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Archive for July 13th, 2009
The wastefulness of the F-22
Another way to look at it, by Spencer Ackerman:
Something I didn't know but Brandon Friedman at VoteVets did: a staff sergeant leading an infantry squad in Afghanistan makes, with combat pay, about $44,500 per year. And it costs about $42,000 per hour to fly an F-22, a fighter jet never used in post-9/11 combat at a time when the two wars the United States is fighting require a lot of infantry squad leaders and not a single fighter jet. This is all apropos of the vote this week on the fiscal 2010 defense authorization bill, which President Obama has threatened to veto because of all the money for the F-22 back into it as Defense Secretary Bob Gates tries to end the jet's production line. Obama's big ally on the effort to put the F-22 out to pasture is none other than Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), whom you may remember from the 2008 campaign, when he attacked Obama's judgment on national security questions.
Uh-oh. Problems ahead in healthcare
Steve Benen at Political Animal:
Barack Obama is right that our health care system is so wasteful and poorly organized that it is possible to lower costs, expand access, and raise quality all at the same time — and even have money left over at the end to help pay for other major programs. He's also right that to achieve these reforms the health care industry must join the 21st century and computerize its medical records — and indeed there is $20 billion in the stimulus package to pay for it.
Unfortunately, that $20 billion is likely to be squandered on buggy, inadequate proprietary software sold by the very companies that lobbied for the money, unless the Obama administration takes decisive action to promote the adoption of better-quality "open source" health IT. So reports Phillip Longman in his tour de force cover story in the latest issue of the Washington Monthly.
Done right, digitized health care could help save the nation from insolvency while improving and extending millions of lives at the same time. Done wrong, it could reconfirm Americans' deepest suspicions of government and set back the cause of health care reform for yet another generation.
Read Longman's story, "Code Red," here.
Singing a song is the best revenge
The story (from YouTube):
There is now a video response:
Full Story: http://www.davecarrollmusic.com/story… – In the spring of 2008, Sons of Maxwell were traveling to Nebraska for a one-week tour and my Taylor guitar was witnessed being thrown by United Airlines baggage handlers in Chicago. I discovered later that the $3500 guitar was severely damaged. They didn't deny the experience occurred but for nine months the various people I communicated with put the responsibility for dealing with the damage on everyone other than themselves and finally said they would do nothing to compensate me for my loss. So I promised the last person to finally say no to compensation (Ms. Irlweg) that I would write and produce three songs about my experience with United Airlines and make videos for each to be viewed online by anyone in the world. United: Song 1 is the first of those songs. United: Song 2 has been written and video production is underway. United: Song 3 is coming. I promise. Follow me at http://twitter.com/DaveCarroll . Video Produced by Curve Productions of Halifax, http://www.curveproductionsinc.com.
Large Hadron Rap
Found via this fascinating article:
In the recent Tom Hanks/Ron Howard film "Angels & Demons," science sets the stage for destruction and chaos. A canister of antimatter has been stolen from CERN — the European Organization for Nuclear Research — and hidden in the Vatican, set to explode right as a new pope is about to be selected.
Striving to make these details as realistic as possible on screen, Howard and his film crew visited CERN, used one of its physicists as a science consultant, and devoted meticulous care to designing the antimatter canister that Hanks' character, Robert Langdon, and his sexy scientist colleague, Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer), wind up searching for.
But there was nothing they could do about the gigantic impossibility at the center of the plot. While the high-energy proton collisions generated at CERN do occasionally produce minute quantities of antimatter — particles with the opposite electrical charge as protons and electrons, but the same mass, which can in turn be combined into atoms like antihydrogen — it's not remotely enough to power a bomb. As CERN quips on a Web site devoted to "Angels & Demons," antimatter "would be very dangerous if we could make a few grams of it, but this would take us billions of years."
Goldman Sachs's blow-out profits
Remember all of this — the $700 billion bank bailout, the AIG scandal, dark and scary threats of imminent global meltdown if there wasn't full-scale capitulation by the citizenry to the immense transfer of public wealth to the private investment banking sector? Such distant, hazy memories: so many exciting celebrity deaths and riveting celebrity resignations ago. If sequences of events like these don't cause mass citizen outrage, then it's hard to imagine what will:
The New York Times, September 19, 2008:
WASHINGTON — It was a room full of people who rarely hold their tongues. But as the Fed chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, laid out the potentially devastating ramifications of the financial crisis before congressional leaders on Thursday night, there was a stunned silence at first.
Mr. Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. had made an urgent and unusual evening visit to Capitol Hill, and they were gathered around a conference table in the offices of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
"When you listened to him describe it you gulped," said Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York.
As Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut and chairman of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, put it Friday morning on the ABC program "Good Morning America," the congressional leaders were told "that we're literally maybe days away from a complete meltdown of our financial system, with all the implications here at home and globally."
Mr. Schumer added, "History was sort of hanging over it, like this was a moment."
When Mr. Schumer described the meeting as "somber," Mr. Dodd cut in. "Somber doesn't begin to justify the words," he said. "We have never heard language like this."
"What you heard last evening," he added, "is one of those rare moments, certainly rare in my experience here, is Democrats and Republicans deciding we need to work together quickly."
The embattled Goldman Sachs investment banking firm and its employees have spent more than $43 million dollars on lobbying and campaign contributions to cultivate friends and buy influence in Washington, D.C. since 1989, according to an ABC News analysis of campaign finance records compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.
As a group, Goldman Sachs bankers have been the country's top political campaign contributors this year and have given $29.5 million in contributions since 1989, according to the Center.
"They are almost in a class by themselves," said Sheila Krumholz, the executive director for the Center for Responsive Politics.
"Their top executives are in a class that is way above the clout and name-dropping that most other American businesses can achieve," says Krumholz.
Spicy, Citrusy Black Beans
A tasty-sounding recipe from Simply Recipes (with good photos at the link):
Spicy, Citrusy Black Beans Recipe
- 4 cups dried black beans
- 2 1/2 quarts (10 cups) water
- 2-3 fresh sprigs oregano, or 1 Tbsp dried
- 3 bay leaves
- 6 small or 3 large sage leaves
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 yellow onions
- 2 chopped peppers – bell pepper, Anaheim, or jalapeño (your choice, depending on taste for heat), seeds, stems and ribs discarded
- 6 cloves crushed garlic
- 2 Tbsp Ancho red chili sauce, or chili powder or Tabasco to taste
- 1-2 teaspoons of puréed chipotle in adobo, chipotle Tabasco, or chipotle powder (to taste)
- 1 Tbsp cumin, (crushed whole toasted cumin seed is best, if possible)
- 3 Tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate or 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
1 Prepare the beans. Rinse and sort the beans, discarding any stones or shriveled beans. You can soak the beans overnight in cold water (cover with several inches of water) OR pour enough boiling water over them to cover by a few inches and soak them for an hour OR skip the pre-soaking step. Soaking will speed up the cooking process. If you soak, discard the soaking liquid after soaking.
