text:
Garvan Walshe was National and International Security Policy Adviser to the Conservative Party until 2008.
In Barcelona's El Born market, the visitor is treated to an exercise in nation building that would make Alex Salmon proud. Now a museum, the old market hall's floor has been excavated to show the outline of old city streets: rough stones piled perhaps five feet off the ground trace grand merchant houses and butcher's shops that stood before they were razed following the Bourbon victory in the War of Spanish Succession, to provide clear fields of fire from the citadel constructed to the city's north west to, as the phrase of the time had it, "overawe" Barcelona's populace.
Crisp modern displays explain the "Borbonic repression" of Catalans, their institutions, culture and language. Their struggle had commanded the hearts of Europe, even prompting unsuccessful military intervention by, among others, England's Whig administration; their failure would usher the Tories back to power in London for the first time since the revolution of 1688-1689.
The romantically inclined might find this historically incomplete story of freedom-loving Catalans' futile struggle for independence against austere Counter-Reformation Castile echoed in later conflicts and finally in the notorious Civil War of 1936-1939. A conflict won, once again, by the forces of Catholic reaction led by the generalisimo Francisco Franco.
Needless to say, no army of occupation, conscripts' fingers hovering over triggers, grim-faced officers hovering over them sets road blocks on the Ramblas, any more than the Queen's dragoons patrol Glasgow's George Square.
This time the dispute is about money.
Cataluña, to use its Castillian name this time, is one of Spain's most prosperous regions. Independence-minded Catalans see themselves as more advanced and efficient than the rest of Spain's inhabitants and resent bailing out what they consider to be the corrupt and backward Madrid elite.
Since democracy returned to Spain in 1978 however, Catalan nationalism has been a conservative, business-minded force. So conservative indeed that in the 1990s, the Catlan Convergencia i Unió (now Convergencia Democratica) party saw fit to support the government of the conservative Partido Popular. No leader of the SNP would contemplate doing the same thing for a Tory administration.
Their difficulty lies in producing a conservative constitutional revolution. Unable to obtain enough support for independence on the centre-right they have been forced to make a pact with the decidedly left-wing stream of republican Catalan nationalists, who these days go by the name of CUP. Together with the CUP, Convergencia won a slender majority of seats in a snap regional election called last November, after the supreme court in Madrid ruled an independence referendum unconstitutional.
At this point, the CUP, very much the junior partner in the nationalist coalition, turned the screw, and prevented the region's parliament from nominating Arur Mas, Convergencia's leader, as the region's president. The ostensible reason was Mas's role covering up allegations of corruption by the previous Convergencia leadership, involving suitcases of cash being deposited in secret accounts located in the tiny Pyrennean principality of Andorra. Though Mas did not succeed in being appointed president, his replacement, Carles Puidgemont, is very much Mas's man.
Divisions between Convergencia and CUP extend to the constitutional question on which they are supposedly united. The more radical CUP want to begin the process of independence immediately. Convergencia would prefer to negotiate terms of independence, and, sensing they lack a democratic mandate, seek support in a referendum before going any further. Pro-independence parties won only 47.8 per cent of the vote: as the "unionist" opposition has noted, they called a plebiscitary referendum, which they then lost.
That is not perhaps a problem for the radicals of the CUP, but the attack tells against the conservative Convergencia. To go for independence without a referendum would be illegitimate even to themselves; but to hold an illegal referendum is equally difficult.
To be sure, the flags scattered on balconies and behind windows and planted atop hills are Catalan independence ones – red and gold stripes fringed by a white star on triangular field of blue – but the silent or indifferent majority is still for staying put.
With a power vaccuum in Madrid (where an inconclusive election has yet to produce a governing coalition), now might appear to be the nationalists' chance, but it's one they are unlikely to be able to seize. The lesson here, as in Quebec and Scotland, is that this kind of luxury nationalism, undertaken to fulfil a sense of identity, not to protect people from colonial oppression, struggles to get across the line. With no Bourbon troops to impose daily humiliation, the nationalists risk losing their opportunity for ever.


text:
Women's Comfort Loafers
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Telangana DSC recruitment 2019 Notification Released For 16193 Teacher Vacancies Apply Online @ www.tspsc.gov.in
Telangana TS DSC Recruitment 2019 : Telangana State Public Service Commission has recently released an employment notification to recruit eligible and qualified candidates into 16193 vacancies of teacher posts in the state. TPSC has invited applications from eligible and skillful candidates on or before given last date. Interested candidates can submit their applications online through their official website i.e. www.tspsc.gov.in
Candidates from Telangana state who were qualified and willing to work in teaching filed can utilize these opportunity and apply for Telangana DSC Recruitment 2019.Candidates are advised to check all detailed information like qualification required,age limit,recruitment process,application fee..etc related to the recruitment given below. Candidates can also follow the steps given below to fill and submit their application through the given official link.
About TSPSC: Telangana State Public Service Commission is a body formed by the constitution of India to select the eligible candidates for fulfilling the vacant position in the Govt offices and departments.It was formed in the year 2014 after the separation of Telangana state from the Andhra Pradesh. It was formed for the smooth operation related to the recruitment of the candidates.
- Name of the organization : Telangana State Public Service Commission
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Apply Here : Telangana DSC Recruitment | 16193 Teacher Vacancies


text:
Let's take a moment to admire this wonderful Optimus Prime hoodie from 80's Tees. There's no mistaking this kid as anything BUT an Autobot. No but really, I think I finally found my Halloween costume. Not to sound like the Grinch of the spooky holiday, but I dread looking for a costume. Girls have it easy: put on lace underwear, cat ears, and call it a day. I've just never been the guy that plans his outfits months in advance. I however am the guy that would throw on this hoodie and say I'm Optimus Prime.
What are you planning on being for Halloween this year?
Buy now: $60 USD


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The online freelance writing world is one that is changing constantly, and methods that paved the way to easy payouts in the thousands of dollars a month just a year ago or less now may no longer exist. One of the most important traits a successful freelance writer can have is being adaptable and knowing how to diversify, and this is even more true with writers who focus on web writing, which is even more volatile than the regular markets. While there are many options when it comes to writing online, it's also important to understand that the online landscape will be changing constantly. The best writers who continue to profit will learn how to adapt, just as experienced writers have already had to adjust to the following.
Remember eHow? If you started freelance writing back in 2006 or 2007, one of the best places to write was on eHow. You could sign up for free, and it was a residual income based set up that you profited from. Originally eHow articles ranked extremely easily without any link building, and even the smallest amount of SEO could often shoot these articles into the top 3 or 5 for search engine rankings. The results? A new author who knew how to do just nominal keyword research could earn $3-5 an article per month easily even without much SEO and without hitting a "home run" type of keyword. Since it was easy to write 10-15 articles a day, this was a great place to go from $0 to $2,000 a month in only a few months. However eHow stopped taking new submissions in the spring of 2010, and then Demand Studios close the writer compensation program completely in spring of 2011, shutting out a full time income for many writers.
The End of Demand Studios. At first, not everyone was bummed since writing for Demand Studios meant $15 an article and writers who were good at writing formatted articles and didn't get caught up in completely unimportant details and steps could easily write 2 or more an hour. Writers using voice software could produce even more. Many writers for years made a very comfortable living freelance writing here, and it was a great site to introduce beginners to. However, things started going south in the summer of 2011 and as the number of titles available fell from hundreds of thousands to mere thousands of titles, and then eventually none. Now for all intensive purposes, the writing program for Demand Studios is no more despite being one of the largest writing programs for online writers for several years.
Is HubPages Killing Itself? This is a sad one, because the change in management behavior here and reactions to the infamous Google Panda updates has more to do with this site suffering as opposed to even the Panda Updates themselves. HubPages used to be one of the best places for online writers to get into Google AdSense and Amazon sales. However the change in ad layout makes hubs virtually worthless for AdSense clicks and conversion, and the Amazon sales just like the eBay sales, are now rolled into the "Hub Ad Program" but the problem is the uptick in the Hub Ad Program is nowhere close to the income lost. Also, the inconsistentcy of these pages to rank and the loss of age value after being moved to subdomains means I just can't recommend these to newbies anymore. Many of the best marketers have left this site, which is going to kill their earnings, and the new hostile movement towards users certainly doesn't help. At one point HubPages was a gem, but those days are long gone. Beginners are better off starting with their own pages and building it up from there. With the way traffic numbers and administrator actions are taking, it wouldn't be out of the question to wonder whether or not HubPages will even be around a few years from now.
Staying Away from Xomba. Xomba was a popular site for online writers that emphasized a 50/50 AdSense split and also offered a very popular section for bookmarking links with a small blurb. This section has all been but removed (and really was the best they had to offer writers and Internet Marketers) and they went pretty hard core on being anti-money and going heavy quality. While this might work for some in the long run, you still need to be able to make money to make it worthwhile. If you're starting out, there's no ranking advantage to writing for Xomba versus starting your own website from scratch, so why give up half of your income?
The Infamous Google Panda Updates. These updates have changed the face of the online writihg world. The good news? Old crappy content written with rehashed "facts" by 3rd world writers is going out the window as Google refuses to reward these types of websites anymore. The bad news? There is a strong movement with the new rankings to go to big established companies for products. This means a lot of the old strategies are out the window. For passionate writers who provide high quality and are willing to work on their own passion site will do well. Talented writers who are willing to provide high quality content to website owners can also do very well since they are going to be in much higher demand as ghost writers.
The Google Panda updates, and the rolling monthly updates, means more and more emphasis will be put on high quality content and away from thin affiliate or advertising sites that used to be favorites among bloggers and affiliates. As the search engine game continues to change, people who choose to freelance write online will have to continue adjusting to profit from these changes and practices. Since Google owns the overwhelming percentage of the search engine market, for the time being every move they make is going to effect how online websites work. This even affects online freelance writers who don't care about passive income, as being able to meet market demands will keep you in high demand.


