text:
December 18, Please tell me you're not in NC, dagny. Also not one Nickel will be tithed out of any shared funds. Like you, I didn't marry for the paycheck wouldn't have done me any good.
However, that doesn't mean I am in a situation where I can call or text or anything.
Miriam And Jorge 1 Duration: Daddy With Indian Women Duration: Indian Girl N Boy Duration: Indian Mature Aunty Duration: Amature Indian Babe Fucked Duration: Shy Indian House Wife Duration: Indian Couple In Cam Duration: Pakistani Lovers In Park Duration: Indian Craving 1 Duration: Indian Fuck 2 Duration: Indian Bbw Fucking Duration: Mallu Aunty Uncensored Duration: Indian Prostitute White Guy Duration: Hardcore Indian Sex Film Duration: Doctor Faria Scandals Duration: Malayali Indian Girl Duration: Indian Giving Blowjob Duration: Indian Wife Cheats Full Version. Indian Mature Cam Duration: Amateur Indian Lesbians Duration: Indian Slut I Duration: Bengali Couple Fuck Hardly Duration: Reshma And Salman Part 07 Duration: Indian Couple Honeymoon Sex Duration: Deep Inside Sabrine Maui Duration: Indian Rainy Day Duration: Reshma And Salman Part 05 Duration: Horny Indian Teen Duration: Tamil Indian Aunt Anal Duration: Indian Shy Housewife Loves Sucki Indian House Wife Duration: Busty Indian School Girl Fucking Raghava Cpls Fkinghmade Duration: Desi, Indian, Twosome To Lesbian Reshma And Salman Part 06 Duration: Reshma And Salman Part 01 Duration: Gujrati Girl Nadia Exposing Duration: Indian Haryana Girl Friend Duration: Indian Web Couple Duration: Sexxxy Indian Sanjana Plays For Hot Indian In Wedding Night 3som Big Booby Indian Girl Duration: Sex In Public India Duration: Good Babe, Wrong Choice Duration: Indian Shy Girl Fucked Homemade Ran Asakawa 2-by Packmans Duration: Indian Sweet Girls Duration: Indian Couple Fucking Secretly Duration: Jazmin Chaudhry - Bangladeshi Fantasy Duration: Indian Teen Denuded 4 Duration: Hot Indian Couple1 Duration: Horny Indian Girl Part1 Duration: Blow Job Indian Duration: Indian Babe Fucked Outside Duration: Indian Nri Wife Compilation 1 Of Indian Blows N15 Duration: Mature Indian Aunty Riding Duration: Shy Indian Mom Duration: Indian Good Girl Duration: Indian Milf Blows 2 Cocks Duration: Indian Real Honeymoon Leaked Duration: Lesbienne Toys Indian Duration: Indian Princess Fucked Anal Duration: Indian Bengali Jazmin Chaudhry L Milf Old Is Gold Duration: Self Shot At Shower Duration: Some Alone-time With Indian Stun Indian Beauty Whore full Hindi Indian Bengali Employee Srilatha Indian Girl Massage Duration: Jaffra Melons- Not Oranges Duration: Arabian Lesbian Girls Duration: Punjabi Village Bhabhi Duration: My Mummy Chnging2 Duration: Paki Hot Aunty Duration: Indian In Black Saree Duration: Paki Desperate Girl Fucking With Indianpathani Couple Homemade Sex Duration: Indira Varma In Kamasutra Duration: Hot Indian Babe Desi - Spankwire. Indian Curry Gangbang Part 2 Duration: Girl Sex With Boy 1 Duration: Indian Classic Home Made Duration: Indian College Girl Duration: Hot Bhabhi Making Romance Indian young girls sex videos lesbian desi sex movie trailer boobs fucking 3: Akeli pyasi jawan bhabhi xxx desi lesbians urdu girls hostel story glamour Couple Virgin Pasangan Masih Suci 2: Hairy Indian Pussy 2: Pune Call Girl Indian Desi girl punecallgirls.
Distance is hard, being away from family is tough, but in a way having only "each other" made our marriage so strong. And to clarify, what I mean by physical demand is something that requires energy I don't have, like having sex or going for a walk. It will poison your marriage until the end в of your life, your marriage, or your belief.
It is so hard, so sad and so lonely. We're giving it to you straight because we hope to help you avoid the heartache many of us have experience due to the harmful teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I'm a nevermo, but I married a then TBM girl, so maybe my perspective will be of help to you.
Indian Cuckold Wives Porn Collage Teen suck BF dick on Cam. Swamiji enjoying with beautiful Bhabhi Hot punjabi teen babe with sexy big tits undresses for her boyfriend Indian college couple home made Indian Desi girl Webcam nude Desi Odiya bhabhi devar outdoor Big Boobs Mumtaz has a sweet face and a pretty smile but it was more Hijabi muslim Bitch On webcam Desi Girl From Sydney Dirty talk Jasmine in Pigtails Fucks Zenza Hard Sexy desi indian school partner My friend and I fucking my girlfriend Mumbai Escorts wwwdianaoberoicom Indian Desi Babe Destiny Bollywood and Tamil Actress Nude Indian Bhabhi Outdoor Fucking Indian wife sonia bhabhi gettin 1fuckdatecom Indian amateur woman has her husband plowing her snatch fro Desi Indian Girl Show boobs On webcam Trip that is laxmi Cute Indian Lesbian Teen Porno Desi Indian couple fuck in home Full Hidden cam Sex scandal Desi Housewife Rubbing Shaved Pussy Hot bhabhi sex clip Hot desi indian aunty giving Blowjob and Fucking lover Make Her Want You More Hot Indian gangbang Indian Teen thressome fuck Orgy Really spectacular Indian Spouse that Was dexi Undressed wi Indian Aunty having sex with neighbour guy Indian Toilet Cam Sucking in the c visit my account for more Yuna - Japanese Big Boooooob. Your gothic mother bedtime story 5: Beautiful big tits redhead BBW loves to fuck Malay married couple full fucking video - [ IndianSexMms.
There's a picture of the magic rock he found while digging a neighbor's well. But he's got to know the aggravation and pain that he likely will face. I am a non-Mormon woman married to a Mormon manвwhich seems to be a less common scenario in the LDS world.
And can you talk about hard things together.
Since moving and starting residency, he has done a complete - no resemblance to the man I fell in love with. He has changed a lot throughout this process, but I don't know what he will be like once we are finished.
Are you going to keep the sabbath holy as a family, or is he going to take the kids out for pizza after church, leaving you home to observe alone.
Toddlers generally require 12 to 14 hours of sleep, including an afternoon nap of 1 to 3 hours. Young toddlers might still be taking two naps, but naps should not occur too close to bedtime, as they may make it harder for toddlers to fall asleep at night. Preschoolers 3 to 5 years: Preschoolers average about 11 to 12 hours at night, plus an afternoon nap.
And I don't have issues with her, hell, haven't even seen her in over 20 years, but the experience with the whole Mormon thing gave me better insight in to many things in life. I am scared of passing through all this you guys have passed before i even got to this blog i've thought bout it a lot. You can and should share with her why you don't and never will believe in the Mormon church, and let her decide for herself, but be prepared to have that blow up in your face.
We need to believe fully and then we make choices, not the other way around.Irish Business - If you are Irish and have a business anywhere in the world, this directory is a place for you to add a business, search for other businesses and network with Irish business people worldwide.
The storage bin and back seat pockets are nice features, but the lack of adjustable handlebar and leg rest mean it had trouble competing with some of the other products we tested. The plastic dual front wheel design negatively impacted the maneuverability of this stroller, and we think it would have performed better if the wheels were rubber or the handlebar adjustable. Friday May 5, This stroller has front wheel suspension on 8-inch wheels, near flat recline position, auto-locking fold, and a retractable weather cover.


text:
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Zoo Animal Pattern
13 comments:
- Melanie @ bear rabbit bear said...
These are so cute! Love for you to link any of your great kid or teen related posts to our Crafts for Under Twenty Somethings party going on now until noon Saturday!
- August 19, 2011 at 1:03 PM
- Michelle said...
These are adorable! How fun for a playroom or nursery! Thanks for linking up with DIY under $5!
- August 19, 2011 at 8:46 PM
- Lindsay said...
Thank you for sharing these!
I'm so glad you linked up to Show & Share!
- August 20, 2011 at 8:09 PM
- Ladybird Ln said...
You are so creative, I love the animal bedroom, I could see using these patterns for fabric applique as well, thanks so much for showing off all of your darling projects.. you are so talented!
- August 21, 2011 at 3:24 PM
- The Doodler said...
I love the artwork you put together for your boy's room! It is so adorable, thanks for sharing. I'm a new follower!
- August 22, 2011 at 7:13 AM
- The Shy Bee said...
So adorable! I love the giraffe! Thanks for sharing! I love this NEWBIE link party! Please follow me back!
- August 22, 2011 at 7:44 AM
- Terri @ A Creative Princess said...
They are adorable and so sweet of you to share! Thank you so much for linking to It's a Party!
- August 23, 2011 at 5:26 AM
- LrSchwtz said...
Thanks for sharing these patterns! I'd love for you to stop by www.laughloveandcraft.com and link up to my Share the Wealth Wednesday Link Party! I'm your newest follower!
- August 23, 2011 at 7:21 PM
- Grandma Bonnie said...
I just love the giraffe. It would be great for my grandson he loves giraffes.
New follower stopping by from the Creative Blogger hop. Hope you stop by for a visit.
- August 23, 2011 at 9:30 PM
- SJ @ Homemaker On A Dime said...
Really appreciate you linking up this awesome post at Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop :) Please continue sharing your creativity with us during the weekly party.
- August 25, 2011 at 12:02 PM
- Rosana Garcia Hess said...
thanks for sharing!!!
I´ll feature on my blog
hope you don´t mind
hugs from Brazil
- August 29, 2011 at 6:06 PM
- Jenn Erickson said...
So wonderful and versatile! I've shared a link on my FB page as part of the "A Little Birdie Told Me..." features!
- August 29, 2011 at 10:26 PM
- Jamie said...
So cute. wish my printer was unpacked. If you get a chance I would love you to link your printables up to More the Merrier Monday. It lasts through Wednesday so you have plenty of time to stop by. See you there. http://diyhshp.blogspot.com/
- August 30, 2011 at 9:27 PM