2 Add beans to a large pot with 2 1/2 quarts (10 cups) of water. Add oregano, bay leaves, and sage. Bring the beans to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the beans are soft, but not quite done. The time will vary depending on how large, dry, or old your beans are, and if you have pre-soaked them, from anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half.
3 While the beans are cooking, sauté onions and peppers in olive oil until soft. Add chili puree and cumin, and garlic. Sauté until spices are fragrant.
4 Fish out and discard the bay leaves, stems of oregano, and sage leaves from the pot of beans. Remove, but reserve, extra cooking liquid until there is about 1/2-inch of liquid above beans.
5 Add the onion mixture and salt to the pot of beans. Cook another hour or so until thickened. Add reserved liquid if needed.
6 Add half of the orange juice, and simmer. Adjust chili heat at this point – you may or may not want to add more of your chili paste. Just before serving, add remaining orange juice, lime juice, and vinegar. Salt to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.
Serve with corn tortillas, and/or rice, sour cream, and salsa.
Serves 8.
"Body and Soul" – Portena Jazz Band, 1972
Another discovery from Jack in Amsterdam:
The Bloody White Baron
Sounds like an interesting read:
The Bloody White Baron: The Extraordinary Story of the Russian Nobleman Who Became the Last Khan of Mongolia
by James Palmer
A review by Anne Applebaum
Like a contemporary reincarnation of Adela Quest, the heroine of E.M. Forster's A Passage to India, James Palmer was both attracted and repelled by his first encounter with the grotesque, grimacing, wooden gods of Inner Mongolia:
I entered the shrine of a gruesome god, his sharp teeth grinning and his head festooned with skulls. I wasn't certain who he was, since the Tibetan pantheon inherited by the Mongolians is replete with such figures. In a small dark room, with incense burning and other gargoyles looming, it seemed capable of an awful, twitching animation; I felt it might lick its lips at any moment. A rural Mongolian couple were kneeling on the floor before it, chanting and kowtowing; they'd brought oranges to feed the god and cash to bribe him. Even after the pilgrims had left, I didn't want to stand in front of the thing, let alone examine it closely; it was the first time I'd had any concrete sense of the word "idol."
Although he was "raised Anglican, which takes most of the fear out of religion," that temple — dim and shadowy, echoing with the sound of distant chanting — awakened Palmer's religious awe. Outside the entrance, he bought some oranges and sticks of incense, and then returned. He placed the incense in front of the most horrifying god, and left the oranges and a five-yuan note at its feet. "Better safe than sorry, after all."
This story, like most of the other personal stories in Palmer's extraordinary book, is not here by accident: he uses it to give the reader some hint of what originally intrigued him, horrified him, and drew him to write about one of the bloodiest chapters in the history of Mongolia. It also helps explain the motives of the subject of his story, Baron Ungern-Sternberg, a White Russian fanatic who briefly terrorized the region in the early 1920s:
Such a temple, with its close, fearful atmosphere, would surely have made a deep and lasting impression on Ungern. He had not come to it a blank slate — he was a cruel and ruthless man long before his arrival in Mongolia — but the images of Mongolian Buddhism, filtered through the perspective of the equally murky world of Russian mysticism and its fascination with the "Orient," had shaped his thinking and his actions.
Indeed the baron eventually came to regard himself not only as "the last khan of Mongolia" but as one of the gods himself. The story of his evolution — from failed, rejected, and ousted Russian nobleman to a member of the Mongolian pantheon — is the central drama of Palmer's book. And drama is the right word here: though The Bloody White Baron is a work of history based on archives and memoirs, it also resembles, in its style and themes, the classic British Central Asian travelogues, from Robert Byron's The Road to Oxiana and Fitzroy Maclean's Eastern Approaches to Colin Thubron's The Silk Road — not to mention Rudyard Kipling's fictional tales of the same region. Palmer shares those writers' penchant for wry anecdote. More to the point, he shares their fascination with the extraordinary things that can happen when impressionable and easily unhinged Europeans encounter the ancient cultures of Central Asia.
As a young man, it has to be said, Freiherr Roman Nikolai Maximilian von Ungern-Sternberg showed …
Happy birthday, Eau de Cologne
From the ShaveMyFace.com shaving forum this factoid:
On this day in 1709 Giovanni Maria Farina opened his shop in Cologne, Germany and is today the world's oldest fragrance factory.
The building foreclosure crisis
Mary Kane of the Washington Independent sounds the alarm:
The time may be ripe for a shift in strategy as the foreclosure machine grinds on, and new foreclosure notices reach the troubling milestone of 10,000 per day.
A weak economy has added job losses and falling home values to the mix of toxic loans that prompted the crisis two years ago, making an already difficult situation even more severe. Government measures from foreclosure freezes to loan modifications have only served, so far, to stall the inevitable – and to create an ominous backlog of millions of pending foreclosures. Plus, more than one in five homeowners now owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth, according to the real estate website Zillow.com. No one can predict with assurance whether those underwater homeowners will keep paying on their loans, or take a walk.
And as bad as things may seem now, there's still a long period of pain to come: A steady drumbeat of foreclosures, and a stagnant housing market, for the next several years ahead, at a minimum. Some see an even more dire picture: Five to 10 years, in California alone, of record high foreclosures. No significant home prices increases nationwide on the horizon, not for next year. Or the year after. Or for as long as the next five years. Some 9 million foreclosures are expected by 2012.
While economists search for signs of green shoots, or optimism, "no one's really saying anything about this," noted Guy Cecala, publisher of Inside Mortgage Finance, a Bethesda, Md. publication that covers the lending industry. "There's really no good news out there, other than we can't possibly get in much worse shape than we already are."
Given this bleak scenario, some say it's finally time for more forceful action. Congress and the Obama Administration need to move boldly to stop foreclosures, requiring lenders to go beyond what Calculated Risk dubs "extend and pretend" repayment plans, and actually write down loan balances. And the Obama Administration should move quickly to bring more players to the table to pick up the pace of those loan modifications – including the Internal Revenue Service. Servicers might be more aggressive about writing down loans if they're sure it won't create tax liabilities for trusts they represent, an impediment that currently stands in the way of getting more mortgages modified, said Kathleen Engel, a Cleveland State University law professor who studies mortgage securitizations.
There's more to be done: …
Applewood smoked turkey
In the bargain bin at Safeway I found a couple of turkey thighs, three turkey necks, and some thick-cut pork chops. I'm going to fire up the Orion cooker and smoke them all today using applewood. I think I'll rub the (skinless) turkey necks with oil, but the rest will just go in as they are. Probably 45-50 minutes for the chops and maybe 65-70 min for the others.
Scientists compared to the public at large
This is from a very interesting article on the survey recently done by the Pew Research Center. Note that 84% of scientists (those who know the most science and are best positioned to evaluate the scientific reports of climatologists) believe that the earth is getting warmer because of human activity.
Read the whole report on the survey.
Looking backward
Hilzoy again—she's terrific!
From the Washington Post:
"Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. is leaning toward appointing a criminal prosecutor to investigate whether CIA personnel tortured terrorism suspects after Sept. 11, 2001, setting the stage for a conflict with administration officials who would prefer the issues remain in the past, according to three sources familiar with his thinking.
