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The Windows Phone community was up in arms late last year when Google announced that they were cutting off support for Google Sync, the technology that allows non-Android phones to sync Google accounts with built-in software. This meant that in its current state, Windows Phone devices would not be able to sync with Google Contacts and Calendar. That problem never surfaced as Google decided to delay the process and allow Microsoft time to develop official support for the CalDAV and CardDAV API protocols. And here we are 8 months later, with no issues at all. Google contacts/calendar can still sync with Windows Phone (as seen on my Nokia Lumia 1020 above) and the internet once again created an overblown situation.
The screenshots below show Windows Phone CalDAV/CardDAV support as well as Gmail labels (called Folders in WP).
Above you can see where CalDAV, CardDAV, and Gmail iMAP are automatically set up. To get this setup all I had to do was enter my username and password.
The screenshot on the left is my Lumia 1020 calendar settings. Those two calendars (Personal and Mikey's Events) were automatically added. These are connected to my Google account and I can optionally turn them on or off and change the colors. On the right side you see my contact view filter options. Google is present, along with Facebook, Twitter, and Live Mail.
And lastly we have Windows Phone Gmail settings. The left screenshot shows all my Gmail labels (aka Folders in Windows Phone). You can view emails from each label or move emails from the Inbox to a label. Unfortunately you cannot apply a label without moving it there and eliminating it from the inbox. The screenshot to the right shows email sync settings. Notice that there is no "Always On" setting? That's because Google is only allowing the iMAP protocol for Gmail. If you set it to 15 minutes or 30 minutes, most often the email comes through immediately. It's an open connection and you rarely have to wait 15 or 30 minutes for the sync to happen. If you set it to hourly you'll get slightly better battery life and the connection will not be always open. This setting always controls how often contacts and calendar are synced
See. Google sync, including contacts and calendar, work great on Windows Phone. The latest WP GDR2 update that was released this week adds the necessary CalDAV and CardDAV support to all WP8 devices.


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CampusBooks.com, a leading textbook price comparison website, today announced survey results of textbook purchasing habits as well as technology and social media preferences from over 1,000 college students across the country. The survey, conducted by Campbell Rinker, revealed a variety of findings including how nearly three in five students (57 percent) pay for their own textbooks, social media activity (with students spending an average of nearly 19 hours/week on social media sites), and how a surprising 91 percent of students report taking handwritten notes even though 96 percent of college students own a laptop, and more.
While Facebook may be losings its appeal to younger people, CampusBooks.com's survey revealed that college students spend an average of 7.6 hours on Facebook every week. In addition, college students spend nearly five hours on YouTube and almost three hours per week on Instagram and Twitter.
"This study reveals a great deal about a college student's preferences and habits, especially in terms of the amount of time college students spend on social media sites, use their phones and how they buy their textbooks," says Jeff Cohen, CEO of CampusBooks.com. "While every student's situation is unique, it is important that he or she is aware of the different options available when selecting college textbooks and materials."
While nearly half of all students (40 percent) reported that they have been assigned an eBook for a course, sentiments were highly polarized with 44 percent of students reporting they are somewhat or very happy using eBooks and 39 percent are somewhat or very unhappy using eBooks.
Other survey highlights include:
· Nearly three in five students (57 percent) report paying for textbooks themselves
· More than three in four students (77 percent) prefer to purchase used textbooks
· 85% percent of students purchase textbooks online
· Half prefer to rent and one in four (25 percent) prefer to purchase new
· Nine in ten students (91 percent) report taking notes on paper
· 35 percent of students report taking notes on a laptop
· Approximately 11 percent take notes on a tablet and 9 percent in the textbook eBooks
· Nearly half of all students (48 percent) have been assigned an eBook for a course
· 44 percent of students reporting they are somewhat or very happy using eBooks and 39 percent are somewhat or very unhappy using eBooks
· Nearly all college students (96 percent) own a laptop
· 90 percent of college students own a smartphone
· Students report spending 13.5 hours a week using a laptop for recreational purpose and spend the same amount of time, 13.5 hours on average, using their smartphones for recreational purposes.
Social Media
· Facebook, Google, YouTube, Twitter, and Gmail are the most popular websites among college students with a majority of students maintaining Google+, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and Pinterest accounts
· 92 percent of college students have a Facebook account and more than four in five (82 percent) have a YouTube account
· College students spend an average of 7.6 hours on Facebook every week, nearly 5 hours on YouTube and almost 3 hours on Instagram and3 hours on Twitter per week
From eBooks to buying textbooks online, the study sheds light on a changing technological landscape for students and an inside look at how much time students are spending recreationally on laptops and social media platforms.
CampusBooks.com carries over 8 million new and used college textbooks in one convenient location. The online resource searches thousands of sellers and compares prices on new and used books, rentals and e-books for students. For more information, visit www.campusbooks.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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so cute!
Thanks for the tIP!
love the cuff! i am definitely purchasing right now:)
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Gear Review
Thomas Warren
Warm and stylish
The Coal Scotty beanie is my favorite hat I own. I have been wearing it almost everyday. It has a little larger fit so you can wear it baggy and floppy or low over the eyes.
Super warm.
View More Details on Coal Scotty Beanie


