text:
Most parents know how hard boys wear their clothes. Don't spend an arm and a leg for this year's Halloween costume when you can find just what you are looking for in our selection of clearance costumes. Our sale items include styles from every genre and theme, so you can find something to fit your child's tastes without breaking the bank. If he is into action and adventure, try browsing our discount superhero and action movie outfits. For a music fan, look for our clearance rock star and decade costumes. These sale costumes change depending on our stock, so be sure to grab your favorite outfit before the prices change.
Green Ninja Avenger Costume for Kids
Despicable Me Purple Minion Kids Costume
Boys Classic Muscle Thor Avengers Costume
Teen Wolverine Bodysuit Costume
Captain America 2 Classic Winter Soldier Costume for Boys
Duck Dynasty Willie Child Kids Costume
Olaf Tween-Adult Knit Frozen Hat
Deluxe Muscle Chest Superman Child
Boy's Deluxe WWE John Cena Costume
Adventure Time Jake Kids Costume
These low prices are a great opportunity to stock up on playtime costumes for your boy's dress-up wardrobe. If your child loves dressing up in different outfits to make believe he is a pirate, police officer or other exciting person, these discount costumes are just what you need to fill up your closet. You can also stock up on classic styles while they are on sale to wear for future Halloween and costume events. Clearance prices are also a godsend for families with multiple children who want top quality outfits. Browse out clearance costumes, find your son's favorite, and give him an outfit he will love at a price YOU love!


text:
TOWN OF BATAVIA, NY - "I don't want to open it up and ruin it any more than we possibly have to," said Larry Abaire, as he gingerly held an historic find made by a friend of his installing insulation in an old farm house in a rural section of Genesee County.
It was a hard cover book, published in 1835 and titled "Letters to the Hon. William Jay: Being a Reply to His Inquiry Into the American Colonization and American Anti-Slavery Societies".
Abaire's friend (who wished not to be identified or have the location of the home revealed) made the discovery beneath the floorboards in the attic.
"To me its history and it should be looked at and put where it belongs," Abaire said.
With the blessing of his friend who found the book, Abaire took it to historians for the Town of Batavia who were nothing short of delighted to see it.
"I am thrilled to death to find something that dates back to 1835, ....this is just amazing," said Town of Batavia Historian Berneda Scoins, as she clutched the 178 year old book while standing in the Peace Garden outside the Holland Land Company Office and Museum on Main Street in the city of Batavia.
"I'm even nervous about touching it because you have to handle these things quite carefully," she said.
"We've got some real interesting reading ahead of us," remarked Town of Batavia Co-Historian Barb Toal. "It's like putting together a puzzle....it's lots of fun."
From the bit of preliminary research we were able to do on Friday, it turns out the book was quite controversial when first published, as it had to do with a hotly debated issue in American society at the time: the abolition of slavery, which would eventually propel the nation into civil war.
The book by David M. Reese, M.D. in part advocated the return of freed slaves to Africa, amid a conclusion that whites and freed blacks could not live together in American society
It also turns out that scholars of the abolitionist movement are still seeking out the book, so much so that it was re-introduced into print five years ago.
However, the publishers of modern day versions sometimes note that, because originals are so hard to find intact, there are likely parts missing from the re-prints available for sale today.
This makes the 1835 version discovered quite by accident in Genesee County even more special to history buffs, as appears to contain every page, and every controversial passage.
"That's very unusual," said Toal. "You can read almost every word and every page appears to be there. There's only some minor damage to what appears to be a full version."
"There's a lot of history being destroyed nowadays and I like old things," said Abaire. "To some people it is junk or debris...well, it's not debris. It is history... somebody's life that happened years ago, and a lot of it can tell stories still."
Toal says it is not unusual to find treasures behind walls and floorboard of older homes---and she should know. She is a master plumber by trade, and has discovered some neat stuff in her time.
"It's really a fun thing to find those things...it's like a treasure hunt every day," she said.
Click on the video player to see the book, when you watch our story from 2 On Your Side reporter Dave McKinley and Photojournalist Bob Mancuso. Follow Dave on Twitter: @DaveMcKinley2
WGRZ-TV, wgrz.com

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Autism Research Institute (ARI), a non-profit organization, was established in 1967. ARI is primarily devoted to conducting research, and to disseminating the results of research, on the triggers of autism and on methods of diagnosing and treating autism. We provide research-based information to parents and professionals around the world.
eBay Giving Works
Registered with eBay Giving Works.


text:
A great way to start saving
Instant access to your
rainy day savings
Our Instant Saver account lets you save your way. You put money in when you have it. You take it out when you need it.
This account has been awarded with the maximum 5 star rating by Fairbanking.


text:
National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC)
Ports & Marine
- Clean School Bus
- Ports & Marine
- Clean Construction
- SmartWay
- Clean Agriculture
What Terminal Operators and Fleet Owners Can Do
Terminal operators and managers are the key to a seamless flow of cargo that drives a successful port. Equipment owners and operators have many ways to reduce diesel emissions while maintaining or growing a healthy bottom line.
Establish anti-idling policies
By establishing an anti-idling policy for trucks, locomotives and cargo handling equipment, diesel emissions can be effectively reduced. Turning off engines when not in use is the smartest and easiest way to reduce air pollution and save money. Not only does unnecessary idling waste fuel, but it causes wear and tear on the engine which requires more maintenance. EPA's SmartWay program maintains a list of verified idle reduction technologies.
Expand off-peak operations hours to avoid congestion
By extending terminal gate hours beyond the regular schedule or offering incentives for off-peak operations, truck queuing, idling, and traffic congestion are shortened. Not only does this increase flow and efficiency, but reduces the impacts of diesel exhaust during ozone hours.
Retrofit with verified technologies, use cleaner fuels and operate more efficiently
Install emission reduction devices, replace engines or equipment, use cleaner fuels, and implement operational efficiencies which have been tested and verified. These technologies are cost-effective and yield substantial emission reductions. See EPA's Technologies and Verification pages to learn more about available options. Visit the Grants & Funding pages for information on grants.
Replace the oldest equipment/vehicles with newer, cleaner equipment/vehicles
Replacing older equipment or vehicles with newer, cleaner equipment/vehicles offers increased reliability, warranty benefits and often increases fuel economy and includes safety features.
Maintain or rebuild engines
Engines that are properly maintained and tuned perform better and typically emit less pollution than engines that are not properly maintained. Rebuilding an engine can also significantly lower emissions, enhance performance and provide a cost-effective improvement for high value equipment. Proper maintenance or rebuilding lowers emissions by burning fuel more efficiently and can reduce operation costs and extend engine life.
Substitute a highway engine for a non-road engine
For comparable model years, engine emissions standards are more stringent for on-road engines than for nonroad engines. By specifying on-road engines in off-road machinery, a terminal operator can reduce diesel emissions while often gaining fuel economy and more safety features.
Substitute electric power for diesel power
Using electric shore side power at berth or "cold ironing," rather than running auxiliary diesel engines is effective for ports and vessels that have long hoteling times, multiple annual vessel calls, and high auxiliary power needs, such as cruise ships.
Educate owners and operators and recognize those who reduce idling time
Guidance and education on air quality, air pollutants, technologies and ways to implement emissions reduction strategies not only increase awareness, but also increase the opportunities reduce emissions. Recognizing active participants who do not idle engines encourages more voluntary idle reduction. EPA has useful publications on these topics.
Implement more efficient operational strategies
Better management in gate operations, stacking, homeland security, identification cards, direct inter-modal transfers for reduced container movement increases operational efficiency, decreases unnecessary idling, and reduces pollution. The Operations pages contain more information on these strategies.


text:
San Jose is the 3rd largest city in the state of California and the 10th most-populated city in the United States. San Jose has enjoyed a great deal of growth in the past half century and now boasts almost a million residents. San Jose is often considered as the "Capital of Silicon Valley" and many technology companies are located there.
San Jose has a strong college presence with schools such as San Jose State University, Santa Clara University, and Stanford University in the area. These schools provide many cultural, educational, and social opportunities to all residents of San Jose.
San Jose has an extensive public transportation system that includes light rails, buses, and Amtrak trains. There are also numerous airports in the area like the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport 3 miles from the city, as well as the Oakland International Airport and the S San Francisco's International Airport 35 miles away.
National Hockey League-- San Jose Sharks // HP Pavilion at San Jose
Major League Baseball-- San Jose Giants // HP Pavilion at San Jose
National Lacrosse League-- San Jose Stealth // HP Pavilion at San JoseMajor League Soccer-- San Jose Earthquakes // Buck Shaw Stadium
Are you an inventor? You'd be in good company living in San Jose. More U.S. patents are granted annually to San Jose residents than any other place in the country!
HotPads is a map-based apartment and rental home search engine, listing homes for rent, apartments, condos, and real estate.