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Need more info on how we can help? Get in touch.
About Us
Over a period of 25 years Dandy Events have grown from a town centre party shop to a major event support company. Having found a niche market providing spectacular linen and tableware we expanded into props and accessories. Our aim is to be able to provide a local source of props and equipment for the north east's event industry.
Piloted through the years by Denise and Richard they now have a team of 15 to help. Joanne, the longest serving member, has been with the company for over twenty years!
The team at Dandy Events are friendly, yet professional, with a flair for design and event aesthetics. We also understand that each client, each budget and each event is different, that's why you'll receive a service that's personal to you.
You might like us to organise your full event, or you may prefer to create your own event, using products from our extensive hire collection. We're here to help you make your event a success, whichever option you choose.
Our venue stylists consider everything from choosing the right table linen, chair covers and tableware, to dramatic lighting and entertainment. We take care of all the little details, so you and your guests can enjoy the big event.
There's no limit to how much we can transform a space, so if you have envisaged a themed event but don't know how to create it, or if you're not exactly sure what you want but know it has to be spectacular – then why not come and visit us at our inspiring showroom and explore the possibilities with us or visit our gallery of events here.
For more information about Dandy Events and how we can help you call us on 0191 272 2006 or email us.
Meet the Team
Denise CudmoreCreative Director
With more years organising events than she will admit to, Denise is the chief salesperson and organiser of the company.
Richard CudmoreTechnical Director
From an electronic engineering background, Richard makes sure things happen as they should.
"Every day we get to plan small and large events for our clients. Because we know the little things that add up to create an overall big effect, we help our clients achieve far more, and they actually enjoy the event planning experience far more than they originally anticipated they would."


text: Ice and The Face #34 -12.6.14- is here, and ya know, what IS up with flies in outdoor porn?! #amirite On this fine episode, we welcome back to the show, Matt Hill of Chillside Studios and Lefnut for some drinks and an array of conversations, ranging from what Lefnut is (yes, the "T" is purposely omitted), to court-ordered quiet sex, to the breast-implanted flasher-man of Walmart, to other stuff too! Join us, as we excel at life! #hilarityoverfeelings


text:
Jasmine & Phil's Queenstown wedding – Thurlby Domain March 2016
"We are so glad we chose Patrick as our wedding photographer. Our pre-wedding photoshoot was awesome, our pics looked amazing and it definitely helped us relax in front of the camera our big day. Our wedding day photos are truly stunning – we love every single one of them. There is a huge variety and it really captures how awesome our day was. Thanks Patrick!"
Jasmine & Phil
scroll down to see more images


text:
A new study on the non-fatal use of guns in domestic violence incidents, estimates that some 4.5 million women in the U.S. have ever been threatened with a gun by an intimate partner, while another one million have been shot at or survived a gunshot wound. "There hasn't been much research on guns and women in the first place," Susan Sorenson, professor at the University of Pennsylvania who was the lead author of the study said. "What has been conducted tends to focus on women's deaths. This research focuses on women's lives."
The study is the first systematic review of non-fatal gun incidents in domestic violence and is important because it reveals a simple but often unacknowledged truth: Even when guns are not effectively used, they can play a key role in coercing victims in abusive relationships. "If the gun is simply displayed in a hostile way, it can create an ongoing environment of threat and intimidation," Sorenson explained. "It can facilitate chronic, ongoing, physical — as well as sexual and psychological — abuse." Because of a lack of available research on the topic, Sorenson and her team had to base their estimates on statistics that were nearly 20 years old. She argues that more research could help craft better policy aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of abusers. "It's a topic that has not been looked at much," she said "But it's really essential to women's lives."
Read the full story at The Trace.
Firearms 100 times more likely to kill women than protect them, according to new data
The "boyfriend loophole" in U.S. gun laws is costing women's lives


text:
As an advertising agency, Green Dot performs all the tasks of a conference design company for our clients conference exhibits and trade shows. Our conference exhibit designers create custom conference exhibits and trade show displays specifically designed to capture the attention of your industries buyers.
Our conference planning department takes care of every detail for your companies upcoming conference or exhibit. We have created conference exhibit designs that feature multimedia presentations including audio, video and interactivity. Our conference exhibit designers take great pride in developing cutting edge trade show displays.
As a full service conference design company, the entire trade show exhibit can be designed, produced, stored, maintained and shipped from location to location by us. We can even make sure that our professionals assemble all the components of your conference exhibit, letting you focus on your clients well being. All you have to worry about for your next conference or trade show is what to do with all that left over time.
Trade shows are a good place to make new contacts, introduce new products and network with your peers. At these events, it is very important that you have an impressive display, since your customers will judge and evaluate you based simply on how your trade show display looks. They will also be comparing you with your competition, usually situated only a few feet away! If their displays put yours to shame, guess what? You will lose even your best customers.
On the other hand, if your company is relatively new on the scene and steals the show, you cash in on the flip side of this phenomenon. There is no other environment than trade shows where presentation alone makes such a big difference. It is easy to get bored walking around a trade show all day, so give prospective customers a reason to hang out at your trade show display. Dazzle them. Then when you have their attention, inform them with specifics. It will be worth every penny.
Also, utilize new media such as multimedia and video to attract customers. Trade shows are the perfect environment to use these interactive tools. Involving your potential customers with your products is very powerful. With such an interactive approach, customers do not feel any pressure from sales people and can go at their own pace. Further, this gives your company a modern image and makes you come off as current and on the ball.
Exposing your trade show display to target customers is often a very good idea. If you manufacture a waterproof speaker, for instance, it will be worth your while to make your presence known at boat shows across the country. These are the people who are most likely to buy your product. If you can not afford a booth, place an ad in the printed guides published for these shows.


text: "Love Conquers All" By Amanda and Cindy email@example.com and email@example.com Epilog Josh Lyman looked down at his watch as he stood at the altar that had been constructed in the White House Rose Garden. He felt a strong hand press against his shoulder and he looked towards his best man, Sam Seaborn. "Everything's ok, Josh" Sam whispered. "I know...it's just..." Josh trailed off. It had been three months since Donna had been held hostage, three months of healing and loving. Now here he was again waiting at the altar for Donna, and again she was late. He had been unsure about having the wedding at the White House after what had happened but Donna had been insistent. // "Donna are you sure, I mean we could rent a cabin up in the Blue Mountains, have a small quiet ceremony." Josh said. "No Josh, I want to get married here. We can't live our lives afraid. Besides...this is where we fell in love." Donna said taking Josh's hand. "This time we just won't have any caterers."// Josh's thoughts were interrupted when he heard the musicians start playing. He looked up just in time to see Caitlin begin her walk down the aisle. He heard Sam's breath catch next to him and he turned to smile at his best friend, giving him a slight elbow in the ribs. Sam managed to tear his eyes away from Caitlin to look at Josh, and Josh could see the shear amazement in Sam's eyes. As Caitlin passed by the two of them, she gave Josh a quick wink. He stopped her momentarily to kiss her cheek. Then the familiar strands of the bridal march started and Josh turned to see an Angel at the beginning of the aisle. Their eyes locked and Josh could see the tears brimming Donna's eyes through her veil and he felt his own well up. Caitlin turned from Donna to find Sam watching her. 'I love you' he mouthed. 'With all my heart.' She mouthed in return. Ed Moss placed Donna's hand in Josh's and gave his daughter a quick kiss before taking his seat. Josh led Donna the rest of the way to the altar and the two of them stood before the minister and rabbi, ready to become man and wife. As the ceremony began Josh tried to concentrate on the Priest and Rabbi's words, he really did. But every time he looked into Donna's eyes his heart raced a million miles a minute and his mind turned to mush. Josh had never in a million years thought he could love somebody this much let alone have a sane, stable relationship that would last more than six months. His track record with women had hardly been what one might call successful. But then, Josh realized, none of the relationships had started with an underlying friendship. That's what he treasured most about Donna, that he could tell her anything without her judging him. Donna had been in his life for barely ten years but now Josh couldn't remember his life without Donnatella Moss. She had nearly been snatched from him, and that brief span of time without Donna gave Josh a glimpse into what his life would be like without her. *** "So we finally did it Mrs. Lyman." Josh said as he held Donna tight, swaying to the music at the reception. "Mmm-hmm" Donna said wrapping her arms tighter around him, looking over his shoulders. "Husband and wife..." "Mmm-hmmm" "For richer for poorer..." "Mmmm" "Sickness and in health..." "Hmmm..." Josh paused for a moment at the lack of response he was getting from Donna. "I just can't believe it..." "Mmm-hmmm" "I can't believe you promised to obey me and bring me coffee every day and come at my every beck and...ow." Josh said as Donna pinched him. "I promised no such thing, Joshua." Donna said looking at him. "Just checking, I was worried that we've only been married for about 2 hours and you were already ignoring me." Josh said with a smile. Donna smiled back at him. "I ignored you before we were married. But I'm sorry I was a little distracted." "By what?" Josh asked. Donna didn't answer, just motioned over his shoulder with her head. Josh turned slowly to see what had captured Donna's attention. He smiled as he saw Caitlin and Sam dancing a few feet away, Caitlin's head rested on Sam's chest, the two of them obviously oblivious to the rest of the world. "Think they'll ever...you know?" Donna asked holding up her left ring finger with its new occupant. Josh took her hand and kissed it. Then he looked back at his friends. "Eventually I think. Caitlin needs some time though, she's still scared and the guilt is still there." "I know, but she's not pushing anyone away. Especially Sam." Donna said with a smile. "Well I don't think he would let her, even if she tried. You two would just scheme again." Josh said looking at Donna. "What are you talking about?" Donna asked. "Don't play innocent with me Donnatella. I know you and Sam pitted Caitlin and I against each other to get us to realize we weren't to blame for what happened." "Oh" Donna said quietly. "Well it worked." "Yes it did. But no more scheming." Josh said sternly. "Just one more." Donna said, grabbing Josh's arm. "Come on." *** Caitlin leaned back against Sam and laughed as she watched Josh remove Donna's garter with his teeth. Sam wrapped his arms tightly around Caitlin's waist and held her close, kissing her neck slowly. "Sam..." Caitlin sighed softly. "Stop that" she said half-heartedly. "Why?" Sam asked, not stopping his soft kisses. "Because...because..." Caitlin said, finding it hard to concentrate. "Because...we're in public...party...Josh and Donna's wedding..." she said closing her eyes and leaning back against him even more. "Let's go upstairs" Sam whispered. Caitlin turned to face him, a slow smile spreading across her face. He took her hand and began to walk towards the door when Zoey walked past them and grabbed Caitlin's arm. "Zoey, what..." Caitlin began. "C'mon Cait, Donna's about the throw the bouquet." Zoey said tugging Caitlin away from Sam. "Oh no. Zoey. You know I hate this part." Caitlin said, looking towards Sam pleadingly. "Too bad" CJ said walking up and taking Caitlin's other arm. Before she knew what was happening, Caitlin found herself in the huddle of single girls awaiting Donna's toss. Caitlin discreetly made her way to the back of the pack, hoping no one would notice. Luckily, if they did no one made a move to stop her. "Are you ready girls?" Donna asked. She was greeted with cheers and applause. Donna then turned around and gave Josh a quick wink before tossing the bouquet over her head. As if on cue, the entire group of girls parted like the Red Sea leaving Caitlin wide open with the bouquet heading straight for her. Caitlin was barely able to catch it before it whacked her in the face. Caitlin looked down at the bouquet then up at Donna's smiling face. "Why do I get the feeling I was just set up?" "Whatever do you mean?" Donna asked innocently as Josh walked over and wrapped his arm around her. "Congratulations Cait." Josh said. "Oh Sam" Josh called out as Sam walked over. "Here" he said snapping the garter right to Sam. "I figured I'd save time and pretense since I was going to throw it to you anyway." "Thanks" Sam said with a smile putting the garter into his pocket. "Sam you're supposed to put it on Caitlin." Toby said with a smirk. Sam looked over at Caitlin with a glint in his eyes. "Oh, I will." He said huskily, causing Caitlin to blush noticeably. A small groan from his left caught everyone's attention. "I don't want to hear this." President Bartlet said running his hand over his eyes. Everyone chuckled at the President's pained expression. "Hey Sam, you do know what they say about the girl who catches the bouquet." Donna said smiling. Sam turned to Caitlin and gently caressed her cheek. "I do." He replied before pulling Caitlin into his embrace. It was well after midnight when Josh pulled his new wife away from the reception. "We have guests, Josh."Donna protested with a smile. Josh grinned as they stepped out into the Rose Garden. "I think they'll understand that I wanted a moment alone with my wife." Donna leaned against Josh as he wrapped an arm around her waist...wife....she liked how that sounded. After a moment Donna pulled away and kissed her new husband passionately. "Not that I'm complaining, Donna." Josh replied softly as he brushed a stray hair away from her face. "But what was that for?" "I just wanted to make sure this wasn't a dream." Donna replied in a whisper as she nestled against her new husband and rested her head on his chest. Josh wound his arms tighter around Donna. "It is a dream. It's our dream Donnatella." *** the end


