in getting some of that information available to be used, and considering their longstanding friendship and mutual admiration, the discourtesy Spencer showed Bostom far exceeds the withholding of a mere "hat tip" to a colleague who may have stumbled across something while casually Googling one day and passing it on to Spencer. But, as the discourtesy falls outside of technical definitions that are more precise (like plagiarism), it becomes subject to subjective interpretation. When the formerly warm and mutually admiring relationship of two people breaks down dramatically and apparently suddenly (at least to outside observers), and when we then see both parties continue to use egregiously intemperate language in describing the other and the other's apparent allies in the dispute (e.g., Bostom calling Spencer "Little King", Spencer characterizing Diana West's sober analysis as a "vicious attack"; etc.), it is safe to assume that the blame for the fracture of that relationship falls on both parties. While no one relishes being insulted with hostile epithets, particularly by someone one once counted as a friend, still one must resist the temptation to tilt back emotionally.

For example, consider the elementary revelation that both Bostom and West unearthed about a particular volley
which Spencer fired impulsively back at Boston --

My April 21 article is a chapter from my 2007 book “Religion of Peace?” If Bostom used the quote from “Looming Tower” in a 2009 piece, he got it from me...

The elementary revelation being that, in fact, Spencer's claim was diametrically and flagrantly incorrect: Spencer's own book, as both the West and Bostom articles demonstrate, shows that Spencer got that "Looming Tower" quote from Bostom, not the other way around as Spencer claimed! This seems to indicate that Spencer is being exceedingly sloppy and forgetful. And he had the temerity to append that this supposed fact (about which he was, in fact, dead wrong) shows that Bostom is being "gratuitous and libelous"! One senses here, and in Bostom's hostility against Spencer that seems to come out of the blue, the intemperate and impetuous reflexes characteristic of two grown men letting their emotions about some falling out they have had -- who knows about what -- cloud their judgment and interfere with the elementary care calmer minds would take to adjudicate differences like this.

If this immature behavior on the parts of both Bostom and Spencer didn't evidently involve matters pertinent to the still inchoate anti-Islam movement about which we all have a sincere and exigent stake -- even we shabby civilians who are not the movers & shakers which Spencer is (and which to a lesser extent Bostom is) -- it would be a matter only of the private business of these two immature men.
What their rift was about, and why two grown men would allow it to affect, perhaps so far in only small ways, the anti-Islam movement of which they are such prominent participants (if not indeed movers), we shabby civilians may never know. But I think we deserve to know, if it pertained to or involved matters relevant to that movement.

One indication of potentially significant consequences for the movement was noted by Lawrence Auster recently:

Quoting Spencer's response on Jihad Watch to a reader --

It would have been private. Bostom chose to make it public. That was his decision: to give fuel to the Islamic supremacists and their enablers. Thus he has become one of the latter.

Spencer equates his own person with anti-jihadism. To criticize Spencer is to weaken anti-jihadism, help Islamic supremacists and become their enabler. This is pathological narcissism.

I'm not sure if it's "pathological" (Auster himself has a tendency to use hyperbolically inflammatory language when describing other people's positions and opinions), but it does seem to smack of Spencer's having let his fame and success and the adoration of his followers get to his head a tad. The decision of whom to anathematize from the anti-Islam movement should not be decided by one man who has innumerable adoring fans. It should be a matter discussed in open forum, and adjudicated in as democratic a manner as possible.

And this vilification of Bostom as an "enabler of Islamic supremacists" certainly bespeaks Spencer's contribution to making this rift irrevocable -- just as Bostom's quirky prickliness is also to blame.

The importance and the laudable worth to the anti-Islam movement of both these gentlemen behooves them to swallow their pride and try to patch things up. One way to do this, perhaps, would be to take the rift out of the dark closet in the back of the Salon of the Gentlemen's Club -- where for who knows how long it festered until it finally erupted -- and air it out in the sunshine of public discourse, among all the civilian friends both of them enjoy among the growing family of their supporters and admirers. Let's let these cracks in the Gentlemen's Club be an opportunity to let the sun shine in and air out the musty place!

Anonymous said...

Here is a comment by Pamela Geller, who momentarily forgets to conform with the Gentleman's agreement and writes about Baron Bodissey:

What motivates small petty men is beyond me -- perhaps their inadequacies, but enough is enough.

The "Baron" (ahem) over at Gates of Vienna is spreading a vicious lie about me, when he knows in fact that it is not true.

Snake. He once has the audacity to call me a spy for Charles Johnson (yes, you read that right) in an email thread that included a great many of my colleagues. Why? No clue who he was covering for, but it showed him for what he was. I didn't post on it or discuss it subsequently, because it gives our enemies grist for the mill, and our group is too small as it is. But he has gone public with this latest gossipy lie, and I must address it. Attack me? Fine -- I am used to it. Attack my motives? That's a whole other story, Count Dracula.

Hesperado said...

Thanks Anonymous. Interesting glimpse into... something. There's not much there in Geller's comment other than bristling pique. Have you seen the "vicious lie" by Bodissey which she is referring to? (Boy, she and Spencer and Auster sure love the word "vicious", almost as much as they love the word "attack"...)

Anonymous said...

I believe the so-called "vicious lie" is supposed to be the bolded part of the following paragraph in the post A Rosetta Tombstone:

The videos [i.e. the subtitled versions of the video of Allen West's speech at the launch of the Freedom Defense Initiative] remained online until a few days ago, when someone — presumably the organizers of the event or the videographer — complained to Vimeo that their copyright on the Col. West videos had been violated. Vimeo responded by taking down Vlad’s entire channel — eliminating many other useful and important videos along with those of Col. West.

The organizers of the event in question were apparently Spencer and Geller, and both deny any involvement in the videos being removed.

Spencer also weighed in on the issue, claiming that the Baron's post was "false and libelous".

I have to admit I haven't really paid much attention to the details of the "Recent Unpleasantness", as Baron Bodissey has named it, as what I am primarily interested in is the underlying conflict that it is a symptom of.

