text:
Individual Investors
Financial Professionals
Account Access
Open an account
Set Up Online Access
Most Recent Report
Sign up for news updates
Annual Meeting
Learn More
Performance &
Tax Information
& Forms
To Top
Our Funds
Nebraska Tax-Free Income Fund
Value Fund
Partners Value Fund
Partners III Opportunity Fund
Hickory Fund
Balanced Fund
Core Plus Income Fund
Short Duration Income Fund
Ultra Short Government Fund
Nebraska Tax-Free Income Fund
Nebraska Tax-Free Income Fund :
Quarterly Commentary
Fact Sheet
Portfolio Manager:
Thomas D. Carney
As of 3/31/2016
Investment Style: Municipal Income
The Nebraska Tax-Free Income Fund returned +0.6% in the first calendar quarter, compared to a +1.1% return for the Barclays 5-Year Municipal Bond Index, our Fund's primary benchmark. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2016, the Nebraska Tax-Free Income Fund's total return was +1.2%, compared to a +2.8% return for our benchmark. Our decision to continue shortening the Fund's average life and duration metrics is the principal reason for the Fund's underperformance compared to its primary benchmark. The Fund's 2.1 year duration at March 31 is meaningfully less than the benchmark's 3.8 year duration.
Fiscal 2016 Review
2016 jumped off to the most volatile start since 2009, as a selloff in China's stock market sparked fears of a global growth slowdown or contraction. Energy prices followed worldwide stock prices down the rabbit hole, with oil prices dropping nearly 30% in the first three weeks of the year. By the time Fed Chair Yellen sat before Congress in early February, global markets were jittery enough to push the intraday 10-year Treasury yield down to 1.5% on the mere mention of the potential possibility of the US following other central banks (namely, the European Central Bank and Japan) in implementing negative interest rates. Calmer heads prevailed, however, when US payroll data continued to show solid growth and resilience in the US economy. By the end of the first calendar quarter of the year, stocks and oil rebounded meaningfully as fears of recession receded.
During the past fiscal year (March 31, 2015 to March 31, 2016), US Treasury bond yields continued their relentless march lower. For example, 5- and 10-year US Treasury bond yields declined approximately 16 basis points each to 1.2% and 1.8%, respectively (a basis point equals 1/100 of a percent). Municipal bonds generated reasonable results in the past fiscal year, as they benefited from the solid performance of US Treasury bonds, which tend to have a gravitational effect on all other fixed-income assets. Declining interest rates resulted in price gains for existing bonds (bond prices and changes in interest rates are inversely related), adding to the coupon returns for most fixed-income investors, our Fund included.
Municipal bonds kept pace with their taxable government counterparts, as the yield relationship between tax-free municipal bonds and taxable alternatives was generally unchanged in the past year. High quality 5-year municipal bonds, for example, ended the current fiscal year (March 31) with a yield representing approximately 95% of US Treasuries, unchanged from a year ago. Historically, municipal bonds have yielded less than taxable alternatives given the tax advantages (federally and, typically, state exempt) of municipal bonds. With municipal bonds yielding nearly as much as a comparable Treasury security, municipals possess relative value versus Treasuries. However, the still abnormally low overall interest-rate environment leaves the municipal marketplace with little absolute value, even less than was present a year ago given the decline in interest rates.
Our Fund's results in the past year were acceptable considering our defensive positioning. Income returns were modestly boosted by (unrealized) price gains from declining interest rates. Investment activity in the past year remained focused on bonds with shorter maturities (primarily under seven years).
Turning to portfolio metrics, over the past year the average duration of our Fund declined to 2.1 from 2.3 years, and the average maturity of our bonds decreased to 3.7 from 4.7 years. Overall asset quality of our portfolio remains high, with approximately 88% rated A or better by a number of nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (NRSROs), credit rating agencies recognized by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Please see the
Portfolio Page
for additional details regarding the breakdown of our investment holdings by state, sector and rating. Our investments may be wide-ranging, but our analysis is the same. We strive to own only those investments we believe compensate us for the incremental credit risk we assume. Our overall goal is to invest in a portfolio of bonds of varying maturities that we believe represents attractive risk-adjusted returns, taking into consideration the general level of interest rates and the credit quality of each investment.
We expect to continue to position the Fund defensively relative to interest rate exposure while we patiently seek out areas of opportunity. We will invest one security at a time, relying on a fundamental, research-based investment approach and are well positioned to take advantage of any market weakness.
The Fund seeks income that is exempt from federal and Nebraska personal income taxes, but income from the Fund may be subject to federal alternative minimum tax and capital gains taxes.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
The investment return and the principal value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate so that an investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Average annual total returns for the Fund's one, five and ten year periods ending March 31, 2016 were 1.20%, 2.35% and 2.94%, respectively. The returns above assume reinvestment of dividends and redemption at the end of each period, and reflect the deduction of annual operating expenses, which as stated in the most recent Prospectus are 0.75% of the Fund's net assets. The returns above also include fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, if any; total returns would have been lower had there been no waivers or reimbursements. Current performance may be higher or lower than the performance data quoted. Performance data current to the most recent month end may be obtained
On the last business day of 2006 the Fund succeeded to substantially all of the assets of Weitz Income Partners Limited Partnership (the "Partnership"). The investment objectives, policies and restrictions of the Fund are materially equivalent to those of the Partnership, and the Partnership was managed at all times with full investment authority by the Investment Adviser. The performance information includes performance for the Partnership. The Partnership was not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and, therefore, was not subject to certain investment or other restrictions or requirements imposed by the 1940 Act or the Internal Revenue Code. If the Partnership had been registered under the 1940 Act, the Partnership's performance might have been adversely affected.
Comparative returns are the average returns for the applicable period of the Barclays 5-Year Municipal Bond Index. The Barclays 5 Year Municipal Bond Index is a capitalization weighted bond index created by Barclays intended to be representative of major municipal bonds of all quality ratings with an average maturity of approximately five years. Index performance is hypothetical and is shown for illustrative purposes only.
Investors should consider carefully the investment objectives, risks and charges and expenses of the Fund before investing. The Fund's
contains this and other information about the Fund and should be read carefully before investing. Portfolio composition is subject to change at any time and references to specific securities, industries and sectors in this letter are not recommendations to purchase or sell any particular security. Current and future portfolio holdings are subject to risk.
Weitz Securities, Inc. is the distributor of the Weitz Funds.
Back to Top
Windows XP Account Access Notification
We have detected that you are currently using the Windows XP operating system. Our Account Access system no longer allows access to users with Windows XP due to security issues. If you feel you have received this message in error or would like assistance please contact us at 800-304-9745 or alternately you may visit our
Contact Page
for further contact instructions.
Leaving Weitz Investments Website
You are about to leave Weitz's website. Weitz is not responsible for content on other companies' websites.


text:
A private injury requires a person, group or organization to have brought about an harm or accidents to another. In 2008, seven National Law Universities agreed to conduct the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) every year on rotational foundation as per the seniority order. He also said he hopes the school will open in third place amongst five Indiana regulation schools. Oh wait, we're not going to inform the legislation schools to do something that would intervene with their gravy prepare!
Schools might then be ranking on the prankability scale – how lengthy it takes to detect the prank. Many of these attributes of our caste system, similar to prohibitions against interracial marriage, had been truly the regulation in many locations. I was admitted to U of I Law School on the Friday-about 3 p.m.-earlier than classes began the following Monday.
The integrated Rutgers Law School will begin using a single utility within the fall of 2015 for the 2016 entering class. Anyway, right here is the breakdown of those in non-public follow: one determined solo; 17 in corporations of 2-10 legal professionals; four extra in regulation workplaces of 11-25 attorneys; seven employed by corporations of 26-50 lawyers. And the year before the varsity created a 2-year J.D. program, the primary of its form within the New York City space.
So if you want to be a regulation professor yourself, you should avoid any professors who really apply legislation. I'm planning on type of just updating and including to the faculties I cover, however am at all times in search of projects that may be useful to folks occupied with making use of to highschool. Nevertheless, she gives in to Daisy and along with another articles makes it right into a regulation assessment pie.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Return guest Christina Bauer talks with Rae and Francie about traveling with an #agilelife mindset, and entertaining, Harry Potter style. When you travel expecting to learn and explore, your expectations are more about a great experience than perfection. Entertaining doesn't feel like work at all, when it's steeped in you passions. In Christina's case, that's all things Harry Potter. We talk about her wildly successful theme parties, including a rousing game of Quidditch. Learn more about Christina by listening to our first show with her, episode 133.


text:
Goalkeeper Oscarine Masuluke scored a stunning goal in added time last night to rescue a point for his side Baroka FC.
They were trailing Orlando Pirates by a goal as the game in Johannesburg entered the 95th minute.
As is traditional, Masuluke headed upfield when his side were awarded a last-gasp corner.
A GOALKEEPER IN SOUTH AFRICA HAS JUST DONE THIS IN THE LAST MINUTE pic.twitter.com/65tu9ytrNC— Football HQ (@FootbalIHQ) November 30, 2016
Normally the best you can hope for from a keeper is that he'll get his head to a cross, but Masuluke went for a far more dramatic finish.
When the ball fell to him after a poor clearance he produced an acrobatic kick, swinging his leg over his head to bury the ball into the back of the net.
He then produced an equally snazzy celebration - clearly, he's been waiting to do this for some time.


