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Should Your Employer Have to Provide a Reason to Fire You?
Friday, September 12, 2008
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Should Your Employer Have to Provide a Reason to Fire You?
This November Coloradans will have a chance to vote on a simple proposition: Should employers have to provide a legitimate reason before they fire an employee?
Virtually all states already prohibit firings on the basis of race, gender, age or religion and many other criteria; Colorado's Ballot Amendment 55 [6] would merely boil employer responsibility down to a simple requirement that they provide a "just cause" reason for terminating any employee. Of course, employers should be able to fire an employee for incompetence, substandard performance, violations of written employment policies, insubordination or other forms of willful misconduct -- and the amendment makes clear [7] that these will still be appropriate grounds for terminating an employee.
The rightwing business lobby is spending quite a bit to defeat the ballot amendment, backed by editorials like this one in the Denver Post [8], which compares the proposal to turning Colorado into "France." The hint of truth there is that France, along with every other industrialized country in the world already provides "just cause" protections for its employees. But then so do almost all of our own country's government and union employers. And most states have more limited versions of job protection for non-union private employees as well.
The Montana Precedent: But why even talk about France when Colorado's neighbor to the north, Montana, has had a statute offering just cause protection for employees since 1987? A new report by the American Constitution Society (ACS) asks the question, "Did the Big Sky Fall?" [9] when Montana enacted just cause? And the answer is not only didn't Montana suffer economically, but it's unemployment rate fell from nearly 8% in 1987 down to 3.2% by December 2007.
Now, no one is arguing that the Montana just cause provision led to this fall in unemployment, since Montana's decline in unemployment paralleled states like Idaho and Wyoming. But that's the point -- labor protections aren't the determinants of employment levels, despite repeated, overheated claims by the rightwing business lobbies that policies like the minimum wage or just cause spell economic doom. As ACS writes in their conclusion, "Employers do not put themselves at a competitive disadvantage by legislation that protects their employees from arbitrary and unfair discharge decisions."
Spurring Broadband Development through Maine's ConnectME Grants
On September 4, the ConnectME Authority [10] awarded its second round of grant awards to help spur the build-out of broadband communications services to unserved areas in Maine. More than $1.75 million was awarded and service is expected to be expanded to an estimated 12,500 residents. "This second round of grants shows that the ConnectME initiative is spurring private investment in broadband and cellular service across Maine," said Governor Baldacci [11]. "These investments are enabling people in rural areas enhanced access to technology, transforming our state economy, and expanding business opportunities for more Mainers."
The governor, in conjunction with the legislature, created the ConnectME Authority [10] in 2006 with the goal of stimulating investment in advanced communications technology infrastructure in Maine "in the most rural, unserved areas of the state that have little prospect of obtaining service from a traditional provider." The Authority will "identify unserved areas of the state; develop proposals for broadband expansion projects, demonstration projects and other initiatives; and administer the process for selecting specific broadband projects and providing funding, resources, and incentives." It is funded by a 0.25% surcharge on [12] all "communications, video, and Internet service bills for retail in-state service." In its January 2008 Annual Report the Authority estimated the surcharge to generate [12] between $750,000 and $1 million per year. The fund was started thanks to $500,000 in "seed money" from the Maine Universal Service Fund.
According to a press release from the governor's office [13], the authority judged the grant applications based on a number of criteria, including the "projected percentage of households that would be served; the level of public-private partnerships created; the level of community support for the projects; and the financial viability of the projects. Generally, successful projects are to be completed within one year of receiving the grant funding."
Five of the grant recipients [10] will work to expand access to high speed Internet service to more than 60 communities are currently unserved and underserved and where there is little reason to suspect that service is coming. The sixth grantee [10] hopes to build a fiber optic cable network that will connect a number of health care facilities and provide high speed telehealth services.
"Mediated Elections" Process for Farmworkers Moving Forward in California
Reacting to a spate of recent farmworker deaths, both houses of the California legislature have approved a new "mediated election" process for farmworker unions. AB 2386 [14] will strengthen farmworkers abilities to form labor unions and address workplace conditions.
Six farmworkers have died this summer of suspected heat illness and 15 have died since 2003 despite requirements adopted in 2005 that employers provide minimum heat illness safeguards. AB 2386 [14], sponsored by Speaker Emeritus Nuňez [15], proposes a new process that allows farmworkers to quickly vote by mail with two choices on the ballot "" to directly vote for the union on the ballot or to vote for a more traditional union election later, with the whole process overseen by a mediator jointly chosen by the union and the employer.
The bill is supported by the United Farm Workers [16], which likens the process to absentee voting: "Just like an absentee ballot, you get your ballot, you vote at home, you turn it back in," UFW organizing director Armando Elenes said by telephone. "In this process that currently exists ... you're talking about incredible amounts of coercion and intimidation right before the voting starts."
AB 2386 passed the Assembly in May and passed the Senate in a different last month. The bill is currently being reconciled and then will move to the Governor's desk. Two previous pieces of legislation SB 180 (Migden) and SB 650 (Padilla) that would have given farmworkers the ability to form unions via a majority sign-up process were vetoed last year. Nunez specifically crafted mediated elections to address the Governor's concerns with the previous bills.
How Traditional Union Election Processes Fail Workers: The California bill addresses the problems that workers typically face when they try to form unions [17]. Since 1975, there have been 151 union recognition elections [17]. In 143 of those cases, 95%, there were findings of employer violations of the law compared to just 8 violations of the law by unions. According to a Cornell University survey of 400 traditional ballot box union elections [18] conducted in 1998 and 1999, 36 percent of workers who vote against joining a union explain their vote as a response to employer pressure. Both Canada and Britain have successfully used card check and neutrality procedures.
Mediated and similar union election procedures like card check streamline the process by which workers can form unions and provide them the ability to choose their own representatives. According to a recent Associated Press article [19], "Sen. Darrell Steinberg [20], D-Sacramento, said helping farm workers organize is the best way to improve working conditions and avoid more field deaths. California could hire dozens more inspectors to enforce regulations designed to prevent heat deaths and not have as much effect."?
The farmworker bill is just following the example of states like New York, Illinois, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Massachusetts which have card check processes for for public employee unions. Tribal casino workers in New York and California [21] already have the ability to join unions through card check and employer neutrality agreements. Illinois airport workers [22] also have the right to card check elections. The Hawaii legislature passed a card check bill this session, which was then vetoed by Gov. Linda Lingle. With the rising death toll in California's fields, the farmworker bill is a necessary solution to an urgent problem.
States React to Arizona Court Decision on "Fair Fight Funds" in Publicly Financed Elections
After an Arizona federal district court, relying on a recent US Supreme Court decision, declared [23] a provision of that state's clean elections law unconstitutional, other states are having to decide how to move forward on clean elections in their states.
Given that this was just one decision by a lower court, the California legislature approved AB 583 [24] on August 30th, one day after the Arizona ruling. This legislation, sponsored by Rep. Loni Hancock [25], creates a public financing pilot program for the Secretary of State race in 2014. For the law to go into effect it must first be approved by voters next year. On the other hand, New Jersey legislators overreacted to the decision and Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts Jr. [26] announced that he would not seek to renew clean elections legislation (AB 100 [27]) in the upcoming session.
The Arizona Court Decision: In Arizona, the decision focused on the "fair fight funds" that are given to publicly funded candidates who have been outspent by privately funded opponents or third parties. In a case brought by the rightwing Goldwater Institute on behalf of Republican legislative candidates, the judge in the decision declared that "fair fight"? funds restrict the First Amendment rights of privately financed legislative candidates.
The controversial ruling is based on the US Supreme Court's recent decision Davis vs. Federal Election Commission [28] which invalidated a separate and distinct provision in federal law, the so-called "millionaire's amendment"? to the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (popularly referred to as "McCain-Feingold"?). That law allowed candidates outspent by self-funded opponents to accept larger contributions than their opponents, and applied unique disclosure and reporting requirements on the self-funded candidate. The rightwing majority in that Supreme Court decision stated that "leveling the playing field"? in a political contest is not a legitimate government interest.
Why the Arizona Decision May be Overturned on Appeal: When the Davis decision was released, some in the election law community took it as an indication [29] that fair fight funds would also fail to pass constitutional muster because, according to their thinking, such funds are specifically designed to level the speech of the various candidates. However, the Campaign Legal Center [30] (CLC) has put forth a cogent counter-argument [31] that outlines the critical differences between the two provisions and the additional, legitimate justifications for fair fight funds.
As the CLC points out, the millionaire's amendment placed significant burdens on the self-financed candidate that fair fight funds do not "" accepting lower contribution limits and more reporting requirements. Fair fight funds in contrast place no additional burden on a privately financed candidate's speech; they merely amplify the speech of publicly financed candidates. In addition, the state benefits by limiting campaign expenditures for publicly financed candidates, only giving them additional funds when needed to wage a competitive election. This is clearly a reasonable way to ration scarce state resources. The funds also induce participation in the public financing system, for without them participating candidates would be engaged in a type of unilateral disarmament.
The district court ruling will have no immediate effect in Arizona because the judge declined to grant a temporary restraining order to prevent the disbursement of fair fight funds citing the nearness of the upcoming election. A hearing will be held in early October regarding a permentant injunction. Whatever the outcome at the district court level, the issue of the constitutionality of fair fight funds will almost certainly be appealed to the US Supreme Court.
California and New Jersey Clean Elections Campaigns: California's law is still waiting for the Governor's signature and voter approval, but it retains its fair fight provision, granting matching funds to outspent publicly financed candidates. Funding for the program comes from increased lobbyist registration fees and a voluntary tax-form contribution.
In New Jersey, it's unfortunate that Speaker Roberts has shelved the legislation, since he has been the sponsor and major legislative promoter of clean elections in New Jersey from when the first pilots were established in 2005. The Arizona decision was in accord with a legal opinion [32] from the New Jersey Office of Legislative Services, which also predicted that fair fight funds will be held unconstitutional under Davis. Still, a press release [33] issued by the Speaker stated that clean elections would merely be "on hiatus"? and lamented that ""¦ an activist court half a continent away has thrown such a huge obstacle in the way of a good government ethics reform that was making real headway in changing politics in New Jersey for the better."?
Given the fact that the Arizona decision has no legal bearing on New Jersey, and that many courts have upheld fair fight funds in the past, many were perplexed at the Speaker's statement. Multiple commentators have posited that the Arizona decision is a fig leaf [34] for abandoning a issue that was being heavily attacked by opponents.
Research Roundup
Green Recovery [35] is a new report that details how green investments in clean energy, retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency, expanding mass transit, and constructing a "smart" electrical grid can create two million new jobs over two years and revitalize the U.S. economy. The report was sponsored by the Center for American Progress and written by economists at the University of Massachusetts Political Economy Research Institute. The report includes state-by-state fact sheets on the benefits of such a program.
With the volume of freight transported in the U.S. expected to double in the next 30 years, a new report [36] by RAND outlines strategies for greater use of rail freight to accommodate that increase while minimizing highway congestion and reducing fuel consumption.
Along the same lines, the Progressive Policy Institute in Putting America's Transportation System on Track [37] urges significant investments in regional and commuter rail systems, along with establishing high-speed rail corridors, in order to lower fuel consumption, stop highway and airport congestion, and strengthen the U.S. economy.
More states are facing budget shortfalls on top of those already addressed in budget decisions this year, according to an update [38] from the Center for Budget Policy and Priorities. Unfortunately, as a separate report [39] by the Center details, at least 22 states are trying to address those shortfalls through budget cuts to vital services for many residents. These cuts will lead to layoffs of government employees and lower benefits for state residents, thereby lowering consumer demand and making recessions even worse in those states.
Detailing the effects of tax cuts for the wealthy in Oklahoma, new fact sheets by the Oklahoma Policy Institute detail how reductions in top personal income tax rates over the last several years delivered an average tax cut in excess of $11,000 per year for the richest 1 percent of Oklahomans [40], while at the same time income tax collections have grown by less than half a percentage point [41] each year over the last two fiscal years.
FairVote continues their series of reports on the uniformity of election administration in swing states with a report on New Mexico [42].
People for the American Way has released six of a planned dozen voter ID toolkits [43] which contain handy flyers and factsheets for local advocates and organizers to use in educating voters about state ID requirements.
The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) recently put out a report [44] that responds to hundreds of cases of Korean American and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students being denied access to education. The Access to Public Education Guide: Unlocking the Key to America's Future represents the first attempt to address the specific barriers faced by undocumented AAPI immigrant students and details how immigrant students can best understand the constitutional principles and state laws governing access to public education.
Please email us [45] leads on good research at firstname.lastname@example.com [45]
Should Your Employer Have to Provide a Reason to Fire You?
Colorado Amendment 55 [6] - Just Cause for Employee Discharge or Suspension
Spurring Broadband Development through Maine's ConnectME Grants
ConnectME Authority [10]
"Mediated Elections" Process for Farmworkers Moving Forward in California
CA AB 2386 [14]- Mediated Elections for Farmworkers Bill
States React to Arizona Court Decision on "Fair Fight Funds" in Publicly Financed Elections
Campaign Legal Center "" Public Financing After Davis: "The Reports of My Death are Greatly Exaggerated"? [31]
New PSN Resources
New Report: The Anti-Immigrant Movement that Failed: Positive Integration Policies by States Still Far Outweigh Punitive Policies Aimed at New Immigrants [55].
Despite a mainstream media narrative trumpeting 2008 as the year of anti-immigrant legislation, a report released this week by the Progressive States Network reveals that most anti-immigrant legislation never passed, while positive policies working to integrate new immigrants into our communities have actually fared far better in states around the country.
In a comprehensive study of immigration policy in all 50 states, the PSN report found that only 11% of the country's undocumented immigrants live in states with "punitive"? policies and another 10% live in states with "somewhat punitive"? or with "mixed"? integrative and punitive policies. Another 19% live in states that have been "inactive"? on immigration policies. But an overwhelming 60% of undocumented immigrants live in states with positive "integrative"? or "somewhat integrative"? policies.
3 Steps Forward
1. IA: Meatpacker Faces Charges by State Attorney General of Violating Child Labor Laws
2 Steps Back
1. States cutting education budgets losing teachers to other states [59]
The Stateside Dispatch is written and edited by:
Nathan Newman [62], Policy Director
Please shoot us an email at firstname.lastname@example.com [69] if you have feedback, tips, suggestions, criticisms, or nominations for any of our sidebar features.
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Find great deals on quality Nilgiris, India hotels & resorts, or indulge at one of our luxury resorts. Take advantage of the many amenities that can be included with your stay such as in-room internet access, wifi, room service, fitness center, pool, hot tub, steam room, and shuttle services to and from the airport. Browse our Nilgiris, India hotels and resorts and plan your Nilgiris, India vacation today!
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Nilgiri, India Hotels & Resorts - Blue Valley Jungle Resort is situated in one of Asias thickest forest of 450 sq.kms at Madhumalai (Theppakadu) and at the foot hills of the highest peaks
Nilgiri, India Hotels & Resorts - Green Park Resorts is ideally located at the foothills of The Nilgiris and surrounded by sparkling stream of crystal clear water over looking towards the
Nilgiri, India Hotels & Resorts - In the foot hills of the most panoramic Blue-Hills, usually called the Queen of Hills lies Bokkapuram, a place known for its beauty and serenity. Further
Udaipur, India Hotels & Resorts - Welcome to Hotel Boheda Palace, your home away from home! The hotel Boheda Palace is a Heritage-style property situated conveniently in the centre of the Old City of Udaipur, tucked away in a quiet street yet within walking distance of all major s
gangtok, India Hotels & Resorts - It is the only five star deluxe resort in the North East India with 65 rooms and spa
gangtok, India Hotels & Resorts - We are the only 5 star deluxe resort in Gangtok
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Jodhpur, India Hotels & Resorts - Traditional Homestay in jodhpur where guest live as a family.
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Bhopal, India Hotels & Resorts - Welcome To Hotel Ganpati Since its inception in 1994 Hotel Ganpati has established an enviable refreshing Hospitality and personalized service. It is the ideal place for business and leisure travellers located in the heart of Bhopal ,the maj

