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|"The Measure Of A Man"
|TNG, Episode 2x09
Production number: 40272-135
First aired: 13 February 1989
|34th of 176 produced in TNG
|34th of 176 released in TNG
|140th of 728 released in all
| Written By
Melinda M. Snodgrass
Directed By
Robert Scheerer
|42523.7 (2365)
The Enterprise must defend Data's status when Starfleet demands his reassignment for study.
Four of the senior staff and Chief Miles O'Brien sit down in Commander Riker's quarters for a game of poker. Lieutenant Commander Data explains the game, in detail, as the cards are dealt. Doctor Pulaski announces a bet, which the rest of the staff calls. Data bets ten, as he holds the highest hand, whereas Pulaski and Lieutenant La Forge fold. The cards are dealt, and Riker's new card is the five of hearts, as we see three hearts, compared to Data's pair of queens, ace high.
Data bets five cautiously, whereas O'Brien calls, but Riker raises to five. Data calls, but O'Brien folds. The cards are dealt a final time, but a four of hearts comes down, which causes a moan from the others - Riker may have a flush. Data bets ten, but Riker raises another ten. This causes Data to peek at his face-down card, which is a queen, indicating he has three of a kind. Data comments about Riker's facial expression being a "poker face", but Riker asks if Data is "playing or not?". Data hesitates and then folds. Riker reveals his face-down card as the two of spades, which raises a resounding groan from the table. Confused, Data doesn't understand how Riker could have won - as he had nothing toward a winning hand - but La Forge points out to Data Riker's valid play, in bluffing Data.
Act One
Upon arriving at the newly-built Starbase 173, Captain Picard encounters Captain Phillipa Louvois, a longtime friend who had previously prosecuted Picard with zeal during the court martial following the loss of the USS Stargazer. While they reminisce, the pair is approached by Admiral Nakamura, accompanied by Commander Bruce Maddox, a Starfleet cyberneticist. Maddox was the sole member of a Starfleet special admissions panel to oppose Data's admission to Starfleet, on the basis that Data was not a sentient lifeform - and he wishes to disassemble the android.
Commander Maddox explains that he wants Data to help him understand better how Dr. Noonian Soong was able to overcome certain engineering challenges in designing Data's positronic brain. Data is intrigued, until he discovers that it is Maddox's intention to "dump" Data's memories from his positronic brain into the Starbase 173 main computer, then deactivate and disassemble Data in hopes of deriving enough technical knowledge to construct more Soong-type androids.
Data concludes that Maddox does not posses sufficient technical knowledge to carry out this procedure without to great a risk to Data, and therefore Data refuses to undergo it. Maddox, prepared for this eventuality, produces orders from Starfleet Command separating Data from the Enterprise, transferring him to Starbase 173, and compelling Data to submit to the procedure.
Act Two
In private, Picard, recognizing Starfleet's inherent interests in the creation of more Soong-type androids, attempts to persuade Data into submitting to Maddox's procedure. Despite Picard's approach being the opposite of Maddox's - with the application of much more carrot than stick - Data counters, intimating that asking him to submit to a dangerous and potentially destructive experiment for the benefit of Starfleet is tantamount to compulsorily requiring all Starfleet officers to have their biological eyes replaced with cybernetic implants, such as the type utilized by La Forge.
Swayed by the gravamen of Data's argument, Picard turns for help to the Starbase 173 office of Starfleet's Judge Advocate General, headed by Captain Louvois. Louvois contends that while Data can refuse to participate in the experiment, the transfer itself cannot be stopped. Picard articulates his concern that once Maddox has Data in his clutches, as it were, anything could happen; Louvois therefore suggests, alternatively, that Data could resign his Starfleet commission. Rather than risk his memories, Data chooses resignation to participating in the experiment.
Maddox learns with displeasure of Data's impending resignation, and angrily counters that Data is the property of Starfleet - not an individual, sentient being with rights within the Federation - and is no more able to refuse his procedure and resign from Starfleet than the Enterprise's computer is able to refuse a refit.
Act Three
After announcing his resignation, Data's shipmates throw an impromptu going-away party in Ten Forward. Worf presents him with a copy of The Dream of the Fire, a classic Klingon novel. Across the room, Data sees Geordi La Forge sitting alone, and he approaches his friend. La Forge tells Data that he's upset about the android being forced out of Starfleet, and the two express that they will miss each other.
Surmising that there might be established law to support Maddox's position, Captain Louvois, after some research, initially finds for Commander Maddox's position "based on the Acts of Cumberland passed in the late 21st century." Picard requests a formal hearing to challenge the ruling; however, because the Judge Advocate General's Office staff on Starbase 173 consists of only Captain Louvois and "one terrified little ensign," Louvois convenes a hearing on condition that Enterprise personnel serve as legal counsel during the proceedings: Captain Picard is to defend Data - and a reluctant Commander Riker is pressed into representing Commander Maddox's position. Riker initially refuses to prosecute on the grounds that he considers Data a comrade and friend; however, since Data's position is at peril of Louvois' preliminary ruling, Riker finds himself compelled to.
Act Four
Riker, as prosecutor, demonstrates that Data is, in fact, a man-made, constructed being; after compelling Data to bend a rod of parsteel - despite Picard's objection, based on the fact that many creatures in the Federation are possessed of mega-strength - Riker removes Data's left hand for Captain Louvois' examination. Riker then abruptly deactivates Data, proclaiming "Pinocchio is broken; its strings have been cut."
Act Five
During a recess, Captain Picard recounts Riker's devastating prosecution to Guinan in Ten Forward. Guinan aptly observes that were Maddox to prevail in the proceedings and go on to become successful in replicating Data - despite the value this would represent to Starfleet - Maddox's success would almost certainly result in the creation of an entirely new race of "disposable creatures;" beings whose welfare and needs would not require consideration.
Picard quickly concludes that victory for Maddox would have far more sinister repercussions throughout the Federation; that this fledgling race could potentially become a race of slaves. This grim realization strengthens Picard's resolve and inspires him to take a new approach in the defense phase of the hearing.
Back in the courtroom, Picard begins Data's defense by quickly dismissing Riker's arguments that Data is a constructed being:
- "Commander Riker has dramatically demonstrated to this court that Lieutenant Commander Data is a machine. Do we deny that? No, because it is not relevant - we too are machines, just machines of a different type. Commander Riker has also reminded us that Lieutenant Commander Data was created by a Human; do we deny that? No. Again it is not relevant. Children are created from the 'building blocks' of their parents' DNA. Are they property?"