text:
Everybody loves a good ghost story. Some are classics. We first heard them around a campfire or at a sleepover, the storyteller's features distorted by the light and shadow caused by a Sears flashlight. Or we read them in a book in the school library when we were supposed to be studying the Declaration of Independence. Or we overheard our older sisters or brothers talking about them when we were way too little to hear such stories. Either way, certain ghost stories are burned into our memories forever. Often the most poignant feature a beautiful or wrathful woman. Submitted for your approval, we give you the most famous, most frightful, most terrifying female ghosts.
The White Lady
The UK
Many, many, MANY cultures have a White Lady figure in their mythology. In medieval times in England, The White Lady would act as a harbinger of death – appearing night and day in a home where someone is about to die. The Scottish version of the White Lady is said to be the ghost of a young disgraced girl who got stuck up in a high tower and flung herself out of said high tower, and since then she haunts the grounds of the castle and the room of her banishment.
England, full up with White Lady stories, also has a haunted castle in Cumbria that has its own White Lady. The ghost in question is one of Mary Bragg, who was hanged by a bunch of drunk guys. The name is supposed to be sort of ironic, because Mary was sort of, well, course with her language.
The US
Here in the US there are plenty of other White Lady legends. Many stories are variations on the same theme – a bride who died, either accidentally or because of murder, on her wedding night. Hence the white dress, hence the name. One of the most famous White Lady stories in the US is the White Lady of Durand-Eastman Park in New York.
Legend has it that the lady who became the Lady in White had a daughter who vanishes. The lady went out every night with her two dogs, German Shepard, searching for her daughter. Discouraged and distraught over weeks of no word about her daughter, the woman threw herself off a cliff. To this day, her spirit can be seen walking around, still searching for her missing daughter.
Common Threads
white dress, someone female flinging herself off of something tall, a female being betrayed, a female searching for revenge
Screaming Jenny
Straight out of the mountains of West Virginia, the story of Screaming Jenny is more horrifying than it is spooky. Sweet Jenny was poor but happy, living in an abandoned storage shed along the railroad tracks. She always went out of her way to do things for others, and she was nice, and good-natured, and not terribly observant.
On a late October evening, Jenny sat huddled close to the fire, trying to keep warm. She didn't notice when a spark hit her woolen skirts, nor did she notice when they caught on fire. In fact, her whole outfit sort of went up in flames before she noticed she was on fire. She jumped up and ran out of her house, screaming at the top of her lungs. Because this was pre-fire safety, Jenny did not stop, drop, or roll, and she ran and screamed and ran some more toward the station.
Still screaming and burning, Jenny ran out on to the tracks and got hit by a train. She died.
Fast forward a month from Jenny's death. A train come around the tracks and was confronted with a burning, screaming ball of fire. Unable to slow down fast enough, the train mowed right over the screaming, burning ball of fire. The subsequent search of the area showed no burned, train-struck body, and they all came to believe they'd encountered Jenny's ghost.
Every year on the anniversary of her death, you can see Jenny burning and screaming, burning and screaming, in pain and fear and misery forever.
Black Aggie
A Maryland ghost story, Black Aggie is actually a statue that was the grave marker in Druid Ridge Cemetery. Put there in 1926, the statue is a copy of a similar statue called Grief which is located in a cemetery in Washington, D.C. Black Aggie sat above the grave of General Felix Angus and his wife. It is rumored that his wife was mistreated and sorrowful. Those traits and emotions got transferred to the already haunting and creepy statue.
One legend said that if you slept the night in Aggie's lap you could see all the spirits in the cemetery – they would all gather around Aggie every night. Another legend says that the statue itself animates at night and roams around the cemetery, grieving. Others say that her eyes would glow red at night.
Because of all these legends lots of people would break into the graveyard to see if the rumors were true. The remaining members of the Angus family donated Aggie to the Smithsonian in 1967 (one year after the photo above was taken). She sat in storage until she was moved to the Dolley Madison House in Washington, DC.
Of course everyone loves a good conspiracy theory, so some people believe that the original statue still remains at Druid Ridge Cemetery as part of another statue.
Bloody Mary
There are several different stories regarding Bloody Mary. Some believe that the name Bloody Mary refers to Queen Mary I, who, as her reign as Queen of England, failed to produce an heir and had many miscarriages or fake pregnancies. Some people even think that she made the miscarriages happen herself. She was also cruel in the punishments she meted out to those she called heretics. For one or both of those reasons, her nickname became "Bloody Mary."
Another Bloody Mary legend revolves around a witch named Mary Worth. This is the most popular legend. It says that the witch killed children to keep herself young (Elizabeth Bathory, what?) and that she was eventually burned at the stake.
So, What Do You Do?
Regardless of the identity of the Bloody Mary Character, the ritual to call her is still a rite-of-passage, initiation, thing-you-do-when-you're-all-sitting-around-freaking-each-other-out thing you do. Well, maybe you do it. I don't. Allegedly, you can look in the mirror and say her name and she appears. In some schools of thought you have to say her name three times. In others, you have to turn around three times. In others still you have to tell her "Bloody Mary I killed your baby" and that brings her forth.
In some stories, Mary will tell you your future. In others, she'll allow you to talk to a deceased person of your choosing for exactly eight minutes. In others, she'll rip your face off. So, who's for not taking any chances? ME!
Related articles
- Top 10 Most Likely To Be REAL Hauntings (toptenz.net)
- Top Five Haunted Holiday Destinations in the UK (makethelist.net)
- AgeeWoodworks.com (ageewoodworks.com)
- 7 Books About Vampires (7books.net)


