‘Holistic’ Controversy

Question: What are Holistic Admissions?

Most of the country’s highly selective colleges and universities have holistic admissions, but what exactly does this mean for an applicant?

Answer: “Holistic” can be defined as an emphasis on the whole person, not just select pieces that make up the whole person.If a college has holistic admissions, the school’s admissions officers consider the whole applicant, not just empirical data like a GPA or SAT scores. Colleges with holistic admissions are not simply looking for students with good grades. They want to admit interesting students who will contribute to the campus community in meaningful ways.

Under a holistic admissions policy, a student with a 3.8 GPA might be turned down while an award-winning trumpet player with a 3.0 GPA might get accepted. The student who wrote a stellar essay might get preference over the student who had higher ACT scores but a bland essay. In general, holistic admissions take into account a student’s interests, passions, special talents, and personality.

The University of California at Los Angeles uses a “holistic” approach to undergraduate admissions. Each applicant is reviewed not only for test scores and grades, but for low socioeconomic status, a disadvantaged background and evidence of the ability to overcome challenges (among other qualities). Holistic admissions (used by many leading colleges and universities, some of which also consider a candidate’s race and ethnicity) is designed to evaluate each applicant as more than just a set of numbers.

Proponents of holistic admissions say that it evens the playing field for those who didn’t go to the best high schools or couldn’t afford enriching summer travel or SAT tutors. And because holistic admissions avoids automatic cutoff or admission scores for students from any group, proponents hope it can help diversify student bodies without running afoul of court rulings or attracting lawsuits.

The current debate was sparked by a report issued last week by a law professor at UCLA who provided what he said was evidence that UCLA was interpreting holistic admissions in ways that resulted in the admission of black students with significantly lower scores (not just based on grades and test scores, but on the holistic factors as well) than those of students in other groups.

The professor says this shows that race is being considered at UCLA, despite protestations to the contrary. The report (and coverage and commentary about it in the student newspaper) infuriated minority student leaders at UCLA (not to mention admissions officials). The administrators reacted, among other reasons, because they are in effect being accused of violating the law.  

Read more Inside Higher Ed

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Regardless of who wins, America’s relations with the Arab World will change

By Robert Fisk

October 30, 2012 “The Independent” –  After last week’s Obama-Romney love-fest for Israel, the Arabs have been slowly deciding which of the two men would be best for the Middle East. It looks like Barack Obama is their man; but the problem – as always – is the sad, pathetic and outrageously obvious fact that it doesn’t make the slightest bit of difference.

George Bush invaded Iraq after giving Ariel Sharon permission to go on colonising the occupied West Bank. Obama got out of Iraq, increased drone strikes on the Pakistan-Afghan border and then behaved like a dog when Benjamin Netanyahu told him there would be no discussion about Israeli withdrawal to 1967 borders. Instead of saying, “Oh yes there will”, like a strong and independent president, Obama sat cowed in his White House seat as the Israeli prime minister effectively told him that UN Security Council resolution 242(that is the wiki definition of the resoltion, and I think we all know anyone can change what it says!?!   I’ve tried putting up the actual UN sites link but it won’t come up and I’ve tried several UN links, also the only UN Security Council resolution that I can get to appear is from Jewish sites, many disagreeing and pointing out lies to it   

 Jerusalem Center ?or Public Afairs

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ISRAEL’S RIGHT TO SECUREBOUNDARIES

Four Decades SinceUN Security CouncilResolution 242  shera~) – the very basis of the non-existent “peace process” – was a non-starter.

Since then, of course, Mitt Romney, who seems to have as much understanding of the Middle East as the Texas preacher who burned a Koran, has said the Palestinians “have no interest whatsoever in establishing peace” and has still not satisfactorily explained why, back in 2005 as governor of Massachusetts, he appeared rather keen on wire-tapping mosques. So good luck to the Arabs.

Israel Lobby Calls for an ‘Iranian Pearl Harbor’

By Muhammad Sahimi

October 30, 2012 “Information Clearing House” -  When the Bush-Cheney administration was in power, Dick Cheney tried hard to find an excuse for military attacks on Iran. After all, according to Gen. Wesley Clark, the former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO from 1997 to 2000, Cheney and other hawks had plans for attacking and destroying seven countries in the Middle East and North Africa over five years in order to transform them into U.S. client states, and he wanted to “accomplish” as much as possible before leaving office. Various options were considered. As reported by Seymour Hersh, in late 2007 the Bush-Cheney administration received congressional approval for its request for $400 million to launch major covert operations against Iran, and a presidential finding signed by Bush authorized a secret program for destabilizing Iran by supporting puppet groups purporting to represent the Iranian Arabs living in the oil province of Khuzestan, the Baluchi people, and other separatist “organizations.”