Hesperado said...

I went to the link Pam Geller supplies in her article which you linked me -- it goes to a blog by Pamela Hall whom Geller claims has been working closely with her and Spencer on all these videos. Pamela Hall writes at length about this Vlad Tepes video dispute. I noticed that a claim Pam Geller makes seems to directly contradict what Pamela Hall writes, and I posted it on Hall's blog. I will reproduce it and Hall's response below. I can't for the life of me understand the details of this -- I guess I'm too computer- and Net-unsavvy. (Note: the name "american values" must be Pamela Hall herself.):

Pamela Hall:

You write:

“When Vlad wrote this, he knew that I had nothing to do with it, since Vimeo sends a notice to a person about whom they’ve received complaints, telling him who complained. So Vlad knows who complained, and he knows that it wasn’t me, Pamela Geller, or Robert Spencer. Yet he and Baron Bodissey continue to suggest otherwise.”

However, in Pam Geller’s article on this issue (where at the end she links to your article here), she reproduces the Vimeo notice which specifically cites you (Pamela Hall) as the complainant:

“This is to notify you that, as a result of a third-party notification by Pamela Hall claiming that the material is infringing, we have removed or disabled access to the material that appeared at”

This would seem to contradict your assertion I quoted from you above.

americanvalues // May 3, 2010 at 12:56 pm | Reply

A: this is unrelated to Vlad’s VIMEO Wall.
I filed a complaint against one video on Vimeo (not Vlad)

B. I never knew about Vimeo til he accused me (falsely) and apparently this one video that I found at Vimeo ( after he made me aware of the service) must have been his unapproved use of my video, also. Who knew, different name, but why else does Vlad have to notice.

3.That Vimeo notice makes it obvious that Vlad knows who did take down his wall, but it was NOT Pamela Hall

Nobody said...

I know you've written expensively about the Gentlemen's agreements, b/w different players - Auster, Spencer, GoV, West, Bostom, Geller, Schlussel, et al. Well, since you've been rooting for it, here is something interesting in the catfight dept.

If you've been following Debbie Schlussel lately, who to this day remains a heroine of mine for standing true to principle, regardless of GOP or Dems, you'll notice that she's had public spats w/ Republicans across the board - Michelle Malkin (she calls her Fraudkin), Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Melanie Morgan, Sarah Palin, Laura Ingraham, Monica Crawley, Michael Medved, Rabbi Daniel Lapin, and a whole bunch of others.

But today, for the first time, I've seen her attack Pamela Geller here - In fact, both Geller & Spencer responded to Schlussel in the comments field of this, and the spat b/w them was worth reading. Schlussel even pointed out that Spencer was not independent in any of this, since he was a co-author w/ Pamela's book The post-American Presidency, and that Spencer had even removed her from his blogroll, probably @ Geller's instigation.

Looks like at least someone is fulfilling your desires.

Hesperado said...

Thanks Nobody, I'll check it out and report back with my impression.

For Schlussel to rise to my expectations in this regard, she will have to air out in the open the full pertinent details of the disagreement or dissension in question.

But even if she does, it kind of takes two to tango -- i.e., the other side, Geller/Spencer, must also come clean and air out their side, in a public discussion where both sides are given their due and nothing pertinent is held back in the shadows of the Gentlemen's Club.

P.S.: More and more, it seems like Geller is behind a lot of this stuff.

Hesperado said...

I just realized that thread is from November of 2009! I posted a comment on there anyway, though I doubt anyone will read it. I might put up an article about that thread in the context of pointing out another "crack" in the Club.

So we can see from that thread that Geller and Spencer didn't come clean and furthermore implied that Debbie merely by raising her criticism (which she defended with an argument that Spencer largely ignored) was enabling the wrong side. Shoddy behavior.

Nobody said...

Read your comment there.

A different thing about this particular issue that bothers me, although it's peripheral to your topic here, is that this fallout has happened in the context of helping Muslims. You might recall that I had once wondered whether taking up cudgels on behalf of 'Muslim victims of "Islam"' was the right strategy, or even tactic.

Here you have Geller & Spencer crusading for these victims - on whether they'd be memorialized, and so on, and you have Sclussel pointing out that there are questionable characters in the family of the victims that they are inviting. A few things that ought to be obvious when one is engaging in such activities to support such 'victims':

1. When one takes a public stance to support such victims, they have to include 'sympathetic' relatives of the victims, like Gail Gertrell or Patricia Said, in order to be publicly perceived as credible in their sympathies.

2. In doing that, however, they have to accept anybody who claims that they were supportive and sympathetic to the victims in question. Only ones who can be excluded are those who are known (and shown) to be fraudulent in this regard, like Patricia Said.

3. However, even if the relatives in question are sympathetic to the victims, that says squat about their views on Islam, whether the US should be more Islamic,... It's not just possible, it's highly probably that relatives of people like Amina personally loved her and were genuinely upset that she was killed, but they either don't accept that the deaths have an authentic Islamic basis, or even more, they may think, separately, that it's perfectly okay for the US to become more Islamic so that a day would come when girls like Amina instinctively decide to wear burqhas whenever they go out.

4. As a result, what starts off as a casual anti-Islamization activity ends up 'contaminated' (for want of a better term) not merely by Muslims, but potentially by Muslims who even go so far as to support Islam, even though they may otherwise be opposed to honor killings.

5. All this results in a fracture in the anti-Islamic movement.

Now, this brings up the question of whether such a fissure is healthy for the movement. I wouldn't exactly term it that, but I do think that people who don't seem to know who our enemies are don't belong to the movement. While what you describe in the gentlemen's club is a genuine difference of opinion among people on who to accept in the AIM and who not to, in this case, what we have is a difference of opinion on whether one group is genuinely anti-Islamic, or not.