text:
WAG Exhibition Celebrates Relationship Between Math + Art
Winnipeg, MB, Dec 5, 2013: Most of us are not naturally inclined to think about mathematics when looking at a work of art, yet the disciplines of math and art have been inextricably linked throughout history. Visitors will have the chance to explore this exciting concept with Math + Art, opening December 7 at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.
This exhibition, featuring over thirty prints, paintings, and sculptures from the WAG's permanent collection, celebrates the fascinating and ongoing relationship between mathematics and visual art.
From the surreal juxtapositions of Salvador Dali to the grid-inspired conceptual art of Sol Le Witt; from the towering block structures of Kazuo Nakamura to Bertram Brooker's drawing of a four-dimensional tesseract, this interactive exhibition offers an inspiring variety of work that challenges the mind and delights the senses.
Visitors will have the opportunity to engage with specific works in the exhibition through a series of fun and challenging interactive Math + Art cards exploring three mathematical themes: Shape and Dimension, Number and Relation, and Symmetry and Pattern.
"In light of the recent articles that positions Manitoba students as being below the global average in math, I hope this show will inspire students and reveal new ways of understanding, exploring and appreciating the application of mathematics in our world," says Stephen Borys, Director & CEO of the Winnipeg Art Gallery.
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development released the results of its 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment testing on Tuesday. Manitoba's scores have continued to drop every three years.
"Originally designed to help teach key math concepts to Manitoba students, Math + Art is filled with beautiful works of art from the WAG collection that are sure to inspire all audiences, from art lovers to high level mathematicians," says Rachel Baerg, Curator and Art Educator.
Be sure to check out our fun, interactive half and full day Math + Art programs supporting Manitoba Curriculum Outcomes in the areas of Math and Fine Arts for K-12. For more information send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com. To book a school tour visit wag.ca/learn/ schools to fill out an online booking request form or call 204–789–1290. Teachers: be among the first to check out this unique exhibition and discover the many ways that your students can explore the fascinating relationship between math and the visual arts with our Teacher's Sneak Peek, December 13, 5-6pm.
For the latest WAG updates, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
The Winnipeg Art Gallery is celebrating its Centennial year with an unparalleled series of exhibitions, programs, and events promoting the power of art in life. As Manitoba's leading art museum, the WAG is home to over 26,000 works of art spanning ten centuries, including the world's preeminent collection of contemporary Inuit art.
– 30 –
For information, please contact:
Debra Fehr
Manager, Communications and Marketing
Izzy Goluch
Communications Coordinator
igoluch @wag.ca
- Recent
- 2019 (24)
- 2018 (34)
- 2017 (44)
- 2016 (49)
- 2015 (57)
- 2014 (61)
- 2013 (59)
- 2012 (72)
- 2011 (70)
- 2010 (51)
- 2009 (24)


text:
Inventive Networks accredited as joomla web development company located in India. Joomla CMS is most preferred platform to build websites, web portals and web apps. We offer custom Joomla web development services with the use of extensions, latest version 3.2 and user-friendly features.
Our joomla website developers have experience in developing joomla websites for more than 3 to 4 years. Hence are able to meet the client's deadline. If you really want to own a Joomla CMS website with 100% results, then choose us to get the best solutions.
The following are Our Joomla web development services:
- Joomla Design & Development
- Design (PSD/AI and many other common image formats) to Joomla Conversion
- Template Design
- Custom Components Development
- Custom Modules Development
- Module Installation
- Optimizing reporting and analytics capabilities
- Joomla Portals Maintenance Work
Advantages of Joomla Website Development
- The core Advantage of Developing the website on Joomla is its Fast,Secure and does not require any technical Skills for handling the website.
- website Developed by the joomla website developer using Joomla Platform is Search engine Friendly which helps for website rank to reach higher,It Increases the visibility if your website when searched.
- Awesome technical support when there is any Hurdles or concerns or leverage of issues faced ,you get Instant replies and suggestions from professionals.
- Joomla Build in cache makes web pages load faster and safe guards the server overloading and it's also used to increase the performance of the website and responsive time.
- It supports Multilingual means the Joomla websites can be developed in any languages like English, Arabic, Spanish and French etc.
- Can integrate social networking website API to your website for forums for user registration and hassle free login, social networking logins includes Google+ , Facebook, LinkedIn etc.
- Latest version of Joomla is Compatible in all web browsers and handset Devices too providing best user experience.


