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Lending Credibility:
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Chapter 1
WITH THE END of the Cold War, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) emerged as the most powerful international institution in history. The Western countries designated the IMF as their primary vehicle for funneling aid to the countries that had emerged from the ruins of the Soviet empire and made it responsible for creating a strategy for interacting with them. That strategy, as it gradually unfolded, was ambitious: nothing less than the economic transformation of every society in the region. The early years after the collapse of the Soviet bloc were heady ones for the IMF: A vast new territory was becoming integrated with the world economy, international capital movements were rising to the top of the political agenda in Central Europe and Eurasia, and multilateral lending agencies were beginning to figure prominently in cabinet meetings and parliamentary debates. The Fund eventually signed loan and conditionality agreements with every country of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe except Serbia and Turkmenistan. Even as this ambitious institutional strategy took shape, however, questions were raised about whether the instrument was equal to the task. Can an international institution really hope to exercise influence in a nation's domestic affairs? If it does so, will that influence be beneficial?
Formal international institutions are the peculiar innovation of the advanced industrial democracies, which have relied on these institutions since World War II as a central pillar of their effort to impose order on the anarchy of international politics. In the aftermath of the worst war the world has ever known, the United States and its allies had sought to promote international cooperation by creating an impressive architecture of international institutions: the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the European Economic Community, and numerous specialized agencies. The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union quickly became the focus of attention in the international system, and it redefined many of the purposes of these institutions. Still, whenever the United States and its allies tried to foster cooperation after World War II, they created international institutions. International institutions became an essential part of the relations among these countries, and a broad consensus on the rules that they embodied helped to foster an unprecedented blossoming of coordinated action across a variety of issue areas.
The International Monetary Fund is an unusual international institution because it has some enforcement powers. International institutions generally rely on convention, normative suasion, modest efforts at monitoring, and decentralized collective action to promote cooperation. To be sure, the Fund extends carrots, not sticks, when it attempts to influence government policies. However, it signs intrusive agreements with governments that regulate sensitive aspects of their domestic and international economic policies; it typically does so when countries are particularly vulnerable and dependent on international financing; and it threatens to withdraw support if its detailed policy prescriptions are not observed. This enforcement mechanism would seem to give the IMF a significant edge over gentler international institutions.
Two strong traditions in international relations shed doubt on the ability of international institutions to influence public policy. The first, commonly known as realism, emphasizes the priority of security concerns, the overriding interest of states to assert their autonomy from foreign control, and the tendency for international norms or rules to be manipulated by powerful countries for their own purposes. According to this perspective, the IMF is likely to find that borrowing countries are unwilling to submit to its tutelage and that powerful donor countries will subvert its objectives in order to advance their own. The second perspective emphasizes the importance of domestic constraints and argues that economic policy involves distributive and redistributive issues that go to the heart of politics. If political coalitions and alignments are fundamentally about economic policy, there are severe limitations to what foreign intervention in these matters can achieve.
This book argues that both perspectives are right, up to a point: International power and interests constrain what the IMF can achieve; so do domestic power and interests. Nevertheless, I will argue that the IMF plays an important role in the nexus between power, interests, and policymaking, and exerts a significant influence over national policies. The effects of domestic and international constraints can obscure IMF influence in quantitative and qualitative studies if we fail to take them into account. However, carefully studying both sets of constraints reveals the very important role the IMF has played in the post-Communist countries.
If it is true--and it is--that IMF conditions are often violated and inconsistently enforced, that the IMF has made a number of mistakes in managing the economics of transition, and that countries have misused IMF funds in sometimes spectacular and intricately fraudulent schemes, this still does not answer the question: Has the IMF exerted a meaningful influence over economic policies in these countries? To answer this question, we have to do more than simply measure the economic policies of countries in transition against the ideal of IMF performance criteria or merely catalogue the Fund's tactical errors and the instances of corruption. In this book I do both in great detail; but to answer the question, we have to examine the counterfactual: What policies would have been followed without the involvement of the IMF?
In some sense, of course, we can never know. The IMF was a feature of the international system into which the post-Communist countries were born, and its existence shaped the incentives they faced as they sought to define economic policies right from the beginning. We cannot remove the IMF from the equation and restart history from 1990. However, there are three ways in which one can do meaningful counterfactual analysis that can shed light on the effect that the IMF has had on the post-Communist transition. First, one can be rigorous about what effects one ascribes to the causal variable, and explore the influence it has in an abstract formal model. Second, statistical analysis with a large sample enables one to make certain kinds of counterfactual inferences. Third, detailed studies of relations between the IMF and several borrowing countries can fill in the context, the actors' expectations, and the intermediate causal links that, on balance, lead us to believe certain causal inferences and reject others. In this book, these three approaches form the legs of a tripod that supports a causal argument. Without any one of these supports--analytical rigor, generalizable inferences, or contextual knowledge--the structure becomes unstable and the argument untenable. In combination, each approach complements the others by supplying pieces of the puzzle that the others cannot.
The first step in my research design is to define the effects that IMF intervention is expected to have, and the precise conditions under which it is supposed to have them. To do this I develop a formal model that specifies the hypothesized relationships among the IMF, international capital markets, and borrower countries. The key innovation of the model is that the IMF is treated as a strategic actor that seeks to defend its reputation for enforcing conditionality, but suffers from credibility problems. In the model I assume that every actor is sophisticated about the strategies and beliefs of the other actors, so they all anticipate that IMF programs will not always be properly implemented, that countries will sometimes find it advantageous to cheat, and that the IMF will sometimes find it difficult to hold them accountable. Nevertheless, IMF programs affect the economic policies of the borrowing countries, and because of this they influence capital flows to those countries. The results of the formal model can be thought of as a possibility theorem. They show that even in a messy world where things often do not go as planned, it is still possible for an imperfect institution like the IMF to exert influence. The IMF can still lend credibility, even if the credibility of its lending is in question. The model spells out the kind of influence that the Fund is expected to have--both over countries' policies and over market expectations--and it defines the conditions that limit that influence because of the Fund's own credibility problems.
The second step is to subject the hypotheses that the model advances to quantitative tests. Testing these hypotheses requires a data set with novel features: one that allows the analyst to control for the political factors that influence countries' abilities to stabilize their economies, and that measures country policies and IMF responses with sufficient precision to untangle the causes from the effects. With the help of several research assistants, I have compiled a data set designed for this purpose. The result is a unique statistical database that comprises monthly economic and political time series for twenty-six countries over the decade of the 1990s. Using a variety of statistical methods that are explained in the text for the layperson, and with more technical detail in an appendix, I estimate models to explain IMF strategies, government longevity, government policies, and market expectations. To foreshadow, I find that the IMF does have a significant effect on government policies but that this effect is mitigated whenever the IMF cannot credibly threaten to impose lengthy punishments, namely, in large countries and countries that receive substantial amounts of foreign aid from the United States. As the model predicts, countries that are harder to punish are punished for shorter periods, and the reduced severity of the IMF's response significantly increases their propensity to pursue inflationary policies. Conversely, however, these pessimistic conclusions imply an optimistic one. In order to be vastly less effective in some countries, the IMF must be vastly more effective in others; indeed, in small countries and those without recourse to U.S. intervention, the IMF plays a very critical role in moderating the incentives that fuel inflation and in establishing credibility for stabilization policies.
The third step is to check the plausibility of general conclusions by plunging back into the details. A detailed study of the bilateral relations between the Fund and particular countries, based on interviews with policymakers, negotiators, and Fund officials, can go beyond the thin description accessible in statistical form. Participants can be asked counterfactual questions and asked to share their own hypotheses about which variables caused which effects, based on the accumulation of years of experience. This book is based on extensive field research in Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Bulgaria, and the IMF headquarters in Washington, D.C. Readers of the detailed country studies may find that the picture that emerges confirms the broad-strokes critiques of the Fund as an ineffective organization; indeed, there are numerous anecdotes that could be used as cautionary tales. In part, this is a matter of whether the reader chooses to view the glass as half full or half empty. I believe that what emerges is a picture of an organization that has remarkable influence in spite of the fact that it is working against tremendous odds. Certainly, the case studies in this volume suggest that the Fund should be humble about offering advice and that our expectations of success in difficult cases should be modest. However, they also demonstrate that the deck was terribly stacked against reform in most of these countries and that the IMF was almost always a relevant player--sometimes the only relevant player--lobbying for economic reform. In some cases, when circumstances were right, the IMF did exactly what the model predicts: It tipped the balance of incentives in favor of a long-run strategy of fiscal and monetary restraint, and reinforced the credibility of governments that presided over fragile capital markets. Even in cases where IMF programs failed and ultimately had to be abandoned, the Fund typically exercised a significant influence over policies.
The primary focus of this book is on the effectiveness of the IMF at influencing government policies. However, a prior question that must have occurred to the reader is whether it is normatively desirable for the IMF to exercise influence, and I turn to this question before proceeding with my argument. Critics of unbridled capital markets and the "Washington Consensus" that supports them worry that international institutions and global capital flows may so constrain economic policies during the transition that weak democratic institutions are swept away by popular discontent. Furthermore, they argue, the IMF's neoliberal economic prescriptions of tight monetary and fiscal policies, deregulating the economy, and lowering the barriers to the "creative destruction" wreaked by markets--stabilization, liberalization, and privatization--represent a naïve application of standardized recipes to a much more complex reality. In the felicitous Russian aphorism, it is easy to turn an aquarium into fish soup, but only God can reconstitute the aquarium.
To the contrary, I argue that the basic thrust of the policies urged by the international financial institutions was, in fact, correct. At this point, I want to distinguish carefully between the basic strategy of transition and the specific tactical choices that were made in particular countries. By tactical choices I mean operational decisions on which economic theory does not yet provide straightforward guidance, such as the best ways of targeting exchange rates, the ideal method of privatization, and the optimal sequence of structural reforms. The Fund supported programs in countries that chose a wide range of approaches to these issues, but in some cases IMF staff promoted specific policies that turned out very poorly. We have learned things about economic transitions over the last ten years that would have made it possible to make better choices, had we known them earlier. On the other hand, the key IMF strategy for reform was clear: Accelerate the full spectrum of market reforms as much as possible, and lead with rapid macroeconomic stabilization and liberalization. This appeared to be a rather risky strategy from the vantage point of 1990. After a decade of experience, however, it is clear that this was the strategy best suited to promoting economic growth and consolidating democracy in post-Communist countries, because inflation has such disastrous consequences during the transition.
Critics of austere, anti-inflationary policies in post-Communist countries point to the apparent success of gradual reform in China, and to the enormous human costs and political instability associated with neoliberal policies in Latin America.1 The image that captures the imagination is Adam Przeworski's "J-curve," which describes a trade-off between the short-term and long-term pain of the transition.2 As countries enter the reform process, they adopt austerity measures that reduce output, cut social transfers, and create unemployment, moving down into the "valley of the transition." The more rapidly this is done, the more quickly comes the recovery--but at what cost? What if the misery of the transition is so intense that popular patience is exhausted and democratic institutions are swept away? Perhaps a flatter "J-curve" would be preferable, one that spreads the transition over a longer period but reduces the depth of the recession.