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To examine the public art that will soon go up at the North Beach library, all you have to do is close your eyes.
The to-be-built library will feature a soundtrack of noises from around the neighborhood, as designed by audio artist and North Beach resident Bill Fontana. His idea for a "sound sculpture" beat out two other finalists at the Arts Commission's Visual Arts Committee meeting Wednesday.
Fontana proposed to build a series of small loudspeakers that would play "a changing mix of sounds that are taken from environmental, historical, cultural and social situations in the surroundings of North Beach and its adjacent communities." A stream of bell chimes, birdsong and ocean waves can be heard on a sample clip.
The committee gave the project a green light, with the condition that he refine the proposal to be more specific about the types of sounds he plans to collect and the set-up of the sound system.
The final result "will reflect the unique sounds and character of a beloved and iconic neighborhood," said Kate Patterson, a commission spokeswoman, in an e-mail.
In an e-mail, Fontana wrote, "I came up with the idea of the sound sculpture as a response to the architectural design of the building. It seemed … interesting to wrap the wedge shaped exterior of the building with a sound sculpture exploring the rich acoustic worlds of North Beach and its surroundings.


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Former Senator Schmitt Summarizes the Effects of Cosmic Rays on Climate Change
Climate change driven by the sun, constitutes a strongly competitive hypothesis to the climate modeling-political hypothesis of human-caused global warming. As many scientists have documented, the position and orientation of the Earth in its orbit around the sun and the sun's variable activity determine weather and climate [1]. As part of this process, oceans store enormous amounts of solar energy, dwarfing by a factor of 10 the energy stored in the atmosphere. Ocean currents create climate variations over vast regions by transferring their energy around the globe over decades and centuries through a system of interconnected currents and current oscillations [2].
Increasing evidence suggests that a mechanism exists for strong amplification of relatively small solar variations of only ±0.1%. That mechanism lies within the interaction of changes in the ionosphere, heating of the stratosphere, ozone production, ionization in the troposphere, concentrations of atmospheric water and other greenhouse gases, nucleation of reflective clouds, and variations in ionization effects and resistive heating within the global electric circuit [3]. Obviously, this constitutes a very complex mix of interrelationships, not likely to be soon subject to predictive computer modeling.
The direct relationship of the strength of solar magnetic fields with the sunspot activity on the sun [4] may provide a large part of the amplification answer. Research by Henrik Svensmark of Denmark's Center for Sun-Climate Research and others indicates that the strength of solar magnetic fields influences the depth of penetration of cosmic rays entering the Earth's atmosphere [5]. These cosmic rays consist largely of extremely high-energy, electrically charged hydrogen and helium nuclei that to some degree can be diverted from entering the solar system by sufficiently strong solar magnetic fields. Cosmic ray collisions with gases in the atmosphere also produce isotopes of Beryllium (10Be) and Carbon (14C) that in turn provide a measurable history of variations in cosmic ray intensity when taken up in tree rings and other annually layered materials [6].
The physical mechanism for a cosmic ray stimulation of low cloud formation appears to be increased ionization of aerosols and the resulting enhancement of water nucleation sites [7]. Indeed, the increase in satellite measured global brightening since about 1992 probably relates to a steady increase in total global cloud cover [8]. Periods of weak solar magnetic fields, known to correlate with low sunspot activity, allow cosmic rays to penetrate more deeply into the lower atmosphere [9] where they ionize more gas molecules than average, thus seeding more cloud cover and increasing the reflection of solar energy back into space. The reverse occurs with periods of strong solar magnetic fields.
As cloud cover expands, more solar radiation reflects back into space, resulting in a net cooling of the atmosphere and increased snow accumulation, particularly in temperate and arctic regions. A current illustration of the cooling effect of decreased solar activity appears to be in the currently very quiet sun and the recent reversal of the slightly elevated warming trend of the 1970s through 1990s. How long this cooling trend will persist remains to be seen; however, Greenland glaciers have been advancing since 2006 [10] and snowy, cold winters have dominated weather news coverage from northern North America and Europe. In adition, 2009 Fall Arctic sea ice has returned to most of its 1979 levels of coverage [11].
Satellite observations of cloud cover, isotopic analysis of tree rings, ice cores and stalagmites, and historical analyses of solar activity support the hypothesis that cosmic rays can amplify solar variations. As to the fundamental nature of sunspot generation and corresponding strengthening of the interplanetary magnetic field, a strong positive correlation exists between small changes in solar radius and sunspot number [12] as well as with variations in magnetic fields at the surface of the Sun [13]; but a full understanding of these phenomena remains elusive.
Additional evidence of long-term variations in cosmic ray damage in meteorites, correlated with major ice ages on a 150 million year cycle of global cooling, strongly suggest that such ice ages may result from (or be intensified by) the solar system's passage through the regions of high intensity cosmic ray sources in the spiral arms of the Milky Way Galaxy [14]. This potential galactic influence on cloud formation and colder climate matches the observation that long periods of very low sunspot activity, and an accompanying weakened solar magnetic field, correlate with the coldest periods within the of the Little Ice Age of 1400-1900 [15].
A significant test of the existence of significant solar amplification may occur over the next sunspot cycle (Cycle 24); the beginning of which was delayed at least two years and its slow onset continues to confound predictions [16]. This slow onset has been accompanied by a particularly large decline in ultraviolet radiation, a commensurate decline in stratospheric ozone, and solar activity apparently out of phase with radiative forcing of global temperature [17]. Given the recent research findings discussed above, the current prolongation of less solar irradiance, reduced solar magnetic field strength, and greater convective energy between the surface and stratosphere may combine to create increased cosmic ray induced cloud formation and cooling in middle latitudes and greater total energy of tropical hurricanes and cyclones originating in the tropics [18].
The north-south flow of material at the Sun's surface has been faster and more variable than normal during the approach to sunspot Cycle 24 and the current prolonged sunspot minimum— the quietest in 100 years [19]. This coincides as well with an anomalously low output of solar soft x-rays [20]. The strength of the resulting solar polar magnetic fields during the drop off from the sunspot maximum in 2000-2001 has been about half of normal and also may have resulted in increased cosmic ray induced cloud formation since that maximum. That would coincide with evidence of relatively constant or decreasing global temperature since about 2000.
In addition to strong evidence that solar mediated cosmic ray flux can amplify variations in solar energy input, the theoretical potential also exists for a weakly varying solar heating or cooling signal to be amplified through "stochastic resonance," that is, amplification by the addition of nature's random weather-related background noise to an otherwise weak solar signal [21]. Such an addition could raise a solar heating signal over and above the background and could be further amplified by a non-linear system like ocean currents.
A further complication for those trying to model the future of climate change lies in the aforementioned global electric circuit. This circuit carries a net electric current of about one kiloamp that flows from thunderstorms in the lower atmosphere (troposphere) into the ionosphere and magnetosphere and then closes with the Earth's surface through atmospheric contact and lightning [22]. Convection in thunderstorms, solar wind interaction with the Earth's magnetosphere, and tides in the atmosphere's thermosphere (high temperature, ionized, very thin atmosphere above about 80 km) power the global electric circuit. Thunderstorms, particularly those in the equatorial Intertropical Convergence Zone, appear to be the most important component of this process. No indication exists that current global climate models adequately address any of these global natural phenomena.
What are the policy implications of this complicated natural science summarized in the Climate essays of this series? The unconstitutional regulatory responses in the name of controlling climate proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Congressional Leadership, the President, and some State leaders must be resisted with the certainty that strong scientific research sup¬ports the hypothesis that climate is controlled by nature, not by human use of fossil fuels.
Using naturally warming climate as a false crisis, Government desires to regulate and tax the American economy without constitutional authority. In doing so, Government's inherently arbitrary and capricious regulatory actions will reduce individual and collective liberty by raising the cost of living of all citizens and in clear violation of the natural, intensive rights guaranteed by the 9th Amendment.
(See also essays No. 10 of 02/22/2010; No. 29 of 07/02/2010; No. 30 of 07/14/2010; No. 31 of 07/19/2010; No. 32 of 07/23/2010; No. 33 of 07/26/2010; and No. 34 of 08/10/2010)
References Cited in Text
1. Milankovitch, M., 1941, Kanon der Erdbestrahlung und seine Andwendung auf das Eiszeitenproblem, Royal Serbian Academy, Belgrade; Kukla, G., 2010, Misunderstood global warming, Heartland Conference on Climate Change #4, Chicago, May 17, 2010; Huyber, P., 2009, Antarctica's orbital beat, Science, 325, 1085-1086; Ruddiman, W. F., 2004, The role of greenhouse gases in orbital-scale climatic changes, EOS,85, 1, pp.1 and 6-7; Hays, J. S, et al., 1976, Variations in the earth's orbit: Pacemaker of the ice ages, Science, 194, 1121-1132; Ruddiman, W. F., 2003, Orbital insolation, ice volume, and greenhouse gases, Quaternary Science Review, 22, 1597-1629; Nash,T., et al., 2009, Nature, 458, 322-328; Soon, W., 2010, The Sun, the Milky Way, and the CO2 Monster, Heartland Conference on Climate Change #4, Chicago, May 17, 2010.
2. Gray, W. M., 2009, Climate Change: Driven by the ocean not human activity, presented at the 2nd Annual Heartland Institute Conference on Climate Change, New York, March 8-10; Goldberg, F., 2009, Do the planets and the sun control the climate and the CO2 in the atmosphere?, 2nd Annual Heartland Institute Conference on Climate Change, New York, March 8-9; Yu, S.-Y., S. M. Colman, et al., 2010, Freshwater outburst from Lake Superior as a trigger for the cold event 9300 years ago, Science, 328, 1262-1266; Bard, E., 2002, Climate shock: Abrupt changes over millennial time scales, Physics Today, December, 32-38.
3. Labitzke, K., 1987, Sunspots, the QBO, and the stratospheric temperature in the north polar region. Geophysical Research Letters, 14, 535-537; Labitzke, K. and van Loon, H., 1988, Associations between the 11-year solar cycle, the QBO and the atmosphere, Journal Atmospheric and Terrestrial Physics, 50, 197-206; Labitzke, K., 2005, On the Solar Cycle-QBO-Relationship: A Summary, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Special Issue, 67, 45-54; Haigh, J. D., 1996, The impact of solar variability on climate, Science, 272, 981-984; Shindell, D., et al., 1999, Solar cycle variability, ozone, and climate, Science, 284, 305-308; McCormack, J. P., et al., 2007, Solar-QBO interaction and its impact on stratospheric ozone in a zonally averaged photochemical transport model of the middle atmosphere, Journal of Geophysical Research – Atmospheres, August 28, 112, D16109, doi:10.1029/2006JD008369; Tinsley, B. A., 2008, The global atmospheric electric circuit and its effects on cloud microphysics, Reports of Progress in Physics, 71, 066801, 31p.; Feingold, G., et al., 2010, Precipitation-generated oscillations in open cellular cloud fields, Nature, 466, 849-852; Tinsley, B.A., 1997, Do effects of global atmospheric electricity on clouds cause climate changes?, EOS, 78, 33, pp. 341, 344, 349; Bering, E., and J. Benbrook, 1998, The global electric circuit, Physics Today, October, pp. 24-30.
4. Willson, R. C. and H. S. Hudson, 1991, The Sun's luminosity over a complete solar cycle, Nature, 351, 42-44; Svalgaard, L., and J. M. Wilcox, 1974, The spiral interplanetary magnetic field: a polarity and sunspot cycle variation, Science, 1974, 186, 51-53; Easterbrook, D., 2010, The looming threat of global cooling, Heartland Conference on Climate Change #4, Chicago, May 17, 2010.
5. Svensmark, H., and E. Friis-Christensen, 1997, Variation of cosmic ray flux and global cloud coverage – A missing link in solar climate relationships, Journal of Atmospheric and Terrestrial Physics, 59, 1225-1232; Svensmark, H., 2007, Cosmoclimatology: A new theory emerges, Astronomy & Geophysics, 48 (1), 18-24.; Ney, E. P., 1959, Cosmic radiation and the weather, Nature, 183, pp. 451-452; Foukal, P. C., et al., 2006, variations in solar luminosity and their effect on Earth's climate, Nature, 443, 161-166; Ram, M, M. R. Tolz, and B. A. Tinsley, 2009, The terrestrial cosmic ray flux: Its importance for climate, EOS, 90, 44, 397-398; Carslaw, K., 2009, Cosmic rays, clouds and climate, Nature, 460, 332-333; Pierce, J. R., and P. J. Adams, 2009, Can cosmic rays affect cloud condensation nuclei by altering new particle formation rates? Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2009GL037946; Shaviv, N. J., 2005, On climate response to changes in the cosmic ray flux and radiative budget, Journal of Geophysical Research, 110, doi 10.1029/2004JA010866; US Geological Survey, 2000, The Sun and climate, USGS Fact Sheet PS-095-00, August.
6. Bond, G. B., et al., 2001, Persistent solar influence on North Atlantic climate during the Holocene, Science, 294, 2130-2136; Bard, E., et al., 2000, Solar irradiance during the last 1200 years based on cosmogenic nuclides, Tellus, 52B, 985-992; MacDonald, G. M. et al., 2008, Climate warming and 21st-Century drought in Southwestern North America, EOS, 89, 9, p. 82; US Geological Survey, 2000, The Sun and climate, USGS Fact Sheet PS-095-00, August.
7. Carslaw, K., et al., 2002, Cosmic Rays, Clouds, and Climate, Science, 298, 1732-1737; Harrison, R. G., and M. H. P. Ambaum, 2008, Enhancement of cloud formation by droplet charging, Proceedings of the Royal Society Australia A, 464, 2561-2573; Burns, G. B., et al., 2008 Atmospheric circuit influences on ground-level pressure in the Antarctic and Arctic, Journal of Geophysical Research, 113, S15112, doi:10.1029/ 2007JD009618; Tinsley, B. A., 2008, The global atmospheric electric circuit and its effects on cloud microphysics, Reports of Progress in Physics, 71, 066801, 31p.
8. Pinker, R. T., Zhang. B., and Dutton, E. G., 2005, Do Satellites Detect Trends in Surface Solar Radiation?, Science, 308, 850-854; Monckton, C., 2010, Heartland Conference on Climate Change #4, Chicago, May 17, 2010.
9. Donarummo, J., Jr., et al., 2002, Sun/dust correlations and volcanic interference, Geophysical Research Letters, 29(9), 1361, doi:10.1029/2002GL0014858.
10. Meeting Briefs, 2009, Galloping glaciers of Greenland have reined themselves in, Science, 323, p. 458.
11. Goldberg, F., 2010, Some Historical Ice Observations and Future Possible Ice Conditions in the Arctic, Heartland Conference on Climate Change #4, Chicago, May 17, 2010.
12. Abdussamatov, H. I., 2010, The sun dictates the climate, Heartland Conference on Climate Change #4, Chicago, May 17, 2010.
13. National Academy of Sciences, 1997, Space Weather: A Research Perspective, http://www7.nationalacademies.org/ssb/SSB_Space_weather97.pdf; National Academy of Sciences, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_National_Academy_of_Sciences.
14. Svensmark, H. 2007, Cosmoclimatology: a new theory emerges, Astronomy & Geophysics, 48, 1.18-1.24; Shaviv, N., and J. Veizer, 2003, Celestial driver of Phanerozoic climate?, GSA Today, 13, 4-10.
15. Schröder, W., 2005, Case studies on the Spörer, Maunder, and Dalton minima, Beiträge zur Geschichte der Geophysik und Kosmischen Physik. 6, Potsdam: AKGGP, Science Edition; Eddy J. A., 1976, The Maunder Minimum, Science, 192, 1189–1202.
16. EOS, 2009, Not to worry: Solar magnetic activity for Cycle 24 is increasing, EOS, 89, 43, p. 418.
17. Haigh, J. D., et al., 2010, An influence of solar spectra variations on radiative forcing of climate, Nature, 467, 696-699.
18. Hodges, R, and J. Eisner, 2010, Evidence linking solar variability with USA hurricanes, American Meterorological Society Annual Meeting.
19. Hathaway, D. H., and L. Rightmire, 2010, Variations in the Sun's meridional flow over a solar cycle, Science, 327, 1350-1352; Dikpati, et al., 2010, Impact of charges in the Sun's conveyor-belt on recent solar cycles, Geophysical Research Letters, 37, L14107, 10.1029/2010GL044143; Nandy, D., et al., 2011, The unusual minimum of sunspot cycle 23 caused by meridional plasma flow variations, Nature, 471, 80-82.
20. Sylvester, J., et al., 2010, The Sun's x-ray emission during the recent solar minimum, EOS, 91, 8, 73-74.
21. Rahmstorf, S., and R. Alley, 2002, Stocastic resonance in glacial climate, EOS, 83, 12, pp. 129, 135.
22. Tinsley, B. A., 2008, The global atmospheric electric circuit and its effects on cloud microphysics, Reports of Progress in Physics, 71, 066801, 31p, Tinsley, B. A., 1997, Do effects of global atmospheric electricity on clouds cause climate changes?, EOS, 78, 33, pp. 341, 344, 349; Bering, E., and J. Benbrook, 1998, The global electric circuit, Physics Today, October, 24-30, Harrison, R. G., The global atmospheric electrical circuit and climate, Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, http://arxiv.org/pdf/physics/0506077.


text:
Naked Cotton™ Textured 200 count
- 100% Pure Cotton: No viscose, rayon, or other chemical material used
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- EXTRA LARGE SIZE ; 1 box contains 200 count of 4*6 inches cotton pad; one cotton pad is enough to be used for your whole face
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Returns Policy
You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the 'Complete Orders' link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.
We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.
When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.
Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.


