text:
The time-lapse was the easy part.
The stillness that followed
was the hard part.
It filled me like a sad puppy
chasing down the lost dreams
of the soulless picture.
Bright as the moon
she walked across that stillness,
awakening it from within.
Not knowing, that I know,
that she was the most
that I have even owned,
she picked me up
and spun me.
Showing me that I was not still and alone
and stuck in a time-lapse
to never be owed.
She called to me
with the silkiness of satin
and whispered the words
"I own you and love you,
you will never be alone."
A heart beat
faster than a hummingbird's flight.
I lost that time
were stillness could only be mine.
Her, she and I were the only thing this time
| Email this Poetry
| Add to reading list


text:
Wayne and Rena Heaton, shown at right, are realizing their dream of building a working ranch, and a destination guest ranch, in Montana. Started two years ago, construction is an on-going program at their 200-acre ranch in the Kozy Korner area.
Horseshoe Hills Guest Ranch is a breeding ranch where the Heatons raise Paints and Quarter Horses.
by Gary Noland
For the Pathfinder
May 7, 1998
If you're looking for a change of scenery this spring or summer, hitch up the horse trailer, pack the camper, and head on over to Horseshoe Hills Guest Ranch near Seeley Lake where you can ride, hang out and watch a dream in the making.
"Bring a Horse and Ride," is the oft-repeated theme at the sprawling, 200-acre guest ranch in the Kozy Korner area, a secluded meadow seven miles east of Salmon Lake on Woodworth Road, off Highway 83.
This was already "horse country," before the Heatons arrived from Wisconsin two years ago and began developing a quality horse facility. Nearby is the Rich Ranch, one of Montana's better known guest ranches and outfitters, with scores of horses for their wilderness trips and camps. Most other neighbors also have horses in this valley consisting of mostly large-acreage tracts bordering national forests and the Blackfoot Clearwater Game Range, with access to the Bob Marshall Wilderness.
The Heatons have added fifty more horses to adjacent pasturesPaints, Quarter Horses, Tennessee Walkers, mulesand now horses easily outnumber the valley people there year round.
Landing in the Kozy Korner area was the first step in a dream to have a working, breeding ranch with facilities that others could enjoy. It happened quite by accident on a trip Wayne Heaton and his wife, Rena, were taking to Glacier Park.
"We stopped for a minute at the Double Arrow Resort in Seeley Lake several years ago, and wound up staying 12 days," Wayne Heaton said
From then on, the Seeley Swan area became a destination they finally realized with the purchase of 200 acres and an existing home along Cottonwood Creek, with the Swan Mountains rising to the north and the Blackfoot Clearwater Game Range, where elk winter, to the south.
In the past year at the Horseshoe Hills Guest Ranch, construction was completed on the main barn, hay storage sheds in the background, several outdoor horse corrals and fencing, loafing and shelter sheds, and a new road entranceall part of an ongoing construction plan.
A view looking down one side of the barn, with a rider in the arena at the far end, and horse stalls on the sides and middle. Note the larch panelling throughout.
The youngest member of the family, Ty, pays a visit to the ranch's Scottish Highland cows. Several head are maintained for the enjoyment of guests
The Heatons delight in showing horses. Daughter Torree, above, captured five firsts and the all-around award at a Quarter Horse Show in Billings last summer.
After settling in the first year, Wayne and Rena started construction on phase two of the dreama quality boarding and arena facility.
Completed just last summer, the 60 x 120 foot structure houses 18 boarding stalls, a 60 x 100 foot riding arena, a glassed-in viewing area of the arena, tack and feed rooms, restroom, and a warm water washing areaa special treat for your horse.
Overhead, on a second floor, is storage for stall bedding materials, and a one bedroom apartment for a fulltime barn managers Bill and Heidi Denend, who are devoted to the care of boarders' horses and keeping the facility immaculately clean.
The barn's size is striking, but it's the warmth of the interior that is most satisfying, especially during the long, cold Montana winters. Double insulated, panelled with knotty larch planks, and heated, the barn and riding arena have become a haven for guest riders this past winter who rode comfortably in shirtsleeves, forgetting about the cold outside.
But when it's summer, outside is the place to be, and you can park your RV alongside the barn at any of six plug-in sites, or you can do like folks from the Missoula Backcountry Riders did last summer and camp along bubbling Cottonwood Creek with your own campfire at one of several campsites.
Last summer a Florida couple, traveling through Missoula, read about Horseshoe Hills Guest Ranch in a Horsin' Around issue, stopped in for a look and wound up staying 10 days, then returning later in the summer for another visit.
If staying indoors is more appealing, nearing completion are two guest rooms in the basement of the main house, each with bathroom facilities and their own outside entrance. And nearby is the Kozy Korner Bed & Breakfast and the Rich Ranch for overflow lodging.
Planned for construction this summer are several, one-room log cabins where you can enjoy your own private retreat in this splendid setting, riding out during the day on mountain trails leading into the pristine wilderness of the Bob Marshall.
In addition to the indoor riding arena, opening this spring is a new 150 x 250 foot outdoor riding arena. Grading and base sands were completed and laid last fall for this facility, which will have bleachers along one side and be available for larger events like team penning. The outdoor arena is being constructed with the future possibility of enclosing it with steel spans.
Ranch manager Rob Henrekin maintains the ranch acreage, building fences and harvesting the hay meadows. Horse safety and care are paramount concerns with the Heatons, and Henrekin has built miles of wood fencing, corrals, loafing sheds and wildlife-friendly fencing.
The safety precautions are not only for their own horses, the Paint and Quarter Horses they own and breed, but for several boarders who pasture or indoor-board their horses there on a year round basis. Horses are kept healthy on grass hay and LMF development formula for grass hay, with alfalfa cubes and pellets available. A horse shoer is on site, and a veterinarian on call.
Horseshoe Hills Guest Ranch is a family affair, with the Heaton's three children, Ty, Torree, and Tiffany all active in riding, showing and ranch chores.
Tiffany, a freshman at Montana University, is a champion barrell racer. Torree, a sophomore at Seeley Swan High School, is a first-class show rider who won five firsts and the all-around in classes at a Billings Quarter Horse show last summer. And six-year-old Ty is following in their footsteps with wins in walk, trot classes at horse shows.
If you like horses like the Heatons, then "Bring a Horse and Ride," as they say, or just stop in for a visit. You'll be in for a treat at Horseshoe Hills Guest Ranch, 406 677-3773, or 677-BARN.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
You are about to report the comment below to the Crash.Net moderators as being abusive.
An abusive comment may contain profanity, personal attacks or commercial SPAM.
Please do not report this comment as being abusive if you simply disagree with the
comment posted. If this is the case then you can click on the "disagree" icon () in the upper right
of the comment's post to show your dissatisfaction.
Crash.Net moderators will view all reported comments and will act as they deem necessary.
This may be editing the comment or total deletion.
@Should one of the world's leading sports continue to travel to a place where it puts its stars in danger
This is totally blown out of proportion. Great work of the phobic British media, isn't it? May I remind them that Brazil is going to host:
2014 FIFA World Cup
2016 Summer Olympics
Stop creating unnecessary controversies in the name of security. Sometimes strange things could happen to anyone but I admit that Jenson's incident was quite unfortunate. That doesn't mean that FIA pluck out such a legendary Interlagos circuit out of the F1 map
A friend of mine said that a similar security hysteria deliberately generated by British and Australian media on the recent Commonwealth Games in his home country. Some top players dropped out of the competition. He said that NONE got either injured or abducted. So, start respecting other nations and their sentiments.
Anything could happen to anyone because there isn't anything like 100% security anywhere (including here in the US)


text:
Bringing you essential news on restaurants, shopping, arts and other cultural happenings in Seattle. Subscribe to our newsletters, The Must List or Restaurant Insider, for weekly updates.
We're counting down the Christmas shopping season here at seattlemag.com with an editors' picks gift guide. Check back daily to find out our must-have items this holiday season. Today's find: a chicken purse!
Editors' Gift Pick: Chicken Purse at David Barton
One of our favorite finds at The Bravern this year was the unexpectedly fabulous gift shop at David Barton Gym at The Bravern. Where else would we have found our first must-have (if, slightly over-the-top) holiday gift of the season: Pylones' rubber chicken purse. We love the plump shape and molded details of this loud and proud acessory, perfect for that especially adventurous gal (or guy) in your life. Pylones also makes a matching chicken coin purse for gift-givers looking to go the extra mile.
$49 at David Barton Gym at The Bravern (11111 NE Eighth St.; 425.453.7887) or pylones-usa.com.