The evidence of the last ten years is that there is, in fact, no such trade-off.3 Instead, the post-Communist countries that succeeded in quickly bringing inflation under control suffered a smaller drop in output than those that continued to endure the ravages of inflation.4 They attracted foreign investment and began to grow, laying the groundwork for long-term prosperity and political stability. Economies that failed to tame inflation declined more precipitously and continued to decline long after the transition had been completed in more successful countries. In addition, the low-inflation countries maintained a much less skewed distribution of wealth and income, maintained more social services, and sustained a higher quality of life. Table 1.1 summarizes the data by presenting the results of bivariate regressions of growth, foreign direct investment, income inequality, the United Nations' Human Development Index, and life expectancy on inflation, using a variety of methods. Each row represents a variable that is affected by inflation, and the columns represent a series of econometric models for assessing the effects. The analysis uses all available annual data for post-Communist countries from 1990 through 1999.
The significance of these results is that countries with higher inflation grew more slowly, or declined more rapidly, and attracted less foreign direct investment. Furthermore, it was the poor rather than the relatively wealthy who suffered most from inflation: High inflation caused income inequality to increase. There is also some evidence that high inflation caused countries' scores to decline on the United Nations' broadest scale of the quality of life, the Human Development Index. This captures a wide range of factors, such as health care, education and nutrition as well as per capita income. Inflation may cause life expectancy to decline as well, but these data cannot prove this to be the case. Figure 1.1 presents the relationship between growth and inflation in graphical form using the same data.
Taming inflation was the most urgent task facing post-Communist countries, because high levels of inflation threatened to derail all other aspects of their reform programs. All these countries faced a substantial jump in prices when they abolished price controls, and most accelerated inflation by continuing to subsidize state-owned enterprises. High inflation is a self-fulfilling prophecy: The longer it persists, the more stubborn inflationary expectations become, and the more difficult it becomes to restore confidence in the currency. Meanwhile, financial instability distorts economic decisions and, in particular, increases the risks for investors. In addition, a high level of inflation has proven to be a profoundly destabilizing force in politics. While the costs of inflation have been vividly demonstrated in developing countries such as Argentina and Brazil, inflation has the potential to be even more devastating in post-Communist countries, for three reasons.
First, inflation and the policies that lead to high levels of inflation--loose credit, budget deficits, and government subsidies--warp the incentives of firms, preventing industrial restructuring. Firms make choices about whether to make costly investments in future competitiveness or to engage in lobbying activity, and when the latter is relatively inexpensive and lucrative, they fail to restructure. This is particularly costly in post-Communist countries, because the structure of production inherited from central planning is highly inefficient. The evidence indicates that controlling inflation contributes substantially to industrial restructuring.5 Countries that succeed in controlling inflation and restructuring industry, in turn, experience higher rates of growth.
Second, inflation undermines the confidence of international investors. Recent research shows that inflation significantly depresses capital flows to developing countries and leads to higher real interest rates.6 International investment provides foreign exchange, technology transfers and management expertise. Foreign investment takes on critical significance for post-Communist countries, because it determines the success of privatization programs and represents the best hope for rapid industrial restructuring. In the most successful Central European countries, foreign direct investment has made a substantial contribution to export-led growth and has turned centrally planned dinosaurs into modern, competitive firms. In countries like Russia, on the other hand, potentially lucrative investments remained mired in political risk and economic uncertainty.7
Third, high inflation leads to a skewed distribution of wealth. The evidence for the post-Communist countries is striking, as Table 1.1 demonstrates. Econometric studies of developing countries have led to the same conclusion: High inflation leads to increased inequality.8 This observation clashes with widespread assumptions about the distributional effects of inflation, but there is a good reason: These assumptions are largely based on the American experience in the nineteenth century, which was unique in important respects. The Left in America has long assumed that inflation was good for the poor and bad for the rich, because it deflates the real value of debt. Since the poor in America tended to be in debt and the rich tended to hold the debt, it was clear whose interests were served by a policy of tight money and a strong currency. In William Jennings Bryan's phrase, the common folk of America were being crucified on a "cross of gold." The Left understood its interests properly in nineteenth-century America; but the inflationary strategy of the Populists was only attractive because there were no low-cost alternatives to holding dollar-denominated assets, labor was virtually unable to engage in collective bargaining, and the government provided no transfer payments. Once the wealthy become able to shelter their assets from the inflation tax at low cost, it is no longer possible to use it to redistribute their wealth. Meanwhile, if labor has any bargaining power, inflation is disadvantageous because it shifts the status quo in favor of management. Nominal wage bargains become less valuable, and indexation becomes a concession that management makes grudgingly in return for something else of value. Finally, if government makes transfer payments, inflation erodes their value. Again, if policymaking is a bargaining process, inflation shifts the status quo away from the beneficiaries of transfer payments, who face dwindling real payments.
The transition countries are unusually prone to the inegalitarian effects of inflation, because the combination of inflation with far-reaching structural reform and political instability creates opportunities for nonproductive activities that generate a great deal of profit, usually at the expense of the state. For example, Russian banks made most of their profits in the early years of the transition by taking subsidized credits from the Central Bank of Russia, investing in foreign currency, and repaying the credits after the ruble fell.9 Similarly, high rates of inflation and access to subsidized credits for the privileged few led to the pervasive pattern of manager ownership, frequently referred to as "nomenklatura privatization," that has tarnished the legitimacy of Russian reform. Although most of the shares in enterprises were distributed to their workers, managers ended up with controlling interests because they were able to buy up shares with cheap credits and repay the loans with deflated currency. Workers, on the other hand, had higher discount rates because they did not have access to subsidized credits, so they sold. While elites with political access make fortunes in inflationary times, ordinary citizens without access to arbitrage opportunities suffer from inflation because their savings are eroded and their wages and pensions fail to keep pace with rising prices.
In the post-Communist context, therefore, the first step toward establishing political legitimacy for reform is to slow inflation. The failure to restructure industry and attract foreign investment traps post-Communist countries in a spiral of economic decline, which poses severe challenges to the legitimacy of a democratic order. The corrosive influence of inequality is even more insidious. Economic reform always entails winners and losers, but at least rapid reform keeps the winnings and losses within bounds. An extended, inflationary transition transfers most of the dwindling wealth of society to a narrow and largely criminal elite that is closely linked to the government--a prospect profoundly disheartening to democrats.
Inflation does not arise primarily because someone benefits from inflation per se; it arises primarily because politicians find it difficult to resist the short-term temptations that lead to inflation. The politicians who set monetary and fiscal policies face a commitment problem: ex ante, a policymaker prefers to be able to commit to an anti-inflationary policy for all future periods; yet, ex post, the policymaker prefers to renege.10 Inflation rates depend on the expectations of private agents such as wage setters, investors, and currency traders, so the policymaker would like to be able to commit to an anti-inflationary strategy to reassure markets. The dilemma is that there are many temptations to renege on such commitments. Economic models often invoke the idea that "surprise" inflation has macroeconomic benefits, while political models point to imminent elections and the disproportionate power of narrow interests.11 The temptation to pursue inflationary policies compels private agents to hedge their bets, driving the inflation rate higher than it would be were policymakers able to pursue a strategy of full commitment.
The consequence is that inconsistent authorities cast about for ways to tie their hands. The classic solution is to delegate monetary policy to an independent central bank, but this may not be feasible for countries still in the process of building democratic institutions. The same short-term considerations that drive politicians to promote inflationary policies will also compel them to undermine the independence of the central bank. In principle, however, the IMF can substitute for entrenched domestic institutions by monitoring compliance with stabilization programs and offering rewards and punishments that tip the balance of incentives in favor of the full-commitment equilibrium.12
International capital markets play a key role in enforcing the bargain. As the volume of international transactions increases, national governments become increasingly subject to the power of markets.13 As barriers to capital flows fall, exit becomes less costly for private agents, and governments concerned about promoting welfare and productivity are compelled to provide more hospitable conditions for capital. The greater part of the IMF's leverage over borrowing countries arises, consequently, because it is able to coordinate the actions and expectations of the dispersed actors who comprise capital markets.14 Investors can punish bad economic policies without coordination, simply by diving for cover. It is more difficult, however, for decentralized actors to reward good policies, because a sound investment climate is a state of mind that has to be painstakingly constructed. When the Fund negotiates a stabilization program with a government that imposes policy conditions, it creates a focal point for investors to coordinate their expectations. Investors benefit from following IMF signals, because the threat of IMF sanctions for noncompliance helps to protect the value of their investments. In return, the impact of the Fund's resources is vastly magnified by world capital markets, which are opened up by the IMF seal of approval. Under favorable circumstances, a virtuous circle can arise, in which IMF intervention, government policies, and international investment reinforce one another.
The picture becomes somewhat more complex, however, when we consider that the IMF's own credibility is in question. IMF lending decisions are not informative signals about the borrower's ability to repay, because they are not costly: The Fund does not have to worry about default.15 Therefore, the IMF seal of approval is only valuable if conditionality is backed by rigorous enforcement. The IMF, however, is not an autonomous actor, analogous to an independent central bank. Rather, IMF policy is closely controlled by the Fund's board of directors, which is appointed by the donor countries. A coalition of a few large donors can set policy under the IMF system of weighted voting, and all decisions about new agreements, loans and disbursements must be cleared by the board. Consequently, the autonomy of the IMF staff varies in inverse proportion to the international significance of the case at hand. The Fund has a relatively free hand in negotiating with small developing countries, but in important cases the interests of the donor governments dictate the negotiations.16 International strategic concerns and trade policies frequently override the stabilization agenda.
A major objective of the research design described above is to address exactly this objection. Is it possible for an institution whose basic mission is compromised in this way to nevertheless exert a positive influence? How significant is the influence of noneconomic considerations on IMF lending decisions, and how strong are the effects of IMF intervention on government policies? Answers to each of these questions emerge from the formal model, the quantitative empirical analysis, and the detailed country studies and interviews with participants in the negotiations. The conclusions show that the IMF's credibility problem is indeed severe, and consequently the organization's effectiveness is compromised in some of the most important countries. At the same time, this study finds ample evidence that the IMF has exerted significant influence over the economic policies of post-Communist countries. This mixture of findings suggests a synthesis of perspectives on international relations that emphasize power and interests with those that emphasize the role of international institutions. The interests of powerful countries define the parameters within which the International Monetary Fund operates, and the limits of what it can achieve. The IMF is, after all, an international institution, not a supranational one. However, international institutions are not only instruments that powerful nations wield in order to obtain whatever objectives appear to be expedient; they are also strategic actors in their own right. Furthermore, even when the playing field is uneven and the rules are subject to manipulation, international institutions create incentives for countries to shape their national policies in accordance with international norms.
File created: 8/7/2007
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Both Teams Leave Soccer Field in Protest of Racist Chants
In nonviolent resistance news: Both teams decided to leaver the soccer field to protest racist chants against a player named Boateng. Boateng kicks the ball at the offenders, then leads a field-clearing walk-off. While the protest itself brings a happy tear to our eye, seriously you soccer players are always acting so overdramatically hurt:Speak Your MindTell us what you're thinking... and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!

