Sunday, October 04, 2009
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Jonathan at work this am...
check it out...
Friday, October 02, 2009
Thursday, October 01, 2009
your tax money and your children's and their children's children will still be paying for stuff like this... and I love the Dead, but come on folks.. really???
Grant gives Grateful Dead archive new life online
One of the most popular bands in rock 'n' roll history will have its legacy including photos, show tickets, toys, posters and recordings preserved online thanks to a federal grant. The Grateful Dead Archive, housed at the McHenry Library, has been awarded $615,175 by the Institute of Museum and Library Services to photograph and scan collection images and upload them. The public will be able to access the online collection and offer fans the opportunity to contribute to the collection by digitally submitting photos.
Christine Bunting, head of special collections and archives at McHenry, said the school will use the grant over 2½ years to archive what she said is the world's largest public collection of Dead memorabilia.
"The ultimate goal of making the archive digital is that everyone will have a Grateful Dead experience," Bunting said.
Allowing the public to contribute was inspired by the band's spirit of openness, according to Bunting.
"The idea for the Web site came from the sharing of Grateful Dead music and keeping up with their tradition," Bunting said.
The extensive collection consumes nearly 600 feet and includes thousands of pictures, documents and pieces of memorabilia, Bunting said. Archived materials like band member journals show the band's creativity and influence in contemporary music history. The archives also contain paraphernalia related to the band's extensive social network of devoted fans and the group's highly unusual and successful business ventures. Two-thirds of all the Dead material held by the school were donated by surviving band members in 2008, according to Bunting. The rest comes from Deadheads.
UCSC was one of 51 institutions nationwide that received National Leadership Grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services this year totaling nearly $18 million, according to the organization's Web site.
"This is a first for the UCSC library, and the grant gives us the opportunity to create a new model for Web-based archives that will include traditional materials from our Grateful Dead Archive," said Librarian Virginia Steel. "Along with materials contributed by scholars and Deadheads around the world."
More Liberal Lies About National Healthcare!
by Ann Coulter
09/30/2009
(17) America's low ranking on international comparisons of infant mortality proves other countries' socialist health care systems are better than ours.
America has had a comparatively high infant mortality rate since we've been measuring these things, going back to at least the '20s. This was the case long before European countries adopted their cradle-to-grave welfare schemes and all while the U.S. was the wealthiest country on Earth.
One factor contributing to the U.S.'s infant mortality rate is that blacks have intractably high infant mortality rates -- irrespective of age, education, socioeconomic status and so on. No one knows why.
Neither medical care nor discrimination can explain it: Hispanics in the U.S. have lower infant mortality rates than either blacks or whites. Give Switzerland or Japan our ethnically diverse population and see how they stack up on infant mortality rates.
Even with a higher-risk population, the alleged differences in infant mortality are negligible. We're talking about 7 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in the U.S. compared to 5 deaths per 1,000 for Britain and Canada. This is a rounding error -- perhaps literally when you consider that the U.S. tabulates every birth, even in poor, small and remote areas, while other countries are not always so meticulous.
But the international comparisons in "infant mortality" rates aren't comparing the same thing, anyway. We also count every baby who shows any sign of life, irrespective of size or weight at birth.
By contrast, in much of Europe, babies born before 26 weeks' gestation are not considered "live births." Switzerland only counts babies who are at least 30 centimeters long (11.8 inches) as being born alive. In Canada, Austria and Germany, only babies weighing at least a pound are considered live births.
And of course, in Milan it's not considered living if the baby isn't born within driving distance of the Côte d'Azur.
By excluding the little guys, these countries have simply redefined about one-third of what we call "infant deaths" in America as "miscarriages."
Moreover, many industrialized nations, such as France, Hong Kong and Japan -- the infant mortality champion -- don't count infant deaths that occur in the 24 hours after birth. Almost half of infant deaths in the U.S. occur in the first day.
Also contributing to the higher mortality rate of U.S. newborns: Peter Singer lives here.
But members of Congress, such as Reps. Dennis Kucinich, Jim Moran and John Olver, have all cited the U.S.'s relatively poor ranking in infant mortality among developed nations as proof that our medical care sucks. This is despite the fact that in many countries a baby born the size of Dennis Kucinich would not be considered a live birth.
Apart from the fact that we count -- and try to save -- all our babies, infant mortality is among the worst measures of a nation's medical care because so much of it is tied to lifestyle choices, such as the choice to have children out of wedlock, as teenagers or while addicted to crack.
The main causes of infant mortality -- aside from major birth defects -- are prematurity and low birth-weight. And the main causes of low birth-weight are: smoking, illegitimacy and teenage births. Americans lead most of the developed world in all three categories. Oh, and thank you for that, Britney Spears.
Although we have a lot more low birth-weight and premature babies for both demographic and lifestyle reasons, at-risk newborns are more likely to survive in America than anywhere else in the world. Japan, Norway and the other countries with better infant mortality rates would see them go through the roof if they had to deal with the same pregnancies that American doctors do.