text:
I haven't been writing much lately because there isn't anything to write about, really. Soul Eater has been, while plot advancing (at an alarming rate in ep. 16), a little boring. I don't think I'll finish Zero no Tsukaima: Princess no Rondo either but I should probably catch up on that.
Speaking of ZnT, I bring now the download the opening by the ever lovely Ichiko. This theme is different from the other two in that it's a little more serious. I thought so anyways.
(Also, now that I'm watching Princess no Rondo 2 I have some advice for Louise: When slutty Mcslutslut is riding with you, push her out of the cart. Bitch needs to be taught a lesson.)


text:
Free Shipping on Orders over $75
$ 35.00
$ 37.50
Notify me when this product is available:
$ 31.99
$ 39.99
Light grey top featuring pretty bright pink florals and a beautiful, flattering tie on the side! Perfect Top for warmer weather!
View full product details
Sold Out
$ 38.99
Peach pinstripe floral print top with high low hem!
Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more …
Follow us for all the latest trending items!
© 2019 shoptheexchange.
POS and Ecommerce by Shopify


text:
2019 Conference to be held in Cambodia
The Association's 14th conference will be held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in July 2019. The conference will be jointly coordinated by the American University of Phnom Penh's Center for Southeast Asian Studies and Rutgers University's Center for the Study of Genocide and Human Rights.
2019 marks the 40th anniversary of the fall of Cambodia's genocidal Khmer Rouge regime, making the timing of the conference all the more significant. Please watch the listserv, FaceBook, and the IAGS website for future announcements and more details concerning the conference site, theme, special events, and planned excursions.
We look forward to seeing you all in Cambodia in 2019.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Henry C. Theriault
IAGS President
Dr. Adam Muller
IAGS First Vice-President


text:
When it comes to Fashion month they definitely saved the best 'til last. Paris Fashion Week is drawing to a close but it's going out with a bang!
It's been such an exciting month for fashion and I've loved being a part of it, even though I haven't been able to be there in person (one day!). Words can't describe how excited I am to see what SS13 brings and how high street brands will interpret the designs we've seen over the past 4 weeks...I wonder who they will pick to emulate and what new ideas they will bring!
As it's not quite over, and I have a lot of favourites I will be posting a Part II (and Part III) soon!
For now, here's part one! Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
Anthony Vacarello, who trained under Karl Lagerfeld at Fendi, is the name to remember! He's not been around long but he's here to stay, with sexy designs to show off the female form and huge support from a whole troop of models such as Anja Rubik, Cara Delivingne and Karlie Kloss. There is an element of deconstruction/reconstruction in his designs, it is as if he has half-built something or is taking something perfect apart to examine the finer details.
Rochas presented a fresh, very-50's, sporty princess collection in silky blacks, rich reds and browns, and pastel pinks. Think luxurious and glamourous but slightly preppy too, as if you're ready for some impromptu tennis in that silky dress and sunnies! Oh, and don't forget the red lipstick!
The accessories at Lanvin are to die for, with big black boots, pointed-toe, shiny, croc print pumps, clutches and bracelets galore. We saw a lot more black in the collection than usual, but the same amount of glitz.
(Runway images from vogue.co.uk)