It's worth noting that while Debbie didn't oppose Pamela's idea of shedding copious tears for 'Muslim victims of Islam' (whenever Debbie covers the topic in her blog, it's in the context of illustrating how they are barbarians - she bluntly calls their country of origin as Barbaria), she did contest her judgment in inviting people who had illegitimate claims in belonging there. Also, Spencer has occasionally appealed for funds, and if suddenly, it's found that he uses that to fly people to such events, as Debbie alleged, then it begs the question of whether JW is indeed as cash-strapped as they occasionally claim. I am somewhat conflicted on the question of Rifqa Bairy - we do need to support Muslims who want to bail out, but at the same time, there are enough taquiyya artists who could perform a charade demonstrating the same.

But what we do need somewhere is someone who has the balls to say that Muslim victims of Islam are not our business, beyond illustrating their barbarism, and that our efforts need to go into confronting Muslim demands head on, whether it's burqhas in DLs, footwash basins in universities or airports, halal butcheries in standard Western franchises like KFCs, and so on.


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I really like the idea of a one hour deduction for trading a pick on the clock. There should be some disincentive for holding up the draft like that, but losing your pick that round is way too harsh. Losing an hour off your future clocks, which hurts a little but isn't a huge deal, seems just about right.

By the way, just to clarify, if we swap our entire draft position before the clocks start, it doesn't count against the limit of 3 trades, right?

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I checked their website, and they've indeed changed the weight to 570g...seems like a large deviation still from my 590g, but there you have it! Frankly, their honesty there is fairly refreshing. Hopefully if I order again I can ask them to weight some sticks and get a better weight in the future, but I'm leaning towards picking up an LE when I have the cash.

My advice: Go into the store if you're in CA and pick up individual sticks, or ask in the "order comments" section for them to weigh a few sticks and send you the lightest one of the bunch.

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Oilers recall and assign Magnus Paajarvi from OKC back to OKC

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GM Steve Tambellini announces #Oilers have recalled left-winger Magnus Paajarvi from the #OKCBarons of the American Hockey League

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Originally Posted by Scouter View Post
Why did you mention Subban, he wen't in round 2?
Originally Posted by arsmaster View Post
As in Jordan Subban?

If so I'd say Hicketts is a better player.
Yes as in Jordan, I used him as an example off the top of my head as a small guy with good offensive production as there aren't many out there at the D position and probably should ahve stuck with just Ellis.

The point was that it's doubtfull that any team is going to spend a pick on a smaller Dman like Hicketts in the 1st round unless there is a huge amount of offensive production and projection.

Maybe he ends up in the 4th round like Kulak went to Calgary in the 12 draft.

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With the exception of Niedermayer, Luongo and maybe can have all the rest.

All-Star does not mean franchise player. It means a particular player had a good year. But it also doesn't mean that player necessarily was great enough to keep around over the course of his career.

Kasparitus for example, was a steady hard-hitting defenseman, and was effective when used properly. But he's not exactly a #1 defenseman and probably not even an ideal #2.

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Wednesday, April 02, 2008

A Couple of Stray Blogs

I always try so hard to never look for new blogs. Even I have my computer usage limits. I only collect new blogs from comments.

A nice one first. If you are Australian and of a certain age and watch tv, or did in the seventies especially, you WILL like this blog. Wallowing in nostalgia is marvellous. Talking Television AU. Yesterday's post was about an April Fool's joke broadcast on Adelaide tv and word of this must have come across the border because I have a vague memory of it. Perhaps it was made in Adelaide but broadcast Australia wide. (Jayne, I wrote most of this on 31/03. I am not copying, promise)

On to the next. I have been reading this one for a while now. If it is completely true, and I have little doubt that it is an accurate recollection, it is a disgusting tale of incompetence by by the hospital and staff at perhaps the best known hospital in Australia, the Sydney Royal North Shore Hospital.

I have a bit of faith in our medical system and those who work in it. But this blogger's account of her husband's death is disturbing, to say the least. You can get the bare essence of it here, and for a more detailed version see here.

I doubt it is what she wants, that is some accountability, but I suspect what she will get is a very large cheque.

  1. Therese, her family and her friends and the public all deserve to have that accountability too Andrew, right on there.

  2. Andrew thank you for your glowing review :-) I have both yours and Jayne's blogs on my RSS list, and love em both..!

    The metric time story, while I don't specifically remember that ABC one going to air, I only became aware of it while glancing some old magazines, I think that one of the Melbourne channels may have 'recycled' the gag some years later.

    (another) Andrew

  3. LOL That's ok Andrew, I don't think you did ;)

    Accountability in medicine is a must!


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'First family' of Rockford hockey to mark end of an era for Rams

By Kelly Hill |
on November 28, 2012 9:00 AM, updated August 24, 2013 4:54 PM
Rockford senior Mark Cruickshank (14), the final of four brothers to anchor the Rams team in recent years, plays against East Kentwood Friday, Nov. 23, 2012 at the East Kentwood Ice Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich. (Sally Finneran |

ROCKFORD, MI - The final son of the family head coach Ed VanPortfliet called, “the first family of Rockford hockey,” has begun his final season with the Rams.

Mark Cruickshank, whose three older brothers laced up the orange and the black, is a senior defenseman on the Rockford squad that on Friday beat East Kentwood for the first time on the Falcons' home ice.

The youngest Cruickshank son, who has a younger sister in eighth-grader Katie, has some big skates to fill – and some sizable shoes as well.

The eldest Cruickshank son, Clay, who graduated from Rockford in 2004, won a team-record 17 games as the Rams' goaltender his senior season and was voted the Rams' Most Valuable Player. He also played football and lacrosse at Rockford.

The second Cruickshank son, Steve, who graduated from high school in 2006, skated for the Rams for two seasons and earned academic all-state honors.

The third of Chris and Kim Cruickshank's four sons, Dan, who graduated from Rockford in 2009, was a three-year varsity player at Rockford, twice earned all-conference honors, was an honorable mention all-state player as a senior and also earned academic all-state honors.