subset: commoncrawl


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Carrie Underwood is becoming one with nature!
During a break from her Blown Away concert tour, the 29-year-old country superstar indulged her need for speed -- by zip-lining with husband Mike Fisher in Idaho.
"Good times," Underwood tweeted in response to an image hubby Fisher, 32, posted to the microblogging site on Monday of the couple donning red helmets and flashing goofy grins and thumbs-up signs after completing their trek.
As hectic as her touring schedule is, Underwood always carves out alone time with her husband of two years. "Because we are so busy, we make our time together count," the singer recently told Us Weekly of her NHL player love, 32. "We go on dates and make sure to make that extra effort."
Staying in touch with Fisher via Twitter when they're away from each other and from home, Underwood says married life is just as blissful as she imagined.
"I couldn't ask for a better husband and best friend," Underwood -- who just nabbed two American Music Awards nominations -- gushes to Us. "I never thought guys like Mike actually existed! He loves me and all of my craziness!"


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TREDEGAR paracyclist Mark Colbourne will go for his third medal at the London 2012 games today, knowing he has the full backing of the Valleys charity he used to work for.
He was roared home to gold last Friday by excited volunteers at the Hospice of the Valleys, the charity based in his home town that both he and his late father, Cecil, supported.
Mark worked as a fundraiser for the charity for 18 months from 2003, arranging two of the hospice's annual Lap of the Lake fun runs, which take place around Bryn Bach Park lake in Tredegar, and raises around £10,000 for the hospice annually.
Helping out at the hospice has been a real family affair, with Mark's late father, Cecil, who died in February of stomach cancer, being fondly remembered by staff at the charity.
Cecil signed up as a volunteer when Mark joined the team.
He drove a van around Blaenau Gwent for almost ten years, collecting donated items and delivering them to the chain of charity shops, and last year played a large part in helping to get the hospice's new shop in Ebbw Vale open on schedule. Just months later, though, he became ill with cancer and was himself a patient at the hospice.
After taking gold on Friday Mark dedicated his win to his father, who he had previously described to the Argus as his best friend.
Helen Morgan, fundraiser for the hospice, who worked with Cecil for several years, added: "Cecil was devoted to his only son and often talked of his bravery in overcoming his injuries after the paragliding accident.
"He was very proud of Mark's achievements ."
Miss Morgan said the whole team had listened to his win on the radio and were looking forward to welcoming him back to Tredegar.


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I tried to search for a word in NAS that I know is used in this translation, but BW tells me that there is no such reference in the current search version.
I am fairly new to BW and this is probably a simple fix.
I would appreciate any suggestions


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Discover Illustrator
Michael Garlandwas inspired to write King Puck when he visited the beautiful Irish town of Killorglin. (He was also inspired by the heavenly Killorglin Golf Club!) He has illustrated several enchanting picture books, including James Patterson's Santakid and his own The Mouse Before Christmas. Most recently, he illustrated Gloria Estefan's The Magically Mysterious Adventures of Noelle the Bulldog and Noelle's Treasure Tale. Michael Garland lives in Patterson, New York, with his wife and three children. He hopes to visit Ireland again very soon.
Michael Garland es un autor y artista ganador de diversos premios y escritor de numerosos best sellers. Ha ilustrado más de veinte libros para niños, uno de los cuales es Las Mágicas y Misteriosas Aventuras de una Bulldog Llamada Noelle, por Gloria Estefan. También ilustró santakid, por James Patterson.
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Attention all PennyStocking Silver subscribers and TIMalert subscribers: you can learn from this:
As you can see from my Profitly profile and brand new account performance charting feature (see 6 other top traders' charts!), I just accomplished this feat on Friday with my decent-if-not-outstanding $3,000ish profit on EntreMed, Inc. (ENMD) (also helped by recent $3,000ish wins on Liquidmetal Technologies, Inc. (LQMT) and ICOP Digital, Inc. (ICOP)
It took me exactly 64 trades and my winning percentage was over 85%…and for those of you wondering what I started with, the answer is approximately $550,000.
So not a huge percentage gain like my Thinkorswim trading account over 3 years (1,000+%), but respectable nonetheless and a great example of what my strategy, as fully outlined in my 10 instructional DVD packages, is all about/capable of.