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Community garden persists despite setbacks
It's been a challenging summer to be a gardener.
"There has been so much rain. Look how it's affected the tomatoes," said Laura Murphy, pointing to the underside of some tomatoes that had gone bad. "That's because of the rain."
Murphy, 42, is one of about 20 individuals who maintain small plots in the revitalized Armstrong Court Community Garden.
In April, volunteers began ripping out weeds and vines and tilling the ground. The area is about 200 yards long and 10 to 15 yards wide. Trees separate the garden from the nearby recycling center.
Saturday morning, the smell of baking bread from the nearby Bimbo Bakeries USA plant hung over the garden as Murphy displayed her section of the vegetable garden. Some vegetables thrived more than others.
"The poor beans, never made it," she said as she knelt down to examine her string beans. "I think I have a single string bean -- no, I have two."
"One of the best parts of revitalizing the garden was the teamwork," said Murphy, a longtime resident of the housing complex. "We were out here for hours working on it. It was a great way to get to know your neighbors because it is the type of community where people are coming and going."
Caring for a garden is time-consuming and some people have a harder time finding the hours they need to tend to the garden, she said.
"People were very enthusiastic at the start, but it's a lot of hard work and some people get discouraged," she said.
Patty Sechi, a member of the Greenwich Farmland Preservation Coalition and one of the volunteer organizers, is pleased with what has been accomplished but said more work has to be done next year.
"It's been good and bad this year, mainly it's been good but we have had some problems with animals getting in and eating the vegetables," she said.
One of the first goals was fixing the chain-link fence that bordered the garden because animals were getting in, Sechi said. More work must be done on making the fence better next year, Sechi said, because small animals like woodchucks were either slipping through or under the fence.
She also siad improving the soil will be a goal next year. Many parts of the garden hadn't been tended or worked for years.
In an other section of the housing complex, a second garden is thriving. The Children's Garden was jointly organized by the Junior League of Greenwich and "Done in a Day," a Junior League-affiliated youth group at Greenwich High School.
As Murphy relaxed in a chair at the end of her garden, she reflected on the summer.
"I take a book and read it, and it's nice to see when your hard work produces something you can eat," Murphy said.
Staff Writer Frank MacEachern can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or 203-625-4434.


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Sibling Aggression Is Very Fixable with our DC Dog Training Programs!
There are very specific types of aggression, resulting from very specific triggers. One of these is sibling aggression. Sibling aggression is aggression between two or more dogs living in the same household, whether they are biologically related or not. This can occur at any age, and is often related to a dog's instinct to dominate. If your dog is having any of these issues, our dog aggression training in DC is exactly what you need!
Dogs are pack animals, which means they prefer clear rankings. They need a leader, and they may themselves want to be that leader. This type of aggression isn't always severe; it may involve some growling here, a nip or two there. No matter how mild, however, if the signs are there, the aggression needs to be addressed.
One of the most common ways an owner is bitten is by attempting to break up a pair of fighting dogs. While working with a dog trainer in Asheville I had a client whose child was bitten accidentally because two dogs were fighting over treats, and the child just happened to be nearby. This is a problem that can go from bad to worse too quickly and too easily, so the sooner a training program is established, the better.
The way we keep siblings from showing aggression is by eliminating the need for a leader, and we do this by establishing you, the owner, as the leader. Through my in-home training program, we'll work on focus training, basic obedience, developing a bond of trust and respect between you and your dogs, place training, and avoiding favoritism (whether intentional or unintentional). I will place you in a position of leadership and teach you how to effectively communicate with your dogs to ensure they'll listen to you and not just to their own, oftentimes wayward, instincts.
One you can feel confident and in control of difficult situations, sibling aggression will no longer be an issue. Your dogs will understand and respect the boundaries you set.
To learn more about how I can help your unique situation, give me a call at 202.318.1380 today.


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Bad actors like Russia, Iran, and China have demonstrated time and time again they have both the capabilities and the intent to use the cyber domain as an operating space to wreak havoc.
To continue to be the world leader in innovation, we have to retrain and 'reskill' our workforce over time and prepare our kids for jobs that don't even exist today.
The fight against terrorism will not be over tomorrow or next month, or even next year. The fight will endure for years to come, and as the threat changes, so too must we adapt to these transformations.
Whether you are on the left or the right, we should all agree that organized human smugglers are putting innocent lives at risk. As a former undercover officer in the CIA, I am appalled that we are not maximizing the use of intelligence to deny and disrupt these transnational smuggling networks.
A feasible North Korea strategy must consider how to reassure China that our objectives on the peninsula are not aggressive.
As a former CIA operative, I have seen first-hand that not every nation we buy energy from has America's best interest in mind.


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How to Build a Hose Reel
Things You Will Need
Two PVC pipes (1 foot long and 2 inches in diameter)
Vices (2)
Scroll saw
Circular saw
Scroll saw
Dowel (1 inch in diameter, 4 feet long)
2 pieces of wood (6 inches by 12 inches)
Exterior wood finish
Application brush
"J" hook (sized to be able to hold your hose, threaded end)
Store your garden hose indoors, especially during cold weather. This will protect it from damaging outdoor elements that can make the hose brittle and fragile.
Garden hoses are durable, but proper storage will add years to their lives. If a garden hose if left on the ground in a jumbled mess, kinks and twists can lead to cracks, creases and even leaks. This damage requires tedious repairs or replacement. To properly store a hose, you should use a hose reel. This device will act as a spool the hose can be neatly wrapped around to keep it free of kinks.
Place one of the pieces of wood between two vices.
Measure and mark the center of the piece of wood.
Use a scroll saw to cut a 2-inch circle in the center of the piece of wood.
Repeat the measuring, marking and cutting process for the remaining piece of wood.
Use a brush to spread a thin, smooth layer of epoxy to the outside of one end of the PVC pipe. An application brush is typically supplied with the epoxy.
Insert the epoxy-coated end of the PVC pipe into the hole in one of the pieces of wood. Allow the epoxy to dry completely. This may take an hour or so. Dry epoxy will not be tacky to the touch. Consult with your particular brand of epoxy for exact drying times. Repeat this process for the remaining side of the PVC pipe and piece of wood. The two pieces of wood should be aligned so they are parallel to one another.
Stand the PVC pipe and wood contraption so that one piece of the wood is flat on the ground and the PVC pipe is perpendicular to the ground.
Drill a hole in the PVC pipe near the ground and the bottom piece of wood.
Screw the "J" hook into the hole you drilled.
Dig a hole in the ground. The hole should be located near the water supply that will be used for the hose. Make the hole about 12 inches deep.
Insert a dowel into the hole so it is perpendicular to the ground. Fill in the dirt around the dowel so the dowel is secured. Compact the dirt tightly around the dowel.
Place the remaining piece of PVC pipe over the dowel.
Slide the PVC pipe and wood structure on the dowel and on top of the PVC pipe already in place. Position the "J" hook so it faces up.
Connect one end of your hose to the faucet at your water source.
Slide the remaining end of the hose over the "J" hook.
Wrap the hose around the reel. Begin the wrapping at the bottom of the reel. Work upward around the PVC pipe reel stacking the hose on itself. Work back down using the same method in reverse when you reach the top of the reel. Each time you go up and down, you will create a new layer.
Photo Credits
- garden serpent image by Adam Borkowski from Fotolia.com


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As a practicing artist and an eternal student living on shared səlil̓wətaʔɬ, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm & Sḵwx̱wú7mesh territory , Corrina is constantly seeking new ways of using participatory art, facilitation, music and storytelling as a way to call us as individuals and as a global community to authenticity, humility and healing.
She creates in service of change processes for individuals, teams, social and environmental justice and self-determination movements, non-profits, small businesses, socially and environmentally conscious companies, and indigenous and cultural groups. She hopes her work as a visual practitioner inspires deep curiosity and opens space in our complex world for reflection and respect, gratitude and growth, and awe and wonder. Her wish for the world is that everyone gets to experience the gift of being fully supported in doing what they love. You can learn more about her evolving practice at lovelettersforeverybody.ca & corrinakeeling.ca.


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A custom porch can dramatically transform your home, providing an ideal space for outdoor entertainment, peaceful relaxation, and fun times with the family. Whether you want a simple front porch design or a wraparound porch that encases your home, our porch contractors and architects will create a stunning addition to suit your needs and budget.
We would love to earn your business, but we also want to make sure you get the best porch possible. No matter which company you decide to work with, follow these tips to choose the perfect porch contractor for your home:
Why choose Archadeck as your porch contractor? Because we have a true passion for porch design. We aren't just looking to make a quick buck by remodeling your home. We want to turn your dreams into a reality. All of our projects are backed by workmanship and structural integrity warranties, so your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Whether you choose one of our pre-designed porches or a custom porch made specifically for your home, you will love the work you get from Archadeck.
Call Archadeck today at 888-687-3325 to request a free consultation from a porch contractor near you.


