text:
All articles ever written on Lomography.
Most Popular Photo Last Year: February 19,2013No need to worry. His house doesn't have a faulty electrical wiring.
St. Patrick's Day Scavenger Hunt is back! ended 8 months agoBack by popular demand – our most exciting scavenger hunt of the year! Are you tired of the regular bar hopping scene on St. Patrick's Day? Why not drink with a purpose and a chance to win some prizes!
Raquel Fialho's Travel Panoramas Will Fill You with WanderlustWhen was the last time you brought a true panoramic camera -- like the Horizon Perfekt and Kompakt -- with you on a trip? If it's been awhile, the beautiful travel panoramas you'll find after the jump will surely get you packing away for a journey with your Horizon camera!
The Daily Hex: JuniperFor this installment of The Daily Hex, we got a color named after an amazing plant. Find out what makes Juniper magical!
Dramatic Portraits Taken with the Kodak T-Max P3200Have a look at this selection of beautiful monochromatic portraits shot by the Lomography community members!
An Interview with Commercial and Erotica Photographer Ellen StaggEllen Stagg first came to our attention through her short films that were shot with the LomoKino. Find out more about our featured photographer and her work in this exclusive in-depth interview!
Graphic Design of Film Canisters by John CountsIf you're looking for a new film photography project, why don't you try something closer to home, something like let's say your film canisters?
Looking Under the Hood With ShotKitEver wondered which professional photographers are still shooting film and what gear they're using? Wonder no more as ShotKit answers all your gear related queries!
Fresh Instants with the Belair Instant CameraYou want to know what's nice with the Belair Instant Camera? Instead of just talking about its features, let us show you some of our community members' photos for proof!
Midweek Music Video: Addicted To You Vs. Find You Medley by Sam MasghatiThis week's music video fix is short and sweet. And not to mention majority of it was shot using the Lomography x Zenit Petzval Art Lens.
Lomo Experiments: Bluescale Your Old Kodachrome 64 Stash!Kodachrome is one of those golden films from a not too distant past that has died a sudden death. Not only because the film was taken out of production, but even more so because it can no longer be developed. Or can it? Read on to find out how you can easily get some seriously funky bluescale pics out of your forgotten Kodachrome 64 stash.
My Perfect Combination: La Sardina 8Ball and Lomography CN 400 ISOFor about a month or two now I've been using the La Sardina 8Ball, and when used with the Lomography Color Negative 400 ISO it delivers beautiful pictures. So for now, this is my perfect combination!
Lomolit: Flutter (Part 3)What they had was a beautiful orchestration when looked at from the outside – much like a thunderstorm on a cloudy night with all its forked bolts hitting the ground, or the eruption of a volcano with its fiery display of pent-up force.
Lomopedia: Nikon FM3AIntroduced in 2001 as the successor of the renowned Nikon FM2N from 1984, the Nikon FM3A is not only beautiful, but also noticeably modern. Find out more about this gorgeous 35mm SLR camera in this installment of Lomopedia!
Meet My Mom, the Object of My AffectionLike most kids, I consider my own mother not only the closest, most important person in my life but also my personal hero.
Photo of the Day by tall_bastardAdmit it, we all love portraits! So much more if it is of a chic girl looking all cool and classy. Congratulations tall_bastard for capturing our Photo of the Day!
Icons in Focus: Kevin CarterA photojournalist recognized and remembered for his compelling and iconic photograph of famine in South Africa during the 1990s, Kevin Carter remains an influential figure in the harsh realm of conflict photography years after his untimely passing. (WARNING: Some of the photos you are about to see are graphic.)
LomoAmigo: Gonca Vuslateri and her La SardinaYoung Turkish actress Gonca Vuslateri is now a certified LomoAmigo. Catch a glimpse of her world, which she photographed with a La Sardina.
Photobarbie is our LomoHome of the Day!From everyone here at Lomography, congratulations to photobarbie for having the LomoHome of the Day!
Today in History (1856): Hamilton L. Smith Receives Patent for the Tintype in the USThe introduction of the tintype 158 years ago in the US by pioneer Hamilton L. Smith paved the way for photography to become popular there.
Behold the Belair X 6-12 - 3 Cameras in 1!Can the Belair get any more talented? Yes it can! Now you can shoot instant photos as well as 120 film with the brand new Belair Instant Camera! And for sensational triple tasking, you can also shoot 35mm film with the attachable Belair 35mm Back. Get the Belair Instant Camera and the 35mm back together at a reduced price in the Belair Mega Bundle!
★ Wet Plate Collodion Photography: The Central Valley Project in BerlinWet plate collodion photography is a complicated process, and not everyone has neither the resources nor the expertise it requires.Fortunately, we were able to get in touch with photographer David Puntel who is also the founder of the Central Valley Project.
You're My Kind of Weird Rumble WinnersHow do you show someone you love them? By sending a bouquet of red roses? By bringing boxes of chocolates? If you are running out of ideas, check out these rumble winners!


text:
Anniversary Dinner
My 2nd wedding anniversary is coming up and Im all out of Ideas. We celebrate our 1st wedding annivesary at Melisse. Had the Chef's Tasting and loved it. We've been to providence several times, spago, Valentino, Hatfield's, Bastide, Ortolan, Charlie Palmer, Comme Ca, Lucques, etc I want to surprise her with something different, it's hard to go out of town as our anniversary falls on a weekday.
Any suggestions?
I have a Bazaar suggestion for you. ;-D>
The Bazaar by José Andrés
465 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048
re: maxzook
I've thought about Urasawa, still contemplating.
Bazaar looks good, how's the food? There's alot of stuff in their menu i'd love to get hahaha
re: JMan604
Just duplicate the Exilekiss menu, as you'll see in his review below and you'll be fine (lol)
re: JMan604
their food is fantastic.
re: lotta_cox
So Bazaar's "theme" is going from one room to the other? I am right or wrong?
re: JMan604
Bazaar is great. Try to sit in the Rojo Room. The best way to order is to tell your server the type of things you like and dont like and the amount of food you want and let the server pick. Otherwise the menu is too extensive to make informed picks especially if its your first time. This is one of the very best spots in the City.
re: goodhealthgourmet
I second Josie, I was going to rec Saddle Peak Lodge, but not for a weeknight. Josie is a close second. I think Tavern in the evening could be really romantic too.
re: goodhealthgourmet
Agree with Josie. Everything there is great and it's reliable.
A few months ago, I would have recommended Craft...but with their recent major shake-up, I don't know. Has anyone been to Craft recently?
Bazaar is really good. Outdoors at Chateau Marmont is incredible. The patio at Polo Lounge is also very nice.
My wife and I have spent our 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th and this weekend, our 25th anniversaries at Campanile. We've been going since it opened. Rarely had a bad meal, the place is classy, with interesting cuisine, good service and a relatively friendly environment. So far, it's worked for us.
Happy Anniversary! Any of the options above are great.
For something different: go to the venice boardwalk and at around 730pm/sunset have some european beers and sit outside at on the waterfront. then walk over and have dinner at piccolo.
re: JMan604
Go to the Hotel Bel Air and get a room if you can. Food is great and it is beyond romantic!
re: BrookieStyles
Unless they have very significantly improved their kitchen in the past six months, I would not recommend the restaurant. Although the setting, especially on the outside patio, is extraordinary, in recent years the quality of the food has dropped so much, that I can't possibly recommend this restaurant. Would love to hear other's opinions?
re: josephnl
Hmmm...last I ate there was about 8 months ago and it was wonderful. Perhaps not the BEST meal ever but matched with that romantic patio it really makes for a memorable experience IMHO
I'll check out Hotel Bel-Air, the manager at Ritz Carlton still owes me a night after a boo-boo.
Went to Bazaar last night, got a 6pm reservation, got there at 6:40pm, still got us in with no problem. Place is fantastic, Food was great except for the tomato-mozzarella pippettes.
Red win Sangria: not your traditional sangria that they serve in Spain; abit on the redwine taste with fruity after tones. Pretty good though in a different way.
Jamon Iberico de Bellota: my my my...I was floored with it's taste. It just melts in your mouth, not too salty, the way all cured meat should be.
selection of 5 cheeses: My favorite of the bunch was the Manchego, La Serena, Valdeon (especially when mixed with the quince jam) , Murcia Al Vino, and then Idiazebal.
Mussel Latas: this one I ordered cuz' of Exilekiss' review, I guess my expectations were too high, as for me, it lacked a top-end taste. While delicious, it fell short however no doubt this will bring the sea to your table.
Sea Urchin Latas: In Exilekiss' words "the world is all right" haha this was the one that made me feel that everything is perfect in this world we live in. Creamy & Buttery, no briney after-taste, as expected to a great quality UNI.
Croquetas de Pollo: It is what a croquetas should be, brought us to our childhood days on snacking on these bit-size goodness. Very light, not too salty, creamy yet able to hold it's consistency.
Cotton Candy Foie Gras: very nice, in one bite, the sweetness of the cotton candy goes very well with the saltiness of the foie gras terrine, the foie gras has a nice nutty after-taste. Very thick and creamy.
Mozzarella-tomato pipettes: not a good way to end, this came last and this one dissapointed the most. The mozzarella fluid on each pipettes was not consistent with the last one being really really salty.
After this, we asked our server to be seated at the Patisserie area, we got a nice table where it was just the both of us and our HALF-DRANK Sangria (it's capital as this will become a problem before the night ends). We ordered the nitro-coconut as suggested by our patesserie server. It was noticable that on this side, the service is slower and feels like they're not there. Servers were running around the place like chickens with their heads cut off. After eating our dessert, we had asked our server that we would like to pick some desserts to bring home, which he obliged that he'll bring us to the counter-top where the cookies/bonbons/etc were, he came back after 15 minutes, asked us if we were ready to get some goodies, stood up, walked maybe 4 feet from our table where the counter-top was, he basically disappeared without letting us know that he had to find some tongs, he reappeared 3 minutes later and we had noticed that SOMEONE cleared our table with our HALF-DRANK SANGRIA and given the table to another couple. We picked our to go goodies, we let our server know that our tables were cleared (we weren't ready to go as we wanted to finish our drinks before going home), he said he'll see what he can do, then 30 seconds later, the manager (i think - suit, radio ear peice, and goatee) asked us if we were helped already, we let him know that our table were given away and that our SANGRIA was cleared. He bascially gave us a blank stare and offered if we wanted coffee/tea instead, we said "no..we just wanted to finish our sangria", once again blank stare, he then said "we'll take care of you, don't worry". Meaning....? will he take the sangria out of the bill? Well, a few minutes later, our server came back with the to-go goodies along with the bill that we never even asked for in the beginning. We were so turned off by then that we just decided to pay for it and go, low and behold, the sangria was still in the bill for $48. We, at this time, was someone irritated and disgusted at the service. We didn't even bother complaining at this time as we know nothing will be done anyways, the bill came to $192 tax included. $0 tip. This is the first time EVER in my life not to give any tip. I tip at chinese restaurants in roland heights no matter how slow the service is. A restaurant like Bazaar isn't a place where I expect to have a service like this. I wrote a note on the receipt on why I put a big fat "$0" on the tip section. I've never been so turned off by a restaurant, rest assured, I won't be recommending this place to any of my friends no matter how cool the "ambiance" or how different the concept is.
There's more than a handful of restaurants like Bazaar where I rather spend like Providence, Spago, Ortolan, Melisse etc. I really hope and pray that they don't get a michelin star as they don't deserve it.
I'll post pics tonight.
re: JMan604
Oy, now I am rethinking my birthday dinner plans there later this month. Trust me on Hotel Bel-Air, the service is top notch and they will treat you like royalty especially if they know it's your anniversary. Take it from a woman, go there at sunset and your wifey will be swooning. And if you can swing it, get a room with the hot tub outside....amazing!
re: BrookieStyles
Agree with the romantic part...patio is fabulous, rooms are incredible, hotel service is the best...only, I would not even consider eating there except for breakfast. The food in the restaurant is very mediocre and very expensive. There is far better food in elegant restaurants within a very short drive of the hotel.
re: josephnl
I really don't think the food is so terrible. Don't get me wrong, it's certainly no Melisse or Sona but I have never had a subpar meal there perhaps more in part to do with the extraordinary service and gorgeous setting than the food, who knows! However, if you are hesitant to eat there and still want to incorporate a staycation at the hotel another fun option would be to have dinner at Vibrato which is nearby, listen to some jazz, then come back to the hotel for dessert and more romance.
re: BrookieStyles
Now your talkin" No, I really don't think the food there is terrible, it's just that when you have such a beautiful spot, and the prices are so high, and the history is so storied, that one (me) expects better food than they deliver. It's a shame because at one time they had truly wonderful food. Fortunately, there are many excellent restaurants nearby where one can have a terrific dinner, and sill feel like you've died and gone to heaven when you return to the Hotel Bel-Air to sleep and have breakfast on the patio in the morning.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Bridgepoint close to Cheviot merger
26 October 2012
City of London veteran Michael Kerr-Dineen is set to sell Cheviot Partners, his wealth management firm, to private equity firm Bridgepoint Capital within a fortnight.
Take a Financial News trial today:
- Breaking industry news & commentary
- 10 year searchable archive
- FN Powerlists & Special Reports
- FN on mobile and iPad
Does your company already have an FN licence? Email us now


