text:
Tag Archive for: mitt romney
How to Be a Good Mormon President/0 Comments/in Politics & Pop Culture /by Adam Ericksen
If Mitt Romney wins tomorrow, I hope he embraces his Mormon Christian identity. I hope his presidency will be clearly marked by his faith. We could use some good Mormonism in the White House. So, if he wins, I hope he leads the United States as a faithful Mormon.
Many Christians want to exclude Mormons from the Christian family. Many Catholic Christians and Protestant Christians don't think Mormons are Christians – they think the term "Mormon Christian" is an oxymoron. My Mormon friends claim that there are differences in doctrine, but they insist that they are Christians because they believe that Jesus is the savior of the world.
For the record, I'm happy to include Mormons into the Christian fold. Just as important, I believe Mormons are members of the Abrahamic tradition. Abraham and his descendants are endowed with a responsibility to the world. You'll remember that in the beginning of Genesis, things went from "very good" in Genesis 1, to Adam and Eve throwing accusations around in Genesis 3, to Cain murdering his brother Abel in Genesis 4, to the whole earth being filled with apocalyptic violence by Genesis 6:7. Things had gone terribly wrong and God went in search of finding someone to help God set the world right. God found Abram (whose name would be changed to Abraham) and bestowed this responsibility upon him and his descendents – "in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:3). The responsibility that God gave Abram came in the form of a "No" and a "Yes." It's a "No" to the ways of human accusations and violence that can quickly create a situation of mutual destruction that we see in Genesis 1-6. It's a "Yes" to partnering with the God of Genesis 12 who wants to bless "all the families of the earth."
The first three Abrahamic traditions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) have all interpreted this responsibility as a God's desire to care for the poor, the weak, and the marginalized of society. Take, for instance, Deuteronomy 15:7-10. "If there is among you anyone in need, a member of your community in any of your towns within the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight –fisted toward your needy neighbor. You should rather open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be. Be careful that you do not entertain a mean though … and therefore view your needy neighbor with hostility and give nothing … Give liberally and be ungrudging." The early church attempted to live this ethic toward the poor among them. "…no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned they held in common … There was not a needy person among them" (Acts 4:32-34). The Qur'an has a similar concern for the poor – "Alms are meant only for the poor, the needy, those who administer them, those whose hearts need winning over, to free slaves and help those in debt, for God's cause, and for travelers in need" (9:60).
Mormonism shares in the Abrahamic tradition of embracing God's call to care for the poor. How many of those who want to exclude Mormons from the Abrahamic traditions have actually read the Book of Mormon? The Book of Mormon tells a story about a King named Benjamin. He was the spiritual and political leader of his people. Benjamin had a successful and peaceful rule. The Book of Mosiah (chapters 1-6) records the end of his life. When Benjamin delivered his final speech to his people, he chose to connect wisdom to service. "And behold," Benjamin said. "I tell you these things that you may learn wisdom; that you may learn that when you are in service to your fellow human beings you are only in service to your God." King Benjamin clearly kept with the Abraham's call to be a blessing through serving the needs of his fellow human beings. This, you will notice, is both an individual calling and a national calling. Benjamin talks to the people individually and as a whole. Benjamin emphasized service to the poor, as we see in Mosiah 4:16-19:
And also, you yourselves will help those that stand in need of your help; you will administer your substance to him that stands in need; and you will not neglect the beggar who puts up his petition to you in vain, and allow him to perish. Perhaps you will say, "The man has brought upon himself this misery; therefore I will not help him, and will not give unto him my food, nor impart to him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just." But I say unto you, O man, whoever does this has great cause to repent; and he will perish forever unless he repents; for he has no interest in the Kingdom of God. For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for the riches which we have of every kind?
King Benjamin's words were challenging when they were first written, and they are just as challenging now. When it came to administering to those in need, Benjamin didn't put up with excuses. He doesn't care if we think the poor bring poverty upon themselves; he implores us to provide for the needs of our fellow human beings. He didn't put up with any excuses. But he took it a step further – and this message is the culmination of the Abrahamic traditions. He told them to identify with the poor. Benjamin asks "Are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have?"
The spiritual truth of the Abrahamic traditions is that we are all dependent upon God, and with God, there is always enough for everyone. Yes, we need smart, efficient political policies. But if Mitt Romney becomes president tomorrow, I hope that President Romney is guided by the words of King Benjamin, who knew that the Kingdom of God is marked by the spirit of abundance, not scarcity. Living into the Kingdom of God as King Benjamin did means being faithful to the God of abundance. It means partnering with the God who seeks to bless all the families of the earth, especially families in need.
(For more on Mitt Romney and Mormonism, read Suzanne Ross's great article "Mitt Romney the Mormon: Should We Be Afraid?")
David Brooks: The Science of Modeling Political Humility/1 Comment/in Politics & Pop Culture /by Adam Ericksen
We become who we are in conjunction with other people becoming who they are. – David Brooks, The Social Animal
But if there is a divine creativity, surely it is active in this inner soulsphere, where brain matter produces emotion, where love rewires the neurons. – David Brooks, The Social Animal
David Brooks is one of the more controversial New York Times columnists. I frequently see posts from my Facebook friends condemning his recent articles. But what I find fascinating about Brooks is that the condemnations come from both sides of the political aisle – conservatives think he is too liberal and liberals think he is too conservative. It's not that he refuses to take a political position on issues; it's that he knows that our political situation is more complicated than simply taking positions on issues.
I had the opportunity to watch Brooks deliver a lecture yesterday in downtown Chicago. He talked about his recent book The Social Animal and the need for more humility in our culture. He started his lecture on humility in a strange way. Brooks made a humorous quip that Mitt Romney lacks the social skills to connect with the American people. It's a common attack liberals use against Romney, and many in the Chicago audience laughed. But then Brooks turned the table. He told a story about a quick lunch he shared with Romney during the last presidential campaign. They met at a busy restaurant. Before they sat down, Romney went to every table to shake hands and briefly visit with people. Brooks and Romney ate quickly, and then left. As they walked through the restaurant, Romney made a point to say goodbye to each person he met, addressing them by their first names.
With that story, Brooks revealed our liberal arrogance that easily laughs at Romney. "I'm convinced that Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are both good men who want to help our country," Brooks asserted. "The problem they have is that they are running for President in a culture that is increasingly polarized and lacks humility." He went on to state that this has been the most hostile election he has ever covered, and it's getting worse as we come to the end. Obama is becoming increasingly negative and small concerning the issues, and Romney is becoming increasingly shifty in his persona.
This is what I love about Brooks. He challenges our black and white view of human nature. Depending on which side we are on, Americans find it very easy to blame Obama or Romney, the Democratic party or the Republican party, for the problems within our country. These accusations against the "other" make us arrogant and they increase the hostility within ourselves and within our country. When Brooks writes that "We become who we are in conjunction with other people becoming who they are" he is pointing to a profound truth about human nature. We are always becoming who we are in relation to others, who are becoming who they are in relation to us. As opposed to modern notions of individualism, identity is not formed in isolation, but rather in community, in culture. Modern scientific research on mirror neurons explains how humans unconsciously imitate the feelings and emotions of others in our community. Brooks calls this "deep imitation," claiming that "human brains have an automatic ability to perform deep imitation, and in this way share mental processes across the invisible space between them … people are able to feel what others experience as if it were happening to them" (Social Animal, 39).
This aspect of our humanity is incredibly important, especially during the hostility of our political season. Our "deep imitation" (which has a lot in common with mimetic theory) means that our emotions are naturally and unconsciously contagious; human emotions, the good and the bad, spread among us like wild fire and, unless we are vigilantly aware, we will never see the fires coming. The fire of hostility is incredibly dangerous. It sneaks upon us with the power to burn neurological pathways of hostility, wiring us toward anger, bitterness, and resentment. If unchecked, we will soon live in a dangerous state of mutual hostility with one another.
But there is hope that a political culture of hostility can change. The truth that "We become who we are in conjunction with other people becoming who they are" doesn't have to lead to hostility. "Deep imitation" can lead us into relationships of humility and love. Especially during political campaigns, our neurons are often wired by cultural patterns of hostility, but, as Brooks suggests, our neurons can be wired by the divine creativity of love. My friend Anthony Bartlett stated this best in his book Virtually Christian, "with the semiotic shift of the gospel based on the event of love my neural pathways are thrown into their other core possibility, of compassionate self-and-object-giving, otherwise known as love" (151).
At the end of his lecture, businessman Lester Crown interviewed Brooks. Crown's last question was about how we can change the arrogance and hostility of our culture. "We need to surround ourselves with models of humility and love," Brooks replied. "Lester," Brooks humbly continued, "You have been one of those models for me. And I thank you."
That's the key. In order to be formed by a deep imitation of love, we need to intentionally surround ourselves with models of love and humility. Our ultimate model is the divine creativity of love that is working in the world to rewire our neurons away from hostility and arrogance and toward love and humility. That divine creativity is our hope. Our job is to model for one another what the hope of humility and love looks like. We need these models in every sphere of our lives – personal, business, religious, and especially, political. But we can't wait for others to model it.
With divine love as our ultimate model, people like you and I need to actively model for the world what the hope of love and humility look like. The time is now. Let's go do it before it's too late.
Romney and Obama Agree: Peace and a Culture of Violence/0 Comments/in Peace & Violence /by Adam Ericksen
What I believe is we have to … change the culture of violence that we have. – Mitt Romney
We're going to hunt down those who committed this crime. – Barack Obama
The definitive renunciation of violence, without any second thoughts, will become for us the condition … for the survival of humanity itself and for each one of us. – René Girard, Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World, 137.
Mitt Romney and Barack Obama will duke it out in another debate tonight, this time on foreign policy. Each candidate will attempt to make distinctions between his foreign policy and his opponent's, and each will accuse the other of being a threat to our national security. Each will claim that his foreign policy is uniquely capable of make the world more peaceful. But don't be fooled by their claims to be distinct or their claims to peace. The fact is that both Romney and Obama fundamentally agree on foreign policy. And, tragically, they are both a threat to our national security.
Mitt Romney used a phrase in last week's presidential debate that is central to our pursuit peace both in the United States and in the world. That phrase was "culture of violence." Romney and Obama, along with the vast majority of Americans, agree that we have to "change the culture of violence that we have." The goal, of course, is to change our culture of violence into its opposite – a culture of peace. But there is a crucial component to making this change that neither candidate will debate tonight: Our methods for changing our culture of violence.
There are primarily two methods that people use to change a culture of violence into a culture of peace. Romney and Obama believe in the same method – there is no distinction between them. They believe that to change a culture of violence into a culture of peace we must use violence. Paul Ryan summed up this belief during the Vice Presidential debate when he said, "Look. Do we believe in peace through strength? You bet we do." The "strength" Ryan was referring to was strength in military violence. Obama agrees with Romney and Ryan, and he continues to remind us about his violent strength in hunting down our enemies.
If using violent methods with the hope of changing a culture of violence seems like an absurd contradiction to you, that's because it is. As the anthropologist René Girard has warned, violence is supremely imitative. This is why Romney and Obama are threats to our own national security. Violence as a means to achieve peace will only lead to cycles of violence with our enemies. And we will each commit acts of violence in the name of peace. Humans, whether on a national or individual level, always think that the "other" is the violent aggressor who made the first blow and that peace can only be achieved if we rid ourselves of our enemies. "No one ever feels they are the aggressor," Girard stated, "people always have the impression that the other is the first to attack" (Battling to the End, 18).
Adding to the problem of a foreign policy that is based on peace through violence is our violence at home. Violence is interconnected. Our violent foreign policy infects our national identity with violence. The belief that violence can defeat a culture of violence has infected our nation. We are taught that if someone uses verbal, physical, or emotional violence against you, peace requires that you use violence in return. We are thus infected by a culture of violence on a national and global scale. The infection of violence will continue to have disastrous consequences unless we find alternatives. Girard warns that the imitative "character of violence is so intense that once violence is installed in a community, it cannot burn itself out" (Violence and the Sacred, 81). Violence cannot burn itself out, and so everyone near violence will get burned. Unfortunately, neither presidential candidate is serious about offering an alternative means to peace. Until they do, we will all continue to get burned.
Fortunately, there are alternative means to peace. Ryan is correct that peace will come through strength, but it will never come through a violent strength. True peace requires the strength to renounce all forms of violence. We must have the courage to become anti-violent – not in a way that leads us violently over and against others we think are violent. Rather, we need to become anti-violent in a way that fosters a new identity within ourselves, within our communities, and within our world. This new identity has the courage to recognize that the only way to transform cultures of violence into cultures of peace is to use peaceful means. This new identity doesn't seek to hunt our violent enemies down. Instead, it takes responsibility for our own violence and seeks to change our ways of violence into ways of peace. Many will accuse the "peaceful means" method as a sign weakness. That accusation is false. Confronting violence with imaginative forms of nonviolence takes great courage and strength. And it's the only hope for our future. We are coming to a crossroads in human history – the point where violence will burn us all in a hell of our own making if we don't find alternative, peaceful means of creating cultures of peace. Those alternatives involve forgiveness, reconciliation, and love.
But, tonight you won't hear our presidential candidates inspiring us to create peace through peaceful means. Tragically, our candidates are enslaved to a culture of violence that attempts to use violence to create peace. It's time we offered a different vision – the vision of peace through the strength of peaceful means.
The Truth About Political Debates: A Filthy Bunch of Liars/0 Comments/in Politics & Pop Culture /by Adam Ericksen
We are a nation that is dangerously obsessed with "truth." For example, before the debates end, internet fact checkers test every comment for its veracity. After the debates, political pundits continue the fact checking by telling us they are separating fact from fiction.
We say we want to know the truth, but in reality we are hiding from the truth. We don't want the truth; we want to live in a myth. Unfortunately, the myth looks deceptively like truth. The myth doesn't set us free; it enslaves us. I'll risk the cliché about truth because, ironically, it is true. Jack Nicholson was right, we can't handle the truth, because the truth about ourselves makes us uncomfortable.
We saw the myth last night during the second presidential debate. During a particularly awkward moment, President Obama and Governor Romney circled around one another as they pointed fingers of accusation. My Facebook friends called it the "alpha dog" moment. The image of our political candidates circling one another was symbolic of the toxic nature of this campaign where myth passes as truth.
Please, don't be infected by the myths our candidates are spewing. They are grasping at truth and attempting to beat one another over the head with it. That use of the word "truth" enslaves us to rivalry with one another. Our politicians are enslaved, and especially during this political season, we are enslaved to the myth. We mirror one another and look like enemy twins, circling one another, ready to accuse one another of lies in the name of truth.
But truth is always false when you think you have it. Because you can't hold the truth; if we are lucky, the truth holds us.
One thing is for sure: When we think we hold the truth, we have made the truth into our idol. By making the truth into an idol, we use it to scapegoat our opponent. We justify our open hatred, name calling, and a win-at-any-cost mentality. The problem is that scapegoating never leads to truth. Rather, scapegoating always leads to a mythical sense of our own goodness, which is mythical because it depends on the lie that our opponents are a filthy bunch of liars.
That version of truth is false. And our politicians are leading us into a toxic future of lies that lead to rivalry. The truth that we can't handle is that in our mutual accusations against one another we become exactly the same. We become the filthy bunch of liars we see in our opponent.
I want our politicians to lead us out of this mess. I want them to have the courage to say this: "My opponent is a good and fair man. He wants what's best for our country. He has served our country in the best way he knows how. I'm not going to accuse him of being a liar. I simply disagree with his policies."
Is that political suicide? Maybe, but I don't care. If it is political suicide, that's a reflection of our culture. Our culture needs real leaders. Leaders who will guide us into a more truthful future with one another. Unfortunately, we don't have those leaders. We have enemy twins.
Big Bird: The 2012 Political Scandal/0 Comments/in Politics & Pop Culture /by Adam Ericksen
It was 1:30 am when I heard her voice. My daughter was crying. But I couldn't get my tired self out of bed. "Just wait a few minutes," I thought. "If she's still crying, then get up." She fell back asleep within two minutes, but I did not. I was wide awake. Apparently, the invisible nurse who lives in my house decided to shoot me up with her invisible intravenous needle filled with invisible Red Bull. I was awake. Then the invisible Red Bull infected me with a strong case of the Thoughts. I couldn't stop thinking Thoughts. 1:30 soon turned into 2:00. Then I got up, did some more thinking and some reading, and then went back to bed. I kept thinking until the Red Bull wore off around 3:30. One of my midnight Thoughts was about politics and … Big Bird.
I kept thinking, How did Big Bird become embroiled in the 2012 political scandal?
Before we answer that question, let's take a look at the word "scandal." A scandal is about the relationship between people. It occurs when two people desire the same thing, but their shared desire converges on something that they either can't share or refuse to share. For example, let's take last week's presidential debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. Both candidates wanted to win the debate, because both want to win the election. But there can only be one winner. When the debate was over, the majority within American media culture (even MSNBC!) declared that Romney was the clear winner. Obama's desire to win the debate was blocked by Romney, who, according to the media reports, made Obama look foolish. Romney became Obama's model for success. Romney possessed the object they both desired, but couldn't share. And so Romney has become a scandal to Obama.
What do we do when we are scandalized? We fight back! We attempt to take back from our rival what we think should be ours. And we try to take it from our rival by using the same method that our rival used to take it from us. In other words, we imitate our rival. That's what Obama did the morning after the debate. Obama's desire to win intensified and he set out to thwart Romney's momentum. Since Romney made Obama look foolish during the debate, Obama immediately attempted to make Romney look foolish after the debate. During a campaign rally the next morning, Obama emphasized Romney's statement at the debate about PBS and Big Bird. Romney asserted, "I'm going to stop the subsidy to PBS. I like PBS. I love Big Bird … I'm not going to keep spending money on things to borrow money from China to pay for it."
President Obama tried to turn the tables on his model and rival by making Romney look foolish. If he could succeed, Obama would take back some of the prestige Romney gained by winning the debate. "Thank goodness somebody is finally getting tough on Big Bird," Obama stated with heavy sarcasm – a clear sign he was trying to make Romney look foolish. "It's about time. We didn't know that Big Bird was driving the federal deficit, but that's what we heard last night. How about that?"
Suddenly, Big Bird became entrenched in the 2012 political scandal. The Internet was all a-chirp with Big Bird. Twitter was tweeting, blogs were blogging, and Facebook was posting all about Big Bird. Conservative and liberal friends were using Big Bird as a political talking point. The Obama campaign took it a step further on Tuesday by creating the political advertisement above; a commercial that uses Big Bird to make an even more sarcastic attack against Romney than Obama's comment after the debate.
As I laid there in bed thinking about this political scandal and Big Bird, I became depressed. Both candidates look foolish to me as they fight over Big Bird, using the star of Sesame Street as a pawn for their political careers. They are unwilling to share the bird whose sole purpose is to teach our children about sharing. And so I'm scandalized. I have a problem when adults, when our political leaders, can't live up to the expectation we have for our children. I'm scandalized because I want candidates who will lead us above childish scandal and sarcasm.
Apparently, Big Bird does too. The Sesame Workshop, which was thrown into this scandal by both candidates, responded to Obama's campaign ad. As opposed to siding with Obama and playing up their potential role as Romney's victim, the company that produces Sesame Street took the high road by responding in the most non-scandalous way:
Sesame Workshop is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization and we do not endorse candidates or participate in campaigns. We have approved no campaign ads, and, as is our general practice, have requested that both campaigns remove Sesame Street characters and trademarks from their campaign materials.
I'm not going to tell you who to vote for on November 6th, but I will tell you this: Big Bird just gained my vote. Whoever wins this election, I'll support Sesame Street because it has taught us adults something crucially important about our lives together. We can do better than this. Let's face it. Our political system is a set up for political scandals. We can't share the victory on November 6th; the side that loses will want what the other side has. But Sesame Street teaches us that we can do better than our political candidates. They claim that they are in politics to help the American people, but their exploitation of Big Bird makes me suspicious. They don't want to help us. They only want one thing – power. If our candidates really wanted to help the American people they would act more like Big Bird. Come November 6th we may not be able to avoid the scandal of desiring what our rival has, but we can wean ourselves away from responding with sarcasm and by demonizing the other. Only when we act a little more like Big Bird will we have a better chance of moving beyond our scandals and working together.
Sesame Street provides a positive model for our kids to imitate, and during this political season it is providing a positive model for us adults to imitate, too. And it's a model that will help me sleep better at night.
Mitt Romney the Mormon: Should We Be Afraid?/0 Comments/in Politics & Pop Culture, Religion /by Suzanne Ross
How do you feel about Republican candidate Mitt Romney's Mormon faith? Please notice that I did not ask, what do you think about his faith, but what do you feel. Imagine yourself in a conversation with him (or recall when you've talked to a Mormon about their faith, if you have had that experience). What is the tone of your comments? Are you curious and questioning, openly seeking information? Or is your tone judgmental, mocking and filled with ridicule? Perhaps you even get angry as your imaginary conversation progresses and Romney explains some uniquely Mormon tenet of faith that seems dangerous or cultish to you. Maybe you begin to worry seriously that this man with his odd beliefs could be leading our country one day soon.
As I write this reflection, I am sitting in the study of my home in Utah. My backyard faces the Wasatch mountain range. Yesterday I rafted down the Provo River past Robert Redford's Sundance Resort and tonight I will be having dinner with friends in Salt Lake City. My friends are Mormon and they are members of a Mormon family that I have known for over 33 years. This family is why we own property in Utah, why we built a house here, and why Utah feels like home to us though we have never been tempted to convert. I was raised Catholic and became a Presbyterian when I married and then joined a United Church of Christ congregation with my husband when we moved from New Jersey to Illinois almost 25 years ago. Michael, who is now a member of the Raven board, was a zealous Mormon and we spent many nights deep in conversation about religion, God, and what it means to live a life of devotion to one's faith. Though we have continued to differ theologically, I consider Michael one of my closest friends and a profound influence, for the better, on my life. I offer this background as a prelude to my comments about Mitt Romney, the Mormon.
Legitimate questions are being raised about how Romney's faith will affect his conduct if he becomes president. A person is formed by the environment of their childhood and youth and so it is a reasonable question to ask about any candidate's background. But the depth of ridicule and outrage that is being directed by some at Romney and Mormonism in general is not about an honest search for the truth about a potential US president. If your reaction or the reaction of the political commentators you listen to is filled with hate or ridicule, then the truth you seek will remain elusive. These emotional responses indicate one thing: that your identity has a hostile bent. Knowing that you and your beliefs are right depends, in this case, on Mormons being wrong. How do I know that? Because hatred and ridicule do not seek truth. These emotions want one thing only: self-confirmation. Hate and ridicule will see what they want to see, hear what they want to hear, and cling to condemnation no matter the evidence presented.
The Mormon faith generates a supporting culture, just as any religion does. It is neither wholly good nor wholly bad, and my intention is not to indicate that rather than demonize Mormonism we should idealize it. My intention is to suggest that if we hate another's belief, we tend to hunker down within our own. Questioning our own culture becomes taboo, a sign of disloyalty. Not only do we become blind to the truth about the other, we idealize our own culture to the point of self-deception. One defining characteristic of the Mormon culture is its emphasis on community. Mormons recognize that individuals do not exist in isolation, that we need one another to cope in this world and survive. The Mormon culture is a helping culture and it stands in stark contrast to the individualism at the heart of American culture at large. I find it interesting that some will accuse the Mormon religion of being a cult, when most of us are embedded in a cult of individualism without realizing it. We are indoctrinated in it from birth and shunned when we try to leave it. Just ask any practicing Mormon or Jehovah's Witness for that matter. They'll tell you the truth, if you want to hear it.
I think that the hostility many feel toward Mormonism has very little to do with Mormon theology or religious practices and everything to do with the way in which the Mormon culture challenges individualism. If we continue to pursue a conflictual relationship with one another, we will each become more entrenched in our positions, more one-sided in our practices, and that isn't good for either of us. Many Americans, religious and secular, would be well served by allowing ourselves to become more like Mormons. Their focus on the community could provide an antidote to materialism, pleasure-seeking, selfishness, and other diseases of the soul. And Mormons could use a dose of me-first once in a while, a reassurance that it's okay to withdraw from community to refresh and renew oneself for the larger purpose of service to others.
I'll end with a story. Two days ago my son and his wife were at the Salt Lake City airport heading home from their vacation time with us. Unfortunately, my son left his wife's laptop at the airport when they boarded the plane. When they landed back in Chicago, my daughter-in-law asked, if they found her laptop, would we pick it up at the airport for her. Of course, we said, and joked that if there is any airport where you want to lose your laptop, its SLC. And sure enough, before dinner with our friends tonight we will be picking up the laptop, returned by some conscientious Utahan who put the well-being of another ahead of herself. Nice, right? Not that it couldn't happen anywhere, but my husband left his iPad on a plane at O'Hare once – never saw it again. This is anecdotal of course, but I use this story to illustrate that the ones we condemn most vehemently may be the ones who have the most to teach us. In fact, I'm sure that's the case. A hostile identity is a frightened identity, frightened mostly of being wrong, of having to change. So, if you are sincerely seeking the truth about the impact that candidate Romney's religion has on him remember to take the advice of the angels. Whenever they appear to humans, their first words are, "Be not afraid."
PS To continue this conversation, join our live call-in radio program on September 6 to talk more about hostile identities with best selling author, activist and public theologian, Brian McLaren.
A Unique New Year's Resolution and the Iowa Caucus/0 Comments/in Politics & Pop Culture /by Adam Ericksen
If you are like me, you believe New Year's Resolutions are made to be broken. I struggle with resolutions. I've already failed three of the top twelve resolutions Americans make. Lose weight? I always break that during football games on January 1st. Stop drinking? Again, January 1st football games. Eat healthy foods? Nachos, pizza, and burgers, all on January 1st.
January 1st is the day I resolve to make the hardest resolution I've ever had to make (and I make throughout the year) – to forgive myself.
To be more forgiving of one's self and of others is certainly a resolution worth making, but the Iowa Caucus tonight reminds me of another resolution worthy of discussion. It's a resolution few people will make this year. And it's a resolution you are bound to break. Sometime during this first week of 2012, you are likely to be asked, "What's your New Year's Resolution?" Imagine their response when you reply, "I'm going to end scapegoating."
It's a big task. Scapegoating infects our culture, our lives, and our politics. For example, the Iowa Caucus is tonight and we find candidates scrambling to define themselves over and against their opponents. Mitt Romney, who seems to be the front-runner in Iowa, has attacked President Obama, accusing him of creating an entitlement society in the U.S. Romney said that Obama's continued policies would "poison the American spirit by pitting one American against another and engaging in class warfare." He went on to say, "I prefer an America that is one nation under God and I will keep it that way." While Romney attacks Obama, a Super PAC backing him has spent $3 million on ads slamming Romney's Republican opponents. And Romney's opponents have responded with similar attack ads. Greg Sargent of the Washington Post warns that this is just the beginning of negative ads run by Super PACs:
We are going to see hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars worth of ads bombarding millions of voters for months on end, with no knowledge of who is paying for them, no accountability at all for the candidates who are directly benefiting from them, and no meaningful effort to rebut the countless lies, distortions and sleazy attacks they'll be leveling on a daily basis — ones that will directly impact who controls Congress and the White House next year."
That disturbs me, but it doesn't surprise me. After Christmas and New Year's Day, I don't think it's a stretch to say that average folk like you and I spend much of our time in rivalry with others. You can always tell when you are in a rivalry with another person or group. You know that feeling you get when your uncle starts making political comments during Christmas dinner? Or the feeling you get when you arrive at your office and your supervisor won't stop talking about her New Year's weekend, and you know that in two hours she'll come back and ask why you haven't been productive? Your blood starts to boil. You need an outlet so you gossip to your cousins or your coworkers.
(Not that I know from experience.)
It's true. Politicians are corrupted by rivalry and scapegoating. But so are we. We are, as James Alison says, formed in rivalry and scapegoating. "Our programming," as Alison states in his book, Knowing Jesus, "forms us in rivalry, and the techniques of survival by exclusion."
I can guarantee you one thing during this election year: The rivalry and scapegoating will heat up. Republican candidates and President Obama will continue to define themselves over and against one another in hopes of gaining a sense of superiority.
How do we end scapegoating? There are four key steps. First, I think it's important to admit that we scapegoat others. Yes. You and I scapegoat. We scapegoat whenever we feel a sense of superiority by hating another person or group. Second, we can stop scapegoating when, instead of feeling superior through scapegoating others, we begin to mourn our scapegoating tendencies. Third, we know we are on our way to end scapegoating when we begin to honestly listen to our rival's story. And fourth, to truly end scapegoating, we need to develop the courage to admit that maybe, just maybe, we don't hold the truth, we were wrong about the truth of our rival's story, and we were wrong about our feelings of superiority over and against our rival.
It's 2012. And it's time to end scapegoating
(For an example of how to end scapegoating, see "Rick Perry and Jesus: Strength and Weakness.")
Rick Perry and Mitt Romney: Enemy Twins/0 Comments/in Politics & Pop Culture /by Adam Ericksen
We at Raven were honored when we read Robert Koehler's latest article over at the Huffington Post entitled "Captives to the Logic of Violence." In his article, references our new project "Be a Hero for Peace" and cogently argues that during the last 10 years the United States has been held captive by violence. In the name of "freedom" we have enslaved ourselves to violence. Bob claims that after 9/11, "What fell into place was armed insanity as perpetual background noise, and any reach toward global community, understanding and forgiveness went on permanent hold."
Of course, our captivity to violence is not isolated to the War on Terror. It infects every aspect of our lives. The logic of violence, including verbal, emotional, and physical violence, permeates American culture. As I read Bob's article, I was reminded of another article written this week by Brian McLaren. Brian alluded to the infection of violence, provocatively referring to it as a "Spiritually Transmitted Disease."
We saw an example of our captivity to violence and its spiritual transmission last night at the Republican presidential primary debate. Before, after, and during the debate, most journalists revealed their captivity to the logic of violence by setting the event up as a "battle" between the two former Governors Rick Perry and Mitt Romney. They used phrases like: "The fight," "traded attacks," "went at each other like heavyweights," and "We'll get right to the important horse race question: Who won?" Of course, journalists use violent phrases because they know the rest of us are held in the same captivity of violence.
There is a big problem with the spiritually transmitted disease we call violence: It is mimetic. Violence is imitative and in that imitation we become just like our enemy. We saw this last night, too. Perry and Romney didn't fail to live up to our violent expectations. As they threw jabs at each other and tried to make distinctions between themselves, their "differences" were put aside and they looked remarkably similar. As the New York Times reported:
Mr. Perry attacked Mr. Romney's record of creating jobs in Massachusetts and his championing of health care legislation when he was governor. Mr. Romney, in turn, cast Mr. Perry as a career politician.
"Michael Dukakis created jobs three times faster than you did, Mitt," Mr. Perry said, referring to the former Democratic governor who ran for president in 1988.
"Well, as a matter of fact," Mr. Romney replied, "George Bush and his predecessor created jobs at a faster rate than you did, Governor.
The crowd or Republicans burst into laughter."
The American captivity to the spiritually transmitted disease of violence was on full display. In this example, the infection worked like this: If you insult me, I insult you back. I'm not sure why the crowd laughed, but sometimes laughing is all you can do when witnessing mimetic doubles. They fervently tried to assert their differences, but the paradox of violence is that in asserting our differences we become the same – mimetic doubles or enemy twins, as Rene Girard calls the phenomenon.
Fortunately for Perry, Romney, and the rest of us, there is a way out of the captivity. Koehler and McLaren both point to the solutions in their articles. That solution is the courageous spirit of love and forgiveness. Brian states that loving our enemies does not mean we cowardly submit to them. Rather, it means "standing up courageously—and in refusing flight, submission, and retaliation—you become less like your opponent. Previously unimagined creative responses become possible. You don't submit to the game in order to win it: you change the game entirely."
Bob puts flesh and blood on this principle through the story of Rais Bhuiyan. He is an example of someone who changed the game entirely. Bhuiyan, a Muslim immigrant living in Texas, was shot in the face just after 9/11 by Mark Stroman. Bhuian was lucky; two Muslims didn't survive Stroman's killing spree. Stroman was soon sent to death row. (State sanctioned murder … another sign of our captivity to mimetic violence.) Bhuian did something remarkable: He "changed the game entirely" by campaigning to save his assailant's life. Bhuiyan has since dedicated his life to forgiveness, claiming, "We need to educate people about the healing power of forgiveness."
We have two choices before us: The mimetic spirit of violence or the mimetic spirit of love and forgiveness. Please. For the sake of our future, choose love and forgiveness. It's what our post 9/11 world needs.
The Wicked Truth
The Thinking Person's Guide to The Wildly Successful Broadway Musical
Employing political, social, and historical examples against the backdrop of the musical Wicked, The Wicked Truth: When Good People Do Bad Things explores the ways in which modern society is not so different than the mythical land of Oz, challenging the very framework of our culture, our understanding of Good and Evil, as well as our sense of right and wrong. Written by Raven Foundation Co-Founder Suzanne Ross.
Tangles of Desire
In her second book, The Wicked Truth About Love: The Tangles of Desire, Raven Foundation Co-Founder Suzanne Ross examines the trials and travails of romantic love through the lens of mimetic theory.
On the page, you can watch videos, take a quiz, download music, read a chapter of the book, and discover your romantic pattern. It's wicked fun!
Illustrations by Susan Drawbaugh of Wee Five Designs.
Join us and subscribe to make religion reasonable, violence unthinkable and peace a possibility. New subscribers to email updates receive a free e-book as our thank you gift


