text:
CHIPPENHAM captain Lee Ward is hoping that the Glos/Wilts Division relegation battle will be settled without the interference of the elements.
The Hardenhuish Park men find themselves eighth in the table, just seven points ahead of the drop zone, after last weekend's 23-run loss at county rivals Warminster.
Ward saw plenty of positives in his side's performance on Saturday and has his fingers crossed that Chippenham will be given every chance to secure their place in the division.
"There are four games left and I really hope that the weather doesn't play a part in it – hopefully we get to play every game and the teams that deserve to stay up, stay in the division," said Ward.
"It's been a really strange league this year. The teams near the bottom have done really well against the sides at the top of the table and then lost to the ones around them.
"It has done a lot for the competitiveness of the league and we'll try and get some consistency in our last four games. We've still got to play a game against Westbury, which will be really important, but we've also got to do our best in the other ones too.
"We know what we did wrong last weekend. Pete Hickerton batted really well last weekend but we bowled to him in the wrong areas. But there were still some good batting displays from us and we gave it a right go."
Chippenham put their hosts in to bat first after winning the toss but Pete Hickerton drove Warminster to 251-8, as he smashed an unbeaten 134 from 114 deliveries.
Paul Bates (63) and Jack Humphreys (45) did their best to launch a fightback but the home bowlers did enough to sufficiently turn the screw, with Rory Cullinan bowling ten overs for just 13 runs as Chippenham fell short on 228-9.
Elsewhere, there was disappointment for Biddestone as they slipped to a crushing nine-wicket loss at struggling Westbury.
The hosts opted to bowl first after winning the toss and tore through Jamie Mitchell's men, with David Wade (4-23) and Simon Rose (3-27) doing the bulk of the damage.
Biddestone's Andy Flynn (28) and Dwaine Perry (22) were the only visiting batsmen to reach double figures as Mitchell's men were dismissed for just 98 early in the 43rd over.
Rose (41 not out) then saw Westbury over the line as the weather threatened, with the home side reaching 72-1 in little over 13 overs.
MORE SPORTS NEWS AND REACTION IN THIS THURSDAY'S GAZETTE AND HERALD. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @gazsport


text:
The U.S. House of Representatives agreed on Friday to attach $1.3 billion in tax breaks for small businesses to legislation that would raise the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour over two years. As originally drafted, the bill did not contain any tax proposals, but it became stalled in the Senate where Republicans want to attach an $8.3 billion package of business tax breaks and revenue increases to the legislation.
Both House and Senate measures extend the Work Opportunity Tax Credit for employers who hire welfare recipients and other disadvantaged persons and include new rules for business expenses. Unlike the Senate bill, however, the House measure gives restaurant owners who might be hurt by the minimum wage hike, a break on how they calculate deductions for Social Security taxes paid on tips, the Associated Press reported.
The two bills also differ in how they would raise revenue to pay for the tax credits. The House bill proposes closing a loophole that permits taxpayers to shift income to children who would pay tax on capital gains and dividends at a lower rate. The Senate bill puts some restrictions on deferred compensation for executives and eliminates deductions for payments in lawsuits. The Senate bill also extends a $100,000 write-off for equipment spending for one year.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D- Mont.) said that House and Senate negotiators could negotiate a final bill in two or three weeks. âThe minimum wage provision is going to trump all of this and is going to drive us to get this thing done pretty quickly,â he said according to the AP.
Calling the House package âpuny,â Senator Charles Grassley (R. Iowa) said he was wanted a âwin, win, winâ provision that raised wages, helped small business and generated tax revenue, PalmBeachPost.com reports.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce supports the House version of the minimum wage bill because it objects to the elimination of tax deductions on some forms of executive compensation and on the cost of settling lawsuits in the Senate version, the New York Times reported. Small business groups support the Senate version.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Gauge/Transmitter, Vac to 60 psi, 1/2 In
WEISS| Zoro #: G0168271| Mfr #: DUGY2-0060-2L-T
Zoro #: G0168271Mfr. Part #: DUGY2-0060-2L-T
$418.00 /ea
This item ships free. DetailsStandard ground shipping
Technical Specifications
|Zoro #: G0168271 Mfr #: DUGY2-0060-2L-T
|Basic Gauge Case Material: Plastic
|Series: DUG
|Basic Gauge Wetted Parts: Stainless Steel
|Socket Material: 316 Stainless Steel
|Gauge Nominal Dial Size: 4-1/2"
|Gauge Operating Temp. Range: -15 Degrees to 150 Degrees F
|Powered By: Light, Minimum 10 Lux
|Includes: Instructions
|Agency Compliance: ASME B40.7
|Case Color: Black
|Features: Self Powered, No Battery Required, Weatherproof IP65
|Case Material: Glass Reinforced Thermo Plastic
|Number of Display Digits: 4
|Gauge Connection Type: MNPT
|Display: LCD
|Resolution: 1/4% First Half of Range, 1/2% Upper Half of Range
|Gauge Connection Location: Bottom
|Calibration Certificate: No
|Loop Resistance: Dependent on Loop Supply Voltage
|Item: Digital Compound Gauge with Transmitter
|Output: 4 to 20ma
|Digital Gauge Accuracy: +/-0.50% Full Scale
|Gauge Primary Range Units: In. Hg/psi
|Gauge Primary Range Values: 30 to 0 to 60
|Gauge Connection Size: 1/2"
|Manufacturers Warranty Length: 1 year
|Gauge Transmitter Required Power: 9 to 35VDC
|Range: 30" Hg Vac to 60 psi
|Digital Gauge with Transmitter Type: Digital Compound Gauge with Transmitter
|Country of Origin (subject to change): United States
Product Description
Digital Gauge/Transmitter, Dial Size 4 1/2 In, Range 30 In Hg Vac to 60 psi, Connection Size 1/2 In NPT, Connection Location Lower, Accuracy +/-0.5 %, Socket Material 316 Stainless Steel, Case Material Thermoplastic, Case Color Black, Display 4 Digit LCD, Display Units PSI, kPa, Kilograms per Centimeter Squared, Bar, Powered By Light, Operating Temp. Range -15 to 150 F, Output 4 to 20 mA, Power Required 9 to 35 VDC, Includes Instructions


text:
KINSTON -- Cicero Hamilton of Kinston died Sunday.
The funeral will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at Saint James Methodist Church in Kinston.
He is survived by his wife, Doris Hamilton of Kinston; a son, Gerald Hamilton of Goldsboro; two daughters-in-law, Naomi Hamilton and Etta Hamilton of Goldsboro; and five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a son, Marvin Hamilton of Goldsboro.
Published in Obituaries on April 28, 2004 1:43 PM


text:
Dayton narrows council candidate field to 4
Voters in Dayton turned out to vote for their two top choices for the two open seats on the council this year. The top four vote getters will continue in the race. They were Eric Lucero with 323 votes (30.91 percent); James Jadwin with 186 votes (17.8 percent); Phil Forseth 162 votes (15.5 percent); and Scott Salonek with 159 votes (15.22 percent).
The remaining candidates each received less than 10 percent of the vote and with the lowest votes are no longer eligible for the general election.
The mayoral seat is also open this year but with only two candidates in the race, no primary election was necessary.
Rogers voters narrow field of city council candidates
The primary election results are in for Rogers.
Up for election is the two-year mayoral term belonging to former Mayor Jason Grimm (relocated to Florida), and two four-year city council seats belonging to Jay Bunting and Rob Bell.
In the mayoral primary, Bunting (who is the interim mayor) received the most votes, at 491. He will be joined on the general election ballot by the second top vote getter, Bob Ivey, who received 303 votes. Also receiving votes for mayor were Megan Reilly, 114 votes, and James Sarkilahti, 15 votes.
For city council, former councilor Darren Jakel received the most votes at 303; current councilor Don Hall (appointed to replace Jason Grimm's vacancy) was second with 282 votes; Garrett McConnach received 276 votes; and Steve Swanson garnered 157 votes. Jakel, Hall, McConnach and Swanson will thus be the four candidates on the ballot for the two council seats.
Also receiving primary votes for city council were current councilor Rob Bell, 152 votes; Bill Boettner, 130 votes; Micheal Iwanok, 116 votes; Dick Martin, 100 votes; Dave Braesch, 38 votes; and Roger Allen Brown, 23 votes.
Senate District 33
In a very tight race to see who will represent the GOP in November's election, it appears as though Dave Osmek has won the Senate District 33 GOP primary.
With 39 of 39 precincts reporting, Osmek has received 2,885 votes, compared to 2,778 for Connie Doepke.
Osmek was the GOP-endorsed candidate in the race, receiving the endorsement earlier this year over Doepke, who is the current House District 33B representative.
Provided there are no changes in the numbers, Osmek will now move on to the Nov. 6 election to face DFL candidate Judy Rogosheske.
Whomever wins in November will take over the seat of Sen. Gen Olson, who will retire at the end of the year.
Senate District 33 includes the cities of Corcoran, Deephaven, Excelsior, Greenfield, Greenwood, Independence, Long Lake, Loretto, Maple Plain, Medina, Minnetonka Beach, Minnetrista, Mound, Orono, Shorewood, Spring Park, St. Bonifacius, Tonka Bay, Wayzata and parts of Chanhassen.
It appears Penny Steele garnered the most votes of the four candidates vying for the district one seat with 48 percent or 3426 total votes. Incumbent Sara Wyatt received 22 percent or 1559 total votes. Steele and Wyatt will be on the Nov. 6 ballot contending for the District one seat.
Incumbent misses cut in Three Rivers Park District Board of Commissioners — District 2
Rick Theisen received the most votes of the three candidates contending for the District two seat with 43 percent of the votes or 2344 total votes. Jennifer DeJournett received 29 percent or 1572 total votes. Theisen and Dejournett will be on the Nov. 6 ballot contending for the District two seat. Incumbent Marilynn Corcoran appears to have lost her seat with 1551 total votes.
Hennepin County Board District 1
Incumbent Commissioner Mike Opat will face Chris Rains in the November election to represent District 1 on the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners. Candidate Joy Marsh Stevens didn't survive the Aug. primary.
With all precincts reporting the evening of Aug. 14, Opat had 5,082 votes, or 55.38 percent. Rains had received 2,865 votes, or 31.22 percent, and Stephens had garnered only 1,229 votes, or 13.39 percent. Results will become official when the Hennepin County Board canvasses the results.
Opat, a Robbinsdale resident, has served as District 1's commissioner since 1992. Rains lives in Brooklyn Park and works as a Real Estate broker and retail storeowner. He has not run for office before.
Stephens, who will not appear on the November ballot, lives in Brooklyn Park and works as a project manager-process improvement manager for UnitedHealth Group.
Hennepin County District 1 includes all or parts of Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Minneapolis, New Hope, Osseo and Robbinsdale.
Wright County Dist. 4 voters narrow field
The primary vote is in for Wright County Dist. 4 Commissioner.
This is a new district that includes Precinct 1A in St. Michael (west of County Rd. 19), Albertville, Hanover, Rockford and Rockford Township.
Mary Wetter of Rockford Township received the most votes, at 229. Mike Potter of Albertville received 199 votes and will face Wetter in the general election.
Also receiving votes were David Dayon of St. Michael, 184 votes; Michael Beyer of Rockford, 147 votes; and Matt Walker of Rockford Township, 137 votes.
Wozniak to face Borrell in Wright Co. 5th District
Wright County voters have decided that Richard "Dick" Mattson will not return to the Wright County Board in 2013. By a narrow margin, Mattson lost his bid for a spot on the ballot in the Nov. 6 General Election in the race for the County Commissioner's seat in the new Fifth District. He had served since 1992 as commissioner for the old Fifth District. He lives south of Buffalo in Marysville Township.
Charlie Borrell, who lives in Woodland Township near Howard Lake, was the top vote getter with 367 votes. He will face on Nov. 6 Leonard Wozniak, of Cokato, who drew 340 votes. Mattson came in third with 313 votes, but only the top two vote getters will be on the November ballot.
Borrell, Wozniak and Mattson easily surpassed five other candidates for the Fifth District seat — three of whom were from Delano. Dan Vick attracted 247 votes; Larry Bartels, 132 votes and Paul Schoborg, 28 votes. Schoborg had withdrawn from the election too late to have his name removed from the ballot. Results for the other candidates are Vickie Nibbe, 175 votes and Tom LaPlant, 36 votes.
The new Fifth District spans southern Wright County and includes Delano, which formerly was located in the Third District. Jack Russek, of Delano, is retiring from the Wright County Board after representing the Third District since 1992.
Incumbent Rep. Erik Paulsen handily wins Republican primary for 3rd Congressional District
Garnering more than 90 percent of the vote, U.S. Congressman Erik Paulsen held a commanding lead over challenger John W. Howard III in the Republican U.S. Congressional Dist. 3 Primary Election Aug. 14. Paulsen earned 18,762 votes (90.19 percent) to Howard's 2,032 (9.81 percent). Paulsen will face DFLer Brian Barnes in the General Election in November.
Bachmann outdistances two opponents in 6th Congressional District
Michele Bachmann, of Stillwater, garnered 80.35 percent of the vote in the three-way race for the Republican spot on the ballot in the 6th Congressional District.
Bachmann drew 14,569 votes. Stephen Thompson attracted 2,322 votes (12.81 percent), and Aubrey Immelman attracted 1,242 votes (6.85 percent).
In the Democratic primary, Jim Graves ran unopposed and received 8,600 votes.
In this area, the 6th District includes St. Michael, Albertville, Hanover, Delano, Rockford and Rockford Township.


