text:
It looks like your preferred language is English.
Click here to change languageMay 10, 2007
Once a vacation option reserved only for the altruistic college student, "voluntourism" is rapidly spreading beyond college campuses and into mainstream America. Increasingly, individuals are yearning for an experience that appeases both their desire for adventure as well as their social conscience, trading vacations filled with poolside pina coladas for those spent building orphanages in third world countries.
With endless good deeds to be done, Hostelworld.com narrows the options and recommends the following voluntourism vacation destinations for those travelers with a penchant for the philanthropic.
Skyway Guesthouse, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Thirty years of war, foreign occupation and genocide has left Cambodia with a wealth of orphaned and abandoned children. Located in the heart of Siem Reap, the Skyway Guesthouse offers patrons the opportunity to dedicate their days to supporting some of these impoverished victims of circumstance, whose parents or other family members have been killed or maimed by land-mines, died of hunger or disease, or targeted for murder because of their political affiliations. Volunteers at the Skyway Guest house can make a difference in the lives of these destitute children by teaching them English and computer skills, assisting them with homework and providing them with the love and attention they desperately need.
Rates from €4.60 /per night
Favela Receptiva, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Perched on the outskirts of Rio, Favela Receptiva is located on the edge of the Villa Canoas, a shanty town, or favela, common to Brazilian cities. The plight of those living in the hellish favela is evident from the scraps and garbage that have been collected to create the endless sea of shacks in which the residents live. Adding to the misery of its occupants, the claustrophobic Villa Canoas is plagued by sewage and hygiene problems, and while some portions of the favela have electricity, other sections are left to suffer in the dark ages. Providing a sparkle of optimism to this impoverished community, the Favela Receptiva connects inspired guests with local organizations to bring needed support to the favela. Volunteers can work to educate children; assist in cleaning and construction; aid local groups in crime prevention; and assist non-profit groups in curbing the growing wave of domestic violence and child neglect. Most of these crucial programs are focused on connecting the favela's youth to programs centered on education, community development, human rights and public safety.
Rates from €12.71 / per night
Hostel Hoff, Moshi, Tanzania
Nestled in the heart of Moshi at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro in Northern Tanzania, the Hostel Hoff caters to novice voluntourists, many of whom are visiting an underdeveloped country for the first time. Unsure patrons receive guidance from the hostel regarding the myriad of volunteer options for anyone wishing to lend a helping hand. Whether it's promoting HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, teaching the fundamentals at a local school or uplifting the social status of traditional Masai women by helping them learn English, there is a job available that meets the specific talents of every traveler. At Hostel Hoff, patrons arrive with a desire to make a difference and leave as seasoned veterans in selflessness.
Rates from €9.68 / per night
INOUT Hostel, Barcelona, Spain
Only minutes from the urban flurry of Barcelona, guests at the INOUT hostel are immersed in the natural oasis of Collserola Park, where the roar of car engines are replaced by the soothing sounds of splashing streams. However, it is not simply this lush locale that makes the luxurious hostel an unforgettable vacation destination. Staffed by a team of predominantly disabled individuals who maintain an unparalleled commitment to their work, INOUT provides guests a rare opportunity to help people with special needs achieve their dreams of becoming self-sufficient members of the working world. Visitors are encouraged to assist the hostel staff with their daily tasks, including cleaning, gardening, maintenance and operation of the hostel's restaurant. It is through the development of these special relationships that guests discover the hostel's mantra. "Enter with an open heart, and you will leave with a smile, impossible to erase."
Rates from €16/ per night
The Backpack and Africa Travel Centre, Cape Town, South Africa
Sports enthusiasts rejoice! Voted Best Hostel in Africa in 2005 by Hostelworld.com customers, the Backpack and Africa Travel Center of South Africa not only provides plush hostel accommodations, it also offers the opportunity to break out the old soccer ball. This hostel offers soccer camps in the townships of Cape Town and guests are invited to donate their used soccer gear, as well as help the deprived children in the townships accomplish their dreams of soccer stardom. For the less athletic clientele, the hostel presents the opportunity to volunteer at a local crèche, or nursery. The hostel also asks those with the ability to knit blankets while lounging around the hostel, watching TV or chatting with friends. The blankets are provided to the countless sick babies, many infected with HIV, that call the crèche their home. Those volunteers who lack the skills or time to complete the project, can pass the baton to the next round of hostel inhabitants to finish the job. Through these actions, the lives of those volunteering through the hostel and those being helped are connected by the strongest of bonds.
Rates from €9.44 /per night
About Hostelworld.com
Hostelworld.com is a leading provider of online reservations to the budget, independent and youth travel market. It offers confirmed online reservations for over 12,000 hostels and budget hotels in 165 countries worldwide. The site also offers budget travellers free podcasts, customised city guides, a travel social network and more. Hostelworld.com is headquartered in Dublin and is fully owned and operated by Web Reservations International Ltd (WRI).
Thank you for signing up to our newsletter!
© 1999–2015 Hostelworld.com Limited | Security & Privacy | Terms & Legal | Site Map | MVT Testing


text:
Featured Products
Cultivating Community
To us, coffee is more than a business - it's a passion. We want to share our energy, enthusiasm and knowledge with our fellow brothers and sisters of the bean! Come learn, share and chat with coffee connoisseurs worldwide!
What are you waiting for?
Sign Up For Free
Already a member? Sign In
Sign In Below
Watch and brew with
Marc & Morgan
Whether you're a newbie or a skilled barista, join Marc & Morgan for the latest in espresso machines, coffee makers and the very best drink recipes. From tech to taste, they're brewing up new videos regularly!
Subscribe Now

subset: commoncrawl


text:
8 of 22
I took this photo of a window display at Nordstrom in Seattle.
Summary: The 5 megapixel camera in the Galaxy Nexus is about the only specification that is not at the highest end of the spectrum. Some have written it off, but as you can see in this gallery the device takes decent photos for most decently lit conditions.
Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.


text:
In town surrounded by quicksand, an outlaw from Vash the Stampede's past has resurfaced after twenty years. His name is Gasback - and he's looking to cause a little trouble. It seems Gasback has a serious beef with the town's mayor, who's paying dozens of bounty hunters to protect his turf.
One of those hired guns is a beautiful woman with a vendetta against Gasback. Will she get a shot at revenge? Maybe, if she can get through Gasback's bodyguard, Wolfwood. And what's Vash got to do with this mess? Nothing much - except for the fact that he personally set off the entire chain of events two decades ago!
Special Features: Staff and Cast Interviews, Cinema Sunshine Ikebukuro/Movie Premiere Digest, Trigun the Movie: Post Recording, Black Cat Story, Black Cat Rare, Black Cat Lottery, Web Promotion Clip, Promotional Video, Theatrical Commercial, Theatrical Trailer, Original Commercials, Trailers.
Spoken Languages: English, Japanese, English subtitles.
This item has customer reviews! See what other people think.
Submit your own review of this item.
People Ordering This Have Also Been Interested In:
See more products people have ordered with this one.
Do you have questions about this item or a correction to the description? Send us some feedback!


text:
Gobbler Gallop - Wisconsin
Your Favorite Running Route
Wed 11/21/2012
1 mile, 5K, Half Marathon
10 Participants
Date | Time | Race | Distance |
A virtual run means you run your favorite route on race day, then, visit the web page and log your run. Through the Hole in the Wall Gang, 100% of the proceeds will support Hole in the Wall Camps, which serve seriously terminally ill children. Run for fun, run to make a difference!


text:
Latest Posts
The Tea Party and Israel: Dispersing the Smoke
December 4, 2013 | 8:13 am The new Pew report on America's place in the world contains the usual mix of confusing public views that contradict one another. Americans in general complain that their country is... read on -
December 4, 2013
December 4, 2013 | 4:05 am The US Headline: U.S., Allies Reach Out to Syria's Islamist Rebels To Read: Victor Davis Hanson imagines a world in which several hegemonies take over what used to be US dominance... read on -
The Israel Factor 2016 Rankings: Why Clinton is Ahead of Christie
December 3, 2013 | 8:21 am As we do in every Israel Factor survey of Israeli experts, we asked in our November survey about the prospective Presidential candidates. Our intention is to see how Israeli experts... read on -
December 3, 2013
December 3, 2013 | 4:11 am The US Headline: Iran Doesn't Want Afghanistan to Sign US Deal To Read: David Kenner takes a look at the centrality of non-proliferation in Obama's foreign policy agenda- The... read on -
Notes from Amsterdam: Suffering from a Broken Heart
December 2, 2013 | 7:51 am I'm traveling, so all you get today is this string of thoughts and desk-cleaning links… 1. The new stats that show that the Dutch don't "suffer" too much– they are, as Gallup... read on -
December 2, 2013
December 2, 2013 | 4:16 am The US Headline: U.S. to Destroy Syria Arms At Sea, as Other Nations Balk To Read: Ray Takeyh points out that Iran has always been an issue about which there was bipartisan... read on -
Rosner's Torah-Talk: Parashat Miketz with Rabbi Yehudah Mirsky
November 29, 2013 | 3:03 am Our special guest this week is Rabbi Yehudah Mirsky, associate professor of the practice of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies at Brandeis. Rabbi Mirsky studied at Yeshivat Har Etzion and... read on -
The 'Like Dreamers' Exchange, Part 2: 'We Israelis Must Understand Our Self-Destructive Tendencies'
November 27, 2013 | 7:56 am Yossi Klein Halevi is a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem and a contributing editor of the New Republic. An internationally respected commentator on Israeli... read on -
November 27, 2013
November 27, 2013 | 4:14 am The US Headline: Americans back Iran deal by 2-to-1 margin: Reuters/Ipsos poll To Read: F.Gregory Gause explains why the Saudis are so disconcerted by Obama's Middle East... read on -
The Israel Factor: How Bad is Obama's Iran Policy?
November 26, 2013 | 8:04 am The results of the November survey we sent the Israel Factor – our panel of ten Israeli experts on US affairs – are relatively generous with the Obama administration on Iran. Unlike... read on -
November 26, 2013
November 26, 2013 | 4:15 am The US Headline: Obama Defends Iranian Nuclear Deal Against 'Tough Talk And Bluster' To Read: David Rothkopf explains why Hawks should actually be excited by the deal with Iran and... read on -
Should Netanyahu Keep Publicly Criticizing Obama?
November 25, 2013 | 8:13 am There was an obvious touch of sarcasm to Prime Minister Netanyahu's contention, about the US decision to sign an agreement with Iran, that "when an ally is wrong it is our duty to... read on -
November 25, 2013
November 25, 2013 | 4:06 am The US Headline: Obama has leeway on Iran, despite U.S. lawmakers' concerns To Read: The WSJ isn't happy with the Iran deal- Mr. Obama seems determined to press ahead with an... read on -
Why the President Could Ignore the Concerned Opponents and Sign the Iran Deal
November 24, 2013 | 8:08 am Early last week, when I wrote that Iran is a tough gap for Israeli and American Jews to abridge, I used the polls available then to explain that "on the one hand" Americans... read on -
The Israel Factor 11.2013, Full Statistics
November 24, 2013 | 6:16 am Please mark the answer closest to your view on the following statements The Israeli government is right to be angry with the US administration over the Iran... read on


