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MTBE In Drinking Water
An EWG analysis of data from state environmental agencies finds that drinking water supplies for over 15 million Americans are contaminated with MTBE, a suspected carcinogen added to gasoline that even at trace levels renders water undrinkable due to foul taste and odor. The new data emerge as Republican leaders are pushing to load pending energy legislation with a plan - backed by big oil companies and oil-state politicians - to shield MTBE manufacturers from pollution liability claims. The provision would shift cleanup costs to consumers and taxpayers. Water utilities, mayors, state attorneys general and environmentalists are fighting the proposal.
Water quality data obtained by EWG through the Freedom of Information Act and state Open Records Laws shows that MTBE, or methyl tertiary butyl ether, has been found in test samples of source water or finished drinking water from 1,515 public water systems in 28 states. An estimated 15 to 40 million people are served tap water by utilities with MTBE contamination somewhere in the system.
MTBE is an unregulated contaminant and water utilities are not required to test regularly for its presence in finished tap water. Not every consumer in every contaminated system is drinking MTBE, but if House Republican leaders have their way, every individual served water by these utilities will be forced to pay the full cost of MTBE cleanup.
California has the most severe contamination with 127 systems serving more than 30 million people reporting MTBE contamination somewhere in the system. Outside of California, the most extensive contamination is in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states, where Massachusetts, New York and New Hampshire each have over 150 water systems with MTBE contamination problems. These figures, the best available, do not include MTBE contamination of private wells. (Click here for state list)
The data also show the contamination is getting worse. The number of U.S. drinking water systems reporting MTBE contamination increased six-fold between 1996 and 2002, from 112 to 637, and the number of states reporting problems doubled from 11 to 22.
MTBE detections in drinking water are increasing
* Column does not add because many systems take wells off-line when MTBE is detected and then do not retest those wells. These systems may not report MTBE contamination in subsequent years.
Source: Environmental Working Group. Derived from data obtained from state agencies.
In the majority of the affected communities, consumers are unaware of the contamination because water utilities take steps to protect them as soon as MTBE is detected. Contamination as low as 2 parts per billion of MTBE can produce a harsh chemical odor and taste that can cause tap water to be unpotable. EWG analysis found more than 700 communities with source or finished water levels at 2 ppb or higher MTBE. To cope with the problem, water utilities either blend MTBE-contaminated water with clean sources to dilute the chemical, install costly systems to remove it, or abandon affected wells and find new water sources.
The costs of such remedies for large cities alone could eventually reach $29 billion, according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
EWG found that MTBE contamination affects communities of all sizes - with contamination reported from large systems like San Diego, where the water utility serves 1.2 million people, to the Millbrook Country Day School in Massachusetts, serving 25 students and teachers. MTBE has been detected in water supplies serving 30 million people in California, about 2 million in both New Jersey and Massachusetts, 195,000 in Maryland and more than 900,000 in both Pennsylvania and Texas. (Click here for full state list)
In some cities, such as Santa Monica and South Lake Tahoe, Calif., a substantial portion of the local water supply has been contaminated, while in many others only one or two detections of MTBE have been made. But this last fact is less reassuring than it is worrisome. The records obtained by EWG indicate that in almost all systems with just one positive detection of MTBE, tests for the compound were conducted in the last two years. Water systems nationwide are in the middle of a years-long process of meeting federal requirements mandating testing for "unregulated contaminants" like MTBE. This suggests that MTBE is only now showing up in many drinking water systems, and detections will continue to increase for some time. That prospect makes the scheme to shield MTBE polluters from liability as part of national energy legislation all the more troubling.
Republicans Seek Protections for Polluters in Energy Bill
MTBE is an "oxygenate" that oil companies once claimed makes gasoline burn cleaner and more efficiently; it was introduced as a replacement when lead was banned from gasoline. But MTBE is also a foul-tasting and nasty-smelling compound that spreads rapidly when gasoline escapes from leaky underground storage tanks or other sources. Once in soil or water, MTBE breaks down very slowly while it accelerates the spread of other contaminants in gasoline, such as benzene, a known carcinogen.
Since 1995, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has classified MTBE as a possible cause of cancer in people. Eighteen states have passed measures to ban or significantly limit the use of MTBE in gasoline, and a nationwide ban is currently under consideration by Congress.
Hundreds of communities across the U.S. face many millions of dollars in costs to clean up MTBE contamination or find replacement water supplies. But the same proposal in Congress that would ban MTBE would also let the main culprits off the hook for the cleanup bill. (Click for USA Today - Energy bill provision may stop suits over water polluted by gas additive)
A paragraph buried deep in a massive federal energy bill, whose final form is now being hammered out by House and Senate negotiators, would give the makers and users of MTBE immunity from defective product lawsuits. That is precisely the legal theory that has been used by some communities to win multimillion-dollar damages from the oil companies for knowingly making, distributing and selling MTBE. Republican leaders Billy Tauzin (LA), Joe Barton (TX) and Tom Delay (TX) are the prime supporters of the liability shield.
Last year, a California jury in South Lake Tahoe found five oil and chemical companies liable for deliberately selling a defective product - MTBE - while failing to warn of its pollution risks. (Click for verdict) After the verdict, the companies agreed to pay $60 million in damages. Recently, the City of Santa Monica settled a similar lawsuit, with 18 oil companies agreeing to pay damages still to be determined.
If the MTBE liability shield is included in the final energy bill, it would make cities and local water districts powerless to force oil companies to pay for cleanup. While gas station owners could be sued over leaks, it is often difficult to trace precise sources of MTBE contamination, and most gas stations are small businesses unable to pay the millions of dollars often required to remedy MTBE pollution.
Oil Industry Claims Are Refuted By Internal Company Documents
The oil industry and its friends in Congress say it's only fair to shield MTBE makers from lawsuits, because they claim that the government mandated oil companies to add MTBE to gasoline in the first place, to help clean the air. But another story is told by internal industry documents and depositions made public in the California lawsuits. The documents, provided to EWG by attorneys for the communities, show it was the oil companies themselves who lobbied hard for the MTBE mandate because they made the additive and stood to profit.
A paper trail dating back almost 25 years shows how the oil companies took an unwanted byproduct of gasoline refining that was expensive to dispose of and created a profitable market for it. Beginning in the mid-1980s, well in advance of the 1992 federal mandate to reformulate gasoline to meet the standards of the Clean Air Act, the petrochemical industry promoted MTBE to U.S. and state regulators as the additive of choice - knowing at the time that it would very likely contaminate ground water. Only much later did the companies admit that MTBE doesn't do much to reduce air pollution after all.
In the South Lake Tahoe case, a top ARCO executive admitted under oath: "The EPA did not initiate reformulated gasoline . . . [T]he oil industry . . . brought this [MTBE] forward as an alternative to what the EPA had initially proposed." He testified that the EPA "was actually promoting using methanol blends" as an oxygenate.
Secret oil company studies from as early as 1980 show the industry knew that MTBE contaminated ground water virtually everywhere it was being used. Despite that knowledge, by 1986, the oil industry was adding 54,000 barrels of MTBE to gasoline each day. By 1991, one year before the EPA required the use of oxygenates, the industry was using more than 100,000 barrels of MTBE per day in reformulated gasoline.
A Shell hydrogeologist testified in the South Lake Tahoe case that he first dealt with an MTBE spill in 1980 in Rockaway, N.J., where seven MTBE plumes were leaking from underground storage tanks. By 1981, when the Shell scientist wrote an internal report on the Rockaway plumes, the joke inside Shell was that MTBE really stood for "Most Things Biodegrade Easier." (Later, other versions of the joke circulated, including "Menace Threatening Our Bountiful Environment," or in an apparent premonition of the oil companies' legal vulnerability, "Major Threat to Better Earnings.")
Shell was not the only company with foreknowledge of MTBE contamination problems. An environmental engineer for ExxonMobil (the companies merged in 1999) testified that he learned of MTBE contamination from Exxon gasoline in 1980, when a tank leak in Jacksonville, Md., fouled wells for a planned subdivision. The ExxonMobil engineer said it was learned MTBE had also leaked into the subdivision's wells from a Gulf and an Amoco station.
In 1981, an ARCO memo said leaking tanks were "a major problem.... The issue is essentially a health/safety and environmental one. Escaping vapors can seep into basements, sewers and conduits, creating not only a nuisance but the danger of explosion and/or fire. Escaping gasoline also enters and pollutes the water table. (Groundwater is a major source of the U.S. water supply.) Certain chemicals in gasoline (namely the aromatics like benzene) may be carcinogenic or toxic in certain quantities."
These and other documents prove that knowing fully well that their tanks leaked and that leaking MTBE had the potential to contaminate water supplies, ARCO and other companies not only went ahead and added MTBE to their gasoline, but agressively promoted it to state and federal regulators as an environmentally friendly product.
In 1987, a representative of ARCO Chemical, which was rapidly expanding its MTBE production, testified before the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission that the additive would reduce emissions and improve gas mileage and that consumers didn't need to be warned about the presence of MTBE in gasoline. Nothing was said about the leak and contamination problems that ARCO and the rest of the industry had known about for at least seven years. ARCO's representative testified that in the 1980s he played a similar role in "assisting" the states of Arizona and Nevada in the development of oxygenate programs - programs that resulted in those states adopting MTBE.
At the same time, the oil industry was agressively attacking non-industry studies that were beginning to find water pollution problems caused by MTBE.
In 1986, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) published a report documenting extensive MTBE groundwater contamination in the state. The authors identified MTBE as a "rapidly spreading groundwater contaminant" and discussed the option that "MTBE could be abandoned as an additive in gasoline stored underground" or that gas with MTBE "be stored only in double-contained facilities."
The Maine DEP report was perhaps the earliest warning from government health officials about the dangers of MTBE. To the oil companies, it was a call to arms. Documents show that even as they were internally disseminating this study and treating its findings seriously, the oil companies joined forces to attack the study's authors and the article's "damage" in an effort to discredit the findings and downplay the risks of MTBE. A 1987 ARCO memo detailed the continued attack on the authors and their research.
Internally, however, the industry admitted the Maine paper was a threat precisely because it was scientifically credible. A 1987 letter from an ARCO refining executive to his Unocal counterpart admits the MTBE task force didn't "have any data to refute comments made in the paper that MTBE may spread further in a plume or may be more difficult to remove/clean up than other gasoline constituents."
There were voices within the oil industry that warned against the use of MTBE, on grounds both of public health and cleanup costs from the inevitable leaks. An April 1984 memo from an Exxon employee said:
"[W]e have ethical and environmental concerns that are not too well defined at this point; e.g., (1) possible leakage of [storage] tanks into underground water systems of a gasoline component that is soluble in water to a much greater extent [than other chemicals], (2) potential necessity of treating water bottoms as a 'hazardous waste,' [and] (3) delivery of a fuel to our customers that potentially provides poorer fuel economy.... " (Emphasis added.)
The memo was ignored by the employee's superiors.
The record is clear. Individual oil companies, and the industry as a whole, knew that adding MTBE to gasoline posed a serious threat to water supplies everywhere it was used. With full knowledge of the danger - but also of the profit they stood to make - they lobbied hard for the use of MTBE, then withheld or covered up evidence of its environmental and health risks.
Now that their own words and documents have surfaced to prove their culpability, oil companies offer one demonstrably false defense: "The government made us do it." And they are looking to Republican leaders to use the energy bill to protect them-instead of protecting water suppliers and consumers-from having to pay billions in cleanup costs for MTBE contamination in tap water.