text:
SANTA FE, N.M. — There is a new wrinkle in the debate over driver's licenses for illegal immigrants: what to do about licenses for young people who are in the country unlawfully but have been given temporary reprieves from deportation under President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Currently, young illegal immigrants, like others unlawfully in this country, can obtain New Mexico driver's licenses if they provide proof of residency. That's the result of a New Mexico law enacted in 2003 that permits foreign nationals to obtain licenses regardless of immigrant status.
But Gov. Susana Martinez has been pushing to do away with licenses for illegal immigrants, and the issue will be back before the Legislature when it convenes in January.
Obama's new program Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, will certainly complicate the debate.
Now, any bill to repeal driver's licenses for illegal immigrants will have to deal with whether to exempt young people with deferred deportations and allow them to continue to obtain licenses.
There also is a question whether an exemption would comply with Real ID, the federal law tightening standards for driver's licenses and state-issued ID cards.
Martinez spokesman Enrique Knell said the administration is examining the issue.
"There are legal questions and debates about whether those illegal immigrants who are under the temporary deferred action program are considered to have legal status," Knell said. "This lack of clarity is certainly a byproduct of Washington's failure to address issues of immigration reform."
According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, there is no question about the immigration status of young illegal immigrants who have had their deportations deferred.
"Deferred action does not confer any lawful status," Immigration Services says on its website.
Under DACA, implemented this summer, illegal immigrants who came here before age 16 and were under the age of 31 as of June 15 can apply to have their deportations deferred for two years if they have a GED, are in school or are honorably discharged military veterans. Two-year deferrals can be renewed.
Illegal immigrants convicted of felonies and some other crimes aren't eligible for DACA.
Immigrants approved for the program are authorized to work in this country and obtain Social Security cards despite not having lawful immigration status.
So far, program applications from more than 53,000 immigrants have been approved, and nearly 125,000 more applications were under review as of mid-November, according to the Citizenship and Immigration Services. The agency hasn't released application numbers for New Mexico.
The issue of what to do about driver's licenses for young immigrants in the DACA program has already surfaced in several states, at times with controversy, according to Stateline, the news service of the Pew Center on the States.
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has announced her state won't issue driver's licenses to DACA participants but now faces a legal challenge from the American Civil Liberties Union and others.
In Michigan, the secretary of state also has barred DACA participants from obtaining licenses, according to Stateline.
But in some other states, like Texas, the work authorization forms and Social Security cards given to program participants will be enough for DACA participants to get driver's licenses even though those states don't specifically allow licenses for illegal immigrants.
So far, California is the only state that has enacted a law to explicitly permit driver's licenses for DACA participants, Stateline reported.
UpFront is a daily front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to Thom Cole at email@example.com or 505-992-6280 in Santa Fe. Go to www.abqjournal.com/letters/new to submit a letter to the editor.


text:
Majority emerges to put Pinellas rail on ballot
Despite skepticism in some quarters on its chances, a majority of Pinellas County Commissioners have lined up behind a ballot measure in 2013 or 2014 for a sales tax to pay for rail and more buses.
Commissioner Neil Brickfield said Monday he will support it, joining Commissioners Ken Welch, Susan Latvala and Norm Roche (who opposes rail but not a referendum).
"There's a lot of stops along the way. It's out in the community and we're looking. ... If its fully formed, I'm voing to vote for it to be on the ballot," said Brickfield, a Republican up for re-election this year.
"This is a long term, expensive investment that could possibly change the development in the county."
But it's too early to say when the ballot measure will appear, Brickfield said. The push for a 2013 vote is driving by the financial needs of Pinellas Suncoast Transity Authority, whose property tax revenue has fallen. Meanwhile, Brickfield said transit supporters need to nail down their facts to avoid the questions that doomed a 2010 referendum.
"If we put it there, and there are items of doubt, that will put a shadow over it," Brickfield said.


text:
St. Clair City Attorney Kurt Voss said he has been down this road before.
At the request of the board of aldermen, Voss will begin the process of taking legal action against 18 businesses after he was forwarded a list naming those which have not obtained their 2014 operating licenses.
The matter came up during the board's meeting Tuesday night in city hall.
"I'll send them a letter," Voss said, adding that if the letter does not produce an operating license he will begin legal proceedings.
A business license in St. Clair costs $50 a year. The deadline for businesses within the city limits to obtain their operating license was Jan. 31.
The unanimously approved motion directs Voss first to send the letter to the businesses in violation saying that if they do not obtain their license within another 30 days, legal action will be taken.
Last year, the aldermen approved an ordinance amending Chapter 13, Section 8 of the city's code of ordinances regarding penalties for failing to purchase or renew a business license.
The amended ordinance states that "any person, company, firm or corporation or other business licensee ... which shall fail to purchase or renew a previously purchased business license on or before Jan. 31 of each year shall be subject to a penalty for late payment of said fee of 5 percent for each month or portion of a month that said license fee remains unpaid up to a maximum of 25 percent on the aggregate in addition to any other penalty prescribed by law."
The ordinance also states that any violations will be deemed a misdemeanor and upon conviction "shall be punished by a fine of not less than $10 or more than $500 in addition to any other penalties prescribed herein. Each day of failure to comply or that such violation continues shall be deemed a separate offense."
That means a business operating without a license in the city limits could be fined $500 a day until the license is obtained.
"Fifty dollars for a business license is pretty cheap," Voss said on Tuesday night.
The business also can be ordered to cease operations "until such business obtains a license and pays all applicable delinquent fees and fines."
As of Friday morning, there were 18 businesses still in violation. Originally, there were 24 on the list presented Tuesday night, but the number dwindled as the week progressed.
The 18 who have not acquired their 2014 business license are AFI Automotive, Custom Cellular, Domino's Pizza, Fast Formliners Inc., Firehouse Signs & Design, Forever Photos, Franklin County Towing, the Insurance Center, Karen's Corner Closet, Larry's Automotive & Quick Lube, McCullough's Cleaners, Michelle's School of Dance, Poor Boyz Recycling, Priced Right Consignment, Rivers Edge Products, Tork Ltd., Tres Torinos Mexican Restaurant and Undercar Perfection.
A year ago, AFI Automotive, Domino's Pizza, Firehouse Signs & Design, Karen's Corner Closet, McCullough's Cleaners, and River's Edge Products were on the same initial delinquent list.
Last year at this time, 28 businesses were in noncompliance. Two years ago, the number was 64.


text:
The Cafeteria of Catawba Valley Community College provides sustainable food and healthy options for students, faculty and staff.
Welcome to The CVCC Cafeteria. We have a new expanded Cafeteria Menu of Starbucks coffee, homemade biscuits and gravy for breakfast, a variation of breakfast biscuits and muffins. The lunch menu has chicken salad, tuna salad croissants, homemade soups, healthy wraps, fruit, yogurt, salads and more. Come by and check us out.
The CVCC Cafeteria is located inside the CVCC Student Center. » See CVCC Campus Map.
Chick-fil-A days are now on Mondays!
Open 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM
Friday 7:30 AM to 3:00 PM
Sustainable Seafood - Protecting our oceans.
The Compass sustainable seafood program meets the MontereyBay Aquarium's sustainable seafood guidelines.
Our Milk is free of artificial growth hormones.