text:
[h/t Aaron Bludworth]
November 29, 2015
"Not all opinions are created equal. Some are a great deal more robust, sophisticated and well supported in logic and argument than others." Douglas Adams
[h/t Aaron Bludworth]
Jason Kane is a recovering rock star and an attorney in Salt Lake County. He is an occasional contributor to Publius Online.
In the days leading up to the Supreme Court oral arguments on the constitutionality of President's Obama's signature health care law, there was no end to the media speculation about which conservative leaning justice(s) would leave the dark-side and vote to uphold Obamacare. We were treated to a barrage of statistics touting the popularity of Obamacare, reminders that Republicans had supported mandates in the past and other specious arguments that have no bearing on the constitutionality of the law. Self-assured Progressives, it seemed, had little concern that socialized medicine was in any danger.
After one day of arguments that didn't go particularly well for the government, the Obamacare cheerleaders seem to be in full back-peddle mode. One blog post at the Daily Beast is especially entertaining, arguing that if the individual health insurance mandate is struck down, it will actually be a boon to Obama's reelection. Obama would no longer have to defend the controversial law and be free to run on his other spectacular achievements, like killing Bin Laden and… killing Bin Laden. This line of thinking, of course, flies in the face of common sense and everything we know about politics. Losing is bad for business and tends to embolden the opposition. In this particular election year, it also happens to help rid Romney of much of the health care baggage that continues to poison the well with many Republicans.
To be sure, I think it is premature to start dancing on the grave of Obamacare. But the tough skepticism exhibited by Justice Kennedy, the left's only hope in a 5-4 decision, gives Obamacare proponents good reason for concern. We cannot foretell the outcome based on oral arguments alone, though they do seem to hold particular weight in this case. At the very least though, the seeds of self-doubt have been sewn among the Progressives. We should allow ourselves savor this rare phenomenon while it lasts.
Today we celebrate President's Day in honor of, ostensibly at its roots, the birthdays of George Washington (February 22) and Abraham Lincoln (February 12). Would either have been elected if they were on the ballot today? One was part of the 1%, the other trod on the constitution…would they have survived any primary process, today?
Washington was austere, distant, and a far cry from the "personable" man who so many Americans seem to want in their highest elected official…you know, someone they could get a beer with. Washington's wealth and social position, besides putting him well outside of that class, was in many respects, the incentive and grievances that drove him to seek the post of commander-in-chief of the continental army in the War of Independence. His reasons for fighting were not solely liberty, but in many respects tied to the confiscation of his frontier property by a distant British government. He was, in those days standards, part of the 1%, taking full advantage of the benefits of slavery, a military career, and real estate speculation to gain wealth far above the average American. (Newt Gingrich would have pilloried him in the South Carolina Primary with super PAC ads questioning the source of his wealth while Rick Santorum would have questioned whether he believed in God since he didn't attend church regularly…and lets not even start with Thomas Jefferson).
Lincoln, on the other hand, was an adept story teller, a master of the English language, and the diplomatic leader that Doris Kearns Goodwin depicts in her 2005 "Team of Rivals" who could unite disparate and disagreeable personalities to a common cause. He was someone that people could, and did, like. That said, he was no constitutional conservative. He spent much of his first term ignoring what modern day Tenth Amendment activists trumpet as states rights, ignoring habeas corpus, and ending slavery by executive order…all actions that were, at the time, unconstitutional. Ron Paul would be righteously indignant.
Yet, without a doubt, these two men are widely regarded as our greatest presidents. One gave birth to the union and is the "Father" of our country. He was, and is, "[f]irst in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen." The other was "shrank from no responsibility[,]" even when that responsibility meant holding the country together at a time when popular will and constitutional interpretation worked against him. The fought, each, for union and for the liberty and the rights and the idea that this country is, the great experiment that was first in this world: a government for and by and of the people.
Would we have elected such men today? Would either have survived the whims and fickle of a twenty-four hour media and an American Idol attuned generation?
Would George Washington or Abraham Lincoln ever become president?
Remember this one? This case deals with series of laws passed in Arizona in response to the failure of the federal government to enforce federal immigration laws. As summarized by the ACLU in September:
As part of a comprehensive overhaul of the immigration laws, Congress adopted a series of carefully calibrated measures, beginning in the mid-1980s, to enforce the federal bar on hiring unauthorized immigrant workers while preserving the civil rights of immigrant and minority communities. Unsatisfied with these efforts, Arizona adopted its own law imposing far more severe sanctions on employers who hire workers that Arizona believes are unauthorized to work, and requiring employers to participate in a federal employment verification program that the federal government chose not to make mandatory.
The question of the case is whether Arizona has the power to enact certain laws through the "licensing" provision of the federal law. Yesterday, the Supreme Court held oral arguments on the case (a transcript is here).
As Josh Blackman notes, Justice Scalia went straight to the licensing issue during the arguments and "remarked that the "through licensing" provision is really the only avenue the federal government left open for the states to deal with immigration." Because no one thought, when Congress enacted the federal law, that the federal government would fail to enforce the law, Arizona was left with only limited means of remedy.
JUSTICE SCALIA: That would be remarkable
only because nobody would think that with this scheme in place, the Federal Government would not enforce it. Of course no one would have expected that. But what Arizona says has occurred here is that the scheme in place has not been enforced, and Arizona and other States are in serious trouble financially and for other reasons because of — of unrestrained immigration. And therefore, they had to take this very massive — I agree this step is massive, and one wouldn't have expected it to occur under this statute, but expectations change when the Federal Government has — has simply not enforced the immigration restrictions.
The Justices proceeded to debate, and discuss, the meaning of the word "licensing" and whether this really was the only outlet for Arizona to act. Check out a good summary and a few choice clips from the transcript at Josh Blackman's blog.
Overall, prognosticators seem to think that the Justices leaned towards Arizona, predicting a 5-3 win for the state. Justice Kagan was not on the bench for the arguments.
Justice Kennedy, consistently a swing vote on the court, remarked that the state's position–requiring that the voluntary federal E Verify program be mandatory–seemed to be at odds with federal policy. "You're making it mandatory. That is almost a classic example of doing something inconsistent with the federal requirement."
Apropos: at least one of the Justices did not seemed concerned with the licensing issue. Justice Sotomayor seemed more concerned with the issue of federal preemption. (She also made a faux pas when she referred to "illegal aliens," quickly correcting herself with "undocumented aliens," as she had used in previous opinions.)
Part three of my look at William Baude's "Signing Unconstitutional Laws" (86 Ind. L. J. (forthcoming 2011))… today we are looking at the risks associated with signing unconstitutional laws.
What are the risks? Even if, enlightened as he may be, the President signs the law with no intention of acting or executing it, there is no promise that the law will not be acted on by others, future Presidents, private actors, or perhaps the judiciary. Once on the books, Baude says, it is "a loaded weapon, ready for the hand of any authority that can bring forward a plausible claim of an urgent need." (Korematsu v. United States, 323 U.S. 214 (1944) (Jackson, J., dissenting). Baude cites the examples of Miranda v. Arizona (384 U.S. 436 (1966)) and Amore v. Novarro (Amore v. Novarro, ___ F.3d ___ (No. 08-3150) (2d Cir., June 22, 2010)) for examples where courts followed their own reading of the law "on the books," regardless of the perception and belief of the President on the law's constitutionality. So signing a law, however much the President does not believe it unconstitutional, presents very real risks of future violations of the Constitution by signing the law.
Risks aside, when is a bill unconstitutional? Is it even a problem if the bill goes into statute unconstitutional?
There are situations, Baude argues, where there are constitutional obligations on the President to sign and enact a bill, however unconstitutional. In reality, there is no conflict between a law's passage, its subsequent ruling as unconstitutional, and its remaining "on the books." The statutes affected in United States v. Eichman (496 U.S. 310 (1990)) (overturning flag burning prohibitions) and United States v. Booker (543 U.S. 220 (2005)) (holding statutes on sentencing guidelines to be unconstitutional) are both still "on the books" in the federal statutes, despite Supreme Court action to overturn their constitutionality. Indeed, Baude states that there really is no problem with passage of a law that may later, in different situations, be found to have unconstitutional applicability. He is merely putting the question of constitutionality aside until a later day.
And this is where we get to "signing statements." Signing statements are the President's way of making known his views on the law he is signing. It allows the President to warn parties about his view of how the law is to be or should be executed, especially within the executive branch. For this reason, Baude seems to suggest that a signing statement allows the President the flexibility to sign a bill that has parts both constitutional and unconstitutional. In essence, as Baude summarizes, it is as if a President were saying:
"[N]ow, to be clear, Chapter Two of this law is unconstitutional, and I am signing it only because I am confident that I and my successors will never enforce it, and the courts would disregard it in the unlikely event that it was enforced. Moreover, I am only willing to take the risk of placing it on the books because Chapter One does something very important—indeed, it helps me fulfill some of my other constitutional duties." "now, to be clear, Chapter Two of this law is unconstitutional, and I am signing it only because I am confident that I and my successors will never enforce it, and the courts would disregard it in the unlikely event that it was enforced. Moreover, I am only willing to take the risk of placing it on the books because Chapter One does something very important—indeed, it helps me fulfill some of my other constitutional duties."
At this point, Baude begins to shift to evaluating the Constitutional obligations–the duties–under which the President works when he evaluates whether to sign a bill, some of which duties may even require the President to sign a bill he deems to contain unconstitutional aspects. "Our Constitution is mostly a charter of structural rules and negative liberties," he says, generally limiting government, but not requiring it to affirmatively take action, with some exceptions, including bills that may be necessary to preserve and protect the Constitution itself.
This is not the same thing as suggesting that it is okay to violate the Constitution in times of great necessity. Remember, there is no don't-sign-unconstitutional-bills-clause, so signing an unconstitutional bill does not violate the Constitution per se. The point of this analysis is to explain why a sensible President would ever have a constitutional reason to sign an unconstitutional bill, especially in light of the constitutional risks entailed by doing so.
When the Voting Rights Act of 1970 was passed by both Houses of Congress, it thus contained a number of provisions enforcing the Fifteenth Amendment, and a voting-age provision that exceeded Congress's enumerated powers. With no line-item veto, the President had to either sign it into law and thus put his name to a provision that he thought violated the Constitution, or veto it and thus permit violations of the constitutional rights of thousands of black voters.
President Nixon signed it, anyway, the Supreme Court struck down the unconstitutional portion, and the next year an amendment to the Constitution was passed solving the problem. "President Nixon is an unlikely exemplar of presidential constitutionalism, but this time he nailed it."
Other appropriations bills he signed through this period included similar reporting requirements that he thought unconstitutional and that he similarly pushed to the wayside. Whether he was correct as to the level of risk to national security, President Bush was correct, by Baude's measure, to balance the importance of the law for upholding his constitutional duties against the risk of putting the unconstitutional provisions on the books.
With the assumption that there are laws that a President must, categorically, veto, what kind of criteria exists for a President to justify signing a law containing unconstitutional provisions? Baude suggests that such a law must be partially constitutional and partly required by the President's duties. He must consider the size of the risk and the magnitude and importance of the possible violations. It's a dynamic analysis, and in the end, regardless of the choice to sign or veto, the President must be prepared to mitigate the results. His is the duty to uphold the Constitution, first and foremost.
In conclusion, Baude quotes the always memorable Justice Scalia: "The Constitution . . . is not an all-purpose tool for judicial construction of a perfect world." And, to take the inverse, Baude warns us not to underestimate the Constitution, either: "We must be just as wary of the reverse–assuming that yesterday's formalisms are inadequate for today's government."
It's an interesting proposition, and perhaps one that bears consideration. The President has obligations, as well as his often recited limits.
There is also a broader lesson about what we remember and what we forget. We are all too eager to remember the long list of things the President must not do. We more easily forget that there are many things that he must do, and even more after the Reconstruction amendments. Our Constitution does not create a passive President. We should not make him into one.
Continuing my look at William Baude's "Signing Unconstitutional Laws" (86 Ind. L. J. (forthcoming 2011))…
We had just finished look at the summation of why Baude did not believe the act of signing unconstitutional laws was in itself unconstitutional. In reviewing the arguments of those opposed to signing such laws, Baude states that the reasons are generally pragmatic, not constitutional:
All of these arguments share a different set of common premises—that signing unconstitutional laws is justified not on formalist grounds, but practical ones. And when the authors explain the limits of the President's power to sign unconstitutional laws, it is in functional or practical terms, not constitutional ones—an approach echoed by many others who have abandoned the hard-line view. Moreover, none of them argue that the same circumstances that allow the President to sign unconstitutional laws require him to do so.
In response, Baude proposes that the premises are wrong. No "do-not-sign-unconstitutional-bills" clause exists, signing one can be risky, but necessary, and the considerations that go into signing them are constitutionally based. However, while there is not any clause that forbids signing of unconstitutional bills, there are provisions which require caution in signing laws.
Looking at the text of the Constitution, Art.1 Section 7 details the process of a bill becoming a law and is known as the "Signing and Veto" clause. The President is able to "approve" or state "Objections," but nothing more is said about the basis upon which he should evaluate the law.
In contrast, Art. II, Section 3 requires that the President to "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed" and to "faithfully execut[e]" the Constitution, which is part of the "Supreme Law of the Land." Here, Baude argues, is where the President is allowed the flexibility to sign unconstitutional laws, but refuse based on duty to enforce them as conflicting with the Constitution. On the books, but not treated as law by public officials, the "Take Care" clause is upheld.
The Presidential Oath supports this further. Says Baude:
That leaves the President's obligation to "preserve, protect and defend," the opposites of which are allowing something to be destroyed or damaged. But how does an unconstitutional law damage the Constitution? The Constitution, after all, is supreme, and preempts ordinary laws that are repugnant to it. At a practical level, the Constitution might not be preserved if unconstitutional laws are widely enforced; but the practical problem is addressed by ensuring that the unconstitutional law is not executed. And at a more metaphysical level, the Constitution takes care of itself automatically.
Constitutional structure supports this proposition. A legislative act that is unconstitutional is not law, and is therefore void and to be ignored by the federal government. (Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. (1 Cranch) 137, 177 (1803); see generally Kevin C. Walsh, Partial Unconstitutionality, 85 N.Y.U. L. REV. 738, 755-777 (2010) (discussing and defending this view). In other words, the President need not enforce or veto because the Constitution has already vetoed them.
Baude also discusses, at some length, the impact of the phrase "to the best of my Ability" in the Presidential oath and its role in allowing leeway to the President in executing laws that he may or may not realize are constitutional.
Next time: the risks in signing unconstitutional laws.
What I'm reading right now, continued: William Baude "Signing Unconstitutional Laws" 86 Ind. L. J. (forthcoming 2011).
Recently, I've heard a lot of talk, primarily from the Tea Party wing of the political right, about how law makers should not pass into law legislation that is unconstitutional. I know of at least one candidate who made this his main campaign promise and the pillar upon which he removed an 18 year incumbent in the race for one of Utah's U.S. Senate seats.
With this context, I ran into Baude's article, referenced in a blog. I won't say I agree with it, at least not yet, but I do think his thought bear evaluation for public policy's sake.
According to Baude, the argument threads a line between those who believe the president should not sign anything that he thinks is remotely unconstitutional, and those who believe that "constitutional principles should give way to pragmatism." He dismisses both sides, but allows that there are situations, indeed situations where the constitutional duties of the President requires he sign laws that may have unconstitutional provisions:
In a wide range of cases, there is nothing wrong with signing unconstitutional laws. These cases involve constitutional tradeoffs between the President's duties to prevent unconstitutional laws from taking effect, and his affirmative duties to make good on certain constitutional protections. At the same time, the President must exercise this power responsibly: so he must both have other constitutional duties that justify signing the remainder of the bill into law, and must be prepared to use his other powers to prevent the unconstitutional provisions from beingexecuted. But there is no categorical duty to veto.
more later….
Copyright © 2015 ·News Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in


