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As the holiday travel season draws to a close, many people are getting their second yearly hand of love from the Transportation Security Administration. A better solution to air travel security is to privatize the TSA. Let each airline and airport decide, and fund, its own security.
While it's nice to think about a world in which we fly without security hassles, that world will never exist. Airlines, faced with air disasters in the news, would never put their customers intentionally in a situation where safety is laxed. If the TSA disappeared tomorrow, a substitute would quickly emerge, as airlines scrambled to perform due diligence to protect their crews, passengers, and facilities.
The TSA does more than just check IDs and grope people at random, however. According to the TSA site, they take a layered approach:
Some of these operations are best carried out by law enforcement personnel, but the TSA's best-known 'stop-and-frisk activity' is not one of them. Maybe all of those other functions could be privatized or eliminated, but for now they could be moved to other agencies -- federal, state, and local.
For instance, the No-Fly List can be maintained by the federal authorities, but could be queried by individual airlines. Or it could be scrapped entirely as a nonsensical item of security theater, since it's just a list of names -- and someone dangerous enough to commit a violent crime in the air will not balk at using a fake ID to do it.
The TSA isn't limited just to air travel. Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response teams can go anywhere:
TSA VIPR teams can be deployed at random locations and times in cooperation with local authorities to deter and defeat terrorist activity; or teams may be deployed to provide additional law enforcement or security presence at transportation venues during specific alert periods or in support of special events. TSA routinely conducts thousands of VIPR operations each year in transportation systems nationwide.
It isn't clear why the TSA is involved in such law enforcement activity, when we have other agencies for that.
Airlines and airline flight personnel have the most to lose in securing their operations. They also have an interest in balancing customer safety with customer convenience. The dynamic between a customer wanting to fly and an airline security guard wanting to protect the other passengers would be somewhat different, and more human, than we now experience with TSA operatives.
Some TSA agents understand the offensive nature of their work, and perform their duties apologetically. Others revel in the position of petty power in which their position places them. That's human nature. If they were employed by a private entity, the threat of losing their jobs for mistreating passengers would keep most of them in line. Customers who want the security theater of a TSA-style stop-and-frisk when they fly should be able to choose an airline offering that. Those wanting the convenience of walking off the street and onto the plane with only passive inspection should have that choice as wll, knowing that doing so would increase their personal risk.
Especially in our litigious society, no airline would simply fly planes and hope for the best. Instead, they would use their business creativity to take the precautions necessary to protect their investment and provide a better service.
As the holiday travel season draws to a close, many people are getting their second yearly hand of love from the Transportation Security Administration. A better solution to air travel security is to privatize the TSA. Let each airline and airport decide, and fund, its own security.
On Christmas Day, the Washington Post editorial board miraculously characterized Obamacare as "free-market economics" at work. This glorious gift of the media elves surely would have lifted the spirits of the Santa Claus administration. Unfortunately, the elves missed the mark in several areas, leading to work that looked more trollish than elvin.
First, it bears repeating that what we had before Obamacare was not the free market. Health insurance is one of the most regulated industries, and between Medicare, Medicaid, veterans' benefits, local programs, and benefits for government employees, the government was responsible for about 48% of all health care spending in the US in 2010.
That number doesn't even reflect the pervasive market distortion of tax benefits for carrying employment-based health insurance, which gave us the health insurance industry and the third-party payer model in the first place. Some call those "tax expenditures," but they are really just perverse incentives that warp the health care market and make it less efficient and affordable.
By spending so much money and using tax policy to favor medical spending, the government increases the cost of medical care by an amount that cannot be calculated without several layers of guesswork. It is clear, however, that government policy affects every medical transaction, even the ones in which no money changes hands.
It was not a free market in any way, and is even less so under Obamacare. But don't tell that to the editors at the Post.
On The Affordable Care Act's free-market economics
FIRST, PRESIDENT Obama's Affordable Care Act (ACA) forced millions to switch their insurance plans. Now,critics say, those people can't keep their doctors, either. Another broken promise? More proof the ACA is a disaster?
Not quite: As with all of those canceled policies, this "outrage" isn't good evidence that the law is flawed, no matter what the president may have promised.
It's not that critics are saying people can't keep their doctors, it's that people can't keep their doctors, at least not while fulfilling the mandates of the law. In California, for instance, 70% of doctors are not participating in Covered California plans.
The Post's first clue that Obamacare is not an expression of the free market should have been that millions were forced to change their health plans. In a free market, no one is forced to do anything. That's why it's called "free."
The phrase "As with all of those cancelled policies" blithely tosses away the problem of currently 6 million and as many as 129 million plans that could eventually be cancelled and replaced by the "better" Obamacare-compliant plans. The unstated talking point is that while the plans were, in fact, cancelled, it was only to provide the now uninsured with "better" plans. I can stop putting "better" in quotes once I say that the plans are considered better by the far left because the plans include all the hot items from their dorm room echo chamber bobblehead sessions.
However, as the Department of Health and Human services has now admitted, many of those plans are unaffordable. As a result, people who had insurance before it was made affordable now can't afford it. As WaPo puts it,
The issue is that some of the people who must switch health plans are transitioning into policies with narrow networks that don't always include the doctors, hospitals and other providers they used before. Anecdotes have emerged of people parting with physicians they've trusted for years.
By using "some," "don't always," and "Anecdotes," the Post editors hope to imply that only a small subset of people will be affected -- as if the eggs shouldn't care what it takes to make the omelet.
Yet, even for people who have never switched plans, this sort of thing happened well before the ACA; insurers constantly negotiate with providers over inclusion in coverage networks and payment rates.
Insurance plans changed and were sometimes discontinued before the ACA, but not on this scale. And there is a fundamental difference between insurers deciding on their own that they need to reconfigure their product line to better compete for customers and the government mandating the change.
The editors go into the many mandatory coverage features of Obamacare, which raise the functionality of the insurance, while inevitably increasing its purchase price. They then continue with the heart of the problem:
For the uninsured — a huge portion of those who will be on the ACA's new marketplaces — any of those would be a step up.
Those previously uninsured are a red herriing with respect to canceled policies.
There is no step up. If you were uninsured before Obamacare, it's because you either didn't have the money to spend on health insurance or you didn't want to spend it that way. If you didn't have the money before, other things being equal, you still don't have it. The kind of policy you're likely to get, covering wellness visits and such, is likely even with subsidies to cost more than the cash price for the "free" stuff, not even considering that you will still have to pay 30% to 40% of the cost of care in co-payments.
It's the millions of people with cancelled health plans with whom we should be concerned, because they probably bought health insurance they were concerned about their health.
After factoring in government subsidies, many transitioning off policies they had in the individual insurance markets will have a good deal, too.
And many will not. But people aren't "transitioning off policies," they're having their policies cancelled and then being forced to find new ones. As HHS said, in many cases they can't find anything they can afford. And those subsidies aren't coming from nowhere -- they're being paid for, as with every other government expenditure, with taxes, borrowing from future taxes, or printing money.
The ACA won't leave everyone better off. There will be a few people who will end up having to pay more than they used to for access to networks of comparable size. There are also some places that don't have enough competitors in the marketplace, which means some people won't have every option.
The snide tone comes through, despite the attempt to be even-handed. But looking behind the smug condescension, I'm struggling to think of anyone better off under the ACA. And certainly, the lack of competitors in many areas will lead to abuses which the Post's fellow travelers will happily blame on the free market.
But now we come to the really miraculous part.
Still, Republicans, many of whom claim to favor market approaches to expanding health-care coverage but oppose excluding patients with preexisting conditions, can't credibly balk at the natural results of competition organized under those very principles.
Republicans should continue to oppose forcing unworkable regulations on the market, and allowing people to wait until they're sick to buy insurance is unworkable, raising prices for everyone and straining the definition of "insurance." Republicans should instead advance state-level programs and charitable arrangements that approach the problem in a way that doesn't distort the entire market.
But taking the Post's statement as it is, just because some Republicans favor market-based solutions and have accepted the left's pre-existing condition arguments, and even if we were to accept the laughable notion that Obamacare represented a free market solution, that doesn't mean that even they can't reject Obamacare. It's not the only possible solution, and it's one that comes with excessive baggage.
Rather, Republicans tend to favor treating the rare exceptions (people whose health status makes them expensive to insure) with special case programs.
The ACA isn't some natural market factor. It's the heavy hand of big government forcing its will on the market. In their hubris, the central planners believed they could design a market that's better than the free market. They could not, and now are scrambling to offer tweaks to fix their unfixable scheme.
No one can expect low premiums and near-unlimited service, particularly in a system designed to spread costs around so that the sick and the old can finally obtain decent health coverage from private insurers. That's not a mistake. It's economics.
And there you have the real miracle: someone in the pro-Obama media finally told the truth: Obamcare is "a system designed to spread costs around," that is, to redistribute wealth. It is not a free market system, or anything based on one.
On Christmas Day, the Washington Post editorial board miraculously characterized Obamacare as "free-market economics" at work. This glorious gift of the media elves surely would have lifted the spirits of the Santa Claus administration. Unfortunately, the elves missed the mark in several areas, leading to work that looked more trollish than elvin.
Earlier in 2013, MSNBC host Mika Brezinski was clearly upset by a montage of people, including the president himself, saying Obama didn't know about NSA spying and other scandals plaguing his administration. It was striking in the nonchalant way media persons, White House officials, and others pronounced with a straight face that President Obama just didn't know. He didn't know about the IRS persecuting Tea Party orgs. He didn't know about Fast and Furious. He didn't know that Obamacare's healthcare.gov website was gonna bust a Fail Whale.
This was a defining moment because of who Mr. Obama is; presumably the leader of the free world. Yet, Obama hasn't been aware of much of anything. He has even said so himself - repeatedly. This strains the limits of credulity. No CEO of a major corporation or non-profit would ever permit themselves to be on the record deferring responsibility in this way.
Finding out about the Fast and Furious scandal on the news, hearing of the NSA eavesdropping on the private calls of allies and world leaders on the news. What executive would be proud to be kept in the dark this way? What board of directors would ever find this acceptable? Looking back over the years, a clear pattern emerges: NSA spying and overreach; Obama knew nothing. On Bengazi; he found out just before the American people did. On IRS Tea Party persecution; he was as shocked as we were! Fast and Furious; "whew! Wasn't that something?" The Green Energy debacle of Solyndra; Obama wasn't sure he'd ever heard of it until the news media started reporting on it. Even though there are pictures of him visiting the headquarters. And don't forget healthcare.gov. He never even saw that debacle coming.
Our President should never again present himself to Americans touting the idea that he gets his news from the same channels we do. Doesn't his position afford him a level of significant early notification? It does if he can get off the golf course long enough to attend a briefing.
Here's hoping that 2014 is the start of a new trend for him; demanding he is briefed and kept up to speed on pressing national and international issues by his cabinet and staff. The American people deserve much more from our elected leader. Five years in, it's time the president delivered.
Earlier in 2013, MSNBC host Mika Brezinski was clearly upset by a montage of people, including the president himself, saying Obama didn't know about NSA spying and other scandals plaguing his administration. It was striking in the nonchalant way media persons, White House officials, and others pronounced with a straight face that President Obama just didn't know. He didn't know about the IRS persecuting Tea Party orgs. He didn't know about Fast and Furious. He didn't know that Obamacare's healthcare.gov website was gonna bust a Fail Whale.
A government debt is a government claim against personal income and private property – an unpaid tax bill. —Hans F. Sennholz
Government Spending is the True TaxIncreased spending is the gigantic mistake of the country's recent "Budget Deal." Over the next two years, our government expects to spend $45 billion more. Nobel Laureate Milton Friedman once taught us that government spending is the true tax:
Keep your eye on one thing and one thing only: how much government is spending, because that's the true tax ... If you're not paying for it in the form of explicit taxes, you're paying for it indirectly in the form of inflation or in the form of borrowing.
As Friedman explained, this is an added $45 billion tax. Unfortunately, few Americans realize they have just been taxed...again. Meanwhile, politicians are ecstatic that the last minute "compromise" increased spending. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman, Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD), equates the increased spending to winning a football game with an extraordinary field goal.
