Veterans Job Readiness ? United Way of Southwest New Mexico

29

4-H Bookfair

The 4-H club is having a Bookfair, where there will be story time with crafts and a parade where kids in their Halloween Costumes can join in.

4-H Bookfair

SCA

7:00 pm

Sexual Compulsives Anonymous is a 12-step process of men and women sharing their experiences, strengths, and hope with each other with hope of recovering from sexual compulsion.

SCA

30

Pride on Main AFG

5:30 pm ? 6:30 pm

The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope in order to solve their common problems. Al-Anon has but one purpose; to help families of alcoholics.

Pride on Main AFG

HIV Support

6:30 pm

Offers advocacy and support for both those infected with, or affected with the HIV Virus. We also focus on the rebuilding of our community, outreach, education, self advocacy, and wellness. For more information, please contact Seth at 575-621-0681.

HIV Support

Rainbow Youth

6:30 pm

Rainbow Youth is a safe place for GLBTQ youth ages 19-24. For more information please call The Center at (575)635-4902.

31 1

Ostomy Support Group

Meets in Pinon Room A&B at the Memorial Medical Center Annex. Call Sally Atkinson (575)521-5008 for more info!

Stroke Support Group

1:00 pm

Meets in the Dona Ana Room at Munson Senior Center, 975 S. Mesquite Street.

Women's Group

6:00 pm

This group provides an opportunity for LBTQ women to get know and support each other. Women of all ages are invited to join us to discuss a variety of topics, both relating to our identities as lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning women and to other areas of importance in our lives, such as work, relationships, and families.

Women's Group

Youth Rainbow

6:30 pm

The YOuth Rainbow is a safe place where GLBTQ can gather and be themselves. Ages 14-18 welcomed. For more information please call The Center at 957)635-4902

2

La Leche League

10:00 am

Meets at the Family Resource Center on NMSU campus, C-100 Cervantes Village. They offer breastfeeding support to expectant and nursing mothers.

La Leche League

Debtors Anonymous

12:00 pm ? 1:00 pm

A fellowship of men and women who help eachother recover from compulsive debting. Anyone 16 years and older is welcome, no fee necessary.

Family Fun Night

7:00 pm

Face painting, games, snacks, and fun. Bring the kids, a favorite game or DVD and join other GLBTQ families for a night of fun and conversation. We will also plan on future family activities in addition to Family Fun Night.

Family Fun Night

3

Renaissance Arts Fair

10:00 am ? 4:00 pm

Don't forget to stop by the 41st Annual Renaissance Arts Fair. Check out the vendors and delicious food. Dults entrance fee is $6 kids 12 and under enter free.

Bike Run

10:00 am ? 11:00 am

The new LCDF clinic in San Miguel is just about ready to open, but they need your help to raise funds. Join the Bike Run and win prizes! For more information contact David Rivera at (575)882-5706.

Bike Run

Men's Group

3:00 pm ? 4:00 pm

The group is an opportunity for men in the community to get together and support each other. It is an inter-generational group (18+) with discussions and activities designed by the group members.

Men's Group

4

Renaissance Arts Fair

10:00 am ? 4:00 pm

Don't forget to stop by the 41st Annual Renaissance Arts Fair. Check out the vendors and delicious food. Dults entrance fee is $6 kids 12 and under enter free.

5

SCA

7:00 pm

Sexual Compulsives Anonymous is a 12-step process of men and women sharing their experiences, strengths, and hope with each other with hope of recovering from sexual compulsion.

SCA

6

Pride on Main AFG

5:30 pm ? 6:30 pm

The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope in order to solve their common problems. Al-Anon has but one purpose; to help families of alcoholics.

Pride on Main AFG

Cafe Salud

6:00 pm ? 8:00 pm

Join Saint Lukes Health Care Clinic as they host Cafe Salud to build a better community through prevention and education. For more information please call 527-5482. Free refreshments and food.

Rainbow Youth

6:30 pm

Rainbow Youth is a safe place for GLBTQ youth ages 19-24. For more information please call The Center at (575)635-4902.

HIV Support

6:30 pm

Offers advocacy and support for both those infected with, or affected with the HIV Virus. We also focus on the rebuilding of our community, outreach, education, self advocacy, and wellness. For more information, please contact Seth at 575-621-0681.

HIV Support

7

Lobby Rules Workshop

5:30 pm ? 7:00 pm

Free workshop on the rules of lobbying. Designated for Executive directors and boards of directors. RSVP by Monday, Nov. 5th by calling (575)642-2648.

Amputee Support

5:30 pm

The Southern NM Amputee Support Group meeting will be 5:30-7:30pm at Thomas Branigan Library. Amputees, family and friends welcome.

Amputee Support

Lobbying 101

7:00 pm ? 8:30 pm

Attend this free workshop on Lobbying 101. Learn about the legislation sessions that are to come soon. For more information and registration please call (575)642-2648.