text:
|August 14, 2014
|The Agitator #129: Lives of quiet desperation
|3 comments
|August 07, 2014
|The Agitator #128: Soap that leaves you feeling dirtier
|2 comments
|July 31, 2014
|The Agitator #127: Patriots and taxes
|1 comments
|July 24, 2014
|The Agitator #126: No Plan B
|7 comments
|July 17, 2014
|The Agitator #125: The Potemkin Village economy
|no comments
|July 10, 2014
|The Agitator #124: Don't we want a business leader?
|1 comments
|July 03, 2014
|The Agitator #123: Full employment bill for lawyers
|1 comments
|June 26, 2014
|The Agitator #122: Selective due process
|3 comments
|June 19, 2014
|The Agitator #121: Humpty Dumpty
|no comments
|June 12, 2014
|The Agitator #120: Cash is King(ston)
|5 comments
Henry David Thoreau once wrote about the mass of men who lead lives of quiet desperation. The sad death of actor Robin Williams on Monday reminded me of that quotation, how so few words capture so well what goes on unnoticed by all of us concerning our family, friends, co-workers, and other associates. Little do we know of their daily struggles, whether it be financial difficulty, business failure, health issues, addiction and substance abuse, and so much more.
Based on my own inquiries, most people don't know that three times more people commit suicide than murder. That is a staggering number. This is something that became personal to me when my father abruptly ended his life in 1966; in his own mind he could not outrun the demons that chased him from the Third Reich. Suicide of a close relative or friend never leaves you. Many believe that it is an extreme act of selfishness, that the person cared more about himself than his family, friends, and others affected by his death. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
I have known personally way too many people who have committed suicide. And I've learned a lot about the subject over a lifetime. One thing I am absolutely convinced of is this: The person choosing to end it all, most of the time, is in extreme, incomprehensible pain---mental or physical. They have a laser beam focus on escape, and that focus is so narrow that they don't see anything whatsoever on either side of the beam. The target at the end of that beam is relief.
I am reminded of the 1964 Bobby Goldsboro song, "See That Funny Little Clown." Everyone thinks he's happy because on the outside he's laughing, not knowing that on the inside he's dying. I'm sure many people who knew Robin Williams would not have known that he was in mental extremis, that whatever tormented him was about to do him in. How many people do we know who could be a Robin Williams?
One observation frequently made by those left behind is that the person seemed calm, like nothing was wrong, that up to the end everything was normal. Little do they know that many of these victims have already made their decision, that it's a done deal. The only things remaining might be the date, place, and method. It is the finality of that decision that provides the person a sense of peace.
The single greatest presumption we make in this world is that life is worth living. No one has crossed the great divide and come back to say that that presumption is wrong---or not. We take it on faith that we are fortunate to have been born and lived. What each of us can do is to try and make everyone's life just a little more meaningful. A smile to a stranger having a tough day can work wonders. Generosity where it can really help could save someone's day. A kind word at the right time can be uplifting. As Maya Angelou said so eloquently, "…people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
Perhaps being our neighbor's keeper, committing random acts of kindness in small ways, could save lives that we will never know about, lives that can't be statistically measured.
There is a soap opera playing out right now and estimated to last for another month. It is the bribery trial of former Republican Governor of Virginia, Robert McDonnell, and his wife, Maureen. The two are right out of central casting. He wears his Christian faith on the outside by profession, although not apparently by deed. The governor was a litmus test conservative who once made it to the top tier of potential vice-presidential candidates. How hard the mighty fall.
Jonnie Williams, the star witness, met the governor during the 2009 campaign. Williams offered McDonnell use of his private jet, which was the beginning of their relationship. Williams is fabulously wealthy, and was trying to promote a non-prescription dietary supplement that had the potential to make him and his company enormous profits. Having the governor speak well of the product and suggest to key figures at the University of Virginia medical school, and other state agencies dealing with health issues, that they should look favorably on the supplement, was a part of Williams' strategy. For this, Williams gave the governor and his wife things like a Rolex watch, use of his Ferrari, expensive golf outings, a shopping spree for Maureen at upscale Manhattan stores, paying a chunk for their daughter's wedding---and much, much more. In other words, the governor is charged with accepting multiples of six figures worth of largess in return for official acts on behalf of Williams.
McDonnell has a strong pedigree that includes having served as an army officer, lawyer, state attorney general, and then governor. Amazingly, he didn't seem to have any common sense to ask himself key questions about his "friend" Jonnie Williams: Why does he want to be my friend? What does he want from me? Does he expect me to use my influence in ways that would be wrong?
I knew some New York mobsters that had a strict policy of not dealing with anyone that they didn't know since kindergarten. Sad to say, but McDonnell missed learning some real basic street knowledge that could have served him and the people of Virginia very well. Perhaps McDonnell and his wife were just two low life greedy persons, pretenders who wore high dollar suits and mink coats. The two were way overextended on their credit cards and leveraged to the hilt. Yet this governor had no problem talking about fiscal responsibility and propagating it as one of the key issues of the Republican Party.
The people of Virginia are fortunate to have a U.S. Attorney's Office aggressive enough to pursue this case. Supreme Court rulings have made proving bribery and related cases much more difficult. This case isn't over yet, and I am not going to predict the outcome. Juries can do anything. For sure, whether McDonnell and the First Lady are convicted, it has been an eye-opener to the sleaze that emanated from the Governor's Mansion. Interesting too is that McDonnell was offered a face-saving plea deal that did not include a charge related to corruption. The government also agreed not to prosecute his wife. Instead, he rejected the offer, and his trial strategy is to suggest that his marriage was in trouble, that his wife conspired with Williams to do all the dastardly things without his knowledge. McDonnell is the new poster child for a standup guy while Maureen gets tossed over the cliff.
We are seeing a different variety of moral and ethical lapses at the same level in our own state. The previous governor took advantage of retroactive tax breaks that he promoted and that involved personal land deals. He also owned land next to a huge undeveloped forest and made governmental decisions concerning it that inured to his financial benefit. And more. None of it stopped Sonny Perdue from being reelected, and Nathan Deal is still the odds on favorite despite all the revelations of serious ethical lapses and what the polls currently show.
Corruption destroys faith in government. It tears away at our social contract of having a legal system that works for everyone equally. When that happens people resort to extra-judicial means to get justice, to level the playing field, and that leads to anarchy and violence. I hope that Governor McDonnell and his wife have the benefit of setting an example of what happens when you cross lines that are so obvious, that from prison they will write blogs to educate those whose moral and ethical compasses need degaussing.
I don't like paying taxes any more than most people, but in times like today with all the turmoil in the Middle East and the Ukraine, by way of example, not limitation, I am happy to know that a good chunk of my money keeps America the stable country that it is. It's not only defense, but our criminal and civil justice system, police and fire protection, highways and infrastructure, public schools, and so much more, that we take for granted and don't consciously think about and what it all costs. I've worked with governments in countries where the police are corrupt, where a businessman has no hope of getting a contract enforced, where a truck has a hopeless time trying to navigate roads not worthy of being called a road, and where the armed forces are a façade. Iraq, Afghanistan, the Ukraine, and so much of the rest of the world typify these problems.
As I've written many times in this space, I consider the current tax code morally bankrupt. Others can disagree, but I think to tax the labor of a person at a higher rate than one who makes a living on investments is wrong. I don't have any original ideas on how to change the code, but I do know that there are people a lot smarter and more experienced about money than I who continue to come up with great tax revision ideas. But don't look for any of them to be acted on by our Congress.
The latest gimmick that works for the powerful, not the W-2 guy, is a tax scheme called Inversion. It allows for a company to legally claim that it is owned by a foreign subsidiary, thereby shifting profits to a country with a lower tax rate. According to the economist Paul Krugman, the company doesn't actually move anything overseas. So Walgreen won't be moving its drugstores and employees to Zurich; only a paper transaction will occur. Adding up the cost of companies taking advantage of this tax dodge will cost the U.S. Treasury many billions of dollars. Krugman states that corporate taxes provide ten percent of the tax revenue to our treasury. If the 2014 budget in rounded numbers is $3.5 trillion, corporations pay $350 billion, about half the cost of defense.
For years it's been argued that our corporate tax is the highest in the world. But this tax also provides for a myriad of deductions. GE is only one of any number of corporations that have paid no taxes in given years. Yet GE has made a ton of money from the tax payers for selling all sorts of products to the government. Also, again according to Krugman, the higher corporate tax rate offsets the favored treatment given investment income. When all the calculating is done and the revenue from various corporate tax dodges is added up, someone has to make up the shortfall. Invariably, the ones picking up the slack are the powerless, those with no "cash voices" to persuade their representatives that we need change.
I wonder if supporters of tax inversion would feel the same way if it could theoretically be done on a local level. Imagine if companies like Home Depot headquartered in Cobb County could do the same thing by taking advantage of having their property taxes shifted to a county or state where the rates are much lower. The impact on our schools, public safety, roads, courts, etc., would be catastrophic. You could be sure, though, that HD would expect the same quality police, fire and other services. Reducing this issue to where it hits home more directly I think puts it in perspective.
Lastly, I find it troubling that those with the most to gain, and lose, because of the things I've mentioned, find it okay to rely on our military to protect their interests, domestic and foreign, if they were to come under attack. They also rely on our federal courts to freeze the assets of countries that have not played nice, that have nationalized American businesses. Cuba, Iran, Syria, and Russia are just a few that come to mind. For these protections, for operating in a country that has an educated workforce, for our various infrastructure, it costs money, and in my opinion, in this instance, patriots are honorable people and entities that know not only the price of everything, but also the value---and are willing to pay for it.
This week, just hours apart, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on a key provision in the Affordable Care Act. The language stated that federal subsidies were only available to insureds in states that had set up their own insurance exchanges. In a precise reading of the statute the subsidies would not apply in states with no state exchanges and where the federal government filled in to provide the exchange.
The congressional drafters of the legislation wrote their obvious intent imprecisely, and the D.C. Court of Appeals held their feet to the fire and interpreted the language exactly as it read, i.e. to exclude subsidies where a state did not set up an insurance exchange. The Fourth Circuit, in reviewing the congressional record, interpreted their intent by reviewing the entire ACA law, and held that the provision was also applicable to the federal exchange. Both ways of analyzing the statutory language are legitimate, but the high court could be the ultimate decider of which will prevail. Unless the D.C. Circuit overturns their decision on review, the likelihood is that the issue will go before the Supreme Court.
Conservatives rejoiced when the D.C. Court's decision was announced a few hours before the Fourth Circuit's. To them it was another nail in the ACA coffin. They want to kill Obamacare so badly they can taste it. Yet in the recent primary election and runoff, most of those who ran on the promise of repealing the ACA didn't do too well at the polls. It's one thing to continually tear down someone else's ideas, but it's another when you have none of your own.
As most readers know, the ACA, under different names, was supported by Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, the conservative Heritage Foundation, and other conservatives and groups. As evidence that it's really about Obama more than the law, consider that the Republican House has yet to come up with one meaningful healthcare proposal of its own. Sure, Congressman Tom Price touts his plan that would supersede the ACA and "work so much better", but it's fair to ask why it hasn't even gotten a committee hearing. The Republicans had six years under George W. Bush where they also had both houses of congress, and yet the only healthcare reform the American people got was the unwanted Medicare Part D, which is more costly to the taxpayers than the ACA according to the nonpartisan Government Accounting Office. I think it's fair to ask why they didn't address the health insurance problem when they had a chance. Same for tax and immigration reform. We got nothing.
It's too early to know how the latest court rulings will turn out. But if the high court ultimately upholds the D.C. Court's interpretation, the ACA could be substantially weakened, especially if the Republican House refuses to pass a revised provision that clarifies the original intent of the then Democratic congress. That would mean a lot of people would no longer be able to afford to purchase insurance. And that in turn would result in a proliferation of ER visits by indigents, something the ACA (and RomneyCare) was intended to get under control. That begs the question: Do the Republicans have a Plan B for those who could lose their insurance?
The ACA includes specific wellness provisions. This is a good thing, and healthy workers add to the productivity of our economy, which in turns increases the GDP. Sick people are a drain. It makes sense for people to have health insurance, work, and pay taxes that reduce the amount of the health insurance subsidies. To go back to where we were before the ACA, where insurers could rescind policies for a variety of reasons, deny medical procedures and drugs because they were costly, not because a doctor said they were needed, would be a big mistake. The focus should be on tinkering with the ACA to make it better each and every day, not to tear it down and rejoice when a court strikes a key provision. I've always liked the man in the arena better than the critic who has no sweat equity in the fight. Right now our representatives act more like spectators than the players we elected them to be.
For years my Republican friends and right wing news outlets have been hollering for a businessman to occupy the White House. On the state and local levels we've heard the same plaint. The argument has an appealing ring to it. Business leaders know how to balance budgets; they aren't afraid to cut costs and personnel where necessary; they are concerned with spending, especially money they don't have. And much more.
I am hardly a supporter of David Perdue, but I think the guy deserves better than he's getting from a lot of conservative Republicans. He's actually been the CEO or president of several companies. He understands money and has made a lot of it for himself, something that presumably should be admired.
Republicans have also condemned career politicians for years. In the 1994 Contract with America, authored by Newt Gingrich and signed by all House Republican candidates, one of the provisions was that they would only serve six terms. For a number of disingenuous reasons, it never happened. Yet we've heard the mantra for years to get rid of the politicians that have been in Washington too long, how they've lost touch with their base, and that it's time to elect business leaders who will turn things around.
The Perdue versus Jack Kingston senate race would have been an ideal one to prove that Republicans are serious. But looking at the endorsements, most if not all of the Georgia Republican congressional delegation are backing Kingston, a ten-termer in Congress who signed the term limits agreement in 1994. Kingston worked in the private sector before he became one of the people he once condemned, but he never came close to Perdue's experience. Oddly, Kingston has even blasted Perdue for living in a gated community, something once considered "making it" in Republican circles. Times change.
Putting aside Kingston's ethical issues concerning one campaign donor in particular (a big deal in my mind), he may at least understand that political leadership is a lot different than that of running a business or an army. President Eisenhower once said that he had more power to get things done as General of the Army than being president. As a general he could give an order and move an army across an ocean. As president he had to win over 535 representatives and senators, each with his own voting constituency, each with regional differences at odds and in conflict with other districts and states. I also wonder about people, to include Perdue, who seem to have no understanding of macroeconomics, and think that the government can operate like a household. With that kind of thinking we never would have gotten very far in building the mightiest war machine in the history of the world during WW II.
Perhaps many Republicans fear that if Perdue is serious about cutting waste, Georgia will pay a price. After all, Kingston was once known as the King of Earmarks, a man who knows how to get money into the federal budget for the home team. So the voters are left to decide if they really do want to cut unnecessary spending, if they really do want a guy with budget experience running big companies, or if they want the other guy who has supported countless spending bills that have added to the deficits. Which candidate is serious about cutting the tax loopholes and tariffs that the special interests pay for? Will they support cutting wasteful defense spending, or will it be billed as "being strong on defense" while in actuality being jobs programs?
We already know that Democrats are tagged as the party of taxes and spending. Are Perdue and Kingston different? I seriously doubt it. My guess is that spending is good as long as it benefits special interests and the voters, and bad if benefits someone else. And Kingston is a known commodity who has delivered the pork. In other words, the Republican Party label is a false brand when it comes to budgets, deficits, jobs programs, and special interests.
Are corporations people? Mitt Romney famously declared to a heckler that they were. Yet corporations don't go to prison for their crimes, they don't pay individual tax rates, they don't attend church, they don't go door to door to campaign, and they have no corporeal body. It's been said that the corporation was one of the single greatest business inventions ever devised. Perhaps so, and I certainly wouldn't argue the point. To state the obvious, it allowed for people to gather together, create a business, and protect themselves individually from being personally bankrupted. One could argue that this alone has stimulated more new businesses than any other single cause.
In very recent years the current Supreme Court has given additional meaning to the definition of a corporation. They are now people with First Amendment rights that can contribute to campaigns. Even though Congress had said otherwise, this "non-activist" conservative high court said that Congress was wrong. In 1976, the high court said that money counts as speech. Combine corporations and money as people exercising their free speech rights, and you have a whole new chemical solution, one that I don't think is for the better.
There are those who are rejoicing in the Hobby Lobby decision that said closely held, for profit corporations may ignore a statue providing for birth control under the Affordable Healthcare Act (ACA) if it violates their religious beliefs. Considering that this was a 5-4 opinion, it is clear that there was and is a lot of division on this issue. The Obama Administration had already conceded that organizations which exist strictly for religious purposes, such as houses of worship, were exempt from the ACA. Then came the challenge from Hobby Lobby, a privately held corporation with more than 700 stores nationwide. The Green family, which owns the bulk of the privately held shares, believed that it violated their religious freedom to have to provide for certain contraceptives. It didn't matter that the many thousands of employees of Hobby Lobby weren't hired based on their religious beliefs, that the workers were paid only for their labor and to make money for the company. It also doesn't matter to the Green family that more than ninety percent of their merchandise comes from Communist China, a country that freely performs and encourages abortions.
Justice Alito, who wrote the Hobby Lobby opinion, stated that the court's ruling would not affect laws that deal with mandatory immunizations, blood transfusions, and various forms of discrimination. I read that comment to be dicta, or his own opinion that doesn't go to the actual holding of the case. So there is no guarantee that there won't be lawsuits claiming that one's religious faith is violated if forced to comply with the forgoing laws. In fact, I suspect that there will be many new cases claiming First Amendment protections. I wonder if on a local level, if I objected to paying school taxes because I considered it blasphemous for any student of a certain faith to sit with others of different faiths, could I claim a tax exemption, particularly if it was my child?
The trend of the Republican Five on the current Supreme Court is to separate Americans into different groups. Those with deep pockets can spend their money in ways that can literally buy elections. Now a law of general application, the ACA, has had an important component overturned based on the faith of a profit making owner of a large company that sells extensively in interstate commerce. Our national motto, the one that goes back to the founding of our nation was, "E Pluribus Unum", Out of Many, One. Those are magnificent words that once gave meaning to The United States of America.
When we are all subject to the same laws of general application no one points fingers at someone getting a special break. People would have no reason to say that they would/would not shop at Hobby Lobby because of their religious exemptions. I grew up in NYC surrounded by more religious faiths and ethnicities than probably anywhere in the country. Neither got in the way of friendships or commerce. I see that changing with personal religious convictions evolving from being a private matter to becoming more public. The Hobby Lobby and recent prayer case illustrate my point.
All is not lost. There will be lawyers who prosper from the proliferation of lawsuits to challenge what they perceive to be violations of someone's First Amendment freedoms. And that puts money into the economy. Here's hoping that some of it will trickle down to a few of us.
There are certain names of individuals or entities that can rile up the masses faster and more furiously than others. One individual is President Obama, and one entity is the IRS. Put the two together and only the chemists can tell you how toxic the mix is, real or imagined.
This week there were congressional hearings concerning the loss of the IRS emails between the embattled Lois Lerner, the White House, and other potential conspirators who allegedly targeted tea party groups for unfavorable tax review. I saw one video clip of South Carolina Congressman Trey Gowdy working over IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. Gowdy is a former federal prosecutor, and conservatives seemed to enjoy the pounding that he delivered to the witness. It all made for great theater, and perhaps Gowdy is hoping to become the next Attorney General in a Republican administration.
What Gowdy did, though, either was completely disingenuous on his part, or he is fooling a lot of people that he is knowledgeable in Constitutional and evidentiary law. He accused Koskinen of destroying evidence and then condescendingly lectured him on how a jury can infer that the lost emails contained negative inferences to the IRS and co-conspirators. What Gowdy never said was when the IRS was subpoenaed to turn over the emails, or alternatively, when the IRS was put on notice to preserve all emails pending the congressional investigation.
My point is that the emails did not become evidence until the IRS was notified by subpoena or other communication that they were to be preserved. All government agencies, including the FBI, have file destruction programs. For the sake of argument only, if the emails were destroyed pursuant to a regulation before notice of the hearings was provided, there would be no wrongdoing. Gowdy continued to interrupt and badger the commissioner, so we really don't know what the commissioner might have said. No judge in America would have allowed Gowdy to get away with his antics in a courtroom. But this is only Gowdy's initial appearance at self-promotion and grandstanding. One can only imagine how the Benghazi hearings will be conducted under his leadership.
I have no more love for the IRS than does any American, but they are a necessary component to our government. Our elected representatives treat the IRS as their favorite punching bag in order to win votes, but they do absolutely nothing about changing the tax system. The congress has the power to defund the IRS or any of their branches, so why don't they do it? Why are no current congressional or senatorial candidates talking about tax reform with specific ideas on how to change the code? Could it be that the special interests that get special tax breaks also fund the campaigns, and the last thing they want is a code that eliminates their favored treatment?
Last week the Cobb County police charged Justin Harris with the murder of his 22 month old son who died when he was left in Harris' car. At first the public was outraged that a distraught, loving father, could be twice a victim. How could the police and District Attorney be so insensitive? I readily admit to being a partisan when it comes to DA Vic Reynolds and the Cobb PD, so my first inclination was that there must be more to this story if they chose to charge Harris with murder instead of something very minor. As the story continues to unfold it appears that the police did their job and have let the facts and evidence do the talking. That is due process, and in my opinion we are fortunate to have such a qualified District Attorney and competent police force.
It is all too easy to draw conclusions about subject matters that are very personal to us. The IRS hearings, Justin Harris, and soldier Bowe Bergdahl are just a few of the topical cases that have our attention for the moment. No matter how repulsive the initial reports are in any of these stories, as Americans who believe in our Constitution, we owe it not only to these people, but to our families, friends and ourselves to let due process run its course. Anything less is to acknowledge that we don't mean it when we pledge allegiance to the flag, or take an oath to support, defend and preserve the Constitution. Yet when unexpectedly someone finds himself in a "situation" not of one's choosing, you can be sure that all rights and protections will be claimed. And rightfully so---but that should always be the case.
Eleven years after the war in Iraq began we continue to pay for it. My guess is that the final payment won't be in the foreseeable future. The Bush administration relied on information that may go down as one of the biggest intelligence failures since World War II, although there have been a number of others that rival it. In this instance we had electronic capabilities that should have revealed that Saddam Hussein did not have WMD, and that Saddam was playing a bluff game with Iran, his arch enemy. Yes, he had gas and biological weapons that he used against his own people, but he always knew that to use them against Israel or the U.S. would result in his country's annihilation.
The NSA revelations prove that our government has very substantial spying capabilities leading up to the war. It's also hard to believe that we didn't have a few well-placed sources on the ground in Iraq, both in their government and military, that could have shed some light on Saddam's real game. Yet despite other American and foreign intelligence agencies warning Bush that it would be a mistake to rely on certain CIA sources, to believe that Mohammad Atta, one of the 911 ringleaders had met with an Iraqi intelligence officer when Atta was shown to be elsewhere at the same time, the administration went forward with the war. Later when Bush had to admit that there was no WMD, he said the war was worth taking out a really bad guy, that the Iraqi people could now live their lives in freedom.
This was a war in which the American people were deceived in spades. It turned out that the Congress did not receive the full intelligence report provided by Bush to demonstrate the urgency to go to war. Some representatives that voted against the first Gulf War didn't want to be on the wrong side of that vote again and voted for the war resolution the second time. Almost 4,500 soldiers KIA, many more badly maimed for life, hundreds or more American civilians dead, six figures of Iraqi citizens killed, we have nothing of consequence to show for it. Saddam, as bad as he was, did two things: He kept the peace between the two rival religious factions, the Shiites and Sunnis, and kept the balance of power with Iran. His fall led to Iran's rise and the potential threat to the West since they no longer have to keep a wary eye on their neighbor.
And now for the big question. Why was there never a push for congressional hearings to investigate the intelligence failures, to examine whether a blind eye was turned on two questionable sources, Ahmed Chalabi and Curveball---both who had their own agendas for pushing the U.S. to overthrow Saddam. How about the money from Iraqi oil that Dick Chaney said would pay for this multi-trillion dollar war---no need to ask what happened to that money? Where was/is the cry from Republicans to investigate some of the war profiteering? Shouldn't there be questions asked about all the taxpayer money that went to corrupt officials in Iraq? No, instead it's one investigation after another of Benghazi.
The Iraq War did more than cost a lot of unnecessary lives, create a religious civil war, and upend the balance of power in the Middle East. It contributed to the whopping deficits because of the Bush tax cuts and off-line budget to pay for the war. And let's not forget the century long tail of veterans care that follows each war, a dollar amount in the trillions.
Some politicians are talking about the U.S. going back in to protect the current Maliki regime. Perhaps these folks have spent too much time on the Rocky Mountain slopes of Colorado. Are they really willing to pay the cost in blood and taxes? Where are all the Middle Eastern countries that we give countless billions to pay for military equipment and training? Do they ever use the hardware, or is it just for military parades? Isn't this their fight in which we could contribute some intelligence and logistical support without a full commitment? Where are the war hawk voices to demand that the Iraq problem is their problem?
Contrary to what some editorialists have written, Obama did not lose the war in Iraq. Bush set the withdrawal date for all combat troops that Obama carried out. What Obama couldn't do was to get Maliki to agree to a Status of Force Agreement providing for remaining U.S. military personnel there for training and intelligence, to be protected by U.S. laws. Obama had no choice but to withdraw all servicemen under those circumstances.
Perhaps I am a voice in the wilderness in wondering where the outrage is in our country that we give countless billions to so many countries that do little to nothing for us, but when Obama proposes spending money in the private sector to rebuild our deteriorating infrastructure, it's called job welfare or some such. There were many in congress who voted against a 60 billion package to rebuild the devastated areas from Hurricane Sandy two years ago, money that came from taxpayers who lost their homes and more from the storm. Where are our values when it comes to taking care of our own first? Why no call for hearings on how this all happened? Could it be partisan politics instead of trying to learn from our mistakes?
The Georgia Senate primary runoff is six weeks from now, a lot of time for allegations of one sort or another to turn up against either of the two candidates, David Perdue or Jack Kingston. Until this year, so it seems, Republicans liked to run as the "outsider", the candidate not tainted by all the bad things associated with Washington, and if you had a business background, as they say in New York, you were in Fat City. In the May 20th primary you had Karen Handel and David Perdue running as outsiders, and Phil Gingrey and Paul Broun disingenuously trying to distance themselves from the pejorative of being Washington insiders.
The tables have turned and all of a sudden Perdue's business background is bad, Kingston's record of obtaining whopping earmarks (before being banned) for his district is good. Gingrey, Broun, and Handel, the three outsiders, now support Kingston the insider. Funny how politics work. (To be clear, I have no dog in this race, didn't vote for either in the primary, and still don't know who I will vote for in the runoff.)
I suspect that over the next six weeks I could write six commentaries on the accusations that will be lobbed back and forth between Perdue and Kingston. The current topic pertains to Kingston's acceptance of $80,000 in bundled contributions from convicted felon, Khalid A. Satary, a Palestinian who served more than three years in federal prison for operating a major counterfeit CD business in the Atlanta area. He is currently fighting a federal deportation order. When this story unfolded, Kingston proclaimed to be surprised and would return the money.
First, I wonder why Kingston, who has not opposed the two recent Supreme Court decisions overturning campaign finance laws, would return the money. After all, the Supreme Court said that it is not a crime to pay for influence, that it is only a crime to bribe a public official. There isn't even a whiff of a bribe in this instance, and all Satary did was attempt to gain access to Kingston, presumably to get his help to stay in the country. Since politicians take big dollars all the time from wealthy folks, from PACs put together by special interest groups---all seeking access and influence---what makes Sataray's money so objectionable? There is zero information at this time that Satary asked for anything for his contribution. Perhaps he's just a good citizen who supports good government, and Kingston is worthy of his largess as the right man at the right time to "restore our country."
Actually, I am very cynical about this deal and all money in politics. For Kingston to argue that he didn't know anything about Satary is willful ignorance. A very inexpensive data base search on the man would have turned up that he was a convicted felon and lots more. I'm not suggesting that due diligence be done on every contributor, especially those who can only afford token amounts, but I am saying that for someone that is virtually unknown to come up with $80,000 for a candidate, red flags should have been flying with hurricane force winds. Kingston is hardly new at raising money, and he should have known better. His explanations for accepting the money without some background check ring hollow.
There is currently a bill in the Senate to limit money in federal elections. Since no Republicans are supporting it that I know of, I assume that they agree with the Supreme Court rulings that money in politics is a form of free speech under the First Amendment. For those who claim that we need to go back to the original meaning of the Constitution, I can only ask where in that amendment there is one word or inference that money in politics is a protected form of speech. In America there should be political equality. No one should be able to buy access or pay for influence. Recently, casino owner billionaire Sheldon Adelson had prominent potential Republican candidates for president meet with him one on one for vetting. Surely none of these candidates were influenced by the money Adelson will bring to the 2016 race and his chosen horse. Wonder if any of the candidates would fly to Las Vegas to meet with an ordinary citizen to discuss issues? As long as money pays for access and influence, the rest of us can only hope to influence our representatives through another provision in the First Amendment, freedom of assembly. Remember that when there are more Occupy Wall Street movements.