text:
Key things you need to know aboutDr. Bagnato:
Phone & Address
Check insurance plans, locations and make an appointment
Accepting new patients?
- Yes
Dr. Bagnato's Offices
- Palmyra Surgical LLC
- Palmyra Surgical LLC
- 420 Charter Blvd Ste 103
- Macon, GA 31210
New Patient:
(478) 207-5093Existing Patient:
(478) 471-8484
- Directions
- Palmyra Surgical LLC
- 2622 Dawson Rd
- Albany, GA 31707
New Patient:
(478) 207-5093Existing Patient:
(229) 432-8484
- Directions
7 Tips to Prepare for Your Appointment
The key to a successful appointment is communication. To get the most out of your visit, prepare ahead of time so you can lead the conversation with your doctor. These 7 tips will get you ready
Dr. Bagnato's Experience
Research training, expertise and qualifications
Dr. Bagnato's Care Philosophy
Dr. Bagnato's Specialties
- General Surgery
- View all 2 Specialties and 1 board certification
Procedures Dr. Bagnato Performs
- Adjustable Gastric Banding
- Bariatric Surgery (Weight Loss Surgery)
- See all 12 procedures
Conditions Dr. Bagnato Treats
- Cholecystitis and Gallstones
- Crohn's Disease
- See all 12 conditions
More About Dr. Bagnato's Background
Hospital Quality
The right hospital is as important as the right doctor
- Coliseum Northside Hospital
- 400 Charter Blvd
- Macon, GA 31210
9 Facts About Hospital Quality
Patients' risk of dying during a hospital stay for heart bypass surgery could be 87.4% lower, on average, at a hospital rated 5 stars compared to a hospital rated 1 star for that procedure. Choosing the right hospital is critical to your health. View Slideshow
Patient Satisfaction
Patients' feedback on their experience with Dr. Bagnato
Likelihood of recommending Dr. Bagnato to family and friends is 3.9 out of 5 5 1 14
See More Survey Results
8 Facts About Patient Satisfaction Surveys
Patient satisfaction surveys provide a standardized way of reporting about healthcare experiences. But there can be more than meets the eye when reviewing scores. Here's what you should know
Oops, you entered a bad link for Dr. Bagnato!
The link you entered contains bad characters or identifiers. Please enter the link exactly as it appears in your email or text message.
Thank You
This confirms that we have received your survey about Dr. Bagnato. Please note: Your insights will help other patients make informed decisions. Please note: it may take 1 business day for your survey response to appear.
Thank You
Our records show that you have already confirmed your survey for Dr. Bagnato. Please note: it takes 24 hours for your survey results to show up on the doctor's profile.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Police are asking for the public's help to identify the people responsible for putting large rocks in the road.
More than a dozen vehicles have been damaged, but police say so far no one has been hurt.
Fountain police say those rocks were deliberately placed on Powers Blvd. just south of Fontaine Ave. It usually happens in the early morning.
There have been several incidents starting in June 2013. Police say they believe the people responsible live in the area.
11 News talked to one neighbor who says this crime is upsetting.
"I think it's very stupid that you would want to do something like that to damage a person's car, much less hurt someone," Donna Boyd said.
The suspects could face felony charges because of the cost to fix the damaged vehicles.
Anyone with information is asked to call Fountain police at 719-382-8555 or Crime Stoppers at 634-STOP.
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Is anyone else working and pregnant?! If so how long do u work and what kind of work do u do??
I work at a preschool. While pregnant with my daugher I worked with toddlers. I worked until the day before I went into labor. I left work thinking I was but it was only my plug.
Not sure what age group I will work with in the fall but will likely work until this one decides to make an appearance as well.
The earlier you take off, the less time FMLA gives you for maternity leave. If you are planning to go back to work after, give that a consideration.
Brandi (38)- wife to Jason (35)- mom to Katherine Rose (3)
Kailey Louise, due December 26, 2011, born October 6 at 28 weeks 3 days. NICU for now.
I'm a teacher too! High School special education. We're out of school May 27th too. I'm working all the way up until that date if all goes well. I'm due a month later (June 25th). I don't need to go back until the second week in August!
I can generally sit when needed, unless we're doing something which requires me to make circles around the room lol. In the meantime, my aide is the one doing laps. When I am up... my feet are ok for about an hour.. then they hurt, or I start to feel a little lightheaded/dizzy. I've been feeling a little out of breath just waking from the car to the classroom lately too, but I recover quickly when I sit and rest. This has only been going on for 2 weeks (I'm 32 weeks) and I was fine before that.
I FEEL for you ladies!!!
Mommy & Daddy 8-19-2004
Aminah 7-3-2011, Amarah 7-8-2013
Choosing to go natural IS fucking insane...that is all.
I am 23 weeks along and work at a super busy cafe on Cornell's campus serving 2,500 just for lunch. On my feet all day and running non stop. My back has also been killing me... I asked my doctor at my last visit (1 week ago) about the back pain and if i should be concerned, he said that it won't affect the baby, but if it really bothers me to talk to my boss about what I can do so I'm not on my feet the whole time. I plan on working until the semester starts next fall ( I'm due August 29,2011) my boss and I just dont see the point in me starting the semester then stopping work. Just works better for the business.
Also I have found crazy enough sitting in a bean bag chair to help with back pain (just make sure before you sit down you have everything you may need, ie book remote drink food) it is a pain the booty to get back up... but if you sit down and push stomach out and roll your shoulders on to the bean bag chair.... it helps.... while it helps me anyway...
Started Dating My SO: September 20, 2009
Engaged: July 20, 2010
Expecting First litte one: August 29, 2011
I'm an RN in a busy adult ICU. I work three 12 hr shifts a week, usually 3 on, 1 off, 3 more on. I'll work until I pop.
Cindy, married to Brian, furkid Lucy.
Ethan Michael joined us 8/7//11 at 3:05pm. 8#5oz, 20.75" long and perfect!
i am 35.2 weeks. It is getting hard, but I have to keep muddlin through until I give birth
I am not 35, but 32 :)
I am a nurse practitioner and I work approximately 50-60 hours per week in a busy clinic and then I am on call 24 hours a day for two weeks (I's not rare for me to get calls at 3am or spend 6 hours on the weekend or in the evening dealing with patient issues) out of the month. I was exhausted all the time before I got pregnant and now it's 10x worse. I don't think I am going to be able to make it through this pregnancy with all these crazy hours and crazy call schedule.
My lil guy came 5.5 weeks early due to IUGR but he is now thriving and full of life.
EP: Gold Nips as of 10.4.2012 ( thx ladies on EP'er board)
I am a hairstylist also. I am only 6 1/2 weeks, but my back is killing me also! I did 5 colors today and 5 haircuts, I barley sat down today.. I can only imagine how its gonna be in months to come. I plan on working up to my due date unless for some reason I am on bed rest which I pray that doesn't happen!! I am already overwieght but I did lose 25 pounds before I got pregnant..Oh and I knew a fitness instructor that was teaching kick boxing up till she had her baby..and she was kicking our butt, I couldn't even do some of the things she was doing....Good luck!