text:
Worldwide Locations
A woman uses her feet to stomp on and clean a giant bucket of laundry in Yawnghwe, Myanmar on October 24, 2015. (Eric Montfort/Flickr)
An aerial view of buildings in all shapes and sizes in Hyderabad, India on November 3, 2015. (Rajesh_India/Flickr)
Two Asian antelopes, known as nilgai, gallop through Ranthambore National Park in Sawai Madhopur, India on October 22, 2015. (Srikaanth Sekar/Flickr)
Dancers dressed in vibrant costumes perform at the Closing Ceremony of 6th CISM World Games in Mungyeong-Si, South Korea on October 11, 2015. (Ministério da Defesa/Flickr)
A small brown bird with black streaks on its wing perched on the slender branch of a plant in Bangladesh. Photographed on October 9, 2015. (Tareq Uddin Ahmed/Flickr)
The Tian Tan Buddha sits atop a hill surrounded by lush trees in Hong Kong. Photographed on October 12, 2015. (Joe Hunt/Flickr)
A bird prepares to fly off from a dock by the water in Sabah, Malaysia on October 13, 2015. (Phalinn Ooi/Flickr)
Thousands of fruit bats emerge from the mangroves at twilight in search of food in Komodo National Park, Indonesia on October 16, 2015. (Marc/Flickr)
A look at the preparations and celebrations associated with the sacred Hindu holiday.
The sky turns a pastel shade of purple as the sun sets over Siem Reap, Cambodia on October 11, 2015. (tyler sprague/Flickr)
©2017 Asia Society | Privacy Statement | About AsiaSociety.org | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap | Contact
Asia Society takes no institutional position on policy issues and has no affiliation with any government. All views expressed in its publications and on its website are the sole responsibility of the author or authors.


text:
It was Las Vegas' answer to the tent revival, only the sermon espoused cool, rational thinking and the preachers included two celebrity poker players. The topic at hand last Friday: how you can apply poker strategies to everyday negotiations, from buying a car to arguing for a raise. The few hundred who gathered at Cox Pavilion for the panel discussion spanned the gamut of age and means, echoing the come-as-you-are ethos of Southern Baptists and seeking some of the same answers—namely, the keys to prosperity.
The panel was headlined by reality TV firebrand Annie Duke and her poker-playing brother, Howard Lederer. Both testified to the advantages of thinking in terms of odds and "expected value"—what a given proposition is likely to yield. The difficult part, they said, is assessing that value. Which is why the first rule of both poker and negotiating is to glean as much information as you can about the other side's hand. Fellow panelist and former casino owner Jack Binion explained, "In poker, a guy's talking with his bets, and in negotiation, he's just talking. If you really listen, he will start giving you a lot of information." Lederer confided afterward that he's never not playing poker.
One of the best ways to "put your opponent on" a hand (or a price), the panel agreed, is to make sure you go last. This is known as "position" in poker and often determines whether you'll pursue a pot. "Be smarter than my 7-year-old," Duke advised, recalling a pseudo-negotiation between her daughter and a classmate. Asked whether she likes Hannah Montana, the young Duke said: "I don't know ... do you?" After a few audience members posed irrelevant questions, Duke circled back to a basic negotiating tip we'd all do well to remember: "In general, when people say, 'Well, this is my final offer,' it usually isn't ... and when people are really trying to act strong, they're usually not."


text:
Obama's Weekly Address: Yet Another Call For Compromise On The Sequester
By: ABC Digital
Updated at
(WASHINGTON) — The morning after $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts kicked in, President Obama is calling once more for lawmakers to compromise to halt the damaging impact the sequester will have on the nation's economy.
"These cuts are not smart. They will hurt our economy and cost us jobs. And Congress can turn them off at any time – as soon as both sides are willing to compromise," Obama says in his weekly address.
The president warns that "not everyone will feel the pain of these cuts right away" but that "the pain will be real."
"Beginning this week, businesses that work with the military will have to lay folks off. Communities near military bases will take a serious blow. Hundreds of thousands of Americans who serve their country – Border Patrol agents, FBI agents, civilians who work for the Defense Department – will see their wages cut and their hours reduced," he explains.
"Here's the thing: none of this is necessary," he says. "It's happening because Republicans in Congress chose this outcome over closing a single wasteful tax loophole that helps reduce the deficit. Just this week, they decided that protecting special interest tax breaks for the well-off and well-connected is more important than protecting our military and middle-class families from these cuts."
The president is calling for a "balanced approach" of spending cuts and tax increases to replace the sequester. Republicans, however, insist that new tax revenue is off the table.
"I know there are Republicans in Congress who would actually rather see tax loopholes closed than let these cuts go through. And I know there are Democrats who'd rather do smart entitlement reform than let these cuts go through. There's a caucus of common sense. And I'm going to keep reaching out to them to fix this for good," Obama concludes.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio


text:
Editors' Note: Clicking on the Download Now (Visit Site) button above will open a connection to a third-party site. Download.com cannot completely ensure the security of the software hosted on third-party sites.
Sponsored Products
|Developer Tools
|Web Development Software
Publisher's Description+
From GameYard.com: Cloner 3D is a nice and hooking educational 3D arcade game. This game has no analogs in the game world yet. There are four game modes: Strategy, Arcade, Strategy Molecule and Arcade Molecule. Your goal is different in them. In the first two your aim is to destroy the growing molecule that tries to fill all the free space. The last two modes have quite an opposite goal: you need to create a molecule given in the beginning of the level.
read more +


text:
Trust a bank like a fox in a henhouse
People are credulous beings. We are prepared to believe anything made by bees has healing powers, that we understand what "potentiated" means, or that bankers have our interests at heart.
How else to explain the apparent popularity of interest-rate swaps - financial instruments so complex you would expect the total market to comprise only deeply indebted maths graduates?
Yet it seems the big banks managed to persuade a whole bunch of farmers these things were useful enhancements to their woefully simplistic business plans.
As a sales achievement, it's right up there with shipping snow to Eskimos.
Unfortunately, interest-rate swaps have done serious harm to many farmers. The sale of swaps in New Zealand mirrors a scandal in Britain where banks have reportedly put aside £630 million (NZ$1223m) to compensate clients wrongly sold interest-rate swaps.
There, a parliamentary committee on banking standards was formed to consider the issue and the Financial Services Authority stepped in to help customers get redress.
Here, Federated Farmers president Bruce Wills has said farmers who suffered from using swaps have only themselves to blame. "At the end of the day I'm a great believer in buyer beware and personal responsibility," he told interest.co.nz.
Wills should get a new job.
Chalkie reckons the farmers were screwed over - that the interest-rate swaps were sold primarily to protect the banks, not the farmers, and that the detrimental effects on farmers were predictable.
Since the scandal emerged it has been regularly remarked that farmers did not understand what they were getting into, and no wonder. Thinking about interest-rate swaps for even a short time can cause pain and dizziness.
Basically: Party A has borrowed $1m at a fixed interest rate; Party B has borrowed $1m at a variable rate. For whatever reason, A decides it would rather pay variable and B decides it would rather pay fixed.
Accordingly, they agree to swap. Because each has borrowed $1m, no capital changes hands - all that happens is they contract to pay each other's interest.
In terms of cashflows, while each keeps the original debt obligations, the swap is achieved by each paying or receiving the difference between the two rates.
In swap contracts, the "swap rate" is the fixed rate a counterparty requires in exchange for their variable cashflows.
But why would they want to swap? The reasons might go something like this:
A business has a borrowing facility linked to the 90-day bank bill rate, which has been rising. It would like to ensure its interest costs don't get out of hand, but it can't alter the terms of the borrowing facility.
Another business has a fixed-rate term loan. A break fee prevents it exiting the fixed deal, but it thinks the variable rate has peaked and is likely to fall so it could save money by changing to variable.
Those reasons are hypothetical, but it should be apparent that an interest-rate swap is a two-way deal where, in the end, one side may do better than the other.
If interest rates fall, the one with the fixed rate is paying more than they otherwise would. If rates rise, the fixed rate payer has successfully limited their costs.
However, that's just the basic scenario.
In one example Chalkie has seen, the farmer's counterparties were ANZ National Bank, as it then was, and its subsidiary NBNZ Rural.
In a 17-page powerpoint document attempting to explain the swap deal, the bank's salesman presents it as a hedge to keep the farmer's interest costs fixed.
The pitch emphasised the upward trajectory of interest rates and said the contracts were "tradable [sic] instruments and provide a quick entry and exit from the market".
It appears the bank made money by charging a spread on the swap rate, while its rural lending unit took a margin on the variable loan. Another way to describe this is to have one's cake and eat it.
But while there's nothing unusual about a bank figuring out another way to clip the ticket, Chalkie reckons there is something unusual about the timing.
According to reports from the farming community, these swaps were sold mainly in 2007 and 2008, which is odd, because that means even as banks were stressing the value of hedging against the risk of rising interest rates, their own forecasts saw rates falling.
For example, ANZ's quarterly economic forecasts dated February 2007 saw the 90-day bill rate peaking that June and falling thereafter. The two-year and five-year swap rates were seen on a falling trajectory from that March.
The Reserve Bank's interest rate forecasts in March 2007 were also for falling 90-day rates, although it was uncertain whether the downward trend would begin before the end of the year.
The wholesale interest rate curve, which looked at how the market was pricing money over longer periods, showed a downward curve more than one-year out - that is, it was cheaper to borrow for five years than for one or two. This implied a market expectation of lower interest rates in future.
While it's now clear that rates were close to the top of the market at the time farmers were being encouraged to fix, contemporary forecasts suggest banks were cynical to play on farmers' fears of ever-rising rate costs.
Why would banks sell farmers on fixed-rate deals when they knew rates were likely to fall? Perhaps other factors contributed to the sales push.
Banks, of course, are borrowers as much as they are lenders. They pay close attention to how the costs and terms of the money they borrow relates to the price and terms of the money they lend out.
One aspect of our relatively low savings rate is that banks must borrow big chunks of money from overseas to meet demand for loans, using complex swap contracts to convert the foreign-currency borrowing into fixed-rate New Zealand dollar debt.
In 2007, the banks had to repay a large amount of overseas borrowing, which they did by borrowing more on overseas markets. These debts incurred fixed-interest obligations at rates higher than before - between September 2006 and June 2007 wholesale interest rates increased about 0.5 percentage points.
With banks knowing rates would fall thereafter they had a strong motive to cover their new fixed-rate obligations - which they did partly by selling swap contracts to farmers.
Admittedly this is just a theory, but Chalkie finds it compelling.
Maybe some people think it would be fine for banks to behave that way. However, banks have ongoing, close relationships with their borrowers and play on their position of trust.
Their customers expect them to make a profit, sure, but they don't expect banks to profit from their disadvantage, deliberately.
So in one sense at least, Wills has a point. Banks are not our friends, never will be, and should be trusted the way we would trust a fox with a henhouse.
- Chalkie is written by Fairfax Business Bureau deputy editor Tim Hunter.