text:
<back to index
| previous letter | next letter
February-March 2009 Message from Dan
Dear Readers, Friends, and Other Visitors:
1. An introduction and re-introduction
I'm going to take a break here from my usual sort of "Message from Dan" – i.e. long essays dealing with everything from the 1936 Nazi Olympics to Wendell Berry to occasional pieces of fiction as a gift to my visitors (such as the last two long "Messages") to a look at the "The Futures That Never Were" to discussions of architecture and building a house (all these are available in the Message from Dan archives) – and just introduce myself here to new visitors while reminding old friends who I am and what this web site is about.
Sometimes, in literary terms, I feel like the elephant being groped by the proverbial blind men.
Some have read my speculative fiction or space-opera novels (Hyperion and the rest of that series, or Ilium and Olympos) and are sure that I'm an SF (or worse, God help us, "sci-fi") writer. But while I love writing in the SF genre, I'm not an SF writer.
Some came to my books via the short-lived but fun (for me) "Joe Kurtz" series of three noir-hardboiled (or beyond hardboiled) novels. But as much as I enjoyed doing those three books, almost as an homage to the recently deceased Donald Westlake (writing as "Richard Stark") I'm certainly not a hardboiled noir or mystery writer.
Some first read my work via the mainstream novel Phases of Gravity or other non-genre fiction of mine, but I don't think of myself as a "mainstream" or "serious" writer.
Many read my early scary books from the 1980's and 1990's – Carrion Comfort, perhaps, or Children of the Night and the flip-side of that fictional coin, A Winter Haunting, or perhaps even my first published novel, Song of Kali – and think of me as a horror writer. But I'm not a horror writer.
Others of you first read my "thriller-suspense" novels such as 1999's The Crook Factory or 2000's Darwin's Blade and might think of me as a thriller writer, but I disclaim the honor of being a thriller writer.
More of you have first read me in 2007's The Terror or perhaps will do so in DROOD just now being published and might be sure that I'm an "historical-suspense" novelist, but I don't think of myself in that category either.
By now you may have picked up on the fact that since I published my first short story in 1982 ("The River Styx Runs Upstream") and my first novel (Song of Kali) in 1985, my goal has been to write what I want, using whatever genre tropes and protocols I wish to borrow, without ever putting that helpful but ultimately deadly genre- or non-genre- adjective before "writer."
I'm just a writer, thank you. No adjectives need apply.
As I've mentioned in various essays and interviews, most writers work for the bulk of their careers and perhaps for most of their lifetimes writing in one category or genre, building a readership there until, with luck, that readership reaches a critical mass (i.e. bestsellerdom). I've referred to this wise career plan as "finding your slide and greasing it" and it's true that this is the most sensible way to be a success as a published novelist. But as I indicated above, I've been lucky enough to build readerships in SF, in horror, in hardboiled noir, in thrillers, in dark fantasy, in mainstream fiction, and in historical-suspense fiction, and, in the end, I've gone off and abandoned those readerships to pursue yet another type of tale.
Or so it would appear. In truth, I've never abandoned any of my readers or "readerships" because so many of those readers have been generous enough and courageous enough to follow me through other "genres" and other marketing categories, always knowing that underneath those borrowed tropes and protocols there's something called a Dan Simmons Novel. No writer (without an adjective before the noun) can be luckier than having this happen to him or her and one of the proofs of how rare it is might be the fact of how difficult it is to come up with other writers' names who choose to write in so many fields and yet still have a growing readership both in the United States and in thirty or more countries elsewhere.
And just as I refuse to put any adjective before "writer" and continue to write what moves me, so do I never take the generosity of my readers for granted. In an age where it's taken as an irrefutable maxim that everything has to have a "brand" before being marketable – that consumers fit tidy little niches – readers confound that genre-marketing-brand "find your slide and grease it" assumption and I bless them for doing so.
For those of you who would like to check on the 24 published books that come before my current one, DROOD, including perhaps some of my short fiction and awards for all of the above, here's a link to the bibliography page (needing updating) on this web site –
Click here to view bibliography page
2. DROOD and beyond
DROOD, my twenty-sixth published book (if one includes the 69-page SF novella Muse of Fire collector's edition published by Subterranean Press in 2008, a book notable for the superb cover by John Picacio), is being published in the U.S. in February, 2009, and in the U.K. in March, 2009. It's been sold to publishers in quite a few other nations and will be appearing in many very soon.
DROOD breaks quite a few "rules" of marketing and publishing. First of all, it's a big book – 771 pages not counting the acknowledgments – and, as everyone in the book trade will tell you, readers don't like big books any longer. (Thank God no one's told the readers this.) Secondly, DROOD borrows themes as well as tropes and protocols from different genres – some of the pacing of a thriller, many of the elements of literary biography yet with the pace and digressions of a much more literary novel, some of the mood of a horror novel, and an incredibly unreliable narrator.
The conceit of DROOD is that the novel is actually a long manuscript written by Charles Dickens's actual, historical one-time friend and former collaborator Wilkie Collins – a manuscript written up into the 1880's to be read only "approximately a century and a quarter after my death." In it, Wilkie reveals "the truth" about Dickens's bizarre last five years from the time of the terrible railway accident Dickens was in on 9 June, 1865, to the moment of Dickens's death exactly five years later in 1870. The descriptions of the train accident were historically accurate; the descriptions of Dickens's increasingly erratic behavior and obsessions in the next five years were historically accurate (Dickens gave up writing and eventually began hundreds of public readings, amazingly powerful performances unlike any "readings" that we would hear from any author today, and readings that were climaxed by the gory and terrible "MURDER of Nancy" that made scores of women in the audience faint and men leave the theater on wobbly legs.)
For Wilkie's narration, think of "Salieri" in Peter Schaffer's play Amadeus. The frustrations to a mediocre artist in the presence of true genius – think of Dickens as Wilkie's "Mozart" – truly can drive mediocrity to madness. And the trustworthiness of Wilkie's narration isn't helped by the historical fact that, for decades, Wilkie Collins was a powerful laudanum addict, drinking enough of the opium tincture each day (according to one of his doctor acquaintances) that the amount would kill an entire roomful of men.
Between the opium and attempts at mesmerism, between a fellow writer's artistic envy and former close friend's personal jealousy, between the pain of knowing for a certainty that one's name and work will be forgotten a century hence even while an all-too-fallible competitor's work will probably live forever – which parts of Wilkie's tale are a function of drug-addled madness and which parts are real revelations of Dickens's strange last years?
What made the writing of DROOD even more fun was the personal challenge I set for myself to abide by historically actual dates, biographical accuracy for all characters involved, actual letters, and accuracy even in small details for almost every moment chronicled of those mysterious five years up to Dickens's death (and a little beyond.) This was my version of playing fictional tennis with a net and I used the same rules in my work on THE TERROR.
Those of you interested in where my book tour should be taking me in the second half of February, please click on this link to our News Page . . ..
Drood Book Tour Itinerary on News Page
But even while I'm doing radio interviews about DROOD with the BBC and The Onion, responding to e-mail and phone interviews from others here in the States, and going on my modest little book tour, I'm working on and thinking about the next book for Little, Brown: a shorter and quite different little thing called BLACK HILLS which I hope to deliver to the publisher not long after the book tour for DROOD is finished.
3. This web site
One of the things I'm very much looking forward to in the interlude, perhaps late this spring, between the completion of Black Hills and the revisions and copyediting of that book (while researching and beginnning work on my next novel) is the updating, pruning, and reinvention of this DanSimmons.com web site. It's been too long since I've been able to devote the time I need to bringing this site and all its various elements back up to full speed.
After we update various pages, add a few new ones, and delete others that don't earn their keep, I hope to give the site a fresher look and vastly improved functionality.
One thing that will still be here when we're finished is the NEWS PAGE with its announcements of publications, movie news, awards, and other items that might be of interest to readers of Dan Simmons' fiction, but I hope to be much more diligent in keeping the information topical, readable, and relevant.
Another element that will continue will be the WRITING WELL installments. For those of you who haven't read any of these, they're this author's attempt to discuss some of the more difficult aspects of writing fiction – especially novel-length works. The WRITING WELL installments aren't the usual How To for writers, but rather an in-depth and ongoing series of essays for and conversations with those site visitors who are writers now, who are thinking about becoming writers, or who are simply readers interested in certain aspects of the craft. The last installment, WRITING WELL # 10, actually had a "reading assignment" given to those most involved with the ongoing dialogue – James Wood's new book How Fiction Works, and quite a few people read the book in preparation for that essay and the ensuing discussion. Between the WRITING WELL installments, the dialogue continues on the On Writing Well topic thread of the Dan Simmons Forum and we've been very lucky there to get the opinions of visiting professional writers such as Clare B. Dunkle, Chris Ransom, John Sunseri, and others.
That DAN SIMMONS FORUM, with both the On Writing Well topics thread and the General Discussions thread, has been the source of some wonderful and informative postings and debates in the past few years. The quality of people who tend to gather there has been very high indeed and some of their explanations on their fields of specialty – whether it be military or the economy or physics or writing – has been a real source of deep background information and perspective for me. The Forum is closed temporarily while I reshape it a bit. During the last year, a political year to say the least, the debates on the Forum were passionate and informed, but some of that political debate has continued now beyond the election year and one thing I don't want is for the Dan Simmons Forum to become just another Internet site for political battles or polemic, much less one of consensus on hot topics. There are far too many of those sites to begin with. So when the Forum re-opens soon, there will be some restructuring of forum topic categories and a rededication on my part to keep the tone as civil, reasoned, and friendly as it's been at its best over the years.
The MESSAGE FROM DAN element to the web site will continue and will probably be as eccentric and unpredictable as always.
My daughter, Jane Kathryn Simmons, has had her page on the web site for a year or so now and, since I personally find her essays funny, I hope she'll continue writing for the site despite her busy schedule as a producer, writer, and director of educational videos for parents.
For several years now we've had a wonderful "LETTER FROM FRANCE" occasional page written by the French writer and translator Jean-Daniel Breque, but Jean-Daniel's decided to discontinue that page. Here's my invitation to anyone involved in publishing, translating, or writing in Europe, Japan, Australia or any other interesting part of the world to have a page on the site (if you think you can continue it for a long period of time.) Or – if we were to try something really frightening and unusual – perhaps someone who works in so strange a planet as Hollywood would like to have a column and page on the new and improved DanSimmons.com web site. (We know we have some screenwriters who visit on a fairly regular basis – so here's your chance to work hard for no payment even though that's absolutely forbidden by our Writers Guild bylaws.)
We've been extremely lucky the past couple of years to have the RICHARD CURTIS PAGE – Richard is my literary agent and one of the savviest agents in New York or anywhere else – with his ongoing, book-length "Publishing in the 21st Century" column. That will continue. (Young or beginning writers – or just smart readers interested in the subject – who want to know what's really going on in the publishing industry can and do benefit greatly from reading Richard's ongoing series of essays.)
One feature that got lost during a shift from one web maven to another quite a few months ago is the ART FROM CONTRIBUTORS wherein artists, both professional and amateur, from around the world can submit their artwork that relates to Simmons' fiction. (For some odd reason, the Shrike from my HYPERION novels was a frequent topic of sometimes stunning illustration.) Allowing those links to go by the wayside was my mistake and we will soon remedy that and will prominently feature more contributed artwork.
One new feature which we've been talking about for some time but haven't had the time to activate – but which we firmly hope to have as part of the site this year – is the DAN SIMMONS ONLINE STORE. I have many hundreds of my own books that I purchased long ago, most of them first printings (NOT remaindered copies!), both from American and foreign publishers and which I will offer at what I hope will be great prices for collectors and others. Also, the Dan Simmons Online Store will take requests for signatures in those books, not to mention doodles, cartoons, Happy Birthday and other holiday wishes.
The Online Store should also eventually offer some fun things besides collectible and hard-to-find hardcover editions of my earlier books, including such glorious silliness as small sculpted Shrikes by Clee Richeson, the sculptor who was commissioned by me years ago to do the 8-foot-tall Shrike piece that now stands guard over my mountain cabin at Windwalker, CARRION COMFORT t-shirts and sweatshirts, and possibly an HYPERION chess set. We won't say more until we're ready to open the DAN SIMMONS ONLINE STORE, but we hope it'll be soon.
But the main and renewed duty of the web site will be to keep in contact with readers and to provide publishing, movie, and other information to them as it becomes available.
4. The Secret Society of Readers
The recent deaths of John Updike, Donald Westlake, and some other wonderful writers have reminded me of what a strange group we totally addicted readers comprise.
I've written elsewhere that this group – real readers (whom one writer once defined as someone who "reads at least an hour a night" and whom I think of as those of us who read forty books and more per year) – is the last undiscovered and unexamined minority in America, if not the world.
Think of how strange we are, how secretive in some ways. We have these visible yet hidden relationships with authors whom we'll probably never meet. And it's a strangely intimate relationship – as readers we resonate to the deeper thoughts of some writers in ways that we may never resonate to those very real family members, friends, and spouses in our lives. The great authors, to paraphrase Franz Kafka about the purpose of a book, " . . . should serve as an axe for the frozen sea within us."
While we resonate to thousands of authors during our lifetimes as real readers -- serious readers, addicted readers – there are a few writers to whom that resonance is personal, deep, and lasting, much as some old love affair may have been. And there are a few writers in each of our lives who've been so central to our lives, who have created – through their mastery of language and metaphor and simile and the (don't laugh) almost divine ability to create characters who live on within us – a powerful sense when we first read their best work, (as James Wood writes of encountering great metaphor in How Fiction Works) that -- "until this moment one had been blandly inhabiting a deprived eloquence."
The odd thing is that we – the readers – know that those non-readers around us, the vast majority of people around us, are blandly inhabiting that deprived eloquence all the time. Our relationships to the important authors in our lives resemble, at least a little bit, secret love affairs that we keep from all but a very few around us, and those few generally other readers.
As with old love affairs, we tend to drift apart from the authors who were so important to our youth and earlier years – commenting coolly, perhaps cruelly, that he or she "doesn't have it any more" – and that almost describes my relationship to the prose of John Updike, but not quite. I always knew in my heart that his writing had been central to my maturing as a reader decades ago as well as central to my choosing to become a writer, so when the news of Updike's death reached me a few days ago (as I write this), I was stunned. However old our favorite authors grow, however much we may prefer their earlier work to the novels of their late maturity (although that wasn't true for me of other favorite authors such as Saul Bellow), we don't expect them to die.
It feels like a betrayal, somehow, and the only people we can truly share this strange sort of mourning with are other addicted readers. I missed the Dan Simmons Forum this week for precisely that reason; I knew that others would have gathered there, however virtually, and raised a toast to John Updike. Others around me in the "real world" carry on as if nothing terrible has happened.
There's a reviewer and essayist (he doesn't qualify as a literary critic) whom I sometimes like –Sven Birkerts – who, failing as a would-be writer of fiction, has made a pretty good living teaching and writing about reading. (And I agree with Harlan Ellison that in Birkerts's The Gutenberg Elegies: The Fate of Reading in an Electronic Age, Birkerts probably does the best job ever of describing the elements of the basically holistic act of a writer's merging of real events and memory of things read as he tries to write a descriptive passage.) I'm not sure I've forgiven Birkerts for some cool, with-it, I'm-the-next-generation dissing of Updike (primarily) and Bellow and Roth a few years ago, urging them to go off to a Home for the Priapic Elderly or however he nastily put it. But that's another discussion.
In his little book READING LIFE: Books for the Ages – which is really about, as are all his essays and reviews, him and his books read through the ages of his little life – Birkerts deals not only with the stages of reading in most of our lives (the children's books and young adult books, segueing into something odd and in-between and trashy and slightly grown-up -- Ian Fleming's James Bond books in Birkets's pre-teen years – and then into real reading, perhaps coinciding with our teenage sense of alienation (the inevitable Catcher in the Rye and Holden Caulfield for Birkets as a young teenager) – and then into the wide, full world of books. Birkerts also documents that period of grace in our earlier reading years when it seemed that we could and would read almost anything and get something wonderful out of it. Every book was an adventure, worth reading simply for whatever effect that book created in us.
But then we grow older and our tastes cohere. We abandon the majority of books and authors for good reason – we don't have time for their limited skills or perspectives or intelligence as own grow – and then, in middle age and beyond, we learn that returning to a few wonderful, bottomless books and authors can actually be preferable to encountering something new all the time. (Thus I look at my bedside table and find two Shakespeare plays I've read countless times before and can't wait to read again, the last book in the 20-volume Patrick O'Brian "Aubrey-Maturin" series that I've read through at least three times before, Henry James's The Ambassadors that I've wrestled with many times (and always failed to defeat), and John Updike's The Widows of Eastwick that I've saved for a special (if sad) occasion.
Once again, Sven Birkerts tries to capture what the reading experience is like, and, once again, I think he comes pretty close –
"For any devoted reader the act is deeply, completely bound up with inwardness – with consciousness, sensibility, with whatever noun we choose to designate the murmur of awareness that accompanies us – and carries us – from first waking to sleep again. The words we read – the impressions, the narratives, the conversations and thoughts of characters – not only touch our private sense of ourselves, but merge with it, shaping and directing it. After all, we use our own imaginative energy to bring the words to life and then project their content – their stuff – onto the interior screen. There the world we've generated from the written signals glows vividly, or flickers faintly, or moves in and out of resolution, depending on who we are, what we are reading, and the wattage of our moods."
Birkerts points out, astutely I believe, that while we like to think that our lifetime-long addiction to constant reading will make us, in the words of some liberal-arts college's catalogue – "Deeper and more sensitive people, with a greater sense of awareness and social justice (etc.) . . ." – in truth, our thousands upon thousands of hours of reading do nothing of the kind. We readers, in reality and on average, don't tend to be more ethical or compassionate or wise than the non-readers around us.
In the end, what those many years of deep reading prepare us for is . . . more reading. If we've done the reading right and not stopped growing in our taste, all those thousands of hours of entering that alternate plane of reality which reading demands simply make us better and more demanding and more highly astute readers.
It's an odd and perfectly useless perpetual motion machine brought to a stop first by our favorite authors' deaths – although part of us still seeks out new books from them on the shelves, even though we know that one will not (and should not, unless the publisher and author's estate are playing greedy games) appear – and then by our own deaths.
But this is my clumsy way of explaining why this web site is here, why I go on book tour even when that tour is a painful and unwanted interruption of my work on the next (and imminently due) book, and why these Messages from Dan and Writing Well columns will continue and why the Dan Simmons Forum will return. I don't know why we readers are the way we are, but I know that we owe a certain obligation to one another – we may be the smallest and most sneered-at "minority" in America, after all – and, as a writer, I have an obligation (to myself as well as to readers) to acknowledge and celebrate that unique bond that connects readers and authors.
Sven Birkerts ended his little introduction to The Reading Life with this passage that explains our common addiction and disease and perhaps our unspoken purpose –
"Sometimes I think that the long-term work of reading is to discover, one by one, the books that hold the scattered elements of our nature, after which the true consummation can begin. We undertake the gradual focused exploration, nuance by nuance, of their meanings, their implications; we follow out the strands that mysteriously connect the words of another with the unformulated stuff of the self."
For those of you, new visitors and old friends here alike, who are continuing that lifelong "gradual focused exploration" at least partially through the books and stories I've written, I can only say "Thank you."
And welcome.
^top | more