"I'm like a Raven: It's the fourth quarter. There are seconds to go on the clock. And I'm ready to kick a 61-yard field goal," said an exultant Mikulski, referring to Baltimore's come-from-behind victory over the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football.
Mikulski will not receive a Nobel Prize in economics and will likely become a former politician remembered only because her name will adorn a post office or another federal building. However, in the near future, she will most-likely be re-elected and continue to work hard to dismantle the only law that actually reduced spending – the sequester, a miniscule step in the correct direction.
America must enact Constitutional restrains on spending. In looking around the globe, Switzerland has a restraint on spending in relation to the country's income. Couple this standard with Friedman's advise to hold down spending as a fraction of our income and we may have a solution to our looming financial woes:
The thing you should keep your eye on is what government spends, and the real problem is to hold down government spending as a fraction of our income, and if you do that, you can stop worrying about the debt.
The issue of our time is reducing government spending and enacting a structural restraint on government spending and ecstatic, incompetent politicians. If we can hold down government spending to a fraction of our country's income, we will save democracy and Western Civilization.
Yes, it's bit more important than kicking a field goal, and a lot more difficult to achieve.
Democracy and Power 104: Future Debt BurdenA government debt is a government claim against personal income and private property – an unpaid tax bill. —Hans F. Sennholz
Earlier this month, House Republican Study Committee (RSC) Chair Steve Scalise fired Executive Director Paul Teller for allegedly working with conservative organizations like FreedomWorks and Heritage Action. It was especially ironic in light of how often liberals and pretentious academics use the RSC as an example of how the movement to limit government has grown out of hand.
Has Washington really been overrun by people trying to limit government?
Thomas Mann & Norm Ornstein, scholars at the Brookings Institution and the American Enterprise Institute, respectively, like to lecture on the idea that the Republican Party is too conservative. In their book, It's Even Worse than it Looks, the RSC is one example they provide of growing extremism. They observe that the RSC, which they describe as beginning as a "small fringe group," now contains 70 percent of House Republicans. So how conservative is the RSC compared to its founding?
Founded in 1973, the RSC's first executive director was Edwin Feulner. It was the last job he held prior to beginning as the Heritage Foundation's president in 1977, where he would continue to serve until passing it to Sen. Jim DeMint in April of this year.
After the termination of Teller from the RSC, the Heritage Foundation served as a soapbox for conservative members of the RSC who had been sidelined by Scalise's decision. Rep. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), who serves on the RSC's steering committee, said, "I didn't find out about it until I walked in the room." Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-KS) went even further: "Paul's one of the most effective staffers on the Hill…. He helps our cause. And firing him does not."
This hardly constitutes the unity one would expect from a behemoth "conservative" institution capable of unduly influencing Washington.
So how many conservatives are there in Congress?
There are various metrics we could use to answer that question. If we look at the effort to defund ObamaCare, for instance, exactly 80 House members and 14 senators signed the letter authored by Sen. Mike Lee and Rep. Mark Meadows in support of the movement.
That constitutes 17.5 percent of the 535-member Congress.
Another piece in the U.S. News and World Report last week, titled, The 5 Temper Tantrums That Defined Washington Dysfunction This Year, listed some examples of the "dysfunction" that opponents to more spending and overwhelming government control have wrought.
Among them were Rand Paul's filibuster questioning whether President Obama could unilaterally execute Americans using drones; the government shutdown over ObamaCare; and the failure to pass a farm bill. (Ornstein is quoted lamenting that Congress used to be able to pass a farm bill via "compromises and trade-offs" – in other words, pork barrel payoffs for the obedient parties.)
The Washington establishment views any opposition to them or their government as dysfunctional. They cannot understand it.
"We are no longer seeing [conservatives] revolt against the Republican leadership, or even against the Republican 'establishment," writes Michael Gerson for the Washington Post. "This revolt is against anyone who accepts the constraints of political reality."
Limited government is no longer just undesirable, according to proponents of more government. It runs contrary to reality.
More than that, they see it as threatening the very fabric of the nation. In September, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) referred to conservatives as "a small group of willful men and women who have a certain ideology," warning in hushed tones that they had made politics in Washington "very dangerous… every bit as dangerous as the break-up of the Union before the Civil War."
The Wall Street Journal published a piece on Christmas Day reiterating the alliance between establishment Republicans and the corporate interests represented by the Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber, according to the WSJ, expects to spend upwards of $50 million "to support establishment, business-friendly candidates in primaries and the general election." Karl Rove's American Crossroads was cited as another group expected to assist establishment candidates.
Measured against 94 conservative members of Congress, that comes to just over $500,000 per head.
Washington has hardly been overrun by hordes of conservatives trying to limit government. But to hear Washingtonians tell it, those who have made it here are "dysfunctional," "dangerous," "fringe," and opposed to reality.
If a froward group of eight dozen people were all it took to upset profligate Washington bureaucrats in 2013, the prospect of next year's election must look even more terrifying to them. For everyone else, 2014 promises to be a great year for holding Washington accountable.
Earlier this month, House Republican Study Committee (RSC) Chair Steve Scalise fired Executive Director Paul Teller for allegedly working with conservative organizations like FreedomWorks and Heritage Action. It was especially ironic in light of how often liberals and pretentious academics use the RSC as an example of how the movement to limit government has grown out of hand.
On November 26, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) released his plan to generate tax revenue from Oregon and California lands currently under control of the federal Bureau of Land Management. The plan has met with mixed reviews. Counties in Oregon that are desperate to replace lost tax revenue from timber jobs are crossing their fingers, hoping this is their long sought solution. Environmentalists are predictably frothing at the mouth. But the solution proffered only serves to expose the problem in more stark relief: the fact that any of these lands are under federal control is the real problem.
These lands have been intertwined with the federal government since 1860, when 2.4 million acres of federally owned forest lands were granted to the Oregon & California Railroad to encourage economic development. The land was taken back in 1916 after the railroad failed to meet its obligations to sell the land to settlers. In 1937, Congress passed the O&C Lands Act, which set aside the land for sustained economic development:
According to section 1181a of the O&C Act, O&C timberlands are to be managed for "permanent forest production" with timber to be "sold, cut and removed in conformity with the principal [sic] of sustained yield for the purpose of providing a permanent source of timber supply, protecting watersheds, regulating stream flow and contributing to the economic stability of local communities and industries, and providing recreational facilities."
For about 50 years, this arrangement worked well, driving a vibrant rural economy based on natural resource industries. Starting in the 1980s, however, aggressive litigation by environmental groups ground that production to a virtual standstill. The Wyden bill purports to address this problem, but indications are that the protections against litigation are insufficcient:
Douglas County Commissioner Doug Robertson, who chairs the Association of O&C Counties, on Monday said his group is finding a lot more to dislike about Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden's plan for managing some 2 million acres of federal forests in western Oregon.
Robertson said his group's initial review of the 188-page bill produced doubts about whether the bill would really reduce litigation tying up timber sales and produce much in the way of county revenue.
"I have to admit disappointment," said Robertson, adding in a telephone interview that he thought Wyden's goal of doubling timber harvests in these federal forests was "very speculative."
A previously passed bill in the House would open significantly more land to harvesting, producing around five times as much revenue for the affected counties as Wyden's bill.
Regardless of which bill is ultimately passed, however, the fundamental question remains: Why does any of this land remain under federal control? Aren't the states far better positioned to manage their own land than the federal government? As Ken Ivory of the American Lands Council points out, "upon being admitted as a state, the federal government promised all new states that it would 'extinguish title' (i.e. transfer away title) to all public lands. For all states east of Colorado (and for Hawaii), it has honored this promise." All states, upon admission to the Union, were given the same promise. In 1828, Congress heard a report from the Public Lands Committee that stated,
"If these lands are to be withheld . . . in vain may the People of these States expect the advantages of well settled neighborhoods, so essential to the education of youth . . . Those States will, for many generations, without some change, be retarded in endeavors to increase their comfort and wealth, by means of works of internal improvements, because they have not the power, incident to all sovereign States, of taxing the soil, to pay for the benefits conferred upon its owner by roads and canals. When these States stipulated not to tax the lands of the United States until they were sold, they rested upon the implied engagement of Congress to cause them to be sold, within a reasonable time. No just equivalent has been given those States for a surrender of an attribute of sovereignty so important to their welfare, and to an equal standing with the original States."
It would seem that there is no better example of this than the O&C Lands of rural Oregon. We can continue to try to nibble around the edges, working with the federal government to give us as much of a solution as they feel like; or we can take a bold stand and find a solution that lives up to the promise of statehood and generates the maximum amount of local revenue. This is a prime example of why we have states in the first place - local control over land and revenues is far preferable to federal control.
On November 26, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) released his plan to generate tax revenue from Oregon and California lands currently under control of the federal Bureau of Land Management. The plan has met with mixed reviews. Counties in Oregon that are desperate to replace lost tax revenue from timber jobs are crossing their fingers, hoping this is their long sought solution. Environmentalists are predictably frothing at the mouth. But the solution proffered only serves to expose the problem in more stark relief: the fact that any of these lands are under federal control is the real problem.
Every year since college, my best friend Dan and I have submitted our best observations on a wide range of topics that reflect on the year that has just expired. We follow the well established template of The McLaughlin Group program.
Here are my reflections on 2013:
BIGGEST WINNER OF THE YEAR: I can't even think of one, as 2013 has seen so many failures that have hurt so many Americans. The only one I can think of is David Ortiz of the Red Sox, who emphatically reclaimed the City of Boston for Bostonians.
BIGGEST LOSER OF THE YEAR: President Barack Obama. He may or may not earn the mid-term wipeout he so desperately deserves in the House and Senate in 2014, but make no mistake, every single thing he touched in 2013 ended up as a massive failure. From Obamacare to the IRS, to the NSA, to the security failure that led to the Boston Marathon Bombings, and back to Obamacare, nothing went right for the President's agenda.
BEST POLITICIAN OF THE YEAR: Tie: Rand Paul and Ted Cruz. Reminding Republicans what it's like to have a backbone and use it, and to win hearts and minds.
WORST POLITICIAN OF THE YEAR: Harry Reid, who tried to shut down Mt. Rushmore in his government shutdown.
MOST DEFINING MOMENT: HealthCare.gov failing live on CNN as Kathleen Sibelius was testifying before Congress.
BEST SPIN OF THE YEAR: Scott Walker's interview with Heritage. When he said that Republicans don't have to lurch to the left to win elections, that all it takes is showing leadership on the issues without compromising your principles, I stood up and cheered. That's the kind of straight talk we need to win elections in 2014 and beyond.
MOST BORING PERSON OR STORY OF THE YEAR: Wendy Davis. Enough has been said about her already, but we'll see if a failed filibuster can launch a successful bid for governor. Good luck with that.
MOST CHARISMATIC PERSON OF THE YEAR: Ted Cruz, who was rewarded for a year of showing actual leadership by being recognized in a survey as the third most influential world leader, behind Pope Francis and Barack Obama.
BUMMEST RAP OF THE YEAR: Mainstream Republicans claiming that "shadowy conservative groups" like Club For Growth, FreedomWorks, Senate Conservatives Fund and Heritage Action are cynically fundraising on failures by the likes of McCain and McConnell to stand up on their conservative principles. Why have a separate party, if all those guys can do is say, "Welp, I guess elections have consequences."
FAIREST RAP OF THE YEAR: That The Selfie Seen Around The World demeans the office of President and diminishes our level of global respect.
BEST COMEBACK OF THE YEAR: Twinkies. After Hostess filed bankruptcy and got out from under the crushing union contracts, they were liquidated in an orderly court filing and the free market took it from there. Now, on to Detroit ...
MOST ORIGINAL THINKER OF THE YEAR: Mike Lee. He is the often overlooked third member of the Tea Party Trio in the Senate (along with Cruz and Paul), but he is proposing real solutions to our nation's problems, and is one to watch in the Senate.
MOST STAGNANT THINKER OF THE YEAR: John McCain. Raking Cruz over the coals for showing leadership and backbone, and standing up against Obamacare? Saying it's the law of the land and elections have consequences? What happened to you, sir?
BEST PHOTO OP OF THE YEAR: The WWII veterans who stormed their open air monument on the National Mall after government thugs tried to blockade it as part of the government "shutdown". Some of the best signs from the protest: "Mr. Obama, Tear Down This Wall"; and, "Normandy Wasn't Open For Business When We Got There, Either."
ENOUGH, ALREADY: MSNBC. From tampon earrings to black Santa Claus, to Alec Baldwin lasting a few weeks, to every single utterance from anyone to the right of Che Guevara being labeled racist, you've given jumping the shark a whole new dimension.