text:
- Advanced composite components including transmission shafts, pressure vessels, magnet retention sleeves and fuel pipes created using precise fiber placement methods such as filament winding and stitching. Also demonstrated will be the company's patented composite to metallic joint technology; the unique press-fit system requires no adhesive and thus there is no diminution in strength or performance.
- The latest decklock devices. These are a critical part of the system for securing and manoeuvring helicopters during operation from smaller ships such as frigates or Coast Guard cutters. All electric versions are being developed for VTUAV (Vertical Take-off Unmanned Air Vehicle) operations.
- The Vireo™ unmanned aerial system (UAS) which is applicable to a wide variety of markets and offers low-cost, effective and flexible surveillance from a variety of sensors types, including electro optical and infra-red. This UAS is designed to deliver actionable data to law enforcement, government agencies, agriculture producers and first responders.
- The TERPROM ® digital terrain system. A software-based system that successfully blends and interprets the inputs of a diverse array of sensors to provide the aircraft pilot and crew with full situational awareness, enabling them to fly far more safely and effectively - even in areas where GPS is not available. It is in use with 14 nations worldwide on over 5,000 aircraft.
- Micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)-based inertial measurement units (IMU) and integrated inertial navigation/GPS systems - including the company's TITAN tactical grade IMU capability, launched at this year's DSEI. These extremely small, rugged and lightweight units deliver proven, consistent, precision guidance with low manufacturing costs and swift production start-up times for a wide variety of weapons and platforms, including smaller munitions.
- The Cloud Cap Technology TASE family of lightweight, gyro-stabilized camera systems. Designed to provide exquisite day/night surveillance imaging for manned and unmanned applications, these cameras provide real-time imagery with unsurpassed stability for many surveillance, inspection and monitoring requirements including law enforcement, fire-fighting and environmental monitoring as well as the rapidly growing, small military unmanned aerial system (UAS) market.
- The DB-110 real-time, day/night digital, tactical reconnaissance solution. This provides long-range, dual-band EO/IR imaging and fixed and mobile intelligence exploitation and is suitable for use on fast-jets, large UAVs and business jets. DB-110 has already been selected by a number of countries.
- The Intelligence Exploitation System (IES). In wide use with both NATO and other countries, this system ingests data from multiple sensors, disseminating the resultant fused intelligence rapidly to relevant personnel.
- Proven solid state power controllers (SSPCs), in-service for over 15 years and ideal for fixed and rotary wing military aircraft where effective power distribution is required and space is at a premium.
UTC Aerospace Systems Focuses On Surveillance And Navigation, Aerostructures And UAV Technologies At DSEI, 2013
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- UTC Aerospace Systems will showcase a range of established, market-leading products alongside key new developments for the defense market at DSEI, stand (N6-370), Sept. 10-13. UTC Aerospace Systems is a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX). On display will be:Technical staff will be available throughout the show to discuss all products on display.
Check Out Our Best Services for Investors
Action Alerts PLUS
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
Quant Ratings
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
Stocks Under $10
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
Dividend Stock Advisor
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
- Updates with exact steps to take - BUY, HOLD, SELL
Trifecta Stocks
Every recommendation goes through 3 layers of intense scrutinyquantitative, fundamental and technical analysisto maximize profit potential and minimize risk.
Product Features:
- Model Portfolio
- Intra Day Trade alerts
- Access to Quant Ratings
Real Money
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:
Make the best panini ever with leftover Thanksgiving turkey and trimmings.
Tyler Florence prepares the easiest cranberry sauce you have ever tasted.
Kelsey makes spicy cranberry glaze to use on 'next day' turkey sandwiches.
Alton explains the tasty science behind his classic cranberry sauce recipe.
Fresh berries instead of cranberry juice give this cosmo superior flavor.
Using phyllo dough makes these turnovers low in calories and light as air.
Chef Michael Chiarello makes cranberry side dish with an Italian twist.
Fresh pears and cranberries fill a rustic freeform crostata (Italian tart).
Whip up an easy cranberry sauce in minutes.
Rosemary garnishes the refreshing cranberry-ginger Mary Rose Cocktail.
Get Cooking Channel on your TV.