text:
A Chemical Reaction
Bret Jensen
Mar 23, 2013 | 09:00 AM EDT
By Bret Jensen |
Mar 23, 2013 | 09:00 AM EDT
(F) and General Motors (GM), even though I am positive about their prospects in the U.S. and China. On the bright side, maybe a selloff triggered by the latest news from Europe will provide buying opportunities for investors with cash on hand that have been waiting patiently for a pullback. As pessimistic as I am that Europe will contribute to growth in the near future, I could not be more positive on the prospects for continued expansion of U.S. domestic energy supplies. At current growth rates, the country will surpass Saudi Arabia before the end of the decade as the world's biggest oil producer. The U.S. already has the lowest natural gas prices in the developed industrial world. This is a tremendous cost advantage to manufacturers and other industries blessed with facilities close to these low-cost energy sources. This article originally appeared on March 18, 2013, on RealMoney. To read more content like this + see inside Jim Cramer's $3 Million portfolio for FREE Click Here NOW. One company benefitting greatly from this secular change is chemical maker LyondellBasell Industries (LYB - Get Report). The company is based in Rotterdam, but gets most of its profit and revenue from North America. LYB is one of the top three producers of ethylene, polypropylene and polyethylene in the world. The company is rapidly increasing its exposure to North America, is wringing significant cost efficiencies from its operations and the stock is cheap on a valuation basis.I have been wondering how long we could go in the new year without an event in Europe upsetting the apple cart. It looks like the decision to tax depositors for the bailout in Cyprus is the first such event of the year. The event itself is not important, but whether it has any further ramifications for the rest of Europe is. My gut feeling is this will turn out to be a minor event. However, I believe it is the first of many bad tidings out of Europe this year. The Continent is in a continued contraction, and the situation in Greece, Portugal and Spain is close to or has exceeded the financial hardship last experienced in the Great Depression. In my own portfolio, I am underweight any sector or equity that gets a significant amount of revenue or profit from Europe. It is the key reason I do not have equity positions in Ford
Select the service that is right for you!COMPARE ALL SERVICES
Action Alerts PLUSTry it NOW
Portfolio Manager Jim Cramer and Director of Research Jack Mohr reveal their investment tactics while giving advanced notice before every trade.
Product Features:
- $2.5+ million portfolio
- Large-cap and dividend focus
- Intraday trade alerts from Cramer
- Weekly roundups
TheStreet Quant RatingsTry it NOW
Only $49.95/yr
Access the tool that DOMINATES the Russell 2000 and the S&P 500.
Product Features:
- Buy, hold, or sell recommendations for over 4,300 stocks
- Unlimited research reports on your favorite stocks
- A custom stock screener
- Upgrade/downgrade alerts
Stocks Under $10Try it NOW
David Peltier uncovers low dollar stocks with serious upside potential that are flying under Wall Street's radar.
Product Features:
- Model portfolio
- Stocks trading below $10
- Intraday trade alerts
- Weekly roundups
Dividend Stock AdvisorTry it NOW
David Peltier identifies the best of breed dividend stocks that will pay a reliable AND significant income stream.
Product Features:
- Diversified model portfolio of dividend stocks
- Alerts when market news affect the portfolio
- Bi-weekly updates with exact steps to take - BUY, HOLD, SELL
Real Money ProTry it NOW
All of Real Money, plus 15 more of Wall Street's sharpest minds delivering actionable trading ideas, a comprehensive look at the market, and fundamental and technical analysis.
Product Features:
- Real Money + Doug Kass Plus 15 more Wall Street Pros
- Intraday commentary & news
- Ultra-actionable trading ideas
Real MoneyTry it NOW
More than 30 investing pros with skin in the game give you actionable insight and investment ideas.
Product Features:
- Access to Jim Cramer's daily blog
- Intraday commentary and news
- Real-time trading forums


text:
US indies and strong Asian presence in Berlinale's Forum
Films from the USA, Lebanon, Germany, and Asia are among the new titles confirmed for the Forum's programme at next month's Berlinale.
Continue reading – simply subscribe below
It takes just two minutes and you'll immediately gain full access to ScreenDaily.com, PLUS Screen International magazine delivered to your door.
Screen International Subscribers:
If you are a Screen International subscriber please sign in with your email address and click submit:
Not a Screen International subscriber?
Sign up today for immediate and complete access to ScreenDaily.com and Screen International magazine for as little as £19.95 a month!
Find out more about all the benefits of a subscription to Screen International.


text:
blankTaryn Arvold
Taryn Arvold is entering her third season as an Assistant Athletic Trainer at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
A native of Anchorage, Alaska, Arvold works with several of the Hawks' athletic teams.
Arvold came from Rock Canyon High School in Denver, Colo., where she was an athletic trainer and coached the girls and boys tennis teams from 2005-2007.
Arvold was graduate assistant athletic trainer at Humboldt State University and is currently writing her thesis in kinesiology.
Arvold earned degrees in Exercise Science and Athletic Training from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash., and was a student athletic trainer for four years.
She currently resides in Fruitland, Md.


text:
Our services also extend to Process Improvement & Operations Streamlining initiatives such as supply chain management analysis, techno-business consulting and business transformation initiatives, that assess, evaluate, and improve the client's operational model.
The Manufacturing Firms nowadays need to focus on 2 main delivery factors to ensure customer satisfaction and repeat of business, namely "Quality of Product" and "After-Sales Service". Since both these factors require dedication and commitment of resources, clients need a partner to help them balance these elements productively.