text:
Reader comments are listed below. Comments are currently closed and new comments are no longer being accepted.
It will be an Herculean task for President Obama to bring some semblance of sanity in USA gun loving culture.
I was struck to watch on the TV how in Los Angelos folks were exchanging their guns for store coupons.How on earth can the President get rid of all those guns beats me!
The NRA has been boldly proposing putting cops at every American Schools.
It looks like it will be all talk and in a few months all will be forgotten.
No wonder Americans cheer their returning soldiers on their return from Iraq or Afgahnistan where they kill unarmed and urinate on prisoners.Abu Gahraib is all forgotten.
Read this take on the 2nd Amendment that uses the words well regulated and works to create regulation in the U.S. Please, sign. Also, Hawaii is the most firearm regulated state in the nation and it shows. These regulations could be adopted to serve the Nation.
SandyHook Fundraiser Pages Created Days Before the Shooting
January 15, 2013 · by thscollapsereport · in Uncategorized
Something is starting to stink in Denmark and this fish ain't pretty. Dozens of fundraiser pages on facebook, vimeo, and youtube show timestamps several days before the actual event. While it is possible due to timezones for a date to seem half a day or so out of whack, when we start seeing fundraising pages put together on December 10th, something is not right in Denmark.
And when you see them you start to get this horrible sinking feeling. That this whole thing is just a bunch of actors. That this whole thing was a careful hoax. There has been zero photographic evidence of the shooting not even pictures of the classrooms after bodies removed showing the shells and blood on the floors. Nothing. No pictures of Lanza entering the school despite their new high tech video surveillance system they had just installed. No students saw any shooting or bodies or blood either because they were "led out with eyes closed". Hmm. convenient.
So when you look at what I am about to show you, please hold onto your brain because it very well may explode, first with confusion, then shock, then a deep burning anger that you've been conned.
Worse than that, the original fundraisers were re-dated to the 20th of December according to people's comments, then they were removed altogether.
Here is the link, check it out yourself:
This is a response on the collapsereport blog:
guys, at least do this a couple of hours after you commit crimes against humanity. not way before, that is just sloppy.
The children simply disappeared from the families with orchestrated death certificates. You have to come to grips with delusional paranoia.
SandyHook Fundraiser Pages Created Days Before the Shooting
January 15, 2013 · by thscollapsereport · in Uncategorized
Something is starting to stink in Denmark and this fish ain't pretty. Dozens of fundraiser pages on facebook, vimeo, and youtube show timestamps several days before the actual event. While it is possible due to timezones for a date to seem half a day or so out of whack, when we start seeing fundraising pages put together on December 10th, something is not right in Denmark.
And when you see them you start to get this horrible sinking feeling. That this whole thing is just a bunch of actors. That this whole thing was a careful hoax. There has been zero photographic evidence of the shooting not even pictures of the classrooms after bodies removed showing the shells and blood on the floors. Nothing. No pictures of Lanza entering the school despite their new high tech video surveillance system they had just installed. No students saw any shooting or bodies or blood either because they were "led out with eyes closed". Hmm. convenient.
So when you look at what I am about to show you, please hold onto your brain because it very well may explode, first with confusion, then shock, then a deep burning anger that you've been conned.
Worse than that, the original fundraisers were re-dated to the 20th of December according to people's comments, then they were removed altogether.
Here is the link, check it out yourself:
We now have proof that the official account of the Sandy Hook massacre is a lie.
Prison Planet Forum
More Insanity Adam Lanza: Social Security Death Record - Thursday 12-13-2012!
He is deceased the day before Sandy Hook!
Adam P. Lanza: Social Security Death Index (SSDI) Death Record
Name: Adam P. Lanza
State of Issue: New Hampshire
Date of Birth: Wednesday April 22, 1992
Date of Death: Thursday December 13, 2012
Est. Age at Death: 20 years, 7 months, 21 days
Confirmation: Proven
His mother cannot have been murdered by him, right?
Nancy Lanza: Social Security Death Index (SSDI) Death Record
Name: Nancy Lanza
State of Issue: New Hampshire
Date of Birth: Tuesday September 06, 1960
Date of Death: Friday December 14, 2012
Est. Age at Death: 52 years, 3 months, 8 days
Confirmation: Proven
Make a copy of the screen before they change it!
O lord, do I have to verify data. I love to work on data. The death of the children exist through death certificates. Are you suggesting the U.S. government killed children? I can't waste my time to discount a delusional and paranoid individual. Did you go to the state to pull death data or are pulling from a fabricated resource. I would suggest the later.
I was unable to call up anyone's name on the Social Security data base, including my own. But yes, the U.S. government--if you can still call it that--kills children and starts wars based on false flag terrorism. The one thing worse is the American press.
See the Parker family portrait in The Curious Case of Emilie Parker. Pay particular attention to Samantha Parker's hands. Her right hand looks like an oversized paw with three talons. Her left hand almost appears to have two thumbs. Furthermore, her left middle and index fingers are in her mouth, thus forming a devil's horn sign. Apparently, she is a contortionist as well because her palm is facing forwards. I do not think there is anything mystical about it; the photoshopper was trying to send a message. Madeline Parker also seems to be displaying the devil's horn sign with her partially hidden right hand.
There is more. Madeline Parker and Samantha Parker are sitting on their parent's laps, but they have no legs. To a casual observer, it looks normal which is the intention. All three Parker children are are the fairest and blondest of Nordics, unlike their dark brown haired parents. To top it off, Emilie Parker sat on President Obama's lap after being shot to death, and everyone was enjoying themselves immensely. It was a party atmosphere.
Perhaps the Sandy Hook psyop is really a plot to topple the Zionist occupation government by devising a conspiracy so asinine it would embarrass any Batman villian. How I wish!
Thought to reply to "guest-laasjl" who wrote: "This ignores the verbiage of the second amendment but never mind that problem." But his post is too long and rambling to read through to the end, so I'll comment just on the statement cited above.
No, the MacDonald and Heller decisions don't ignore the verbiage of the 2nd amendment. It says two different things: a) that well regulated militia was needed; b) that people, i.e. individuals, have the right to own and bear arms. The first circumstance has changed since: there is no need of militia nowadays, so there is not a militia in the country; but if need be, and militia is required again, the Constitution provides for its creation.
Nothing has changed with the right of individuals to own and bear arms.
Thus nothing is ignored, on the contrary - the Constitution is alive and well. Any attempt to circumvent it with extraordinary laws or much worse executive orders will be unconstitutional.
Heller said the optimum portion of the 2nd Amendment is the right to keep and bear arms. The militia no longer exists but is unnecessary to classify civilians as militia. It only address the right of citizens to keep arms for defense. The mistake made in 2010 with Heller was ignoring regulated. They immediately dismissed it since other methods of regulation were not addressed beyond the law being reviewed. However, the decision leaves open, as remedy, additional regulation that does not affect certain bans as addressed in Heller vs. DC. Sometimes, you have to get detailed. It hard when people won't debate. By the way, militia does exist through the U.S. Military Reserves and the National Guard as a force in each state that may be called into National military action. This is the militia.
It will be a battle but the number of deaths from firearms are too great to not fight it. The second amendment has went astray since it's implementation at the Founding of the Nation. It was been corrupted but it can be easily corrected. The U.S. Army Reserve, a well regulated militia, can oversee regulation of the citizens through licensing, registration and the permit process. No need to reinvent the legislation. It exists in Hawaii. It would be easy to adopt. Their firearm murder rate is .07/100000, total murder rate of .12/100000 and 2.8/100000 in firearm deaths. They are, by far, number one in the U.S. in each category. The U.S. in relationship to Hawaii has 2.98/1000000, total murder rate of 4.7/100000 and firearm death rate at 10.1/100000. This should be where we are going!
Oh yeah, sorry I had to make you think by reading.
Well, read my lips, I'll repeat it once again, and slowly for you:
The Constitution says there are times when a militia is needed. Unarmed militia is nonsense, and the Constitution provides for creation of sensible militia by granting citizens the right of owning and bearing arms.
Now, when citizens are armed, they can create an effective militia.
When there is no need in militia - now, for instance - it is being disbanded; the Constitution's verbiage is clear: it doesn't say "permanent militia", does it? But if need be, it can be formed again, but only of armed citizens, as we agreed before.
That's why citizens should still have the right to own and bear arms: otherwise they wouldn't be able to create militia if need be.
TE: "The president's plan was inspired not just by the children killed in Newtown, but by the more than 30,000 deaths caused by guns every year."
Do you by any chance know how many or what percentage of 30,000 deaths annually caused by firearms are caused by legal private owners of those firearms and with those firearms? It's important, because the president's plan looks aimed at those law abiding owners, and if they are not killers, what's the sense? If those deaths are caused by illegally obtained arms (like it was in Newtown), what's the point?
Typical socialist politician's reaction. Pass more laws restricting legal gun owners' use of guns. The politicians will not admit that such laws will do NOTHING to prevent sick people from killing school children. The sickies go to schools, not police stations or even the place they got their guns - they know those places are armed and know how to use guns. They choose schools because they know they are unarmed and untrained to use arms.
All the laws Obama espouses would have done NOTHING to stop the sad slaughter in Newtown. The sickie used his mother's guns, indeed he killed her first. That mentally ill person should have been classified as dangerous and been incarcerated. THAT is the problem; not the type of gun or magazine capacity. Almost every gun incident for many years is the same situation. A mentally sick person with access to guns owned by a parent, sibling or friend. The problem is the mentally sick on the loose. They did not used to be; but socialist politicians listened to socialist people and closed the mental institutions which used to house such people.
Very, very good thought. Thank you hike and ski. Notice my reply to
guest-laasjlw in reply to Reluctant Pollute above. I have commenced some discussions with The Coalition To Stop Gun Violence. It is in response to a petition I stated yesterday morning. Here is the site, if your interested. Tell your friends if it appeals to you. I believe, by statistical correlation, 22,000 lives could be saved by adopting this method. Unfortunately, because we would have to "Grandfather" to avoid further violence, the descent will occur over time but it would happen as the 300,000,000 ages. There is no good solution to unregulated inventory. More tears will be shed but we will be on the right road:
"Most shockingly, gun sales have soared..." Get real. Only fear motivates more than sex. Every crazy shooting generates screaming headlines that simulate fear and gun sales, which facilitates additional crazy shootings. Whether a sociopath, neighborhood gang, third world nation, or others, the arms industry wins. Capitalism works!
FWIW, During the Iran-Contra hearings, a published list of the world's major arms dealers included several retired U.S. Generals, some simply doing their duty of turning a blind eye to government corruption. Later, "Bush (jr.) pardoned six administration officials, namely Elliott Abrams, Duane Clarridge, Alan Fiers, Clair George, Robert McFarlane, and Caspar Weinberger.[90]"
Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/iran-contra-affair#ixzz2IYigvZxU
May a reader from Australia ask some questions ...
What are guns for? ... the settling of private disputes?? ... domestic discipline and intimidation??? ... or organisations with a moral purpose led by leaders wanting a better world???? How does one tell if and when a given gun is likely to be used for good or evil????? Is there ever likely to ever be any moral and proper use ever made of a large capacity massacre weapon for good??????
The legal and illegal trade in guns both national and international is a worldwide concern. Many guns from the United States howsoever purchased there seem to be being smuggled illegally into Australia where organised crime figures go around shooting at one another fighting over drug turf.
I think we should demand that the legislatures give deep thought and consideration to finding a better approach to regulating guns ... even if at the same time we stand together that state terrorism and state sanctioned violence howsoever described or justified is part of the problem not the solution ...
Guns are for personal protection, mostly in your own home. The possibility that responsible individuals are able to protect themselves at home with their own firearm is a very important deterrent to crime in USA. Probably in other countries it is not so important, thus the willingness of people to give up their right of self protection.
Yes, we can fix the problem. The 2nd Amendment to our Constitution calls for a well regulated militia and citizens are no longer that. However, the Supreme Court has decided that private citizens do not have to be part of a militia in order to keep and bear arms for protection. However, in the decision in 2010, remedies would be allowed for regulation, but in that decision (Heller vs. D.C.) since no remedies were requested none were offered. My point is, since militia is a big word in the second amendment and the defined militia is the U.S. is the U.S. Military Reserve, who, indeed, are regulated then they should be charged with regulation of the citizens.
Further, in our Nation the State of Hawaii has the strictest firearm regulations. They have .07/100000 firearm murders, .12/100000 total murders and 2.8/100000 firearm deaths. The U.S. numbers as per 100K is 2.98 firearm murders, 4.7 total murders and 10.1 firearm deaths. So, if the U.S. would simply use the Second Amendment in it's full reading and have the U.S. Military Reserve oversee regulation to make sure the citizens a well regulated and if we adopted Hawaii's regulation as a Nation, we just might have a lot of improvement.
A petition exists as follows for this remedy:
Pity you can't transplant Switzerland's gun culture to the USA.
We have the means of doing this here. Review the above petition started yesterday.
This is The Economist, not I Don't Have An Idea What I'm Talking About. The second amendment is as follows: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed". At that time, the nation needed a militia for defense. However, the nation could not afford to pay for weapons for a very wide geographic range of citizens in an under finance fledgling nation.
Notice: "well regulated militia" is the first part of the amendment. The placement in this sentence is important. It means the militia is to be "well regulated" and takes precedence whenever possible. The United States Military makes that possible, in regard to the reserve and guardsmen, as the military has an excellent database of a "militia". Citizens are not well regulated. Liberal expansion of this statement "well regulated militia" is acceptable as long as you adhere to the element of "regulated". So, is it O.K. to call citizens militia? Yes. Does this work? Actually, we have a few states with fairly good regulation in place so numbers can be examined. The three most rigorous states for regulation are Hawaii, New Jersey and Massachusetts. Each state requires permit issuance with background checks of long rifles and handguns. The following is the firearm death rate in each of these states: Hawaii-2.8/100,000, Massachusetts-3.6/100,000 and New Jersey-5.2/100,000. This is the first, second and fourth best firearm death rates in the nation. The fourth best state is one of the additional 10 states that require permit background check for handguns. Apparently, regulations(see the relationship to "regulate" in the second amendment) makes a difference. The U.S. firearm death rate is 10.2/100,000. The least regulated states are, except for very, very few states, are well above the 10.2 per 100,000. Here is a list of many of those states (only the number for per hundred thousand will be shown): Alabama 17.6, Alaska 17.6, Arizona 15, Arkansas 15.1, Georgia 13.1, Florida 12.5, Idaho 12.5, Indiana 10.6, Kentucky 14.4, Louisiana 19.9, Mississippi 18.3, Missouri 12.9, Montana 14.5, Nevada 16.2, New Mexico 15, Oklahoma 9.6, Oregon 10.4, Pennsylvania 10.7, South Carolina 13.4, Tennessee 15, Texas 10.7,, Virginia 10.7, West Virginia 14.8 and Wyoming 14.5. These numbers are for murder, suicide, accidents and undetermined as to cause. 24 states that look as disorderly as third world countries and, in terms of the first section of the second amendment, miserable failures. My state is nothing to be happy about at 8.9 per 100,000 but the number does support some essence of "well regulated". However, the numbers are not satisfactory. The Swiss has a well regulated militia. In comparison, we have immature militia that, perhaps, should not have ever acquired a BB gun.
I believe if you own 3 or more repeating weapons, the element of non-reservist militia should be eliminated and for the fourth weapon to be sold, that individual should show proof of occupying and being paid in a national guard or reserve unit. They, then, would be required to attend to duty on occasion and receive training. We know most Americans will "talk" large but when it comes to duty they will not show up for drill when required. Then, firearm ownership would be reduced. Rightly so. Our "militia" is immature now and not "well regulated". It is time to fix that problem. It is time to pay attention to the full wording of the 2nd Amendment and obeying each section within the framework of that law. We have ignored the 2nd Amendment long enough.
The Supreme Court in their Heller decision determined that the second amendment applied to individuals, not militias. The MacDonald decision applied this ruling, which pertained to Washington, D.C., to the States. As with the Constitutional "Right" to an abortion ( Roe vs Wade), this ends the argument.
Statistically, the rates for violent crime are lower in states with the most liberal gun laws, i.e. where it is easiest for law abiding citizens to keep and bear arms. The highest murder rates are in the cities with the most restrictive gun laws, such as New York, Washington, and Chicago. I suggest you read John Lott' s "More Guns Less Crime" to understand why.
Read within the decisions. Yes. Individuals have evolved as the reason for the 2nd amendment. This ignores the verbiage of the second amendment but never mind that problem. As it has been pointed out, the constitution is an evolving document. It it difficult to explain away the term "well regulated militia" but justices have managed to do so. However, in the total written decision is the right for governments to see fit to protect their citizenry. As usual, decisions have two sides to the coin in most cases (though not always).
