text:
Issue No: 151
December 13 -
2009 l
Main Office: USA / Canada
Financial expert Asad Saeed said
it has been widely claimed,
Punjab has given "sacrifice"
is not fully correct. He
said Punjab's income has reduced
by one per cent only but the same
cases are with Sindh &
Punjab. Nevertheless, the
federal govt has given sacrifice
in real sense
as it is 10 per
cent loser. He says no where in the
world, population is only
criteria for
distribution of
"I DO not
understand the National Finance Commission award's distribution
on the one - factor formula: population. Suppose a father has
four sons: A, B, C and D. A has 20 family members
and B has eight, C has six and D has four.
A does not have enough income to support his large family.
Whereas the other three earn a lot
and so the family is well off. All the four come to their father
and deposit their income with him.
If the father, instead of advising A to generate more income and
improve the quality of life
his family, takes a large chunk of money and hands it over to A,
the other three, though
earning a handsome income, remain backward because of unfair
disbursement. This used to
happen in nomadic and tribal societies centuries
ago but it is not practiced in the corporate
world and modern
society anymore.
I think it will be only fair if the federal government shared
their income and the remaining went to the federating units
according to their income. But as a goodwill gesture the award
should be distributed on multifactor formula: income,
backwardness, area and population. NIAZ HUSSAIN
Jamshoro (09l10dn)g
Urdu daily Jasarat has reported this. The paper further writes: The expensive
house has very
tight security around.
Altaf has another house in nearby Edgware area also. The owner of the
Altaf Hussain and his wife Faiza [divorced]. Its price is 5.5
lakhs pound equivalent to
Rs 07 crores, Apart
from this, Altaf's
brother Iqbal Hussain owns two houses in the said area.
international Secretariat is situated 57 - 58, Elizabeth House, Eagware and
as per
reports, Altaf
is owner of the House. This can be
confirmed from the official website of
British govt.
Altaf Hussain ran away from Pakistan in 1992. He went to UK via
Saudi Arabia and is obviously unemployed. He started his carrier in
Karachi by riding on Honda 50 motorcycle. Obviously, he
has also no source of
in UK and his party bears his expenditures
minister said the record of the cases was enough to
'open the eyes of the media and the nation'. He said he
would present within a week the record of all cases
which had been
suppressed by hoodwinking the Sindh
government and the judiciary. He made a dig at MQM
leader Farooq Sattar for his assertion that his party
was not involved in corruption, wondering whether Dr
Sattar was sent to prison for 'distributing charity'. He
also accused MQM of obstructing the entry of the chief
justice at the behest of then president Pervez
Mirza said reconciliation was based on the principle of
forget and forgive, but 'our colleagues are instruments
of the establishment and if it is a war, we also know
how to fight a war. We fought a war for 12 years and
power was not given to us in charity.'
adds: Dr Mirza said: 'Our friends [terrorist MQM] want
to destabilize democracy by
becoming a tool of the
establishment.' He said a criminal would always be a
criminal no matter whether he was in 'Dhoti, Shirwani or
Sindhi Topi'. 'If someone wants our accountability, we
too know how to hold others accountable,' he said
"Point of view"
To remember Dec 16, 1971
By: Ahmed Makhdoom, UK
A 75-year-old woman is set to be
given 40 lashes, imprisoned for four months and deported
to Syria after Saudi religious police caught her in the
company of a young man she once breastfed and who
claimed to have been bringing her bread.
hamisa Mohammed Sawadi, 75, and two
younger men, known only as Hadyan and Fahad,
were found
guilty of violating a sex-segregation law known locally
as Khilwa. Sawadi has
claimed that the sex segregation law should
not apply as she breastfed Fahad when he was a
child. The
international human rights group
Amnesty International has called on Saudi Arabia to
the sentence.
"This punishment amounts to torture
and extreme human degradation," Lamri Chirouf,a
Arabia researcher for Amnesty International told The
Media Line. "It's in direct
contrast to
human-rights standards that protect human dignity."
"These people have not done anything
wrong beyond being together," he said. "This is their
private life and it shouldn't constitute a crime under
international law. It's as simple as that."
"Whenever they catch people together
who are not immediate relatives, they punish them,"
Chirouf added. "The problem in Saudi Arabia is that the
criminal justice system is very secretive.
Cases of
floggings and amputations happen all the time but they
are rarely reported."
The threesome were arrested on April
21, 2008, by the Saudi religious police, known as the
Mutawa'een and officially dubbed the Commission for the
Prevention of Vice and Promotion of
At the trial in March, Hadyan stated
that the two men were delivering bread to the
woman, while Fahad argued that he had not violated the
khilwa sex-segregation law
as Sawadi was a relative who
had breastfed him when he was a child.
The elderly Sawadi, originally
Syrian, was sentenced to four months imprisonment, 40
lashes and deportation to Syria. Fahad was sentenced to
40 lashes and four months'
imprisonment and Hadyan to 60
lashes and six months imprisonment. The verdict was
upheld by an appeals court.
After the Supreme Court recently
refused to hear the case, Saudi Arabia's Minister of
Interior Prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz ordered the immediate
imprisonment and lashing of the
threesome. Many expect the sentence to be
carried out this week, as floggings are usually held on
"I think she'll die," Wajiha
Al-Huwaidar, a Saudi businesswoman and rights advocate
The Media Line. "She's a very old woman and I don't
think she can handle 40 lashes."
"She has done nothing wrong and
nobody deserves this," she added. "I don't know if
can stop this but I wish they could." But Eman Al Nafjan, an influential
female Saudi blogger, argued that an age-based
distinction should be made in cases of physical
"I think lashing and physical
punishment is appropriate for people who are healthy and
won't affect them in the long term," she told The
Media Line. "It frees up jail cells and we
have to pay to accommodate people for years."
"But this case is different," Al
Nafjan said. "Even if they could prove that she did
wrong, I don't think a 75-year old should be
physically punished." Al Nafjan said that
with the
extensive gossip surrounding the case it was difficult
to discern exactly what the
woman was accused
"It's just not clear at all why this
woman is getting the lashes," she said. "In Islam if you
breastfeed a child for more than two years they become
your son, but the court said that
she can't prove that
she breastfed him. How can anyone prove that you
breastfed someone -
there are no papers."
(09l15it) [Courtesy: Singapore newspaper Internet


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
I'm not sure if any of you have seen this but..
Neglected, Skinny, Halter grown into his face, Cancerous eye, Long feet, Bad teeth… and he's only 10 years old!: Meet Harley, our January Bucket Fund Belgian. | Horse and Man |
It's heartbreaking, really. I'm not saying you guys have to donate. Just read the story that's all. I've never actually read a story like this. Where the halter actually grows into the face and he has cancer in his eye. I seriously wish people weren't... stupid and left horses like this. I don't care what anybody says, every animal deserves a chance at life. Every. Single. One.
Thanks for reading.