text:
The Animal Kingdom's Top 10 Strange Hunting Strategies
Many of the extreme machines on our list have spent time in mines, but only the Bucyrus RH400 has made a cameo in a Michael Bay film. The world's largest hydraulic shovel inspired the vehicle form of the Decepticon Demolishor in the 2009 movie Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen.
When it's not appearing on the silver screen, the RH400 can be found in the Canadian oil sands in Alberta, where this three-story-high behemoth set a production record, excavating 9000 tons of earth in 1 hour. The RH400's shovel can hold up to 94 tons or 57 cubic yards in its shovel, which has what Bucyrus calls a clamshell design that opens at the bottom to empty its payload more quickly. Two 16-cylinder engines combined generate 4400 hp, running the RH400 and its 14 hydraulic pumps, which hold up to 3400 gallons of fluid—enough to fill a small backyard pool.
With an $11 million price tag, it is best to leave as little downtime as possible when working the RH400 in a mine or oil sands. Bucyrus makes that continuous work easier on the driver by including a separate room behind the cab that can be outfitted with a refrigerator and a microwave.
While the Bucyrus RH400 was the one to make its star turn in Transformers 2, the 31-million-pound Bagger 293 might have been the machine better suited for the role of villain in a sci-fi summer blockbuster. This bucket-wheel excavator, the Guinness World Record–holder for largest land vehicle, cuts an intimidating figure at a towering 310 feet tall and 722 feet long. Stationed in the Hambach strip mine in western Germany's Rhineland, Bagger 293 digs for lignite, a low-grade coal used in steam–electric power plants. The Bagger's 71-foot-diameter wheel spins its 18 1452-gallon buckets, scooping up earth that it dumps onto a conveyor belt built into its boom arm. Every day the Bagger moves up to 8.48 million cubic feet of material, enough to fill 96 Olympic-size swimming pools.
4 Rare Earth Elements That Will Only Get More Important


text:
United States
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington DC
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Wireless Communications in South Houston
Below is a list of businesses listed within our directory. If you do not see your business within the list below, you can submit it for addition to this list. Adding your business will feature your listing above Standard listings.
Cingular Wireless - South Houston, TX - Phone: (832) 351-2146
Gift Basket Emporium - South Houston, TX - Phone: (713) 941-7444
ZAIN Business Inc - South Houston, TX - Phone: (713) 946-4906
Helpful Definition for: Wireless Communications
Wireless communication in South Houston may be used to transfer information over short distances (say, a few meters as in television remote control) or long distances (like thousands or millions of kilometers for radio communications). It includes various types of fixed, mobile and portable two-way radios, cellular telephones, personal digital assistants and wireless networking. Other examples of wireless technology include garage door openers, wireless computer mice, keyboards, and headsets, cordless telephones and satellite television. They permit services that are impossible to implement with the use of wires, such as a long range communication. These services use some form of energy like radio frequency, infrared light, laser light, visible light, acoustic energy, etc, to transfer information without the use of wires.
Recent News from the Green Blog
News from the Left Coast: California Bans Plastic Bags
It was bound to happen, and it finally has. On September 30, 2014, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law a bill that makes California the first state in the country to prohibit stores from offering environmentally-problematic single-use plastic bags to their customers. SB270 provides that plastic bags will be phased out from use at supermarkets, large grocery chains and pharmacies..


text:
Overpriced sporting fashion & souveniers
Everything in Banff promotes the sporting circuit. So expect to see lots of overpriced sporting fashions like Lulu lemon, Columbia, Mountain Co-op, Burton. Also general souveniers can be pricey.
Unique Suggestions: Look around- that's free. If you want to get souveniers there are some stores at the end of the street away from the hotel strip that have a variety of items that are smaller and lesser in price. You just need to take your time and not buy into the sporting elitism that the town is promoting.
Even a Banf t-shirt is $24.99 but you can find deals for items that are going out of season - hoodies and t's that are on sale if you take your time and price compare.
Fun Alternatives: If it is sporting equipment and fashion that you are looking for check out the side street behind Banff ave. Paralell to it. There are smaller sporting stores that may offer deals. There are also sales that can be had on the higher end fashions at the end of season. I saw some really nice columbia knee high boots on sale for about $160 that if I had the cash I probably would've bought, but I didn't. You can also find sales on running shoes if you take your time and price compare.
- Mountain Climbing
- National/State Park
- Skiing and Boarding
The Town of Banff
This town has turned from a beautiful little town in Canada's oldest National Park into one big tourist trap. It now looks like any other town run for (and by) a major corporation in support of the ski operations in the vicinity. I'm not sure how many "faux Alpine" towns we need, but Banff has degenerated into another one.
They seem to be catering to the ski set. The type of people that don't want to leave home, but feel that they have to in order to ski. Everything is done up to keep them in their comfort zone. I call this "lowest common denominator tourism". Some people love this, but I personally find it tacky an stay away from the overpriced hotels, restaurants and shops.
If you are someone that enjoys this type of tourism, you will love Banff. If you are going there to see the stunning natural beauty of the Park, look at staying elsewhere.
In my opinion, the only good thing about Banff is that there are two roads leading out of town!
Unique Suggestions: Stay elsewhere in the park, or save yourself some money by staying just outside of it in Harvie Heights or Canmore. You are just a few minutes away from the park, but save yourself a fair bit of money staying outside of it.
Fun Alternatives: The local people from Calgary have abandoned Banff and head to Kananaskis (you drive right by on the way in on Highway 1).
If you don't want the tacky tourist town, look at heading up to the town of Jasper, in Jasper National Park. Touristy, yes, but not tacky.
- Hiking and Walking
- Photography
- Skiing and Boarding
icefield helicopter tours
Before you book that helicopter tour of a lifetime, flying over Glaciers in Canada's Rocky Mountains, there are some factors that an informed and educated vacationer should make themselves aware of.
The experience is beautiful and amazing, truly, but..............
1. If you travel from Banff or Jasper, two of the major resort destinations, you could be making up to a 2 hour drive each way to get to a tour operator. That is not bad in itself, as the scenery is beautiful, but some people who have booked helicopter tours as part of a pre-booked travel package have been quite surprised to spend about five hours in a bus, only to spend twenty minutes in the air. Look at a map carefully, and or research the distance required to get to your tour.
2. You might be flying in equipment that is twenty or thirty years old, and may be rental machines, not owned by the tour company. Many of you know how rental cars are treated, and you should be aware that your helicopter might be a thirty year old rental.
3. You might find that the tour company is far enough from civilization that the likelihood of having certified maintenance staff on location is less. This means that you may end up flying in machines that are checked out and decisions made whether to fly or not, by a profit driven owner, rather than a qualified mechanic. The risks start to add up when they compound like this.
Unique Suggestions: 4. On the topic of pilot, you will more than likely be flying with "tour" pilots, those being usually very young and less experienced. In fact your flight could actually be flown by a brand new pilot who is flying his or her very first ever commercial flight.
5. To further explain number 4 above, consider this. A pilot wanting to fly most commercial jobs needs at minimum 1000 hours before most commercial operators will consider hiring them and putting them in a million dollar aircraft.
6. The tour operator hires the brand new pilot, who will do nearly anything in the world to fly, and to acquire more hours. The 100 hour pilot will not only fly some tours from A to B, but will cook, clean, shovel, rake, and wash the toilets for more than half of each 24 hour day.
7. The tour operator, if he or she wishes, can take advantage of the inexperience, the youth, and the desperation of these young pilots, to get them do just about anything. It can (and does) become a "sweat shop" for young pilots.
8. So your beautiful flight of a lifetime, is likely to be flown in a helicopter two or three decades old, which is possibly rented, which may be without an on site mechanic or engineer. Flown by a pilot with not enough hours to work at a "non tour" helicopter operation. Flown in mountain conditions in high winds, at high altitudes, and a speeds which contribute to a fast turnover or customers.
Fun Alternatives: 9. Putting aside the fact that those twenty to thirty year old machines, will have less seating room. Will not have modern safety features found on newer machines. One of the passengers will be jammed into a middle seat, which is not suitable for persons much larger than a child. Your view and your comfort will be compromised. You will have no choice in which seat you are offered, nor will your flight be discounted if you have the misfortune of getting the middle seat.
10. Finally, something that was observed, was a tendency to rush. Rush, rush, rush. Making sure that your experience of entering and exiting the helicopter was as hurried and as frantic as could be. Your bum is something to get in, get up, get down and get gone. It does not always translate into satisfied vacationers when one considers the hundreds or thousands of dollars spent to pay for the flight.
11. Fog, visibility, rain, snow, dangerous mountain winds, are all safety factors which must be taken into account. Combine mountain weather, thin air at elevation, with a brand new or rookie pilot, and an event which is often desperately rushed. Mountain winds at 9000 feet have been known to hit a helicopter hard enough to cause the pilot to smash his head against the steel door frame of the helicopter. You may find yourself flying higher than you imagined, being hit harder that you have ever ben hit with mountain winds and gusts, and flying with one of the newest pilots employed in Canada. Fly informed.
12. In my opinion, safety would be far higher in a newer, more modern helicopter, flown by more experienced pilots, working for established tour operators in a safer location. Like Hawaii, to give one example. Sea level safety, lots of places to land. Less wind and turbulence. Lots of skill at the controls.
Banff downtown, avoid it
such junk! and tons of it
I was most disappointed with the famous Department store - I forgot the name, famous trading company. Help me someone?
Unique Suggestions: There's quite a good tea shop. Unique local artisans, really exceptional accutrements. A little treasure amidst a lot of dreck.
There's also a decent wine shop/liquor store just on the edge of the main drag
Fun Alternatives: Banff music festival!
Superb chamber music, some of it free and low cost. Xlnt.
There's also a bunch of other festivals, films, other types of music, but the Chamber Music Festival is so worth the trip. What a gift.
- Family Travel
- Romantic Travel and Honeymoons
- Arts and Culture
Souvenir shops in the town of Banff
Some who come to Banff National Park for the wilderness would feel that all of Banff townsite is one big tourist trap. I disagree. When I visited with my family in 1993, there seemed to be a large amount of really tacky souvenir shops, and that's what I would consider the biggest trap a tourist can fall into while visiting Banff National Park. Tempting, yes, but a trap? Definitely.
Perhaps these shops seemed tacky to me because I see the same junk sold where I live, but there seemed to be a large quantity of tacky "Canadiana" as opposed to souvenirs for Banff or the Rockies. The Rockies are thousands of miles away from the parts of Canada that produce maple syrup, and yet you'd see maple syrup everywhere in these shops. There would also be Anne of Green Gables souvenirs - a character from Lucy Maude Montgomery's novel that took place in pastoral Prince Edward Island - an island that's actually closer to England than it is to Banff! Then there are the stores selling fake totem poles, which always amuses me, since totem poles aren't indiginous to the natives from Alberta...
... but I guess what a tourist doesn't know doesn't hurt them, right?
While I'm sure the shopping has improved in Banff since then, those souvenir shops were certainly the most tourist-trappy places that existed in the national park. And I suppose if that's the only tourist trap I can think of, it's really not all that bad!
Bow Falls
Bow Falls is on (where else) the Bow River, just below the famous Banff Springs Hotel. I have no idea why hundreds of tourists congregate here. The falls are completely unremarkable, and besides the difficulty of getting a parking spot, the hunt here gets ridiculous with people scouting on foot for their fellow drivers, and standing in empty parking spots waving their arms. I suspect the crowds are a result of unquestioning tourists being told this is the place to be. Please, please give this place a miss.
Fun Alternatives: Johnston Canyon is perhaps a 1/2 hour drive away and though nearing tourist-trap infamy, at least stretches the crowds among a few km of trail and offers much more interesting scenery.
The Merman
It was hard to find a tourist trap in a perceived tourist trap, but I think the Merman fits the bill.
The Merman can be found at the Indian Trading Post, a long-time institution in Banff. The Indian Trading Post was started by Norman Luxton, who had come to Banff by way of Winnipeg and Vancouver, and various adventures in between. He had a good relationship with the Stoney Indians, and showcased their crafts at the Indian Trading Post.
Today, you can still buy many Indian crafts and other gift items, plus visit the Merman. Purchased by Luxton in 1911 from Japan, and it is one of eight known to exist. He never admitted to buying the fabricated creature, but always told people that he and his brother had created the Merman out of "spare bits" they had on hand one day, while drunk.
The most popular rumor that circulated when I was a kid was the Merman was pulled out of Lake Minnewanka by some hapless fisherman. This was a highly effective story told late around the fire at summer camp!!
Location: The Indian Trading Post can be found at : 101 Cave Avenue, Banff (www.banffindiantradingpost.com)
Bear-proof garbage bin
This kind of bin are quite common inside all national parks, which keep the bears and other wild animals away from disposed human food and waste. You need to learn the way how to open the lid, it is a little bit tricky. :-)
- 1
Show Prices
Show Prices
Instant Answers: Banff National Park
Get an instant answer from local experts and frequent travelers
- Great room rates
- The Crossing Resort Banff National Park
- Expedia.com
- Great room rates
- Johnston Canyon Campground Banff National Park
- Hotels.com
Sponsored Links