I like to compare free developed nations because the data is quite accessible and is varied in cultural differences being available to opposite sides of the earth. The U.S. is 2.97/100000. The second worst nation to us has a firearm murder rate of .59/100000. Plots very well on a histogram when comparing economically developed nations. Guess who stands out and not in a good way. Yep, you guessed it. Now, for the numbers of murder rates starting in descending order in the U.S. with lax or some restrictions classified afterward: Louisiana-lax, Alabama-lax, Maryland-some restrictions, Mississippi-lax, Kansas-lax, Missouri-lax, Tennessee-lax, Georgia-lax, South Carolina-lax, New Mexico-lax, Michigan-lax, New York- some restrictions, Arkansas-lax, Pennsylvania-lax, Indiana-lax, California-some restrictions, Oklahoma-lax, Nevada-lax, Delaware-lax, Texas-lax, Ohio-lax and Arizona-lax. These are the states above the national firearm murder rate per 100000. As you can see they all have virtually no regulation except for New York and California. New York is 12th on this list and California is 17th on this list. 19 states are on this list. Therefore, your argument is incorrect. I read Lott's article. It has very little basis in fact. What is there is skewed. One more thing, as long as the permit and registration is easy in some states with no border crossing issues then firearms are easy to acquire in neighboring restricted states. Mind you, this is not banned restrictions, this is simply a permit process. Pennsylvania has a vibrant firearm business. Shame on that state. If you are in New York and need to acquire a weapon for murder, for an easy market, you might as well go to Pennsylvania or any other state (37 total if you want a handgun, 47 if you would like a long arm).
Now, let's talk about cities faced with gun violence. If you only look at micro-geography within cities, yes, crime rate is high and appears easy but so is easy access to Pennsylvania, Virginia and Ohio for firearms to kill. As a nation, we are interlinked.
There is a problem for New Jersey too because of neighbors. But here comes the fun part: more data and statistics. This is based upon using histrograms to use for correlations. There is an inverse correlation between the firearm death rates of Hawaii, Massachusetts and New Jersey which are low vs. Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia which are high. Since the cultural differences are quite varied in the first three restrictive states with lower firearm death rates and homogenous but varied in the later three states, then only one difference stands out: Regulation. Now, I've heard that firearm murders are not the same as firearm death. True. One takes into account suicides, accidents, and unknown causes as well as murder. Murder is a microcosm of this general set of data. But we've gotten into murder already. Suicides drop when firearms are not easily accessible in the home state with a permit process and/or registration for all repeating arms. Now, I'll get into this data if you like but I'll let it stand as is for now unless you dig. So far, you have no data so you have no argument. This is The Economist. Please, supply data to support your argument. I believe you have dismissed on all parts of your argument thoroughly.
The Constitution is not a living document, as much as many liberal politicians and judges wish it were. It applied to individuals when it was written, and the Supreme Court has affirmed that it still does.
As for the statistics. I think you need to deal with violent crime - murder, assault and battery, kidnapping, robbery, hoime invasion,and forcible rape, for example. Comparing murders committed with guns vs a qualitative classification of States gun laws doesn't address the problem of crime that allowing the keeping and bearing of arms is meant to prevent. And while you mention having read an "aricle" by John Lott, I suggest you read his entire book, "More Guns, Less Crime", which provides statistics and an analysis not based on "using histrograms [sic][ to use for correlations", whatever that means.
A good example with meaningful statistics that compares the US and its "lax" gun laws to the UK, with its absolute prohibition can be found in a recent article in the American Spectator, "In the Absence of Guns". The full link is http://spectator.org/archives/2013/01/11/in-the-absence-of-guns.
I quote,"Between the introduction of pistol permits in 1903 and the banning of handguns after the Dunblane massacre in 1996, Britain has had a century of incremental gun control—"sensible measures that all reasonable people can agree on." And what's the result? Even when you factor in America's nutcake jurisdictions with the crackhead mayors, the overall crime rate in England and Wales is higher than in all 50 states, even though over there they have more policemen per capita than in the U.S., on vastly higher rates of pay installing more video surveillance cameras than anywhere else in the Western world. Robbery, sex crimes, and violence against the person are higher in England and Wales; property crime is twice as high; vehicle theft is higher still; the British are 2.3 times more likely than Americans to be assaulted, and three times more likely to be violently assaulted. Between 1973 and 1992, burglary rates in the U.S. fell by half. In Britain, not even the Home Office's disreputable reporting methods (if a burglar steals from 15 different apartments in one building, it counts as a single crime) can conceal the remorseless rise: Britons are now more than twice as likely as Americans to be mugged; two-thirds will have their property broken into at some time in their lives. Even more revealing is the divergent character between U.K. and U.S. property crime: In America, just over 10 percent of all burglaries are "hot burglaries"—committed while the owners are present; in Britain, it's over half...."
My understanding is that were the UK trends in violent crime to have been the same in the US, adjusting for population, an additional 6.000 lives would have been lost to violent crime, thanks to strict gun control.
This is the exact same thing with drunk driving. If someone wants to drink and drive and kill people, they are going to. It is senseless to put laws into place to stop drunk driving. Guns are the enforcers of the third amendment. If anything we need to get more guns out there, and guns with larger calibers and larger magazine clips. That way when bad guys have semi-automatics, the good guys can have fully automatics. And research, we can't have any research about gun violence, it's a waste of money, research wouldn't have saved any of the lives at any of the numerous mass shootings the last few years.
Do the math:
300 million people
270 million guns
50 million medically uninsured for medical and mental health
What does it take to put a bullet in someone .... a loaded gun and a mentally disturbed individual with access to that gun .....
If society doesn't want to face more death it needs to reduce access (i.e the number, power and stricter ownership rules) to guns and bullets and increase access to mental health care.
Good luck America!
Thanks for reminding us that there are 270 million guns in private ownership in the USA, and that not a single murder has been committed by their owners last year. It is awesome! Good, law abiding people, aren't they?
Wrong. The 270million legal guns were used to murder many people:
"Three-quarters: Portion of guns involved in mass murders that were obtained legally,"
Wrong!!! You distort the truth intentionally, I believe: three quarters of guns involved in murders were obtained legally by their owners, but not by those who committed murders using them.
Like the Newtown psychopath who murdered the legal owner of the guns - his mother - in order to fetch the arms.
You are a nut!
Review this petition and consider signing! The intent is to use what we have in place to fix the problem. It was just opened as a petition yesterday.
Wrong! The Newtown mass murderer is.
I wonder why the Obama team didn't mention the use of psychotropic drugs as the cause of mass shootings. The common link in all of the recent shootings as well as a large number of suicides is SSRI drugs. Fortunately for the UK and most countries the drug lobby hasn't been successful in pushing these drugs onto kids but in USA millions of kids are fed these dangerous drugs which have horrible side effects.
Why all the hullabaloo about assault rifles? A semi-automatic rifle (or pistol for that matter), is a semi-automatic, period, whether or not it has a particular sort of stock or a bayonet lug. (Just to be clear, semi-automatic means the next round loads automatically, but still requires a trigger pull to fire. Fully automatic weapons have been essentially banned for civilians in the US since the 1930's.) Which is why the more excitable tend to view assault weapon bans as the first step towards a universal ban, rather than the political feel good sop that it is, and wax hysterical as a result. Now if your purpose is to goad your political opponents into making complete asses of themselves, I understand perfectly, but do we really have to pretend it's going to achieve any sort of increased safety?
Your chance of being murdered by a criminal, as a resident US citizen: about 0.28 %. Much lower for most subpopulations. Much higher for some (African-american males face a 2.2% chance of being murdered.
Your chance of being murdered by you government, as a world citizen alive during the 20th century: about 1.3%.
For obvious reasons, private gun ownership makes genocide and other government mass murder a much trickery proposition. So its a good idea. The US would do much better to copy Europe's good ideas like not maintaining big piles of their citizens in abject poverty in he midst of plenty, and ignore their endless carping on the gun issue.
Good post. However trying to get government to effectively and materially attack the cultural causes for violence is an uphill fight. That's because the folks who fund elections have their own agenda and it doesn't include raising up those in poverty, doesn't include requiring the toning down of violent video games, movies and TV and there are scant votes to be harvested by funding a better mental health system. If you can effect a change in the funding system for elections, then you might have a chance at positive change.
Good post. However trying to get government to effectively and materially attack the cultural causes for violence is an uphill fight. That's because the folks who fund elections have their own agenda and it doesn't include raising up those in poverty, doesn't include requiring the toning down of violent video games, movies and TV and there are scant votes to be harvested by funding a better mental health system. If you can effect a change in the funding system for elections, then you might have a chance at positive change.
Let me guess, those stats are from research funded by the NRA?
Well we had 8700 murders in 2011 and we had 311,000,000 people. Do the math.
Those numbers appear invented. Please, state the source of your data. The U.S. is at a 2.98/100000 firearm murder rate. The total murder rate is 4.7/100000. We have states with low firearm murder rates such as Hawaii .07/100000 and a total murder rate of 1.2/100000. The first, second and fourth best states with firearm death rates (murder, suicide, accident and undetermined) are as follows: Hawaii-2.8, Massachusetts-3.6 and New Jersey-5.2. These three states have the most extensive regulation in the U.S. They require permit issuance for long rifles and handguns. The third state requires permit issuance of handguns as do 9 additional states. The U.S. firearm death rate is 10.1/100000. We are the worst in this statistic in the developed free world. The second worst nation here is Canada at 4.84/100000. The U.S. have only two states that have numbers that are better than Canada. The second amendment states the following phrase: "well regulated militia". The U.S. citizens has failed the second amendment. We now have database access and a greater ability to regulate. Further, 24 nations exceed the firearm death rate of 10.1 culminating with Louisiana at 19.9 per 100000. To give you a cross section of firearm regulation failure-Montana at 14.5, Tennessee at 15, Nevada at 16.2, Alaska at 17.6 and Pennsylvania at 10.7. Fear of the dark brought on by our own failure to pay attention to the full wording of the second amendment has led us to a high incidence of firearm death. We operate like a 3rd world country ignoring our own 2nd amendment but claiming, by falsehood, that we want only part the second part protected. Please, ignore the first part. Your statistics have no value, appear invented and does not pay attention to the issue at hand.
91% of homicide victims in Baltimore had a criminal arrest record. (In 1997 it was 74%) 77% of victims in Milwaukee had a criminal past, averaging 12 arrests. And the perps had criminal pasts as well.
Ammending the constitution could help us reduce gun deaths... maybe we should start by adjusting probable cause definitions to allow a "stop and frisk" for anyone with a serious arrest record.
No, those stats have nothing to do with the NRA. 0.28% is from crime stats you can find it anywhere if you look. 1.3% is based on a widely believed conservative estimate of 20th century genocide victims of 200 M, and an estimate of people alive in 20th century that I made from population tables, its probably not perfect but its conservative and not far off. Again feel free to check for yourself.
It's fine if you want to be anti-gun but please don't insult people on the other side of the debate so much. As the above stats show the onus is on YOU to provide evidence that he world has changed so much that private gun ownership is no longer a good idea. Nobody can make that case casually.
Have a look at http://lawreview.wustl.edu/inprint/75-3/753-4.html for a summary of the other side's arguments.
The numbers I gave aren't invented. It looks like you may be confusing murder rates per capita with chance of being murdered. I don't recall my sources but you can easily find these numbers for.yourself all over the place. Please also see my oust reply this thread.
O.K. The firearm murder rate is 2.98/100000 and the total murder rate in the U.S. is 4.7/100000 in the U.S (both 2011). If a criminal's chance of murdering you is .28% then you have to classify the data. In murder rates in the U.S., all data is done in numbers per 1000000 by states and by the nation so what does .28% apply too. Chance is not allowed when providing concrete data to summarize a point. It has no basis in fact. If you are stating .28% murder rate out of the population then for what year so that the population can be reviewed for the applicable year. The population for 2011 was 311,800,000 and .28% chance of murder is 873,040. In the chance question: Do you point to that person and say you have a chance of being murdered then point to the next and say you don't have a chance of being murdered. Statistics does not allow this type of emotional input to derive data. The data must be hard and factual. According to the FBI in 2011 there were 12,664 total murders, no where near 873,040. The numbers doesn't make sense and the perspective of chance, as you can see, is not quantifiable. So the data you mentioned is useless.
I thought I would google to obey your instructions just to see if some verifiable data existed. I tried the first 200 sites that came back. Nothing did. No point past this type of search. If a solid reference is there it would have come up by the first 200 sites. I encourage all here and read this and to search too. The only way to have me accept your data is name your source! Not to be discourteous, but I will show you mine, if you show me yours. Otherwise, this site might be a little over your head. I believe that is true with a number of entries here on the economics of gun regulation. I bet I wouldn't find you on a resource economics topic or one on the economics of irrationality. Let's not even bring up Macroeconomics and Monetary Theory. Please, I expect a source of data or you entry is useless. Your turn.
I suggest you take a closer look at the statistics. You'll find that the cities account for the vast majority of the murders. Those are most often correlated with drug and gang violence. You'll also note that they often have the strictest gun limitation laws and overwhelmingly are Democrat controlled. How does that fit your narrative?
First, thank you for your relatively polite engagement on this issue. But please don't be condescending.
As it happens, you can get to my number for chance of being murdered from your number.
First, note that my number is your chance of being murdered over your lifetime, *not* your chance of being murdered in a given year as you seem to be expecting. To get from your number to my number, let:
Cm be chance of being murdered per year (4.7 per 100000, your number),
L be life expectancy (male, say 75 years)
Then you do this:
1 - ((1-Cm)**L)
And my number falls out from your number. You *can* find it online as well.
For the genocide numbers try this:
Finally, it is possible to make a case for gun control, but as the above stats suggest, its *much* harder than everyone seems to think. You have to prove that the world has hanged in some fundamental way, and that the odds of being murdered by your government have fallen much faster than the odds of being murdered by a criminal (despite the fact that the odds of the later have had a measurable, stastically more significant decline). That's not an easy case.
What really got to me about the Sandy Hook atrocity was the coroner's statement that he could only show pictures of the dead children's faces to the grieving parents for identification because the injuries were so horrific.
As a nation we cower before the gun lobby and the many adamant gun nuts who have large private arsenals. Tragedy after tragedy occurs and nothing gets done because it is so hard to have a meaningful, sensible gun safety public policy that can survive a legal challenge under the 2nd Amendment, even though we've long since abandoned the concept of a "well regulated militia" of citizens which was the whole reason for the amendment in the first place. It is time for a change.
I have drafted a petition to repeal the 2nd Amendment that does not impose gun controls or advocate taking away anyone's guns. It does take away the present unabridged right to own and use guns. If it passes, we would start public policy on gun ownership and use from scratch. The petition says:
"We the people of the United States request that both houses of Congress, pursuant to Article 5 of the Constitution of the United States, repeal the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States."
Will you sign this petition? Click here:
Thanks! Please forward this to your like minded friends.
First of all the 2A was not added to protect the USA from foreign invasion. When it was adopted we already had a standing army - look it up. Second, the 2A was added so that the people could remain armed in the event that their government got too frisky with reducing their freedoms. No matter what you may think, it is the nature of governments to advance and for liberty to recede. I think one of our Founders said this and it has been and will always be true. The Founders gave the people the right to own guns without restriction. Today the guns are more capable but the right remains the same. People like you should consider the history of tyranny and how it develops. Hint: incrementalism is a key element.
Thanks for proving what I always say, the only people who own guns are criminals, rednecks and paranoid delusional lunatics. I don't know how owning a gun actually set you "free"...from what? People like you need to go see a shrink and be free from your own delusional paranoia. The rest of us would rather be free from gun violence.