As Nicholas Eberstadt demonstrates in his book "The Tyranny of Numbers: Mismeasurement and Misrule," American hospitals do so well with low birth-weight babies that if Japan had our medical care with their low birth-weight babies, another third of their babies would survive, making it even harder for an American kid to get into MIT.
But I think it's terrific that liberals are finally willing to start looking at outcomes to judge a system. I say we start right away with the public schools!
In international comparisons, American 12th-graders rank in the 14th percentile in math and the 29th percentile in science. The U.S. outperformed only Cyprus and South Africa in general math and science knowledge. Worse, Asian countries didn't participate in the last 12th-grade assessment tests.
Imagine how much worse our public schools would look -- assuming that were possible -- if we allowed other countries to exclude one-half of their worst performers!
That's exactly what liberals are doing when they tout America's rotten infant mortality rate compared to other countries. They look for any category that makes our medical care look worse than the rest of the world -- and then neglect to tell us that the rest of the world counts our premature and low birth-weight babies as "miscarriages."
As long as American liberals are going to keep announcing that they're embarrassed for their country, how about being embarrassed by our public schools or by our ridiculous trial lawyer culture that other countries find laughable?
Don't be discouraged, liberals -- when it comes to utterly frivolous lawsuits against obstetricians presented to illiterate jurors so that John and Elizabeth Edwards can live in an 80-room house, we're still No. 1!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
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Tuesday, September 29, 2009
To Stillwater Blues Festival and those who worked to make it happen!
One of the best Blues Festivals in Oklahoma in 2009, and well worth the cost of admission!
Excellent weather this year made for a big crowd, good food, and some awesome entertainment!
Blues is as diverse as the color, and the artists proved this point many times over. A “big hats” off to the folks who worked with the youth in the Blues in the School program, and to those who made Idol part of the program, and the harmonica program was appreciated by all in attendance. Overall, this is a very positive image of our community, and one that will continue to grow with time and keeps our city on the front-page of quality events run by superstars who give of their time and talents to make Stillwater the well rounded yet diverse city it is.
My hat is off and respect shown to all who worked to provide this great event. You and your work did not go unnoticed, or appreciated. It took many hours of planning, etc.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH to everyone who worked to make this event a big success.
Stan and Ann Moffat
Stillwater, OK
Daryl Gene Evans of Perkins, Oklahoma passed from this earth to his waiting heavenly Father in his home at 9:20 a.m. on September 26, 2009.
Funeral services are under the direction of Strode Funeral Home and will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday, October 2, 2009 at the River of Life Church with his brother Dr. Keith Evans officiating. The burial will follow at the Perkins Cemetery.
The son of the late James “Buck” Evans and Frieda (Collyar) Evans was born on June 4, 1942 in Johnsonville, Illinois. He graduated from Ripley High School in 1959. He attended business school in Tulsa and served eight years in the Army National Guard.
He worked at Payne County Bank for five years. For the past 36 years he sold supplemental insurance with Colonial life.
Daryl was very involved with the community. He established the first city clerk’s office in Perkins. He was a two time Charter member of the Perkins Jaycees and state vice president. He was president of the PT All Sports Booster Club. He was privileged to announce high school football games in Perkins in the 1960’s. He promoted and organized the Taylorville Gospel Opry and annual outdoor singing events from 1992 to 2005. He was an active member of the First Baptist Church in Perkins since 1983. He enjoyed singing in the choir, singing solos, teaching Sunday school and being on many different committees.
He had a deep love for Southern gospel music, and was a member of several different groups over the years. He loved his St. Louis Cardinals baseball and OU Football and Basketball. He enjoyed playing softball with church and community leagues. He was an avid bass fisherman and enjoyed competing and winning local tournaments. He also enjoyed sharing his fishing expertise with his kids and grandchildren.
Daryl was united in marriage to Beverly (McGehee) Evans on August 28, 1972 in Miami, Oklahoma. They shared four children. Tracy Farmer of Seattle, WA; Trica Gordon and husband Larry of Perkins, OK; Greg Farmer and wife Terrie of Centreville, MD; Carla Lester and husband Scotte of Perkins, OK; eleven grandchildren; and five great grandchildren. He is also survived by his mother, Frieda Evans; two brothers, Jim Evans and wife Linda of Mustang, OK; Keith Evans and wife Beverly of Troutdale, OR and their children; nephew, Rick Evans of Mustang, OK. His very special Aunt Agnes Collyar of Oklahoma City; cousin, Aggie Faye Borthhick of Oklahoma City; Dale and Willa Gowdy of Cleveland and relatives and friends too numerous to list.
He was preceded in death by his father James “Buck” Evans of Perkins, OK; aunts, uncles, and grandparents.
Memorial contributions may be made in his name to Judith Karman Hospice, P.O. Box 818 Stillwater, OK 74076.
Condolences may be e-mailed to the family may by visiting www.strodefh.com