text:
NBC/WSJ Poll: Barack Obama Approval Rating Hits All-Time Low … Also, 71% Say Country Headed in Wrong Direction
In the most recent NBC/WSJ poll, Barack Obama's approval rating has hit an all-time low as only 40% approve while an overwhelming 54% disapprove. It appears the American people have finally grown weary of Obama's disastrous presidency and 6 years into "Hope and Change," Barack Obama has no one else left to blame but himself. He has had his opportunity to make positive change, and has only made things worse. An amazing 71% say that the country is headed in the wrong direction, while only 21% say we are on the right track. This number can be easily explained when individuals looks at the domestic and foreign policy issues and see nothing positive. The recession continues as the real unemployment rate is closer to 18%, the US debt continues to spiral out of control, median incomes are down, the US-Mexican border crisis, scandals abound and the the Middle East on the brink, failures in Iraq and Afghanistan, rise of terrorism and Obama siding with, not our allies. Even liberal Democrats have come to the reality that he is nothing but a liar.
Other poor poll results for Barack Obama handling domestic and foreign policy issues:
- The economy: 53% disapprove – 42% approve
- Foreign policy: 60% disapprove – 36% approve
Six in 10 Americans are dissatisfied with the state of the U.S. economy, more than 70 percent believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, and nearly 80 percent are down on the country's political system, according to the latest NBC News / Wall Street Journal poll.
The frustration carries over to the nation's political leaders, with President Barack Obama's overall approval rating hitting a new low at 40 percent, and a mere 14 percent of the public giving Congress a thumbs up.
"We're in the summer of our discontent," said Democratic pollster Peter Hart, who conducted this survey with Republican pollster Bill McInturff. "Americans are cranky, unhappy… It is with everything going on the world."
What's more, a combined 71 percent say the recession personally impacted them "a lot" or "just some," and 64 percent say it's still having an effect on them.
Then there are these numbers in the poll:
- 40 percent say someone in their household lost a job in the past five years;
- 27 percent say they have more than $5,000 in student-loan debt for either themselves or their children;
- 20 percent have more than $2,000 in credit card debt they are unable to pay off month to month;
- 17 percent say they have a parent or a child over 21 years old living with them for financial or health reasons.
Check out the average job approval polling at RCP, if not for that bias Republican Rasmussen poll, Obama's average approval would be at 40%.
Welcome to Obamaland: Food Stamp Recipients Outnumber Women Who Work Full-Time, Barack Obama … The Food Stamp President
Welcome to Barack Obama's 'Hope & Change'… welfare instead of jobs.
What happened to the country I grew up in, the Food Stamp edition. Since 1969 there has been a 1,552% increase in food stamp recipients. ARE YOU KIDDING!!! There were only 2,878,000 people on food stamps in 1969 as compared to the current 44,758,000. That is simply astonishing and unsustainable. The number of food stamp recipients has increased so much, that for 2012, the number of people participating in the food stamp program outnumbered the women who worked full-time, year-round in the United States.
Check out in the chart below the vertical red line increase of food stamp recipients since Obama took office in 2009. They don't call Barack Obama the Food Stamp president for nothing. His moniker has been well earned. Also check out on the same chart the stagnate blue line of woman who work full time under Obama's administration. This is Obamanomics and the real war on woman. Obama has been nothing more than an EPIC FAILURE!!! America, we better right this ship before it is too late.
People participating in the food stamp program outnumbered the women who worked full-time, year-round in the United States in 2012, according to data from the Department of Agriculture and the Census Bureau.
In the average month of 2012, according to the Department of Agriculture, there were 46,609,000 people participating in the food stamp program (formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). That contrasts with the 44,059,000 women who worked full-time, year-round in 2012, according to the Census Bureau's report on Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States.
For each woman who worked full-time, year-round in 2012, there was slightly more than 1 other person collecting food stamps.
In 2013, the average number of people on food stamps increased to 47,636,000. The Census Bureau will not publish its report on Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage for 2013, which includes the data on women working full-time, until September.
The Department of Agriculture's website lists the annual average number of food stamps participants going back to 1969. That year, there were only 2,878,000 people on food stamps. Since then, food stamps participants have increased by 44,758,000—or about 1,552 percent.
Protein Wisdom opines on some not so good coincidences between the Carter and Obama presidencies. Why exactly did you reelect this disaster?
For those into trivia, those three years (and 2013 is likely to join them as the fourth) took place under the Carter and Obama Administrations.
As did the ruthless arrogance of Muslim extremists and Communist Russians.
Again, probably just a coincidence — and even if it's not, Obama's reelection proves that women and minorities love them some other people's shit, and don't much care if that turns them, effectively, into slaves of the state. Because they've been empowered by "self-esteem," which allows them to justify and rationalize away their own near-permanent state of being.
Former President Jimmy Carter May not be Dead, But his Presidency Was … Donald Trump Makes Reference at CPAC to the "Late, Great Jimmy Carter" … I'm Not Dead Yet!!! (VIDEO)
Former President Jimmy Carter needs to borrow a line from Monty Python and the Holy Grail … I'm Not Dead Yet!!!
It would appear that Donald Trump was a bit premature in announcing the death of "the late, great Jimmy Carter (VIDEO)." Yesterday at CPAC, The Donald compared the Obama presidency to that of the disastrous, failed presidency of Jimmy Carter. Trump stated that Obama's job approval numbers at 38% were now in Jimmy Carter territory and that he never thought he would see another presidency like the late, great Jimmy Carter. Oops. Make no mistake, Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States has not passed away. However, Carter's presidency was.
"We're getting into Jimmy Carter territory, and I never thought I'd see anything like that again," he said as the audience chuckled. "I lived through that time and it was not a good time and we're pretty close – I think maybe by next month we will have surpassed the late, great Jimmy Carter."
With Barack Obama's failed foreign and domestic policies and adverse impact on America, it would look like from his falling polling number, Obama's presidency is dead as well.
VP Joe Biden Tells Democrats, Be Optimistic on State of the Nation 'In Spite of Who's President' … "The American People Are With Us"… Really, The American People Are Against Obama!
HE SAID WHAT? … Did Vice President Joe Biden just diss Barack Obama and then say Americans Agree with Democrats?
Joe Biden told fellow Democrats at the House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference in Cambridge, MD that they should be optimistic about the state of the nation, "in spite of who's president." Hmm, kind of an interesting word choice when the current president is Barack Obama, a Democrat. This was Biden's best effort to rally the beleaguered Democrat troops who face a tough uphill climb in the upcoming 2014 midterm elections thanks to the policies, agenda and signature piece of legislation from who is president.
"It always surprises me when we don't have the degree of optimism that we should about the state of the nation," Biden said. "And in spite of who's president, in spite of who's in the Congress, the American people are so much stronger, so much more resilient, so much more capable, that even the ridiculous policies of our friends on the right cannot keep them from moving forward."
Baghdad Bob a delusional Joe Biden went on to say, "I can't imagine our prospects being viewed by the press and everyone else as being a whole hell of a lot brighter by the time we turn in September then now. The American people are where we are. Let's go out and make every single effort not just to defend, but to aggressively push, aggressively push our agenda."
Isn't it interesting that Biden would reference the MSM viewing the Democrats prospects first and then calling "We the People," the Americans who are adversely affected by Barack Obama's and Democrat's policies as … "everyone else". Not like we do not know that the liberal MSM is in the tank for Obama and has been since the beginning. The media has been AWOL on vetting Obama, holding his feet to the fire, questioning his failed economic and domestic policies and investigating the all too-numerous scandals like IRS-gate, Benghazi-gate, "Fast & Furious" and NSA-gate. It would appear that Biden and Obama believe that the MSM will continue to be their own personal Gunga Din heading into the 2014 midterms.
But it does not stop there when it came to Biden's head in the sand comments. Anvil Joe made the preposterous comment to Democrats that, "The American people are where we are." Really, in what sense, in the United States? The American people are in no way any where near where Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and their lock-step, rubber stamp Democrats have lead this country. In fact, they more the American people learn the truth of the lies that have been told to them and adversely affected by Democrat foreign and domestic policy, the more they are not with Democrats.
A question to Joe Biden, exactly what are the people with you on? The fact of the matter is that the American people are not with Democrats and it is scaring them silly that they may lose even more House seats in 2014 and talk of losing the Senate to the GOP is a real possibility. Vulnerable Democrat candidates are running from Obama, his agenda and their vote. Obama is also acting as Emperor in arbitrarily extending Obamacare deadlines so to protect Democrat politicians, not to help the American people or America.
THE FACTS … The American People Are NOT with Democrats.
I. Barack Obama's Overall Job Approval rating is barely above 40% with the American people. (Average of polls: 41.4% Approve – 52.4% Disapproval [-11% Disapprove])
- Gallup: 40% approve – 52% Disapprove
- FOX News: 42% Approve – 53% Disapprove
- McClatchy/Marist: 42% Approve – 52% Disapprove
- Reuters/Ipos: 40% Approve – 54% Disapprove
- NBC/WSJ: 43% Approve – 51% Disapprove
II. President Obama Job Approval – Economy. (Average of polls: 40.6% Approve – 55.7% Disapprove [-15.1% Disapprove])
- McClatchy/Marist: 41 Approve – 54% Disapprove
- ABC News/Wash Post: 43% Approval – 56% Disapprove, -13
- FOX News: 38% Approve – 59% Disapprove, -21
- Associated Press: 42% Approve – 56% Disapprove, -14
- Quinnipiac: 39% Approve – 56% Disapprove, -17
- GWU/Battleground: 40% Approve – 57% Disapprove, -17
III: Public Approval of Health Care Law. (Average of polls: 36.3% Approve – 51.3% Against/Oppose [-15 Oppose/Against])
- FOX News: 37% For – 55% Against/Oppose
- Gallup: 41% For – 51% Against/Oppose
- NBC News/WSJ: 34% For – 48 % Against/Oppose
- Associated Press: 27% For – 42 % Against/Oppose
- Quinnipiac: 38% For – 56% Against/Oppose
- GWU/Battleground: 41% For – 56% Against/Oppose
IV: Direction of Country. (Average of polls: 29.6% Right Direction – 63.6% Wrong Track [-34.0 Wrong Tack])
- The Economist/YouGov: 29% Right Track – 62% Wrong Track
- McClatchy/Marist: 31% Right Track – 66% Wrong Track
- Rasmussen Reports: 29% Right Track – 63% Wrong Track
- Reuters/Ipsos: 23% Right Track – 62% Wrong Track
- NBC News/WSJ: 28% Right Track – 63% Wrong Track
- ABC News/Wash Post: 34% Right Track – 64% Wrong Track
- CBS News: 33% Right Track – 61% Wrong Track
- Associated Press: 35% Right Track – 64% Wrong Track
- GWU/Battleground: 24% Right Track – 67% Wrong Track
V: The American people, including Democrats, are overwhelmingly opposed to how Obama is conducting executive orders and circumventing Congress is how government is supposed to work.
VI. The American people are against Obama going around Congress, except if you are a Democrat or Black, and of course if it were a GOP president.
VII: Barack Obama and Democrats rail about income inequality and the income gap, yet every single demographic in America believes that it has increased under Obama.
Is Barack Obama Really Make Income Inequality a Main Topic at SOTU Address When it Has Increased Under his Presidency? Income Gap Widened Under Obama
Like everything Barack Obama has touched or claims he wants to make better, has become worse under his presidency …
The Divider in Chief Barack Obama is back to his old games of blaming the rich for the evils of society. What else is Obama going to do when he is an abject failure who has only made matters worse since he has been in office? Obama rails about income inequality and that it is the worse problem of out time, yet he is responsible for making the gap wider. From the president who makes class warfare part of his daily agenda and who claims he is for the common man, while demonizing the rich, Barack Obama has widened the income gap during his presidency turning the gap into a canyon.
Click on pic to watch VIDEO of the income gap under Obama
Income inequality — the gap between the rich and poor — is an issue U.S. presidents of both parties have spoken of for years.
President Clinton touted, toward the end of his term, that wages were rising "at all income levels" for the first time in decades. President George W. Bush, toward the end of his, pondered the best way to respond to income inequality, noting some policies "lift people up" and some "tear others down."
But perhaps no president has hammered the issue as emphatically as President Obama.
In his 2012 State of the Union address, Obama said: "The defining issue of our time is how to keep that promise alive. No challenge is more urgent. No debate is more important. We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by, or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, and everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules."
But a look back shows that income inequality has grown, not shrunk, under the current president.
"All told, income inequality has tended to get worse under President Obama," American Enterprise Institute President Arthur Brooks said.
According to a recent FOX News poll, Barack Obama polls miserably on doing his job on the issue of income inequality. 52% disapprove with how Obama has handled income inequality and only 39% approve. So with Obama failing at an issue he claims to care about, how does he even have the audacity to bring the issue up at the State of the Union Address? Obama's economic policies have made things worse for those lower income earners, while he has made the Wall Street fat cats richer. Hmm, but I thought Obama hated the rich? Obama has falsely propped up the stock markets thanks to the fed's quantitative easing which only made the top 5% and 1% more and more money. It is those folks who can afford to take risks in the markets. However, for the average people who Obama claims to care about and tries to talk a good game, according to the recent Fox poll, 74% still feel like the country is in a recession. But don't worry America, Obama has the answer to fixing income inequality … raising the minimum wage. Good grief, really! With so many people unemployed or underemployed, with so many Americans on food stamps and with so many people having just given up and not even in the labor force, why wouldn't the gap be larger? When a Democrat party sets out to create a government dependent class of people, why is it that much of a surprise that the gap widens? Recessions affect the middle and lower classes the most.
U.S. income inequality, on rise for decades, is now highest since 1928.
Using tax-return data from the IRS, Saez has built extensive income-distribution datasets going back 100 years. He defines "income" as pre-tax cash market income — wages and salaries; dividends, interest, rent and other returns on invested capital; business profits; and realized capital gains. He excludes Social Security payments, unemployment benefits and other government transfer payments, which are more substantial today than before the Great Depression.
In 1928, the top 1% of families received 23.9% of all pretax income, while the bottom 90% received 50.7%. But the Depression and World War II dramatically reshaped the nation's income distribution: By 1944 the top 1%'s share was down to 11.3%, while the bottom 90% were receiving 67.5%, levels that would remain more or less constant for the next three decades.
But starting in the mid- to late 1970s, the uppermost tier's income share began rising dramatically, while that of the bottom 90% started to fall. The top 1% took heavy hits from the dot-com crash and the Great Recession but recovered fairly quickly: Saez's preliminary estimates for 2012 (which will be updated next month) have that group receiving nearly 22.5% of all pretax income, while the bottom 90%'s share is below 50% for the first time ever (49.6%, to be precise).
Let Them Eat Cake … Obama's and Biden's Spent $295,437 On Just One Vacation Weekend
Let Them Eat Cake, But they are for the middle class …
As most Americans struggle to find full time employment, wonder how they are going to afford healthcare coverage after losing their insurance they they liked thanks to Obamacare, worry about becoming part of or being apart of the record number of Americans on food stamps or wonder why the federal debt is at $17.3 trillion and counting … The Obama's and Biden's manage to take some pricey weekend vacations on the tax payer's dime. According to the Washington Examiner, via Judicial Watch, three separate jaunts taken by President Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, and Vice President Joe Biden during last year's Presidents Day weekend cost at least $295,437.
Just more SACRIFICE and skin in the game from King & Queen Obama, and their court jester, Biden.
Presidents Day seems to have no equal when when it comes to how the occupants of the White House and vice president's residence vacation.
According to new records obtained by the taxpayer watchdog group Judicial Watch, three separate jaunts taken by President Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, and Vice President Joe Biden during last year's Presidents Day weekend cost at least $295,437.
And that's mostly just for security, not Air Force One or other official costs.
The records were obtained from the U.S. Secret Service and details some of the "security and/or other services" of Obama's mid-February 2013 golf trip to West Palm Beach, Fla., the annual Aspen, Colo. ski trip taken by the first lady and her daughters, and the Biden family trip, also to Aspen.
According to Judicial Watch, the president's trip cost the Secret Service $98,135.79, including $32,406.50 for the flights, $16,466.25 for rental cars, and $48,490 for hotel rooms.
The first lady's trip totaled $81,523.64, including $13,221.30 in flights, $3,925 in rental cars, and $64,377.34 in lodging.
And the Biden ski weekend cost $115,777.61, including $5,315 in flights, $92,596 in accommodations, and $17,866.61 in rental cars.
However, the sad reality is that it might be cheaper and better for America if we just paid them to be on vacation for the rest of Obama's second term in office.
Posted January 24, 2014 by Scared Monkeys
America - United States, Barack Obama, class warfare, Divider in Chief, Economy, Epic Fail, Federal Deficits, Food Stamp President, Michelle Obama, Misleader, National Debt, Obamanation, Obamanomics, Tyranny, United States, Wasteful Spending, We the People, WTF | 5 comments
Barack Obama … The Food Stamp & Disability President … The Total Number of people in US Receiving Federal Disability Benefits Hits a Record High in December, 2013
Not only is Barack Obama the Food Stamp president, he is the Disability president as well … So this is what "Hope & Change " looks like.
More records for Barack Obama not to be proud of. CNS is reporting that the total number of Americans receiving federal disability benefits hits a record high of 10,988,269 in December, 2013. That was up from the previous record set in November of this year. Also, the average monthly benefit paid to a disabled worker also hit a record of $1,146.43 in December. What else are individuals going to do except go on food stamps and disability when the economy stinks. Thus, the real reason the the unemployment number is decreasing. It has nothing to do with people getting jobs, but everything to do with people no longer looking for employment.
The total number of people in the United States now receiving federal disability benefits hit a record 10,988,269 in December, up from the previous record of 10,982,920 set in November, according to newly released data from the Social Security Administration.
The average monthly benefit paid to a disabled worker also hit a record of $1,146.43 in December, up from a previous high of $1,130.34 in December of last year.
Spouses of disabled workers also got a record average monthly benefit of $308.13 in December, up from a previous high of $304.31 in August. Children of disabled workers also received a record average monthly benefit of $341.42 in December, up from a previous high of $337.13 in May.
As CNSNews.com reported earlier this month, the number of Americans getting disability benefits now exceeds the entire population of Greece, which is 10,772,967, according to the CIA World Factbook.
But wait, how can record number of Americans still be increasing on disability and food stamps … I thought the recession was over? Barack Obama is killing this country.
Posted December 31, 2013 by Scared Monkeys
Barack Obama, Chicago-Style Politics, Corruption, Disability, Economy, Epic Fail, Food Stamp President, Food Stamps, Fraud, Hope and Change, Jobs, Misleader, Nanny State - Big Government, Obamanation, Recession, Unemployment, United States, Welfare, Welfare State, WTF | 2 comments
Mavericky McRino John McCain Says "Don't Count Obama Out"
Why "Establishment, RINO" Republicans need to go … Who knew lying was considered a talent to be proud of?
The Hill is reporting that Senator John McCain (AZ-R), says that we should not underestimate Barack Obama and to count a man out of that talent would be a mistake. Just curious Sen. McRino, exactly what talents are you actually referring to? Would it be Obama's ability to not follow the Constitution, to pass executive orders rather than have the Congress pass laws, to have the talents to force such a disastrous law like Obamacare down the throats of Americans, his masterful skills of backing the Muslim Brotherhood in foreign policy that have the Middle East on fire or would it be his keen ability to put a record number of Americans on food stamps? Would it be Obama's talent to divide a country, destroy the very foundation that America was built on or the record spending and $17 trillion debt and counting? Maybe it is Obama's ability to have so many scandals going on in one presidency, that must be his talent. So McRino, which is it?
Obama is not a man of talent, he is a man who is destroying America bit by bit …
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) says people shouldn't underestimate President Obama as he heads into his sixth year in the White House.
He discounted Obama's low approval ratings and said a sitting president always has influence.
"We all wear thin with the American people after a while," McCain told the Associated Press.
"To count a man of that talent out at this point in time in his administration would be a huge mistake," he added.
So let's understand this, we are witness to a sitting president who's cornerstone for his election in 2008 and reelection in 2012 has been a lie that Obamacare is going to provide free healthcare to millions of uninsureds, but it would also allow you to keep your healthcare if you liked it, would allow you to keep your doctors if you liked them and reduce healthcare costs. ALL LIES!!! Now we have a RINO like McCain coming out and defending Obama that he is some formidable individual, are you kidding me? This is exactly what is wrong with the gutless establishment GOP. RINO's think Obama is a "man of talent" rather than a bold face liar!
For the love of God and all things Holy, please, oh please have the GOP 2016 candidate not be a moderate, squishy candidate like McRino and Romney … PLEASE!!!
Gallup Poll: Barack Obama's Greatest Failure … OBAMACARE, His Greatest Achievement … NOTHING!!!
President Barack Obama's presidency in a nutshell … his greatest failure is his signature piece of legislation, Obamacare.
According to a recent Gallup poll, Barack Obama greatest failure of his presidency to date by an overwhelming number of 36% has been Obamacare, followed by not getting along with Congress and working with Republicans (9%), lack of communication (5%), lack of leadership (4%) and so on. When it comes to Obama's failures, there is so many to chose from. You could have answered the questions of Obama's failures, the jobless job recovery, the economy, real unemployment, record number of Americans on food stamps, record $17 trillion debt, wasteful spending, investments in green energy, the scandals (IRS-gate, Fast & Furious, Benghazi-gate, AP-gate, Fox/Rosen-gate, NSA spy-gate), Middle East Arab Spring, Libya, Egypt, etc.
On the other hand, Republicans (50%) and Democrats (25%) alike are most likely to mention Obamacare as the president's biggest failure, although Republicans are twice as likely to do so. This suggests that even Democrats recognize the negative issues associated with the new healthcare law and its implementation. Republicans also cite Obama's lack of communication and lack of leadership as a failure, while Democrats mention his inability to get along with Congress and Republicans, his lack of communication, lack of immigration reform, lack of leadership, and his inability to bring all troops home.
Hey America, did I tell you that you can keep your healthcare if you like it?
I am not quite sure what some of these media outlets like CNN and … are reporting that Obamacare in Barack Obama's greatest achievement and failure. Take a look at the poll below, "Nothing/None" at 23% is #1 as Obama's greatest achievement to date, the ACA/Obamacare is second. Honestly, one would have to be hard pressed to name anything that this president has accomplished that would be considered an achievement and benfit for the United States of America.
Pew Poll: Obama's Approval Rating Hit the Skids … 41% Job Approval Rating … Only 37% Approve of Obama's Handling of Obamacare, 59% Disapprove … Only 31% Approve of Handling of Economy
BUYERS REMORSE: Barack Obama's poll approval numbers are in free-fall.
According to a recent PEW Poll, President Barack Obama's poll numbers in his job approval and on Obamacare are in free-fall. Barack Obama's job approval now stands at 41% approval, 53% disapproval. His approval rating is down 11% since January 2013. From top to bottom, the polling data is disastrous for Obama. It is even worse for Obama's signature piece of legislation and his handling of it. Only 37% approve of his handling of Obamacare, while 59% disapprove. Back in January, it was 45% approve, 47% disapprove. But with all the attention on Obamacare, what might be the most damning poll number of all is Obama's 31% approval rating on handling the economy.
But it gets even worse for Obama:
- 31% approve of the way Obama is handling the economy, while 65% disapprove.
- 21% of Independents give Obama positive marks on the economy, while 75% disapprove.
- 32% approves of the job Obama is doing on immigration policy; 60% disapprove.
- 32% of independents approve of his job performance while 61% disapprove. In December, 53% approved and 39% disapproved.
Powerline best describes Obama's plummeting polling numbers as self-inflicted as compared to what happened in GWB's second term. They ask the question, have the voters finally caught on that they have been had and mislead? Maybe. However, what might be one of the biggest reasons for Obama's polling free-fall across the board, are the all too many scandals, a continues pathetic economy, individuals actually being affected personally by the cancellation of their insurance and the sticker shock of Obamacare and the fact that the MSM is actually having to cover the stories as they are all too noticeable.
Barack Obama has lost the trust of the American people, even those that gave him the benefit of the doubt.
Barack Obama has had a difficult year since his reelection victory. His overall job rating stands at 41%, down 14 points since last December. A majority (53%) now disapproves of the way he is handling his job as president.
The new survey finds that majorities disapprove of the way Obama is handling four of five issues tested, with terrorism the lone exception (51% approve, 44% disapprove). For every issue, including terrorism, his ratings are lower than they were earlier this year.
Obama's job ratings on the economy have been more negative than positive for more than four years, but the current measure is the worst of his presidency. Just 31% approve of the way Obama is handling the economy, while 65% disapprove.
Only about one-in-five independents (21%) give Obama positive marks on the economy, while 75% disapprove. About a third of Democrats (34%) disapprove of the way Obama is handling the economy (64% approve).
Obama also gets negative ratings on health care policy (37% approve, 59% disapprove). In January, views of Obama's handling of health care policy were mixed (45% approved, 47% disapproved).
Posted November 9, 2013 by Scared Monkeys
Barack Obama, Campaigner in Chief, Democrats, Divider in Chief, Economy, Epic Fail, Food Stamp President, Government, Healthcare, Jobs, Leading from Behind, Misleader, Misrepresentation, Obamacare, Obamanation, Obamanomics, Pew Research Poll, Polls, Scandal, The Lying King, Transparency, Unemployment | 4 comments