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Bingo Offers Today - Sun Oct 30th
First published by Melissa Dawn
Good morning Bingo Fans,
Early "Trick or Treaters" really wind me up, why can they not wait until the proper day... (How old am I? Lol.) If this is winding you up too, then why not make some Toffee Apples for the real day and Toffee onions for anyone coming before. Very funny!
Pick of the Day - £100,000!
There are not many bigger jackpots than tonights (30th October) £100,000 Avalanche game at Bet365 Bingo. Don't miss out on 5 chances to win BIG!
Depending on the ball count when House is called up to a mammoth £100,000 will be shared between the lucky Bingoheads. With five Avalanche Jackpots offering a guaranteed share of anywhere between £1,000 and £100,000, make sure you're there each time.
More great offers today...
- 11.30am - Free Bingo from Wink Bingo - this time it's Free and Easy and last for another hour.
- 3pm - Play Super Free Bingo with Ladbrokes Bingo and win upto £900 between 3 and 5pm.
- 4pm - "Ticket to Ride" opens for great free Bingo games at Bet365 Bingo.
- 6pm - The Bet365 £100,000 Avalanche games. 5 chances of winning the big one!
- 6pm - Play Pumpkin Prize games at Mecca Bingo - Win your share of a £10,000 prize fund.
- 9pm - It's the 888 Ladies Holloween Howler game - Win £2000
- 9.45pm - Posh Bingo are hosting the £1,000 Trick or Treat game.
- 10pm - Join the Butler at Butlers Bingo for the Monthly £2,000 jackpot
- 10.30pm - Paddy Power Bingo have a £13,000 Bingolinx game so big, it's frightening!
Good luck as always folks!


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01622888666 (10am-7pm)
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SSC ( Continue )
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Preferred Area : Babuganj, BakerganjPreferred Class : Nursery, Class fivePreferred Subjects : English, Higher MathematicsExpected Remuneration : 5000 BDT
MBA ( Continue )
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Our tree bed is right at the end of the nursery where we are able to give the right shelter and water to the trees.
We display trees for the appropriate season in the retail area (i.e. flowering cherries in spring) but please ask if you wish for something that is not on display. Paul loves trees so we have a very comprehensive stock.
During September we take orders for BARE ROOT trees and hedging. These are ornamental or fruit. They are usually lifted late November so are ready for collecting early in December. We also keep a stock of these heeled into the ground over the winter. This is the most economical way of purchasing trees or hedging and is far better for the plants themselves. By planting bare root they are transplanted when they are dormant and have a chance to really establish during spring and before the hot weather in summer.