subset: commoncrawl


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Channels and Mountains
11 days / 10 nights
You will tour across Southern Patagonia, Cape Horn and Tierra del Fuego with this
comprehensive program of 11 days. Upon arrival in Punta Arenas Airport you will be picked up to start your trip with Australis cruises with a route that will visit the Almirantazgo Sound, Marinelli Glacier and the Tuckers Islands (populated by Magellanic penguins). The trip continues to Pia glacier, the Eugenia Bay (where Darwin landed in 1833), and the Cape Horn. The trip ends in Ushuaia. From
there you will go to Tierra del Fuego National Park. The trip continues by plane to El Calafate to visit Perito Moreno Glacier. From this City you will go to Puerto Natales to stay overnight and to visit Torres del Paine National Park in a full day excursion.
The last day, you will take the bus to Punta Arenas to connect to your return flight.
Highlights in this tour:
Calafate city, Perito Moreno glaciar, Ushuaia city, Tierra del Fuego nacional park, Cabo de Hornos, Bahía Wulaia, Seno Almirantazgo,Pía glaciar, Brookes bay, Punta Arenas city, Puerto Natales city and Torres del Paine nacional park.
3 stars hotel USD 1.064 + Selected cabin in Australis Cruise
4 stars hotel USD 1.314 + Selected cabin in Australis Cruise
**check the cabin prices in:
service includes:
- Entrante fees to the metioned nacional parks
- Hotels (breakfast included)
- Lunch during Torres del Paine excursion
Service does not included:
- Australis Cruises cabins
- Air tickets.
- Other unspecified services.


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July 30, 2014
If you haven't heard, Brett Favre is now a free agent and can sign with any team he wants if he so chooses. Here's the story if you need to catch up.
Favre says he's still retired. "Nothing has changed," Favre said in a statement. "At this time, I am retired and have no intention of returning to football."
"At this time?" That's the same wishy-washy stuff we heard last spring/summer. We've been down this road before haven't we? The Vikings have only Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson. The Bears now have Jay Cutler, and the Lions...well, they're the Lions. No other NFC team fits for Favre.
You know Favre still wants to "stick it to Ted" Thompson. We'll have to wait and see what the summer holds, won't we?
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Does Castro Valley need to raise its civic identity?
At the recent "pop-up museum" devoted to local history, an informal poll asked whether Castro Valley should reconsider incorporation as a city (see picture above).
David Ashton, who led efforts to organize the pop-up, said attendees voted 105 to 83 in favor of incorporation.
But, he joked, there may have been some voter fraud: "No one was insisting on seeing ID's, the Republican group from Colorado was in charge of voter registration, and I think some of the toddlers may have voted twice."
In a more serious vein, Supervisor Nate Miley is willing to consider whether members of the Municipal Advisory Council might be elected instead of appointed by him as is currently the case.
That according to Michael Joseph Kusiak, who has created a Facebook page to push for an elected MAC.
As Kusiak wrote to explain the rationale:
(State) law says that a MAC can be elected or appointed. Our MAC was set up as an appointed one; I would like it to be elected. I think this would get CVers more likely to care about civic affairs (even if the MAC is just advisory) - it would also clarify very quickly to whom members are accountable, to CV residents, not the Board of Supervisors or the Supervisor who appointed them. I hope it can light a spark in how we engage local governance issues in our town.
Kusiak says the notion of an elected advisory body will be discussed at the Oct. 15th MAC meeting, probably at 6 pm at the Castro Valley Library.
Is there enthusiasm or need for a change of status? And, if so, what form should it take? Weigh in with comments or suggestions.
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Boats are like cars in that they must be registered with a licensing authority. Depending upon the size and use of a boat, some vessels are required to be documented with the U.S. Coast Guard National Documentation Center. This is only required if the vessel is more than 5 net tons and engages in fishing or coastwise trade. In recreational boating cases however, the Coast Guard only requires "vessels equipped with propulsion machinery to be registered in the state of principal use."
To comply with the Coast Guard regulations, you must register your boat with your state's licensing division. Much like when you register a car, you will receive a certificate of number. The numbers must be displayed on your boat in a specific manner, and the owner/operator must carry the valid certificate of number (like a car's registration paper) whenever the vessel is in use. The best way to ensure the certificate number is readily available in the event of a law enforcement boarding it to put in a zippered plastic bag and store it in a secure, watertight compartment aboard your boat.
Check with your state for specific licensing requirements. Click next to learn how to place the numbers on your boat.