Well if Americans wanted to retain their ability to control their government's possible movement away from benificence towards tyranny, you should not have allowed your military to become so huge and so well armed and you should have not allowed your culture to be so war loving. Face facts, if your government determines tyranny is necessary and the US military does what it is supposed to do (i.e. follow orders), the capability of your guns doesn't amount to a hill of beans in today's world. I know it must sting, but the original rationale behind 2A have been rendered totally illegitmate in today's modern warfare world.
If that appears true then why does it state "well regulated militia". Washington had great difficulty is his command with regulation and his militia. He had a heavy hand if orders were not obeyed. Many death penalties were instituted to keep order. The new Republic was at a crossroads for success and failure The reason for the right to keep and bear arms was because the U.S., a fledgling under-financed and indebted nation, needed citizens to bring their own arms if engagement was necessary. Our military has the necessary arms and regulation to perform. Trust me on this fact. But the U.S. government damn well wanted this militia to be well regulated. I am sorry for you, Mangopop, for your dissent with the 2nd Amendment and your understanding of the Bill of Rights but you are dangerously wrong. Washington may have had to use you has example at Valley Forge. In a previous life, he may have.
You want to share your mental health credentials with us? You keep throwing around terms that you obviously don't understand, and diagnoses that you have no basis, i.e. medical expertise or evidence, for making. I am free to defend myself and my family while you are free to call for help...good luck with that.
Although I don't happen to own a firearm, I know lots of people who do. Virtually none of them are "criminals, rednecks, [or] paranoid delusional lunatics." If you caricature those with whom you disagree, you're going to be unable to have a meaningful dialogue, which I see as lessening the likelihood of finding solutions.
On the other hand if all you wanted to accomplish was name-calling, you've succeeded.
We needed a militia to win. Please, study the American Revolution. We were not even a nation. The standing army would never win a major engagement. Militia men were crucial to victory. Further, funds were not coming from the Continental Congress to arm the militia. They brought arms and munitions with them. Then, when the Revolution was won, we still have England to the North in Canada. When a nation, we could provide firearms to our standing army but the debt to France must be paid. If engagement were at issue with Britain again, a militia would need to be raised then they must come armed. If not, the new government would certainly arm a fighting man but the nation could only afford so much. Of course, this proved to be true is 1814. Some militia was used in this war and, yes,they came armed. The U.S. had no National Guard and no reserves. Look, I understand your concern, your afraid of the dark. I have two weapons too. One is black powder and the other is a repeating rifle. I am well versed in comparative data and statistics. It can be supported by international data that firearm murder's rate on average from 88% to 82% in the U.S. The total murder rate ought to drop by 76% to 68%. It turns out there was reason the 2nd Amendment wanted a WELL REGULATED MILITIA. By the way, militia is a little expansive for a citizen not in the reserves but, oh well, we'll let that pass. By the way, do you have military training? Just checking to seem if you believe if they are well regulated and how do you believe they would handle a soldier who improvised their arms in disregard of their commander's orders. I have the arms I want, if I were in the militia I would be inventoried on that weapon, I better be available for drill and I better live within the restrictions they command. The 2nd Amendment is an excuse have toys. I used it too. People are dying in our country because of that selfishness and because of that unknown inventory. Every country have criminal minds, we just have a higher percentage of active criminals because, by our own selfishness, we armed them.
You keep focusing on external threats to our security. Our military is powerful enough to repel most, if not all, external threats. What the Founders were concerned with was an internal threat from their own government. Granted our military has toys that would make defending ourselves from our own military a near impossibility. On the other hand, I seriously doubt our own military would turn on their own people (at least not now). First they'd have to neutralize the Posse Comitatus Act and convince the military that waging war on their own citizens was not only Constitutional but moral.
The current focus of Biden and Obama on semi-automatic rifles as Assault weapons is misplaced. First, "assault rifles" were outlawed a long time ago. Second, long guns account for .06% of the gun related deaths in the U.S. But it sounds good and making noise with smooth phrases, absent any substance, is what they are good at. When I say "they", I refer to the federal government - both parties, all the time. They argue against A, demonize B and pass legislation or take executive action that damages C, a totally innocent party. They are the masters of the unintended consequence.
"When it was adopted we already had a standing army"
Wrong. The Continental Army that fought in the revolutionary war was disbanded after the war.
The US had NO standing, professional army
"Granted our military has toys that would make defending ourselves from our own military a near impossibility."
Finally you admit the obvious. It's ridiculous to think that some rifles and handguns would stand against the US military.
The whole argument of "defense against the tyranny" of the US government is non-sensical.
Even Al-Qaeda knows that only explosives would make any dent.
"First, "assault rifles" were outlawed a long time ago."
Wrong. The term assault rifles includes semi-autos
" Second, long guns account for .06% of the gun related deaths in the U.S"
"In 2005, 75% of the 10,100 homicides committed using firearms in the United States were committed using handguns, compared to 4% with rifles, 5% with shotguns, and the rest with unspecified firearms."
guest-isjawnw wrote: "What really got to me about the Sandy Hook atrocity was the coroner's statement that he could only show pictures of the dead children's faces to the grieving parents for identification because the injuries were so horrific."
Do you believe that? The shooting was a hoax, and if it were not, the photographs and videos would be made public to disprove widespread accusations of fraud. Search for "The Curious Case of Emilie Parker."
Get your money back for that history course bub. The First standing US Military forces were formed on 9.29.1789. The Bill of Rights - i.e. the Second Amendment, was ratified on 12/15/1891. Look it up.
I have a petition too. Hawaii has the strictest firearm legislation in the country at .07/100000 firearm murders, .12/100000 total murder and 2.8/100000 firearm deaths. We don't have to reinvent the wheel. Just have the only well regulated militia, The U.S. Military Reserve, at the national level, oversee our well regulated citizens (tongue in cheek). Use Hawaii's strict laws and the basis for regulation and improvement will certainly happen. Don't reinvent the wheel. What do you think? Just started the petition yesterday and I am in discussion with the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. I am hoping for the best
Don't repeal the second amendment. Use it to support your cause. It is written in the 2nd Amendment, was alluded to as remedy in Heller vs. D.C. in 2010 and we already have a state with regulations that work that could be adopted on a National level. Trust me on this. The 2nd Amendment will never get repealed even if you get 100,000,000 signatures. The best way to climb a mountain is to use the tools you have to get to the top. I offered you a petition site below you may sign. I am in contact with the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and the roughly 50 organizations they represent. The petition agrees with the 2nd Amendment, the Heller decision and a state that have excellent regulations that have passed judicial review. Please, read my recent comment back to you. Thank you!
We might get more bang for our buck(s)if we were to focus more on the sorry mental health system we have. It appears there are very few votes to be harvested by funding this area as very few funds are allocated. In addition we need to beef up the laws allowing mandatory evaluation of individuals exhibiting behavior that indicates they might be going off the rails. Docs should be able to have someone added to the "no guns for you" list when there is a concern that they might harm themselves or others.
The people who committed the mass killings in the last several episodes were all mentally unbalanced and there were people who knew it and said nothing or authorities who had no authority to legally do something. What is the Homeland Security motto: "See something, say something".
The mass shooters are either hate mongers or paranoid delusionals, which is what most gun owners are, especially the ones who think they need semi-automatic concealed weapons or an AR-15. Anyone who owns one of these weapons need to go through extensive psychological examination.
It's quite the Catch-22 isn't it ... you want to reduce gun violence by banning military assault weapons and enhancing background checks to ensure no crazies can get them yet those are the very people who currently quite legally own them. I sure wouldn't want to be the sherriff who had to enforce a confiscation order on one of those people. Maybe the military could come up with a drone to do it!
There you go again...making medical diagnoses over the ether. You might try sticking to things you know and facts from reliable sources.
An AR-15 has cosmetic characteristics that make it no more lethal than any other semi-automatic long gun. The statistics make it clear that it is used in .06% of gun related deaths. It is not what you gun grabbers like to call an "assault weapon" - a term that has no officially accepted definition and it is not an "assault rifle" which is defined as an automatic - machine gun capable long gun - which have been illegal for decades. I suggest the folks who spend their time on the porn sites, violent video games, drooling over violent Hollywood offerings are more in need of psychological therapy than the millions of legal gun owners in the US.
Your undereducated description of an AR-15 as a military assault weapon is funny as well as lame.
No self-respecting Army infantryman or Marine would go into combat with an AR-15. It is much less lethal and capable than the real military assault rifles they use. Because a BB gun is made to look like an M16, M4 or a Stoner, doesn't make it so. An AR-15 is nothing more than a semi-automatic rifle, like so many others. It just takes on cosmetic characteristics that make it look like something it's not. Chill out. If you want to see what other semi-auto rifles look like just check any hunting magazine. They don't all look like military style weapons but they do the same job.
If you like this method of firearm regulation, please sign. We can't ban firearms, we can't repeal the 2nd Amendment. Actually, the 2nd Amendment has both the element of right and responsibility. Now, it is time to get back to responsibility. Please, sign.
I cannot see why the USA is even debating gun control, without the firearms currently freely available in the USA Sandyhook and others could not have happened.
America has 5 times the homicide rate of the UK per head of population.
America has roughly 75 times the firearms homicide rate of the UK per head of population.
Most of the guns in criminal hands in the USA (and Mexico) start off on the shelves of dealers in America, they are purchased by either straw (fake) customers or sold through the back door/back of a truck at gun shows. To make every gun owner responsible for every gun from date of purchase until resale through a registered responsible dealer with background checks would reduce the number of weapons in the hands of criminals and help protect the people who suffer from the blight of the American gun culture.
You include suicide in your numbers. There may be a discussion about a culture that spawns 6.3 suicides per 100,000 people but keeping your numbers clear to address your point is essential if you want to be taken seriously.
The murder by gun is half the suicide rate and your number combines them to come to a distorted picture.
No, you are wrong the stats are accurate for killings not suicides. The figures are taken from UK official and American official information and easily checked.
UK with a population of 54 mill has an average rate of firearms homicide of 21 a year, America with a population of 300 mill has an average of 8700 firearms homicide so the UK has a firearms homicide rate of less than 1 for every 2 million people, America has a rate of roughly 58 per 2 million based on 2011 figures from the FBI so my own figures were slightly off and the gun homicide rate per 100,000 in America is only 58 times that of the UK.
I support a complete repeal of the 2nd amendment. America's inability to do away with outdated laws will eventually bring us down in flames.
Lets' look at apples to apples. What is the murder rate in the UK - with any implement. Perhaps the Brits use kidney pies more than we do... In '92 the US rate was 9.3 per 100K, in '11 it was 4.7. that's about a 50% reduction - during a time when gun ownership grew exponentially, and the population grew by more than 56M. Most of the gun deaths are drug and gang related and gun laws have no effect on them. The real issue that we seem unprepared to deal with is the culture that worships violence from the age of 10 or so with video games, TV, movies (and Hollywood has the nerve to lecture on the subject.)
Murder rate UK per 100,000 is 1.2 America is 4.8 so it is 4 times that OK the UK.
Murder rate UK per 100,000 is 1.2 America is 4.8 so it is 4 times that Of the UK.
UK has all the same games but not the same murder rate.
I didn't read Reynold blog but if 6.3 per 100000 bothers you then look up the U.S. and the states therein. The U.S. suicide death rate is 12.1/100000. So you think now you may understand our culture has a problem. Well, try these state (suicide rate per 100,000 follows): Alaska 22.78, Wyoming 22.43, Montana 21.76, New Mexico 20.14, Nevada 19.79, Idaho 18.84, Utah 18.28, South Dakota 17.46, Oregon 17.12, Arizona 17.01, Colorado 16.77, Oklahoma 16.51, Vermont 15.72, North Dakota 15.61 and Arkansas 15.47. This is the top 15 states. All these states have very lenient firearms ownership legislation. The five best states in the Nation-New York 7.66, New Jersey 7.73, Maryland 8.34, Massachusetts 8.78 and Illinois 8.97. All have stricter firearm legislation. Please, be informed before you make a negative comment. By the way, of the top 15 suicide rates, the governors/legislature is Conservative. Of the five states, all are Blue States. For your information, the 15 worse murder states are run by legislative Conservatives except for one state. The five best are run by Democrats.
These are facts. When I state this factual data, I usually get nasty name calling. I didn't expect it on The Economist as I expected a more elevated education of viewership. I hope I do not continue to be disappointed.
Of those states your list as having the highest incidence of suicide for some year, at least four of them are "Blue" at least in the last election - NM,OR,VT,NV. And incidentally, an odd fact noted is that when it comes to charitable generosity, the politician Blue/Red designation is virtually identical with the Red being the most generous toward charity - even though they generally don't have the same level of assets as the Blue states. Interesting, isn't it? I don't know what to make of it. Geographically the country is clearly predominately Red but the clusters of population densities on the East and West coasts privide the most wealth and the highest kill ratios are in the cities under Democratic control...do you find that telling?
I think (only think) that easy access to firearms is going to raise rates of suicide, it is much easier to succeed by putting a firearm under your chin than by cutting your wrists (unless you have spent time researching the correct way) or swallowing something because there is no time to lose your nerve and call for help, depression and a pistol is going to be more effective than depression and pills. Spontaneous suicides would be a lot less effective without the weapons.
I stand corrected, the UK has a suicide rate of 10.9 so, although it is a little lower perhaps firearms do not contribute greatly to suicides. It seems that people in a tragic situation will find a way whatever means they choose or perhaps the UK would have a much higher incidence if firearms were available to the general public.
Don't repeal the second amendment. Use it to support your cause. It is written in the 2nd Amendment, was alluded to as remedy in Heller vs. D.C. in 2010 and we already have a state with regulations that work that could be adopted on a National level. Trust me on this. The 2nd Amendment will never get repealed even if you get 100,000,000 signatures. The best way to climb a mountain is to use the tools you have to get to the top. I offered you a petition site below you may sign. I am in contact with the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and the roughly 50 organizations they represent. The petition agrees with the 2nd Amendment, the Heller decision and a state that have excellent regulations that have passed judicial review. Please, read my recent comment back to you. Thank you!
Sign please and since the petition was just created yesterday, the http://www.thepetitionsite.com/958/291/774/ensure-that-the-right-of-the-...
Since Gun Control Laws have been discussed the last couple years and our government has on record been involved in scandal after scandal and caught lying to subvert the Constitution Gun Sales have multiplied to record highs. The Department of Homeland Security has bought around a billion and a half hollow point bullets and are spending tons of money on defense measures including pill boxes and highway checkpoints etc. They know what they are doing and our government has been behind all these shootings. People need to wake up these are facts not some crazy stories as the media states. Just take the time right now to look into it and you will see for yourself. They are counting on the general public to be lazy and ignorant. Just take the time right now to look into these things beside holding to your own political persuasion. Step back take a look and think for yourself.
So you are saying the government of the USA is behind the shooting at SandyHook Virginia Tech etc etc etc .... that would be funny if it was not so sad.
This is a good example of the problem the US faces: a delusional psychopath who is heavily armed.
Your medical diagnosis on a discussion list is amazing! You must have degrees in several mental health fields. Care to share your credentials with us? How about your claim that the poster is "heavily armed". I seem to recall that he posted that he didn't own a gun. Got anything accurate and relevant?
Did I already send you this petition site? I have been in conversation for two days with the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. They seem to like it. I am hoping for an alliance here and the Brady Institute, who I am still waiting to hear from. I got the idea from arguing with the fanatics on this blog. Sign, if you like it.
The SNP manifesto: The second-longest suicide note in history
Remembering Cardinal Francis George: Good-bye to a hard-nosed Chicagoan
Democracy in America
Graphic detail
Britain's election campaign: April 20th: The SNP promises to shower money...
China and Pakistan: Corridor of power
Business and finance
Have you listened to The Economist Radio on Facebook?
The Economist Radio is an on-demand social listening platform that allows you to listen, share and recommend The Economist audio content
Test your EQ
Take our weekly news quiz to stay on top of the headlines
Want more from The Economist?
Visit The Economist e-store and you'll find a range of carefully selected products for business and pleasure, Economist books and diaries, and much more