text:
Available to buy for Kindle on Amazon UK, £1.99, Amazon US, $2.99, paperback, £6.99.
In early January 2010, my bike slipped on an icy speed cushion and I fractured my shoulder on the only bit of double kerb in the street. I wasn't able to ride my bike for ten weeks. During long, cold walks between home and workshop, the seeds of this novel germinated.
BLURB: Accidentally duplicated, homeless, penniless and pursued by MI5, Beth's replica must learn how to survive on icy London streets. Unaware of what has happened, the original Beth falls for the agent hunting her double. As the replica proves difficult to catch and the stakes get higher, he has to decide whose side he is on.
Probably not a good idea . . .
"It's not like you to be difficult, Bethie. She hasn't got anyone but me to ask."
Beth bit her lip, staring unseeing at the computer screen on her desk. Was she being difficult? "What about her boyfriend?"
"He's away."
"Can't she do it herself? With a glass and postcard, she wouldn't have to touch it." Beth remembered the self-help book she was currently reading, Just Say No: every woman's guide to assertive behaviour. Rob could not read her mind; she needed to tell him what she wanted. "I was really looking forward to this evening."
"Spiders freak her out." Down the line, Rob's voice took on a fond, indulgent tone. "A high-flying investment banker, and one tiny insect reduces her to a scared little girl."
Beth started to say, "I don't think spiders are insects…" but Rob spoke through her.
"We can go tomorrow, it'll still be on. You're free Saturday, aren't you?"
"So no problem. By the time I get back it'll be too much of a rush, better to go tomorrow. We can have a pizza first."
"I suppose…"
"That's settled, then. I'll pick you up at the flat tomorrow at seven thirty. Love you."
"Love you." Beth put the phone back on its receiver and reached into her desk drawer for her emergency Cadbury's Fruit and Nut. She tried to stifle a sense of failure – so much for asserting herself – peeled back the paper and foil and bit off a corner. It didn't really matter. It was natural Rob should want to help Chloe; they'd lived together for two years, and it was nice they were still friends, even though she'd chucked him and made him miserable for a while. It showed what a kind man he was, willing to drive across London whenever her laptop played up, or her taps needed new washers, or she couldn't put together some flat-packed furniture. Only the month before she'd bought a chandelier for her bedroom, with no idea how to put it up. Rob went straight over, and was gone all day. On his return, he'd taken Beth out to dinner, and spent a big chunk of the evening telling her what a tricky job it had been, and how he'd been about to admit defeat when he finally hit on the idea of accessing the joist from the attic.
He wasn't cheating on her, she was sure, and she wasn't exactly jealous, that would be silly; but it did seem to her that Chloe was taking advantage of him a bit.
She sighed and glanced at the clock. Twenty past six. The building was so quiet she could hear the hum of the air-conditioning; nobody hung about on a Friday, except the Professor, who viewed his home life as a tiresome interruption to his work. And of course, the security guards that came with a government research institute were still on duty. Everyone else had gone long ago. She was only there herself because she hadn't wanted to arrive at the cinema before Rob. Beth slipped her shoes on, and rummaged below the desk for her handbag and the plastic bag holding the new top, skinny jeans and killer heels she'd planned to change into, wondering whether to treat herself to fish and chips on the way home. She glanced at the blackness outside the sash window and shivered. The forecast snow had yet to arrive, but beyond the building's warmth, where her little car waited in the car park, the night was bitterly cold.
The door bursting open made her look up. Professor McKinnis stood there, eagerness overriding his usual air of abstraction; suddenly Beth could see what he must have looked like at her age. Beth liked her boss, demanding though he was. It amused her that he resembled the eccentric scientists portrayed in movies, with his rumpled hair, absent-mindedness, and habit of writing in black pen on the left sleeve of his lab coat. The laundry service never quite succeeded in getting the ink out, and behind the current jottings could be seen the grey ghosts of former weeks' notes.
He saw her and smiled. "Bethany, you're still here. Thank goodness for that. I can always rely on you." His glance fell on the bags she was holding and he frowned. "Not rushing off anywhere, are you?"
"No, I was but then…"
"Good girl. Come into the lab, I need you."
Beth thrust the remains of the chocolate in the carrier bag and put it back, slung her handbag over her shoulder, got up obediently and followed the Professor. She had to break into a trot now and then to keep up with his rapid stride. Cream paint, decorative mouldings and twelve-foot ceilings gave way to the bright aseptic corridors of the new wing. He turned to speak to her as they went. "I've finished the programming on the OMD7. Been working on it all week, and finally everything's fallen into place. Thought it'd take the weekend, but then I saw how to do it. A simple matter of tweaking the spacer algorithm and adjusting the particle interchange ratio. A much more elegant solution." He went into detail; it was part of his charm to speak as if everyone shared his specialized knowledge, though his field was unique and understood only by him.
He held the lab door open for her with distracted courtesy, and she walked into the brilliantly-lit laboratory. A pair of boxer dogs, crammed into the same dog basket, lifted their heads in unison, got up and came to sniff at her, wagging their stumpy tails.
"Thompson! And Thomson…" She put down her handbag so she could pat them both at once. "I still think you should have called them Fred and George. Less confusing."
"I prefer Tintin to Harry Potter. It hardly matters, no one can tell them apart anyway."
The dogs were the result of earlier research. The Prof had adopted them, though the guidelines governing this secret unit clearly stated all lab animals should be put down after the experiment was over. Beth liked the fact that the Prof had a softer side. Law-abiding to a fault herself, she also admired and envied his magisterial disregard for the rules.
He hurried over to his new obsession. In the eighteen months Beth had worked at the Institute, she'd seen several versions of these Organic Matter Duplicators, each larger and better-made than the last as success bred greater funding. The early prototypes, when the Professor had been working with invertebrates or mice, were converted pairs of fish tanks with a profusion of wires, transformers and cables soldered and clipped on. This latest was a gleaming man-sized tube, resembling a snug-fitting shower unit lying on its side, its workings contained in a steel box with multiple switches, dials and two computer screens.
"Where's the twin unit?" Beth asked.
"In B lab. With people it's going to be important not to confuse the results by letting the subject see the duplicate."
Professor McKinnis pressed a button and the transparent curving door slid silently open. He turned briskly.
"Have you got any dental fillings?"
"No, why?"
"They won't copy. I take it you haven't got any metal pins, rods or plates in your bones from fractures? Replacement joints, pacemaker…no. You don't wear contact lenses, do you? Best to take off your watch and jewellery. This won't take a minute."
Beth looked from the cabinet to her boss. She hoped he didn't mean what she thought he did. "Uh…you're not asking me to try it out?"
He nodded impatiently. "You're the only person here. It's perfectly safe."
"But…it would be quite irregular. I'm not cleared for this, I'm just a research secretary. I don't think the insurance covers me, for one thing."
"A technicality. Nothing can happen to you. It's like having your photo taken, just this is a cellular three-dimensional copy, life-size." He gave one of his infectious chuckles. "It won't steal your soul. It won't affect you in any way at all. All the action happens in the receptor cylinder. We've done this with everything from fruit flies to macaque monkeys, tested them rigorously for years afterwards – well, not the fruit flies, obviously – and they've all been completely unaffected by the experience. You know this, you've typed the results. Some we've copied dozens of times."
"What about the Fubars? Can't you fetch one of them?" Beth would never have used this name for the six disabled Marines seconded to the Institute as guinea pigs, had it not been how they invariably referred to themselves. When she'd asked the Prof, in her first days working there, what Fubar meant, he had coughed and bowdlerized the army slang for her benefit; effed up beyond all recognition. They had their own living quarters in the grounds within the compound, and didn't work nine to five. Nominally on call, they spent their days in the gym, the computer room, the local pub or chatting to Beth when she wasn't busy.
"Regimental dinner. Away till tomorrow."
"Oh yes – I'd forgotten…"
"It's annoying, the day I'm ready is the one day they're not here, and Ray's got flu. I'd do it myself, except I need to work the thing and monitor the results."
"I wouldn't know what to do…"
"My dear girl, you don't have to do anything. Just lie in the send unit for thirty seconds. The macaques had no problems with that. Or the mice."
"I'm sure Sir Peter wouldn't approve." Sir Peter Ellis was head of the Marling Institute, and everything had to be run past his piercing blue eyes.
"That's where you're wrong. He's been ringing my direct line every day this week for progress reports. With the casualty figures rising, and public opinion turning against the war, the P.M. needs this up and running quickly. I've left a message with Sir Peter's wife to tell him what I'm doing. I'm one hundred per cent certain he'd give his approval. You've signed the Official Secrets Act. He knows you're a responsible person."
Beth made a stand. "Even so, if I agree then you'll still need me to operate the duplicate, and I'd have to stay here for hours. I'm really sorry, but I'm tired. I want to get home and have some supper."
"Bethany, one hour, that's all I ask. And you can take Monday off, if you like." He glanced at his watch. "You'll be out of here before eight."
Beth recalled the advice in the book. Don't discuss it, don't explain, just say no, pleasantly but firmly. "I'm not going to do it, Professor." She picked up her handbag.
He saw she meant what she said, and the spark seemed to go out of him; he sighed deeply. With a visible effort, he squared his shoulders, smiled and patted her arm. "Quite understood, Beth, I hope I haven't pressured you unduly. You toddle off home. It'll keep till tomorrow afternoon when the Fubars come back."
His hand went to the on/off switch and hovered reluctantly over it. As he stooped, she saw with a pang the lines in his middle-aged face, obvious now the animation had left it, worse after a week of late nights working in the lab.
She felt mean.
"I guess an hour wouldn't really make any difference."
She took out her ear studs, removed her watch and lay down inside the machine.
Beth Two
I'd shut my eyes as the Prof flicked the switch, and now I opened them. It was dark, the only glimmer of light coming from the LEDs on the control panel. My heart fluttered; I was no longer in the Prof's lab. As my vision adjusted, I could see the accumulated clutter stacked on the benches and in corners, and recognized the surroundings beyond the receptor unit: Lab B, which no one uses except as a convenient dumping-ground for oddments not currently needed.
I looked towards my feet. Everything about me was the same. Except this wasn't me; just a physical copy inhabited by my mind. Funny, because I felt no different. Even my clothes were identical. I tried to think myself back into my own body, and couldn't. Weird, and a bit frightening. I don't know what I'd expected, but it wasn't this: I suppose I'd imagined that it would be, as he'd said, like having my photograph taken, then I'd have had to think my way into the copy so I could try to control it. A bit like learning to drive, or recovering the use of a broken bone with physiotherapy. Gradual. But actually I felt as if I'd been beamed into Lab B, rather than replicated. Like waking up in another room after a general anaesthetic. Had the Prof invented a matter transporter by mistake? The thought made me smile and I felt better. I tried to sit up, and hit my head on the lid; I tried to open the door, but there was no catch on the inside. That made me feel worse again. I couldn't hear anything at all. It was claustrophobic. But the Prof would be along in no time…
Minutes passed. The reason for removing my watch was that metal and plastics, because of their low levels of internal molecular structure, didn't replicate properly and could be messy – my skirt felt loose where the zip had failed to copy, and only the button held it up. Then I felt the button give; of course, it was plastic. I remembered my phone was in my cardigan pocket, and banged my elbow getting it out. The familiar case dented slightly as I held it, as if it was made of Play-Doh. Strangely repellent; I recoiled and it slipped through my fingers down the gap at the side of the padded surface I lay on, and there wasn't enough room to retrieve it. Panic began to nibble at the corners of my mind. I suddenly wished I hadn't agreed to be the first guinea pig. That was just stupid of me, especially when he'd been all right about my saying no. By now I could be in my car driving home, instead of locked in a booth in a dark room, a prey to doubts and fears.
The door opened, showing the Professor silhouetted in the light from the corridor. Foolish relief flooded through me. After a moment, he switched the lights on, then paused again before approaching the unit. He peered at me, and for an odd few seconds we gazed immobile into each other's eyes. I smiled uncertainly. He clicked a switch and the door glided open. I sat up, swung my legs on to the floor and stood, holding my waistband to stop my skirt falling round my ankles. The Prof was looking at me strangely, not saying anything.
"I was getting anxious," I said. "I thought you'd forgotten me."
"What's your name?"
Now I was giving him a funny look. "You know my name!" Silence. "Beth Chandler."
"And where are we?"
"Lab B, the Marling Institute. How do I stop being here and get back to the real me?" He still didn't say anything. "It has worked, hasn't it? Tell me what you want me to do now. I really don't want to stay longer than an hour."
"Don't worry about that." He rubbed his face, as if trying to get the wrinkles out. "It's worked…fine. Just stay here two minutes, don't move, I'll be right back."
In his absence I rooted around till I found a paper clip in an otherwise empty desk drawer, which I unbent to fasten my skirt. I didn't worry that I had to make holes in the fabric, as after all, it wasn't my real skirt. I pulled my cardigan back down, and holes appeared; when rubbed between finger and thumb, it fell apart. Polyester, not wool, it had copied no better than the phone. While I was thinking about this, the Professor returned.
"Come with me and I'll just get you to do a few tests."
I followed him into the corridor and along to the office next to his lab. He sat me down at the computer, switched on the desk lamp and brought up a questionnaire. An intelligence test. It said at the top it took forty minutes. I supposed that was okay, as long as he didn't want me to do much else.
"Now you get on with that, and I'll pop back shortly and see how you're doing." He headed for the door.
"Professor!" He turned. "It is all right, isn't it? I will be able to get back into my own body, won't I? Because I just feel normal, and that sort of doesn't feel right…"
"Don't worry, everything's under control."
He shut the door behind him. I read the instructions, and began the test.
Question 1: Rearrange the following letters to make a single word and then choose the category in which it belongs.
I clicked animal and moved to the next. I could hear the Professor's voice through the wall. He must be making a phone call. I couldn't make out what he was saying. I reread the second question, and answered it. There didn't seem much point in doing this, but the Prof must have his reasons for it. In any case, it wasn't my problem, and I'd be out of here within the hour. No way was I going to let him persuade me to stay a minute longer than I'd agreed to – assuming there wasn't any difficulty about getting back into my body.
That was a nasty thought – suppose I couldn't, and I was stuck in this one? It seemed exactly the same as my own, so maybe it wouldn't matter, as long as it didn't pack up after a few weeks, or something. And what would happen to my old body? Maybe for some reason humans reacted differently from animals, and it would never recover from the coma, its mind having left for good. The idea frightened me. I half got up to go next door and find out. Then I sat down again; not because I was afraid of disobeying my boss, but because I was scared of what I might see. I took some deep breaths to steady myself, and got on with the IQ test, feeling uneasy.
It was bound to be all right.
If the day before yesterday is two days after Monday then what day is it today?
I couldn't think. The Prof stopped talking, and almost immediately the phone rang and he started again, his voice rising and falling as if he was trying to keep it down but kept forgetting.
Five minutes later my increasingly distracted efforts were interrupted by the sound of a car driving up the road that led from the high-security gate to the Institute, unusual on a Friday evening. I got up and squinted out of the window, then turned off the ceiling lights to see better. A silver Jaguar crunched to a halt in front of the floodlit main entrance, its number plate PME 1, and Sir Peter Ellis got out and strode up the steps to the big door, opened it and slipped inside. He was wearing a dinner jacket and black bow tie. My anxiety increased – something must have gone wrong, something important enough for him to come here when he was clearly due at some social function.
I left my seat and crossed the room to listen by the door. If I opened it a crack, I'd hear better. It wouldn't open. My heart went into overdrive. Why had the Prof locked me in? I heard Sir Peter's crisp steps go past outside in the corridor, and then subdued voices. My eyes went to the phone. I could ring Rob…or I could climb out of the window. The office was on the ground floor. I tried the catch, and the window opened, letting in a blast of icy air. I hesitated. Was I being ridiculous? Anyway, I didn't have my handbag with my car keys. And I needed to get back into my own body. A noise made me shut the window again hastily, and as I turned a cleaner opened the door, pushing her trolley full of cleaning equipment. She looked surprised when she saw me.
I smiled reassuringly and walked past her out of the office. I slipped off my shoes and sidled towards the lab. Only a strong sense that something was wrong made me do this; I'm not normally devious or underhand. I remembered the security camera too late, and hoped the guard hadn't been watching my curious behaviour. The lab door was not quite shut; between the door and the jamb I could see a narrow vertical slice of empty lab, and hear voices.
"…any idea? Surely there must have been some indication?"
"None at all." The Prof, sounding defensive. "I was most careful. We did a series of tests to eliminate the possibility that the latest outcome was independent duplication. The results were quite different from the earliest experiments, as you'd expect given that I totally revised my methods. All the recent evidence suggested consciousness switched from one animal to the other, with the original in overall charge. When the original was given hypnotics, the replica temporarily ceased to function. After its death, the copy remained inert until it died from dehydration. We tested this with every species we duplicated. There was no reason to believe the result would be different with humans."
"So what happened?"
"I don't know. Conceivably something I missed in the programming, or a unique function of the human brain not shared with animals. Further research will reveal the reason, no doubt. But you must admit, it's an intriguing development. Probably as valuable to you in its own way as what we expected."
"You have to be joking." Sir Peter's voice rose, exasperated. "Have you any idea how much this has cost, so far? We thought we'd get it back over the first couple of operational years. A priceless PR coup – expert soldiers in the field, but zero risk to our heroes, as the tabloids call them. An end to the constant drip of casualty lists. That's worth one hell of a lot of money to the government. This is another thing altogether. Replicas that aren't expendable, that we'll have to provide everything for, plus pay on top of that, are no good to us – and have you considered how the originals, and their families, will react? How would you feel if you suddenly had an identical twin, except this twin thinks he's you and your house, your car, your wife and your bank account are his? Or suddenly you haven't got one son, you've got two identical ones? Both of whom remember their past perfectly, and expect to be treated as they've always been? It's a disaster."
Sir Peter crossed my field of view, across then back again. "I don't suppose there's any chance the duplicate has a limited life expectancy?"
"I can't prove it without doing physiological tests, but I've no reason to believe there's any difference at all between the two girls."
"Where did you put Beth?"
"Which one?"
"Richard, get this straight right now, because it's important: there is only one Beth Chandler. The copy is an error that will have to be dealt with, though we'll run some tests on it first – you never know, that might help you understand what went wrong. You can start thinking what might be useful. Whatever you do, don't get sentimental about it. That's if you don't want your contract cancelled and the Institute closed."
So…I wasn't me, I was a duplicate? Not real, merely a manufactured copy, like the second boxer dog, Thomson? There was another Beth identical to me, somewhere in the building; maybe in my office, eating the last of the chocolate… Sir Peter had referred to me as it. A very disagreeable sinking feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. But…I didn't feel any different, that couldn't be right. Could it? And dealt with? After tests had been run on me? That sounded bad – very bad. Terminally bad. My mind wrestled with this nasty information, disbelief well to the fore; surely even if I was a replica of myself, I was still a human being, they couldn't just kill me, we were in a civilized country, it would be murder; but my body got the message all right and began to sweat and shake.
The Prof stammered, "But…for God's sake, you can't…it wouldn't be…"
"What do you suggest? Give her a lump sum and a council flat and turn her loose? Ask her nicely not to tell anyone? Imagine the furore when the media got hold of it – and they would get hold of it, make no mistake. There's no way we could ensure the replica's discretion. Then what you're doing here would get out. Once what you're about to achieve gets in the public domain, every tinpot dictator in the world will want to get his hands on it. Think what that would cost in human life."
"Yes, but…"
"Where is Beth?"
"She's in her office, doing an IQ test, like the other one. I can't leave her there much longer. Either of them."
"Go and talk to her. Keep her there until we've got this mess sorted out. Can she see people coming in from her window?"
"No, it faces the other way."
"That's fortunate. The last thing we want is her getting wind of this. Go now, before she finishes that test and starts wandering around."
"But what can I say? I told her she could go in an hour, it wouldn't affect her."
"With luck it'll only be for ten minutes, she'll be able to go the time you agreed. If not, make something up. Some scientific gobbledegook. Take her blood pressure, temperature, weigh her. Make it plausible. Let her phone her boyfriend or whatever. She's an amenable young lady, I'm sure she won't be awkward about it. The spec ops will be here any minute. I'm going to the gate to brief them. As soon as they've got the other one off the premises, I'll let you know it's safe to let her go."
Bloody hell.
I stood irresolute, unable to accept what I'd heard, mutely protesting that this couldn't be happening to me. Could I have misunderstood? Perhaps if I spoke to Sir Peter and the Prof…or I could go to my office and tell the other Beth. I had to make up my mind, before they came out and saw me. They were still talking, going over the same ground; the Professor was protesting that he couldn't pretend I needed medical tests, I – Beth – the other Beth wasn't a fool, and would ask lots of questions he'd be hard put to answer. The cleaner emerged from the office, and paused to rearrange the cleaning materials on her trolley. At any moment she'd go inside the lab, and no doubt be shooed out again; but it might cross their minds where she'd just come from. If I didn't want to be dealt with, maybe I should go now.
Getting going was hard. Part of me thought if I did nothing I'd be safe. Back in the office, I opened the window and hesitated. Was jumping out into the night the best course of action? It seemed such an extreme thing to do. Nothing in my life had prepared me for this. Footsteps sounded then receded in the corridor; Sir Peter. As I stood motionless, gripped by indecision, the door opened and the Professor came in, looking furtive and agitated.
"Beth, there's something I have to tell you."
"That I'm a copy? I know, I was listening to you and Sir Peter."
I hoped he'd deny it, but he nodded. "Then you also know you need to leave. Fast." He rummaged in his pocket, and came up with a handful of bank notes and change, which he thrust at me. He grabbed a pen from the desk and a post-it note and wrote. "This is my home number. Go and stay with a friend, not anyone obvious like Rob, and when you're safe give me a ring. I'll do what I can to help you. I'm really sorry about this."
"But – do I have to? Sir Peter wouldn't really…get rid of me, would he?"
The Prof gave me a sharp look, his grey eyebrows drawn together. "He said he would. And he won't be running it past an ethics committee first, either. Go on, run for it. Quick as you can. Don't go through the gate, Peter's there, you'll have to climb over the wall."
Awkwardly, I swung one leg then the other over the window sill, and jumped out. The cold air made me gasp, and the freezing earth under my feet made me realize I'd left my shoes in the corridor. I turned to ask the Prof to get them, but he'd shut the window and was leaving the room. For a second I stood, dismayed; and a sudden spurt of anger at Rob surprised me. It was his fault, if he hadn't cancelled our date this wouldn't be happening…
I darted round the building and across the dark grass in my stockinged feet towards the perimeter fence. To my left was the car park, where my Micra waited for me. I looked at it longingly. No good, no car keys, and anyway I'd be stopped at the barrier. I'd have to get over the wall like the Prof said. Unfortunately, he hadn't told me how. The Institute was surrounded by high-tech mesh equipped with movement sensors, except for one segment which was old brick wall built at the same time as the original part of the Institute. That would be my best bet. The lowest bit of the wall was about eight feet – dauntingly high. How could I possibly get over it?
Trees grew by the old wall; their dark branches swayed and creaked above me in the gusting wind. None was near enough the wall, even if their lowest branches weren't too high to reach. Come on, don't just stand there. The shrubbery gave me cover as I hunted for anything I could climb on, while I kept a wary eye on the building and the gate. I had an improbable vision of finding a ladder lying around. I could go back to the office and fetch a chair…no I couldn't, the Prof had shut the window. Nothing.
I felt completely futile, defeated before I'd even begun. They were going to find me here, shaking in the darkness, and take me away.
I looked around in despair, and my gaze fell on the fallen tree blown over in last week's gales – the wail of a chainsaw as they'd cut it up into manageable lengths had been bugging me only that afternoon. Now it seemed the answer to a prayer. I put the money down, encircled a log with my arms and heaved. It didn't move at all.
Oh God. There was nothing else. I'd have to get back into the building somehow. Running towards the window I'd come from, I passed the rubbish area. Yes! A row of recycling bins complete with handles and two wheels. I chose the lightest and trundled it across the grass to the wall, the rumbling noise it made worryingly loud. I had nowhere to keep the money, and needed both hands to climb. I couldn't tuck it in my bra, which had come loose, its underwiring and fastenings having disintegrated, so I put the coins in my mouth, and held the notes between my lips. Then I found I couldn't climb on to the bin's high slippery lid.
I'm no good at this sort of thing; I shouldn't be having to do it; they're bound to catch me. I took a deep breath. Come on, pull yourself together, stop being feeble.
I went back for another bin which I put on its side and this time climbed precariously to the other one, expecting men to emerge from the shadows at any moment. I managed to haul myself on to the top of the wall.
I paused, the sour taste of metal heavy in my mouth, nerving myself for the irrevocable drop to the other side of the wall, shuddering with cold and fear and wondering if I was crazy. What was I doing sitting on a wall in the icy darkness, intending to go on the run, when I should be at the cinema with Rob? It was insane. But the Prof hadn't thought it insane. He'd told me to run for it.
Movement at the gate caught my eye. The barrier swung up with a clunk; a black jeep drove through and stopped a few metres inside. Its headlights went off. Branches swayed in the wind and fleetingly obstructed my view. I craned to see. Two shadowy figures got out of the jeep, closing the doors gently behind them. They wore dark casual clothing and didn't look particularly sinister or threatening. Again, a feeling of incredulity overwhelmed me. A tall figure I recognized as Sir Peter joined them and they stood talking for a minute. Sir Peter pointed towards the building, apparently giving directions. One of the men opened the back of the jeep and got something out, something about the shape and size of a handgun. He passed it to his colleague, got out another and attached it to his belt. After a moment, they moved purposefully, not towards the Institute, but alongside the wall towards me.
Panic paralysed me; I literally couldn't move. Then they turned to their left, heading for the building across the grass. I realized Sir Peter had told them I was in the Prof's office, and they were approaching in such a way that they could not be seen from its window.
So they were spec ops. Secret, anonymous, answerable to no one except the top government personnel who gave them their orders. Unbelievable as it seemed, they'd come for me. Shit. I lowered myself till I hung by my hands, dropped into dry scratchy brambles bordering the edge of the road, and began to run.