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The 1,100 mile-wide Hurricane Sandy has caused an estimated $50 billion in damage to 24 states along the East Coast, according to the New York Times.
The need, obviously, is huge. Thousands of miles away, some Californians are rallying to help and we're not strangers to disasters—coming from a state prone to earthquakes, wildfires and mudslides. But it it our place to provide Hurricane Sandy disaster relief?
Some Americans on the East Coast still had no electricity nearly a week after Hurricane Sandy. The California Utilities Emergency Association and PG&E have been helping utility companies across the country help restore power, according to NBC Bay Area. PG&E is working to send four large generators to New York utility Consolidated Edison, NBC reported. These generators can power an entire city block or more.
The American Red Cross is collecting funds and coordinating blood donations. The organization sheltered more than 3,000 people across nine states during the worst of the storm. You can donate $10 by phone by texting the word REDCROSS to 90999.
Sandy has caused the cancellation of about 300 American Red Cross blood drives.
"Patients will still need blood despite the weather," said Dr. Richard Benjamin, chief medical officer of the Red Cross, in a statement.
To schedule a blood donation at a center near you or for more information about giving blood or platelets, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) takes donations to rescue and shelter animals affected by the storm. Nearly 300 animals are staying with their owners in shelters in the New York City area, the agency said.
The Salvation Army: You can donate $10 to the Salvation Army by texting "STORM" to 80888. If you are already volunteer-certified, you can sign up to help out with disaster relief.
AmeriCares: You can donate to AmeriCares' relief fund to help the organization, which is distributing supplies to 130 clinics in the 13 states affected by Sandy.
So with all these ways to help our fellow Americans on the East Coast, is it our duty as a citizen to lend a helping hand?
Tell us in the comments: Whether it's a blood donation or cash, should we Californians step up to aid those whose lives have been turned upside down?


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Weights from Panama!
Photo: Sumio Yamada
In the "WBA KO Drugs" Festival official weigh-in ceremony held on Wednesday afternoon on the outside of the Crown Casino in Panama City all participants made the required weight before a huge crowd that attended the event. The card will take place on Thursday at the Centro de Convenciones Figali, from 7pm.
Anselmo Moreno 118 vs Cecilio Santos 117
(WBA Bantamweight title)
Celestino Caballero 122 vs Elvis Mejia 122
(WBA super bantamweight title)
Ricardo Cordoba 122 vs Luis Perez 122
(WBA interim super bantamweight title)
Luis Pineda 200 vs Francisco Palacios 195
Ameth Diaz 135 vs Raymundo Beltran 134
No weights announced for the exhibition match between WBA Executive VP Gilberto Jesus Mendoza and ring legend Felix "Tito" Trinidad.
I know it's just an exhibition fight but I'm a little suprised that noone has brought this up or it wasn't mentioned more in the media! So here I am doing it lol! WAR TITO!!!!!


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This is not a vent board or any other kind of therapy. Before you hit the POST button, ask yourself if your contribution will add to the level of discussion going on.
Important notes on articles:
claims adjusters are not morons by jt
if they were so willing to cut your old man a check for that amount without hesitation, perhaps he should have found an even more expensive place.