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Edward (Ned) W. Hill, Ph.D., Dean
Ecology of Innovation
Public Financial Management and Its Emerging Architecture
If a single word could encapsulate public financial management (PFM) in the first decades of the 21st century, it would be innovation. Today's policymakers must deal with the increasing complexity of managing public resources. Therefore, critical questions must be asked about innovations: What has been achieved? What issues and challenges have appeared along the way? How can the ground be prepared for the next generation of PFM reforms? The sheer volume and pace of innovations and their widespread adoption give the sense that they add up to a fundamental change in the way governments manage public money.
Public Finance Management is seen as an "umbrella" definition, covering a set of systems aimed at producing information, processes, and rules that can help support fiscal policymaking as well as provide instruments for its implementation. Having in place inappropriate budgetary processes and rules can cause unsustainable increases in expenditure and unbudgeted liabilities. Poor or nonexistent financial information, yielded from unrealistic projections of economic growth or nondisclosure of fiscal risks, can undermine government finances. It is this linkage of policies and processes that highlights the importance of Public Finance Management and has stimulated recent innovations in Public Finance Management practices.
Seizing the Day: The Impact of the Global Financial Crisis on Cities and Local Public Services
A recent report from the PricewaterhouseCoopers Public Sector Research Centre reports that in response to the global financial crisis, local government leaders have already seen a significant impact on their organizations and brands, and a collapse in revenues. Fears of a protracted global recession, over-regulation, lack of access to capital markets and a rising tide of protectionism dominate business concerns across the world. In contrast, governments at all levels have seen the demand for their services rise inexorably which has led to a significant increase in public sector spending.
But all this is about to change. The insulated environment for cities and local government will not survive, with large budget cuts on the horizon. Local government leaders who believe that the growth days for public spending will continue risk complacency and failure to put in place the foundations for a very different future from the first decade of the 21st century. However, there is a potential window of opportunity for local government leaders to prepare for transition and ensure that they have positioned themselves to take advantage of a resurgence of global economic growth as the private sector takes off again. City managers and local government organizations around the world are facing tough choices and need to innovate, collaborate with their neighbors, and build effective and durable organizations.
Economic Development Strategies and Policy
The Hard Road to Fiscal Responsibility
Numerous committees and commissions have offered policy options that would stabilize the debt-GDP ratio in the long run. The proposals of the President's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform and the Bipartisan Policy Center's Deficit Reduction Task Force have offered such policy options. Elected politicians have not been enthusiastic about the work of these bodies. Only the House has passed a budget that would stabilize the debt and that proposal is analyzed as is the president's response.
The United States' debt is partly due to the country's unsustainable, long-term fiscal trajectory resulting from a large structural mismatch between current tax and spending policies that are predicted to worsen over time with the aging of our population and rising health-care costs. Unless these policies are changed dramatically, the already rapid growth rate of our national debt will accelerate toward the end of the decade and thereafter far outpace that of the economy. Recognition of this prospect, and of its damaging consequences for our future standards of living, has led in recent years to the formation of numerous groups-under both private and public support-to recommend concrete policy options for achieving fiscal sustainability. Addressing the challenge also has become a recent preoccupation of our national political leaders and, due to the starkly different views of the two parties regarding the role.
Article by subscription or purchase
Capital Flows to Emerging Market Economies: A Brave New World?
According to economic theory, free movement of capital across national borders is beneficial to all countries, as it leads to an efficient allocation of resources that raises productivity and economic growth everywhere. In practice, however, large capital flows can also create substantial challenges for policymakers. These challenges have recently come to the forefront again for emerging market economies (EMEs). After tanking during the global financial crisis of 2008-2009, net private capital flows to EMEs surged in the aftermath of the crisis and have been volatile since then, raising a number of concerns in recipient economies.
The Federal Reserve projects that, to the extent that the volatility of the market is driven by the fickleness of international investors, it creates a risk of financial instability. Large inflows can also make more difficult the pursuit of appropriate macroeconomic policies to maintain solid economic growth without rising inflation. If, in response, authorities raise policy rates while allowing their currencies to appreciate, this leads to a loss of international competitiveness which could hurt export and growth performance. But if they slow the pace of monetary tightening to deter inflows, or if they resist currency appreciation pressures through intervention, the ability to follow appropriate independent monetary policies is compromised. Such a course of action could result in excessive liquidity and economic overheating, creating vulnerability to boom-bust cycles. And finally, if they resort to capital controls, not only is it an open question how effective these may prove based on the past historical experience, but the use of such controls also risks creating economic distortions that could weigh on economic activity over the longer term.
Public Budgeting and Finance
Citizens have been demanding more public accountability of their governments and governmental programs, particularly in regard to stewardship of public resources. This pressure for more accountability has been driven, in part, by decreasing citizen trust in government and increasing citizen dissatisfaction with government performance. As governments have grown in size and complexity, citizens increasingly view government as inefficient and wasteful in the delivery of public services. Statistics from the American National Election Studies found that in 2008, 72 percent of respondents thought that people in the government waste a lot of money paid in taxes, compared to 61 percent in 2004 and 48 percent in 2002. Similarly, the average score on the trust in government index has been declining since 2002. This growing citizen distrust and dissatisfaction, coupled with the perception of government inefficiency and waste, has resulted in a greater demand for transparency and accountability.
Popular financial reports (PFRs), a reporting mechanism that has seen recent popularity, is one approach or tool available to governments to meet this demand for transparency and accountability. The purpose of popular reporting is to provide financial data in a form that is not confusing or discouraging to those unfamiliar with accounting and financial reporting. Therefore, provision of such information is important for facilitating communication pathways between government and citizens, and fulfilling the democratic goals of accountability and transparency in governance.
Optimal Fiscal and Monetary Policy with Occasionally Binding Zero Bound Constraints
The short-term nominal interest rate, which serves as the conventional policy tool for macroeconomic stabilization, is subject to the constraint that it cannot go below zero. Despite this notion, in late 2008, the Federal Reserve effectively lowered the federal funds rate to zero. The policy rate has been at the zero lower bound since then, and is expected to remain so for the near future. With the standard monetary policy tool constrained, the government has turned to alternative policy tools to stimulate the economy. One such policy tool was fiscal policy. In early 2009, Congress enacted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to provide fiscal stimulus to the U.S. economy in the hope that it would create jobs and promote economic recovery.
In light of this policy experience, many authors have recently examined positive and normative implications of fiscal policy when the nominal interest rate is constrained by the zero bound in the context of dynamic general equilibrium models. Some have shown that an exogenous increase in government spending leads to larger increases in consumption and output when the nominal interest rate is constrained at the zero lower bound. Others have shown that it is even optimal to increase government spending when the nominal interest rate is zero. These results support the active use of fiscal policy in the current economic environment.
Economic Impact
Don't Let Them Fool You, We Still Have Debt Problems
It's true that there has been good news on a variety of fronts regarding the budget, but it is premature to say that we've solved the long-term fiscal imbalance. Fiscal optimism stems from the Congressional Budget Office's most recent estimates, which place the deficit at 4 percent of GDP this year, falling as low as 2 percent of GDP by 2015, before rising to about 3.5 percent of GDP by 2023. These figures are way down from the deficit of 10 percent of GDP that prevailed a few years ago. Some of this reduction is due to the slowly improving economy. The rest is due to policy changes, slower health care cost growth, and various technical factors. But the fiscal problem isn't gone. There are really two different deficits out there - the short-term and the long-term.
Hey, Where Did Our Economy-Threatening Fiscal Crisis Run Off To?
According to a recent editorial published by the Brookings Institution, authored by former Representative Bill Frenzel, federal policy makers always seem to be looking for reasons to dodge the difficult choices necessary to avoid the fiscal crisis. Now they got some new excuses. First, CBO updated its fiscal outlook, predicting the Fiscal Year 2013 deficit would be $200 billion less than earlier forecast. That's delightful, but the 10-year forecast remains substantially unchanged. It also remains dismal. Next, the Trustees of Social Security and Medicare made their annual report. It again showed the Social Security Trust Fund going into the red in 2033, at which time, recipients, by law, will take a 23 percent cut in benefits. It also showed the Social Security Disability Trust fund going broke in 2016, with a similar benefit cut of 20 percent. But, Medicare looked a bit better. It does not tank until 2026, two years later than previously forecast. That small improvement was another excuse. In short, the economic albatross of deficit and debt continues to threaten our future.
Chapter 9 Municipal Bankruptcy: Municipalities Facing Financial Crisis
According to Public Budgeting & Finance, the recession has had a devastating real world impact on cities, counties and states throughout the nation. The reason is that Chapter 9 has gone from being a seldom used area of the Bankruptcy Code to a matter of current events that is discussed in the news daily and debated by unions, municipalities and Congress and state legislatures alike.
Currently, there are at least 115 cities and counties within the United States that are struggling financially. Additionally, 44 out of 50 states project budget shortfalls for the 2011-2012 fiscal year. Furthermore, U.S. cities, counties and states face a $3.6 trillion gap between their pension assets and what has been promised to retirees. Chapter 9 provides bankruptcy relief to municipalities, which include counties, cities, towns, villages, municipal utilities, school districts, and other taxing districts.
Under current U.S. bankruptcy laws, states are prevented from filing for bankruptcy. Since the 2008 financial crisis, many states are facing staggering budget deficits. The financial crisis facing the states has resulted in serious concern among members of Congress that, if there is no bankruptcy option available to the states, states will eventually seek a federal bailout.
Rescuing the Budget Process
There is no doubt that the budget process is broken. The clearest evidence is the fact that we are all counting on the Joint Select Committee (JSC) to avoid total gridlock or a replay of the near-catastrophic debt ceiling brinkmanship. There is a chance that the JSC, with the strong support of the president and the leadership in both houses and both parties, will be able to agree on actions that will stabilize the rising debt and set the federal budget on a sustainable path. However, even if the JSC succeeds, the budget process has failed. Our much-vaunted democracy should not have to abandon its normal decision processes and concentrate power in the hands of an ad hoc group to solve a budget problem. The regular budget process, of which this Committee is an essential part, should have functioned long before now to put in place both a near-term budget and a sustainable long-term plan.
Congress has to fix the budget process. But a better budget process will not make budget decisions easy or create the will to compromise and solve problems, without which a diverse democracy cannot move forward. Process can either hamper decision-making or facilitate it, but only at the margins. The current congressional budget process certainly makes it harder to make fiscally responsible budget decisions. But bad process is a symptom, not a cause of unwillingness to make the compromises necessary to solve hard problems. No process will work well unless the participants in the process want it to work.
The Founding Fathers bequeathed us a system of checks and balances that makes it extremely difficult to get decisions made unless participants work tirelessly to make it work. It requires negotiation between the legislative and executive branches and between the two houses of Congress, even when all are controlled by the same party. It requires negotiation and compromise between the political parties, especially but not exclusively when different parties are in control of one house or one branch. No budget process reform will work well until participants realize that making this complex structure function requires a patient willingness to try to understand each other and to work together to make responsible, sustainable budgets.
Revenue Diversification in the States: The Credit Quality and Interest Cost Impacts
This paper in The Municipal Finance Journal uses data on general obligation bond sales in the United States from 1980 to 2006 to explore the impact of revenue diversification on credit ratings and, consequently, on borrowing costs. The findings indicate that a standard deviation increase in revenue diversification increases by 25 percent the probability that an issue will be rated Aaa. However, the results also indicate that increasing revenue diversification does not necessarily translate into lower borrowing costs for state governments. Although the sign of the coefficient is in the expected direction (negative), revenue diversification does not have a statistically significant impact on borrowing costs.
Tax and Expenditure Limitations and State Credit Ratings
According to the Public Finance Review, the impact of state tax and expenditure limitations (TELs) on bond credit ratings is estimated using an incomplete (or unbalanced) panel from the United States from 1973 to 2005. Three indices of the restrictiveness of TELs are used. Both Moody's and Standard and Poor's bond credit ratings are used and the outcomes compared. The results are consistent with previous work; more restrictive revenue TELs are associated with lower credit ratings while expenditure TELs are generally associated with higher credit ratings. TELs restricting both revenues and expenditures are negatively associated with Moody' ratings, but not with those of Standard and Poor's. Contrary to previous studies, the authors find limited differences in the fiscal and economic variables that influence the ratings of the two agencies.
Assessing and Combining Financial Conditions Indexes
This paper in the Federal Reserve Board's Finance and Economics Discussion Series (FEDS)evaluates the short horizon predictive ability of financial conditions indexes for stock returns and macroeconomic variables. The evaluation revealed that reliable predictability was reported only when the sample includes the 2008 financial crisis, and arguably, this result is driven by tailoring the indexes to the crisis and by non-synchronous trading. Financial conditions indexes are based on a variety of constituent variables and aggregation methods. A simple procedure can be used for consolidating the growing number of different indexes into a single proxy for financial conditions.
Fiscal Decentralization and Trust
The Public Finance Review reports on the relationship between financial decentralization and trust, using data from U.S. states and various measures of decentralization. Findings show a one standard deviation increase in either revenue decentralization or expenditure decentralization causes the share of trusting people in a state to increase by almost 4 percentage points. A one standard deviation increase in the number of governments, however, causes trust to increase by almost 2.5 percentage points. The results are robust to endogeneity.
Fiscal Decentralization and Governance
The literature on the economics of fiscal decentralization stresses the potential for both positive and negative effects on governance in a country. Using a data set comprising 64 developed and developing economies and several different measures of fiscal decentralization, the Public Finance Review reports that countries in which a larger share of fiscal revenues and expenditures are located at the level of subnational governments appear to be less corrupt.
Findings also reveal that the beneficial impact of fiscal decentralization on corruption is mitigated in the presence of mechanisms enforcing vertical administrative decentralization. The results indicate that fiscal decentralization appears to reduce corruption even in countries in which there is a high degree of political representation. The results are robust to alternative estimation methodologies and to specifications that control for the influence of variables that have been identified as affecting governance.
Health Care and Education
Aging and Its Impact on Municipal Credit
It is well known that the nation's population is aging at an unprecedented rate, but the impact this trend will have on municipal finances may not be fully understood. The issue of aging is framed using important areas beyond health care costs and delivery, including labor force characteristics, voter preferences, education system quality and, ultimately, economic growth. Recent demographic trends and their implications, as well as potential policy responses to these trends, also add to the discussion and interpretation of this trend.
Long-Run Growth and Welfare Effects of Rising U.S. Public Health Expenditure
The rising public health spending has created financial pressure on the government budget. This may force the government to cut its spending on other programs, including education and productive public investment. For instance, from 1970 to 2006, in terms of their percentages to GDP, public health spending was rapidly risingfrom 7 to 16 percent and is projected to reach 29 percent of GDP in 2030. Conversely, gross public fixed investment had declined, and public education remained had been relatively constant.
Numerous studies have shown positive effects of education spending on economic growth. The positive effect of productive public spending such as infrastructure on economic growth is also well documented. Since health spending is also considered important for economic growth, the competing uses of these three growth-enhancing expenditures can adversely affect growth and welfare.
Employment Growth Slows in Ohio
According the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, employment in Ohio has grown 2.7 percent since the start of the recovery (June 2009 to March 2013). Over the same period, national employment grew almost a percentage point more (3.5 percent). Elsewhere in the District, employment in West Virginia and Pennsylvania grew at rates similar to that seen in Ohio, 2.6 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively. By contrast, Kentucky saw growth above the national average at 4.1 percent. Among other states, North Dakota saw the largest employment gain-driven by a boom in energy production-followed by Utah and Texas, while New Mexico and Missouri experienced employment declines.
Underemployment, College Graduates, and the Recession
The exceptionally high unemployment rate of recent years indicates that the U.S. workforce has been persistently underutilized. With fewer individuals working than would otherwise be, or those with jobs working fewer hours than they would prefer, the economy is producing at a level far below its potential. This underemployment impacts current standards of living, but it could also have long-lasting effects on workers and the economy.
Global Economy
Minding the Gaps: Integrating Poverty Reduction Strategies and Budgets for Domestic Accountability
The Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) approach aims to enhance accountability by promoting the participation of domestic stakeholders in the formulation of clear and realistic development goals. Institutions for monitoring and evaluation are designed to trigger learning and improved performance. The World Bank reports on how to strengthen the links between PRSs and national budgets, with a view to improving domestic accountability. The accountability relationship has three dimensions including; ownership of the task, incentives to carry out the task effectively, and capacity to deliver results.
Additionally, links between the PRS and budget have been considered integral to the successful implementation of the PRS for some time. These links are also increasingly recognized as vital for enhanced domestic accountability. However, fractures in planning and budgeting systems pose obstacles for donors and national governments. Such obstacles include ineffective prioritization of plans and coordination between planning and budgeting units, difficulty developing incentives to formulate realistic budgets and execute them as planned; and the lack of integration of reporting mechanisms.
A well-functioning, results-oriented reporting system needs to integrate financial information on actual expenditure inputs with performance information on the outputs and outcomes that result from public spending. While the PRS goes beyond the budget, because it includes strategies and priority actions that do not require the allocation of public funds, the systems for monitoring government performance in implementing budgets could provide a solid basis for reporting on a critical part of PRS implementation.
To analyze the effectiveness of the PRS approach, the World Bank reviews a series of case studies that document the status of budget and PRS integration in a sample of nine low-income countries-Albania, Burkina Faso, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda-and the links among policies, budgets, and service delivery in four higher-income countries that are internationally considered to be successful reformers in public financial management-Australia, Chile, the Republic of Korea, and South Africa.
Public Financial Management Reforms in Post-Conflict Countries
Public financial management (PFM) is frequently a key pillar in reforms to build more capable and accountable states in post-conflict environments. It is the focus of attention of international financial institutions as well as other bilateral aid agencies, and in many cases drives the financial support provided by key donors. PFM reforms are expected to contribute to the wider state-building goals that are equivalent to the post-conflict phase, including a more transparent management of public finances, regular payment of salaries of civil servants, better service delivery, and better allocation of resources in support of reconstruction priorities.
Public finances are a central component of state-building and peace-building efforts. Governments need control over public resources for funding national priorities. States need resources for providing public services-ranging from security, to water and sanitation, to education and health-and fulfilling their fiscal commitments such as paying staff salaries. These are essential for building legitimacy and resilience, which have typically been eroded in fragile and conflict-affected situations.
How Global Fiscal and Monetary Policies and Sovereign Credit Affect the U.S. Municipal Market
Municipal analysts have long considered the impact of U.S. fiscal and monetary policy on interest rates and the economy. As we have recently seen, however, it is becoming increasingly necessary for municipal analysts to consider global fiscal and monetary policies, as well as sovereign credit, because these can have profound effects on our local economies and financial markets and, consequently, on municipal credit. Global trends should inform our thinking about what the next U.S. economic downturn might resemble. Specifically, the fiscal and monetary challenges around the world, involving the credit quality of key sovereign governments in Europe and Asia, and the potential for its contagion into the United States through exposures of money market funds to European banks, is a trend that should be observed.
The Politics of Fiscal Austerity: Implications for the United States
As austerity becomes the new normal for advanced nations, questions are raised about whether nations can make the hard choices necessary to bring about a sustainable fiscal future. The political defeat experienced by so many European governments undertaking fiscal consolidations points to the vulnerabilities that leaders will face. Unlike many European nations today, the seemingly endless appetite for U.S. treasuries by worldwide markets gives the United States the luxury of choosing to begin deficit reduction only when the economy strengthens. However, the absence of market pressure also reduces the sense of urgency, consigning national leaders to create internal crises such as the 2012 fiscal cliff to force their own hand. While the polarized politics characterizing our party system does not bode well for concerted fiscal action, divided government carries the potential for spreading political risks and promoting more sustainable fiscal outcomes, as it has in our recent history and in other nations as well.
The Recession and Recovery from an Industry Perspective
Real GDP grew at an annualized rate of 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis' revised estimate. Although this revision may confer the important psychological effect of keeping a streak of 14 consecutive quarters with positive growth alive, the reality is that the U.S. economy stagnated in the last quarter of last year. The overall growth rate of real GDP hides a fair amount of heterogeneity across industries.
Advancing Urban Policy: Public Finance & Budgeting was created with counsel from Benjamin Clark, Ph.D., and Kevin O'Brien; compiled by Jessica Murphy, graduate assistant; edited by Roslyn Miller, consultant.


