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Thursday, August 1, 2013

S.D. mayor never had harassment training

SAN DIEGO (AP) ? The attorney for San Diego's embattled mayor says the city failed to provide Bob Filner state-required sexual harassment training and therefore should pay to defend him against a lawsuit by his former communications director, who alleges he asked her to work without wearing panties.

Filner's lawyer Harvey Berger made the argument in a letter to City Attorney Jan Goldsmith one day before the City Council voted unanimously to deny Filner funds for his legal defense. Local media published parts of the letter Wednesday.

Berger said the training was scheduled but the city trainer canceled and did not reschedule.

"While, to paraphrase Bob Dylan, many might argue that 'you don't need a weatherperson to tell you which way the wind blows,' and an adult male should not need sexual harassment training," Filner may not be facing a lawsuit today if he had undergone the classes, Berger wrote.

"This is not an excuse for any inappropriate behavior which may have occurred, but having conducted sexual harassment training many times over the years, I have learned that many ? if not most ? people do not know what is and what is not illegal sexual harassment under California law. There is a very, very good reason for mandatory sexual harassment training; if nothing else it makes people think about the subject, and how they interact with their fellow employees," Berger wrote.

Filner is facing allegations of unwanted advances from at least eight women, including his former communications director, Irene McCormack Jackson, who filed a lawsuit July 22 against the mayor and the city. In the lawsuit, McCormack alleges Filner asked Jackson to work without panties, demanded kisses, told her he wanted to see her naked, and dragged her in a headlock while whispering in her ear.

The accusations have prompted a recall effort and a chorus of calls for Filner to resign, including from seven of nine City Council members.

Dealing a double rebuke to its mayor, the council voted unanimously Tuesday to sue Filner to require the mayor pay for any damages or attorney fees out of his own pocket if the city is held liable. It also moved to deny Filner funds for his legal defense.

"His employers, San Diego taxpayers, did not have to bail him out for the mess he created," City Councilman Kevin Faulconer said.

Under state law, Filner cannot accept more than $440 a year in donated services from his attorney, and campaign money can be used only to defend against alleged violations of the state's campaign finance law, said Ann Ravel, chairwoman of the California Fair Political Practices Commission.

He can, however, create a legal defense fund, Ravel said.

Filner, who is 70 and divorced, said Friday he would enter two weeks of "intensive" therapy Aug. 5, defying calls from his own party leaders to resign. The former 10-term congressman is less than eight months into a four-year term. He is San Diego's first Democratic mayor in 20 years.

Besides the sexual harassment allegations, Filner faces questions over a June trip to Paris that was sponsored by the Organization of Iranian-American Communities. On Wednesday, he said he would reimburse the group for his expenses, claiming it told him incorrectly that it had nonprofit status under Internal Revenue Service rules.

Filner could have accepted the trip if the group were a nonprofit.

The mayor has said the group paid $9,839 in airfare, lodging and meals, which is well above the $440 he could accept each year as a gift under state law.

Source: http://www.sfgate.com/news/us/article/Lawyer-No-harassment-training-provided-for-mayor-4697257.php

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Pelosi: GOP to blame for partisanship

Source: USA TODAY

McLEAN, VA. ? Americans have historically low views of Congress, but House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., says Republicans have fueled that disgust for political reasons and Democrats can win elections by highlighting GOP obstructionism.

?Nothing deters voting more than confusion, ?a pox on both your houses,? and that confusion is one of the successes of the Republican Party, to make it look equivalent in terms of who is holding up jobs. It?s not equivalent, and we have to make that clear to the American people,? Pelosi said Tuesday at a meeting with the USA TODAY editorial board.

Heading in to confrontations with Republicans this fall on implementation of the Affordable Care Act, funding the government, and raising the debt ceiling, Pelosi said congressional Democrats and President Obama are positioning the party as the bipartisan, cooperative alternative to what she described as the ?anti-government ideologues? in the Republican Party.

?One thing that is amazing that I don?t have an answer for people for is, why is it there can?t be a bipartisan jobs bill passed that is significant?? she said. ?One (reason) is, they don?t want this president to have any successes.?

Pelosi praised Obama as ?one of the most practically non-partisan presidents I have seen in the White House? who is intent on finding bipartisan agreement, particularly to head off another round of fiscal crises. She said she is willing to support the president?s efforts to reach a broad bipartisan agreement with Republicans, and praised the White House proposal Tuesday to overhaul the corporate tax code ? a GOP priority ? in exchange for more spending on infrastructure projects to spur job growth.