text:
A major survey of the visual arts that lie outside the Western tradition.
In this major survey of the arts of Africa, Western and Central Asia, India, Southeast Asia, China, Korea, Japan, the Pacific, and the Americas, author Michael Kampen-O'Riley presents the vast range of arts that lie outside of the Western tradition. Within a predominantly geographic and chronological framework, he explores the arts of these areas from pre-history to present day. The first dedicated survey of "non-Western" art, Art Beyond the West is amply illustrated and accessibly written.
This text is available in a variety of formats – digital and print. Check your favorite digital provider for your eText, including CourseSmart, Kindle, Nook, and more. To learn more about our programs, pricing options and customization, click the Choices tab.
Learning Goals
Upon completing this book, readers should be able to:
- To recognize regional and period styles.
- To understand styles in terms of the basic ideals around which they were created
- See the connection between idea and form.
Table of Contents
In this Section:
1) Brief Table of Contents
2) Full Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction: Art Beyond the West
Chapter 2. The Islamic World
Chapter 3. India and Southeast Asia
Chapter 4. China
Chapter 5. Japan and Korea
Chapter 6. The Pacific
Chapter 7. Africa
Chapter 8. The Americas
Chapter 9. Art Without Boundaries
Chapter 1. Introduction: Art Beyond the West
Non-Western Art and Aesthetics
Coatlicue in Context
Chapter 2. The Islamic World
Byzantium and The Umayyad Caliphate (661—750 CE)
The Umayyads and Their Successors in Spain (711—1492)
The Abbasid Caliphate (750—1258)
Iran and Central Asia
Anatolia and The Ottoman Turks (1453—1574)
Chapter 3. India and Southeast Asia
The Indus Valley
Buddhist Art
Hindu Art
Jain Art and Architecture
Islamic India
Colonial India
Chapter 4. China
The Neolithic Period (C. 7000-2250 BCE)
The Xia Dynasty (C. 2205-1700 BCE) and the Shang Dynasty (C. 1700-1045-480 BCE)
The Han Dynasty
The Period of Disunity: Six Dynasties (220-589 CE)
The Sui Dynasty (589-618 CE) and the Tang Dynasty
The Five Dynasties (907-60) and the Northern Song (960-1127) and Southern Song Dynasties (1127-1279)
The Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368)
The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
The Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)
Modern China (From 1911)
Chapter 5. Japan and Korea
The Jomon Period (C. 12,000/ 10,500—300 BCE) And Yayoi Period (300 BCE—300 CE)
The Kofun Period
Korea: The Three Kingdoms Period (57 BCE —688 CE)
The Asuka Period (552—645 CE) and Hakuho Period (645—710 CE)
The Nara Period (710—94 CE)
The Heian Period (794—1185)
The Kamakura Period (1185—1333) and Koryo Korea (918—1392)
The Muromachi (Ashikaga) Period (1392—1573)
The Momoyama Period (1573—1615)
The Tokugawa (Edo) Period (1615—1868)
The Meiji Restoration (1868—1912)
The Modern Period (From 1912)
Chapter 6. The Pacific
The Pacific Arts Festival
Chapter 7. Africa
The History of African Art History
African Prehistory
Southern Africa
East Africa
Central Africa
West Africa
Postcolonial Africa and the Quest for Contemporary Identities
African-American Art
Chapter 8. The Americas
South America: The Central Andes
Time Chart: Mesoamerica
North America
Native American Art in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries
Chapter 9. Art Without Boundaries
Painting and Sculpture
Multimedia Expressions
Purchase Info ?
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Art Beyond the West, CourseSmart eTextbook, 3rd Edition
Format: Safari Book


text:
23 Shouts - 33,539 Scrobbles
Here are 2 projects with the same names. 1) Golden Shower is an all-girl avantgarde-industrial brigade from Riga, Latvia. 2) Golden Shower is an electronic music duo from São Paulo, Brazil, consisting of Markus Karlus and Kevin Rodgers. Their website (www.goldenshower.gs) explains the origins of their sound (a seemingly harmless Macintosh 128k that, when plugged into their local network, infected it with a virus called "Golden Shower" which forces Markus and Kevin to make music). Both their website and last.fm provide all of their songs as free downloads.
User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL.
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text: There's a new rapper-turned-style-icon on our radar, and it's not A$AP or Waka Flocka. The latest spitter to sign to G.O.O.D Music, 2 Chainz, has been making a helluva lotta buzz for his jewelry recently, so we thought: How would we rock 2 Chains if we were 2 Chainz (yes, we have lottttsss of time on our hands)?! So below, browse and buy our favorite gold stunners so you, too, can look like the hottest rapper out!