text: Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums :: View topic - Hunting for a marriage partner Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in Hunting for a marriage partner Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Opinions View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message kimihakimidayoJoined: 11 May 2009Posts: 2Location: Japan Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 5:31 am Post subject: Hunting for a marriage partner Hunting for a marriage partner is very popular in Japan now. Some people need action to marry. Drama about working on marriage is also broadcasting. People who don't marry increase. So it affects declining birth rate. I think marriage is a miracle. Marriage is very nice. What do you think about it? Back to top Bob S.Joined: 29 Apr 2004Posts: 1767Location: So. Cal Posted: Thu May 21, 2009 11:02 am Post subject: Marriage is very good if you gave a good spouse. But it is better to be alone than with a bad match. Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Opinions All times are GMT - 8 Hours Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Student Forums----------------ComputersCurrent NewsCultureEnglish SchoolsFamilyFilm and CinemaFoodHealth and FitnessHelp CenterHobbiesHolidaysLearning EnglishLiteratureMaking FriendsMusicOpinionsPetsScienceSportsThe Strange and MysteriousTOEFL and Other English ExamsTravel You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum Dave's ESL Cafe is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. Banner Advertising | Bookstore / Alta Books | FAQs | Articles | Interview with Dave Copyright © 2018 Dave's ESL Cafe | All Rights Reserved | Contact Dave's ESL Cafe | Site Map Teachers College, Columbia University: Train to Teach English Here or Abroad Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group

subset: commoncrawl


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Here's how to turn a punctured basketball into a cool sports bag. A basketball is just big enough to fit the necessary items for a game : t-shirt, shorts, water bottle and socks. Here is a step by step solution for a cheap and original use for your old game balls.
1 basketball (volleyball, soccer ball, beach ball, football...)
1 strap
1 zipper
1 cutter
2 key rings
some rubber glue
It's time to make a «Jack the Ripper» of yourself. Get a new blade for your cutter and cut a clean straight line on top of your basketball. Make sure the cut is about 2 centimeters longer than the length of the zipper.
Put a generous amount of Neoprene (rubber) glue on one side of the zipper and on the inner surface it is going to be attached to. Use a flat tool to spread (keep your fingers CLEAN. You don't want to put glue everywhere). Wait 10 minutes before to stick both surfaces together.
Do the same thing with the second part of the zipper and wait 30 minutes. You can use something to keep everything together while it dries.
Make two small holes about 2 cm wide above the middle line of the basketball. Use the diameter of the key ring to know the distance between them.
Now slide the rings trough the holes and stop once they are half way. The rubber will be squeezed in the ring and you'll have a firm grip to the basketball.
Use grid 120 sandpaper to remove the excess glue and the unwanted logos. It also gives a nice surface to the basketball. Put a mask on so you don't breathe the dust.


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Vance Welch, owner of Abby Park restaurant in Milton, says "marketing has taken on a new face" and a social network site like Twitter can help a new business like his "build a base."
When the newly opened Abby Park restaurant in Milton prepared to add lunch service this week, it announced the news on its Twitter page. The restaurant just opened this month and already has 149 people following its "tweets," the 140-character messages that are the standard mode of communication on Twitter.
"Marketing has taken on a new face," restaurant owner Vance Welch said. "We're looking at Twitter as we build a base."
Twitter hasn't yet found a way to profit off of its addictive social media site, despite reaching more than 20 million users monthly. But a growing number of local businesses are finding a way to raise their profiles using Twitter's free bully pulpit.
For the Greater Boston Running Company, Twitter is an opportunity to build an ongoing dialogue with customers and attract new ones.
Sam Pitts, manager of the company's store at Derby Street Shoppes in Hingham, tweets several times a day. Some promote store products, but others link to news about the running community in Greater Boston or other topical items.
Giving a newsy flair to the site makes it more likely that people will visit, Pitts said. On Wednesday, he linked to a USA Today story about health risks associated with flip-flops. "Play it safe and pick up some new Reefs at the store :)" he added. Another post linked to a review of runners' watches on the New York Times' Gadgetwise blog.
"We try to post information that people are interested in," said Pitts, who has 280 "followers," Twitter parlance for those who elect to receive all tweets from a user. "We've actually had customers come in the store because of what we've been doing on there."
To recruit followers, Pitts searches Twitter for people who are following other running sites in the Boston area. Often, they reciprocate and begin following the store's site.
"We get direct access to a customer base in terms of getting our product out there, and we get to see what people are talking about," Pitts said.
Perhaps no sector of the retail industry in the Boston area is taking advantage of Twitter more than restaurants.
Anny Deirmenjian, an account manager for Image Unlimited Communications in Winchester, tweets on behalf of clients such as Burtons Grill in Hingham.
"People feel a real connection with social media, Deirmenjian said. "They have a part in it and we try to do updates via Twitter every day if we can."
Promoting celebrity sightings – either in advance or after the fact – is a popular strategy in the restaurant industry.
Abby Park recently tweeted that New England Cable News' "TV Diner" would be filming an upcoming episode at the 160-seat restaurant.
After a newspaper gossip column reported that New Kids on the Block singer Jordan Knight was spotted dining at Burton's, Deirmenjian posted a link to the story.
"It's a good response because the people can follow what's going on at the restaurant," she said. "Maybe next time we'll do it as it's happening."
Followers of Abby Park on Twitter can expect nearly daily updates, mainly on dinner specials.
The Twitter page augments Abby Park's regular Web site, which invited visitors to sign up to receive e-mail alerts. More than 2,000 people registered before the restaurant opened, Welch said.
But Twitter users tend to check their accounts more frequently, Welch said, giving it an advantage over Facebook.
Twitter also is serving as a new outlet for help-wanted ads. The Kings entertainment complex that is opening a new location at Legacy Place in Dedham next month announced a job fair on its Twitter page this week.
"We plan on ramping up our Twitter presence as we get closer to launch as we see it to be an important marketing tool that will allow us to connect with the community and those interested in our brand," said Josh Rossmeisl, Kings' general manager, in an e-mail.
A recent example of the power of social media took place on Tuesday when Burtons Grill in Virginia Beach, Va., launched a two-for-one promotion using Facebook, MySpace and Twitter to contact 1,500 diners. Reservations began streaming in within minutes, and the restaurant's sales tripled that of the average night.
"We were blown away by what happened and how powerful this new medium is when used correctly," said Kevin Rowell, owner of Burtons.
Steve Adams may be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Both on-the-job and apprenticeship training programs are available for veterans using their Veterans Administration education benefits, including the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
These programs allow veterans to learn a trade or skill through on-the-job participation and training rather than attending formal classroom instruction.
A veteran generally enters into a training contract for a specific period of time with an employer or union, and at the end of the training period, the veteran gains job certification or journeyman status.
Employers or unions generally pay a reduced on-the-job training or apprenticeship wage, generally 40 to 50 percent of journeyman wages.
Veterans in an approved program can use their GI Bill benefit and receive a tax-free stipend. The Post-9/11 GI Bill stipend is the equivalent of the Monthly Housing Allowance of an E-5 with dependents, which is paid in addition to the entry-level wage.
The stipend is reduced 20 percent every six months thereafter as the veteran's wages increase until the veteran has attained journeyman status and pay.
Stipend payments for other GI Bill programs can be found online at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
Approved employers can use this benefit as a recruiting tool by using wages plus stipend to attract veteran candidates.
State Approving Agencies are responsible for approving on-the-job training and apprenticeship programs in their respective states. Requirements generally entail submitting a training request form that specifically outlines the proposed program, wages and standard workweek information, as well as the company contact name and phone number. Once all required documents are submitted, approval generally is completed in one to two months.
For more information about on-the-job training and apprenticeship programs and how to apply, visit www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
In addition to the services listed above, the VA's Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program provides employers with other benefits through the Special Employer Incentive Program. Employers hiring veterans with a service-connected disability who are approved for VRE services may be entitled to reimbursements up to 50 percent of the veteran's salary for six months to offset training costs. Additional information about the VRE on-the-job training program can be found at www.vba.va.gov/bln/vre/emp_resources.htm.
Richard Schleeter is the veterans service officer for the La Plata County Veterans Service Office. He can be reached at 759-0117 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Introducing DohaR – A new R User Group in Doha, Qatar
8th May, 2016 Leave a comment Go to comments
I'm starting a new R User Group in Doha, Qatar. Our first meetup is on 26th May, at the HBKU Student Center in Education City. I'll be talking about run-time testing with my assertive package, and there will be two other speakers who I need to find pretty sharpish. (If you want to talk, get in touch!)
Both new and more seasoned useRs are welcome. RSVP on the meetup site:
(Registration is free.)