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First name content excerpted from The Complete Idiot's Guide to 30,000 Baby Names © 2005 by
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First name origins & meanings:
First name variations: Amala, Amalah, Amalburga, Amalea, Amaleah, Amalee, Amaleigh, Amaleta, Amalia, Amali, Amalie, Amalita, Amalitah, Amela, Amelie, Amelija, Amelina, Amelinda, Amelindah, Ameline, Amelita, Amelitah, Amelynda, Amelyndah, Amilia, Amiliah, Amilina, Amilinda, Amilita, Amilitah, Ammilina, Ammileine, Amylia, Amyliah, Amylaya, Amylyah, Emelin, Emelia, Emelina, Emeline, Emelita, Emelitah, Emmelina, Emmeline, Emmilyn, Emmilyna, Emmilyne, Amelia
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Poor Cash Warren. Not only did the handsome Hollywood producer/nobody get dumped by his girlfriend of two and a half years, the lady did it over the phone. She then promptly had all his stuff removed from her home. But the worst part? His ex-lady was JESSICA ALBA. Ouch. Here's a tissue, Cash. Let those tears flow.
This opens up an exciting opportunity for the lads of La La Land (and an annoying one for all the Jessicas and Jennifers out there) – who will hot Alba date next? She seems to go for the non-actor types, but may we remind her that both George Clooney AND Andy Dick are single?! Go to town, girlfriend! [Us Weekly. Image: Getty]