WORST LIE OF THE YEAR: Everything about Obamacare. Seriously, we have every right to tell voters, "We told you so". A close second: The oft-repeated lie, even among some Republicans, that there is no conservative alternative to Obamacare. There are many, many free market reforms that actually make sense and would actually reduce costs.
CAPITALIST OF THE YEAR: The entire energy sector. New mining technologies and new deposit discoveries are leading to the real prospect that, in just a few years, the US could actually be energy independent.
PERSON OF THE YEAR: Rand Paul. His was the first filibuster that started a trend. Using the rules of the Senate to protect the rights of the minority - apparently this was so dangerous that the Democrats had to go and change the rules.
HONORABLE MENTION: Vladimir Putin. Not a positive development by any stretch, but he's seen the international leadership void created by the Obama Administration's appeasement policies and taken the opportunity to fill that void.
DESTINED FOR POLITICAL STARDOM: (A quick aside - last year I predicted Paul Ryan. Whoops.) Scott Walker, Mike Lee, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul - collectively they can be refered to as the Liberty Caucus. The future of the Conservative Movement is bright.
DESTINED FOR POLITICAL OBLIVION: Kathleen Sibelius. Amazingly, she has yet to be formally turfed, but the writing is on the wall.
BEST POLITICAL THEATRE OF THE YEAR: The performances by Rand Paul and Ted Cruz, using their position to the best of their ability to stand up for all Americans and make DC pay attention.
WORST POLITICAL THEATRE OF THE YEAR: The Cover Oregon TV ads. Yeesh.
MOST UNDERREPORTED STORY: The scandals surrounding the IRS and the NSA. Using unelected bureacrats to attack political adversaries is the realm of third world dictatorships, not the USA.
MOST OVERREPORTED STORY: GRIDLOCK IN CONGRESS! Pssst ... hey everyone ... that's the way it's supposed to work, so we don't have 2700 page bills rammed down our throats by representatives who didn't read the bill.
BIGGEST GOVERNMENT WASTE: Obamacare is the obvious choice, but that has distracted us from the more fundamental problem - since Obama took office in 2009, our spending has remained out of control across the board, and it doesn't show any signs of slowing down. It's sad that it's reason to celebrate when our budget deficit was ONLY $680 Billion for the year.
BEST GOVERNMENT DOLLAR SPENT: Until we get our spending under control, this award is impossible to contemplate.
BOLDEST POLITICAL TACTIC OF THE YEAR: Every single person who stood up to oppose Obamacare. Those who press the advantage and do everything they can to try to stop this rolling disaster are those who won hearts and minds this year. The rollout of the bill was a disaster, and it has never been more unpopular among the voters. Keep up the opposition, it's working.
BEST IDEA OF 2013: The continued development of fossil fuel extraction technology.
WORST IDEA OF 2013: Trying to drum up support to invade Syria, despite there being no national interest there.
SORRY TO SEE YOU GO: Peter O'Toole, who gave the single greatest performance in film history in Lawrence of Arabia.
THE ANNUAL KIM JONG IL MEMORIAL NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT SORRY TO SEE YOU GO AWARD: Hugo Chavez
TURNCOAT OF THE YEAR: Sadly, this award is taken out of the mothballs I'd hoped it would stay stored in forever (The John Roberts Award). Paul Ryan, you are no budget hawk.
MOST HONEST PERSON OF THE YEAR: "Losers assemble in little groups that complain about the coaches and the players in other little groups. But winners assemble as a team." - Bill Parcells, apparently not speaking about Republican politics, but rather speaking upon the occasion of his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
MOST OVERRATED PERSON, EVENT, OR STORY OF 2013: Harry Reid and the change to the filibuster rules. The Democrats are going to be sorry they did that when Republicans take over the Senate and can repeal Obamacare with 51 votes instead of 60.
MOST UNDERRATED PERSON, EVENT, OR STORY OF 2013: The continued shredding of our constitutional protections of liberty.
GRADE THE PLANET: A+, if its inhabitants wouldn't continually try to muck things up. If we could get politicians out of the way, we could be energy independent, have a balanced budget, and live in liberty. Is that really too much to ask?
MACROPREDICTION: The final two years of the Obama Administration, after Election Day 2014, will be no day at the beach for big government statist control freaks.
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION: To stop obsessing about politics, and to obsess a little more about my family.
Every year since college, my best friend Dan and I have submitted our best observations on a wide range of topics that reflect on the year that has just expired. We follow the well established template of The McLaughlin Group program.Here are my reflections on 2013:BIGGEST WINNER OF THE YEAR: I can't even think of one, as 2013 has seen so many failures that have hurt so many Americans. The only one I can think of is David Ortiz of the Red Sox, who emphatically reclaimed the City of Boston for Bostonians.
In order to get young people to buy the Obamcare Exchange health insurance plans, the Obama Administration dictated to insurance companies a new deadline of December 24, Christmas Eve, for policies to be effective January 1. At the same time, over the weekend the President went through a botched PR rollout of his own, enrolling in the DC Exchange. These games will continue, and probably become worse, once the law is in full effect next week.
The Obama Administration and other Obamacare backers have been trying for a long time to get young people to sign up for exchange-based insurance. The latest social media push urged supporters to talk to relatives at holiday gatherings.
Never mind, for a second, how uncomfortable that would be -- having cousin Chad show up as the Instant Expert on Obamacare to lay down the White House talking points. Consider when people actually get together for the holidays: it's usually only Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Sure there are extended visits, but the mother lode of extended family interaction is on those two days.
The White House finally figured out that after all of the hype pushing people to talk to their families, they'd be past their already extended deadline by the time most people gathered to enjoy each other's company. Awkward! It would be far better to extend that deadline into the prime holiday time.
At the last minute, they even went to the trouble of enrolling President Obama in the DC exchange, even though as Commander-in-Chief he and his family have a health care staff at beck and call.
The President didn't sign up himself, mind you. His staff did it for him.
"Like some Americans, the complicated nature of the president's case required an in-person sign-up," the official said. "As you'd expect, the president's personal information is not readily available in the variety of government databases HealthCare.gov uses to verify identities."
The only way the President's staff would know that his enrollment wouldn't work is if someone tried it.
The President or his staff must have attempted to sign the President up for the Obamacare exchange and found that they couldn't do it. Just as for many other Americans who face the mandate tax, the President couldn't sign up on healthcare.gov, either.
But it's good to be king; you can sign up in person. Normal people who sign up "in person" are simply walked through the web site or paper signup. Where did this particular "in-person sign-up" take place? It can't be in just some random Navigator's office, since even they just use the web site. Ace guesses White House staff went to Health and Human Services IT offices and had them do it:
And they mean that he didn't use the website, though that's supposedly "fixed" and he's telling everyone else to use it. "Signed up in person" means he utilized top HHS IT officials, entering data directly into the system, to execute this symbolic gesture.
And why is the President's information not available to healthcare.gov? Surely the security at that site is sufficient to prevent disclosure, isn't it?
Actually, it's not.
So while the President waits past the deadline to enroll, extends the deadline again and again, and finally cuts through the bureaucracy in a way ordinary people could not, to sign up for insurance he isn't even going to use, insurance companies have got to be wondering what life will be like once they rely on Obamacare for their income. I'd be worried if I were in their position.
In order to get young people to buy the Obamcare Exchange health insurance plans, the Obama Administration dictated to insurance companies a new deadline of December 24, Christmas Eve, for policies to be effective January 1. At the same time, over the weekend the President went through a botched PR rollout of his own, enrolling in the DC Exchange. These games will continue, and probably become worse, once the law is in full effect next week.
Are you all ready for Christmas? I know I have a couple things left to do, a little last-minute grocery shopping and such. You know how these things go. One of the most important things I have left to do, though, is to make myself ready to talk to my family about Obamacare on Christmas Day. The President, his wife, and the horde of wild-eyed...err, patriotic...Americans who work tirelessly for Organizing for Action* have informed us it is our duty to impress on our friends and family how crucial it is we sign up for the Affordable Care Act tout de suite**.
I'm a responsible and patriotic citizen, so naturally I wanted to help. Here, then, are some carols for Obamacare -- Obamacarols! -- you can sing with your family as you gather around the computer monitor for the hours and hours it'll likely take you to get signed up for your brand-new health care plan. (tweetable)
Pajama Boy is Coming to Town!
(Sung to the tune of...oh, come on. You know this one, right?)
You'd better watch out!
You'd better not cry!
You'd better not pout.
I'm telling you why.
Pajama Boy is coming to town!
He's bringing a list
That he's checked out twice.
With all of the reasons
The ACA is nice.
Pajama Boy is coming to town!
He's decked out in plaid jammies
With footies on them too.
He's carrying hot cocoa
Which he might just share with you!
Oh! You'd better eat fast.
And clean up real quick.
Get ready to listen
If your skull is not too thick.
Pajama Boy is coming to town.
He's got links to the website
Where you can sign up quick
Assuming that it's working
And the programmers haven't gone home sick
So, you'd better watch out
You'd better not cry.
Break out the fuzzy slippers
And the artisanal vegan organic free-trade cruelty-free pie.
Pajama Boy is coming to town!
(Sung to the tune of "O Christmas Tree")
Obamacare. Obamacare.
How grateful we are for thee!
Obamacare. Obamacare.
How grateful we are for thee!
We did not read what's in the law
But it's okay. It won't be flawed.
Obamacare. Obamacare.
How grateful we are for thee!
Obamacare. Obamacare.
We love your lifelong coverage!
Obamacare. Obamacare.
We love your lifelong coverage!
On our parents' plan we will stay.
Who needs to grow up anyway?
Obamacare. Obamacare.
We love your lifelong coverage!
Obamacare. Obamacare.
You cover everybody!
Obamacare. Obamacare.
You cover everybody!
You do not care what pre-exists.
Cost is just a tea party myth.
Obamacare. Obamacare.
You cover everybody!
The First Month
(Sung to the tune of "The First Noel)
The first month is free, Obama did say
Thanks to evil insurers he threatened to slay.
In boardrooms where they sat counting their cash,
Gleaned from sick, poor, and old people they want to smash.
No pay, no pay. No pay, no pay!
Our President gave us all health care today.
He look-ed up and saw a glitch.
In his web site that should launch without a hitch.
And so he sprang to fix the mistake
And rescue Obamacare for all of our sake.
No pay, no pay. No pay, no pay!
Free stuff is our right; you can't take it away.
Then came to him Republicans foul
Bearing votes to repeal and O boy did they scowl!
But our President told them, "Talk to my hand!"
"The Affordable Care Act is the law of the land!"
No pay, no pay. No pay, no pay!
Three cheers for Obama! Hip, hip hooray!
Now let us sing with one accord
And tack "Get Covered Now" flyers on all bulletin boards.
Tell family and friends and even strangers, too.
Obama has saved us from the cruel winter flu!
No pay, no pay. No pay, no pay!
Money's no object when someone else pays!
Merry Christmas, everyone!
* The group that is in no way connected closely to the White House even though they seem to have the White House's talking-points in near-instant fashion and use the BarackObama.com web address that used to be the site for the President's re-election campaign.
** That's French for "before it collapses under the weight of impossible promises, too few healthy enrolees, and hordes of sick people slamming into Medicaid like an NFL offensive line stampeding an elderly nun".
(Music image by the incomparable national treasure, Jon Gabriel)
For those who may need to receive a sense of humor for the holidays, these lyrics are of course satire. We hope it made you chuckle, and gave you something to smile about, even if the news about ObamaCare is less than cheerful. - Kristina Ribali
Are you all ready for Christmas? I know I have a couple things left to do, a little last-minute grocery shopping and such. You know how these things go.
As government expands, liberty contracts. —President Ronald Reagan
Budget Deal: An Illusion of Responsible GovernanceAmerica's big federal government is broken. Americans know it. Our political elites know it.
To reduce the size, reach and power of our government, Americans want to cut Federal spending. According to the latest Rasmussen poll, 61% of Americans want to cut the Fed's spending. The 2011 Budget Agreement – aka sequester - required government to reduce spending by $1 trillion within 10 years. Sadly, $1 trillion is a miniscule portion of the spending that must be reduced. Since at least the time of President Carter, there has been earnest talk of reducing spending and the recent sequester was effective because it had the force of law.
It was the law, which could only be superseded by another law, requiring both the Senate and the House to pass the bills and signed by the President. Representative Ryan, Senator Murray and President Obama and their colleagues have just enacted the superseding law. The new law increases spending for two years, and then resumes the sequester for 8 more years.
Of course, the likes of Ryan, Murray, Obama and their subordinates have the power to pass another law. And, yes, they could pass another law saying the sequester is dead. Period.
Of course, this is exactly what the majority of the Senators and many members of Congress want. They want to spend more money. Thus, this budget deal is merely an illusion of responsible governance. It is simply a two-year spending bill, and then Congress and the President can decide what to do afterward. Pretty scary!
More than likely, the same set of government elites will continue to be in control – Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Boehner, McConnell, Ryan and Murray. Most likely, they will continue to eviscerate the only effective law – sequester – that actually cut spending for two consecutive years in the past 50 years.
Wake up America! We must institute structural restraints similar to Switzerland that control spending in relationship to GDP. Switzerland limits spending to be no higher than the trendline of revenue over a defined period of time. Additionally, Switzerland's law stops politicians from arbitrarily increasing tax, and any new tax increase must be approved by the majority in the nation and a majority of the cantons. [Read: Stop Excessive Government Spending - Now!]
The most recent flimsy budget deal will not stop the spending appetites of political power mongers.
Wake up Americans!
Personal Freedom and Prosperity 107: Limiting GovernanceAs government expands, liberty contracts. —President Ronald ReaganBudget Deal: An Illusion of Responsible GovernanceAmerica's big federal government is broken. Americans know it. Our political elites know it.