text:
42 U.S. Code § 10605 - Establishment of Office for Victims of Crime
(a) Office established within Department of Justice
There is established within the Department of Justice an Office for Victims of Crime (hereinafter in this chapter referred to as the "Office").
(b) Appointment of Director; authority; restrictions
The Office shall be headed by a Director (referred to in this chapter as the "Director"), who shall be appointed by the President. The Director shall report to the Attorney General through the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs and shall have final authority for all grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts awarded by the Office. The Director shall not engage in any employment other than that of serving as the Director, nor shall the Director hold any office in, or act in any capacity for, any organization, agency, or institution with which the Office makes any contract or other agreement under this chapter. [1]
(c) Duties of Director
The Director shall have the following duties:
(1) Administering funds made available by section 10601 of this title.
(3) Establishing programs in accordance with section 10603 (c) of this title on terms and conditions determined by the Director to be consistent with that subsection.
(4) Cooperating with and providing technical assistance to States, units of local government, and other public and private organizations or international agencies involved in activities related to crime victims.
[1] See References in Text note below.
Source(Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 1411, as added Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7123(a),Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4420; amended Pub. L. 112–166, § 2(h)(5),Aug. 10, 2012, 126 Stat. 1285.)
References in Text
This chapter, the last place it appears in subsec. (b), was in the original "this part", which has been translated as reading in the original "this chapter" meaning chapter XIV of title II of Pub. L. 98–473to reflect the probable intent of Congress because chapter XIV of title II of Pub. L. 98–473which comprises this chapter, does not contain parts.
2012—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 112–166struck out ", by and with the advice and consent of the Senate" before period at end of first sentence.
Effective Date of 2012 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 112–166effective 60 days after Aug. 10, 2012, and applicable to appointments made on and after that effective date, including any nomination pending in the Senate on that date, see section 6(a) ofPub. L. 112–166, set out as a note under section 113 of Title 6, Domestic Security.
Effective Date
Section not applicable with respect to a State compensation program that was an eligible State crime victim compensation program on Nov. 18, 1988, until Oct. 1, 1991, see section 7129 ofPub. L. 100–690, as amended, set out as an Effective Date of 1988 Amendment note under section 10601 of this title.
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