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Ninja has been making paintball products for other companies for over 12 years but they have just now decided to hit the retail market under there own name. They manufactured tanks for names like Pure Energy, ACI, and many other companies. Now they bring you a full line of Paintball Air Products under the cool new name…NINJA
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Directions to Red Mustard Apartment, Bairro Alto, Lisbon
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Map & Directions
From the Airport - you can easily take a taxi to Bairro Alto (15 Euro - with luggage); Do you prefer public transports? Pick a bus (2 Euro) to the near subway station and then go straight to the Baixa-Chiado exit (2 Euro). Or take Aeroshutle Bus (3,5 Euro). In 20/30min you're there.
From the Train Station (Santa Apolónia) - subway station until the Baixa-Chiado exit plus 2min walking. You're there.


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City : Hotel Grand Rapids
Country : Hotel USA
Star rating : 0 star hotel
The hotel AmericInn Grand Rapids Each AmericInn is built with solid masonry construction and the highest sound rating in the industry to allow you the experience of a quiet nights sleep. Business and leisure travelers are accommodated with a desk, in room coffeemakers, data ports, free continental breakfast and the only frequent traveler program that pays you 40.00USD after every ten nights of lodging. Other amenities include an over sized pool area with wood beam ceiling - Amenities also include a comfortable, home-like lobby and specialty rooms. (source: Hotel.info)


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August 3, 2015
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AUSTIN, Texas -- Lawyers representing Hispanic and African American groups have asked judges in Washington to make a decision quickly on whether new political maps in Texas violate the federal Voting Rights Act.
The lawyers say interim political maps issued by a San Antonio court will discriminate against minorities and that only a ruling by the Washington judges could correct the problem.
There are two separate court cases looking at the redistricting maps in Texas. The Washington court must decide if the maps are legal. The San Antonio judges must decide if they are fair.
The lawyers hope a ruling made by the Washington court soon would force the San Antonio judges to draw more favorable political districts for minorities.
Republicans have called the maps drawn by the San Antonio court fair.
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TED the Toolbar 4.0.1-signed
bởi Jay Nick
A toolbar to monitor your real-time electric use. Requires TED, the Energy Detective and TED Footprints API, products of Energy, Inc. The toolbar now supports both the TED 1000 and 5000 series energy monitors.
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Today in the every goal series, we look at now-departed winger Tanner Glass, Scrabble Champ, bear fighter and all-around good guy, and examine the three goals he scored for the Canucks in 2010-11. Additionally, we marvel at the fact that Joel "Cigar Guy" Perrault is in the background for two of them.
Looking solely at Tanner Glass's goals isn't particularly the best representation of what he brought to the Canucks. Over the course of two seasons in Vancouver, he only scored seven times, skating mostly on the fourth line. Offense wasn't his bag. Rather, Glass earned a spot in the lineup in other ways.
A year after his grit and defensive responsibility earned him a semipermanent place on the third line, where his hands weren't quite soft enough for this job, Glass's hands were put to better use in 2010-11. Once Darcy Hordichuk was moved out of town at the close of training camp and Rick Rypien left the team for personal reasons, Glass found himself acting as the Canucks' enforcer for much of the season, even in the wild. The Canucks also capitalized on his extraordinary leadership skills, using him as a constant and a mentor on a fourth line used primarily for the development of prospects.
So yeah. Tanner Glass isn't a scorer. But bear with us, as we examine those rare instances in which he was. Here's every goal he scored last season.
1 Nov. 11 vs the Ottawa Senators
Basically, if Tanner Glass scores, your NHL team probably isn't trying its hardest. Case in point: this goal, Tanner's first of the season, which comes late in a blowout versus the Ottawa Senators. Look at Cory Clouston's face. He's thinking: Great, Tanner Glass just scored. I'm gonna get fired. He was right, too. Thing to note: Glass's linemates here are Rick Rypien and Mario Bliznak.
The most pressing question surrounding this clip is whether Dale Tallon saw it before he gave Ed Jovanovski 16.5 million dollars over four years. Because, if he did, he's paying over four million a year for a guy that let Peter Schaefer walk around him. Seriously, Jovo basically holds the door open for him. Anyway, Schaefer makes the pass to Glass, who, unlike Ed Jovanovski, makes no mistake. If you're wondering, Glass's other linemate here and in the next clip is Joel Perrault. But you probably weren't wondering. I digress.
3 Dec. 3 vs the Chicago Blackhawks
The last goal Tanner Glass would score in a Canucks uniform opened the scoring in one of the best games of last season, when the Canucks beat the Blackhawks 3-0. The play begins with Dan Hamhuis throwing a puck on net, which leads to a juicy rebound. Jannik Hansen gets tangled up with both Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, allowing Glass to be the first one on the rebound despite skating halfway across the zone to get there.
Tags: Every Goal 10-11, featured, Tanner Glass
And let's not forget that he absolutely rocked that mullet.
Unrelated note: will we see an "Every Goal 2011-2012: The Former Canucks Prospects that Gillis Let Go for Practically or Literally Nothing" compilation at the end of next season? That one might end up taking a bit longer to put together…
Love your site, keep up the great work! Btw, you made a little error.. "The last goal Tanner Glass would score in a Canucks uniform opened the scoring in one of the best games of last season, when the Canucks beat the Blackhawks 4-3." Actually, that was the game we won 3-0.