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- GROUP: As you know, Stefan will be appearing on our behalf before the Polish Senate in November to resolve the impediments to our claims for propertyOct 26, 2008View SourceGROUP:
As you know, Stefan will be appearing on our behalf before the Polish
Senate in November to resolve the impediments to our claims for
property compensation. To present the strongest case possible, it
would be of benefit to us if he could show the number of claimants
from around the globe that he represents as Moderator of both our
Groups. I offered to track the information you submit on a
spreadsheet which would be utilized by both Stefan and Aneta to not
only to help you with your claim but also be testimony to the
strength of our numbers.
Because presently Stefan has many irons in the fire, he asked me to
contact you and request those of you who have already filed, to
participate in this effort by submitting the following information,
either to me directly (tinijoroga@...) or to Stefan, which will
be entered and held in confidence:
Contact Info: if you are the claimant or filing on behalf of a
relative, your name, email address and telephone number also,
On Behalf of: if you're filing on behalf of a relative, provide
his/her name, present address
Claim Property: wojewodstwo (voivodship), type of property (ie:
military or civilian osada)
Claim: date filed, which claim office (ie: Mazowiecki), case number
Status: of your claim (ie: application filed, received info
request, submitted info requested, a BRIEF comment if needed
Decision: Claim approved, denied, appealed, property valued, paid
If you are interested in participating, please provide the above as
soon as possible. As you know, Stefan and Aneta are working on
an "application kit" for those who have yet to file and it is
reasonable to anticipate that once that is posted, there will be a
significant response and we can possibly (and hopefully) be flooded
with responses. So please, get your information in so I can have it
entered and be ready for the flood!
BOZENA Florida, USA