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Traveling books
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New Recovery Roadmap Has Much in Common with Old
By Alec MacGillis
President Obama and Vice President Biden today announced a new "roadmap to recovery" intended to speed up stimulus spending and rebut the perception that the $787 billion stimulus package is not yet having much of a job-creating impact, given the 9.4 percent unemployment rate.
But the list of spending plans detailed under the new "roadmap" amounts to little more than a restatement of the plans that were already underway for the coming months, without any explanation of what steps, if any, the White House is taking to accelerate the pace of spending. And the push to spin the package was accompanied by a classic Biden misstatement -- a videotaped comment that the money was geared toward "make-work projects."
As it stands, about $135 billion of the stimulus money has already been "obligated" -- that is, either sent out the door or approved to the point that it's sitting in a government account waiting for a state or other recipient to draw it down. The White House has cautioned for weeks that the money wouldn't really start having an impact until this summer and fall, once various programs got up and running. Its goal, it says, is to spend 70 percent of the money by the end of the summer of 2010.
But there are plenty of signs that the money is flowing even more slowly than the White House had led people to expect.
Part of this may be the White House's own doing. Obama and Biden, along with many congressmen, have so emphasized the need for accountability in spending stimulus money that many federal, state and local officials charged with spending are erring on the side of caution in setting up application and review processes for the cash.
To cite one example, the Housing and Urban Development department is still in the process of holding conferences around the country to discuss with local housing officials the application rules for a new homelessness prevention program being created as part of the stimulus. And many states are still in the process of setting up sessions to train workers to do the home weatherization work that is funded through the stimulus -- even though the warm-weather construction season has already arrived.
At the opening of a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Biden outlined for Obama the spending plans for the coming months, while Obama fiddled with a yellow pencil, according to a pool report. "What we're talking about here is putting some pace on the ball here, Mr. President... Every hundred days, if we're doing this right, Mr. President, should produce more than the last 100 days," he said. "By the fall I think we're going to be much further along the road to recovery." The spending would create or save 600,000 jobs over the next 100 days, he said, on top of the 150,000 jobs the White House said were created or saved in the first 100 days. Among the items on the "roadmap" for the next 100 days are 1,500 highway projects, work at 20 Superfund sites and 200 wastewater treatment projects, as well as grants for doctors and nurses in underserved areas.
Accepting Biden's report, Obama agreed that "We've got some good news to report," before adding, "Having said that, I'm not satisfied. We've got more work to do." At the same time, though, he reiterated the accountability mantra that has helped slow the pace of spending. "We're going to do it continuing to operate in a transparent fashion so that taxpayers know this money is not being wasted on a bunch of boondoggles," he said. "I think that sometimes good news comes in what you don't hear about, and you haven't heard a bunch of scandals -- knock on wood -- so far."
The Republican National Committee retorted by saying that the new "roadmap" was a sign that the White House was losing this particular political battle.
"Today, the White House confirmed that the Democrat economic stimulus bill is simply not creating the jobs President Obama promised. Simply put, the White House spin doesn't square with reality," said RNC Chairman Michael Steele. "Since President Obama signed the so-called 'stimulus' package, 1.5 million Americans have lost their jobs making the unemployment rate soar to a 26 year high."
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif), an outspoken critic of the stimulus package, took a contradictory tack, taking the White House's word that it would speed up spending but saying that this would result in more waste -- just the kind of cautionary mindset that has helped cause the White House to move so slowly.
But Republicans left untouched perhaps the easiest target of the day's back and forth -- an amusing misstatement in Biden's video comments accompanying the new roadmap, at Whitehouse.gov/recovery. In the remarks -- in which he also mistakenly said that the stimulus is creating 135,000 new teaching jobs, instead of keeping 135,000 existing teachers on the job, as is the case -- Biden said that the plan was creating "make work" projects. "More than $126 billion is heading out the door to make work projects that are going employ people at decent salaries," he said.
Presumably, the tongue-tied veep meant that the money was going to help put people to work on the projects. But on a day when the White House is seeking to assure people of the lasting value of the $787 billion, it was a bit surprising that the White House didn't try for a cleaner take two.
Posted at 2:55 PM ET on Jun 8, 2009
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I am not sure if that last part about unskilled workers losing their jobs was intended to have a negative connotation, but unskilled labor is quickly becoming an unnecissary waste. Unskilled jobs will be all but non-existant in the not to distant future. Many unskilled workers blame their lack of training on the expence, but that is just an excuse. The gov. has no desire to care for unskilled workers that are forced to get gov. assistance, so they have in place many grants that insure that higher education is attainable. I myself haveing lived with a mental dissability all my life believed that I could never go to coledge, but now I am starting this fall season in F.L.C.C. Finger Lakes Community Coledge. Everything from my tuition down to all three meals a day and housing is fully paid for. This is the gov. way of making a skilled labor force, So that we will not leach the system all our lives. THis will eventually free up billions of dollars in gov. assistance for new public works or what have you. I firmly believe that what Obama is doing is the right thing. We should not be suprised that things are not moving along as quickly as he said they would. After all we knew from the start that Obama was a bit indecisive, and that is why Biden is there to keep the ball rolling.
Posted by: MasterSigma | June 10, 2009 10:13 AM
What happened to the thousands of projects that Obama said in February were ahead of schedule and under-budget?
Posted by: Bubbette1 | June 8, 2009 8:35 PM
The stimulus package - the one nobody had time to read much less consider - was a laundry list of programs that the Democrats tried to fund over the years; it wasn't really about job growth and economic stimulation. They found a way to push it through, and as predicted it hasn't done much. Biden's comment about "make work jobs" was accurate if unintended; this move is all about attempting to stem the increase in unemployment and saving face.
Posted by: tnvret | June 8, 2009 4:53 PM
Many of those that are currently unemployed have no marketable skills for the jobs of the future. The 3 million jobs Obama is talking about are for those with skills. The unemployed that have skills will go back to their professions once the recession is over. Others will retrain for Obama's jobs of the future. This recession should be a wake up call for the unskilled. Not all of the skilled jobs require a college education. However, post high school training will be required. The unskilled are the first to be let go in an economic downturn, and it is only going to get worse for these people as time goes by.
Posted by: saelij | June 8, 2009 4:25 PM
The Obama Presidency is using "Turbo-Jobs" to caluclate the jobs numbers......
Posted by: mlimberg | June 8, 2009 4:09 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.