The truth, however, is that the next president is not going to have the freedom to decide his policy on the Middle East. The old love affair with Israel will continue – unless Israel attacks Iran and drags America into another Middle East war – but for the first time in American history, a successful presidential candidate is going to have to deal with a new Arab world; indeed, a new Muslim world.

The critical point is that the Arab Awakening (please let’s forget the “Spring” bit) represents a people calling for dignity. It includes non-Arab Muslims as well – what else was the mini-green revolution after the last Iranian elections? – and it means that the millions who live in the part of the world we still like to call the Middle East – it doesn’t feel very “middle” when you live there – now intend to make their own decisions, based on their wishes, not on those of their former satrap presidents and – in turn – their masters in Washington. La Clinton still seems not to have grasped this. Maybe Obama does. Romney? I bet he couldn’t draw a map of the nations in the area, except for one, of course.

Contrary to the Western belief that the Arabs are all struggling for “democracy”,  MORE FROM ICH

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Obama Signs New Executive Order Expanding Homeland Security Mission In The U.S

On Oct. 26, President Obama signed a new Executive Order which expands the role and scope ofHomeland Security in states and areas across the country. This order, which establishes a new Security Partnership Council, will have far reaching effects in the overall mission of Homeland Security, and for state and local areas that interact with the Federal agency.

Economically, the Establishing the White House Homeland Security Partnership Council Executive Order will increase funding and resources to state and local governments to fulfill Homeland Security programs and doctrines, as well as increase Federal oversight in the implementation of directives tied to the agencies mission.

The purpose of this order is to maximize the Federal Government’s ability to develop local partnerships in the United States to support homeland security priorities. Partnerships are collaborative working relationships in which the goals, structure, and roles and responsibilities of the relationships are mutually determined.

There is established a White House Homeland Security Partnership Council (Council) to foster local partnerships — between the Federal Government and the private sector, nongovernmental organizations, foundations, community-based organizations, and State, local, tribal, and territorial government and law enforcement — to address homeland security challenges.

Sec. 3. Mission and Function of the Council and Steering Committee

(ii) promote homeland security priorities and opportunities for collaboration between Federal Government field offices and State, local, tribal, and territorial stakeholders;

(iii) advise and confer with State, local, tribal, and territorial stakeholders and agencies interested in expanding or building local homeland security partnerships; –Whitehouse.gov

MORE HERE 

The White House Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

October 26, 2012

Executive Order — Establishing the White House Homeland Security Partnership Council

EXECUTIVE ORDER

- – – – – – -

ESTABLISHING THE WHITE HOUSE

HOMELAND SECURITY PARTNERSHIP COUNCIL

 

 

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to advance the Federal Government’s use of local partnerships to address homeland security challenges, it is hereby ordered as follows:  See More at Source

Illegal Immigration: Thousands Applying For Deportation Reprieve Program On A Daily Basis

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that approximately 200,000 young illegal immigrants have applied for the Obama administration’s deportation reprieve program since the police was enacted two months ago.

The policy change permits individuals who were brought to America illegally by their parents to remain in the country for two years. Those eligible for the program must be under the age of 31, lived in America for the past five years, have no more than two misdemeanors, been honorably discharged from the military, graduated from high school or obtained a GED.

The Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council was created in March. The group is reportedly comprised of “prominent” university presidents and academic leaders. The council is tasked with advising the Homeland Security Secretary and her senior leadership on key educational issues.

Secretary Napolitano had this to say about the academic advisory council:

“The formation of this Council represents an important milestone towards engaging the academic community in our homeland security efforts. Their collective expertise will be a critical asset to the Department, and I look forward to working with them.”
 more at source 

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Mitt Romney In GOP Debate: Shut Down Federal Disaster Agency, Send Responsibility To The States

During a CNN debate at the height of the GOP primary, Mitt Romney was asked, in the context of the Joplin disaster and FEMA's cash crunch, whether the agency should be shuttered so that states can individually take over responsibility for disaster response.

"Absolutely," he said. "Every time you have an occasion to take something from the federal government and send it back to the states, that's the right direction. And if you can go even further, and send it back to the private sector, that's even better. Instead of thinking, in the federal budget, what we should cut, we should ask the opposite question, what should we keep?"

"Including disaster relief, though?" debate moderator John King asked Romney.

"We cannot -- we cannot afford to do those things without jeopardizing the future for our kids," Romney replied. "It is simply immoral, in my view, for us to continue to rack up larger and larger debts and pass them on to our kids, knowing full well that we'll all be dead and gone before it's paid off. It makes no sense at all."