subset: commoncrawl


text:
ANNA MARIA ISLAND, Fla. (970 WFLA/AP)- Anna Maria Island is getting a facelift of sorts, it's actually getting $15 million to renourish the beaches.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced this week more than $9 million is budgeted for Manatee's shore protection in addition to more than $6 million already set aside.
Construction could begin as soon as August, and would continue for up to seven months.
Tropical Storm Debby put a beating on miles of Manatee's most famous beach attractions, especially the southern half of Anna Maria Island.


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The Grand Budapest Hotel
As much as "The Grand Budapest Hotel" takes on the aspect of a cinematic confection, it does so to grapple with the very raw and,…
As much as "The Grand Budapest Hotel" takes on the aspect of a cinematic confection, it does so to grapple with the very raw and,…
In comparison with "300", this insane film is more engaging by dint of being absolutely impossible to take even a little bit seriously.
"The Ballad of Narayama" is a Japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice, telling a story of startling cruelty. What a space it opens…
Patrice Leconte's "Monsieur Hire" is a tragedy about loneliness and erotomania, told about two solitary people who have nothing else in common. It involves a…
Chaz writes to Roger about attending the Oscars without him.
An update on fundraising for a statue of Roger Ebert in Champaign, IL.
Chaz writes to Roger about attending the Oscars without him.
An update on fundraising for a statue of Roger Ebert in Champaign, IL.
Gerardo Valero looks at George Lazenby's only outing as James Bond, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service".
Jana Monji writes about our late friend and contributor Jeff Shannon, whose memorial service will be March 16, 2014.
Scott Jordan Harris argues that disabled characters should not be played by able-bodied actors.
Wes Anderson talks about the sources behind "The Grand Budapest Hotel", dining with his cast every night on location, and the comic gifts of Ralph…
What an endlessly inventive movie this is! Charlie Kaufman, the writer of "Being John Malkovich," supplies a stream of dazzling inventions, twists and wicked paradoxes. And the director, Spike Jonze, doesn't pounce on each one like fresh prey, but unveils it slyly, as if there's more where that came from. Rare is the movie where the last half hour surprises you just as much as the first, and in ways you're not expecting. The movie has ideas enough for half a dozen films, but Jonze and his cast handle them so surely that we never feel hard-pressed; we're enchanted by one development after the next.
John Cusack stars as Craig, a street puppeteer. His puppets are dark and neurotic creatures, and the public doesn't much like them. Craig's wife, Lotte, runs a pet store, and their home is overrun with animal boarders, most of them deeply disturbed. Lotte is played by Cameron Diaz, one of the best-looking women in movies, who here looks so dowdy we hardly recognize her; Diaz has fun with her talent by taking it incognito to strange places and making it work for a living.
The puppeteer can't make ends meet in "today's wintry job climate." He answers a help-wanted ad and finds himself on floor 7 1/2 of a building. This floor, and how it looks, and why it was built, would be inspiration enough for an entire film or a Monty Python sketch. It makes everything that happens on it funny in an additional way, on top of why it's funny in the first place.
The film is so rich, however, that the floor is merely the backdrop for more astonishments. Craig meets a co-worker named Maxine (Catherine Keener) and lusts for her. She asks, "Are you married?" He says, "Yeah, but enough about me." They go out for a drink. He says "I'm a puppeteer." She says, "Waiter? Check, please." Keener has this way of listening with her lips slightly parted, as if eager to interrupt by deconstructing what you just said and exposing you for the fool that you are.
Behind a filing cabinet on the 7 1/2th floor, Craig finds a small doorway. He crawls through it, and is whisked through some kind of temporal-spatial portal, ending up inside the brain of the actor John Malkovich. Here he stays for exactly 15 minutes, before falling from the sky next to the New Jersey Turnpike.
Whoa! What an experience. Maxine pressures him to turn it into a business, charging people to spend their 15 minutes inside Malkovich. The movie handles this not as a gimmick but as the opportunity for material that is somehow funny and serious, sad and satirical, weird and touching, all at once.
Malkovich himself is part of the magic. He is not playing himself here, but a version of his public image--distant, quiet, droll, as if musing about things that happened long ago and were only mildly interesting at the time. It took some courage for him to take this role, but it would have taken more courage to turn it down. It's a plum.
Why are people so eager to enter his brain? For the novelty, above all. Spend a lifetime being yourself and it would be worth money to spend 15 minutes being almost anybody else. At one point, there's a bit of a traffic jam. Lotte finds herself inside his mind while Maxine is seducing him. Lotte enjoys this experience and decides she wants to become a lesbian, or a man. Whatever it takes. This is hard to explain, but trust me.
The movie just keeps getting better. I don't want to steal the surprises and punch lines. Even a Charlie Sheen cameo is inspired. At one point Malkovich enters himself through his own portal, which is kind of like being pulled down into the black hole of your own personality, and that trip results in one of the most peculiar single scenes I've ever seen in the movies. Orchestrating all this, Cusack's character stays cool; to enter another man's mind is of course the ultimate puppeteering experience.
Every once in a long, long while a movie comes along that is like no other. A movie that creates a new world for us and uses it to produce wonderful things. "Forrest Gump" was a movie like that, and so in their different ways were "MASH," "This Is Spinal Tap" (1985), "After Hours," "Babe" and "There's Something About Mary." What do such films have in common? Nothing. That's the point. Each one stakes out a completely new place and colonizes it with limitless imagination. Either "Being John Malkovich" gets nominated for best picture, or the members of the Academy need portals into their brains.
Scout Tafoya's video essay series "The Unloved" reconsiders "Tron: Legacy."
Chaz recalls how much Roger loved the Oscars.
Scott Jordan Harris argues that disabled characters should not be played by able-bodied actors.
Chaz writes to Roger about attending the Oscars without him.


text:
In excellent condition, good solid deep draws, its amazing how much you can fit in this.
Approx. 53" H – 37" W – 20" D
Buyer picks up, live on 6th floor but I will bring to 1st floor. Have fit in the back of a medium sized car with no problems – Cash only


text:
Gartner cuts 2008 chip forecast by half
Keywords:Gartner chip forecast 2008 IC market DRAM
[Summary of tips] Citing a weak demand picture and slumping prices, Gartner Inc. has cut its worldwide chip forecast by nearly one-half.In December, Gartner said that the overall IC market would grow by 6.2 per cent in 2008 over 2007. In its latest forecast, the firm said the semiconductor market will grow only 3.4 per cent in 2008.The IC market......Please login or register with us to view this article>>
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The mighty Amazon -- called the last great undiscovered culinary frontier by Chef Ferran Adria. It is here that Tony has come to immerse himself in undiscovered gastronomical treasures and search out a ...
Go to EpisodeTacacá da Duque
At this small restaurant, Tony tries Maniçoba, a classic Amazonian dish. The base of this meal comes from the leaves of the manioc plant that have been ground and boiled for several days to remove the poisonous chemical hydrogen cyanide.
Av. Duque de Caxias, 994-1132 ¿ Marco, Belém ¿ PA, 66093-400, Brazil
More Brazil Travel Guides
Xtreme Waterparks: World's Best Rides
Find the waterparks included in the World's Best Rides episode of Xtreme Waterparks.
Xtreme Waterparks: Getting Wet in Brazil
See our travel guide for the Brazil episode of Xtreme Waterparks.
Xtreme Waterparks: Getting Wet in Germany
See all the waterparks visited in this episode.
Other Anthony Bourdain Travel Guides
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See before and after photos of Robert Irvine's biggest restaurant transformations.
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Learn the fundamentals of cooking with Cooking Channel's tips and videos.


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Education administrators, also know as principals, lead teachers and other members of school staff. They manage the day-to-day operations of elementary, middle, and high schools. They set goals and objectives and evaluate their school's progress toward meeting them. Education administrators work in public and private schools. Generally, they work full time, and many work summers when school is not in session.
Sokanu matches you to one of over 500 careers by analyzing your personality, interests, and needs in life. Take the free assessment now to see your top career recommendations!


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Dales production
Baltic States, Estonia Stair parts: turning blanks for balusters 44 x 44 mm etc. Laminated glued beams: 86 x 86 mm, etc, FJ blanks and panels (edge boards) Material: pine, larch, spruce. Dales produc... Infrared saunad EE, Estonia Infrared saunas for health and beauty in home, apartments, cottage, health and sport centres, etc. Look at models-www.armadia.ee Kristamarine Ltd. Estonia Ship's hull condition assessment Class Renewal Survey performing Ultrasonic thikness measurements taking Quality supervision during dry dock time Drawings performing and verifi... Tarmeko Spoon AS Tartumaa, Estonia TARMEKO SPOON AS is a manufacturer of rotary cut veneer. We produce mainly birch veneer, but we are also able to peel aspen and spruce. We choose log suppliers who support the no... Nordic Merchants OU Estonia We are suppliers of: - Top Brand alcohol, like - Hennessy, Absolut, Jim Beam, Metaxa, Stolichnaya, etc. - Russian vodka 'Nordic Premium Vodka' - Exclusive & Rare Spirits... Baltic States, Estonia Laminated beams and Rounded-logs houses. Made from natural pine, spruce, larch. Look at www.hot.ee/woodenhouse for samples. Your designs are welcome. AT-invest Pirita, Estonia My name is Toomas Allikas from Estonia and Im looking for buyers to war techniques. Tank PanzerKampfwagen III, Tiger VI, Junker 87 Serial nr: 250 (Pilot: Alfred Telen 1920) The... ABISTAJARUNEHIIS Pa, Estonia We just offer tender informations and mega ideas . Also we wish offer partnership in European funding. Cedar Baltic States, Estonia Sell: Cedar Siberian Origin: Russia, Ivdel, Northern Urals Mountains Quality: Fresh cated saw material, export GOST 26002 Quantity: 1000 m3, Dimensions (mm): Thickness: 25, 32...
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A Feburary 7th article in the online version of Nature magazine began with the line, "Genomics finally came of age as a clinical discipline on November 19, 2013, when the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Illumina's MiSeqDx next-generation sequencing (NGS) system for clinical use."
Now, some may argue with this and say genomics was coming of age with the BRCA test from Myriad back in the nineties, or with the use of NGS for cancer treatment, or the rise of prenatal diagnostics.
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Find color inspiration, tips and decorating ideas for your kitchen.
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Get inspiration for choosing colorful kitchen paint, light fixtures, furniture and more.
Four remaining designers create a NYC apartment based on a single color.
Learn how to give your cabinets a new look with a fresh coat of paint.
See how to determine placement of and how to install cabinet hardware.
Danielle Hirsch shows how to avoid creating an overdone, jaundiced kitchen.
Lauren suggests a number of different ways to add color in a kitchen.
Create the country look with the right color, wood, accessories and decor.
Take a tour of a dramatic yet simple kitchen makeover with Room by Room.
A student designer updates a 1960's style kitchen with Art Deco touches.
Browse new kitchens from top designers.