Picard then calls Data to the witness stand and shows the court some of the android's personal belongings: a plaque of his Starfleet medals, a book that was given to him by his captain, and a holocube portrait of Tasha Yar. Picard asks Data, what purpose do any of these articles serve him? Of the Starfleet medals, he answers that they serve no purpose other than that he simply wanted them, wondering if that demonstrates vanity. Of the book, Data says that it is a reminder of his friendship and service with the captain.
When Picard questions Data about the holocube of Tasha Yar, Data replies that he would rather not comment, as he had given his word to not speak about the matter. After Picard tells him that under the circumstances that "Tasha would not mind", Data says that she was special to him and that they were intimate, which makes Captain Louvois raise her eyebrows in wonder.
Picard goes on to expose and impeach Commander Maddox's views about Data. In doing so, Picard maneuvers Maddox into conceding that Data fulfills most of the cyberneticist's own criteria for sentience - intelligence and self-awareness - and dramatically coerces the scientist into admission that the remaining criterion, consciousness, is too nebulous a concept to precisely determine whether the android is in possession of it or not. Having cemented his argument for Data's sentience, Picard summarizes his final contention that to create a sentient race that is considered "property" is to sanction slavery - a profound violation of the basic principles and ideals of the United Federation of Planets:
- "Your honor, the courtroom is a crucible; in it, we burn away irrelevancies until we are left with a purer product: the truth, for all time. Now sooner or later, this man [Commander Maddox] - or others like him - will succeed in replicating Commander Data. The decision you reach here today will determine how we will regard this creation of our genius. It will reveal the kind of people we are; what he is destined to be. It will reach far beyond this courtroom and this one android. It could significantly redefine the boundaries of personal liberty and freedom: expanding them for some, savagely curtailing them for others. Are you prepared to condemn him [Commander Data] - and all who will come after him - to servitude and slavery? Your honor, Starfleet was founded to seek out new life: well, there it sits! Waiting."
Ultimately, Captain Louvois rules in favor of Data:
- "It sits there looking at me, and I don't know what it is. This case has dealt with metaphysics, with questions best left to saints and philosophers. I am neither competent, nor qualified, to answer those. I've got to make a ruling - to try to speak to the future. Is Data a machine? Yes. Is he the property of Starfleet? No. We've all been dancing around the basic issue: does Data have a soul? I don't know that he has. I don't know that I have! But I have got to give him the freedom to explore that question himself. It is the ruling of this court that Lieutenant Commander Data has the freedom to choose."
Data formally refuses to undergo Maddox's procedure after Louvois' ruling is entered, and Maddox, in turn, declares he will see that Data's transfer orders is rescinded. Data encourages Maddox to continue his work; Data says that he remains intrigued by some of what Maddox is proposing, and suggests he might agree to the procedure at some point in the future, once he is certain Maddox can perform it safely. Captain Louvois notices that Maddox at this point no longer refers to Data as an "it" but as a "he", regarding him as a person and not as a machine.
After the victory, Riker, deeply affected by the gravity of nearly costing a friend and colleague his life, prefers the solitude of the Enterprise's bridge boardroom to Data's victory celebration on the holodeck. However, Data reminds Riker that had he not agreed to serve as prosecutor, Data would not have been afforded the chance to defend himself, and expresses his gratitude at the ignominy Riker had endured, but that had, in its effect, saved him.
Extended edition
A significant amount of original footage was cut from the episode during editing, but was restored for the TNG Season 2 Blu-ray release. [1][2] The 'extended edition' features an 57-minute version of the episode, containing approximately 13 minutes of restored scenes and visual effects, including:
- Act 4, Scene 17 - Riker interrupts the fencing match between Picard and his fencing partner. Riker warns Picard that he will do everything in his power to win the coming legal battle - and Picard warns Riker that he will do the same.
- Act 4, Scene 18 - Picard and Data review their legal strategy. Picard attempts to guide Data's testimony to a more favorable position, calling it "a bit of legal fiction"; Data cites "kill all the lawyers" from Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part II.
- Scene numbers derived from script. [3]
Log entries
Memorable quotes
"It's been ten years, but seeing you again like this makes it seem like fifty. If we weren't around all these people, do you know what I would like to do?"
"Bust a chair across my teeth."
"After that."
"Oh, ain't love wonderful."
- - Jean-Luc Picard and Phillipa Louvois
"It brings a sense of order and stability to my universe to know that you're still a pompous ass... and a damn sexy man."
- - Louvois, to Picard
"My God..."
- - Picard, upon seeing Louvois again
"You're a little vague on the specifics."
- - William Riker, to Bruce Maddox
"'When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes / I all alone beweep my outcast state.' Tell me: are these just words to you? Or do you fathom the meaning?"
"Is it not customary to request permission before entering an individual's quarters?"
- - Maddox and Data
"I am the culmination of one man's dream. This is not ego or vanity, but when Doctor Soong created me, he added to the substance of the universe. If, by your experiments, I am destroyed, something unique – something wonderful – will be lost. I cannot permit that. I must protect his dream."
- - Data, to Maddox
"You are imparting Human qualities to it because it looks Human – but I assure you: it is not. If it were a box on wheels I would not be facing this opposition."
- - Maddox, to Picard and Louvois
"...and the unenviable task of prosecuting this case would fall on you, Commander, as the next most senior officer of the defendant's ship."
"I can't! I...I won't! Data's my comrade. We have served together. I not only respect him, I consider him my friend!"
- - Louvois and Riker
"Consider that in the history of many worlds there have always been disposable creatures. They do the dirty work. They do the work that no one else wants to do, because it's too difficult or too hazardous. And an army of Datas, all disposable? You don't have to think about their welfare; you don't think about how they feel. Whole generations of disposable people."
"You're talking about slavery."
"I think that's a little harsh."
"I don't think that's a little harsh, I think that's the truth. But that's a truth that we have obscured behind a... comfortable, easy euphemism. 'Property'. But that's not the issue at all, is it?"
- - Guinan and Picard
"I would prefer not to answer, sir. I gave my word."
"Under the circumstances, I don't think Tasha would mind."
"She was special to me. We were... intimate."
- - Data, when asked about his connection to Tasha Yar
"Now tell me, Commander, what is Data?"
"I don't understand."
"What is he?"
"A machine!"
"Is he? Are you sure?"
"You see he's met two of your three criteria for sentience, so what if he meets the third, consciousness, in even the smallest degree? What is he then? I don't know, do you? (to Riker) Do you? (to Phillipa) Do you?"
- - Picard and Maddox
"Your Honor, a courtroom is a crucible; in it we burn away irrelevancies until we are left with a pure product: the truth, for all time."
- - Picard, in his summation
"... Starfleet was founded to seek out new life – well, there it sits! ...waiting."
- - Picard, in his summation
"That act injured you and saved me. I will not forget it."
"You're a wise man, my friend."
"Not yet, sir. But with your help, I am learning."