text:
Buy and Sell How Securities are Traded Principles of Finance Mrs. Schroeder Two Basic Types of Trades When you instruct your broker to buy or sell for you, you are placing an order You place a buy order when you want to purchase a stock Your place a sell order when you want to sell a stock that you own All trades, however, are not straightforward buys and sells Several Types of Buys/Sells The simplest and most common type is a market order A market order is a buy or sell order to be executed immediately at the best available price Example: • Let"s say you place a market order with your broker to sell your shares of ABC stock • Your order goes through immediately, but you cannot specify a price • You receive the current market price for ABC stock • You cannot specify a price with market buy orders, either • If you want to purchase ABC stock, you pay the current market price The appeal of market orders is their speed—investors know that their order is executed quickly Also, market orders typically have the lowest commission costs Another type of order is a limit order A limit order is a buy or sell order that specifies a price limit at which to execute the trade Example: • Let"s say DEF stock is currently trading at $32 per share • If you place a limit buy order with your broker for DEF stock at $25, the order will be executed if, and only if, the price of DEF stock falls to at least $25 • That means you will not pay more that $25 for the stock, and you may even pay less than that • On the flip side, a limit sell order will be executed only if the stock rises to a certain price • You might use a limit sell order to instruct your broker to sell your shares of DEF if the market price hits $40 or higher Investors placing limit orders need to make sure they"re worthwhile, as limit orders: • Have higher commissions than market orders • May go unfilled if the specified price is never reached Like a limit order, a stop order (sometimes called a stop-loss order) instructs a broker to execute a trade when a certain price is reached or passed Unlike limit orders, however, stop orders are placed above the current market price for buys and below the current market price for sells Stop orders are often used by investors who don"t have the time to keep a close eye on the market Example: Say you"re very interested in buying GHI stock (currently priced at $18), and you"re hoping the price will come down • You can instruct your broker to buy (place a stop buy order) if the price goes up to $20 • You do this because you think the price will go down • You want to be "protected" in case the price rises • With a stop buy order, you set your top price for the purchase • Stop buy orders are used in short sales, which are not recommended for beginning investors Example: If you already own GHI, you might place a stop sell order for $16 • Your broker will sell if the stock"s price falls to $16 • With a stop sell order, you set your lowest price for the sale • Investors use stop sell orders to limit their losses if a stock is plummeting in price Restrictions on Orders If you don"t place any restrictions on your order, it will usually be entered as a day order Day orders expire at the end of the trading day If a day order goes unfilled and you still want it executed, you"ll have to re-enter it the next day Your options for placing restrictions on the orders are: All or none (AON) • You may place a buy order with your broker for 30 shares of JKL stock at the current market price • When your broker goes to execute the order, s/he finds out the there are only 25 shares available to be purchased • Your order will be executed for those 25 shares unless you"ve placed an all-or-none restriction on it • The AON lets your broker know that you want to purchase either the full 30 shares or none at all Good "til canceled (GTC) • When you place a good "til canceled restriction on your order, you"re telling your broker to keep the order active until you decide to terminate it • Most brokers will give you a maximum length of time you can keep the order active, typically 90 days • Order with good "til canceled restrictions are: • Called open orders • Used for limit or stop orders Fill or kill • A fill or kill order is meant for immediate execution • If you place a fill or kill order with your broker and it cannot be executed immediately, it is automatically canceled Round lots • Instructs your broker to buy or sell shares in multiples of 100 Odd lots • An odd lot order instructs your broker to buy or sell fewer than 100 shares • Thanks to computer technology, odd lots and even fractured shares are now commonplace Securities Exchanges After securities have been issued to the public through an IPO (initial public offering), investors are free to trade the securities among themselves Doing so is know as trading on the secondary market The secondary market is composed of: Securities exchanges • An exchange is a place where securities are bought and sold, such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) • It provides a place (either physical or virtual) for the securities to be traded, as well as rules and regulations to give a framework to the trading process • The exchange itself does not set the price of a securitythat is the result of supply and demand • Trading on the floor of a typical exchange takes place in what"s called "auction style" • This means that securities are traded when the lowest offer to sell meets the highest bid to buy Over-the counter market • The over-the-counter (OTC) market is not a formal securities exchange, and, therefore, the membership and listing requirements are not as stringent as they are on the NYSE, for example • The computer-linked network for trading OTC securities is called the NASDAQ • Thousands of brokers are registered dealers on the NASDAQ • Other brokers can execute trades by contacting these dealers, who have listed their quotes on the NASDAQ computer network • There are three levels of NASDAQ subscribers • The highest level is reserved for investment firms dealing in OTC securities • They are known as market makers • Market makers are responsible for individual stocks, maintaining an inventory in them by buying them from and selling them to the public • The middle level is for subscribers who receive all listed quotes but cannot enter their ownthese subscribers are usually brokerage firms making trades for clients but not actively dealing for their own accounts. • The lowest level of subscribers receives only median, or representative, quotes from the NASDAQthese subscribers are not active traders and are seeking only general information about the market • Direct trading • Direct trading refers to investors trading securities among themselves without the use of a licensed broker • Direct trading is becoming more and more popular due to the technological innovation of ECNs, or electronic communication devices • ECNs are alternative trading systems that trade NASDAQ-listed stocks • The difference is that they bypass the market makers and allow investors to post orders to be matched with orders of investors in the network • Because of this, ECNs are particularly used for limit orders • Unfortunately, ECNs are not readily available to individual investors but are used mostly by institutional investors, such as mutual fund managers Buy Stocks Directly Currently, over 1,000 companies offer these direct stock purchase (DSP) plans These plans allow investors to purchase stock directly from the company for either no or very low fees DSPs are beneficial to investors who want to invest just a little bit each month, such as $25 or $50 After an initial enrollment fee or minimum purchase requirement, investors are free to purchase as much or as little stock as they would like Most of the time, the company automatically reinvests dividends for the investors Before enrolling in a DSP, it"s important to research the company to make sure it"s reputable Ways to Place Orders Tell your broker in person Contact him/her over the phone Contact him/her over the Internet (keep in mind that online orders must still go through a brokerthey are not immediately executed when you press "send") Some brokers may even be able to receive orders you place from your cell phone or PDA Placing an order is relatively simple You"ll need to know: How many shares you want to trade What restrictions you want to place (if any) The ticker symbol for the security Executing a Trade There are a number of ways to execute a trade: Sending the order to the floor of the exchange manually • After receiving your order, your broker sends it to one of his/her colleagues on the floor of the exchange, known as a floor broker • That broker then takes the order to a specialist, or a "broker to the brokers" • Specialists "make the market" in an individual stock on the exchange, the same way market makers do on the NASDAQ • At the specialist"s post, the broker meets with other brokers who are there to trade the same stock • If your order is to buy, the broker will find other brokers who are selling and look for the lowest price • If your order is to sell, the broker will find other brokers who are buying and look for the highest bid Sending the order to the floor of the exchange electronically • The electronic system for placing orders on the NYSE is called the SuperDOTsystem (Super Designated Order Turnaround System) • SuperDOT routes orders directly to the specialist responsible for the security being traded • This allows for quicker execution than manual transactions • SuperDOT is only for trades of fewer than 100,000 shares, and priority is given to trades of fewer than 2,100 shares • Over 75 percent of all trades on the NYSE go through SuperDOT • It"s important to note that SuperDOT is not the same as an ECN Executing a Trade Sending the order to a market maker • For OTC securities, your broker can send your order directly to the market maker on NASDAQ • This usually provides quick execution • Some market makers pay brokers to provide them with order flow Filling the order internally • Your broker"s firm most likely owns an extensive inventory of stocks and other securities • Your broker may choose to fill your order from this inventory • This also provides quick execution • Your brokerage firm will make money from the transaction as well As you can see, your broker may face a conflict of interest when it comes to executing your order Certain options may benefit your broker or brokerage firm but may not be the best options for your and your portfolio By law, however, brokers are required to give each order the best possible execution for his or her client Specialists Are Important All floor trading for the specialist"s particular stock takes place at the specialist"s post Specialists can act as both brokers and dealers In the broker role, specialists execute the orders of the floor brokers Specialists Are Important Each day, specialists are responsible for setting the security"s opening price Then, throughout the day, they quote prices for the other brokers who come to trade at their posts Specialists may also execute orders on behalf of their own firm Sometimes, however, the trading becomes imbalanced There are either too many sell offers and not enough buy offers or too many buy offers and not enough sell offers When this happens,the specialist becomes a dealer, taking the other side of the unfilled trade from his or her own account This is known as "maintaining a fair and orderly market" Between 10 and 25 percent of the trading volume on the NYSE involves the specialists" own accounts Quick CaseSelling Short Selling short is like placing a bet When investors sell short, they are gambling that a stock"s value will soon drop in price So, instead of purchasing a stock the investors think will go up in value, they do the exact opposite But why would investors do this? Selling short can seem like a complicated process, so we"ll break it down here: Investors determine which particular stock they think is about to drop in price Investors then borrow shares of that stock from their brokers Investors sell the shares and keep the money The price of the stock drops (in theory) Investors buy shares of the stock at the lower price Investors give the shares to their brokers along with interest and commission Investors keep the difference, making a profit Example: Let"s say you think XYZ stock is going to drop in price very quickly You borrow 10 shares from your broker, at no cost to you You see the shares for $40 each, making $400 Remember, you"ve just made $400 for nothing Your gamble pays off, and the price of XYZ stocks drops to $20 Now, you buy 10 shares of XYZ for $200, leaving you with $200 left over from your previous profit You give your broker back the 10 shares you owe him as well as $25 interest and commission for the transaction In the end, your broker makes $25, and you make $175 It sounds like a great way to make money, but don"t be fooled There are many risks involved in selling short, just as there are with market timing and margin What if the price of the stock goes up instead of down? You won"t be able to buy back the borrowed shares (known as buying to cover or covering the short position) without losing money Or what if it takes a long time for the price of the stock to drop? The longer it takes, the more interest you"ll owe your broker and the less profit you"ll have for yourself If the process drags on too long, you might actually wind up in debt Selling short is a gamble even the seasoned investors and is not recommended for beginners
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Groups Urge Stronger Protections in New Stream Rule
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text:
|Drums All about Drums and Drum Kits
|Thread Tools
Ludwig vs. Pearl vs. Gretsch
I have been playing in 2 bands over the past 2 years on a Pearl Vision that doesn't quite cut it for the sounds I'm trying to get and the 10-15 shows I'm playing a month. Over the past year I have been putting together the hardware I really want in the long run (Pearl 2000 series boom stands, Iron Cobra hat stand, DW9000 double bass) and I'm playing on a ludwig supraphonic snare. It has come to the point where the only thing that I need to beef up is my kit. I play about 2-4 shows a month in an original band that sounds along the line of Tom Petty and Wilco. Then I play upwards of 10 shows a month in a 90s centric cover band (from Nirvana to Garth Brooks to Britney Spears and everything in between).
The kits I have been looking at are the Pearl Masters MCX, the Gretsch Renown, and Ludwig Classic Maple. I am aware that a 5-piece Classic Maple is in a higher price range. I have played both the Masters and the Renown and do like both, but haven't played the Renown as much as the Masters. Sounds very similar to me, but I feel the Renown's toms may allow for a little more of the variety of music I am playing. My real concern comes with the Classic Maple. I have priced out the exact configuration (2 up 2 down) I'd prefer at approx. 2200 which is about 700 more than the others I've looked into. I have limited experienc with the Classic Maple, but I do remember adoring the sound I got the 2 times I sat down at one.
Sorry this was long; however, I do value the opinions of the forum members here and just wonder if the Ludwig is indeed that much better than the others or if my experience (and memory of it) may be a bit faulty. Finally, there are finishes in all 3 that I am fond of so that does not matter at all in my comparison.
Thanks in advance!
Re: Ludwig vs. Pearl vs. Gretsch
I love the Ludwig Classic Maple's, I think they are good drums.
Re: Ludwig vs. Pearl vs. Gretsch
I'm a Ludwig "lifer" for a few reasons.
#1, the Sound.
I have a kit of Super Classic 4ply's and 2 kit's worth of CM's.
I can put any head I want on them and they always sound great.
I can also mix and match any drum I want and they all sound like they're supposed to go together (which is VERY helpful when you add drums on at later dates).
#2 Quality of the product.
I can only speak for myself, and what I have experienced with Ludwig products, but I've had most of these drums for 20 years, and not ONE part of any of it has "failed" in any way. These drums not babied, they are used for gigging, so they don't just sit at home all set up and left that way.
Set-ups, take downs, moved hundreds of times, and everything works great like it's supposed to.
You have to keep them clean and check things once in a while, but if you didn't on ANY kit, you'd not be very smart IMO.
I also really like the medium thickness straight shell. Lots of dynamic range, tons of tone, great projection, wide tuning range, excellent resonance....
Other companies may have fancier finishes and just about any exotic wood veneer and a sparkle fade burst finish with a twist....but would you really want to take a kit with an extra $500-1000 worth of paint out of your house to gig with?
I'll put my CM's with a wrap up against any kit sound and performance-wise any day.
People will all have different preferences and opinions, but after playing at shops, and gigging on tons of backline kits of every different brand, Ludwig gets my vote.
They feel great to play on too, and I NEVER have to think about anything letting me down.
My band Artificial Agent here: http://drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116637
Last edited by KarlCrafton; 05-22-2010 at 05:17 AM.
Re: Ludwig vs. Pearl vs. Gretsch
Read up on opinions from Renown owners. I've read many who own those and higher end kits and swear they like the Renowns as good if not better than the big money stuff.
Trying to decide..., DW10&6 maple, Acrolite,Yamaha oakcustom snares , Zilds, Tama IC, roadpro
Re: Ludwig vs. Pearl vs. Gretsch
I've got Ludwig CM's and Gretsch Renown kits...The Renown's for the price are an excellent set of drums...Great tone and loads of volume...However, The Ludwigs, for the extra cash, are at another level...I've 1 up 2 down with 18 x 24 kick and 8 x 14 snare and each drum has it's own distinct tone...Truly Pro sounding kit with the ability to fit into any type of music...Plus they are beautifully finished...I Love 'em...Renown's, for the price, you can't go wrong...All the Best...
Re: Ludwig vs. Pearl vs. Gretsch
$700 buys a whole extra kit, so I'd say stick with the lesser expensive two, or step up your comparison including drums that $2200. That is where things get crazy.
Trying to decide..., DW10&6 maple, Acrolite,Yamaha oakcustom snares , Zilds, Tama IC, roadpro
Re: Ludwig vs. Pearl vs. Gretsch
Renowns are excellent. Spend the extra cash on the best cymbals you can afford.
Re: Ludwig vs. Pearl vs. Gretsch
These are my renowns - I'm using a simple little digital camera (sounds like it - I know - haha) resting on my 1616 floor tom. Using the Steve Smith Signature Tala Wands - Birch.
Just a little sample - not enough cowbell??? Anyway - you get the picture - I love my 2007 PWAM Renowns
Video taken a few years ago - not long after I bought them. They are killer - the sound - in "real life" is just like very nice sounding drums.
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Tax Reform Rehash
The release of Finance Committee tax reform discussion drafts on cost recovery and international tax have laid bare a reality that's been hiding just below the surface for two years now the visions for reform embraced by the key House and Senate tax writing committees are dramatically different and move in opposite directions.
The international drafts are a good example. The Ways and Means draft would move the tax treatment of overseas income towards a territorial system, while the Baucus draft would move towards a more pure worldwide system by largely eliminating deferral. Here's how the Tax Foundation described it:
Of the 34 most advanced countries, 28 use a territorial tax system, while only 6, including the U.S., use a worldwide tax system with deferral. No developed country imposes a worldwide tax system without deferral, though some have tried it with near disastrous effects.
Exactly how the two committees could bridge these broad differences in vision is unclear.
For pass-through businesses, the differences are just as stark. Neither committee has released details on overall rates or the treatment of pass-through businesses, but both have made clear the general direction they plan to take.
The Ways and Means Committee seeks comprehensive reform where the top rates for individuals, pass- through businesses, and corporations would be lowered and the differences between them reduced, helping to restore the rate parity that existed from 2003 to 2012. Other provisions in Chairman Camp's draft would seek to close the differing treatment of partnerships and S corporations, creating a stronger, more coherent set of pass-through rules.
Finance Chairman Max Baucus, on the other hand, appears to actively oppose rate reductions for individuals and pass-through businesses even as he constructs his reform package around a core of cutting rates for C corporations. The inherent inconsistency of lowering corporate rates to make US businesses more competitive while simultaneously defending significantly higher rates on pass-through businesses is stark. The Baucus draft does make a vague reference to "considering" the impact on pass-through businesses, but it is clear that consideration amounts to nothing more than increased small business expensing or something similarly limited.
So the Finance Committee would cut corporate rates and ask S corporations and other pass through businesses to help pay for them. In the end, C corporations would pay a top rate of 28 or 25 percent, while pass-through businesses would pay rates 13 to 20 percentage points higher.
How do they justify this disparate treatment? The double tax on corporate income is often raised as leveling factor. As the Washington Post recently reported, "Today, the Treasury estimates, as much as 70 percent of net business income escapes the corporate tax."
But "escaping" the corporate tax is not the same as escaping taxation. The simple fact is that pass through businesses pay lots of taxes, and they pay those taxes when the income is earned. The study we released earlier this year found that S corporations pay the highest effective tax rate (32 percent) followed by partnerships (29 percent) and then C corporations (27 percent on domestic earnings).
These findings include taxes on corporate dividends, so some of the double tax is included. They do not include capital gains taxes due to data limitations. Including capital gains would certainly close the gap between C and S corporations, but enough to make up 5 percentage points of effective tax? Not likely. Meanwhile, the study focused on US taxes only, so it doesn't attempt to capture the effects of base erosion or the ability of C corporations to defer taxes on foreign income for long periods of time.
All in all, the argument against pass through businesses is based on some vague notion that these businesses are not paying their fair share. The reality is just the opposite. By our accounting, they pay the most. That means that, all other things being equal, today's tax burden on S corporations makes them less competitive than their C corporation rival down the street.
Real tax reform would seek to make all business types more competitive by lowering marginal rates while also helping to level out the effective tax rates paid by differing industries and business structures. That's the basis behind the three core principles for tax reform embraced by 73 business trade associations earlier this year: reform should be comprehensive, lower marginal rates and restore rate parity, and continue to reduce the double tax on corporate income.
These principles are fully embraced by Chairman Camp and the Ways and Means Committee. They appear to have been rejected by the Finance Committee. Which begs the question: What exactly is the goal of the Finance Committee in this process? Is it just to raise tax revenues? You don't need "reform" to do that.
Whatever their goal, the gap between the House and the Senate is enormous, and unlikely to be closed anytime soon. Chairman Camp continues to press for reforms that would improve our tax code, but he's going to be hard pressed to find common ground with what's being outlined in the Senate.
With the timeline for tax reform being pushed back, there is a bit more discussion of what to do about tax extenders. The whole package of more than 60 provisions expires at the end of the year and to date there's been little discussion regarding how or when to extend them. As the Tax Policy Center noted this week:
It isn't unusual for these mostly-business tax breaks to temporarily disappear, only to come back from the dead a few months after their technical expiration. But this time businesses are more nervous than usual. Their problem: Congress may have few opportunities to continue these so-called extenders in 2014. This doesn't mean the expiring provisions won't be brought back to life. In the end, nearly all will. But right now, it is hard to see a clear path for that happening.
While the future is murky as always, a few points of clarity do exist:
- Nothing will happen before the end of the year. The House will recess this weekend and not return for legislative business until mid-January. Even if it took up extenders promptly after returning, which is highly unlikely, the soonest an extender package can get done would be February or March.
- Coming up with $50 billion in offsets to replace the lost revenue will also be a challenge. Congress is tackling a permanent Doc Fix right now, which requires nearly three times that level of offsets. Coming up with an additional $50 billion will not be easy.
- The lack of an AMT patch also is hurting urgency for the package. Congress permanently addressed the Alternative Minimum Tax earlier this year, which is good news, but that action also removed one of the most compelling catalysts for moving the annual extender package. Annually adopting the AMT patch protected 20 million households from higher taxes. That incentive is now gone.
All those points suggest that the business community has a long wait before it can expect to see an extender package move through Congress.
Or does it? One of the most popular extenders is the higher expensing limits under Section 179. This small business provision allows firms to write-off up to $500,000 in capital investments in 2013, as long as their overall amount of qualified investments is $2 million or less.
Beginning in 2014, these limits will drop to $25,000 and $200,000 respectively.
You read that correctly. Starting January, business who invest between $25,000 and $2 million in new equipment will no longer be able to write-off some or all of that cost in year one. Talk about an anti-stimulus. Coupled with the loss of bonus depreciation, the R&E tax credit, and the 5-year holding period for built in gains, and the expiration of extenders will have a measurable effect on the cost of capital investment for smaller and larger businesses alike.
This reality is beginning to sink in both on Main Street and the investment community, where certain industries rely on these provisions as a core part of their business plans in coming years. It's too soon to see how much momentum the loss of these provisions will generate in coming months, but cutting the expensing limit from $500,000 to $25,000 in one year is bound to attract somebody's attention.
2-Year Extension Set to Pass
Here's an early Christmas present — the Senate voted this afternoon 81-19 to move forward on the tax deal cut between President Obama and congressional Republicans. We expect the package to pass intact early tomorrow.
For S corporations, the package means the top tax rate on S corporations remains at 35 percent and rates on capital gains and dividends remain at 15 percent for the next two years. On the estate tax front, the plan calls for a top rate of 35 percent and an exemption of $5 million per spouse.
Democratic opposition in the House is coalescing around the estate tax provisions, and if there is an attempt to change the bill, that's where it's likely to happen. Leadership there may attempt to raise the tax rate to 45 percent (from 35 percent) while reducing the exemption level from $5 million to $3.5 million. This amendment, however, or any other substantive change to the package, is unlikely to pass for a variety of reasons.
The size of the Senate majority makes it difficult for the opposition to characterize the deal as anything but bipartisan and broadly supported. Moreover, recent polls show the plan is popular with voters, too. According to Chris Cillizza:
Two new national polls out today affirm that political popularity. In a new Washington Post/ABC News poll, a whopping 69 percent support the tax package — support that cross party lines with 75 percent of Republicans backing the deal while 68 percent of Democrats and Independents offered their support.
A new Pew poll showed 60 percent supporting it including 62 percent of Republicans, 63 percent of Democrats and 60 percent of independents. The simple reality for Democrats writ large — and President Obama more specifically — is that they need a win in the eyes of the American public following a disastrous election that saw the party lose control of the House and lose ground in the Senate.
And finally, the clock is working against the opposition. Any deal blocked now will be taken up and passed by the Republicans when they take control in January. So either this week or first thing next year, a package very similar to what passed the Senate will be adopted by Congress and be signed by the President. Good news indeed!
Republican Opposition
We don't want to overstate Republican opposition to the deal, but a number of high-profile Republicans are publicly opposing the plan, arguing that the party could do better if it waited until the New Year and the new Congress.
Republicans comprised five of the fifteen votes against cloture on Monday, four of whom appear to have opposed the deal because it could be better — Coburn (OK), DeMint (SC), Ensign (NV), and Sessions (AL).B Meanwhile, a number House Republicans have come out opposed to the package. Representative Steve King (IA) and Michele Bachmann (MN) announced their opposition earlier, and Mike Pence (IN) announced his opposition just yesterday, stating:
"I've no doubt in my mind that the first order of business for the new Congress [if the compromise does not pass] will be to enact a bill that extends all the current tax rates on a permanent basis," Pence continued. "We'll do it. We'll send it to the Senate if this bill falters. There's always time to do the right thing."
Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney is also opposed, arguing Republicans should hold out for something permanent.
"Given the unambiguous message that the American people sent to Washington in November, it is difficult to understand how our political leaders could have reached such a disappointing agreement," Romney wrote in an op-ed for USA Today. "The new, more conservative Congress should reach a better solution."
We're confident that the Republican House could pass a permanent tax bill. We're also confident such a bill would stall in the Senate and would be opposed by the Administration. In the meantime, real taxes would be going up on real businesses and estates, starting January 1. Given the circumstances, the agreement achieved by negotiators is as good as the business community could have hoped.
The Rate Debate Continuesb &
Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus staked out unique turf yesterday, calling for keeping tax policy stable for middle class taxpayers, allowing rates to rise for taxpayers making more than $250,000, but for taxing capital gains and dividends at 20 percent.B As BNA reports:
"I'm going for policy, and I think 20 percent for both capital gains and dividends is the right policy," Baucus told reporters. Baucus acknowledged that the tax cut would specifically benefit the same $200,000 per year individuals that he has said should not expect to see their ordinary income tax rates cut again for 2011, but said the difference is that capital gains and dividends deserve to be treated the same under the tax code.
For wages and salary income for top-earning taxpayers, Baucus reiterated his position that Congress should focus on permanent tax cuts for only middle-class households and not entertain any temporary extensions of tax cuts for high-income individuals.
In effect, Senator Baucus is pressing for the tax policies outlined in President Obama's budget.B That budget called for taxing dividends at 20 percent, but the rhetorical battle over the past year has allowed that fact to slip aside.B As your S corporation advocates, we feel compelled to observe the inconsistency of a policy that would keep (dividend) rates low for C corporation shareholders but would allow rates to go up for S corporation shareholders.B Why is one better than the other?
Exactly how all this gets done also is unclear.B There may be some effort in the Senate to bring up and pass a Baucus-like bill before the Senate adjourns (probably at the end of next week now), but that effort will likely be wrapped up with strict limits on debate and amendments, and the Republican minority has been successful this Congress blocking such requests.
If the Majority Leader wants to get anything done before the elections, he'll need to set some time aside and let the Senate work its will.B With time so short, we don't expect that to happen.
S-CORP in Wall Street Journal
With the focus on flow-through businesses and the pending tax hikes, your S-CORP team is getting more press these days.B The latest was earlier this week in the Wall Street Journal, where journalist John D. McKinnon quoted S-CORP Executive Director Brian Reardon on a story summarizing the rate debate.B As the Journal writes:
Republicans cite studies showing roughly half of all such income would be affected by raising the top two rates. Democrats say only about 3% of households reporting such income account for that half. That suggests much of the income comes from big businesses operating under small-business structures, they say. Businesses affected by the top tax rates include all sorts of concerns, from farms and manufacturers to high-tech and professional firms.
That trend has been under way for years. Congress authorized Subchapter S corporations in 1958 to encourage the growth of small companies. The popularity of pass-through entities grew in the 1980s with the lowering of individual tax rates and other rule changes.
By now, "the vast majority of employers in this country are organized as flow-throughs," said Brian Reardon, executive director of the S Corporation Association, which represents such companies.
Later, John gets to the heart of the matter:
But the new-found importance of such enterprises-regardless of their size-means raising individual tax rates could have significant economic impacts. This week, Moody's Economy.com said raising taxes on higher earners would reduce GDP by 0.4 percentage point in 2011, while payroll employment would be 770,000 lower by mid-2012.
As we've pointed out before, the debate over tax rates is really a debate about jobs.B The current obsession of policymakers over distinctions between small and large businesses or manufacturers verses professional services businesses is really beside the point.B There are S corporations and partnerships in all business sectors, and they are all employers.