text:
A Sparkling Sampler
Fill your home with a twinkling galaxy of pieced stars. With so many block designs, this quilt is a fun break from repeating-block quiltmaking!
Skill Level ♦♦♦
Finished Size 69½˝ x 81½˝
Featured Fabrics
McCall's Quilting Editors used assorted Moda fabric collections to make this quilt.
Oops, We Goofed
The editors apologize for an error in the cutting instructions for Block H. The four #2 green print 3 7/8" squares should be cut in half diagonally to make 8 half-square triangles, not cut in half twice diagonally as was printed in the pattern.
The corrected pattern is available as a free download here.
This quilt is patterned in the McCall's Quilting special issue below. Click here to purchase a copy.
Appeared in:
|To comment on this article you must be logged in. Not a member?
Sponsored Links
Subscribe to Quiltmaker Magazine and get 21 original quilting motifs!
Full year of McCall's Quilting AND Quilters Newsletter for One Low Price!
The project magazine for those who love of knit. Try a free issue today!


text:
Use the following Link on PartnerSource to access a new whitepaper on the subject of the Microsoft Dynamics Client for Microsoft Office and Sharepoint Server. The whitepaper discusses the benefits of the package in the context of a number different roles within an organisation, and the extension of the Dynamics ERP applications to all employees via familiar Office business productivity tools.
For allo other information relating to the Client, please use this Link.
Posted By Fee Nolan


text:
YOKOHAMA – Cuba's Yulieski Gurriel went 3-for-4 with two runs scored in his Japan debut as the Yokohama BayStars rallied to beat the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles 5-1 on Sunday afternoon.
Shun Yamaguchi (2-1) tossed one-run ball and yielded four hits over eight innings to win his second start since switching from the closer's role last season.
Gurriel sparked the rally with a two-out single in the third off Travis Blackley (1-2) for his first hit since arriving last month from Cuba, which has lifted a ban on its athletes playing overseas.
Tony Blanco followed with a game-tying RBI double and Yoshitomo Tsutsugo smashed a two-run homer to straight away center for a 3-1 lead in front of a crowd of 22,400 at Yokohama Stadium.
Gourriel, who was batting fifth and grounded out to short in his first at-bat, also doubled down the left-field line in the fifth and singled to center in the seventh. The Eagles suffered their fourth loss in a row.
Giants 8, Marines 1
At Tokyo Dome, Yuki Koyama pitched one-run ball in his first career complete game, Shuichi Murata went 3-for-4 with five RBIs and Yomiuri routed Chiba Lotte to take over first place in the Central League. Frederich Cepeda hit his fourth homer, a solo shot in the eighth.
Buffaloes 8, Carp 1
At Mazda Stadium, slumping Hiroshima lost its fifth straight in a defeat to Orix and tumbled out of first place in the CL for the first time since April 10. Esteban German went 4-for-5 with a solo blast off Bryan Bullington (7-5) as Orix won its third in a row.
Swallows 9, Lions 5
At Jingu Stadium, Tokyo Yakult capitalized on consecutive bases-loaded walks to overturn a 3-2 deficit in a five-run sixth inning, which featured three straight RBI singles from Ryosuke Morioka, Yuhei Nakamura and Masayoshi Miwa, in the Swallows' win over Seibu.
Fighters 6, Dragons 0
At Nagoya Dome, Hokkaido Nippon Ham's Naoyuki Uwasawa (6-3) got the job done by pitching one-hit ball over seven innings and two relievers held Chunichi scoreless the rest of the way. Kenta Asakura (3-3) yielded five earned runs in 5⅔ innings of the loss.
Tigers 14, Hawks 8
At Koshien Stadium, Takashi Toritani cracked a two-run homer in a 3-for-4 outing to contribute to Hanshin's 18-hit onslaught in a victory over Fukuoka Softbank. Lee Dae-ho had four hits and a walk and drove in four runs for the Hawks, but it wasn't nearly enough.


text: On 07/04/2008, Matthieu Brucher <firstname.lastname@example.com> wrote: > BTW, I stumbled on something strange with the nose framework. If you from > numpy.testing import * in a test file, the nose framework will try to test > the testing module by calling every test* method. > > I just mention it there because I think I'm not the only one to do this for > set_package_path, assert_equal, ... I've noticed that behaviour, too. Note, however, that you do not need to use set_package_path and friends with nose; you can instead do a fully qualified import: from numpy.submod.mod import foo Regards Stéfan


text:
Public Service Commission, Uttar Pradesh, Allahabad-211018, India going to conduct examination for Assistant Prosecution Officer (APO) positions. There are total 102 APO vacancies at this time. More details about UPSC Recruitment 2011 like pay scale, qualification, age limit, how to apply and other information are given below:
- Assistant Prosecution Officer
Total Vacancies: 102 Posts
Category wise reservations: UR-51, OBC-27, SC-22, ST-2
Salary Pay-Scales: Rs.9300-34800 + GP of Rs.4600
Age Limit: 21 to 35 years as on 1.1.2011
Degree in Law from a recognised university.
Degree in Law from a recognised university.
For General and OBC category candidates: Rs.230
For SC/ST of UP category candidates: Rs.110
For SC/ST of UP category candidates: Rs.110
Completed application form in the presceribed OMR format should reach to the below address within 9.9.2011.
Secretary (Department No. A-4/E-1/2011)
Public Service Commission, UP
Important link : www.upsc.org.in
For further details regarding UPPSC Assistant Prosecution Officer Recruitment 2011, Refer Employment News / Rozgar Samachar of 6th to 12th August, 2011
UPSC Recruitment - Last Date: 18/07/2011
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Government of India now going to conduct written Assistant Commandants (Group-a) for Central Police Forces CPF. All eligible and interested candidates are required to apply online through UPSC Online website: www.upsconline.nic.in between 18th June, 2011 to 18th July, 2011. Written Examination Date: 9th October, 2011 (Paper-I from 10 AM to 12 Noon), (Paper-II from 2 PM to 5 PM)
- Name of the post: Assistant Commandants
Total Vacancies: 497 Posts
Border Security Force (BSF): 111 Posts
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF): 213 Posts
Central Industrial Security Force (CISF): 15 Posts
Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP): 36 Posts
Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB): 122 Posts
Age Limit: 20-25 years as on 1.8.2011
Bachelors Degree from any recognized University.
Examination Centres
Agartala, Gangtok, Panaji (Goa), Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Patna, Aizawal, Imphal, Port Blair, Allahabad, Itanagar, Raipur, Bangalore, Jaipur, Ranchi, Bareilly, Jammu, Sambalpur, Bhopal, Jorhat, Shillong, Chandigarh, Kochi, Shimla, Chennai, Kohima, Srinagar, Cuttack, Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram, Dehradun, Lucknow, Delhi, Madurai, Tirupati, Dharwad, Mumbai, Udaipur, Dispur, Nagpur, Vishakhapatnam
Application Fee: Rs.100
Candidates are from far flung areas may send their applications through Offline mode to the below address within 25.7.2011.
Controller of Examinations
Union Public Service Commission
Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road
New Delhi-110069
Important dates
Last Date for Online Applications: 18th July, 2011 till 11.59 PM
Last Date for Offline Applications (only for remote areas candidates): 25th July, 2011
Important link: Complete Information