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Retail Relay changes name, opens online farmer's market
Retail Relay, the local online grocery store that offers food items from producers and allows you to pick them up at various locations around town, recently changed its name to Relay Foods and opened up an online farmer's market.
"'Retail' was kind of left over from a time before we narrowed our focus to creating an online food market," says Relay Foods marketing director Ted Corcoran about the name change. "We wanted to retain Relay. In fact, we refer to ourselves as "Relay" in everyday conversation."
As for the recently launched online farmer's market, which features 20 different local farms and vendors offering produce, meat, cheese, and other locally produced goods, Corcoran says the response as been "incredible."
"For folks who, for all kinds of reasons, can't make it to the City Market on Saturday, this is a great way to support local enterprises and farms and enjoy local taste," says Corcoran. "For the vendors, they get another channel to sell their stuff 24/7."
"Relay expands our market," says John Whiteside, of Wolf Creek Farm in Madison. "We often hear our customers say that they would love to be able to purchase our grass-fed beef on weekdays or when they can't make it to the City Market."
What's more, Relay offers new vendors a chance to break into the market.
"Relay allowed us to put our baked goods on their site long before anyone in Charlottesville knew our name," says Shelia Talbott of Belle Haven Farm Bakery.
In addition to grass-fed beef from Wolf Creek Farm, Relay offers forest and pastured local pork from Babes in the Wood in Dillwyn and Meadow Green Farm in Sperryville. Both Susan Swales of Wild Oats Farm in Scottsville and the Miller family of Mount Vernon Farm in Sperryville provide Relay customers with local lamb raised on conservation farms that practice rotational grazing techniques. Relay's local chicken offerings include Joel Salatin's famous Polyface Farm broilers, Lovingston's Davis Creek Farm poultry, and whole chickens from the Dayton cooperative, Shenandoah Valley Family Farms. The company has also recently developed relationships with the local Whole Foods and Horse & Buggy Produce.
Dish asked famous local food producing farmer Joel Salatin what he thought of the new online venture. While he's happy to see Relay Foods trying to do its part for local food, he says he'd like to see a "physical place with locally sourced stuff, but that's not a boutique kind of atmosphere."
Which got us thinking. Why does Relay have to have a website and drop off spots? If you wanted to distribute local food, couldn't you just open a local food store?
"I think the answer is yes," says Relay Foods CEO Zach Buckner. "But the answer overlooks an important point: Relay is built on the premise that people want to shop for food at places that are near where they work and live."
As Buckner explains, they visited Good Foods Grocery a few months ago and saw that they had mapped the home addresses of all of their customers over a period of a month, literally with pins on a map. The pins formed a tight cloud around their store location.
"Plus, driving 18 minutes up 29 North to shop not only takes time and mental energy," says Buckner, "but it further congests our city with cars and traffic accidents and fumes."
As Buckner points out, you'd have to open at least a dozen local food stores in town to make buying convenient and environmentally responsible for customers.
"Relay allows vendors to have one central and dozens of virtual locations for customers," says Buckner, "which are shared among many vendors, are highly environmentally efficient, and don't cost a penny to operate."
But why can't someone take the wildly successful supermarket business model and re-create it on a local level? When will buying local stop being a "movement," characterized by food boutiques, farmers' markets, and boosterism campaigns, and simply be an option for everyday shoppers?
But that, Corcoran insists, is exactly what Relay offers.
"Many of our customers always wanted to 'buy local' but really had no way to fit that kind of boosterism into their already busy lives," says Corcoran. "Relay allows vendors to reach those "every day shoppers."


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Boston Beat
Steve Morse, a former music critic at the Boston Globe, has described Shea Rose '11 as "that rare artist who can bridge diverse styles such as soul, funk, rock, rap and jazz and bring her unique stamp to each." Rose's growing audience has found her chameleonlike musical approach and image a draw.
Rose got her share of the spotlight during her time at Berklee. "I was invited to open the concert called 'Women Who Rock,'" she recounts. "It was an amazing opportunity to meet Terri Lyne Carrington, Cindy Blackman, and Meshell Ndegeocello." Later, Rose opted to take Professor Carrington's directed study class. "During that time, [Carrington] mentioned her upcoming [album] The Mosaic Project. She asked me to arrange the Nona Hendryx song "Transformation" for it, and I did a hip-hop, throwback-'90s version." Rose already felt intimidated and honored by the task, even before learning that Hendryx, Cassandra Wilson, and Dianne Reeves would be featured on the album. Rose's voice was also added to the album, which ultimately won Carrington a Grammy.
Rose released her debut EP in 2010, Rock 'n' Rose, and followed it up with the "Little Warrior" mix tape, both showcasing her range and versatility. This summer she plans to release a new EP, including the B-52 cover "Dance This Mess Around (DTMA)." So far, Rose has won two Boston Music Awards in the R&B/Soul/Urban Contemporary Artist of the Year (2011) and Pop/R&B Artist of the Year (2012) categories.
Rose's choice of instruments in the writing process frequently guides the musical approach. "Often times I write either with piano or guitar," she says. "Those songs tend to be a little more singer/songwriter oriented. When I receive tracks from producers, the songs tend to be more pop and hip-hop-driven." Rose did not grow up in the rap world but was influenced by Lauryn Hill and after hearing Buffy Hubelbank '03 rap in an Americana/folk style, Rose began experimenting. "One day I was having one of those intimate moments playing guitar and I started rapping in that style and I liked it," She recalls. "It's a cool tool to have in my kit, but I hesitate to call myself a real rapper or MC."
Rose has a conviction that music can affect social change, and established My Angel Wears a Fro, an organization that regularly partners with the other organizations including Action for Boston Community Development and their Safer Is Sexy campaign encouraging young people to be responsible.
Given her stylistic versatility, Rose is still focusing on personal style. "SESAC sent me a certificate of recognition for being part of The Mosaic Project, which was in the jazz category. So while I'm in r&b, acoustic soul, rap, pop, and rock, they're trying to figure out if I'm a jazz artist. It's crazy."


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Brookfield rallies to beat Bethel in final seconds
Recommended Video:
BETHEL -- It was just five days ago that Bethel took its opening drive 77 yards, punishing visiting Brookfield on 17 straight plays and ultimately setting the tone for a Thanksgiving Day shutout.
The decisive 20-0 Wildcats' win shook up the Class M seedings. Brookfield and Bethel were pitted against one another again Tuesday night, now with the stakes even greater. There would no shutout this time.
A back-and-forth defensive struggle Tuesday yielded Brookfield one last chance with 2:20 remaining. Trailing 21-15, down their best receiver and a key running back, the Bobcats offense took the field 77 yards away from a Class M semifinal berth.
"That right there," Brookfield coach Rich Angarano would later say, "was a defining moment by Brad Westmark."
Brookfield's senior quarterback directed a wild drive that included two fourth down conversions, a 33-yard pass to Dan Jackson and a 4-yard touchdown plunge from Bobby Drysdale with 38 seconds left.
It was awfully sweet redemption: Brookfield 22, Bethel 21.
"We hit some adversity (with injuries) so we had to come out with our twos," Westmark said. "They had to lead us down the field. There's no better feeling."
Senior wide receiver Liam Clancy -- a huge 6-foot-4, 225-pound target -- left the game early with an apparent ankle injury. Bruising fullback Austin Reich went down with 10:07 left in the fourth. And Westmark had completed just 7-of-18 passes for 76 yards until the final possession.
The senior hit Joe Halfkeymeyer and Gabe Pompette on quick out-routes to begin the drive. He scrambled for nine yards on a 4th-and-2 near midfield. Then, with 1:30 left, he found Dan Jackson over the middle for a pass that was bobbled, deflected by a Bethel defender and eventually hauled in at the Bethel 15-yard-line. Drysdale did the rest, plowing for three yards on another 4th-and-2 and eventually sending fifth-seeded Brookfield to a date with No. 1 seed Valley Regional/Old Lyme on Saturday (2 p.m.) at Cheshire High.
This Class M quarterfinal was, in many ways, the inverse of the Thanksgiving matchup.
"Nothing went right on Thanksgiving," Westmark said. "We kind of viewed it as a fluke."
In that game, Bethel pounded Brookfield for an opening drive that lasted 7:30. In this one, the Bobcats forced a three-and-out on Bethel's first possession.
There was one similarity, though: On Thanksgiving, Bethel quarterback Jared Piatnik connected with Will Daniels for a back-breaking touchdown with two seconds remaining in the first half. On Tuesday, Piatnik found senior Cal Daniels (Will's older brother) from 12 yards out with three seconds left. The touchdown pass put Bethel ahead 13-6 at the half.
"We were pretty upset to give them a touchdown, quite frankly," Angarano said. "We were, let's say, a little emotional. You can imagine me. I'm an Italian and I get crazy."
Brookfield scored on the opening drive of the second half, the combination of Reich and Drysdale gashing the Wildcats for 62 yards on the ground. The Bobcats two-point conversion failed, however, and they remained down 13-12.
Sophomore kicker Dane Borges drilled a 25-yard field goal late in the third to give Brookfield a lead, but Bethel quickly answered with a Jared Wilsey touchdown.
Trailing by six, Brookfield turned the ball over on downs at the Bethel 29-yard-line with 5:12 remaining. The Bobcats then got a stop, forced a punt and put the ball in Westmark's hands.
The game would end that way, too, as Westmark picked off a desperation Jared Piatnik heave to seal the dramatic 22-21 victory.
"I mean this sincerely," Angarano said. "That was a defining moment on that last drive."
BR--Bobby Drysdale 7 run (kick blocked)
BE--Joey Piatnik 4 run (Tom Lempereur kick)
BE--Cal Daniels 12 pass from Jared Piatnik (kick failed)
BR--Austin Reich 20 run (run failed)
BR--Dane Borges 25 field goal
BE--Jared Wilsey 5 run (Cal Daniels pass from Piatnik)
BR--Drysdale 4 run (Borges kick)


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buses here are pretty bad usually, if you dont live in the exact town that the school is for, they probably dont have a bus for you, we have just buses for my town and then one for a town were somewhat regionalized with
oh my god, if i call him timmy to his face hes gonna look at me like a complete loser and im gonna be soo embarrassed! ahhhhh!
its a promo pic, so if you search on google enough, you should find it, it wont be the same exact cuz yours has a lot of special effects on it, but itll be the basic pic of the two of them
what???dreamer wrote:Oh, you're an A-person! *light bowl* I'm definitely B.
no, its 5 and a half! we do 6 and a half
we do 5 days a week, but i meant how many days a year, we do 180
im saying that hes kinda famous cuz he won a tv show but it wasnt a wicked popular show and it was like a kid show kinda so it not like anyone would know who i was talking about if i was like, 'HOLY CRAP I MET ALEX CARIGNAN TODAY! OH MY GOD!'
15 would be greatttt!