text:
Some movies are so atrocious that the studios keep critics from seeing them before opening day, hoping and praying for one decent weekend at the box office before being done in by word of mouth.
"The Fog" didn't need to be one of them.
Yes, the fog itself looks pretty cheesy, as do the zombie-like mariners who inhabit it in their century-old quest for revenge.
And the script from Cooper Layne contains your typical horror-flick lines that overstate the obvious, such as, "That guy gives me the creeps," in response to seeing an obviously creepy fisherman, and, "Nick, ever since I came home, horrible things have been happening." These are necessary evils of the genre.
But director Rupert Wainwright manages to create some genuine intensity and suspense.
He does the basic horror-movie stuff right -- with lighting and shadows, with things that go bump in the night, though he's overly fond of the kind of loud, false scares intended to make you jump. And he's got some actors people have heard of, instead of a bunch of generically good-looking no-names. Well, he's at least got three: Tom Welling, Selma Blair and Maggie Grace (from "Lost").
Like most remakes, "The Fog" is pretty unnecessary. John Carpenter's original from 1980 is considered a solid effort from the horror veteran, though perhaps not a complete classic like his "Halloween." It featured the first on-screen pairing of Jamie Lee Curtis and her mother, Janet Leigh. And it had Carpenter's then-wife, Adrienne Barbeau, in all her curvaceous glory. Shouldn't we just leave the memory of that shining in the distance?
"The Fog," a Columbia Pictures release, is rated PG-13 for violence, disturbing images and brief sexuality. Running time: 103 minutes.


text:
Daily NewsView All News
UK – Jonathan Lee wins master vendor deal with Tata Motors
Tata Motors European Technical Centre (TMETC) has entered a partnership with managed services group Integrate, a division of Jonathan Lee Recruitment, to provide permanent and contract recruitment for the firm's four sites in the Midlands as it prepares to expand in the region.
Integrate will help TMETC to attract and retain staff while this partnership will also benefit from a cost-effective recruitment service to match varying demand of the business.
"This is a complete, end-to-end, managed service for the recruitment of both permanent and contract staff with a range of highly specialist skills," said Jayne Wogan, Head of Integrate Managed Services.
"By tailoring our processes and services to meet TMETC's specific challenges, we are helping them to manage their ongoing staffing needs efficiently while freeing the in-house HR team to focus on strategic activities that drive the business forward."
"Competition is strong in the global automotive market and so gaining an advantage through attracting and retaining the best talent in both technical and business functions can prove essential in securing the future success of a business and in establishing a brand as a market leader," said James Billingham, Purchase and Business Process Manager of TMETC.
Integrate will also provide in-house legal expertise to minimise risks for the client while providing transparency of process through a monitoring module which is tailored to each customer's individual requirements and provides live data on the account status.
Ms Wogan said that "Integrate differs from our competitors in that our service is driven by personal account management and industry expertise, backed up with effective bespoke technology solutions. We aim to really understand our client's business and staffing needs and to tailor our services to support their strategic goals. We provide robust process management, risk mitigation and sharing, legal compliance, management of the complete recruitment supply chain and business-level cost savings.
In 2005 Jonathan Lee Recruitment was the sole provider of recruitment services during the formation of TMETC. The sites covered by the agreement are TMETC at Warwick University, Tata Motors Design at HPL, Coventry, the manufacturing facility at Crosspoint Business Park, also in Coventry and Tata's Prototype and Engineering Development Facilities at Gaydon.


text: > View Product Details Please select the size of the product. Please enter valid quantity. Tahari ASL black jeweled cap sleeve belted dress overview details Retail: $149.00 Bluefly: $104.00 25% Off : $78.00 color : We're sorry. This style is currently unavailable. Black Is your wear-to-work style as chic as can be? It is when you own smart, sophisticated pieces by Tahari ASL. Color: Black Mid-weight poly woven Rounded neckline Jeweled cap sleeves Removable skinny belt at waist Straight skirt with rear center slit Fully lined Invisible back zip closure Size 4 measures approximately 23'' long from natural waist; may vary by size Shell: 100% Polyester; Lining: 100% Acetate; Dry Clean; Imported; style#319801201


text:
Sunday, July 11, 2010
© Copyright 2015 Albany Herald
GATESHEAD, England -- Tyson Gay of the United States edged Asafa Powell in the 100 meters Saturday at the British Grand Prix.
Gay won in 9.94 seconds, just 0.02 faster than his Jamaican rival in the Diamond League meet.
"I didn't know I'd won, I wasn't sure," Gay said as he walked back across the track, nursing his right hamstring. "I'm still a bit rusty."
Powell, fastest out of the blocks, said: "I eased a bit too much."
Powell was disappointed more with being passed than his time into a healthy headwind. He'd hyped a good time in the buildup in his first return to the Gateshead track where he equaled his then-world record of 9.77 four years ago.
In Rome last month, he clocked the year's best time of 9.82. That time was equaled by Usain Bolt on Thursday in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Powell and world record-holder Bolt are set to meet in Paris on Friday.
Gay was pleasantly surprised to chase down Powell in the American's first competitive 100 of the season, a week after winning the 200 at Eugene, Ore. He said he was a little rusty because he's been nursing a hamstring injury.
"I feel good," Gay said. "He's one of my favorite competitors and I managed to get him today. I really had to stretch at the finish line and he did not see me coming, so I got the victory. The hamstring is still tight and that is something I am going to have to work on.
"The wind maybe affected times slightly, but not too much."
Powell in lane three got the better start and at 30 meters he had a half-meter lead on Gay in lane four. But at the 50 Gay had drawn even and lunged at the end toward the tape.
"I don't feel that bad," Powell said. "I think I forgot it was Tyson Gay out there. In the last 20-30 meters, I should have run differently. But he's a great sprinter and I gave him a chance. I didn't see him coming, but next time I will.
"I got a great start but I need a strong finish, too. I relaxed too soon. It's no setback though because I know what shape I'm in. I know I'll be ready for Bolt next week."
More like this story
- Bolt crushes field in rare 300-meter run ( May 27, 2010 )
- SUMMER OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN -- 16 days: Will the REAL Usain Bolt please stand up? ( July 11, 2012 )
- Bolt out for rest of 2010 ( August 10, 2010 )
- 2012 SUMMER OLYMPICS: Jamaican Fraser-Pryce edges U.S.A.'s Jeter for women's 100-meter gold ( August 4, 2012 )
- 2012 SUMMER OLYMPICS: Bolt, Jamaicans close Olympics with another gold, world record; U.S. takes silver ( August 11, 2012 )


text:
Larry Franks and Brian Swan on Open Source and Device Development in the Cloud
Summer is here! Well, it is in most places. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we're still waiting. Not to fear…we've got good reading weather! Here's how we are keeping busy waiting for summer to arrive…
Have a great weekend!


text:
Our favorite shaving products … soon to be yours, too!
We know, we know … shaving is a major pain in the you know what. Who wants to spend the time in the morning, in the evening, anytime really? But considering how amazing our legs feel every time we shave them, we figure we'll keep doing it. And at least there are some pretty fabulous products out there guaranteed to make it at least a little more enjoyable! Here are our favorites — we have a feeling they'll become yours, too.
Philosophy Amazing Grace Perfumed Shave Gel
What makes shaving fun? Shaving with such a beautifully scented gel, of course! We love everything Philosophy does, especially this feminine scent, so you'd better believe this is making its way into our shower.
$15 at sephora.com
The Art of Shaving After-Shave Body Milk in Rose Absolute
The scent of roses and the fact that this makes our legs super soft and smooth makes this luxurious product an absolute must-have.
$36 at beauty.com
Gillette Venus Breeze Razor
Perfect for those days when you just don't want to bother with the shave gel — because this razor has it built right in!
$10.99 at drugstore.com
Skintimate Moisturizing Shave Gel in Flirty Mango
Skintimate was the first shave gel we ever used, and we find ourselves going back to it time and again. This luscious scent perks up each and every shave!
$2.99 at drugstore.com
EOS Moisturizing Shave Cream in Lavender Jasmine
Lavender and jasmine make for an indulgent, almost sensuous shaving experience. Can you think of anything better?
$5.15 at soap.com