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Govt Pensions: email to Knabe re 11/21/06 vote on raise and benefits (agenda item 17)
See related story on LBReport.com here
Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2006 13:16:28 -0800
To: "Don Knabe Supervisor 4th Dist."
From: "www.LAAG.us | Lakewood Accountability Action Group"
Subject: 11/21/06 vote on raise and benefits (agenda item 17)
Cc: "LBReport.com"
Dear Mr. Knabe:
Let me just say that I cant take it any more. After reading article after article like the 4 below (read them first then my letter) I do not understand how any board of supervisors or any city council can continue to give money away at this rate. Full speed a head on the Titanic! I want to make sure my opposition to this increase is noted in the record before your vote on 11/21/06. As a self employed person I do not have the time to appear personally at the meeting on 11/21/06. I am sure it will be unanimous in favor of the govt. employees just like the boards vote on 10/31/06 which includes a three-year, 15.5 percent pay raise and extras such as fully funded health benefits for more than 50,000 members of Local 660. Well I will remember this and make sure the voters in the 4th district remember at election time.
One of the arguments made for the increase is "This agreement ....will result in better services for the public." Are you kidding me? It has not worked for the last 10 years so why now? Lets look at the example of some of the fine public employee work over the last 10 years. Lets see.... MLK hospital. How much is that going to cost the taxpayers? No one can even count that high. Lets just total up the costs of all the Sheriff and LA County fire dept lawsuits over the last 10 years. I am sure the County has never seen any discrimination suits like the one brought by the LA fireman who got 2.5 million for being tricked into eating dog food (it was "his turn to collect"). Or the most recent suit by the 20 sheriffs officers who killed an off duty fireman in Lakewood last month.
The other argument for these increases is that you cant hire quality people and you cant match the salaries in the private sector. Right. There is no private sector corollary for most public jobs. Plus the county never reveals just what these individual employees actually earn over their life time, or what their LUCRATIVE lifetime pension and healthcare benefits will cost from when they retire at 50 (assuming they live to age 90 with their great benefits). On average probably over 4 million per employee in total dollars, without looking at the cost of living increases on these pensions. The reason this is not disclosed is that it would outrage most private sector employees who at the federal level have not had a raise in 10 years from 5.50 hr. (just ask the private sector steel and airline workers what happened to their benefits; Now only about 20 percent of private-sector wage and salaried workers are covered by PBGC-insured defined benefit pension plans, down from more than 30 percent in 1985
We are in a "race to the top" in public sector salaries and benefits while the private sector is in a "race to the bottom" to compete with low global wage rates and no insurance or pensions (but of course once again the politicians has elevated the public sector over private by ensuring that the public sector cannot outsource to over seas labor to save tax dollars) Again, market forces be damned in the public sector. Its government entities in a bidding war against themselves with no market forces, just an unending supply of tax dollars. San Diego is only the first CA city to have to learn this lesson
In the private sector (which most people in public service have never experienced except in high school jobs) economic forces reduce wages, eliminate defined benefit pension plans and reduce workforces through mergers and bankruptcies. But these forces dont work in govt. Ever year the costs go up and up and the workforce grows and never "rightsizes". The county argues that property tax revenues are up but apparently no one reads the paper as for the last 6 months they have gone down and will likely do so for the next 3 years (I am sure the county will rush to lower my tax bill to match real values). But hey that does not slow the government down! Government wages never go backwards like in the private sector, just forwards.
Government entities would love to get rid of proposition 13 and would love to sneak in some "temporary" (yeah right) sales tax increases (a la Mr. Baca). Over my dead body, especially when the finds are squandered like in the stories below.
I think elected officials have forgotten who they represent. Its taxpayers. Not public employee unions. I think to some extent the anger at the "new aristocracy" (elected officials form "safe districts") was apparent in the November elections. As the one article hints below I think we are headed into a future of public vs private sector employees.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." (George Santayana (1863–1952), U.S. philosopher, poet, Life of Reason, 'Reason in Common Sense,') I think elected officials need to go back and read what happened in the French Revolution
4th District,
City, County, State and Federal Taxpayer
County's payday giveaway
15.5% deal extends to nonunion workers
BY TROY ANDERSON, Staff Writer
Article Launched:11/17/2006 11:51:45 PM PST
Los Angeles County's Board of Supervisors has expanded a lucrative raise and benefits deal for union workers to include thousands of additional nonunion employees, according to details released Friday.
The deal - which includes a three-year, 15.5 percent pay raise and extras such as fully funded health benefits - initially was struck last month for more than 50,000 members of the Service Employees International Union, Local 660.
It was recently expanded to include 12,000 nonunion employees - managers, executive secretaries, doctors and most of the supervisors' staffers, said Bart Diener, assistant general manager of the SEIU.
The deal is expected to cost an extra $341 million in 2007-08.
But the plan already has begun to draw sharp warnings that it exceeds salary-inflation assumptions and could swell the county's already massive pension debts.
"It seems to me that it is our hope this deal gets rejected in light of its exorbitant cost," said Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. "How is the county planning to pay for this?
"The economy and housing market is beginning to cool down and their own advisers are suggesting this will have a negative impact ...It would seem to me to be extraordinarily irresponsible for the Board of Supervisors to approve this magnitude of pay and benefit increases."
County officials, however, defended the deal, noting that the county's budget has grown from $18 billion in 2004-05 to $20.9 billion this year, largely because of rising property tax revenues and the recent passage of a measure that prevents the state from raiding local coffers.
"We are confident the county can afford these agreements," Chief Administrative Officer David Janssen said. "We have around $300 million in a capital surplus. And property tax revenues are still going up, although we expect them to be less than they were.
"We have forecasted a modest growth in the out years of 4 (percent) to 5 percent. This year, it's been growing at 11.9 percent."
Agreement hailed
The county and the SEIU reached the tentative agreement last month, hailing it as key to helping the county retain and hire more nurses and help lift workers who now qualify for food stamps out of poverty.
Diener noted that SEIU members and nonunion workers only received 5 percent in raises in the past three years.
"In recent years, the county has experienced a growing inability to hire qualified employees in many classifications, from law enforcement to health care," Diener said. "This agreement will help the county address that problem, which will result in better services for the public."
But in a letter to the supervisors, the county's pension actuary advised that the proposed salary increases exceed the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association's assumptions and "will result in an increase in actuarial liability."
The warning was the first that Buck Consultants has made in the two years since a judge ordered government agencies to include a pension actuary's advice on the fiscal impact of salary and benefit increases.
Buck Consultants tempered its warning, however, noting that the salary increases given to the SEIU and other employees in the past three years somewhat offset the proposed adjustments.
"The bottom line is the actuarial salary assumptions on LACERA have been down for the last three years and just because the assumption is going to be higher for three years, that balances out," said David Sommers, spokesman for Supervisor Don Knabe.
"The CAO has told us this does not pose a great or significant risk to the county by moving forward on this and the supervisor is confident with the CAO's recommendation."
Currently, LACERA's $34 billion pension fund has an unfunded liability of $4.9 billion and is 85.8 percent funded.
Officials in cities and counties throughout California have been paying more attention to these long-term debts.
Officials now estimate that government agencies in the state need more than $300 billion to pay for pension and retiree health benefits.
In recent years, state and local officials have sweetened public-pension plans by expanding the list of bonuses that can be considered as income to determine the size of a worker's retirement check.
Currently, county employees are eligible for more than 110 pensionable bonuses.
These pension enhancements have allowed thousands of employees to retire with six-figure incomes - in many cases, that's more money than they made while working.
"It's transparent pension-spiking and it's offensive to taxpayers who don't have nearly as sweet a deal as public employees and is just another example of how this state is going into bankruptcy," Coupal said of the proposed deal.
Vote on Tuesday
The supervisors will vote Tuesday on the package, which also includes an additional 5.5 percent pay increase over two years for workers who have been at the top of their salary range for at least one year.
It also calls for 10 percent increases per year in the county's contribution to employee health and dental plans.
And in an effort to address an estimated $9.4 billion county retiree health deficit, the contract calls for a joint labor/management retiree health committee to look at ways to control costs.
Jim Adams, chief of the CAO's Employee Relations Division, said the county decided to provide fully paid health benefits because health care costs have risen so sharply in recent years.
"This hit the lower-paid employees pretty furiously," Adams said.
He said the addition of nonunion workers to the deal was simply a matter of timing and that nonunion employees typically get the same deal as the SEIU.
"What is unusual this time around is we have done it en masse," Adams said. "In the past, bargaining units kind of trickled in and this time we had a total settlement."
The plan also includes a range of new benefits including a 5.25 percent "manpower shortage range" bonus for clerks and librarians, a $1-an-hour weekend bonus and a 5.5 percent bonus for district attorney, public defender and alternate public defender employees who work in the Antelope Valley and reside more than 30 miles from the courthouses where they work.
Envious that firefighters and sheriff's employees get longevity bonuses that periodically boost employees' salaries and their pensionable incomes as they near retirement, social workers also sought longevity bonuses - which now total up to 6 percent.
And after firefighters and lifeguards recently negotiated a 3 percent "fitness for life" bonus, their nonunion management counterparts in the Fire Department and Department of Parks and Recreation clamored for the bonus, too.