More at source

1976, Monsanto announced plans to phase out production of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB).

1976, Monsanto announced plans to phase out production of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB). In 1979 a lawsuit was filed against Monsanto and other manufacturers of agent orange, a defoliant used during theVietnam War. Agent orange contained a highly-toxic chemical known as dioxin, and the suit claimed that hundreds of veterans had suffered permanent damage because of the chemical. In 1984 Monsanto and seven other manufacturers agreed to a $180 million settlement just before the trial began. With the announcement of a settlement Monsanto's share price, depressed because of the uncertainty over the outcome of the trial, rose substantially. Also in 1984, Monsanto lost a $10 million antitrust suit to Spray-Rite, a former distributor of Monsanto agricultural herbicides. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the suit and award, finding that Monsanto had acted to fix retail prices with other herbicide manufacturers. EPA provides various paths for the public to access information about PCBs.  On this web site you will learn about PCBs as they are managed under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the PCB regulations found at 40 CFR 761. This site focuses on the management, cleanup and disposal of PCB wastes and the management of PCB-containing materials and equipment still in use. If you have any questions about site specific PCB issues, see the EPA Regional Contacts page. On this site you may: Learn about PCBs - Find information about the commercial use of PCBs, common PCB trade names (e.g., Aroclor), and PCB congeners. In addition, learn about the release and exposure, as well as the health effects of PCBs. Learn about the laws and regulations that govern PCBs - PCBs are regulated under TSCA. TSCA bans the manufacture, processing, use and distribution in commerce of PCBs. TSCA gives EPA the authority to develop, implement and enforce regulations concerning the use, manufacture, cleanup and disposal of PCBs.  EPA Source for More Romney’s first project with Bain in 1977: Help propel Monsanto One year before Mitt Romney began working on the Bain & Company project to rebuild “Monsanto” and cast their new image and focus on agriculture biotechnology, Congress passed a bill banning PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl), an odorless, tasteless, clear liquid known to cause cancer that was the “bread and butter” of Monsanto’s profits. Monsanto was already branded and plagued with the label of having created the “Agent Orange” contaminated dioxins used in Vietnam. Now Monsanto would need a big save, financially and reputation-wise, so they could fool the public with their new image and a new “frontier,” while secretly polluting and genetically modifying American agriculture with the new faceless poison known as Roundup. Romney knew his first job at Bain was to propel an evil company that was on the brink of failure. He knew Monsanto’s previous reputation and about all the litigation. Romney also knew he would be rewarded financially in the biggest way if he could pull the whole thing off, and he did. Romney changed Monsanto’s image over the years, from a scandal ridden chemical giant to a seemingly “prestigious” Agri-business firm. (http://dprogram.net) Fresh out of Harvard in 1977, Romney basically lead Monsanto down an unethical but highly lucrative path, helping sweep the PCB and dioxin scandals under the rug, since that negative public perception was crippling the company. In August 1985, Monsanto purchased G. D. Searle, the "NutraSweet" firm. NutraSweet, an artificial sweetener, had generated $700 million in sales that year, and Searle could offer Monsanto an experienced marketing and a sales staff as well as real profit potential - not to mention the fact that Searle's CEO Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was well-connected among a cabal of corrupt politicians in Washington DC. Since the late 1970s the company had sold nearly 60 low-margin businesses and, with two important agriculture product patents expiring in 1988, a major new cash source was more than welcome. What Monsanto didn't count on, however, was the controversy surrounding Searle's intrauterinebirth control device called the Copper-7. Soon after the acquisition, disclosures about hundreds of lawsuits over Searle's IUD surfaced and turned Monsanto's takeover into a public relations disaster. The disclosures, which inevitably led to comparisons with those about A. H. Robins, the Dalkan Shield manufacturer that eventually declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy, raised questions as to how carefully Monsanto management had considered the acquisition. In early 1986 Searle discontinued IUD sales in the United States. By 1988 Monsanto's new subsidiary faced an estimated 500 lawsuits against the Copper-7 IUD. As the parent company, Monsanto was well insulated from its subsidiary's liabilities by the legal "corporate veil". Toward the end of the 1980s, Monsanto faced continued challenges from a variety of sources, including government and public concern over hazardous wastes, fuel and feedstock costs, and import competition. At the end of the 99th Congress, then President Ronald Reagan signed a $8.5 billion, five-year cleanup superfund reauthorization act. Built into the financing was a surcharge on the chemical industry created through the tax reform bill. Biotechnology regulations were just being formulated, and Monsanto, which already had types of genetically engineered bacteria ready for testing, was poised to be an active participant in the GMO biotech field. In keeping with its strategy to become a leader in the health field, Monsanto and the Washington University Medical School entered into a five-year research contract in 1984. Two-thirds of the research was to be directed into areas with obviously commercial applications, while one-third of the research was to be devoted to theoretical work. One particularly promising discovery involved the application of the bovine growth factor, MARKETED as a way to greatlyincrease milk production. In the burgeoning low-calorie sweetener market, challengers to NutraSweet were putting pressure on Monsanto. Pfizer Inc., a pharmaceutical company, was preparing to market its product, called alitame, which it claimed was far sweeter than NutraSweet and better suited for baking. In an interview with Business Week, senior vice-president for research and development Howard Schneidermancommented, "To maintain our markets - and not become another steel industry - we must spend on research and development." Monsanto, which has committed 8% of its operating budget to research and development, far above the industry average, hoped to emerge in the 1990s as one of the leaders in the fields of biotechnology and pharmaceuticalsthat are only now emerging from their nascent stage. By the end of the 1980s, Monsanto had restructured itself and become a producer of specialty chemicals, with a focus on biotechnology products. Monsanto enjoyed consecutive record years in 1988 and 1989 - sales were $8.3 billion and $8.7 billion, respectively. In 1988 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Cytotec, a drug that prevents gastric ulcers in high-risk cases. Sales of Cytotec in the United States reached $39 million in 1989. The Monsanto Chemical Co. unit prospered with products like Saflex, a type of nylon carpet fiber. The NutraSweet Company held its own in 1989, contributing $180 million in earnings, with growth in the carbonated beverage segment (which Monsanto originated from since 1901 seed money from Coca-Cola to produce carcinogenic Saccharin). Almost 500 new products containing NutraSweet were introduced in 1989, for a total of 3,000 products. Monsanto continued to invest heavily in research and development, with 7% of sales allotted for R&D. The investment began to pay off when the research and development department developed an all-natural fat substitute called Simplesse. The FDA declared in early 1990 that the Simplesse product was "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) for use in frozen desserts. That year, the NutraSweet Company introduced Simple Pleasures frozen dairy dessert. Monsanto hoped to see Simplesse used eventually in salad dressings, yogurt, and mayonnaise. Despite these successes, Monsanto remained frustrated by delays in obtaining FDA approval for bovine somatotropin (BST), a hormore chemical MARKETED to increase milk production in cows that causes mastitis (pus milk). Opponents toBST said it would upset the balance of supply and demand for milk, but Monsanto countered that BST would provide high-quality food supplies to consumers worldwide. The final year of the 1980s also marked Monsanto's listing for the first time on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Monsanto officials expected the listing to improve opportunities for licensing and joint venture agreements. see source for more