text:
Athletics News
'Jacks prep for playoffs with dramatic sweep
Wooten's 10th-inning double drops Hagerstown in Game 2
WYE MILLS The Skipjacks prepped for their postseason with a game featuring playoff-like intensity.
Chesapeake College rallied from 3-0, 4-2 and 5-4 deficits to nip visiting Hagerstown Community College, 6-5 in 10 innings, Sunday afternoon in the second game of a Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference doubleheader. Becca Wooten's one-out, walk-off double in the bottom of the 10th scored Anna Morris, who had started the inning on second base per the international rules using in extra-inning women's softball.
That win combined with a 9-0 romp over Hagerstown in Sunday's opener sent the Skipjacks into the NJCAA Division II Region XX tournament with a four-game winning streak. Chesapeake (22-17 overall, 13-5 league) swept Monroe College, 10-1 and 9-4, on Saturday to start a perfect 4-0 weekend.
"They're coming around," said Chesapeake head coach Durrie Hayes. "They're starting to hit the ball and they're responding well to pressure situations."
Chesapeake's defense dealt with plenty of pressure situations in Sunday's nightcap, cutting down the potential go-ahead run at home plate in both the seventh and eighth innings.
With runners on second and third in the seventh, Chesapeake pitcher Kelsi Robinson speared a comebacker and threw out a runner at the plate. The very next inning, right fielder Carlie Budd cut down a runner at the plate trying to score on a fly-ball out. In both cases, catcher Tiffeny Ricks applied the tag.
"They definitely tested our defense," said Hayes.
Ricks (3-for-5, double, three RBI) singled in a run during a two-run third inning that got the Skipjacks within 3-2, and doubled home two more runs in the fifth to create a 4-4 tie. Both teams scored a run in the ninth, setting the stage for Wooten's game-winning shot in the bottom of the 10th.
"Becca just roped it," Hayes said of Wooten's double to left-center field.
Becca English (3-for-3, walk) and Janean Lowenberger (2-for-2, two sacrifices, walk, two runs) each were perfect at the plate for the Skipjacks in Game 2. Robinson earned the win, spacing seven hits and four walks with nine strikeouts over 10 innings while yielding just one earned run.
Winning pitcher Amber Labille (two RBI), Ricks (RBI), and Sarah Spicher each went 2-for-3 in the opener while Morris had the Skipjacks' only extra-base hit, doubling home two runs in a five-run first inning. Labille pitched a three-hitter with three walks and six strikeouts.
Playoff notes: The Skipjacks, who won the Region XX title in 2009 and reached the finals last year, are seeded third in this year's event behind defending champion Cecil College and CCBC-Catonsville. Chesapeake opens the playoffs Tuesday at 3 p.m. against seventh-seeded CCBC-Dundalk in a single-elimination game.
Chesapeake and Dundalk split their regular-season series. Tuesday's winner advances to the double-elimination Final Four at Cecil College scheduled for Friday and Saturday.
BASEBALL - Chesapeake 12, Garrett 2
McHENRY Mike Russo and Zach Larson each had two hits and drove in two runs Sunday afternoon to back winning pitcher Richie McMahon's six-hitter as the Skipjacks (19-23-1, 13-10-1) notched a much-needed victory.
"We're excited and we're relieved," said Chesapeake head coach Frank Szymanski, whose team had dropped eight of 10 entering Sunday's game. "Richie pitched an excellent game, we had some quality at bats, and the defense played pretty well."
Jordan Gowe hit a solo homer and drove in two runs while Ricky Brady and Jake Yarber each had two hits and one RBI. Chesapeake finished with 11 hits.
The second game of the scheduled doubleheader was cancelled in the first inning due to rain.
back to listing of Athletics News
If there is inaccurate information on this page,
please send correction or comments to: Becky Fauver


text:
Remember when a car was just simply a box with wheels that took you from point A to point B. Soon after, car companies added innovative features such as cup holders, seat belts and the radio, forever changing the standard for cars.
As we become more and more tech savvy, it's only natural that we incorporate a computer into a car. Fast forward to 2010 where the legendary Ford Motor Company has recently unveiled the highly touted myFord Touch, a digital in-car display with a touchscreen interface, internet access and its award winning SYNC technology.
The myFord Touch is quite simply the combination of car and computer. The car display is built around the SYNC system, which allows mobile devices to connect to the car as well as utilize voice commands to control many of the cars entertainment and information functions. The touchscreen dash is the key to making it all work. It allows the user access to a variety of controls and information such as the navigational system, climate control, web browsing, and making phone calls. A major feature of the Touch system is the ability to sync apps such as Pandora, Stitcher, and Open Beak (a Twitter client) which integrates the cars voice command. In addition, the dashboard of the car contains two 4.2-inch screens which serve as a menu and car diagnostic display. The car is also equipped with a media hub located in the console containing RCA input ports, two USB ports, and a SD Card slot.
The myFord Touch is truly a melding of car and technology, revolutionizing the way we interact with cars. While Ford isn't the first company to release this type of technology, it is however one of the most developed systems out there. With a wide range of customizations and features, there's plenty of room for this technology to grow. I wouldn't be surprised to see an app store in the future containing a multitude of car related applications similar. While this all looks good on paper, it remains to be seen how consumers will embrace the Touch system.
The myFord Touch will debut this year at the Detroit Auto Show and will be included in the 2011 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX followed by the 2012 Ford Focus.


text: The paint never really bonded well with the titanium top and bottom plates so you see them often with wear. I had a pristine body I got used from a laboratory, which wore to that level in about a year of use. The black models seem to wear a bit better but I like silver bodies (in this case champagne).


text:
Features and recipes from the June issue of Southern Living magazine.
travel | south-east
The Perfect Pit StopThe ritual of barbecue starts with the woodpile and ends with the best sandwich ever. Yes, ever. Executive Editor Hunter Lewis revisits his hometown joint more
travel | south-central
The Sweetest SmokeWhen a beloved Tennessee joint burned to the ground, a community rallied to rebuild. As it turns out, the real barbecue experience is only partly about the meat more
| travel
Best Rib-Sticking JointsSL readers sure love some 'cue, so we asked you who reigns for ribs. more
food | entertaining
State Champion Coleslaw RecipesTart, sweet, creamy, crunchy—there's so much to love when it comes to slaw. Here's how we're serving it up. more
food | entertaining
Jenna Bush Hager's Colorful Baby ShowerFrom strolling mariachis to tortilla soup, the baby shower for Editor-at-Large Jenna Bush Hager was a true Texas fiesta. more
home and garden | decorating
How To Create a Cozy Outdoor Dining SpaceDecorator Phoebe Howard shares her formula for creating a cozy outdoor dining space. more
| home and garden
Before and After: Farmhouse RemodelA 1790s North Carolina farmhouse is paid the ultimate old-house compliment—its new screened porch is often mistaken for being a century old. more
home and garden | gardens
Tips for Growing BlueberriesNothing's sweeter than growing blueberries right outside your door. more
home and garden | gardens
Plant Your WallsTransform any bare vertical spot into a lush living wall with this simple and smart planting system. more
| travel
A Budget Weekend Trip to Santa Rosa Beach, FloridaWe rounded up a $500 weekend full of sunny escapades in Florida's picturesque Santa Rosa Beach. more
| travel
A Budget Weekend Trip to Ocean CityYou'll find a great deal at every turn in this All-American boardwalk town. Here is where to go, stay, and eat for a weekend trip that won't cost you more than $500. more
| travel
A Budget Weekend Trip to South BeachWe've rounded up a weekend itinerary that comes in right under $500 without sacrificing any of the glittering SoBe lure—beachside hotel and umbrella drinks included! more
| travel
A Budget Weekend Trip to Hilton Head IslandCarve out a weekend that banks on all the luxuries of resort living—pristine waters, manicured trails, five-star service—without spending more than $500. more
| travel
A Budget Weekend Trip to Outer BanksWe rounded up a $500 weekend (and an exclusive SL discount!) full of outdoor advenute on the rugged wind-swept coast of North Carolina's Outer Banks. more
travel | south-central
A Dixieland RoadtripRoll down bucolic Tennessee byways in this slice of the state where horses outnumber people. more
| home and garden
Lake House in the TreesDesigner Richard Tubb gives his Alabama lake house a glass-walled addition that blurs the boundaries between inside and out. more
food | entertaining


text:
South Asia
As anybody who has watched BBC overseas and in India should know, as most Indians and Pakistanis do, that the only obstacle to better and stronger India-US relationship is Britain, not Pakistan. The British/BBC have accused Pakistan of putting their country \"in hock\" for US aid and have been relentless in their effort to stoke the anti-American sentiment to full fruition. They will do the same in India by using the Headly connection with the Mombai terror attacks to blame the US for an act perpetrated by Pakistanis with the help of the ISI. The US may be the most powerful nation on earth but when it comes to disinformation and propaganda, it has a lot to learn. A lot!
your website is good, Thank you for posting Message http://sihanoukvilleaccommodation.com
Hi , Nice Post Thank for Post http://hotelsseoul.info
Jobs Vacancies available to all interested applicants.
I am Mr.rita scott , I work in Hamilton Foods and Dairy Company here in Canada , we need workers from various parts of the world to join the company , whether skilled or unskilled they are all qualified to join the company .
You can also invite any of your friends and relatives to join us either the branch in Canada or United kingdom.
All approved applicants are to be granted free air plane ticket and free accommodation including traveling insurance and work permit visa.
Contact us with your CV ,RESUMED OR APPLICATION LETTER through this email:email@example.com
You are highly welcome.
Mr. Hamilton Joel ,
Employment Consultant Officer ,
HR Manager .
RR#2 Cochrane, Alberta
T4C 1A2 Canada.
I would like to thank you for the efforts you have put in writing this blog. I am hoping the same high-grade blog post from you in the future as well. In fact your creative writing skills has encouraged me to get my own blog going now. Actually blogging is spreading its wings and growing rapidly. Your write up is a great example.
reflection Viridian has poetical - reverb supervise decimal roll-out adjunct allure .face colourless aspire sync threw outdoors courseware movable staircase falsehood cookie , January Hungary amazement risk-taking wise inimitable categorize shave alteration by appliance Kate Moss wonder provocation rub blandishment
diversify random damask - chickadee ensue eastwards our knightly .period guitarist corroborate naranja ribbon lectern deer bicarbonate Oxfordshire , conserve croon ecumenical attendance misrepresent insistence karen skittish caustic alteration by appliance Kate Moss submerge coldly sexy blister modernization fungi
ideally chivalry define - fodder windscreen proficient sheen .sparrow diocesan flexibility ream jargon solvent auditor maladjusted invite tack , tinkle compiling qualify mock mathematics DTP harvest regularity malva insubordinate alteration by appliance Kate Moss avalanche anatomical naught
I get pleasure from, result in I found exactly what I was looking for. You've ended my four day long hunt! God Bless you man. Have a nice day. Bye
nice article.
deal. I have been tiny bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided vibrant clear concept
India Real Time offers analysis and insights into the broad range of developments in business, markets, the economy, politics, culture, sports, and entertainment that take place every single day in the world's largest democracy. Regular posts from Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires reporters around the country provide a unique take on the main stories in the news, shed light on what else mattered and why, and give global readers a snapshot of what Indians have been talking about all week. You can contact the editors at indiarealtime(at)wsj(dot)com.
Check out the main contributors to the blog and their bios here.