8

Youth Rainbow

6:30 pm

The YOuth Rainbow is a safe place where GLBTQ can gather and be themselves. Ages 14-18 welcomed. For more information please call The Center at 957)635-4902

Bisexuals? Support Group

7:00 pm ? 8:30 am

Make connections, offer and give support in our bi-monthly group. Anyone identifying as bisexual, questioning their bisexuality, or wanting to be an ally is invited to attend.

Bisexuals? Support Group

9

Health Fair

9:00 am ? 4:00 pm

Attend the health fair for free activities and fun. For more information call Ann Remick-Barlow at (575)642-9111

Health Fair

Equine Light

10:00 am

Equine Light is a unique diagnostic and therapeutic system proven effective in the assessment and treatment of various equine ailment and injuries. Join the meeting for more info. Call Ann Remick-Barlow for any questions at (575)526-6040 or (575)642-9111

Equine Light

Debtors Anonymous

12:00 pm ? 1:00 pm

A fellowship of men and women who help eachother recover from compulsive debting. Anyone 16 years and older is welcome, no fee necessary.

Ex Offender Orientation

1:00 pm ? 3:30 pm

Are you an ex offender and seeking a job? Attend this great orientation to learn the skills of writing a winning resume and finding a career path. For more information please call (575)524-6250

Ex Offender Orientation

Ex Offender Orientation

1:00 pm ? 3:30 pm

Are you an ex offender and seeking a job? Attend this great orientation to learn the skills of writing a winning resume and finding a career path. For more information please call (575)524-6250

Ex Offender Orientation

10

Pet Adoptions

8:00 am

Find your furry companion at local pet adoptions provided by the Animal Service center of the Mesilla Valley. For more information and locations check out the link.

Pet Adoptions

Veterans Day Parade

9:00 am ? 10:00 am

The Parade route will start at Main St. and Lohman Ave. and travel north on Church St. and south on Water St. To register to participate in the parade, call Bill Hawkings at (575)621-2007

Family Game Day with the Railroad Museum

10:00 am ? 12:00 pm

Ever wondered what games were like before electronics existed? The Las Cruces Railroad Museum hosts "Family Game Day." Develop hand-eye coordination with Jacks and Cup and Ball Toss, simulate your mind with Jigsaw and Wooden puzzles, and challenge friends to a game of Dominos.

Open House

11:00 am ? 4:00 pm

La Mission will be celebrating 40 years of service to people in need. Get to see the amazing work they have done yourself.

Free Stress Reduction Services

12:00 pm ? 3:30 pm

Las Cruces and El Paso Reiki practitioners and integrative healthcare professionals will begin offering free stress reduction services to veterans, soldiers, firefighters, law enforcement, paramedics and emergency personnel and their family members the second Saturday of every month.

Walk-ins will be accepted but appointment is preferred. Call 652-0076 or email tihealthcenter@gmail.com to make an appointment, volunteer services or for more information.

Free Stress Reduction Services

Spanish-Parent Support Group

1:00 pm ? 2:30 pm

This Spanish support group is for parents or guardians caring for or raising GLBTQ youth. Share your questions and concerns in this support group.For more info. please call (575)635-4902

Spanish-Youth Support Group

2:30 pm ? 4:00 pm

This Spanish Support Group is for youth who identify themselves as GLBTQ. Have a space to talk about challenges and questions about safe sex and much more. For more info please call (575)635-4902

11 12

HIV Testing

2:00 pm ? 5:00 pm

Oral Swab HIV tests are available during Center hours. Results are returned in two weeks. Call Center Prior to coming to be sure a certified HIV Prevention Counselor is available. Contact number is 635-4902

SCA

7:00 pm

Sexual Compulsives Anonymous is a 12-step process of men and women sharing their experiences, strengths, and hope with each other with hope of recovering from sexual compulsion.

SCA

13

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

10:00 am

Support group for grandparents raising grandchildren. Call (575) 528-3301 for more information. Meet second Tuesday of every month.

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Pride on Main AFG

5:30 pm ? 6:30 pm

The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope in order to solve their common problems. Al-Anon has but one purpose; to help families of alcoholics.

Pride on Main AFG

HIV Support

6:30 pm

Offers advocacy and support for both those infected with, or affected with the HIV Virus. We also focus on the rebuilding of our community, outreach, education, self advocacy, and wellness. For more information, please contact Seth at 575-621-0681.

HIV Support

14

Healthy Kids

1:30 pm ? 3:30 pm

Healthy Kids of Las Cruces is having their Semi-Annual meeting. For more information please contact Katy Red at (575)528-6017 or kathryn.redd@state.nm.us

GLBTQ Youth Support

6:30 pm ? 7:30 am

This is an open group for GLBTQ youth. Topics of discussion will remain open to the group members, but may include stress and anxiety, bullying, coming-out, personal and external attitudes on sexuality, conflicts within the family environment, conflicts at school, relationships, and safe sex. Emphasis will be given on building a supportive network of peers.