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Merrill Matthews, Contributor
I explore public policy and politics and expose foolish ideas.
President Obama's forthcoming "jobs package" is what the country gets when it elects a president who spent more time organizing people than hiring them.
Obama needs desperately to find a way to boost job creation—both for the country's sake and his own political future—and yet previews of his speech allow me to make an early prediction: The economy will continue to sputter and unemployment will remain in the 8 percent-plus range until, well, January of 2013 (if you know what I mean).
The president persists in pushing programs that cost billions of dollars and do not create sustainable jobs, and he refuses to embrace policies that will.
Take, for example, the hints that Obama wants to expand his job-subsidization efforts to the private sector by giving employers a tax break to make it less expensive to hire workers. This from the man who has made the cost of hiring new workers so expensive, and the cost of regulatory compliance so unpredictable, that many employers refuse to hire.
All of the above significantly raise the cost of doing business and hiring new employees. So now the president wants to provide businesses with a subsidy to make it less expensive to hire a new employee.
Every business owner knows the subsidies are temporary, while the new costs and regulations are permanent—at least as long as Obama is in office. So while the president's proposals might produce a little hiring at the margins, it will be nowhere near what we need to jumpstart the economy.
And even as the president claims he is now laser-focused on job creation, he wants the public to forget all of his previous taxpayer-funded efforts to create mostly those "green jobs" of the future, many of which have been abject failures.
Like the $20 million federal grant given to Seattle to weatherize houses. The promise? To create "2,000 living-wage jobs in Seattle and retrofitting 2,000 homes in poorer neighborhoods," according to the SeattlePI. The reality a year later, "only three homes had been retrofitted and just 14 new jobs have emerged from the program."
The much-hyped company Solyndra, which manufactures—um, make that "manufactured"—solar technology, has closed its doors and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Only a year ago Obama gave it $535 million in low-cost loan guarantees, touting the company "as a prime example of how green technology could deliver jobs," according to an NBC-affiliate report. Now another 1,000 people have become unemployed victims of Obama's job-creating skills. And taxpayers have become victims of another half-billion dollars sucked down the Obama job-creating drain.
Mr. Job-Creator also went to Michigan in August to puff his government handouts. He said at Johnson Controls, "We know there are things we can do right now that will help accelerate growth and job creation—that will support the work going on here at Johnson Controls, here in Michigan, and all across America." As was widely reported, the company added about 150 jobs—at an average cost of about $2 million each.
Perhaps the best example of the president's job-creation failures is his "green car" efforts. Talk about driving the economy into the ground! The president has set a goal of 1 million plug-in cars by 2015. And so he started doling out taxpayer money, announcing a $2.4 billion program in March 2009. Since the government was a majority stakeholder in GM at the time, the Chevy Volt became a model to be emulated. Except … well, nobody wants it. GM only sold 125 Volts in July—and that's with the government buying some of them. At that blistering sales pace we could hit, oh, maybe 4,000 on the road by 2015.
It only says, "directly employed". I was hoping to find information on petroleum jobs numbers—but oil and gas combined was as close as I could get. I have no idea what the relative distribution between the two would be.
That is from the Dept. of Labor website.
BTW Merrill—-the "related" jobs to petroleum may not be affected at all.
The same equipment, and the same people would be employed if we replace petroleum use with natural gas use. They would just be drilling for natural gas instead of petroleum.
If you are a service station owner, you will not be put out of business if you are selling E85 to people with flex fuel vehicles instead of gasoline—-or biodiesel instead of petroleum diesel. We even have blender pumps that can sell any blend of ethanol/gasoline or bio/petro diesel the customer wants.
And most service stations already have a hook up to a natural gas pipeline utility.
Any other related field such as trucking or passenger services would be pretty much unaffected—-what would it matter what the fuel is as long as the truck or bus will run cleanly, efficiently and safely?
Refinery workers would have to find other jobs—-but that would involve putting the refinery equipment to other uses than making fuels—–of which there are thousands of possibilities.
The horror stories of millions of people losing their jobs because of conversion to renewable energy sources is just fabrication and manipulation. There is bound to be some shifting around, but for the most part, there will be plenty of employment available in jobs that are exactly the same or at least nearly the same as what they were doing. Even refineries will still be needed—-anything that can be done or made with petroleum can be done or made with "black liquor"—–the biologic equivalent of crude oil, the waste product of the pulp making process that makes paper and cardboard out of wood.
Merrill—–" I'm a big fan of natural gas and hope it will play a much bigger role in our total energy consumption in the near future. However, I am reluctant to push it by a federal mandate."——
Why? Because of a fear of "BIG GOVERNMENT"?
The DoD is far and away the largest branch of (executive)government we have. Get rid of oil and you get rid of the root cause of why we are in the Middle East at all—-let alone fighting on 6 fronts. And these wars are threatening to spread. One spark and we'll be in Yemen(well, secretly, we are now—but we'll be in Yemen with ground troops and watching it on the news every night)—it is just too strategic to ignore. Whoever controls Yemen controls the entire south end of the Arabian peninsula, and the Red Sea shipping lanes. A few silkworm missiles—-and you've shut down half of the world's oil. Syria is spinning out of control and headed for full blown civil war. If Assad stays in power—war with Isreal is inevitable. And another Isreali war is almost certain to turn nuclear—-given that Pakistan has nuclear weapons and is so full of terrorist sympathizers that they hid Osama bin Laden for 8 years right under our noses. And the US will be TARGET #1 for nuclear weapons.(as Isreal's #1 ally and weapons source) Somalia is still full of pirates. Civil war is ongoing in Lybia and victory is by no means assured. We can't possibly "win" in Iraq or Afghanistan—no one can even define what "winning" is.
Take away oil(dependence), and you take away the only reason we are there, and the one prop(money and weapons) that supports repressive regimes.
Nobody can shoot at us if we aren't there.
Need I go on?
If we are not in the business of a mercenary army and navy to guard oil company profits—you take away the need for much of the largest bureaucratic swamp there is, DoD.
Natural gas is rated NRZ(near zero emissions) by CARB. NG can not be strip mined, you can't strip mine a gas. There are a few environmental concerns, fracking needs to be monitored—-but you don't have huge concerns like oil spills(you can't spill natural gas in water, it just bubbles up and blows away)—or acid leaching(water), or air quality(no sulphur or PMs) You can eliminate much of what the EPA has to do by using NG instead of coal and petroleum.
Smaller government, and fewer regulations.
Less spending on defense and environmental issues.
More available to take care of social issues like health care without increasing spending.
And, with increased revenues from economic benefits of domestic energy vs. imported energy—-and less spending on needless and hopelessly doomed military and environmental efforts—–we can probably show not only balanced budgets, but also even surpluses. That is the guess on my part.
So, which is it that you want?
An end to oil dependence, with less military spending and environmental spending. Smaller government and less regulation. Balanced budgets and economic gains, jobs, and an end to the loss of purchasing power due to the mad runaway waste train that represents petroleum and coal use?
The choice is yours. The first step is to get vehicles that can use fuels other than petroleum in the hands of consumers and on the road. The second step is to get those fuels ramped up into production and available everywhere. Of coarse, we'll have to put people to work to do that.
Is that worth a federal mandate that all new vehicles sold need to be multi-fuel capable?
Nobody is going to tell you what fuels to use—you can even still use petroleum if you want. But why would anyone want to pay tax to use petroleum when they can use a domestically produced fuel and not pay a tax?
PS: it costs less than 1/2 the $$$ to drive the same distance using natural gas as it would driving the same distance using petroleum already. What consumers would want to spend twice as much(or more) to use petroleum?
Maybe a few—-but I think overall they will be a very small minority.
The Fiat Siena Tetrafuel can run on gasoline, gasoline and ethanol mixtures, pure hydrous ethanol(straight from the still, unblended) and/or CNG(compressed natural gas, methane).
And it costs less than the Toyota Prius. $5,000 MRSP less.
The Fiat Siena can run completely petroleum free. There is no need for CAFE requirements on a vehicle that doesn't even need gasoline.
Make ALL new vehicles with the same technology—-and another regulation bites the dust.
What do you say to that?
In about 12 to 20 years, all known reserves of oil on all federal leasings will be exhausted.
They will be producing no oil, and producing no income.
You will be seeing increasing signals that oil is running out—-for the last 20 years, new discoveries have not even kept pace with increases in demand, let alone replace depleted fields.
Since 1990 the (US) price of gasoline has gone from $.73/gal to $3.92/gal. That is a 537% increase. And that is spread out over 20 years. Twenty years at the top of the curve on the Peak Oil graph—–we are now entering the accelerating portion of the curve. We did that in 2007. From here on out, supply is going to decrease, and demand is going to increase at a much more increasingly rapid rate.
We are already seeing that happen. The price of gasoline at the pump has almost doubled in the last 5 years. If the price of gasoline doubles in the next 5 years(as it most certainly will, the only question is will it be 5 years or will it be less than 5 years), the price of gasoline at the pump will be $7.84 at the pump. Are you ready for $8/gal gasoline? The price of diesel will be probably somewhere in the neighborhood of $8.50/gal.
How many products can you name that are not dependent on the price of diesel or gasoline in their overhead costs? Even food and water. Yes, even water and food depend on diesel pumps and trucks to get them to you.
Investing in drilling more oil wells and pipelines is a losing proposition. You might as well put your cash into a big pile and burn it.
In the meantime, there is not much time left. And investing in drilling for more oil is wasting time and resources that could be used creating a solution. Investing in more oil technology is like trying to bail out the RMS Titanic with a teacup.
Well I haven't seen any Republican job plan from the House…
Regarding job creation and offshore oil and gas development, think of it this way: We send $400+ billion overseas each year to purchase liquid energy. If we were to reduce that by 50% (acknowledging that a significant portion of those funds go to Canada, our largest trading partner), we would retain $200 billion a year in the economy. If you use the standard multiple that one dollar of wealth invested generates six (6) dollars in GDP, that equals $1.2 trillion–about an 8% annualized growth rate. You would repeat this process year-over-year, adding to jobs and long term economic growth. That's how we grow ourselves out of this recession!
Regarding the failure of Solyndra, it didn't take a rocket scientist to quantify the opportunity for failure at the time the government guaranteed the loans. There are literally dozens of VC firms that play in this segment, not including the R&D investments made by the major oil companies and utilities in leading edge alternative power systems. If Solyndra was such a good investment, they would have been able to secure private capital–much like dozens of technology-driven companies do every year. This was exclusively a political decision and now the taxpayers are stuck with a $500 million loss. The same path is being followed by the Volt–a politically motivated initiative proven not to be able to compete in the current market. It is impossible to rationalize a $40,000 purchase for a Volt when considering the alternatives. Let the auto companies invest a portion of their profits in R&D–and demand will determine the winners. Allow them to produce the cars consumers demand and they will create jobs. Consumers vote with their pocket books, politicians vote with other people's money. The consumer is correct 100% of the time, and the companies that can anticipate the needs and wants of the consumer, and rightfully so, those that can't deserve to fail. Unfortunately, government is not allowed to fail.
Also, get ready for the ethanol producers to crater as well–ethanol economics barely breakeven at $3.00 corn with the tax subsidies we all pay, and cannot compete with petroleum fuels with $7.50 corn. This is another industry that is subsidized by the taxpayer and cannot stand on its own–while at the same time driving up the cost of food. So the consumer pays twice for politically motivated initiatives.
Until we change the culture in DC, positive change will not happen. The number one thing the government needs to do is get out of the way, cut all subsidies back by 75%, and allow the market to allocate the resources. We will all be much better off and our children will have the same opportunities we had.
——-" Also, get ready for the ethanol producers to crater as well–ethanol economics barely breakeven at $3.00 corn with the tax subsidies we all pay, and cannot compete with petroleum fuels with $7.50 corn. This is another industry that is subsidized by the taxpayer and cannot stand on its own–while at the same time driving up the cost of food. So the consumer pays twice for politically motivated initiatives."——–
Since petroleum is a de facto cartel monopoly—-it is the price of oil that determines the demand for ethanol. As long as we continue to import cheap oil from overseas, and give away mineral leases on publicly owned lands and waters at prices that would make Big Lots blush—-there will be low demand for ethanol. And there will be continued pressure for government support to increase subsidies to ethanol.
Imported oil is bad for our national security. Imported oil is bad for our economy. The last three wars the US has become involved in, along with undeclared wars on 6 fronts, are expensive in the ultra extreme, not only in dollars but also in lives, international prestige and diversion of attention and resources from other more productive pursuits. If you don't want high taxes and smaller government—-don't fight wars. If you don't want to have to fight wars over a commodity that is finite and running out—-replace that commodity with other commodities that do not run out. Commodities that can be made from almost anything at all in all sorts of locations with all sorts of raw materials, mostly stuff that is currently wasted now. Renewable resources.
How do we do that?
1) Mandate that all vehicles sold in the US be multi-fuel and biofuel capable. It can be done and is being done right now in other parts of the world. The Fiat Siena Tetrafuel can run on gasoline, gasoline and ethanol mixtures, pure hydrous ethanol(straight from the still, unblended) and/or compressed natural gas(methane), Methane is both a fossil fuel AND a biofuel—-we can make it easily and cheaply from any type of organic waste at all, including sewage and landfills—-we've been doing it for over 160 years in recent recorded history.
Mandate that all vehicles sold must be multi-fuel capable—-and then let consumers decide what fuel they want to run their vehicles on.
2) Get rid of ethanol subsidies. Instead, place import tariffs on crude petroleum and finished petroleum products. Increase the mineral lease fees to current market value as dictated by the price of the world market. Sell the leases, don't give them away to cronies practically free. Do not tax domestically produced oil. Set the import duties high enough to make domestic production more attractive.
The price of oil will go up. But that is alright—-it will mean more domestic production and jobs because domestic oil will be more attractive than imported oil. Economic advantage and security advantage.
The price of ethanol will stay about the same—making it more attractive as a fuel because it is cheaper in comparison to oil.
Natural gas already costs about 1/2 the $$$ to do the same thing oil does, it will only get even more attractive to consumers. Demand will rise as domestic natural gas use increases to replace foreign oil imports.
Oil import tariffs will increase tax revenues.
Consumers who do not want to pay taxes to use imported petroleum have the freedom to choose domestic alternatives, ethanol, biodiesel and methane that are not taxed.
The domestic job market will benefit because domestic oil will be preferable to imported oil—-and the oil industry can be and already is involved in natural gas production, and biofuels can be used in conjunction with oil.
When consumers turn to domestically produced fuels instead of petroleum, it will reduce the national trade deficit. And the money that was going overseas to buy a raw material that we are only going to burn instead goes into the US economy increasing the GDP with a multiplier effect.
Added tax revenues, and an increase in the GDP means that the national debt as a percentage of GDP will automatically decrease. The same effect of owing a full years worth of your income on credit cards—-then suddenly getting a huge raise, all of a sudden, your debt/income ratio goes way down.
I sort of think we should try that.