  edit added the below picture 11/01/12

What, Israel is Calorie Counting to make sure they aren’t charged with a ‘Crime Against Humanity?’

Israel approves more expansion of settlement near Jerusalem

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel on Thursday issued a detailed plan for the building of some 800 new homes on annexed land in the West Bank that is certain to attract further international condemnation of its settlement policies.

A planning committee issued a call for bids from contractors to start building 797 housing units on the western slopes of the urban settlement of Gilo, an area that Israel seized in the 1967 Middle East war and later declared part of Jerusalem.

The annexation has never been recognized internationally.

Israel “planned to starve” the people of Gaza     

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military calculated the number of calories that Gaza’s residents would need to consume to avoid malnutrition during a sweeping blockade imposed on the Palestinian territory from 2007 to mid-2010, according to a document that the Defense Ministry released under a court order and that was made public on Wednesday.

 

The military insisted that it never used the guidelines to restrict the flow of food to Gaza. But critics disputed that, saying the calculations appeared to have guided limits on food imports. They said the document provided further evidence that Israel used food as a weapon to put pressure on Hamas, the militant group that won legislative elections in 2006 and took full control of Gaza in 2007 after a brief factional war.

The blockade was imposed shortly after Hamas took over Gaza. Israel declared it a hostile territory in September 2007. Seeking to weaken the militants, it called for “severe restrictions” on civilians that included limitations on food.

The Defense Ministry handed over its document only after Gisha filed a freedom-of-information petition.

Israel is said to have often used secret guidelines to differentiate between humanitarian necessities and nonessential luxuries. The result was that military officials enforcing the blockade allowed frozen salmon and low-fat yogurt in, but not cilantro or instant coffee.