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What's New
• Retina optimised graphics for the new iPad• Bug Fixes
App Description
Character Writer is an elegant text editor and the best way to work with special characters on the iPad.Character Writer seamlessly offers custom symbol keyboards alongside the standard on-screen keyboard, giving you easy access to over 500 special characters while you type.
Designed with style and function in mind, Character Writer is the perfect productivity tool for anyone who writes anything on their iPad.
Features Include:
✔ Easy Access to hundreds of special Characters:
- Full upper and lower case Greek alphabet
- Math Symbols
- Digits -> Fractions, superscript and subscript numbers
- Pictographs
- Letter like symbols & many more
✔ Advanced Writing Technologies:
- Eliminate distractions by dismissing the toolbar & status bar
- Swipe off the edge of the screen and back onto it to undo/redo
- Keyboard extension with arrow keys for precision cursor placement
- Customise the feel to suit you by choosing a theme from Dark, Light, Grey, Night & Sepia
- Select from a wide variety of fonts & quickly alter text size by pinching in or out
✔ A Full Range of Export Options:
- Copy Text
- Email as Text
- Email as Attachment
- Send to iTunes
- Tweet
- Open In...
Character Writer has been a long time in development and was born out of the frustration normally produced by attempting to compose technical reports on the iPad - often requiring special characters to be copied and pasted individually from a webpage.
Proudly developed by App Sublime.
Follow us on Twitter @AppSublime to keep up with news and developments.
App Changes
December 19, 2012 Price Decrease: $1.99 -> $0.99
July 22, 2012 Price Decrease: $4.99 -> $1.99
July 16, 2012 New version 1.0.1
March 18, 2012 Price Decrease: $3.99 -> $2.99
March 13, 2012 Initial Release


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Start learning with our library of video tutorials taught by experts. Get started
Quickly learn how to use Adobe Illustrator to create digital illustrations with no experience required.
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Become more efficient, exact, and creative with the advanced tools like pattern brushes, Gradient Mesh, and opacity masks in Illustrator.
The third course in Deke McClelland's Illustrator CS6 One-on-One series, which takes a project-based learning approach to the key features in Adobe Illustrator, including Recolor Artwork, transparency, masks, blend modes, strokes and fills, and dynamic effects.
Discover how to take advantage of the next level of dynamic features in Illustrator CS6, such as patterns, complex gradients, and the Pathfinder operations, in the second installment of Deke McClelland's Illustrator CS6 One-on-One series.
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Linsday Lohan may be a really bad driver, but she was not a really bad drunk driver this week ... so she's going to sue the guy who accused her of DWB -- Driving While Blotto.
You'll recall.... Jose Rodriguez claims Lindsay struck him while she was driving a Porsche this week in NYC. Rodriguez gave an interview to a reporter and claimed Lindsay was slurring and "smelled like alcohol real bad" at the time of the incident.
The cops and others say Lindsay had not been drinking and alcohol was not a factor in the alleged incident.
We're told Lindsay believes she could lose work if people think she's off the wagon, so she's planning on suing Rodriguez for defamation.
Lindsay is saying, "I'm tired of people lying just to score a quick paycheck."
She's a liar, thief and a con artist. Since she can't act, that is her only way of earning money now.
I actually think this is a legal ploy for tactical advantage rather than for publicity (or for money). This person could still sue her and has already made claims of injury even though the video doesn't really seem to support it. By suing him, it gives her leverage in any civil case he tries to bring against her. She can make his life miserable as he undoubtedly would like t o make hers and simultaneously send a strong message to anyone else thinking about blatantly lying on her. I'm not saying that it will work, but I can definitely see the logic in doing so and would think that this would have been suggested by her counsel rather than cooked up by Lohan and Co. circus. I don't think it is a bad maneuver at all.
She can try suing in small Clams court, but she would lose there, too. She would have to PROVE that she lost work. Is she going to say that Zapata was going to hire her, then didn't? Doubt it. Think Zapata is smarter than that. MILO needs to stop with his tired old routine of "Linds is sober, she's going to sue" crap. Nobody is buying it. I hope she DOES try to sue. It would be perfect for the Chateau Marmont and all the others waiting for their HONESTLY earned money to find her. Linds needs more TV time? How about going on Judge Judy's show with this lawsuit, Linds? I would LOVE to see her rip you a new one and she would. BUT, you would be on TV. LMAO
Wheres the story on Kate Mayjor, losing her "fake" baby. You know that one is coming soon. Skank was never preganet
I never write comments but today I am pissed at the crap that people write about this girl in case you people did not see the video that man walked right in front of the car on purpose just so he can sue. The police you have arrested him for wasting their time. I am 100% with Lindsay she should sue him. Maybe that will start a trend and people will stop with all these false claims to get money..
Yes Lindsay, it is all those people out there who are lying about you who are causing you to lose work.
How about taking responsibility for the fact that it is your own actions that is impacting your career.
I don't believe this article for a second. Heck they aren't even claiming "sources" ... now it's "we're told".
But...even Lindsay's Mother just admitted in her latest interview that Lindsay still drinks. Plus there are the photographs of her with the martini glass in her hand.
"@Gawker: Dina Lohan wants to go back on 'Dr. Phil' to prove how not-crazy and not-drunk she is. http://t.co/RSLsm3ik"
But will she still be flittin' around?
Of course she's suing. That's what she does. Nearly kill someone then sue them for talking to the media. Now have to say this guy might be lying but.....her track record tells a better truth than she does.
she's always suing someone.
she should sue herself for being a lying, thieving, addict wh*re.
Ahh, she is a mess. She should know that people are watching her. When she is under such scrutiny, she needs to get her s##t together and stay under the radar. Get a driver, get a friend to drive, because anytime she is driving, she gets into trouble. Get into stealth mode for a while until this court drama goes away. Kick back and let that Amanda Bynes be the focus.
The Lohans are white trash and they are trashier than HONEY BOO BOO CHILDS family. At least HBB's family don't get in trouble with the law on a weekly bases. One more thing, Honey boo boo's family has more moneyyyyyyyy!
The only reason Lohan has no credible work is because she's not a credible actress, period. It's so ghetto to sue every Tom, Dick and Harry. Get a real job Lohan.