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Sentencing for suspended Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold has been set for March.
Judge Dennis Sweeney, a circuit court judge, scheduled sentencing for March 14 in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court.
Sweeney found Leopold guilty on two counts of misconduct in office on Tuesday. One of those counts related to Leopold using his security detail to perform political activities while on the job. The other involved making a secretary and members of his detail empty his urine catheter bag for months in 2010.
Leopold, a two-term Republican, has been suspended as county executive as a result of the judge's finding. John Hammond, the county's chief administrative officer, has been named acting county executive.


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TECHART for the new Porsche Boxster
TECHART for the new Porsche Boxster - World Premiere at the Essen Motor Show 2012
An elegant design style and attention to sporty details - the TECHART individualization program for the Porsche 981 celebrates its world premiere in December. At the Essen Motor Show 2012 the new individualization program will be presented to the public.
TECHART Aerodynamic Kit
"Our aim was to give the Porsche Boxster an even sportier expression with intelligently applied exterior components while simultaneously underlining the elegant look of the vehicle", says TECHART's Managing Director Thomas Behringer explaining the assignment to the team in the internal design and development department at TECHART.
The sporty look can be recognized straight away on the front and rear. The two-part TECHART front spoiler with integrated splitter flows perfectly into the design of the Porsche 981 and allows the front of the vehicle to sit even closer to the ground. A fixed rear spoiler proficiently picks up on the sporty impression of the front and makes also a clear sporty statement. The exterior program is rounded off by plenty of details such as elegantly designed mirror trims on the side mirrors, decorative crosspieces on the side air vents or subtle trims on the rear and diffuser.
TECHART light alloy and forged wheels
Perfectly aligned to the exterior design: the original TECHART wheels for the Porsche Boxster in 21-inch size. The sporty elegant appearance continues; whether in the classically purist five spoke design of the TECHART Formula light alloy wheels or the dynamic double spoke design of the TECHART Formula III forged wheels.
In combination to the TECHART wheel design, the TECHART twin tailpipes made of polished stainless steel in a classic rounded design and the individually colored exterior packages let the car be a unique piece. The optional TECHART sound muffler or the TECHART sport exhaust system with valve control provide acoustic support that gives the Boxster a strong and sporty sound. The program will be completed in the exterior with the TECHART sport spring kit and a lowering of 30 mm at the front and 20 mm at the rear axle of the car.
TECHART interior refinement for the Porsche Boxster
The sporty and elegant design line is also continues in the interior. The TECHART manufacture offers a range of individual options that allow the driver of the Porsche 981 to feel free in any way of individualization. A full leather interior with a decorative stitching in combination with the TECHART styling packages set highlights in the interior. Selected carbon fiber packages provide the intentionally sporty, high quality touch. In connection with the ergonomically mounted TECHART paddle shifters the TECHART 3-spokes sports steering wheels guarantee precision control over the vehicle and allow simple and fast gear changes with maximum driving pleasure.
TECHART at the Essen Motor Show 2012
TECHART presents an exciting choice of new premium individualization options for Porsche vehicles at the 2012 Essen Motor Show in hall 3. Besides the world premiere of the new program for the Porsche Boxster the individualization of the Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet will be shown in Essen. In addition, the TECHART GTStreet RS based on the Porsche 911 GT2 is a highlight at the TECHART booth. Equipped with the TECHART power kit TA 097/T2.2 powerkit, the vehicle provides a power output of 700 hp and a maximum torque of 860 Newton meters.
The Essen Motor Show is scheduled from December 1st to 9th, 2012. More information and registration for a visit at the TECHART booth at www.techart.de/motorshows.


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No one but the most addled hippie really likes a drum circle, but only the war-like LAPD could possibly see one as any kind of threat. Hundreds of people assemble every Sunday by the Venice boardwalk for the Venice Drum Circle, a public gathering in a public space that rarely if ever results in any reports of bad behavior, except when the LAPD shows up to cause trouble for no real reason. (Even an LAPD officer describes the drum circle as a "peaceful occurrence.") But for the past three weeks the LAPD has attempted to break up the peaceful gatherings once the sun has set, because them's the rules, and the drummers have refused, because they've got a good groove going or whatever. So the LAPD has gone into full riot response. On a drum circle.
Last night, between 400 and 500 people were again causing no trouble at all when the LAPD came in to shut them down; when most people stayed, "an airship and multiple LAPD units executed a skirmish line [to] the push the crowd north," according to Venice 311. A few people threw things, so they "called for a specialized unit from the Metro division which includes SWAT and mounted units for assistance," which they had to cancel eventually because the crowd was like "whatever" after just 25 minutes. Everyone ended up dispersing pretty easily; one person who rushed the police line and another who "refused to move," according to KTLA, were arrested.
One Venetian tweeted last night: "more cops tonight than I've seen since the riots," but apparently no measure is too out of proportion to the horrible scourge of hippies grooving to some jams on our beaches. This recent crackdown probably doesn't have anything to do with the changing (richer, techier) face of Venice, does it.
· Venice Drum Circle Turns Violent; 2 Arrested . Solidarity with the Venice Drum Circle 1000 Ocean Front Walk #WaveOfAction
LIVE NOW [4pm Sunday]: Solidarity with the Venice Drum Circle
1000 Ocean Front Walk #WaveOfAction
Join us to bear witness to the evening dispersal orders issued to the Sunday Venice Beach drum circle. It is our human right to have 24/7 access to life sustaining waterways such as the ocean and drum alongside waves without being forced out by riot police.
Potential livestream coverage:
[more info]
The LAPD is in Riot Mode Over "Peaceful" Venice Drum Circle –http://la.curbed.com/archives/2014/03/the_lapd_is_in_riot_mode_over_peaceful_venice_drum_circle.php
THE LAPD IS ARRESTING VENICE HIPPIES FOR HAVING DRUM CIRCLES –http://www.vice.com/read/venice-beach-is-safe-for-now-thanks-to-eagle-soaring-chief
Photo via Wave Of Action Los Angeles and Occupy Los Angeles OWS