Naming a prosecutor to probe alleged abuses during the darkest period in the Bush era would run counter to President Obama's oft-repeated desire to be "looking forward and not backwards." Top political aides have expressed concern that such an investigation might spawn partisan debates that could overtake Obama's ambitious legislative agenda. (…)
Holder's decision could come within weeks, around the same time the Justice Department releases an ethics report about Bush lawyers who drafted memos supporting harsh interrogation practices, the sources said. The legal documents spell out in sometimes painstaking detail how interrogators were allowed to subject detainees to simulated drowning, sleep deprivation, wall slamming and confinement in small, dark spaces.
Any criminal inquiry could face challenges, including potent legal defenses by CIA employees who could argue that attorneys in the Bush Justice Department authorized a wide range of harsh conduct. But the sources said an inquiry would apply only to activities by interrogators, working in bad faith, that fell outside the "four corners" of the legal memos. Some incidents that might go beyond interrogation techniques that were permitted involve detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan, and are described in the secret 2004 CIA inspector general report, set for release Aug. 31.
Among the unauthorized techniques allegedly used, as described in the report and Red Cross accounts, were shackling, punching and beating of suspects, as well as the waterboarding of at least two detainees using more liquid and for longer periods than the Justice Department had approved. That conduct could violate ordinary criminal laws, as well as the U.N. Convention Against Torture, which the United States signed more than a decade ago."
This is good. CIA officials who exceeded the unbelievably expansive rules laid down in the torture memos should be prosecuted. That said, I'd give up all hope of any prosecutions of CIA officials for prosecution of the people who set policy — people like Cheney and Addington. They created the Bush administration's interrogation policy. They decided to set aside law, morality, and basic humanity. They should bear the consequences.
Moreover, the idea of prosecuting lower-level people while the people with real power get off scot-free sticks in my craw. The laws should apply to everyone, and people like Cheney and Addington, who did not have to worry about losing their jobs if they stood up for basic human decency, have less excuse than anyone for violating it.
This will, undoubtedly, set off another round of wailing from the CIA, about being asked to do the dirty work that keeps us free and then being prosecuted for their troubles. I have very little sympathy for this, especially in the present case: by all accounts, if Holder does appoint a prosecutor, that prosecutor will be looking into the possibility that some interrogators exceeded the rules that the DoJ laid down. Those rules were — how to put it? — hardly confining. Moreover, much as I dislike the actual interpretation of the law given in the DoJ memos, it was quite specific. CIA interrogators knew the rules. If they broke them, that's too bad.
It's especially hard to feel too sorry for CIA officials when we've just learned that they kept Leon Panetta in the dark about one of their programs until June 23. Keeping the director of an organization in the dark about one of its programs for nearly six months is unconscionable. The people who had that clever idea should …
His word was law
I was out and about last night, so I didn't get to write about the IG report (pdf). Luckily, other people covered the role of John Yoo in all this; besides Steve, publius and Anonymous Liberal are particularly good on this point. I want to focus on another bit.
To set the stage: Comey and Goldsmith have been read into the surveillance program, and have discovered that Yoo's memos are both legally flawed and factually inaccurate, and that some parts of the program are probably illegal. The programs need to be reauthorized by the President, and normally he does so after the Department of Justice certifies that they are legal. By now, Ashcroft is in the hospital, and Comey and Goldsmith refuse to provide this certification. For this reason, Bush sends Alberto Gonzales and Andrew Card to the hospital to try to get Ashcroft to sign off on the reauthorization, which he refuses to do. So:
"On the morning of March 11, 2004, with the Presidential authorization set to expire, the President signed a new authorization for the PSP. [Ed. note: the Presidential Surveillance Programs.] In a departure from the past practice of having the Attorney General certify the authorization as to form and legality, the March 11 authorization was certified by White House counsel Gonzales. The March 11 Authorization also differed markedly from prior Authorizations in three other respects. It explicitly asserted that the President's exercise of his Article II Commander-in-Chief authority displaced any contrary provisions of law, including FISA. It clarified the description of certain Other Intelligence Activities being conducted under the PSP to address questions regarding whether such activities had actually been authorized explicitly in prior Authorizations. It also stated that in approving the prior Presidential Authorizations as to form and legality, the Attorney General previously had authorized the same activities now being approved under the March 11 authorization. (…)
At approximately noon, Gonzales called Goldsmith to inform him that the President, in issuing the Authorization, had made an interpretation of law concerning his authorities and that DOJ should not act in contradiction of the President's determinations."
'The President had made an interpretation of law'. Think about that. President Bush is not a lawyer. He has no expertise on this matter. Commanding the DoJ to accept his word about what the law is is as crazy as commanding the Environmental Protection Agency to accept his determination that some power plant does not, in fact, pollute, or commanding the FDA to accept his determination that some drug is safe. (Or, alternately, to take his word for it that that power plant or drug is not a "power plant" or "drug" within the meaning of the relevant statutes, and thus that they don't need to make any determinations about it.)
If the President gets to do that, then laws have no meaning, and we might as well have a monarchy.
This would be less awful had the President …
Sometimes you want to scream
From an excellent post (and read the whole thing):
Cokie Roberts explains the politics of health reform: The political reality is that the Senate can't agree on a bill; so the House bill will be out there calling for $500 billion in new taxes, so health care reform won't be supported.
Cokie was unable to report in the same thought that the House-proposed $500 billion would be transferred only from the very wealthiest Americans — people like Woodward, Roberts and George Will (who would prefer to tax everyone else), that it's over 10 years, that it's offset by comparable amounts in reduced Medicare payments. Nor can she recall that in the exchange, we would provide coverage for nearly 40 million more Americans and end fraudulent practices like rescission, end prior condition exclusions and create a public choice for everyone else.
They then all nod that America can't afford to cover everyone, because, you know, other countries who do that for less than we pay don't exist if you don't mention them.
But ignoring all those facts, and failing to note massive public support for a public plan and and willingness to pay higher taxes to achieve expanded coverage, Cokie concludes health care reform will be unpopular because . . . the Democrats want to raise $500 billion in new taxes. Why didn't Stephanopoulos just invite John Boehner so we would know not to watch?
Digby shows how the elite pundits view the rule of law
Very good post by Digby, which begins:
Stephanopoulos reported on This Week that the possible Holder investigation is going to be very narrow and will not pursue policy makers or anyone who took orders directly from the policymakers. He's going after "rogue interrogators" who inflicted more torture than was strictly allowed.
The Village roundtable all gasped in horror anyway because who knows where such an investigation might lead and as Cokie complained, it would mean that the whole town would be mad at each other again and nobody wants that! "Everybody hates each other and the poison gets very thick." She did finally come down on the side of following the rule of law even though it would make her uncomfortable at cocktail parties, but it was a close thing.