text:
Green Initiatives
Killington Resort continues to implement innovative energy conservation measures and environmental management practices to reduce energy consumption and the effects of climate change.
Our Mission
To exceed customer expectations, be innovative, profitable and environmentally responsible.
- Efficiency Vermont
- Green Mountain Power
- Casella Resource Solutions
- The Marble Valley Regional Transportation District
- National Ski Areas Association
- Killington Resort is the proud recipient of the the Vermont Ski Areas Association 2014 Green Mountain Award for Environmental Excellence as the Greenest Overall Resort in Vermont.
- We were honored to receive the National Ski Area Association Golden Eagle Award in 2013 in recognition of our ongoing dedication to the environment with the Cow Power Program.
- In 2008 and 2013, Powdr Copr., Killington's parent company received recognition from the Environmental Protection Agency for our green power purchasing.


text:
Maybe it's just me but I have been noticing that on most if not all the servers I go on there always seems to be one player with a stat of like 30 frags and maybe one or two deaths.
I know that here are genuinely good players out there but this is really getting ridiculous.
It is taking all of the fun out of the game.
Cheaters are such low life cowardly punks.


text:
in this issue
premium services
online directory
customer care
Regions :: Western Europe :: France
Global Bioenergies signs agreement with Audi to develop isobutene-based isooctane
January 21, 2014 | Francinia Protti-Alvarez
Biochemical company Global Bioenergies (Evry, France) and automaker Audi have signed a collaboration agreement for the development of isobutene-derived isooctane, Global Bionergies s announced. The agreement also foresees the possibility of Audi acquiring shares in Global Bioenergies corresponding to less than 2% of the company's capital during the two-year period of the collaboration. Global Bionergies' most-advanced program consists of the production of biobased isobutene, which can be transformed into isooctane. As a 100% drop-in fuel, isooctane can be used in...
This information is only available to Chemical Week subscribers.
Forgot your user ID or password?
Not an IHS Chemical Week member yet?
Here's why you should be:
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
contact us | about us | customer care | privacy policy | sitemap | advertise
Copyright © 2015 IHS, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.


text:
Read: Jim Schoenfeld Gives A Chris Kreider Update
In 25 games with the Whale, Chris Kreider had four goals and six assists with 52 shots on goal and 45 penalty minutes.
In eight December games, Kreider has ZERO points, is a minus two and has 12 shots on goal.
Kreider is ranked 46th in rookie scoring in the AHL.
Jim Schoenfeld explained Kreider's first half of the season at Blueshirts United.
He said, "It has been a little more difficult than I think he would have expected. He is learning. He is a good offensive player, strength speed and a very good shot. When he is on the ice at a lower level he can have his way and his speed can help him make up for mistakes. Now he is playing against smarter individuals, guys who are faster, highly skilled and you don't have that time to recover if you make a mental mistake. He is going through the process, Kenny has spent a lot of time with Chris and he is hungry to learn. It is part of the process of learning. He is taking in a lot of information and hockey is a game of reaction and if you are caught out there thinking you are too slow to make the right reaction. I think it will sink in and I think he will have a tremendous second half. The fans don't have to worry about his numbers.
THIS SECTION has been following Kreider in the AHL
In the latest issue of The Hockey News,with Bobby Orr on the cover, they write that the only people pressing the panic button on Kreider are Ranger fans and not Ranger management. They write "the Rangers are content to let Kreider work out his kinks in CT and confident he'll be NHL-ready when the big league returns to play."