text:
AFL-CIO, Labor United
AFL-CIO, Labor United
I am deeply grateful to a number of my colleagues who collaborated with me in the writing of this book. The contributions of my associates, Henry C. Fleisher, Jack Barbash, David E. Feller, Thomas E. Harris, and Albert Zack, are manifold. In a very real sense they are the book's joint authors, but in acknowledging their collaboration, I must immediately add that I alone am responsible for the views expressed and conclusions drawn, and for whatever the shortcomings of the book may be.
An additional caveat is also necessary. This book is not an official chronology of the road to labor unity; nor is it an official interpretation of the merger agreement and constitution of the AFL-CIO. True, as general counsel of the CIO, I participated in the unity meetings of recent years and in the drafting of the basic documents. I have tried scrupulously, however, to respect the confidential character of the discussions that occurred at the unity meetings and to confine the narrative in the book to matters that are properly of public record. In so far as the basic documents are concerned, they are set forth in the appendix and speak for themselves.
The interpretation of the events resulting in labor unity and of the basic documents is my own, and does not bind the AFL- CIO or the unity negotiators. I think a tribute is in order to the high-mindedness and statesmanlike attitude displayed by these negotiators -- the members of the AFL-CIO committee. They accomplished what is almost unprecedented in the history of social institutions -- they healed a schism and made unity out of division. This group of leaders of labor were directly responsible for the achievement of the AFL-CIO merger. All of them played . . .