text:
Today I have a recent piece in which Louis Gave jumps into the team's debate over renminbi policy. In true Gavekal style, he openly questions what others in the firm think about China's currency. I won't steal any of his thunder but just encourage you to read this piece carefully. It covers a great deal of very important ground.
The ongoing oil price collapse is having a severely negative impact on the wealth of those who own oil reserves. The numbers, as you will see below, are almost incomprehensibly big. They are so big, in fact, that many analysts have simply tuned out. The attitude seems to be, "These numbers blow up my models, so I will ignore them."
Today we'll stop dancing around the truth and call the oil collapse what it is: global wealth destruction of epic proportions.
I'm going to offer something a little different in this week's Outside the Box. Nate Silver has consistently been one of the best political analysts of the past 12 years. I wasn't terribly enamored of his move from the New York Times to ESPN – to go back to covering sports rather than politics – but he still covers politics over at 538.
One of the most successful investors in the world is Howard Marks of Oaktree Capital Management. One of the things I look forward to every quarter is the letter he writes to his clients – it goes right to the top of my reading list. Not only is it always full of generally brilliant investment counsel, Howard is also a really great writer. He has an easy style that pulls you through his letter effortlessly.
I have never sent his letter to you as an Outside the Box, as the copies I get are clearly watermarked and copyrighted. So I was surprised and delighted to learn that the letter is free when I listened to a speech by Howard in which he encouraged everyone to get it. Unlike another hundred-billion-dollar hedge fund company that shall go unnamed, Oaktree evidently thinks that brilliance should be shared.
An already-confusing employment environment grew even more complicated this past week. Many readers responded to my "Crime in the Jobs Report" letter with their own stories. Some confirmed what I wrote, while others disputed it. Some of the stories I read from readers who are stuck far from where they want to be in this job market were very moving. I think everyone agrees the labor outlook is uncertain. I sense a lot of nervousness, even from those who have secure jobs that pay well. In today's letter, I'm going to respond to some of the observations and data that came in this week on employment.
I generally send out two letters a week. The letter that arrives in your inbox over the weekend is Thoughts from the Frontline and is written by me. The second letter, which is called Outside the Box, generally comes in the middle of the week and is an article or essay written by someone else that I think merits your time. Quite often I disagree with the sentiment or analysis being expressed, but I find the writer makes me think about alternatives to my personally favored presuppositions. It is always good to listen to the other side of the story, especially when we are talking economics and finance and our investment portfolios!
In this week's letter we're going to take another look at healthcare trends. Healthcare is roughly 20% of the economy and every bit as impactful as the energy and food sectors.
Two years ago this week I wrote "The Road to a New Medical Order" with my friend and personal physician, Dr. Mike Roizen of the Cleveland Clinic. That letter was an attempt to calmly discuss the Obamacare launch and the changes it would bring. Rereading it now, I see that we missed some points but were on target with others. (Mike is the Chief Wellness Officer and head of The Wellness Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. He is one of the premier antiaging doctors of the world. He has sold over 12 million books (including numerous bestsellers), has written 165 peer-reviewed publications, holds 14 patents, and serves on all sorts of FDA committees and boards. His awards are numerous. He has often appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show with "Dr. Oz.")
I remember the first time I walked into Henry Blodget's new startup, Business Insider, back in 2009. Twelve fresh-faced kids were crammed into a room about the size of my bedroom, pounding away on laptops, creating a new destination website. He took me over to a corner; we sat down in front of a few cameras; and he began shooting question after question at me, later turning the session into a series of interviews.
You walk into his office today and it's still packed wall-to-wall with fresh-faced kids (the older I get the younger they look), but the offices are much larger, and it seemed to me last time that there had to be at least 150 people in them. But the interviews are still quick-paced, even if they're now conducted in a special room, with upgraded equipment.
I think it's pretty much a given that we're in for a cyclical bear market in the coming quarters. The question is, will it be 1998 or 2001/2007? Will the recovery look V-shaped, or will it drag out? Remember, there is always a recovery. But at the same time, there is always a recession out in front of us; and that fact of life is what makes for long and difficult recoveries, not to mention very deep bear markets.
The problem is that our most reliable indicator for a recession is no longer available to us. The Federal Reserve did a study, which has been replicated. They looked at 26 indicators with regard to their reliability in predicting a recession. There was only one that was accurate all the time, and that was an inverted yield curve of a particular length and depth. Interestingly, it worked almost a year in advance. The inverted yield curve indicator worked very well the last two recessions; but now, with the Federal Reserve holding interest rates at the zero bound, it is simply impossible to get a negative yield curve.
I love waterfalls. I've seen some of the world's best, and they always have an impact. The big ones leave me awestruck at nature's power. It was about 20 years ago that I did a boat trip on the upper Zambezi, ending at Victoria Falls. Such a placid river, full of game and hippopotamuses (and the occasional croc); and then you begin to hear the roar of the falls from miles away. Unbelievably majestic. From there the Zambezi River turns into a whitewater rafting dream, offering numerous class 5 thrills. Of course, you wouldn't want to run them without a serious professional at the helm. When you're looking at an 8-foot-high wall of water in front of you that you are going to have to go up (because it's in the way); well, let's just say it's a rush.
This immigration crisis in Europe is a big deal, and it's a bigger deal for Germany than for any other European country. Germany is directly in the firing line, both geographically and in terms of how many of the migrants want to settle there. Nearly 40% of migrants choose Germany as their preferred final destination, while the only other nation that is chosen by more than 10% of migrants is Hungary, at 18%.
Daniel Stelter is a very wired German economist and business thinker. He wrote to me a couple days ago, said he had read my remarks on Germany and the immigration crisis in last week's Thoughts from the Frontline, and recommended to my attention a couple of articles he had just written on the issue. They are today's Outside the Box.
It wasn't a shock that the Federal Reserve did not raise rates. Even the most inside of insiders said the odds were at most 50-50. Those Wall Street Journal reporters who have an "inside ear" at the Federal Reserve all indicated there would be no rate increase. The IMF and the World Bank were pounding the table, declaring that it was inappropriate to raise rates now, and although most FOMC members give lip service to the fact that Federal Reserve policy is to be based solely on domestic considerations, global concerns may well have played a role in their decision.
This week's letter will deal with the problems of determining what GDP really is, and I'll throw in a few quick remarks on what the recent GDP revision means for the Fed and whether they'll raise rates.
This is going to be an unusual Outside the Box. I've been part of the political process, both as a practitioner and an observer, for some 40 years. I cast my first vote in the presidential election for George McGovern but by the 1980s had made a hard right turn. Over the last decade I've been far less involved but no less interested.
Today I'll tell you about some big shifts in the energy industry. These shifts are about as positive as can be, unless you need high oil prices to run your country. In the long run, these changes are bullish for the whole world, which I think this will surprise many of you. And though we've been used to thinking about energy and technology as two different facets of modern life, today they are inextricably linked.