- - Data and Riker, regarding the latter's prosecution of the former
Background Information
Story and production
- "The Measure Of A Man" was writer Melinda Snodgrass's first television credit. She drew from her own experience as an attorney in writing the episode. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion)
- Snodgrass's spec script was "discovered" as a result of the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike and the consequent need to use existing scripts. (Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Continuing Mission)
- Snodgrass commented, "Everyone seems to view [the episode] as a Data script, but it's really a Picard script. Data is the catalyst, but the stress is all on Picard." (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages)
- The Daystrom Institute, first mentioned here, was a homage to the character of Richard Daystrom from TOS: "The Ultimate Computer". (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion)
- Data's rights as a sentient being would again be challenged a season later, in "The Offspring". There, the issue was whether Data could assert parental rights over his "daughter," Lal. In both episodes, Picard acts as Data's advocate.
- After his trial, Data showed Commander Bruce Maddox that he nonetheless remained open to future collaboration with him. He would indeed collaborate with Maddox by recording a log of a day in his life in "Data's Day".
- The court room set is a redress of the battle bridge set. The set features a map of the galaxy previously seen in "Conspiracy" and a chart which shows the current location of 24 starships.
- This episode features the first appearance of the officers' regular poker game, with Data, Riker, La Forge, Dr. Pulaski, and O'Brien.
- The episode features the rare "interim" pattern Starfleet admiral uniform which was only seen twice in the second season of TNG. The uniform departed from the first season "pip triangle" admiral insignia and introduced the "boxed pip" version which would be the standard Admiral insignia for the rest of Next Generation and all subsequent series. The second season pip insignia was worn vertical while later seasons showed the insignia flat against the collar.
- The model of Starbase 173 is a reuse of a model best known as space lab Regula I from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. For more information, see Studio models.
- The episode was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award in the category of "Best Episodic Drama".
- Entertainment Weekly ranked this episode #6 on their list of "The Top 10 Episodes" to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation. [4]
- Producer Maurice Hurley commented, "Stunning. That's the kind of show you want to do...It just worked great, everything about it. And it dealt with an issue in a very interesting way. I thought Whoopi's place was good in that. She's a wonderful actress." (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages)
- Director Robert Scheerer called the episode one of the best of The Next Generation. He explained, "It has to do with the content, what it had to say, how it deals with it, the depth that it goes and the way it's resolved. I love that show. It is indeed my favorite show. I guess you would have to say that what I enjoyed is the dilemma that they're put in to, especially Jonathan and Patrick having to deal with Brent not as a dear friend but as someone whose worth has to be resolved. And Jonathan had to take the other side. It was all just beautifully crafted. It was not typical episodic television and had a great deal to say about man, humanity, what our problems in the world are today and hopefully what we can do about it in the future." (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages)
- Rick Berman cites this episode, along with "Yesterday's Enterprise", as one of his favorites. (TNG Season 3 DVD)
- Michael Piller named this episode (along with "The Inner Light" and "The Offspring") as one of his favorite TNG episodes, "because they had remarkable emotional impacts. And they genuinely explored the human condition, which this franchise does better than any other when it does it well." (AOL chat, 1997)
- The book Star Trek 101, by Terry J. Erdmann and Paula M. Block, lists this episode as one of the "Ten Essential Episodes" from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Video and DVD releases
- Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 18, catalog number VHR 2471, 12 August 1991
- As part of the UK VHS collection Star Trek: The Next Generation - Data Box: 6 November 1995
- As part of the US VHS collection Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Data Collection: 19 August 1997
- UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 2.3, catalog number VHR 4739, 3 May 1999
- As part of the TNG Season 2 DVD collection
- As part of The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation DVD collection
Links and references
Also starring
- LeVar Burton as Lt. Geordi La Forge
- Michael Dorn as Lt. Worf
- Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
- Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data
- Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher
Special appearance by
Guest stars
- Amanda McBroom as Captain Phillipa Louvois
- Clyde Kusatsu as Vice Admiral Nakamura
- Brian Brophy as Commander Bruce Maddox
- And
Special guest star
Uncredited co-stars
- Majel Barrett as USS Enterprise-D computer voice
- Michael Braveheart as Martinez
- Unknown performers as
- Archive footage
- Denise Crosby as Lieutenant Natasha Yar (from "Skin of Evil")
- James G. Becker - stand-in for Jonathan Frakes
- Darrell Burris - stand-in for LeVar Burton
- Dexter Clay - stand-in for Michael Dorn
- Jeffrey Deacon - stand-in for Patrick Stewart
- Nora Leonhardt - stand-in for Marina Sirtis
- Tim McCormack - stand-in for Brent Spiner
- Guy Vardaman - stand-in for Wil Wheaton
2355; Acts of Cumberland; android; court martial; cybernetics; Daystrom Institute; Dream of the Fire, The; emergency manual control; Federation; Irish coffee; Judge Advocate General; K'Ratak; kilobar; Legion of Honor; Lore; Medal of Honor; megastrength; metaphysics; neural net; parsteel; Pinocchio; poker; positronic brain; Romulan; Romulan Neutral Zone; rule of law; Sector 23; sentience; Shakespeare's sonnets; slavery; Soong, Noonian; Starbase 173; Star Cross; Starfleet Academy; Stargazer, USS; tensile strength; Ten Forward; Webster's 24th Century Dictionary
Library computer references
- Federation Star Chart ("The Explored Galaxy"): Aldebaran; Alfa 177; Alpha Carinae; Alpha Centauri; Alpha Majoris; Altair VI; Andor; Ariannus; Arret; Babel; Benecia; Berengaria VII; Beta Aurigae; Beta Geminorum; Beta Lyrae; Beta Niobe; Beta Portolan; Camus II; Canopus III; Capella; Daran V; Delta Vega; Deneb; Eminiar; Fabrina; First Federation; Gamma Canaris N; Gamma Trianguli; Holberg 917G; Ingraham B; Janus VI; Kling; Kzin; Lactra VII; Makus III; Marcos XII; Manark IV; Memory Alpha; Mudd; Omega IV; Omega Cygni; Organia; Orion; Pallas 14; Phylos; Pollux IV; Psi 2000; Pyris VII; Regulus; Remus; Rigel; Romulus; Sarpeid; Sirius; Talos; Tau Ceti; Theta III; Tholian Assembly; Vulcan
External links
- Template:NCwiki
- The Measure of a Man at Wikipedia
- The Measure of a Man at StarTrek.com, the official Star Trek website
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Toppan Photomasks, Inc. announced today that ithas received the "Vendor of the Year" Award for 2004 from X-FAB Semiconductor Foundries AG, a leading independent supplier of analog/mixed-signal semiconductors.Given annually to only one of X-FAB'sglobal suppliers, the award recognizes the outstanding supplier who has consistently demonstrated superior performance in providing quality products and services that are key to X-FAB's success. The award is basedon critical supply categories such as delivery time, customer service, environmental practices, product quality and value, and consistent ISO certification.