"It's an effort to try to develop some healthy patterns and reward people for staying healthy and getting their checkups," Adams said. "When we settled the lifeguard contract last spring that started it, and the managers piggybacked onto that."
Retiree health care may overwhelm gov'ts
By BOB PORTERFIELD, Associated Press Writer Sun Sep 24, 5:42 PM ET
SAN FRANCISCO - The bill is coming due for years of generous benefits bestowed upon the nation's public employees, and it's a stunner: hundreds of billions of dollars over the next three decades, threatening some local governments with bankruptcy and all but guaranteeing cuts in services like education and public safety.
This staggering burden is coming to light because of new accounting rules issued by the Government Accounting Standards Board. They require public agencies to disclose the future cost of health care and other benefits such as dental, vision and life insurance promised alongside traditional pensions to the nation's estimated 24.5 million active and retired state and local public employees.
Retiree health care costs have been quietly mounting for decades while public agencies have passed out generous retirement benefits during labor negotiations often in lieu of salary increases. But government negotiators rarely considered the long-term financial consequences of awarding such perks, according to Brian Whitworth, a retirement benefits specialist with JP Morgan Chase and Co.
"A surprising number of public entities didn't even make informal estimates of long-term costs prior to the new accounting rules," Whitworth said.
Many cities and state agencies already are struggling to fully fund their pension obligations, but experts say those liabilities pale in comparison to the debt accumulated for other retirement benefits.
Last month, JP Morgan released what it considers the most comprehensive preliminary estimate. It projects the present value of unfunded health care and other non-pension benefits at between $600 billion and $1.3 trillion.
By comparison, the debt rating agency Standard and Poors estimates the country's total unfunded public pension debt at around $285 billion.
"There's a good chance some government entities are going to go bankrupt," said California Assemblyman Keith Richman, a Republican from Chatsworth. "But the issue isn't just bankruptcy, it's governments dying of a thousand cuts in services. The costs of promises that have been made are going to be astronomical."
Union officials say it's not their fault municipalities put themselves in a hole by promising more than they can deliver.
"This is a monumental problem and government is going to have to deal with it," said Steve Regenstrief, head of the retirement division at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
When the new accounting rules take effect in 2008, taxpayers will be able to see for the first time just how much they're paying to provide benefits to active and retired state and local public employees.
"When the numbers are produced, they're going to be shocking," said Ronald Snell, director of state services for the National Conference of State Legislatures. "They'll be in the hundreds of billions, and it's definitely something that policy-makers are going to have to take notice of and act upon. ... There are consequences of decisions made in the past."
The Government Accounting Standards Board is an independent nonprofit organization that establishes accounting standards for public agencies. Seeing a need to bring public sector disclosure rules in line with those of the private sector, the board unveiled the rules change in 2004 and gave governments several years to implement them.
The new rules don't require governments to come up with the money right away, just to disclose the present value of these future costs and estimate how much more money is needed to pay for them. To prepare for these disclosures, public officials across the country already are beginning to calculate how much they might owe.
So far, California, New York, and Maryland appear to have the biggest burdens, but that could change when estimates begin trickling in from Florida, Texas, Illinois and Pennsylvania. Of the country's 10 most populous states, none has completed a formal estimate of their liabilities, but those that have completed preliminary assessments are reporting astounding numbers.
_The California Legislative Analyst's Office estimates $40 billion to $70 billion in retiree health care and related liabilities for the state. With cities and counties included, JP Morgan pegs California's debt at $70 billion to $200 billion. The state controller is just now beginning a detailed study.
_New York's preliminary analysis puts state liabilities between $47 billion and $54 billion. In a recent budget report, the state acknowledged "these costs are substantial and would significantly reduce or even potentially eliminate" New York's current $49.1 billion in positive net assets.
_Maryland has initially estimated its liability at $20 billion.
_Other states also have reported significant amounts: Alabama estimates $19.8 billion, Massachusetts $13.2 billion, Alaska at least $7.9 billion, and Nevada between $1.62 billion and $4.1 billion.
Many local governments also are beginning to acknowledge huge liabilities. The City of San Francisco reported its burden at $4.9 billion, and the Los Angeles Unified School District said its liability is $10 billion. New York City has yet to complete its analysis, but is expecting a large shortfall and already has set aside $2 billion to help cover it.
How this will impact citizens depends upon the size of their government's obligation and how it's handled.
At the least, experts say, the public can expect increased taxes and fees or reduced public safety and public works services as governments adjust their budgets to amortize the debt.
They probably can't expect much in the way of concessions from public employee unions, said Suzi Rader, director of district and financial services for the California School Boards Association. Any attempt to limit benefits already granted in future negotiations will be a contentious issue, she said, so employers must instead hold the line on granting additional perks to future retirees.
John Abraham of the American Federation of Teachers said union negotiators have long been aware that future retirement benefits must be paid from shrinking resources.
"If they haven't been looking at the numbers, shame on them," he said. "Do we recognize there is a cost problem? Absolutely. As costs have gone up we've made accommodations."
Lori Moore, spokeswoman for the International Association of Fire Fighters, said nothing is really changing except the need for cities to reveal how much they'll owe in non-pension retirement benefits.
"The liability has always been there," she said. "They had to know in the back of their minds that it was there."
Most governments now fund retiree health care on a pay-as-you-go basis, with annual appropriations from their general funds, focusing most of their attention on current expenses.
Under the new accounting rules, the liability can be paid over 30 years, just like a home mortgage, but it forces public officials to recognize the debt and calculate an annual payment.
If officials choose not to set aside additional money each year to cover the payment, it counts against net assets, potentially putting a city or agency deeper into the red. Because assets are a critical component in the credit ratings that allow governments to borrow money at lower interest rates, governments that don't handle their liability properly could end up insolvent.
Parry Young, director of public finance at Standard and Poors, said few governments are prepared for the annual contributions they'll be expected to make.
"It's been a growing liability that wasn't being addressed. But now the chickens are coming to roost," he said. "For some it's going to be a big credit issue depending upon what resources they have."
Young says one way governments can get a jump on their liabilities is by putting more money into retiree health care plans, something "easier said that done."
Public officials "might also choose to issue bonds, or review benefit costs and maybe make changes in the benefits themselves," he said.
Some states have taken a proactive stance. Ohio sought to address its future liabilities by establishing a Post Employment Health Care Fund containing more than $12 billion, an amount the fund's trustees say will not be enough. In order to cut health care costs, the state has reduced the amount it will pay for employees who retire with less than 30 years of service.
Utah, with a relatively small liability estimated at between $536 and $828 million, has taken a unique approach, earmarking unused sick leave for retiree health care expenses. Under a law passed last year and upheld by the Utah Supreme Court, retirees can no longer cash out unused sick leave earned after January 2006. Instead, 25 percent must be placed in an employee's 401K and the remainder in a Health Reimbursement Account.
"The law really stopped the out-of-control-escalation of health care costs," said John C. Reidhead, director of Utah's Division of Finance. "From a financial perspective it's a good deal. From the employee perspective, maybe not."
Private-Sector Anger Builds as Public Pension Costs Rise
Lawmakers feel the heat from taxpayers who see their own benefits wither, and traditional payouts give way to 401(k)-style plans.
By Molly Hennessy-Fiske
Times Staff Writer
October 2, 2006
HADDONFIELD, N.J.For insurance agent Steve Adams, 51, the resentment began two years ago.
As he worried whether his stagnant 401(k) account would be adequate for retirement, his wife's employer ended her pension plan, forcing her to rely on a 401(k) as well. Then New Jersey lawmakers raised his property taxes to maintain state workers' pensions.
Last spring Adams joined a taxpayer group called Americans for Prosperity that is seeking limits on government employee pensions.
In June he attended a rally in Seaside Heights, N.J., where about 200 people urged state legislators to make cuts in such things as pensions rather than raise taxes again this time, a proposal to raise the state sales tax.
"We don't get anything nearly as generous in the private sector" as public pensions, Adams said.
Public employee pensions, one of the last bastions of guaranteed retirement plans in America, are under assault as cash-strapped state and local governments struggle to cover rising costs and as resentful taxpayers refuse to pay more to cover them.
The development has led to "pension envy" among people like Adams, as baby boomers struggling to make it to retirement see state workers retire early to reap rewards they may never enjoy. The tension has crept into relationships between friends, neighbors, parents and teachers.
The struggle to fund public employee pension plans is a familiar topic in California, where last year Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger unsuccessfully sought to replace state workers' pensions with 401(k)s.
The California Public Employee Retirement System and California State Teachers Retirement System cover more than 2 million workers. CalPERS is 88% funded and CalSTRS 82% funded, according to their financial records levels that researchers at the conservative Pacific Research Institute say are high compared with states such as Illinois and New Jersey.
Alaska and Colorado have made changes to state pensions, and Illinois, Oklahoma, Montana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Providence, R.I., are contemplating similar steps.
About 90% of state and local workers in the U.S. have pensions, compared with about 20% of private-sector workers, said Keith Brainard, research director at the National Assn. of State Retirement Administrators.