text:
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Lil Alice
Lil Anne with Lil Alice
My niece and Lil Alice, she loves her very much
<-- That's her hand, want to grab Lil Alice
<--- My niece at the side , she thinks Lil Alice should take photo together with Lil Anne
Lil Alice in the box.
She is sold.
12 comments:
wow...hou wong ar!! good!!ReplyDelete
wow i love this .. be good if she is in fully red plain dress for me haha and love your yellow page - ko.oL <3ReplyDelete
look like mei ling leh....ReplyDelete
Awww...so cute... :)ReplyDelete
so long didn't go to your blog and VERY I shock to see the pages all .......YELLOW .ReplyDelete
this doll are so pretty!u really done a lot great job!ReplyDelete
I love your lil Alice! And your niece is so beautiful and adorable! I´m sure she is very happy with your wonderful dolls.ReplyDelete
I like her long hair ~very pretty.ReplyDelete
p.s. I'm surprised that your blog turned yellow too!
omg!!! lil alice is adorable!!!ReplyDelete
and ur niece too >~<
Your niece is very adorable & sweet...ReplyDelete
And I love Lil Alice, very pretty!
- AnonymousAugust 2, 2011 at 5:21 PM
im so interested.ReplyDelete
i wanna know the price,
and when you open for order :)
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Hacking in Houston/
Houston 2013
Houston 2014
Denver 2014
Calgary 2015
New Orleans 2015
Vienna 2016
Paris 2017
Houston 2017... The eighth geoscience hackathon landed last weekend!
We spent last weekend in hot, humid Houston, hacking away with a crowd of geoscience and technology enthusiasts. Thirty-eight hackers joined us on the top-floor coworking space, Station Houston, for fun and games and code. And tacos.
Here's a rundown of the teams and what they worked on.
Seismic Imagers
Jingbo Liu (CGG), Zohreh Souri (University of Houston).
Tech — DCGAN in Tensorflow, Amazon AWS EC2 compute.
The team looked for patterns that make seismic data different from other images, using a deep convolutional generative adversarial network (DCGAN). Using a seismic volume and a set of 2D lines, they made 121,000 sub-images (tiles) for their training set.
The Young And The RasLAS
William Sanger (Schlumberger), Chance Sanger (Museum of Fine Arts, Houston), Diego Castañeda (Agile), Suman Gautam (Schlumberger), Lanre Aboaba (University of Arkansas).
Tech — Google Cloud Vision API, Python flask web app, Scatteract (sort of). Repo on GitHub.
Digitizing well logs is a common industry task, and current methods require a lot of manual intervention. The team's automated pipeline: convert PDF files to images, perform OCR with Google Cloud Vision API to extract headers and log track labels, pick curves using a CNN in TensorFlow. The team implemented the workflow in a Python flask front-end. Check out their slides.
Hutton Rocks
Kamal Hami-Eddine (Paradigm), Didi Ooi (University of Bristol), James Lowell (GeoTeric), Vikram Sen (Anadarko), Dawn Jobe (Aramco).
Tech — Amazon Echo Dot, Amazon AWS (RDS, Lambda).
The team built Hutton, a cloud-based cognitive assistant for gaining more efficient, better insights from geologic data. Project includes integrated cloud-hosted database, interactive web application for uploading new data, and a cognitive assistant for voice queries. Hutton builds upon existing Amazon Alexa skills. Check out their GitHub repo, and slides.
Big data > Big Lore
Licheng Zhang (CGG), Zhenzhen Zhong (CGG), Justin Gosses (Valador/NASA), Jonathan Parker (Marathon)
The team used machine learning to predict formation tops on wireline logs, which would allow for rapid generation of structure maps for exploration play evaluation, save man hours and assist in difficuly formation-top correlations. The team used the AER Athabasca open dataset of 2193 wells (yay, open data!).
Tech — Jupyter Notebooks, SciPy, scikit-learn. Repo on GitHub.
Free near surface
Tien-Huei Wang, Jing Wu, Clement Zhang (Schlumberger).
Multiples are a kind of undesired seismic signal and take expensive modeling to remove. The project used machine learning to identify multiples in seismic images. They attempted to use GAN frameworks, but found it difficult to formulate their problem, turning instead to the simpler problem of binary classification. Check out their slides.
Tech — CNN... I don't know the framework.
The Cowboyz
Mingliang Liu, Mohit Ayani, Xiaozheng Lang, Wei Wang (University of Wyoming), Vidal Gonzalez (Universidad Simón Bolívar, Venezuela).
A tight group of researchers joined us from the University of Wyoming at Laramie, and snagged one of the most enthusiastic hackers at the event, a student from Venezuela called Vidal. The team attempted acceleration of geostatistical seismic inversion using TensorFlow, a central theme in Mingliang's research.
Tech — TensorFlow.
Altay Sensal (Geokinetics), Yan Zaretskiy (Aramco), Ben Lasscock (Geokinetics), Colin Sturm (Apache), Brendon Hall (Enthought).
Electrical submersible pumps (ESPs) are critical components for oil production. When they fail, they can cause significant down time. Augur.ai provides tools to analyze pump sensor data to predict when pumps when pump are behaving irregularly. Check out their presentation!
Tech — Amazon AWS EC2 and EFS, Plotly Dash, SigOpt, scikit-learn. Repo on GitHub.
The Disaster Masters
Joe Kington (Planet), Brendan Sullivan (Chevron), Matthew Bauer (CSM), Michael Harty (Oxy), Johnathan Fry (Chevron)
Hydrologic models predict floodplain flooding, but not local street flooding. Can we predict street flooding from LiDAR elevation data, conditioned with citizen-reported street and house flooding from U-Flood? Maybe! Check out their slides.
Tech — Python geospatial and machine learning stacks: rasterio, shapely, scipy.ndimage, scikit-learn. Repo on GitHub.
The structure does WHAT?!
Chris Ennen (White Oak), Nanne Hemstra (dGB Earth Sciences), Nate Suurmeyer (Shell), Jacob Foshee (Durwella).
Inspired by the concept of an iPhone 'face ageing' app, Nate recruited a team to poke at applying the concept to maps of the subsurface. Think of a simple map of a structural field early in its life, compared to how it looks after years of interpretation and drilling. Maybe we can preview the 'aged' appearance to help plan where best to drill next to reduce uncertainty!
Tech — OpendTect, Azure ML Studio, C#, self-boosting forest cluster. Repo on GitHub.
Thank you!
Massive thanks to our sponsors — including Pioneer Natural Resources — for their part in bringing the event to life!
More thank-yous
Apart from the participants themselves, Evan and I benefitted from a team of technical support, mentors, and judges — huge thanks to all these folks:
- The indefatigable David Holmes from Dell EMC. The man is a legend.
- Andrea Cortis from Pioneer Natural Resources.
- Francois Courteille and Issam Said of NVIDIA.
- Carlos Castro, Sunny Sunkara, Dennis Cherian, Mike Lapidakis, Jit Biswas, and Rohan Mathews of Amazon AWS.
- Maneesh Bhide and Steven Tartakovsky of SigOpt.
- Dave Nichols and Aria Abubakar of Schlumberger.
- Eric Jones from Enthought.
- Emmanuel Gringarten from Paradigm.
- Frances Buhay and Brendon Hall for help with catering and logistics.
- The team at Station for accommodating us.
- Frank's Pizza, Tacos-a-Go-Go, Cali Sandwich (banh mi), Abby's Cafe (bagels), and Freebird (burritos) for feeding us.
Finally, megathanks to Gram Ganssle, my Undersampled Radio co-host. Stalwart hack supporter and uber-fixer, Gram came over all the way from New Orleans to help teams make sense of deep learning architectures and generally smooth things over. We recorded an episode of UR at the hackathon, talking to Dawn Jobe, Joe Kington, and Colin Sturm about their respective projects. Check it out!
[Update, 29 Sep & 3 Nov] Some statistics from the event:
- 39 participants, including 7 women (way too few, but better than 4 out of 63 in Paris)
- 9 students (and 0 professors!).
- 12 people from petroleum companies.
- 18 people from service and technology companies, including 5 from Schlumberger!
- 13 no-shows, not including folk who cancelled ahead of time; a bit frustrating because we had a long wait list.
- Furthest travelled: James Lowell from Newcastle, UK — 7560 km!
- 98 tacos, 67 burritos, 96 slices of pizza, 55 kolaches, and an untold number of banh mi.