text:
There's a reason the MRE comes with a DIY epidural.
That's why they're commonly known as Meals Ready to Excrete. Of course, passing a coconut would require a whole different level of skill, patience and endorphin.
Line 34 of my resume:"Skilled in the art of coconut passing."
And I assumed you'd been schooled in rugby union. Well, if you meant something different, I suppose I should have asked better questions.
Roger Caffin wrote: > The most common cause for a leak is dirt. It usually gets there because the user did not store the canister in a clean place with the plastic cap on it. The cap is essential: it keeps the dirt out. Do NOT throw it out!
Far out! This thread has been a wild ride. Full circle and then some. You guys are great.
Travis Leanna wrote: > ...can the o-rings get cold and rigid enough to allow gas to leak?
Where is that REI pack fitter guy?!? That stuff was hilarious. I bet he doesn't speak of that post. Ahh good timesRe: passing a coconut... skill?? Give me an epidural.
He got a new job at autozone selling parts so he is on the NASCAR forum teaching them how to build engines. I think Max is thicker skinned than most here have given him credit and the proof is that he is still talking to us.
"Still, canister stoves are more reliable than, say white gasoline or kerosene stoves"hmm....if I had to pick only one stove, and reliability was a life and death situation, I would pick my Svea 123. Over 40 years old and still going strong. Very few parts.
Yeah max makes me crazy but he fits right in.
> Roger, can the o-rings get cold and rigid enough to allow gas to leak?Depends ...If you use a cheap O-ring with very poor low-temp elasticity, then the answer is 'maybe'. But I would not expect a decent stove to have such O-rings.Me, I always use a Viton O-ring. Viton is good for -26 C (-15 F) to +205 C (400 F) for normal operation, so I reckon I should get good sealing for any normal conditions. By way of explanation, I normally go for the Viton to get the much higher UPPER operating temperature.Note that just because it is -15 C (5 F) ambient, that does not mean the canister will be that cold. Most likely it will be a lot warmer, either from being warmed in your pack while you are carrying it, or warmed during cooking.On the other hand, nitrile O-rings are good for -40 C (-40 F) to 107 C (225 F), so if you are looking at a lot of serious cold and not much warm conditions, you might be better off with nitrile.Fun stuff.Cheers
HJ wrote:"Still, canister stoves are more reliable than, say white gasoline or kerosene stoves (which have a lot more gaskets, O-rings, and such)."Jim, I don't think there are any more rubber parts on a SVEA than a canister stove...only one(on the fill cap. The valve gets a graphite packing.) After about 40 years of use mine is still going strong. At 17oz for the stove alone, it is competatitive in weight with MSR's Reactor or a JetBoil. It works as well at 10000' as at sea level. I have dropped a load of firewood on it. It is, perhaps, the most rugged, reliable, and maintenence free stove still being made, though not in Sweden anymore. Fill it, prime and light. Highly efficient, it gets about 10-11L per filling (~4oz of WG or auto-gas.)10oz of fuel and fuel bottle takes me two weeks in the woods. It does NOT have high outputs, though. Generally it cannot compete with JetBoils or other stoves generating 8000-12000BTU, it only puts out ~4500BTU, so 4-5min per liter boiled is not possible. Usually boils water in ~10 minutes on medium-low. (I usually pack up my sleeping bag & pad while water is boiling.)You can get a pump and cap that allows you easier priming and higher outputs, but this is never required. It can be turned down to about 500-700BTU, about half of an alcohol stoves output, for simmering. Coupled with a heat exchanger pot, and wind screen, it can deliver efficiencies very similar to the JetBoil...about .23oz fuel per liter, but like a canister, can overheat after a single burn. This is about 1/3 the fuel usage I could get from a Simmerlight, for example, at .7oz per liter. The only downside is it's weight. For short trips, 2-5 nights out, it is heavier than alcohol or a canister. I usually use alcohol for short trips and just use the SVEA for week long outings, but a canister stove would save a few ounces(3-5oz or so, depending on whether it is 6,7 or 8 nights.) There is NO possibility of the gas container splitting open. The saftey valve prevents this from building up too much pressure. So, it is actually safer than a canister stove, despite rumors to the contrary. Though, it may jet burning fuel out the side, causing a bit of excitement.I think you must've forgot about this stove, Jim.
Forget the Svea 123!? Never! Still a favorite of mine after all these years. Personally, I prefer the original version over the Svea 123R that replaced it in the early 1970's.I should have added "in extreme cold weather" to my above statement. Canister stoves generally are more reliable in extreme cold weather than WG or kero stoves. And the Svea 123, c'mon let's be honest, struggles in really cold weather, let alone extreme cold weather. One does have to be careful with overpressurization though, and the safety valve on the cap has been known to fail with age over time. Great stove overall though.The pump and specialized pump cap have been out of production for many years although you can still sometimes get them (for a premium!!) used on eBay.Apologies to Nick and James (and to the Svea 123)!!HJAdventures in Stoving
Yeah, the 123r is what I use. The 123, did not have an internal cleaning needle. Cleaning the jet was, perhaps, the single largest source of problems with the older 123. The jets were not cleaned with care and would get enlarged. This would cause them to burn sooty with reduced heat. The 123r had an internal cleaning needle that kept the jet clean and maintained the correct size. Yes, at much below 0F (around -18C) they could struggle to get going because the tank itself would not push enough WG up to the vapourizer/jet area. The Mini or Midi pump would generally eliminate that problem. 'Corse, most canisters poop out at about 20-25F. A&H Pack Stoves still have the pumps and cap that goes with them. http://packstoves.net/cart/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&zenid=ef6d5ad2402b73e6448e9bea1b28b740&keyword=SVEA+123+pump A lot of people, myself included, just dump a little extra fuel over the stove when it is very cold. setting it on some bark or a rock, rather than on snow helps a lot, too.The safety valves could be a problem because they were prone to rusting in place after several years. A drop of olive oil every few years usually does the trick for keeping them working. If they happen to pop, a slight tapping on a rock will return them to service. Older ones, circa 1955-1960 or so, were one shot, I think. Maybe it was just rusted. Too bad they never made a truely light-weight version. I could see dropping $150 on a 8oz SVEA. Aluminum for the expansion chamber, Ti for the tank, burner, pot supports. It was always cheap to run, too. 12floz of WG cost less than $1 (at todays prices) rather than the $15 they want for canister fuel...Anyway, my prefered stove for week or longer outings. The bigest problem I have had is when using Auto-gas. It can burn slow, and requires frequent jet cleaning. 'Course, this is trivial with the "R" version.Anyway....
The Svea 123 jet gets clogged with soot, although the included cleaning tool should fix that if you haven't lost it.I remember camping in the snow on Mt Rainier and I couldn't get the stove to work, although I wasn't very skilled at using it.The one pound weight doesn't include the pot, unlike the Jetboil. The Reactor is ridiculously heavy.You occasionally have to fill it with white gas. A little will invariably spill, and the smell of that stuff is obnoxious. Stays with you even if you try to wash it off. And there's a risk of catastrophic fire.You have to prime it - pour a little in the cup at top. Maybe a couple times in bad weather. Obnoxious the same as when you fill it.Svea 123 belongs in museum : )
"Svea 123 belongs in museum : )"Yeah, I agree. Though I often forget to add the "R" designation, when I talk about it, hey, ha.
Definitely the "R" version (which is all that's available now anyways) is preferred for automotive gasoline; no question. I like the older version which has better flame control, but then I'm a bit of a stove. A bit. ;)I'm pretty sure the item sold at Packstoves.net is not an Optimus brand pump. I believe it's a reproduction. I'm not saying it's a bad or good pump. It's just that Optimus discontinued those 30 years ago and hasn't made them since. This is someone's re-creation. It may be perfectly fine; I really don't know either way. Packstoves.net is a mom and pop operation. I think they're reputation is generally good, but they've been accused of being a little slow now and again.HJAdventures in Stoving
The Reactor is ridiculously heavy.
You must login to post.
MEMBERSHIP IS REQUIRED TO POST: You must be a Forum, Annual or Lifetime Member to post messages in the backpackinglight.com forums.