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We're not advocating buying a Ferrari for a four-year-old or having the teenagers retrofitted with spoked rims, but biking, skating and other unusual wheeled transport is a great way to see San Francisco and get active at the same time.
Don't expect to see the whole city from pedal-powered transport, though. Unless your whole family are avid bikers and strong pedalers, you'll be limited to the waterfront and other flatter parts, but there's plenty to see there, including many of the most popular tourist spots.
Families on Wheels - Most Popular Spots
For an active, do-it-yourself tour of San Francisco, rent bicycles from Blazing Saddles, Bay City Bike or Bike and Roll. They'll give you a map with several route ideas, the most fun being a two-hour ride that will lead you over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito and back on the ferry.
If you like the idea but worry about wearing yourself out, Blazing Saddles and Bay City Bike also rent electric-assisted models. All three have tandem bicycles, tag-a-longs and trailers. And most have baby seats.
Skates: Bike and Roll also rents inline skates and you can find some great info about the best places for skating at sfskaters.org
Ride a Segway: If the kids are old enough (over 12), the San Francisco Electric Tour Company offers fun tours on Segway personal transporters. They'll give you a lesson and then take you out to see the sights. Get all the details - and a review - here.
More Places to Bike, Skate, Play
If you'd just like to pedal around the Crissy Field area, Sports Basement rents a nice range of bikes at their Presidio location, and their rates are significantly lower than the places in the more-touristy areas.
For a nice ride in Golden Gate Park (a great idea on weekends when some of the roads are car-free), try Golden Gate Park Bike & Skate where you can choose from bikes or skates - and even rent a disc golf setup. Also in the park, Wheel Fun rents a dizzying array of wheeled vehicles, including some really cute pedal-powered surreys.
If you take the ferry to Angel Island, you can take a Segway tour there, rent bicycles or try a fun, electric-powered scooter.


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Condi Rice to Dog's Rescue?
October 12, 2006 4:44 PM
I'm starting to feel like a terrier with a bone, still reporting on the perils of Duane Chapman, who stars in A&E's red-hot series, "Dog the Bounty Hunter." It's a good thing the show is reality-based, because when it comes to his life, you just can't make this stuff up.
Today, according to published reports, 29 members of the House of Representatives wrote to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urging that she deny a request from the Mexican government that seeking to extradite Dog to face charges of illegal detention. Dog got in a legal scrape in that country when he went there to apprehend Andrew Luster, heir to the Max Factor fortune; bounty hunting is illegal in Mexico.
I'm sure the suits at A&E are rabidly happy over this latest development and I'm sure they'll make hay with it and we'll soon see another episode of this reality-based show documenting his latest brush with the dog catchers, if you will. As they say in the south, "That dog can sure hunt." And I'm also sure his many fans will be posting their delight here on this blog over the latest twist and turn in this ongoing tale.


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Hopefully we'll be getting the chance to try out an early version of the sequel to this. I can't wait, given how advanced Crime Lab was compared to this original effort.
Word of Adam | Voice123 Profile | AdamC3 on Twitter
Polish development outfit City Interactive has been churning out puzzle efforts on the PC for many years now, and recently started transferring its talents over to Nintendo's dual-screen portable platform. The DS has seen the Match 3 effort, Jewels of the Tropical Lost Island, the Transylvanian-themed hidden object adventure, Vampire Moon: Mystery of the Hidden Sun, and the fantastic puzzle adventure, Crime Lab: Body of Evidence, which mixed all sorts of gameplay styles into one thoroughly impressive package. Before the Chronicles of Mystery sequel hits Nintendo DS in 2011, Cubed3 goes back to 2009 to see whether the original, Curse of the Ancient Temple, still holds up by today's rapidly increasing standards.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be an archaeologist, travelling the world on great adventures, finding all sorts of fantastical treasure? Well, for talented young Sylvie Leroux, similar to the female protagonist in the DS Hidden Object game Samantha Swift and the Hidden Roses of Athena, that dream has come true. However, whilst the initial invitation from her uncle, a renowned historian and professor, to head over to France and join him seemed extremely enthralling, matters quickly take a turn for the worse. Upon arrival, Sylvie finds that her uncle has disappeared and must begin a journey of discovery herself, exploring a mysterious underground chapel from the Crusades, and uncovering the long forgotten secrets of the famed Knights Hospitaller Order.
Rather than being a simple case of finding and rescuing her family member, though, it appears that a malevolent force is desperately trying to prevent Sylvie from unveiling the truth surrounding an object of divine power and being reunited with her mild-mannered relative. Thus begins a puzzle-filled journey across fifty very impressively detailed locations, full of hidden objects and more than 100 conundrums and riddles to crack, complete with extremely atmospheric music to accompany Sylvie's exploits.
Rather than being a straight-up Hidden Object title, Chronicles of Mystery fuses elements from that genre with those of traditional point-and-click adventures and brain-teasing puzzles and tests. Anyone who has also played Crime Lab: Body of Evidence on Nintendo DS will definitely spot the similarities between the two City Interactive releases, with this clearly being a precursor in the development line, and unfortunately it suffers by being inferior to the superb 2010 release. The ideas included are extremely impressive, with items to interact with when found in each location, tools to collect and use to uncover other key elements, a running points total so you can aim to get as high a score as possible, puzzles that will test your memory, logic, reactions and general resolve, as well as the extra options of unlocking two enjoyable modes, 'Hidden World' and 'Minigames' (fourteen in total) upon completion of the main game.
One of the problems, though, lies with the frustration of not being given the option to bypass any puzzles if stuck, something that was resolved in Crime Lab, as well as how the touch-screen recognition is a little quirky at times, not registering taps on an item sometimes and then magically working after a few failed attempts. However, the major issue is with the game's difficulty level and overall longevity; both let the side down. Even with the hidden scrolls dotted around levels that must be collected, and the odd awkard puzzle that takes longer than expected to solve, there is little to prevent Chronicles of Mystery from being completed within around two hours. Additionally, whilst the graphics on the whole are very attractive, there is an issue with items being very tiny on the DS screens, meaning locating certain objects can be an arduous process.
The ideas present in 2010's Crime Lab: Body of Evidence are found in this 2009 release in their infancy. Chronicles of Mystery is filled with plenty of fantastic fledgling gameplay elements that have thankfully not gone to waste in City Interactive's later projects.
Extremely attractive locations throughout, but the size of objects around levels are too small, making the process of finding anything harder than it should be.
The soundtrack is perfectly suited to the ancient places visited, complementing the game's setting nicely.
After sinking so much time into Crime Lab: Body of Evidence, going back to Chronicles of Mystery and breezing through it in an hour or two, without any reason to return afterwards, was a real disappointment.
Sadly, because City Interactive has surpassed itself with the excellence of 2010's Vampire Moon: Mystery of the Hidden Sun and Crime Lab: Body of Evidence, its 2009 release of Chronicles of Mystery: Curse of the Ancient Temple pales completely in comparison. Thankfully the seeds of good ideas present in this older release were fully developed for Crime Lab and gives great hope for the Chronicles of Mystery DS sequel that is due in early 2011.
Adam is Cubed3's Operations Director. A Voice Actor on the side, he adores all things Nintendo, beavering away on news, features, and developer interviews.View Adam's Content View Adam's Reviews @AdamC3 Google+
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Hopefully we'll be getting the chance to try out an early version of the sequel to this. I can't wait, given how advanced Crime Lab was compared to this original effort.


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Some restaurateurs are bringing mobile into their businesses while others are reaching out to guests with these popular devices.
We're in an extremely mobile world now, and this can spell business advantage for those who recognize it.
Consider this: As of winter 2013, more people have cell phone access than toilet access in the world. According to Time News, "Out of the world's estimated 7 billion people, 6 billion have access to mobile phones. Only 4.5 billion have access to working toilets."
So it's clear that there's opportunity in mobile devices. In fact, I still recall the first time using a mobile device in a restaurant. Not Your Average Joe's in Randolph, Massachusetts used smart phones to survey its guests. The novelty of completing the survey on a smartphone was the main reason I actually provided the information. It was unique and it's appreciated that they care about guest input.
Have you been considering bringing mobile into your digital marketing plan? If you're considering this option, here are a few suggestions for getting the most out of mobile.
Mobile customer loyalty tip #1: Cater to the mobile audience.
Your mobile audience can visit you in a few ways. Some restaurants create native apps that can be used on particular devices they're created for, like Android and Apple have.
Another option utilized by restaurants is having a website that is mobile-friendly. This typically means that the website will render itself, depending on the device it's being viewed on.
The last suggestion, and perhaps the most important, is having a social media presence. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are all heavily trafficked on mobile devices. These websites can be easily used by restaurants, don't cost any money to join, and can be accessed on through apps or on a smartphone's browser.
Mobile customer loyalty tip #2: Interact with your mobile audience.
The restaurants that have decided to be social on Facebook and Twitter are put into a direct feedback loop, meaning they can see what kinds of posts get attention. This attention, of course, leads to the word of your business getting spread between friends, family members and co-workers. So it's important to not only see what people are saying about your business, but to also interact with these audience members.
Trina's Starlite Lounge not only shares pictures and information with its Facebook friends, it supports the local community. In the post below, Trina's congratulated Kirkland Tap and Trotter, which had just opened up down the street.
Similarly, Kirkland Tap and Trotter actively engages with its guests on Twitter. Below is an example of thanking guests and welcoming them back in.
Mobile customer loyalty tip #3: Make mobile usable
Ordering by phone can be difficult. Sometimes connections are poor and the communication isn't easy to understand from either side of the phone. However, some restaurants now offer orders through mobile apps and mobile websites. The orders are selected from the menu or typed out so accuracy is not questioned.
Side note: If you don't have the time or resources to offer online ordering but still want audiences to be able to order online, you can utilize services like Grub Hub. Grub Hub lets users choose from restaurants in their area, order the desired items and then the food will be available for delivery or pickup.
Mobile customer loyalty tip #4: Utilize text messaging
We've mentioned text message marketing in other articles because of its popularity. The open rate is extremely high with text messages as people often have their smartphones on them at all times (or at least most of the time).
The way to offer text message marketing is to promote a unique number on table tents throughout in-store signage. Guests then text this number to sign up, so the whole process features an opt-in aspect.
Text message marketing works the best for stores with a constantly rotating inventory because guests can be messaged once new items are available. This works great for restaurants too; they can inform their guests when specials and menus change. If you want to enhance your customer loyalty program, text messaging is a sound idea.
Have you started utilizing a mobile customer loyalty program? Please share your experience with us!