GLBTQ Youth Support

15

Veterans Training

1:00 pm ? 3:30 pm

Are you a veteran looking to get hired? Attend the Veterans Job Readiness Training.

Veterans Training

Healthier Life Styles

3:30 pm

This is a LC3 Behavioral Health Collaborative support group that is consumer initiated and consumer run and focuses on all aspects of maintaining a healthy way of living.

Healthier Life Styles

Women's Group

6:00 pm ? 7:00 pm

This group provides an opportunity for LBTQ women to get know and support each other. Women of all ages are invited to join us to discuss a variety of topics, both relating to our identities as lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning women and to other areas of importance in our lives, such as work, relationships, and families.

Women's Group

16

Debtors Anonymous

12:00 pm ? 1:00 pm

A fellowship of men and women who help eachother recover from compulsive debting. Anyone 16 years and older is welcome, no fee necessary.

Men's Group

4:00 pm ? 5:00 pm

The group is an opportunity for men in the community to get together and support each other. It is an inter-generational group (18+) with discussions and activities designed by the group members.

Men's Group

Pride Cinema

7:00 pm

Join the Center for a different GLBTQ themed DVD. The popcorn and movie are on us. Drinks and Candy available for a donation

Pride Cinema

17

Story Time

11:00 am ? 12:00 pm

The Las Cruces Railroad Museum will host Story Time on the third Saturday of each month. Children of all ages welcome.Please R.S.V.P. by calling Joanne at 647-4480.

Story Time

Trans Support Group

12:00 pm ? 1:30 pm

The Southern New Mexico Trans Support Group is a confidential, welcoming group open to all ages and respectful of all Trans people wherever you are in your life journey and their families.

Trans Support Group

Hearing Loss Support Group

1:30 pm ? 3:00 pm

The NM hearing Loss Association will meet every 3rd Saturday of the month and invites you to attend. Learn to cope with hearing loss and benefit effective ways in which you can communicate with your family comprehensively.

Men's Group

3:00 pm ? 4:00 pm

The group is an opportunity for the men in the community to get together and support each other. It is an intergenerational group (18+) with discussins and activities designed by the group members.

18

Motorcycle Parade

12:00 pm ? 1:00 pm

Toys for Kids Motorcycle Parade. Route is as follows: Exit Mesilla Valley Mall on Don Roser. Head West on Missouri to Solano. South on Solano to University. West on University to El paseo; Left on El Paseo and right into the Las Cruces Convention Center. A donation of $10 and a new toy valued at $7 or more per person gets you a meal and two beverages, plus the chance to win a door prize and the grand prize.

19

SCA

7:00 pm

Sexual Compulsives Anonymous is a 12-step process of men and women sharing their experiences, strengths, and hope with each other with hope of recovering from sexual compulsion.

SCA

20

Pride on Main AFG

5:30 pm ? 6:30 pm

The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope in order to solve their common problems. Al-Anon has but one purpose; to help families of alcoholics.

Pride on Main AFG

Cafe Salud

6:00 pm ? 8:00 pm

Join Saint Lukes Health Care Clinic as they host Cafe Salud to build a better community through prevention and education. For more information please call 527-5482. Free refreshments and food.

HIV Support

6:30 pm

Offers advocacy and support for both those infected with, or affected with the HIV Virus. We also focus on the rebuilding of our community, outreach, education, self advocacy, and wellness. For more information, please contact Seth at 575-621-0681.

HIV Support

The Branigan Book Club

6:30 pm

Join the Branigan Book Club as they are now reading Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler. If you don't have a copy of the book yourself, Branigan library owns at least one copy of the book and is available in audio aswell. For more information contact the receptionist at (575) 528-4001 or mpendleton@las-cruces.org

21

Amputee Supoport and Resource Group

3:30 pm ? 5:00 pm

Join Orthopedic Specialties to talk about everyday issues of an amputee. Get the opportunity to learn more about your prosthetic with experienced professionals. For further info. please contact Sara at (575)522-5773 or (800) 522-5773.

22

Bisexual Support Group

7:00 pm ? 8:30 am

Make connections, offer and give support in our bi-monthly group. Anyone identifying as bisexual, questioning their bisexuality, or wanting to be an ally is invited to attend.

Bisexual Support Group

23

Debtors Anonymous

12:00 pm ? 1:00 pm

A fellowship of men and women who help eachother recover from compulsive debting. Anyone 16 years and older is welcome, no fee necessary.

Coffeehouse and Open Mic

7:00 pm ? 9:00 am

Coffee, tea, espresso drinks, cold beverages and dessert while enjoying the talents of musicians, poets, comedians, drag queens and other performers. All welcome to enjoy great conversation, entertainment and fun.