Bob Woodward was very upset at the idea that the government can't keep secrets because "we need them!" Besides, Holder shouldn't be like Janet Reno and just initiate investigations willy nilly. (He seems to think that Reno authorizing independent counsels to investigate her own president for trivial political reasons is the same thing as investigating whether the previous administration tortured prisoners.) They all chuckled at the notion that Holder was really independent and if he is, that means he's a rogue interrogator himself.
George Will thought …
Are we once again going after scapegoats?
The Abu Ghraib investigation led to several enlisted soldiers going to prison, but no officers were punished at all—at most, one colonel got a minor reprimand, as I recall. It looks as though we might reprise that approach: convict some low-level scapegoats, but allow those who directed the effort to go scot-free. Greenwald:
Yesterday, I treated this new Newsweek report that Eric Holder is "leaning toward appointing a prosecutor to investigate the Bush administration's brutal interrogation practices" as something to celebrate. But new facts about what that investigation would entail and, more importantly, would exclude — facts added by today's Washington Post — strongly suggest it's the opposite. At least if that article is to be believed — and it seems clear that Holder dispatched his allies to leak his plans in order to gauge reaction — the investigation will only target "rogue" CIA interrogators who exceeded the limits of what John Yoo authorized, and would not include high-level policy makers who authorized the torture tactics and implemented America's torture regime:
Any criminal inquiry could face challenges, including potent legal defenses by CIA employees who could argue that attorneys in the Bush Justice Department authorized a wide range of harsh conduct. But the sources said an inquiry would apply only to activities by interrogators, working in bad faith, that fell outside the "four corners" of the legal memos. . . . The actions of higher-level Bush policymakers are not under consideration for possible investigation.
Balloon-Juice's Tim F. is absolutely right that such an approach — targeting low-level interrogators while shielding high-level policy-makers from prosecution — would be "something close to the worst of both worlds." That's true not only because it would replicate the disgraceful whitewashing of the Abu Ghraib prosecutions. It would do that, but even worse, it would bolster the principal instrument of executive lawlessness — the Beltway orthodoxy that any time a President can find a low-level DOJ functionary to authorize what he wants to do, then it is, by definition, "legal" and he's immune from prosecution when he does it, no matter how blatantly criminal it is. As Tim put it:
Hard to believe as it may seem, Holder's probe will take John Yoo's work . . . and treat them as the settled law of the time. Already clear and public evidence that DOJ lawyers drafted those memos entirely in bad faith, on orders from Bush officials who literally dictated what they wanted the memos to say, will be similarly ignored.
It's worth emphasizing here that all of these reports are preliminary and from anonymous DOJ sources, so it's a bit premature to get too worked up over a prosecution approach which Holder hasn't even announced yet. Still, given how many DOJ sources went to multiple newspapers at the same time to disclose Holder's plans, it seems clear that this was a coordinated, approved effort to disseminate Holder's intentions as a "trial balloon" to gauge public reaction. If this is the approach Holder takes — one that, yet again, shields high-level Bush officials while targeting low-level "rogue" agents — one can make a strong argument that it is worse than doing nothing, that this will actually further subvert the rule of law rather than strengthen it…
Animated engines
This site I found via a post on ShaveMyFace.com. It's a great resource for people like The Older Grandson. :) Quite a few types of internal combustion engines, steam engines, and Stirling engines are shown in animation, accompanied by explanations, and you can control the speed of each animation.
Food, movies, and music
For dinner last night, I sautéed a duck breast. I tried a new technique. As usual, I stabbed all over the skin side with a fork. Then I heated the large sauté pan on low for five minutes or so, and added the duck breast skin side down.
I let that sauté on low while I used my Swissmar V-Slicer to julienne a potato and a yellow crookneck squash, and chopped a few shallots. – The key to sautéing a duck breast is finding things to sauté in the duck fat later. Another good candidate, it occurs to me, is Brussels sprouts, cut in half vertically. Sauté those for a while and then put into a 375º oven to finish. But last night it was potato, squash, and shallot.
When the duck breast was fully brown on the skin side, I turned it over to finish cooking. I probably could have added the veg at that point, but waited until I removed the breast, then sautéed the veg. On top I put Sriracha chili sauce: a purée of fresh red jalapeños, garlic powder, sugar, salt and vinegar. At the link you can read about the company. I've decided that in my own pepper sauce, I've been working toward something very like Sriracha, so perhaps I'll just buy that from now on.
The movie—and not to be missed, please—is The Great Ziegfeld, a three-hour production for which the word "lavish" is too weak and pale. You really must see this, but observe that it runs just over 3 hours. A few notes: of the many production numbers, the one with the ever-ascending staircase is the weirdest and perhaps most amazing; astounding costumes appear in the own sequence; Anna Held (played by Luise Rainer) gives the 1936 Hollywood stereotype of a Frenchwoman—which apparently includes milking a scene for all that it's worth; in many of the dances, you are shown just how much can be done with the grey scale in a B&W movie with an excellent cinematographer; the special feature "Ziegfeld on Film" is definitely worth watching; and William Powell is one of those male actors who can dial urbanity and suavity up to 11. Some others: Cary Grant, Sean Connery, Gregory Peck, Randolph Scott… Your nominees?
Finally, another great performance from the Big Friendly Jazz Orchestra—who knew that Japanese schoolgirls could blast out swing like this?