text:
15 U.S. Code § 3391a - "Essential agricultural use" defined
For the purposes of section 3391 of this title, the term "essential agricultural use" shall—
(2) include use of natural gas for agricultural production on set-aside acreage or acreage diverted from the production of a commodity (as provided under the Agricultural Act of 1949 [7 U.S.C. 1421 et seq.]) to be devoted to the production of any commodity for conversion into alcohol or hydrocarbons for use as motor fuel or other fuels; and
Source(Pub. L. 96–294, title II, § 273,June 30, 1980, 94 Stat. 711.)
References in Text
The Agricultural Act of 1949, referred to in par. (2), is act Oct. 31, 1949, ch. 792, 63 Stat. 1051, as amended, which is classified principally to chapter 35A (§ 1421 et seq.) of Title 7, Agriculture. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1421 of Title 7 and Tables.
Section was enacted as part of the Biomass Energy and Alcohol Fuels Act of 1980 which is title II of the Energy Security Act, and not as part of the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 which comprises this chapter.
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


text:
AVG Safe Browser is a free web browser that helps ensure you only visit safe websites, while also giving you control over who is able to see and use what you do online.
It helps keep you safe from scam, fraud, phishing, data misuse and potentially malicious online content when surfing the Internet on your iPhone®, iPad®, or iPod® touch.
Only visit safe websites
Blocks malicious or unsafe websites that contain scams or malware using AVG LinkScanner® technology. If you reach a suspicious website, we'll notify you and take you to an alternative safe page.
Control who can collect your data when you are online
AVG Do Not Track helps you identify which websites are collecting data on your online activities and gives you the choice whether to allow it.
AVG Safe Browser works just like other mobile web browsers, and features:
- Browser history of websites visited
- Bookmarks for favorite websites
- Address bar that hides to maximize screen space
- Works with WiFi and mobile data Internet connections
iPhone®, iPad®, and iPod touch® are trademarks of Apple, Inc.


text:
Customer Service
- Shipping & Returns
- Warranty Information
- Privacy Notice
- Conditions of Use
Affiliate Program
- Affiliate Information
- Affiliate Sign In
Powered by CaliberCommerce enterprise ecommerce solution
Anderson RockeTech SP Slowpitch Softball Bat 011032
Item#: 011032 | Manufacturer: Anderson
Anderson RockeTech SP Slowpitch Softball Bat 011032
Anderson RockeTech SP Slowpitch Softball Bat
Designed to deliver the ultimate in performance and durability! The RockeTech is constructed with Anderson's new all-metal, multi-wall alloy. Anderson abandons conventional thinking when it comes to the multi-wall by introducing Internal PowerArch Technology to the RockeTech. This technology incorporates an arched interior sleeve design to generate maximum legal performance and an optimized MOI. A lower MOI allows players to swing faster, which results in maximum power behind each swing! The RockeTech also features a TaperFlex Contour and TrueFlex End Cap that does wonders for that unwanted vibration. Holding it all together, Anderson's Grooved Assembly System locks and fortifies the shell, sleeve, and end cap, providing the highest barrel elasticity and extreme durability. With an ultra-thin whip handle, SG-I Sport Grip, and weld-less ergonomic knob, the RockeTech is the smoothest feeling bat on the market! The RockeTech features the new ASA stamp and is approved for play in ASA, ISA, NSA, and USSSA. It is backed with a Full 12 Month Warranty.
Customers who purchased this item also purchased


text:
21 U.S. Code § 397 - Contracts for expert review
(a) In general
(1) Authority
The Secretary may enter into a contract with any organization or any individual (who is not an employee of the Department) with relevant expertise, to review and evaluate, for the purpose of making recommendations to the Secretary on, part or all of any application or submission (including a petition, notification, and any other similar form of request) made under this chapter for the approval or classification of an article or made under section 351(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 262 (a)) with respect to a biological product. Any such contract shall be subject to the requirements of section 379 of this title relating to the confidentiality of information.
(2) Increased efficiency and expertise through contracts
The Secretary may use the authority granted in paragraph (1) whenever the Secretary determines that use of a contract described in paragraph (1) will improve the timeliness of the review of an application or submission described in paragraph (1), unless using such authority would reduce the quality, or unduly increase the cost, of such review. The Secretary may use such authority whenever the Secretary determines that use of such a contract will improve the quality of the review of an application or submission described in paragraph (1), unless using such authority would unduly increase the cost of such review. Such improvement in timeliness or quality may include providing the Secretary increased scientific or technical expertise that is necessary to review or evaluate new therapies and technologies.
(b) Review of expert review
(1) In general
Subject to paragraph (2), the official of the Food and Drug Administration responsible for any matter for which expert review is used pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall review the recommendations of the organization or individual who conducted the expert review and shall make a final decision regarding the matter in a timely manner.
Source(June 25, 1938, ch. 675, § 1007, formerly § 907, as added Pub. L. 105–115, title IV, § 415,Nov. 21, 1997, 111 Stat. 2377; renumbered § 1007,Pub. L. 111–31, div. A, title I, § 101(b)(2),June 22, 2009, 123 Stat. 1784.)
References in Text
The Public Health Service Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(2), is act July 1, 1944, ch. 373, 58 Stat. 682, as amended, which is classified generally to chapter 6A (§ 201 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 201 of Title 42 and Tables.
Effective Date
Section effective 90 days after Nov. 21, 1997, except as otherwise provided, see section 501 ofPub. L. 105–115, set out as an Effective Date of 1997 Amendment note under section 321 of this title.
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


text:
Where to Stay
Sukhumvit, Bangkok
+66 2645 4999
+66 2645 4888
Located in downtown Bangkok along one of the city's best known districts, Sukhumvit Road, Radisson Suites Bangkok Sukhumvit blends traditional Thai elegance with contemporary design, making it the ideal hotel for discerning business and leisure travelers.
In the midst of business and premier shopping centres, traditional street vendors and an exciting mix of dining and entertainment venues, the hotel is a short walking distance from Sky Train and Subway stations, making it a smart choice from which to explore the city's most compelling attractions.
With its worldwide brand signature " Yes I Can " service and 100% satisfaction guarantee, Radisson Suites Bangkok Sukhumvit sets the standard for vibrant and contemporary hospitality.
No. of units : 96
Check in : 14:00
Check out : 12:00
The closest destination to this result :
See & Do in Bangkok :


text:
Real-World, Real Value: Estimate your cost to attend Point Park
Many options are available to help students afford a college education – from scholarships, grants and loans to payment plans. We'll help you sort through them.
Use our net price calculators – one for incoming freshmen, one for transfer students – to see an estimate of what scholarships and financial aid you could receive, as well as an idea of your bottom line cost to attend Point Park. After viewing your results, you can have the reports emailed to you and request that a Point Park counselor follow up with you directly.
Launch your net price calculator
Select the net price calculator for your student status:
Please note: Point Park's net price calculators are intended for use by prospective undergraduate students who plan to attend full time (more than 12 credit hours) and who do not plan to pursue an accelerated degree program.
Students who plan to enroll part time (less than 12 credit hours) or pursue an accelerated program can learn more about financial aid options for part-time and accelerated students.
Learn more about financial aid at Point Park
- Financial Aid and Tuition
- Example Financial Aid Packages
- Types of Financial Aid
- Applying for Financial Aid
- Point Park Admission Information
- Financial Aid information for graduate students
- Point Park Value: A quality college experience, life-long returns
Office of Financial Aid
We are committed to making a Point Park education affordable and we will work closely with you to make this unique real-word education a reality. Please contact us with any questions or comments about the net price calculators.
- Phone: 412-392-3930
- Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Location: 1st floor, Thayer Hall
- Hours, more info, Contact Us


text:
Artist Frank Cho
Beschikbare series in de webshop categorie "Stripboeken"
Frank Cho (ook bekend als Duk Hyun Cho) in the
" Frank Cho was born Duk Hyun Cho in 1971 in Seoul, South Korea. At the age of six, he and his parents came to the United States where Frank became hyper-sensitive to all things American. By the time he was in high school, he was well on his way being an accomplished artist. In..." [ Lees meer ]