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Staurolite is also known as fairy stones, fairy crosses, fairy tears, cross stone, or baseler taufstein, which translates to baptismal stone. This name was given to the stone because of its use in baptisms in the area of Basel, Switzerland. The name staurolite derives from the Greek words stauros and lithos, or cross stone. This name comes from the fact that staurolite naturally occurs in a cross shape. For centuries, the stone has been prized as a good luck talisman, used in religious jewelry, carved into cameos, and worn as amulets. Today, many staurolite stones are the market are really other stones, carved into this famous cross-like shape. Staurolite can sometimes be mistaken for chiastolite, but its distinguishing property is its ability to scratch glass. Opaque specimen are used in jewelry more than the transparent stones, which are much more rare and usually cut only for collectors.
There are many legends about staurolite. In Brittany, staurolite was said to have fallen from the sky. In North America, the legend says that staurolite stones were the tears of the Cherokee tribe of Native North Americans, who, in the 1800's, were following the trail of tears to reservations after they were forced to leave their ancestral lands. But the most widely known legend says that staurolite was formed from the tears the fairies shed when they heard the news of Christ's death. The fairies' tears crystallized to form the shape of a cross. These fairies lived in the Fairy Stone State Park in Patrick County Virginia. At least three presidents of the United States carried staurolite with them as good luck charms. Presidents Wilson and Harding carried them, and President Roosevelt wore one mounted as a watch charm.
Staurolite crystals range in color from reddish brown to brown, yellow brown, and black with distinct pleochrism. Staurolite rates a 7 to 7.5 on the hardness scale. It has a vitreous to resinous luster, and can be translucent to nearly opaque. It is usually given a step or baguette cut. Staurolite can be found in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, as well as in North Carolina, which is a major source of the gem. It can also be found in various locations around Brazil, England, France, Switzerland, Germany, the former USSR, Scotland, and the Middle East. Staurolite typically occurs in medium-grade schists and gneisses, often in association with garnet, kyanite and mica.
Staurolite is said to be particularly helpful in relieving stress, as it stops the wearer from overworking himself. The stone is also used to help those who suffer from depression and addictions. It is often used to help those who are trying to stop smoking, as it helps the wearer understand the reasons why he might be addicted to nicotine. With this understanding, the wearer becomes more grounded, and therefore more able to quit. Throughout history, staurolite has been used in white magic ceremonies, as it was thought to strengthen the power of rituals. It is also thought to be able to access the ancient wisdom of the Middle East. Staurolite has always been carried around to protect the wearer against disease, accidents, and overall negativity. Physically, staurolite is used to treat fevers, as well as cellular disorders and growth.