text:
Shawn Levy
Shawn Levy & Tom McNulty
Josh Klausner
Comedy | Romance | Crime | Thriller
Common as Detective Collins
J.B. Smoove as Cabbie
James Franco as Chase "Taste" Tripplehorn/Tom Felton
Jimmi Simpson as Detective Armstrong
Kristen Wiig as Haley Sullivan
Leighton Meester as Katy
Mark Ruffalo as Brad Sullivan
Mark Wahlberg as Holbrooke Grant
Mila Kunis as "Whippit" Tripplehorn/Felton
Olivia Munn as The Hostess
Ray Liotta as Joe Miletto
Steve Carell as Phil Foster
Taraji P. Henson as Detective Arroyo
Tina Fey as Claire Foster
William Fichtner as District Attorney Frank Crenshaw
Distributed by
20th Century Fox
Release Date
Apr 9, 2010
Pasadena & Los Angeles, CA & New York City, NY, USA
Movie Description(Click Here To Hide)
Steve Carell & Tina Fey headline the cast of this laugh-out-loud comedy-turned-crime thriller directed by Shawn Levy. The comedian and comedienne pair portray a bored married couple whose attempt at a glamorous and romantic evening turns into something more dangerous and unpredictable after their identities are mistaken. Other notable cast members include Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, James Franco, Kristen Wiig, Mark Ruffalo, Taraji P. Henson & Ray Liotta.