text: Quick View Colour Max Nylon Kite - Cubes Out of stock $4.00 Head for the park and go fly a kite! Colour Max Kites are made from durable nylon with a fiberglass airframe and are complete with skytails. Handle and line included, as are assembly and flying instructions. See Details $4.00 was $14.95

subset: commoncrawl


text:
nonyfrack »
As New York fracking moratorium nears expiration, activists vow to take action
Waging Nonviolence 1/11/13 Peter Rugh http://wagingnonviolence.org/2013/01/as-new-york-fracking-moratorium-nears-expiration-activists-vow-to-take-action/ Hundreds of clenched fists were raised Wednesday afternoon at Albany's Empire Convention Center. Behind a security checkpoint defended by state troopers in rigid-brimmed campaign hats, New York governorRead More »
Anti-fracking groups mobilize as deadline looms
Messenger Post 12/19/12 Julie Sherwood http://www.mpnnow.com/topstories/x1781246312/Anti-fracking-groups-mobilize-as-deadline-looms The coalition of anti-fracking groups statewide are mobilizing as the state deadline looms for taking public comment. One of the organizations, New Yorkers Against Fracking, announced Wednesday it hadRead More »
Hydrofracking demonstrators out for Governor's visit
YNN Southern Tier 12/5/12 http://binghamton.ynn.com/content/all_news/southern_tier/619225/hydrofracking-demonstrators-out-for-governor-s-visit/ With the governor in town, people on both sides of the ongoing hydrofracking debate were out to make sure their voices were heard. Pro- and anti- fracking demonstratorsRead More »
UPDATE: Fracking Protests to Greet Governor in Visit to Tier
Fox 40 WICZ 12/5/12 http://www.wicz.com/news2005/viewarticle.asp?a=25884 Anti-fracking protests already being planned on the eve of Governor Cuomo's visit to the Southern Tier. After landing at Binghamton Airport Wednesday morning, the governor will inspect BAE systems–Read More »
Fracking Protestors Greet Governor Andrew Cuomo
Fox 40 WICZ 12/5/12 http://www.wicz.com/news2005/viewarticle.asp?a=25893 CLICK LINK FOR VIDEO Protesters from both sides of the fracking debate also greeted Governor Cuomo Wednesday morning. Pro-gas landowners say they wanted to remind the governor that they areRead More »
Fracking Forum Draws Crowds
WBNG Binghamton 12/4/12 Michelle Costanza http://www.wbng.com/news/local/Fracking-Rally-Draws-A-Crowd-181946811.html The New York State Petroleum Council held a forum on hydraulic fracturing for elected officials, while concerned citizens lined the sidewalk outside to protest. Protesters donned costumes andRead More »
Rally outside of fracking conference
YNN Southern Tier 12/4/12 Elyse Mickalonis http://binghamton.ynn.com/content/all_news/southern_tier/618687/rally-outside-of-fracking-conference/ It's an argument that's been going on for years now: Should hydrofracking come to New York State? "It's not good for the environment, it's not good forRead More »
Rally challenges legislators to take progressive action
YNN Buffalo 11/28/12 http://buffalo.ynn.com/content/617192/rally-challenges-legislators-to-take-progressive-action/ Even though Democrats appear to have won back a majority of seats in the New York State Senate, control of the legislative body is still unclear, thanks to a smallRead More »
Faith Leaders Call for Statewide Fracking Ban at Spiritual Vigil at Grand Army Plaza Tonight
Prospect Heights Patch 11/14/2012 Will Yakowicz http://prospectheights.patch.com/articles/faith-leaders-call-for-statewide-fracking-ban-at-spiritual-vigil-at-grand-army-plaza-tonight A coalition of diverse organizations that support a fracking ban throughout the state, New Yorkers Against Fracking, is joining together to tell Governor Andrew Cuomo, and other leadersRead More »
Fracking petitioners hit home
Binghamton Pipe Dream 9/25/12 Christina Pullano http://www.bupipedream.com/news/12046/fracking-petitioners-hit-home-anti-drillers-fight-door-to-door-downtown/ Members of New Yorkers Against Fracking gathered Downtown at the Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade on Saturday to continue their fight against hydraulic fracturing in New York.Read More »


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Life finds a way - Limited release T-shirt
Poor poor Malcolm, Chaos finally got him. Art can be formed as reaction to anything in this case reaction to my love of Jurassic park.
Though not represented in the current image this shirt is also available in black with a white print.
This is a limited edition shirt only 50 will ever be made! 30 have already been snapped up so if your looking for one get it ordered ASAP!
Final image may differ ever so slightly from image shown due to printing process.


text: Perfect Figures Through History (Vote For Tomorrow's Trend) 3 years ago by Jennifer Wright 14 Comments » Share a Tip If your body isn't the perfect type today, history indicates that you just need to wait a few years. Taking these classic body types into account, what do you think tomorrow's perfect figure trend will be? Vote! Sorry! This poll is now closed.. Share This Post: Tweet Related Topics: Beauty • atheltic • Body Image • Diet • fat • perfection • shape • size • thin • weight


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October 26, 2006
Doerun- Early predictions and a lack of rain called for a poor cotton crop, and while the crop has been better than originally thought, higher production cost and poorer quality could cost south Georgia cotton farmers plenty. Many farmers could see deductions of five cents or more.
South Georgia's cotton crop has been the bust everyone predicted. It's good news for Michael Hancock who planted another 300 acres of cotton this year.
"This cotton here, we figured three or 400 pounds an acre, but its turned out a lot better, a lot better," said Michael Hancock, Bart Davis Farms.
"They predicted a 25 percent reduction in last years crop and I think it's going to be more around 15 percent," said Floyd Taylor, Doerun Gin Managing Partner.
While farmers are getting a better yield, gin manager Floyd Taylor says the quality isn't as good.
"Well, The color is great, we have a lot of white cotton all good, but the length of the fiber which is the staple is probably half and half, good and bad," said Taylor.
A shorter length fiber and high micronaire cotton could cost farmers up to five cents. A depressed market because of the amount of cotton available isn't helping farmers either. The Doerun Gin Company is running about three weeks behind farmers and after last year added a new gin stand.
"Last year they had a great picking season and we got way behind so we put in a third gin stand and its helped a lot. The six row picker had made the farmer that much more efficient and faster," said Taylor.
With high fuel prices, it won't be efficient enough. "It could be better, but the price of fuel and everything has gone up, but the price of cotton," said Hancock.
Despite the lower price estimates, Hancock plans to finish his harvest and turn his attention to next year.
Texas has flooded the market with cotton, producing double crops for the last two years, reducing the market price. Georgia produces and average of 2.1 million bales of cotton annually.
Feedback: email@example.com?subject=CottonGin
P.O. Box 3130
Albany, GA 31706
(229) 446-1010
FCC Public File
(229) 446-4005
EEO Report
Closed Captioning


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Today, I thought I'd start the links over at the ESPN Sweet Spot. On Thursday (on behalf of Fire Brand) Charlie and I had the opportunity to take control of the mother ship at ESPN.
- Charlie led us off with an excellent piece about the potential breakout stars for 2011. I agree with quite a few of his selections; especially Carlos Santana, Jay Bruce, and Brandon Morrow.
- After Charlie started us off right, I steered the ship right into a bunch of angry Giants' fans when I shared that the Giants were not likely to repeat as champions. Exactly 200 angry comments, and three Twitter hecklers later, I think I was able to convince some of them that I wasn't a total jerk.
As I shared last week, I am doing double duty over at It's About the Money Stupid, the Yankee Sweet Spot blog. Here are my latest articles from over there.
- In my first non-reprint piece at IIATMS, I took an in-depth look at Mark Teixeira's 2010 performance to see if he either suffered from bad luck, or started his decline phase. Much to the chagrin of most you guys (I'm sure), I see Leigh Teixeira's husband rebounding in a big way this season.
- Over at the ESPN Sweet Spot this morning, I had a chance to post an article on behalf of IIATMS. In my latest article, I explained that while the Orioles had made some key improvements, it was pretty unlikely those acquisitions would make any measureable difference either in the short or long term. I'm eagerly awaiting the comments that ensue.
Now, onto the weekly round-up…
- Co-Link of the Week: Our co-link of the week comes from one of my new colleagues over at IIATMS named Anna McDonald. In her first piece, she blew me away. Tommy John? Pitching mechanics? The inverted W? You had me at hello.
- Co-Link of the Week: Did you know that Roger Maris wasn't intentionally walked at all during his record breaking 61 home run season? Neither did Joe Posnanski—at least until earlier this week. In his article titled "Zero Intentional Walks," he looks at five cases in which players hit at least 35 home runs in a season without being intentionally walked. As always with, it's an interesting read.
- I'm double dipping with Joe Pos this week for two reasons: (1) he's awesome, and (2) who is going to stop me? In case you missed it, he respectfully took down his friend and colleague Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle for his anti-stats view. Word to the wise Mr. Jenkins, your anti-stat "get of your mother's basement" argument comes across lazy and cliché.