text:
Product Details
Toyota Corolla 2005, Red/Clear LED Tail Lights by CG®, 4 Pieces. While making your vehicle look much more appealing, you can also upgrade its lighting capabilities by installing these opulent aftermarket parts by CG. Supplied with high-intensity LEDs, the tail lights provide both excellent illumination and attractive, new appearance.
- Add style to the rear of your vehicle
- Make your car highly visible on the road
- Bright LED lights for sparkling light output
- Unique, custom appearance
- Durable, water-resistant construction
- Perfect fit and finish
- Precision engineered to meet OEM standards
- D.O.T. compliant to FMVSS-108
- All necessary hardware is included
- Simple, plug-and-play installation
- Sold in pairs
- Covered by a 90-day warranty
Nowadays there are more and more vehicles that are equipped with dazzling aftermarket lights rather than with original factory units. A constantly growing need for exclusive headlights, tail lights, fog lights, and other light assemblies is pretty easy to explain. The fact of the matter is that the lights are those car components that don't require much effort to be installed: you don't need to drill or remove your bumper or spend long hours under the hood. At the same time, a new set of ultra-stylish lights is a perfect way to add a little pizzazz to a vehicle in the blink of an eye. And the tail lights are not the exception, especially if they are crafted by CG Distribution.
The CG LED Tail Lights are just the ticket to start your car on the path to exclusivity. For a small amount of money, effort, and time these high quality lights will transform the rear end of your vehicle and give it a unique appearance that's far from what rolled off the assembly line. While delivering sophisticated style, the CG tail lights display a more luminous and intense beam in comparison to ordinary tail lights. All that is due to extremely bright LED lights included within each housing, which is in its turn has super durable, water-resistant construction. By the way, the LEDs present many advantages over conventional light sources including longer lifetime, lower energy consumption, smaller size, improved robustness, and faster switching.
Another great feature to be mentioned about these awesome Chrome LED Tail Lights is that they're engineered according to exact OEM specifications to fit tail light sockets of your vehicle. It makes installation a breeze even for those who know just a thing or two about the lights and their proper placement. Now you don't have to spend all your spare time in the garage, mounting a new light assembly. Additionally, the CG LED Tail Lights don't cost an arm and a leg as the replacement lights from the dealer. Save your money and get an exclusive custom appearance at the same time with CG.170.00Brand: CG Part Number: 03-TO03TLED This part is compatible with 6 vehicle(s)
CG Distribution is a highly respected manufacturer of top-quality performance lighting products and related accessories. Utilizing the latest cutting-edge technologies, the company offers products that are compliant with international, federal, state, and local standards. Made of the most durable plastics and then polycarbonate coated, the units are made to withstand the most severe conditions and last as long as or even longer than your vehicle. To ensure complete accuracy and precision in the research, design, and development of the lighting products, CG Distribution uses advanced CAD/CAM equipment along with a 3-dimensional testing machine. Therefore, integrating impeccable quality and affordable cost, CG lights and accessories have already found their place on thousands of various vehicles across the world.Product Reviews (2)
Every Customer can leave a review about our service and the product that was purchased. In order to leave your review for your new product, please follow the link in the email you receive after completing your purchase. You can rate appearance, ease of installation, price/value and product quality.CG® - Red/Clear LED Tail LightsAverage Rating: 4.8 of 5APPEARANCEEASE OF INSTALLATIONPRICE/VALUEQUALITYAll CG Reviews(4.5)APPEARANCEEASE OF INSTALLATIONPRICE/VALUEQUALITY2005 Toyota Corolla | Posted by Jason | (Centre, AL)
These look fantastic!Was this review helpful for you? YesNoShare this review:(5)APPEARANCEEASE OF INSTALLATIONPRICE/VALUEQUALITYRed/Clear LED Tail Lights2003 Toyota Corolla | Posted by Jahyra | (Vega Vaja)
Called from Puerto Rico. Very good service over the phone. I spoke with Joseph (Joe) and asked is the company shipped to the island - he said Yes. I submitted the order over the phone and two days later got it. Shipping was fast and I was very pleased with the item.3 people found this review helpful.Was this review helpful for you? YesNoShare this review:
Product Reviews (2)
Product Reviews (2)
More Accessories
You will never pay more with CARiD! Not only will we match prices from any competitor's website or other reputable source, we will continue to honor that promise for up to one year after your purchase.
We'll match the price at time of purchase, or refund you the difference if done after the purchase. Either way, we are totally committed to providing you the best online shopping experience.
We're car and truck enthusiasts, just like you! And it's enthusiasts we hire in our Sales and Service Centers. Many of our staff are ASE certified and have spent years in the retail auto business.
We conduct our own in-house training, and we even bring vendors to us for hands-on product training demonstrations. You're getting true expertise when you phone or email us!
With hundreds of vendors, and tens of thousands of components for sale, we put tremendous effort into coordinating our data with our vendors' data in order to guarantee that you get the correct part.
Our huge database is regularly cross-checked to keep it current and optimized. At times, our thoroughness makes our data even more accurate than our suppliers! This rigorous process means that you can always order with confidence.


text:
Showing 1-24 of 124 items found in Places to Stay
- Sort by:
All Season Motel
16 guest rooms conveniently located at the corner of Route 71 & 47.
Aloft Bolingbrook
Aloft Bolingbrook is a sassy, savvy, hip, trendy hotel located at The Promenade Bolingbrook. Mix & mingle with friends at the WXYZ lounge, stay and play at our indoor pool or fitness center, and breeze into an Aloft room featuring custom amenities.
AmericInn Lodge & Suites
63 room hotel includes indoor pool and whirlpool. Private spa and fireplace suites, complimentary hot breakfast. Handicap accessible. Pet friendly.
AmericInn Lodge & Suites
Oswego 's newest lodging facility is the AmericInn Lodge & Suites featuring the unexpected charming lodge feel thought-out. Conveniently located in Mason Square on Douglas Road . Whether on business or pleasure the high quality beds and pillows to the INN-hanced Continental Breakfast Buffets big Belgian Waffles to the "Bears" will capture your attention. Other amenities include the large vaulted ceiling pool area, FREE high speed internet throughout with wireless option, fully supplied Business Center and Fitness Center, conference ability all enhanced with natural Hickory woodwork and Amish handcrafted accent furniture in all public areas and sleeping rooms. The (14) different room styles such as Business King, Deluxe Double Queens some with spa's, fireplaces, extended stay, two rooms or oversized rooms will meet any and all needs
Aurora Fox Valley Inn
114 rooms, lounge, and restaurant. Laundry, large outdoor pool, and game room. Free continental breakfast.
Baymont Inn & Suites
Minutes from such major attractions like Chicago Premium Outlet, the Paramount Theatre, Two Brothers Roundhouse, the Aurora Regional Fire Museum and Hollywood Casino Aurora. Wake up to free continental breakfast and a free issue of USA Today. Help yourself to free Wi-Fi Internet access while relaxing in your comfortable room. Head to the fitness center for a workout, then unwind with a swim in the heated indoor pool. This pet-friendly hotel offers free parking for all vehicles, and kids 17 and under stay free with an adult.
CITY:North Aurora
Baymont Inn & Suites Naperville
DuPage County, Chicago's Western Suburbs - 123-room hotel conveniently located 1/2 mile from I-88. Several restaurants within walking distance. Expanded continental breakfast, fitness room, free wireless hi-speed internet, and many other amenities.
Best Budget Inn
A great locationin Joliet with Indoor pool and whirlpool.
Best Western - Romeoville
Free Hot Breakfast Free WIFI Free local calls and HBO Channels. Indoor heated pool and fitness center. All rooms have refrigerator, microwave, coffeemaker, iron and ironing boards.
Best Western Inn of St. Charles
Convenient to area restaurants, downtown St. Charles shopping. Each guest room includes a mini-fridge & microwave. New executive suite wing.
CITY:St. Charles
Best Western Joliet Inn & Suites
Green Eco-friendly practices, complimentary hot breakfast, new indoor heated swimming pool area, spa, large atrium with a sundeck, retractable roof, a meeting room for up to 40 people, spacious rooms with microwaves, refrigerators and free high speed wireless internet access.
Best Western Naperville Inn
DuPage County, Chicago's Western Suburbs - Enjoy deluxe continental breakfast, lobby computer access, 24-hour exercise room. Guest rooms each have free internet access, cable TV, microwave and refrigerator. Hotel is centrally located near restaurants, shopping and more! Easy access to I-88.
Bobak's Signature Events and Conference Center
Bobak's is a unique banquet conference facility for corporate, social and family events. Whether you are looking to plan a wedding reception, corporate function or birthday party, expert Event Specialists will work closely with you to ensure that your day is a success. From intimate to exclusive, Bobak's first-rate banquet & meeting facilities, award winning cuisine and unparalleled service will transform your event to extraordinary!
Candlewood Suites
This award-winning hotel with 82 suites offers a deluxe hot breakfast, indoor pool, fitness room, free high-speed Internet and business meeting facilities. Within walking distance of America's Historic Roundhouse, Hollywood Casino and Paramount Theatre. Next to Burlington Northern Railway with access to Chicago. Visit the Web site for more information.
Candlewood Suites Chicago Naperville/Warrenville
DuPage County, Chicago's Western Suburbs - We take pride in making all hotel suites feel as comfortable as home, spacious and built for comfort, kitchens, complimentary high speed internet, among other great amenities. Located off I-88 in the heart of the Naperville/Warrenville High Tech Corridor.
Challenge Park Extreme Sports
Put some adventure into your getaway with our CPX package! This package includes two tickets to Challenge Park Extreme Sports, which has a paintball city, skate park, and mountain bike park! Also included is overnight accommodations at our hotel, complimentary hot buffet breakfast, and unlimited use of our heated indoor pool and whirlpool. You must be 10 years of age to participate in any activities at CPX Sports.
Chicago Marriott Naperville
The newly transformed hotel creates the ideal ambience for your events. Easy access to I-88, 3 miles from Downtown Naperville, and just steps from delectable dining makes our hotel the perfect location for any occasion!
Chicagoland Speedway Camping
Choose from 4 unique camping options at Chicagoland Speedway! Benefits include: FREE newspaper delivery, payment plan options, free tram services around the facility, and non-stop entertainment.
Comfort Inn - Morris
Comfort Inn offers our guests an atmosphere that is friendly, dourteous and above all fun. Indoor pool/hot tub, coffee makes, iron/ board, hairdryers in all rooms. Free Continental Breakfast. Pet Allowed.
Comfort Inn & Suites Geneva
Comfort Inn & Suites Geneva received the Platinum from Choice Hotels International in January 2010 and is ranked in the top 3% of Comfort Inns nationwide.
Comfort Inn North - Joliet
Indoor pool and hot tub. Fax, copier, business classroom, 24 hour coffee.
Comfort Inn South - Joliet
Newly renovated, only moments away from: Empress and Harrah's Casinos, Route 66, Chicagoland Speedway and shopping. Free The Wall Street Journal and 24-hour coffee and tea in the lobby. Be sure to relax in the indoor heated pool and spa. Enjoy our free hot breakfast featuring eggs, meat, yogurt and fresh fruit, cereal and more, including your choice of hot waffle flavors! Business travelers will appreciate conveniences like free wireless Internet access, and copy and fax services.
Comfort Suites Aurora
This award-winning hotel with 82 suites offers a deluxe hot breakfast, indoor pool, fitness room, free high-speed Internet and business meeting facilities. A preferred hotel conveniently located adjacent to the Metra Station, with easy expressway access to O'Hare International Airport (ORD) & Midway International Airport (MDW). We are also located just minutes from Aurora Municipal Airport (ARR).
Country Inn & Suites - St. Charles
Convenient to area restaurants, downtown St. Charles shopping. Each guest room includes a mini-fridge and microwave. New executive suite wing.
CITY:St. Charles


