text:
Happy New Year to everyone out there. I have been kind of MIA of late , but I did want to leave everyone with a New Year treat. This is one of the best holiday films out there. Proof that no matter what took place the year before with New Years you can start over fresh again.
The Apartment (1960)
A man tries to rise in his company by letting its executives use his apartment for trysts, but complications and a romance of his own ensue.
"Jack Lemon Drop New Year Champagne Cocktail. "
1 (12-ounce) can lemonade frozen concentrate, thawed
1 bottle extra-dry Champagne
1 1/2 cups sparkling water
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1/3 cup lemon drop candies, crushed
In a pitcher, stir to combine lemonade concentrate, Champagne, and sparkling water. Using a slice of lemon, moisten the rim of each glass. Dip rim into crushed lemon drop candies. Pour in the Champagne mixture and garnish with sliced lemons
Saturday, December 31, 2011
~The Apartment...Week-End Movie/New Year!
Posted by Wallflower Diaries at 9:23 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Thursday, December 8, 2011
~Audrey Hepburn Quote
"I'm half-Irish, half-Dutch, and I was born in Belgium. If I was a dog, I'd be in a hell of a mess!"
~Audrey Hepburn
Posted by Wallflower Diaries at 7:59 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
~Christmas TV Movie List
Happy Holidays to everyone! This is one of my favorite times of the year & I love Christmas movies. Here is a list of some of the tons of movies coming to a tv close to you. These times are set up as MST so you might have to check out the times in your area. Also, I had to pull these from a few sites so check ahead of time for the right times. I also included a few links to of lists to help fill in the blanks. :)
Dec. 1
7:00 pm
Santa Claus, Town
The voice of Fred Astaire. Animated.
A mailman (the voice of Fred Astaire) explains why Santa has whiskers, lives at the North Pole and brings presents once a year. Animated.
Mickey's Christmas Carol
A re-telling of the classic Dickens tale with Disney's classic characters. Animated.
Winnie the Pooh
North Pole trek. Animated.
Fearing that Santa may not get it in time, Pooh carries his friends' wish list to the North Pole. Animated.
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (ABC Family)
Sat. Dec. 3
It's Wonderful Life
Ruined by a miser on Christmas Eve, a suicidal family man sees life anew thanks to his guardian angel.
A Christmas Proposal
Two opposing lawyers -- one-time sweethearts -- battle over the development of a ski resort.
Save Christmas
A pit bull spreads Christmas cheer.
Santa's pit bull, Hercules, challenges a mischievous young orphan to help spread Christmas spirit to a troubled soul.
Farewell Mr. Kringle
A widowed writer for a magazine travels to the town of Mistletoe to meet a Santa Claus impersonator.
A Princess for Christmas (Hallmark)
Nothing Like The Holidays
Secret revelations, major life-changes and inevitable bickering mark a Chicago family's Christmas reunion.
Sun. Dec. 4
Undercover Christmas
Assigned to protect a waitress, a workaholic FBI agent brings her to his parents' home for the holidays.
November Christmas
A community works together to help a couple bring an early Christmas to their sick 8-year-old daughter.
Dear Santa
Crystal, a rich party girl, finds a little girl's letter to Santa asking for a new mother, and she vows to win over the father and daughter before the holidays.
Christmas Angel
A woman assists a man who secretly helps others during the holidays.
Dec. 5th
7:00 pm
Charlie Brown Xmas
Meaning of Christmas.
The award-winning ``Peanuts'' special returns with Charlie Brown and Linus searching for the meaning of Christmas.
62 ABCFamily
Rudolph's Shiny Year
New Year Baby in fog.
Rudolph the reindeer comes to the rescue when an evil bird kidnaps the New Year baby. Voices of Red Skelton, Frank Gorshin, Morey Amsterdam.
The Santa Clause
An adman takes over for the bearded, big-bellied fellow after a rooftop mishap on Christmas Eve.
Prep & Landing
Recovering classified technology.
Lanny and Wayne race to recover classified North Pole technology that falls into the hands of a naughty kid.
Rudolph/Misfit Toys
The famous reindeer and his friends must save Christmas when the evil Toy Taker steals all of Santa's toys.
A Christmas Carol
Dickens' London miser Ebenezer Scrooge meets the ghosts of Christmases past, present and yet to come.
Boyfriend for Christmas
A strangely familiar man may be the answer to a 33-year-old woman's long-ago holiday wish for true love.
Dec. 6
7:00 pm
Bublé Christmas
The singer/songwriter performs songs from his latest holiday album; comedy sketches; features appearances by Justin Bieber, Kellie Pickler, Thalia, Oscar the Grouch, The Puppini Sisters, Naturally 7, Tracy Morgan and Ed Helms.
Tue, Dec 06
TV-G |30 mins.
'Twas the Night Before Christmas
Joel Grey narrates an animated version of ``A Visit From St. Nicholas.''
A Christmas Story
In the 1940s, little Ralphie tries to convince his parents to get him a Red Ryder range-model BB gun for Christmas. Narrated by Jean Shepherd.
A Carol Christmas
An egomaniacal talk-show host has a chance to change.
The Polar Express
The conductor of a train to the North Pole guides a boy who questions the existence of Santa Claus. Animated. Based on a book by Chris Van Allsburg.
The Family Holiday
To claim an inheritance, a con man must prove he can settle down and raise a family.
Night Before...
A family must save Christmas when Santa Claus lands on the roof and loses his magic bundle.
Dec. 7
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Jack Frost
The winter sprite falls in love and yearns to become human in this musical tale featuring the voices of Buddy Hackett, Robert Morse, Larry Storch and Dave Garroway. Songs by Maury Laws and Jules Bass.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (ABC Family)
10:00 pm
Comfort and Joy
Dec 8
The Christmas Choir
A run-in with a homeless man inspires a recently dumped workaholic (Jason Gedrick) to organize a choir at a local shelter with help from a nun (Rhea Perlman). Tyrone Benskin, Marianne Farley, Cindy Sampson.
Frosty the Snowman (CBS)
Frosty Returns (CBS)
8:00 pm
Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus
Cranberry Christmas
Elf on a Shelf
Dec. 10
The Flight Before Christmas (CBS)
Dec. 12
I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown (ABC)
Christmas in Washington (TNT)
Dec. 17
The Story of Santa Claus (CBS)
Dec. 20
Saturday Night Live Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas (NBC)
Dec. 23
Olive, the Other Reindeer (CW)
Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer (CW)
Dec. 24
It's a Wonderful Life (NBC)
A Christmas Story (marathon) (TBS)
Dec. 25
Disney Christmas Parade (ABC)
Dec. 31
New Year's Rockin' Eve: 40th Anniversary Party (ABC)
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve (ABC)
New Year's Eve with Carson Daly (NBC)
Posted by Wallflower Diaries at 6:52 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Saturday, November 19, 2011
~Miss Piggy Quote
"How far should a girl go on the first date? Tucson. However, if you live in Texas, you can probably go a bit farther."
~Miss Piggy
Posted by Wallflower Diaries at 5:07 PM 0 comments Links to this post
~The Muppet Movie...Week-End
Happy Week-end to everyone out there in honor of the new up in coming movie , I thought I would take you back to the beginning. I was lucky enough as a kid to see this movie on a field trip for school. The Muppets will forever hold a place near and dear to my heart......
Tis the season for "Miss Piggy's Pink Peppermint Cake"
1 cup cake flour (sifted)
112 cups sugar (divided)
12 large egg whites
1 tsp cream of tartar
14 tsp salt
112 tsps vanilla extract
112 tsps fresh lemon juice
12 tsp almond extract
14 tsp food coloring (red)
12 cup peppermint (crushed hard, candy)
1 Preheat oven to 325ºF.
2 To make cake, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and 3/4 cup sugar, stirring with a whisk.
3 Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form.
4 Add 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla, juice, almond extract, and red food coloring.
5 Sift 1/4 cup flour mixture over egg white mixture; fold in and then repeat with remaining flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time. Fold in crushed peppermint .
6 Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, spreading evenly. Break air pockets by cutting through the batter with a knife. Bake at 325°F for 55 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.
7 Invert pan; cool completely. Loosen cake from sides of pan using a thin metal spatula. Invert the cake onto a plate.
8 Serve and enjoy!
Posted by Wallflower Diaries at 4:52 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Sunday, November 13, 2011
~Patti Stanger Quote
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Monday, October 31, 2011
~Velma & Dapne Quote
Daphne Blake: What I need is a real, live ghost.
Velma Dinkley: That's an oxymoron, Daph.
picture source
Posted by Wallflower Diaries at 1:32 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Sunday, October 30, 2011
~The Many Looks of Audrey
Everyone talks about Audrey Hepburn's over the top fabulous fashion's in movies & in real life. But, what about her more casual looks? Here is my modern take on a few of those looks.
Posted by Wallflower Diaries at 11:06 AM 3 comments Links to this post
Saturday, October 29, 2011
~Endora Quote
Endora: [about being a witch] We are quicksilver, a fleeting shadow, a distant sound... our home has no boundaries beyond which we cannot pass. We live in music, in a flash of color... we live on the wind and in the sparkle of a star!
One of my favorite Halloween's was being Samantha to my Mom's Endora. Just thinking about her hair again cracks me up.!
Posted by Wallflower Diaries at 12:45 PM 0 comments Links to this post
~Bedknobs and Broomsticks ...Week-end
Happy Halloween-weekend everyone !Ok my week-end movie pick isn't that scary but, I have always loved this movie. My favorite part is when they go to The Island of Naboombu. I can't help but, sing along. I'm a sucker for Disney what can I say.I hope you enjoy my Halloween treat for you.
Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
An apprentice witch, 3 kids and a cynical conman search for the missing component to a magic spell useful to the defence of Britain.
How about munching on "Bedknobs and Broomstick Cookies" while you watch?
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
10 pretzel rods, about 8 1/2 inches long, cut crosswise in half
2 teaspoons shortening
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Butterscotch-flavored chips, melted
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). Mix brown sugar, butter, water and vanilla in medium bowl. Stir in flour and salt. Shape dough into twenty 1 1/4-inch balls.
2. Place pretzel rod halves on ungreased cookie sheet. Press ball of dough onto cut end of each pretzel rod. Press dough with fork to resemble "bristles" of broom.
3. Bake about 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely on wire rack, about 30 minutes.
4. Cover cookie sheet with waxed paper. Place brooms on waxed paper. Heat shortening and chocolate chips over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth; remove from heat. Spoon melted chocolate over brooms, leaving about 1 inch at top of pretzel handle and bottom halves of cookie bristles uncovered. Drizzle with melted butterscotch chips. Let stand until chocolate is set.
Makes 20 snacks.
Nutritional Information
1 Serving:
Calories 150 (Calories from Fat 65 ); Total Fat 7 g (Saturated Fat 2 g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 170 mg; Total Carbohydrate 21 g (Dietary Fiber 1 g); Protein 2 g
% Daily Value: Vitamin A 4 %; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 0%; Iron 4 %
Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1/2 Fruit; 1 Fat
Source: Betty Crocker.com
Date: October 19, 2005
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Tuesday, October 18, 2011
~Zsa Zsa Gabor Quote
Posted by Wallflower Diaries at 9:07 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Monday, October 17, 2011
~Fashion Retro TV
Ok I love fashion in tv and Pan Am is ranking up there filling in my Mad Men void. Anyone else watching this show? Also, The Playboy Club had some great fashion on it's show before it went off.Watch are you guys watching? I thinking I see some popular Halloween costumes....
Pan Am...
Playboy Club. I'm not a woman that thinks Playboy magazine is a great thing in fact I dislike the concept ,but the show is super stylish.
Mad Men...Oh how I still miss you.
Posted by Wallflower Diaries at 9:09 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Saturday, October 8, 2011
~Mona Lisa Smile...Week-End
Yes the week-end movie and the yummy treat is back....:D
Mona Lisa Smile (2003)
A free-thinking art professor teaches conservative 50's Wellesley girls to question their traditional societal roles.
Mona Lisa's Molten Caramel-Apple Gingerbread
box (14.5 oz) Betty Crocker® gingerbread cake and cookie mix
cup chunky applesauce
cup warm water
tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
cup chopped pitted dates
to 3/4 cup caramel topping
cup whipped cream
Posted by Wallflower Diaries at 8:46 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Monday, September 26, 2011
~I'm Back...Miss Me?
Ok I think Google and I got all the bugs out of my blog after it got hacked. I have had Blogger withdraw , so I have been doing tons of Pintrest and Polyvore. If any of you is on there make sure to find me. Mean time I'll try to get caught up on my Blogs. Thanks for the emails...I've missed you too. :)
Find me on Polyvore
Posted by Wallflower Diaries at 4:39 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Monday, September 12, 2011
~Hackers Suck!
*photo source
OMG! Sorry bloggers my account got hacked & it has taken my forever to get it fixed. I hope to get back to blogging here on that i can get back on. Thanks to all of you for your kind words of wanting me back on. I'm glad to be back...missed you guys! :)
Posted by Wallflower Diaries at 6:21 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Saturday, August 13, 2011
~Janeane Garofalo Quote
"I guess I just prefer to see the dark side of things. The glass is always half empty. And cracked. And I just cut my lip on it. And chipped a tooth."
~Janeane Garofalo
Posted by Wallflower Diaries at 9:55 AM 0 comments Links to this post
~10 Things I Hate About You...Week-End
Who else is ready for the week-end? This week-ends movie is...
"10 Things I Hate About You"
is a 1999 American teen romantic comedy film. It is directed by Gil Junger and stars Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, David Krumholtz, and Larry Miller. The screenplay was written by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith.
The film, a modernization of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, is titled after a poem written by the film's female lead to describe her bittersweet romance with the male lead. The film was released March 31, 1999, and it was a breakout success for stars Stiles and Ledger.
"Ten Things I Love Layered Chocolate Cake"
2 cups Sugar
1 3/4 sticks margarine
3 cups self rising flour
1 cup milk
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
Mix. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes in 3 eight inch pans. When the layers cool, cut each layer into half lengthwise.
Chocolate Sauce Icing:
2 cups sugar
1 stick margarine
3/4 of large can of evaporated milk
6 Tbsp. cocoa
2 tsp. vanilla
Mix sugar and cocoa. Add milk and vanilla. Add margarine. Boil 10 minutes. Cool icing completely and beat with spoon.
This sauce is also good on ice cream or pound cake.
I alternate between these two frosting below. I like them because I love an icing that is more like old fashion hard fudge. Which of these two I use, will most often depend on whether I have squares of chocolate in the pantry, or if I only have cocoa. Also the second recipe is sweeter but both are a boiled frosting that set up hard the way I like it:
Old Fashioned Hard Fudge Frosting:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
Add sugar and milk, butter. Stir until boils HARD! Boil HARD 6 minutes. Don't stir while boiling. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and chocolate. Stir until chocolate melted. Pour over cake. Will be a hard, shiny frosting. Tastes like fudge. Frosting sets up very quickly.
Old Fashioned Fudge Frosting:
2/3 cup Hershey's cocoa
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla
Thoroughly combine dry ingredients in heavy 4 quart saucepan. Stir in milk. Boil without stirring to soft boil stage. Add butter. Remove from heat. Beat until it has cool some; add vanilla. Frosting will set up hard.
Source: Southern Living
Posted by Wallflower Diaries at 9:22 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Sunday, August 7, 2011
~Lucille Ball Quote
Posted by Wallflower Diaries at 7:02 PM 0 comments Links to this post
~Fancy Pants...Week-End
In honor if Lucy's 100th birthday I bring to you dear bloggers...
"Fancy Pants"(1950)
An American actor (Arthur Tyler) impersonating an English butler is hired by a nouveau riche woman (Effie Floud) from New Mexico to refine her husband and headstrong daughter (Aggie). The complications increase when the town believes Arthur to be an Earl, and President Roosevelt decides to pay a visit. Written by Erica Schulman
"Fancy Fruit Sorbet"
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
3 cups orange juice
1/3 cup lemon juice
In a large saucepan, bring water, sugar and rosemary to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Cool. Strain, discarding rosemary. Stir in orange juice and lemon juice. Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full; freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Allow to ripen in ice cream freezer or firm up in the refrigerate freezer for 2-4 hours before serving.
Posted by Wallflower Diaries at 5:23 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Saturday, July 23, 2011
~Judy Garland Quote
"For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul."
~Judy Garland
Posted by Wallflower Diaries at 7:49 PM 0 comments Links to this post
~Shall We Dance...Week-End
After a finals and a trip home to see the family. I finally have time to share a week-end movie blog with you all. Hope you enjoy!
"Shall We Dance"
A romantic comedy where a bored, overworked Estate Lawyer, upon first sight of a beautiful instructor, signs up for ballroom dancing lessons.
"Shall We Dunk? Biscotti "
1 7.4 oz package chocolate chocolate chip muffin mix
2 tbsp extra light olive oil
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
1/3 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped
1 cup milk chocolate chips for dipping
In a medium bowl, cream together oil, butter and sugar. Mix in egg and vanilla. Add muffin mix, stir well, and fold in nuts, white chocolate chips and cherries. On a parchment lined cookie sheet, flatten dough with greased fingers, into a 9 X 4 inch flat log about 1/2 inch thick. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove, slice into 10-12 pieces, cut on the diagonal, and turn pieces on one side. Cook 5 minutes, flip to the other side and cook 3-5 more minutes. Stay alert and watch carefully so edges do not burn. Cool completely and dip into melted chocolate chips.
Posted by Wallflower Diaries at 7:10 PM 1 comments Links to this post


text: Information about Metasearch Metasearch offers you a single access point to searching a vast range of our library's resources. Metasearch covers the following sources: our library catalogue, including E-Books thousands of journals and publishers' offers all EBSCO databases Web of Science Scopus JSTOR WISO and many more The search functionalities are consistent with EBSCOhost databases. In our database lists, you can check whether a database's content is integrated in Metasearch by looking for this icon: Many of us are waiting for a «one stop-shopping» solution, but even with Metasearch we are not quite there. For several reasons, many databases are not contained in Metasearch: ProQuest (ABI/Inform Complete, Sociological Abstracts u.a.) Factiva Beck Online Swisslex company information, financial and statistical databases Guest Access: As a guest you may get guest access to our Metasearch as well. Please bear in mind that only non-commercial content (e.g. library catalogue) is available. Off-campus access for University members: If you would like to use Metasearch off campus, you will need a VPN connection to access licensed full texts and e-books.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Yanks lose ground in playoff chase with loss to O's
Sabathia falls to 13-12; club now three games back in Wild Card race
BALTIMORE -- The Yankees needed CC Sabathia to reach back and deliver an ace-caliber outing, but on a night where tempers flared between both teams' managers at Camden Yards, it was the Orioles' Chris Tillman who stayed most in control.
Tillman (16-5) mowed down 14 straight batters through one stretch and held the Yankees to a pair of solo homers over seven-plus innings, leading Baltimore to a 4-2 victory on Monday in a battle between two clubs fighting for their postseason entries.
"It's frustrating, but it's baseball," Sabathia said. "You've got to go out and try to keep the game close. He's been pitching well all year, and it's up to me to try to keep the game close and give these guys a chance to win."
The loss dropped the Yankees three games behind the Rays for the second American League Wild Card spot. Tampa Bay was idle on Monday, allowing the Orioles to climb to within 1 1/2 games in the Wild Card standings.
The pressure of September play bubbled over after the first inning, as both dugouts emptied briefly when Yankees manager Joe Girardi and Orioles manager Buck Showalter were involved in a fiery on-field confrontation.
Showalter said that Girardi had accused third-base coach Bobby Dickerson and the Orioles of stealing signs. In response, Showalter angrily yelled at Girardi and had to be restrained by home-plate umpire Ed Hickox. Both benches were warned.
"[Girardi said,] 'I know what you're doing,'" Dickerson said. "Yelling it, body language, pointing at me. That's it. And I'm a grown man, that's all. I don't see why he was yelling at me. I just said, 'You don't know anything. You don't even know me to be yelling at me.'"
Girardi refused to acknowledge that the incident had been about sign stealing, remaining vague about what had sparked the situation.
"The one thing that I've done the whole time I'm here and everywhere I've been is, I'm going to protect our players at all lengths," Girardi said. "That's what I'm going to do. There was something that I saw and I'm going to leave it at that."
Yankees catcher Austin Romine said that he was too involved in the game to know why Girardi and Showalter were arguing, but added that he asked someone on the Yankees' bench if his signs had been visible.
"I mean, everybody's trying to steal signs," Romine said. "I wouldn't be surprised if they were, but I really don't know what was going on. No one even said anything to me."
Alex Rodriguez and Lyle Overbay hit solo homers for the Yankees, who have lost four of their last five games.
Batting second in New York's lineup for the first time since 2006, Rodriguez hit career homer No. 652 in the first inning, leaving him eight shy of tying Willie Mays on the all-time list. Overbay cleared the wall with a solo blast to open the eighth.
That accounted for the scoring off the dominant Tillman, who tied a career high with nine strikeouts while scattering just four hits.
"His changeup was outstanding tonight," Girardi said. "He also has a good curveball, but I thought his changeup was the equalizer tonight; moving his fastball up and down as much as in and out."
Sabathia (13-12) had won four of his last five starts coming into the outing and limited the Birds to Adam Jones' first-inning sacrifice fly through the first four frames, but finished allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits over 7 1/3 innings.
"If we'd been scoring runs the way we were the last week, he gets a win tonight," Girardi said of Sabathia, who walked two (one intentionally) and struck out six.
Baltimore pushed ahead in the fifth with small ball, as J.J. Hardy opened the inning with a double, advanced on a groundout and scored on a Matt Wieters sacrifice fly. Nick Markakis singled home Alexi Casilla to give the Orioles a 3-1 lead.
"It's that time of the year, and situations call for it," Sabathia said. "You're trying to get the runner over to third; get runs however you can. So they did a good job of that."
A Sabathia throwing error on Casilla's tapper back to the mound helped set up Baltimore's fourth run, in the seventh, as Sabathia threw high to the third-base side of second, failing to record a forceout.
After Sabathia induced a double-play grounder, Manny Machado then doubled off the high scoreboard in right field, sending Wieters trotting home.
"Giving up that run after getting the two outs was tough," Sabathia said.
Tommy Hunter relieved Tillman in the eighth and struck out the side. Jim Johnson recovered from Rodriguez's leadoff single in the ninth to record his American League-leading 43rd save.
"We're still in it," Romine said. "It's baseball. Anything can happen. We're coming out here to win every game, and you can't count us out. We keep battling and battling and battling."


text:
LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- Bravo and Comedy Central have thrown their original hats into the January programming ring.
The latter will offer up the fifth season of "Reno 911" beginning Wednesday, January 16 at 10:30/9:30c. Here's how the network describes the new season: "The Washoe County Sheriff's Department is tuning up its cruisers for a fifth season of "RENO 911!." Last season kicked off with Weigel's mysterious insemination and ended with Dangle's disastrous gay commitment ceremony. In between, they kept the city of Reno on the straight and narrow by rigging a local election, going undercover as illegal immigrants and taming horses for mounted patrol. What will happen this season? Will Garcia embrace his newfound sexual orientation? Will Dangle and Weigel be the proud parents of a baby? Tune in Wednesday nights at 10:30 p.m. to find out."
Also on tap is the 12th season of "Comedy Central Presents" starting Friday, January 11 at 10:00/9:00c. Said effort is detailed as follows: "COMEDY CENTRAL has another line-up of America's top stand-up comedians ready to roll in an all-new season of "COMEDY CENTRAL Presents." This COMEDY CENTRAL original series features the best comics in America taking the stage for their own half-hour special in front of a live audience at New York's Hudson Theater. Tune in every Friday night at 10:00 p.m. for two new back-to-back episodes, featuring stand-up comics like Rich Vos, Stephen Lynch and Bonnie McFarlane."
Meanwhile over on Bravo, newcomers "Make Me a Supermodel" and "Millionaire Matchmaker" will join mainstays "The Real Housewives of Orange County" and "Project Runway."
"Supermodel" will kick off on Wednesday, January 2 at 11:00/10:00c with a casting special before settling into its regular Thursday, 10:00/9:00c home the following week (January 10).
As for "Matchmaker," the series will launch on Tuesday, January 22 at 11:00/10:00c following the season finale of "Housewives." "Matchmaker" will then assume "Housewives's" regular 10:00/9:00c slot on January 29.
And finally, look for the one-hour special "The 20 Most Outrageous Bravo Moments" on Wednesday, January 30 at 10:00/9:00c (pre-empting "Runway" for that week) as well as the half-hour "Last Comic Standing: Jon Reep" special on Friday, January 4 at 8:00/7:00c.


text:
Discover Squam CruiseName: Discover Squam CruiseDate: August 16, 2019Time: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM EDTWebsite: https://www.nhnature.orgEvent Description:July 1 to September 2 | Daily at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m.
This unforgettable guided tour has something to delight everyone. Learn about the natural history of the lake, the wildlife that makes Squam so special, and the people who have enjoyed these lakes for over 5,000 years. View locations where the movie On Golden Pond was filmed over 30 years ago. Watch for Common Loons, Bald Eagles, and other wildlife.
All Squam Lake Cruises are 90 minutes in length. Squam Lake Cruises are on canopied pontoon boats. Binoculars are available for wildlife viewing at no additional cost. Cruises depart on Route 113 across from the Science Center parking lots. Park in designated lots and walk to Lake Cruise Headquarters using pathway. Advance reservations are strongly recommended.


text:
California Wine, Sonoma Valley
About Hanna Wines
Dr. Elias Hanna loved his adopted country of the U.S., but still yearned for the pace of farm life of his birthplace Syria. In the 1970's he realized his dream with the purchase of 12 acres in the Russian River Valley. It was here that this world-renowned cardiac surgeon introduced his children to winemaking, in particular homemade Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.
This simple beginning, driven by personal aspiration, led to great achievements. Today, Hanna Winery encompasses more than 600 acres of land with approximately 250 acres planted to vines in the Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley, and its Bismark Ranch in the Mayacamas Mountains. Yet, great achievements require personal hands-on attention and Christine Hanna, the eldest daughter, runs the daily operations maintaining the familial touch. Under her guidance the winery has evolved into an estate philosophy that blends the viticultural diversity of fruit cultivated in its four vineyard estates in three unique appellations. With the help of winemaker Jeff Hinchliffe, they craft 13 award-winning wines, like those of its Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc and Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.Jeff Hinchliffe - Winemaker
In the spring of 1998, Jeff joined Hanna Winery, and has been making award winning wines ever since. Three vintages of Sauvignon Blanc have won the sweepstakes award at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair, and the 1999 Alexander Valley Cabernet was #26 of the world's top 100 wines in the Wine Spectator. "The Hanna family has a progressive attitude towards viticulture" says Jeff. "The vineyard locations are diverse and appropriately planted, which makes the situation as winemaker ideal. We do what few wineries have done, producing a wide range of varietals that are distinctive and exemplary.


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What to Eat
From international to local, discover Hong Kong one bite at a time.
In a city of sizzling woks, tinkling wine glasses, cosy eateries, pungent cooking aromas, celebrated culinary festivals and trend-setting chefs, everywhere you turn there is the temptation to dig in and indulge. Resistance is futile.


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Travel-friendly shoes, safety tips, dog-gone hotels and pampering trends.
by Kristi Casey Sanders Leave a Comment
Travel-friendly shoes, safety tips, dog-gone hotels and pampering trends.
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As measured by the S&P 500, large-cap domestic stocks have produced an annualized return of 9.8% since 1926, or 6.8% on a real basis (for the period ending 12/31/2011; Source: Ibbotson and Standard and Poor's Index: SBBI S&P 500 Index). Decent numbers to be sure, but the average hides a lot of history. When it comes to performance, indexes, like individual portfolios, are a collection of uneven events.
Breaking that 85-year stretch into just two periods, for example—from 1926 to 1981 when interest rates peaked, and from 1982 to 2011—we get very different outcomes. For the period 1926 until the beginning of 1982, the S&P produced a gain of 6.1% real terms. In the declining rate environment from 1982 to 2011, however, the real return for large-cap stocks jumped to 8.0%. Breaking down performance even further, say, by the decade, the numbers swing even wider.
Seeing the numbers raises an interesting question: How often do the returns by decade match the long-term average? Answer: Never. On a real basis, the only decade for the S&P that was even come close to the long-term average was the 1960s, and then there was a 150 basis point differential. Fact is, the performance of large-cap stocks by the decade bears little resemblance to the long-term average. The same is true if we look at small-cap stocks, long-term government bonds or long-term corporate bonds. Which raises another question: Does any of this matter?
Actually it does, and a lot. That's because many investment advisors and financial planners use historic long-term returns for their forward-looking return expectations. Using historic numbers in either the asset allocation process or arriving at wealth and spending forecasts introduces two major problems.
First, there is no fundamental reason why stocks should provide anything close to their long-term returns in any given decade. And yet investors undoubtedly view any 10-year period as "the long run." We would suggest that the misalignment of expectations and reality rarely leads to happy clients.
Second, the extrapolation of past returns–damaging enough in the realm of equities—can often be downright reckless for investment-grade fixed income, as is the case right now. At this point in the cycle, a 30-plus year of declining interest rates virtually ensures that the past won't be prologue. The average real returns produced by long-term government bonds since 1982—an astoundingly high 8.2% according to Ibbotson and Barclays Capital—will not be duplicated anytime soon. Nor will the nearly-as-astounding 7.7% produced by long-term corporate bonds.
If advisors and financial planners utilize these abnormally high historical returns to make wealth and spending forecasts, they and their clients will wake up one day to two unpleasant truths: They underestimated the need to save and invest and they overestimated the amount of money that could safely be spent. The ugly result is an underfunded retirement.
'When' Really Matters
So if short-term market timing is imprudent (and we know it is), and relying on long-term averages to play out is irresponsible, what, then, is an investor to do? We believe that advisors, first and foremost, must acknowledge that the investment starting point matters greatly. While metrics like equity valuations, interest rate levels, and corporate bond spreads can be highly predictive of future rates of return, we have to remember that those metrics can and do change dramatically over short periods of time.
In practice, we know that when the equity market is priced cheaply, future returns will likely be in excess of the long-term average, and vice versa. But we also know that the equity market can remain cheap (or expensive) for extended periods of time. Cheap valuations don't ensure strong returns over one-, three-, or five-year time periods, but they do increase the probability of above-average returns over time.
In our opinion, the best course of action is to take more risk when the likelihood of an above-average payout increases and take less risk when the reverse is true. Others attribute different meanings to it, but this is what we refer to as dynamic asset allocation. With this approach, we think advisors increase the probability of achieving positive investment outcomes over time for their clients. It's the best way we know to lessen the chance of a material funding gap during retirement.
Author's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are provided for general information only and do not constitute specific investment advice or recommendations from the author.


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ONE of the most famous names in North-East football has given his backing to the region's latest singing sensation.
Both Tony Mowbray, manager of Middlesbrough FC, and James Arthur, X Factor finalist, are from east Cleveland and the football man said the singer's success was "great for the area."
He also revealed that James, a big Boro fan, has been exchanging tweets with some of the players.
Mr Mowbray said: "I watch it whenever I can. We had Amelia Lily last year and it's great that's been carried on this year by James Arthur. I think we should just all be proud of someone from Teesside trying to achieve something.
"He's showing his talent and his quality. I think from very early on he had a rawness about the way he sings that's a bit different from what you normally get. I think there's a potential niche there for him to bring that to the market place."
James' sister Sian, 25, described how she felt when her 24-year-old brother came home to perform at a packed Middlesbrough Town on Tuesday night.
She said: "It was the most surreal moment ever. I can't describe to you how proud and emotional I felt when I saw how many people had turned up to support and cheer for my brother.
"The best moment of my life was seeing James get out of the car and walk down the red carpet in Centre Square, Middlesbrough.
"There were hundreds of people screaming and shouting his name. I've never been happier than I was then to see that smile on his face. The X Factor has really turned his whole life around, upside down and stuck it in a blender.
"The family are on such a high at the moment, just to see the confidence build in him and to hear him talking about his experiences over the past few weeks is amazing.
"James is taking it all in his stride now and is gearing up for the weekend, rehearsing for this week's final. He definitely thinks he can win this now.
"I'm so excited for this weekend, all of his close family will be there watching with anticipation, and fingers crossed we will all be diving on him once he is declared X Factor winner 2012!"
The X Factor will be shown on ITV at 8pm on Saturday night and the results show will be on 7.40pm on Sunday.


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June 9 (Tuesday) at 10:30 am
Class length
50 minutes
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Information Storms and the Limits to Information
By Mary Logan
My first significant memory of big storms came as a 5 year old, as Hurricane Carla advanced on Port Aransas, Texas, where my father, HT Odum was administrator of the University of Texas Marine Science Institute. That day, as we were due to evacuate, HT took me on his final rounds of the Institute before leaving. We walked out on the Port Aransas pier, and I remember that my father had to lift me over the gaps where missing planks had already disappeared from storm waves (my mother was later horrified at my proud retelling of the story). We stood there halfway out on the pier, and I received my first lesson in hurricane science and energy transport in waves. We counted wave troughs, heights, and wavelengths, and he explained the dynamics of wind energy, relating the sizes of the pulses to size and scale of storms. Local weather creates little wavelets, and large distant weather creates bigger, more powerful pulses that have higher impact on beaches. We talked about excess heat in the atmosphere, and how hurricanes act as Nature's way of dispersing extra heat. It was my first lesson in storm/energy analogies, and I have never looked at storms the same way since.
Odum often drew an analogy between the way meteorological storms such as hurricanes disperse heat and the way that other systems do, including information systems. After Tom Abel's excellent post last week on trends in education in a world in transition, it is a good time to share Odum's analogy linking storms of information and weather storms. But to make that analogy, we first need a meteorology lesson, starting with the second law of thermodynamics.
The geobiosphere of the earth transforms sunlight through a number of heat engines that transform the earth's potential energy of heat along with solar heating through temperature gradients into kinetic energy of circulating air and water. These maximize the use of energy and help to self-organize the natural capital of the earth through whirl cells of activity at different levels of scale. There are a number of different planetary heat engines driving these whirl cells: surface-sky, north-south atmospheric, oceanic, and up-down geothermal earth engines (Odum, 2007, p. 107).
The second law dictates that potential energy that does not go into storage is dispersed during processes. Meteorological storms or whirl cells at different levels of scale serve the purpose of dispersing and distributing excess atmospheric heat and water, transforming the landscape through rain and wind, and even creating social eddies in the form of fire from lightning to release minerals and restart succession. The distributed water creates geopotential energy by forming water at high altitudes. The main classes of whirl cells form a hierarchy of energy and transformity, beginning with latent heat flow and ocean cumulus, then land convection, temperate cyclones, hurricanes, mesosystems, and finally polar jet streams at the top of the "atmospheric food chain" (Odum, 2007, p. 112).
At the local scale, thunderstorms take disorganized heat energy and turn it into winds and rain that are organized both vertically and spatially over local landscapes. With more extreme temperature gradients, winds spin into tornadoes. At the larger scale, hurricanes prowl the lower latitudes and disperse ocean heat. With extreme storms such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and supercells, there is a direct relationship between the amount of heat and the severity of the storm. Supercells occur, for example, when a thunderstorm's updraft builds vertically until it reaches an equilibrium of drier air that no longer cools, typically at the tropopause (between 30,000 and 60,000 feet, depending on latitude), at which point it spreads out horizontally. In transient, unstable conditions, a dome of overshoot can even form on top of the anvil, created by short-lived strong updrafts indicating potential for severe weather.
We can make an analogy between energy degradation/heat dispersal in storms and entropy in economic systems. As our energy production and consumption peaks, what happens to the volumes of information that we are producing? How much of the information is useful, and how much is dispersed as ephemeral heat entropy or dispersed as information rainfall to flow across the landscape? Sustaining information requires continual processing of information to select and refine information, and make and replace copies that are lost, broken, or otherwise depreciated. Information is tested, refined, and shared and adapted to local variation. Shared information has the highest emergy embodied in it. Our current society is experiencing an information storm that has expanded both vertically and horizontally, as the costly, noisy information explosion of the past century disperses, mixes, filters, copies, selects, and stores information. And the internet allows an extreme, global form of information sharing that is not possible in traditional ways. The internet serves as a novel, networked form of information testing, allowing many rapid interactions among many to process information quickly, perhaps providing feedback and steering currents for the information storm. If society is experiencing a series of information storms and the rain is the information, and the wind is perhaps the more destructive parts of the storm, such as gossip and media frenzies, perhaps the internet can be compared to the river carrying the information-water across the landscape, as Babauta suggests.
If a surge on input energy of one kind is added to a system, it creates a bulge in the energy spectrum, causing energy to be propagated upscale and downscale. For example, the average distribution of energy in water waves is like the figure at right, with many waves of small energy and few of larger energy. When a storm passes, it generates waves with energy in the middle of the spectrum, causing a bulge in the spectral graph. Some waves interact to form larger waves, but most lose energy to friction, moving downscale to waves of lesser energy and heat (Odum, 2007, p. 7).
The same self-organization that occurs in the non-living structures of weather and climate also occurs in the social learning systems of human economies. Maintaining structure of thunderstorms and information storms requires continued flow of energy over time. Our superheated global economy creates a global internet information storm that can be compared to a tornadic supercell, creating a strong updraft of information spreading into an anvil top and a dome of overshoot that will not last. Those who view the current information storm as a stepping stone on the way to the Singularity or an information society may not understand the degree of continuous, incremental energetic transformation that is required to maintain and expand a highly technological society.
In the map of science at right, the explosion of journal articles since World War II appears to have peaked. What does that mean for our science? Similarly, our monetary system is a form of information that has exploded, resulting in a super-circulation of paper wealth mostly represented by paper debt in derivatives, securitized assets, and bonds, outside the real economy, creating a surreal digital super-economy consisting of the financial, insurance, and real estate sectors that can be viewed as a supercell. Most of the money is circulating outside the real economy at this point,
with paper being swapped for more paper as symbolic representations, with little real work produced. The current digital money storm is like a supercell with a rotating top made up of anvils of derivatives forming cloud tops that will dissipate after the storm passes. The storm is creating waves of money that transfer energy but no material, similar to ocean waves. But our information storm is not yet done. If we fail to hold money supplies constant on resources, we may have to deal with severe inflation as resources diminish, which will accelerate the spin of the economic storm and the chaos that could occur from currency instability.
Television and the internet are the primary sources of information for our modern society. Competitions and sports championships become outlets for competitive behavior that might otherwise be turned to violence and war. Social causes, fashion magazines and polarized religion and politics provide outlets for excess, creating avenues for release of energy in an overheated economy. How many of these channels for energy release will become less useful or available in a lower energy society? Can we realign our goals and reorder society into less wasteful pursuits without destroying it in the process?
Is our information system in a dome of overshoot similar to a supercell? Has information accumulation peaked, as the figure above showing the history of science journal publishing suggests? Will information decline take the form of less and less usable information, similar to a low-precipitation supercell that produces little rain? What happens if the internet cannot be supported, as Tom Abel pointed out last week? What are the limits to information? Access to information decreases as it becomes more complex, however, so there is a limit to what can be supported (Odum, 2007, p. 245). Does information devolve into another instance where a digital divide dictates who has access to college education and internet access–and what does that do to society? What parts of our information storm are of value, and how do we retain those parts in long-term information storage if the digital information systems fail us? Is digital information detracting from long-term information storage in a durable format? Where is the consolidation of knowledge and simplification of principles for all of this information that we have created? What do we preserve, and how do we preserve it? How do we teach more efficiently? Can we maintain cooperation and global information sharing in a prosperous way down?
Information Principles and Policies for Descent
- The value of information is increased by sharing it among many, so share free information for unified cooperation
- Developing shared information such as common objectives requires large resources
- With declining resources, less information and less education can be supported
- Art and literature are powerful amplifiers for generating unified action
- Information is necessary for efficiency, diversity, and organization; information use increases as growth stops in order to adapt by developing efficiencies and responding to resource shortages
- Urban centers concentrate information (in addition to energy and materials)
- More information is stored than is used at any one time. Information depreciates and requires energy to maintain and/or grow, so select and consolidate information for libraries
- Direct electric power to useful information processing and sharing
- Balance emergy trade equity to replace free exploitation
- Hold money supplies constant relative to resources, which means decreasing money supply over time to match economic contraction, in order to avoid severe inflation
- Reduce expectations of unearned income from stocks, bonds, and other sources (Odum, PWD draft, 1987)
The principles of energy transformity, hierarchy, and energy can be applied to everything including information.


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June 29, 2011
Richard Feynman is one of the most dynamic and ebullient larger-than-life characters in modern physics. Mike Lucibella sat down with physicist and author Lawrence Krauss to talk about his new biography Quantum Man: Richard Feynman's Life in Science.
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Duke Energy
Duke Energy is an electric utility company based in Charlotte, NC. Duke Energy's origins stem back to 1900 from a small hydroelectric company called the Catawba Power Company, which evolved into Duke Power and eventually into Duke Energy after a 1997 merger with PanEnergy. As of the third quarter of 2011, Duke Energy held more than $60 billion in assets, while pulling a gross operating profit of more than $5 billion in 2010.
Duke Energy was poised to become the nation's largest utility company on January 1, 2012, as it planned to purchase Progress Energy, based in Raleigh. The new company (which will continue under the name Duke Energy) would supply more than 7 million customers. The first proposal for the merger was rejected by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on September 20, 2011 on the grounds that the merger would have a negative impact on competition in the Southeast electricity market. In December the proposal was once again rejected by FERC, stating that the revisions of capping their profit at 10% of some wholesale power sales were inadequate. In June 2012, however, the Duke-Progress merger was conditionally approved by FERC, allowing the $26-billion deal to move ahead.
The merger also posed concerns among environmental groups, who argued that the merger between Duke and Progress would give the new Duke Energy company such a hold on the electricity market [PDF] as to minimize entry for independent renewables. The merger would also likely increase Duke Energy's dependence on "less efficient, higher-polluting coal" plants.
Although Bill Johnson, former CEO of Progress Energy, was originally set to be become president and board director of the merged company, within hours of the first day after the merger, Johnson unexpectedly resigned, with Jim Rogers taking his place as CEO. As a result, suspicions have been raised, causing the North Carolina Utilities Commission and Attorney General to conduct separate investigations on Rogers.
Further speculation was raised when Rogers testified before the N.C. Utilities Commission, stating that Johnson's management practices were "autocratic" and weak, which fueled the CEO switch. John Mullin III, a Progress Energy director, describes the situation as "the most blatant example of corporate deceit that I have witnessed during a long career on Wall Street."
About 67% of Duke Energy's electricity is generated from fossil fuels, mainly coal (about 63%), while 31% of the company's generation is from nuclear power and 1.5% comes from hydro. Just over a half percent of Duke's electricity is generated from non-hydro renewables. 63% of Progress' electricity comes from fossil fuels, with another 34% from nuclear, and 2% from non-hydro renewables.
The overall average operation age of Duke Energy coal-fired power plants is 47 years.
Federal Activity:
Duke Energy is a member of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, which has been criticized for including member companies that actually worked to derail meaningful climate legislation. During this time, Duke was also a member of the National Association of Manufacturers and the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, each of which worked against action on climate change. In one extreme case, the ACCCE even sent out forged letters to Congress members, claiming to speak on behalf of senior citizens and other groups. Duke Energy finally left the National Association of Manufacturers in May 2009, as well as the ACCCE in September 2009. Duke Energy's CEO, Jim Rogers, also pulled himself from the board of the staunchly anti-environmentalist U.S. Chamber of Commerce in April 2010, although he claims the switch was mandatory after serving three consecutive terms.
The American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACESA) that passed in the U.S. House in 2009, which included many favors for the coal industry, was encouraged by tens of thousands of dollars in contributions to House members from the political action committees of Duke and other utilities.
Duke Energy has spent about $28 million from 2008-2012 on federal lobbying. Duke lobbyists include the Podesta Group (see Tony Podesta), William Tyndall (one of five former EPA employees now lobbying for the company), and Brian Vanderbloemen, a former legislative assistant to Senator Richard Burr (R- NC). Burr represents Duke's home state, and Duke is the fifth largest contributor to Burr's 2012 campaign. Duke Energy lobbyist Izzy Klein is a former political director for Congressman Ed Markey who is ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee as well as a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
The Duke Energy political action committee (PAC) spent over $3.8 million from the 2008 election cycle through the 2012 election.
Duke Energy is also loaning up to $10 million to the Democratic National Committee to help with the party's 2012 convention. The convention will be hosted Charlotte, with Jim Rogers serving as head fundraiser for the event. The aid was criticized as an attempt at "currying favor" from Democrats.
As of October 2011, Progress Energy spent 1.4 million on lobbyists for that year—11 million between 2005 and 2010. Progress also hires the lobbying services of the Podesta Group (see Tony Podesta), and lobbyists paid with Progress Energy money include 4 former EPA employees, former Burr assistant Brian Vanderbloemen, and former Ed Markey political director Izzy Klein. The Progress Energy PAC also spent more than $200,000 for the 2012 election cycle as of December 2011, having spent more than half a million during the 2010 cycle.
Environmental Issues:
Half of the coal Duke Energy burns at its power plants comes from mountain top removal operations.
Duke Energy is the third largest emitter of carbon dioxide in the United States at 112,000,000 tons per year and the number 11 emitter worldwide. According to a 2010 study by Clean Air Task Force, Duke's coal fleet collectively causes more than $7 billion dollars worth of health impacts annually. The number totals nearly $10 billion after adding Progress' coal fleet.
Despite Rogers' claims of needing to address climate change, Duke Energy is in the middle of re-constructing two coal-fired power plants in the U.S. (Cliffside and Edwardsport), one of which has become subject to substantial protests.
Duke Energy also faced accusations of double-speak by Greenpeace in December 2011, after the non-profit (and managing organization of this site) highlighted Duke's conflicting behavior regarding the EPA's
Mercury and Air Toxics Standards or "Mercury Rule". Although Duke CEO Jim Rogers had already indicated that Duke's fleet was prepared to comply with the regulation, Duke was apparently a member of the Electric Reliability Coordinating Council (ERCC), a utility industry group that had actively worked "to delay and weaken much-needed federal mercury protections."
Coal Ash:
As of 2009, Duke Energy owned ten of the EPA's 44 "high hazard potential" coal impoundment ponds, toxic dams full of watered-down byproducts from burning coal. In North Carolina, 13 coal ash ponds owned by Duke and Progress were found to be leaking neurotoxins and carcinogens into the surrounding groundwater. Levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium and chromium were sometimes found to be more than 380 times greater than state-approved limits.
As of 2009, Duke Energy had three plants operating within a 3-mile proximity of 12,000 people or more, none of which had scrubbers installed to reduce pollution. The per capita income in all three areas was less than $16,000, and one of the plants, the R. Gallagher Generating Station, is noted for being in a community where 60% of the population is composed of people of color. This same plant was also fined $1.75 million by the EPA for violating the Clear Air Act.
Duke is a utility member of the American Coal Ash Association, a trade group whose stated mission is "to advance the management and use of coal combustion products in ways that are environmentally responsible, technically sound, commercially competitive, and supportive of a sustainable global community."
Edwardsport Station Controversy:
Duke Energy is currently reconstructing Edwardsport plant in Knox Country, Indiana, into a new coal gasification plant. The region already has more than 4 times the amount of power capacity as is needed, with "one of the highest concentrations of coal-fired generators in the world."
In 2010, the project director for Edwardsport confidentially wrote to Duke complaining of "significant risks" [PDF] the utility had taken on the plant's construction process. In another communication, Duke executive Richard Hayiland wrote, "we need an exorcist on this job."
Originally budgeted for between $1.3 and 1.6 billion, the cost for Edwardsport swelled to $2.98 billion by October 2011. Duke Energy was blasted earlier that year by the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor as the company attempted to push $530 million in Edwardsport costs onto customers. An OUCC director testified that "Duke has not demonstrated any budgetary constraints on this project" and that the "escalating costs have been borne solely by ratepayers, with the benefits going to the [Duke] shareholders."
As of the posting of this profile, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) was in the midst of deciding "whether Duke committed fraud, concealment or gross mismanagement" regarding the plant's massive cost overruns. Jim Rogers himself testified before the IURC, saying "Yes, [the plant is] expensive. But it will be the cleanest plant in Indiana." Meanwhile, Duke Energy paid a consultancy more than $3 million dollars to testify on the issue.
In April 2012, Duke settled on Edwardsport's cost overruns with its largest customers and the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor. Duke would take on $700 million, while customers would see a rate hike of 14.5% over two years. By that point the plant's expected costs had reached $3.3 billion, with plans to begin service that fall. The Indiana Utility Consumer Counselor argued that it was time to move on from the issue. In October 2012, Duke revealed that Edwardsport was expected to cost over $3.5 billion and might not begin operation until as late as mid-2013.
The Edwardsport project has also stirred controversy regarding Duke's relationship with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. Reports by The Indianapolis Star revealed that in early 2010 Duke CEO Jim Rogers and Vice President James Turner held private meetings with IURC chair David Hardy and Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels to warn of some of the new costs associated with the construction of Edwardsport.
While Duke Energy argued that the meetings were merely a "courtesy heads-up," other correspondence between Turner and Hardy and between Turner and Rogers raised concerns that Duke may have violated the law by attempting to influence the course of IURC decisions on Edwardsport. During the course of email correspondence between Hardy and Turner, Turner offered to host Hardy and his wife on Turner's private boat, and even hinted that Hardy could find employment at Duke should he rule favorably toward the company. According to the Indianapolis Star, Turner also communicated to Rogers that "he intended to give plenty of attention to the Edwardsport plant and try to shift costs away from the utility."
Turner resigned from Duke Energy in the wake of The Indianapolis Star's reporting. Governor Daniels fired Hardy--although for a matter that was different but also involving Duke.
Support for the American Legislative Exchange Council:
Duke Energy is a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and part of ALEC's Energy, Environment and Agriculture task force. Through ALEC, Duke works with state legislators to distribute anti-environmental model bills across the country that delay policy solutions to climate change, block clean energy, prevent EPA from regulating coal pollution, fasttrack coal mining projects and other dirty energy initiatives. ALEC's 2013 energy agenda is centered around repealing state-level Renewable Energy Standards with its model bill, the "Electricity Freedom Act." Despite continued support for ALEC, Duke Energy explicitly claims to have helped create RES laws in both North Carolina and Ohio, and claims to oppose ALEC's RES repeal model bill.


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Gambling in the United States is more popular than ever before-but your house is the one thing you don't want to bet. Upping the Ante In the high-priced, low interest rate housing boom of the past several years, many homebuyers signed up for interest-only loans, payment option adjustable rate mortgages and piggybacks. In doing so, they generally bet on two things: that they would be able to refinance their way out from under future payments they might not be able to afford and that home prices would continue to go up and they would be able to sell later for a profit. Today, however, home prices aren't accelerating as fast as in boom years, and affordable refinancing options may not be as available as interest rates go up. A Safer Bet In today's economic environment, mortgage insurance on a fixed rate loan is often a better deal, offering lower monthly payments and more stability. Mortgage insurance is designed for the low down payment market, often qualifying borrowers with a down payment of 3 percent or less. "Compared to nontraditional loans, mortgage insurance on a fixed rate loan is simple, safe and smart," said Steve Smith, President and CEO of PMI Mortgage Insurance Co. "It's simple because unlike a piggyback loan, you have only one loan and one monthly payment, and because mortgage insurance drops off when it's no longer needed. It's safe because fixed monthly mortgage payments are predictable and stable-if interest rates rise, you won't feel it and you won't be hit with large balloon payments. It's smart because you don't need to wait to save a 20 percent down payment. Mortgage insurance helps you get into a house and start building wealth now." Doug Long, CEO of Pinnacle Financial, one of the nation's fastest-growing, independently owned mortgage lenders, explained, "It's like the old adage says, 'If it's too good to be true, it probably is.' Mortgage finance products are no different, and borrowers need to be sure they are getting a good deal tomorrow, when monthly payments may go up, as well as today. Staying in your home shouldn't be a gamble." Putting the Odds in Your Favor When choosing a mortgage, understand the risks you're signing up for. By calculating the costs-not only today, but in the future, should interest rates rise, balloon payments become due or introductory periods end-you can take the gamble out of the mortgage finance game.
Betting On The Tigers This Weekend Gets Tricky!
This is the third instalment in a series of articles on profitable betting through sensible money management. So far, I have discussed the importance of getting value when you bet, to maximise the returns you achieve when your selections win. In the most recent article you should have learned to keep your stakes in proportion to the size of your betting bank. Today I want to examine a common mistake that often gets punters into serious trouble chasing your losses. I dont think there can be many of us who have not at some time, decided to get back what we just lost by betting a little bigger on the next race. It is sometimes known as progressive staking. Lets take a simple scenario: you bet £10 on Red Rum, and he loses. What do you do? Perhaps you continue with your selection methods and come up with another pick in the next race Best Mate. The price is 6/4F But, rather than putting another £10 bet on Best Mate, you decide to chase your loss from the last race. You add another £7 to your stake so that when Best Mate wins you will pick up an extra £10.50 to recover the bet you lost on Red Rum. Good plan? Could be, after all Best Mate is a sure fire winner, right? May be. May be not! What happens if Best Mate loses? You are now £27 in the hole. But you still have a plan. Your next selection is a dead cert winner at Even money. You place your usual £10 stake plus an extra £27 to cover your losses so far. No need to worry. When this one comes in, you will have re-couped your losses and have a £10 profit to show as well. Lets take a step back here. You are staking £37 to win a £10 profit. Think about it you are effectively getting odds of only around 1 to 4 odds-on about a horse that is Even money in the market. That is terrible value! You may escape this time and your horse may well win. But what if, heaven forbid, your red-hot even money favourite fails to win? After just three bets, you are down to the tune of £64 when your normal stake is just a tenner! Long losing runs do occur, more frequently than you might think, and even with short-priced selections. If you spent a day in a casino at the roulette tables, and analysed how many times you witnessed a run of 7 or 8 consecutive red numbers, I would not be at all surprised if you saw this happen four or five times in a single day. Here we have pretty much a 50/50 bet, even money, that the roulette ball will land in either a red or a black slot. Yet I was amazed to learn that the longest run of the same colour (reported) was THIRTY-NINE consecutive reds!! Imagine if you were betting on black, and saying to yourself each time no worries, its got to be black next time . Surely? But lets go back to the more common occurrence of a losing run of 7 even money bets. We will be betting on the red. We place a £1 bet on the first spin. Its black. We chase our loss by doubling up and next bet £2. If we were to carry on in this manner, after 6 spins we would be betting £64 to win our original £1 I sincerely hope my point is getting across. By chasing your losses you can very quickly see your stakes climbing to preposterous levels, to win your original, relatively small stake. The risk is way out of proportion compared to the potential reward. One last example to really ram the point home. The Racing Post runs a tipster competition. All the leading racing journalists are involved, representing the nations newspapers and horse racing publications. These are experts at tipping horses. Take a look at the results table any day, and see for yourself the longest losing run. Remember, these are the experts. I looked today, and Racing Post PostData has suffered this season a losing run of twenty-seven. Twenty-seven consecutive losers from an expert tipster! And believe me, he is not on his own, just the worst offender this season so far. There is an old saying Dont throw good money after bad. If your selections dont make a profit from simple level stakes betting, dont try and make them profitable by throwing more money at them. You may survive with a profit for a while, but this approach is a disaster waiting to happen. Sooner or later you WILL blow your entire bank chasing a disproportionately small profit. If your selections dont make a profit from simple level stakes betting, change your system.


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Royals still basking in their All-Star moments
Gordon, Holland, Perez all played role in American League's victory
KANSAS CITY -- The Royals' All-Star trio returned with plenty of memories from their time spent in New York earlier this week.
Alex Gordon, Greg Holland and Salvador Perez entered Tuesday's game in the seventh inning for the American League squad and each played a role in the 3-0 victory.
"My adrenaline was pumped as much as it was just going in there and then I saw Salvy and Greg coming in and that made it even more," Gordon said. "It was very exciting and a fun time, and we experienced it all together."
Holland retired the first hitter he faced in the seventh with some help from Orioles third baseman Manny Machado, who made a terrific play to get Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt at first. Holland allowed a single to the Mets' David Wright in the next at-bat before the right-hander made an early exit.
Gordon flied out to deep center in his lone at-bat in the ninth inning, but made a big catch in left field with Yankees closer Mariano Rivera on the mound in the eighth to assist in his final inning.
"I was going to do anything to make a catch when Mariano was pitching," Gordon said. "It kind of froze me because it was a line drive right at me, but then I knew it was over my head so I tried to make it look as easy as possible."
Perez was also a big part of Rivera's final All-Star inning, as the Royals catcher was behind the plate for Rivera, named the game's MVP, as he retired the side in the eighth inning.
"It was unbelievable," Perez said. "Those are the best 10 minutes I will never forget in my life."
For a moment, with "Enter Sandman" blasting over the speakers, Perez and Rivera were the only two players on the field before the inning started. After three quick outs, the two embraced before returning to the dugout.
Perez also singled and scored in the eighth, becoming the first Royals player to get a hit in the All-Star Game since Bo Jackson had two, including a memorable mammoth homer in 1989.
"I was real proud of all three of them," manager Ned Yost said.
It was the first time since 1988 -- George Brett, Kurt Stillwell and Mark Gubicza -- that three players represented the Royals in the Midsummer Classic.
"It was a dream come true," Holland said. "We had 30 percent of the winning All-Star team out there in Royals colors, so that was pretty cool."


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After an evening with my partner, watching a movie, the following Self-forgiveness was inspired while hearing the numerous 'praise & worship'songs scattered throughout the movie.
I forgive myself for not realizing how what I was looking for – when I submitted to the character of and as my mind as the 'take me just as I am mindset' – was that of hope in something greater than the perception I had of myself, thus, I pretended to not see the bloodshed of thousands upon thousands who suffer and die daily as I justified death as "The Will of God", because the fact is blood is shed in our acceptance of our world/money system which glorifies profit over that which is real as our Physical Body and our Earth as this Physical "Reality, therefore, I forgive myself for accepting and allowing myself to believe the love of God made me 'special', 'just as I am', not realizing that when Man speaks, God speaks, because "The Will of God" is "The Will of Man", as the creator of our reality, as the choices we accept and allow.
I forgive myself for not realizing that the lamb of God was like a guilt offering that I sought for to relieve me of my own guilt for abdicating myself from life within the beLIEf that "The Will of God" would redeem me from that which I feared the most which was me as my mind as consciousness, thus, I forgive myself for not realizing that "The Will of God" is actually the will of the mind as consciousness and another word for ownership and possession wherein our secret mind we allow ourselves to manipulate relationships to gain more money as possessions within feelings and emotions and experiences where we boost our ego and then refer to what we accomplish as "The Will of God."
I forgive myself for not realizing that when I praised "The Will of God", I was actually praising the illusions of and as my Mind and desensitizing myself to the reality of how life exists within an abusive world/money system and as long as I accepted "The Will of God" as real, then I could momentarily avoid facing myself and my responsibility, and for awhile I was able to avoid myself and ignore the suffering and pain of others, until one day I could not, thus I see, realize and understand that eventually we can no longer run from that which we are, and inevitably we will have to face who we've become as our mind as ego, self-interest and greed, thus to see little by little how everything we've ever believed in, has been a LIE, and we let go and we Stop and we breathe. We forgive ourself and we realize that we can no longer live the Lie, thus, I commit myself to stop fighting for Life and to instead Support Life in Supporting Equal Money.
I commit myself to have the courage to live self-honesty and to show that if I'm able to stop and face myself and support a world according to what's best for All, then anyone can.
I commit myself to Stop "The Will of God", which is Man as Greed, Self-interest and Ego, and to show how the only valid purpose for being here is to establish a world that is best for All Life in All ways.
I commit myself to show how the lies we've taught our children – including those with regards to "The Will of God" – throughout our history enforces reactions to fear and survival and how in an Equal Money System children will be taught common sense life skills according to what's best for All.
I commit myself to show how when profit is taken out of the equation and we produce goods and services within the starting point of what's best for All life, including nature, animals and our physical reality of/as planet earth, we'll see how with Equal Money – there will never be a reason for anybody to suffer at the hands of profit and/or self-interest and greed.
I commit myself to show how Equal Money will for the first time in the History of Man provide effective support for our Physical bodies and our Physical Reality.
I commit myself to show how the "Will of Self as Life" wherein All Life exists according to that which is Best for All is the Desteni of MANKIND.
"I commit myself to show that Jesus understood the Word as Life as Living flesh, but also understood that the Human was Not Ready to Realize until all is Lost, and the End of Life is Certain. We have Reached that Time – and Each will Face a Final choice which will be proven as the Living Flesh and Only those as the Living Flesh that Live what is Best for All Life as Neighbours, will enter Life." ~ Bernard Poolman


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Conventional wisdom has it that pruning apple and pear trees is best done before the flower and leaf buds open. This year many apples and pears are blossoming very early — even before we've had a chance to tune them up with an annual haircut.
I spoke recently with UNH Extension fruit tree expert Bill Lord about the effects of pruning after bud break.
He explained that we can still prune, but that flower buds are a bit brittle once they start to open. So if you don't want to lose fruit, be careful as you remove branches. But prune if needed.
Last weekend I worked on a young apple tree that I had planted about 5 years ago. It is shaping up nicely, but needed some work. The central leader, or the shoot that normally grows straight up to be the tallest of all branches, had bent over in the past year and 3 or 4 other branches were competing with it to establish themselves as the tallest. That's not good. I straightened the leader by tying it to a 10-foot piece of metal electrical conduit that I placed next to the trunk.
The apical tip (the tip of the tallest branch) of an apple tree produces plant hormones called auxins that control the growth and fruit production of the tree. If there is no clearly defined leader, many branches will reach upward and compete to become the leader, and the tree will not be as fruitful as possible.
A vigorous young tree with no leader often has many unneeded "water sprouts" shooting straight up from its branches. To reduce water sprout production a leader needs to be selected and the competitors either removed (not just cut back a little) or bent downward.
Bill Lord warned that cutting back (or heading off) branches that are competing with the leader results in lots of small branches starting up near the pruning cuts. That creates shade in the center of the tree, which is exactly what you don't want. Pruning should create open spaces so all the leaves can get sunshine. So remove the entire competing branch or tie it down, don't just cut off the tip.
You can easily change the angle of a branch when it is still young, say an inch in diameter or less. I did that for three branches on my young apple tree, though Lord told me afterwards that branches are still stiff right now and that early May would be better. I tied a clove hitch around each branch with quarter-inch diameter nylon rope, and then anchored the branches to gallon jugs full of water or to good sized stones. Don't use wire or narrow twine to tie down a branch — it could cut into the branch.
In order to get good fruit production it is also important to have the scaffold branches of a tree at the proper angle. Scaffold branches are the side branches that will ultimately produce fruit spurs (3-4 inch long branches with fruit buds). Scaffold branches rarely are at a right angle to the trunk, but should be angled up a little bit. Scaffold branches at an acute upward angle are not generally strong (so they may break in an ice storm) and usually do not produce much fruit. They need to be removed or bent to create a better angle.
Getting the soil from under your apple trees tested is a good spring activity. That way you can add minerals to the soil as needed. Bill Lord told me that trees that produce lots of apples often need potassium — he recommends a pound of potassium sulfate for every 5 bushels of fruit harvested, and noted that potassium sulfate is approved for organic gardeners (It's a naturally occurring compound). He said you can also use Sul-Po-Mag, which is readily available and offers your soil sulfur, potassium and magnesium, if your soil test shows those minerals are needed.
Green sand is another good source of potassium for organic gardeners wishing to add potassium to their soil. Green sand is mined in New Jersey and sold at your feed and grain store or garden center. In addition to potassium, it is said to contain 30 trace minerals from the sea, where it originated. It is a good soil conditioner for heavy clay soils.
Bill Lord also suggests sprinkling a cup of old fashioned 20 Mule Team Borax around a full sized apple tree (or a couple of tablespoons around a young tree) every 3-4 years to add boron, a trace mineral, to the soil. It is needed for good cell wall growth and for fruit and seed development.
So go outside on the next nice day and look at your apple trees. Prune as needed, and try to be sure you have a good vigorous leader at the top of your tree. It will save you work in the future by reducing the number of water sprouts you need to prune out each year.
Henry Homeyer is a gardening consultant, pruner and educator. His Web site is www.Gardening-guy.com. You may e-mail him at firstname.lastname@example.com. He is the author of 4 gardening books.
Apple trees need a good haircut every year
Conventional wisdom has it that pruning apple and pear trees is best done before the flower and leaf buds open. This year many apples and pears are blossoming very early — even before we've had a chance to tune them up with an annual haircut.


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Dean Takahashi
Wii U has "capability issues" due to single processor,says VentureBeat's Takahashi
VentureBeat's Dean Takahashi has placed his hands on Wii U during E3, and found the console has capability issues due to its single processor having to drive multiple displays.
Dean Takahashi headlines
Takahashi: Cloud success is "almost inevitable"
In an essay on why now's an exciting time to be involved in the games industry, VentureBeat's Dean Takahashi's stuck his leg in the sand on Cloud gaming – he reckons it's pretty much a done deal."OnLive doesn't have to kill the console makers to succeed," said the journo."It will become a wildly successful company […]
Moore was not "pushed hard" on 360 failure issues, says Antonucci: full interview transcript
Mike Antonucci, the San Jose Mercury News journalist named by Peter Moore in his recent Guardian interview as "really pushing hard" on the issue of Xbox 360 failure rates, has contacted VG247 to set the record straight on the subject.Antonucci, who's now moved on from the paper, conducted the interview in which Moore famously said […]
Moves for Takahashi and Remo
According to this, longstanding San Jose Mercury News journalist Dean Takahashi and Shacknews editor-in-chief Chris Remo have announced plans to move on. Takahashi – author of Opening the Xbox and The Xbox 360 Uncloaked – is to devote his time to blogging on Venture Beat, a site related to Silicon Valley finance. Remo, Shacknews editorial […]


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Hey All,
Just wanted to pop in and let you know that I'm back from surgery and doing great. My friend is here taking care of me and I'm just fine. Thanks for all your prayers and well wishes. I'll get back on later with more.
Love you all,
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Back From Surgery
Posted by Katie Lewis at 2:25 PM
2 comments:
- Callie said...
Glad you are doing well. I meant to tell you thanks for sharing your story, I really like how you felt like you were ready to "move on" but you didn't want it to seem like you didn't care about what happened. I just thought you explained it really well (even though I can't explain what I mean very well). Hope you have a quick recovery. :)
- January 26, 2012 at 3:15 PM
- Julie Rosenhan said...
I'm glad that you're doing well and that the surgery went great. I'll still be praying for you.
- January 26, 2012 at 6:29 PM
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Tuesday, March 22, 2011
For 60 years now, children in the United States have dressed in costume on Halloween night and gone door to door collecting coin donations for UNICEF. Since 1994, Key Club has joined in the fun Trick-or-Treating for UNICEF, a worldwide organization that, like Kiwanis, is dedicated to serving children's needs. Over the years, Key Clubbers—with help from Builders Clubs— have raised nearly $5 million for iodine deficiency programs worldwide, HIV and AIDS programs in Kenya and Swaziland and, most recently, Operation Uruguay: Protecting the rights of children.
Join Key Club in their effort to raise $1.5 million for Operation Uruguay by Trick-or-Treating for UNICEF. Builders Clubs and Key Clubs will receive their collection boxes in early fall. Order any extra collection boxes—and encourage members of your Service Leadership Program clubs to do the same—from UNICEF.
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By Roger Moore, of McClatchy Newspapers"The Words" is, as its name suggests, a wordy melodrama about a young writer, Rory Jansen (Bradley Cooper), who finishes his first novel, three years in the making — which is promptly rejected. Maybe, he wonders, he's not who he thought he was — a writer.
Then he stumbles across a yellowed, unpublished manuscript from long ago and sees his salvation, his shortcut to fame.
Maybe, he realizes, he's not who he thought he was — an ethical, honest man.
"Words" is a pleasant but overly complex variation on an idea Woody Allen toyed with in his stumbling "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger," this notion of counterfeit literary fame, a stolen manuscript. What co-writer/ directors Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal ("Tron Legacy") attempt to do with it is get at the guilt that comes with ill-gotten glory.
Rory is cursed with being good enough to recognize the gem he's stumbled across in an attache case bought in a Paris antique shop, cursed with knowing this novel is better than anything he'll ever write. His adoring wife (the luminous Zoe Saldana) can tell him "You are everything you always wanted to be," but Rory knows better. Every word of praise for this book he copied is a slap at the writer and man he really is.
"The Words," in a fit of ambition, goes after its themes by telling three stories, each existing within the others.
There's the dull framework of the piece, a book reading by a novelist, Clay Hammond (Dennis Quaid), who delivers the beyond-banal lines from his latest novel about "a young struggling writer struggling to make his voice heard." How did this dullard get to be a famous novelist, with Olivia Wilde as his new wide-eyed groupie, no less?
He tells us, after a fashion. Hammond narrates the second story, Rory's romance with the fair Dora (Saldana). We see Rory's years of struggle and his discovery of the novel he would ride to fame. And Hammond, giving away the whole novel in this one reading — apparently — tells of the day Rory meets "The Old Man," the one person on Earth who recognized this book as his own, written more than half a century earlier, the one man who knows Rory is a fraud.
Is Hammond suggesting this is his own secret?
Quaid has a nice gravitas, but is saddled with a "book" that makes Hammond come off as a lousy storyteller. Cooper, earnest as ever, nicely underplays Rory's frustrations but does little to suggest a guy supposedly wracked with guilt over the limo lifestyle he's stolen.
As the Old Man, Jeremy Irons is the best natural storyteller in the cast, lending warmth to very generic narration of post-World War II romance, tragedy and the fervor in which he created the novel that makes Rory famous. Ben Barnes and Nora Arnezeder play the young couple in the Old Man's flashback within a flashback.
Irons has the disarming twinkle of old age, but he can still turn on the steely glint of accusation and menace. No wonder Cooper looks in awe and ill at ease in their scenes together — the best scenes in the movie.
If you were setting out to write the perfect fall film, you'd include much that's in "The Words" — romance, romantic settings (New York and Paris), mystery, literary intrigue and longing.
But for that "perfect" film, you'd have to heighten the emotions, make more of the characters and the relationships, find other ways for "temptation" and "retribution" to show themselves. And you'd probably trim a lot of words out of it, especially if the novels within the novel are as weak as the lines the screenwriters have Quaid narrate, the situations Cooper must act out and the script that only the old pro Irons can give the spark of life.


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Competition to attract top fundraisers is costing U.S. charities a lot of money, according to the latest compensation data available analyzed by The Chronicle of Philanthropy.
In 2011, upward of two dozen fundraisers at nonprofits earned more than $500,000, and two earned more than $1 million.
The Chronicle analyzed pay for fundraisers at 280 nonprofits that raise at least $35 million from private sources. Data were culled from IRS Forms 990 that charities filed in 2012.
Colleges and hospitals tended to pay the most, The Chronicle reported, in part because they were more likely to run ambitious drives for private support.
At a time when nonprofits are under financial pressure because of tight government budgets and a tough economy, demands on top fundraisers are stronger than ever, and very few people have the right skills to meet expectations, according to experts consulted on the report.
Competition for talent is so intense that an "arms race" has broken out among nonprofits to lure talented fundraisers with hefty salaries, Steven Rum, vice president for development at Johns Hopkins Medicine, told The Chronicle.
"I lost five people to an institution a mile away, predicated on one thing: money," Rum said.
Not everyone in the nonprofit sector was pleased to hear about the size of the salaries at the top level.
Ken Berger, head of Charity Navigator, told The Chronicle that "if you're working for a charity, the idea of fundraisers becoming millionaires is problematic. I don't care how much money you raise."
Following are the top 10 earners at U.S. nonprofits, based on 2011 compensation data.
10. Armando Chardiet
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Base pay in 2011: $611,579
Bonus pay in 2011: $0
Total compensation in 2011: $677,906
9. Albert Checcio
University of Southern California
Base pay in 2011: $452,555
Bonus pay in 2011: $92,000
Total compensation in 2011: $722,317
8. Stuart Sullivan
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Base pay in 2011: $389,744
Bonus pay in 2011: $293,550
Total compensation in 2011: $752,291
7. Michael Eicher
The Johns Hopkins University
Base pay in 2011: $454,808
Bonus pay in 2011: $69,366
Total compensation in 2011: $829,652
6. Kathleen Kane
City of Hope
Base pay in 2011: $500,582
Bonus pay in 2011: $257,080
Total compensation in 2011: $844,491
5. Mark Kostegan
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Base pay in 2011: $500,000
Bonus pay in 2011: $210,019
Total compensation in 2011: $870,866
4. Richard Naum
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Base pay in 2011: $381,565
Bonus pay in 2011: $441,592
Total compensation in 2011: $872,964
3. Daniel Forman
Yeshiva University
Base pay in 2011: $585,410
Bonus pay in 2011: $0
Total compensation in 2011: $922,542
2. Susan Feagin (former executive vice president, university development and alumni relations)
Columbia University
Base pay in 2011: $512,760
Bonus pay in 2011: $520,200
Total compensation in 2011: $1,066,951
1. Anne McSweeney
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Base pay in 2011: $415,701
Bonus pay in 2011: $748,227
Total compensation in 2011: $1,212,309
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Between Lines Deck Chair Cushion / 379 eur
Designed by Stine Weigelt
Add an extra dimension of comfort to your Between Lines Deck Chair with this custom-made cushion that easily ties to the seat. The 17 folds in the cushions design are inspired by the construction of a wooden suspension bridge. The upholstery fabrics are Oeko-Tex certified and extremely colour and lightfast as well as water and dirt-repellent and even mildew-resistant. With an open-cell foam filling, the cushion dries exceptionally quickly, even after a heavy downpour.
Please note different version for UK market.
- Details
- Outdoor Textile / Ash
Quickdry Outdoor Foam
LxWxH: 134,5x53,5x3 cm
Item no. 1960869
- Packaging
- WxDxH: 71x50x7 cm
Weight: 1,4 kg
- Material and care
Proper usage and maintenance
Proper usage and maintenance is vital for getting the most out of the valuable resources we have. Our designs are made to last for generations, but just like everything else, they need a little care to get there.
Outdoor Textile
Agora Panama is Oeko-Tex certified and solution-dyed acrylic fabrics used for upholstering our cushions and pillows. The acrylic fibre we use is a synthetic but cotton-like fabric with world-class features for outdoor usage, making it:
- Extremely colour and lightfast
- Water and dirt repellent
- Free from harmful substances
- Mildew-resistant
Washing instructions
Wipe the fabric with a firmly wrung cloth. In case of more obstinate stains, remove the upholstery and machine wash it at 30° C. If the upholstery is not removable, the textile must only be washed with a wrung cloth.
Quickdry Outdoor Foam
Quickdry Outdoor Foam has an open cell structure which allows both water and air to pass through freely. This makes the cushion dry exceptionally quickly – even after being soaking wet – with little to no need of maintenance. Moreover, the foam provides a firm and comfortable texture which remains the same year after year.
If the cushion is exposed to heavy rain, we recommend placing the cushions upright for quick drainage. Soon after, the cushion will be dry and the cushion can be used again.
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About the designer / Stine Weigelt
From a forest house in a Danish railway town to Tanzania in Africa. From Memphis Tennessee in the United States to the City of Smiles in Denmark, Aarhus. Stine's upbringing has without doubt been culturally diverse and full of contrasts. Her background as a designer is similarly diverse. Stine's practical approach as a designer is build up around two actions – inventing and testing. Thus, new forms and expressions are often determined in the very meeting between Stine's hands and the chosen materials, and she has as always been fascinated with how living materials has the ability of shifting form, colour or surface.