Hamas blunted the blockade by building a network of underground tunnels through which food, weapons and other contraband were smuggled from Egypt. While the embargo crippled Gaza’s economy, observers never identified a food crisis in the territory, whose residents rely heavily on international food aid.

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Among Israelis, Romney Appears The Favorite

Israelis view the American presidential election much the way they tend to view most issues: What does it mean for Israel?

And by a wide margin, Israelis seem to believe that Republican candidate Mitt Romney would be more attentive to Israel's interests than President Obama.

The Peace Index Poll, commissioned by Tel Aviv University and the Israel Democracy Institute, found that Romney was favored 2-to-1 by Israelis back in August.

Such pro-Romney sentiment is rare outside the U.S. A recent BBC poll of 21 countries found Obama favored in 20, with Romney taking only Pakistan.

Israel was not included in that survey, though, and Israelis are long used to being a prominent — if not the dominant — foreign policy topic in U.S. presidential campaigns.

In Monday's foreign policy debate between Obama and Romney, Israel was mentioned more than 30 times — far more than Europe, Afghanistan or the Arab Spring, let alone Africa or Latin America.

The only country mentioned more often than Israel was the one the Israeli government keeps trying to draw the world's attention to — Iran.

Obama has what is widely seen as a cool relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and many Israelis have never warmed to the American president.

Romney has repeatedly accused Obama of not being supportive enough of Israel, accusing the president of having "thrown allies like Israel under the bus."

The Obama administration has denied this, saying the security relationship between the countries has never been stronger.

Israeli conservatives have long advocated closer ties with the GOP.   More from NPR

Farm murders in South Africa Parts 1 and 2

The Modern Slave - David Icke Website

The Modern Slave - David Icke Website

Seattle police plan to deploy spy drones, FAA Releases Lists of Drone Certificates—Many Questions Left Unanswered

SEATTLE—<<<<

Protestors shouted down officers during the Seattle Police Department's presentation Thursday on the department's new unmanned aerial vehicle, or "drone."

The presentation was held at 6 p.m. at the Garfield Community Center at 2323 East Cherry Street in Seattle. Seattle police, who are drafting a policy on the use of drones, invited the public for their questions and feedback.

Protestors at the event shouted and often talked over police during the event.

"We say no to drones," one protestor said.

Another protestor said funds for the drone "could be used to fund more progressive projects in the community that have really nothing to do with violence and surveillance or these more negative aspects which are only bringing more negative qualities out of people in general."

The Seattle Police Department is one of 50 organizations authorized by the federal government to use the drones.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington called on the city of Seattle in April to develop clear and transparent policies for the use of aerial drones as a tool in law enforcement.

The ACLU-WA’s call for safeguards comes after the Electronic Frontier Foundation last week revealed that it had obtained documents showing the Seattle Police Department recently obtained approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to use unmanned aerial drones.

SPD Unmanned Aerial Systems Operations Manual  October 2012

President Obama signed a sweeping aviation bill in February that will open American airspace to "unmanned aircraft systems," more commonly known as drones. 

Prior to that, FAA approval for domestic drones required a lengthy authorization process.

In December, the national ACLU issued a report on domestic use of drones, “Protecting Privacy From Aerial Surveillance,” that warned our nation’s current privacy laws are not strong enough to ensure that the new technology will be used responsibly and consistently with democratic values.   MORE from SOURCE

FAA Releases Lists of Drone Certificates—Many Questions Left Unanswered

This week the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) finally released its first round of records in response to EFF’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit for information on the agency's drone authorization program. The agency says the two lists it released include the names of all public and private entities that have applied for authorizations to fly drones domestically. These lists—which include the Certificates of Authorizations (COAs), issued to public entities like police departments, and the Special Airworthiness Certificates (SACs), issued to private drone manufacturers—show for the first time who is authorized to fly drones in the United States.

Some of the entities on the COA list are unsurprising. For example, journalists have reported that Customs and Border Protection uses Predator drones to patrol the borders. It is also well known that DARPA and other branches of the military are authorized to fly drones in the US. However, this is the first time we have seen the broad and varied list of other authorized organizations, including universities, police departments, and small towns and counties across the United States. The COA list includes universities and colleges like Cornell, the University of Colorado, Georgia Tech, and Eastern Gateway Community College, as well as police departments in North Little Rock, Arkansas; Arlington, Texas; Seattle, Washington; Gadsden, Alabama; and Ogden, Utah, to name just a few. The COA list also includes small cities and counties like Otter Tail, Minnesota and Herington, Kansas. The Google map linked above plots out the locations we were able to determine from the lists, and is color coded by whether the authorizations are active, expired or disapproved.