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Hewlett-Packard was voted the company that people would love most to work for in Singapore, according to a Best Employer: The People's Choice 2002 survey conducted by JobStreet.com. Other companies placed in the Top 5 are Singapore Airlines, IBM, Citibank, and Agilent Technologies.
Respondents cited HP's people-oriented culture as the main attribute which differentiates HP from other employers. "Although many companies espouse to be people-oriented, HP stood out to many respondents as the company that truly practices it," commented Malek Ali, Vice-President of JobStreet.com. Respondents pointed to HP's culture of empowerment, mutual respect and trust, which manifests itself in popular policies such as good remuneration and benefits, flexible working hours and good opportunities for career development and personal growth. "These policies have served HP well, even through today's uncertain environment caused by the HP-Compaq merger," added Malek Ali.
Singapore Airlines received the highest number of votes among Singapore companies, earning it the overall runner-up position, ahead of other multinationals such as IBM, Citibank and Agilent. For Singapore Airlines, voters cited the airline carrier's stability in what is a difficult period for the industry, management leadership and pride in the Singapore company being a global leader. A number of voters specifically mentioned Singapore Airlines delivering on its promise of restoring pay-cuts if certain milestones were achieved.
JobStreet.com launched its inaugural Best Employer: The People's Choice award in June to pay tribute to organisations that are perceived by the public as their favourite organisation to work for. The winning organisation was selected based on the highest number of votes in an online survey conducted by JobStreet. This year, the survey garnered 1537 respondents and 156 nominations.
Nominations were categorized into three categories: Best Multinational Companies, Singapore Companies and Government/Statutory Bodies. Rankings in each category are listed in the tables below.
JobStreet.com will be presenting findings of this survey at a seminar on 25 July 2002 at Mandarin Singapore.
About JobStreet.com Pte Ltd
JobStreet.com is Asia's leading online recruitment company, the trusted job search partner to more than 1.8 million young professionals across Asia. JobStreet.com offers an array of career services including career advice, job tracking, resume building and the ease of online applications to companies of jobseeker's choice, facilitating over 5,000,000 career matches, and over 500,000 Internet job applications a month. JobStreet.com currently has 10 offices across Singapore, India, Malaysia and Philippines.
JobStreet.com is the winner of several prestigious awards re-affirming its leading position in the region. The awards won include Singapore - Top 5 in the e50 dot.com ranking (Accenture/Business Times); Malaysia - "@my Internet Company of the Year 2001" (The Star/MIMOS), "E-Commerce Site of the Year 2001" (PIKOM/Computimes), Best Software Application (Asia Pacific Multimedia Super Corridor Information Technology and Telecommunications); The Philippines - Winner of 2001 Philippines Web Awards for Service; India - "Top Job Site" (Week magazine). Please visit www.jobstreet.com for more information.


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The Alliance for Bonded Term Limits, Inc. (ABTL) seeks to explore and develop a process under which candidates for public office can assure constituents that they will work diligently in the public interest instead of building long careers rife with self-interest. We will provide a vehicle for sincere candidates to demonstrate their commitment to limited tenure in office by voluntarily bonding their term limit promise with personal assets in advance of the election. These bonded assets of substantial worth will be forfeited to charity only if their promise is broken.
This country does not need a Constitutional Amendment or a Federal Law to bring fresh ideas to Washington; we need dedicated citizens who will travel to Congress with a real commitment to return home after a finite time in office. Our nation needs to return to the citizen legislatures expected by our Founders and retire the career politicians and their patrician lifestyles. Join us and help us make the political class return to the real world to live by the rules they have made for others.


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You hear people talk about Karma more and more now days. They use this word to describe something good or bad that happened to them or to someone else. Often you can even hear this word to describe the behavior or action taken by a person and/or to predict the future consequences this person may receive based upon a particular action.
Karma is a word that has many meanings but is often translated as action, cause and effect, but karma is neither good nor bad. It is neutral energy that gets activated by the emotions, thoughts and actions we take. These actions then lead into a reaction that in turn creates more actions and the cycle continues.
If you are a yoga practitioner you probably heard of Karma Yoga," The Selfless Service". Many, when they hear this, immediately think of Mother Teresa or Gandhi just to mention a few names. It is true that these people were amazing and what they have done is truly remarkable and many of us may not be able to follow their foot steps.
I was really relieved when I read a book that described Karma Yoga in a way I could apply in my life. I do not need to renounce my family, my job, my material possessions to make a difference. I read that while we may choose to believe that the actions of others have the greatest effect on us, but it is our own deeds that have the most profound influence in our lives. WOW!
Karma yoga is about doing our best and not expecting a reward, praise or blame. It is doing something for the sake of doing it with devotion and as an offer to the Divine. We may continue to do the same job, activities or service we were doing before but now we are doing it without any expectations.
You may ask: What about my job? I have a family, bills to pay and I cannot just do charity work, I cannot just not get paid or work for free? I hear you and this is a quote I found that helped me so much " Choose a job that you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life" ~ Confucius. So in other words, whatever you do for a living let it be aligned with your spiritual path or beliefs so it is easier to see it as a service instead of a job. You will get up every day happy and ready to share what you love with others.
Now the best part about karma yoga is that starts with YOU! I never saw it this way and I was very excited to read about it from that perspective. It is so easy for us with our busy lives to take care of everything else before taking time for ourselves. We get so consumed by the business of our lives that we don't slow down unless we are sick. I was reminded that when we feel nurtured we nurtured others. When we are depleted, we are unable to nurture others.
Karma Yoga, for yourself, can be as simple as taking 5 minutes to breathe, meditate, or go for a walk, etc. It is about taking the time to listen to your own needs so you can re-energize you mind, body and connect with your higher self. Take the time to see what nurtures you so you can continue to give and nurture others. "When you remember to serve yourself first, the service of others flows forth" Nishala Joy Devi
This has helped me tremendously and I hope it does the same for you. Hopefully you can begin to live your karma yoga and inspire others to do the same.
Ps: To view this or any of my other articles published in Yoganonymous, you can click here


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About MOOC Completion Rates: The Importance of Student Investment
Jan 11, 2013
Commentary by Stephen Downes
When you look at how many people clicked on the login form, completion rates in a MOOC are very low. But when you look at those who completed teh first assignment, completion rates are much higher. Investment matters. "We need to recognize that completion rates for MOOCs really have a different meaning than those for regular university courses. This is mainly because of the differing level of investment the students make from the start." Making students pay might raise the completion rate, suggests Tucker Balch, who just fin ished teaching a Coursera MOOC in which 53,000 students signed up and 4.8 percent completed. But one wonders what the purpose of such a measure would be. "If we continue to keep the barrier to entry low, we'll enable students to taste many many courses, and that may be a good thing for education."Total: 319
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How to Apply to Plan II Honors
ApplyTexas.org will open for Fall 2016 Applications on August 1.
Application deadline for fall applicants: December 1.
October 15 is the recommended application completion date for Plan II Honors applicants. This is not a deadline.
October 15 is the date by which we recommend Plan II applicants complete their ApplyTexas and the honors applications. The deadline is a "soft" internal deadline. Nothing relating to the Plan II Honors application closes or cuts-off on October 15. The priority deadline is there to remind Plan II applicants that Plan II conducts rolling admissions. And, Plan II reviews applications in the order that the applications are completed. The later an applicant completes the application, the later that application will be reviewed. Because we will have been offering admission to complete applicants beginning in October, there will be fewer spots available later in the cycle when the applications completed closer to the December 1 deadline are reviewed. Fewer available spaces means a lower likelihood of admission. Competition will be stiffer as fewer spots are available.
- Plan II admission offers are non-binding and non-exclusive regardless of the date of the offer of admission
- Submitting an application on or before October 15 will not guarantee early notification or increase the likelihood of admission.
Application Checklist for Plan II Honors Applicants:
ApplyTexas Application for Freshman Admission
$75 Application Fee (Application Fee Waiver information)
Supplemental Information Form: accessed at MyStatus (Formerly the Self-Reported High School Coursework Information Form)
Official High School Transcript and rank
SAT or ACT scores
Two Essays Essay Topics for Fall 2016 Applicants
Applicants now have the option of the UT Austin document upload system (Upload system available only after ApplyTexas has been submitted and has uplodaded).
Honors Application
Expanded Résumé
An applicant must complete and submit all of the following items to complete an application to UT Austin:
ApplyTexas, (see How to Apply)
The ApplyTexas application must be completed and submitted before an applicant will have access to the on-line honors application or the UT campus housing application.
Document Submission (essays, transcripts, recommendations, expanded résumés).
Self-Reported High School Coursework Information Form, accessed through MyStatus.
SAT or ACT (with writing) test scores:
University of Texas at Austin reporting codes: SAT: 6882 ACT: 4240
Applicants need only report scores to The University of Texas at Austin. Plan II has access to all Plan II applicants' scores that are officially reported to the University. There is no test reporting code for Plan II.
See Plan II and Credit by Exam for information on Plan II requirements and placement tests.
SAT or ACT scores reported on high school transcripts will NOT be considered and will NOT complete an application for UT or for Plan II.
- Neither UT Austin nor Plan II Honors require any SAT Subject Tests or Advanced Placement exams for admission. But an applicant must submit official test scores to claim test credit as a University of Texas at Austin student.
$75 University of Texas at Austin Application Fee:
- Fee: $75; $90 for international applicants
- Online payment preferred; pay by credit card (American Express, Discover, MasterCard, or Visa) if paid while applying online.
- Fee waiver based on financial need? Mail or fax a copy of your SAT or ACT test fee waiver or a letter from your high school counselor or principal explaining your financial situation and reason for needing an admissions application fee waiver.
An official high school transcript.
Texas, public high schools may submit transcripts using TREx
Applicants may upload a copy of an official transcript using UT Austin's document upload system
- The transcript you submit must be official and provide rank and high school coursework information.
- To be official, a transcript must be an original document that includes the high school's seal or the signature of a school official or must be submitted electronically by the high school through TREx (Texas Records Exchange, a submission system run by the Texas Education Agency); electronic transcripts in any other format are not official.
If you've recently changed high schools, you may need to send UT Admissions an official transcript and rank from your former high school to complete your application for admission.
UT Austin Admissions will not accept updated class rank after the December 1 application deadline.
Official high school transcripts submitted by Texas public school students who will graduate under the state's Recommended High School Program or the Distinguished (also called Advanced) High School Program must indicate in an official manner that they will do so. Everyone else must submit a copy of the certification/exemption form completed by their high school counselor. State requirements and exemptions for high school courses. Plan II does not require additional coursework or special classes beyond the University's requirements.
- See document submission information on BeALonghorn at http://bealonghorn.utexas.edu/submit
Two Essays: Essay topics for Fall 2016 Applicants
Essays and Honors Applications webpage. The School of Architecture and the College of Fine Arts have different essay requirements. If an applicant is applying to Architecture or CFA, the applicant will need to submit Essay D, in addition to Essay C.
See: Plan II Essay information and recommendations.
To apply to Plan II Honors, submit:
Honors application.
The on-line HONORS APPLICATION is accessible only after an applicant has completed and submitted the ApplyTexas.org application. This application is separate from ApplyTexas. ApplyTexas will upload within 24-48 hours after the applicant submits ApplyTexas. AFTER ApplyTexas has loaded, the applicant can access the on-line honors application.
- The link to the honors application will appear in the email you receive from the University of Texas at Austin after you submit your ApplyTexas application as a confirmation, ("thanks for applying to UT.") if you noted an interest in freshman honors programs on ApplyTexas. If you did not note an interest in freshman honors programs on ApplyTexas, you can still access the on-line honors application (once your ApplyTexas application has been uploaded into the system). You can find that link on BeALonghorn Honors Application and at several places in the Plan II Honors website. Plan II Honors personal statement.
The personal statement is contained within online honors application and must be submitted to complete the honors applicaiton
- If an applicant is applying to more than one honors program, all the requirements for each honors program will be contained in the single honors application. The application will NOT submit multiple honors application, even if applying to multiple honors programs.
Expanded Résumé.
Ideally, this résumé is submitted electronically. Document Submission (essays, transcripts, recommendations, expanded résumés).
This expanded resume is required in addition to the résumé portion on the electronic ApplyTexas.
Additional Information:
- Plan II has discontinued the requirement for a teacher or counselor recommendation.
- Do not send any application materials to the Plan II Honors office. All materials must be submitted to the University of Texas at Austin Office of Admissions. Electronic submission preferred in all cases.
Electronic submission is preferred in every case. Document Submission (essays, transcripts, recommendations, expanded résumés)
Any documents submitted via US Mail should be sent to the following address:
Office of Admission-Processing
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX 78713-8058
For express delivery services (DHL, FedEx, etc):
Office of Admissions
The University of Texas at Austin
110 Inner Campus Drive, Main 13
Austin, TX 78712
Tel: 512-475-7387
An applicant may apply for on-campus housing as soon as the UT Austin application process is complete. (When the applicant sees the green "complete" button on the MyStatus site.)Because housing choice order is based on the date of the housing application, the earlier the application is submitted, the better.
Applicants should NOT wait until they receive an admission offer or until they have made their college choice decisions if they want to live on the UT Austin campus.
The Housing application may be found at applicant's MyStatus site, under the Housing tab.