text:
Welcome to our website
If your looking for a great day out for all the family or just somewhere different to have a nice meal then Bodafon Farm is the place for you. Bodafon farm is FREE ADMISSION AND OPEN EVERY DAY ALL YEAR ROUND . The Cartwheel cafe is open 10am -9pm with our day and kids menu served from 10 am – 5pm and then we have our special evening menu with our BBQ and wood fired pizza oven lit every evening.( bookings only on weekends after 6pm).
We are situated at the little orme end of the promenade and our fields roll right down to the sea front, which give us the best views of llandudno Bay and the great orme. Come and visit our cafe and Bar with a large outdoor courtyard covered with an Italian canopy. This is where our unique saw blade BBQ and woodfired pizza oven( pizzas served all day and evening) is situated and we are known for our home made Bodafon burgers! Or come and enjoy eating on our new decked terrace overlooking the play area so the grown ups can relax and enjoy the fantastic view whilst the kids play!
We also cater for all occasions such as children's birthday parties, adult birthday's, wedding's, christening's and all other occasions. As well as our restaurant, bar, courtyard and terrace we have a large stone barn licensed for wedding ceremonies and perfect for any evening entertainment.
Bodafon Farm Park have a variety of different animals for you to see. We have the usual farm animals such as cows, sheep, a donkey, pigs,geese, ducks, goats, horses and our resident farm dogs! You can also see more unusual animals like our llamas, red and fallow deer, our rhea and rare breed cows including our highland cattle. Animal feed can be purchased (£1) from the cafe and hand fed to the goats, deer and llamas.
In addition to this Bodafon Farm Park is the home of the North Wales Bird Trust. This charity is run by a team of dedicated volunteers who are also involved in an Owl breeding program for native and foreign species of birds of which are all at the farm ready for your viewing pleasure.
You can take a tractor trailer ride with the farmer which takes you round the paddocks where you can get up close to the cows and sheep and in spring see the new born lambs and calves. Or take a ride on our pony Barney suitable for all ages of children. You can also have fun on our ride on tractors for the kids or play in our adventure play area.
Bodafon Farm is a great day out and fun for all ages serving quality food in a unique setting with a great atmosphere!