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Hoboken, N.J., became a virtual island when Sandy forced 500 million gallons into the city. NBC's Katy Tur reports.
HOBOKEN, N.J. – One of the most densely populated square miles in the U.S. is still full of floodwater and still out of power, and residents are starting to run out of patience with post-Sandy life.
"They're saying we might not have power till Monday," said Jessica Van Binsbergen, 28, a Hoboken, N.J., resident, who was waiting for a ferry to Manhattan. "There's a lot of flooding where I live. I'm headed to a friend's."
Van Binsbergen, her cat in tow, was standing in a line of hundreds of people – all of whom were eager to get out of Hoboken, a densely packed city of about 50,000 people along the Hudson River. Water up to four feet high remained pooled in some areas of the city, and flooded many of the basement apartments that line the streets; on Wednesday, National Guard vehicles arrived to assist with rescues and delivering meals to stranded people.
A Hoboken police officer estimated his department had performed "a couple hundred" rescues since the storm hit.
Gary Hershorn / Reuters
A woman makes her way through the floodwaters in Hoboken, N.J., on Wednesday.
'It's been nonstop," the officer, who said he wasn't authorized by the city to speak on the record, told NBC News as he and another officer, both wearing high rain boots, waded over to an apartment surrounded by deep floodwaters to help a woman with a liver condition. "We started doing rescues 28 hours ago and haven't slept."
Three of Hoboken's four firehouses were flooded by Sandy, Battalion Chief Louis Moyeno said.
Gary Hershorn / Reuters
A man carries his wife through the floodwaters in Hoboken, N.J., on Wednesday.
"This is the only operational firehouse left," he said, standing outside Hoboken Fire Department, Engine No. 2 on Washington Street. "The water has receded, but there is no power to any of the other firehouses, and there's water damage."
Omar Vicioso, 31, said Sandy poured water into his basement, and left cars floating in his street. He was eager to get back to his work at a boutique store in Manhattan, he said, but wasn't sure when that would happen.
"All the cars were scattered around," he said. "I don't have a car -- I usually take public transportation -- but obviously that's not happening. With my phone down, the PATH [train]down, the buses not working, it's kind of a waiting game."
Craig Ruttle / AP
David Bagatelle, of Hoboken, N.J., walks from his residence through high water in Hoboken, N.J., on Wednesday.
A couple blocks away, William Mirlas, a contractor with a water removal company, was pumping water from a Hoboken resident's home.
"He had four to five feet [in here]," Mirlas said. "When I opened the door to his room, it was just like a movie: The water came in from outside, just like a river."
In addition to the man's furniture, his wallet and clothing were soaking wet, Mirlas said.
While the National Guard was assisting local crews with rescue efforts, residents tried to keep from going stir-crazy.
Craig Ruttle / AP
A dog named Shaggy is handed from a National Guard truck to National Guard personnel after the dog and his owner left a flooded building in Hoboken, N.J., on Wednesday.
Amid the darkness that encased nearly all of Hoboken, there was one bright spot: One neighborhood had power, and its inhabitants were happy to share.
"Re-charge your morning!" read signs posted around 11th Street. "Free coffee and power outlets!"
In other parts of Hoboken, loud sump pumps reverberated down streets where fake cobwebs and other Halloween trimmings decorated darkened, flooded storefronts and homes. But on and around 11th Street, residents seemed to be having a block party rather than making a post-hurricane clamor for electricity.
John Makely / NBC News
Rey Erney, right, plugs his phone in on a neighbor's front steps along Eleventh street.
John and Jeanne-Marie Scura, who live on Garden Street near 11th, have four children – but by Wednesday morning, a group of about 15 kids had settled in comfortably into their home, happy to take advantage of their TV and computer.
Related story: Amid storm, a desperate search for power
"We never lost power," John Scura said. "People were asking us if they could charge their stuff because they saw our lights on. People brought food [in exchange]."
Their electricity luck didn't extend to their local pharmacy, however, where the Scuras were trying to get antibiotics for one of their kids, who had strep throat.
Dale Shulmistra, his girlfriend, and their dog came to hang out and recharge their cell phones from a few blocks away. "The generosity – the thoughtfulness of these people is fantastic. I've seen a couple of them before, talked to a couple before. It's nice to hear other people's stories [from Sandy]."
The power party attracted dozens of people throughout the day on both sides of the street, where power strips hung from extension cords out of first-floor windows.
"Do you guys need some coffee?" Theresa Howard, 47, who put up the fliers and organized the event yesterday, yelled to people as they walked down the street.
"Someone said this restores their faith in mankind. There's just so much bad stuff going in , this is just such a simple thing, it was all we could do," she told NBC News. "People are really thankful … Even a police officer said, 'This is what makes Hoboken so great. This is what it used to be.'"
Meanwhile Wednesday, President Barack Obama toured New Jersey's battered coastline, saying the federal government was "going to be here for the long haul" for that state and 15 others dealing with destruction and power outages after Sandy, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie ordered that Halloween trick-or-treating be postponed in his state until Monday due to unsafe conditions.
Sandy killed at least 47 people in the U.S. after having killed at least 71 in the Caribbean.
Superstorm Sandy made landfall Monday evening on a destructive and deadly path across the Northeast.
More content from NBCNews.com:
- Obama surveying NJ disaster; Navy sends carriers to help
- Devastated NY community built by firefighters burned beyond their reach
- For some who stayed behind in New York, it wasn't too bad
- Flames rage anew in barrier island town ravaged by Sandy
- Sandy leaves trail of destruction, disbelief in its path
- Toppled tree exposes skeletal remains, cement box
- Your Sandy photos: Show us the heroes in your life
- New York's post-Sandy divide: Those with power and those without
- By the numbers: Superstorm Sandy


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Sunday Brunch: The Best Silver Dollar Pancakes Ever Recipe
First we had the greatest waffle recipe ever, so why not follow it up with the best silver dollar pancake recipe ever, which I have adapted from The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham, perhaps the best cookbook ever written on the subject (order it here, and you should). Cunningham calls these babies Bridge Creek Heavenly Hots, and boy are they heavenly when you serve them hot (and heavenly is not a word I normally use). Heavenly because they are so light they practically levitate over the plate they're put on. Who knows, one of these pancakes might keep going and end up in heaven.
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup cake flour
- 2 cups sour cream
- 3 tablespoons sugar
Put the eggs in a mixing bowl and stir until well blended.
Add the salt, baking soda, flour, sour cream, and sugar, and mix well. A blender works fine for this step.
Heat a griddle or frying pan until it is good and hot, film with grease, and drop spoonfuls of batter onto the griddle--just enough to spread to an approximately 2 1/2-inch round. When a few bubbles form on top of the pancakes, turn them over and cook briefly, no longer than 45 seconds.
Serve with warm butter and warm syrup. Try not to eat them all.


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largest waterfall
Grand Falls, Joplin
Heather Berry
One of Missouri's least-talked-about
wonders is located on Shoal Creek, just south of Joplin. Grand Falls,
Missouri's largest natural, continually flowing waterfall, is
like a miniature Niagara Falls. On a breezy day, you'll feel
the mist hit your face. It's exhilarating to find a natural,
beautiful spot such as this on a warm summer day in the Missouri Ozarks.
You can climb down a bit of umber-colored chert, also known as flint,
as you head toward this scenic stop. One of the widest waterfalls in
the state, Grand Falls is caused by unusually thick layers of chert
Although Missouri does have higher waterfalls, they don't flow
all year like Grand Falls. During high water, the height of the falls
increases to roughly 25 feet.
As you walk toward Grand Falls, be sure to take in the beauty of the
rock formations. The chert is often pocked with pools of water, making
tiny natural swimming pools for frogs or small plants to grow and abide.
reach the falls from the junction of Interstate 44 and Highway 86,
go south one mile, cross Shoal Creek and turn right immediately after
crossing the bridge. Follow the drive along the south bank of Shoal
Creek for three more miles. Be on the lookout for the falls on your
right. The approach from the north side is on private property.
For more information, contact the Joplin Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-657-2534.