Mark Cruickshank, who is in his second season of varsity hockey at Rockford, also runs cross country and the distance events on the Rams' track and field teams. He also earned his Eagle Scout badge last week.

 “The Cruickshanks are a great family. They are highly motivated,” VanPortfliet said. “All the boys were hard workers, never complained and gave their all in every game and every practice. They are the kind of young men a coach enjoys coaching.”

Related:Check out more pictures of Mark Cruickshank in action

 They also are the kind of young men who go on to achieve success. Clay Cruickshank, who attended the Air Force Academy, currently serves his country as an F-15 fighter pilot stationed in Japan. Steve Cruickshank, who also attended the Air Force Academy, is an intelligence officer who recently returned from Afghanistan. Dan Cruickshank currently attends the University of Notre Dame and is studying to be a priest.

Mark Cruickshank has applied to attend the Air Force Academy next year.

 “I have learned a lot from watching my brothers,” he said. “They watched me a lot too, when I was younger, and they would offer me their advice. We are all very competitive and I feel a little bit of pressure, but not a lot. It's a little different being the youngest guy in the family because I have to live up to what they did.”

 Mark Cruickshank has been skating for 13 years.

“Chris and Kim have spent years helping the youth association and the varsity hockey team,” VanPortfliet said. “Chris has been president of the youth association and Kim has been treasurer of the varsity team. They helped make Rockford hockey what it is today.”

Sam Rennaker, senior forward, Forest Hills Northern/Eastern

Tom Zelenka, senior forward, Grand Haven

Cam Bathum, senior defenseman, Rockford

Tyler Layle, senior defenseman, East Kentwood

Sean Schmeiser, senior goaltender, Grandville

Dec. 22, 7 p.m.: Grand Rapids Edge – East Grand Rapids vs. Catholic Central

Jan. 4, 8 p.m.: Walker Ice and Fitness Center – Kenowa Hills vs. Grandville

Jan. 19, 3 p.m.: Patterson Ice Center – Grandville vs. Forest Hills Central

Feb. 16, 3 p.m.: Georgetown Ice Arena – Jenison vs. Hudsonville

Feb. 22, 8 p.m.: Patterson Ice Center – Rockford vs. Forest Hills Northern/Eastern

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Jojo Wren: Getting to know the Banks girls basketball team

By JD Humburg |
on January 06, 2014 10:00 AM
Jojo Wren (Solid on both ends)

Grade: Junior

Position: Wing

Height: 5-5

Jersey number: 15

Varsity experience: First season

Banks coach Brandon Begley on Wren: "Jojo has one of the best attitudes of anyone I've ever coached. She does whatever is asked of her and is solid for us on both ends of the floor."

Wren on Banks' chances this season: "If we come to the gym and work every day, we can build every day and we can be pretty good. I'm excited because I know we have the potential. I'm confident that we have the ability to be really good."

Earlier: Lauren Birr, Jamie Borchers, Megan Bunn, Amy Hilger, Anna Klein, Morgan Nelson, Tori Schmidlin, Mary Schorn, Ariel Slifka, Madison Soper, Cassie Streblow, Hannah VanDomelen

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HS boys' basketball: Here are the bios for the players who landed on the Big 15's first team

By Geoff Morrow and Michael Bullock,
on April 18, 2013 7:30 AM, updated August 22, 2013 3:50 PM
Here's the Big 15 first team. Front row (left to right): Jahaad Proctor, Sam Light, Justin McCarthur, Mark Perry. Back row (left to right): Kellen Williams, Timmy Orr, Bryan Sekunda, Cody Kiefer, Shaquon Sheppard, Logan Stovall, Dominick Antonelli and Steven Stoney. Kyle Kanaskie, Seth Wagner and Deshawn Williams not pictured. (PAUL CHAPLIN,

Here's a look at the first-team Big 15 selections -- players are listed alphabetically -- chosen by The Patriot-News/

Athletic combo guard who sports a strong handle and area-code range on his jumper. … Really picked up his game in the PIAA Class AA tournament, playing lead role for Trinity side (21-8) that advanced to the state semifinals. … Landed on the second team of the Class AA all-state team chosen by a panel of Pennsylvania sports writers. … Averaged 13.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game for Larry Kostelac Jr.’s Shamrocks. … Scored at a 17.5 ppg clip in Trinity’s four state outings, connecting on nearly 50 percent of his field-goal attempts (25-for-51) and 50 percent of his 3-point efforts (12-for-24). … Shot 73.4 percent (91-for-124) from the free-throw line. … Reached double figures in 21 outings, collecting 20 or more points on six occasions. … Racked up a season-high 23 points in a February victory at Palmyra, then matched that number in the second round of the state playoffs when Trinity clipped Philly’s William Sayre. … Twice knocked down five treys in a game. … Spent first two varsity seasons at Red Land and was named to Big 15 futures squad last year. … Recruiting radar really perked up during state run, as D-I programs such as Bucknell, Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Rider, Pennsylvania, Mount St. Mary’s, Colgate, Elon and Davidson are showing interest.

Heady, poised, talented, and a leader – typical son of a coach traits. Yep, his dad is former Cumberland Valley standout Kurt Kanaskie, now an assistant coach at Virginia Tech and former assistant at Penn State. Pops was also a head coach at Lock Haven, IUP and Drake. … More than reliable point guard because of his ability to handle pressure, knock down shots (51 percent FG percentage, including 45 from 3-point arc), dish (5.2 assists per game) and draw contact (94 percent FT percentage). … Kanaskie averaged 17.1 points per game, second on the team to fellow first-teamer Bryan Sekunda. … Helped Little Lions to 17-8 record, a second-place finish in Mid-Penn Commonwealth, a District 6-AAAA title, and a PIAA berth. … Scored a season-high 35 points with nine 3-pointers in a Jan. 30 win over Altoona. … Named first-team Mid-Penn Commonwealth all-star. … Headed to Division II Truman State (Mo.) to play for head coach Matt Woodley, who played for Kurt Kanaskie at Drake.