text:
PEI Vacation Accommodations and Cottage Rentals
Vacation Rentals on PEI
Beaches on PEI
Golfing on PEI
Contact Us
Reserve your next PEI vacation rental or beach house with us today! Contact Melanie via email or telephone.
+1 902 394 0594
View the exact location of our vacation properties and explore PEI on
Google Maps
For more information on PEI and our properties, please visit...
Summer Escape
: 2 Alix Avenue
: Malpeque
: Prince Edward Island
Postal Code
Non-Peak Price
: $1,125
Peak Price
: $2,000
Photo Gallery
: summer-escape-malpeque-cottage-rental
META Page Title
: Amazing sunset views! Waterfront cottage rentals in Malpeque, PEI. Close to North Shore beaches and very private.
: 3
: -63.695813
: 46.523987
Primary Photo
: A.jpg
: Annes Land
: 2
: 9
Home Features
Property Description
: Summer Escape is a beautiful waterfront cottage and a perfect venue for enjoying breathtaking sunsets. The vast surrounding yard and safe sloping access to the shore make this a great escape for families of all ages.
Inside the cottage you are welcomed by a cathedral kitchen-dining area that leads directly to the spacious living room (also cathedral ceilings). The numerous large windows in the living room provide a great view of the water and expansive green space. Take advantage of the two separate seating areas for a great evening movie, games or curling up with a favorite book.
The U-shaped kitchen is well-equipped and has more than enough room for multiple cooks. The adjacent dining area is airy and bright with patio doors that open onto the waterside deck. A large harvest table seats six while stools at the kitchen peninsula seat two more.
Summer Escape sleeps nine with three bedrooms. Two bedrooms have queen beds, the third bedroom has a single over double bunk bed and a sofa-futon sleeps two more (little ones) in the living room. Two bathrooms (one full & one 3/4) are accessed just outside the bedrooms.
Cabot Beach - the largest park in western PEI is just minutes from Summer Escape. This beautiful beach/park has a large day-use area with playground equipment, an activity centre with children's programs and a naturalist on staff who provides guided nature walks. There is also supervised swimming on the scenic Malpeque Bay. Other nearby attractions include world class golf, Anne attractions, antiquing, amusement parks and restaurants.
The nearest town is Kensington (8 min. drive) where you will find groceries, a liquor store, gas, a pharmacy, restaurants, pubs, art studio, shopping, the famous 'Frosty Treat Dairy Bar', bike rentals, the Confederation Trail, Tim Horton's, etc. The sacred area known as "Cavendish" is just 30 minutes away!
The cottage is complete with satellite TV, DVD, wireless high-speed, washer & dryer, linens, towels, beach towels, beach toys, BBQ, stone bon fire pit, deck chairs and a fully equipped kitchen.
Website Link
Add to favorites
Printer Friendly
Email to a Friend
Miles and miles of
sandy beaches
link along the North Shore of PEI to
create a pristine vacation environment. Luckily, Summer Escape
is located conveniently close to the North Shore oasis, yet far
enough away for you to enjoy your 'own little place' on the Island.
The allure of this area is endless. The water sport activities are
an adventure, the fine and casual dining is hard to beat and the
artisan shops are everywhere. And don't forget the lobster suppers,
a can't-miss PEI experience.
Be sure to pack your golf clubs, since the North Shore in Anne's
Land is proud to boast more than 11 courses located within a 20-minute
drive. For more family oriented fun there is the new Shining Waters
Family Fun Park, the Sandspit Amusement Park and the new sprawling
federal Eco-Park (on the old Rainbow Valley property).
The North Shore is known as an area of great scenic beauty. This
is the countryside that Lucy Maud Montgomery described in her books,
and it has changed little since 'Anne of Green Gables' was first
published, nearly 100 years ago. Fun for all, picturesque and full
of adventure - that's the North Shore of Prince Edward Island.
Contact us to book your next pei cottage rental.
Your Name
Your Email
Your Comments
Verification code:
This listing has been viewed
Vacation Rentals:
Sunsets and Seascapes
Ship to Shore
Anne's Land
Charlotte's Shore
Hills and Harbours
Bay and Dunes
PEI Vacation Accommodations - PEI Vacation Rentals - PEI Cottage Rentals - PEI Executive Rentals - PEI Cottage Listings - PEI Summer Cottage - PEI Cottages - PEI Summer Rentals - PEI Vacation Rental - PEI Rental Listings - PEI Golf Vacation - PEI Golfing - Golfing on PEI - Golf Courses on PEI - Beaches on PEI - PEI Beaches - PEI Things to do - PEI Waterfront Vacation Rentals - PEI Beach Rentals


text:
Level 3
Written by Tamara Lee, originally posted to The Westcoast Reader, March 2014
Happy Nooruz!
Nooruz is the Persian New Year. Sometimes it is spelled "Nowruz" and sometimes it is spelled "Norooz". The word means "new day" in the Persian language. It is a time to celebrate the first day of spring and the first day of the Persian new year.
One of our readers wrote an explanation of Nooruz. You can read Saha's article by clicking here. You can listen to the audio version of the article by clicking this link.Go to this website for more information about Nooruz. You can also see a clock counting down the minutes to the new year!


text:
We use the Emmaus Curriculum, a series of self-paced bible study courses. To find our more about individual studies, click here to go to the publisher's website, or view the video below.
Click the links below to see the list of courses we offer our students, by series and subjects.
ECS Ministries Video
ECS program directors and inmate students talk about the Emmaus Curriculum.


text:
ExcelRedstone offers specialist expertise and insight drawn from our work across a broad range of private and public sectors industries.
From the unique challenges of the 24x7x365 global financial markets to the rapidly-evolving nature of modern professional services, our teams have the in-depth experience required to create and deliver services which align to the priorities and objectives of each client business.
ExcelRedstone has a strong track record across sectors including finance, law, technology, retail, automative / engineering, energy / utilities, healthcare, telecommunications, media, government / public sector, education and many more.
For further information on our experience in your sector, please contact us today.
Sectors | Resources
Click here to download case studies on:


text:
Featuring a tall narrow design, this tower terrarium is a great space for a miniature orchid or a strange skinny cacti or succulent. Made from reclaimed glass and wood from deconstructed homes in Detroit, where are studio is located, you can be proud to show off this piece in your home while contributing to sustainable design. We use traditional stained glass techniques with a nod to art deco and midcentury, while retaining the beauty of the classic victorian wardian case. We have also had fun stacking air plants or suspending them, so keep thinking about what kind of indoor miniature garden matches your style. Great as a gift for the plant lover in your life, or the plant neglector as it only requires minimal watering. The North Tower features a pyramid hip roof, geometric repeating triangle design, and a high profile.
Made in the United States.
Details: Handcrafted with reclaimed glass and wood from deconstructed homes in Detroit. All terrariums include a fitted plastic liner. Dimensions: 5 inches W x 10 inches L x 15 inches H.
Kaufmann Mercantile is committed to help you live a conscious and inspired life.
Many of the items you discover here are exclusive to Kaufmann Mercantile, which is what makes our community of designers and artisans so special.
If you find one of our products anywhere else for less than it's being sold on our site, we will match it.
Our dedicated Support Team is here to help. Reach out any time at:


text:
Protect Your Investment with a Proactive Solution
No matter what kind of business you run –from a corporate office in Mahwah to a retail store in Upper Saddle River—keeping your property secure needs to be a top priority. Our smart business security solutions offer systems that can anticipate threats and keep you informed at all times. When it comes to protecting your business, it takes more than an alarm and a few cameras scattered throughout the property. Read on to see some of the ways you can strengthen your security for added peace of mind.


text:
|Minutes April 29, 2008
Wabasha County Board of Commissioners
Meeting of April 29, 2008
The Board of County Commissioners of Wabasha County, Minnesota, convened in Special Session at the Wabasha County Services Building, in the City of Wabasha, Minnesota on Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at 9:15 a.m.
The meeting was called to order by Board Chairman Riester. The following Commissioners were present: Windhorst, Dwelle, McNallan, and Riester. Springer was absent.
McNALLAN - WINDHORST
Motion to approve the agenda.
Adopted Unanimously
No action taken on the Wabasha County Policy and Procedure Manual. Will be completed at May 6 meeting. Below are some notes from this special meeting from Assistant Wabasha County Attorney Lisa Bayley:
Other questions:
4) Use of Take Home Vehicles: I was asked to locate the statutory authority for the Sheriff to decide where to leave law enforcement vehicles during off-hours. I believe that the authority contained in Minn. Stat. §387.03 Sheriff: Powers, Duties, covers this. It says:
This statute has been interpreted broadly to allow the sheriff to determine how he "keeps and preserves the peace of the county." There is one statutory provision Minn. Stat. 387.29, Subd. 2 Sheriff: Motor Vehicle which says that the county board may provide the necessary motor vehicles for the sheriff to carry out his duties, but there is no provision for the county board to direct the sheriff how his to do so.
5) The other policies which were amended during our meeting have now been revised and you will be provided with a clean copy at the meeting. Break – 12:16 p.m. Reconvened – 12:30
McNALLAN - DWELLE
Motion to close the meeting for personnel issue.
Adopted Unanimously
Motion to re-open meeting.
Adopted Unanimously
Motion to adjourn.
Adopted Unanimously


text:
I have finally after being called out as old school since I try to check Myspace….you know for the bands. I dont really Twitter much but now I dont have to say anything…except after a hashtag. But on a serious note, I seriously need to update my phone! I now have to delete history and racy pics in favor of trying to be funny with pictures. I hope more people will follow me @robertothecomic on both twitter and instagram….. I probably wont post a lot of food pics cuz I think its mean to countries who don't eat like we do. And two Im not rich yet so I dont eat at fancy places.
OH SNAP IM ON INSTAGRAM NOW!! It was a phone issue!!