text:
Congress Voices Concern over President's New Iraq Strategy
[Sorry, the video for this story has expired, but you can still read the transcript below. ]
KWAME HOLMAN: Members of Congress now have had a week to digest details of the president's new Iraq plan, gauge reaction from constituents, and make up their own minds, members such as Georgia Republican Phil Gingrey.
REP. PHIL GINGREY (R), Georgia: I rise today in support of delivering a knockout punch in Iraq, stabilizing Baghdad, securing freedom for the Iraqi people, and dealing a blow for terrorism across the Middle East.
In the past, we have underestimated the intentions of the death squads and the sectarian violence. Now, we will confront them head on by ensuring we have enough coalition and Iraqi troops, not only to clear pockets of resistance, but to hold them.
KWAME HOLMAN: New Jersey Democrat Rush Holt.
REP. RUSH HOLT (D), New Jersey: The American people want to bring home their loved ones who are in harm's way. The Iraqi people want us to leave so that Iraqis can solve their problems. As former Secretary of State Albright has pointed out, the only ones who want us to stay are those who will leave Iraq when we leave.
MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, Former Secretary of State: I think Iraq is going to go down in history as the greatest disaster in American foreign policy.
KWAME HOLMAN: Albright, secretary of state during the Clinton administration, testified this morning before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, several times calling U.S. policy in Iraq an "incoherent mission."
But California Republican Ed Royce asked, what happens to the terrorists in Iraq if and when U.S. troops do leave?
REP. ED ROYCE (R), California: At this point with al-Qaida, does a U.S. withdrawal help or hurt, in your view?
MADELEINE ALBRIGHT: The American presence is both the solution and the problem. We are providing a lot of security, but at the same time our presence is also a magnet for creating more terrorists and insurgency. And the question is how we get out in a way that does not create worse problems.
KWAME HOLMAN: Meanwhile on the Senate side of the Capitol, there was movement on separate Democratic efforts to restrict the president's options in Iraq.
Connecticut's Chris Dodd, an announced candidate for president, introduced legislation this morning that would cap troop levels at the existing 130,000, while Massachusetts' Edward Kennedy has called for a formal vote to authorize more troop deployments.
And this afternoon, Democrats Joe Biden and Carl Levin, and Republican Chuck Hagel, introduced a non-binding resolution that flatly states, "It is not in the national interest of the United States to deepen its military involvement in Iraq, particularly by escalating the United States military presence in Iraq."
SEN. CHUCK HAGEL (R), Nebraska: The Congress of the United States has a role to play. I don't believe we have played that role very effectively the last four years.
The Congress of the United States is Article I of the Constitution. We are a co-equal branch of government. Separation of powers, of course, but the system works best when we join together in a bipartisan effort to try to frame a bipartisan consensus, to deal with the great challenges of our time.
SEN. JOE BIDEN (D), Delaware: The more we make Iraq a partisan issue, the more likely the president is to dig in, in my view. The more we, we in a bipartisan way, show the American people across the board that we don't want to go down this path of escalation, the better our chances to get him to reconsider his approach.
KWAME HOLMAN: Admitting that Senate Republicans are not of one mind on the president's Iraq plan, Kentucky's Mitch McConnell, the chamber's minority leader, simply asked that his members be given a chance to participate in the Iraq debate.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), Senate Minority Leader: … there are sort of a variety of different points of view in the Republican conference about the appropriate response to the president's decision to increase the number of troops in Iraq.
And we'll be working together to insist on a fair process in the Senate that allows different proposals to have a vote on. That's the one thing I think we're all in agreement on.
KWAME HOLMAN: Debate and votes on the various Senate resolutions are expected next week, after the president makes a nationwide pitch for his Iraq plan during his annual State of the Union address next Tuesday.
Alternatives to the new strategy
JIM LEHRER: For more, earlier today, Gwen Ifill spoke to Sen. Chris Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut, and Rep. Mike Pence, Republican of Indiana. First, Senator Dodd.
GWEN IFILL: Welcome, Senator Dodd.
SEN. CHRIS DODD (D), Connecticut: Thanks.
GWEN IFILL: The president said yesterday there were three choices: to keep doing the things the way they were done, which he called slow failure; to withdraw all troops, which he called expedited failure; or to do what he's doing, which he considered to be the best chance for success. Is increasing the number of troops on the ground in Iraq, especially in Baghdad, the best chance for success?
SEN. CHRIS DODD: I don't think it is at all. And that isn't just my opinion: Almost anyone you'll talk to who's spent any time examining the issue, including our most recent commanders on the ground in Iraq, the Baker-Hamilton report, which spent nine or 10 months examining these issues as well as anyone has, all have concluded that this kind of an approach -- I don't think Baker-Hamilton addressed specifically the surge -- but the idea that further military, escalating military involvement is going to produce the desired results will work.
I'm very much opposed to it, and I think we ought to be coming up with a different strategy, one that can make some sense. There are some other alternates to what the president suggested.
GWEN IFILL: Suggest at least one.
SEN. CHRIS DODD: Well, one is, what can our troops do effectively here? As one young captain from West Point said to me, sending a 19- or 20-year-old in a Humvee on a patrol where the only mission is to get shot at or blown up is not a mission, senator.
And I was there three weeks ago. We ought to be using these kids to train people. We can do that very, very well. Border security is a very important issue. Counterterrorism activities are very, very important in that country and could really help in the stabilization.
But having our troops become referees in a civil war -- Baghdad is a city of six million people. Putting 17,000 young people on the street where there are 23 militias that we know of operating, not to mention Shia on Shia, Shia on Sunni, insurgent Baathists, maybe al-Qaida people as well, and expect them to somehow come up with an answer for all of that, I think is asking way too much and likely to produce just the opposite results.
And in fact, if the goal is to get people to work together, our people on the ground are going to have to start taking action against certain sections, probably driving them further apart from the political reconciliation that everyone admits is the only answer to a stable Iraq.
GWEN IFILL: But the criticisms are clear; what are the solutions?
SEN. CHRIS DODD: Well, the solutions are, clearly, the political ones, and insisting that Iraqis start thinking about Iraqis. The prime minister has basically become a Shia head of state. He's not an Iraqi head of state, in my view. He hasn't done what he said he would do almost a year ago.
GWEN IFILL: Do you not trust Mr. Maliki to figure this out?
SEN. CHRIS DODD: I just don't think -- he looks weaker and weaker to me all time. And, again, I don't think that this so-called surge or escalation in troops is going to achieve what we're talking about here.
Again, listen to what people on the ground are telling you. When your commanders say this is a mistake -- even the new commanding general going in said some months ago, or weeks ago, more troops on the ground does not buy you more security here at all.
So we need to try something different. I'm not advocating an immediate withdrawal. I don't know of anyone that's suggesting that.
We're talking about redeploying our forces, bringing down those troops, and saying after four years to the Iraqis: You now have to do this. This is your job. We've given you the space; we've exhausted treasury; we've lost lives. We have 22,000 of our young who have been severely wounded and injured in all of this. Now it's your responsibility here to step up.
This approach of having a debate -- which I'm an advocate of -- I think we ought to have something more than a nonbinding resolution here -- is a way for the Iraqis to understand it's really their turn to take over the country.
GWEN IFILL: That's your suggestion...
SEN. CHRIS DODD: Yes.
GWEN IFILL: Excuse me, that's your suggestion, that there be a debate on the Senate floor, before the troops go...
SEN. CHRIS DODD: Absolutely.
GWEN IFILL: The troops are already there.
SEN. CHRIS DODD: Well, not the surge. There are some that will be going. And you're right: If we wait much longer, they'll already be there.
And that's why my approach on this thing is to say, put a cap on the number of troops that are there right now, and require an authorization, a new authorization to come up.
Sen. John Warner, Republican, former chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said last fall, very rightly, there is a need for a new authorization. When I voted back in 2002 to authorize the use of force in Iraq, the argument and the language in the authorization was "weapons of mass destruction and Saddam Hussein." Both of those things are gone today or didn't exist in the first place.
GWEN IFILL: But how will a debate over authorization change the outcome?
SEN. CHRIS DODD: Well, I think, one, it gives us a chance, first of all, to have a debate, which is important, and then to vote on something realistic, and that is a new authorization. I think that's a far better way to go than just sending a letter, in effect, a resolution that says we don't like what you're doing.
The president said the other night in one interview, I don't care what the Congress says; I'm going to do what I want to do anyway.
It seems to me Congress now bears a responsibility. If you're for this, then you'll be able to vote for the authorization. If you think it's the wrong thing to do, vote against it. But the idea we're not going to do much more than that, not even do that, I think is a mistake.
Hoping for political reconciliation
GWEN IFILL: Is there room for engaging the region in this?
SEN. CHRIS DODD: There has to be. And, again, I thought it was glaring in the interview that the president did with Jim the other night, the one piece that was stunning to me in its absence of his discussion of the thing was not a single reference or mention about any regional responsibility or regional engagement.
And, again, everyone I've talked to, again, who's knowledgeable about this says diplomacy is not a sign of weakness. Diplomacy isn't about what happens when you start the negotiation; it's about what happens when you end it.
And the idea that we're not going to deal with Iran at all or deal with Syria at all -- I met with President Assad about three weeks ago. And I asked him, "What do you want in Iraq? What would you like to see come out of this?"
Now, he said -- his answer was to me in private in English, so as Tom Friedman has said, unless they say it in Arabic in public, it may not mean as much. But I'll tell you what he said. He said to me, "I would like a pluralistic Arab state. The last thing I want is to have an Iranian-dominated Shia fundamentalist state on my border."
He said it in the presence of our U.S. embassy personnel. It seems to me, if President Assad is saying that -- that's what our goal is, too -- why not pick up on that and see if he can't become more cooperative in helping us achieve that?
GWEN IFILL: But how do you define success?
SEN. CHRIS DODD: Well, a success to me is to bring an end to the violence there, first and foremost, it seems to me, and that's going to happen through political reconciliation, not putting more troops on the ground.
And then, obviously, I'd like to see them have an opportunity for people to live without fear in the country, where they can begin to deal with the underlying economic issues they face and grapple with every day.
This idea you're going to come out with a Jeffersonian democracy here in the next few weeks or months is a pipe dream. It was in the beginning of this. A democracy emerges when people in these countries want it themselves and are willing to do a lot for it.
There's a great line of Benjamin Franklin, back sitting outside of Independence Hall, when a woman by the name of Mrs. Powell walks up to him and says, "What have you given us?" And he says, "Madam, we've given you a republic, if you can keep it."
In a sense, it's appropriate to tell that story in light of what's going on in Iraq today. We've given them an opportunity, if they can keep it and they want to keep it. We don't have a treasury deep enough or an Army large enough that's going to guarantee this for them if they don't demonstrate they want to pull together and be a country.
GWEN IFILL: Senator Dodd, thank you very much.
SEN. CHRIS DODD: Thank you, Gwen.
From skepticism to support
GWEN IFILL: Congressman Mike Pence, thank you for joining us.
REP. MIKE PENCE (R), Indiana: Thank you, Gwen.
GWEN IFILL: You have been to Iraq four times. You met with the president last Tuesday at the White House about his new plan, and you support it. Why?
REP. MIKE PENCE: Well, frankly, I went into the meeting with the president in the West Wing last week very skeptical about the troop surge.
During all of my trips into Iraq, our military commanders have told me again and again that a large American military footprint in Iraq is actually counterproductive to our interests there and the interests of freedom.
What I found very persuasive, Gwen, was this president didn't just lay out a plan for more troops. He laid out a new strategy, including new tactics, new rules of engagement on the ground, and a plan very much to work alongside Iraqi military forces to put a priority on securing Baghdad.
And I think it's a plan that we owe it to our military, we owe it to the interests of freedom, and the good people of Iraq to see through this new strategy, this new way forward.
GWEN IFILL: What were your initial doubts?
REP. MIKE PENCE: There was a general consensus that I heard from our military leaders that, in order to ensure that the Iraqi military would step up and the Iraqi government would take responsibility, that we ought to be moving always in the direction of a smaller American military presence there.
Of course, all that counsel predated the extraordinary increase in violence that commenced late summer 2006. It's clear that what our strategy and our tactics on the ground were at the time were not working. And this change in strategy, this addition of six additional brigades to support an Iraqi-led effort to bring domestic security to Baghdad, I think is an idea whose time has come.
GWEN IFILL: Congressman, how would you define success in this venture, and how would you define failure?
REP. MIKE PENCE: Well, I certainly would not define success as the arrival in Baghdad of a peaceable Jeffersonian democracy that has the strength of the institutions that our democracy has after 200 years.
I believe success can be defined as that moment that, with absolute certainty, the United States of America can depart from Iraq, knowing that the Iraqi military and the Iraqi government have the ability to defend their new democracy effectively.
Defining democracy as the absence of violence, the absence of insurgent violence, the absence of terrorist activity in Iraq, I believe, is imprudent, and we ought to rather look for that moment that we can bring our troops home with the confidence that freedom has won in Iraq.
GWEN IFILL: Is the current prime minister the person who can lead Iraq to the kind of freedom you're talking about?
REP. MIKE PENCE: Well, I must tell you, I led the first delegation of members of Congress to meet with Prime Minister al-Maliki last spring. And I was very impressed during our session with his seriousness, with the clarity with which he was focused on providing security, particularly in Baghdad, and also his development of a government of inclusion.
I've been less impressed in the months since my meeting with Prime Minister al-Maliki. And I believe that this moment, this new way forward, the decision by our president to deploy six brigades to support Prime Minister al-Maliki's plan to bring domestic security to the streets of Baghdad, is a real moment of truth for this government and this particular leader.
And I think that, should Prime Minister al-Maliki fail in his effort to provide fundamental security to his citizens in their capital city, that those same democratic processes that brought him to power might bring a new face to power.
The role of the Congress
GWEN IFILL: There is so much discussion going on right now up here on Capitol Hill about capping the number of troops, or making sure that Congress gets to vote on any increase in troops, or not withdrawal so much, but changing the approach. The president seems to be resisting some of that.
What do you think Congress's role should be?
REP. MIKE PENCE: Well, I believe the role of Congress and of the president are clearly defined in the Constitution of the United States.
Article I gives the Congress the authority to declare war and the authority to appropriate funds for military operations. Article II of the Constitution says the president of the United States is the commander-in-chief of Armed Forces.
And while I think Congress has a role here, Congress ought to ask questions, we ought to consider very carefully, as we continue to appropriate the resources of the American people to this and other military enterprises, I do not consider it appropriate for the Congress, both collectively or individually, to be in the business of imposing tactical decisions in the field on our commander-in-chief.
I am categorically opposed to capping troop levels. I'm categorically opposed to any effort that would attempt to change the 535 members of Congress into a surrogate commander-in-chief or secretary of defense. That is the role of the president of the United States ever since our Congress hired General George Washington to be our first commander-in-chief.
GWEN IFILL: You were home in Indiana this weekend. What are your constituents telling you about the president's plan?
REP. MIKE PENCE: There's no question, but that, even in the heartland of America, people are troubled with our lack of progress in Iraq. They are hesitant to accept the president's new strategy.
And I believe it's incumbent on the president and all of us in Congress who support this new strategy to communicate to the American people that this is not simply more troops for more troops' sake. It is a new strategy, a new tactic, and it's a strategy that puts the Iraqi military and the Iraqi government on the line and in the lead.
GWEN IFILL: Congressman Mike Pence, thank you very much.
REP. MIKE PENCE: Thank you, Gwen.