text:
Product Description
High Risk Areas Emergency Eyewash Kit
All in one solution for high risk areas
- Comprehensive eyewash treatment in a single kit
- Contains 4 x 500ml bottles of sterile eyewash solution
- Contains 4 x sterile eye pad dressings
- Durable hinged case can be opened and used whilst on the bracket
- Supplied complete with a wall fixing bracket
- Brand Evolution plus
- Colour(s) White
- Description High Risk Emergency Eyewash Kit
- Kit Contains 4 x 500ml bottles of sterile eyewash solution
- 4 x sterile eye pad dressings
- Size 295 x 351 x 117 mm
- Supplied in Single Kit
Additional Information
Additional Information
|Expert Guidance
|High Risk Areas Emergency Eyewash Kit, All in one solution for high risk areas, Comprehensive eyewash treatment in a single kit, Contains 4 x 500ml bottles of sterile eyewash solution, Contains 4 x sterile eye pad dressings, Durable hinged case
Delivery Information
SafetyBox - Deliveries
The majority of UK orders for stock products will be despatched same day. This is for orders despatched to UK addresses only and does not apply to our Custom Sign Service. We guarantee the safe arrival of your order. Every item is fully insured against loss or damage. We make the following charges for packing, delivery and insurance. Items may be subject to an additional carriage charge. You will be notified if this applies when you place your order.
Our office hours are 8.30 - 5:30pm Monday to Friday. Any orders placed for stock products that are received before 5:30pm Monday to Friday will normally be despatched the same day but we cannot guarantee this. Orders placed outside of our office hours will be processed the following working day. Please note that as we provide a free delivery service there can be quite a demand but our aim is to dispatch all orders in the fastest possible time. If you require an estimated dispatch time on any particular item(s) please contact us with the SKU number(s) and quantity of items you require, we will then check our systems for availability and let you know when you would normally expect delivery for such item(s). We aim to process all orders for dispatch the next day if the item is ordered before 3pm, however this is not a guarantee.
Your products will be shipped as ordered. For example, if you place an order for any product that has a delivery time of 1 week this is an estimated time.
In the event your goods have been delivered to you and you have had a change of mind about the goods, ordered the wrong product(s) by mistake or no longer want the goods and would like a refund and the goods returned to us then we will arrange a collection of the goods from the delivery address but we will deduct from your refund a courier fee of £9.99 (up to 5kg) to cover our collection and administration costs, returned goods over 5kg will be priced accordingly upon process of the returns. Please DO NOT return your product(s) to the address on this website as this is our offices only, if you would prefer to send any goods back to us my your own method then send us an e-mail and we will provide you with the RETURNS address and returns reference number, we cannot receive returned goods without this reference returns number into our warehouse, goods returned without the number may be rejected and will cause a delay in you being refunded.Delivery for products that are not stocked. We have a number of products that are not stocked, the website will display in stock as this is required to display the stock, however some stock items may need replenishing and for these products customers can expect delivery times to be longer but unfortunately we cannot notify you of this. These items can take up to one week for delivery. If you require further information on approximate delivery dates please do not hesitate to contact us.Please note that due to the FREE delivery offer we cannot provide a guaranteed delivery time or provide a Saturday delivery, we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Sign Materials
Self Adhesive Vinyl
High gloss flexible material suitable for curved and flat surfaces. Our most economical permanent material. Fixings: Permanent self-adhesive
Rigid Plastic Material
1.2mm rigid polypropylene with satin finish. Complies with fire retardant standards Fully recyclable. Fixings: Various - available separately
Polycarbonate Material
Virtually indestructible 2mm rigid polycarbonate with a satin finish. Complies with fire retardant standards DIN 4102-Part 1, Class B1
Aluminium Material
Durable metal will not rot or rust. Available in 0.9mm (deluxe), 1.5mm (lightweight) and 3mm (outdoor) thicknesses. Fixings: Bolted
Deluxe Acrylic
Stylish 6mm acrylic with green edging and silver anodised aluminium fixings. Sign sits 20mm proud of the wall. Fixings: Bolted
Deluxe Brass Material
Durable 1.6mm polished brass complete with radius corners and drill holes. Fixings: Bolted
Correx Fluted Material
Lightweight 3.5mm fluted polypropylene is easy to install and recyclable. Represents fantastic value for money.
Tactile And Braille
Improve accessibility for blind and partially sighted staff and visitors. Rigid plastic signs with braille plus raised letters and pictograms.