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Is this Khloé Kardashian's sexiest photoshoot yet?!
The bombshell put her body and backside on display in a sheer bodysuit for Complex magazine, giving older sister Kim and her infamous nude Paper magazine photoshoot a run for its money.
Kylie Jenner, class of 2015, and Kendall Jenner, class of 2014, were thrown a surprise high school graduation party last night. Here's what happened.
We've seen a lot of makeup artists transform themselves into the many faces of the Kardashian and Jenner clan, but never have we seen someone do it in under two minutes.
Hungry? In Paris for the weekend? Consider L'Avenue.
In her first big public appearance at tomorrow night's ESPYs, who will be by Caitlyn Jenner side?
Her entire family is reportedly invited to be her date and solar system at the ESPY Awards on Wednesday, with the exception of her ex-wives.
Kendall and Kylie Jenner have seemingly never heard of the phrase, "safety first" when it comes to driving?
Too soon, Scott Disick. Too soon.
We've rounded up some of today's hottest entertainment news stories that you may have missed featuring Bill Cosby, Mario Lopez, Kris Jenner and more.
Kris Jenner and Justin Bieber are twinsies!
HBD, Khloé Kardashian! The beloved Keeping Up With the Kardashians ball-buster turns 31 today.
Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner encountered the wives of the founders of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in Cannes, France on Wednesday (Jun. 23, 2015), and depending on who you talked to, things may not have gone as well as planned.
Kris Jenner is opening up about Caitlyn Jenner's transition, and she has some very kind words to say.
It's that time of the week again when the celebrity weeklies hit the newsstands. To separate what's real and rumor, we turned to our friends at Gossip Cop for the 411 on this week's most controversial stories.
As Americans, we are granted three basic rights: Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of paying for groceries with currency that features Joan Rivers on its face.
He's at it again! Male makeup artist Paolo Ballesteros has transformed himself into Caitlyn Jenner, as well as Kris Jenner and Khloé Kardashian.
Despite claiming that she was "mistreated" by ex-wife Kris Jenner, Caitlyn Jenner doesn't regret marrying the momager one bit.
Kim Kardashian dropped a reported $110,000 to rent out the Staples Center for Kanye West to play basketball on his 38th birthday.
Kylie Jenner just revealed her mom, Kris Jenner, cut her off financially when she was 14.
Kanye West turns 38 today and Kim Kardashian rented out the entire Staples Center for him! See photos of the event and see the messages the Kardashian-Jenner family just sent him on Instagram.