text:
AUSTIN – The Texas Transportation Commission will meet Jan. 28th to decide how it will allocate more than $1 billion as part of its Congestion Relief Program.
The money, which TxDOT's David Glessner said will come primarily from the State Highway Fund (SHF), will go toward the state's most congested roadways in its largest metropolitan areas, reports Texas Government Insider.
In addition, Glessner said TxDOT officials "will work in concert with the regions to fund shovel-ready projects prioritized at the local level."
Funding cannot be spent on rail projects or other alternative means of transportation.
"This funding is intended for congestion improvements that only involve roads and highways," Glessner said. "The state constitution stipulates that SHF proceeds may only be used for non-rail/transit projects."
Money cannot be spent on projects that include toll lanes, Glessner said.
Our twice-weekly e-newsletter provides a quick overview of Texas real estate markets. Because your time is valuable.


text:
On the basis of the report "The functioning of democratic institutions in Turkey" by Marianne Mikko (Estonia, SOC) and Ingebjørg Godskesen (Norway, EC), the PACE decided to reopen the full monitoring procedure with respect to Turkey until the "serious concerns" ...Read more
Category Archives: Election observation missions
After the constitutional referendum in Turkey on Sunday 16 April 2017, Stefan Schennach (SOC) resumes that the process was "neither fair nor free". Schennach was part of the ad hoc committee of PACE to observe the referendum. Together with ...Read more
Bearing in mind the objectives and the political nature of the Parliamentary Assembly's observation missions as well as the problems deriving from the past co-operation arrangements with other international institutions, the following Guidelines were adopted by the Bureau of the ...Read more


text:
Network Security | Gwinnett County, GA
Is worrying about the security of your business technology and irreplaceable data keeping you from achieving your goals? How about the risks of internal threats and accidents like lost laptops or flash drives?
We offer network security consulting and auditing services in Gwinnett County, GA designed to end your anxiety over the many threats to your business and data. Our network security consultants, together with virus removal, malware, and spam protection services safeguard your company's data so you can focus on your core business.
Comprehensive security solutions from Logic Speak offer you:
- Threat Checks – safeguard yourself from online predators, hackers, and other online threats
- Vulnerability Analysis – we discover any weak areas in your network and offer strategies to fix them
- Virus Protection – shield your business from viruses, malware, and spyware
- Secure Access Settings – such as passwords, encryption, and VPNs
With the ultimate protection of a comprehensive security solution, you can take your business to the next level.
Contact Us to Claim Your Free Analysis
Logic Speak has the experience and creative thinking you can depend on for holistic security solutions that protect every aspect of your business. We equip your company with a worry-free safeguard with our network security and auditing solutions.
Even just occasional use of the Internet by you and your staff makes your business vulnerable to outside threats and other breeches in security. Contact us today to analyze your security measures today, before disaster strikes.


text:
Laffey Matrix
The Laffey Matrix is a fee schedule used by many United States courts for determining the reasonable hourly rates in the District of Columbia for attorneys' fee awards under federal fee-shifting statutes.[1]
|Look up matrix in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
The Laffey Matrix originated in Laffey v. Northwest Airlines, 572 F. Supp. 354 (D.D.C. 1983), reversed, 746 F.2d 4 (D.C. Cir. 1984), overruled, Save Our Cumberland Mountains v. Hodel, 857 F.2d 1516, 1525 (D.C. Cir. 1988) (en banc). Counsel in the Laffey case compiled evidence from firms showing the market rates in the District of Columbia for complex federal litigation.[2] That evidence was analyzed and a matrix of rates for attorneys at various experience levels was created, later becoming known as the Laffey Matrix.
Based on Blum v. Stenson, 465 U.S. 886 (1984), the district court in Laffey adopted the matrix and expressly rejected the use of the size or type of the law firm in setting hourly rates. Laffey v. Northwest Airlines, Inc., supra, 572 F. Supp. at 374. On appeal, the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rejected use of the matrix in favor of the firm's actual billing rate, thus restricting fee awards to small firms, such as the counsel in Laffey, to their own reduced billing rates. Laffey v. Northwest Airlines, supra, 746 F.2d at 24–25. Four years later, in Save Our Cumberland Mountains, the D.C. Circuit sitting en banc overruled the Laffey decision (857 F.2d at 1524) stating:
Congress did not intend the private but public-spirited rate-cutting attorney to be penalized for his public spiritedness by being paid on a lower scale than either his higher priced fellow barrister from a more established firm or his salaried neighbor at a legal services clinic.
In short, we conclude that our prior decision in Laffey v. Northwest Airlines, Inc., and the panel decision in this case, which it compelled, are both inconsistent with the Supreme Court's decision in Blum v. Stenson which construed those statutes. We therefore expressly overrule Laffey to the extent that it imposes the above discussed different method of determining reasonable attorney fees on attorneys situated as Yablonski and Galloway are here. Henceforth, the prevailing market rate method heretofore used in awarding fees to traditional for-profit firms and public interest legal services organizations shall apply as well to those attorneys who practice privately and for profit but at reduced rates reflecting non-economic goals.
The original Laffey Matrix provided market rates for the period from June 1, 1981, through May 31, 1982, based on different levels of experience . At the urging of the D.C. Circuit in its en banc decision in Save Our Cumberland Mountains v. Hodel, supra, 857 F.2d at 1525, the matrix was updated through May 31, 1989, in connection with a settlement reached on remand in that case. See, e.g., Trout v. Ball, 705 F. Supp. 705, 709, n. 10 (D.D.C. 1989)(the updated matrix developed in Save Our Cumberland Mountains v. Hodel "does provide an updated and accurate schedule of attorney fees in this District").[3]
The applicant for a fee award must establish the prevailing market rates. To establish the prevailing market rates in the District of Columbia, the applicant "may point to such evidence as an updated version of the Laffey Matrix or the U.S. Attorney's Office matrix, or their own survey of prevailing market rates in the community." Covington v. District of Columbia, 57 F.3d 1101, 1109 (D.C. Cir. 1995).
Fee applicants often point to the Laffey Matrix. Over the years, two methods of updating the Laffey Matrix have developed: the U.S. Attorney's Office Laffey Matrix and the Legal Service Index-Updated Laffey Matrix. These methods produce different hourly rates. These competing methods are addressed below.
U.S. Attorney's Office Laffey Matrix[edit]
For many years, the United States Attorney's Office used the Laffey Matrix ("USAO Laffey Matrix") as a basis for hourly rates for attorneys' fees in litigation claims. This matrix used the original Laffey Matrix from 1982 and updated it annually using changes in the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers for the Washington-Baltimore area. The result was a routinely updated United States Attorney's Office Matrix; a table which provided hourly rates, based on years of experience, for attorneys, paralegals and law clerks in the Washington, D.C. area.[4] In 2015, the USAO revised its method. Its matrix is no longer based on the Laffey Matrix. Its matrix is now based on ALM survey data from 2010–2011 updated using the Producer Price Index-Office of Lawyers (PPI-OL) index (the "USAO-ALM Matrix").[5] The USAO-ALM Matrix is based on rates for all types of legal services, not exclusively complex federal litigation like the Laffey Matrix.[6] It is also based on rates for the Washington metro area (which includes areas in West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC), not just the District of Columbia.[7] The USAO-ALM Matrix is also divided into more experience levels than the USAO Laffey Matrix.
Many defendants have taken the position that the USAO Laffey Matrix should be used instead of the Legal Service Index (LSI) update method presumably because the USAO Laffey Matrix produces lower hourly rates than the LSI-Updated Laffey Matrix. The USAO-ALM Matrix also produces hourly rates that are lower than the LSI-Updated Laffey Matrix. Some courts in the United States have used the USAO Laffey Matrix when awarding attorneys' fees under a fee-shifting statute, such as the Civil Rights Attorney's Fees Awards Act.[8]
LSI-updated Laffey Matrix[edit]
Based on Covington, some fee applicants have established the prevailing market rates using the Laffey Matrix updated by the Legal Services Component of the Consumer Price Index referred to as the Legal Services Index or the LSI.[9] The LSI is provided monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The LSI-Updated Laffey Matrix is based on the 1989 update of the Laffey Matrix. The LSI-Updated Laffey Matrix produces higher hourly rates than the USAO Laffey Matrix or the USAO-ALM Matrix. Some courts in the United States have awarded fees using the LSI-Updated Laffey Matrix. In December 2015, the D.C. Circuit affirmed such a fee award. Salazar v. District of Columbia, 809 F.3d 58 (D.C. Cir. 2015).[10] The D.C. Circuit agreed with the district court that the evidence presented by plaintiffs demonstrates that the LSI-Updated Laffey Matrix 'is probably a conservative estimate of the actual cost of legal services in this area'" (emphasis in original). It concluded that "[t]he District, neither below nor on appeal, rebuts this logic with relevant arguments." The Court noted that the fact that other courts have applied the USAO Laffey Matrix "is not compelling."
Other courts have rejected the LSI-Updated Laffey Matrix, particularly for cases in the Washington-Baltimore region, and have based fee awards the USAO Laffey Matrix. See, e.g., Pleasants v. Ridge, 424 F. Supp. 2d 67, n.2 (D.D.C. 2006); Judicial Watch, Inc. v. BLM, No. 07-1570, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 49069.
Some decisions from non-D.C. courts[edit]
The Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed a fee award based on the LSI-Updated Laffey Matrix for a Washington, D.C., law firm litigating a case in New Jersey. Interfaith Community Organization v. Honeywell International, Inc., 426 F.3d 694 (3rd Cir. 2005)("In updating the matrix to account for inflation from 1989-2003, ICO relied on the legal services component of the nationwide Consumer Price Index ('the Legal Services Index'), a measure of inflation in the cost of legal services maintained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics."). The Court of Appeals noted that the District Court "reviewed both indices [the USAO Laffey Matrix and the LSI-Updated Laffey Matrix] and decided that [the LSI-Updated Laffey Matrix] represented a better measure of prevailing rates in Washington, DC. In so doing, it relied on a decision by the District Court for the District of Columbia, Salazar v. District of Columbia, 123 F.Supp.2d 8 (D.D.C.2000), which compared the U.S. Attorney's Laffey Matrix with a matrix similar to that put forward by ICO in this case and concluded that the latter method was superior. Salazar is one of the few decisions approving the use of this approach, and it is, according to ICO, the only decision (prior to the District Court decision in this case) comparing the two approaches." ICO v. Honeywell International, Inc., supra, 426 F. 3d at 709. The Third Circuit issued a similar affirmance of a fee award based on the LSI-Updated Laffey Matrix in ICO v. Honeywell International, Inc., 726 F. 3d 744 (3d Cir. 2013).
The Fourth Circuit expressly disapproved reliance on the Laffey Matrix in Robinson v. Equifax Information Services, LLC, 560 F.3d 235 (4th Cir. 2009), requiring instead that fee awards be based on prevailing market rates established by evidence.
Some California Federal courts have accepted the same methodology, adjusting the Laffey Matrix upwards based upon the higher costs of living in Los Angeles and other California cities. In Re HPL Technologies, Inc. Securities Litigation, 366 F.Supp.2d 912, 921 (N. Dist. Cal. 2005). See also "It is the practice of the undersigned judge, however, to rely on official data to determine appropriate hourly rates, not on an attorney's self-proclaimed rates or declarations regarding hourly rates charged by law firms. One reliable official source for rates that vary by experience levels is the Laffey matrix used in the District of Columbia." Garnes v. Barnhardt, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5938 (N. Dist. Cal. 2006).
The Legal Services Index[edit]
The Legal Services component of the National CPI, referred to as the Legal Services Index or LSI, measures price changes in simple legal services used by household consumers, such as basic wills, uncontested divorces, power of attorneys and DWI defenses. Prices for business-related legal services and complex litigation cases are covered in the Producer Price Index. Contingency fees such as those that are commonly used in litigation settings are not taken into account since they are not relevant to these basic consumer legal services. To determine prices, the BLS contacts practicing attorneys and records prices for a defined "procedure" (such as an uncontested divorce) rather than an hourly unit of an attorney's or paralegal's time. Discounted fees are not incorporated into the data unless the contacted attorney routinely gives one for a specific service. The LSI is not specific to Washington, DC; it is a national index.
Opposing economists' opinions[edit]
Laura Malowane of Economists Incorporated is an economist with a Ph.D. from Princeton University. She believes that the LSI-Updated Laffey Matrix is inferior to the USAO Laffey Matrix for the following reasons: 1) The LSI measures prices changes in basic, personal, consumer-oriented legal services such as uncontested divorce and DUI and not complex federal litigation; 2) The LSI is a nationwide average index and not specific to the D.C. metropolitan region; 3) The LSI is primarily for flat-fee services rather than hourly rates; 4) The LSI does not take into account discounted rates, contingency fees, and other reasons actual collected rates may differ from hourly billing rates; and 5) Actual hourly billing rates of attorneys in the Washington, D.C. area are, according to published survey data, more accurately represented by rates outlined in the USAO Laffey Matrix than in the LSI-Updated Laffey Matrix.
Dr. Michael Kavanaugh is an economist in private practice in Volcano, Hawaii. He is the economist credited by the D.C. Circuit in the Salazar case.[11] In his opinion, the LSI-Updated Laffey Matrix is a better reflection of the District of Columbia market for complex federal litigation for the following reasons: 1) it is based on more recent observations (1989 data compared to 1982 data), which is more likely to produce a better forecast of actual rates; 2) the LSI is specific to legal services whereas the CPI is based on a basket of general goods that is dominated by the cost of housing, food, etc.; 3) the LSI includes some services associated with litigation, such as, preparing briefs and attending depositions; 4) the Washington, D.C. market for complex federal litigation is a national market where firms from across the country compete to provide such services; 5) market data shows that the LSI-Updated Laffey Matrix produces rates that are below market and the USAO Laffey Matrix rates are even lower.
Another option[edit]
Another method is to adjust for local costs of wages to lawyers and paralegals. The Laffey Matrix can be adjusted for local costs using the Bureau of Labor Statistics data on wages paid to lawyers (occupation code 23-1011) and paralegals (occupation code 23-2011) for primary metropolitan statistical areas in each state (http://www.bls.gov). This method appears to be a re-formulation of the argument rejected in Blum v. Stenson, supra, 465 U.S. at 892, 895–896, that compensation to some attorneys should be based on costs including salary levels.
Here is what the hourly rate Matrix looks like for June 1, 2006 to May 31, 2007 for D.C., 5 cities in California, Hartford, CT and New York City (NYC) after adjustments are made for local labor costs.
|San Francisco
|Los Angeles
|Orange County
|San Diego
|20+ years
|11–19 years
|8–10 years
|4–7 years
|1–3 years
This will need to be adjusted when the May CPI figures are available and the Laffey Matrix is updated by the LaffeyMatrix.com administrators, based upon DOL BLS new wage data available, usually in early July of each year.
References and footnotes[edit]
- ^ See list of fee-shifting statutes at the Appendix to Opinion of Brennan, J., Dissenting in Marek v. Chesny, 473 U.S. 1 (1985).
- ^ Rezneck Affidavit and Evidence from Laffey case [1]
- ^ Yablonski Affidavit provides information regarding the update [2]
- ^ Charts showing updates for various time frames [3]
- ^ USAO Matrix [4]
- ^ See USAO-ALM Matrix base data with United States' confirmation of base data, and declaration explaining that the base ALM data is "actual average billing rates of attorneys in the Washington, DC area, from law offices of all sizes and types." [5]
- ^ See USAO-ALM Matrix base data with United States' confirmation of base data, and declaration explaining that the base ALM data is "actual average billing rates of attorneys in the Washington, DC area, from law offices of all sizes and types." [6]
- ^ See, e.g., Heller v. District of Columbia, 832 F.Supp.2d 32 (D.D.C. 2011).
- ^ LSI-Updated "Laffey" Matrix through May 2018 [7]
- ^ Salazar Decision [8]
- ^ Salazar Decision [9]
- US Attorney's Office, District of Columbia (2005), Laffey Matrix 2003-5, retrieved August 17, 2006