text:
Book your room at Super 8 Lake Charles/Sulphur
Standard Room, 2 Queen Beds, SmokingMax Occupancy: 4 guests (up to 4 children)
Standard Room, 1 Queen Bed, AccessibleMax Occupancy: 2 guests (up to 1 child)
Standard Room, 1 King Bed, SmokingMax Occupancy: 2 guests (up to 1 child)
Standard Room, 1 King BedMax Occupancy: 2 guests (up to 1 child)
Suite, 1 King BedMax Occupancy: 4 guests (up to 3 children)
Business Room, 1 King BedMax Occupancy: 4 guests (up to 3 children)
Standard Room, 2 Queen BedsMax Occupancy: 4 guests (up to 3 children)
Lake Charles motel with an outdoor pool
Situated near the airport, in Lake Charles, this motel is close to Prien Lake Mall, Imperial Calcasieu Museum, and McNeese State University. Local attractions also include Children's Museum Lake Charles and Lake Charles Civic Center.
Property Features
At Super 8 Lake Charles/Sulphur, recreational amenities include an outdoor pool and a fitness center. The motel also features complimentary wireless Internet access and laundry facilities.
Room Amenities
Televisions come with cable channels. Guestrooms also feature complimentary wireless Internet access, washers/dryers, and refrigerators.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!
Super 8 Lake Charles/Sulphur
Hotel Amenities
Super 8 Lake Charles/Sulphur features an outdoor pool and a fitness center. High-speed wireless Internet access is complimentary. A complimentary breakfast is offered each morning. Complimentary self parking is available on site.
- Number of floors - 2
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Free Wi-Fi
- Free RV, bus, truck parking
- Fitness facilities
- 24-hour front desk
- Free breakfast
- Laundry facilities
- Total number of rooms - 59
- Free self parking
- Outdoor pool
Available in all rooms: Free Wi-Fi
Available in some public areas: Free Wi-Fi
Room Amenities
- Private bathroom
- Washer/dryer
- Desk
- Complimentary weekday newspaper
- Rollaway/extra beds available
- Free Wi-Fi
- Cribs/infant beds (complimentary)
- Cable TV service
- Coffee/tea maker
- Free local calls
- Hair dryer
- Iron/ironing board
- Microwave
- Refrigerator
Where to Eat
Guests are offered a complimentary continental breakfast each morning.
Nearby Things to Do
Recreational amenities at the motel include an outdoor pool and a fitness center.
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
- Accessible path of travel
- Accessible bathroom
- In-room accessibility
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
- Rollaway bed fee: USD 10 per night