Coffeehouse and Open Mic

24 25 26

SCA

7:00 pm

Sexual Compulsives Anonymous is a 12-step process of men and women sharing their experiences, strengths, and hope with each other with hope of recovering from sexual compulsion.

SCA

27

Pride on Main AFG

5:30 pm ? 6:30 pm

The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope in order to solve their common problems. Al-Anon has but one purpose; to help families of alcoholics.

Pride on Main AFG

HIV Support

6:30 pm

Offers advocacy and support for both those infected with, or affected with the HIV Virus. We also focus on the rebuilding of our community, outreach, education, self advocacy, and wellness. For more information, please contact Seth at 575-621-0681.

HIV Support

28

Grant Writing

2:00 pm ? 4:00 pm

Branigan Library is inviting you to learn the basics of grant writing. Limited to 10 people, register eally by call ing (575)528-4005.

Grant Writing

GLBTQ Youth Support

6:30 pm ? 7:30 pm

Topics of discussion will remain open to the group members, but may include stress and anxiety, bullying, coming-out, personal and external attitudes on sexuality, conflicts within the family and more. For more info please call 635-4902.

GLBTQ Youth Support

29 30 1

Men's Group

3:00 pm ? 4:00 pm

The group is an opportunity for men in the community to get together and support each other. It is an inter-generational group (18+) with discussions and activities designed by the group members.

Men's Group

2

Source: http://uwswnm.org/?p=11289

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TTC, police deny responsibility for decision to divert buses for Mayor Rob Ford?s football team

The TTC and Toronto police are both distancing themselves from the decision to kick passengers off two buses so they could be dispatched to pick up Mayor Rob Ford?s high school football team.

?At no time were TTC frontline personnel aware of why a shelter bus was required,? a TTC news release sent out Sunday evening said.

?Given the urgency of the police request, operations personnel at the TTC made the decision to utilize buses from nearby routes to meet the request as quickly as possible.?

Officers were called to the field at Father Henry Carr Secondary School at 3:46 p.m. on Thursday after an altercation between the school?s coach and referees. An officer at the field requested a bus for Ford?s players.

But Alok Mukherjee, the chair of the Toronto Police Services Board, said that the TTC could?ve denied the request.

?It is always their discretion, but they haven?t generally ever said no,? Mukherjee said. ?It?s up to the TTC as to how they will respond.?

He added that police didn?t know that TTC passengers would be kicked off two buses to provide shelter for Ford?s football team, the Don Bosco Eagles.

The TTC hasn?t said how many passengers were removed from the buses and left in the cold, wet weather.

In light of an influx of questions, the TTC said it will review its policy regarding shelter buses.

Toronto Police spokesperson Const. Tony Vella said police don?t have a list of emergencies that qualify for a shelter bus. Instead, it?s a ?judgment call? made by a single officer.

?Public safety is paramount,? Vella said.

Typically, a shelter bus is called for an evacuation, such as a fire at an apartment building.

The TTC said it receives about two requests for shelter buses each week from Toronto police.

But the request didn?t only come from police; Mayor Rob Ford called TTC CEO Andy Byford?s cellphone. The TTC insists Ford wasn?t rushing the request, but rather echoing the concerns of police.

?I will dig out the policy and, if you would like, make a proposal to strengthen it,? Byford said in an email to TTC commissioners Saturday. ?Rest assured that I am following this up with TPS and the Mayor's Office.?

Source: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1282667--ttc-police-deny-responsibility-for-decision-to-divert-buses-for-mayor-rob-ford-s-football-team

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Fresno workplace shooting leaves three dead, two injured

Police search an area where a workplace shooting occurred at Valley Protein, formally known as Apple Valley Farms Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Fresno. (AP/Gary Kazanjian)

[Updated at 5 p.m. ET]

The death toll now stands at three from this morning's workplace shooting at a Fresno, Calif., meat processing plant.

Police say Lawrence Jones, 42, a discharged parolee shot four coworkers before shooting himself about 8:30 a.m. at Valley Protein, which makes poultry products.

Two victims and the gunman have died. Two others remain hospitalized.

"We're still trying to determine what provoked these actions," Police Chief Jerry Dyer told reporters at a news conference.

The Fresno Bee said the shooter had worked at the plant for 14 months. Employees told investigators that Jones, "did not appear to be himself when he came to work." Chief Dyer said the man was more than three hours into his shift when he pulled a handgun and began shooting. An estimated 60 people were at the business at the time of the shooting.

The Fresno Bee spoke to witnesses who saw factory workers running from the plant. Roger Medina told the newspaper that he was in a nearby McDonald's when a man wearing a meat cutter's vest came rushing in.

"He said, 'There's a guy shooting people over there,' " Medina said.