text:
Rocker Restores a '62 Jaguar
Founding member of .38 Special on fixing up his father's car
Jeff Carlisi, founding member of rock group .38 Special, on his 1962 Jaguar E-Type, as told to A.J. Baime:
When I was growing up, my father Russ was a Navy fighter pilot, and his daily drive was a Jaguar E-Type. I remember the day he got it. I was 10 years old. I didn't realize at the time that the car was probably worth a third of the price of the house we were living in.


text:
Twitter Updates
- @therealdonaldtrump smart guys don't have to advertise it or tweet about it. We all just KNOW because their actions… twitter.com/i/web/status/9… 1 year ago
- @thebillybush Just wondering if you have thought about redeeming yourself by corroborating the Access Hllywd tape a… twitter.com/i/web/status/9… 1 year ago
- Demolition day for lou$y @AndersenWindow trim that la$ted 2 year$ beyond warrantee and they/YankeeBarn won't honor. Buy Pella next time! 2 years ago
- There is additional information and photographs on my blog at susanguagliumi.com youtu.be/9LxWASoDSME?a 3 years ago
- Hand Manipulated Stitches for Machine Knitters Lengthing Techniques Bridging YouTube 360p: youtu.be/MvTxfGcJAGM?a via @YouTube 3 years ago
Author Archives: Susan Guagliumi
Coming Soon: Handmade for the Garden
Due in March 2014, you can pre-order your copy now from Abrams Books!
Posted in Whats Happening Leave a comment
The new site now has a "subscribe" button to click. Sorry for the Twitter confusion!
Posted in Whats Happening Leave a comment
I've Moved!
My blog address is now http://guagliumi.com/blog, but the move has left all of you behind! Please go to the new site and re-click "follow" so you don't miss any gems of wisdom. Two of the main reasons for me making this … Continue reading
Posted in Whats Happening Tagged Google Earth, new blog address Leave a comment
Cool New Product!
I just received my order of "Sugru" and can't wait to try it! You can check out their web site for detailed information (www.sugru.com), but, briefly: Sugru is a moldable silicone product that hardens in 24 hours, remaining flexible. It … Continue reading
Posted in Whats Happening Tagged moldable rubber, silicone repairs, Sugru Leave a comment
Great Old Ideas!
Many years ago I purchased two old Popular Mechanics books at a used book shop. The information is great and while some of the projects (like a garden windmill) aren't quite my style, some of the other ideas are terrific! … Continue reading
Posted in Garden Projects, Whats Happening Tagged hose holder, plant support, Popular Mechanics Leave a comment
Free Mulch!
Our local landfill charges a fee to dump wood chips so I have been able to get 2-3 huge loads every year from one of our local tree companies. I use them to mulch the currants and gooseberries, the blueberries … Continue reading
Posted in Whats Happening Tagged DR Power equipment, power wagon, wood chips Leave a comment
Underground Water Lines
Last blog I told you about the Lee Valley irrigation system I use, but I didn't mention that my blueberry patch is on the far side of the property, which required me to drag long, heavy lengths of hose a … Continue reading
Posted in Garden Projects Tagged under ground water, watering system Leave a comment
Coolest way to water!
It probably seems strange to start thinking about watering systems so early in the season, but this is the time to think about installing water lines or systems that that need to be in place before the plants emerge. I … Continue reading
Posted in Garden Projects, Whats Happening Tagged drip irrigation, Lee Valley Tools, shrubblers, watering systems Leave a comment
Easy Veggie Hod
According to Webster's a Hod is a tray or trough that has a pole handle and is borne on the shoulder for carrying loads (as of mortar or brick). None of the garden hods I have seen in recent years would … Continue reading
Posted in Whats Happening Tagged hardware cloth, veggie hod Leave a comment
Pruning Day
It was bitter cold here today, but I was determined to get outside to get everything pruned and ready for spring. Apricots, quince, grapes, roses, red and black currants and gooseberries. I was ruthless! We always have far too many … Continue reading
Posted in Whats Happening Tagged plants, pruning, red currants Leave a comment


text: Welcome to the the Territory Manor Motel & Caravan Park in Mataranka, Northern Territory Australia. 100 km south of Katherine, and 400 km south of Darwin. Escape to the Roper-Mcarthur region of the Northern Territory, experience the remote beauty, sunsets that need to be seen to be believed, enjoy a dip in the idyllic thermal pools and tranquil bush walks in the Elsey National Park. Try to catch the elusive Barramundi whilst fishing along the river banks and billabongs, and come to our Barramundi Fish Feeding Show at 9.30am and 1 pm daily to learn all about these fascinating fish. Station yourself at the Territory Manor Motel Caravan Park in Mataranka and explore all the region has to offer


text:
Dyes: Industrial scale up
How various factors affect the scaling up to industrial level of the processes of extracting a natural dye and preparing a synthetic dye (supports AQA Unit 13).
This resource contains:
- Industrial scale-up. A case study of Sudan Orange R - STUDY SHEET
- Scaling up your preparations. Students carry out calculations relating to the scaling up of their extraction method and preparative method of dyes for commercial manufacture – cost, percentage yield, and size of reaction vessels - STUDY SHEET


text:
The Pool Stain Removers Pty Ltd
Professional associations and memberships
The National Plasterers Council (NPC)
The National Plasterers Council (NPC) is the largest organisation of its kind in the world. The NPC is unique because they focus their research primarily on problems and stains in swimming pool interiors around the world. Using peer reviewed scientific methods the NPC scientifically investigates and researches problems with concrete pool surfaces spending many millions of dollars in the process. The technical committee has several PhD qualified staff that are world experts in their relevant disciplines.
The National Swimming Pool Foundation (NSPF)
The National Swimming Pool Foundation (NSPF) is a global organisation that is focused on educating the industry in aquatic health, diseases and the safety of swimmers. The NSPF also work closely with Government and regulators in setting mandatory minimum standards for recreational water management around the world. In most countries there is no requirements for pool technicians to have any training or qualifications. The NSPF is working hard to change that.
Swimming Pool and Spa Association
SPASA is an Australian based industry organisation that sets standards and practices for the swimming pool industry in Australia. Working alongside Government SPASA guides the regulations and standards that govern the pool industry in Australia. The business practices of SPASA members are closely monitored and all members must adhere to the highest ethical standards in order to retain their membership.
Trades Monitor verifies, maintains and keeps current the following information and more on contractors to ensure contractor compliance including: Public liability insurance, Professional indemnity insurance, WorkCover insurance, Licences, Contractor Registrations and ABN and Contractor Safety Compliance.