text:
Spa Packages In San Diego
Below are our seasonal spa packages that will nourish your body, skin and soul. Check back each season to see what's new!
Given our focus on seasonal ingredients, our "Made Fresh Daily" limited-edition package highlights what's best right now. Each handcrafted package includes a complementary beverage plus a special "spa at home" body treat recipe from your spa therapist and our "food at home" recipe by our culinary expert, each letting you continue the spa experience after you've left us.
New Fall Made Fresh Daily Treatment, "Heaven & Hops"
- 80-minute spa escape, $175*
- Crushed Grapeseed and Olive Oil Scrub
- Barley and Hops Body Wrap
- Full Body Massage
- Served with a Local San Diego Craft Beer or a Ginger Beer Refresher
Cranberry Orange Tea Pedicure
By Farmhouse Fresh
- 50-minutes, $60*
- A deliciously aromatic treatment with fizzing soak, body polish, heel glaze & massage
Organic Cinnamon Twist Facial
By Eminence
- 50-minutes, $130*
- Stimulate your skin with this purifying & rejuvenating facial
Massage + Facial Package
- 70-minutes, $195*
- 50-minute Signature Massage
- 20-minute Cleansing Facial
Spa + Lunch Package
- 50-minutes, $150*
- Facial or massage & lunch in the garden or poolside
Spa + AVANT Package
- 50-minutes, $160*
- 50-minute signature massage or facial
- 2-course dinner at AVANT Restaurant
NEW – Cabana Rentals
- available to spa and hotel guests
- full and half day rentals available
View our new Spa Dining Menu
View the complete Spa Treatment Menu
To learn more about our spa packages in San Diego or to make a spa appointment, call 844.338.9282
*Some restrictions may apply. Available through November 30, 2014.