text:
Every Friday through September starting at 9:00AM ET, the first 500,000 people to sign up here will get a voucher for your favorite Mars product: M&M, Snickers, Twix, Dove, 3 Musketeers or Milky Way. Limit 4 per household during the promo.
Did you get your FREE lipbalm from Burt's Bees yet? I got mine but I wanted to remind you here.


text:
Started a Band – Bobby Pinson
(G-C-G-C-G)I turned sixteen got a brand new six-string
Haggard and Hank, Sting and Springsteen,
(C)Peelin' the paint every chance I got(G-C-G-C-G).
(G)Daddy said "You're pretty good, but it's tough out there,
Now "Stairway To Heaven" won't get ya anywhere,
Otta (C)cut your hair, and get a (D)real job."
So I started a (G)band(C), and we got out of (G)dodge(C),
In a Dodge (e)van with no exhaust(D),
Got high off the (G)fumes(C), but we played our (G)tunes(C),
Ain't (Em)no one gonna say I (D)can't,
Yeah, I started a (G)band(C), stared a (G)band(C).
Started a (G)band and I met a girl,
Sang my songs and rocked her world,
(C)Goin' strong but out of the blue one (D)day,
She said (G)"I can't love a music man",
So I dropped my dream and sold my van,
(C)But I'll be damned if she didn't leave me (D)anyway.
So I stared a (G)band(C), with a couple new (G)guys(C),
We (Em)played those same ol' (D)dives.
Yeah, we never sold (G)gold, (NC)okay, we never (G)sold(C),
Ain't (Em)no one gonna say I (D)can't,
Yeah, I started a (G)band (C)Yeah, Yeah (D)Yeah,
I started a (G)band (C)Yeah, Yeah, (D)Yeah
But the (G)lead picker always played too loud,
And him and the drummer had a fallin' out,
(C)Bass man stayed out of it and just got (D)drunk,
I was (G)Nashville bound, my dreams were bigger,
I knocked 'em out they just couldn't pull the trigger,
And that's (C)Nashville speak for I (D)stunk(bass walkdown), as a solo (C)man(D).
So I started a (G)band(C), we play what we (G)like(C),
On a (e)stage that's eight feet (D)wide,
But I got my (G)pride(C), and I got my (G)van(C),
(Em)I kept who I (D)am, I started a (G)band(C),
Started a (G)band(C), (Em)can't get this guitar out my (D)hand,
Yeah I started a (G)band(C)


text: The lightweight, high-strength forged alloy body resists torque during hard use and its pro-quality hardened steel tools will provide years of service. An integrated, cast CrMo chain tool nestles and locks between tool body forming a low profile, snag-proof shape. The perfect tool for endurance racing and training. The chain tool is compatible with all single and multispeed bicycle chains, including hollow pin chains (Campagnolo, Shimano, SRAM).Check stock and price


text:
Get 5% off or get the better offer price when you opt-in for recurring deliveries with Auto-Reorder. Available on UK deliveries only.Learn more
Get 5% off or get the better offer price on this and 1000s more items when you opt-in for recurring deliveries with Auto-Reorder. Your discount is applied from your first recurring delivery.
Shop 1000s of everyday essentials and get them delivered automatically with Auto-Reorder.
Decide how frequently you want your top-ups delivered and we'll do the rest.
With each regular delivery you'll get either 5% off or get our better offer price
100% commitment free, no contracts or paperwork to fill in and you can cancel at any time for complete peace of mind.
Please note images are for illustration purposes and may differ from the product(s) you receive
Beechams All-in-One Liquid for the relief of all of your cold and flu symptoms including a chesty cough.
Beechams All In One Liquid 240ml provides you with relief for cold and flu symptoms. It contains paracetamol, phenylephrine, and guaifenesin.
Beechams All In One can be used for both day and night relief. It does not contain any ingredients that give you a drowsy effect and hamper your daily schedule.
Side effects relating to Beechams All In One Liquid:
Skin rashes and other allergic effects can occur with paracetamol. Guaifenesin may cause an upset stomach. There have been a few reports of raised blood pressure, headache, dizziness, upset stomach, difficulty in sleeping and palpitations occurring with phenylephrine. These effects should go away if you stop taking the medicine.
Paracetamol: Helps relieve headaches, shivers, aches, and pains.
Phenylephrine: Relieves catarrh and helps clear a blocked nose or sinus.
Guaifenesin: Acts as an expectorant to relieve chesty, productive coughs.


text:
2006 SGO Annual Meeting on Women's CancerWHAT: The Society of Gynecologic Oncologists 37th Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer is the preeminent educational and scientific event for physicians and health care professionals involved in the field of gynecologic oncology. In addition to the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists (SGO) large member base, this important meeting attracts medical and radiation oncologists, pathologists and gynecologic nurse oncologists from all over the country.
Attendees present and discuss the latest research findings in the field of gynecologic oncology that help to inform practice and care. More than 400 studies will be presented at the meeting -- all abstracts being presented at the meeting can be viewed online at www.sgo.org. All studies are embargoed until the day and time they are presented. Here are a few highlights:
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 8:00 a.m., PST, Friday, March 24, 2006
- In one of the first trials to combine a biologic agent with a conventional chemotherapy agent for the treatment of ovarian cancer, researchers found a significant increase in the response to therapy and the duration of progression free survival without additional toxicity.
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 10:30 a.m., PST, Friday, March 24, 2006
- In the largest study of its kind, researchers will present new criteria for detecting ovarian cancer malignancy in postmenopausal asymptomatic women, 55 to 74 years old. Utilizing the new criteria, researchers determined that they could accurately predict 93 percent of the advanced ovarian cancers and 87 percent of the early ovarian cancers in asymptomatic women enrolled in an annual screening program and found to have an abnormal screen.
WHEN: March 22-26, 2006
WHERE: Palm Springs Convention Center in Palm Springs, California
Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 30 Apr 2016
Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.