Rode an impressively consistent hill throughout a four-year varsity career, capping it with a tremendous senior run. … Guard skills in a forward’s body, Kiefer improved his post-up abilities and turned himself into an almost unguardable inside-outside threat. … Quiet leader with a cobra-like instinct to strike at the perfect time, usually late in clutch moments. … Averaged 16.5 points and 8.2 rebounds for a Warriors side (16-8) that sidestepped some midseason controversy with the announcements of Gettysburg’s eventual move to the YAIAA to its first division title (Mid-Penn Colonial) in 19 seasons. Their 11-1 mark edged Greencastle-Antrim by a game. … Became eighth Gettysburg boys player to reach 1,000 career points vs. Big Spring on Jan. 29, the same day the team clinched the Colonial crown. … Tallied a career-high 28 points Feb. 2 vs. Boiling Springs. … Named first-team Colonial all-star, and last year was named third-team Big 15. … With academics the driving force, Kiefer will remain close to home and will suit up for Gettysburg College next year.

Explosive offensive performer capable of handling both backcourt positions. … Despite his slight build, Light is fearless going to the rack and will gladly challenge opposing bigs. Highly innovative when flashing into the paint – Light is especially adept at getting a shot up while drawing contact -- he also can beat defenses with a trusty jump shot that sports plenty of range. … Averaged 23.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.7 steals per game for a Northern Lebanon outfit (15-8) that advanced to the District 3-AAA playoffs for the first time in years. … Recorded career point No. 1,000 against Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 3 playmate Donegal – ironically, Light’s first varsity point also came against the Indians -- which eventually reached the PIAA Class AAA semifinals. … First-team L-L League Section 3 all-star. … Reached double figures in 22 games, going for 20 or more points 15 times and 30-plus points five times. … Bagged a season-high 33 against Hamburg. … Named to Big 15 futures team last year. … While Light’s recruiting interest is just beginning to perk up, he has heard from Division II Mansfield as well as D-IIIs Lebanon Valley and Messiah.

Bullet-bodied combo guard who stepped into the McDevitt backcourt – McCarthur spent his first two varsity seasons at Susquehanna Twp. -- and promptly took over. … Can beat defenders off the bounce and get to the rack, pull up for a dependable mid-range jumper or drill shots consistently from the arc. … Averaged 15.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game for a Crusaders team (19-8) that finished fifth in the District 3-AAA tournament and advanced to the state playoffs. … Knocked down 49 3-pointers, shooting just south of 50 percent from beyond the arc. … Converted 76.9 percent (130-for-169) of his free-throw attempts. … Tagged a first-team Mid-Penn Keystone Division all-star by the nine-team league’s coaches. … Was player of the week in Week 4. … Banked a season-high 25 points in McDevitt’s victory over Northeastern in the District 3-AAA fifth-place game. … Reached double figures in 22 games, eclipsing the 20-point mark eight times. … Terrific on-ball defender who typically drew the opposition’s top offensive threat. Also drew 31 charging fouls. … Named to Big 15 futures team last year. … Has been talking to the coaching staffs at Albany and Mount St. Mary’s, but representatives from East Carolina, Rider and possibly Pittsburgh may be in to take a first-hand look.

Big, strong combo guard who can play the roles of finisher and/or facilitator with equal aplomb. … Capable of beating defenders off the bounce or with a dependable jumper packing plenty of range. … Landed a third-team Class A all-state selection from a panel of Pennsylvania sports writers, Lebanon Catholic’s first such honor since the 2005-2006 campaign. … Averaged 17.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists for Scott Clentimack’s Beavers (18-8), who collared the school’s first District 3-A title since 2006 and advanced to the PIAA Class A playoffs. … Tagged most valuable player of the District 3-A tournament after canning a free throw with 3.5 seconds left that gave Lebanon Catholic a 52-51 win over Greenwood.  … Knocked down 39 treys. … Collected career point No. 1,000 and a season-high 29 points in a January victory over Mount Calvary. … Reached double figures in 23 games, bagging 20 points or more 12 times. … Averaged 18.5 ppg in Lebanon Catholic’s four postseason outings. … Named Big 15 honorable mention last year. … Although undecided on his college destination, Orr’s list (King’s, Holy Family, Immaculata, Sacred Heart, Radford, Rider) includes schools from every NCAA level.

Relentless undersized forward played with passion and emotion every time he steps on the court. … While Perry wouldn’t dazzle you with Olajuwon-like post moves, mostly because he’s usually significantly smaller than his foes, he will get to the hole and finish – and if he doesn’t finish right away, he’d grab the rebound and keep trying until two more points landed on the Steel-High scoreboard. … That said, he was incredibly savvy in the paint, working around and above other forwards. … Averaged 16.0 points, 13.0 rebounds and 4 assists per game for a Rollers team (19-6) that tied for the Mid-Penn Capital crown (13-1) and reached the District 3-AAA playoffs. … Scored double figures in 24 of 25 games this season, plus his last six games last year, giving him 30 of 31 to close his high school career. … Career game came Jan. 26 vs. York Suburban, when Perry went for 36 points, 22 rebounds and 11 steals in a victory. … Named our Week 7 player of the week. … Landed first-team Mid-Penn Capital honors and was recognized with a Big 15 honorable mention nod last year. … Late bloomer, as he didn’t even make varsity basketball his freshman and sophomore years at Mechanicsburg High School. … Still undecided about his future -- he’s got an upcoming tryout session with Division II Slippery Rock -- but might end up going the junior college route.