text: If James Bond and one of the Bond Girls had a love child then sent her off to a boarding school run by Jackie Chan, she might end up something like Nikita. This sexy assassin has gone rogue and she's stopping at nothing to take down her former employers: shady government agency "Division." Why? They killed her fiancé!


text:
Culligan Water Filter Replacement Cartridges & Filtration Products
Water filter cartridges and filtration products from Culligan help ensure you always enjoy the cleanest tasting drinking water, whether it's served from your refrigerator, tap, or even the sink in your boat or RV! Below, find dozens of genuine OE Culligan products, including replacement water filter cartridges, filtration systems, tools and accessories. All products we offer are protected by our No Worries Price Match Guarantee, meaning if you see them for less anywhere else, just call us and we'll honor the lower price. For help finding the Culligan water filtration products you need, please call us at 1-800-277-3458.
PR-3U Culligan Universal Water Pitcher Replacement Cartridge (3-Pack)
$22.99 Retail Price: $25.29
RWC-5 Culligan Level 1 Undersink Filter Replacement Cartridge
$15.99 Retail Price: $17.24
RV-800 Culligan Level 1 Inline RV Pre-Tank Exterior Filter
$26.99 Retail Price: $38.51
RV-700 Culligan Level 1 Inline RV Pre-Tank Exterior Filter
$20.99 Retail Price: $35.64 -
R50-BBSa-D Culligan Whole House Water Filter Replacement Cartridge
$15.99 Retail Price: $17.47 -
RC-EZ-1 Culligan Level 1 Easy-Change Inline Filter Replacement Cartridge
$15.99 Retail Price: $22.99
RC-EZ-3 Culligan Level 3 Easy-Change Inline Filter Replacement Cartridge
$24.99 Retail Price: $31.04 -
RC-EZ-4 Culligan Level 4 Easy-Change Inline Filter Replacement Cartridge
$40.99 Retail Price: $50.59
RFC-BBS-D Culligan Level 4 Whole House Filter Replacement Cartridge
$30.99 Retail Price: $34.60
US-UF3R Culligan Ultrafiltration Replacement Water Filter Cartridge Set
$95.99 Retail Price: $99.99
01018468 Culligan Replacement Chrome Water Faucet
Regular Price: $73.99
Special Price: $44.05
01018599 Culligan Water Faucet With Light
Regular Price: $73.99
Special Price: $44.05
TS-500 Culligan Large Capacity Inline Filter Replacement Cartridge
$27.99 Retail Price: $39.09
US-EZ-1 Culligan Level 1 Easy-Change Undersink Filter System
$35.99 Retail Price: $45.76
US-EZ-4 Culligan Level 4 Easy-Change Undersink Filter System
$77.99 Retail Price: $86.24
WHR-140 Culligan Level 2 Shower Filter Replacement Cartridge
$13.99 Retail Price: $19.54 -
WSH-C125 Culligan Filtered Shower Head with Massage Feature
$34.99 Retail Price: $39.66
D-30 Culligan Level 2 Undersink Filter Replacement Cartridge
$18.99 Retail Price: $21.26