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found a new home!
Plenty of my friends are looking
for one too. Find a pet to adopt.
I am already neutered, housetrained, up to date with shots, good with kids, good with dogs, and good with cats.
I don't know why but I ended up in the county animal control. Lucky for me, I came to the Haven at the Inn where I will be safe and well cared for until my forever family finds me. Please keep checking back for updated pictures and more information.
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Ahead of tomorrow's match against Toronto FC, dcunited.com caught up with Head Coach, and former D.C. United star, Ryan Nelsen. Nelsen talked about his days in D.C., winning the MLS Cup in 2004 and coaching against his former teammate, and DCU Head Coach, Ben Olsen.
What was it like winning the 2004 MLS Cup here in D.C.?
Ryan Nelsen: "It was a special time. It is still one of my favorite memories, when you win a championship. It was my fourth year, and I kind of knew it was going to be my final one. So to leave United, to leave the club, winning a championship was just so perfect. It was such a great club. The fans were great; the people who were involved in the club were great. We had a couple of tough years, so to finish with that; it was a real special time."
What's it going to be like to coach against Ben [Olsen]?
RN: "Obviously, it will always have a special place in my heart, D.C.—so many friends and so many good memories. But obviously, times move on and everybody moves on. You have a job on hand, and hopefully we can win on Saturday and after the 90 minutes we'll have a glass of wine with Benny Olsen and talk about all those good times from back in the day."
Besides winning the Cup here, what was your favorite memory at RFK?
RN: "There's so many memories—not only just that year that we won it, but the four years I had. It was a special place. The fans always made you feel welcome, and it was always a tough place to play. They were just really passionate people. Again, I was just a young man, so for four years, I just really enjoyed the time there and the Club was a big part of that."
When you were here, you were a player while Kevin Payne was President, and now you're coaching under him. What has that been like?
RN: "It's the same. He's obviously a really passionate guy and he cares about the club. He spent so many years at D.C. It has a big place in his heart—a lot of emotion and a lot of work was put into D.C. United. I saw that as a player, and now as a coach here, I see he wants to bring that kind of work ethic and that kind of passion to Toronto. He is already kind of making his mark at this club."
What motivated you to stop playing and start coaching?
RN: "It was just time, you know. You just know deep down that it's time. Everybody else will tell you their opinion and tell you to keep playing, like if you should keep playing or if you should not, but deep down you just know yourself. Then, this opportunity came, and it was such a huge challenge, and it was really exciting. It still is a challenge and still will be a challenge, but I just knew deep down."
Well, now that you are the coach, can you talk a little bit about what direction you want to take Toronto FC?
RN: "Well, obviously, we've had several years of tough times and kind of interesting decision making. You've just got to have some stability. The clubs been pulled left, right and center—it needs to have some stability. And that takes time; it's hard work. It's hard work to change mentalities and bring squads together with the right attitude and the right work ethic. We're slowly making progress. It's a big job. Eventually, I am 100% confident that Toronto will be one of the best teams in this league."
Awesome, well one last question, more about Saturday's game. Toronto has been giving up some late goals and D.C. United has been giving up some early goals. So, how do you think that will play into the match?
RN: "Maybe we should swap. It's more heartbreaking losing them at the end. It's unfortunate, if we didn't concede in the last couple of minutes, we'd be third in the League in our conference. It's painful. Its something that we address and it's something that we work on. But, I'd be more worried if we were getting smashed in the previous 89 minutes, but we do really well, and we deserve to be in these positions, but we just unfortunately can't see the game over. Once we remedy that then we'll be in a nice position. So, hopefully D.C. United can continue their trend and we can break our trend and that'd be a nice position for us."
Earlier today, members of the media asked Ben Olsen how he felt about coaching against an old friend.
It's going to be interesting seeing Ryan Nelsen on the sideline with you.
Ben Olsen: "You know how I feel about Ryan. I've got an enormous amount of respect for him as a player, and I think he's done a good job there setting the right tone and the right atmosphere around that club. They've got a lot of resources there, and they'll continue to build something hopefully special. It's an organization that I think is important for them to succeed for this league, and I think he will do a good job of making sure that happens."


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The problem is that APPLE is like a broken record. No matter what the question is their answer is always the same.
Need a phone OS? - APPLE
Need a Tablet OS? - APPLE...
WinSuperSite Field Guide for xxxxxxxxxxx
This leaves your name out of it and helps associate the series of books back to the web site. Also gives you the option to replace "Field Guide" for...
SuperSite for Windows
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Chantix, May Cause Serious Heart Side Effects. Tuesday, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, a drug watchdog group, highlighted some serious physical side effects, which may be linked to Chantix, Pfizer's popular smoking-cessation drug.
Chantix has been in the news lately over links to adverse psychiatric issues, drawing more attention to the already beleaguered Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and its questionable drug-safety monitoring practices.
The Institute examined serious adverse side effect reports provided to FDA, including reports of nearly 1,000—988, to be exact—serious injuries linked to Chantix in the U.S. during last year's fourth quarter, a figure higher than any other medication during that same time frame.
The report specifically cites 173 serious events described as accidental injuries, including 28 road accidents and 77 falls as well as 68 cases of blurred vision, 86 cases involving seizures, and 372 reports of movement disorders. The researchers recommended the FDA initiate an epidemiological study to assess potential risks. Chantix was approved in May 2006.
"We have immediate safety concerns about the use of varenicline (Chantix) among persons operating aircraft, trains, buses, and other vehicles, or in other settings where a lapse in alertness or motor control could lead to massive, serious injury," the researchers said in the report.
Chantix has linked to issues connected to psychiatric reactions that include including suicide
Chantix has linked to issues connected to psychiatric reactions that include including suicide; however, this new information discusses links to serious adverse physical reactions such as cardiac episodes, seizures, diabetes, dizziness, loss of consciousness, and abnormal spasms and movements.
On Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) banned Chantix use by pilots and air traffic controllers when the Institute called the FAA's attention to its report. FAA spokesman Les Dorr said the Chantix ban is effective immediately and that it was notifying unions representing pilots and controllers. He said the FAA is unaware of any aviation accident caused or contributed to by Chantix.
An FDA spokeswoman acknowledged that the Institute's study presents safety signals; however, due to FDA staffing shortages, the agency is focusing—for now—on reviewing Chantix's potential psychiatric effects. Pfizer said the report's findings are consistent with the drug's label, which lists many of the events cited in the Institute's report as "infrequent" or "rare."
The FDA has been hotly criticized in recent months for not having strong post-approval tracking of prescription drugs and has been at the core of a number of drug safety issues. Last year, Congress gave the FDA the authority to order drug label changes and conduct more safety studies after several medicines, including Merck & Co.'s Vioxx, were pulled off the market due to safety risks.
Meanwhile, the report issued by the Institute and the FAA ban on Chantix use comes months after the FDA revealed that the connection between Chantix and serious psychiatric problems is "increasingly likely." In the US, 34 Chantix users have reportedly committed suicide.
According to an FDA November 20 Early Communication, its preliminary assessment revealed many of the cases reflected new-onset of depressed mood, suicidal ideation, and changes in emotion and behavior within days to weeks of initiating Chantix treatment.
Need Legal Help Regarding Cessation Drug?
The personal injury attorneys at Parker Waichman LLP offer free, no-obligation case evaluations.
For more information, fill out our online contact form or call 1-800-YOURLAWYER (1-800-968-7529).


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Metta World Peace Defends Dwight Howard
ABC Digital
National Sports
Updated at
(EL SEGUNDO, Calif.) — After a disappointing season, Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace has taken it upon himself to defend center Dwight Howard, saying he's not to blame for the team's poor season.
"I think we put a little too much pressure on Dwight and as responsible leaders, we gave him a little too much responsibility," said World Peace.
"Kobe (Bryant), Paul (Gasol), and myself weren't responsible enough," he added. "We should have been louder voices. So, I take a lot of responsibility and I'm sure Kobe and Pau do also. So next year, we definitely will. We have to be the voice in the locker room consistently."
During the offseason, the Lakers acquired Howard along with point guard Steve Nash, and many thought the Lakers would make a serious playoff run and challenge for an NBA title.
Instead, the team struggled to even make the playoffs. They wound up with the eighth seed while dealing with injuries to Howard, Nash, Paul Gasol, and Kobe Bryant among others. Over the weekend, the Spurs finally put an end to the team's misery.
Howard is a free agent at season's end, and can sign with any team that can afford him.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio


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By Democrat staff
Noted Woodland author Katherine Longshore — who has carved a literary niche by writing romantic historical novels — will unveil the final installment of her tudor England series "Brazen" at the Avid Reader in early June.
Well-known in Woodland, Longshore has been featured at the Friends of the Library for her previous novels "Gilt" and "Tarnish."
Longshore grew up on the coast of Northern California. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in cross-cultural studies and communications from Humboldt State University, planning to travel and write. Four years and six continents later, she went to England for two weeks, stayed five years and discovered history. She now lives in Woodland with her husband, two children.
Longshore will be speaking at Avid Reader, 617 Second St., Davis, at 4 p.m., Saturday, June 7.
"Brazen" is a stand-alone companion novel to "Gilt" and "Tarnish." While her previous novels illuminated the lives of Tudor queens Catherine Howard and the fabled Anne Boleyn, "Brazen" tells the all but unknown story of Mary Howard — the wife of Henry VIII's illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy.
Inspirted by real-life historical events, Longshore typically takes characters from history and brings them to life with authentic and contemorary-feeling teen emotions, dreams and worries.
Together, "Gilt," "Tarnish," and now "Brazen" complete Longshore's picture of the Tudor court, From Henry VIII's rise to power to the twilight of hisreign, the three novels offer a voice to the young women who, through glory and disgrace, bore witness to his tyranny.
"Gilt" was Longshore's debut novel and explored the relationship between Catherine and the king, the liaisons with other men that proved her undoing; as well as her friendship with one Kitty Tylney, her childhood confidant who follows her to court.
In "Brazen," the story is told of Howard, who has always lived in the shadow of her powerful family. But when she's married off to Henry Fitzroy, King Henry VIII's illegitimate son, she rockets into the Tudor court's inner circle. Mary and "Fitz" join a tight clique of rebels who test the boundaries of court's strict rules with their games, dares, and flirtations. The more Mary gets to know Fitz, the harder she falls for him, but is forbidden from seeing him alone.
The rules of court were made to be pushed, but the novel looks at how far those rules can be pushed before they are punished by death.
Publishers Weekly has written that "Longshore will delight fans of British period pieces ? la Downton Abbey as she ... explores two richly detailed worlds."