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Show off your Greek pride or celebrate their rich culture at the Heritage Museum. Event begins at 7 on Friday night.
Come to SoLuna Studio in Hauppauge for dinner and a show, Saturday at 7 p.m.See five original plays in one night, by Long Island playwright, Steve Strangio. Just a Kiss, Fairly Speaking, That Dress, My Date with a Zombie and Be Nice.
Sunday, May 20th, 5th Annual Judy's Run For Stroke Awareness & Prevention (Rain or Shine) Sunken Meadow State Park, Kings Park, New York ... A fast, scenic 5k (3.1 mile) loop course through the park and a 1 mile fun walk on Sunken Meadow's boardwalk overlooking the sound. Begins at 7 a.m.
he Eaton's Neck Coast Guard Station will be kicking off National Safe Boating Week on Saturday with an open house at the Eaton's Neck Coast Guard Station from 9 am to 4 pm.
Jacqueline Laurita and Caroline Manzo of the Real Housewives of New Jersey come to Uncle Giuseppe's Marketplace on Saturday, May 19th to promote blk. beverages - an all natural, zero calorie beverage, packed with over 77 trace minerals and electrolytes.


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'Hutch' hopes clutch play can continue, impress Bruins
WILMINGTON, Mass. — Scrimmages are inherently unfair to goaltenders.
They're only made more so when a player is awarded a penalty shot during one.
In today's scrimmage on the fourth day of the Bruins' fifth annual development camp at Ristuccia Arena, netminder Michael Hutchinson had to face forward Josh Jooris 1-on-1 after Dougie Hamilton took a penalty from behind.
Hutchinson reacted to Jooris' move and flashed the glove to make the save. That play was one of several solid showings by 21-year-old Hutchinson in the scrimmage and throughout the camp, which concludes Monday morning.
"I think I've gotten a lot stronger and physically mature over the years," says Hutchinson, who's attending his fourth development camp since the Bruins used a third-round pick (77th overall) to selecte him in 2008. "I think that every year I'm at camp I just feel more confident on the ice, more comfortable. And I make more saves every year at camp. So I feel that my consistency through each camp's just gotten a little bit better."
After turning pro last season, Hutchinson endured an up-and-down year, literally and figuratively. He went from the Bruins' Providence (AHL) farm club to their ECHL affiliate in Reading, then back to Providence, back to Reading and once again to the Ocean State. He enjoyed a five-game winning streak with the P-Bruins and a three-gamer with the Royals and finished with a 22-15-5 combined record.
Along the way, everything that goes along with a lengthy, travel-heavy pro season got to Hutchinson.
"I felt like at the start of the year I really played well. I'd been [Providence's] player of the month for November and that was probably the highlight of my year right there,' he said. "But by December I really started to feel the grind and I just mentally wasn't prepared for that. That really didn't help and made me get sent down to Reading to re-find my game, sort of take the pressure off myself and just play for fun. At the time, it was probably the best thing for me and it really helped me find my game. When I came back I felt a lot more confident and motivated. This year, it's just one of those things where I know how long the season is. Eighty games, or whatever you play, it's a long season."
His confidence is back up where it needs to be. And after surviving 18 games in the run-and-gun ECHL with a 2.86 goals-against average and .918 save percentage, he knows he wants to stay in Providence the entire year next season.
"The American Hockey League was a lot more difficult than I expected. When you get in there, you have to perform every single night," he said. "You can't have nights off and expect to win. You really get exposed. At the American League level, you're only getting three, maybe four good scoring chances a night. But those are top-end scoring chances that you have to make those big saves."
If Hutchinson can put down roots in Providence, he could push incumbent No. 1 Anton Khudobin for playing time. New P-Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy is confident that Hutchinson can stick around this year and provide combine to form a solid 1-2 punch with Khudobin.
"Every first-year player goes through [inconsistency]," said Cassidy. "It's very rare you find a guy that has goes like this all year and climbs a little bit. There's usually some peaks and valleys, and he had his. He's a mature guy for his age, as far as goaltenders so. You hear all the time that goaltenders can be a little goofy, but I find him to be really mature for his age. He's a pretty focused guy, a hard worker. It's just a matter of that big body and developing his technique and his athleticism to a level it needs to be. I would assume he's going to have a good year for us just because of what I saw last year. He's a mature guy. He'll get better."
Having worked now for four camps with Bruins goaltending coach Bob Essensa, Hutchinson is learning to maximize his ability and his 6-foot-3, 192-pound frame.
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If you have borrowed any of the loans listed below, you are required to complete exit counseling for each loan.
• Federal Perkins Loan
• Federal Health Professions Student Loan (HPSL)
• Drake Institutional Loan (such as Henry Strong, William Chababa, etc.)
Instructions to complete exit counseling:
School code: G3
Account #: your SSN
PIN: the number listed on your Promissory Note. If you are unable to locate this information, call ECSI at 888) 549-3274.
You will be asked first to update your account information (address, phone number, e-mail). If all demographic information is correct, bypass this request as directed at the bottom of the webpage. When the page reloads, you will have access to your entire ECSI account. Click on "Unsigned Exit Interview(s)" to complete this federal requirement.
If you do not complete this step, your account will be placed on hold. When on hold, you will not be able to request transcripts or diplomas. This exit counseling is separate from the exit counseling required for your federal Stafford loans (Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and PLUS).
If you have any questions about your loans, please contact Randi Boelkes at 515) 271-3174 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Thanks to Our Veterans
The Town of Tunica marked the 10th anniversary of the dedication of the Veterans Memorial with a November 10 program to pay tribute to veterans. All veterans in the audience were asked to stand, with each branch of the services and their local representatives recognized as their anthem was performed by Ken and Mary Sipley.
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We also feature books that I have read and would like to share with you. If you have a book that you would like reviewed just drop me a line at: firstname.lastname@example.com
You can also have us showcase a book that you would like others to read. Just send us the name of the book and a brief review of why you like this book. To see a list of books that we recommend to our members, please go to Selected Books For Women in Business!
View our Book Reviews!


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A new undergarment store called TRY will soon call Annandale home when it opens in the Little River Shopping Center.
TRY is "a comfortable, fashionable, trendy innerwear brand store that will cater to men, women and children," according to their website. The store will be located at 7432 Little River Tpke., beside the Petco and Safeway.
The website also states that the company plans to open several locations in the United States in addition to opening up an online store for U.S. residents. The company has been around for more than 50 years, operating primarily overseas. The first store opened in China in 2011 and there are over 300 stores in South Korea.
A call to the owners was not returned by the time of publication. The expected open date for the store is not known.
Back in May, Annandale Patch posted the storefront, which is leased by Beatty Management, in our Visions for Vacancies column. TRY will replace the Hallmark store which occupied the space before it was vacant.
Keep up with news in Annandale! Sign up for the free newsletter, like Annandale Patch on Facebook and follow @Annandale Patch on Twitter.


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Ronan on working with Wes Anderson
Updated: 13 February 2013 18:25
Saoirse Ronan has spoken about working with the all star-cast on Wes Anderson's new film The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Saoirse Ronan has spoken about working with the all star-cast on Wes Anderson's new film The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Ronan features alongside Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Law, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Jeff Goldblum and Tilda Swinton in the movie which is about "the troubles and tribulations of Mr. Gustave, who serves as the hotel's perfectly composed concierge."
Speaking to RTÉ TEN at the IFTAs, Ronan said: "It's been brilliant, we have dinner together every night and there's Edward Norton and Willem Dafoe and Adrien Brody and Tilda Swinton and all these amazing people at the table.
"To have all these fantastic actors in one place is a bit like 'Wow, ok, this is new.' But it's been brilliant, it's been really good fun and there's a good atmosphere on set. Wes just has a completely different way of working so it's been nice to watch him work."
The Irish star also spoke about her forthcoming sci-fi film The Host, which is due to be released next month.
She said: "I am yeah I'm really excited. We're starting to do press and everything now. Hopefully it will go well and people will like it."