Displayed a dependable jumper throughout his first run with the Cougars, but also showed the ability to play lock-down defense on opponents’ top offensive threats. … Landed a third-team Class AAAA all-state nod from a panel of Pennsylvania sports writers. … Topped Harrisburg with 62 3-point buckets. … Averaged 13.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 2.0 steals per game for a Cougars outfit (28-3) that claimed Mid-Penn Commonwealth, Mid-Penn tournament and District 3-AAAA championships. Kirk Smallwood’s club also reached the PIAA Class AAAA quarterfinals, losing 63-62 to eventual champion Lower Merion. … Second-team Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division all-star. … Reached double figures in 24 of 31 games. Banked 10 or more points in all nine of Harrisburg’s postseason outings. … Pocketed a career-high 23 points in late-January triumph at State College. … Shot 75.8% from the free-throw line. … May have just wrapped up sophomore season, but already has offers from Radford and Pennsylvania. Colgate, Holy Cross and Virginia Tech also are sniffing around.

Highly versatile athletic “big” who is even more dangerous from the perimeter. Terrific handle, stroke (55 3-pointers) and ability to put it on the floor and drive. … Capable of ridiculously effective hot streaks, helping the Little Lions achieve status as a tough foe for even the most talented opponents. … State College, in its first season in the Mid-Penn Commonwealth, finished second to Harrisburg at 10-4. … Overall mark was 17-8, including a District 6-AAAA championship and a berth in the PIAA tourney, where Sekunda scored 27 in a first-round loss to North Allegheny. … Averaged 20.0 points and 5.8 rebounds for Drew Frank's Little Lions, sinking 85 percent of free throws along the way. … Popped a season-high 34 twice – Dec. 7 vs. La Salle College and Jan. 22 at Chambersburg. … Hit the 1,000-point barrier in a game at Cumberland Valley on Feb. 1. … Reached double figures in 23 of 25 games. … Tabbed Mid-Penn Commonwealth first-team all-star. … Still undecided on hoops future, though eyeing several top prep schools. Garnered Division I interest from Colgate, Northeastern, Princeton, Cornell and as a potential walk-on at Penn State, where his father, Glenn, played.

Powerful presence on the low block who, at times, simply dominated opponents. … In addition to his refined post-up game, could slip to the perimeter and knock down mid-range jumpers with regularity. … Cranked out a handful of double-doubles. … Averaged 14.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game for a Harrisburg outfit (28-3) that captured Mid-Penn Commonwealth, Mid-Penn tournament and District 3-AAAA championship gold. Kirk Smallwood’s Cougars also advanced to the PIAA Class AAAA quarterfinals, but dropped a 63-62 decision to eventual champ Lower Merion. … Netted a career-best 26 points in a January conquest of Central Dauphin East. … Grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds (and 23 points) in an early-January victory at State College. … Collected career point No. 1,000 – Sheppard spent his first three varsity seasons at Susquehanna Twp. – in the quarterfinal round of the District 3-AAAA playoffs. … Two games later, his last-second stickback propelled the Cougars past Wilson. … Named MVP of the District 3-AAAA playoffs. … Scored 20 or more points seven times. … Still unsigned, but is receiving interest from Mansfield and Philadelphia’s Harcum Junior College.

Multi-talented performer who could play four positions on the floor. … Led Cougars (28-3) in minutes – despite coming off the bench. … Explosive around tin, but also had the ability to pop to the elbow extended and flash a much-improved jumper. … Averaged 12.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.2 steals and 0.7 blocks for a Harrisburg side that collared Mid-Penn Commonwealth, Mid-Penn tournament and District 3-AAAA championships. Kirk Smallwood’s Cougars also advanced to the PIAA Class AAAA quarterfinals, but fell 63-62 to eventual state champ Lower Merion. … Reached double figures in 22 of 31 outings. … Tremendously valuable player who pocketed just an honorable mention from the Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division coaches. … Was third-team Big 15 last year. … Netted a season-high 23 points in the Cougars’ season-opening 99-94 victory (OT) over McCaskey. … Posted a triple-double (14 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) in an 88-57 victory over Philly’s Bartram High School. Had seven steals in that win as well. … Also popped a pair of double-doubles.. … Still unsigned, but is getting interest from D-I Delaware State. D-II’s East Stroudsburg, Clarion and Kutztown also in the mix.

Slippery frontcourt performer who is quick and agile enough to take defenders off the bounce when they crowd him or pop a dependable 16-foot jumper over the top when they back away and leave him open. … Packs plenty of creativity, too, since more times than not he’s able to get a look up on the glass even when confronted by a bigger defender with shot-blocking capabilities,. … Shot just over 70 percent from the free-throw line. … Averaged 12.8 points,  5.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game for an 18-9 Palmyra side skippered by Pete Conrad that finished second in the District 3-AAA playoffs and advanced to the PIAA Class AAA tournament for the first time since 2005. … Scored at a 14.6 ppg clip in the Cougars’ five postseason outings. … Second-team Mid-Penn Keystone Division all-star selection. … Also adept at sliding inside and absorbing charging fouls, averaging one charge taken per outing. … Reached double figures in 19 games, posting a season-high 29 points in the Cougars’ victory over Susquehanna Twp. in the District 3-AAA semifinals. … Named third-team Big 15 last year. … Will continue his basketball career at Penn State Harrisburg.

An athletic and gifted big man with the versatility to step out to defend the perimeter on the defensive end or drain the occasional 3-ball (13 this season) on the offensive end. … Enough quicks and awareness that he occasionally sat at the top of the Huskies’ 1-3-1 zone. … More of a square-up threat on offense, Wagner was tasked with doing a lot of the dirty work for a team stepping into a brave, new world (Mid-Penn Commonwealth) this year. … Despite a 9-14 overall record, Mifflin County still qualified for the District 6-AAAA playoffs. … Averaged 19.4 points, 12.6 rebounds and 4.2 blocks per game, reaching double figure in all but one contest. … Became the 28th player in Mifflin County history to reach 1,000 career points – and the first in a Huskies uniform – on Feb. 1 vs. CD East. … Spent first two seasons at Indian Valley before school merged with Lewistown after 2010-11 season to form Mifflin County. … Celebrated 18th birthday on Dec. 27 with season-high 30 points -- plus 11 rebounds -- in win over Selinsgrove. … Named second-team Mid-Penn Commonwealth all-star. … Though he committed way back in August to pitch at Penn State, Division II and lower-level Division I basketball scouts still followed along his senior season just in case.