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When His Hookup Bar Is Closed, Patrick Kennedy Has No Relief From the Stress of Work...until Tyler Andrews Offers to Put In Some Extra Hours. Patrick Is Bent Over the Desk With His Assistant's Cock Buried In His Ass.
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Union To Play Reading United A.C. On 6/23
READING, PA (June 10, 2010) – Philadelphia Union will keep themselves sharp during the two week MLS World Cup break with an exhibition game against Reading United A.C. on June 23rd at 7:30 p.m. at Exeter High School's Don Thomas Stadium. In late 2009, Reading and Philadelphia inked a player development agreement that will allow Reading players and staff access to the Union coaches and staff and vice-versa.
"We're extremely proud of our relationship with the Philadelphia Union," said Reading United President Art Auchenbach. "Our partnership benefits have already been evidenced through Nick, Peter, John, and Rob's commitment and support of our staff. Additionally, we have been able to bring in some of the top collegiate talent to Reading this summer because they want to have their talent seen by the premier player development organization in the Philadelphia Union."
Reading United is one of the links between top youth players and the professional ranks in the Union's soccer development hierarchy, as Reading United staff work with the YSC Academy, the Official Youth Player Development Partner of the Philadelphia Union. Head Coach Brendan Burke, Team V.P. Troy Snyder, and Super 20 Women's Coach Drew Kaufmann are all part of the training staff for YSC. Reading United provides the opportunity for future YSC talent to continue their progression to the Union ranks, by training and playing for one of the top Premier Development League (PDL) teams in the nation. The PDL is a 72 team league which is the proving ground for the majority of players drafted into the MLS. Last year 64 of the 72 draft picks in the MLS draft had PDL experience.
"It is important that we keep our players sharp during the World Cup break," said Philadelphia Union Team Manager Peter Nowak. "No matter how much or how hard we train, there's no substitute for playing matches. We expect that Reading will provide strong competition as we get ready for the opening of PPL Park against Seattle on June 27th."
All tickets are General Admission only. Tickets are limited to 3000 people (stadium capacity) so be sure to get your tickets now. Tickets for all Union and Reading United games can be found on the Reading United A.C. website at www.readingunitedac.com.
Reading United A.C. (formerly Reading Rage) is the Greater Reading area's premier minor league soccer team. Led by the ownership group of Berks Professional Sports, Inc. the club was founded in 1995 as the Reading Rage. As the club entered its 15th season a name, logo, and color change was made to better feature the ties to the local and state community as well as the soccer goals of the team and its partners. Reading United is a Player Development Partner of the Philadelphia Union MLS team. For more information about Reading United AC, visit www.readingunitedac.com.


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Have you actually seen any of the TP editorial cartoons lately ?
Or internet connection. In order to access this Web site, not only do you need a internet capable device - you also need the internet. How many houses in New Orleans have access to the internet ?
I only buy from businesses that advertise in the paper and ignore on-line adds. This web site is a mess - good luck to any business attempting to reach anyone via this site. Perhaps this is an opportunity for other papers to branch into New Orleans. Are we ready for a daily New Orleans edition of "The Advocate" ?
It worked out OK for Archie and Olivia Manning.
The one thing everyone can do is to only use banks who have their headquarters in the New Orleans region. Banks that are headquartered here also contribute more in charitable giving so it is a win-win situation.
If the second district is eliminated, then Steve Scalise will be a goner. Instead of one solidly democratic district, you will have several districts with lots of democratic constituents. A candidate will have to appeal to those voters in order to get elected in the new districts. Gerrymandering has led to districts that are skewed in thier political viewpoints. It is high time that every district had a cross-section of voters.
Cao did not support the health bill. When the house had to vote on the Senate version of the health bill, Cao voted against it because he thought it would provide federal funding for abortions. The bill explicitly stated that no federal funds could be used for abortions. Regardless of if Cao understood the actual bill or not, I need a representative who puts his constituents ahead of the Pope. That is why I voted for Cedric Richmond.
Do you think that animals are able to consent to marriage ? Well, Dr. Doolitte most of us cannot speak to animals. That is why they cannot enter contracts or buy property, etc.
Lesbian couples can procreate. Are they included in your suggestion that only couples who can procreate should have the benfits of marriage. In fact, gay men can procreate using the same methods that infertile heterosexual couples use. Are you saying that only couple who can procreate without any medical help are entitled to the benfits of marriage ?
Stopping dredging is a great suggestion from an ecological stand point. However, the reason we keep dredging in Louisiana is to support the shipping and oil industries. Most environmentalists would support you on your proposal to ban dredging.
What many readers appear to be missing is that one of the major problems with the sand berm idea is where the sand is coming from to build them. Even if we were sure the sand berms worked (which we are not), is it worth digging up what is left of the barrier islands to build them ? Also, turbidity can be just as detrimental to fish populations as the oil - remember the problems with shell dredging in Lake Ponchartrain ?
A general who cannot keep his mouth shut should be removed. McChrystal showed very poor judgement whining to a reporter from the Rolling Stone magazine of all places. If this had happened in any other job environment, the guy would not just have been relived of his position but would have been out on the street.
Comparing Katrina to the oil spill is like comparing apples to oranges. Katrina was the type of disaster that FEMA was set-up to handle. This is not true for the oil spill. Private industry was responsible for handling any problems. Deep water drilling was supposedly safe and the less government involvment the better. Remember - Drill, Baby, Drill ? About a thousand more people died as a result of Katrina than the oil spill. Fixing a leak in a pipe under 5000 ft of water is different than marshalling supplies and keeping order. The army could have helped with Katrina but I doubt they have the expertise to fix the oil leak.
The idea of building barrier islands was proposed shortly after Katrina by Woody Gagliano. Why was nothing done in the last 5 years ?
All drilling is not being shut down. The president is not going to allow any expansion of drilling until the cause for this accident is determined. It is exactly what happened when the Challenger blew up. No new shuttle missions until the cause of the accident was determined.
I wonder how many of the posters who do not like TREME have watched "The Wire" or "Mad Men"? Both shows started slowly and scattered snippets of plot here and there. You really did not realize how everything tied together until the last (or second to last) episode. It is a different type of TV from a procedural drama like "Law and Order" where a story is told in one episode.
As a native New Orleanian who has lived here 53 years, I thought they got it right. The accents were correct and the seonds lines were associated with funerals not just popping up for no reason. What some people need to understand is that Treme is not a documentarybut a story about particluar characters in New Orleans. It does not attempt to represent a cross-section of the city nor should it.
I hope they show there is more to New Orleans than a second line.
The health care bill removed a tax benefit for certain large corporations that was enacted as part of the Medicare Prescription Bill. Large corporations that pay for retiree prescription plans get a subsidy from the government. They are also allowed to deduct this subsidy from thier taxes. Now, they will still get the subsidy but will no longer be able to deduct it. Sort of like getting the government to pay for mortage payment and still getting to deduct it against your other income. I wish I could afford lobbyists.
We have rationing now. The health insurance industry rations health care. Try getting a procedure done that is not approved by your insurer.