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Several of the largest U.S. retail chains have direct ties to the horse meat scandal that has rocked the supermarket industry in the UK, even though the tainted meat drama has been unfolding an ocean away. Walmart (WMT), Trader Joe's, and Fresh & Easy are all directly connected to the grocery store companies that have allegedly been selling hamburgers containing up to 29% of horse meat. The Burger King chain is allegedly one of the retail chains that has been selling horseburgers for as long as a year in the UK.
Looking at the connections between U.S. retailers like Walmart, Trader Joe's and Fresh & Easy to some of the largest UK retail supermarket chains reveals what may be a disturbing pattern and a lack of standards and values with some of the world's largest food retailing chainsthat is resulting in serious food safety issues for U.S. consumers.
In September, 2012, Fresh & Easy had to remove 8 different kinds of its proprietary branded peanut butters from its shelves after 42 people were affected with Salmonella bredeney in 20 different states. The supplier of Fresh & Easy branded peanut butter was found to have a manufacturing facility that was crawling with Salmonella (and crawling with other things too.)
What does peanut butter in U.S. grocery store coolers have to do with horseburgers in UK supermarkets? Fresh & Easy is owned by Tesco, of course, which is the largest UK retail chain and the supermarket chain that is in the center stage spotlight for the huge amount of horsemeat (29%) that was found in its proprietary branded Tesco Everyday Value "Beef" Burgers. (The quotations in the product name are my addition. It just seemed appropriate.)
Tesco's leadership team received many kudos for its smooth PR moves as the horseburger scandal unfolded. But we should expect nothing less from a PR team that's had plenty of opportunity to practice throughout a long and rich history of Tesco proprietary brand recalls.
In August, 2012 Tesco recalled its Tesco Branded Prawn Masala and Pilau Rice because the expiration date was wrong on the package and eating it past its expiration date could make someone sick. Tesco brand Finest Belgian Chocolate Salted Caramel and Hazelnut Ice Cream was recalled in 2012 because it was the wrong packaging for the Orange Blossom Honey and Almond Ice Cream that the containers were filled with which could cause illness or death to customers with allergies.
Tesco also recalled its Chokablok ice cream in June, 2012 because of the possibility that there were broken ice cream sticks floating around in the ice cream. There's no telling how big the rogue ice cream sticks were, so it's hard to say just what kind of injury or illness might have resulted from consuming them.
The historical Tesco Branded Products Recall Hall of Fame includes a 2011 Tesco electric heater that was a fire hazard, a 2010 Tesco baby teether with defective parts which were a choking hazard, a 2010 Tesco bath mat which caused a slipping hazard, 2009 Tesco directors chairs which had a nasty habit of collapsing under the weight of the person sitting on them, 2009 Tesco mouthwash that was microbiologically unsafe, and 2007 Tesco toy binoculars made of hazardous chemicals.
All Tesco proprietary branded products. All posed serious dangers to Tesco customers. All recalled. Many not recalled until after customers were ill or injured.
Trader Joe's was also involved in the previously mentioned peanut butter salmonella disaster and had to recall its branded Trader Joe's Valencia Creamy Salted Peanut Butter. The Trader Joe's brand peanut butter was reportedly identified as being a cause of at least one of those Salmonella poisonings after a jar of it was reportedly found in the kitchen of one of the Salmonella patients and it reportedly tested positive for Salmonella.
The supplier of the peanut butter, Sunland, Inc. was found to be running a facility that was maybe not so much a peanut-butter manufacturing plant, as it was a breeding laboratory for Salmonella. Besides employees who reportedly handled peanuts with their bare, unwashed hands, Sunland violated both food safety regulations and good common sense by storing raw peanuts in uncovered trailers outdoors.
So basically bugs and birds were reportedly frolicking freely through tons of peanuts before before they were crushed, along with whatever the birds and bugs left behind, into peanut butter. That healthy mixutre was reportedly then packaged into tons of proprietary branded peanut butter jars bearing the Fresh & Easy and Trader Joe's name and logo.
If all of this is reportedly true, I want to believe that this was not okay with Trader Joe's. It's an exemplary retail company in many ways and I want to believe that food safety matters to it more than money. But let's not forget that Trader Joe's is owned by a German company which also owns Aldi stores. And, of course, Aldi is one of the grocery store chains that has also recently been clearing horseburgers out of its freezers in the UK.
Admittedly this is some pretty thin circumstantial evidence on which to make a case that Aldi Nord and Tesco neither know nor care to know whether the foods in its stores around the world are being produced properly or whether they're going to make the customers who buy them sick or dead.
Two aspects of all of this should be the cause for great concern. First, these are not even the worst supermarkets in the U.S. Imagine what happens at those. And the second disturbing part of these food safety failures is the fact that there are so many food safety issues associated with the chains' own branded products.
Really, if the products that are being manufactured specifically for a supermarket chain, that bear its brand, and directly affect its brand value are not even being scrutinized, tested, or policed, then what are we to think about the thousands of other products that are not even identified with the supermarket's name?
Should Aldi Nord, Tesco - or any other huge national or international grocery store chain - bear some responsibility for the safety of the food that it commissions to be produced exclusively for them? Should they have some accountability for not seeing or responding to the FDA violations of their suppliers?
Should somebody from one of the largest U.S. supermarket chains that was selling the 240 infected peanut products be accountable for uncovering the gross food safety violations of their peanut product supplier? Do 35 people in 19 states have to become seriously ill before a food retailer becomes aware of how its manufacturers conduct their food production operations?
The average supermarket in the U.S. carries more than 38,000 items, and perhaps it is unrealistic to think that they can police all of those suppliers. But right now we're talking about proprietary branded products. If supermarket chains can't be accountable for the food that bears their logos, then perhaps they shouldn't be allowed to be part of the food manufacturing process at all.
If we allow the food retailing chains to take the position of victim in this horse meat scandal or in any other food safety supplier scenario, then we allow them to continue to distribute food products to consumers without having any accountability for what they are selling. If consumers allow food retailing chains to be victims with no accountability, then it's the consumers who will be the next victims when the next food supplier or food manufacturing facility creates a food-related crisis because nobody is holding them responsible.
Which leads us to wonder... Isn't the food manufacturing process supposed to be policed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)? Presumably so, but here's the reality of handing that responsibility over to the FDA.
The FDA is the agency that allows 225 bug parts to be included in every 225 grams of pasta before it is considered unsafe. So the FDA thinks that 226 bug parts is one bug part too many for the average U.S. consumer to eat, but not 225. And by the way, 225 grams is about one cup, so that's 225 bug parts in the next cup of pasta that you eat. But don't worry because the FDA says that's okay.
The FDA is also the food safety agency that is still allowing the chemical BPA to be used in food and drink cans even though the chemical has been linked to breast cancer, prostate abnormalities, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. The FDA also thought the pink slime ammonia concoction that was being added to America's hamburgers was okay. So, that's who consumers want to trust the safety of their supermarket purchases to?
It seems that one of the implicit agreements that food retailers have with their customers is to deliver food products that are safe for human consumption. Whether they consciously think about it or not, consumers shop at grocery store chains with an inherent level of trust that what they're purchasing is not going cause them illness, injury or death. It's jarring to realize that some food retailers don't have the values and standards that will help them live up to that trust.
Walmart is a great example of this. What does Walmart have to do with the UK horse meat scandal? The ASDA hypermarket chain is one of the food retailers that has been selling horseburgers, possibly for at least a year, and Walmart is the owner of ASDA.
Making that connection isn't meant to imply that Walmart knew about the horse meat. But as the world's largest retailer, shouldn't it have known? Doesn't the largest chain in the world owe it to their customers to be accountable for what they're distributing around the world?
Presumably the answer from Walmart leaders is "no." Accountability does not seem to be a Walmart value and the current Walmart leadership team doesn't seem to even bother to try and pretend that it is. Perhaps they are too busy bribing foreign governments and fighting lawsuits filed by their employees to tend to the highest standards of food safety accountability.
Walmart's mission statement is all about money. And when money is the primary (or only) value, then it doesn't matter what's in the meat as long as it's delivered on time and for the contractual price.
Curiously, if you look at the mission statement of the largest supermarkets and hypermarket chains there is very little mention in any of them about food safety. Somebody might need to remind America's food retailers that it's really difficult to build customer loyalty if your inattentiveness to the products you're selling causes your customers mortal harm.
Someone that I am working with from Sweden just happened to be walking past and when she saw Lidl on the list of grocery store chains that had been selling the horseburgers she said, "I'm not surprised. When I asked Emma why she wasn't surprised she said "Lidl is dirty and gross and all of their food is shitty."
I didn't say it. I'm just reporting it. And the reason why I'm reporting it is because you can do all the PR and advertising in the world to create an image for your retail brand, but when you don't deliver on the promises of the image you've fabricated for yourself, your customers aren't fooled.
Lidl can say in its Company Statement "In all we do, customer satisfaction is our goal." And it can say in its Customer Philosophy that "We alway provide our customers with quality at the best price - strictly quality assured." But apparently it is not doing either of those things well enough because it's quality assured beef has horse meat in it and at least one customer is unsatisfied with its "dirty, gross" stores and "shitty" food.
Make no mistake about it. The world is in for a lot more shitty food if the retailers who distribute it are not held accountable for their part in the food supply chain. So maybe if food retailers can't take responsibility for the suppliers of 38,000 products, then they shouldn't sell 38,000 products. Is it more important to have a dozen choices of everything we could possibly put in our mouth, or is it more important to have at least one safe choice that we know for certain won't kill us?
If the answer is the safe choice, then consumers are going to have to make that known to food retailers using the communication channel that best catches the attention of U.S. retailers - shopping dollars.
When consumers give their money to any retail chain they are condoning its business practices. When consumers withdraw their money and go spend it with a competitor (or not spend it at all), they send a loud and clear message that they're not happy. Only when money talks will shitty food supply chain practices walk.
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- January 31, 2013 at 12:59 pm(1) Vickery Eckhoff says:
Thank you for this detailed examination of how the worldwide supply-chain and industry practices make Tesco's food safety problems a concern for U.S. consumers.
"Five Reasons Why Tesco's Horse Meat Scandal Could Happen Here" is a new Forbes.com article exposing a new Oklahoma bill attempting to legalize horse slaughter in the state along with meat industry practices that could unleash a Tesco contaminated burger scandal here in the U.S.