text:
Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model All three major indices are trading down today with the Dow Jones Industrial Average ( ^DJI) trading down 20 points (-0.2%) at 12,795 as of Monday, Nov. 12, 2012, 11:49 AM ET. The NYSE advances/declines ratio sits at 1,283 issues advancing vs. 1,555 declining with 129 unchanged. The Wholesale industry currently sits down 0.2% versus the S&P 500, which is down 0.1%. TheStreet Ratings group would like to highlight 4 stocks pushing the industry lower today: 4. Ingram Micro ( IM) is one of the companies pushing the Wholesale industry lower today. As of noon trading, Ingram Micro is down $0.22 (-1.4%) to $15.75 on light volume Thus far, 213,925 shares of Ingram Micro exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 1.1 million shares. The stock has ranged in price between $15.71-$16.00 after having opened the day at $15.94 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $15.97. Ingram Micro Inc. distributes information technology (IT) products and supply chain solutions worldwide. Ingram Micro has a market cap of $2.4 billion and is part of the services sector. The company has a P/E ratio of 7.9, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are down 12.2% year to date as of the close of trading on Friday. Currently there is 1 analyst that rates Ingram Micro a buy, 2 analysts rate it a sell, and 7 rate it a hold. TheStreet Ratings rates Ingram Micro as a hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, compelling growth in net income and attractive valuation levels. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including weak operating cash flow, a generally disappointing performance in the stock itself and poor profit margins. Get the full Ingram Micro Ratings Report now.
- Log In
- Newsletters
Access insights and guidance from our Wall Street pros. Find the product that's right for you.
- Action Alerts PLUS
- Daily Swing Trade
- Income Seeker
- Quant Ratings
- Real Money
- Real Money Pro
- Stocks Under $10
- Top Stocks
- Trifecta Stocks
- Real Money Pro Portfolio
- Chairman's Club
- Compare All


text:
What peel is better for red shallow acne scars Jessner peel or TCA peel? The scars left behind are "fresh" and still reddish. To reduce the inflammation, I was prescribed Desonide Lotion 0.05.I used it for about 2 weeks but after a while the redness returned.
Jessner or TCA Peel for Red, Shallow Acne Scars?
Doctor Answers 3
True scars will not respond well to these types of peels
True scars will not respond well to these types of peels. However early red spots from acne are often mis-interpreted as scars, when they are really temporary stains which will go away in time. Vascular lasers can hurry this process along.
Red scars respond to vascular laser treatments
Red scars will respond to the vascular lasers. These lasers target reddness and reduce it. The vascular lasers also treat acne so if their is persistant acne with reddness this would be a good choice.
Afterward, when acne has been treated, would recommend resurfacing lasers and fillers for broad based scars. I feel these are more effective than chemcial peels.
Hope this helps. Good Luck.
Dr. S
Acne scarring takes more than chemical peeling
Unfortunately, I wouldn't expect either Jessners or TCA peeling to do much for your acne scarring. These peels are both light peels that only remove the epidermal layer... they don't go deep enough to affect scarring or the facial contour. When used in combination, they create a medium depth peel that goes deeper, but still doesn't help much with acne scarring.
Acne scars are successfully improved by many different modalities, depending on the type, location, depth, and age of the scar. Fractional laser resurfacing is likely to give you the best improvement in the scenario you described, but you really need to be evaluated in person to confirm that. I would, however, forego a TCA or Jessners peel. These can be great peels, but not for acne scarring.
You might also like...
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.


text:
RepairClinic Item #679719 | Whirlpool OEM Part #675808
Middle spray arm water supply tube and arm kit, white
Order by 8:00 PM ET, this part ships TODAY!
In Stock
Item #904081
Item #962126
Center Wash Arm Assembly - KitchenAid Diswasher
Dishwasher Maintenance Tips
"Whenever we need appliance parts we count on your company - Repair Clinic, anything from a stove top to a freezer part. Thank you."Dally C: Broker, Humacao, PRMore Stories »
We accept PayPal, Visa, MasterCard, Amex and Discover:
Whirlpool Parts | Samsung Parts | Maytag Parts | LG Parts | KitchenAid Parts | Kenmore Parts | GE Parts | Frigidaire Parts | Bosch Parts | Amana Parts | Jenn Air Parts | Carrier Parts | Lennox Parts | Trane Parts | Briggs & Stratton Parts | MTD Parts | Toro Parts
Appliance Parts | Furnace Parts | Air Conditioner Parts | Lawn Mower Parts
© 1999 - 2017 RepairClinic.com, Inc. All rights reserved.
You can try chatting with one of our friendly associates.


text:
'Arry wheels and deals, Saha turns to leeches
The transfer window may be shut but Off The Ball is still open for business and continues to scratch around the underbelly of professional football to find the most bizarre, humorous and inexplicable stories.
This week, Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp swears blind he is not a wheeler dealer, Louis Saha puts leeches on his dodgy knees, Atletico Juniors introduce a breathalyser at training and Chile combat whining players with ex-con referees.
Redknapp: I'm no f***ing wheeler dealer
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp - a man who has bought and sold more players over the years than super-agent Pini Zahavi - was caught on camera this week telling Sky Sports reporter Rob Palmer to f**k off after the journo had the temerity to call him a wheeler dealer.
Following Spurs' 1-0 defeat to Wigan at White Hart Lane, Palmer inquired if any new players might be on the way to the club: "You've made your name as a wheeler and dealer but there has not been much wheeling or dealing here." To which football's very own Del Boy replied: "I'm not a wheeler and dealer. F**k off! I didn't make my name as a wheeler and f***ing dealer. Don't say that - I'm a f***ing football manager." And with a dismissive flick of the hand Redknapp walked off camera.
But just three days later, the affronted Spurs boss was back to his wheeling and dealing best as he swooped to sign Rafael Van der Vaart from Real Madrid in a deal that was so late it wasn't ratified until the day after the transfer deadline and led Real to suggest Redknapp was telling fibs about how he nabbed the player from under the nose of Bayern Munich.
"It is absolutely false that Real Madrid received a €21 million offer from Bayern Munich for Van der Vaart," Real sporting director Miguel Pardeza said. "In fact, the German team never showed an interest to sign the player, so the allegations made in England have greatly surprised us."
Chile combat whining players with ex-con refs
Sick of all the whining and haranguing of officials that goes on in modern football? Well over in South America they may have stumbled across a solution to the problem; a Chilean prison is training ex-convicts to be football referees.
Now this, it has to be said, is an idea with great potential. Just imagine the scene... John Terry races over to remonstrate with the referee for the umpteenth time in his career only to cower in fear as he's greeted by Sirus the Virus from Con Air.
Admittedly that would be well down the line, as at the moment just 20 men and 10 women are undergoing the special refereeing program and will have to work their way up from inter-prison games to regular amateur games, but let's live the dream!
If TV has taught us anything it's that the high-life can only be a whistle stop away from the scruffy prison football pitches that the trainee refs are currently learning to impart justice on.
Saha leeches for the sky
Injury-plagued Everton striker Louis Saha has turned his back on the modern medicine that has failed to ease the pain in his dodgy knees and instead embraced the healing power of blood-sucking leeches from Guadeloupe.
Saha, 30, has struggled with chronic knee problems throughout his career but is now raring to go for another Premier League season after turning to a treatment that dates back more than 5,000 years to ancient Egypt.
"How did I treat my swollen knees? You're never going to believe it," Saha said. "I went to visit my grandparents, who live in Guadeloupe, and I put leeches on my knees. It swells up less, and I feel fine now. I'm well prepared both mentally and physically. I have the legs and hunger of a 20-year-old."
With Saha now feeling fighting fit, maybe he can loan his leeches to fellow dodgy-knee victim Owen Hargreaves, who has played less than a minute of Premier League football since September 2008, over at his former club Manchester United.
Juniors players let bellies down
Atletico Juniors manager Diego Umana has vowed to introduce a breathalyser at the Colombian club after three of his first-team players were caught "wasted" with their beer bellies hanging out in a nightclub just hours before they were due in training.
Colombian radio station Caracol urged Juniors to take action and claimed that the trio committed "shameful acts", were "binge-drinking lovers of the night" and were a bit too fond of "debauchery".
Juniors coach Umana wasn't too happy about the "ugly" incident either. "From now on I will use a breathalyser to make sure this kind of show is not repeated," he said.
Worryingly, Juniors are not the first Colombian side to resort to such measures; rival club Once Caldas introduced breath tests in May. "Some footballers are no good. We will expose them," a club source vowed.
Goalkeeper's obituary published after he joins hated rivals
Former Arsenal defender William Gallas might get a few boos following his move to cross-city adversaries Tottenham Hotspur but at least he is alive and well. When former Red Star Belgrade goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic joined hated rivals Partizan Belgrade he died - at least in the eyes of the fans that once adored him.
Furious Red Star supporters, who just two months ago had presented Stojkovic as an honorary club member in a public ceremony, published the Serbian international's obituary in protest at the unpalatable move.
Stojkovic came through the ranks at Red Star and although he left the Serbian club in 2004 he remained hugely popular with the fans. But following his loan move to Partizan from Sporting Lisbon the tide has definitely turned.
"I understand the fans, but posting my obituary is too much," said a very much alive and well Stojkovic.
Video of the week
Stjarnan FC, the Icelandic team who brought us the 'landing a fish' celebration and followed it up with a human bicycle and an imitation of a Rambo shooting spree, are in danger of becoming old hat in these fast moving times but Soccernet is a sucker for a bit of toilet humour and so we couldn't resist their latest offering. To see Stjarnan FC's toilet celebration click here.
Around the web
• Usain Bolt wants to play for Manchester United
• Maradona isn't returning phone calls
• Jack Wilshere was 'trying to take photos up skirts'
• The best Dutch imports XI of all time
Use a Facebook account to add a comment, subject to Facebook's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your Facebook name, photo & other personal information you make public on Facebook will appear with your comment, and may be used on ESPN's media platforms. Learn more.