?I think that there?s some glimmers that there?s a possibility of coming to a grand bargain, and the grander the better,? she said.

Pelosi said Democrats will continue to seek additional revenues in fiscal negotiations to reduce the deficit, and she said Democrats were willing to consider changes to Social Security and Medicare that do not fundamentally alter the entitlement programs by, for example, privatizing retirement accounts.

Painting the GOP as unwilling to cooperate to solve problems is key to Democratic efforts to win back control of the House next year, Pelosi said. ?I see a revival of bipartisanship, of people saying, ?What is this thing that they are opposed to everything?? This is not a manifestation of most Republicans in the country. This is an ideological wing.

?There?s really a heightened awareness (from voters) of Republicans? obstructing, obstructing, obstructing everything that comes down the pike,? she said. ?They see these extreme measures and they realize that this is different ? this is an over-the-edge crowd that is unlike any other.?

Pelosi was harshly dismissive of the House GOP agenda, particularly an effort this week to pass a series of bills intended to reign in the federal government and increase transparency. ?These ? what I would call ?cheap shot agenda? things ? are nothing. We should be voting on a jobs bill,? she said. ?This is a waste of the taxpayers? money, all this stuff. Is there occasionally an appealing idea that may creep in one place? Maybe. But it?s really not worth the business of the House to call that an agenda to reduce the size of government.?

Pelosi said Republicans are resistant to agree with Democrats on any issue, noting that she and 181 Democrats sent Obama a letter Tuesday pressing the administration to respond to ongoing concerns about National Security Agency surveillance programs. While Republicans have led efforts in the House to end the surveillance, no Republican House members signed the letter.

A spokesman for Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., defended House Republicans against Pelosi?s criticisms. ?Minority Leader Pelosi has voted against every jobs bill we?ve put forward this Congress, including construction of the Keystone pipeline, the SKILLS job training bill and the Working Families Flexibility Act, which offered working parents a more flexible work schedule. Rather than obstruct and play politics, perhaps she is ready to constructively work with us as some in her conference appear eager to do, and drop the extremism,? said Rory Cooper.

Cooper further defended the GOP?s agenda this week on reining in the federal government. ?Rather than waste taxpayer money, this legislation is specifically designed to protect it by making agency heads approve lavish conferences and allowing public employees to be put on unpaid leave when they are under investigation for serious ethical abuses. Who could oppose that?? Cooper said.

Democrats face significant headwinds in 2014. Historically, the ?six-year itch? for a second term president has hurt his political party in Congress. In addition, a 2012 process redrew congressional districts and made fewer seats competitive for either party, so there are fewer chances for Democrats to unseat Republicans.

Republicans have made clear they intend to make the Affordable Care Act a defining issue of the 2014 elections as the two parties continue to battle over the merits of the health care law that has open enrollment starting in October.

Pelosi, who played a critical role in passing the law in 2010 when she was speaker, acknowledged that the government faces a challenge in getting people to sign up because of negative attitudes toward the health care insurance industry. But she dismissed criticism that the law is unworkable, despite the administration delaying enforcement of the employer mandate for one year.

?There?s no bill that?s ever been written that you could say that every single thing in it, on its timetable, and in its specifics, should never be changed,? she said, ??It?s a good balance and it?s going to help people?s lives.?

She also dismissed the notion that Democrats would suffer at the polls as the law goes into effect. ?Why are we here? We are here to do the job for the American people. Social Security. Medicare. Health care for all Americans as a right not a privilege. Who of us is more important than that? Elections? Let the chips fall where they may.?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 30th, 2013 at 2:14 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Source: http://tucsoncitizen.com/usa-today-news/2013/07/30/pelosi-gop-to-blame-for-partisanship/

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UK launches early assault on using Google Glass while driving

The UK's Department for Transport (DfT) has made early moves to block the use of Google's Glass connected specs while driving.

"We are aware of the impending rollout of Google Glass and are in discussion with the police to ensure that individuals do not use this technology while driving," the DfT said in a statement to ZDNet.

"It is important that drivers give their full attention to the road when they are behind the wheel and do not behave in a way that stops them from observing what is happening on the road.