text:
LATHROP WELLS — A 37-year-old Pahrump mother of two died Friday when she lost control of her vehicle and flipped it several times along U.S. Highway 95 about a mile from the intersection with State Route 373.
Patricia Michelle McLoone was driving in a red Mercedes-Benz north on Highway 95 near Lathrop Wells at about 1:30 p.m. when the accident occurred. According to the Nevada Highway Patrol, her tire blew and the vehicle rolled over. McLoone was partially ejected from her car.
Mike Chow, a construction worker for Morales Construction, was on his way to Beatty and had just passed the gas station at Lathrop Wells when he saw the car accident occur.
"I looked through my rear-view mirror and saw a Mercedes Benz following me. She was coming up pretty quick and then I saw she had made a sharp right turn. The car then rolled three times. I went back to see if there were any survivors. When I got there the lady was hanging out the door.
"It was right then that I knew she was dead. I then looked to see if there were any other survivors that needed help, but there was no one," Chow said.
David Andros, McLoone's husband of two years, said his wife was driving to work when the accident occurred.
"She was a very loving wife and mother. She will be missed by family and friends," he said sorrowfully.
He said services are scheduled for Aug. 29 at 1 p.m. at Lee Funeral Home.
In addition to her husband, McLoone is survived by her parents and sister, Catherine, and two daughters, Ashley and Brittany.
Jennifer Watts, McLoone's mother, said her daughter was beautiful and energetic.
"She was very lively and we will miss her," Watts said.
McLoone had lived in Pahrump for a few years and held jobs at the Maverick, Irene's and Best Western.
The Nevada Highway Patrol said the woman was not wearing a seat belt when the accident occurred. She was pronounced dead at the scene.


text:
Are you looking for reasons why the internet is brilliant and useful? I will give you my thoughts on the subject.
What I really like doing on the internet is looking at cartoon cuties like Pokemon, Poked Studio or Studio Ghibli characters for inspiration, because I make stop animation. I am an artist like my dad who paints silhouettes.
I also like listening to music on Spotify. I think it is fabulous because it pays off by giving the world a chance to see how much effort you have put in to a work of art. It's good to make a community of people who are not selfish or jealous and really put pride in to congratulating all those people who should feel proud of their music. But we don't all like the same music because we all have an opinion and have the right to share ideas and make bigger plans. It also reminds me of Mr Barrett.
I also like playing animated games like Sushi Cat and sometimes number games to improve my maths. This is good because it is educational.
So the internet is brilliant for art, music to relax to and learning.


text: On Mon, 2005-11-28 at 10:57 -0600, Alex White wrote: > Thanks Bryan and Ralph. Suid was set on cdrecord, I believe I did > this on accident while testing something out with cdrecord and > basically shot myself in the foot. Thats what happens when you > follow a guide without question. The kernel 2.6.8.x suid root security change is one of the most widely mis-understood changes. It doesn't help that Jorg (who I normally respect) says the kernel is broken, when it is is anything but broken. I discovered that suid wasn't set on cdrecord in Fedora Core 1 when I was trying to record something remotely -- so the user didn't have device access, like in the past on RHL8/9. So I then did a comparison of suid between RHL8/9 and FC1 and saw all the things suid root had been removed from. One of the two largest complaints about RHL prior to FC was the number of binaries suid root (the other being stupid inter-dependencies in the base packages). So I was surprised to see that cleaned up in FC1, and did some research confirming the "new attitude." > Appreciate the information and help. That was very informative > Bryan, much obliged. I was traveling and local to a LUG that was very anti-Red Hat, heavy Fedora bashers (this was when Fedora Core 2 had been released -- with all the heavy GCC, GLibC and kernel changes). It was a real vindication to say, "hey, Red Hat got it right with Fedora, they're listening!" BTW, the simple "fix" is always (on any other distro): # chmod u-s `which cdrecord` -- Bryan J. Smith mailto:b.j.smith at ieee.org http://thebs413.blogspot.com ------------------------------------------ Some things (or athletes) money can't buy. For everything else there's "ManningCard."


text: Not as controversial as Michael Leunig's Palestine cartoon but it still points the finger at the criminal Israeli regime. Australian cartoonist Andrew Marlton publishes his work on the Guardian Australia website using the First Dog on the Moon pseudonym. In the cartoon below he mocks the ridiculous warnings that Israel says it gives to Palestinians before they blow their family homes to pieces. My only issue with the cartoon is the use of the word 'war' as there's no war going on, it's genocide and Israel should be punished for her crimes.Continue Reading