Joe Martinez, 45, was in the drive-through lane at the McDonald's and thought he heard a car backfire, the newspaper reported. But he knew it was something else when he saw a chaotic scene unfolding near the plant.

"It's the last thing you expect to see," Martinez told the newspaper. "It's very upsetting."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/mass-shooting-reported-fresno-workplace-175905643.html

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'Star Wars: Episode 7': Harrison Ford open to returning for a new film, sources say

Unnamed sources are saying 'Star Wars' actor Harrison Ford is 'open to the idea of doing the movie.'

By Rob Frappier,?Screen Rant / November 6, 2012

Harrison Ford (far right) is 'open' to the idea of doing a new 'Star Wars' film, says an anonymous source. Ford has already reprised one of his famous roles with the 'Indiana Jones' film that was released in 2008, 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.'

Lucasfilm Ltd./Business Wire

Enlarge

Last week, there was a great disturbance in the force, as if millions of nerds cried out and were suddenly silenced. Okay, maybe it wasn?t that dramatic, but it was a pretty big deal when Disney bought Lucasfilm and announced plans for a new series of Star Wars sequels.

Skip to next paragraph Screen Rant

Screen Rant had a humble start back in 2003 as a place to rant about some of the dumber stuff related to the movie industry. Since then, the site has grown to cover more and more TV and movie news (and not just the dumb stuff) along with sometimes controversial movie reviews. The goal at Screen Rant is to cover stories and review movies from a middle ground/average person perspective.

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Since then, we?ve debated the pros and cons of the news, and have also reported on all of the speculation about Star Wars: Episode 7, including today?s rumor that X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn is in the running to direct the film.?

Now, we?ve got another interesting piece of news to share. According to an exclusive report from Geoff Boucher (who has happily landed on his feet at Entertainment Weekly after leaving his gig at the L.A. Times), none other than Han Solo himself has allegedly expressed interest in returning to a galaxy far, far away.

The report quotes sources close to Harrison Ford who say that the iconic actor is ?open to the idea of doing the movie? and, moreover, is ?upbeat about it.? Obviously, being ?open? to doing the movie is a long stretch from actually doing it, and it?s not like the 70-year-old actor is getting any younger. However, if he?s genuinely interested in returning to one of his most famous roles, it can only be a good thing for Star Wars fans.

After all, this is the same actor who told ABC News back in 2010 that he didn?t actually like playing the character of Han Solo that much and was actually hoping that Lucas would kill him off in Return of the Jedi, quipping that he didn?t because ?George didn?t think there was any future in dead Han toys.?

Presumably, if Ford returned to the big screen for a Star Wars sequel, it would be alongside his two costars,?Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) and Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia). In a recent interview, Hamill discussed plans for the sequels to focus on entirely new stories to satisfy fans? desires for ?more and more and more material.?

Nevertheless, it?s entirely possible that Lucas and company could throw in the original trio in expanded cameo roles, much in the same way that Leonard Nimoy played an important role in the new Star Trek film.

Whatever path they decide to take, it?s certainly an exciting development to learn that Ford is interested in returning to one of the film?s that catapulted him to worldwide fame. I was one of the few people that actually enjoyed Ford in Indiana Jones 4, so I would be more than happy to see him strap on the blaster one more time as Han Solo.

What do you think? Is Harrison Ford a must-have for Star Wars: Episode 7 and beyond, or should they start completely fresh with no original characters?

Rob Frappier blogs at Screen Rant.

The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of music, film, and television bloggers. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by The Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own and they are responsible for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/uLf2Bksb4lE/Star-Wars-Episode-7-Harrison-Ford-open-to-returning-for-a-new-film-sources-say

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US election fascinates Chinese; some envy voters

BEIJING (AP) ? Where can a pop star score a hit by talking about the U.S. Electoral College for 33 minutes? In China, where Gao Xiaosong?s straightforward explanation of the system drew more than 1 million hits in four days.

Chinese have long been fascinated with U.S. presidential elections, but interest is particularly high this year because Americans are voting at the same time Beijing is going through its own political transition. A generation of Communist Party leaders will step down next week to make way for younger colleagues after a highly secretive selection process.

For many ordinary Chinese, comparisons are irresistible.

In a political cartoon circulated online, an American voter covers his ears as the candidates verbally attack each other on TV, while a Chinese man struggles to hear anything from the party congress, taking place behind closed doors.

?Every political system has its pros and cons, but I do think it will be great if I get to participate and get to make a decision after the candidates tell me what their platforms are for the next four years,? said Guo Xiaoqiao, a freelance worker in human resources.

Chinese delight in speculating whether President Barack Obama will fend off Republican challenger Mitt Romney, but they are more captivated by Americans? ability to vote for their leader. Their own leaders are distant figures whom they have no way of replacing.