"A range of offences and penalties already exist to tackle those drivers who do not pay proper attention to the road including careless driving which will become a fixed penalty offence later this year."?

Drivers in the UK have been forbidden to use phones without handsfree kits since 2003. The current fine for being caught using a mobile phone?is ?60 and three penalty points points on the driver's licence, although this could rise to ?90 soon along with a range of new distraction offences, including eating a sandwich or lighting a cigarette at the wheel, according to The Guardian.

A proposal in the US state of West Virginia to outlaw Glass and other head-mounted technology while operating a vehicle was aired earlier this year, however the bill is unlikely to pass until 2014.

The pre-emptive strikes on driver safety come as Google approaches the expected 2014 public release of Glass, which is currently only available in the US to participants of its Glass Explorer program.

Google has previously addressed the issue of driving while using Glass in an FAQ for Explorers, taking the view that using Glass in a vehicle depends on current laws.

"As you probably know, most states have passed laws limiting the use of mobile devices while driving any motor vehicle, and most states post those rules on their department of motor vehicles websites. Read up and follow the law! Above all, even when you're following the law, don't hurt yourself or others by failing to pay attention to the road. The same goes for bicycling: whether or not any laws limit your use of Glass, always be careful," the FAQ said.

Google said in a statment to ZDNet: "We are thinking very carefully about how we design Glass because new technology always raises new issues. Our Glass Explorer programme, currently only launched in the US, reaches people from all walks of life and will ensure that our users become active participants in shaping the future of this technology."

Source: http://www.zdnet.com/uk-launches-early-assault-on-using-google-glass-while-driving-7000018849/

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Small Texas town reproduces legendary WWII fighter plane

by DAVID SCHECHTER

Bio | Email | Follow: @davidschechter

WFAA

Posted on July 30, 2013 at 10:10 PM

Updated yesterday at 11:44 PM

CISCO, Texas ? One of the most iconic and deadly fighter planes of World World II has come back to life in rural West Texas.

First built in the late 1930s by the British, the Spitfire played a pivotal role in turning back the Germans in the Battle of Britain.

Now ? in 2013 ? there?s a Spitfire replica rolling out of a small factory in Cisco, Texas.

This is an aircraft that's fast, nimble and easy to fly.

It's like a Porsche in the sky, said Mike O'Sullivan, whose company, Supermarine Aircraft, makes the planes in this tiny town.

"When you're in a Spitfire, you think the direction you want to go and it will go that way," he said.

From a young age, O'Sullivan, an Australian, listened to stories about the legend of the Spitfires told by the men in his home town.

"I grew up in the Outback, where nearly everyone went to war,? he said.

Eventually, the magic of Spitfire compelled him to spend $8 million and seven years designing a replica. He moved his business to Texas in 2008.

"I'm not trying to brag, but I do seem to have the magic ability to just put it together,? O?Sullivan said.

In terms of vintage Spitfires, O'Sullivan said there are still about 40 airworthy planes out there, and that one recently sold for $4.5 million.

His new Spitfires are all crafted by hand. He sells them boxed up, as a kit, for $175,000. Buyers around the world assemble them on their own, and they often draw a crowd wherever they fly.

"I've had people take their own plane out of a hangar to put the Spitfire in to say they had a Spitfire in there overnight, and you've got to come over and stay with me," O'Sullivan said. "I mean, how good is that?"

That's what you get for lovingly and carefully reviving a legend of the sky.

E-mail dschechter@wfaa.com

Source: http://www.wfaa.com/news/business/cisco-texas-factory-spitfire-british-Replica-of-legendary-fighter-plane--217671701.html

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The Tick Hunter

Among animals you don't want sucking sucking your blood, ticks are near the top of the list. These hemophilic arachnids don't just help themselves to your vital fluids, they are also host to nearly a dozen human pathogens including Lyme disease, which afflicted more than 24,000 people in 2011 alone, and the Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever that claimed the life of a six year old North Carolina girl earlier this year. Lucky for us, ticks are pretty stupid. They'll hop aboard anything that so much as looks and smells like a suitable host?even if it's coated in pesticide. It's this overzealous nature that Virginia Military Institute engineers hope to exploit with their ingenious new tick-hunting rover.

Can You Guess the Movies That These Lego Models Are Recreating?