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As Democrats are making a legislative push for same-sex marriage, a poll released this morning shows that a majority of New Jersey voters supports the measure.
Fifty-two percent of Garden State voters think same-sex couples should have the right to marry, while 42 percent think they should not.
UPDATE: More on the the latest vote count in the state senate, it's close.


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text:
Transcribed by Judy Benson & Ivy Benoit. While I have endeavored to be as correct as humanly possible, there could be some typographical errors
Newfoundland will books volume 12 page 416 probate year 1923
|Will of Willis Wiseman
In re: WILLIS WISEMAN. DECEASED.
I, Willis Wiseman of Little Bay Islands, Newfoundland being of sound mind do hereby make this my last Will and Testament.
© Judy Benson, Ivy Benoit and NL GenWeb


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8 best sources for product recall RSS updates
10 best time travel videogames
10 practical tricks to teach your dog (Thanks Keith!)
10 great ways to text your way into a date (Thanks Donna!)
Top 10 most surprising voiceover cartoon performances (Thanks Lisa!)
Top 10 things to see in Costa Rica (Thanks Ray!)
23 tech tattoos (Thanks Dave!)
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
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The Grammy's: Little Meg's Running Monologue
Here's just a little insight into my thoughts on the 53rd Grammy Awards as it happens.
Why does Christina Aguilera a) need to have her boobs to her chin, b) a god-awful red lip mic stand and c) the ability to remember the words to THIS song but not…well you know.
Jennifer Hudson killed RESPECT!! You go girl!
Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group Winner: Train "Hey Soul Sister". Thanks to Bieber for not being a Duo or Group : ) Funny, Pat!
WTF!! Ricky Martin what are you thinking?! Pants, nacho good!
Lady Gaga performance: Not sure why she has pointy shoulders. Loving "Born This Way"! Performance wasn't as shocking as typical which was a little disappointing but the dance moves were pretty cool.
Miranda Lambert performance: Heels are great! Every time I see Miranda, I want to put her in an appropriate dress. This dress wasn't that bad but she needed some Spanx. I DO appreciate that you can tell she's a I-am-who-I-am kind of girl. She's so classy to thank all the artists that paved the way.
Lenny Kravitz: what the crap was that vest, jacket thingie?
Muse performance: why wasn't Uprising nominated? SUCH a great song!
New Artists performance: B.o.B.'s bringin' the Monocle back! Not sure if I like the black & white retro effect, but I def don't like the 50's version of Grenade. Cheesey, Bruno. Why Janelle threw herself front-first into the crowd, I don't know, but seeing her trying to get back on stage in time was pretty high-larious!
Best Female Country Performance Winner: Miranda Lambert. Yay!
Justin Bieber, Jaden Smith & Usher performance: I have nothing creative or nice to say about the Romper Room portion. Usher's dance moves are amazing! But those pants with the extra room in the crotch are a little distracting.
Best Rock Album Winner: Muse "The Resistance". They won over Pearl Jam, Tom Petty, Neil Young & some guy named Jeff Beck–so not surprising but I'm glad they won. Esp so we could hear the most awkward acceptance speech ever.
Commercial break: Target's putting out some great commercials!
Best Pop Vocal Album Winner: Lady Gaga "The Fame Monster". Now she has a spikey forehead and has changed outfits which accentuates her lady parts and boo-hiney.
What the crap is this David Letterman's Top 10 Grammy Surprises?!
Mumford & Sons, The Avett Brothers, Bob Dylan performance: OMG! I'll have to do some research on Mumford & Avett! Love their sound! I appreciate the intense rockin' out by a banjo and accordion. But poor Bob Dylan! I guess we'll be seeing a tribute video from his next year.
Lady Antebellum performance: nice. but snoozeville.
Miley Cyrus: horrible dress!
Best Country Albm Winner: Lady Antebellum "Need You Now".
Cee Lo Green, Gwyneth Paltrow & the Muppets performance: Most. Bizzare. Performance. Ever. I don't even wanna know why Cee Lo was wearing a chainmail hat and big bird costume. Gwyneth did good and looked so normal it was boring compared to all those crazy Muppet outfits.
Well thank god we came back to Normal Town with Katy Perry's performance!! Loved seeing the home video of her wedding!
Keith Urban, Norah Jones and Johnny Depp, I mean John Mayer's, performance of Jolene in honor of Dolly Parton was great.
Song of the Year Winner: Lady Antebellum "Need You Now".
Eminem, Rihanna, Dr Dre performance: man, Em is SUCH a passionate performer! pretty darn good performance!
Best New Artist Winner: Esperanza Spalding! Holy moly she beat out the Beiber?! Upset of the year!
In Memorium & tribute to Solomon Burke, Mick Jagger's performance: a great example of how little a man can get after years of drugs. His shoes looked really comfy! It was great to see a real musical icon on performing at the Grammy's for the first time.
(I think Bab's performed in here somewhere. I got bored)
Best Rap Album Winner: Eminem "Recovery".
Drake & Rihanna performance: pretty hot. Flamage & grindage!
Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony's Record of the Year intro was just awkward. I guess someone thought it'd be cute for JLo to cut her hubby off & make him seem lame. Poor Marc!
Record of the Year Winner: Lady Antebellum "Need You Now".
Arcade Fire performance: Holy squealing, seizure-inducing craptastic show! It's all fun & games till a cyclist falls off the stage!
Album of the Year Winner: Arcade Fire "The Suburbs". Are you freaking kidding me?!
I'm going to bed.


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This property has been removed by the agent. It may be sold or temporarily removed from the market
3 bedroom terraced house for sale4 Swordmakers Terrace, Shotley Bridge, County Durham
Offers in Region of £350,000
Property Description
Full description
An attractive recently constructed town house with high quality internal finish overlooking the River Derwent.
Strictly by appointment with Smiths Gore Corbridge office.
Important Notice
Whilst every care has been taken in the preparation of these particulars, all interested parties should note:
i) The description and photographs are for guidance only and are not a complete representation of the property.
ii) Plans are not to scale, are for guidance only and do not form part of the contract.
iii) Services and any appliances referred to have not been tested, and cannot be verified as being in working order.
iv) No survey of any part of the property has been carried out by the Vendor or Smiths Gore.
v) Measurements are approximate and must not be relied upon. Maximum appropriate room sizes are generally given, to the nearest 0.1 metres. Outbuildings are measured externally (unless otherwise stated) to the nearest 0.5 metres. For convenience, an approximate Imperial equivalent is also given.
vi) Only those items referred to in the text of these particulars are included.
vii) Nothing in these particulars or any related discussions forms part of any contract unless expressly incorporated within a subsequent written agreement.
More information from this agent
To view this media, please visit the on-line version of this page at www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-18621684.html
Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs)
To view this media, please visit the on-line version of this page at www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-18621684.html
Listing History
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Market Info
Disclaimer - Property reference 10458_1462356. The information displayed about this property comprises a property advertisement. Rightmove.co.uk makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the advertisement or any linked or associated information, and Rightmove has no control over the content. This property advertisement does not constitute property particulars. The information is provided and maintained by Savills, Corbridge. Please contact the selling agent or developer directly to obtain any information which may be available under the terms of The Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 or the Home Report if in relation to a residential property in Scotland.
Map data ©OpenStreetMap contributors.


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An arts centre which showcases experimental art and music is holding an event today to welcome spring.
Fuse Art Space, in Rawson Place, Bradford, is holding its Vernal Equinox event from 3pm till late.
The line-up includeselectronic act Space Dimension Controller, as well performances from Conor Thomas, cult experimental music website Boomkat, Todmorden-based Magpahi, experimental pop act Rough Fields, and a live Skype link-up with Australia for the performance of Bradford and Sydney-based duo Splitty McCheeks.