text:
WIRELESSWAVE Sales Associate - Ft. McMurray (Full Time)
WIRELESSWAVE - Fort McMurray, AB
This job posting is no longer available on Indeed. Find similar jobs:Sales Associate jobs - WIRELESSWAVE jobs
About this company
Here at Wirelesswave/Tboothwireless/Wireless etc… we believe that mobility happens first. Our partnership with all the main Canadian...


text:
Michael Van Gilder, born into one of Denver's "old money" families, was making his own mark in social circles and at the insurance agency his great-grandfather Hal Van Gilder founded in 1905.
His rise, however, took a major detour after the Department of Justice announced Oct. 26 that a federal grand jury had indicted Van Gilder on five criminal counts of insider trading.
Federal authorities, including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in a separate civil suit, allege Van Gilder, 45, traded on non-public and material information given to him by a close friend at Delta Petroleum.
Van Gilder on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to the charges, which his defense attorney said he plans to fight vigorously.
The news of Van Gilder's arrest troubled many who knew him in Denver business circles. They describe Van Gilder, 45, as an outgoing person, the kind to never forget a name or miss a fundraiser, someone who enjoyed a round of golf with friends at the Denver Country Club.
He was generous with his time and resources to help a variety of causes, including serving on the boards of the University of Colorado-Denver Business School, the Denver Botanic Gardens, the Young Presidents Organization, the American Diabetes Association and the Platform 5280 Biennial of the Americas.
"Michael Van Gilder is a very hard working, very shrewd, very upstanding business man, who generally puts others ahead of himself. He is one of the good guys," said Joe Durnford, an investment banker at JD Ford & Co. in Denver.
After joining the family firm twenty years ago, he proved himself a top salesman and eventually took over as CEO in 2006. The insurance agency is one of Denver's largest with 130 employees and about $200 million in premiums.
Van Gilder, who is divorced, lives in a Hilltop home valued at $1.6 million, among scions of other established Denver families, a crowd within which he moved comfortably.
"This has been a difficult and painful time for our family. Michael has the support of his mother and me, his siblings and other family members as he faces his personal legal challenges," said Dell Van Gilder Jr., chairman of Van Gilder Insurance, in a statement.
The senior Van Gilder emphasized his son's problems were personal and not related to the business, where he stepped down as CEO on Oct. 25.
"The company is not a subject of the investigation and does not trade in securities," he said, repeating a point the company has emphasized since charges were first announced.
On Friday, the company created more distance, saying Michael Van Gilder would take an indefinite leave of absence from his duties as a director and an employee.
Van Gilder, in an e-mail circulated to family and friends last Saturday and published by The New York Times, expressed confidence that he will be exonerated in a jury trial, which he said requires a higher burden of proof than a grand jury.
"Regardless of what happens to me, I am going to grow, get stronger, be smarter," he said. "I will become a better son, brother, father, friend, and leader. You might think I'm going to stay home and hide, stay invisible? Wrong, I plan to be as visible as ever, I won't let this beat me down."
Some who received the missive said they were upset that Van Gilder compared his recent struggles to the adversities that Nelson Mandela and Steve Jobs overcame to achieve success.
Given that Van Gilder is not in the securities business, doesn't work for a public company and had relatively small gains compared to many insider trading cases, some question whether authorities are trying to use him as bait to catch a bigger fish.
"You have to presume that it is prosecutorial maneuvering," said Chris Bebel, a securities attorney with Tefteller Law in Texas. "The government attorneys are trying to get him to capitulate against someone else."
In their indictment, authorities cite an unnamed executive at Delta Petroleum and "close personal friend" of Van Gilder as the source of the illicit information he traded on.
From Nov. 5, 2007, until at least Jan. 9, 2008, Van Gilder allegedly traded shares of Delta based on insider information, which included details about a $684 million investment from Kirk Kerkorian's Tracinda before the deal was announced on New Year's Eve in 2007. Van Gilder allegedly e-mailed two family members about the pending deal, advising them to buy Delta stock, according to the indictment.
The government pegs Van Gilder's ill-gotten gains from an allegedly illegal stock sale Jan. 9, 2008, at $86,100.
"The investigation continues as it relates to others involved in the insider trading scheme," said Jeff Dorschner, a justice department spokesman in Colorado.
Authorities won't name who else they are pursuing. At the time of the alleged transactions, Delta Petroleum was under the direction of CEO and chairman Roger A. Parker.
Parker and Van Gilder, University of Colorado alums, are among the founding members of the Buff Club Cabinet, which requires members to provide $25,000 a year for three years. They also volunteer at a high level with the Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and Van Gilder handled Delta Petroleum's insurance business. Sources say the two interact socially.
Parker left Delta Petroleum in 2009 after 22 years, and Delta eventually sought bankruptcy protection before recently emerging under a new name, Par Petroleum Corp., and in a new hometown, Houston.
Parker now heads Recovery Energy, which subleases space at 1515 Wynkoop St. from Van Gilder Insurance.
Both Van Gilder Insurance and Michael Van Gilder held shares in Recovery before it went public, about 55,000 and 35,000 respectively, according to a securities registration statement for the company's initial public offering last summer.
A spokesman for Parker, who has not been named in the insider trading investigation against Van Gilder, declined to comment on the case.
The Van Gilders reflected "quiet wealth" and over the years managed to avoid the reputational blemishes that marred some of Denver's other prominent families, said local historian Phil Goodstein.
"They never seemed to show up in any key corporate cabals," he said.
Observers question why Van Gilder, if the charges are correct, would be willing to risk so much for comparatively so little, especially given that he worked in a field built on trust and managing risk.
"Need, greed and opportunity" are the three factors that usually combine to motivate someone who should know better to trade on insider information, said Daniel Predovich, a forensic accountant in Highlands Ranch.
"A lot of folks don't comprehend what powers the SEC has. They don't understand the tools it has to find somebody who is doing insider trading," he said.
Bebel said years of working insider trading cases, from both sides, has convinced him that the lure of an easy score can motivate people who don't need the extra money to cross the line.
"When there are easy profits to be made, they can't resist it," Bebel said. "They don't act rationally. They don't apply a logical cost-benefit analysis."
If Van Gilder is found guilty, he could suffer a long list of losses — legal costs, hefty fines, disgorgement of gains, the loss of his professional licenses and livelihood, possible prison time and perhaps most stinging, the damage to his own and his family's reputation.
If that's the case, "this will turn out to be his worst nightmare," Bebel said. "It will be a major scar he will carry around for the rest of his life."
Aldo Svaldi: 303-954-1410, email@example.com or twitter.com/aldosvaldi