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Within six hours of boarding the massive freighter that would carry me and four other passengers — along with 5,500 containers — from Vancouver to Hong Kong, I knew I'd made the right choice of travel plans.
Standing on the dimly lit navigation deck of the French flag container ship CMA CGM Tosca, docked at Deltaport at midnight, I had a moment when the licensed pilot coming aboard, mistaken me for the captain.
Alas, I had not achieved my boyhood dream of becoming master and commander of my very own ship. But the 21-day trip that followed provided not only spectacular sights and unusual experiences, but also satisfied more personal reasons for choosing such an adventure.
I could channel my first career as an 18-year-old indentured navigating cadet on a tramp freighter in the British merchant marine. It allowed me to sail across the North Pacific for the first time. And I disembarked in Hong Kong, where I had lived as a boy. Too many touchpoints to ignore.
Friends raised concerns about pirates, seagoing accidents and other dangers, but the risks just added excitement. At 62, recently divorced, newly laid off from work, and trying to reinvent my life, this was a journey in more ways than one.
Travelling aboard a freighter proved to be an Open Sesame to the inner workings of ship life, perfect for someone rediscovering that fascinating world. I haunted the navigation bridge after Captain Jean-Michel Serra said passengers were welcome there, I climbed 15 decks down into the bowels of the ship for a tour of the engine room, and watched as huge cranes descended on the ship to unload it at four harbours.
The journey began Dec. 10, 2012 up the coasts of British Columbia and Alaska. Then we headed through the Aleutians, west across the international date line, south past the Kamchatka peninsula and Kurile Islands, and along the Japanese islands of Hokkaido and Honshu to Yokohama. From there we sailed the China Seas to the ports of Shanghai, Ningbo and Hong Kong, where I disembarked on New Year's Eve.
From my privileged position as a passenger on the navigation bridge, I saw some unforgettable sights. Five days into the journey, travelling through Unimak Passage in the Aleutian Islands, we sailed between Unimak and Ugamak islands, each of them rocky cliffs covered with snow and ice and glacier.
The weather was clear, the sea calm, the vista stunning. Periodically the sun peeped out. From the inside warmth and comfort of the bridge, it didn't look cold until I walked out on the wing and caught a blast of icy wind, a reminder that once through this passage we would be in the Bering Sea. Whales spouted as a pod swam. It was magical.
Another memorable morning, as we sailed up the channel leading to Tokyo Bay, I got a magnificent view of the volcanic peak of Mount Fuji in all its snow-sloped splendour. Normally gossamer-garbed in cloud or mist, it was resplendently naked as we motored past, our huge vessel dwarfed by the mountain.
The spectacular sights outside were matched inside by the warmth and hospitality of its 28 officers and crew, mostly French and Romanian, who adopted the passengers as part of the ship's family. They even held their Christmas celebration — with tree, presents and festive dinner — three days early as some passengers were disembarking before Dec. 25.
Besides me, passengers included Nicholas, a retired Brit who divides his time between England and Thailand to make his pension stretch; Hiroki, a 27-year-old taking the slow boat home to Japan after studying English in Canada; and Tony and Liz, a recently retired Australian couple heading home after travelling around the world. Liz, witty and vivacious, had no trouble being the only woman on board. She participated in all the activities and said she had a great time — a comment I've heard from other women who have travelled aboard freighters.
Our little band of passengers got along so well together that we put together a little Christmas concert with songs from our varied backgrounds for captain and crew.
And with no cruise director to coddle us, we made our own entertainment — Ping-Pong tournaments, card games, movie nights. We had our own passenger lounge, with couches, card table, DVD player, and pirated DVDs — the closest we got to anything piratical on this trip. On Sundays and special occasions we were invited for a drink in the officers' lounge, with the captain and the chief mate hosting the bar.
The Christmas feast was sumptuous, but every day, the food exceeded expectations. Chief cook Simon Pascal was a French chef who served five-course gourmet meals for lunch and dinner complete with wine and cheese board.
As for accommodations, for 90 euros a day — about $120 Cdn — I had a double cabin to myself high up in the midships tower, just two decks below the bridge. There were two beds, a large desk, a three-seater couch, two armchairs, a coffee table, and an attached bathroom. Three big windows provided dramatic sea views forward and starboard.
For me, the best part was indulging my fascination with the workings of the ship, the biggest ocean-going vessel I've ever sailed on. The Tosca was 334 metres long (three football fields), 42 metres wide, and 94,410 gross tons in weight.
Early in the trip, chief engineer Nicolas Le Scornet led a 90-minute tour of his department, an amazingly clean below-deck world of surreal lighting and sound. The engine control room was a universe of control panels with lights, levers, dials, displays, switches and gauges.
We went up and down ladders, across gratings, through doorways — always with noise, sometimes with heat. We wore ear plugs, making it doubly difficult to hear over the racket of the pounding engines.
From a narrow outer corridor we saw an emergency control panel that can operate the steering gear manually. We were below sea level and the cold clamminess of the steel hull signalled the freezing waters of the North Pacific on the other side.
Watching the ship unload, especially at Yokohama, was another high point. After picking up the channel pilot, we moved in slow procession with other ships along a channel marked with buoys. Outbound vessels passed us in line to port, and we overtook a cluster of small motorized fishing vessels.
Docking a ship the size of the Tosca is a delicate dance choreographed between the pilot, the two tugs, our forward and aft docking parties, and the dockside gang. The tugs nudged us gently toward the pier. A heaving line thrown to the dock was attached to a four-inch-thick nylon mooring line, one of four that would eventually secure us forward. The same process was conducted aft.
The gangway went down, was quickly secured and before you can say banzai, dockside cranes cranked up, flatbed trucks lined up, and containers swung through the air on their way from ship to land.
We carried 5,500 containers, although our capacity was 8,500, stacked nine deep in the hold with a further eight tiers on deck. It's a logistical nightmare carefully managed by head office planners in Marseilles, the chief mate on board, and the port agent and dockside crew, with the help of automated systems that ensure a balanced load fore and aft. It's important to get this right. Imagine the chaos of having to unload 16 stacked containers to get at the misplaced 17th in the bottom of the hold!
At my last stop, Hong Kong — where I lived from 1952-55 — my heart beat a little faster as the tugs nudged us into our container dock. It was a clear day and the skyscrapers of Victoria harbour were in plain view to starboard.
As I prepared to leave the ship, deck officer Romica Apostol paid me a big compliment. He said, "After three weeks it's like you are part of the crew." I thanked him — and started plotting my next freighter trip.
If you go
There are a few freighters that accommodate a handful of passengers, and a small number of travel companies that can make the necessary arrangements. Google "freighter travel" to find out. The main requirements are a medical certificate from your doctor, travel insurance that includes emergency air evacuation, and visas for ports of call. Cost for my trip was 90 euros per day not including insurance and visas. Length of the voyage segment depends on your inclination and the vessel's availability.


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SCOTTS VALLEY — Randy Johnson took his seat as Scotts Valley"s new mayor, and Councilman Jim Reed as vice mayor, at Wednesday"s City Council meeting before talk turned to development of the city"s long-planned Town Center.
The council unanimously approved entering into exclusive negotiations with Pleasanton-based Property Development Centers — the development arm of food giant Safeway — for a six-month period.
As part of that agreement, the company will pay the city $25,000 in exchange for creating a project description and conceptual plans for a portion of the Town Center area.
Two Property Development Centers representatives, Thomas Fitzpatrick and Deborah Karbo, gave a brief overview of the company, which operates across the United States and Canada. Fitzpatrick also showed a video featuring dozens of shopping centers that either are still under development or have already been completed — including the Safeway shopping center on Mission Street in Santa Cruz.
The agreement could be extended for two months, and if a development agreement is reached, plans call for the Safeway on Mount Hermon Road to be relocated to the Town Center, Karbo said, and the space "backfilled" with a "suitable replacement."
But the unanimous vote came over the objections, and threat of a lawsuit, of Scotts Valley developer Russ Pratt. Last spring, Scotts Valley entered into an exclusive, six-month agreement with The Pratt Co. and Douglas Wiele, president of Foothill Partners.
In his comments to the Council, Pratt expressed surprise to see the proposal on the agenda, especially since he continued working with city officials even after the agreement ended. Funds from the city"s Redevelopment Agency were involved in that agreement, and he said the agency"s dissolution in February halted those discussions.
Further, the city must receive approval from the state Department of Finance, as well as the agency"s oversight board, before entering into any new agreements, he told the Council.
But if Scotts Valley is prepared to enter into another exclusive negotiating contract, he suggested officials instead ink it with The Pratt Co. and continue where they left off.
But city attorney Kirsten Powell clarified the agreement "expired on its own terms in September 2011," and that city leaders did consider any extensions because of the then-unknowns about the former agency"s funds and assets. She further clarified the city would require state and oversight board approval ahead of a formal development agreement, but not to enter into what amounts to preliminary talks.
Follow Sentinel reporter Kimberly White on Twitter at Twitter.com/kwhite95066