text:
Kamal's Journey through India: Part I – Gujarat, "The Jewel of the West"
Today's guest post comes from Bella Figura designer Kamal – our featured designer during the month of October. Kamal recently spent a month in India, where she rang in the New Year, enjoyed festive wedding celebrations for her niece, and took in many of the beautiful sites and sounds. Today we're sharing the first part of her journey – we'll be sharing more later this month!
India, my beloved country, is known to the world as a land full of culture, tradition, vibrant breathtaking colors, awe inspiring textiles, a mecca of spices, warm hearted hospitality, overwhelming maternal patriotism, and a pool of forward thinking youth determined to make their mark in the world. To me, however, India simply is and forever will be the land of my father. After all, I grew up on endless nights of story telling from him, everything from his favorite sweets to his spiciest food experiments; his childhood friends to his mothers lullabies; his immense struggles to his groundbreaking achievements. It's the motherland that nurtured his youth, prospered his adult years, influenced his thinking and has forever imprinted its love in his heart and mind. And Mine.
Traveling to India has been a part of my life since I was young, visiting my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Each year was the usual ritual: 2 weeks in Mumbai followed by a week in Gujarat, hence my 2nd dialect, Gujarati. The state of Gujarat is my father's "home" where many of our family members still live and where my father's most vivid memories still carry on. Needless to say, I was heavily influenced by the colors and joy of India from a tender age. So when after 13 years, I had the opportunity to travel to India, I was truly overjoyed. The most exciting part was the fact that I was traveling with my parents and my brother – just the four of us, together – like I was 16 again.
Being that my father was raised in the state of Gujarat, located in the Western part of India, its no surprise that his absolute favorite holiday was a festival called Uttarayan, The International Kite Festival – the pride of the "Jewel of the West". The festival marks the day when winter begins to turn into summer, according to the Indian calendar. It is the sign for farmers that the sun is back and that the harvest season is approaching. Vast cities in Gujarat delve into organizing kite competitions, where kite flying starts as early as 5am and goes on until late night with as many as 8-10 million people indulging in the festival.
The awe-inspiring brilliant colors, grainy textures and leisurely way of life were noteworthy on this special day. It was like "roof-top-party-hopping". Music was blaring in the air. People were climbing up and down each other's roofs, drinking King Fishers, leaping and flying their kites, heads up everywhere. The entire state succumbed to a serene yet enticing buzz. It was like nothing that I have ever seen before!
We saw kite markets set up alongside food stalls, children prancing around with their vibrant kites. The Uttarayan kites are made of lightweight paper (AKA tissue paper) and bamboo, and are mostly rhombus shaped with a central spine and a single bow. Many of them are the same size and solid colors but then again, you do see a variety of massive ones, foiled ones, and of course color-blocked ones.
The kites we flew were called 'Patangs', fighter kites. The object was simple: try to slash each other's string in the sky so that your kite is the only one up! May the best kite win! The strings were dyed a gorgeous pink, but were quite deceiving. They were covered with mixtures of glue and ground glass, so when dried, rolled up, and attached to the end of the kite could easily cut your fingers. Sharp and deep, like a paper cut. As we took turns, we realized the difficulty of this sport, concluding that my dad truly was a master, his passion was like riding a bike – he picked up right where he left off.
As the night came to an end, I did a 360 on a neighbor's rooftop and saw the moon on one end being the perfect segway to the sun setting on another. I took it all in then. The sky transformed from blues and greens to a radiant pink with a breathtaking circle of orange. Just then, as the flecks of strings start disappearing, illuminated kites filled with lights and candles known as tukals or tukkals were launched creating a spectacle in the inky sky mixed with fireworks. The breath-taking sunset was only to be surpassed by the beauty of the thousands of flickering lights emerging into the sky. Moments like these are why I am who I am, as a woman, a mother, a daughter and as a designer.
I can still hear the music in the wind and clamor around me, people still dancing around with excitement. Etched in me is the memory of my dad and the thrill of his childhood, the smile on his face the twinkle in his eye. And Mine.
A stroll through Carroll Gardens with Courtney Jentzen of Swiss Cottage Designs
Today we're back with another post from Courtney Jentzen, our September Designer of the Month. Courtney's taking us on a tour of her neighborhood in Brooklyn — take a look!
We're love calling Brooklyn our home. It's tough to imagine Swiss Cottage Designs being anywhere else. Our studio is located in Carroll Gardens, a little neighborhood that's nestled between Cobble Hill, Gowanus, and Red Hook. It's not tough to find a beautiful block to walk down – the neighborhood is known for its tree lined streets and historic brownstones – or a great new restaurant or shop to check out. While we do love to explore the neighborhood, we also have our tried and true spots that it's tough to beat.
Smith Canteen is a great little coffee shop with awesome baked goods, sandwiches, and the best lemonade around in my humble lemonade loving opinion.
I highly recommend popping into Black Gold…just know that you'll be in there awhile. Despite the window reading "records", Black Gold is more of an infinitely intriguing curiosity cabinet, full of vintage taxidermy, jewelry, art, and yes, records. Plus, they serve coffee! Definitely one of my favorite neighborhood spots.
Ted & Honey is a cute little cafe that serves both breakfast and lunch. It's right on the corner of a tiny but beautiful park, so grabbing something to go is never a bad option.
The Farmacy is an old school soda fountain, complete with egg creams and employees in those little paper hats. Their ice cream floats are not for the feint of heart. If I don't think I can conquer one mid-day, I usually go for a blueberry soda.
Mazzola might be our favorite of all (but don't tell the others) The ladies behind the counter are always so sweet. You really can't go wrong with iced tea and a few mini muffins…and maybe some crumb cake, a croissant, bear claw, and a cinnamon bun, just in case. We've tried them all.
We don't trust our Swiss Cottage shipments to just anyone. When it comes to shipping, Omar, at Cobble Hill Variety, is our guy. We pay him a visit just about every day – sometimes twice a day during our big production pushes. Even though he's a few blocks down the street, he's a very important part of the Swiss Cottage team. I don't know what we'd do without him.
And lastly, let's not forget about one of New York's weird treasures, bodega cats. Mars is one of my favorite bodega cats, not just in the neighborhood but in all of Brooklyn- that is kind of a big deal. You can usually spot him sleeping behind the plants at Martinez Grocery on Court Street. If you don't see him at first, look closer! He'll usually come out from hiding to say hello and ask for a few ear scratches.
Thanks for taking a journey around around our little hood! If you're ever in the area, be sure to drop us a line to say hello!
Meet the Designer: Courtney Jentzen of Swiss Cottage Designs
Sarah Hanna Travels – Adventures in Morocco
We're back with another round of our designer travels series. This week Bella Figura calligrapher Sarah Hanna is sharing her photos and stories from a recent, impromptu trip to Marrakech, Morocco. We'll let Sarah take it from here!
Hand-made lanterns in Morocco One of the great things about Europe is how easy it is to country-hop. In the US, you might treat yourself to a weekend trip to New York, or tailgate two states over. Similarly, if you are in France, you could hop over to Marrakech, Morocco for the weekend. A carry-on and an hour and a half later, you could be strolling through a spice market….
….or watching artisans make leather bags, or carve stone in the traditional way that has been passed down for generations. Patterns abound. And the calligraphic influence in the stonework is something to behold.
Scenes from the streets of Marrakech.
Coffee break at the YSL gardens in Morocco The gardens of Yves Saint Laurent are in Marrakech. A perfect rest from the bustle of the city and place to be inspired by nature and YSL's own artwork.
Sarah Hanna Travels – Adventures in France, Part III
We're back with more of Sarah Hanna's travel adventures today! Sarah is an incredibly talented calligrapher who is currently splitting her time between California and the beautiful village of Cassis, France. This week we're taking a look at French cuisine as part of Sarah's day-to-day in Cassis.
The weekly market Every Wednesday and Friday is a farmer's market in the center of town. You can buy everything from produce to flowers to bikinis….life's essentials.
Absinthe Restaurant in Paris There is another form of art in France – food. I was a very happy girl at Absinthe Restaurant in central Paris. Petits raviolis in a langoustine cream sauce? Oui, s'il vous plait!
A message to the chef It was all so delicious, I had to write a message to the chef in what was left of the langoustine sauce!
Eating at home – French style But you don't have to eat out to dine elegantly. It's true – the French are worshipful about their plates. Here are two examples of what 'eating at home' looks like in France. Food is art in France.
The children's cooking school at La Tête à Toto boutique The owner Marie said that if I was going to take photos, I had to be a student the class. Twist my arm! We are making potato croquettes and home-made nutella….which was so delicious that I can never buy nutella again.
Many thanks to Sarah for sharing another glimpse of her life in France! Next week we'll share Sarah's travels to Morocco!
Meet Designer Chelsea Petaja – our July Designer of the Month
Our Designer of the Month for July is Chelsea Petaja! Chelsea joined the Bella Figura family this year and has 5 new designs for 2014 – and they're all on sale this month! Chelsea's style is modern yet sweet and has a hand-crafted look. Several of her new designs are on the rustic side and would be perfect for a fall wedding! Chelsea gave us a little peek into her home – where she lives and works with her husband Tec Petaja.
Living, working, loving and entertaining out of one place ain't no joke. My husband and I recently moved into the same studio space (a reclaimed garage in our backyard) which makes our living quarters just a little tighter… and a little more revealing about our individual working habits. (Like my humming and Tec's lack of an internal monologue. Ha!) But when setting up our space, I ran across this quote by William Morris that helps me to be honest in my design aesthetic: "If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." For me, white and bright with pops of color and pattern are beautiful. My computer is useful. My drafting table and desk are both. I'm surrounded by artwork and photographs and sketches that are meaningful, but when they become mundane, I switch them up so that this is a space of creativity and inspiration–a space where imagination can wander and emails can be sent.
Take a look at some of Chelsea's designs below – her entire collection (including invitations, save the dates, social notes, and more!) is on sale for 10% off during the month of July (and you can save an additional 10% if you order 6 printed pieces or more!). Have questions about this promotion? Please, be in touch!
The fine print: this offer is exclusive to designs by Chelsea Petaja and does not apply towards the purchase of other designs. Orders must be placed by 11:59pm Eastern on July 31, 2014 in order to receive this offer.
Hand Calligraphy Trends with Sarah Hanna
Asking "What styles can you calligraph?" is like asking a chef, "How many ways can you cook chicken?" If you understand your craft, you know that there are endless variations. And the more you learn, the more there is to learn. Understanding letter forms is the start to taking any font and adapting it for hand-lettered script. Today, Bella Figura calligrapher Sarah Hanna is sharing her favorite calligraphy trends — from the most popular styles and ink colors to the different ways people are using calligraphy to add an extra special touch to life's most important events.
Trending now: without question, Victoria. I think that is because it is traditional with a personality. Generally, I match the script from the invitation – if that is my calligraphy, excellent. I can match almost any script, though. Black ink is and always will be the most classic, formal ink for addressing wedding invitations. I do, however, custom-mix a lot of gold, amethyst, and pewter.
Classic Victoria hand calligraphed envelope
Classic Victoria hand calligraphed envelope
Embellished Victoria hand calligraphed envelope – Sarah Hanna's most lively style
Classic Callaway – the up-and-comer (Callaway is the new kid, but she is bound to be the next homecoming queen!)
Classic Callaway hand calligraphed envelope
Unique uses for hand calligraphy: I get a lot of interesting requests. I was recently asked to be part of a truly elaborate beach engagement! My client commissioned me to hand-paint their song on 4 canvas banners. She also had me calligraph promises on 30 different cards to be tied with ribbon to a tree over the candlelight picnic. Her girlfriend is a wedding photographer, and my client made up an alias email and hired her to photograph this special engagement…..but when she arrived to photograph the engagement, she realized it was for her! She said, yes, yes, yes!!
The promise cards for the engagement was a really meaningful one. Wedding toasts and vows mixed with custom painting is a favorite. Right now, I love doing the custom nursery rhymes. And of course, every Christmas, the Santa letters are fabulous! And I am REALLY excited about my new line of Artful Correspondence - hand-illustrated correspondence card sets.
Favorite calligraphy trends: Art that has staying power always gets my vote. A symbol or monogram that can be used after your wedding (which look fantastic on dance floors!), the bride's married name custom-designed so she can put it on letterpressed stationery and more is an excellent gift. I love these trends, especially the 'avere' 'tenere' chairs….mais bien sur!
How did you get your start as a calligrapher? My mother Kaye Hanna is an incredible artist, master calligrapher, and my instructor. So, I am turning into my mother! Truthfully, if I end up with a fraction of her talent, I will be a lucky girl.
Blue Danube hand calligraphed envelope
London script – perfect for your thank you note to Her Majesty. Or your wedding at Ascot.
Honoured Guest hand calligraphed envelope
Embellished Honoured Guest – a fuller version of Honoured Guest
Sarah Hanna Travels – Adventures in France, Part II
Bella Figura calligrapher Sarah Hanna has been sharing photos and stories from her adventures in France, where she's currently spending time in the gorgeous village of Cassis. Today we're sharing a few of the projects that Sarah has been working on in France – starting with La Tête à Toto boutique in Cassis, where Sarah calligraphed all over the walls!
Sarah Hanna Travels – Adventures in France, Part I
Bella Figura calligrapher Sarah Hanna is always on the move doing the most amazing things. Lately, she's been splitting her time between Sonoma, California and the beautiful village of Cassis, France. Sarah was kind enough to take us on a virtual tour of her day-to-day in France – take a look!
Port of Cassis When I am in France, I live in the ancient fishing village of Cassis. It is a gorgeous town that sits on the French Riviera. This is the port of Cassis. My art studio is on the other side of these buildings.
Many thanks to Sarah for giving us a peek inside her life in France! We'll be back next week with more photos from Sarah's travels!
Meet Bella Figura Designer Maura Gauthier
Today we're getting to know Bella Figura designer Maura Gauthier a little better! Maura is our May Designer of the Month, so all of her designs are on sale through May 31. She's based in Denver, Colorado and in addition to creating Bella Figura designs, she also offers custom invitation design through her shop, The Paper Guppy. Come behind the scenes with us to check out Maura's inspiration, her favorite music and how she got her start as an invitation designer.
A little background: I've been a graphic designer for 14 years. After working for 5 or 6 years in the corporate world, I branched off to start doing wedding invitations. It started as working with friends on invitations and reception items, and then it branched off to doing friends of friends and then total strangers!
How she got started: In high school I chose to forgo all other electives and I took the studio art program for 4 years. After high school, I knew I wanted to do something with art but I also wanted to combine it with business. After bouncing around between the business and communications school at Syracuse University I ended up majoring in visual communications at the communications school.
Maura's style: In addition to designing for Bella Figura I also work on custom invitations so everything that I do is different! I work on weddings that are classic and traditional, rustic and elegant, as well as modern and contemporary so I bounce around a little style wise. I do a lot of my own illustrations and I love to focus on typography. Finding the perfect combination of fonts is such a fun challenge!
What inspires her: It's so cliche, but inspiration is everywhere! Years ago I started a sketchbook with magazine clippings and it's filled with patterns, illustrations, color combinations etc. that I've spotted along the way. Kind of a like a hard copy of Pinterest!
Where she creates: I typically work from a shared office space just outside of downtown Denver. I share it with several other graphic designers. I'm the only one who focuses on weddings but it's nice to be around people who are doing something similar.
5 things she can't live without: Number one would be my family and friends! They have supported me along every step of the way as I left the corporate world and took the risk to start my own business. I couldn't have done it without them! #2 my macbook pro. I work between home and a shared office space so I always have my laptop with me #3 micron pens. I love the fine tip for illustrating. #4 fizzy water – known as seltzer water to most =) I have at least one fizzy water a day – my favorite is orange vanilla from Polar. #5 my iPad. Since my laptop is all business I use my iPad just for fun – I intentionally didn't set the email up on it! I use it to catch up on blogs, check in on Pinterest and read the news every night before bed!
Maura's favorite music: This is a question I always find interesting! I listen to a little bit of everything, but I have to admit that I listen to a lot of 90's hip hop. It's upbeat and keeps me going throughout the day. My husband says most people left hip hop behind in high school, but I still love it. Totally across the spectrum I also listen to a lot of Yo-Yo Ma – the soothing repetitive quality of the cello keeps me focused on my work.
Many thanks to Maura for giving us a peek inside her life! Be sure to shop her collection and save up to 20% all month long.