text:
Recent comments
Re: Tool-Test Preview: Compact Compressors
I recently purchased the Makita Mac700 based primarily on reviews I read in the last test of these little compressors. I see that it is not being tested in this article.
Whats up??
Re: UPDATE: Ultimate Miter-Saw Stand -- And the Winner is...
A very good miter saw stand for me would have:
Cord storage
Ability to adjust rest from the saw position instead of walking to the end of the board.
Built in electrical connection.
Ability to store at least one spare blade and wrench.
Hydraulic lift and fold.
At least 8" wheels.
Spot to hold measuring tape and assorted pencils.
A rail on the bottom to slide the folded stand with saw on it up onto my tailgate. This would save me from having to lift the saw and stand cold.
Very light and very stable.
I have 4 miter saws but only one stand. A cheap model that I got on sale for less than $80. I have looked and studied trying to find something worthwile but have not found one worth the extra money. It's my opinion that most are designed by draftsmen, not carpenters or woodworkers.Most seem to be designed around the idea of a folding ironing board table.
Please, please come up with something well designed and worth investing in that will assist my work.
Re: 16-g. Nailer Giveaway
16 nailers
17 features
My favorite is the Bostich as well. I have it as well as a Porter Cable and another rear loading nailer with no identifying name. The Bostich is nice because of the side loading and oil-less. never had a jam with the Bostich despite pushing it hard.
Re: 16-g. Nailer Giveaway
16 nailers
17 features