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About Toppan Photomasks
Together with the photomasks business of Toppan Printing, we form the world's premier photomask provider. Utilizing operations within the industry's most advanced and largest network of manufacturing facilities, the company offers a comprehensive range of photomask technologies, and research and development capabilities, to meet the increasingly sophisticated and divergent product-and-service requirements of the global semiconductor industry. Toppan Photomasks, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Toppan Printing. The company is headquartered in Round Rock, Texas, USA. For more information visit www.photomask.com
About Toppan PrintingFounded in 1900, Toppan Printing has branched into eight diverse business fields including security cards,commercial printing, publications printing, e-business, packaging, decorative materials, electronics and optronics.In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2005, Toppan posted revenues of ¥1,413.6 billion (approximately US$13.5billion) and ended the year with approximately 32,700 employees. For more information visit www.toppan.co.jp.

subset: commoncrawl


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Student Study Guide and Selected Solutions Manual for Scientists & Engineers with Modern Physics, Vol. 1
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text:
So there I was, sittin at my desk, trying to keep up with multiple copies of multiple e-mails that were flooding into my inbox while simultaneously figuring out which were dross and which I really needed, when my boss, who was sitting at the next desk over, looked at me and said
Obama's gonna really take it on the chin over this oil spill.
Well, duh, big guy. What was your first clue? And what do you mean "gonna"?
He's right, of course, although our subsequent discussion didn't sound like I agreed. The president is taking it on the chin right now from Republicans, mostly, who are ironically calling for more government interference in what should be a private business issue.
Had he jumped in and started ordering BP around or kicking them out of the fix, however, Obama would be taking it on the chin right now from Republicans, almost exclusively, who oppose government interference in what should be a private business issue.
So while conservatives are out there trying to have things like discrimination both ways ("I oppose discrimination, I just don't think we should do anything about it"), they're also actively making sure that Democrats, and particularly this president, are damned if they do and damned if they don't.
But here are my colleagues, full participants in making this oil spill "Obama's Katrina."
The truth is what Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said just the other day:
To push BP out of the way would be to raise the question, to replace them with what?
See, the federal government lacks the equipment and technology to stop this oil spill. The federal government, as you may or may not know, is not in the oil drilling business.
They're damning the administration for not having an oil spill contingency plan. Really? I guess in 10 or 20 years when, say, Atlanta has another blizzard and can't dig out because the city finds it just a little wrong to buy and maintain snow equipment for that once-a-generation occurrence, Atlanta's citizens should call for the mayor's head.
Isn't this what the Republicans want? BP, Transocean and Halliburton fucked this up. BP, Halliburton and Transocean need to fix it. What? They didn't have a plan either? Gee, who's fault is that?
Oh, right. Obama's.
You don't hear much about this, but there were BP execs on board the Deepwater Horizon when it blew up. They were celebrating their safety record. Know what else? They had a lot of warning that something was wrong before the explosion, and they did absolutely nothing about it.
Hell, BP even got a big ole warning — actually several of them — in the hours before Deepwater Horizon blew up. They ignored them. Told Congress they made "a fundamental mistake" by continuing drilling operations after they had very clear warning that something was very, very fucked up.
But my beloved colleagues are busy being their short-sighted selves. It happened on Obama's watch, so it's his fault. It's Obama's Katrina.
Never mind, of course, that Katrina was a hurricane, a natural disaster, and of a type that happens rather frequently, if not quite on that level. The federal government supposedly has all kinds of mechanisms in place to deal with that, and besides, they had years of warnings that the levees in NOLA wouldn't hold. Not only that, but there were hours, days even of warning that this 'cane was coming ashore, and it was gonna be big. And 2005 was deep into the Bush administration.
Now, I'm all kinda pissed off that this oil spill is wrecking what's left of Louisiana's wetlands. But Louisiana's wetlands were a disaster long before April 20. Nobody seemed very worried about all the silt and mud that the dammed up Mississippi River dumps into the gulf every day, creating an ever-widening dead zone. True, that dead zone is a bunch bigger now, and all manner of innocent animals are being oiled because of this spill.
But here's the real deal. It's not Obama's fault, although it's damn clear he's taking the blame. He does have a part to play, of course. But the real culprits here are the legislators and corporatists who have refused for decades to do anything at all to lessen our dependence on oil. Not foreign oil, mind you. Any oil at all. Drilling in the ocean (or ANWR or anywhere else for that matter) is a disaster waiting to happen. And now it has.
It's also the fault of a government in which regulators, the companies they regulate and those companies' lobbyists are virtually the same people. One senator called it a "revolving door." Another said they're "in bed" together. Even if by some miracle one of the regulators hires somebody who takes his or her job seriously, you know the peer pressure is serious.
And that goes way back in this government, past Obama, past Clinton, past both Bushes. You find some, but very little before Reagan, and a lot from that time on.
That's what the conservatives mean when they sign onto Grover Norquist's idea to make government so small you can drown it in a bathtub. An end to regulation. That and an end to social programs that can help American citizens without their having to sign their lives away to corporate owners.
We didn't learn a damn thing from the Exxon Valdez, though, and I doubt seriously we'll learn a damn thing from this. See how quickly "let the market take care of it" goes by the wayside when something truly devastating happens? That's because the market is only interested in making its masters more money. Cleaning up an oil spill, even stopping the gusher that's causing it, doesn't make anybody any money.
Well, except maybe the makers of that dispersant that BP insists on using, the one that's more toxic and less efficient than any of the other available dispersants.
Obama's part of this too — where's that big energy plan? Oh right. It's all tied up in "negotiations" with the party of no, wherein the administration waters the bill down to nothing with Republican proposals and then they vote no anyway.
The lesson we should be learning is that oil is a no-win game. It pollutes in more ways than we can count. It's dangerous. It's a killer. And it's yet another thing that does nothing for average Americans.
The Gulf coast is gonna be a mess for a long time, whether BP gets its shit together or the federal government takes over. Truth is, there was really no contingency plan to be had for something like this. BP certainly wasn't going to spend any money developing one, and you won't find one in the vaults at Shell or Chevron or Texaco or ExxonMobile either. A gusher a mile below the surface isn't something you expect to happen — unless, of course, you realize that drilling for oil anywhere on the planet is a set-up for something like this. And it's pretty clear very few people understand that.
So here's the deal, America. Get it through your head that we need to leave oil behind, period. We need clean, safe, alternative energy sources, and we need 'em yesterday.