text:
There's currently a proposal that's under vote to add Scalar Typing to PHP (it has since been withdrawn). It's been a fairly controversial RFC, but at this point in time it's currently passing with 67.8% of votes. If you want a simplified breakdown of the proposal, check out Pascal Martin's excellent post about it. What I want to talk about is more of an opinion. Why I believe this is the correct approach to the problem.
I have now forked the original proposal and will be bringing it to a vote shortly.
I have now forked the original proposal and will be bringing it to a vote shortly.
Strict All The Way
So, a portion of the community wants strict-only types. So that if you declare function foo(int $abc) and pass in a non-integer, it will raise an error.
There are a ton of advantages to this approach. You get type safety. Which means that you can finally statically analyze code! You can detect bugs where you accidentally take a string from one function and pass it as an integer to another.
That may not seem like a big deal to you at first. The reason is that while it may be appropriate in some cases, in many it isn't. So computers can't reason about that code ahead of time (statically) and therefore can't be sure that the operation will work.
Type checkers (static) aren't the end-all be-all of testing. They can't tell you if your code is semantically correct (does what you think it does). But what it will tell you is if your code will do what it says it does. For example:
function foo(string $abc): int { return $abc + 1; }
There's a type error in here. You're taking a string (text) and using it in a numeric context. That may work for some inputs (like "12"), but will be weird for some (like "10 apples") or down right wrong for others (like "bird").
So that code's behavior will change depending on the input. And it will change in subtle and hard to follow ways.
With static analysis, you can be told that
Hey, it looks like you're using a string where you're expecting a number. This might not do what you expect, we suggest either changing the type from a string, or doing some validation first.
The Weak Argument
On the other hand, if you used weak (casting) types, you'd still be able to do the same analysis inside of a function! You know that in function foo, that $abc is a string, and you'd be able to find the bug as well. Therefore there's no benefit to erroring on invalid input, so just cast it to make it work. Because that's easier on the programmer with all the benefits of strict typing.
So wait a minute, does that means that we can statically analyze both strict and weak types?
And does weak typing provide all of the benefits of strict typing?
In short, no.
The Conceptual Difference
The problem comes down to if you believe that a changing type is OK or not. If an implicit type-change signals the presence of a bug or if it's normal.
And the sane answer to that is "it depends".
It depends on what you're writing. It depends on what you're doing. It depends on the problem that you're solving.
In some cases, having a casting-based weak approach is perfectly acceptable. Beyond acceptable, it's one of the reasons that PHP and dynamic languages in general exist. The reason is that it's sane to pass int(123) into a function that expects a string if you want to use the string representation of the number. It's incredibly powerful to just be able to pass a variable to a function and have it work.
In other cases, a weak-based approach is going to lead to subtle problems. An example would be using password_hash:
function password_hash(string $password, int $algorithm, array $options)
Which you can call like password_hash($password, true) to get a bcrypt hash.
In this case, everything looks fine, right?
And indeed everything operates fine in weak typing. It isn't until you turn on strict typing to see that bool is not an int. Wait a minute, that true should be a constant!
So by using coercion, we hid the intent of the parameter behind an accidentally-worked situation. The code is incorrect today (and may not work in the far future) but pretends everything's OK...
But let's take a far better and more dangerous example:
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_SSL_VERIFYHOST, true);
With weak type hints, you'd read that line and think "Cool, we're verifying hostnames". But no...
That option takes an integer parameter:
- only verify the cert has a name
- verify the name matches the domain you're using
Notice what happened? You think that true causes curl to verify the host. But in reality it doesn't. Another subtle (yet potentially catastrophic) bug caused by weak typing.
History has showed us that these subtle bugs are incredibly difficult to find, and plague developers for a long time.
Take a look at PHP 5.4, which added a notice when you tried to convert an array to a string. Prior it would just use the word "Array". But starting in 5.4, it would add a notice as well. The flood of questions showed that people were relying on meaningless casts without even knowing about it.
Drupal's own test suite relied on this behavior for years without knowing it. Their tests passed on code that didn't work silently.
The Problem That Needs Solving
The problem with strict types is that they are a pain in the neck to use in conjunction with a dynamic language. Seeing as PHP treats 12 and "12" as the same value in most contexts, that would mean that calling strict typed code would require a cast. So you'd call sha((int) $algo, ...) instead of passing the algorithm directly.
This would be safe, but it also would completely defeat the point of strict types as the cast would hide the very errors the strict typing is supposed to catch.
So plain strict types won't work...
But weak types hide all sorts of classes of subtle bugs that strict types will catch. So plain weak types don't get us any further in terms of code correctness or validation.
So neither solution works by itself.
Enter Mixed-Typing
This is where the current proposal comes in. Many call it a compromise. Many call it a "worst-of-both-worlds". I call it the only way to do strict typing in PHP that won't utterly suck.
The genius of this proposal is that your code controls how you call other functions. So if you want your code to be strict, any function you call will be treated strictly. But if you don't want to be strict, then the functions you call will accept weakly.
So what the heck does that mean?
Let's take a rather simple example:
<?php //index.php include "functions.php"; switch ($_GET['action']): case 'add': echo add($_GET['x'], $_GET['y']); break; case 'div': echo div($_GET['x'], $_GET['y']); break; case 'quadratic': $value = quadraticFormula($_GET['a'], $_GET['b'], $_GET['c']); echo $value[0] . ', ' . $value[1]; break; }
<?php //functions.php declare(strict_types=1); function div(int $x, int $y): float { return $x / $y; } function add(int $x, int $y): int { return $x + $y; } function quadraticFormula(float $a, float $b, float $c): array { return [ div(-1*$b + sqrt($b**2 - 4*$a*$c), 2*$a), div(-1*$b - sqrt($b**2 - 4*$a*$c), 2*$a), ]; }
Without strict typing in functions.php, you'd be hard-pressed to find the bug. But it's there.
The problem is that div is integer division. But 2*$a is a float (since $a is a float). So therefore there's a cast going on. In fact, it would truncate to the nearest integer. Which would be fine for large numbers (>10000 perhaps), but for small numbers would cause massive error.
Which means that quadraticFormula would produce weird results (especially for small values of $a, $b, $c). And there's nothing that would tell you that. If you didn't sit down and write a unit test with hand-calculated results, you'd never realize it. Yet the usage of it would be wrong. And that error would propagate through your application.
But since we declared strict types, we were notified of the error right away. So we can see that we need to fix it. We could add an int cast in front of 2*$a, but the proper fix would be to add a new floatdiv function (or promote the div function to accept a hypothetical numeric instead):
function floatdiv(float $x, float $y): float { return $x / $y; }
function div(numeric $x, numeric $y): numeric { return $x / $y; }
So our strict type system prevented us from making a pretty significant error without realizing it.
However, since index.php is in weak mode, we can still call into the math functions without having to cast. And without having the overhead of worrying about the types involved. Ideally you would want to validate the input (please do), but even if you don't, things won't blow up.
So it's even better than the best of both worlds. It allows for the fully dynamic side of PHP to interact safely and sanely with a fully strict side. And it makes it easy to do so while still generating meaningful errors when necessary.
This, in my opinion, is the only way to handle strict typing in PHP.
The Way Forward
Moving on, if this RFC passes, it will open a LOT of doors. Better static analyzers. More efficient opcode generation.
And my favorite: native compilation. If this vote passes, I plan on building a native compiler as a PECL extension to compile fully-strict-and-typed functions down to native code. Not as a JIT (doing it when the function's called), but at compile time when opcodes are generated.
So I hope this passes. Not as a compromise, but as the right way to do it.


text:
Durban -
Having access to free fuel and apparent free use of municipal vehicles proved too tempting for two eThekwini municipal officials.
They were arrested for defrauding the City Fleet department, the latest incidents following several cases of fraud and corruption at the same department uncovered last year.
In the first case, an employee was siphoning fuel from official vehicles, and he was caught after a sting was set up.
In the second case, an employee faked a hijacking by crashing the vehicle, as he had been driving outside eThekwini's borders.
In the case of the fuel siphoning, an employee had been filling the vehicle's tank several times a day.
The manager of vehicle investigations at the city, together with the Durban Metro Police Dog Unit, were made aware of the fuel siphoning and planned to watch the movement of the vehicle.
"When the vehicle went to locations where the fuel siphoning was suspected, they moved in and arrested the employee," said Municipal spokesman Thabo Mofokeng.
The employee was dismissed.
In the other case, an employee used a council vehicle outside the municipal boundaries without the necessary authorisation.
In the last financial year, the City Fleet unit has dealt with three cases of fuel theft, in which eight employees have been arrested together with four civilians who bought stolen fuel. Six employees face disciplinary hearings, one employee was dismissed and one has resigned.
- Independent on Saturday


text:
Write your Congressmen and ask them to support legislation that will bring financial relief to people with infertility and provide access to family building options to our wounded Veterans. Use RESOLVE's online Action Alert system to send your letter immediately. Please remember to personalize each letter so that your legislators know why the bill is important to you and the people from your state. Members of Congress will support legislation that matters to their constituents in their district or state. Make your voice heard!
The Family Act, S 881/HR 1851 creates a tax credit for the out-of-pocket costs associated with in vitro fertilization (IVF) and fertility preservation. The Family Act will cover medical procedures, prescription medications, professional charges, the transfer of embryo and other necessary costs when a taxpayer undergoes IVF. The Family Act will help thousands of people access medical treatment for infertility that otherwise might be unavailable to them due to lack of insurance coverage. Send your letters to your U.S. Senators and Representative today. Family Building Professionals! Use this link to send letters of support to your Congressmen.
The Women Veterans and Other Health Care Improvement Act, S 131/HR 958, will improve the reproductive assistance provided by the Department of Veteran Affairs to severely wounded, ill, or injured veterans and their spouses. The bill will provide access to fertility treatments, such as IVF for seriously injured veterans and their spouses, and adoption assistance. Send your letters to your U.S. Senators and Representative today.
Although the adoption tax credit was made permanent in the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (the so-called "Fiscal Cliff" law), this new legislation will restore the refundable portion of the credit which was in place in 2010 and 2011. This legislation is critical to creating financial flexibility for families seeking to adopt. The reinstitution of the refundable adoption tax credit, through the Adoption Tax Credit Refundability Act of 2013 will help provide access and relief to those who would otherwise not be able to build their family through adoption. Send your letters to your U.S. Senators and Representative today.
Once you have sent your letters, don't stop there!


text:
Natural Curls
A modern version of the round cut. The volume is rounder and the lines become irregular to create movement. A few longer strands are retained on top of the head and at the nape of the neck.
Matching shades of colour are produced using L'Oréal Professionnel Diacolor for a truly natural effect.
Natural hairstyle blow-dried with a diffuser to bring out the natural volume of the curl.
Collection: Sexy Cuts
Artistic Director: Fabien Provost for Fabio Salsa
Hair: Fabien Provost & Alexandre Piel
Make-up: Charlotte Willer
Photography: Adel Awad
Related posts:
Short hairstyles
Soft short hairstyle with curls
Short hair with natural curls


text:
In 2007, the Digistan workgroup started designing a framework for grass-roots development of free and open digital standards. Today Digistan publishes its first specification, COSS, and a reference implementation in the form of a pre-configured wiki.
Digistan founding member Alberto Barrionuevo explains the reasons for COSS: we wanted to offer small teams a fast, cheap, and flexible way to develop their specifications into free and open standards. Setting up a foundation is an important step in a software standard's history, but it's a large step that most small teams can't make.
COSS is a fully-distributed peer-to-peer model. André Rebentisch, who helped build the Digital Standards Organization and COSS, says: each contributor makes a unilateral grant, allowing others to use their work under specific conditions. Those conditions include the right to branch and merge, which is radical for specifications but a much appreciated freedom in the free software community.
The COSS lifecycle defines a specification as a contract between designers, implementers, and users. The weight of the contract depends on where the specification is, in its lifecycle: from raw, to draft, to stable, legacy, and through to retired. COSS editor Pieter Hintjens concludes, this model allows for experimentation, and standardization, which are normally opposed to each other.
Digistan has developed a reference specification, a web site that acts as a template for projects. One such project has already started, the RestMS specification for web messaging.