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Free agent frenzy begins tomorrow morning at 9am and the Canucks will need to find a bargain. Vancouver is already committed to 9 forwards, 5 defencemen and 2 goalies for a total cap hit of $56.8 million. That leaves about $7.5 million of a cap space to spend on 4 forwards and 3 defencemen. That means it's going to be a tight squeeze.
For simplicity, lets assume the Canucks re-sign restricted free agent Chris Tanev to a $2 million contract, re-sign Dale Weise and use college free agent Kellan Lain (signed last season) as their 4th line centre. It sounds like Mason Raymond and Max Lapierre won't be returning. Here's how their roster looks:
Sedin – Sedin – Burrows
Higgins – Kesler – Booth
Hansen – 3rd line C – Kassian
Sestito – Lain – Weise
Extra F
Hamhuis – Bieksa
Garrison – Tanev
Edler – Corrado
Extra D, Extra D
Their greatest need at the moment is a 3rd line centre and they'll have only about $2 million, maybe $2.5 million to spend on one. Ex-Vancouver Giant Jonathon Blum has expressed interest in joining the Canucks, which would be a welcomed addition at a discount (especially when you consider that he is still young and right handed).
Here are the players I think are best suited to be the Canucks third line centre in their price range:
Matt Cullen
Age: 36
Stats: 27 points in 42 games
What he brings: He turns 37 later this year, so clearly Cullen isn't a long term solution, but he might be a nice fill-in for a couple of years until Brendan Gaunce or Bo Horvat develop into 3rd line centres. Cullen has loads of experience, including a Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006. He is very versatile and can play up and down in a team's lineup. He's an excellent faceoff man (54.7% last year) and is awesome in shootouts (44% lifetime). Cullen plays on the power play (he has played the point before in his career) and on the penalty kill. If they can sign Cullen to a 2 year $2.5 million/season deal, I think he would be a good fit.
Saku Koivu
Age: 38
Stats: 27 points in 47 games
What he brings: Koivu enjoyed a bit of a renaissance season of sorts last year as the Ducks' 2nd line centre, but the end of his career is near. I wonder if playing in Vancouver is something he would like, but if he were willing to sign a one year deal to be their third line centre, he is a fit for the Canucks. Even at his advanced age, Koivu killed penalties and played on the power play last year in Anaheim. He was the Ducks' go-to faceoff guy as well, winning 51.4% of his draws. Above all, Koivu brings a lot of experience and increased skill to the Canucks. He would centre the second unit power play and would be a great insurance policy should Henrik Sedin or Ryan Kesler suffer an injury.
*Update: it looks like the Koivu to Vancouver dream is dead.
Matthew Lombardi
Age: 31
Stats: 8 points in 28 games
What he brings: Lombardi doesn't come without risk, but when you're the Canucks and you have limited cap space, you need to be shopping in the clearance section. Lombardi was a very good player that was known for his great speed until injuries began to derail his career in 2010. In the 2009-10 season he put up 53 points with Phoenix. I'm not certain on his physical status now, but if he can play near his old form, he would be worth a look. He is still only 31 years old, so perhaps he can be the player he used to be. Given his struggles the last three seasons, he should come cheap (in the $1 million range).
Boyd Gordon
Age: 29
Stats: 14 points in 48 games
What he brings: Fun fact: when the Canucks re-acquired Trevor Linden from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a 1st round pick, Boyd Gordon was the player that Washington selected with Vancouver's pick. Gordon is a dependable centre that was the Coyotes' top penalty killing forward last season. He receives very little time on the power play, but put up decent numbers the last two seasons (considering he was in a Dave Tippett defensive system). Gordon had 23 points in 75 games 2011-12 and 14 points in 48 games in 2012-13. He's also a dynamo in the faceoff circle, winning 57.3% of his faceoffs. He also led all Coyotes forwards in blocked shots, which should surely endear him to John Tortorella. Gordon is a player that I would commit to for 3 years, if he would sign for $1.5 million-$1.75 million.


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My wife has just seen my credit card receipt and noticed the charges for my new 55" Bravia TV, Sound stage and reclining Pleather arm chair ordered in readiness for Destiny. She has told me, in no uncertain terms, unless I cancel said order and forget all plans of playing Destiny she will pack her bags and leave me. [spoiler]I shall miss her![/spoiler]
Posting in language:
No the sad day would be when she decides to take half of your stuff or straight up sell everything you have while your Not home and then bail seen it before
Posting in language:


text:
List Entry Summary
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Name: CHURCH OF ST MARY
List entry Number: 1322445
The building may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
County: Essex
District: Uttlesford
District Type: District Authority
Parish: Birchanger
National Park: Not applicable to this List entry.
Grade: II*
Date first listed: 21-Feb-1967
Date of most recent amendment: Not applicable to this List entry.
Legacy System Information
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System: LBS
Asset Groupings
This list entry does not comprise part of an Asset Grouping. Asset Groupings are not part of the official record but are added later for information.
List entry Description
Summary of Building
Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.
Reasons for Designation
Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.
Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.
TL 52 SW 25/87 21.2.67 Church of St Mary
2. A small flint and stone building of early C12 origin with an early C13 chancel which is undivided externally from the nave. It was extensively restored in the C19 with an addition to the north side. The round west tower was destroyed in the C18 and there is now a modern bellcote. The nave has a west doorway of circa 1125 (reset) and there is a blocked south doorway of similar date. The tympanum and frieze in each doorway is decorated with saltire crosses. The arch of the south doorway is decorated with foliage scrolls. The chancel has 4 early C13 lancets. Fittings include a C15 font and 7 C15 benches (restored). The organ built by August Gern is the only unspoiled example of his work in the country. Graded for its architectural and historical value. (RCHM 1).
Listing NGR: TL5073022781
Selected Sources
An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Essex North West, (1916)
National Grid Reference: TL 50730 22781
The above map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. For a copy of the full scale map, please see the attached PDF - 1322445 .pdf
The PDF will be generated from our live systems and may take a few minutes to download depending on how busy our servers are. We apologise for this delay.
This copy shows the entry on 20-Sep-2017 at 01:24:01.
End of official listing


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MLK Day Celebration
Dr Reverend James Forbes, senior minister from NYC's Riverside Church, came to the neighborhood last night to deliver the keynote address for Dartmouth's MLK celebration. Rev. Forbes' speech was called "The Source, Scope and Spirit of the Dream," and interestingly, he argued that the scope of the dream included environmental care.
Forbes made a case that we have been trivializing Dr King's dream over the past forty years, and ignoring the spiritual and environmental responsibilities it encompassed. Calling Hurricane Katrina "a CAT scan of the nation," Forbes said that the devestating environmental tragedies of 2005 revealed the depth of MLK's dream in a new and dramatic way.
Forbes cited little known passages of MLK's famous "I Have a Dream" speech that point to his concern about creation care: "I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope."
If Martin Luther King were alive today, would he be preaching the merits of Creation Care?
As an aside, Forbes was honored this November, along with Chelsea Green author Michael Ratner with the Jews For Racial and Economic Justice Risk Taker Award.


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text:
Out-of-this-World TV Service in Newark, NJ with Time Warner Cable
Most of your neighbors in Newark have discovered the great news. Time Warner Cable is their telecommunications service provider! Did you know that 94% of Newark citizens continue to watch television on a traditional screen? That's 265,219 New Jerseyans. Not to worry. There are television packages to suit your needs.
Get the best sports, movies, news and local programming from Time Warner Cable. TWC TV™, which gives you the ability to watch TV or program your DVR from your wireless devices, is available from Time Warner Cable as one of the unique features you'll get as a subscriber.