Phenomenal talent with unteachable rise to his reliable jump shot. … Carried a Lions squad peppered with freshmen into the District 3-AA semifinals and a berth in the PIAA Class AA tournament. … Showed terrific improvement year to year, and this season was often the best player on the court regardless of opponent. … Sick range, and always a 3-point threat, but he could unload some vicious dunks when unleashed toward the rack. … Also a nifty passer and capable perimeter defender. … Genuinely made teammates better. … Averaged 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 3.6 steals per game. … Scored a career-high 31 at Northern on Feb. 1. … Reached 1,000 career points Jan. 4 at Susquenita. … Lions (15-11) finished third in District 3-AA  and lost to Communications Tech in state tourney, but Williams averaged 20.5 points in four postseason games. … Named first-team Mid-Penn Capital all-star. … Last year earned second-team Big 15 status. … Just recently declared he will continue his basketball career at Division II West Chester University, which beat out Bloomsburg and Susquehanna for his talents.

Size of a guard but with the want-to, heart and production of a dominant forward, Williams is one of the best athletes not just in Franklin County but in the entire Mid-Penn Conference. … A reliable scorer and producer, but even more so a nuisance on defense and battling taller bigs on the glass. … He’ll take on a tank if need be. … Williams is the only two-time Big 15 first-teamer from this current group, as he was the lone junior among 14 seniors on last year’s squad. … Catalyst for a Chambersburg side that finished 15-11 overall and 8-6 (good for third) in the Mid-Penn Commonwealth. … Earned the respect of every opposing coach, averaging 15.3 points per game this year (up from 14.3 last year). … Also posted 6.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.6 steals per outing. … Not always the Trojans’ first look on offense with a couple of talented forwards in the mix, but still reached double figures in 21 of 26 games. … He scored a career-high 25 points at Cumberland Valley on Dec. 17. … Earned our player of the week honors in Week 3. … Named a first-team Mid-Penn Commonwealth all-star. … Though there was certainly some interest in hoops, this stellar athlete is heading to Division II Kutztown to play wide receiver next year.

» 2012-13 Big 15 boys' basketball all-star team bios
» Big 15 Futures Team features 20 top sophomores and freshmen
» Explaining the process of picking the Big 15 boys' basketball team
» 2012-13 Big 15 boys' basketball second team
» 2012-13 Big 15 boys' basketball third team
» 2012-13 Big 15 boys' basketball fourth team
» 2012-13 Big 15 boys' basketball honorable mention
» Pennsylvania all-state basketball teams
» One last look at many of the highlights -- individual and collective -- that occurred during the 2012-13 season
» 2012-13 Mid-Penn Conference boys' basketball all-stars
» 2012-13 Lancaster-Lebanon Section 1 boys' basketball all-stars
» 2012-13 Lancaster-Lebanon Section 2 boys' basketball all-stars
» 2012-13 Lancaster-Lebanon Section 3 boys' basketball all-stars
» 2012-13 Lancaster-Lebanon Section 4 boys' basketball all-stars
» 2012-13 Tri-Valley League boys' basketball all-stars
» 2012-13 CCAC boys' basketball all-stars

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National Coalition for History

Treading Carefully Towards Transparency

Lee White, May 2009

In looking back at the columns I’ve written so far this year it seems the main story in nearly each issue has had something to do with “openness and transparency” in Washington, D.C. While some readers are no doubt thinking, “Isn’t there anything else going on in Washington?” recently there were additional developments in this regard that merit lead story status being given again to this issue.

On March 19, 2009, Attorney General Eric Holder issued comprehensive new Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) guidelines that direct all executive branch departments and agencies to apply a presumption of openness when administering the FOIA. The memo rescinds the guidelines issued on October 12, 2001, by former Attorney General John Ashcroft.

The new guidelines, announced in a memo to heads of executive departments and agencies, build on the principles announced by President Obama on his first full day in office when he issued a presidential memorandum on the FOIA that called on agencies to “usher in a new era of open government.” At that time, President Obama also instructed Attorney General Holder to issue new FOIA guidelines that reaffirm the government’s commitment to accountability and transparency.

The new FOIA guidelines address both application of the presumption of disclosure and the effective administration of the FOIA across the government. As to the presumption of disclosure, the attorney general directs agencies not to withhold records simply because they can technically do so. In his memo, the attorney general encourages agencies to make discretionary disclosures of records and to release records in part whenever they cannot be released in full.

The attorney general also establishes a new standard for the defense of agency decisions to withhold records in response to a FOIA request. Now, the Department of Justice will defend a denial only if the agency reasonably foresees that disclosure would harm an interest protected by one of the statutory exemptions, or disclosure is prohibited by law. Under the previous defensibility standard of the rescinded rules, the department would have defended a denial if the agency had a “sound legal basis” for its decision to withhold.

In addition to establishing criteria governing the presumption of disclosure, the Attorney General’s FOIA guidelines emphasize that agencies must be sure to have in place effective systems for responding to requests. In the memo, the attorney general calls on each agency to be fully accountable for its administration of the FOIA.
The attorney general’s memo also emphasizes that FOIA is the responsibility of everyone in each agency, and that in order to improve FOIA performance, agencies must address the key roles played by a broad range of personnel who work with each agency’s FOIA professionals. The memo highlights the key role played by agency chief FOIA officers who will now be reporting each year to the Department of Justice on their progress in improving FOIA administration.

The attorney general also directs FOIA professionals to work cooperatively with FOIA requesters and to anticipate interest in records before requests are made and to make requested records available promptly.

The Office of Information Policy in the Department of Justice will conduct training and provide guidance on the new FOIA guidelines to executive branch departments and agencies, as well as to interested groups, in order to maintain a comprehensive approach to greater government transparency.