- On Friday, the amazing Rob Neyer jumped in on the ongoing Brandon Belt debate in San Francisco. Should he start the year with the club? Neyer shares his thoughts.
- Keeping with the Brandon Belt discussion, new friend Julian Levine over at Splashing Pumpkins gives his take on the Brandon Belt situation. Personally, I think Brian Sabean made a huge mistake in re-signing Aubrey Huff to a two year extension. That extension either blocks the talented Belt, or it forces Huff to move to LF where he's ill-equipped to play. Another shortsighted move by debatably the worst GM in baseball.
- Anyone else think that the Barry Bonds trial is ridiculous? Yeah, me too. The Common Man over at the Platoon Advantage gives his unique, coherent take on the subject. Also, for some good laughs, check out the hilarious Final Four of the Twins Facial Hair Face-Off. You can still vote through Monday.
- Brien over at IIATMS "love" the mainstream media's contraction speculation. Of course, by love, I mean hate. Guess what? Contraction is never going to happen, so it's time to stop perpetuating the rumor.
- Rich Lederer over at Baseball Analysts graphs the LOB% and BABIP of pitchers. As always, it's a spectacular read, especially if you're a geek like me.
- Rory Papp of Hardball Times takes a detailed look at the scoring and run prevention of World Series teams. Does good pitching always win out over good hitting?
- Should the Phillies sign the recently released Luis Castillo? Dave Cameron takes a look. My thoughts are they should probably make a run considering he's probably the best short-term option available. If Chase Utley looks like he'll miss a big chunk of the time though, they will need to look for a better solution.
- Joe Pawlikowski wonders how much would Adam Wainwright make on the open market. Interesting question since I'd say there's a better than 50/50 chance the Cardinals decline to pick up his 2012 and 2013 options. Healthy, Wainwright is among the best pitchers in baseball. Coming off of Tommy John surgery? I don't know. When Ben Sheets can get $10M from the A's after missing an entire season, it's anybody's guess.
- Do you remember when Mark Teahan was a key member of the Moneyball draft? Matt Klaussen takes a look at the past, present, and future of once promising infielder.
- Bill Baer is the go to source on all things Phillies. This week, he asks (and answers) the question: "How much did the Phillies rotation improve?"
- Dave Cameron, this time with his U.S.S. Mariner hat on, explains why top Mariner pitching prospect Michael Pineda isn't quite ready for the big time. When he is ready, he should be pretty freakin' good.
- How many problems can Tony Gwynn, Jr. solve? Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness attempts to answer that question.
- Daniel Moroz of Beyond the Boxscore asks an oft-pondered question: Do closers always pitch in the situations of highest leverage? The answer, of course, is no. They don't. I don't care what anyone says. Coming into the ninth inning with a three run lead is not a high leverage situation.
- Sean Yankee Analysts discusses Ivan Nova's new slider. How much of a difference would it make? Would it project him higher in the rotation? Also, check out Mike Axisa's thoughts on the matter as well.
- Pip over at Fungoes tries to take a realistic approach to evaluating Kyle McClellan's spring performance.
- More from Moroz, this time from Camden Crazies. He shares his Oriole projections, and finds that the Orioles are likely to be a 76-78 win team.
- Mets fans rejoice! Oliver Perez will likely be released soon!
That's it for this week. As always, feel free to share any interesting stories as the week goes on.
Categories: Weekend Round-Up


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Published on November 4th, 2011 | by treysmith37
Monster Magic
New game is here… that means time to dive in deep, analyze some stats and give you the breakdown on how it was done!
This one is called Monster Magic and I have to say, I think it's by far our best one yet.
This is another take on the jumping genre (similar to Jump Pack) but wed decided to add a lot of stuff in there to make it crazy.
See, I always liked Jump Pack, and apparently so does the general public:
But here was one thing that has ALWAYS bugged me about Jump Pack.
Well, actually two things:
1. It wasn't CRAZY enough. It's a really solid fun game, but it needed more wild and wacky power-ups and excitement.
2. It wasn't truly mass market. The theme, graphics and style is tailored more towards boys.
Making the game crazier was actually pretty darn easy. We just added more power-ups to the game that do really unique things. One flips the screen upside down and really takes you by surprise. Another does a mega jump. This one is really fun and if you land on the "bomb" platform while using this power-up, it blast you EXTREMELY high.
In this game there are lots of little things like this that keep you going. Much more than Jump Pack!
Also, we made the game get FASTER the longer you play. This stacks the crazy. Actually, I am going to have to remember that. Crazy stacker. Games need crazy stackers
You hear people talking about going "niche" all the time with Internet Marketing, but I've found that the iOS store is totally different.
If you have a game that is created for Boys from 10-17 years old, then you are only targeting about 10% of the market (if that).
So what happens when you push it to the top of the app store? About 10% of the people are interested in your app and it falls right out of the charts.
With Monster Magic, we went with a much wider demographic… here's how it all went down:
So I was talking with my lovely wife, Amy, one night about ideas for this game. We were talking about how this game needed to be more mass market. This is before we knew it would be a monster game.
So while we were bouncing ideas she brought up the fact that monsters are a very hot market right now… You see them in plush toys, movies, books and more.
You can see Google is trending VERY well for monsters the last few years:
Now, not only are monsters trending well, they are also a great demographic target.
As you can see from our group here, we've got characters for boys, girls, men and women:
So that was the thought process behind the "theme" of Monster Magic.
Take care,
37 Responses to Monster Magic
WOW dude!! the intro and simplicity is absolutely AWESOME! By far your best game! Going to be the first to leave a UK review Amazing work my man, I think it's going to do very well indeed Done so quickly too!! Pure class
Great idea, monsters, and the crazy stacking is brilliant. Simply love hearing your success stories.
Great game! Started playing it this morning and the flip the screen feature was completely unexpected and super cool! My question is how are you pushing it to the top when it's not listed on the nag screens of JumpPack or Maze+? Recommending to all my friends and left my 5stars under eHoss.
Graphics look awesome… Where did you find the inspiration for the characters?
I've found heading down to the local Toy Store works really well for getting ideas for iphone characters…
Thanks for sharing. This helps small time developers like me.
Trey, I think you are right on the money with monsters and going for the broader market. I know lots of adult women that play iphone games at the airport and waiting for school buses. I am around young adults all the time and they love "hot trucks" and "Motorcycles". Maybe you can work with that. For the younger guys they love "Ninjas" and "Pirates". I have watched all your seminars and perhaps someday I will be able to get into apps. I did purchase the Kindle Cash program and I am having a ball with it.
Kind Regards, Pat
Thanks for sharing Trey! Downloaded the app this morning and couldn't put it down. Really like the surprise upside-down feature that catches you off-guard! By the way, I was going to purchase this app using the affiliate link on Maze+ but it wasn't there or on JumpPack. How are you driving traffic to MM if you're not using your app network? Super cool!
Looks like a winner. Thanks for the tips.
think you are right !!