I just saw a Tweet flash by on my screen:
BREAKING: Large Air Spill At Wind Farm. No Threats Reported. Some Claim To Enjoy The Breeze
Mmmm. Now that's what I'm talkin about.
Make no mistake. This is a disaster. But the root of it isn't the Obama administration.
It's greed.


text:
A New Novel by Bjarne Melgaard is both a new novel (by Bjarne Melgaard) and a mixed-media exhibition at the famously narrow Luxembourg & Dayan townhouse on E77th St. The exhibition coincides with the publication of Melgaard's latest and first commercially available English novel. In collaboration with other artists, the townhouse is transformed into a complex network of paintings, drawings, dioramas, dolls, clothing, prints, wallpaper, stop-motion animation and other ephemera of the artist.
Melgaard uses the novel as a starting point from which to delve into the entire breadth of his practice. At its core, Melgaard examines the relationship of sex, drugs and violence alongside its necessary counterpoint of love and isolation.
In the drawings, dialogues swirl around recurring characters Pink Panther and Peter Sellers. They are sentimental, sweet and cruel. Their palimpsestic nature increases a sense of constraint and anxiety in the first room of the exhibition. The characters act as variations of the artist's personality as well as proxies to characters in the novel.
Hundreds of dolls are utilized and brutalized in the dioramas on the second and fifth floor of the exhibition. In them we see bombed out post coital drug laced scenes where crack pipes, perfume bottles, knifes, and dozens of pill bottles merge with hip philosophic texts. Suggesting that the rigors of the intellect are indeed present in these seemingly hedonistic scenes of sex, violence and drugs.
The four and a half minute stop motion "snuff" animation has a more literal relationship to the novel, as it is presumably an illustration of a scene. In it, a man enters a dark room where two men tie him up and… have their way with him, as it were. Eventually, the man starts to hallucinate and is in and out of consciousness. Sound has a hazy relationship to image in the animation, which feels eerily appropriate.
On the third floor, we see the main event: thirteen fresh oil paintings in a series based on tigers. This is the only section where the work is non-collaborative: It's all Melgaard. The paintings are vivid and playful, in sorbet colors. Despite the bright color scheme, the dense layering of paint and image can at times be violent, although this is a different violence than that of the dioramas and animation. It is personal violence and a violence of the conflicting impulses of the tiger-predator and tiger-mother. The associate director of the gallery, Alissa Bennett spoke of Melgaard's work in terms of flux, the tension between fantasy and reality. Melgaard's tiger paintings are charged with these dualities and also their inevitable failure.
Throughout A New Novel by Bjaarne Melgaard, we experience violence and intimacy in a way that subjugates us by reminding us that the full horror of an event or situation is forever off-stage. And within the use of a text, film, painting or any combination of media, Melgaard achieves a magnificent glimpse of what "off-stage" must look like.


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Located in Fishbourne, yet just a short drive from the centre of Chichester, and within easy access of Portsmouth, The Bull's Head offers comfortably appointed bedrooms in a former coach house. The be...More about The Bull's Head
Situated on the West Sussex/Hampshire border this traditional inn prides itself on local ales, good home-cooked food and a warm welcome. It is popular with both business and leisure guests due to its ...More about The Jolly Drover
Located in the heart of the historic town of Petworth, The Angel Inn has stylish yet traditionally decorated bedrooms and bathrooms. Guests can enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner in the bar and restaura...More about The Angel Inn
The Vestry is conveniently located in the town centre. Bedrooms are spacious and well equipped, including beverage making facilities and WiFi. The bar and restaurant are spacious with comfortable seat...More about The Vestry
The delightful castle hotel is idyllically set in the Sussex countryside, and boasts 900 years of history. The battlements (complete with mighty portcullis; one of the few in Europe that still works) ...More about Amberley Castle
This well-presented Grade II listed, Georgian property occupies a prime position at the top of North Street. The stylish bedrooms have flat-screen TVs, Egyptian cotton linen and high-speed WiFi access...More about Chichester Harbour Hotel
This building, once the railway station for Petworth, retains much of its railway history and atmosphere. Guest rooms are available in both the Station House and the fully restored Edwardian Pullman r...More about The Old Railway Station
Old Thorns is a modern, relaxed and welcoming hotel, set in 400 acres of the peaceful Hampshire countryside, which includes a championship golf course. The bedrooms are spacious and stylish and offer ...More about Old Thorns Manor Hotel Golf & Country Estate
Charlton Twenty Eight is an attractive Grade II-listed 18th-century cottage which lies at the foot of the South Downs and close to the Goodwood Estate. Julie and Trevor offer a warm welcome, as well a...More about Charlton Twenty Eight
Set in the South Downs and built in 1907, Grandwood House was originally a lodge belonging to Watergate House, which was accidentally burnt down by troops during WWII. All rooms are en suite and enjoy...More about Grandwood House


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02/64 Baja Slip-On
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text:
Hello everyone,
I would like to officially announce that there is a major errata planned for release in the near future. The focus this time is on nerfing some key frustrating cards and significant buffs for underused and weak Refess, Gowen, and Falkow cards (mostly from sets 1-2). A few Lawtia cards have been worked on, but there are significantly fewer items on that list. We believe that Lawtia is in a pretty damn good spot in terms of balance and fun.
Some highlights you can look forward to:
Exploder Wizard SS
Talisman of Disruption
EX Mermaid Soldier
AGI=3 soul skills
Unknown One / Sungod's soul skill
Princess of the Key / Emana
Most of the above are pretty obvious and intuitive to most experience Folart players, so I'll explain the oddity (Talisman). Undead dedicated files use to have major use for Lawtia's numbers and since Set 11's release we've seen them take a huge hit in their overall use and win rate. I suspect that has mostly to do with the rise of Mid Refess and Super Verlaat. Talisman in general feels too alienating against a key subtype for Lawtia so we've decided to make it a bit less extreme.
Buffs (with a couple examples):
Deep Ones and Mermaids (Carriers of Love and Friendship)
Mercenary Nation (Broadsword and Light Fighter)
Underperforming and underused Solar Kingdom units (Folrart Hammer Soldier, Folrart Shield Knight)
Dated and weak rares (Zagar, Proposition)
EDIT: All changes are posted here: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=14247
If you have any questions about this errata, I will be happy to answer them here.


text:
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- 3-piece elbow guard provides unbelievable flexibility when you bend your arm without sacrificing protection.
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Warrior's exclusive Vented Protective System. Allows vent holes to perforate through injection-molded EVA. This system stresses the 3 keys in protection design: decreases overall weight, provides maximum airflow and increases protection along the entire surface of the pad.