Instead of company-paid pensions with guaranteed payments, most private-sector workers now are offered 401(k) plans, investment accounts that employees pay into and manage while they're working, then tap when they retire. Some employers contribute to 401(k) plans.
With state pensions, investment management is up to the state, but taxpayers are often called on to cover costs. As of last year, 84% of state pension plans were underfunded, meaning their assets don't cover projected payments, according to Santa Monica-based Wilshire Associates. Some lawmakers plan to make up the difference by raising taxes.
The tension between public employees and taxpayers is playing out across the country, but nowhere more sharply than in New Jersey.
Several of New Jersey's major private employers recently eliminated pensions. Telecom giants Sprint Nextel Corp. and Verizon Communications partially froze pensions last year, affecting some 18,000 workers in New Jersey. DuPont Co., which employs about 1,300 in New Jersey, announced plans this summer to freeze pensions, meaning the company intends to drastically reduce its pension fund for current employees and deny any coverage to new hires.
"More and more New Jerseyans find themselves without pensions and become resentful of the double whammy that they face: fewer benefits for themselves and higher taxes so that the public-sector workers can receive generous benefits," said David Rebovich, managing director of the Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University in Lawrenceville.
Nancy Burwell, 52, of Morristown, N.J., is one of them. She's been attending and organizing meetings of Americans for Prosperity seven were scheduled in September across the state, seven this month where organizers explain the public pension system and how it contributes to local tax increases.
Burwell, who works in sales, said she and her husband, a computer programmer, were saving for retirement without a pension or 401(k) because their jobs didn't offer them.
"We don't expect anybody else to help us out; we take care of it ourselves," Burwell said. "I really resent these public workers. Why should I pay for their retirement?"
State Assemblyman Paul D. Moriarty is pushing pension changes. "In New Jersey, life is still about keeping up with Mr. and Mrs. Jones. And the Joneses have state pensions and health care coverage," the Democrat said.
Retired construction contractor Charles Reveliotty, 67, of Cherry Hill, N.J., complains about public pensions but doesn't talk about them with his neighbor, a town engineer.
"It's a little bit like talking to somebody about religion," Reveliotty said. "If you say to somebody, 'You have to give back half your pension,' you can imagine what the results are going to be."
Public employees say resentful taxpayers should instead defend private-sector benefits, which continue to erode.
"Private-sector workers, who should be angry as hell at their employers for walking away from pensions, are angry at public employees," said Jon Shure, president of New Jersey Policy Perspective, a nonpartisan Trenton think tank.
He said eliminating state pensions would feed further cuts in the private sector, leaving all workers with less for retirement. "If the people who are fomenting this have their way, public benefits will stink too and we'll have dumbed it down to the way it is in the private sector," Shure said. "If anything, the public sector should set an example for how benefits should be."
If anyone in New Jersey would be expected to defend workers' pension benefits, it would be state Sen. Stephen M. Sweeney. A Democrat, longtime ironworker and union official from a blue-collar South Jersey family, Sweeney heads the state Senate's labor committee. But Sweeney has become an unexpected ally of the anti-pension crowd.
When Gov. Jon Corzine proposed raising the sales tax to fund state pensions this summer, Sweeney and two other lawmakers proposed cutting state retirement plans instead.
Their announcement split the state AFL-CIO, which includes both public- and private-sector unions. Public workers' unions dogged Sweeney, shouting him down at Trenton meetings, mailing him a pink slip, and showing up at his events with an inflatable rat usually reserved for union-busters.
Some in the AFL-CIO say pension changes are driven less by pension envy than by conservative groups such as Americans for Prosperity, Americans for Tax Reform and the Heritage Foundation. Union officials say Wall Street money managers are also pushing the changes so they can earn a windfall of fees once public pension plans are converted to 401(k)s.
But Sweeney says he received praise from private-sector union workers refinery shop stewards, pipe fitters and ironworkers thanked him on the streets. "The private side is looking at the public side and realizing pensions are luxuries they cannot afford," Sweeney said.
In a recent interview at the Ironworkers Union Local 399 in Westville, N.J., where he still serves as business representative, Sweeney noted that ironworkers contribute 14% of their pay to their pensions, and members of Local 399 went without a raise this year to cover rising pension costs, paying 3% more into the fund.
State workers, by contrast, received a 4.65% raise, even as their pension costs rose. State workers in New Jersey receive an average pension of $24,317 annually, compared with the national average of $19,856, according to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
State workers have long defended their pension benefits as compensation for lower pay, but New Jersey state workers earn an average $54,742, compared with $43,970 in the private sector, according to the New Jersey labor department.
A New Jersey legislative committee now is considering state pension changes including a pension freeze, increasing public workers' contributions and raising the minimum retirement age.
Beyond New Jersey, the debate over public pensions has become an election issue.
In Massachusetts, Illinois, New York and Oregon, Republican candidates for governor proposed new 401(k)-style plans for state workers, as did Republican candidates for comptroller in Maryland and New York.
In April, Colorado began offering state workers a defined contribution plan such as 401(k)s. The mayor of Providence, R.I. plans to switch all new hires from pensions to 401(k)s in July. In Alaska, legislators voted last year to close the public pension system to new employees in an effort to stem a $6.9-billion deficit in the retirement fund.
Alaska state Sen. Bert Stedman, a Republican, warns that if states like California and New Jersey don't change public retirement benefits, they may soon face angry taxpayers.
"When the private sector has to pay for the public-sector benefit packages they can't get themselves, you're going to have a lot of political and social unrest," Stedman said. "The average homeowner, when he gets his property tax jacked up to pay his neighbor's benefit package, he's going to get upset about it. And that's what we don't want to happen in Alaska."
San Diego Isn't the Only City With Pension Troubles: Joe Mysak
By Joe Mysak
Nov. 17 (Bloomberg) -- What other municipalities are committing fraud when they sell bonds, by not coming clean about the size of their pension shortfall?
How many are committing that kind of fraud?
These are the questions investors have to pose after the city of San Diego settled fraud charges with the Securities and Exchange Commission this week.
The city sold five bond issues totaling $260 million in 2002 and 2003. ``At the time of these offerings, City officials knew that the City faced severe difficulty funding its future pension and health-care obligations unless new revenues were obtained, pension and health-care benefits were reduced, or City services were cut,'' the SEC said in the settlement with the city.
San Diego provided some disclosure of the city's pension and health-care obligations. ``It did not reveal the gravity of the City's financial problems,'' the SEC said.
That's fraud.
``The City, through its officials, acted with scienter,'' the SEC said. That is, the city officials knew they weren't providing the whole story in their bond-offering documents, and went ahead with the sale anyway.
What Happened
You know there are more out there. States and municipalities are looking at a gap that has been estimated at something like $2 trillion, with pension shortfalls of $700 billion and health-care costs -- also known as ``other post-employment benefits,'' or OPEB, as the analysts so felicitously put it -- of $1.4 trillion.
It's hard to believe that the San Diego story only really dates -- at least if you're not a resident of San Diego -- from January 2004. That's when the city admitted it had major concerns with its pension system, and the rating companies lowered and then suspended their gradings on San Diego debt.
Maybe the reason it feels like this story has been dragging on for so long is because it has been featured in two big studies, one by a law firm, and the other by an audit committee. Now, finally, the SEC weighs in.
What happened in San Diego? In the simplest terms, city officials were obsessed with the City Employees' Retirement System, or CERS. They spent decades figuring out how to increase pension checks and health benefits without making adequate contributions to the pension fund.
`Surplus Earnings'
That's basically what it comes down to, and yes, they were at it for decades.
``In fiscal year 1980, the City began instructing CERS to use `surplus earnings' -- i.e., earnings above the actuarially projected 8 percent return rate -- to fund an ever-increasing amount of additional benefits for CERS members,'' the SEC said.
How it's supposed to work in the real world, or at least in the old days when you still provided employees with pensions, is that you put money away every year into a big pot and invested it in bonds, stocks or something else. Your actuaries came up with a number and you said, ``OK, if we keep putting aside X amount of cash a year, and make X amount on that money, then we'll have enough to pay everyone's pension.''
How it's also supposed to work is that there is no such thing as ``surplus earnings.'' In some years, you make 15 percent, in others 2 percent, or sometimes you actually lose money. Yet it should all average out to 8 percent a year, or whatever number the actuary tells you.
And Who Else?
Try telling that to San Diego -- and who else? States and municipalities found themselves holding these enormous hoards of cash that were spinning off some very nice investment returns, and some of them thought, ``Hey, wait a minute, look how much the pension fund is earning! Let's cut down on the contribution to the fund -- it clearly doesn't need it -- and spend that money elsewhere.''
This is exactly the wrong thing to do if you are trying to manage a liability that is long term. In fact, the retirement ``liability'' doesn't really have an end in sight. It's like railroad tracks. It looks like it meets somewhere out on the horizon, but it doesn't.
San Diego -- and who else? -- kept playing games for years. It is bad enough that they were stinting on steady city contributions; they were also increasing retirement benefits.
The end came only when the stock market swooned. This is why so many states and localities have run up $700 billion in unfunded pension liabilities.
As for the health-care benefits, that OPEB business, well, they never put aside money in a fund to pay for those, like they do for pensions. Those costs were going to be paid out as they were incurred -- pay as you go. Except now everyone is being asked to calculate that figure, too, and disclose it in their bond documents.
The SEC settlement with San Diego makes for exasperating reading. Surely other municipalities haven't carried on this way. Or have they?
(Joe Mysak is a Bloomberg News columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.)
To contact the writer of this column: Joe Mysak in New York at email@example.com
Last Updated: November 17, 2006 00:05 EST