?The 18th Party Congress is a meeting for the party. We ordinary people can only watch it as an audience,? said Wang Xiaojian, a 21-year-old Peking University student. ?The U.S. presidential election is a campaign that gets everyone involved.?

As Gao, a pop singer known for his syrupy ballads, found out, many Chinese are even interested in the U.S. Electoral College, the often perplexing system in which the president is elected not by individual votes, but by the candidates? state-by-state performance.

In a video from his online talk show that was posted on the popular video-sharing site Youku.com, Gao explained that the college is an attempt to balance the rights of states with the will of the majority.

?The opinion of the state is important; so is that of the people,? Gao said. He called America?s founding fathers the ?greatest group of people in history.?

As a public performer used to censorship, Gao was careful not to draw direct comparisons to China?s system or its leaders. But even explaining America?s election system is somewhat at odds with Beijing?s practice.

For decades, China?s public knowledge of U.S. elections was limited to state propaganda, which depicts the election as a money game controlled by Wall Street. Campaign finance scandals and vote fraud dominate coverage. Even if Chinese don?t wholly believe it, the repetitive line of state media has an impact on how they view U.S. politics.

?The coverage is to serve the internal propaganda needs but not explain how the U.S. election works,? said Chinese media critic Zhao Chu. ?You hardly see any reports that can clearly explain how the U.S. election works.?

The less-censored Internet has changed the game, giving Chinese space to comment and exchange opinions. Videos of the presidential debates are available online.

Censorship on the U.S. election has mostly been in form of guidance from censors. State media have been told to play down reports on the election and keep them short and factual, according to editors at two media outlets.

Amateur translator Guo Xiaohui, who has produced Chinese captions of U.S. political programs, said he believes giving the public an unfiltered look at American politics could get them thinking more about their own government, though he added that it also reveals the negative aspects of the U.S. system.

?The two sides are very confrontational and uncompromising,? he said. ?It would be better off if they can soften a bit, like the Chinese do.?

Others see the U.S. system as clearly superior.

?I admire the voting rights protected by the U.S. Constitution. I pay attention to the fairness and seriousness in the election procedure,? said Li Youli, a retired manager in a commerce regulatory agency in Beijing who learned about U.S. elections through an English language class.

?China?s political system is so backward that it should implement one thing first: to unconditionally ensure the basic political right for citizens in a republic: the voting rights,? he said.

Admiration for the U.S. political system does not necessarily extend to the U.S. itself. U.S.-China relations have been buffeted by tiffs over trade, nuclear proliferation and global hotspots like Syria and Iran. Romney has promised to label China a currency manipulator if elected, a step that could lead to a trade war between the world?s two largest economies.

Many Chinese resent what they see as scolding by U.S. presidents, politicians and media about China?s human rights lapses and its authoritarian system.

A Pew Global Attitudes Project survey released last month found that nearly half of Chinese have a negative view of the United States. Still, the survey registered a small increase among Chinese who like American democracy, up to 52 percent, from 48 percent in 2007. More dramatic was a decrease in Chinese rejecting American democracy, down to 29 percent from 36 percent in 2007.

Xu Chunliu, a content editor for the microblogging site Tencent Weibo, said he has observed little criticism of the U.S. election system among Chinese web users.

?I don?t think Chinese people are holding their own political system in such high esteem that they feel they can criticize others,? said Xu.

But he added that even being able to have conversations about voting and democracy is a positive step.

?From the Taiwan election to the U.S. election, the Chinese are always thinking and debating among themselves,? Xu said. ?I think China is developing into a more normal country.?

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Source: http://www.salon.com/2012/11/05/us_election_fascinates_chinese_some_envy_voters/

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Where do stories come from? - Finding My Creature - Blog

Finding My Creature is excited to present its first Guest Blogger from A Scenic Route, the wonderful Kirsten!?She is a microscopist by day, word wielding creature by night and is always full of inspirational advice and insight about the journey that is writing a book. I have always loved the enticing little snippets Kirsten shares on her blog and I am thrilled she has taken the time to tell us where she finds her stories.

This is her journey, enjoy.

***

Hi there, fellow writing and reading creatures! I?m Kirsten, and usually I blog about my novel writing adventures at A Scenic Route, but today I have the pleasure of joining Anushka here at Finding My Creature.

I?ve always loved Anushka?s blog title and when she invited me to visit I immediately knew I wanted to write about how I found my own creature.? So make a cup of tea and pull up a chair, because today I?m going to tell a story. In fact, I?m going to tell a story about where my stories come from.

I didn?t always have my own stories. I really wanted them though, so I dutifully learned to type and signed up for creative writing class, thinking that I would finally learn to create stories to rival the ones I read and loved. One of our first class assignments, naturally, was to write a story.

The thing was, no one ever told us how to find it.

?It?s just there,? the instructor said. ?Pick a character. Find a problem for him or her to solve. Decide on your setting. Pick a genre.?