text:
UK House Price Data (Consolidated)
A consolidated dataset of all the main UK monthly house price datasets with additional calculations. Data Series: CLG Table A2 - Not seasonally adjusted... -
Federal Reserve Loans to Banks During Financial Crisis
Federal Reserve data on emergency lending to banks covering the period August 2007 to April 2010 released in batches in Dec 2010, March 2011 and July 2011 as a result of the... -
FDIC Failed Bank List
FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) list of failed banks for which it was appointed receiver. Data includes information on the acquiring bank (if applicable), how... -
Deficit and Debt
Government (annual) deficit and (total) debts over time around the world both in absolute terms and as a percentage of GDP. Includes: United States United...


text:
"Or - Common Sense is Just Not Sexy"
Even the reviews below get at the problem. Despite energetic narration that stirs up the occasionally lengthy prose, you already think you know all you need to know about checklists. Well, maybe not?
Gawande begs you to consider his new ideas, insights about testing and tailoring, and then to give the concept a try in your own workplace.
I used to ask students, do you want to fly on a plane where they hadn't gone through the checklist? My new question - wouldn't you like YOUR doctor to be as passionate as Gawande?
"A candid view of a great rock musician"
Graham Nash's look back is simultaneously self-aware, witty and unsparing. From his Hollies hits like "Bus Stop" through "Marrakesh Express" to "Chicago" and "Immigration Man," Graham provides a look at how the Sixties moved into the Seventies, how success erodes talent and friendship, and most of all how one good man kept his head in the midst of it all.
Like the remarkably reflective memoir by Keith Richards, Nash's story is rich with detail and impressions. Disappointed by several people he loved, he remained true to the music and continued to expand his own creative vision. Amusing, shocking, touching, the book is also reflective and self-deprecating. Without posturing, Nash tells his stories as comfortable, welcome company.
The wide-eyed innocence evident during the Hollies' first American tour is charming, and provides the full story of the great Hollies song "Stop, Stop, Stop."
The high notes and the low points of an extraordinary career.
Highly recommended - a terrific book.
"SO HAPPY Together"
Imagine a friend sitting comfortably with you and sharing a story from his past, self-aware and with no holds barred, causing you to laugh out loud, REAL HARD, at several points in the story.
Howard is that friend, and he is a skillful storyteller. His voice is so intimate, you don't remember he's reading. Hilarity ensues, I promise you.
It's ALL good.
It's all good, but the short advice about "something to fall back on" is startling in its truth & power.
Howls of laughter bordering on joy. I AM from the Sixties, I do remember and this Ambassador of Peace and Love has created a wonderful drive down memory lane.
I love this book! I don't know why anyone wouldn't. START LISTENING NOW!
"Less fun than you could POSSIBLE imagine"
Short stories of sexual themes, including a remarkable variety of activity. What could possibly go wrong? The narrators.
SULTRY voices, both of them, emphaxizing at the BEGINNING of EACH STORY the audio service for which they work. But OH, how predicable the reading tone is, and OH how UNNERVING it is to here thins either slurred or mispronounced or mangled entirely. The audio studio must not have had a DICONARY handy, MUCH less an edertor..
Very hard to stomach, but not because of the content.
Not with these narrators.
"Fiction" in this category could do well with subdivision. At least one third of the titles seem to be supernatural fantasies.
"Not bad, but the TV show is better"
Remember that a terrific movie (and a legendary TV show) emerged from a mediocre series of comic novels about doctors in Korea, and accept the fact that Piper Kerman is not as good a writer as the folks who turned her story into a dazzling Netflix series. With that point in mind, you may enjoy hearing a very different set of stories in this autobiographical text.
Ms. Kerman doesn't have strong narrative skill and evidently got little editing. As a result, stories are sprinkled around with little continuity or development, and characters jump up and down in a fairly random order. One example is the way the incarceration of Martha Stewart is handled - it is foreshadowed and anticipated, only to fall flat when the TV homemaker manages to be assigned a "nicer" place to stay.
Cassandra Campbell tries to keep the players straight with a few accents, but they are not specific enough and become as much an intrusion as a help; her long stretches in a normal voice are easier to take.
The best story is not here or on TV - Ms. Kerman now works in public relations on prison reform issues; a true tale of prison rehabilitation.
And if you do like the book - wait 'til you see the series!
"OUTSTANDING ADVENTURE - a treasure"
Author Jacqueline Carey's prose lingers lustfully over every syllable. As she invents nations, customs, creeds, gods and half-a-dozen languages, she twists her syllables around with care and wit. When narrator Anne Flosnik pronounces a word strangely, it usually seems like a reasonable alternative. This perfect pairing of story and narration is quickly captivating so that one begins searching the schedule to find time to hear more.
It's a ride, an extravagent adventure that surpasses anything I've encountered before and my most satisfying audiobook experience yet. Characters grow and learn in realistic if unexpected ways. The storyline grows with them, in fact, with vividly depicted scenes in a remarkably real world.
She doesn't enact the story, but the quiet urgency in her tone sounds like she's as interested in the next page as we listeners are.
Lots of them, all of which are too important to the narrative to reveal here. Joys and sorrows, victories and defeats, challenges met and missed are all woven into this mesmerizing narrative.
Every hero must have an Achilles heel. For Phaedra, it is her intoxication with pain. But do not mistake this for a formulaic Middle Ages S&M saga. The author's skill and taste do not linger explicitly but use this kink - and other behaviors sexual, tender, noble, greedy and violent - to form extraordinary characters in a bold, energetic storyline of how powerfully will and duty can drive a person, and a nation, forward. Phaedra starts the book as a lost child with no resources and two curses; I assure you she doesn't stay in that condition for long.
"A creative, sly and entertaining journey"
A treasure-hunt adventure with delusions of satiric adequacy, "Ready Player One" is clever enough to pull the listener through its 15 hours with only minor bouts of fatigue. There are lists, and this book is as much a love letter to Wikipedia as to the video game culture of the 1980s. But even its predictability can be forgiven when the author's wild swinging fists finally land on an observation truly telling, or a laugh-out-loud-worthy gag.
But behind the avatars, the five heroes are complex and engaging. The story is told with fondness not only for the games, but for the people who played them.
Wil Wheaton's narration is effective and his slight touch of "Oh Wow" enthusiasm fits the time and the mood.
"And THAT'S the STORY for NOW!!"
More Thurber in audiobook form should cause jubilation, and the 23 selections are among the most beloved of the author's writing (the cartoons are missing, of course). Keith Olbermann is therefore to be commended for undertaking the project.
One wishes, however, that the broadcaster's delivery was not so melodramatically urgent. Hard-sell punch was perfect for ESPN, and less so for his evening news/talk cable shows. With Thurber, it often creates the kind of cognitive dissonance that would occur if one was shaken awake by someone screaming, "I love you!"
One is pleased to find Audible also offers "My World and Welcome to It," read by a less-histrionic John Cullum, who allows the wit to sneak up on you rather than being shot from a cannon.
"He IS from the Sixties and he DOES remember"
A round-robin of six narrators tackles a surprisingly thoughtful, evocative and detailed memoir. Richards hides little and neither excuses nor apologizes while going through stories that are occasionally off-putting but richly revealed. There is no preparing for this one and it's certainly not for everyone, but the scope and the clarity of the book surprised me very much. For those of us who remember every track of every album, this is a most welcome look back. For others, this is one of the least sentimental overviews of the '60s and '70s you're likely to find.
"Cautiously recommended"
Starting with a chapter about an illustrator, this audiobook is often frustrating but - surprise - the hardback contains no more illustrations than does the recording. Clive Chafer constantly sounds dismissive of all this nonsense, which does not help one digest the sometimes thick material. On the other hand, most of the stories are quite engaging, and the introduction to Nancy Mitford (perhaps the Dorothy Parker of Great Britain) made the book immensely satisfying.
"My heavens, sir!"
Articulate commentary covering a wide range of kink with dry wit and no nonsense. Happily, there are two more episodes available for those who enjoy Dee-Shapland's expertise and style.