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Latino Life
Elaine Ayala comments on Latino news, cultura y más.
Posts filtered on Tag
The Maya and Olmec, living in tandem
University of Arizona anthropologist Takeshi Inomata's newest work in Guatemala has led him to believe the two societies existed side by side. [Read More]
GOP compared to the Mayans and a 'lost civilization'
Like the Mayans, Republicans are working hard at becoming extinct, columnist says. [Read More]


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US Securities and Exchange Commission filing puts hefty price on closing line as future of twinjet hangs in balance
Boeing has moved to stem the disquiet over the future of its 717 and 767 programmes in the wake of a US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing that warns that closing the 717 line could cost the company $400 million in charges.
While it is unable to deny the shrinking backlog for both models, the company stresses that legal requirements mandate the public release of risk mitigation plans to investors that would formerly have remained company confidential.
The long-threatened 717 has a backlog of 34 aircraft, the bulk of which are on order for Midwest Airlines (12) and leasing company Pembroke Group (14). Midwest has received 13 of the 25 it holds on firm order, and has options on a further 25. The airline says it is in a "better financial position than ever", and has no plans to adjust its 717 orders. The 14th 717 is due to arrive in March and its last in 2006.
AirTran Airways, the biggest single operator and launch customer for the 717, has another six on firm order. Three will be handed over in May, with the remaining three due for delivery in 2005. Turkmenistan Airlines, which flies three 717s, accounts for the balance of the orders.
The SEC filing "is not an indicator of any imminent programme termination. There are some campaigns under way and the outcome of these will determine the future of the programme," says Boeing. These include the Star Alliance 100-seater contest with the focus on a possible order from Austrian, Lufthansa and Scandinavian Airlines, an unspecified competition in China and a contested requirement for up to 12 new 100-seaters from an unidentified Pacific-based carrier.
Should the 717 programme be closed, "we could recognise a pre-tax earnings charge of approximately $400 million", says Boeing.
The long-term future of the 767 is tied to the fate of the US Air Force tanker decision, the outcome of which is expected around 1 May. The order backlog has dwindled to just 25 under the combined influences of poor market conditions, heavy competition from the Airbus A330-200, and the pending introduction of the 7E7 family.
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Thanks. I fixed it.
The way they will structure this bond, the $1.10 per $1,000 of AV will be paid off quickly, in 6 years I believe, with the 30-cents rate continuing for 20 years. So they can add another bond in a few years relatively painlessly.
There would be plenty spent on the west side, for science labs, seismic upgrades, and so on. But west side high schools, Lincoln in particular, will have to wait for a second bond measure, probably in four years.
ppsvet: Even those board members who voted for the contract did so with a distinct lack of enthusiasm, which is what I was trying to convey.
IN light of the revelation that Jeff Gilbert is under investigation for misuse of student activity funds, I would be interested in hearing from his supporters. Of course, we don't yet know the extent of this misuse, and there may be explanations, but I'm wondering how the idea that the principal might be stealing from the students is sitting with his defenders. Email me at firstname.lastname@example.com or phone at 503-2945988
Councilor Allen: As I understand it, Metro wants the city's code to include clearer standards for development on protected land. The city code has standards, but Metro feels they are too loose. Land owners and developers would benefit from knowing the rules, not just whether or not they can strike a deal with city officials, according to Metro. I heard what you said on OPB, that all the city was doing was asking how to improve the code, and you got slapped with an enforcement action. I don't think that is accurate. City planners have been working with Metro for five years on this, including deadline extensions, and the result was presented in an ordinance to the council in November.
In response to commenters who believe Metro exists as a way to impose Portland's will on the region, I would argue that it is really the opposite. Metro gives voice and political power to the smaller cities in the region, and if anything, acts as a check on Portland's power.
I've read plenty of comments praising and accusing Jeff Gilbert. I would like to speak with anyone with first-hand knowledge of specific instances, good or bad. Call me at 503-294-5988. Confidences will be respected.
The link should work now. Thanks for pointing that out
As I tried to point out in the story, this is not a service center, but a place for community workers to meet and work on projects.
The civic neighborhood adjacent to the historic downtown is sometimes considered part of downtown. The juxtaposition of these malls with the quaint parts of downtown sparked a lot of discussion and use of such terms as "disjointed" and "inconsistent."
It's also important to note that Rockwood is part of Gresham. like it or not.
Reeves in under contract with Metro to help cities in the region. I don't know what she is paid for this work.
No cost to taxpayers that I am aware of, unless you count the inconvenience of having the bridge unavailable for a few hours
bojack is correct, although I'm not as convinced that regionalizing the water system would have led to Portland drinking Willlamette River water. I don't think citizens would have allowed that to happen, but it's possible. The Big Pipe project won't completely eliminate CSOs, but it will drastically reduce them -- maybe once or twice a year instead of every time it rains.
The city has spent more than $1 billion to stop the combined sewer overflows, so the river will be about as clean as we can make it. But, we still won;t be drinking the water from the Willamette River.
The male osprey commandeered the nest, and the female showed up later
No taxpayer money involved. The dog club is soliciting contributions to help pay for fencing, and other costs
Ha! fixed it