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I'm going to try and break this down so that the lefties understand. The biggest problem with giving so much responsibility to "the government" is that, in order for them to even attempt to carry out these duties, they must first get their billions of dollars from the citizens. Remember, the government has no money until it is taken from the people.
Now, when the government has all this money, it is not some robotic, unbiased, objective entity that is doling out the cash. The money is controlled by people - biased, emotional, fallible people. Therefore, these people in charge of everyone else's money can funnel it towards the causes they support, and more. Remember, the bigger something is, the harder it is to keep tabs on it and follow up on all the details. This arrangement inevitably results in fantastically large amounts of money being spent on projects and programs that benefit the status quo. What that means is it benefits the people in power, the people who already have control of the money.
For instance, Big Labor extracts money from their members - lots of it - and donates much of it to the Democrats. The Democrats in turn make laws benefitting Big Labor (which means labor bosses mostly) who can then expand their membership and ultimately their coffers. They can then donate even more money to the Democrats to get more Democrats elected, and the vicious cycle continues to grow.
Another example is the millions and millions of dollars going to "public service" or "community service" groups. It would be one thing if these groups really were just doing work in the community. However, time and time again (ACORN is the latest example) these groups are actively doing political work. They use taxpayer money to promote a very specific legislative agenda or politician, who will in turn give them more taxpayer money, and the vicious cycle continues to grow.
Here is a great, real time example. Taxpayer money is going to schools in LA to train them in union organizing and negotiating and striking.
Therefore, what fiscal conservatives and libertarians are trying to say is that the more money the government takes from people, the more opportunity there is for corruption, and more importantly, it turns our representative democracy on its head. When these groups become so big and bloated with other people's money that they hold all the power, then us little guys who have no affiliations end up getting trampled. I believe that the intentions of the founding fathers and the purpose of our Consitution and Bill of Rights were to protect the individual's interests from being run over by giant special interest groups.
I don't understand what is so hard to comprehend about this. Keeping the government coffers small forces them to use the money for what is truly needed, and keeps the little guy from getting trampled by groups that are using his own money to trample him and his voice.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Why Do We Need Limited Government?
Posted by Liberty Belle at Tuesday, September 29, 2009
2 comments:
but but but... we need government to wipe the snot off our noses! =oReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 8, 2011 at 3:38 PM
Beautifully written and accurate. Well done.ReplyDelete
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Despite what day the calendar says it is, we are still very much under a good blanket of snow here. The sun has been shining brilliantly the past few days, however, and if you're lucky and look as hard as you can you may spot small patches of bare ground here and there.
The chickens have decided that enough is enough and have made the brave and bold move of leaving their covered run in search of the only other exposed dirt on the property. They spent all day yesterday in the new and exciting patch.
As for the rest of the yard – it may still be covered in snow, yes, but I assure you it is indeed melting. How can I tell? The patch of blue snow is visible again (Emory was dying something-or-other with blue ink one day and disposed of the leftover dye in the backyard. It was covered with more and more fresh white snow as the winter went on but now, surprise, the blue snow is back – which means we're at about the December mark of snowfall)!
Plus – we're finding treasures in the front yard, like the porch lantern that went missing (at some point it got mistakenly shoveled, along with unprecedented amounts of snow, from the porch to the front yard).
Well, it is the spring equinox today and my original plans were to get going on my list of spring sewing.
The snow is falling, yet again (I'm not kidding folks) and it's cold and grey. Perhaps a head start on the Christmas knitting is more appropriate?


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It's easy to show the world you're a sports fan. Wear a team T-shirt or ball cap, drink from a souvenir cup and plaster bumper stickers on your car. You can even dress the kids up in pint-sized uniforms and cheerleading outfits and tie a sport bandanna around Fido's neck.
But your team spirit needn't stop there. Your home's entrance and front yard can cheer for the players all season long with outdoor decor and plants in color combinations that let the neighbors know your favorite team.
Retailers, mail-order companies and Internet shopping sites offer enough garden accessories, front door paraphernalia and holiday decorations to fill a football field. Add seasonal bedding plants from a local garden retailer — or go all out with foundation and perennial plants that bloom each fall — and you're sure to have a winning team tribute.
Julie Papalardo loves football, especially her alma mater's team: the University of South Florida Bulls. Every football season she creates several dozen college and pro custom wreaths using pennants, game souvenirs, feathers, beads and other decorative items. The one-of-a-kind team wreaths, which retail from $79 to $89, are sold at her Largo store, Julie's Cottage at Provence, and at Beach Papery and Gifts in St. Petersburg.
"I did it on a whim, and it just took off," she says of the first football wreath she created 20 years ago. "It's become a fun thing to do during football season."
University of Florida Gators wreaths have been big sellers for several years, says Papalardo, who also crafts wreaths for the Tampa Bay Bucs, Florida State Seminoles, the USF Bulls and any team requested by a customer. Add a brass or pewter door knocker with your team's athletic logo, and you'll be the No. 1 fan in the neighborhood.
Color commentary
Bedding plants and containers can show your team colors and boost your home's curb appeal. Gators fans have it easy: Blue plumbago and orange ixora shrubbery are in full bloom this month. Add orange-blooming plants, such as impatiens, snapdragons, celosia, geraniums, orange-toned marigolds and crossandra, and your yard will truly be Gator country. For even more fall-time blue color, there's perennial blue daze ground cover, blue pickerel weed, blue porterweed and blue salvia.
Chrysanthemums in crimson and yellow-gold shout "Go, Noles!" when placed in front porch containers or planted along the front walkway. Burgundy coleus, garnet and yellow lantana and yellow varieties of snapdragon, celosia, pansy, marigold, chrysanthemum and petunia are other good choices for FSU fans. Those same yellow varieties mixed with any dark green foliage will do the trick for USF Bulls fans.
There are plenty of red-blooming annuals for Bucs fans, including red impatiens, celosia, dianthus, petunia, salvia and geranium. Numerous landscape shrubs produce bright red flowers throughout the year, such as hibiscus, firecracker plant, jatropha and ixora. True black plants are harder to come by, but there are some deep maroon and chocolate-hued plants, among them ''Blackie'' sweet potato vine, Persian shield, purple fountain grass, ''Black Magic'' elephant ear and chocolate coleus.
Beyond the garden
There are bird baths, bird houses, stepping stones, outdoor bistro sets, door mats, wind chimes, garden gnomes, stained-glass signs, fountains, team flags and more that display team logos and colors (see shopping list at right). Short on cash? Spring for a few cans of spray paint in team colors for pots and garden items you already own.
What if your team goes all the way and makes it to the bowl games this winter? Holiday team wreaths, hologram lawn figures, Santas dressed in team jerseys and fiber optic displays not only celebrate the season, but shout "Go, team!" well into the new year!


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London - A former top executive at Rupert Murdoch's News of the World said Friday he had gone through "hell" after British prosecutors finally cleared him of phone-hacking nearly two years after his arrest.
Neil Wallis, 62, the one-time executive editor and deputy editor of the tabloid newspaper who went on to be a paid advisor for London's Metropolitan Police, was arrested in July 2011 and had been on police bail ever since.
Wallis tweeted on Friday: "After 21 months of hell for my family, CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) have just told my solicitors that there will be NO prosecution of me re my phone-hacking arrest."
Minutes later Alison Levitt, the principal legal advisor to the Director of Public Prosecutions at the CPS, said there was not enough evidence to prosecute a journalist arrested on suspicion of phone-hacking.
"Having carefully considered the matter, the CPS has concluded that there is insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction in relation to that journalist," Levitt said.
The prosecutor did not name Wallis, in line with British legal procedure for suspects who are arrested but have not yet been charged.
Scotland Yard confirmed that a 62-year-old man arrested on July 14, 2011, under Operation Weeting, the police investigation into phone-hacking launched in January 2011, would face no further action.
He had been due to return to a London police station on bail next week.
Wallis's lawyer Phil Smith said the journalist's reputation had been vindicated.
"Since he was arrested at dawn in July 2011, Mr Wallis has been subjected to a terrible ordeal," Smith said in a statement.
"Whilst he is relieved that this is at an end he would now like the opportunity to reconstruct his career and his and his family's personal lives.
"His trauma cannot be overstated but at the end of this affair Mr Wallis' integrity is not only intact but his reputation has been significantly enhanced by his vindication."
Wallis was one of a group of 13 suspects about whom British police passed files to the CPS in June and July 2012.
Eight of those suspects - including former News of the World editors Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson - were charged last year with phone-hacking while three others were told they would not face charges.
Of the remaining two Wallis is now in the clear while one journalist remains on police bail, the CPS said.
Wallis's close ties to the then-head of the Metropolitan Police, Paul Stephenson, led to Stephenson's resignation in July 2011 at the height of the scandal.
British police have made more than two dozen arrests as part of the phone-hacking investigation.
Sixty-one public officials and journalists have been arrested as part of a separate police investigation into illegal payments made in exchange for information.
Murdoch shut down the News of the World in July 2011 amid public outrage in Britain over its activities.
News International, the British newspaper arm of his US-based News Corp. empire, has since paid out millions of pounds in damages to hacking victims.
A judge-led public inquiry into the scandal launched by Prime Minister David Cameron concluded last year that the British press needed a tough new watchdog underpinned by new laws. - Sapa-AFP