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...that in the early 1940s GE engineer James Wright was charged with a task of utmost importance to the war effort: develop a cheap substitute for rubber that could be used to produce tires, gas masks and a whole host of military gear. Wright tackled the task diligently -- and wound up inventing Silly Putty.
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Number | Title | Issue Date |
7419297 | Control device for a push-piece, in particular for time piece, and portable electronic instrument comprising same There is disclosed a control device including (i) a support (4, 4.1), (ii) an electronic module (6, 60) arranged in or on the support, (iii) a push-button (2.1 to 2.5) mounted to be mobile on the support so as to have a travel in translat... | 09/02/2008 |
7366561 | Robotic trajectory guide A surgical alignment device is shown that is controlled remotely through the use of an actuator, where the actuator in turn controls at least one local adjustment device. The alignment device is suited for neurosurgery, although it is not exclusively limited to neur... | 04/29/2008 |
7358839 | Heavy duty relay with resilient normally-open contact A heavy duty relay can safely switch a current of 40 A to 1 kA. The heavy duty relay is provided with a changeover spring which can be resiliently deflected by means of a switching force and with a normally-open contact, against which a contact point of the changeov... | 04/15/2008 |
7304257 | Kinetic energy transferring element applied to a button structure A kinetic energy transferring element applied to a button structure for pressing an electric switch has a curved portion, a first extended portion and a second extended portion, in which the curved portion is bridged between the first extended portion and the second... | 12/04/2007 |
7256360 | Rolling-ball switch A rolling-ball switch includes a housing, at least two terminal rods, and a conductive ball. The housing defines a chamber, and has a bottom wall provided with at least two through holes. Each through hole is defined by a multi-sided hole wall. Each terminal rod has... | 08/14/2007 |
7164093 | Motor starting switch An electrical switch is disclosed having improved operational characteristics wherein when a operating handle is rotated from an OFF position to an ON position the switch provides slow motion which accelerates as the operating handle is rotated to a full open positi... | 01/16/2007 |
7107676 | One piece foliated leads for sealing in light sources Manufacturing equipment and manufacturing process steps that improve upon prior art processes for the manufacturing of filament tube and arc tube light sources, their components and subassemblies, and lamps employing said light sources. A double ended, tipless filam... | 09/19/2006 |
7109429 | Switch assembly A switch assembly has a base, a cover and multiple conductive slices. The base has an extending board and multiple inserting recesses. The inserting recesses are formed in the extending board and each have two mounting posts and an inserting hole. The mounting posts... | 09/19/2006 |
7088558 | Disk drive head suspension with flexure and load beam supported on opposite sides of carriage arm To be capable of precisely positioning a head on a track of a high-density disk rotated at high speed in the disk drive, a head suspension has a plate (3) to be attached to a carriage of the disk drive and turned around a spindle, a load beam (5) havin... | 08/08/2006 |
7061350 | Electromagnetic relay with a triple contact bridge The invention relates to an electromagnetic relay with an electromagnetic coil for exciting a magnetic field and an iron circuit for guiding the magnetic field, wherein the electromagnetic coil surrounds at least part of the iron circuit and the iron circuit compris... | 06/13/2006 |
7049531 | Modular electrical component with electrical circuit selector assembly A circuit selector assembly including an electrical conductor, an electrical contact, a first spring beam connected to the electrical contact and a second spring beam connected to the electrical contact. The second spring beam biases the electrical contact to a firs... | 05/23/2006 |
7041920 | Elongated bridge shunt switch formed by stretching and rupturing a conducting bridge Structure and method for forming a switchable shunt for a suspension assembly having conductive, insulating and metal base layers. The shunt includes a bridge in the conductive layer with either a continuous connection or small gap between ends of the bridge. The co... | 05/09/2006 |
7032294 | Method of making switchable shunts for integrated lead suspensions A switchable shunt has an insulating layer separating conductive lead and spring metal layers. The shunt includes a base region formed on the spring metal layer, one or more arms formed in the conductive lead layer and at least one of the insulating and spring metal... | 04/25/2006 |
7012207 | Switch for electric tool To electrically connect switch terminals of a housing and a control member in a switch for an electric tool with ease and to prevent the electric connection from becoming incomplete even when vibration occurs, elastic bodies for maintaining an electric connection ar... | 03/14/2006 |
7012204 | Silver contact fixing structure for conductive blades A silver contact fixing structure for conductive blades aims at providing a retaining force on a silver contact so that the silver contact is more secure and does not break loose when subject to striking. The silver contact is built in a fastening section formed on ... | 03/14/2006 |
7005596 | Cover member for illuminated pushbutton switch An illuminated pushbutton switch cover member has a key seat and a resin key top. An indicator portion provided in the resin key top is illuminated with light from an internal light source provided below the key seat, and the light is emitted from the inside to the ... | 02/28/2006 |
6992256 | External disconnect mechanism integrated with an electrical system enclosure A disconnect mechanism for an electrical system that is integrated with the enclosure of the system, yet includes an external handle for closing and opening the electrical circuit. The invention utilizes the system's circuit breaker to switch the current on or off, ... | 01/31/2006 |
6884952 | Contact finger for a high-power switchgear A contact finger module for mounting in a high-power switchgear includes at least one contact finger having a contact piece and a flexible contact piece support, which extends along a longitudinal direction and has an attachment end and a contact-making end. The con... | 04/26/2005 |
6878889 | Garage door opener security device A device is provided to prevent unauthorized opening of the garage door by interrupting the flow of electrical power to the automatic garage door opener. A power-interrupting switch, suspended from a desired overhead location in the garage, is interposed between the... | 04/12/2005 |
6872906 | Movable contact structure and movable contact attaching method of slide switch To enable to facilitate integration and part control by reducing a number of parts and a number of integrating steps and restrain electric contact performance from being deteriorated by preventing play, in a slide switch including a pole board (3) having a fi... | 03/29/2005 |
6872896 | Elongated bridge shunt Structure for forming a switchable shunt for a suspension assembly having conductive, insulating and metal base layers. The shunt includes a bridge in the conductive layer with either a continuous connection or small gap between ends of the bridge. The continuous co... | 03/29/2005 |
6723931 | Method of operating switchable shunts for integrated lead suspensions A switchable shunt has an insulating layer separating conductive lead and spring metal layers. The shunt includes a base region formed on the spring metal layer, one or more arms formed in the conductive lead layer and at least one of the insulating and spring metal... | 04/20/2004 |
6657143 | Key switch apparatus for electronic musical instruments The size of the key switch apparatus, particularly its height, is reduced to allow its use even in keyboard-type electronic musical instruments. By virtue of a key-driven actuator, multiple terminal strips are allowed to contact bus bars installed in more... | 12/02/2003 |
6576853 | Switch exhibition non-unidirectional displacement In a switch having first and second contacts, a first contacting portion of the first contact is movable in a first direction alone while a second contacting portion of the second contact is movable only in a second direction intersecting with the first d... | 06/10/2003 |
6445275 | Overload-protection push-button switch with automatic resetting mechanism of pull-push type An overload-protection push-button switch with automatic resetting mechanism of pull-push type is disclosed. The switch is characterized in that a pull-push rod and a floating rocker are used to transmit a force on a pressing stem to a conducting leaf. Mo... | 09/03/2002 |
6350970 | Appliance switching mechanism and method A switching mechanism is utilized in a heating appliance, such as a toaster, that includes a bread support that supports a food item to insert and remove the food item from a cooking cavity of the appliance. The appliance includes an electronic circuit th... | 02/26/2002 |
6326568 | Blade switch assembly for a card reader An electrical switch assembly includes a first switch contact having a base and an integral first contact arm folded over the base. The contact arm has an upwardly facing contact surface. A second switch contact arm includes a base and an integral spring ... | 12/04/2001 |
6087603 | Switch with moving contact makers in the form of spring tongues The present invention concerns a switch, preferably a steering column switch for an automobile, with which both control currents and load currents are to be controlled. The object of the present invention is to mostly prevent soil and scale from forming o... | 07/11/2000 |
6064016 | Wiper switch terminal and contact A switch is provided that includes a circuit board support (12) with a contact bump (24, 26) thereon, and a sheet metal terminal (16) having a deflectable blade (20,22) with an elongated H-shaped slot (70). The slot forms rear and front tines (72, 74) wit... | 05/16/2000 |
6060674 | Circuit interrupter with plasma arc acceleration chamber and contact arm housing An electrical circuit interrupter comprising a housing with an operating mechanism disposed therein and including first and second separable main contacts disposed within the housing is taught. There is an electrically conducting first contact support whi... | 05/09/2000 |
6039599 | Switch for a card reader assembly A switch 120 for a card reader assembly includes first and second terminals 122, 140 disposed in a card-receiving cavity 90. The first terminal 122 includes a board mounting section 124, a body portion 126 and a contact section 132 spaced from the board m... | 03/21/2000 |
6013883 | Miniature electrical switch A miniature electrical switch that can be mounted on a circuit board, includes a dielectric housing (12) with a forwardly-opening cavity (26), a first contact (16) lying primarily within the cavity, and a second contact (14) lying outside the cavity and e... | 01/11/2000 |
5994654 | Rotary switch having spring leaf electrical connectors A rotary push-type stepper switch can include a printed circuit board that acts as a support mechanism for tubular electrical connectors extending beyond the edge of the board through cut-outs in the perimeter wall of a switch housing. Each tubular connec... | 11/30/1999 |
5977497 | Reliable switch for IC cards A switch device comprises an insulative housing and a pair of switch terminals each having an outside connection section and an inside section in the housing. The first switch terminal 5 has a plurality of flexible arms 8A, 8B with a free end. Each flexib... | 11/02/1999 |
5969586 | Electromagnetic relay In an electromagnetic relay in which a contact mechanism 50 provided on a base 10 is driven by a card 60 which slides and moves in parallel to the axis of an electromagnet block 20 provided in the base 10 as the electromagnet block 20 is magnetized and de... | 10/19/1999 |
5811744 | Double electrical switch The double switch includes a core formed of insulating material and a connector formed of electrically conductive material. The connector extends along a front face of the core and has spring portions overlying a pair of isolated terminals secured on the ... | 09/22/1998 |
5746306 | Switch having stackable fuses The present invention provides an interior assembly for an electrical distribution device having a fuse for each phase in a circuit. The interior assembly includes a plurality of modules having an operating mechanism for opening and closing a switch conta... | 05/05/1998 |
5712611 | Electrical switch having a stationary contact of a bimetallic material The invention relates to an electrical switch having a contact system which includes a switching contact and at least one stationary contact. The stationary contact has a body and a contact surface which interacts with the switching contact. Furthermore, ... | 01/27/1998 |
5685418 | Switch device having detachable grasp support member A switch device (100) has a configuration that supports installation. The switch device (100) has two segments (110, 120) that have selectively coupled contact portions (130, 113). The two segments (110, 120) are joined together by a detachable grasp memb... | 11/11/1997 |
5635750 | Micromechanical relay with transverse slots A micromechanical electrostatic relay has a base substrate with a base electrode and a base contact piece. The relay also has an armature substrate with an armature spring tongue that curves away from the base substrate, and an armature electrode and an a... | 06/03/1997 |


text:
Nearly two years after the first students enrolled in the Master of Arts in Faith and Culture program at the University of St. Thomas, six students from the first cohort graduated on May 12.
The graduates come from diverse professional backgrounds and plan to apply their degree in a variety of ways. Read more
MAFC Graduate Integrates Faith and Theater
CFC Hosts Panel Discussion on Religious Freedom
Learn More and Take Action Against the HHS Mandate
Video: Learn More About the Mission and Programming of the CFC
Application details and deadlines for our master's and certificate programs.
come see...
There are many ways to get involved with CFC!
learn more...
The Center sponsors seminars and events throughout the year.
Copyright © 2013 University of St. Thomas. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Clery Act
Physical Address: Center for Faith and Culture 1302 Sul Ross, Houston, TX 77006