text:
We have laptops that are used in school and at home. I would like a method to set the proxy server when in school and automatic when at home. What would the best method to do this.
Thanks in advance
Printable View
We have laptops that are used in school and at home. I would like a method to set the proxy server when in school and automatic when at home. What would the best method to do this.
Thanks in advance
We use 2 batch files that enables/disables the proxy registry key and then starts IE.
Then we just put 2 shortcuts on the desktop - Internet @ Home and Internet @ School.
Pretty straight forward for the teachers.
Take a look at WPAD - Web Proxy Autodiscovery Protocol - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The basic idea is when your users connect to a network (be it inside or outside the school) the browser reaches out and looks for a wpad file - if it finds it the proxy settings from that file are used, if it doesn't find it then it makes a straight out connection to the internet (i.e. when at home).
Easy enough to setup so long as you can spin up an internal web server and have control over your DHCP/DNS and best of all - totally transparent to your users!
Wpad is quite insecure. You have to hav a dns entry called wpad. A malicious hosts file could point the laptop to another proxy.
Does WPad use a pac file or could you not create a pac file to suit and use gpo or gpp to assign the pac file path to IE ??
We have wpad set up here and it works flawlessly for staff and students. It uses the Proxy.pac file hosted on our smoothwall server but have had a version hosted on a web server pointing to an external proxy when we experiencing internet issues.
Ive seen cases of malware being able to write to the windows folders. Even through a standard user account.
Hi I use a simple VBScript in the startup folder. Asks the user if they are in school, if so loads proxy settings, otherwise removes proxy settings.
Paste into notepad, alter 000.000.000.000:8080 to your Proxy settings and port, save as .vbs
It's almost teacher proof.
Option Explicit
Dim valUserIn
Dim objShell, RegLocate, RegLocate1
Set objShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
On Error Resume Next
valUserIn = MsgBox("Use the SCHOOL settings?",4,"Cloaked Select")
If valUserIn=vbYes Then
RegLocate = "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Internet Settings\ProxyServer"
objShell.RegWrite RegLocate,"http://000.000.000.000:8080","REG_SZ"
RegLocate = "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Internet Settings\ProxyEnable"
objShell.RegWrite RegLocate,"1","REG_DWORD"
MsgBox "SCHOOL setting is Enabled"
RegLocate = "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Internet Settings\ProxyServer"
objShell.RegWrite RegLocate,"0.0.0.0:80","REG_SZ"
RegLocate = "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Internet Settings\ProxyEnable"
objShell.RegWrite RegLocate,"0","REG_DWORD"
MsgBox "HOME setting is Enabled"
End If
I looked at WPAD but never got it working. Cheated by writing a .pac file and copying it to a local directory with a startup script and set the appropriate GPO to point IE at it. The .pac file enumerated various sites to bypass the proxy and then checked the machine's IP address/range and only applied the proxy if the machine was at school - so no user intervention required.
I used proxyswitcher lite, then its just a right click in the system tray - but a WPAD kinda setup is better. Or transparent gateway even better!
Might be worth reading up on wpad security
WPAD Man in the Middle - NETRESEC Blog


text:
November 26, 2014
SHERMAN, TX--Before Austin College students start their first day of Fall Classes this year's freshmen volunteered their time to make 10,000 meals for those in need.
The event started at 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon and lasted an hour.
The meals include rice, soy, dried vegetables, and vitamin and mineral powders.
The non-profit organization Send Hope will now transport the meals to a town in Honduras where residents are in need of food.
"I believe that is says that Austin College students are dedicated, student Andrew McMillian said. "They're dedicated, to give back to the school and this society. And they like having fun so we have music out here and everyone is having a good time." AC Service Station Board Member Andrew McMillan said.
Last year the assembly line production surpassed the goal of 10,000.
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Textile, 1760–80
Medium: cotton
Technique: printed by engraved copper plate on plain weave foundation
Label: cotton, printed by engraved copper plate. Museum purchase from Au Panier Fleuri Fund. 1960-55-1.
- Manufactured by Ollive and Talwin
- Manufactured by Bromley Hall
What is this?
Length of printed cotton with a large scale design of curving bamboo-like stems with pineapples and feathers as foliage, in blue on a white ground.


text:
Phone & Address
Check insurance plans, locations and make an appointment
Is Dr. Ilbawi accepting new patients?
- Yes.
- NorthShore University HealthSystem
- 6810 N McCormick Blvd
- Lincolnwood, IL 60712
- (847) 213-9299
- Contact Information ›
- (847) 674-6900 (Office)
Accepted Insurances
What to Know Before You Go
7 Tips to Prepare for Your Appointment
The key to a successful appointment is communication. To get the most out of your visit, prepare ahead of time so you can lead the conversation with your doctor. These 7 tips will get you ready


text:
A man who pleaded guilty to distributing methamphetamine across Indiana has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Twenty-nine-year-old Gregory Vanes was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis. Judge Larry J. McKinney also imposed five years supervised release after Vanes is released from prison.
Prosecutors say Vanes ran an operation that distributed meth smuggled from Mexico along the Interstate 70 corridor between Indianapolis and Terre Haute.
They say the meth came from an operation that smuggled it across the border in Texas and California and transported the drug to Indianapolis.


text:
Making pizza dough--what's the secret??
- g
- Guy Jan 3, 2003 03:39 PM
I make pizza dough at home, but it's never the same consistency as I see at real pizzerias. What's the trick to making it so stretchy? I use high-gluten flour, water, yeast, salt and a little olive oil. I mix it, knead it until not sticky, then let it rise.
Nothing I make comes close to the elasticity of the real thing, you couldn't toss or stretch it without breaking holes in it. "Real" pizza dough appears very elastic and will absorb a lot of two-fisted stretching without breaking.
Anyone care to give up the secret from a real pizzeria? Is it the ingredients, the proofing, how is it done?
I use the same ingredients plus a tablespoon of brown sugar or honey to help the yeast. I let it double in bulk. The secret that changed my pizza life is from Cooks Illustrated. Roll the dough with a rolling pin on a sheet of parchment paper with a sheet of plastic wrap on top. You can roll it to less than an eighth of an inch with no problem. Remove the plastic wrap, roughly trim the parchment paper and bake at at least 500 degrees. The paper is removed easily when the pizza is done. Cool the pizza on a rack. Enjoy.
Here are a few tips on chewy bread dough; I'm sure others will have some as well:
0) Not all bread flours are created equal; use a high quality unbleached flour like Giusto's
1) Use about half the yeast called for in a typical recipe
2) Add more liquid than the recipe calls for and flour the dough well when rolling it out
3) Make a sponge with 50/50 flour and water plus half of the yeast in the recipe; let this sponge be about 30% of the total weight of the final dough; let this sponge rise for 24 hours in the fridge
4) When mixing the final dough, take the sponge, add in all of the rest of the water, then add the flour one handful at a time, stirring five times after each four addition. This will get sticky and difficult, but persevere. (You can do the same thing in mixer or cuisinart, as opposed to be hand, but I find the texture better when done by hand.)
5) After the dough has been mixed, before kneading let the dough rest for about 30 minutes so that the flour and water properly combine
6) Let rise in a relatively cool place for much longer than normal; long slow rise is better
7) Roll out the dough as follows - keep everything well floured when using a wet dough - take balls of dough (about 1lb for 12" pizza), rotate the sides of the ball downward so that maintain a ball shape but stretch out the top; press down the ball with the tips of your fingers to create a circle; stretch out the dough in a circl by hand; then cover with plastic and let it rest for ten minute; then finish stretching the dough out to the desired size. One of the Julia Child books, "Cooking with Masterchefs" has a very good description of the correct way to roll the dough
8) Bake pizza in the hottest oven you can find on a pizza stone that has been well pre-heated
Now, I would also say the following: I'm pretty sure commercial pizza ovens operate at higher than 500F; and I've found that the stone can never really duplicate a true brick oven. Unless you want to get a commercial oven, it might be difficult to make an absolutely perfect crust.
Also- in addition to what I saw below- one other thing you could try is adding some pure gluten to your flour (but be careful, of you add too much you will end up with real glue). I did try this along time ago and my recollection is that the result was a chewier product.
I recently used the recipe from The Bread Baker's Apprentice (it was a Christmas gift) using gold medal bread flour and it worked wonderfully. It had great flavor and texture and was very easy to work with. I managed to make an almost cracker thin crust without any tearing - something that had eluded me in the past.
I don't have the book with me, but you use cold water, cold flour and mix the heck out of the dough in a bowl for 10-15 min (no kneading, per say) until it is really smooth and elastic but still sticky (not just tacky, but sticky). This would be much easier with a stand mixer, but what a great upper body workout. Then you divide the dough up into approx. 6oz balls oil them and put them into the 'fridge overnight. About 2 hours before making the pizzas, take the dough out to stand at room temp for 2 hours and then shape into pizzas, top and bake.
Two of the greatest benefits of cooking and baking, to my mind, are to make dishes come out to one's personal taste and to make them as nutritious and healthful as possible.
I've baked pizza for years, using as a guide the Sicilian pizza dough in Field's "The Italian Baker" but replacing about half the white flour with a combo of wholewheat, oat bran, and flax.
I don't understand the current fad of crackerlike pizza dough--pizza is, after all, a form of bread. I want the sides to be bread-y. the bottom not so thin that my toppings break through.
I am sure the other posts' suggestions will help too, but one "quick" thing to try off hand with your current ingridents is to knead it LONGER. I mean not just until smooth, but until you can form a "window" when streching a small piece of dough. I found out a while back that if I knead the dough a long time (maybe 15-20 minutes) the resulting risen dough is so much more elastic and have better developed flavor.
I use 50% bread machine flour and 50% all purpose flour in making my dough. Bread machine flour makes it chewy, whereas all purpose flour makes it crispy.
You can vary the proportions to your liking...
Try this: 1/4 cup warm water, one packet fast rising yeast. Dissolve. Add 3 cups pain old flour, 3/4 warm water, 1 t salt (optional), 1Tablespoon honey, 2 Tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin is the best). Mix. Knead a few minutes. Add 1 T water or a little flour is necessary. This dough will not be sticky and it will not be stiff. Let rise in a warm place for about 20 min. Roll out as you wish. Makes great personal pan pizza. Top with Wal-mart pizza sauce and Great Value Italian shredded cheese. Bake for 8-12 minutes at 425 degrees on any old fashioned cookie tray. My kids prefer this homemade pizza over most pizzeria pizza. They can control the amount of sauce and cheese.
I used to have a never-fail pizza dough recipe but I've forgotten it. I do know it used regular all purpose flour and the regular individual yeast packets (not quick rise).
Wish I could remember it, but I'll just have to find a replacement.
It sounds like you need to knead it much more. If you are kneading by hand the process should take 15-20 minutes w/o breaks and 10 minutes with a Kitchen-aid. Don't worry about o over-kneading because its almost impossible to accomplish by hand.