text:
It's a Christmas Collectibles Wonderland!
What's your idea of a perfect Christmas collectible? Here at The Bradford Exchange Online we know there are as many unique and special ways to celebrate the holidays as there are unique and special people, and so we've created a Christmas collectibles wonderland filled with all sorts of ways to make your holidays extraordinary!
From lovely music boxes that play your favorite Christmas carols, to multi-media tabletop Christmas tree extravaganzas with light, motion and music, our selection of Christmas collectibles and gifts as magical as it is impressive. Whether you're looking for just the right Christmas ornaments to make your holiday tree sparkle like never before, Christmas snow globes for your best friend's collection, or really spectacular Christmas gifts for Mom, The Bradford Exchange Online is your ticket straight to Santa's workshop; even Santa's elves shop here!
From Christmas Ornaments to Christmas Villages, We Have It All
We really do have something for everyone. Want to thrill a Disney fan? Give them The Wonderful World of Disney Christmas Tree, with over 50 beloved Disney characters, 10 scenes, 20 LED lights, and 4 tiers of movement and music, including Mickey Mouse flying in Santa's sleigh while Pluto leads the way. Do you love the luminous glow of Thomas Kinkade artwork? Set your Christmas Day table with our Thomas Kinkade Home for the Holidays Table Centerpiece.
Or perhaps what you really need is an extra special Christmas village. Well, you've come to the right place! We have collectible Christmas villages ranging from our Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer® Village Collection, the PEANUTS Christmas Village Collection, and the Nightmare Before Christmas Black Light Village Collection, to a full roster of illuminated NFL football Christmas villages.
Plus, any Christmas collectibles you choose, you can rest assured they will be backed by our best-in-the business guarantee, with returns up to one full year and free return shipping. So give Santa a break and discover the wonderful world of Christmas collectibles at The Bradford Exchange Online! Shop Now!


text:
U.S. Go Congress
Free E-Journal
Upcoming Events
Kids & Teens
Latest Go News
AGA Tournament Crosstabs
Calvin Sun (W) vs. Zi Yang Hu (B)
Download .SGF
AGA Homepage
What Is Go?
Learn To Play
A Brief History of Go
Organizations and People Around the World
Notable Quotes About Go
Top Ten Reasons To Play
Membership and Chapters
Member/Chapter Login
Chapter Rewards
Chapter Rewards FAQs
Chapter Reward Points
Why Join?
Join Now!
Your Chapter and You
AGA Chapter Email List
Play Go
Right Now!
On the Internet
At a Club
Start Your Own Club
Upcoming Tournaments and Events
Pair Go
Upcoming Tournaments and Events
Major Tournaments and Championships
Tournament Resources
Tournament Crosstabs
Learn More
Learn To Play
Beyond the Basics
Equipment and Supplies
Go in Print and Media
History and Culture
Fun and Miscellaneous
Go Software and Programmers
Scholarly Research
Teach Others
Capture Game Teaching Method
Classrooms or Groups
Presentations and Demos
AGA Teacher's Workshops
Outreach Overview
Start a Club
Publicity and Handouts
Presentations and Demos
Kids & Teens
Youth Kyu Championships
Redmond Cup
Comics and Forums
Summer Go Camp
Special Events for Kids and Teens
American Go Honor Society
American Go Foundation
Latest Go News
About the AGA
What is the AGA?
AGA Contacts
Organizational Information
Link to the AGA!
Donate to the AGA
AGA Go Database
US Go Congress
Go Problem Archive
Administrators Only
Website Editor Login
E-Journal Login
Membership Manager
Site Search
Latest News
Three US Players to Compete at 17th Ibero-American Tournament in Havana
Three U.S. players will participate in the 17th Ibero-American Championship Tournament October 9-11 in Cuba, where leading Latin American players will compete to determine a champion.…
Latest AGA Tournament Regs Posted; How to Run a Tourney
The latest edition of the American Go Association Tournament Regulations have been posted on the AGA's Tournament Resources page, where you'll find everything local organizers…
Cotsen Open Deadline Approaching
With the October 20 deadline approaching, over 65 players have already pre-registered for this year's Cotsen Open, October 24-25 at the LA Center Studios (note new location). In addition…
Tom Chen Sweeps First Australian Digital Championship
With five straights victories, Tom Chen 5D of Sydney swept the 2015 Australian Digital Championship. Open to players from Australia and New Zealand, the tournament…
Junfu Dai Wins French Championship
Junfu Dai 8D (Paris) won the French Championship on October 3-4 in Lyon, topping the field of right of the strongest active amateur French players…
More News…
© 1997-2014 American Go Association
Contact the AGA
Design by Joshua Simmons


text:
Issue 5.08 | Aug 1997
By Glyn Moody
|Archive Category:
Hacking & Warez
Venture Capital
Nor yet were you seen
neither seen nor heard
when this earth was made
when the sky was built...
- Kalevala 3:245-248
The Kalevala is an epic poem of some 23,000 lines. Written in Finnish, it forms a huge patchwork of fragments taken from an oral tradition evolving over thousands of years in the province of Karelia, a region now split between Finland and Russia. Its creation in the middle of the 19th century was instrumental in defining not only the Finnish language but the Finnish nation.
The hero of the Kalevala is the shaman Väinämöinen. Early in the poem he is challenged by his hotheaded rival Joukahainen to a duel of magic powers, expressed through secret chants. At the end of this one-sided contest, the upstart is defeated, and the hero triumphantly asserts his unanswerable superiority by noting that he, Väinämöinen, helped create the world.
While the Kalevala is the result of an expansive literary imagination, its origins resemble the real-world inception of what some consider to be the greatest masterpiece that the Internet has produced. Aided by thousands of dis-parate hackers - a "net.mind" of sorts - Linus (pronounced "LEE nus") Torvalds, a 27-year-old Finn, has also created a new world. That realm, Linux (pronounced "LINN-ooks"), is an operating system, the force that defines the digital domain of programs just as our own environment determines the characteristics of animal and plant life.
For most hackers, the goal is to create neat routines, tight chunks of code, or cool apps that earn the respect of their peers. Linus went much further, laying down the foundation that underlies the cool routines, code, and applications, and achieving perhaps the ultimate hack.
Linux was started six years ago as a typical programming lark: written to run on a PC with 4 Mbytes of RAM as a free version of the costly commercial Unix operating system. Today, Linux has an installed base conservatively estimated at around 3 million users. And they're not just spotty adolescents playing in their bedrooms: Linux vendors say that most of the top companies in the US have bought the OS - but that few will readily admit to running their multimillion-dollar corporations on code put together by a band of software idealists.
Linux's installed base may not be on the level of the 100 million-plus users of Windows, or even the 50 million-plus in the Apple Macintosh sector, but Linux has made its mark in just half the time. Linux is freely distributable - one CD-ROM can be passed on hundreds of times - so it's particularly popular in countries just getting wired: South Africa, Cuba, Mexico, Slovenia, Croatia, Russia, India, Pakistan, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Bolivia. And technologically, Linux eclipses all the other brands of Unix. "Linux is far and away the most vital part of the Unix market," says Tim O'Reilly, founder of tech book publisher O'Reilly & Associates. Even Dennis Ritchie, one of the two fathers of the original Unix, calls Linux "commendable."
The saga of Linux has many strands. It is the story of Linus, an arch hacker of unusual wit and charm who single-handedly solved problems that usually require teams of programmers toiling for months. It is also the story of the Internet as a model for distributed collaboration. Indeed, Linux is the Internet's Kalevala, a huge patchwork of code that defines a rapidly growing cybernation, the tightly linked community of those who make and use it. What unites these coders is the drive to create the world's greatest operating system, one more powerful than any commercial Unix, able to run on practically any hardware, and infinitely customizable. An OS, moreover, that is fully the equal of Microsoft's flagship, Windows NT - with true multitasking, virtual memory, shared libraries, TCP/IP networking, and other advanced features. Many see Linux as NT's most serious competitor, the only viable alternative to the Microsoft monoculture - singular proof of the ideal that says we should have a digital choice.
But Linux also sits at a critical juncture. Although the freely distributable OS can never be completely swallowed up by Bill Gates's behemoth, Linux needs to gain the trust of the business sector if it wants to take on the Microsoft machine. Yet independence is a source of fierce pride to Linux coders, who fear Linux might become just another honest freeware Mosaic wiped out by a slick commercial Netscape. In other words, the same hacker ethic that created Linux could cap its expansion, making Linux the greatest software story never completed.
Glyn Moody divides his time equally between London, northern Italy, and cyberspace.
Page 2


text:
Mitt Romney now joins the long list of the kinds of presidential candidates favored by the Republican establishment — nice, moderate losers, people with no coherently articulated vision, despite how many ad hoc talking points they may have.
The list of Republican presidential candidates like this goes back at least as far as 1948, when Thomas E. Dewey ran against President Harry Truman. Dewey spoke in lofty generalities while Truman spoke in hard-hitting specifics. Since then, there have been many re-runs of this same scenario, featuring losing Republican presidential candidates John McCain, Bob Dole, Gerald Ford and, when he ran for reelection, George H.W. Bush.
Bush 41 first succeeded when he ran for election as if he were another Ronald Reagan ("Read my lips, no new taxes"), but then lost when he ran for reelection as himself — "kinder and gentler," disdainful of "the vision thing" and looking at his watch during a debate, when he should have been counter-attacking against the foolish things being said.
This year, Barack Obama had the hard-hitting specifics — such as ending "tax cuts for the rich" who should pay "their fair share," government "investing" in "the industries of the future" and the like. He had a coherent vision, however warped.
Most of Obama's arguments were rotten, if you bothered to put them under scrutiny. But someone once said that it is amazing how long the rotten can hold together, if you don't handle it roughly.
Click here to read the entire article.
Thomas Sowell (photo)