text:
Returning Customers
If you are a registered user, please enter your ART portal username and password.
Stinky to Stellar DVD
Item# 83568
Registered Price [?]
Non Registered Price
- Sales Unit: each
Teach preteen students how to resist sin and negative peer
pressure so they can make healthy life choices.
These four lessons help preteens progress from making stinky choices to
stellar status as they learn to share Christ with others. Ice breakers, games,
discussion questions and PowerPoint slides are included! Also great for
devotions, Sunday school and small groups.


text:
This 112-bed acute care hospital was founded in 1966 to serve the growing community of Goleta Valley. Today, Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital admits more than 1,500 patients a year and sees more than 18,000 emergency visits.
The hospital is also recognized for the award-winning Center for Wound Management and
Find us on Facebook!
comprehensive Breast Care Center, which offers digital mammography and now bone density scanning. The staff takes great pride in fulfilling its goal of providing each patient with comfortable, personalized care.
The New Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital: Construction Update
Video: Virtual Tour of the New Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital
Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital 2013 Fact Sheet
Originally founded
Date of affiliation
Type of institution
Days of inpatient care
ED visits
Operating expenses
Employees (FTEs)
Of note
Center for Wound Management, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Digital MammographyandDEXA Bone Densitometry now available at the Breast Care Center >>
Breast Care Center Named Center of Excellence
Community Health Needs Assessment
GVCH Healing Arts Program for new hospital
Wound Center Earns Gold Seal from Joint Commission
Our award-winning center has the only comprehensive program in our region.
Support Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital


text:
Skip to Main Content »
Search results for '#'
Doug MacLeod's first Sledgehammer Blues album | With special guest Charlie Musselwhite
Kei Akagi, perhaps best known for his work as a member of the Miles Davis band in the late 1980's, leads a group including Rick Margitaz, Charles Fambrough and Willie Jones III.
Another great compilation of blues and jazz tracks!
David Binney
Featuring Les Arbuckle, Mike Stern, John Abercrombie, Essiet Okon Essiet, and Victor Lewis.
Bassist and composer Charles Fambrough is joined by some very special friends, including Grover Washington, Jr and Lenny White, on this stunning return to the scene!
A compilation featuring the best songs from the best blues artists of Sledgehammer Blues!
A compilation of the best jazz songs from the best jazz artists of Sledgehammer Blues.
Lloyd Jones' 1995 album
You have no items in your shopping cart.


text:
with Alyssa out with injury, the second spot/silver should be a competition with Mirai and Gracie
with Gao and Zawadzki as outside shots
is Hannah competing in seniors ?
if not she could compete with Karen Chen for the junior national title
with Alyssa out with injury, the second spot/silver should be a competition with Mirai and Gracie
with Gao and Zawadzki as outside shots
is Hannah competing in seniors ?
if not she could compete with Karen Chen for the junior national title
So sad about Czisny. I think many of us wanted her to be a factor but the truth is it was too soon for her to come back and she would have been a huge doubt with her horrific world's last year. It was one of the biggest downfalls since Lu Chen and at least Lu Chen looked pretty on ice. Poor AC did not look good at all at worlds I wish her well and while we talk for fun; it is a life and if she wants to go for theOlympics I wish her well. It isn't impossible but I think the writing on the wall says move on to the next phase of your life but she might surprise us but I can't say AC has really shown much improvement or glimmer of hope after world's.
Sucks for Czisny - in retrospect she really should have just taken the season off. Especially after pulling out of NHK. Like I said in another thread, rushing back to competition is just not a smart move.
I think she really wants a shot at the Olympics...otherwise she would not have stayed in this long. But this may be the end of the road for her. I was doubtful about her successful return from her previous injury but from this one, apparently a hip dislocation? That's a death knell. Besides, she has to start thinking about her long-term health and whether it is really worth the sacrifice to keep trying. Only she can answer that.
Agreed. I think her body is beginning to poop out on her and that's the worse thing, especially when you still want to skate. But this is the stage where one injury tends to lead to another and you're never able to get back to 100% or close to 100%.
I don't know if she'll come back from this but her concern should be about her overall health outside of skating. I feel sorry for her though. I never thought she had a hope of making it to worlds this year but it'd have been nice to see her put in two solid programs to erase her last outing.
This opens the door for a few of the other skaters though (5-10) in terms of placing better...
Poor Alissa...
Don't feel bad for Alissa. She has so much to be proud of: two national titles, multiple international titles, and a top 5 finish at the World Championships. If last year's Worlds was her last competitive appearance, it is a pity because it was a poor showing by her standards. But when we look back on her career there are a lot of great results too. As others have said, she likely will have professional opportunities in which she can showcase all of her amazing non-jump abilities. I think we may have seen the last of Alissa as an amateur but I suspect we'll see a lot more from her in the future in shows and professional competitions.
Here is an article about Alissa's service on a committee to raise five million dollars to save the hockey program at Bowling Green University. Bowling Green alum Scott Hamilton is honorary co-chair, along with past hockey greats from the school.
American Stars on Ice will be bankrupt and over in 2 years max. Book it. However there is always Canadian Stars on Ice and tons of shows in Europe and Asia now.
I find this thread hard to keep up with...so overwhelming. But here's the thought I have reading the last few pages pre- and post-Czisny injury at the recent pre-nationals event:
This thread seems to be maintained by a bunch of folks who really don't like AC. Why else has it become a forgone conclusion that she receives higher scores (in both TE and PC) than she deserves? (E.g., the myth that she was over-scored at Nationals in 2012--am I the only one who saw Zawadzki's FS?) I disagree. Heck, I think AC only started receiving the scores she deserved all along (with respect to both aspects) in late 2011. My opinion? Yes, but so is yours. The way folks sometimes assert their opinions as facts on this thread is galling.
I'm using the last bit of my hope for Czisny's return next year, making the Olympic and World team and earning (at one, the other, or both) a long deserved medal.
Last edited by Pepe Nero; 01-17-2013 at 11:17 PM.
I think you can like Alissa while also having the opinion that she is over-marked at times. I was ok with Alissa finishing ahead of Agnes and Caroline but I do think her SP was marked generously considering her major jumping error. Alissa does a lot of things very well but, to me, she is a clear notch below Caro K, Yuna and Mao on PCS.
That is not my view, but I think the three you mention, along with some others (e.g., Suzuki, Murakami), are all so good, along with AC, PC-wise, that differences among them are really matters of opinion, and truly nothing more.
Of course, none of those awesome women were competitors at U.S. nationals in 2012 -- which seems a little bit relevant given what I take to be your point, drivingmissdaisy.
Despite Alissa not skating at this year's nationals there is still lots to cheer about. Sure we will miss Alissa's race and beauty - probably the best in the US at the least maybe in the world. However, her melt downs make Chan's pratfalls look like clean performances. The American team will miss her this year but won't hurt. She wasn't a real threat and they still have Waner and Gold, Nagasu, Zhang, Zawadiak, Gao et al
Czisny has had a long career, with a lot of ups and downs. Performances like she gave at 2009 Worlds and 2011 Nationals/Worlds are in such contrast to her career highlights like 2007 Nationals, 2011 Nationals, that she has polarized many skating fans, who never know what to expect from Czisny (or were disappointed when they did have high expectations). Even her first Nationals win in 2009 was somewhat controversial at the time.
Obviously, no one wishes her ill now, just a full recovery. I'm afraid though that the Olympic team/medal or World medal is something like Michelle Kwan's OGM dream--something that will remain out of her reach.


text:
ADD water to drink mix in large bowl; stir until dissolved. Add ice cream; beat with mixer until blended. Whisk in COOL WHIP. Freeze, if necessary, until mixture is thick enough to mound.
SPOON into crust.
FREEZE 4 hours or until firm. Remove from freezer 15 min. before serving. Let stand at room temperature until pie can easily be cut. Serve with berries.