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Altvater: Augusta National admits first female members: Condoleezza Rice, Darla MooreWritten by Fred Altvater | | email@example.com
Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters, has been a men-only private club since its inception in 1932. Just because it has decided to add two female members, don't expect the famous Green Jacket to suddenly turn pink.
Founding members Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts envisioned a club steeped in southern hospitality and charm. A club based on the morals and culture of the male-dominated society of the 1930s.
Times have changed. Women have taken over leadership roles in business and government and demand seats in tightly held men-only clubs and organizations across the country.
Women's activist Martha Burk of the National Council of Women's Organizations demonstrated against and campaigned several years about the lack of female members in Augusta National.
But until recently, the membership at Augusta National held firm to their right to allow only members of their own choosing and would not bow to public sentiment or outside pressure.
The time has finally come for Augusta National to extend membership to two very deserving ladies.
Augusta National Chairman Billy Payne announced Monday that former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina financier Darla Moore were invited to join the club.
Before entering government service, Rice was a professor of political science and a provost at Stanford University. She has served on the National Security Council and was national security adviser for President George W. Bush before becoming the secretary of state. She is an avid golf fan, and, since leaving public service, has returned to the faculty at Stanford.
Moore is a graduate of South Carolina University and has endowed the Moore School of Business at SCU. She received her master's of business administration from George Washington University and made a name for herself by taking bankrupt companies and making them profitable while at Chemical Bank in the 1980s.
She was named president of Rainwater Inc. in 1993 and has been credited with vastly increasing that company's assets. Fortune Magazine named Moore one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business in 1998.
Augusta National admitted two women to its membership. What will we see next, flying pigs or ice water in hell?
For golf tips and video, visit www.toledoohiogolflessons.com. Follow on Twitter: @tolohgolfr.
Tags: Augusta National Golf Club, Bobby Jones, Clifford Roberts, Condoleezza Rice, Darla Moore, Fred Altvater, The Back Nine


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Six words to say it all
Aug 19th 2013 new
Go ahead, but only SIX words!
This room is for discussion on entertainment, movies, television, jokes or light-hearted topics. Please keep discussion clean and appropriate for a Catholic site.
Saint Vitus is the patron saint of actors, comedians, dancers, and of entertainers in general.
Learn More:Saint Vitus


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Custom Favor Bags
Holiday Favor Bag Kits
Celebrate the Holidays with Holiday Favor Bag Kits
Holiday favor bag kits are a fantastic way to spread the holiday cheer. Our holiday favor bag kits assemble in a few quick, easy steps. Add your holiday candy, cookies or trinkets to the clear bags, attach the personalized toppers, and you're ready for a festive holiday celebration!
Get Festive and Creative with Holiday Favor Bag Kits
Turn your holiday get-together into a festive event with our holiday favor bag kits. The kits are affordable and easy to use for spreading holiday cheer. Our Mardi Gras favor bag kit will rock your Fat Tuesday celebration filled with Mardi Gras beads and Mardi Gras toss coins. Celebrate the red, white and blue with our Patriotic favor bag kit filled with iced sugar cookies or candies. Check out our special event favor bag kits for more options to celebrate your big moments.