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Devil May Cry
Review by FredleyMan
"It's a one-night stand, but a pretty good one...."
Ah, yes. Devil May Cry, the love-child of the minds behind Resident Evil greatness and some truly wonderful fast-paced, fluid, and above all fun gameplay. But how does it stack up on more specific scrutiny?
Graphics 10/10
Wonderful...just wonderful. I mean, up till now it seems I've seen a lot of games that have ''floaty'' graphics where the characters just don't seem to move like real creatures. Granted this game has some ''jaggies'', but seriously, this is the single best-looking game I have ever seen on a console, bottom line. The art design gushes beauty and creativity, with awesome backdrops ranging from a castle to a ghost ship to the Underworld itself. This game looks good people.
Sound 8/10
I really enjoyed the music that went into this game. The riffs played during normal and sub-boss encounters are quite upbeat and suit the action well, and the general bg music is at least adequate. Some of the weapon sound-effects could have used work (I dunno that shotgun sounds kind of like a toy), but generally some ambient sound effects were more than able to set a spooky or adrenaline-pumping atmosphere when needed. Voice acting? er, uh, well.....yeah you know how these Capcom games go as far as dialogue. It might be a bit better than ''YOU, JILL, THE MASTER OF UNLOCKING THINGS'', but not much. Still, the other sounds redeem it enough to earn a respectable 8.
Gameplay 11/10
Seriously people, this is where the game shines. I mean, at first I just got frustrated and threw my controller down. But then again, same thing happened when I played THPS, so I figured, give it a chance. Well, once you buy a couple moves, get the first two weapons, and start learning the rules of combat, it feels less like CONTROLLING Dante and more like him being an extension of you. It really is a zen-like experience, it cant be better described in words but I definitly recommend this game as at least a rent based soley on this excellent gameplay. Sadly, this all brings me to my next point....
Story 1/10
I only gave it a point because I dont feel its right to give a zero when they at least made a story. Really, its that bad. RE had a bad, rehashed story, but this is almost like taking a Greek Myth and then actually getting more vague. One or two plot twists aren't enough to drag this trash out of the cellar. Brutal honesty, thats all.
Replay 3/10
Its really great the first several times. You'll probably want to beat all three difficulties (I DONT COUNT EASY AUTO), which can be a real challenge, especially on ultra hard mode. After that, you might try to get S ranks on all levels, but otherwise, you'll probably lose interest.
DMC is an excellent game and I truly hope to see a sequel. I just hope Capcom has a little more meat on the next drumstick they throw our way. Nice Job, Capcom (Snake eat your heart out)
Reviewer's Rating: 3.5 - Good
Originally Posted: 11/05/01, Updated 11/05/01
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Drown named MVP
The Alexandria girls' hockey team handed out team awards after a season where it finished in sixth place at the Class A state tournament.
Senior forward Melissa Drown received several team awards after she led the team with 20 goals and 12 assists in the regular season. She was named the Cardinals' Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year. Drown also won the Verd Anez award, given to a player who has done a lot for the program.
The award is named after former Alexandria assistant coach Verd Anez, who died in a tragic accident while shoveling snow off a barn during the 2011 season.
Junior forward Micaela Swenson was named to the team's Unsung Hero award, which recognizes a player who did not produce large statistical numbers and is sometimes underappreciated by people outside the team. Swenson scored three goals and assisted on two for the Cardinals this season.
Senior forward Taylor Bollman received the Courtney Walsh award, given to a player who loves being part of the team and always has a smile on their face. The award is given in the name of Courtney Walsh, a player who died unexpectedly after her senior year for the Cardinals.
Junior defenseman Nicole Bartels and Drown were named to the Central Lakes Conference All Conference Team, and senior center Rachel Drew, senior center Taylor Ellingson, sophomore defenseman Lauren Niska and freshman defenseman McKenzie Revering were selected all-conference honorable mention.The Cardinals also received recognition for their achievements in the classroom. Drown was named to the all-state academic team, and the team earned the Section 6A academic championship.


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Nokia Lumia 800 and Lumia 710 are the first Nokia phones running Windows Phone platform. Both smartphones are to be launched in Malaysia in Feb 2012. In this article, you will learn about the Nokia Lumia phones release date, specifications, and prices in Malaysia.
Table of Contents
Malaysia Nokia Lumia release date
LiewCF Tech Blog has invited by Nokia Malaysia to the launch of Nokia Lumia 800 and Lumia 710 in Malaysia at 10 February 2012. We will have a chance to speak to Nokia and Microsoft representatives and get a chance to experience the Nokia Lumia devices. Exciting? Yes, we are!
Check out the Nokia Lumia phones specs below.
Nokia Lumia 710 Specs
Nokia Lumia 710 has 3.7-inch ClearBlack TFT touch-screen display with 800 x 480 resolution. The phone's measurement is 119 mm x 62.4 mm x 12.5 mm, weight only 126 gram. It is powered by 1.4 GHz single-core processor and 512 MB RAM, running Windows Phone 7.5 Mango mobile operating system. The internal storage is 8GB, no slot for micro-SD card.
Lumia 710 has a 5 MP camera with LED flash, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity, micro-USB port. The Windows Phone uses a 1300mAh battery, claims to have a 3G talk time up to 7.6 hours or 6 hours video playback.
Nokia Lumia 710 is available in 2 colours: Black and White. The back cover is interchangeable to different colours: black, white, cyan, fuchsia, and yellow.
Nokia Lumia 800 Specs
Nokia Lumia 800 looks almost identical to Nokia N9, the first and last MeeGo phone. It has curved 3.7″ AMOLED ClearBlack glass touchscreen display with 800 x 480 resolution. Lumia 800 is using the the same 1.4 Ghz processor and 512 MB RAM as Lumia 710. Both smartphones are running Windows Phone 7.5 Mango platform, have 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity, micro-USB port.
Nokia Lumia 800 has 16 GB internal storage, which is 2x more than Lumia 710's. The high-end phone has 8 megapixel camera with a f/2.2 Carl Zeiss lens with dual LED flash. Both Windows Phone can capture 720p video capture at 30 frames-per-second.
Lumia 800 build-in 1450 mAh battery and claims to give you up to 9.5 hours of 3G talk time, or 6.5 hours video playback time. The phone weight 142 gram, measurement is 116.5mm x 61.2 mm x 12.1 mm.
Nokia Lumia video
Malaysia Nokia Lumia Prices
Now still 7 days to the Malaysia Nokia Lumia release date. We haven't get the official recommended retail price yet. However, our friend at MalaysianWireless revealed that Malaysia Nokia Lumia 800 is RM1650 (~USD $546) and Nokia Lumia 710 is RM999 (~USD $330). We would say that's a competitive pricing.
My two cents
Based on the specifications, the only major differences between Lumia 800 (high-end) and Lumia 710 (lower-cost) are the display (AMOLED vs TFT), internal storage space (16GB vs 8GB), and the phone camera (8MP vs 5MP). If you are not mobile-phone-photog, Lumia 710 can save you RM650 to buy other gadgets.
I'll attend the Malaysia Nokia Lumia launch event. Let me know if you have any questions regarding the Nokia Lumia phones. Please follow me on twitter and facebook fan page for the upcoming updates.


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Don't miss a story. Like us on Facebook. Like Dallas News' Facebook Page
I was happy Thursday when President Barack Obama announced he was giving Chicago Cubs legend and Hall of Famer Ernie Banks the prestigious Medal of Freedom.
For those of you who don't know, Mr. Cub is from Dallas, so the announcement should be big news in Big D.
I'm a little surprised that Obama, a self-described fan of the terrible Chicago White Sox, would give Banks the highest civilian honor in the nation. Usually Sox fans can't get over the fact that Chicago is a Cubs town.
But Obama rose above his loyalty to the Sox and did the right thing.
Now it's time for the president to take the next step. He should become a Cubs fan.
Congratulations, Mr. Cub. You deserve it.
Next year Obama should give a medal to my hero, the great Billy Williams.
Go Cubs, go.


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Around this time of year, as I look toward the new year and think about all of the gazillion Christmas cookies that I just ate, I crave light, healthful and easy home cooked meals.
I've started cooking with dried beans more. White beans - great Northern or cannellini beans - seem to by my family's preferred bean. I especially like how taking out some of the cooked beans from a soup, pureeing them and then adding them back in can make for a thicker, creamier soup.
The slow cooker is the perfect pot for a dish like this. You basically throw it all in one pot, set it to cook and ladle it out when it's ready hours later.
I had some kale on hand and found this recipe for a super simple white bean and kale slow cooker soup. I made a couple of changes. The recipe from My Humble Kitchen recommended that the beans soak for two days. I've never soaked beans for more than overnight. Sometimes I don't soak them at all.
For this recipe, I soaked them for about six hours and they came out just fine. I doubled the amount of beans and broth that I pureed because I wanted a heartier, less brothy soup. And I used six cloves of garlic because I just like a lot of garlic flavor.
Slow Cooker Kale and White Bean Soup
Adapted from My Humble Kitchen
8 cups water
2 cups, dried, great northern white beans, soaked overnight
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
Throw these ingredients in your slow cooker and cook on low for eight hours. After the eight hours are up, take two cups of cooked beans and two cups of broth and puree in a blender or food processor.
Toward the end of the cooking time, you'll want to prepare the kale.
Here's what you do:
Ingredients for kale mixture
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large handfuls of kale
6 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
bean and broth puree
1 teaspoon salt
Heat the oil in a sauce pan and add the kale and garlic. Cook it down for about three minutes. Then add the bean and broth puree and salt and cook that all together for about 3 minutes.
Throw the kale and garlic mixture back into the slow cooker. Give it a really good stir and serve. It tastes delicious with some grated Parmesan cheese on top. Serve with some good bread and a salad.
It's a healthy and hearty meal.
Go Ask Mom features recipes every Friday. For more, go to WRAL.com's recipe database.