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A friend from Singapore called me at the weekend. Amongst other things we discussed President Trump's visit to the region, which is now taking place. He told me that Singaporeans (mostly ethnic Chinese) believe that America is on the way down and China is on the way up. In other words, the most powerful nation in Asia and the Pacific is now NOT the US, but China. Every nation in the region is having to come to terms with Chinese domination.
My friend, who is over 80, remembered the events of 1942 that led Singaporeans to realize the British Empire was on its way down. One of the greatest military defeats in British history was the fall of Singapore on the 15th of February in 1942. The story is told of Lee Kwan Yew, the first prime minister of Singapore. While he was a student, the British blew up the causeway that linked the city to the mainland, to delay Japanese forces. The sound of the explosion could be heard across the island. When Mr. Lee's British headmaster came out of the school building and asked him what the noise was, Mr. Lee responded: "It is the sound of the British Empire falling."
Effectively, it was. The fall of the British built and developed city started a series of events that led to American domination of Asia and the Pacific. Now, China's economic success means Beijing has greater clout in the area than Washington — many nations are looking to Beijing rather than Washington, to secure their future.
I posted an article to my blog in February to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the first time anybody realized that the US had overtaken the United Kingdom as the world's pre-eminent nation. It's all recounted in the book "Picking up the Reins," by Norman Moss. It wasn't until the following year that the term "Leader of the Free World" was applied to the US. Seventy years later, we find people openly talking about China overtaking the United States. Chinese resentment at US domination is illustrated by an item on today's BBC World News website. Apparently, the Chinese use the term "Boss of the World" to describe America.
China isn't the only power center trying to take over from America. The European Union is also determined to provide an alternative to American hegemony, with Germany's Angela Merkel now often labeled "the Leader of the Free World." Bible students will not be surprised at these developments.
Keep an eye on the growing Sunni-Shia struggle in the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia leads the former and Iran the latter. The two countries are fighting a proxy war in Yemen. The latest development was a missile attack on the Saudi capital, fired by Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran.
Iran also supports Hizbollah in Lebanon, whose prime minister resigned on Friday out of fear that he, like his father, will be assassinated.
From Monday's Jerusalem Post: "Saudi Arabia said on Monday that Lebanon had declared war against it because of attacks against the Kingdom by the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah."
Syria is also caught up in the Sunni-Shia conflict. Iran supports the Syrian president, Bashir Assad.
The West is solely focused on ISIS, a Sunni Islam group which is fighting Iranian backed forces in Iraq and Syria. ISIS is re-grouping in a number of countries, claiming to represent and defend Sunnis from the Shi'ite heretics.
It's all very complicated. Not at all as simple as TV news depicts.
A new area of conflict is in the Sahara, where the US lost four military personnel last month. Most attention was focused on President Trump's call to the young wife of one of the men who died. Little attention has been given to the wider problem of a growing conflict right across the Sahel.
The West seems to think ISIS has been defeated; the reality is that the organization has dispersed and formed new radical terrorist groups in a number of different countries. ISIS fighters have also been returning home to western nations – we should expect more terrorist attacks following the "defeat" of ISIS.
Big banks are worried about Brexit. A group of large financial institutions with big London operations, including JP Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and HSBC, has told US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross that Britain's unstable government and slow progress in Brexit planning may force them to start moving thousands of jobs out of the City in the near future. The lack of clarity over a transition deal is making them nervous.
Their concerns are unlikely to be assuaged by the latest chaos in Theresa May's cabinet. Mrs. May is under pressure to strip two more cabinet ministers of their jobs following separate fiascos involving Priti Patel and Boris Johnson. And the EU has warned that the UK has less than a month to make concessions on a divorce settlement. The FT's editorial outlines how the British government's flailing at home is translating into weakness abroad: "Allies are increasingly wondering whether Mrs. May's government has the focus or ability to play Britain's traditional global position — let alone the enhanced role pledged by Brexit." (Financial Times, 11/8)
26 people were shot dead in church Sunday, following a man's argument with his mother-in-law. Twenty others were injured, some very seriously.
This was the 307th incident of mass murder in the US this year. Today is the 310th days of the year, so, in effect, the US is experiencing an average of one mass attack per day. A mass murder incident is defined as the murder of four or more people.
No other nation in the world sees so much violence. Yemen, in a civil war between Shia and Sunni Muslims (see segment above), has the second highest incident rate. Statistically, you would be safer living in Yemen, than in the United States.
I've always believed that people have a right to defend themselves, a right that goes back at least to the time of Henry II in the 12th century and perhaps goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom prior to the Norman ascendancy. The second amendment of the US constitution guarantees that right. After an attack in London a few weeks ago, I pointed out that if one member of the public, just one, had been carrying a weapon, the terror attack might have been thwarted.
President Trump raised the issue of mental health in the context of mass shootings at a press conference in Tokyo. Mental health is certainly a major issue. But easy access to guns, especially by the mentally ill, is also a factor and needs to be addressed. It's time for that presidential commission of inquiry into mass gun violence. Let the public have their say. They are the ones that are dying, even in church.
November 7th is the anniversary of the Russian Revolution that brought the communists to power. Not surprisingly, Russians are not enthused about the anniversary. They rejected communism over 25 years ago.
There is still talk of a restoration of the monarchy, though most people do not seem to be in favor and do not expect it to happen.
There are lessons here from both France and Spain, two countries that were once dominated by their respective leaders, Charles de Gaulle and General Franco. Both were strong men, who were vain enough to think that nobody could possibly replace them after their deaths. Both men thought that the best way to preserve their nations in the future was through the restoration of their national monarchies.
De Gaulle was a close friend of the Comte de Paris, the descendant of the Orleanist monarch, Louis Phillipe, who ruled France from 1830-1848. The Comte was aware of de Gaulle's desire to restore the monarchy.
In 1968, France was rocked by student riots and violence across the country. DeGaulle presented constitutional reforms (not including a restoration) that were rejected, leading to his resignation as President of France in April, 1969. He died one year later. De Gaulle, the inspiration behind the Fifth Republic in 1958, need not have worried — the Fifth Republic remains to this day.
General Franco of Spain, a fascist dictator, had more time to think about the Spanish succession, proclaiming that his heir and successor was to be Juan Carlos, of the Bourbon line of monarchs. As soon as Franco died in 1975, Juan Carlos was proclaimed king. Rather than continuing Franco's conservative ideology, the new King dedicated himself to protecting Spanish democracy, thereby at the same time preserving the monarchy. He even had the respect and support of Spanish communists.
Vladimir Putin may be thinking along the same lines. He's been a very strong leader, with a 90% approval rating at times. He must be fearful of Russia's future after he leaves the scene.
The restoration of the Romanov dynasty along Spanish lines, may be just what he's thinking. He's already reviving Russian culture, and has helped the church take center stage.
The US is now the only country in the world that has not signed up to the Paris climate treaty. Syria was the only other holdout, but has now signed.
The Anglo-Saxon world loves its scandals, especially when its leaders are exposed. In this regard, the Paradise Papers did not disappoint.
While TV audiences are focused on who has what and why, it should be emphasized that absolutely no one "exposed" broke the law. They simply took advantage of legal tax loopholes, just as most people do, only theirs is on a much bigger scale than the average citizen.
The only law-breaking going on here was by the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, which somehow gained access to private financial information. The paper's partners in this enterprise included the British Guardian newspaper and the New York Times. No surprises there.
Another concern is this: the revelations are the latest "scandal" to undermine our institutions. As if the Harvey Weinstein and other sexual revelations are not enough, we now have nightly reports that Queen Elizabeth II (and others) have been protecting their assets by moving them beyond the control of national governments.
Times have certainly changed. Fifty years ago, royal tour-guides would proudly announce that the British monarch was the richest woman in the world. Now, she's not even in the top 500 wealthiest people in Britain (J.K. Rowling heads the female list), and people are getting riled about it.
The amount involved was only 10 million pounds ($13 million).
Exactly 100 years after the class warfare of the Russian Revolution, people have learned nothing. All socialism brought was "equal shares of misery for all" (Margaret Thatcher's definition). Do we really want to embrace it again, naively thinking it will improve all our lives?


text: Silicon microelectronics has been ruled for over thirty years by the miniaturization of characteristic dimensions of CMOS components. This miniaturization is envisaged to the dimensions of the order of ten nanometers. LTM activity is now largely mobilized around the basic technologies that directly contribute to the miniaturization of micro and nano electronic devices and the introduction of new materials in nanoelectronics channels.


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Michelle Basch, wtop.com
ARLINGTON, Va. – Excitement is brewing at some local libraries where a pricey, yet popular, toy can now be signed out and taken home for free.
In honor of Women's History Month, Arlington Public Library branches are allowing kids to borrow historical American Girl dolls for one week at a time.
"Children get them for a week and they take them to parties. They have play dates. They have slumber parties with their friends, and basically the doll becomes part of that child's family for the week," says Arlington Public Library Director Diane Kresh.
Each doll comes with period clothing and a storybook that places the character in different situations and different eras of American history.
Inside each doll's carrying case, there is a story card detailing some of the things that happened in Arlington County during the era of the doll's story.
"So Julie, a doll of the '70s, will talk about what was happening in Arlington in the '70s. There was Title IX. There were girls' sports teams. We were getting going with the environmental movement. We had the first female firefighter in the department join the force in the early '70s," Kresh says.
"The cool thing is that we're actually able to highlight materials that are in the Virginia Room, which is our local history collection — books, maps, photographs, personal histories of people who lived in the community — so it really adds that layer of reality to what would normally just be a doll," Kresh adds.
In addition to taking the doll home, children can record their adventures with the doll.
"The doll travels with a journal, so the child gets to journal about what the doll was experiencing while the doll was with that family for a week," Kresh says.
Library leaders picked up on the idea for the American Girl Lending Program after hearing about a library in Brooklyn that began lending a doll. Right now, the Arlington Public Library is the only library system in the region with such a program.
"Parents love it. They love the local history. They love the fact that it's something that children who might not otherwise be able to have access to the dolls because they're very expensive, can enjoy something that's really deeply part of American culture," Kresh says.
In stores, the dolls sell for more than $100 each.
Children wishing to borrow a doll can put their names on a waiting list at one of the Arlington Public Library branch locations. The dolls have been available for a week and already have a six-month waiting period.
"They're enormously popular," Kresh says.
So far, the Arlington Public Library has 16 American Girl dolls. It plans to have 20 very soon. The library also is asking people to donate gently used historical American Girl dolls so it can expand its offerings and keep the waiting list as short as possible.
On Tuesday, the library received a donation of a "Samantha" doll, which will be the first of her kind in its collection. Samantha's literary life is set in the year 1904. She will be available for loan in a few weeks.
Also on Tuesday, the library learned that a quilting club in Minnesota heard about the library's American Girl program and is now making quilts for the dolls. The club will donate the quilts as a service project.
Follow @WTOPLiving and @WTOP on Twitter.


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Are you in the United States?
Visit our U.S.A. & International site for relevant pricing, distribution and product availability information.Go to StarTech.com
Micro-USB Cable - M/M - 1m, blue
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Product ID: USBAUB1MBL
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Product Numbers
Ingram Chile
UPC Code
Technical Specifications
|Warranty Information
|Cable Jacket Material
|PVC - Polyvinyl Chloride
|Cable Shield Material
|Aluminum-Mylar Foil with Braid
|Connector Plating
|Type and Rate
|USB 2.0 - 480 Mbit/s
|Connector A
|1 - USB Type-A (4 pin) USB 2.0 Male
|Connector B
|1 - USB Micro-B (5 pin) Male
|Special Notes / Requirements
|Micro USB connector molding width is 10mm and height is 6mm (please see drawing)
|Physical Characteristics
|Cable Length
|3.3 ft [1 m]
|Connector Style
|Product Height
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|3.3 ft [1 m]
|Product Width
|Weight of Product
|0.9 oz [26 g]
|Wire Gauge
|Packaging Information
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|0.4 in [11 mm]
|Package Length
|8.7 in [22 cm]
|Package Quantity
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|1 - 1m Blue Mobile Charge Sync Micro USB Cable - A to Micro B
Related Products
Micro-USB Cable - M/M - 1m, Green
Charge and Sync your Micro USB-equipped Smartphone or Tablet
Product Support
Data Sheets
Compliance and Safety
Compliance Letters
Safety Measures
- If product has an exposed circuit board, do not touch the product under power.
- If Class 1 Laser Product. Laser radiation is present when the system is open.
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- Cables (including power and charging cables) should be placed and routed to avoid creating electric, tripping or safety hazards.
* Product appearance and specifications are subject to change without notice.