Hey Trey. Monster Magic is super fun! I love how the little guys feet flap when he jumps lol
Looks like a fun game. I'll have to try it out. Can't wait to see how it does for you.
I have programmers working on marketing software but haven't taken the plunge for iPhone apps yet. It looks like a lot of fun.
- Calvin
This looks like a really cool idea.
I think a big part of Angry Birds' success was that people really fell in love with the characters. If you developed a short backstory and branded these characters ('Mean Monsters' or something) players could feel a stronger emotional connection with the game.
Good luck Trey!
Very nice game Trey…
Any change for the NDA to join? I missed this ….my bad!
congrats trey smith with your latest iphone games.
you have gave me some inspiration to move foreword.
Great Trey! Thank you for this information.
Your idea here is totally different from Dan Kennedy, but very interesting.
Looking forward to your update. Thank you again, Trey.
Really cool. One day Imma have to get into this. Gotta eat this plate of taters first.
Its a great game, definitely your best. Would recommend it to anyone. It looks stunning, especially on iphone/ipod. Great work.
what happened to the social game you were gonna make based on tap pet hotel and tap zoo?
Fantastic Trey! I'm proud of you! Our latest game, live in a couple of weeks is thanks in large part to you and the incredible following you've created.
Trey, you have a winner! My kids like to play games on my phone so this morning when they were looking at the apps my 22 month old went straight for the monsters – so good job on the icon! Looking forward to seeing the stats on this app.
Interesting stuff, Trey, thanks and keep us up to date on the launch!
Love it….and Riley does too! I just read the upside-down trick and am passing along to him now….Good job!
LOVE the crazy stacking! And YES – including girls as a market is HUGE – when you include their parents even bigger – so I'm glad you went beyond the "niche" and are adopting your won rules instead of staying tucked inside the box of another industries confines (aka this is not a Dan Kennedy model but Dan Kennedy doesn't work on games so it isn't supposed to be and those who try to make Kennedy's rules fit everything everywhere are missing out! We have a new guru – and the new mantra he's developing is "Think ouside the box! – Get Crazy! " – Thanks Trey — one of your students in games
Thanks for sharing your results Trey. You have inspired me to get some of my own iphone apps developed. Going through a list of developers now as we speak.
I've actually been waiting for this to come out ever since you showed it off during one of your webinars. Congrats on your latest release!
Hope you'll be sharing some numbers and perhaps a few new tips soon
Trey great game!! I really like the animation at the beginning. I read this post on my Iphone and I really like your mobile theme for your site. Is it a plugin? Which one is it? I have tried a couple for my site but none like the one you have.
OH MAN! The suspense of waiting for the next update on this app launch is killing me!
Great stuff dude!
Even though I'm not an Apple fan or user, this is a great way to work your creativity and give Apple fans valuable apps. Congrats!
Sweet game man, I really like how you've turned the genre on it's head and added a heap of crazy with a dash of cute :p 5 star review from me
The intro and music also give it a really cool polished feel, well done!
I also wanted to tell you that your quest to make a game every 10 days has inspired me to try the same, I thought I would try a spin on the paper toss genre mixed in with some aussie flair: http://www.rumastudios.com/blog/how-to-make-an-iphone-game-in-10-days/
Hi Trey! Nice game!
Main menu looks great – jelly-like animations really suit your characters.
A little bug report if you don't mind:
On ipad tilt the device until it's portrait mode and you get a crash when the guy flies out.
Oh, sorry – rotate the device to landscape when in play scene


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And I've never gotten used to it
I've just learned to turn it off
--Bob Dylan
No two ways to disguise this one, kids: this loss hurts. I had a lot more to write at first, but the more I think about the loss, the more depressed I get. So let's get right to the grades
QB: Another underwhelming week stats wise for JaMarcus. I continue to be impressed with his decision making abilities. Aside from his hesitation that led to the fumble today, it's hard to find a big, prototypical "rookie mistake." Really, just a very average performance. He's coming along fine. That ball he threw to Higgins was a bee-yoo-tee-ful laser beam. That gets him the "+" in C+.
RBs: Not a whole lot to say....which is half the problem. When a team built to run has a combined 98 yards on the ground, there's going to be trouble no matter what the score says. McFadden was a warrior, out there playing through the pain, though a 3 yard per rush average combined with his constant slipping and falling shows how much it was affecting him. Bush averaged 4 yards a carry....someone tell me again why he only had 14 carries? Let's call it a B-.
O-Line: They only yielded one sack and that was due to J-Russ hanging on to the ball way too long. McFadden's low YPC average is more a function of his injury than ineffective run blocking. Notice how we haven't been talking about Mario Henderson very much? That's as it should be. B.
WRs: Weak. Weak weak weak weak weak. Unbelievably bad. HORRIBLE. Non-existent. 2 catches for 18 yards for Javon Walker? That's not worth all that guaranteed money, my man. 1 catch for Lelie?!?!? ZERO for Curry?!?! Sure, some of it is Russell's fault due to inexperience, but you HAVE GOT TO HELP YOUR YOUNG QUARTERBACK. This means GETTING OPEN CONSISTENTLY so he's not forced to complete two thirds of his passes to the goddamn running backs and fullback.
Some of this is also play-calling though. How can this team expect to win and not get Zach Miller a single completion. GET HIM IN THE GAME, COACHING STAFF. (yeah I know he's a tight end, but it's easier to put him here)
Speaking of play calling, if I may digress for a minute....what kind of lame-ass conservative bullshit were we running out there today? What the hell happened to Lane Kiffin the gambler, the risk taker, the "damn-the-torpedoes-full-speed-ahead" play caller?
The bright spot: Johnnie Lee Higgins. He caught a bullet and ran like hell. Nice returns too.
Higgins gets the A. Everyone else? D-.
We'll move on to the other side of the ball tomorrow. Or, rather, later today... It's damn near 1 a.m. here on the East Coast. I'm out for now!


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Non-emergency: 567-3357
The mission of the Longmeadow Fire Department is to minimize the risk to the community from fire, medical emergencies, and other threats to life and property. This will be accomplished through prompt emergency response, aggressive public education, code enforcement and cooperative community involvement.
The priorities of the Fire Department will be preservation of life and health, including our own, followed by protection of property and incident management. All resources available to us will be utilized to ensure these priorities are met.
Stay "Safe and Warm" This Winter
The Longmeadow Fire Department and the Council on Aging have come together to provide a program for keeping Longmeadow residents safe and warm. Check out his information about winter heating safety and home energy efficiency and fuel assistance.
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Requirements Selling a One or Two Family Residence
Guidelines for Operation of Chimineas, Fire Pits, and Outdoor Fireplaces
In recent years the use of such devices have become increasingly popular; the increase in usage has also resulted in complaints from neighbors of residents using these devices regarding improper use relative to fire safety hazards or conditions potentially injurious to the public health. These new guidelines hopefully serve as a useful checklist for the proper and safe operation of these devices.