text:
You must log in to access this feature. Sign in with Twellow or Facebook to get started.
By signing in to Twellow, you indicate your agreement to our terms of service.
Simply connect with Facebook and kiss those password blues away,
or go here to reset your password.
Social Media Specialist @CampaignConsult, Video Producer, TV junkie, story teller, music lover, dream merchant, foodie, social butterfly and Geek Diva


text:
Advanced Search
Breakbulk Quarterly
3PL Quarterly
View Issue #592 Now!
Your Email:
Your Name:
Update on the first round of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations
On July 10th U.S. and European Union (EU) negotiators paused Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations to meet with approximately 350 stakeholders at a series of events, including an engagement event hosted by the United States.
Representatives from academia, labor unions, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations spoke with and heard from the U.S. and EU negotiators about priorities for and progress on the proposed trade agreement. TTIP negotiators also had the opportunity to listen to 50 formal stakeholder presentations.
Following the three-hour engagement event, U.S. Chief Negotiator Dan Mullaney and EU Chief Negotiator Ignacio Garcia-Bercero convened a stakeholder briefing session at which they provided updates on the first round of negotiations and answered questions related to the proposed agreement.
Negotiating groups responsible for the following issues met on July 10th, at times not in conflict with the stakeholder event: regulatory issues, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, e-commerce and telecommunications, intellectual property rights, investment, labor, and small- and medium-sized enterprises. Negotiating groups responsible for the following areas are scheduled to meet on July 11th : sanitary and phytosanitary measures, agricultural market access, investment, dispute settlement, the environment, financial services, competition, labor, customs/trade facilitation, and state-owned enterprises.
American Journal of Transportation
116 Court Street, Suite 5
Plymouth, MA 02360
(508) 927-4188
© Copyright 1999–2014 American Journal of Transportation.All Rights Reserved.


text:
The silent cost of incivility
|| Print |
|Friday, March 18, 2011
By Tom Cox
Toxic incivility in the workplace is costing money, driving away the best employees — it's even killing people.
Don't believe it? A recent study by VitalSmarts and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) found examples like these:
The same things happens in the non-medical field — maybe in your workplace. Instead of killing people, maybe it's just killing your profits and driving away your best workers and customers.
What's a toxic employee, really? They show toxic behaviors, according to Mitch Kusy and Elizabeth Holloway, authors of Toxic Workplace — one or more of these three behaviors, each of which is horribly corrosive of teamwork and productivity:
How bad is the problem?
According to Kusy and Holloway, a stunning 94% of leaders report having worked with a toxic person. The impact on organizational performance is profoundly bad.
Alan Rosenstein's 10 years of research has shown that 60 percent of medication errors are due to toxic or bad behavior. The most common problem is that others are afraid to speak up, and don't. Because a doctor or a lead nurse is overly abrasive, and thus intimidating the other workers, so nobody is willing to question when a medication order might contain a mistake — so the mistakes don't get caught.
30.7% of nurses leave their jobs due to toxic behaviors they experience, at a cost of 1.5 to 2.5 times salary.
How do they get away with it?
Entrenched toxic people build "systems of power" to protect themselves. They "Kiss Up and Kick Down" — a chameleon-like ability to fool bosses and mislead the people who would normally find them and fix them, while terrorizing their subordinates.
And co-workers enable toxic behavior by creating workarounds:
How to Find Toxic Workers
If you're the subordinate — get two or three others and go as a group to your toxic boss' boss. Document the problems first (here's how). Or forward to your boss' boss the link to this article.
If you're the boss — look for the warning signs:
If you've got even one of these symptoms, investigate. Two? You've got toxicity.
How to Fix Toxic Workers
Amazingly, 99% of toxic people can be saved. (Here's how Google is fixing their worst managers.) You just need to start — by being serious about the problem — and using some simple tools.
Tool: Skip-Level Evaluation
Both on a schedule and in response to specific concerns. If you have the authority, institute this practice for all managers. If you don't, just start doing it yourself for the managers who report to you.
Tool: In-House or Outside Coaching
Put your toxic person on a 6-month performance plan with a good executive coach. Make it clear their future depends on it — and stick to the deadline if they don't improve. Most will improve… once they believe you're serious.
Next Steps
CEOs should:
Your best people will thank you. (Listen to my podcast with Kusy and Holloway here.)
Contributing blogger Thomas B. Cox runs Cox Business Consulting, Inc. and is creator of the blog and web radio show Tom on Leadership, aimed at CEOs and business owners. He has worked with IBM, Oracle, Tektronix, ODOT, Intel and others.
|A Complex Portrait: Immigration, Jobs and the Economy
|Revenge Forestry
|Woman of Steel
|The Bookseller
|Kill the Meeting
|Political Clout
|Ferguson bakery saved by crowdfunding
|Obamacare yields more than 1M applicants in first week of open enrollment
|Price of already-built homes in Seattle area drops
|Apple hits record-high value
|Fed's ability to regulate questioned
|Budweiser to move away from Clydesdales
|Mergers lucrative for departing CEOs, but not necessarily shareholders
Is your business ready to join us in the call for action? This opening panel includes Oregon businesses who will discuss why they signed the Oregon Climate Declaration, the investments they are making to reduce carbon emissions, and how their actions are affecting their companies.
Get ready for two days of special events produced with the EPA, Portland Timbers and ISOS before and after the GoGreen Conference on October 16.
Plenty of employers seem "dazed and confused" after the recent vote to legalize marijuana. In light of Measure 91 passing, what are some issues for private-sector Oregon employers to consider?
Rotary's Oregon Ethics in Business aims to raise consciousness about business ethics by honoring exceptional companies.
Barran Liebman's annual employment law seminar is an industry classic.
Is my drug-free workplace policy up in smoke?
More than 400 "Change Makers" will gather to invest in a socially sustainable community.
Sussman Shank LLP is pleased to announce that Dallas G. Thomsen and Victor J. Roehm have become partners of the firm.


text:
She loves fashion, but when Grazia's contributing editor Angela Buttolph had her first baby in May, she was plunged into a style crisis. How can she rediscover her mojo to become the ultimate MWLF (mum who loves fashion)?
Angela Buttolph and daughter
My moment of revelation came in H&M. A brilliant Kenzo-meets-Givenchy sweatshirt: black, with snarling panthers on each sleeve. It was everything I love – tough but sleek and a bit edgily menacing. Then it hit me. The sweatshirt was damn near perfect, but it was never going to work with my newest can't-live-without accessory. Because my latest piece of arm candy is not an It bag or a statement cuff. It's a baby... Before my daughter was born, there was plenty of first-time-mum stuff to worry about (number one: giving birth), but fashion didn't enter the equation. If anything, I was looking forward to joining the ranks of Wonder Mums, from Miranda Kerr dangling Flynn from an Alexander Wang-clad hip to Victoria Beckham wearing body-con tailoring and heels while toting Harper. Why should my style be compromised? Fast-forward five months and I'm in a full-on style crisis. Having worked in fashion for a decade, I pride myself on not 'doing' style crises. Or at least I did...
1. The Killer Piece Problem
My first inkling that my style was under threat came the day I realised that every baby comes with its own killer accessory: the pram. Killer in the sense that it would kill every look I tried to assemble. It was fun at first: I finally felt like a real mother as I pushed it down the street. I'd even chosen one in neutral goes-with- everything black. But the brutal truth is a pram doesn't go with anything. All my go-to looks suddenly looked, well, get-away-from. Before I was a mum, I aimed for a 'rock-chick Kate Moss meets Emmanuelle Alt' vibe, perfect for a fashion writer who wanted to look cool but didn't have time for ironing. I'd style out my scruffiness as a kind of 'up all night' kinda thing. But now, as a pram-pusher, when I have been up all night, the scruffy look isn't so desirable. And the 'rock chick dashing to a gig' look isn't particularly convincing when you're pushing a buggy and everyone knows your night involves nothing wilder than bath-nappy-bed. In my old clothes, I felt like a fashion fraud. This season is not kind to babes-with- babies. Usually, the '60s trend would be a gift – cute dresses, thick tights, neat coats and chic kitten heels. I'd fancy myself a little bit Megan Draper in Mad Men. But just add a pram or a car seat and that scene changes instantly into something a bit regressive and drearily domestic.
2. Mum Grunge
Ah, that other big trend, grunge. Play word association with 'mum' and 'grunge' and you inevitably get Courtney Love, and a whiff of punky squalor isn't cute when you're primary carer for a baby. I can hear you saying, 'But Gwen Stefani looks fierce in bondage trousers and mesh vests!' Which is true, and a year ago I'd have said the same, but I've learned that much of the celebrity mum style phenomenon can be explained with the simple use of italics. Gwen Stefani looks cool in that get-up because she's Gwen Stefani. Spot an anonymous civilian mum in the street looking like that and it's all a bit try-hard. Or worse, mad mum. And practicality plays a part in my look like never before. Victoria Beckham may wear six-inch heels, but she's only walking from limo to door, thereby keeping trip hazards to a minimum. No, it's flats all the way for now and that, more than anything, requires a major wardrobe rethink (*sobs*).
3. The Coat Conundrum
Non-mums, have you ever thought about the fact that you can't carry an umbrella and push a pram? Nope, me neither. So where does that leave you? Hoods. And let me tell you, a hood will ruin any coat. Parkas are in this season (air punch) and the perfect one to not appear as scruffy mum-on-a-school-run is the Whistles silver camo-print version, which is awesome (but could teeter perilously close to 'wacky mum mac' territory when accessorised avec pram). But what are my alternatives? I've never been an outdoor 'performance anorak' kind of girl. (I've never been an outdoors kind of girl.) After careful consideration, I've decided the only way to pull off a hood is to go for the most extravagantly sumptuous one you can find to add a hint of glamour. Zara's charcoal duffel with faux fur hood has a ski resort snow-bunny vibe that appears pleasingly impractical but is anything but. I'll be rocking this with my other staples: a skater skirt in (wipe-clean!) faux leather, thick tights and flat riding boots. I'm getting there; if not a MILF, I'm a MWLF (mum who loves fashion). Perhaps it shouldn't have surprised me that a baby prompts a wardrobe re-evaluation; they force you to rethink a lot of other things. Even Mossy dropped the up-all-night look when Lila Grace was born, favouring instead a sweet take on Jane Birkin's casual style – all freshly washed hair, minidresses, bare legs and ballet pumps. That panther-snarl sweat suddenly seemed inappropriately scary when I tried to picture my baby's sweet face snuggled up to it. And it's probably bye-bye to my favourite Hermes studded cuff for a while...