text:
The Protex range of air brake components was the foundation of the Protex Commercial vehicle product range. From the Air Compressor to the Springbrake, the Protex air brake range is complete and suits USA, European and Japanese vehicle applications.
Air brakes are traditionally fitted to large commercial vehicles. These vehicles come in many different configurations. Some systems are exclusively Air operated and others use a combination of air and hydraulic systems.
A complete and complimentary range of repair kits and individual components, are also available.
The Protex Airbrake range includes:
- Airpacks
- Air valves
- Assemblies
- Components
- Compressors
- Couplings
- Fittings
- Hose and Tube
- Repair kits
- Springbrakes
- Tanks
- Trailer Actuation Kits


text:
Buy with Confidence
US Toll Free: 1(866) 253 - 3992
Professional Ronroco made by the Bolivian luthier Grover Cerrudo and guaranteed by professional Bolivian musiciansSound box: White Spruce Pine HalfboardFingerboard: EbonyType of wood: JacarandaSound hole: Oval shapedStrings: N... [More Information]
Professional Charango made by the recognized Bolivian luthier Grover Cerrudo, guaranteed by professional musicians. Made from Tago wood, it has a beautiful dark color. This charango has an excellent sound and volume. Characteri... [More Information]
Professional Charango made by the Bolivian luthier Grover Cerrudo. Made in tago, a dark colored wood, it is ideal for the manufacture of charangos due to the sound it provides the instrument with.Characteristics:Sound box:... [More Information]


text:
Marco, our wayward Italian housemate, has finally arrived to a fully set up and furnished Casa Turchese. Marco arrives with typical Italian panache, having spent much of his luggage allowance on Parmesan cheese, olive oil, chocolates, huge wine glasses, coffee, sharp knives and, of course, a pasta maker. Our dining room table is covered in staples from Italy. He brings gifts for me and Tessa; it's like Christmas and New Year all at once. I don't know how I am going to lose any weight in this house.
It feels like, now that Marco is back, the house is complete. His arrival feels like a breadth of fresh air as we discuss the garden in earnest (Marco has many years of experience in agriculture) and drink coconut water with lime on the balcony in the morning. Plus, he has an outrageous Italian accent that makes me chuckle inside and despite the tropical weather wilting everyone else, still looks clean and well dressed.
From Rome, originally, with a French mother, Marco has travelled all over the world to help people grow stuff sustainably. Among his many adventures are owning his own monkey and mongoose (who, apparently fought like, well a monkey and a mongoose), being attacked by pirates in the Caribbean, owning his own Ducati and Triumph sports car, sailing around the world for two years…the man has lived an amazing life. We both come from broken marriages, so we relate to each other on that level as well.
Tessa plans a dinner party on Monday, inviting the loveliest French couple imaginable and Elsa. However, the party expands quickly to include three more Italians (yes, I discovered recently that there are more than the bishop, nun and the three Italians that live either with me or in the house next door.) These Italians are a bit different; the wife, Greta, comes from Hungary, so we decided to call them the Hungary Italians…Anyway the party balloons to 10 people, which is a bit problematic because we only have nine plates and not nearly enough silverware to cover it.
The party becomes a chorus of Italian and French. Pasta whirls around the table with fried chicken and salad for the second course. I sit back in the corner with my friend Arno, exchanging disaster stories. The night flies by and, at one moment, I simply sit back and watch in awe of the people around me. The coconut lamps cast a warm glow over smiling faces and I sit in wonder, so grateful for the events that led me here.
The next night is James's farewell dinner. James, our calm and cool kiwi volunteer takes Tessa and I out to the Honiara French restaurant. Tessa and I dress up in our finest dresses. My legs feel naked and I put on my black high heels. I haven't worn them since I got here. Marco comments that he thought he would never see me dress up. Ha! Little does he know that I was quite the clothes horse in New Zealand, with my hot pink trench coat and six inch heels.
Here, my clothes have taken a distinctly down market feel. First, everything I own is covered in some sort of mystery stain, despite my best efforts to keep my whites white and my colours, well, coloured. Plus I don't think it's appropriate to wear expensive clothes here. But I do start feeling like I need to bring my dressing up a level; even my white jandals/flip flops/slippers/thongs are turning to a grey with all the mud they are exposed to. It can be easy to let your appearance go here; its hot and I sweat here profusely. Sweat is not sexy.
Anyway, we head out to the hotel and enjoy a steak dinner with blue cheese sauce. Now, I haven't had steak in…maybe six months? I can't even remember when. The steak is very good but so rich that my body doesn't really approve, I struggle to sleep that night.
James has been a pretty constant presence in the house for about three weeks and all three of us have
established close friendships with each other. He has been our cook, our washing line fixer and has helped us with pretty much everything, even our massive dinner parties. He has taken everything in stride with typical kiwi stoic aplomb.
He will be missed by both Tessa and me.
Power outages start plaguing Honiara; we wake up to a darkened house and the distinct lack of noise from appliances. We don't have air conditioner in the house, which suits me just fine but we do have big ceiling fans that hum throughout the house. The next day, the office spends half of its time in darkness until the generator is started.
During the day, Tina and I have been delivering our calendars to our partner agencies. Every stop I go to (except for the Australian High Comms…and I find friends there, I swear!), I know someone. Tina even comments about how I managed such networking in the past three months that I've been here. I am not sure how it happened though; I guess I've just been lucky with my friends.
On Wednesday night, it's my turn to hose a dinner party, which exploded to 11 people. I start cooking early, mostly fresh salads and noodle dishes, but struggle to keep up with the demands of cooking. I decide to try my hand at a green papaya salad; an old favorite from Hawaii. Eddy, thankfully, assists me in the kitchen. Eddy is a kitchen wizard, whipping up dishes quickly and giving me excellent tips on preparing the meal.
Dinner is served a little late, but the group doesn't seem to mind. This dinner party is decidedly different from the one on Monday night, filled with volunteers and Adam, a new friend from my American Wantok.
Adam could have been a typical New Jerseyite: coming from a prestigious university, going to law school, he could have taken a much generic path. But nobody who comes here is exactly normal. He is a self styled "Hindu, Buddisht, Jew" or a Hubujew. Adam makes me laugh hard with his classic american wit.
Adam spent several years southeast Asia, writing and working his way around. He came to our sleepy little country to look at the peace process. Adam has the kind of infectious energy and rabid curiosity about everything that I appreciate. I feel an instant connection with Adam and he is just fun to be around.
But by the end of the evening, Tessa is clearly over the dinner party scene for awhile. It is understandable: we have had almost six dinner parties since moving into the house and we still have friends who haven't visited there. I am having trouble keeping up with who has been when and who hasn't, the bureaucrat in me cries out for a spreadsheet. Finally, Tessa gives the verdict: let's chill out on the parties for awhile.
I'm surprised; Tessa is the definition of extroverted; clearly I've finally broken her.
The rest does us good. Thursday night, Marco brings home a data projector for us housemates to watch a movie. Pinkie, my faithful laptop, is hooked up to the projector and we all climb into my massive bed to watch the movie. Now, a word about my new bed. It is massive. A small village of troglodyte gnomes could set up a village and make me toys and I wouldn't notice. It's also a feather top, which makes it massively comfortable. Like so many things in this house, it is simply the best thing I've experienced.
We sit and watch Bladerunner, which puts Tessa to sleep in about 10 minutes. Marco and I stay up talking about whether Harrison really was a replicant (I think it's pretty obvious) while Tessa purrs quietly next to us.
The next day, I get charged with helping sort out Marco's bed. I get dragged along with ten Solomon Island men in a huge truck with a bedframe on the back. Who knows what people must have been thinking about that scenario…Unfortunately, it is just the bed frame and Marco is left with a single bed mattress with a double bed frame. Marco is devastated; it's a huge blow to his Italian ego to not have a big double bed.
The next night is kava night. Now, kava is a traditional drink of the South Pacific, known for its mild hallucinogenic/relaxing qualities. It's not illegal anywhere due to its mild nature and I don't think it would ever really catch on outside of the region. First off, it looks like dirty dishwater and tastes like it too. The mild pepper taste numbs the lips and tongue. We all suck on lollipops afterwards. Unfortunately I chose a blue one and it looks like I've been making out with Papa Smurf.
We head home for pasta (which Marco dutifully makes) and Adam joins us for a night cap. Adam clearly wants to bunk here; he says it reminds him of a zany Three's Company and he would just like to be a fly on the wall to see the antics. He remarks about Stan and Jean next door, as potential Ropers. The place is rife with comedy; Tessa, Marco and I make up an interesting mix.
I sort of take on the role of the "wife" of the house; cooking and shopping have become largely my tasks (although Marco and Tessa help a great deal). Saturday rolls by with a huge shopping trip with my neighbor Jean. We have to hurry because all the shops close at noon on Saturday. After rushing through the dusty and dirty shops of Honiara, we escape to the Rain Tree café for much needed pizza and a gigantic jug of bush lime drink. After a final trip to the central market, its rest time at Casa Turchese.
At night, I cook up chicken and local mushrooms with a blue cheese cream sauce. It's the first time I've ever made it; I have no recipe, I just fake it. Marco smiles and says it is one of the best chicken and mushroom dishes he has ever had. I find this hard to believe given his Italian/French background but take the compliment
Sunday is a World War 2 tour. I have to admit by the time I take the tour, I'm a bit exhausted. This has been such a social, crazy week and so much has happened that I'm still processing everything. The guide is good but much of what he shows us really isn't terribly impressive. Most of the artillery and other stuff have been taken away by scrap dealers. Other than seeing a beach, an empty field and the two war memorials, there isn't much to see. Usually, I'm the annoying tourist in the group, asking all the really probing questions but Adam takes on the role happily and I am able to just sit and think.
The large group goes to the Iron Bottom Sound and we munch happily on pizza. I go home, exhausted.
Marco sits down next to me outside on our balcony and we talk about how the house really feels like a home. It's true; even in the two weeks I've been here; this place feels more like a home than any I have lived in for the past ten years. I'm excited to come home rather than feel a sense of dread that I used to feel in Christchurch, avoiding home as long as I could; dragging my feet at work. This place feels like mine, every quirky little angle or misshapen corner feels comforting. And the view…well who can argue with waking up and looking out at the ocean in the morning or watching the full moon illuminate the trees around us. I've never been someone to put down roots but here I can feel myself enjoying the process here.
I feel like I've been here forever and that is the tricky thing about being here. Three months feels like six months. Life moves at a different pace here and I take a lot of time enjoying simple pleasures. The slower pace, warm weather and beautiful environment are getting to me; much more romantic thoughts enter my brain.
Even my friend, Carlo (one of the Hungary Italians), notices.
"You are a very happy person…it infects everyone around you. How did you get so happy?" he asks me.
I'm stumped. I have no idea how all this happened.
Maybe it's the new romance of this place. Maybe it's the sea or the trees or all of it. Maybe it's my amazingly fun, zany housemates. Maybe it's the influx of pasta and good cheese that Marco brought from Italy.
Whatever it is, I'm not going to question it or wonder how long it's going to last…I'm just going to go with it.