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More than 30k nurses, building cleaners may strike by years' end – am New York. – 11/30/11
Thousands of disgruntled building cleaners and city hospital nurses and are contemplating walking off the job at the end of the year.
That sucks! After the biggest party of the year, there won't be people to clean up after us, nor cure our hangovers. Now would be a perfect time to get a date who is either a nurse or a house cleaner.
Approximately 10,000 nurses at Montefiore, Mount Sinai, St. Luke's-Roosevelt and New York-Presbyterian hospitals may strike just before Christmas, according to New York State Nurses Association spokesman Bernie Mulligan. Their contract expired months ago and little progress has been made in negotiations, he said, adding that the nurses want more affordable health care, increased staffing levels, and higher wages.
Nurses want more affordable health care? Don't they get some sort of employee discount or anything?
Bruce McIver, who serves as president of the League of Voluntary Hospitals and is negotiating on behalf of Montefiore and Mount Sinai hospitals, said it's too early to tell if a strike will happen, but that nurses have to give at least 10 days notice before they strike.
This is amazing! You have to give notice before you go on strike?
"Hospitals would have to make preparations to make sure their patients are covered and that patients are safe," McIver told amNewYork. "I'm sure they all have plans that they're working on."
I'm glad that patient care is still considered in this whole ordeal, but I think they should go back and think about why they got into nursing in the first place. Not many get into it for the paycheck. If that were the case, they should have chose becoming a doctor instead.
In addition, more than 22,000 workers who clean business offices in Gotham — many of them in midtown — are voting Thursday to strike as soon as the New Years' Eve ball marks midnight in Times Square, when their contract expires. They oppose a new contract that calls for a two-tier system that would pay new employees less, saying it could lead to employers choosing the cheaper workers in the future.
People who accept low pay don't do it as a long term solution. Low pay is beneficial for everyone. It gives the new employee an incentive to work hard to earn more money. And it saves the employer money on those who just slack off and don't get the job done. Besides, many employees will usually only stay in a low-paying job until a higher-paying job shows up. Meaning, the low-paying job field is short-term/high-turnover.
A strike "would likely disrupt business and cause major inconveniences to tens of thousands of New Yorkers," said their union president, Mike Fishman, in a statement.
You mean that instead of the streets smelling like trash, the offices will? I have an idea: how about instead of trashing the place in hopes that the cleaning crew would take care of it, that we just take care of it ourselves? Yes, it's nice to have our mothers clean up after us, but we are grown-ass adults who should have been taught not to trash the place we work in.
The Real Estate Board of Labor Relations counters that the workers are the highest paid in the country, and that the real estate industry isn't as strong as it was in 2007, when their last contract was negotiated.
This may be true, but I think this should be more reason for the office workers to clean up their own messes. If they are slower, then they aren't as busy to not pick up their own messes. Or they could strum up some business by not charging a 15% annual rent on a broker fee. It's New York. Rent is too damn high that you should be able to make a killing on a 2% commission.


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Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Chelsea Florist
15 comments:
- Sonia said...
Kinda looks like the place you would find a nice plant...like Audrey II :-)
- August 4, 2010 at 10:43 PM
- Cloudia said...
a 20th Century treasure!
Aloha from Honolulu :)
Comfort Spiral
- August 4, 2010 at 11:52 PM
- altadenahiker said...
Poo-poo pillows?
- August 5, 2010 at 1:35 AM
- Birdman said...
Love these corner stores, just loaded with cool stuff. Like these baskets. Nice shot.
- August 5, 2010 at 3:30 AM
- Kitty said...
neat shot. It's not easy to get a photo on that street. I can never figure out how to best represent the Flower District, which is teeny.
what keeps them in business are the decorators and production houses, strange to say.
- August 5, 2010 at 7:29 AM
- B SQUARED said...
Remember "loads?"
- August 5, 2010 at 7:40 AM
- Terry B, Blue Kitchen said...
Great shot, Ken. And "novelties" reminds me of another equally strange and perhaps even more outdated term: Notions.
- August 5, 2010 at 12:03 PM
- Jean Spitzer said...
Beautiful composition.
- August 5, 2010 at 5:21 PM
Maybe you can still get notions in a haberdashery? (dont know if you have/had those in the US)
- August 6, 2010 at 5:57 AM
- sonia a. mascaro said...
Looks a nice place to visit!
- August 6, 2010 at 9:27 AM
- Terry B, Blue Kitchen said...
Ah! I looked up notions (and sundries, another arcane old word) and found that they are "small, miscellaneous items of little value, such as buttons, thread, ribbon, and other personal items, often displayed together for sale in a department store." For that matter, "department store" is starting to sound a little old fashioned now too, isn't it?
- August 6, 2010 at 11:06 AM
- RedPat said...
It looks like there should be a little old man behind the counter who knows where everything in the place is. We will miss these old places when they are all gone!
- August 6, 2010 at 3:10 PM
- Jeremiah Moss said...
you beat me to it! i love that sign. looking forward to seeing what you do with the Gordon Novelty shop.
- August 12, 2010 at 8:12 AM
- ascu75 aka Don said...
You have to love these old places everything is so fast nowadays , places like that have the time of day for you. XXX Don
- September 8, 2010 at 12:12 PM
This is the most popular florist of Chelsea and you can see the varieties of flowers there.
Chelsea florist
- September 30, 2011 at 2:24 AM


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I don't want this to be a chance for you to tell me what is wrong with the theocratic abscess burrowed; the thorn in your side or the vacant imperfection imposed upon the resident scapegoat. I care not to afford you the opportunity to lick your wounds in my sight or to appease the cultural norms subscribed.
Without the fear on the other side of the fence nor the ruckus in the alley way I want you to tell me what the benefit of an atheist lifestyle is had the social and political majority not absolved you and the necessary protestation of that artificial insemination had manifested itself in hindsight.
In other words, had there been no myth where would you see yourself rather than where would you see yourself in light of it.
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Of course one can sacrifice them with either a 22 rifloe at range or by playing a clarinet so badly the high pitched squeals make them explode (Altissimo D works wonders). No need to catch them, then.
jared, I agree, any tool can be a weapon depending on how you use it.
Use the word "atheism" with the words of religion ("must" and "cannot" to name but two) and atheism can serve purposes similar to those of religion.
Use the word "atheism" with the words of religion ("must" and "cannot" to name but two) and atheism can serve purposes similar to those of religion.
Please provide an example.
Words of religion: (archaic) thou shalt, thou shalt not; (modern) must, cannot.
Habits die slowly and some formerly-religious atheists still use those words of religion.
I'm still not quite clear on your point or if there is a low swinging branch that I'm suppose to be walking into.
I'm trying to picture me (formerly) religious walking into a gas station, saying "Thou shalt give me $20 on pump ten." It's not working.
I guess I wonder if there is something specifically in this post that you are referring to or if it's just a general statement.
NM I think I see what you were getting at now Tom. ;)
Jared, I agree; I need to stop using such general terms.
Let's exit the commercial scene before the clerk calls her/his manager, or the police, and says "I have a weirdo here and he's shouting at me."
Let's enter a moral scene. Let's also skip the shalting (it dates from ancient times) and choose from many things a Catholic nun might tell a schoolkid: "You must go to Mass every Sunday!" Or let's choose from many things a priest might tell teenagers: "Married Catholics cannot use birth control!"
I heard twelve years of that kind of language, and when I got out into the world I had to learn less authoritarian ways to influence others to do what I wanted them to do.
I tried idealism and said stuff like "People should..." and "People should not...."
That too failed and I tried assertiveness: "I want you to...." or "I don't want you to...."
It worked more often, but not as often as I wanted. Little was left but democracy: "If I do X, will you do Y?"
Quitting Catholicism required me to do more than stay away; I had to change the way I spoke.
Damnit! Every time I read your name I read it Tom Selleck.
RE: "Isn't it a belief in something, hence a form, though inverted, of the original form of this belief?"
Only if bald is an inverted form of hair color.
Patrick, in your words (It's true that for atheists the belief in the divinity is non existent, as you put it. However, what can we say about this particular kind of belief in something that does not exist? Isn't it a belief in something, hence a form, though inverted, of the original form of this belief?), I'm seeing traces of Plato's idea that to say X is proof of X.
The Catholic Church picked up that idea and used it to burn witches (saying "she's a witch" was evidence that that she is a witch, hence she is guilty and should burn.
If god/religion had never been invented I wouldn't have to think about it at all. Also there would be no need to identify myself as Atheist. I would be a pedestrian. ;P
Remember the god "magolotonicatronicon" from my former post? The one that I made up on the spot and that you never had to consider pryer? But since I did bring this god up to you did it create a new belief for you?
Sure you can say "I do no believe that "magolotonicatronicon" exists" but this implies possibility. Now to say that it's possible you have to consider a few things first. Aside from the authority on the matter you have to take into consideration that somewhere out there there is an english speaking god that has identified himself to me via revelation as "magolotonicatronicon" and that he wants SteveinCo to sacrifice ground squirrels in his almighty, holy, squirrely-ass, name.
Do you think it's possible? If you answer "Yes. It is possible." then you are just being difficult. I'll also say that it depends on ones interpretation of "god" in order to establish possibility. Is it the seeping of "something from nothing" that Lawrence Krauss talks about? If so It still doesn't do us any good to call it "god".
I might add that due to whats possible your argument is valid however there is a huge difference between "Valid" and "Sound". First we must establish that there is a god to not believe in.
I have been a confirmed Amagolotonicatroniconist for some minutes now. :)
Does anyone want to join my new group:
Think Amagolotonicatroniconist
We are going to put those Magolonicatroniconists in their place.