LET FREEDOM RING

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In memory of Martin Luther King Day, 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, as well as on The War on Poverty, City Island Images is proposing a challenge for our President, VP, Governors, Senators, Representatives, Council Members, as well as all elected officials who need our support.

Let's create a schedule that requires all of these and others seeking the public trust to regularly take lie detector tests and answer questions from the public. "What are you doing for our nation, our state, our city and for the people?"

TAO OF JOURNALISM

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The TAO of Journalism Pledge is a promise to our audience that we will be TRANSPARENT about who we are, ACCOUNTABLE for our mistakes, and OPEN to other points of view.

TRANSPARENT

We will fully disclose who we are, our journalistic mission and our guiding principles. We will post information on our background and expertise, including education and experience. We will list advertisers, donors, grants, and any other payments that support our work. If affiliated with a political party or special-interest group, we will disclose that. If lobbying for any particular legislation or regulation, we will disclose that. If we are being paid to promote a product or cause, we will disclose that. If other factors could be seen as potential conflicts of interest, we will disclose them. (NOTE: The principle of transparency does not apply to confidential sources, who may still be protected.)

ACCOUNTABLE

If we get any facts wrong, we will admit that promptly and publicly. We will post/publish/print/podcast/broadcast a correction or at least a clarification. We will fully explain what happened to cause the error or mistake. We will do a follow-up story if that is appropriate, putting the original material in better context. We will apologize and promise to be more careful next time. We will show a little humility.

OPEN

If there are credible challenges to our point of view or simply differences of opinion, we will be open to contrary positions. We will give the other side(s) opportunity and space to express their views and engage in open public dialogue through comments or other means. If we are primarily engaged in opinion and commentary, rather than news reporting, we will make that clear – while inviting others to express their opinions through comment and feedback means.

We do not necessarily agree to abide by any particular code of journalism ethics or professional standards, although we may choose to do so. If we do, we will declare that publicly. If we don’t, we will declare that as well. We understand that this will not be enforced by any outside organized group. It will be overseen by everyone on the Internet who wants to see high standards of transparency, accountability and openness in journalism – through whatever media platform.

We understand that if someone using the “TAO Seal” starts violating its basic principles, they will be admonished, criticized, reprimanded and embarrassed in public through the awesome power of the Internet. Call it “crowdsourcing” ethics and accuracy. In summary, we believe that Transparency, Accountability and Openness are keys to our personal credibility and public trust.

WEATHER WATCH

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A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 41. West wind 11 to 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Tonight Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. West wind 11 to 17 mph.

Sunday A slight chance of snow showers between 9am and 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 40. Southwest wind 9 to 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Sunday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. West wind 13 to 17 mph.

M.L.King Day Partly sunny, with a high near 42. West wind 13 to 15 mph.

ANNUS MIRABILIS + 20

Historians still call the year 1905 the Annus Mirabilis, the miracle year because in that year Albert Einstein published four remarkable scientific papers ranging from the smallest scale to the largest, through fundamental problems about the nature of energy, matter, motion, time and space.

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SAVE WATER NOW

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Do you take having water in your life for granted? Most people in this country are fortunate to have running water available to them for drinking, showering, washing, and all that great stuff.

11 US states and many countries all over the world are experiencing severe drought conditions, while too many of us do little to conserve this precious necessity.

US SECRET SURVEILLANCE

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Following Edward Snowden's disclosures about the National Security Agency's alleged spying programs that resulted in a passionate national debate about surveillance and individual privacy. President Obama outlined several points today. He delivered a speech about NSA surveillance and the future of digital privacy.

Mr. Obama introduced a number of welcome reforms to NSA surveillance, while leaving in place the bulk collection of Americans' sensitive data.

Life and Art of Heather McTiernan

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THIS EVENING, January 17 from 6-9 PM is our event to celebrate the life and art of Heather McTiernan, showcasing her artwork and including live entertainment, snacks (from The Bruckner Bar & Grill) and cocktails.

This is intended to be a BIG CELEBRATION of the life and art of our friend--we all know she would like nothing more than for us to throw a huge party, so a HUGE PARTY WE WILL THROW!

THE HIGHEST FIVE

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No matter how old you are, or what your age may be, or even your fitness level, these five activities can help you get in shape and lower your risk for disease:

Swimming. You might call swimming the perfect workout. The buoyancy of the water supports your body and takes the strain off painful joints so you can move them more fluidly. “Swimming is good for individuals with arthritis because it’s less weight-bearing,” explains Dr. I-Min Lee, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Research finds that swimming can improve your mental state and put you in a better mood. Water aerobics is another option. These classes help you burn calories and tone up.

Tai Chi. Tai chi — a Chinese martial art that incorporates movement and relaxation — is good for both body and mind. In fact, it’s been called “meditation in motion.” Tai chi is made up of a series of graceful movements, one transitioning smoothly into the next. Because the classes are offered at various levels, tai chi is accessible, and valuable, for people of all ages and fitness levels. It’s particularly good for older people because balance is an important component of fitness, and balance is something we lose as we get older. Take a class to help you get started and learn the proper form. You can find tai chi programs at your local YMCA, health club, community center, or senior center.

Strength training. If you believe that strength training is a macho, brawny activity, think again. Lifting light weights won’t bulk up your muscles, but it will keep them strong. If you don’t use muscles, they will lose their strength over time. Muscle also helps burn calories. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, so it’s easier to maintain your weight. Strength training might also help preserve your ability to remember. Before starting a weight training program, be sure to learn the proper form. Start light with just one or two pounds. You should be able to lift the weights 10 times with ease. After a couple of weeks, increase that by a pound or two. If you can easily lift the weights through the entire range of motion more than 12 times, move up to slightly heavier weight.

Walking. Walking is simple, yet powerful. It can help you stay trim, improve cholesterol levels, strengthen bones, keep blood pressure in check, lift your mood, and lower your risk for a number of diseases (diabetes and heart disease, for example). A number of studies have shown that walking and other physical activities can improve memory and resist age-related memory loss. All you need is a well-fitting and supportive pair of shoes. Start with walking for about 10-15 minutes at a time. Over time you can start to walk farther and faster until you’re walking for 30 to 60 minutes on most days of the week.

NEWS MASCOT

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A new object is being used as a symbol to represent a news reporters and to bring good luck.

Narwhals are creatures with long and helical tusks. They are known as the unicorns of the sea and represent the noble status newspapers hold in our society and, like journalists, consume pretty much whatever happens to float into their mouths.

Nathan wears clothes and is never afraid to use his tusk to violently skewer any Drudge Reports, Huffington Posts or Anderson Cooper, who undermine the newspaper media dominance.

Academy Award Nominations

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Academy Award Nominations.

The 86th Academy Award aka Oscars: March 2, 2014.

Here is a list of the nominees:

Best Picture:

“American Hustle”

“Captain Phillips”

“Dallas Buyers Club”

“Gravity”

“Her”

“Nebraska”

“Philomena”

“12 years a slave”

“The Wolf of Wall Street”

Best Actor in a Leading Role:

Christian Bale, “American Hustle”

Bruce Dern, “Nebraska”

Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Wolf of Wall Street”

Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”

Matthew McConaughey, “Dallas Buyers Club”

Best Actress in a Leading Role: