text:
Frequently Asked Questions
- What type of payments do you accept?
- My order will not process
- What currency do you charge?
- Garment Sizing and Brands
- Return + Exchange Policy
- When will my order ship?
- When will my Pre-order arrive?
- How much does shipping cost?
- International Orders – Customs Charges (duties & taxes)
- Where do you ship?
- Digital Downloads – file type
- Digital Downloads - other
- I made a mistake with my order!
- Why can't I select a size?
- Should I have received an e-mail confirmation?
- What do you do with my personal information?
- What is EssentialFan.com
- Contact for additional questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of payments do you accept?
We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express. We also accept payments via Pay Pal. Please note that the description of the charge on your card or via PayPal will read "essentialfan.com".
My order will not process
Sorry for the trouble with placing your order. It sounds like there may be a glitch caused by your browser. As long as the product is available in stock for purchase you should be able to place your order.
Here's a checklist that may help resolve the issue:
- Clear the cookies and cache in your Internet browsing history and restart your computer before trying to place your order again.
- Make sure you are using your most updated browser option.
- It may help if you check out as a "guest".
- If you are still having issues, try using a different Internet browser if possible.
What currency do you charge?
EssentialFan.com will charge you in United States dollars ($). You will see the total on your order confirmation page in this currency.
Your bank will convert the order total to your country's currency when the charge hits your bank account.
If you would like to know the total in your country's currency before you place your order, you will need to calculate the conversion before you "submit order" by visiting a site such as this. Essentialfan.com cannot guarantee the accuracy of the exchange rate displayed.
Sizing / Brands
All sizing shown is in inches and are estimates based on averages of all brands!
Width = with article laying flat and measuring across the chest just under the arms
Height = with article laying flat and measuring top of the shoulder to bottom
|(Width x Height)
|Youth Medium
|16.5 x 21
|Youth Large
|17.5 x 24
|XX-Small (2S)
|15 x 23
|16 x 25
|17 x 26
|20 x 28
|21 x 29
|23 x 31
|24.5 x 32.5
|Girl's T-Shirt:
|Chest: 30-32
|Waist: 25-26 (fits sizes 0-2)
|Chest: 32-34
|Waist: 27-28 (fits sizes 4-6)
|Chest: 36-38
|Waist: 30-32 (fits sizes 8-10)
|Pullover Hoodie:
|(Width x Height)
|22 x 26.5
|23.5 x 27
|25 x 28
|26.5 x 29
|27.5 x 30
|28.5 x 31
|Zip Up Hoodie:
|(Width x Height)
|17 x 21
|18 x 22
|22 x 26.5
|23.5 x 27
|25 x 29.5
|28 x 31.5
|Girl's Zip Up Hoodie:
|(Width x Height)
|Extra Small
|13 x 20
|17 x 21
|18 x 22
|19 x 24
|Crewneck Sweatshirt:
|(Width x Height)
|19.5 x 24
|21.5 x 25
|23.5 x 26
|24.5 x 27
|26 x 27.5
|(Width x Height)
|23.5 x 30.5
|25 x 31
|27 x 31.5
|31 x 33
|(Width x Height)
|17 1/4 x 30 1/2
|20 x 31
|22 x 32
|23 1/2 x 32 1/2
|25 x 33
*Please note these measurements are not based on custom goods, and the sizes are averages of our various vendors.
**Please also note when ordering an extra small it may be substituted with a youth large. These sizes are comparable.
We print on several different brands. It all depends on the band preference, item type, and item style.
Examples of brands we are currently using:
- Next Level
- Alternative Apparel
- American Apparel
- Canvas/Bella
- Tultex
- Delta
- Gildan
If you would like to know what brand a specific design is printed on or specific sizing information, contact us via support HERE. Please include either Sizing Help or Brand Information, so that we may respond to you as efficiently as possible. Be sure to also include the item & size you'd like us to check on.
Return + Exchange Policy
Unfortunately, we do not accept exchanges. If you would prefer another item, just return the unwanted merchandise for a refund and place a new order online via our website.
If the product is not washed, worn or damaged (CD's/DVD's must be unopened), you can send it back to us for a refund. The merchandise, order number, and a note explaining the return must be included with the return; we will then refund price of the your order excluding any shipping charges.
Essential Artist Services
Attn: Essential Fan Returns
741 Cool Springs Blvd.
Franklin, TN 37067
Returns must be sent back to Essential Artist Services within 45 days of purchase.
PayPal orders must be sent back within 30 days.
Any merchandise returned after this time frame or that are washed, worn, damaged or have an unpleasant odor will be shipped back to you. We will not accept these as returns.
The promotional or coupon code must be entered at the time of ordering for the discount to apply. This includes all BLACK FRIDAY and CYBER MONDAY discounts. You will find the promo/coupon box inside your shopping cart. It is located underneath the items in your cart labeled as Coupon Code.
Make sure to hit "Save and Continue" after you enter the code! You will see a green bar at the top of the page indicating the promo code was successfully applied to the order.
You will need to enter the promo code at the time of ordering for any discount to apply.
We CAN NOT apply a promo code after an order is placed.
If you are having issues with the promo code applying to your order, clear the cookies and cache in your browsing history and restart your computer before trying to place your order. It may also help if you check out as a "guest".
THE PROMO CODE WILL NOT WORK FOR ALL ITEMS. PROMO CODES DO NOT APPLY TO PRE-ORDER ITEMS! If you have a pre-order item in your cart, the promo code will not work.
If still having issues, try ordering from another computer if possible or wait a few more hours to place your order. We may be experiencing extremely high site volume due to the promotion.
When will my order ship?
If in stock, orders will generally ship out within 24 hours if received by noon Central Standard Time.
During times of high order volume or holidays your order may take as much as 3 days to process.
You will receive an email from us with your UPS or USPS tracking number as soon as your order has processed and has shipped.
For domestic ground/standard shipments we ship via UPS, UPS Sure Post or UPS Mail Innovations based on the weight of your order. These orders take 2-9 business days for delivery within the continental United States. International orders generally take 2 weeks to arrive, but can take a bit longer due to delays in International Customs which are beyond our control.
If you ordered a pre-order only item, your order will be shipped to arrive close to the street release date listed in the product description. We cannot guarantee the arrival date of your pre-order item, but always aim to have it arrive as close to the street release date as possible.
All orders are set to "ship complete". In other words, if you have more than one item that you have purchased from essentialfan.com or one of our affiliated sites we will not be able to ship the item until ALL products are available to ship.
A tracking number will be sent to you via a shipping confirmation e-mail and/or be shown in your order confirmation e-mail receipt once the product has shipped. Feel free to contact us at any time to check the status of your order.
When will my Pre-order arrive?
Curious about the ship date of a presale? Wondering if there are any delays on shipment?
If you ordered a pre-order only item, your order will be shipped to arrive close to the street release date listed in the product description or artist website. We cannot guarantee the arrival date of your pre-order item, but always aim to have it arrive as close to the street release date as possible.
Unfortunately there are times when a preorder may be delayed due to manufacturing issues/delays, delay in items arriving, release dates being pushed back and more. Please understand that these are situations that are unfortunately out of our hands. We aren't always aware of delays ahead of time, so please bear with us, as we will provide you with all available information as soon as we possibly can.
All pre-orders are set to "ship complete". In other words, if there is more than one item that you have purchased as part of your pre-order from essentialfan.com or one of our affiliated sites we will not be able to ship the item until ALL products are available to ship.
A tracking number will be sent to you via a shipping confirmation e-mail and/or be shown in your order confirmation e-mail receipt once the pre-order has shipped. Feel free to contact us at any time to check the status of your pre-order.
How much does shipping cost?
To find the shipping costs for your order add the items you want into the shopping cart, enter in your address, and then the postage calculator will calculate your shipping cost before you complete the purchase.
If you are an International customer, you may have to pay duties and/or taxes above and beyond shipping costs at the time of receipt by your local carrier. We cannot cover that cost. You will need to find out from your local government web site whether or not you will have to pay a duty and/or tax to receive your order.
International Orders – Customs Charges (duties & taxes)
We do not cover the cost of any taxes, duties or surcharges imposed by the destination country at the time of receiving the package.
You will need to find information from your local government website as to whether or not you will be charged a fee to receive your order.
Your package may be held until the taxes, duties and/or surcharges are paid. If your order has not arrived after 5 weeks, it is most likely being held at Customs due to an unpaid charge. You will need to locate your local Post Office or Customs Exchange Office.
Where do you ship?
EssentialFan.com ships to most of the world. When filling out your shipping/billing information, you can use the drop down box under "Country" to see if we ship to your country.
INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS: You may have to pay duties at the time of receiving your order. We will not cover this cost. You will need to find out from your local government web site whether or not you will have to pay a tax to receive your order.
Digital Downloads – other
How will I receive my download?
All available digital downloads are available via a unique-to-you link at the end of your check out process as well as sent via email to the email address on the order upon completion of the purchase. You will need to open this download on a physical computer and be sure to only click the link once as the link will expire after two tries. Downloads links also expire after 30 days. Apple products (IPhone, IPad, IPod) and most Android mobile devices do not allow downloads via their native browsers. You MUST use a computer to download your file(s) then sync with your mobile device. If you are having trouble with a download or it has expired before you have gotten to download it, please contact us via support HERE. Please be sure to include your order number when contacting us!
Pre-order Digital Downloads
With pre-orders, not all downloads are available at the time of purchase. More often than not the download link is sent via e-mail on the street release date of the album. Upon completion of the purchase of these items you will receive an email giving you the expected arrival date of the download. The files will be sent in a new email on this date. If you have any additional questions on this topic please contact us via support HERE. Please be sure to include your order number when contacting us!
I made a mistake with my order!
Sorry for the trouble with placing your order!
If there is an extra item on your order, or a problem with your shipping address, or any sort of issue for that matter, it's best to let us know as quickly as possible so we can adjust your order before it has shipped.
Please contact us with the details of your issue and we will address it as promptly as possible.
We'll send you an email confirmation once the issue has been corrected.
If your order has already shipped (you would have received a shipping confirmation email) we may not be able to help you and it can take much longer to fix the issue.
Why can't I select a size?
First of all, sorry for the trouble!
If you are unable to select a specific size of a product, it means we do not currently have it available in stock for purchase.
Depending on the design, it may or may not be restocked.
Contact us with the specific product you are interested in, and we will let you know whether or not it will be restocked.
Should I have received an e-mail confirmation?
Yes, you will receive an e-mail confirmation if ordering from an artist website or via Essentialfan.com.
What do you do with my personal information?
The information that you enter on this form will ONLY be used for the artist that you purchased the product from. You may be added to their e-mail communication list. If you would prefer not to receive any further communication from the artist please opt out upon receipt of the first e-mail you receive from them. We will not share your information with any other entity or artist.
What is EssentialFan.com?
EssentialFan.com is a Fan Focused E-commerce platform. Our passion is to help our clients turn their hobbies, work, and products into careers by providing an easy solution to sell their products to their fans online. EssentialFan.com was born out of Essential Artist Services, a full service merchandise and promotional products company. For more information on Essential Artist Services and/or EssentialFan.com send an e-mail here. For customer service questions related to website orders see "Contact for Additional Questions" below.
Contact for Additional Questions
For questions not addressed in the above FAQ please visit HERE. Or you may e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com or call 1.800.333.9470 then press "5" for customer service. Please make sure you have your order number when you contact us!


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I live in Oceanside trying to get back into the Game. Not really sure of where the tennis courts are around here.
Views: 139
Replies to This Discussion
Hey, name is Jeremy. I can hit during the day. Im near college and vandergrift. Shoot me a text or call. 7608400470
Hi Jeremy...I am about a 4.0 player, looking to hit in nearby Carlsbad areas if your interested. I currently hit at poinsettia park and stagecoach....Thanks Ron 760-688-2019
© 2019 Created by Mark / The Mayor. Powered by

subset: commoncrawl


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I'd like to ask a question which I have been reflecting on for some time now. What is the limit of: $f(x) = \sin(x)$ as $x$ tends to infinity?
As we know, the function has a definite value for each multiple of a value included between $0$ and $2\pi$, but, how can we know which value it will have at infinity?


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The research report on Global Healthcare RCM Outsourcing Market provides the up-to-date market trends, the present market scenario, and the market forecast during 2017-2022. The complete analysis of Healthcare RCM Outsourcing Market on the global scale provides key details in form of graphs, statistics and tables which will help the market players in making key business decisions.
The Healthcare RCM Outsourcing market research report distils the most essential aspects of the market and presents them in the form of a comprehensive and cohesive document. The findings of this report have been obtained via a balanced mix of both primary and secondary research. Interviews of C-level executives in the Healthcare RCM Outsourcing market form a chunk of the qualitative analysis contained in this report.
Download Sample Report @ https://www.fiormarkets.com/report-detail/55085/request-sample
Noteworthy Highlights Of The Report:
This study analyzes growth of Healthcare RCM Outsourcing based on historical, present and futuristic data and will provide complete knowledge about the Healthcare RCM Outsourcing industry to the market leading industry players that will steer the course of the Healthcare RCM Outsourcing market through the forecast period. Each of these players is analyzed in detail so as to obtain details pertaining to their product/services, recent announcements and partnerships, investment strategies and so on.
With a view to deepen the scope of the analysis, the report also tracks milestone developments and regulations that have shaped the Healthcare RCM Outsourcing market thus far. To help readers effectively plan their future strategies, the report provides a set of expert recommendations. The analysts working on the report have successfully identified expected policy changes, industry news and developments and trends and opportunities – this information can be harnessed by companies to strengthen their market presence.
Other important aspects that have been meticulously studied in the Healthcare RCM Outsourcing market report is: Demand and supply dynamics, import and export scenario, industry processes and cost structures and major R&D initiatives.
Frequently Asked Queries Related To Healthcare RCM Outsourcing Market Is Provided Below:
Which application segments will perform well in global Healthcare RCM Outsourcing over the next few years?
Which are the markets where companies should establish a presence?
What are the restraints that will threaten growth rate?
What are the forecasted growth rates for the Healthcare RCM Outsourcing market as a whole and for each segment within it?
All of these questions are answered using industry-leading techniques and tools as well as a vast amount of qualitative research.
Get Full Report With TOC @ https://www.fiormarkets.com/report/global-healthcare-rcm-outsourcing-market-size-status-and-55085.html
The regulatory environment, being such an intrinsic part of the Healthcare RCM Outsourcing market, does need special focus. The report collates information relating to current and future policies and regulations that could directly or indirectly affect business operations. Global Healthcare RCM Outsourcing market and its dynamics are evaluated using industry leading tools and techniques.
Reasons To Buy
– What was the size of the Global Healthcare RCM Outsourcing market by value in 2016 and What will be in 2022?
– What factors are affecting the strength of competition in the Global Healthcare RCM Outsourcing market?
– How has the market performed over the last five years?
– What are the main segments that make up the global's Healthcare RCM Outsourcing market?
The report has put special emphasis on the market share and size of global industry, because to their large scale share in the current and upcoming market of Healthcare RCM Outsourcing.
In the end, the report includes Healthcare RCM Outsourcing new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, investment return analysis and development trend analysis. In conclusion, it is a deep research report on Global Healthcare RCM Outsourcing industry.
Here, we express our thanks for the support and assistance from Healthcare RCM Outsourcing industry chain related technical experts and marketing engineers during Research Team's survey and interviews.
If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.


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He may be mulling a presidential race, but Gov. Rick Perry's got a big-money fundraiser planned for his state campaign account tomorrow at the Austin Club.
The cost ranges from $1,000 for a guest to the $100,000 Lone Star Council Platinum level, which comes with six tickets to a private reception and four to a general reception. The state account couldn't be spent on a presidential run, but a Perry adviser noted expenses are ongoing, including supplementing state staff salaries.
His state campaign spent $968,092.45 the first six months of the year on items like that, plus things like travel expenses.
Perry spokesman Mark Miner didn't respond to an inquiry about whether there was any thought of canceling or changing the event (actually, he responded this way: "What fundraiser?"). But one lobbyist I checked with answered, "They sure cashed my check — they better have it."


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Spotlight Rechargeable LED Vehicle Flashlight
Bright LED flashlight recharges via your car's 12V cigarette lighter.
You may also like:
The Spotlight Rechargeable LED Vehicle Flashlight is one of the most handy auto gadgets we've encountered. This small yet rugged flashlight charges through your car's 12V cigarette lighter. When fully charged, it provides up to 3 hours of illumination. The anodized aluminum body houses an LED light that is up to 10 times brighter than standard LEDs.
The Spotlight is perfect for reading maps or handling nighttime vehicle disasters (like dead batteries or flat tires). At only two inches long, it's small enough to easily fit into your pocket or purse, yet tough enough to function when fully submerged in water. Includes a "Fit Clip" for charging in a vehicle's 12V accessory outlet.
Features & specs
- Dimensions: 2" x 0.875" diameter
- 180 minutes of light per charge
- Ni-MH battery charges fully in 5 hours
- Recharges via your car's 12V cigarette lighter
- "Fit Clip" allows charging in car's 12V accessory outlet
- Up to 25 lumens of brightness
- Submersible in water
- LED never needs replacing
- Glows red when recharging
- Anodized aluminum body
Always have a flashlight handy in your car
The Spotlight Rechargeable LED Vehicle Flashlight ensures that you've always got a flashlight in your car. Simply insert it into your 12V cigarette lighter to recharge.
When not in use, you can store it in your glove compartment. You can also take it in your pocket or purse when heading out for the evening. It's so small, you won't even notice it.
The Spotlight is incredibly bright (delivers up to 25 lumens of light) due to its high efficiency collimator lens. This intensifying lens makes the Spotlight up to ten times brighter than a standard LED bulb.
Glows red when charging
Simply insert the Spotlight Rechargeable LED Vehicle Flashlight into your cigarette lighter to recharge it. When charging, the unit glows red.
A fully-charged Spotlight will deliver up to 3 hours of bright light. It takes up to five hours to fully charge the unit.
Use the "Fit Clip" to recharge in your 12V accessory outlet
Many cars feature additional 12V outlets in the back seat or trunk area. These "accessory" 12V outlets are often slightly deeper or wider than the standard 12V cigarette lighter ports found in the front of the vehicle. The plastic "Fit Clip" (included with every Spotlight) is designed to make the Spotlight compatible with these receptacles.
Take the Spotlight scuba diving!*
*Just kidding! Although the Spotlight Rechargeable LED Vehicle Flashlight is submersible, we do not suggest taking it on any serious undersea adventures. However, as you can see in the picture below, this miniature flashlight functions perfectly well underwater. So, it shouldn't have a problem with any amount of rain or snow.
For those of you interested in just how submersible it is, here are the technical details: The Spotlight has been given a submersion designation of IPX7. This means that the device can withstand immersion in up to three feet of water for 30 minutes.
The nitty gritty technical details
Hey, some people love to know how many amps something draws. To us, we just want to know how well it works. But, for those of you who love the technical details, we're here to please:
- 6061 anodized aluminum body
- Ni-MH rechargeable battery
- White LED (0.5 watt) delivers up to 25 lumens of brightness
- Draws 8 mili-amps
- "Trickle charge" system prevents overcharging
- Submersible standard: IEC60529 IPX 7. This is an European spec standard for classifying protection provided for electrical components. The Spotlight can withstand immersion in up to three feet of water for up to 30 minutes.
- High efficiency collimator lens intensifies the light from the LED.
Choose from Black or Titanium anodized aluminum bodies
The Spotlight is available in two colors: Black and Titanium.
This product has been discontinued. Frown face!
Burning Questions: You Ask, We Answer
Want to ask your own Burning Question?
Unfortunately, this product is not currently available for purchase. Therefore, we cannot accept any new burning questions. Sorry!


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Monday morning, my email inbox contained invitations to two events.
Monday morning, my email inbox contained invitations to two events.
The first was to the wine and hors d�oeuvres reception Sunday for the Okaloosa Arts Alliance at Magnolia Grill. The second was for Stage Crafters� annual banquet on Jan. 19.
Monday afternoon, a third invitation arrived by regular mail. It was to a reception Friday for the Arts and Design Society.
Normally, I would be happy to consider attending all three. Since last Thursday, however, not much has been normal for me, and I won�t be accepting any new invitations for a while.
While returning to my car after lunch at a local restaurant, I tripped backwards over a parking block and landed smack on my back in a big puddle left by a morning rain.
I held my purse in one hand and my keys in the other, so there was no chance of catching myself, nor could my husband save me. (For the suspicious out there, all I had to drink at lunch was water.)
Initially, I thought the wind had just been knocked out of me, but I soon realized there was more to my injury. (This is the second time I�ve tangled with a parking lot and lost. Several years ago, I tripped over a speed bump in the dark at a band competition and cracked some ribs.)
Skipping some boring parts but sending out a big �thank you� to the gentleman who got out of his truck and offered to help, I learned Friday afternoon I had suffered a compression fracture of the L5 vertebra. There was also some trauma to my kidneys.
�Friday� is not a misprint. I waited about 24 hours before seeking medical attention. No lectures, please. There was method to my madness; I�m just glad I decided to go.
Anyway, as bad as that might sound, the doctor says the fracture will heal on its own. He gave me prescriptions for two pain medications, but even the milder one made me sick, so naproxen and a heating pad have become welcome companions.
What caught me off guard, though, is when the doctor told me the radiologist said there was evidence that my bones are thinning. He called it osteopenia. I have since learned two friends were treated for it.
I will be, too. Among other things, a bone density scan is in my near future.
In fact, I was due for my regular checkup in November, and I put it off because of the holidays. Last checkup my doctor told me he would order a bone density scan �next time.� I wish I hadn�t procrastinated.
If the osteopenia had been discovered in November, it wouldn�t have prevented my tumble in January, but maybe my bones would have received enough treatment so I wouldn�t be telling you this story now. I learned from WebMD that such fractures are considered rare and occur most often in women with, you guessed it, osteopenia or full-on osteoporosis.
Ladies, the take-away from this is if you are of a certain age and haven�t had a bone density scan, get one. Gentlemen, encourage them to do so and think about getting one for yourselves, too.
Back to the invitations: I already had some commitments scheduled long before the accident occurred, and I�m doing my best to fulfill them.
The first obligation was work the morning after the fall and, unfortunately, my best still produced an error in a Faith brief that had to be corrected in Tuesday�s edition. If you didn�t see it, the Booth Brothers concert is tonight, not Jan. 20.
I also judged the Publicity tech event at the District One Thespian Festival last Saturday at Northwest Florida State College.
My co-judges, Jerre Brisky and Susan Shaw, are so awesome I feel I don�t pull my weight even when I�m 100 percent, but there�s no way I wanted to burden District One Chair and festival organizer Christa Whittaker with trying to find a last-minute replacement.
Besides, I had been looking forward to it. It was my second year, and I�m always amazed by the students, who are great. A few could get jobs right now doing professional marketing.
I�ve also already agreed to help judge the Destin History and Fishing Museum�s Annual Gumbo Contest later this month, and I expect to be much better by then.
Tonight, I�m going to use that ticket I bought to the now sold-out Jerry Seinfeld show. So, you might see me around. But I need to cut back ... and watch my step in parking lots.


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If I've learned one thing in attending social events as a grad student (and yes there are plenty to attend), it is that homemade dishes always are more respected than store-bought. Always. Closely related to that, if you make some tasty dip, you will gain fans, guaranteed. One quick dish that has not let me down yet in three years as a PhD student and two as a MS student, now my ace-in-the-hole: guacamole. While there are many delicious variations, I thought I'd share how I do it, which is tweaked from my mother's version.
The caveat to all of this is that to-taste trumps every measurement…always. In fact, there is only one rule: do not measure; go with what you like. I taste it as I go, after every couple ingredients. I'll put in bold the ingredients that are always consistent from bowl to bowl, even though the measurements may change slightly. Here is what I do:
- 5-9 medium avocados
- 1/2 to 1 whole medium red onion (sliced fairly small, but you do want occasional big chunks; and yes, I took the middle out.)
- several pinches of salt (probably more than you'd think); and several pinches of pepper (to match the salt)
- 2-4 cloves of garlic, minced finely
- 2 diced tomatoes (large-ish chunks, for texture)
- A handful of cilantro. Chop roughly.
- Heat: about half of a Serrano pepper (about 2 inches worth). I've used all kinds of peppers in the past. Whatever you choose, slice it finely and mix well.
- Fresh-squeezed lime juice (1-2 whole limes)
Main consideration: the salt has to counter the bland avocados and the acidity of the lime juice. So it will likely require more salt than you would ordinarily use. And then add roughly the same amount of pepper as you've added salt. Lastly, mash and mix with a fork…intentionally leaving it chunky.


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San Francisco
2012 Good Government Awards
5:30 p.m. | Monday, March 19, 2012
The 32nd annual MFAC Good Government Awards are sponsored by the Municipal Fiscal Advisory Committee (MFAC), a project of San Francisco Planning and Urban Research (SPUR). For 32 years, these awards have recognized outstanding performances by managers working for the City and County of San Francisco. These awards represent a unique opportunity to acknowledge San Francisco's top managers for their leadership, vision and ability to make a difference both within City government and the community at large.
2012 Good Government Awards
Monday, March 19
5:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Tickets are available at the door
San Francisco City Hall
North Light Court
1 Dr. Carlton B Goodlett Pl.
San Francisco, CA 94102
Click here for a map or directions.
City Hall is accessible via the Civic Center Muni/BART station and the VanNess bus lines. Parking is available in the garage across the street from City Hall.
Event chair Wade Rose of Dignity Health, City department heads and Mayor Ed Lee of San Francisco will present a select number of outstanding City employees with the distinguished Public Managerial Excellence Award. Please join us!
Honorary Host Committee
The Honorable Edwin M. Lee
Mayor 2011-Present
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor 2004-2011
The Honorable Willie L. Brown, Jr.
Mayor 1996-2004
The Honorable Frank Jordan
Mayor 1992-1996
The Honorable Art Agnos
Mayor 1988-1992
The Honorable Dianne Feinstein
Mayor 1978-1988
Mrs. Gina Moscone
Event Chair
2012 Good Government Awards
Wade Rose
Dignity Health
MFAC Finance Committee Chair
Chris Gruwell, President
Platinum Advisors
About MFAC
A project of San Francisco Planning & Urban Research (SPUR), the Municipal Fiscal Advisory Committee (MFAC) has been at the service of each San Francisco mayor for more than 30 years. Through a network of community partners, MFAC connects City departments to pro bono consulting resources to help improve City services.
2012 Awardees
2012 MFAC Public Managerial Excellence Award Winners
Jocelyn Quintos
Division Manager, Business Services Division, Finance and Administration
Department of Public Works (DPW)
Jocelyn Quintos was chosen for her outstanding leadership and management of DPW's accounting operations. Her diligence and dedication, working across many City departments over a mere six months, led to the automation of DPW's Contract Service Orders, Change Orders, and HRC Compliance/Payment Authorization systems. This resulted in a significant reduction in processing times, faster mobilization of contractors to start work, and complete elimination of delays associated with paper-based approval processes.
Harlan L. Kelly Jr.
Assistant General Manager, Infrastructure
SF Public Utilities Commission
Harlan L. Kelly, Jr. was chosen for his outstanding leadership in the delivery and implementation of the PUC's 10-year capital improvement program for water, sewer and power, and his specific innovation on the Construction Management Information System (CMIS) to address inefficiencies in large, complex capital projects. By streamlining and coordinating tasks, and enhancing transparency and accountability with a cloud-based system, faster and more informed decisions are made by project managers throughout the geographically dispersed project areas. The CMIS has already contributed to an overall Water System Improvement Program cost savings of $167.6 million.
Steven Castile
Golf and Turf Operations Manager
Recreation and Park Department
Steven Castile was chosen for his commitment to preserving public access to parks while ensuring environmental sustainability of parkland, managing the City's agronomical practices for five golf courses, three stadiums (including Candlestick and Kezar Stadiums) and 220 parks. His particular accomplishments in bringing Harding Park up to the expectations of the PGA Tour exemplify his ingenuity and creativity in staff management and resource allocation to create a world-class golf venue that generates visibility and income for the city.
Municipal Tax Automation Team – Office of the Treasurer and Tax Collector
Darrell Ascano, Senior Information Systems Engineer
Tajel Shah, Director, Budget & Operations
Rebecca Villareal-Mayer, Senior Business Analyst
The Municipal Tax Collection Team was chosen for its outstanding teamwork and achievement in upgrading the technology used to collect and process the majority of the city's General Fund revenue. By choosing an aggressive, non-incremental approach—upgrading the entire system over eight months—the team executed a complex project that has changed the way tax information is collected and funds are received. This has resulted in increased taxpayer compliance and expense savings.
SFpark Pilot Program – San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
Jay Primus, Project Manager
George Reynolds, Parking Meter Superintendent
Steven Lee, Financial Contracts and Services
Lorraine Fuqua, Manager, On-Street Parking Services Contracts
The SFpark team was chosen for its implementation of the groundbreaking smart parking management program. SFpark is the most progressive parking management program in the United States of America, providing convenience to drivers, reducing traffic from people looking for parking, and moving toward a demand-based pricing system. The SFpark team designed and implemented a large pilot program under tight time constraints, demonstrating innovation within an area of the public realm that is often taken for granted.
Ed Harrington
General Manager, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)
SPUR has chosen to honor Ed Harrington for a lifetime of service to the City and County of San Francisco, including unparalleled fiscal leadership and managerial excellence through five mayoral administrations. Harrington currently serves as the General Manager of the San Francisco Public Utility Commission, a regional utility that delivers water to 2.5 million Bay Area customers, collects and treats wastewater and stormwater, and provides hydroelectric and other renewable power resources for San Francisco municipal customers. From 1991 to 2008, Harrington served as San Francisco's Controller, where he administered San Francisco's $6.1 billion budget. Before becoming Controller, he worked with the SFPUC, the Municipal Railway, the Water Department and the Hetch Hetchy Water and Power System.
2012 Nominees:
1. Russell Bratburd, Operations Management, Department of Child Support Services
2. Jim Chiu, Project Manager, Airport Commission
3. Mark Corso, Chief Financial Officer, Finance Division, San Francisco Fire Department
4. David Falzon, Inspector, San Francisco Police Department
5. Liz Garcia, Management Analyst, 311 Customer Service Center, City Administrator
6. Lisa Ghotbi, Deputy Director, Chief Operating Officer, Health Service System
7. Susan Giffin, Chief Information Officer, San Francisco Police Department
8. Diane Lim, Director of Finance and Administrative Services, Adult Probation Department
9. Dan Mason, Electric Reliability Compliance Manager, Public Utilities Commission
10. Corina Monzon, Project Manager, City Performance, Controller's Office
11. Jay Nath, Director of Innovation, Department of Technology
12. Freda Randolph Glenn, Operations Management, Department of Child Support Services
13. Rhonda Simmons, Director of Workforce Development, Office of Economic and Workforce Development
14. Cecile Soto, Operations Manager, Department of Emergency Management
15. Bill Wycko, Environmental Review Officer, Planning Department
16. Ted Yamasaki, Managing Deputy Director, Human Resources
1. 2010 Census Management
· Felix Fuentes, Senior Community Outreach and Education Manager, City Administrator, Office of Civic Engagement & Immigrant Affairs
· Isis Fernandez Sykes, Legal & Legislative Analyst, City Administrator, Office of Civic Engagement & Immigrant Affairs
· Richard Whipple, Sr. Programs Manager, City Administrator, Office of Civic Engagement & Immigrant Affairs
2. America's Cup Bid
· Jennifer Entine-Matz, Director, Office of Economic and Workforce Development
· Brand Benson, Special Projects Manager, Port of San Francisco
· Jonathan Stern, Assistant Deputy Director, Port of San Francisco
· Joanne Sakai, Deputy City Attorney, District Attorney's Office
3. Branch Library Improvement Team
· Jill Bourne, Deputy City Librarian, San Francisco Public Library
· Brian Bannon, Chief of Information Technology/former Chief of Branches, San Francisco Public Library
· Lena Ch'en, Bond Project Manager, San Francisco Public Library
· Mindy Linetzky, Bond Project Administrator, San Francisco Public Library
4. Camp Mather Teen Outdoor Experience
· Bob Palacio, Superintendent of Recreation & Community Services, San Francisco Recreation and Park Department
· Alen Nance, Assistant Chief Probation Officer, San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department
5. Community Arts & Education Program
· Judy Nemzoff, Director, Community Arts & Education Program, Arts Commission
· Melissa Hung, Program Manager, WriterCorps, Arts Commission
· Tyra Fennel, Program Manager of Arts Education, Arts Commission
· Robynn Takayama, Program Manager, Community Arts & Education Program, Arts Commission
6. DPW Joint Paving/Streetscape/Utility Contract Team
· Ramon Kong, Paving Program Manager, Infrastructure Design & Construction, Department of Public Works
· Lynn Fong, Civil Engineer, Bureau of Street Use & Mapping, Department of Public Works
· Kris Opbroek, Streetscape Project Manager, Infrastructure Design & Construction, Department of Public Works
· Lesley Wong, Civil Engineer, Infrastructure Design & Construction, Department of Public Works
7. Grants for the Arts
· Renee Hayes, Associate Director, Grants for the Arts, City Administrator
· Valerie Tookes, Finance and Operations Manager, Grants for the Arts, City Administrator
· Khan Wong, Program Manager, Grants for the Arts, City Administrator
· Brett Conner, Administration and Communications Manager, Grants for the Arts, City Administrator
8. Homicide Team
· Harry Dorfman, Managing Attorney, SFDA Homicide Unit, District Attorney's Office
· Braden Woods, Managing Attorney, SFDA Homicide Unit, District Attorney's Office
9. IT Project Team - SFO Terminal 2 Redesign
· Carina Gerntke, Project Manager, Information Technology & Telecommunications, Airport Commission
· David Paul Zimmerman, Principal Network Architect, Information Technology & Telecommunications,Airport Commission
· Paolo Pignataro, Senior Infrastructure Engineer, Information Technology & Telecommunications, Airport Commission
· Chris Von Tobel, Telecom Field Technician, Information Technology & Telecommunications, Airport Commission
10. Laguna Honda Hospital Transition & Move Planning
· David Woods, Pharmacy Director, Department of Public Health
· Debbie Tam, Chief Nursing Officer, Department of Public Health
· Regina Gomez, \Quality Management Director, Department of Public Health
· Willie Ramirez, Human Resources Manager, Department of Public Health
2012 Sponsors
Event Chair
Wade Rose
Vice President of External & Government Relations
Academy of Art University
BRE Inc.
IPS Group, Inc.
KMD Architects
San Francisco Waterfront Partners, LLC
Shorenstein Company, LLC
Blue Shield of California
Brown and Caldwell
Forest City
Jones Hall
Public Financial Management, Inc.
San Francisco Giants
San Francisco International Airport
Seifel Consulting, Inc. / Elizabeth Seifel Fund
Webcor Builders
ARCADIS Malcolm Pirnie, Inc.
Avant Housing/AGI Capital
Andy & Sara Barnes
Emerald Fund, Inc.
Rob Evans & Terry Micheau
David A. Friedman & Paulette J. Meyer
Anne Halsted & Wells Whitney
Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Co.
Hawkins Delafield & Wood LLP
Jacobs Associates
Richard Lonergan
McKinsey & Company, Inc.
MJM Management Group
Moscone Emblidge Sater
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Presidio Graduate School
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, LLP
Stone & Youngberg, LLC
U.S. Bank Northern California
Words Pictures Ideas
Yerba Buena Engineering & Construction, Inc.
Past MFAC Awardees
Tom Malloy
Recreation & Parks Department
David Fong
Controller's Office
John P. Mullane, Jr.
Public Works Department
Carl Williams
Housing Authority
Don Birrer
Public Works Department
Mark Finucane
Public Health Department
Richard Koeritz
Housing Authority
Roberta McDonough
Civil Service Commission
Stanley Stephens
Controller's Office
Joe Dominguez
Municipal Railway
Angela Gittens
San Francisco General
Jason Yuen
Airports Commission
Richard Sullivan
Tax Collector's Office
Leslie Miko
Commission on the Aging
Richard Rogers
Municipal Railway
Ed Gazzano
Public Health Department
Sal Kitchener
San Francisco Zoo
Virginia Leishman, RN
Laguna Honda Hospital
Geoff Rothman
Civic Service Commission
Ann Branston
Municipal Railway
Barney Barron
Recreation & Park Department
John Roumbanis
Public Works Department
Flo Stroud
Department of Public Health
Catherine Bremmer & Vivian Sykes
San Francisco Public Library
Bernard Cummings
Public Works Department
Ron DeLeon
Recreation & Park Department
Michael Marcum
Sheriff's Department
Chief Ronald Driscoll
San Francisco International Airport
Mary Anne Johnson, M.D.
Laguna Honda Hospital
Joel Robinson
Recreation & Park Department
Reiko Homma True, Ph.D.
Department of Public Health
Dorothy Enisman
Department of Social Services
Steven Koneffklatt
Laguna Honda Hospital
Brenda Lauer
San Francisco General Hospital
Sara Pickus
Public Works Department
Edwina Young
District Attorney's Office
Cheryl Austin
Laguna Honda Hospital
Rich Cunningham
Public Works Department
Joseph Johnson
Office of the CAO
Bill Lee
Department of Public Health
Mary Smith
Department of Social Services
Alec S. Bash
Planning Department
Patric Duterte, Anthony Nicco &
Michelle Rutherford
Department of Social Services
Robert Gamble
Redevelopment Agency
Roger L. Peters
Port of San Francisco
Charles Saunders, M.D.
San Francisco General Hospital
Phil W. Arnold, Ph.D.
Recreation & Park Department
Dorothy Chen
Department of Social Services
Ricardo Hernandez
Office of the CAO
Judy Johnston
Controller's Office
Anthony G. Wagner
Laguna Honda Hospital
Donna Burchard
Laguna Honda Hospital
Daniel Patrick Daly
Treasurer's Office
Rebecca Kohlstrand
Planning Department
Diarmuid Philpott
Police Department
Germaine Q. Wong
Office of the CAO
James Bowen
Hetch Hetchy Water & Power
Teresa Chow
Controller's Office
Emilio Cruz
Office of the CAO
Gene O'Connell, R.N.
San Francisco General Hospital
Robert Prentice, Ph.D.
Department of Public Health
Hugo Aguilera, Cheryl Austin, Sheila Kenny, Dennis Sato, Anna Suttmann & Nancy Wong
Laguna Honda Hospital
Evangeline H. Bruce
Controller's Office
Jim Buick
Department of Social Services
Judith Griffin
Juvenile Probation Department
Mitchell H. Katz, M.D.
Department of Public Health
Sai-Ling Chan-Sew
Department of Public Health
Matthew Gass
Hetch Hetchy Water & Power
Sharon Kotabe, Pharm D.
Laguna Honda Hospital
Johnny Miller
Juvenile Probation Department
Kathy Page
San Francisco Public Library
Adrienne Frazier
Department of Parking & Traffic
Sandra Jo Gartzman
San Francisco Rent Board
Nelly Lee
Department of Public Health
Jill Manton
San Francisco Art Commission
Severin Rizzo
San Francisco Art Commission
Jonathan Chow
Public Utilities Commission
Hillary Gitelman
Planning Department
Dolores Heaven
Department of Human Services
Monique Zmuda
Department of Public Health
Marcia deVaughn & Alex Mamak
Department of Public Works
Carol Bach
Port of San Francisco
Fernando Cisneros
Department of Public Works
Mary Counihan
Department of Human Services
Barbara A. Garcia
Department of Public Health
Anthony Irons
Department of Administrative Services
Jeffrey G. Adachi
Public Defenders Office
Susan Hildreth
San Francisco Public Library
Janice Anderson-Santos & Jimmie Gilyard
Department of Human Services
Sam A. Mehta
San Francisco Airport Commission
Rick Ruvolo
Department of Administrative Services
Bond Yee
Department of Parking & Traffic
Marc Trotz
Department of Public Health
George Nichols
Public Library
Jay Banfield
Treasurer & Tax Collector's Office
Pamela David, Richard Newirth & Kary Schulman
Mayor's Office of Community Development, Arts Commission, Grants for the Arts
Gigi Harrington
San Francisco Municipal Railway
Wanda Jung
Department of Human Services
Bill Lehew
San Francisco International Airport
Monique Moyer
Mayor's Office of Public Finance
Peg Stevenson
Controller's Office
Dr. Rajiv Bhatia
Department of Public Health
Philip Ginsburg
City Attorney's Office
Olson Lee
Redevelopment Agency
Pacifico Paculba
Municipal Transportation Agency
Bridget Smith
Municipal Transportation Agency
Michael Cohen
Office of Economic & Workforce Development
Dorothy Enisman & Dariush Kayhan
Department of Human Services
Gary Franzella
San Francisco International Airport
Robert Kuzma
San Francisco Fire Department
Florence Mar
Office of the Treasurer
Leo O'Farrell
Human Services Agency
Diana Guevara
Department of Public Health
Kathy Bull, DeMarris Evans & Louise Winterstein
Office of the Public Defender
Kerstin Magary
Municipal Transportation Agency
Jackson Wong
San Francisco International Airport
Sue Currin
San Francisco General Hospital
Jeff Gary
Municipal Transportation Authority
Chris Iglesias
Mayor's Office of Economic & Workforce Development
Todd Rydstrom
Office of the Controller
Michelle Allersma, Denise Cannonier-Craig, Jennifer Johnston, Kerry Ko, Julian Low, Karen Taylor, Bruce Topp, Ted Yamasaki
Department of Human Resources
Peter Acton
Airport Commission
Derek Chu
Human Services Agency
Brad Benson
Port of San Francisco
Judith Klain
Project Homeless Connect
Nancy Alfaro, Kevin Dyer, Jay Nath, Diana Nguyen & Heidi Sieck
311 Customer Service Center Project
Tangerine Brigham
Department of Public Health
Dan Kelly
Human Services Agency
Kevin Kone
San Francisco Airport Commission
Edgar Lopez & Brook Mebrahtu
Department of Public Works
Julie Kirschbaum, Britt Tanner, Sally Allen & Liz Garcia
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
Clare Murphy
Lifetime Achievement Award
San Francisco Employee's Retirement System
Toni Coe
Municipal Transportation Agency
Brent Dennis
Recreation and Park Department
Allison Magee
Juvenile Probation Department
Maria X. Martinez
Department of Public Health
Nadia Sesay
Controller's Office
SPUR Infrastructure & Planning Award
Water System Improvement Program
SF Public Utilities Commission
Dr. Susan Fernyak
Department of Public Health
Dana Ketcham
Recreation and Park Department
Cheryl Nashir
San Francisco Airport Commission
Dave Curto, Tony Lugo, Leo Sauceda, Jim Whelly
Human Services Agency
Brian Benson, Fran Breeding, Brian Strong, Adam Van de Water
General Services Agency


text:
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- After falling behind 5-0 in the fifth
inning, the Tennessee Tech baseball team put together a furious
comeback, led by sophomore A.J. Kirby-Jones' second grand
slam of the season, as the Golden Eagles downed in-state rival
Belmont 8-6 in Bush Stadium.
"I was just trying to go up there and do what I do," Kirby-Jones said.
Kirby-Jones went 4-for-4 from the plate, with six RBIs. The grand slam was his fifth home run of the season.
Senior Ryan Dennick pitched the final three innings, striking out the first four batters he faced, as Tech improved to 9-3 on the season.
"A.J. had a heck of a day," head coach Matt Bragga said. "And (Ryan) was dynamite. He had a great outing today, and he's really throwing the slop out of the ball."
Dennick earned the save for the Golden Eagles, allowing just one hit in three innings, while striking out five and walking one. Freshman Chad Hayes worked four innings of relief, and struck out four Belmont batters. Freshman Jerred Griggs pitched two-thirds of an inning, and got the win (1-0).
Belmont (7-7) scored one run in the first and second innings, and added three in the fifth to go up 5-0 before Tech put together its comeback. In the bottom of the fifth Cory Wright walked with the bases loaded, putting Tech on the scoreboard, and setting the table for Kirby-Jones to clear the bases and tie the score at five.
The Golden Eagles scored their eight runs on just five hits. In addition to Kirby-Jones' four, junior Tate McMillan had one hit and two RBIs.
The tie didn't last long, as Belmont went up 6-5 in the top of the sixth inning when Matt Zeblo led off the inning with a solo homer.
The Golden Eagles would take the lead for good in the bottom half of the inning, when Heath Cheverton walked to lead off the inning, then stole second and advanced to third on an error. Later in the inning, McMillan singled, scoring Cheverton. Then with two outs, Kirby-Jones singled, scoring McMillan and Alex Henry, putting Tech up 8-6.
"We had to scrap back and fight to win," Kirby-Jones said. "It's always tough when you're playing from behind."
The last Golden Eagles to hit two grand slams in one season was Matt Ballard, when he had slams against Tennessee and Cumberland College in 1989. Kirby-Jones hit his first grand slam in the second game of an opening-day double header against Saint Peters College on Feb. 20. His six RBIs were one short of a Tech single-game record.
The Golden Eagles will travel to Nashville for a return game with the Bruins on March 24 at Greer Stadium.
Later on in the week Tech will welcome Valparaiso to Cookeville for a four-game series, with double headers on March 13 and 14.
Tech erases five run deficit, tops Belmont 8-6
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- After falling behind 5-0 in the fifth
inning, the Tennessee Tech baseball team put together a furious
comeback, led by sophomore A.J. Kirby-Jones' second grand
slam of the season, as the Golden Eagles downed in-state rival
Belmont 8-6 in Bush Stadium.


text: For twelve months, artists Victoria Lucas and Richard William Wheater collaborated on a series of neon signs that borrow snippets from well-known love songs. 12 Months of Neon Love fittingly began on Valentine's Day 2011, atop Neon Workshops, and continued through the year — a sight to passers-by who no doubt Instagrammed the shit out of these. The public exhibition culminated in March of this past year but the images live on forever in a compilation.


text:
Letter to the Senate in Support of the HIRE Act
March 15, 2010
Dear Senator:
On behalf of the National Education Association's (NEA) 3.2 million members, we urge you to vote yes on final passage of the HIRE Act (H.R.2847), scheduled for floor consideration this week. This smaller jobs bill represents an important first step in providing essential resources to create/save jobs and jumpstart the economy. We urge the Senate to pass this bill, and hope that this will be followed by quick congressional action on additional urgently-needed pieces of a jobs package.
We are pleased that H.R. 2847 includes funding for school modernization in the form of an extended and improved Build America Bonds program. This program, originally authorized under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is very efficient and cost effective for state and local governments, and demand for it is high. For example, in California school districts applied for school construction bonds to cover $3.7 billion in projects. However, the state received only $700 million in bond allocations. Similarly, Tennessee has received requests for $305 million against its $121 million allocation. Investments in school infrastructure help put Americans back to work by creating jobs across the construction industry, and help students learn in safe, modern facilities.
However, school modernization investments are just one piece of a broader strategy needed to create/save jobs and boost economic recovery. State budget outlooks are bleak, with shortfalls predicted to be as high as $180 billion to $190 billion in 2010 and 2011. These shortfalls, if left unaddressed, could have a devastating impact on schools, students and educators just one year after the ARRA helped save or create 325,000 education jobs. Our nation's economy simply cannot afford to lose many of these jobs, nor can our students afford to lose teachers and education support professionals. In fact, it would be counterproductive to an economic recovery if state and local governments are forced to lay off public employees.
Given these critical needs, we hope Congress will pass immediate state fiscal relief such as that included in the House-passed Jobs for Main Street Act. In particular, we urge passage of state assistance to create/save public sector jobs, including an Education Jobs Fund. Saving and creating education jobs is a particularly effective way to jumpstart economic recovery. Saving an education job involves no wait time to draw up contracts or acquire materials.
An Education Jobs Fund that would extend state stabilization aid has already proven effective and played a key role in helping to keep middle class Americans working. Last month, Christina Romer, head of President Obama's Council of Economic Advisers, stated that fiscal relief to states under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has been "one of the triumphs" and has had "more bite than we would have thought." This observation coming from the CEA Chair affirms the the economic value to the nation of this aid and reinforces the need to continue such assistance through an Education Jobs Fund.
An Education Jobs Fund will help put more faculty into higher education classrooms, including those at community colleges (where enrollments have increased as much as 40-50 percent,) so that students can get the education they need to get back to work. It will also help keep schools fully staffed with pre-k through post-secondary teachers and education support professionals at a time when many students are experiencing great stress. A recent University of California study found that children in families where the head of the household had lost a job were 15 percent more likely to repeat a grade. A January 2010 report from the bipartisan First Focus Campaign for Children found that 1 in 7 children are living with an unemployed parent, nearly a doubling of children in just over two years.
Again, we urge passage of H.R. 2847, followed by immediate action on an Education Jobs Fund.
Kim Anderson
Director of Government Relations


text:
bada wrote:yeah, nice call on Mizzou Capt. You nailed it before the tourney even started. Maybe you are not as bad at this than you think.
Ha ha, we shall see after tonight. I have the potential to have 7 of the elite 8 if all my picks win tonight. The only one I missed yesterday was UConn, but that's all because of Washington losing to Purdue...if I had to pick between UConn and Purdue I would have gone with UConn for sure. Oh well! I'm still in last


text: For more than 30 years, trumpet player James "Boogaloo" Bolden has been working with famed blues singer and guitarist BB King. But when Bolden is not on the road with the "King of Blues" he is in his hometown of Houston, Texas, to play with his own band that is now featuring some blues by way of Mexico. VOA's Greg Flakus reports from Houston.


text:
If you or any members of your family are suffering from Diabetes you may be eligible for the Canadian Disability Tax Credit (CDC). Diabetes and its effects can have a debilitating effect on the quality of one`s life. As such, the Canadian government has deemed that if you suffer from Diabetes and your level of disability is sufficient, you qualify for a disability tax credit.
The exact definition of a disability can be difficult to describe. Does a senior who experiences memory loss constitute a disability? How about someone who needs assistance to walk a city block? What about someone who has suffered the effects of alcoholism and drug dependency? Most people assume no.
Many Canadians are unaware that the scope of disabilities that qualify for a tax credit expanded. At first glance, many Canadian's instinctively feel that they are not eligible as they generally defer to the narrow definition of a disability described above. That is why it is important to contact us and inquire about your specific eligibility. Please fill out the form to your right and a representative will contact you directly to begin the process.
At DBS, we will take the time to explain to you which disabilities may qualify. Our staff are experts when it comes to the Disability Tax Credit submission process. If you or anyone you know is having difficulty figuring out what constitutes a disability, then you have come to the right place. Our goal is to make the process easier for you and for family members to understand what qualifies as a disability.
Understanding exactly what constitutes a disability can be both confusing and frustrating. Most people cannot relate to the challenges that having a disability can place on an individual. Many daily tasks and chores that are taken for granted by able body persons, place a huge burden on those afflicted. These daily challenges can be a source of enormous strain and frustration on the individual with a disability.
In 2005, The Canadian government expanded the list of eligible disabilities. Previous to this date, the standard definition used by the Canadian government stated that the individual must be "markedly restricted". However, after review, the definition was expanded to the following:
The individual must be "markedly restricted" in at least one of the following categories: speaking, hearing, walking, elimination (bowel or bladder functions), feeding, dressing, performing the mental functions of everyday life, life-sustaining therapy to support vital function and the recently introduced cumulative effects of significant restrictions. The degree of disability must be approved by Canada Revenue Agency before it can be used.
The Canadian government defines a disability as follows:
Disability is a complex phenomenon, reflecting an interaction between features of a person's body and mind and features of the society in which they live. A disability can occur at any time in a person's life; some people are born with a disability, while others develop a disability later in life. It can be permanent, temporary or episodic. Disability can steadily worsen, remain the same, or improve. It can be very mild to very severe. It can be the cause, as well as the result, of disease, illness, injury, or substance abuse.
At DBS our experts have a thorough knowledge of which disabilities are eligible. Please contact us today and we will help you to determine if you qualify or not. Ultimately, the determination of your status will be made by The Canada Revenue Agency. DBS can help you to realize the maximum refund that you are entitled to.
Fill out all fields below to see if you qualify


text:
When confronted with events like what happened in Norway last week - events that shock the system and leave people yearning for answers and explanations that will likely never come - many people often rush to the familiar albeit profoundly disturbing memories that help us come to terms. So to many Americans, this event had elements of some of our worst and all-too-real nightmares: Columbine, Oklahoma City, and 9/11. This is the experiential lens through which many Americans view domestic and global terror.
But this isn't Columbine. It isn't Oklahoma City or 9/11. This tragedy is unique. And while many Americans (and others) may have some understanding of the grief and anguish many Norwegians are feeling today, we must resist the urge to define this event simply in the terms we understand - and we must also resist the urge to define the perpetrator of this horrible crime in terms that suit our ideology or political interests.
We haven't done very well with that lately.
When Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, Federal Judge John Roll and 17 other people were shot at a supermarket in Arizona in January, within hours people were suggesting that the gunman was motivated by conservative political rhetoric, including Governor Palin's now-infamous graphic of the Congresswoman's district in a gun's crosshairs. As facts emerged, it became more evident that the alleged assassin was motivated more from illness than ideology. The facts didn't prevent the discussion about rhetoric from spiraling out of control - the attacks on Governor Palin and her poorly-chosen words in response to the criticism only entrenched interests further. We are now to the point where she can misspeak about something as innocent as the story of Paul Revere's "midnight ride" and her supporters flock to wikipedia, attempting to "correct the record" by including her obvious misstatements as fact.
Now of course we have the lightning-fast editorializing (and actual coverage) wrongly tying the Norway attacks to Islamic extremists. Ujala Sehgal at The Atlantic Wire has a thorough description of how quickly so many of our top publications embraced the "Muslims did it" narrative and how they even took steps to maintain that narrative once the facts came to light. One notable offender was the Washington Post's Jennifer Rubin who quickly asserted the "jihadist" link, only to walk it back a day later, but still insisting that "there are many more jihadists than blonde Norwegians out to kill Americans" and this is really about a domestic political fight between conservatives and liberals over spending priorities. As if this somehow matters to grieving parents in Oslo.
Now information is beginning to emerge that suggests the alleged killer in Norway may be the type of right-wing ideologue swayed by violent political rhetoric that people were too quick to assert was at work in Arizona. Let the blame game begin again.
To me, the real culprit is (again) homophily - the phenomenon that we describe sometimes with the cliche "birds of a feather flock together." Increasingly, we only read the news sources that reflect our interests and ideology. We only speak with people of the same ilk. There's a growing body of research that discusses this - for example, the British Psychological Society recently reported a study that we even choose to sit next to people who look like us. In PR we call this community of people who just agree with and repeat each other it the "echo chamber," and its effects are intensified through online social media.
As I wrote last week, our common experiences enrich our lives but they also limit our perspectives if we fail to explore. We develop deeper relationships with the people who share our values and our interests, but we grow more polarized in our politics and our consuming behavior. Homophily manifests itself through our unwillingness or inability to compromise on important issues. It results in litmus tests - religious or otherwise - for our political leaders. It leads some to define those who are different as somehow less human. We combat homophily by meeting new people, different people. As we get to know different people more, we accept them and tend to support their basic rights, and we grow more tolerant and creative and we solve more problems. For example, even polls dating back to 2005 and earlier suggest the more gay people we know the more supportive of their civil rights we become and the more likely we are to solve the unique issues facing gay families.
So to those whose voices are amplified because their names sit next to headlines or because they currently reside in seats of power, I have some simple advice: you need to get out more.


text:
Schools play a key role in democracies, but that does not justify the current arrangement in which tax dollars are allocated exclusively to public...
Timothy Ball
Dr. Timothy Ball is a renowned environmental consultant and former climatology professor at the University of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is also chairman of the Natural Resources Stewardship Project (NRSP). With a doctorate in climatology from the University of London, Queen Mary College, England, Dr. Ball's comprehensive background in the field includes a strong focus on the reconstruction of past climates and the impact of climate change on human history and the human condition.
Dr. Ball is a researcher/author of scientific papers on a range of environmental issues. He has recently (December 06) co-authored a paper for the scientific journal, Ecological Complexity, with Baliunas, Dyck, Soon, Baydack, Legates, and Hancock titled "Polar bears of western Hudson Bay and climate change: Are warming spring air temperatures the 'ultimate' survival control factor?" He is also co-author of the book Eighteenth Century Naturalists of Hudson Bay (2004 - McGill/Queens University Press) with Dr. Stuart Houston, one of the world's leading authorities on arctic birds.
Dr. Ball is a leader in the current global warming debate and appears regularly as a guest on radio and television - click here to watch one of his recent appearances on Fox TV's "Hannity and Colmes"; click here to listen to his June 9, 2007 radio interview on the Nick at Night on CFRA Radio in Ottawa, Ontario.
Dr. Ball is also published frequently in leading newspapers and magazines across Canada and, increasingly, the U.S. and abroad. A measure of Dr. Ball's impact was seen recently when, after one of his pieces was featured on the Drudge Report, a leading on-line news service (click here to see original piece), he received approximately 1,000 e-mails from the general public during the next 24 hours, 90% of which were supportive. Dr. Ball personally responded to over 500 of these, providing respondents with information as requested – as a consequence several are now NRSP supporters.


text:
Let's run an experiment and see if piracy is harmful to sales.
I'm currently selling my ebook JACK DANIELS STORIES for $2.99 on Kindle and Barnes and Noble. Here's the description:
JA Konrath, known for the Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels thrillers set in Chicago, offers this collection of short stories and novellas from the Jack Daniels universe.
Join Jack Daniels, her partner Herb Benedict, private eye Harry McGlade, and part-time criminal Phineas Troutt, in this omnibus of 15 stories.
On the Rocks - Suicide or murder? Lt. Jack Daniels solves a locked room mystery.
Whelp Wanted - P.I. Harry McGlade becomes a dognapper in order to stop a dognapper, or something like that.
Street Music - Phineas Troutt hunts a prostitute through the dangerous streets of Chicago. Are his intentions pure?
The One That Got Away - The Gingerbread Man (the villain from WHISKEY SOUR) hunts one final victim.
With a Twist - It looked like the man fell from a great height, but the body is in his living room. Jack Daniels solves another impossible crime.
Epitaph - Phin Troutt takes on a Chicago street gang with vengeance on his mind.
Taken to the Cleaners - Harry McGlade tries to solve a difficult mystery, but mostly just goofs off.
Body Shots - Jack Daniels faces her most challenging case yet; a school shooting. But does she know more about the perp than she realizes?
Suffer - Phineas Troutt has taken some questionable jobs, but will he murder a man's wife?
School Daze - P.I. Harry McGlade investigates a private school, but he's not entirely sure why.
Overproof - While shopping on the Gold Coast, Jack Daniels notices traffic has come to a stand-still. When she realizes what the problem is, she's confronted with her own mortality, and the possible deaths of hundreds.
Bereavement - How badly does Phineas Troutt need a fix? What is he willing to do?
Pot Shot - Detective Herb Benedict just wants a home cooked meal. But his plans get interrupted by a very determined sniper.
Last Request - Phineas Troutt picks up a hitchhiker, with deadly results.
The Necro File - Harry McGlade investigates some bizarre murders in this hilarious, gore-filled mini-epic. (Author's note: This is easily the funniest thing I've ever written, but it's also very offensive. Let the reader beware...)
That's about 65,000 words of Jack Daniels and friends. Some of these are laugh out loud funny. Some require you to solve the mystery. Some are thrilling. Some are scary. All of them have been previously published in various magazines and anthologies.
Currently, on May 30 at 7:00pm, this ebook is ranked at #2009 on Amazon. It sold about 315 copies in the month of May.
It is ranked at #44,480 on Barnes & Noble.
So let's try an experiment. Here are some ways for you to obtain a copy of this ebook.
Click HERE to download a free zip file of JACK DANIELS STORIES. It contains versions in html, pdf, doc, epub, and prc (for Kindle). So no matter what ereader or computer or smart phone you own, you should be able to read it or convert it. That's the tracker link. If it isn't working, here's the direct link: http://www.jakonrath.com/Jack.zip
Or, if you own a Kindle, you can click HERE to go to the Kindle store and buy it for $2.99.
Or, if you own a Nook, you can click HERE and go to Barnes and Noble and buy it for $2.99.
If you download the free version, and feel the overwhelming need to donate $1.99 (or any amount) to me, you can click HERE and go to Paypal to donate. Paypal is free to join, safe, and easy to use.
I'll keep track of my free downloads, Kindle numbers, Paypal donations, and my rankings on Amazon and B&N for the next 30 days, then post the results.
Also, I encourage pirates to post this everywhere. Go ahead and proliferate the internet with JACK DANIELS STORIES. You can explain that I'm encouraging it, or you can just take it and not say a word. I'd appreciate it if you post in the comments section where you're uploaded it, which you can do anonymously. Or you don't have to.
If anyone sees this ebook on file sharing sites, I also ask that you please post a link to it in the comments. The more places I can see this being shared, the better I can compare ebooks sold to ebooks shared.
Will giving the ebook away for free hurt sales? Will it help sales? Will I gain readers? Will people donate money? Will people who take the free ebook buy my other ebooks?
What do you think will happen?
Should be interesting. Now some Q & A.
Q: Why are you doing this?
A: I've said repeatedly that there is no proof piracy hurts sales. So I'm manning up and putting my money where my mouth is.
Q: How long will you run this experiment?
A: I'm going to keep track of it for a month. But the links will be live forever. I fully expect the ebook to appear on file sharing sites forever as well.
Q: Do you have any predictions?
A: I have no idea what will happen. It depends on how many people see this post and act on it. But I really don't expect my sales to drop off.
Q: If you're so pro-piracy, why don't you give away all of your ebooks?
A: My stance has always been that I don't believe piracy is harmful to the artist, and that it can't be stopped, so don't worry about it. Does that make me pro-piracy? Or does it make me realistic?
Q: You didn't answer the question.
A: The majority of my ebooks are currently free on my website, www.JAKonrath.com. If you want them for free, there they are.
Q: Why did you use this particular ebook for your experiment?
A: I think it's a good cross-section of my work, and will appeal to the widest range of people. It also has modest sales, which should be easier to track.
Q: I clicked on the free download. Now what am I supposed to do with it?
A: Save it to your computer, then open it using Winzip. You can download Winzip HERE. It's free for the first 45 days.
Q: What if the ebook is downloaded for free 10,000 times and no one pays for it?
A: That would be awesome. I hope those people who download it take the time to read a few stories. As a wise man once said, writers should fear obscurity, not piracy.
Q: What if your sales drop off to nothing?
A: Want to bet they don't? :)
Q: Can I give away this ebook on my blog and website?
A: The goal here is to share it by any and all means possible. Link to it, copy it, upload it, make torrents, put it on Usenet, stick it in file lockers, etc. Whatever you'd like.
Q: You're encouraging people to steal, condoning piracy, and turning your back on your fellow authors. You're the devil.
A: I get that a lot. No one is forcing you to read my blog. If you don't like what I'm doing, change the channel.
Lots of disagreement in the comments. That's good. Disagreement is the pathway to discussion and understanding, as long as everyone keeps an open mind.
Some points I'm seeing repeated:
1. This experiment doesn't count. Because I'm giving permission, this isn't "stealing."
JA sez: For the nth time, I don't care what the legal or moral definition of file-sharing is. I want to see if free books, widely distributed, cannibalize book sales. That's the test.
2. The final stats will be inconclusive.
JA sez: I agree. The whole reason it is impossible to prove piracy is harmful is that there is no direct association or causality between people getting free books and books for sale. There are too many other factors at play. That said, if my sales don't drop off, that's a promising indicator that free books don't effect sales.
3. If a person takes the free ebook, you've lost a sale.
JA sez: Actually, the opposite is true. If a free option is available right next to a paid option, and people take the freebie, that PROVES they wouldn't have bought the one for sale because they took the freebie.
4. You pay a cover artist but don't expect to get paid yourself?
JA sez: I hope to get paid. I'm doing everything within my power to give readers good, inexpensive ebooks. But I also know that some people will get copies for free. I see no reason to fight this. It isn't going to stop, and I don't believe it hurts sales.
5. Why not just make everything free?
JA sez: There's a big difference between giving away everything for free and tolerating media file-sharing. If you don't see that difference, I doubt I'll be able to convince you.
6. What about the future where everything is free?
JA sez: Everything will be free in the future, eh? How about using that crystal ball to get the lottery numbers for next week.
7. You're getting publicity for this. That will fuel sales. Pirates may just buy your book just to prove that file-sharing doesn't hurt.
JA sez: So now I have to figure out who is buying my ebooks and what their intent is? Now I can't use publicity to fuel sales, as I've been doing in the past?
Bottom line: there are versions that are free, and versions that are for sale. Will the free versions slow down the sales trajectory I've been on with this ebook (selling about 10 copies per day)? To my knowledge, this ebook has not been pirated before, so I'm taking a book with proven sales and adding the free factor to it. Why don't we all take a deep breath and actually wait and see what happens?
I believe the majority of piracy exists because copyright holders are unable or unwilling to meet specific consumer demand, such as availability, price, and convenience.
To see the tracked free downloads so far, click HERE.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
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text:
I find it really difficult to write my story. To this day I still haven't spoken about it out loud. This is only the second time that it will be written anywhere.
I first started going out with my ex-boyfriend when I was 20. We were together for just over two years. At 20, I was naive, I was a romantic at heart, and he was my first serious 'adult' relationship. We had an unconventional beginning, which probably added to the romanticism, which made it all seem so much more perfect in my head.
What I didn't know when we first started going out was that he was a compulsive liar, that in the following two years he would make my head spin from the lies that he told me, and that at the beginning I believed, and in the middle I didn't know which lies to believe or not, and by the end I knew that nothing he told me was the truth.
I also didn't know that I was going to be subjected to two years of emotional and on several occasions, sexual, abuse from this man that I thought I loved. It's funny how I always said that if a guy hurt me, that would be it. But this guy hurt me in ways that were so subtle that I didn't even realise I was being hurt, so it's possible to be a victim without even realising that you are a victim.
We are constantly informed by the media, parents, friends etc not to walk around at night on our own, don't talk to strangers, don't go off with strangers. People seem to forget about the people you know, and according to any statistic I've ever seen, they're the ones we have to worry about. The sad thing is though, in my case, I doubt that my ex even realises that what he did was rape. Considering it took me 6/7 years to figure it out, I don't think that there's much hope that he will.
Anyway, to my story.
Sex with him always began as consensual. However on a number of occasions he initiated anal sex without asking me, without any preparation. He kept going when I said no. He kept going when I cried. He kept going when I tried to push him off. He held me down and he kept going. What started off as consensual turned in to rape.
I can remember how much it hurt, how heavy he felt on top of me, how shocked and upset I was. I can remember him comforting and apologising to me, and how I believed that he'd made a mistake and wouldn't do it again. He did. Looking back at it now, I feel sick. I feel like screaming at that sweet, innocent, naive 20 year old that I was, I want to tell her to get out of that relationship, that he will hurt you again and again, that he is toxic.
If I could tell any person in this position what to do, I would say get out, right now. If someone does something or makes you do something that you are not comfortable with, then it is assault. Plain and simple. And you did not ask for that, nor do you deserve it.


text:
Interview Date: 10/04/2010
Run Date: 10/18/2010
Interviews Home / TV Home / Bullz-Eye Home
Jesse Ventura started out as a wrestler, evolved into an actor, and then turned heads by turning into a politician. Now, he's the host of "Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura," which has just kicked off its second season on truTV. Bullz-Eye had a chance to talk to Minnesota's most bad-ass former governor (only possible competition: Knute Nelson) about the new season of his series, and in addition to the discussion about various conspiracies, you will probably not be surprised to find that he had a great deal to say about the state of the government.
Jesse Ventura: Good morning, Will! How are you today?
Bullz-Eye: I'm good…and I'm glad to hear that you're doing better today.
JV: (Laughs) Yeah, I am, absolutely!
BE: Good to hear. Well, for those who may not even be aware that you have a series, how did "Conspiracy Theory" first get started?
JV: Well, actually, it was me and my people, my agents and the people I've worked with for many years, we were sitting down one day and just talking things over, and…I don't know how it flushed to the murder of John F. Kennedy, but, of course, I'd been studying that murder for over 25 years, and I just started passionately speaking about things that were covered up, things that are probably unknown to the general public, and this and that. And Mark Itkin, my agent at William Morris, kind of looked around the room, and he said, "You know, this is a series waiting to happen." (Laughs) It's funny how things like that go. We just took it out, and truTV got very interested in it, and we're in our second season now.
BE: How quickly do you think you found the groove of the show, as far as what you wanted to accomplish with it? I mean, you only had seven episodes in the first season.
JV: Right. Well, you know, the show's always in transition, because it really is, in its own way, bridging a new gap of entertainment, I guess, in the fact that we take people who actually lived the event, and they become the actors in relating it to me, with no script writers, no anything like that. You don't put words in their mouths, because they just simply talk about their life experience of what went on, depending on what the event is or was, and we just allow them to interact with me. It's kind of a new form of reality television.
BE: I've seen descriptions which refer to it as a reality show filtered through an action movie.
JV: Yeah, it kind of ends up being that. Initially…well, also, the show always evolves, because originally we were going to show both sides of the conspiracy and then let you, the viewer, choose what to believe. But the show quickly evolved to the conspiracy only, because when one side…generally meaning the government…won't cooperate in any way, shape, or form, it becomes very difficult to tell their side of the story. So we just let their side go, because they've pumped us full of propaganda on their side of the story, anyway. Everybody knows their side of the story. So now it's evolved to us showing the conspirators' side of the story…which, in most cases, there's a great deal of evidence that always indicates the government could be wrong and the conspiracy could be correct.
BE: With any of the episodes that you've done, has there ever been a case where you went in with one mindset and came out with a completely different one?
JV: Off the top of my head… (Hesitates) Yeah, I would say that Area 51, I fully believe that there's not aliens there, that it's being a red herring propped up by the government to keep everybody interested and to keep a cottage industry going out there. But the reality is that it's just government testing stuff and playing along and making the locals believe that they live by the aliens. I mean, when they call it Extraterrestrial Highway… (Trails off) There's a lot more people who chuckle over Area 51 than don't, but this is a danger area that we want to expose: the government won't acknowledge the base exists there, yet there's a sign there that if you cross this imaginary line, they can use lethal force and kill you. I think that's pretty dangerous, when you consider out in the desert, people ride dirt bikes and they think they're out in the open and they think they're free to do what they want, they don't realize that if they cross this imaginary border, they can literally be shot dead. Now, that doesn't mean that'll happen, but apparently they have the authorization to do so. So that's the thing about Area 51 that I want to bring out: when did trespassing become a capital crime, and whatever happened to, excuse me, going to court? At what point can they just shoot you down for crossing a line which supposedly belongs to you as a taxpayer?
BE: I know you mentioned the Kennedy assassination was what led to the initial discussions. Are you prone to being a conspiracy theorist beyond just that one?
JV: Well, I view the government as being conspiracy theorists also, because they don't prove nothing. They just sit and tell the people their version of what happened, and it's left at that. And theirs is generally a theory also, backed up by not much evidence. I haven't believed that Oswald killed Kennedy for years. Anyone that gets into it will realize that it was a…well, I'll put it to you this way: our show will air for the first time a written as well as an audio confession from a father to his son on his death bed, and he confesses to participating in the murder of Jack Kennedy…and it wasn't Lee Harvey Oswald. He's been dead a long time.
BE: Are you at all a fan of Oliver Stone's "JFK"?
JV: Oh, very much so. I think that his film is far more close to the truth than the Warren Commission. There's no doubt in my mind. Once anyone gets into… (Hesitates) See, the problem we have today is that people in the United States live by soundbite media, and they don't do any investigating on their own. All they do is accept what the government tells them, and then soundbite media backs up the government, and they move on, we move on, and the truth is never known.
BE: What do you think of the internet's part in conspiracies? It's almost dangerous for research, since it provides as much false information as truth.
JV: Well, you know, you have to sift your way through. But the government provides so much false information, also. As a thinker and as someone who wants to look at both sides, you just have to weigh the evidence and see what you think has credibility and what you think doesn't. I mean, you know, people can call me a cynic today, but my government has lied to me so often, and…I've been part of the government. I've been a mayor, I've been a governor, I spent six years in the Navy. My government lied to me. You know, the big question I'd like answered out there is, how come when we lie to the government we go to jail, and when they lie to us we seem to go to war? I mean, that seems like we're getting the wrong end of the stick. How come we go to jail? Now, Roger Clemens could be facing jail for lying to the government about taking steroids in baseball, which has nothing to do with the government. Baseball is a completely outside entity that has no government control whatsoever, and yet Clemens can potentially go to jail for lying to the government…? How many times have these guys lied to us? And nothing happens to them, does it? Well, that's the awareness that I'm trying to raise out there: we've got government lying to us all the time, and they suffer no repercussions from it.
BE: What was it like being in the government, given your general mindset on the conspiratorial aspects of the system?
JV: I don't put nothing past our government. I made a statement a few months ago…and Fox News has pretty much banned me now and won't have me on anymore…that I'm not surprised that terrorists would attack us, considering that we've been practicing terrorism for 50 years. We just simply call our brand "foreign policy." And if you want examples, look at Cuba. I mean, we've attempted to assassinate their president on multiple times, we've bombed their harbors, we've attempted to destroy their economy, we've attempted to destroy their sugarcane fields, and…are you familiar with this character Orlando Bosch? He blew up a Cuban airliner with 173 civilians on it, and he was pardoned by George Bush, Sr. Now, is that not an act of terrorism?
BE: It would seem to be, certainly.
JV: It seems to me to be, too. You see, our country…we live in a hole. I mean, I don't know how to describe it, but we don't seem to want to view ourselves out in the international world and ask the question, "Why do we need such a huge military?" Well, obviously, the rest of the world doesn't like us very much for our behavior out in there. Otherwise, why would we need such a military? Why do we have fear? Clearly, we're doing things that are pissing people off…and it isn't what George Bush told us, where they're envious of our freedoms. If that's the case, then why did they take our freedoms from us? So that they wouldn't be envious of us, and we won't be in danger anymore? (Laughs) If you get where I'm going.
BE: I do, indeed.
JV: (Laughs) I mean, it gets laughable. So, in other words, you're going to take our freedoms from us, then no one will be envious anymore, then we'll all be safe...but we'll live under martial law. And, also, the show shows some very interesting stuff about how our Congress doesn't even know what's in bills. They vote on things that they have no idea what's in it, because they're told how to vote by the two political parties. So they don't have to know anything. The parties run the countries now. That's what John Adams warned us would be the downfall of America: when political parties took over. And that's where we are right now. But getting back to the conspiracies…I mean, it all fits in. If we're being deceived on many of these big events that happen throughout the world, then how can the government have any credibility on anything else?
BE: Do you see yourself trying to get back into political office again in the future?
JV: No. Not at this time. You never say never, but I have no desire. I'm gettin' too old now to be involved, to take up these years of my life doing that.
BE: Obviously, your career's still ongoing, but what do you think will ultimately end up being your greatest legacy, given the various aspects of politics and entertainment you've been involved in?
JV: I don't care. (Laughs) That stuff doesn't even resonate with me. I live life to the fullest. I don't want to get to age 80 and say, "Woulda coulda shoulda." I try everything, and it just happens this is a road I've gone down now, looking into conspiracies and having a lot of fun doing it. I mean, you meet a lot of interesting people.
BE: This is conspiracy-related, I guess: how was the experience of working on "The X-Files"?
JV: It was probably the best acting I ever did. The scripts are so challenging, shall we say, and the dialogue and all that. When I first read the script when I was on "X-Files," I didn't even know what it was about. It was very confusing to figure it out. But when it got on film, it became very clear what they were doing. But it was very good writing on "The X-Files." I enjoyed doing it.
BE: A friend of mine wanted me to ask you if you think a union would be a good idea for pro wrestlers.
JV: Of course. Absolutely. Unions are beneficial for all workers, generally speaking, until the unions become corrupted themselves and eventually devour themselves. But, initially, absolutely. I tried to get a union way back in the '80s and almost got fired for it. But then, of course, I became a member of the Screen Actors Guild, so I didn't bother anymore, because I had my union.
BE: Do you think we'll ever see one in wrestling?
JV: I don't know. It's not up to me. I tried. But I've been gone from that business for 20 years. If they want to go without one… (Pauses) Wrestling's very corrupt. It always has been, as far as following regular employment rules. The worst thing they do is call wrestlers "self-employed," which is a joke. I've always wondered how the government has let them get away with that for 50 years, because we're certainly not self-employed. We never have been self-employed.
BE: Did you see the film "The Wrestler"?
JV: No.
BE: I just wondered what you had thought of it, if you had seen it.
JV: I could care less about it. I lived it. Why do I need to see it?
BE: Fair enough. Well, jumping back to politics, how do you think we can fix the current political situation, which has been described as verging on suicidal deadlock?
JV: Easy: we just have to abolish the political parties. See, I've changed my position now. I no longer advocate the third party anymore, because it's clear to me that the system is so corrupt that for a third party to survive and compete, it would have to corrupt itself, like the other two. We've already got a two-headed monster. Why would we need a three-headed one? My new position…and six months ago was when I took this position…is the abolishment of political parties. Turn them into political action committees. Remove the power that they have, because everything in the country is done to benefit the political party today. Nothing is done to benefit the United States of America. Like I said, John Adams warned us. He said the downfall of America wouldn't come from the outside. He said it would come internally, and he even told us how: when political parties take over the government. That's what we have today: the political parties have taken over the government. And until we stop voting for Democrats and Republicans, we're going to get what we deserve. It's as simple as that.
BE: Is there any candidate outside of the party system that you think has a shot?
JV: No. The thing is, we have to abolish these parties. You want to hear a good story?
BE: Absolutely.
JV: The state of Minnesota pays the Democratic and Republican Party caucuses out of taxpayer money. Now, I was an independent governor, and I brought up the fact, "Why does my taxes pay for these two parties when I don't belong to them?" Do you see how corrupt the system is set up? I mean, they even get their parties financed by the taxpayers. And what if you're an independent like me? I've never belonged to them two parties. Why should my taxes go to support them? My next book…well, one of them, anyway…is going to be called "The Demo-Crips and the Re-Blood-licans," and it's subtitled, "No Gangs in Government." These are no different than the Crips and the Bloods, only they wear Brooks Brothers suits. They're as corrupt as can be, and in which to flourish, you have to pay your homage to the party…and the party controls you.
BE: So, basically, you'll have no end of conspiracy theories to work with on your series…except that, in many of these cases, they're not theories.
JV: (Adamantly) They're not theories. What makes the show great is that we seem to have an unending supply of categories. The government's so corrupt, it's laughable. I mean, you can look anywhere in the government today and find a potential conspiracy where they're covering something up or doing something bad.
BE: Have you had any subjects that you wanted to cover but have been rejected?
JV: (Hesitates) Yeah. Generally, we…like, when we went from first to second season, we did seven the first year, and I was kind of lost. And I called the production company when we got picked up for eight more, and I said, "Do we have eight more to do?" And they laughed and said, "Yeah, we've got 20. We're just paring it down to eight." So apparently we can get picked up a third year, too. They're out there. And maybe a fourth after that, because there's so many of them. Our dishonest government today, they can't tell us the truth about anything.
BE: Well, I guess what I was really wondering was if there had been any topics for possible episodes that had been rejected.
JV: Yeah. We fight over them, of course. But we're not like the Democrats and Republicans. We won't go to a stalemate where nothing will happen. Eventually a decision will be made, and we'll move forward, and we'll do eight that the network is eventually happy with. Oh, yeah, I've fought with them over ones that I want to do and ones that they particularly want to do. In fact, Kennedy, they wouldn't let me do it 'til the second year. That was one we fought over. They said that, the first year, they wanted to keep everything within the decade, which I could see that. And they said, "If we pick you up for a second year, we'll let you go back and do Kennedy." And they were of their word, because we're in our second year, and we did Kennedy this year.
BE: I think I'm coming up against the wall, time-wise, but it's been a pleasure talking to you…
JV: Thank you!
BE: …and I'm interested in seeing how the season unfolds.
JV: Well, like I said, watch 'em with an open mind. They're very interesting. I'm the one who covers what no one else will touch, like 9/11. We're all told we're unpatriotic if we ask a question about that, but there are thousands of them that need to be answered.
BE: I look forward to seeing what some of your questions are.
JV: Oh, you will. You'll see. (Laughs)
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