Progress also continues to be made with regard to the presidential records issue. On April 1, without any debate, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee cleared (by voice vote) an amendment in the nature of a substitute for the “Presidential Records Reform Act of 2009,” (H.R. 35). The bill is now ready to go to the Senate floor for consideration.

On January 7, 2009, the House of Representatives approved the original H.R. 35 by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 359-58. While the two versions of the bill are very similar, there are some changes in the bill that will need to be worked out between the House and Senate either in conference or informally before the bill can ultimately be enacted.

The major differences between the House and Senate bills are the length of time the incumbent and former president have to review any records upon notice of intended release by the Archivist of the United States. The House bill had a 20-day review period with the possibility of an extension for an additional 20 days. The Senate bill changes those time frames to 60 days for the initial review with a 30-day extension. So the total review period goes from 40 days in the House to 90 days in the Senate.

The Senate substitute also includes language from the House-passed bill requiring the archivist to deny access to original presidential records to any designated representative of a former president if the designee had been convicted of a crime relating to the review, retention, removal, or destruction of records of the archives. That specific language was inspired by the well-publicized case of President Bill Clinton’s former National Security Advisor, Samuel R. (Sandy) Berger, who had pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents from the National Archives.

Though the Obama administration has made much progress on improving access to government records, Congress continues to press the case with the White House. Edolphus Towns, chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, sent a letter in February to White House Counsel Gregory Craig seeking an update on how the Obama administration is meeting its obligations to preserve e-mails under the Presidential Records Act and on White House policies on the preservation of e-mail records. The letter cited the problems involving the Bush administration’s apparent failure to preserve thousands of White House e-mails.

The committee requested updated information on how new information technology systems were implemented in the closing months of the Bush administration and their status at the beginning of the Obama administration. The letter also inquired about the policies and procedures put in place to ensure that official e-mails subject to the Presidential Records Act are captured and preserved by the government’s information technology system. The committee also wanted to know what procedures exist for ensuring that all messages sent or received by White House staff on private, nongovernmental e-mail accounts are properly categorized as presidential records or nonpresidential records.

—Lee White is the executive director of the National Coalition for History. He can be reached at His regular, informative, “Washington Update,” can be read at where readers can also sign up to receive the update or to get an RSS feed about the latest post.


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A Richmond Wedding at the Mansion: Allison and Nathan

August 25th, 2010

Today, we’re deviating a bit from the usual “What’s Going on in Richmond” post, as we simply had to stop everything the minute we saw these lovely photos from James Linkowitz Photography.

Allison and Nathan married here at Historic Mankin Mansion just last weekend, and we were thrilled to find James featuring photos of the Big Day on his Blog shortly thereafter.  Be sure to visit “A Summer Wedding. A Mansion Wedding.” to see the whole day.

The day was just wonderful as we enjoyed getting to know the families over the weekend. We were particularly swooning as soon as Allison dropped off the amazing place cards, we featured above.

A special thanks to James Linkowitz for sharing these gems with us!

See you soon,
Paula & Martin Ramirez

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Farewell Lu Lingzi 吕令子

tags: China, Boston Marathon bombing, Boston Bombing, Lu Lingzi, Madmen of Chu

Andrew Meyer is associate professor of history at CUNY Brooklyn College.

Lu Lingzi, from a Facebook photo.

Cross-posted from Madmen of Chu.

"How happy it is to have friends come from afar." This line from the opening passage of the Confucian Analects greets one everywhere that tourists congregate in China. Despite its having become a marketing cliche, it still expresses a profound truth. Bridging the distance between people is a basic human act. It is what makes families from isolated individuals, communities from disparate families, nations from disconnected communities, and what makes peace possible in a divided world. That joy is today mixed with sorrow, as we have lost a friend who came from afar. Lu Lingzi, a young graduate student from the city of Shenyang in the northeastern province of Liaoning, China, was killed in Monday's attack in Boston.

Lu graduated from Shenyang Northeastern High School in 2008. She studied international economics at the Beijing Institute of Technology, and came to Boston University to study statistics. She was 23 when she was killed on Monday. Her friend Zhou Danling suffered injuries that required surgery but is now out of mortal danger.

I will never know Lu Lingzi, but our lives shared coincidental similarities. Like her I went to college in Beijing and graduate school in Boston. My parents worried for me when I went halfway around the world to study. I can only imagine the grief that her parents feel today, having this tragedy befall their daughter so far away.

Though it is small comfort, I hope that Lu's parents and friends know that we share their grief. Lu Lingzi was a member of our community. There are many countries where there are no "friends from afar," only strangers. America, despite notable failures, strives to be a place that remains open to distant friends and ready to receive their gifts. The attack upon Lu Lingzi was an attack upon the heart and spirit of America as painful and destructive as that upon Martin Richard, Krystie Campbell, and the other victims of Monday's blast.

Farewell, Lu Lingzi. I am sorry we did not protect you. I am sorry we can not return you safe and well to your family as the people of Beijing returned me home to mine. Thank you for making the journey to our shores. Thank you for coming the long distance and sharing your light with us. We will remember you, and honor your memory by working to make our nation and the world a better place.

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Nguyen The Dung: Unidentified Cows

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AP Contemporary, 28 Tai Ping Shan St., Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China
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  • Nguyen The Dung: Unidentified Cows
  • Nguyen The Dung: Unidentified Cows
  • Nguyen The Dung: Unidentified Cows
  • Nguyen The Dung: Unidentified Cows

Whether its poker-playing dogs or Gary Larson's "The Far Side," personifying animals has long been the art-world's quickest way of making a point. Nguyen The Dung knows this, given that the 28-year-old has ridden the popularity of his cows-as-people motif to prominence as one of Vietman's brightest young artists. Yes, his first solo show in Hong Kong will have cows posing in pinstriped Armani suits and chilling in chairs, all lined in rows to reinforce the idea that the way of dressing and thinking in modern society reinforces a cattle-herd mentality. This blend of the surreal with satirical undertones makes for some fine pop-art, though there's a hint of darkness under the surface. What moo-ving art.

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