text:
Verified Reviews:
- Rooms are comfortable - Funky ground floor bar - Opera district is very touristy
- Small rooms - Interactive menu on the tv - Amazing view
- Rooms are nice - Toilet was a little dark - Service is excellent
- Lively and buzzy bar - Location is central - Service can be improved
- Well designed room - Great shower room - Personable staff
The hotel has been built in an elegant 1870s Haussmann era. It steps from the Opéra Garnier. The hotel is an embodiment of the contemporary luxury and the innovative design. This cohesion makes the atmosphere of the comfort and happy life.
There are 91 guestrooms and suites in the hotel. The rooms are quite different in design but they all are created with sophistication and good taste. Different types of the rooms are proposed: cozy room, wonderful room, spectacular room, fantastic studio suite, marvelous studio suite, WOW suites and Extreme WOW.
Year renovated 2012. Number of rooms 91.
Cozy Room is located under the hotel's rooftop that makes it very comfortable. Wonderful Room makes you feel wonderful in this great spot featuring the signature W bed. Spectacular Room features impressive views of the Opéra Garnier. Fantastic Studio Suite has a studio living concept, with the open space merging with the sitting area. Marvelous Studio Suite flirts with your senses, with marvelous views of the Opéra Garnier. WOW suites and Extreme WOW suites that are designed like lofts, with their 3-meter ceiling height and breathtaking views of the Opéra.
Dining options
A american breakfast is served at the price of EUR 38 per person per night.
W Paris - Opéra is a place of making business deals and organizing meetings. If you want to make a great deal, this hotel is a brilliant place for it. The atmosphere of the hotel makes the guests feel pleasant and that is the guarantee of success.
All rooms are fully wired with virtually limitless technology and are equipped with state-of-the-art audio visual hardware. So, you can relax here taking pleasure in the sound of music.
Internet | Wireless internet is available in public areas for additional charge |
Guest Parking | Paid Public parking is possible at a location nearby. |
Check-In | from 3 pm |
Check-Out | until 12 pm |
Pets |
Pets are allowed on request Pets are allowed on request |
Children and extra beds |
Other hotels in Paris
Hotel Mayfair4 starsStarting from: US$213
Garden Opera3 starsStarting from: US$53
Starting from: US$420
Hotel California Paris4 starsStarting from: US$255
Four Seasons George V 5 starsStarting from: US$1010
Popular destinations
Rooms and availability
Cozy Room is located under the hotel's rooftop that makes it very comfortable. Wonderful Room makes you feel wonderful in this great spot featuring the signature W bed. Spectacular Room features impressive views of the Opéra Garnier. Fantastic Studio Suite has a studio living concept, with the open space merging with the sitting area. Marvelous Studio Suite flirts with your senses, with marvelous views of the Opéra Garnier. WOW suites and Extreme WOW suites that are designed like lofts, with their 3-meter ceiling height and breathtaking views of the Opéra.
Guest Room
Stunning view Double Or Twin Beds - 23m2 |
Check Prices | |
City Studio Suite
32m2 |
Check Prices | |
Cosy Double Room
Double Bed |
Check Prices | |
Cosy Single Room
One Single Bed |
Check Prices | |
Cosy Twin Room
Twin Beds |
Check Prices | |
Signature Room
Stunning view |
Check Prices | |
Double Room
Stunning view King Size Bed or Double Bed |
Check Prices | |
Single Room
Stunning view One Single Bed - 20m2 |
Check Prices | |
Signature Suite
City view |
Check Prices | |
W Hotel Paris LocationWhat's nearby
- Current hotel
- Hotels nearby
- Airports
- Underground Railway Stations
- Train Stations
- Parks
- Attractions for Tourists
- Museums
- Convention Centers
- Stadiums
- Food and meals
- General
Hover above the icons to see hotel photo and details.
Click the hotel to go to the main hotel page.
What's nearby
What's nearby.
W Paris - Opéra is famous for its world-renowned retail in every direction. Fashionable stores such as Galeries Lafayette and Le Printemps make the location of the hotel very convenient.
Le Café de la Paix is just a few steps from the hotel.
Galeries Lafayette, 100 m, a 10-storey department storeLe Printemps, 400 m, a French department store
Attractions for Tourists |
General |
Train Stations |
Shopping Areas |
Amusement |
Theaters |
Underground Railway Stations |
Local Attractions
Pont des Arts1.5kmParisFrance
Place des Abbesses1.5kmParisFrance
Montmartre Cemetery (Cimetiere Montmartre)1.5km20 av. Rachel, Paris
Cimetiere De Montmartre1.5km20 Ave Rachel (Metro: Blanche or Place de Clichy), Paris
Petit Palais1.6kmAv. Winston-Churchill, Paris
Near the hotel
Palais Garnier - Opera National de Paris170 m8 rue Scribe, Place de l'Opera, Paris
Galerie Laffyette210 mNear Opera, Paris
Paris Story210 m11b rue Scribe, Paris
Fragonard Scribe Museum240 m9 Rue Scribe, Paris
Opera Comique/Salle Favart310 mpl Boieldieu, Paris
Theatre de L'Athenee Louis Jouvet320 m7 rue Boudreau, Paris
Rue de la Paix330 mParisFrance
Restaurants Nearby
Cafe de la Paix
69% likes this, based on 778 reviews
Food: French200 m12, bd des Capucines (InterContinental Paris Le Grand Hotel)Phone: 01 40 07 36 36
Food: Steakhouse, French
90 mRue de VaugirardPhone: 01 47 42 75 70
Le Grand Cafe Capucines
61% likes this, based on 412 reviews
Food: French, Seafood, Brasserie, Gastropub100 m4,boulevard des CapucinesPhone: 01 43 12 19 00
L'Opera Restaurant
56% likes this, based on 266 reviews
Food: French
Price Range: USD 56 - USD 7680 m1, Place Jacques RouchePhone: +33 1 42 68 86 80
Le Patio Opera
Food: Italian, Contemporary, Tapas, Fusion
Price Range: USD 24 - USD 5820 m5 Rue MeyerbeerPhone: 01 40 98 00 92
Why book with us?
- No prepayments
- Pay at the hotel, credit card details are only required to guarantee your booking.
- Low prices
- Enjoy our best price guarantee and special offers.
- Free cancellations
- Usually cancellations can be made without charge close to your arrival date (check policies).
- Guaranteed room
- You get instant confirmation directly from the hotel's reservation database.


text:
Kim Kardashian became a media sensation because of a sex tape, and now her sex life is making headlines yet again.
The reality show star has certainly been down a rocky road when it comes to romance - in addition to her sex tape with Ray J, she's had to deal with being scrutinized over her 72-day marriage to Kris Humphries. Perhaps Kim's relationship issues started when she lost her virginity at age 14, something she admitted to Oprah. Now it's being reported that she gave her V-card to Michael Jackson's nephew TJ Jackson.
Momager Kris Jenner has defended her decision to let Kim become sexually active at such a young age, which may have very well been something that Kim wasn't really ready for. Here's how the momager described Kim coming to her with questions: "Kim came to me and…was very honest with me and said 'Mommy I think I'm feeling…sexual…I'm thinking oh God, here we go."
Kris claims that she did try to talk Kim out of it, but went on to say, "The truth is unless you lock your child in the closet and throw the key away, they're going to do what they feel. I can't be with her and shadow her every single second. So my philosophy has also been make sure your kids are healthy, well taken care of and educated." At least Kim was comfortable enough to talk to her mom about it.
Kim isn't the only Kardashian that lost her virginity at such a young age. In 2010 Khloe Kardashian revealed that she also had sex for the first time at age 14, saying that she had been "secretly dating" an 18-year-old man who coerced her into it. Khloe said of the way it made her feel, "I felt so disgusted with myself. I stopped talking to him and actually didn't have sex for three years after that because I knew I was young and I knew I wasn't ready." Luckily Khloe has gone on to lead a pretty drama-free love life, except for her family butting in every now and then - her sisters criticized her for being too focused on her hubby Lamar Odom on a recent episode of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." But maybe her relationship works so well because she spends less time with the fam and more time with her man.
Another E! star, "Fashion Police" host Kelly Osbourne, has also admitted to losing her virginity at a young age. She said of her scary experience, "I convinced myself I was pregnant when I was 13 and I hadn't even got my period." Like Kim, Kelly has been pretty unlucky in love in the past - she said she felt humiliated when she called off her engagement to Luke Worrall after discovering that he cheated on her with a transsexual model awaiting gender reassignment surgery. But just like Kim, who is enjoying her new boyfriend Kayne West lavishing her with expensive gifts, Kelly is recently doing much better relationship-wise - last month she revealed that she's in love with her new boyfriend Matthew Mosshart, the brother of Kills' frontwoman Allison Mosshart.
Of course E! stars aren't the only celebrities that gave their V-cards away so young. A-Lister Angelina Jolie admitted to losing her virginity at age 14, saying that she used to cut her boyfriend after sex because it "wasn't enough." The former wild child also claims that she got in trouble for being sexual and getting her classmates to take their clothes off in Kindergarten. It would certainly be interesting to know how Brad Pitt's conservative mother feels about that anecdote.
So Kim and these other celebs that lost their virginity at young ages seem to be doing okay right now, but do you think that their decisions to grow up too fast have had a negative effect on their lives?
More From This Contributor:
Ryan Gosling Favored for 'Fifty Shades of Grey' but Robert Pattinson Makes Compelling ArgumentIs Emma Stone Involved in the Andrew Garfield and Robert Pattinson Feud?
Kate Middleton and Other Celebrities with Relatives Who Posed in Playboy
Note:This was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Join the Yahoo! Contributor Network here to start publishing your own articles.
- People
- Arts & Entertainment
- Kim Kardashian
- Kardashian
- Khloe Kardashian
- Kris Humphries
- Kelly Osbourne
- Kris Jenner


text:
UPDATED: Winter Storm Warning in Effect; Snow Could Fall for 24+ Hours
The National Weather Service warning is from Thursday at 4 a.m. until Friday at 10 a.m.
The National Weather Service has upgraded the winter storm watch to a winter storm warning.
The affected area includes Framingham and MetroWest.
The warning is from Thursday at 4 a.m. until Friday at 10 a.m.
Predicted snow accumulations have increased to 8 to 14 inches.
A winter storm warning is issued when an average of 6 or more inches of snow is expected in a 12-hour period, or 8 or more inches in a 24-hour period.
Numerous schools in Massachusetts have already canceled school for tomorrow and Friday.
As of 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Framingham Public School students should expect to head back to class on Thursday. (St. Bridget and marian High students are not expected to return until Jan. 6.)
Framingham had originally voted for a 2-week holiday break with students not returning until Jan. 6, but a second vote changed the holiday break with students returning on Jan. 2.
Check back with Patch often for updates and sign up for our free breaking news alerts.
+ Leave a Comment
Susan Petroni (Editor)
January 01, 2014 at 11:01 PM
I spoke to Dr. Gotgart - There will be school on Thursday. Friday's decision has yet to be made.
Copyright ©2014 Planck LLC d/b/a Patch Media. All rights reserved.


text:
Median Income | $39,000 |
College Educated | 6,515 |
Homes Owned | 9,914 |
Homes Rented | 5,178 |
As a buyer, whether you're looking for your first home, your dream home or an investment property, I'm committed to providing you with the highest quality buyer service. When making the type of investment that buying a home requires, you deserve to have all the latest market information and the very best advice, both of which will assist you in making the best educated decision.
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located in the homes only subdivision of Arroyo Vista's, large .55 acre lot with views of the surrounding area & mountians, Lot is...