Customize your gear to match your team colors or show off your style with a look so unique that no one else will have anything like it. Refer to the custom program at the back of your price guide for more information on ordering custom products.
Chillwave Technology keeps you cool when it gets hot. The fabric works with your sweat to create a cooling sensation and wicks away sweat to keep you light and dry. Chillwave also reflects UV rays to help regulate your body temperature.
No Slip Gel Print
No Slip Gel Print on the internal sleeve keeps the pads from slipping off.


text:
What most excite me is that my friends are up to play this game with me, so that`s really good since the last time that we all(7 friends) played together was in Ragnarok 1, about 5-6 years ago, since them just 2 or 3 was playing games together, and the game is awesome I played it in CH, even when I was playing without understand anything about the quest Lore and some itens descriptions this game was amazing, there`s lot of classes to choose, lot of combinations, the anime graphics are so cute!!!!! I`m a big fan of animes, I watch lot of them, I also read mangas, I really love the way the characters are drawn, male characters look`s like the hero or villain from most TV animes, and the female are so cute haha, and using the early access with all these benefits I could make stream and show all benefits for my friends and people from stream how all these things works and how the game is for the people like me who coulnt buy to join the early access, so everyone would be able to enjoy the game or atleast see the game in english.
That`s not all I could say, but I guess you guys could understand a bit why I was so happy when I saw that this game was coming to US.


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Men's Basketball Tournament Information
February 27, 2013
The Dordt College Defender men's basketball team is seeded no. 10 in the NAIA Division II Men's National Basketball Tournament bracket released this evening by the NAIA.
The Defenders will face Northwest (Washington) in a first round contest on Thursday, March 7 at 10:15 a.m. at Keeter Gym on the campus of the College of the Ozarks.
Northwest is a member of the Cascade Collegiate Conference and is 22-10 entering the tournament after finishing the season with an 11-7 league mark.
The winner of the Dordt-Northwest game will meet the Indiana Wesleyan-Lourdes winner on Friday, March 8 in the second round of the tournament.
Dordt College fans are encouraged to stay at the Grand Plaza Hotel. When making reservations indicate you are following Dordt College.
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44 U.S. Code § 1501 - Definitions
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As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires—
"document" means a Presidential proclamation or Executive order and an order, regulation, rule, certificate, code of fair competition, license, notice, or similar instrument, issued, prescribed, or promulgated by a Federal agency;
"Federal agency" or "agency" means the President of the United States, or an executive department, independent board, establishment, bureau, agency, institution, commission, or separate office of the administrative branch of the Government of the United States but not the legislative or judicial branches of the Government;
"person" means an individual, partnership, association, or corporation; and
Source(Pub. L. 90–620, Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat. 1273; Pub. L. 98–497, title I, § 107(b)(2),Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2286.)
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on 44 U.S. Code, 1964 ed., § 304 (July 26, 1935, ch. 417, § 4,49 Stat. 501).
1984—Pub. L. 98–497inserted definition of "National Archives of the United States".
Effective Date of 1984 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 98–497effective Apr. 1, 1985, see section 301 ofPub. L. 98–497, set out as a note under section 2102 of this title.
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


text: For one night only, the Music Department and Theatre Program at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) are joining forces with community partners like the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, the Redstone Arsenal's Four Star Jazz Orchestra, and the Huntsville Ballet for Peace on Earth: A Gala Celebration of the Arts and Humanities. Hosted by Broadway star Ivan Rutherford, Peace on Earth will feature the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy by the Huntsville Ballet, a selection of holiday classics by the Four Star Jazz Orchestra, a narration of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas by a top-secret local celebrity, and much more – all part of a multimedia event that will delight the senses. Peace on Earth: A Gala Celebration of the Arts and Humanities will take place in the Von Braun Center's Concert Hall on Friday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m. While we are no longer accepting online ticket reservations, there are limited tickets at the door. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Since this event is general admission, early arrival is suggested.


text:
Flying Thunder God Technique
this wiki
|This is the article on the ninjutsu used by Minato Namikaze. If you are looking for the article on the anime-only ninjutsu used by Fūka, head to Lightning Release: Lightning Rod.
|Flying Thunder God Technique [1]
1 of 3
|Hiraishin no Jutsu
|Viz print media
|Flying Thunder God Jutsu
|English anime
|Flying Raijin Jutsu
|Volume #27, Naruto Chapter #240
|Naruto Shippūden Episode #119
|Naruto Shippūden 4: The Lost Tower
|Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3
|Naruto Shippūden: UNSG anime cutscenes
|Appears in
|Anime, Manga, Game, Movie
|Ninjutsu, Space–Time Ninjutsu
|All ranges
The Flying Thunder God Technique is a technique created by the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju,[2] which allows the user to transport themselves to a given marked location instantaneously.
To activate this technique, the user places a special seal or "technique formula" (術式, jutsu-shiki) to mark an intended destination. After this is done, they can enter a dimensional void at will that instantaneously transports them to the location of the seal. The mark can be applied to almost any area through brief physical contact, including an opponent or some other surrounding feature.[3][4] Because this technique is able to affect anything that is in contact with the user or somehow connected to their chakra,[5] they can also use this technique to teleport other objects or people, such as when Minato used it to teleport Kurama out of Konohagakure, though the size of the object dictates the amount of chakra required.[6] As Minato also noted, the marking formula never disappears from a marked target.[7]
Tobirama Senju
As its originator, Tobirama's skills with this technique are very impressive, but his skills and abilities in this technique is yet to be seen in. As the general basis of the technique, Tobirama uses a unique seal to mark his targets or desired location to teleport himself to instantly. Unlike Minato Namikaze, who uses marked kunai to transport himself, he is able to do it without he help of marked objects as shown when he came to aid Minao and Naruto without using anything and was also able to transport many people. He was fast enough to not only deflect Obito Uchiha's orb but to also return it to him before it could expand. He is also skilled enough to teleport not only himself, but other people along with him over some distance.[8]
Through his use of the Flying Thunder God Technique, Tobirama has also created derived techniques from it such as the Flying Thunder God Slash — a technique that compliments his kenjutsu prowess by incorporating this technique's instantaneous teleportation. With that technique, he was able to land a mortal wound on Izuna Uchiha.[9] Another one of these derived techniques is the Mutually Instantaneous Revolving Technique which allows him to switch places at any point in time with another Flying Thunder God Technique user that he has marked. This technique's use was demonstrated with his fellow practitioner Minato Namikaze and together, they were able to land a surprise attack on the jinchūriki.[10]
Minato Namikaze
Due to his exploits with this technique, Minato Namikaze gained the moniker of "Konoha's Yellow Flash" (木ノ葉の黄色い閃光, Konoha no Kiiroi Senkō).[1] Minato most commonly applied the formula in advance to his special kunai, which he would scatter all over the battlefield when a fight commenced, so that they could be teleported to at any time.[11] Using such tactics, Konohagakure even proved victorious in a battle against Iwagakure during the Third Shinobi World War, despite already being vastly outnumbered. By having his subordinates toss his special kunai randomly into the enemy's lines, Minato used the technique to appear within their ranks, using his great speed to seemingly be in several places at once and wipe out entire squadrons one by one before they could even react.[12]
This technique — combined with Minato's immense natural speed and reflexes made him the fastest ninja to ever live according to A.[13] The technique is fast enough to even allow Minato to escape being warped away, despite having already been partially sucked in,[14] and dodge A's top-speed attack.[11] Minato could also incorporate the formula into other seals, such as that of his wife, allowing him to come immediately to her aid at any time.[15] Minato also has the ability to send people to different markings simultaneously through direct contact with either himself or his chakra.[16][5] Minato's shadow clone can use the technique to summon the original to its position.[17]
Minato can also use the derived techniques of the Flying Thunder God Technique such as the Mutually Instantaneous Revolving Technique which he performed with Tobirama on the battlefield to devastating effects on Obito Uchiha.[10]
Hokage Guard Platoon
Minato passed this technique on to his special guards: Genma Shiranui, Raidō Namiashi, and a third member credited as Iwashi Tatami in the anime.[18] However, when they use this technique all three together are required to execute the technique. To do so, they form a circle with one another each performing the seal of confrontation so that their thumbs, middle, and index fingers are touching those of the other's. This allows them to transport both themselves and anything inside the confines of the ring to a marked destination. Since becoming the guards of the Fifth Hokage, they have marked Tsunade with the technique formula so that they can teleport to her side at any time.[19] They used this method to teleport themselves, and Mei Terumī to the front-line quite some distance away.