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Touched by an angel: New tribute salutes country-rock pioneer Gram Parsons.
A bushel of new alt-country CDs
By Greg Cahill
Various Artists Return of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons Almo
HE WAS A HARVARD-educated hillbilly, the creator of country rock and the godfather of today's blossoming alt-country craze. As a member of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, Gram Parsons built upon the high-powered country he'd crafted in the mid-'60s as leader of the obscure International Submarine Band. His 1973 death by a drug and alcohol overdose at a cheap motel at age 26, and the subsequent theft of his remains and cremation at Joshua Tree National Monument, just added to his legend.
Over the years, a plethora of rock, country, folk, and bluegrass stars have knelt at the Gram Parsons shrine: Tom Petty, Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle, Dwight Yoakam, Vince Gill, Jason and the Scorchers, the Long Ryders, Little Feat.
Now you can add a few more to that list, including such critics' darlings as Wilco and Whiskeytown.
Produced and compiled by Emmylou Harris (who performed with Parsons shortly before his death as part of the Fallen Angels band, and reportedly was romantically linked to the singer), this 13-song tribute finds Beck, Evan Dando of the Lemonheads, and the Pretenders tackling a classic Americana songbook and furthering the legend that Harris has nurtured for three decades. This is the ragtop Cadillac of alt-country, far outstripping the 1993 Commemorativo: A Tribute to Gram Parsons (Rhino), which featured tracks by the Mekons, Uncle Tupelo (Wilco's predecessor), Bob Mould, and REM's Peter Buck. This year's model is built for comfort, and (as Gillian Welch's opiated rendering of the signature Parsons' song "Hickory Wind" shows) in no rush to overwhelm some of the most powerful tunes ever penned by a Nashville renegade.
Harris crops up on three duets--with the Pretenders of "She," with Beck on the recording industry put-down "Sin City," and with Sheryl Crow on the spirited "Juanita"--but her stamp is all over this release. And there's plenty more star power here. Lucinda Williams and David Crosby team up on the title track. The Cowboy Junkies deliver their most energetic recording on "Ooh Las Vegas." Elvis Costello, who recorded two Parsons songs on 1982's Almost Blue, tackles "Sleepless Nights." Steve Earle and ex-Byrds guitarist Chris Hillman collaborate on "High Fashion Queen." And the Rolling Creekdippers--a one-off project that features Harris' collaborators Buddy and Julie Miller, and alt-rock diva Victoria Williams--conclude with the Parsons/Harris composition "In My Hour of Darkness," a fitting eulogy for a troubled soul. This CD should only enhance Parsons' near-mythic status.
Various Artists Alt.Country: The Best of Exposed Roots K-Tel
THIS INSPIRED two-CD compilation goes a long way toward covering the subgenre's winding country lanes. There are a couple of touchstones: namely, Johnny Cash's landmark country pop hit "Folsom Prison Blues" and Gram Parsons' seminal country-rock song "In My Hour of Darkness." Grant Alden and Peter Blackstock, editors of the Seattle-based alt-country monthly No Depression, put it all into perspective, more or less. Lucinda Williams stirs the soul on "Passionate Kisses." And Steve Earle's 1986 neo-traditional breakthrough "Guitar Town" sounds as fresh (and defiant) as the first time you cranked it up speeding on Highway 101 after sweating to the Blasters at the Stone on Broadway. But the best part--aside from all the garage-rock driven honky-tonk ecstasy--is the irreverent nature of alt-country: it's Southern Culture on the Skids' "Too Much Pork for Just One Fork"; BRS-49's "Bettie Bettie," their sassy homage to B&D covergirl Bettie Page; the Meat Puppets' underrated post-punk goof "Lost," recorded a decade before Kurt Cobain canonized them on MTV Unplugged. This is an essential primer that goes a long way toward setting the record straight. Kick up your heels.
While you're at it: Spend the rent on these worthy alt-country releases: Johnny Dilks & His Visitacion Valley Boys' Acres of Heartache (HMG), the red-hot reincarnation of Hank Williams; the Backsliders' snarling Southern Lines (Mammoth), a twangy junkyard dog of an album; the Hot Club of Cowtown's Tall Tales (Hightone), slaphappy musical Prozac that sets your heart to flutterin' and your toes to tappin'; Lyle Lovett's Live in Texas (Universal), 14 slightly skewed songs from the man who dumped Julia Roberts.
Pick of the Week:
Various Artists Taquachito Nights: Conjunto Music from South Texas Smithsonian Folkways
THESE CONTAGIOUS polka beats compose the ultimate party music--lively Texas-border dance music propelled by rippling accordion, bajo sexto, and stirring vocals. Just try and sit still while Ernesto Guerra fires off a cascade of triplets on the modified three-row button accordion he's dubbed "The Gurgle." Recorded live in 1998 at the 16 de Septiembre Conjunto Festival of the Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center in San Benito, Texas, the beauty of these 19 tracks is the raw, live feel--you can smell the cold beer and feel the warm Texas night air. The Smithsonian--which is releasing some great roots recordings these days--includes an authoritative 34-page booklet, explaining the evolution of conjunto music and offering lyric translations. Highly recommended--G.C.
From the July 29-August 4, 1999 issue of the Sonoma County Independent.
© Metro Publishing Inc.


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Is there a way to turn this feature on in Xamarin?
Some additional info, in XCode one can have the info.plist preprocessed such that strings like ${BUILDNUM} are replaced by the environment variable BUILDNUM before building. Does anyone know if this option is supported in Xamarin?
I would also like to know this - am wondering whether there is a way to vary info.plist properties by build type (debug vs release, for eg.)