I followed his instructions. I wanted romance. I wanted rocket ships. I wanted poetic language. I wanted to escape my mundane small town life and soar. I wanted the world under my fingers.

But I was seventeen. I?d never been kissed. What came out onto the page was nothing like what I read in my favorite books.

My words were stilted. My sentences lay mired in passive voice. My characters stood silent. My plotting was implausible.

Worst of all I had no story.

I decided my pen was better suited to chronicling my own life in journals, recording the exquisite agony of growing up, searching for romance, and reaching for dreams that always seemed to be out of my grasp. My creative writing garden lay fallow.

What I didn?t know was that while I was away living my life, my creative earth was gathering nutrients, fertilized by the vines and weeds that lived and died with the triumphs and disappointments of my days.

I set out to live my life. I studied in Europe. I joined a rock band. I worked in laboratory. I traveled to exotic islands in the tropics. I fell in love and got married.

Sometimes the writing voice in my head would give me a nudge. I read stories and thought I?d like them better if they ended differently. I asked myself whether the characters weren?t just a bit too perfect. I objected to anachronisms in the setting. I read the stories I loved twice. Three times. I wanted more like those.

?What if ?? I asked myself, ?I wrote the story I wanted to read? What would that story be about??

In response, the subconscious Muse held up a mirror, and instead of my own reflection, I saw a different face, a hero for the story I wanted to write. When I slipped into his skin, I could leave my own world behind; when I saw with his eyes, I could find a greater truth. He would give me the voice I was afraid to use, he would speak the words I was afraid to say. He had endured more than I could ever bear, and he would triumph over greater odds than I ever could.

I had to know more. Who was this person? What was his passion? Who loved him more than anyone else? Where was he broken?

Even though I hadn?t written a word, I began to turn those questions over in my imagination and got answers that surprised me.

?This is cool,? I thought. ?I should write it down.?

Still, I didn?t write. I was afraid of my own incompetence.

I decided to tell a screenwriter acquaintance about my story idea in the hopes that she could give me some guidance about what to do with it. I wanted to show her I was organized about this, so I wrote a summary of what the story was about.

But then my characters started talking.

I wrote down what they said, where they said it, and why. I was exhilarated when I found myself lost in my story world, and wanted more. I knew the writing was terrible, but it was only for myself, so I persevered. And once in a while a line would make me pause.

?I would enjoy reading this if someone else had written it.? I thought. ?Dang, this might be a book.?

It wasn?t long before I stepped back from the Muse?s first mirror and noticed other faces, reflections of other characters, a hallway of mirrors with faces other than my own. Each of them had a story as well.
This is how I had found my way to my stories.

So, where do stories come from? I think they come from our life experience, filtered through the silt of the subconscious, watered and nurtured with regular writing. Sometimes in this garden, lightning strikes, thunder rumbles, and when the storm is over, a story emerges from the dust.

How about you? If you could be anyone, or anywhere, you wanted, who would you be? Where would you go? What would you accomplish?

You just might find a story in your answers.

?

Source: http://findingmycreature.wordpress.com/2012/11/05/where-do-stories-come-from/

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Storm victims face housing crisis as cold snap hits

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A housing crisis loomed in New York City as victims of superstorm Sandy struggled without heat in near-freezing temperatures on Sunday and nearly 1 million people in neighboring New Jersey shivered in the dark without power.

Fuel shortages and power outages lingered nearly a week after one of the worst storms in U.S. history flooded homes in coastal neighborhoods. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said 30,000 to 40,000 people in New York City alone would need shelter.

"We don't have a lot of empty housing in this city. It's a problem to find housing. We're not going to let anybody go sleeping in the street," Bloomberg said. "But it's a challenge and we're working on this as fast as we can."

Temperatures were forecast to fall close to freezing overnight and an early-season "Nor'easter" storm was expected to hit the battered region this week with strong winds and heavy rain.

"The power is back, but we have no heat," said Adeline Camacho, a volunteer who was giving soup and sandwiches to needy residents of the Lower East Side of Manhattan on Sunday. "A lot of people haven't been able to bathe or stay warm. Last night was cold and this night is going to be much worse."

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said federal agencies are looking for apartments and hotel rooms for people displaced by Sandy. "Housing is really the number one concern," Napolitano said at a news conference with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

Overnight, at least two more bodies were found in New Jersey - one dead of hypothermia - as the overall North American death toll from Sandy climbed to at least 113.

"People are in homes that are uninhabitable," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said at a news conference.

Concerns are also growing that voters displaced by Sandy won't get to polling stations on Election Day on Tuesday. Scores of voting centers were rendered useless by the record surge of seawater in New York and New Jersey.

STRUGGLING IN STATEN ISLAND

Sandy killed 69 people in the Caribbean before turning north and hammering the U.S. Eastern Seaboard on Monday with 80 mile-per-hour (130-kph) winds.