text:
Smashing Newsletter: Issue #77
This newsletter issue was sent out to 130,198 newsletter subscribers on Tuesday, February 5th 2013. If you are not subscribed yet, feel free to subscribe to our email newsletter1 anytime.
Dear Friends,
Our brand new Mobile Book2 was a labor of love. But the love doesn't just stop there! We're giving away 20 exclusive A3-sized (11.6 × 16.5 inches) poster sets designed and created by the oh-so-talented Mike Kus, whose abstract illustrations are featured throughout the Mobile Book.
How can you get your hands on one of these posters, you ask? All you need to do is comment on this post4. If you haven't got the Mobile Book yet, you can still get your book today5! The hardcover book features everything you need to know as a designer, developer or mobile strategist to be prepared for the future.
Kind Regards,
The Smashing Editorial Team
Table of Contents
- Swiss Modernism: The Punk Way6
- Your Own Remote Mobile Lab7
- Jam For The Soul8
- The Photographic Journal9
- Seeking New Adventures: Smashing Workshops10
- Designing Empty States, Intro Videos and UIs11
- Travelling Library Of… Sketchbooks12
- Stories And Faces Of Graphic Design13
- Smashing Highlights (From Archives)14
- New on Smashing Job Board15
- Recent Articles on Smashing Magazine16
1. Swiss Modernism: The Punk Way
What do Foo Fighters, Iggy Pop, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, and Patti Smith have in common with Swiss Modernism? Hardly anything. Well, at least at first sight. Swissted17 proves otherwise. The personal project of New York-based graphic designer Mike Joyce combines both his love for punk rock and Swiss Modernism by redesigning old show flyers into typographic posters.
The still-growing collection already contains hundreds of vintage punk, hardcore, New Wave and indie rock posters of shows that have actually taken place. Each design is set in lowercase Berthold Akzidenz-Grotesk Medium and comes with the bold and clear look that is characteristic of Swiss graphic design. A rich source for typography and music lovers alike that is a real pleasure to look at. (cm)
2. Your Own Remote Mobile Lab
Every Web designer will know this one — and groan sympathetically. You've just finished designing your new website. It's mobile first or responsive or just optimized for mobile and looks great on your mobile phone. Now comes testing on other mobile platforms. And this is where the headaches usually start. If only you could preview it simultaneously in different mobile formats from the get-go. Remote Preview19 to the rescue!
3. Jam For The Soul
Ever noticed how a live concert always sounds better than a recording? The recording will usually be much more perfect, with clean sound and no wrong notes; it's the idea of a music piece. Live, however, you hear and feel the soul of the artist. And if you live in a town or city with few live music events, you can find yourself traveling long distances to experience the heart of music. Maybe The After Bedtime Sessions21 can offer some succor.
Drew and Lacey Williams's live recordings of evening jam sessions with friends aren't antiseptic, they're all heart, all music and wrapped in a well-designed site. Their sweet, and at times melancholy, bluegrass songs will transport you back to those late-night jam sessions with friends. Whether you were playing or just letting the music and warmth flow over you, the moment was always displaced out of time. This is what a jam session should do; this is how Drew and Lacey's music makes one feel — temporally suspended in a bubble of soulfulness. (jc)
4. The Photographic Journal
It's true that most people don't have only one passion or talent, and it's the same with designers. If having to choose between illustration, typography, lettering or photography means to sacrifice the other ones… then how about combining all of them?
This was exactly what Agustin Sanchez and Dan Rubin did when they created the Photographic Journal24. Every two weeks, they publish photo contributions that display modern photographer's intent, process, and drive to create. The goal of the project is to study those who maintain the craftsmanship of the past and who wake up every day to try again. The curators are constantly looking for contributors — so if you have a passion for photography, maybe you can submit your photo and story as well. (tts)
5. Seeking New Adventures: Smashing Workshops
We are always looking for new challenges that go beyond the scope of our regular work, and we are never afraid of new adventures. Last year, we organized a series of meetups and our very first Smashing Conference—both fantastic opportunities for us to connect with our readers and create memorable, exciting and unique experiences that delivered value for everybody involved!
This year, we'll be running a series of full-day Smashing Workshops with the most talented, skilled and passionate experts in the field of Web design. The workshops will take place in our home town Freiburg (Germany) just at the foot of the legendary Black Forest. Here's a quick overview of the upcoming workshops:
- "Sketching Interfaces" 26 with Eva-Lotta Lamm (March 22nd),
- "Visual Thinking"27 with Eva-Lotta Lamm (March 23rd),
- "Guerilla Marketing" with Paul Boag (April 5th).
Trust us—you won't be disappointed. The workshops convey practical tips and techniques that will prove to be very useful and valuable in your regular work. And, of course, we would be honored to meet you! (vf)
6. Designing Empty States, Intro Videos and UIs
Everything is just like you intended it to be: the user gets to your landing page, finds the wonderful, shiny call to action and signs up for your service. You've persuaded the user to download your application, yet your job isn't done yet. Now it's time to convince the user to actually use it, too. That's why onboarding is so important, and that's why the design of "empty states" — the screens the user sees when just starting to use the application — is so critical.
If you don't quite know how to engage your users to get started, look at Craig M. Dennis's Empty States tumblog29. Craig collects both good and not-so-good examples of empty states, showing you what you might want to try out and what you might want to avoid in your design. You might also want to check out AppScreens: Demo Videos30 as well as Content & Chrome31, a blog that collects interesting UI concepts and demos, as well as links to quotes and useful articles. (vf)
7. Travelling Library Of… Sketchbooks
As creators of art, we tend to see our artwork as an online artifact of its time. Perhaps as something that exists only within the boundaries of our online reach, be it our online portfolio, online shop or design-related blog posts. But what if we actually sent our artwork on a real, physical journey throughout the world?
That's what the Sketchbook Project33 is all about. It's an ongoing project that attempts to reach as many people in as many places with as many books as possible. Artists and designers are encouraged to get an official campaign sketchbook (costs $25 or $60), register it for a tour using the attached bar code, start drawing and sketching, mail it back to the organizers and pick a tour, and then the sketchbook will go on its own journey.
Once the tour is finished, the book is added to the Brooklyn Art Library in New York, which already includes over 26,000 sketchbooks from over 130 countries. A fantastic opportunity to explore your own creative skills and become a part of a digital artifact of its own. (vf)
8. Stories And Faces Of Graphic Design
If you are the type of person who loves to delve into history and discover remarkable people and what they created, then you will love to delve into the AZ Project34. This unique publication takes you on a journey through the evolution of and fundamental approaches to international graphic design — through a series of articles and illustrations about some grand people and their projects, from A to Z.
Read about Xanti Schwawinsky who designed the poster for Olivetti's first portable typewriter, MP1, or learn how Otl Aicher designed the crane in flight Lufthansa logo in the 1960s. AZ Project is a graphic design project by Dario Russo and Pasquale Volpe, and is a unique tool for students, teachers and researchers, as well as anyone else who is interested in the field of graphic design. The publication is also available for free download as PDF36. (ea)
9. Smashing Highlights (From Archives)
Design Process In The Responsive Age37
An insightful look into an evolving design process that Drew Clemens has been using with some promising new deliverables and tools. This should provide a starting point for you to freshen up your own process and bring it into the responsive age.
iCandies: Free Icons For Your User Interfaces and Apps38
60 high quality icons that provide crisp, attractive visuals for your modern and fashionable-looking interfaces. Available in 64×64px, 48×48px and 32×32px (.EPS, .AI and .PNG).
Applying Macrotypography For A More Readable Web Page39
This article focuses mostly on a few simple macrotypographic techniques—with a dash of micro—and on how to combine them all to build a more harmonious, adaptable and, most importantly, readable Web page.
10. New on Smashing Job Board
Here are the job openings published recently at our very own Smashing Job Board40:
Frontend Developer41 at Seso Media Group (Los Angeles, CA)
At Seso we build digital experiences that matter by curating complex data sets into compelling stories. Our human-centric approach allows our clients to move their audiences through playful interaction. We work with healthcare, museum, science and government partners as well as major brands and organizations around ideas that make a difference in the world.
Interaction Designer42 at Everlane (Los Angeles, CA )
At Everlane, we're rethinking the way retail works. We have no physical stores, no middlemen taking their cut and no crazy brand markups. Instead, we design our own luxury basics and sell them exclusively at Everlane.com.
Freelance/Contract Web Designer43 at Center for American Progress (Washington DC)
The Center for American Progress is looking for a web designer to help with occasional design work on a number of projects. We're looking for an experienced, professional web designer with a knack for modern, semantic, responsive, standards-based design. He or she should be able to create and refine site designs that not only look great, but adapt to a wide range of platforms, devices, and screen sizes.
11. Recent Articles on Smashing Magazine
- Polaris UI Kit + Linecons Icon Set (AI, PDF, PNG, PSD, SVG)44
- A Definitive Guide To The Android Carousel Design Pattern45
- The WordPress Community Offers Advice To Beginners46
- Desktop Wallpaper Calendar: February 201347
- A Comprehensive Guide To Firewalls48
- Effectively Planning UX Design Projects49
- iOS Prototyping With TAP And Adobe Fireworks (Part 2)50
- How To Guarantee Your Income With Agile Billing51
- Coding Q&A: CSS Performance, Debugging, Naming Conventions52
- Sneak Peek Into The Future: Selectors, Level 453
- Think Again: Assumptions About Mobile To Reconsider54
- The Importance Of HTML5 Sectioning Elements55
- Understanding The Difference Between Type And Lettering56
- Frank: A Free WordPress Theme Designed For Speed57
- Killing Contracts: An Interview With Andy Clarke58
- Implementing Off-Canvas Navigation For A Responsive Website59
- Using WP_Query In WordPress60
The authors in this newsletter are: Esther Arends (ea), Cosima Mielke (cm), Lindsay McComb (lm), Iris Lješnjanin (il), Vitaly Friedman (vf), Sven Lennartz (sl), Christiane Rosenberger (research), Elja Friedman (tools), Clarissa Peterson (proofreading).
- 1 https://www.smashingmagazine.com/the-smashing-newsletter/
- 2 http://www.the-mobile-book.com/?pk_campaign=NL-05-02-13&pk_kwd=mobile-book
- 3 https://shop.smashingmagazine.com/smashing-library-complete.html?pk_campaign=NL-15-01&pk_kwd=editorial
- 4 https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2013/02/05/mobile-book-poster-giveaway/
- 5 http://www.the-mobile-book.com/?pk_campaign=NL-05-02-13&pk_kwd=mobile-book
- 6 #a1
- 7 #a2
- 8 #a3
- 9 #a4
- 10 #a5
- 11 #a6
- 12 #a7
- 13 #a8
- 14 #a9
- 15 #a10
- 16 #a11
- 17 http://www.swissted.com
- 18 http://www.swissted.com/
- 19 http://viljamis.com/blog/2012/remote-preview/
- 20 http://viljamis.com/blog/2012/remote-preview/
- 21 http://theafterbedtimesessions.com/
- 22 http://theafterbedtimesessions.com/
- 23 http://thephotographicjournal.com/
- 24 http://thephotographicjournal.com/
- 25 https://shop.smashingmagazine.com/smashing-workshop-sketching-interfaces.html
- 26 https://shop.smashingmagazine.com/smashing-workshop-sketching-interfaces.html?pk_campaign=NL-05-02-13&pk_kwd=sketching-interfaces/
- 27 https://shop.smashingmagazine.com/smashing-workshop-visual-thinking.html?pk_campaign=NL-05-02-13&pk_kwd=visual-thinking/
- 28 http://emptystates.tumblr.com
- 29 http://emptystates.tumblr.com/
- 30 http://appscreens.tumblr.com/
- 31 http://contentandchro.me/
- 32 http://www.sketchbookproject.com
- 33 http://www.sketchbookproject.com
- 34 http://az-project.org/
- 35 http://az-project.org/en/
- 36 http://az-project.org/?download=az-pdf.zip
- 37 https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2012/05/30/design-process-responsive-age/
- 38 https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/01/icandies-icon-set-60-free-icons-your-user-interfaces-and-apps/
- 39 https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2012/05/02/applying-macrotypography-for-readable-web-page/
- 40 http://jobs.smashingmagazine.com/
- 41 http://jobs.smashingmagazine.com/jobs/employer/2305814
- 42 http://jobs.smashingmagazine.com/jobs/employer/2305676
- 43 http://jobs.smashingmagazine.com/jobs/employer/2305322
- 44 https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2013/02/02/freebie-user-interface-kit-icons/
- 45 http://mobile.smashingmagazine.com/2013/02/01/android-carousel-design-pattern/
- 46 http://wp.smashingmagazine.com/2013/02/01/wordpress-community-offers-advice-beginners/
- 47 https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2013/01/desktop-wallpaper-calendars-february-2013/
- 48 http://coding.smashingmagazine.com/2013/01/30/introduction-to-firewalls/
- 49 https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2013/01/24/effectively-planning-ux-design-projects/
- 50 https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2013/01/ios-prototyping-with-tap-and-adobe-fireworks-part-2/
- 51 https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2013/01/23/guarantee-income-with-agile-billing/
- 52 http://coding.smashingmagazine.com/2013/01/22/css-performance-debugging-naming-conventions/
- 53 http://coding.smashingmagazine.com/2013/01/21/sneak-peek-future-selectors-level-4/
- 54 http://mobile.smashingmagazine.com/2013/01/18/assumptions-about-mobile-to-reconsider/
- 55 http://coding.smashingmagazine.com/2013/01/18/the-importance-of-sections/
- 56 https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2013/01/17/understanding-difference-between-type-and-lettering/
- 57 http://wp.smashingmagazine.com/2013/01/16/frank-a-wordpress-theme-designed-for-speed/
- 58 https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2013/01/16/killing-contracts-interview-andy-clarke/
- 59 http://coding.smashingmagazine.com/2013/01/15/off-canvas-navigation-for-responsive-website/
- 60 http://wp.smashingmagazine.com/2013/01/14/using-wp_query-wordpress/
Hold on, Tiger! Thank you for reading the article. Did you know that we also publish printed books and run friendly conferences – crafted for pros like you? Like SmashingConf New York, on June 14–15, with smart design patterns and front-end techniques.


text:
using these now and finding it a challenge to deal with most of my clothes not needing to be dried all the way. I take them out but they are still not qite dry.
any tips for washing drying regular clothes with cycling/exercise clothes in public laundermats.
tips/tricks/ secrets of the trade?
I miss the washer/dryer off the master bath which my ex now has exclusive use of ...


text:
Our Craft for Monday, May 2, 2016
Violet Flowers
These Violet Flowers make a perfect Mother's Day gift that is easy to make. These flowers will never need watering and won't wilt and Mom or Grandma will love them.
Welcome to FreeKidsCrafts.com!
If you are looking for easy kids crafts, you've come to the right place. We have the only craft website with a new craft every day. The best part? No special supplies will be needed. You'll find mostly free printables, recycled crafts and projects you can make with supplies already found in your house.
Latest Blog post
Craft Ideas For Fundraisers
by Betty Bose
If your church or organization is contemplating a fund raising event give some careful thought to the projects you might want to take on as a group. For the young kids you might want to set up a table where they can create a specific craft like the Paper Plate Smiley Face or Paper Plate Mood Faces under … Read More


text:
Maine Lobstermen Bracing for Early SeasonApr 15, 2016Press Clip
MPBN: A warm winter has Maine's lobster industry bracing for an early start to the spring molting season.
Scientists say it is likely to start earlier than the norm, but they don't expect a repeat of the 2012 season, when a record glut of soft-shell lobster kept prices low and hurt lobstermen.
Dogfish for Dinner? Maine Sustainable Seafood Steps up to the PlateApr 11, 2016Press Clip
Now in its third year, the annual Gulf of Maine Seafood Celebration held at GMRI's headquarters on the Portland waterfront honors these abundant, local fish that don't leap to mind when you think omega-3s.
Warm Waters off Maine Point to Repeat of "Ocean Heat Wave"Mar 21, 2016Press Clip
Portland Press Herald: With the United States coming off the warmest winter on record, scientists are monitoring the Gulf of Maine for a possible repeat of an "ocean heat wave" four years ago that led to the destruction of clam populations, a colla
At College Campuses, It's Sustainable Seafood 101Mar 8, 2016Press Clip
Boston Globe: At UMass Amherst's Hampshire Dining Commons, one of many places to eat on campus, there is always a selection of seafood dishes for students to choose from. Recently, at lunchtime, Ronan Maza, a junior from New York City, opts for a plate of Ecuadoran-style redfish, or encebollado, a traditional fish stew with yuca, tomatoes, cilantro, and pickled onions.
4 Simple Steps You Can Take to Eat Sustainable SeafoodMar 8, 2016Press Clip
Boston Globe: Look for labels and information. The Gulf of Maine Responsibly Harvested label (www.gmri.org) assures consumers that the seafood is traceable back to the Gulf of Maine, sustainable, and from well-managed (wild) fisheries.
Warm Ocean Could Mean Early Boom in 2016 Lobster CatchMar 4, 2016Press Clip
Associated Press: Maine's lobster catches will likely peak early this year, which could mean an abundance of cheap lobster for consumers and bad news for the state's signature industry, a group of scientists reported on Thursday.
At Annual Forum Fishermen Grapple with El Nino's Effect on LobsterMar 4, 2016Press Clip
Maine Public Broadcasting (MPBN): "With this El Nino, this crazy mild winter — let's face it, we're going to have some shedders, probably more of them and sooner than we want them, so the board felt it was extremely important that we as harvesters do everything we can to land the best produce that we can," she said.
Climate Change Poses Threat to Fish Stocks, Study FindsFeb 11, 2016Press Clip
Boston Globe: Over the coming decades, dozens of marine species from the Carolinas to New England will be threatened by the warming, changing currents and the increased acidity expected to alter the region's waters, according to a
Gulf of Maine Fishermen Face Warming 'Double Whammy'Jan 13, 2016Press Clip
Climate Central: The changes projected by NOAA's model were published last week in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans.
Sea Turtles Stranded on Cape Shores Later Than EverJan 4, 2016Press Clip
Boston Globe: Endangered sea turtles are washing up on the shores of Cape Cod later this winter than ever before, reflecting another sign of the sharp rise in the temperature of the waters off New England, officials from local conservation groups say.