text:
Learning skills and work habits
Clear communication between parents and teachers is critical for student success. One common question from parents (and teachers!) in Ontario is:
Why are learning skills and work habits assessed and evaluated?
Well, to be successful, students will require a number of competencies in addition to mastery of curriculum content. Learning skills and work habits outline key elements aside from the curriculum that studies have shown help our students to be successful in post-secondary and work contexts (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2010). While these skills are assessed, evaluated and reported separately from curriculum expectations, they are closely tied to student success and achievement of curriculum expectations in all subject areas (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2010).
Knowing the content of the curriculum is very important and it is certainly one of our goals in the classroom to make sure that our students have a solid understanding of the overall expectations, but positive learning skills and work habits will help our students to take ownership over their learning and become more effective learners, critical thinkers, and responsible citizens (OCDSB, 2014). By working on their learning skills, students are developing habits (see below) that have been identified as very important to employers, such as personal management skills, teamwork skills, and using tools interactively, for example (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2010).
In addition, they tie in well with the concept of growth mindset, which is the idea that we can grow our brain's capacity to learn and solve problems (Dweck, 2014). By providing a dedicated section on the report card for learning skills, we are emphasizing the importance of students' development of their own self-awareness and a personal responsibility for their own learning. This will create a learning environment of more fully engaged students that are exploring their own interests and passions and becoming inspired to learn and 'grow their brains.'
Dweck, C. (2014). "The power of believing that you can improve." TEDxNorrkoping.
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2010). Growing success: Assessment, evaluation and reporting in Ontario schools. Toronto, ON.
Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB). (2014). Parent Guide to Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting: Kindergarten to Grade 8.


text:
'We are fond of using the expression 'not knowing your arse from your elbow' in our office. It seems Meadowcroft Griffin cannot be accused of this. The Tolladine Centre (AJ 02.11.06) is the most butt-ugly, depressing building I have seen for a long time - although the AJ has covered quite a few candidates in recent weeks in its championing of 'Emperor's New Clothes Architecture'.
I thought the AJ had plumbed new depths of banality when featuring interior details of NORD's timber-merchant office extension (AJ 19.10.06), such as an OSB board shelf on spur shelving brackets, but the Tolladine Centre has raised the bar.
I particularly liked the revolutionary idea that 'sloping surfaces were conceived of as a pinball machine, ensuring footballs landing on them would roll back on to the street' - also known as a pitched roof. Presumably this was to help the kids whack footballs at the building when they ran out of air-rifle pellets.
Finally, to pick up on your editorial, since when has 'a makeshift quality' ever been appropriate to community buildings - why can't they just be beautiful and well designed?
I have the suspicion the AJ is testing us with ever more ludicrous schemes to see if we dare tell the emperor he's naked.
Well I for one am prepared to stand up. AJ, you're 'avin a larf!
Steve Banks, Groundworks Architects
Have your say
You must sign in to make a comment
Please remember that the submission of any material is governed by our Terms and Conditions and by submitting material you confirm your agreement to these Terms and Conditions.
Links may be included in your comments but HTML is not permitted.


text:
Let's Get Booking
Punctual and Reliable Limousine Service in NYC. NYC Limousine's provides first-class chauffeured transportation with value-based pricing and skillful customer service. Book your ride online now and save up to 30% on airport transportation. It's easy!
Shopping in New York City with friends? Take our eight-passenger stretch limousine to shopping malls around New York..plenty of room for packages! Take your visiting friends back to the airport in style, too. Rent a stretch limo with us today!


text:
Be advised that changing your location while shopping will remove all the contents from your shopping bag.
The Lunch Box is the perfect size soft-sided cooler ready to transport your cold lunch or snacks on its own or drop it right into your pack.
Do you own this product? Let us know what you think.


text:
Service Times: Sunday 9:30 & 11:00 am
Everyone is welcome at UCC
Looking for a church to call home? Never been to a church? Maybe you're somewhere in between.
Well, we hope you will come and experience UCC. Our heartbeat is
Making disciples that love God, love people and love our city!
So, you should expect a greeting with a smile and a friendly hello! We are a multi-generational, multi-ethnic church which celebrates unity through diversity (a sub-definition for University). Our ultimate passion is to "be a bridge" which is our way of saying we want to make a difference; maybe you do too.
So come as you are! We think UCC offers something for everybody!


text:
Thomas Jefferson wrote the following in a letter to the Baptists in Danbury CT: ... "I contemplate with sovereign [absolute] reverence [respect]—that act of the whole American people—which declared that their legislature should—'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,'—thus building a wall of separation between Church & State."
In The Treasure of the Sierra Madre: Humphery Bogart's character Dobbs—challenges the bandit's leader, Gold Hat—who is trying to steal his gold with this now famous exchange:
That scene seems appropriate on so many levels in the debate of women's health issues—in particular though I refer specifically to Rick Santorum's blatant dismissal of the First Amendment and "the wall of separation between church and state."
I can see him challenging that the words: "Separation of church and state" are not there in a literal sense and therefore there is no such separation implied.
"Separation? There is no separation—I don't see no stinking separation!"
Santorum argues that the actual words "separation of church and state" do not exist in the Constitution and that [his] religious values and beliefs are the guiding principles upon which he decides the matters of legislation and public policies—his only concession is that the "government" should not interfere with, him or his church citing the second half of the First Amendment clause on freedom of religion—prohibiting the free exercise thereof".
I have heard that same fallacious argument before—uttered by, Christine, "I am not a witch," O'Donnell, during a debate—at a Widener University Law School—with Democratic candidate Chris Coons. The debate centered around teaching "creationism" in public schools—which is a pseudo-scientific theory touted by Ultra Right Christian Conservatives—as a suitable alternative for the theory of evolution.
When Coons said that the Constitution prohibits the teaching of religious doctrine in public funded schools, O'Donnell defiantly shot back—"Where in the Constitution is the separation of church and state? Coons calmly responded: "the First Amendment bars Congress from making laws respecting the establishment of religion.", O'Donnell asked with a challenging tone in her voice:"You're telling me—that's—in the First Amendment?"
You could actually hear an audible gasp of disbelief from the audience of law professors and law students, stunned at her ignorance. What has been a widely held basic principle of law—upheld by the Supreme Court—totally escaped her.
Like most Ultra Right Fundamentalist who read the bible literally O'Donnell sees everything in black and white making her incapable of understanding anything even remotely shaded by the nuance of language.
Clearly Santorum's own ignorance of the first part of that same clause—"shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion"— allows his blindly simpleminded reasoning to negate—the concept of—that "wall of separation"— a wall which he clearly does not see, understand, or even acknowledge. But which thankfully does exist.
Again ignorant of the historical context Santorum ignores the fact that many of America's founding fathers fled Europe to escape state religions that imposed their beliefs on others to the point of death. They were not ignorant of that fact. Why would anyone of sound mind re-impose or even leave open the door to such an abhorrent thought—as a state that could be swayed by superstition and irrational blind faith as a basis for laws that were neutral in their application.
I wonder how quickly Santorum would see "the wall"—of which he seems ignorant—if his Christian beliefs were jeopardizes by the emergence of another faith that became the plurality held view.
PREMISE: There is a diversity of religions in America. At this time Christianity holds a plurality. Which begs the question: If a faith other than Christianity became the plurality—for arguments sake lets say Islam—would he accept the influences of Sharia law—as he so readily proposes—that [his] Christian values and narrowly held views—should be included in public policy and legislation?
Of course Santorum's head would spin 360 degrees and he'd vomit pea soup in vehement opposition at the very suggestion—which begs the question—If Islam is not acceptable as a guide for governance—why is Christianity or any other faith?
Of course the answer is that none of them should ever be the basis for deciding legislation or public policy except in the broadest terms possible. E.g. While thou shalt not kill is a view that is enshrined in many faiths—it is also a commonly accepted human taboo out side of religion as well—making it universally held view. Whereas stoning a woman for adultery is not—making it inappropriate for the basis of American law. Just like birth control or abortions that are religious beliefs that should never be enshrined in American law!
Yet that is exactly what is happening in America—laws that violate human rights and ignore the Constitution such as Virginia's new "personhood law" that is an astounding repudiation of the Constitution. Regressive laws are being enacted—based solely on religious precepts that are not universally held—98% percent of women use birth control including Catholic women. Who is this law aimed at? What benefit does it provide society as a whole and who is harmed by them?
We all would abhor Sharia law—that would cut off a man's hand or stone a woman for adultery—so are we to accept— Santorum's equally—extremely narrow held views on women's reproductive rights—to the point of forcibly raping her with an intra-vaginal ultra sound when she seeks an abortion? That is the height of stupidity, making GWB look like a genius by comparison.
He claims that because the actual words were not spelled out [so that he could understand them] that they are not implied—one needs only look at the words of the original author—Thomas Jefferson when he wrote in a letter to Baptists: ... "I contemplate with sovereign [absolute] reverence [respect]—that act of the whole American people—which declared that their legislature should—'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,'—thus building a wall of separation between Church & State."[added to help Santorum understand the essence of the quote]
To any but the most obtuse the meaning is clear—the Government cannot establish a state religion—and in the obverse—the Government shall not in any way prohibit individuals or groups from the practice of his or her religion.
What is lost on Santorum who must be reading at a fifth grade level and who's reading comprehension is equally suspect is that—unlike fundamentalist Christians who read the bible and interpret it literally as a matter of faith—the Constitution was written in broad inclusive manner of that period and used a different syntax and idiom—[the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in the language of that period]—than the modern day idiom. And needs to be read with an understanding of that fact.[added to help Santorum understand the essence of the idea]
If Santorum and the religious, socially, conservative, right prevail in including such issues as "birth control" and "abortion"—which are narrowly held religious viewpoints—into legislation—that the vast majority of Americans do not believe in or practice—they would by default constitute an "establishment of religion" by imposing those religious viewpoints on others thereby negating individual rights.
What Santorum fails to grasp is that—"his freedom to practice his religion without interference from the state"—also includes the opposite and more compelling idea—which is—"my freedom from the imposition of—his—religion by the state on me." Which maybe even Santorum can understand, but I doubt it.