This is so fun. Amazing Lego artist Nick Desimone recreated famous movies and TV shows using Lego bricks. The minimalist style of his work will sometimes make you second guess yourself but Desimone's art is such a perfect imagination of the movies that you'll eventually see what he wants you to see.

Utah couples adopting children turn to fundraising campaigns | The ...

(Paul Fraughton | The Salt Lake Tribune) Stephanie and Harlan McCoy play with their adopted son Gabe in their Saratoga Springs home. Tuesday, February 5, 2013

The wait is lengthy, but it is the cost of adoption that turns out to be the most daunting issue for some families.

That?s why many couples are increasingly relying on public appeals and crowdfunding websites to help them pay expenses of bringing home the children with whom they?ve fallen in love. With costs now approaching $30,000 to $40,000 for agency fees, home studies, court costs and travel, every possible way to raise money is being considered: gift boutiques, proms, benefit concerts, yard sales, silent auctions, carnivals and web-based fund drives.

Helping fund an adoption even became a project for a class at Westminster College, which put together a money-raising campaign to benefit an adjunct professor?s efforts to adopt a second child.

When they adopted Mia, their first child, Josh and Mandy Anger both worked full time and were able to save $40,000 to cover costs. Mandy Anger now supports the family as a professor in Westminster?s master of professional communication program, while Josh Anger is a stay-at-home dad ? which has made saving that sum for their second adoption more challenging. They were $5,500 short of their goal when Anita Boeira, a fellow Westminster instructor, decided helping the Angers would be an "awesome" project for her social media marketing class.

Boeira set up a fund on GoFundMe.com, which has raised more than $1 million for adoption and fertility campaigns since its inception in May 2010, while students set about publicizing the project through social media.

"To be successful, you need more than immediate family and friends" to contribute, Boeira said, and crowdfunding is a "very effective tool." The "Mia Wants a Little Brother" campaign, launched in mid-May, raised $1,000 before the class ended in June and has since brought in another $200.

"We were really surprised at how generous people were and how many people we were just acquaintances with or didn?t know at all contributed ? and thrilled!" said Mandy Anger, who plans to keep the campaign going for about another month.

Not all experts approve of this new approach to covering adoption expenses.

David Hardy, a Utah attorney and fellow of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys, said relying on others to help pay costs raises a red flag.

"If you are looking to others to pay expenses, the question becomes: ?Do you have enough solvency to raise a child?? " he said.

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While agency-based and international adoptions may be a financial stretch for some families, there are other less costly alternatives such as private adoption, adopting through foster care or pursuing an adoption through organizations ? typically faith-based ? that subsidize costs, Hardy said.

But Jacob Anderegg of Lehi called that concern "ridiculous."

"Who says in order to have a child you have to have so much money in the bank?" said Jacob Anderegg, a state representative. He and his wife Julie, parents of three biological children, decided to adopt after visiting an elementary school associated with an orphanage while in China for a study-abroad program.

"To us,it was very clear we had children in China and to that end, solvency for raising children is not even an argument," he said. "There are many more means than financial in providing for a child. ... It?s as much in the capacity and ability to love and nurture as it is in the ability to financially provide."

When they started their first adoption in January 2006, Jacob Anderegg comfortably provided for his family through his real estate and construction company. As the process dragged on, the Great Recession hit and "I went from making very decent money to making almost nothing," he said.

They were able to cover most expenses through savings but by 2011, when they were finally matched with a child, they were about $17,000 short of expenses associated with picking up their daughter Elizabeth "Lizzie" Lan Grace Anderegg, then nearly 2.

"We started a cause on Facebook and began telling our story," Jacob Anderegg said, "and had generous people we?ve known throughout our lives who just started donating."

In all, they received about $5,000 via donations on social media. They raised another $3,600 through a "Second Chance" prom attended by about 60 couples. A benefit concert featuring Jon Schmidt, a classical new age pianist, brought in another $1,600.

"We just started whittling away at what we were deficient," Jacob Anderegg said. And soon, "we had all the money we needed."

They brought Lizzie home from China last July. Though listed as a special needs child, Lizzie has thrived and shows no sign of any problems, Jacob Anderegg said.

"If you spend any real time with us, you see that Lizzie is an Anderegg," said Anderegg, who describes the adoption as a spiritual experience for his family. "I know she came through a different means, but she is definitely my daughter."

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Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/56632376-78/adoption-anderegg-family-child.html.csp

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