text:
Sign in now to view, license and download this image or contact us to see this image without a watermark. Want to embed this image on a non-commercial website or blog? Learn more.
Similar imagesView all
Breakfast Foods And Alarm Clock With Teddy Bear Stock PhotoAlarm Clock,Black Background,Bowl,Breakfast,Breakfast Cereal,Color Image,Drink,Drinking Glass,Food and Drink,Freshness,Healthy Eating,Horizontal,Jar,Lifestyles,Meal,Milk,Morning,No People,Photography,Studio Shot,Teddy Bear,TimePhotographer FloortjeCollection: Vetta


text:
I'm trying to add a 'not null' constraint to a column in Oracle 9.
ALTER TABLE user_roles modify group_id varchar2(36 char) set not null;
However, the operation fails with an odd error:
Error report:
SQL Error: ORA-12987: cannot combine drop column with other operations
12987. 00000 - "cannot combine drop column with other operations"
*Cause: An attempt was made to combine drop column with other
ALTER TABLE operations.
*Action: Ensure that drop column is the sole operation specified in
Any ideas why this is failing?


text:
Thanks for helping us sort this video!
Thanks for helping us associate the correct Pornstars to this video!
Help Us: Do these Pornstars appear in this video?
Pornstar Name:
All Comments (18)
Really nice tits for tit fucking. Nice big cock too.
@Fucker is that not a comment saying no comment
hoce kurac moj debeli
was ne geile sau
She looks so bored...
love rubbing my pussy watching these sexy tits being bounced around
Beautiful, beautiful tits and nipples, so fuckable..
man i would bust a nut in both these bitches
It would be cool if she wasn't fucking Hamid Karzai.
I would love to get my face smothered by those breasts of hers.
i would lik to bang heeeer
I like the part with the big tits.
something weird about her jaw but nice tits! id suck on them
No COMMENT! Wonderfull
ja die gehört auf mein bett, ich glaub zusammen hätten wir viel spaß!


text:
Mugen Seiki 4x15mm SJG Titanium Flat Head Screw (8)
This is a pack of eight Mugen 4x15mm titanium flat head screws. These screws are intended for use with Mugen vehicles, but are a excellent option to remove weight from other vehicles that use 4x15mm flat head screws.
This product was added to our catalog on October 15, 2008.
Customers that bought this also purchased...
$1.99 Flat Rate Shipping!
|Low Price:
In Stock!
This item is eligible for $1.99 flat rate shipping Learn More
This item earns up to 11 VIP Reward Points Learn More
Manufacturer InfoBrowse other products from Mugen Seiki


text:
DOGS: Toy Poodle puppies, Rare colors, Males, Charting to be 6 lbs. full grown. C.K.C. reg. Dew claws removed, Tails docked. Non-Shedding, Very Smart. Raised inside our home. $530. Cash, PayPal, Debt/C.Cards OK! Sorry NO checks. Please Call/Text 502-827-1292. ...More info Email a friend
DOGS: CKC Mini Schnauzer pups, males . They are small. Vet checked and up to date on shots and wormings. $300.00 ! Sweet and loving. Ready for their forever home. Call, no emailsMore info Email a friend
PET SERVICES AND SUPPLIES: Gorgeous, healthy AKC registered pups. Both males and females available. Will be old enough to go home with you on or after May 16th. All vaccinations and health needs will be current. References available. Located in Corbin KY. within 3 miles of I-75.More info Email a friend
DOGS: taking request for litter in JulyMore info Email a friend
DOGS: For sale. Shih-Tzu puppies AKC registerdMore info Email a friend
DOGS: Beautiful Chocolate/White Parti babies & Black babies available !!! they have a calm elegant temperament. M/F are ready for their new home. Smart and easy to train, great with kids and other pets!! 1200$ will ship anywhere. One year genetic health guarantee...More info Email a friend
DOGS: Black & white border collie pups. ABCA registered. Vet checked, first shots & wormed. Both parents on site.More info Email a friend
PETS: Rottweiler Pups, AKC, German lines, 5M, 1F, $650-$850. Call or text (502) 680-2022 (502)839-8740More info Email a friend
DOGS: ABCA registered Border Collie puppies for sale. All black and white or black tri color. Six weeks old on April 28th. Call 606-272-2203 if interested.More info Email a friend
DOGS: Goldendoodle Puppies For Sale English, F1, Royal size, Championship bloodlines Black, white & cream We specialize in English Cream Golden Retrievers & English Goldendoodles. Many pictures on facebook - search Cherie Emmons Emmons Family Goldens 859-620...More info Email a friend
Need a job?
Need to hire some help?


text: Sale Distressed Silver Mercury Glass Table Lamp Item #: 134139 $79.99 $64.99 Qty: Sorry, this item is currently unavailable online. Ship to Home Ship to Store (FREE) Nothing glows like mercury glass and this Distressed Silver Mercury Glass Table Lamp is no exception! You'll love its silver finish and fluted, urn-shaped base. Lamp measures 31H in. Crafted of mercury glass and metal Distressed silver finish Fluted urn base Softback bell shade in white fabric Shade measures 11.5H x 17 in. in diameter (at widest) Socket accommodates a 100-watt bulb Features a clear, plug-in cord Care: Dust with a soft, dry cloth. Do not exceed specified wattage. This item is available at Kirklands.com only, not available in stores. Sorry, this item is currently unavailable online.


text:
Broadmarsh Car Park
Also See
Prices and address for parking in the Broadmarsh Car Park operated by Nottingham City Council. Payment can be made by coins, banknotes or credit/debit card. American Express is not accepted
Address: Colin Street, NG1 7EQ
Max Height: 1m 96cm (6'5")
Satellite navigation post code: NG1 7EQ
Opening Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Capacity: 1,150 vehicles
Special Offers
Overnight Parking
Enter Broadmarsh Car Park between 5pm and midnight and leave before 10am for just £3. Available 7 days a week.
Weekend Tariffs
New cheaper weekend tariffs have been introduced at the Broadmarsh car park
- £5 for four hours on Saturday
- £3 all day Sunday
Standard Tariffs
On any occasion where you qualify for more than one tariff, you will receive the lower rate e.g. if you entered the car park before 9:30am Monday to Friday and stayed for up to 4 hours you would be charged the Early Bird £4.20 instead of the Up to 4 hours £6.
Price Bands
Up to 2 hours
Up to 4 hours
Up to 6 hours
Up to 8 hours
Up to 24 hours
Overnight Tariff (Arrive after 5pm and leave by 10am)
Early Bird (Commuters and shoppers arriving in Nottingham city centre before 9.30am between Monday and Friday and exit must be before midnight)
Pay Monthly (allows unlimited Monday to Sunday use)
75.00 p/m
Blue Badge Parking
Blue badge holders receive the first 4 hours free, after which the standard tariffs apply.
Passenger Drop Off
A free fifteen-minute stay is provided at this car park for those dropping off passengers for the bus station.
Nearby Venues and Locations
Use this car park for:
- Nottingham Railway Station
- Magistrates and Crown Courts
- Broad Marsh Shopping Centre
- City Centre shopping
- Nottingham Playhouse
- Nottingham Contemporary
- Hockley
It should be noted that this car park is not suitable for Motor home parking.
Is there anything wrong with this page?
Make a comment on this service


text:
Medical liability insurer says caps law has stabilized malpractice rates
Ann Knef Jul. 31, 2009, 3:49am
Figures provided by the Madison County Circuit Clerk's office.
ISMIE Mutual Insurance will maintain its current medical liability base rates for Illinois doctors due to a continued decrease in liability claims offset by increasing severity -- or amounts of payouts -- since the state legislature enacted caps on damages in 2005, the company announced this week.
"Illinois' medical liability market continues to stabilize thanks to the state's reform law, but we must remain cautiously alert," said ISMIE Chair Harold L. Jensen, M.D.
"Until the Illinois Supreme Court upholds the constitutionality of the reforms, severity will continue to be an issue for Illinois doctors and their patients' access to care."
The high court is expected to rule soon on the reform law's constitutionality, after Cook County Circuit Court Diane Joan Larsen' ruled in 2007 that the caps law violates victims' rights.
The law caps non-economic damages for physicians at $500,000 and hospitals at $1 million in medical malpractice cases.
Larsen ruled that the law violates the state Constitution's "separation of powers" clause.
She ruled that lawmakers interfered with the right of juries to determine fair damages.
Ed Murnane, president of the Illinois Civil Justice League, said after Larsen's ruling that the decision "strikes down the will of the Illinois people and the efforts of the duly elected and bi-partisan state legislature."
The Illinois Trial Lawyers Association has said Larsen's ruling was "an important victory for the rule of law and constitutional government over the rule of special interests."
The extension of ISMIE's current base rates affects annual policies renewing on or after Oct. 1, 2009.
In addition to maintaining rates, ISMIE will continue to distribute dividends to eligible policyholders for the third year in a row, according to a ISMIE press release. The dividends, which total more than $20.7 million, appear as a credit on renewal notices for those continuously insured with ISMIE since the 2005-2006, 2006-2007 and/or 2007-2008 policy years.