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Campaign Finance & Election
Campaigns should be open and free, not prone to manipulation through government financing schemes. And now the U.S. Supreme Court agrees.
Ever wondered who's behind those "I Vote 4 Education" signs sprouting up on street corners across Arizona? They're sponsored by an issue advocacy group called Expect More Arizona. That group is funded by a variety of interests including the Arizona School Boards Association (ASBA), which represents public officials who oversee taxpayer-funded school districts.
As overtaxed Arizonans struggle to pay their bills, local governments are campaigning on the taxpayer's dime. The latest incident comes from Apache County, which spent more than $7,000 of the public's money advertising election bond issues in newspapers and on the radio.
In theory, Arizona law prohibits using public resources to influence elections. Cities, counties and school districts are allowed to inform voters about what is on the ballot; but they shouldn't use public money to lobby for passage of ballot measures.
As the Supreme Court considered the Goldwater Institute's appeal in McComish v. Bennett, the justices had to decide if the case raises any issues of nationwide importance. This week, the Court said the Goldwater Institute's challenge to the use of matching funds in Arizona's "Clean Elections" system meets that test. The Supreme Court accepted the appeal and will hear oral arguments sometime in the spring of 2011.
One of the most abusive assaults on Arizona sovereignty is one of the least-known: the inclusion of Arizona among a handful of states subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.
The Goldwater Institute has fought Arizona's "Clean Elections" system all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to ask one basic question: Can the state manipulate the political game to silence privately-financed candidates and drive them out of elections in favor of government-funded candidates?
When school districts borrow money by issuing bonds, they put taxpayers on the line to repay the funds. This is why Arizona law requires voters to decide whether the specific projects are worth the extra tax burden. But the legislature passed a new law in 2010 that carves out privileges for certain school boards to override the will of the voters. What results is an unconstitutional system that violates a contract between voters and school districts, and replaces voter approval with the preferences of school board members.
Although the language of the proposed initiative focuses almost entirely on primary elections, and the summary and title does so exclusively, in fact the proposed initiative makes profound changes to both primary and general elections. Arizona presently has what might be called a rectangular system of elections: a relatively open primary (independents may vote in Republican and Democratic primaries, and third parties may qualify to hold primary elections); and an open general election (qualified third parties and independents may appear on the ballot along with Republicans and Democrats).
The Fiesta Bowl investigation is exposing the fact that taxpayer funding for political candidates under Arizona's Clean Elections system does not, in fact, keep politicians clean. Nearly half of the state legislators receiving allegedly illegal contributions and previously undisclosed junkets from the Fiesta Bowl ran for office with Clean Elections funds. Arizona's campaign finance system has nothing to do with preventing the appearance of impropriety and everything to do with funneling taxpayer dollars to politicians.
The campaign this year is the first in four decades without a presidential or vice-presidential incumbent. It is a perfect opportunity for reflection on our national progress and for resetting our course as needed to assure future generations attain liberty and opportunity.
But the candidates have resolutely ignored any big-picture ideas, especially those which might involve hard choices or sacrifices. To listen to the debates, you would never guess that our country is on a financially unsustainable course that worsens every passing year.
Last week Senator Barack Obama announced that he will not take government money to support his presidential campaign. As he put it, the current system of financing drown[s] out the voices of the American people. Obama's choice will allow him to raise and spend as much as he can, letting his supporters be heard loud and clear this fall.


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Monday, August 20, 2012
Chic in Montecito
9 comments:
- Karena said...
A beautifully layered and edited home. I love her style and panache!The artist gene runs through her veins!
Art by Karena
- August 20, 2012 at 11:50 AM
- Natasha Simpson * said...
I am in love with everything about this house! It is perfection and so perfectly styled.
- August 20, 2012 at 12:53 PM
- gp said...
Being an CA transplant I'm aware of the many "types" of Montecito. This is really lovely, Trad with a modern quiet palette and editing.
- August 20, 2012 at 12:55 PM
- Apron Girl said...
I love the coziness of this cottage. I especially adore the outside eating area :)
- August 20, 2012 at 5:09 PM
- Daryl Wark said...
Boy of boy I loved this post and you bringing KC into my world. What a stylish woman. Who wouldn't want a office as sleek as hers. Thank you Heather and thank you C Magazine.
Warm wishes from Brisbane.
- August 21, 2012 at 11:01 AM
- Slim Paley said...
Love Kendall-my chic and gorgeous neighbour-she's The Best!!
- August 23, 2012 at 12:21 AM
- en Pays basque said...
This was my all time favorite Heather. Kendall Conrad
is the epitome of chic. Discovered her thru you!
Love your blog...never post....I had to today!
Bonjour from France
- August 27, 2012 at 10:16 AM
- en Pays basque said...
Loved this post. Kendall Conrad the epitome of chic...
such effortless style and elegance...she has real flair...
rare these days...
Thanks Heather! you are a star for introduciing her..to me at least...in the south west of France..not too far from
- August 27, 2012 at 10:23 AM
- shiree segerstrom said...
I've enjoyed Kendall's pieces for years having subscribed to C since it's beginning. Thank you for the "unseen" pictures. Such a fresh style. Shiree'
- August 29, 2012 at 12:37 PM


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SOURCE Colabo
VMware alumni bring unique Splunk meets Salesforce technology to help sales professionals discover new leads and close deals faster
SAN MATEO, California, May 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Colabo, a leading provider of Intelligent Sales Acceleration solutions, announced today that it has completed a $1.5 Million round of funding from Venture Capital firm, The Hive, together with top private investors including Paul Maritz, Raghu Raghuram, Ray Rothrock. The funds will be used to support the fast growth of its lead discovery and qualification platform.
Colabo's Automated Sales Acceleration platform enables sales teams to discover and qualify leads using any 3rd party and proprietary signals. Colabo's platform can integrate any web-browsable source which will then mine optimal leads, map new way for reach-out and qualify them while providing enrichment.
"We have been overwhelmed with customer demand for our lead discovery, qualification and engagement solutions and this round will help us scale the product and company to continue this growth," said Yoav Dembak, CEO and Co-Founder of Colabo. "Using Colabo, our customers have seen a 3X increase in monthly sales and a 50% cut in sales cycles."
"In a highly competitive round, Colabo chose The Hive to lead because of our deep background in the enterprise analytics space. We feel the CRM space is ripe for disruption by a next generation of data integration and predictive analytics solutions like Colabo. Colabo uniquely accesses, combines and analyzes any combination of internal enterprise data and third party data. This allows them to provide optimal warm leads with unparalleled conversion rates for their customers" said T.M. Ravi, Founder of The Hive.
About Colabo:
Colabo is a powerful, multi-functional software that enables professionals across all industries to achieve a number of business objectives including: lead qualification, lead generation, and trend prediction. Colabo gathers data from any web-browsable source and displays them on one easy-to-use dashboard. Colabo analyzes the data and automatically alerts you when significant changes occur in the sources that are being tracked. Additionally, Colabo visualizes the sources on a series of graphs that help you better understand the data at hand.
Media Contact:
Matt Krieger, GK PR for Colabo
©2012 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved.


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WASHINGTON, DC - Boise State President Dr. Bob Kustra said an eventual berth in the Pac 10 conference is definitely a goal – though it may be a distant one.
The president appeared on KTVB's Viewpoint program live from Washington, DC Sunday morning. He touched on a number of topics – including stadium expansion and conference realignment.
Since the school announced it would leave the Western Athletic Conference and join the Mountain West Conference, the landscape in college football has changed – with both Utah and Brigham Young University leaving the MWC.
"We knew that Utah going to the Pac 10 was a possibility," he said. "I was a bit taken aback by BYU. I didn't expect them to take off."
He said that while the new-look MWC is a bit different in past years, it is still a strong conference.
"Yes I'd like to see Utah and BYU in the conference, but picking up Nevada and Fresno State – our best rivals in the current conference – helps a lot."
Kustra said that football competition is just one component of what a school looks for in a conference.
"What I wanted to do was concentrate in the intermountain region, and eliminate some of this far flung travel," he said, citing examples like Hawai'I and Louisiana Tech – which can be disruptive to student athletes' study schedules and academic pursuits.
He said that an eventual bid to the Pac 10 is not out of the question – but thinks his school has some work to do before it happens.
"When you are going into the Pac 10, it's not just the stadium or competition. It's about what kind of university are you," he said. "It's part of the reason why we are building our research programs and our graduate programs.
He said that the school's effort to beef up many of the non-athletic components ties into the athletic program's advancement.
"The will look at schools that look the most like them."
He said that while membership in the Pac 10 one day is possible – it is down the road a bit.
"It might be ten years before the Pac 10 looks at us from an academic standpoint."
Kustra also touched on stadium expansion – and newly unveiled plans to revamp Bronco Stadium with more seats, better facilities and more amenities. Though the school showed renderings and talked about plans at a roll out event last month, they avoided setting a timeline.
"Timetable is to get the first phase as soon as we can," he said. "I would hope we can start raising money for that and have a timeline for that over the next three or four years."
Kustra said the school is already well under way on its plan to make an improved Bronco Stadium happen.
"Right now we're working on big contributions and small contributions. We want do that as soon as we can."


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Welcome to Shan Tung Kung-Fu
Our goal is to serve our students and families with the highest quality of service, professionalism, and instruction.Intro Class Sign Up View Our Programs Learn About Eagle Claw
What is Eagle Claw Kung-Fu?
The Northern Eagle Claw Kung-Fu system thrives as one of the most practical and efficient Chinese Martial Arts fighting systems being taught today.
Who is this for?
Our martial arts academy offers classes for the entire family starting at 4 years of age in Self-Defense, Kung-Fu, Fitness, Tai-Chi and Cardio. Our Certified Professional Black Belt Instructors will give you and your family personal attention to help you achieve your goals.
Why you should join?
We are an exclusive, private Chinese Martial Arts Academy which has been serving the community since 1989. We were voted "Best Martial Arts School" by the Pasadena Weekly, and all our classes are taught by Certified Professional Black Belt Instructors.
Master Kenneth Edwards
Master Kenneth Edwards has over 30 years of martial arts training and was twice inducted into the "Martial Arts Hall of Fame". He was featured on the cover of "Inside Kung-Fu Magazine", and is an authority on teaching the complete Northern Eagle Claw Kung-Fu system with the permission of his teacher the world renowed Grandmaster Shum Leung.