Although these guidelines are not regulations and, therefore, not enforceable, both the Fire Department and the Board of Health already have the authority to enforce existing state regulations within their scope (the Fire Department enforcing fire safety regulations; the Board of Health enforcing air pollution regulations and state laws in regard to pubic health nuisances).
Fire Alarm Bylaw
Voters at the 2006 Annual Town Meeting passed a new bylaw requiring home owners and businesses with alarms that summon the Longmeadow Fire Dept. to obtain a permit. For a better understanding of the requirements of this new bylaw, please read the information package that includes an introductory letter from Eric Madison- Longmeadow Fire Dept Chief, the new rules and regulations and a fire alarm permit application.
The Longmeadow Fire Department is located at 44 Williams Street with by 21 full time Firefighters and 5 call Firefighters and is open 24 hrs a day. The Fire Department fleet has varied fire-fighting capabilities and also provides emergency medical/ ambulance services to the town.
Please check the Employment Opportunities section for possible fire fighter job openings. All openings for the Town of Longmeadow are posted there.
|Fire Chief
|Eric H. Madison


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Adam's Sports Show: NCAA scandal, Levi Brown, Michael Beasley and ASU
By Adam Green
Originally published: Sep 13, 2013 - 11:33 am
Originally published: Sep 13, 2013 - 11:33 am
A lot happened in the sports world this past week, and Arizona Sports' Adam Green is here to talk about it all.
Whether it is the latest scandal to hit the NCAA (and it doesn't even involve Johnny Manziel!) or a certain Arizona Cardinal's struggles in Week 1, there are plenty of stories just waiting to be discussed.
Oh, throw in some Tim Tebow talk, a big win for USA Soccer, Michael Beasley finding a new home, the high-flying Philadelphia Eagles and a huge game for Arizona State Football, and you've got quite a show to tune into.
Adam Green, Web Content Editor - ArizonaSports.com
Attention ArizonaSports.com Comment Users: We have recently changed our comments boards.We would like you to be part of the conversation with all fans of Arizona sports teams by logging in with your Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or Disqus account. Existing Arizona Sports (KTAR) account members will need to create a Disqus account or use one of the aforementioned social media logins. Thank you.


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2005 Winter/Spring Volume No. 5
Ask Adams
Throughout the year I get a lot of questions from PolyJohn customers. I try to answer as many as possible based on my 20 years of
experience in the portable sanitation industry. However, when I don't know the answer, I usually know who I can call to find out.
Here are answers to some questions I was asked recently about a very relevant consideration many businesses face - Acquisitions and Mergers.
When deciding to grow our business we've
had a lot of discussions around buying other companies and/or joining forces with a friendly competitor. What suggestions do you have for
us as we consider these ideas?
Growing a business the old fashioned way—one new customer at a time—is becoming more difficult as the portable sanitation industry becomes more competitive.
Many companies today are learning that the fastest growth strategy in a mature market comes through acquisitions or mergers. In an ideal situation, you may be able to buy great customers and excellent employees from your competitors by buying their company.
Is this an option for your business? First ask yourself, how long it would take to grow from scratch what you could go out and buy today. If the answer is many, many years, perhaps you should consider the alternatives.
Acquisitions aren't just about the big fish gobbling up the little fish. Depending on your company's management experience, business plan, cash position, and credit profile it may be possible to get financing or even venture capital to help you buy multiple companies or even companies much larger than your own. However, if you work with venture capital you must be prepared to give up a significant portion of ownership, in the form of company shares.
Mergers can be a little trickier especially if it requires bringing on new business partners, rather than just new employees. The ideal merger would be with a competitor in your area who you have known and respected for years. Sometimes, if a new partnership can be agreed upon, the resulting company becomes stronger than the sum of its parts making it more competitive and better able to fend off competition from other local companies.
What should I look for in an acquisition
or new partner?
There are several key factors to consider when looking to acquire another company, including:
Geographic location
Does the acquisition candidate work in an area that overlaps your own? Will there be savings by creating better route density and improved efficiencies? Or, is the acquisition intended to help you penetrate a new market? A company that helps you increase route density may be more profitable. However, if your company already has suitable route density, then it may be wiser to gain a toehold in a new market.
Market specialty and customer profiles
Would the acquisition target fit your company's marketing strategy? Or, are you willing to change your marketing strategy to fit the new company? If you specialize in the construction market, do you have the expertise to merge with a company that specializes in large events? If you are seen as the "high quality choice," do you want to merge with a company that is seen as the "cheap alternative?" The easiest acquisition is one that dovetails smoothly into your current operation. However, companies have also been successful by controlling different segments of a market by creating independent divisions. Don't make the mistake of thinking you can convert the customer to your way of doing things. Ironically, customers are the most valuable part of your acquisition, and yet you have no legal claim to keep them.
Management and employee talent
Are there people who work for the target company that you would be excited to have on your team? Before you merge another company into yours, be sure the new employees you gain in the deal will fit into your way of doing things. Be sure that they have good clean work records with low turnover, and that they are well trained. Also, be sure that the new employees will not cause morale issues if they are unhappy with your pay and benefits structure. If a difference exists, expect that you'll have to bring everyone, including your current employees, up to the higher level.
Is the owner of the target company planning to walk away, or stay on as management after selling? Will the former owner's expertise be useful, or will you have too many "cooks in the kitchen?" In my experience, it has usually been the latter.
Business Property and Assets
Will you be using the real estate, if any, that comes with the new business? Does the new business have long-term lease agreements that you could be saddled with? Or is your current yard large enough to accommodate the merging of both company's rental fleets and trucks? If you won't be using the real estate, office furniture, or other assets, have they been independently appraised? Assess the market to be sure you will be able to sell or lease the assets without taking a loss. If you will need to run the company from two locations, how will this affect management effectiveness? Will it be necessary to sell both current properties to buy a single larger property?
Economies of scale
Will the merging of the two businesses save money by making operations more economical? Will it make larger contracts easier to win and service?
Brand Identity
and Reputation
What will the acquisition or merger do to customer perception of your business in the market place? Is the company you are acquiring as well known and respected as your own? Will the merger make it more difficult or less difficult to win new customers going forward?
Equipment Fleet and Truck
How old is the equipment that comes with the deal? Are the trucks running on borrowed time, or are they relatively new and well maintained? Are the sinks, toilets, and tanks in good shape and of high quality? Will you be getting equipment that expands your capabilities to provide service?
Customer Records and Call Data
Will you be gaining high-quality customer information organized on computer records that will be easy to use for sales and billing purposes? Or is everything done on paper route cards that will be difficult to convert to your data management system?
If looking to grow through acquisi-tion, be sure to discuss your plans with a lawyer or accountant who specializes in this field. A professional can act as your agent to find target companies, review their suitability and negotiate terms, allowing you to do what you do best, which is to keep your own business running smoothly during the process.
Industry Info
Click here for a listing of companies offering Trucks & Accessories, Decals, Financing, Restroom Trailers, Trade Publications, Marketing, Restroom Manufacturing/Sales, Billing/Routing Systems and Insurance.
PJ University
Click here for more information on effectively marketing your business to special event coordinators, and construction and agricultural businesses.
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