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Prostate Cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the U.S.
Hundreds of thousands of cases are diagnosed every year, and last year it killed nearly 30,000 men. Early detection is very important.
You are at high risk of having prostate cancer if you have a family history of the disease or are elderly and have never been screened.
Catch this silent killer early – have a baseline PSA test done with your doctor and they will determine whether you should have an annual PSA done – it could save your life.
Call 706.922.7670 today to schedule your screening.
Read more about Dr. Conrado Tojinio and the lateset advancements in Urological Care here »


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Murrieta Town Square Park is home to a unique memorial. A tall, granite obelisk stands proudly above a series of walls depicting dramatic and emotional imagery of our men and women who have served and sacrificed in our nation's defense.
The memorial will consits of seven granite monument walls, with an artist rendering of those wars and conflicts in which the U.S. has been engaged. Phase 1 (WWII) and Phase 2 (Korean War) are complete.
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Main Menu
Langley Mystery Weekend
If you are looking for the OFFICIAL website of the Langley Mystery Weekend, please visit the link at the right.
Welcome to the unofficial site for the Langley Mystery Weekend. The Mystery Weekend, sponsored by the Langley Chamber of Commerce, happens on the last weekend in February. Currently in it's 29th year, the event features a suspicious death in the small seaside village on Whidbey Island and consists of printed clues "hidden" around town in various different businesses, the scene of the crime, and 25 to 30 suspects wandering around available to be interrogated.
Look for the Google Map to show the village of Langley.
This site is put together for fans of the mystery. Due to issues with hackers, the discussion board has been permanently disabled. Sorry for the inconvenience.
This year:
When a handsome stranger appears in town claiming to be the heir to a vast local estate feathers fly in the little village of Langley on Whidbey Island. And when this friendly foreigner is found dead in a flower bed the town is all a twitter about who could have done the deadly deed.
It's the 30TH fatal February in "The Village by the Sea" and Langley could use all the help it can get to solve the latest in this series of mysterious winter murders.
Sleuths of all ages are invited to participate in the longest running Mystery Weekend in the United States. The fatal fantasy takes place on the weekend of February 22 and 23, 2014 on Whidbey Island in Washington State. For more information on the event or help making reservations contact the Langley Chamber of Commerce 360-221-6765.
All was going as well as can be expected with a town full of big egos and desperation but, on the morning of Friday February 21st, things will took a turn for the worse as they have for the past 30 years in Langley!!!
To find out just how bad things were and help solve this dastardly deed, take the 15 minute ferry voyage from Mukilteo to Clinton on Whidbey Island and 15 nimute drive to Langley to join 1,000's of sleuthers scurrying the streets of Langley. Combine the mystery and suspense of the crime with the cast of colorful characters for a fun filled time for all ages!
Each year, Langley experiences a murder most grand, Langley-style.
The tiny seaside village can use all the help it can get to solve this latest and most mysterious of the ongoing series of February murders.
The Langley Visitor Information Center is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. The Coroner delivers his report at 1 p.m. on Saturday at City Hall. On Sunday the VIC is open 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. At 4:30 p.m. the murderer is revealed at the Langley Middle School, apprehended and locked up!
Prizes are awarded in a drawing of all entries whether or not the murderer is correctly identified.
For more information please visit the OFFICIAL Mystery Weekend website.


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- Focus Areas
- Resource Library
- Videos
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E Pluribus Unum Prizes, $50,000 (Immigrant Integration Efforts)
Opportunity Type: Prize
Funder Type: Foundation
Funder: J.M. Kaplan Fund
This awards program recognizes "outstanding immigrant integration initiatives of all types, whether led by nonprofit or community organizations, businesses, public agencies, religious groups, or individuals." The awards program is coordinated by the Migration Policy Institute's National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy.
In 2012, three $50,000 prizes were awarded.
Grant Details
Due Date: April 12, 2013
Award Size: $50,000


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High school students hoping to earn college credits through Advanced Placement exams soon will be out of luck at Dartmouth College, which has concluded the tests aren't as rigorous as its own classes.
The Ivy League school currently awards credit in some academic subjects for qualifying scores on Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and A-level exams. But after nearly a decade of discussion, faculty recently voted to end the practice starting with the class of 2018.
"The concern that we have is that increasingly, AP has been seen as equivalent to a college-level course, and it really isn't, in our opinion," said Hakan Tell, a classics professor and chairman of the college's Committee on Instruction.
Dartmouth's decision comes at a time of rapid growth for Advanced Placement. Some 2 million students took 3.7 million AP tests last spring, figures that have more than doubled in the last decade. In 2011, 18 percent of U.S. high school graduates passed at least one AP exams (by scoring at least a 3 on a scale of 1 to 5), up from 11 percent a decade ago.


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The families of my grandparents below came to Australia in the 1850's. They were either Brits, Scots or Irish and came here for a better life. They have spread from Melbourne to as far EAST and WEST of OZ as you can go! I'm so proud of them all, who goes on a one way trip?
I often receive info and photos from relatives I've never met, and I hope that, if you think you might be related....you give us a try!
To see the latest photo from the Perrin Family Reunion in Deniliquin NSW click on "Latest News" to the left.
George Henry. Born 14 Jul 1858 (East Collingwood, Victoria) - Died 14 Apr 1936 (Deniliquin NSW.) Justice of the Peace (Vic & NSW), Builder, Undertaker, former owner of the "Deniliquin Chronicle", NSW Press Assoc. Member, former Mayor of Deniliquin (1900) and Independent Candidate (not successful around 1907+). Parents Mark Perrin and Marianne Jones arrived in Melbourne Australia on the "Thames" in 1852. They lost a girl child born on board but at journey's end they found themselves left with a girl whose mother had died in birth on board. George Henry and 5 other children were born in Australia between 1854 and 1866. When George's mother (Marianne) died in 1885, he tried in vain to let the Dadge, Jones & Perrin families in the UK know. I have copies of his letters. What a wonderfull person he was!
To see the latest photo from the Perrin Family Reunion in Deniliquin NSW click on "Latest News" to the left.
Aura Mary Constance. Born 8 Oct 1887 (Deniliquin NSW) - Died 8 May 1947 (Deniliquin NSW). Second wife of George Henry and Aunty Connie to many. It seems she was the rock of the family and always had a full house, be it relatives in need from interstate, the children of her sisters and the children of her own children, sent to Deni for schooling. There were also the wives of Airmen training in Deni for WWII, (former Speaker of the House Joan Child was one). There were journalists, and others. Nearly 30 years younger than George, she managed his interests when failing health and the depression saw the family finances depleted. Funerals were not paid for, and ads in his newspaper were placed for free. Aura (Connie) was the 5th daughter of Thomas McMillan and second partner Mary Elizabeth Keogh. Thomas & Mary could not marry until his 1st estranged wife (Annie Mulligan) died (Dec 1891), nor could the children be registered or christened. (Times have changed!) In Jan 1892 the couple finally married and the children were christened. Wish I'd met her!
Alexander. Born 24 Jan 1881 (Daylesford Victoria) - Died 24 Dec 1953 (Perth WA). My Grandfathers (Alexander) Grandfather, William, paid passage to bring his wife, Jane Richmond and at that time 9 children to Australia on board the Marco Polo arriving in Hobsons Bay Vic. on 20th Sep 1852. They were from Ayrshire, Scotland and after their 10th child was born in Richmond Vic. the family moved to Daylesford. Alexander moved to W.A. where he met and married Dulcie Halbert.
To see the latest photo from the Bryan Family Reunion in Swan Hill, Victoria click on "Latest News" to the left.
Dulcie Catherine. Born 1896 (Coolgardie WA) - Died 24 Oct 1969 (Willagee WA). Parents Albert Michael (sometimes called Miller) Halbert (Kingower, Vic.) and Rose Ann Keogh (Moorak Station, Mount Gambier S.A.) Rose Ann was the 3rd female to venture to the Coolgardie/Kalgoorlie Goldfields in the early 1890's. Sadly in her lifetime she would have to endure the deaths of 5 children (some very tragically taken) and her husband. Dulcie's father (Rose Ann's husband), was a former Victorian jockey who fled to NZ, in the nick of time, as police chased him down a Melbourne wharf, for race fixing! He returned to Oz via the long route and ended up in W.A. Her brother (the 6th child) Gordon was the first white child born in Kundip W.A. His story is most interesting and you can see that story on the Halbert page. Dulcie was the only grandparent I ever met, sadly the brooches that sparkled in the sun and her love of a bickie or two is all I remember of her.
George Henry Perrin's first marriage was to Sarah Ellen Simpson, pictured here with parents Joseph and Margaret Simpson.
For more information on the Simpsons click on this link http://kildwicksimpsons.webs.com/
Photo courtesy of Margaret Storey.