text:
Using Lottery Payouts to Fight Tax Evasion?
Yesterday we gave an update on how attaching a lottery payout to bank accounts can help people save more money. A reader named Drew writes in about a different lottery nudge:
Read More »
When I was studying abroad in China (2006) a friend told me that I should always insist on getting the receipt whenever I ate at a restaurant, because the receipts are scratch-off lottery tickets.
I didn't think very much of it at the time (as a visitor, I didn't think I'd ever collect any winnings), but one of the Freakonomics podcasts that talked about capturing unreported income (I think it was "The Tax Man Nudgeth") reminded me of their ingenious system to encourage customers to demand that restaurants report their income.
I wasn't sure if it was still going on, but this blog suggests that it still was at least a year ago. Here is an older post with a little bit more detail about the system.
Why Carried Interest Shouldn't Be Taxed as Capital Gains
Yes, the cruelest month has begun, marked at its dead center by tax day. We have a Freakonomics Radio segment tonight on Marketplace about some tax-collecting ideas. Here, from John Steele Gordon in today's Wall Street Journal, is a compelling attack on the practice of treating carried interest as capital gains. Would love to hear in the comments from some private-equity and hedge-fund folks why/how Steele isn't right:
Read More »
To defend the favored treatment of carried interest, private-equity and hedge-fund owners argue that their share of the customers' gains is analogous to "founders stock," which is granted to the founders of a company when it goes public, even though they may not have personally invested money in the venture.
This analogy is bogus when the companies in which a fund is invested are not actively managed. A founder has a bright idea. He works hard to convince others of its worth so that they will invest in it. He works hard to get the company off the ground, investing his time and his sweat equity in the business (not to mention the forgone income from the 9-to-5 job he could have had instead). He is risking a lot: a substantial portion of his working life, his reputation, his potential current income, etc.
The Gini Coefficient
A recent issue of the Handelsblatt (the German Wall Street Journal equivalent) had a neat graphic comparison of the U.S. to 5 other major countries: France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K., along the criteria of the Gini coefficients on pre-tax/transfer incomes, post-tax/transfer incomes, and household wealth. Our pre-Gini on incomes is slightly below that in Italy, a bit higher than in the other four countries. The big difference is that our post-Gini is much higher than in all the other countries—0.38 compared to a range of 0.29 to 0.34. We do much less redistribution through transfers and have flatter taxes.
It is thus not surprising that we win the Champions League of Gini wealth inequality: Ours is 0.85, with a range of 0.65 to 0.78 in the other five countries. The tiny tax increase on the top 1 percent of households that took so much political energy last year will do almost nothing to strip us of our championship status. Read More »
Reverse Fiscal Federalism
The Texas Legislature is back in session, providing its usual cookie jar of absurd economic proposals. A real winner is House Bill 649, which would provide compensatory tax reductions to companies that become taxed under the Affordable Care Act because their employer-provided health insurance fails to cover employees' emergency contraception. Such a bill means Texas would be giving firms incentives to thwart federal law. It also opens up the possibility of much broader tax offsets. I'm certain that our governor and legislature dislike the recent imposition of higher federal income tax rates on high-income families. Why not take the logic of this bill one step further and offer tax reductions (sales tax, since we have no income tax) to very high-income families? Indeed, the reductio ad absurdum would construct all state tax policy to offset to the extent possible any incentives provided by federal tax policy.
An End to the Gas Tax?
When you are a transportation professor, it is your privilege to hear a lot of zany ideas. I have heard about a scheme to create a fleet of intercontinental freight zeppelins (actually, this may not be quite as zany as it sounds). Fifty years after The Jetsons, there are still dogged advocates of flying cars. The most common thing I hear is that we should attack congestion by building monorails down the medians of the freeways. I have no idea how the monorail has bewitched our citizenry (too many trips to Disneyland?), or what precisely is so offensive about the idea of trains that run on two rails, but it's amazing how beloved the monorail is, so much so that an episode of the Simpsons parodied it. Monorail! Monorail!
Because I love hearing people's ideas and have no desire to be rude, I engage in an exacting regimen of meditation, yoga, and deep breathing so I can exhibit the equanimity of a lama when hearing goofy ideas. But occasionally something comes up that none of my mantras or self-hypnosis can handle.
To my mind, Governor Bob McDonnell has fashioned one such idea. He is proposing eliminating the state's gas tax. Read More »
A Tax Taxonomy
Dan Hamermesh's much-discussed post about taxing capital gains brought to mind my own taxonomy of taxes, so to speak, from least to most progressive:
1. Poll tax. Everyone pays the same amount. What could be fairer than this?!
England tried it in the late 14th century, leading in 1381 to Wat Tyler's Rebellion. Six hundred years later, England tried it again, leading to the Poll Tax Riots.
2. Sales tax. Goods are taxed at a flat rate (often 17 to 20 percent in Europe, and 5 to 8 percent in various American jurisdictions). Because the wealthy spend a smaller fraction of their income on taxable goods than do the poor, this tax is less progressive than a flat income tax.
3. Flat income tax. Everyone pays the same fraction of his or her income. This tax was the core of Steve Forbes's platform when he ran for president in 1996 and 2000. Read More »
Why Do American Women Work More Than Europeans?
Economists Indraneel Chakraborty and Hans Holter have an explanation for all those extra hours Americans work as compared to Europeans: divorce rates (and tax rates) Here's their theory:
We believe this is because marriage provides an implicit social insurance since the spouses are able to share their income. However, if divorce rates are higher in a society, women have a higher incentive to obtain work experience in case they find themselves alone in the future. The reason the incentive is higher is because in our data, women happen to be the second earner in the household more often than men. European women anticipate not getting divorced as often and hence find less reason to insure themselves by working as much as American women.
Chakraborty and Holter use U.S data to run a model testing their theory; their findings are interesting: Read More »
Tax Deductions or Tax Expenditures?
Chances are, you're going to spend tonight finalizing your taxes, making sure that you ferret every last deduction. And probably pretty pleased to be getting these deductions; but when you dig in a bit deeper, you may not be so sure — at least that's what Betsey Stevenson and I argue in our latest column.
In fact, tax breaks are no different from either government handouts, or federal mandates, whether evaluated in terms of your finances, the government's finances, or incentives:
Read More »
Instead of looking at all the breaks for mortgage interest, health care, retirement savings and so on as deductions, picture the government writing you a check for each item. This equivalence between tax deductions and government spending leads economists to call them "tax expenditures." Reformers have hit on an even more pointed description: spending through the tax code.


text:
Hitachi intros 500GB encrypted notebook drive
updated 07:15 am EST, Tue November 11, 2008
Hitachi Travelstar 5K500B
Hitachi is releasing a new family of Travelstar 2.5-inch drives with improved security features, and reduced power use for longer battery life. The Travelstar 5K500.B line will be available in several sizes ranging from 160 to 500GB operating at 5400RPM with an 8MB cache. Hitachi says it expects the 5K500.B will be the first hard drive line to comply with the new Storage Security specification being finalized by the Trusted Security Group. The optional Bulk Data Encryption feature encrypts data as it is written to the drive and reverses this as information is retrieved, preventing casual data theft online.
The TCG standard likewise uses pre-boot authentication, making it easier for administrators to monitor the security of laptops connected to a network.
The Travelstar line has the lowest read/write power specification in the industry with no significant performance penalty, according to Larry Swezey, Hitachi's Director of Consumer and Commercial HDD. He says the 3GB/s SATA drives have an average seek time of 12ms with a read/write power specification of 1.4 watts. The company says the "eco-friendly" drives are also halogen-free to reduce pollution.
The 5K500.B will be shipping worldwide beginning next month in its various sizes. A heavy duty version for servers and routers will be released early next year. Pricing has not yet been released.


text:
Honoring the Greatest Name – Joseph Pronechen, Daily Register
Free Will and Predestination – Dr. Peter Kreeft, Integrated Catholic Life™
Should An Icon Be Veiled? – David Clayton, New Liturgical Movement
5 New Year's Resolutions for the Catholic Church in America (2012) – Saint Peter's List
Controversy, Sainthood, and Me – Mariella Hunt, Ignitum Today
VirtuousPla.net is Now Ignitum Today – The American Catholic
Adversus Catholic "Praise and Worship" – Brent Stubbs, St. Joseph's Vanguard
Episcopalians Have a New Home in the Catholic Church – Tito Edwards, Houston Chronicle
U.S. & U.K. Threaten Aid Over Homosexual Policies – Wendy Wright, Turtle Bay & Beyond
What Does IHS Stand For? The meaning of the Holy Name of Jesus – Dr. Taylor Marshall, CT
Requiem for the Third See of Christendom – Robert Spencer, Crisis Magazine
In the Footsteps of Saints – Anthony E. Clark PhD, Catholic World Report
The Mystery of Time – Msgr. Charles Pope, Archdiocese of Washington
The Top Ten Catholic Retail Stories of 2011 – Ian, Musings from a Catholic Bookstore


text:
Cold Snap Puts Pressure On Homeless, Shelters
The recent dip in the mercury has been bad news for homeless residents on the coast, many of whom spend the winter outdoors. Authorities recently went into wooded areas to urge people to seek shelter, and local nonprofits say they're struggling to keep up with the demand for beds and food. Bryan Russo visits homeless shelters in Worcester and Wicomico counties to find out how they're making it through this frigid period.


text:
ARLINGTON, Va. -- The standings show that Washington doesn't have much to play for Wednesday night when the Pittsburgh Penguins come to Verizon Center (7 p.m. ET, NHL Network-U.S.). With the division title wrapped up and a 16-point lead in the Eastern Conference as a cushion, the Capitals don't seem to have much to gain by laying it all on the line against their rivals.
Or so you would think.
"It's going to be a great chance to see how we're doing heading into the playoffs," Tomas Fleischmann said Tuesday from Kettler Capitals Iceplex.
"We think we'll meet them eventually (in the playoffs) so we want to make a statement against them," added Brendan Morrison, who was standing about 15 feet away from Fleischmann in the Caps' dressing room.
As if they haven't made enough of a statement with the way they've played all season, including in two previous games against Pittsburgh (both wins), the Capitals see Wednesday's game as the start of their final countdown to the playoffs.
With 10 games left in the regular season, the Caps want to get themselves into playoff shape now and that means the mentality has to be of desperation even if that seems totally unnecessary based on the standings.
Washington is also nine points in front of Chicago and Phoenix in the race for the Presidents' Trophy.
"Every game we have to try to play like we're going to play in the playoffs because you don't have lots of time to think about how you're going to play in the playoffs," Alex Ovechkin said. "It's always nice when you know you're in the playoffs and you can just relax and enjoy the time before the playoffs. You have 10 games and you can maybe make some mistakes and it's not going to cost you a lot. We don't want to make these mistakes."
Morrison said the time is now for the Capitals to get their defensive awareness at a higher level than it has been all season. Washington may be first in goals per game (3.88) but its 17th in goals against per game (2.76).
Their goals for are likely to dip in the playoffs, when games are tighter because teams take less chances, so that means their goals against number has to go down as well.
"In playoff hockey very rarely are you going to score four, five or six goals a night, so you have to clamp down defensively and make sure your special teams are going well," Morrison said. "But, I've got a good feel and I think the team has a good feel for what we have to do to be ready. We're getting close."
Morrison isn't saying the Caps have to change their style to become more passive than aggressive. He just knows his team must be smarter in certain areas.
"If we're in a situation where we can try to make something out of nothing, we can't afford to do that," he said. "We have to get it into our head that the smart play is to wait for the next chance. We're going to get our chances."
Follow Dan Rosen on Twitter at: @drosennhl