- Although it is often compared with the Body Flicker Technique, the speed and range of this technique are much greater. In principle, this technique is instead more similar to the Summoning Technique, as it revolves around the manipulation of the space–time continuum rather than accelerated movement. However, instead of bringing something to the user, it sends them somewhere. The technique was referred to as a Body Flicker Technique (瞬身の術, Shunshin no Jutsu) on different occasions, though.[20]
- The name Hiraishin is also the phonic of the Japanese word 避雷針, which means "lightning rod". This may suggest the reasoning as to why the technique is restricted towards a seal, because lightning is attracted to lightning rods.
- The technique can create smoke similar to a Summoning Technique,[21] but that is not always the case.
See Also
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Second Databook, page 266
- ↑ Naruto chapter 641, page 5
- ↑ Naruto chapter 503, page 3
- ↑ Naruto chapter 543, page 2
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Naruto chapter 639, page 13
- ↑ Naruto chapter 503, page 10
- ↑ Naruto chapter 637, page 15
- ↑ Naruto chapter 627, page 12
- ↑ Naruto chapter 624, page 11
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Naruto chapter 641, page 14-15
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Naruto chapter 542, pages 13-14
- ↑ Naruto chapter 242, pages 4-5
- ↑ Naruto chapter 541, page 8
- ↑ Naruto chapter 502, page 10
- ↑ Naruto chapter 501, page 7
- ↑ Naruto chapter 631, pages 8-9
- ↑ Naruto chapter 639, page 16
- ↑ Naruto: Shippūden episode 323 ending credits
- ↑ Naruto chapter 562, pages 12-13
- ↑ Naruto chapter 637, page 14
- ↑ Naruto chapter 501, pages 6, 15


text:
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text:
Chindi Shag Rug
Overview & Details
- Kids' shag rug.
- 100% cotton rug for kids' rooms.
- Vibrant kids' area rug is a celebration of color.
- Shag rug available in two sizes: 3' round and 5' round.
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Every day's a party with our celebration Chindi Shag kids' area rug. This round shag rug for kids' rooms is a burst of bright color for children of all ages. Handmade of pure cotton, our Chindi Shag kids' rug adds a splash of color to any bedroom or another room in your home. With a bold wide shag that's fun and tickles little feet, this neat kids' rug is sure to inspire smiles. The round size is perfectly adaptable for so many locations, including bedrooms, playrooms and more.


text:
Politics are notorious for provoking people to embarrass themselves, but for sheer stupidity there are few acts, it seems to me, that surpass the stealing of campaign signs.
Except for the burning of campaign signs, which besides being illegal could lead to skin grafts or even death.
And yet, every time we as a nation go about picking those who will represent us — and in particular when the presidency is at stake — the papers and the TV become infested with stories about people whose campaign signs have gone missing.
Or gone up in flames.
I'm sure some of these instances can be explained as pranks — the work of vandals who are wholly ignorant of politics.
I don't condone such crimes but I understand what compels people to commit them. Everyone, I think, has an innate inclination to at least occasionally thumb his nose at society's definition of acceptable behavior.
Even the straightest arrow, after all, can be overwhelmed by the urge to heave a rock at the window of an abandoned warehouse just to see the glass shatter into splinters.
Making off with a campaign sign is by comparison quite a bit quieter, and less messy, and so probably is even more seductive as a result.
Yet even accounting for mindless stunts, it seems to me reasonable to assume that a significant percentage of the sign thieves and arsonists are indeed motivated by political partisanship.
These people baffle me.
Some of them must truly believe that by taking or defacing a sign they are tipping the election in their favor, presumably by pilfering votes from the candidate they oppose.
This sort of mentality, though troubling when it manifests in an adult, has about it an element of childlike fantasy that tickles me.
The sign-stealers remind me of a five-year old who dumps his lima beans down the garbage disposal and still thinks he's getting ice cream for dessert.
What a simple and innocent notion — if I make the thing I despise go away, then it is invisible forever after.
Most people, of course, figure out the fallacy of this concept around the time they master the one-digit multiplication tables.
(Or else they discover a slightly more subtle tactic, such as feeding the lima beans, in ones or twos, to the dog.)
And yet political signs, these shoddy constructions of paper and flimsy metal rods, continue to cause people to regress.
It never ceases to surprise me when I realize that certain adults — people who probably have a license that entitles them to drive an automobile — have concluded they can really put one over on the voters by swiping or torching some signs.
Voters, I submit, are as wise to that type of tomfoolery as parents are to the lima bean-down-the-drain guise.
The bottom line here is that stealing or burning signs could significantly influence elections only if a lot of voters chose candidates based on the signs they see, or don't see.
I don't believe this is so.
The truth, of course, is that all but the most reclusive of voters are bombarded with information about candidates and measures, and lawn signs are neither the most prevalent nor the most conspicuous of these propaganda salvoes.
(Actually, in dim light I sometimes mistake campaign signs of a certain hue for shrubs or napping dogs.)