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By jaredmoshe | Jared Moshé's Blog October 22, 2010 at 6:25AM
Warren Ellis, the writer of the comic book RED, has an great piece in the Guardian on audience desire to continue the journey with characters and actors as long as they can. Ellis tackles two distinct yet overlapping themes. Audiences desire to continue the journey with an actor they've grown to love (like Bruce Willis or Sylvester Stallone) and their desire to see a hero rise again. And he does it with a single, simple idea, "These stories tell us we cannot be dispensed with, that it's wrong when we're discarded, that we'll have one last chance to win." He's writing about a very specific style of filmmaking, but what's so interesting to me is that this is an idea that plays again and again in Ellis' work, whether Transmetropolitan, Planetary, Orbiter or his countless other stories. Although his fiction is often nihilistic, sarcastic or dystopian this idea provides the kernel of hope that in the end makes even the darkest narrative optimistic.


text: The University of South Carolina is seeking an experienced Associate Director of University Creative Services/Senior Art Director (Req #005545 Director of Information Services) to be the lead brand creative manager for the university. S/he is a problem solver, an energized person who has the ability to work with all levels of people to help them articulate their messages to their customers, then translate them into image and creative that is compelling, original and a reflection of greatness - the university's and theirs. S/he is a driven leader who brings together diversified individuals to share in ideas that they are proud to own together. Creating integrative solutions to the customers' communications needs that meet or exceed their objectives with respect to quality, value and on-time delivery, and that are both innovative (when called for) and appropriate for their target audiences. In conjunction with the director of strategic marketing and creative services, overseeing and offering creative direction to a large team in a fast-paced office where high quality, cost-effective, award-winning project solutions are the norm. Working effectively with a wide array of office and client personalities and the unique circumstances, all while balancing a large workload of projects and giving guidance to others. This position requires at least seven years' experience in the communications, print, web, environmental design, visual communications and project management fields, including creative management. For additional requirements and to apply, please access the USC Jobs Online Employment site at uscjobs.sc.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=70350. The University of South Carolina requires individuals to complete an online application. USC is an AA/EEO institution.


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The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Lance Cpl. Richard P. Slocum, 19, of Saugus, Calif., died Oct 24 due a non-combat related vehicle accident near Abu Gharib, Iraq. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Base, Hawaii.
The incident is under investigation.
For further information related to this release, contact the Marine Corps Base, Hawaii, Public Affairs Office at (808) 257-8840 or (808) 257-8839.


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Tyler draws our attention to this piece recommending crowdsourcing of equity investment. I've watched people trying to raise equity on both sides of the Atlantic and the UK system does have its advantages. Much less legal worry, fewer restrictions, on who you can ask and for how much you can ask before you have to wade through mountains of very expensive paperwork.
In theory it should be easier to defraud people as well but then I've seen that happen to people in both countries too and I didn't notice anyone finding that the US restrictions stopped very much of it (tell me, is that guy in Scottsdale still pushing low-energy nuclear transmutation?).
As a purely personal view I'd say that it's easier to raise large sums of equity, investment or venture capital in the US. In the UK it's easier to spread the fund raising out from the direct family and friends circles than it is in the US but more difficult to raise those large sums. As I'm convinced that it's small business which makes the economy hum, not the few big break out successes, I tend to think the UK system is better. But that is purely personal prejudice.
From the piece:
One petition, prepared in 2010 by the Sustainable Economies Law Center and, fittingly, paid for by a grass-roots crowdfunding effort, asks the S.E.C. to permit entrepreneurs to raise up to $100 per individual and an aggregate of up to $100,000 without requiring expensive registration and disclosure.
President Obama, as part of his jobs act, advocates an exemption for sums totaling up to $1 million. Representative Patrick McHenry, a Republican from North Carolina, has drafted legislation that would allow companies to obtain up to $5 million from individuals through crowdfunded ventures, with a cap of $10,000 per investor, or 10 percent of their annual incomes, whichever is smaller.
There are real concerns. The S.E.C. must balance its dual mission of facilitating investment and protecting investors, and as we all know, snake-oil salesmen are alive and well on the Internet. Furthermore, Wall Street banks are likely to fight any efforts to encourage crowdfunding because it cuts them out of the equation.
I spoke at some length to Crowdcube a little while back, about whether they would be a suitable way to raise funds for one of my own adventures (disclosure, no, I have no relationship with them at all, just that one long phone call). It does seem to work, funds are being raised.
In the background though are a few rules that do make it work. You can't just pitch any business idea ("an undertaking of Great Advantage but no-one to know what it is"), you've got to convince both Crowdcube and their financial advisors (who themselves, in another part of their business, prepare companies for IPOs on the junior London market).
But the bits that make their model work, and the bits suggested in that NYT piece that would not make them work are, to me, as follows.
1) There's no hard and fast upper limit on how much can be raised. £250,000 is what they say they're willing to go to but that's all about baby steps, nothing more. There's certainly no legal limit on what can be raised.
2) There are restrictions on how much an individual can invest. Up to £5,000 in any one venture with minimal checking (ie, is this a live human adult sort of level of checking) and above that, one must prove that the investor is a sophisticated investor. However, note that the burden of this proof is on the investor: it is not on the company at all.
3) Which is where that McHenry "10% of their incomes" becomes a problem. As soon as you insist that the company raising the funds do the check on the incomes of all the investors then you're burdening them with great costs to raise what are, after all, small sums of money.
4) $100 per project per individual is way, waaaay, too low a number. These are equity investors, recall? They need to be informed, sent the annual reports, invited to the AGM: $100,000 might be the right amount to open up a deli these days (having been there and done that, it does sound about the right order of magnitude) and does anyone really think that a deli wants to have a shareholder list of 1,000 people?
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La Bolleur Mini Golf
The Milan furniture fair is an opportunity to showcase the latest and greatest from the world of furniture and product design. It's also an opportunity to stand out do something a little out of the ordinary and the guys from La Bolleur have decided to bring their Mini Golf Club abroad! During the the Design Week you'll find their space at Via Vogehra 11 in Milan but before that we wanted to find out more…
Hi Frank, what have you got planned?
We are planning to have two exhibitions in Milan. In Zona Tortona (Via Voghera) we have our main exhibition, a selection of courses are there to play and there will be a really nice setting. At Ventura Lambrata we are planning our clubhouse and the biggest part of our mini-golf. Here we will have our openings party on Wednesday and The Official Party on Friday. After Milan we were invited to participate at Berlin Design Week in June. The whole course will be there again to be played.
So why mini-golf?
The answer to your question Why Mini-golf, would be rhetorical: Why Not! Just because.
And why choose Milan?
Two years ago we already went to Milan with a different project, Jack in the Clock. We did a party in an old abandoned swimming pool which turned out to be a huge and crowded success. And of course Milan is the main capital for design. After winning a Dutch Design Award for Best Integrated Branding and Communication for the brand La Bolleur, we thought to go abroad.
Out of everyone in the studio who's got the course record?
Steie is our main guy. He's got the course record which is 6 under par. Frank has got is his name on every score card because of the worst score you can think of – a Frank bogey bogey.
Any famous golfers or designers you'd particularly like to see tackle the course?
It would be Tiger's biggest come back.
Any plans to bring it to the UK?
Invite us over and we will bring our mini-golf to the UK.