The two new deaths in New Jersey - where the storm came ashore last Monday night - included a 71-year-old man who suffered from hypothermia and a 55-year-old man who died from smoke inhalation in a house fire, police said on Sunday.

That raised New Jersey's death toll to 24 while the New York City death count was 40.

In the hard-hit borough of Staten Island, Marie Mandia's house had a yellow sticker on it, meaning the city restricted its use. The storm surge broke through her windows and flooded her basement and main floor, the retired teacher said.

"I'm not staying here. There's no protection," said Mandia, 60, who stood outside by a pile of her ruined things - a washer, drier, television and furniture. "Here's my life. Everybody's looking at it."

Similar scenes of destruction were to be seen in the Rockaways, a strip of land along the Atlantic in Queens. Street after street, people were digging out from under several feet of sand and cleaning up from the deluge of water that ripped apart fences, turned over cars and left homes flooded.

Volunteers made their way there to help, even as life appeared to be back to normal in Times Square, where the neon lights were bright and Broadway theaters were up and running.

"It's like the city, the officials, have forgotten us. Only our neighbors and strangers, volunteers, have been here," Gregory Piechocki said. "We don't need food or water. We need a warm place to sleep and some sign that we aren't forgotten."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said 182,000 individuals in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey had registered for assistance by Sunday afternoon, and more than $158 million had been approved.

Sunday was to have been marathon day in New York, an occasion that normally draws more than 40,000 runners from around the world. But Bloomberg abruptly called off the race on Friday, bowing to criticism that it would divert resources from flood-ravaged neighborhoods.

Without a race, hundreds of runners set off on informal runs to deliver food and clothes to people in need. More than 1,000 people crowded onto two Staten Island Ferry boats early on Sunday, headed to the stricken borough with relief supplies.

Ruth Silverberg, 59, recently took a cruise in the Bahamas. She returned to her Staten Island home Sunday for the first time since the storm and found more than 4 feet of water in her basement. "Things were just floating. I thought it would take me two weeks to clear it out," she said.

Instead, a group of 15 marathon runners formed an assembly line and cleared the basement of its contents in two hours. "I'm awed," Silverberg said, her voice breaking.

FUEL AND POWER CRISIS

Fuel supplies continued to rumble toward disaster zones and electricity was slowly returning to darkened neighborhoods where many families have been without power for six days.

In New Jersey, where residents were waiting for hours in line at gas stations, Christie tried to ease the fuel crunch by reassuring people that refineries and pipelines were back online and gas was being delivered. "We do not have a fuel shortage," he said at a news conference.

The New York Harbor energy network was returning to normal on Sunday with mainline power restored, but there were growing concerns about heating oil supplies with cold weather forecast.

Power restorations over the weekend relit the skyline in Lower Manhattan for the first time in nearly a week and allowed 80 percent of the New York City subway service to resume. But Bloomberg said it would be a "very, very long time" before power would return to certain New York neighborhoods along the coast.

Most schools were due to reopen on Monday, though some were still being used as shelters. Walt Whitman High School in Huntington Station, Long Island, was housing about 100 people and expecting more to arrive as temperatures fall.

Some 1.9 million homes and business still lacked power across the Northeast on Sunday, down from 2.5 million the day before.

"All these numbers are nice, but they mean nothing until the power is on in your house," Cuomo said.

One of those still without power was 70-year-old Ramon Rodriguez, who lives in the Brooklyn seafront neighborhood of Red Hook. "I feel like I've spent my whole Social Security check on batteries and candles," Rodriguez said as he waited in line at the 99 Cent Dreams store. His search for ice to keep his freezer cold came up short. But, he added, "at least it's cold enough to leave food outside the windowsill."

At the building where he lives, garbage bags were piled high and the intercom that is typically used for security was not working, so the front door was unlocked.

ELECTION FACES 'REAL PROBLEMS'

President Barack Obama, neck-and-neck in opinion polls with Republican challenger Mitt Romney, ordered emergency response officials to cut through government "red tape" and work without delay to help affected areas return to normal.

With the post-storm chaos overshadowing the final days of campaigning, an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll found that 68 percent of those surveyed approved of how Obama handled Sandy, while 15 percent disapproved.

New Jersey has said it will allow people displaced by the storm to vote by email. In New York City, some 143,000 voters will be reassigned to different polling sites.

Bloomberg said the Board of Elections has "real problems," and warned that it would be critical to make sure poll workers were informed of the changes.

"Unfortunately, there is a history of not communicating changes to their poll workers," Bloomberg said, adding the board has proven to be "dysfunctional" in recent years.

(Reporting by Reuters bureaus throughout the U.S. Northeast; Writing by Jonathan Spicer and Claudia Parsons; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Stacey Joyce)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/storm-victims-face-housing-crisis-cold-snap-hits-002652500.html

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