You have, perhaps, noticed an occasional campaign ad on TV.
Senate candidates Jeff Merkley and Gordon Smith, to name just two, get more air time on Oregon stations these days than Oprah does.
According to the latest estimates, Merkley's campaign, along with groups that endorse him, have together shelled out $13.7 million for television ads.
The pro-Smith forces trail by the price of a pretty nice house, having spent $13.4 million.
This onslaught of televised sniping presents a serious conundrum for the zealous partisans on both sides.
There's quite a few more TVs around than campaign signs, for one thing — and besides, busting a TV brings up that noisy glass-breaking dilemma that I mentioned earlier.
You might be able to slink away unnoticed from the neighbor's yard, clutching an armful of signs, but not many homeowners are apt to miss a person who shows up in their living room brandishing a sledgehammer.
And even if you could silence all the TVs there's still the Internet to contend with. Which pretty much ends the game right there.
The Internet is more a force of nature than it is a medium.
It's like gravity, almost.
Gravity can be suppressed, of course.
You can go to the moon, for example. Although not easily or cheaply.
Except I'll bet that even if you made it to the Sea of Tranquility you'd find, besides Neil Armstrong's bootprints, that the place has free wi-fi.
Which leaves me to wonder: How many light-years would you have to travel to get beyond the reach of, say, Obama's newest tax plan and McCain's latest homage to that bald plumber who looks to me an awful lot like Mr. Clean?
The nearest black hole, maybe.
As for people who have been victimized by a sign thief, I sympathize, and offer by way of condolence this reminder:
Your candidate's name might have disappeared from your property, but I'll wager that the ballots are yet intact, which are after all the items that truly matter.
And Americans, I've noticed, tend to turn right mean, in the manner of a long-abused dog, if anyone tries to get between their pen and their ballot.
Although some people can be pretty protective of those little garden gnomes.


text:
South Carolina Code of Laws
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Title 48 - Environmental Protection and Conservation
The South Carolina Geological Survey Unit of the Department of Natural Resources
SECTION 48-22-10. Creation of State Geological Survey Unit; appointment of State Geologist; qualifications.
The South Carolina Geological Survey Unit is established under the Department of Natural Resources. The State Geologist must be appointed by the Director of the Department of Natural Resources. He must have graduated from an accredited college or university with a full curriculum in geology and had at least five years of practical work experience, academic, governmental, or industrial, in geology.
HISTORY: 1993 Act No. 181, Section 1228; 1994 Act No. 497, Section 59D.
SECTION 48-22-20. Powers, duties, property, devolved upon Department of Natural Resources.
The powers and duties provided for the South Carolina Geological Survey of the Division of Research and Statistical Services of the Budget and Control Board are devolved upon the Department of Natural Resources. All equipment and personal services monies, including all employee contributions and other fringe benefits used by the Geological Survey within the Division of Research and Statistical Services of the Budget and Control Board before this section takes effect are transferred to the Department of Natural Resources. The South Carolina Geodetic Survey must remain with the Division of Research and Statistical Services as the South Carolina Geodetic Survey. All property, equipment, and personal services monies, including all employee contributions and other fringe benefits used by the Geodetic Survey, must remain with the Division of Research and Statistical Services.
HISTORY: 1993 Act No. 181, Section 1228; 1994 Act No. 497, Section 59D.
SECTION 48-22-30. Powers and duties of State Geologist.
(A) The State Geologist shall:
(1) travel throughout the State so as to make himself familiar with the geology and mineral resources of each section;
(2) undertake field and laboratory work his time permits;
(3) perform other duties that properly pertain to his office.
(B) The department may employ geologists, technicians, and other personnel necessary to conduct the objectives of the unit.
HISTORY: 1993 Act No. 181, Section 1228; 1994 Act No. 497, Section 59D.
SECTION 48-22-40. Duties of unit.
In addition to other duties assigned to it, the unit:
(1) shall conduct field and laboratory studies in geologic reconnaissance, mapping, prospecting for mineral resources, and related gathering of surface and subsurface data. Investigative areas include offshore and onshore lands in this State;
(2) shall provide geologic advice and assistance to other state and local governmental agencies engaged in environmental protection or in industrial or economic development projects. In addition, the unit must be involved actively in geologic aspects of regional planning and effective land use in the State;
(3) shall encourage economic development in the State by disseminating published geologic information as bulletins, maps, economic reports, and related series and open-file reports to appropriate governmental agencies and private industry. The unit is encouraged further to initiate and maintain appropriate industrial contacts to promote the extraction and conservation of South Carolina's earth raw materials and their manufacture to the economic improvement of the State;
(4) shall provide unsolicited advice, when appropriate, to the Mining Council and its associated state regulatory agency, on geologic and related mining matters in keeping with the intent of the South Carolina Mining Act;
(5) shall operate and maintain a central, statewide repository for rock cores, well cuttings and related subsurface samples, and all associated supplemental data. Private firms and public agencies are encouraged to notify the unit before exploratory or developmental drilling and coring;
(6) must be the state's official cooperator on topographic mapping. The federal expenditure for this purpose at least must equal that of the State. The unit may conduct cooperative work with appropriate agencies of the United States Government in its geologic activities and investigations;
(7) shall provide a minerals research laboratory related to the identification, extraction, and processing of industrial minerals and minerals of economic potential wherever found throughout the onshore and offshore areas of the State. The minerals research laboratory is encouraged to accept mineral research projects from South Carolina businesses or citizens on a per cost, per unit basis and to encourage expended use of the raw materials of the State. The minerals research laboratory may accept public and private gifts or funds and may enter into cooperative agreements for the purpose of applied research in the metallic and nonmetallic minerals of this State.
HISTORY: 1993 Act No. 181, Section 1228, eff July 1, 1994; 1994 Act No. 497, Section 59D, eff June 29, 1994.
SECTION 48-22-50. Maintenance of files by unit; confidentiality of certain information.
The unit shall maintain all unpublished information in its files which must be open to the public, except in cases where the investigator still has work in progress on a project leading to a publication or where an industrial firm, interested in possibly locating in the State, asks temporary confidential status for oral and written geologic related information supplied by them or obtained on their properties. In the latter instance the information may be held in confidence by the unit for not more than one year from the date the information was obtained.
HISTORY: 1993 Act No. 181, Section 1228; 1994 Act No. 497, Section 59D.
SECTION 48-22-60. Impartiality of unit.
The unit shall work impartially for the benefit of the public, and no person, firm, or governmental agency may call upon or require the State Geologist or unit staff to enter upon a special survey for his or their special benefit.
HISTORY: 1993 Act No. 181, Section 1228; 1994 Act No. 497, Section 59D.


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