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Social Security 2011 – Another Bad Year
- Bruce Krasting's blog
- Printer-friendly version
- Dec 6, 2011 6:29 PM
- 110
The borrowing from the Treasury to replace the 2% tax reduction is the same process the Treasury uses when the trust fund interest and/or principal is tapped.
For example, since last year, the interest has been used to make up the cash shortfall via issuing debt held by the public to replace intragovernmental debt. The total debt remained the same, but more of it was debt held by the public and less of it was intragovernmental debt.
We should be using this process as an opportunity to explain how the trust fund income and principal is phantom.
Tapping the trust fund is the same process we use for all government expemses WHETHER A TRUST FUND EXISTS OR NOT!
Don Levit
I knew this would be bad news. Escapeclaws might as well climb down from his tree and let whatever slouching beast that comes devour him.
Nevertheless, possible last ditch solutions for cuts:
1) Cut back on wars. For instance we could defer bombing Iran for a few more decades. (Don't cry Cheney, we're just defering the war.)
2) Use insider trading profits from the Congress to shore up social security.
3) Tax the $20 trillion in secret offshore accounts at 100%. Of course, as many of the rich who have money in these accounts will explain, this would only subtract a few cents per capita from the budget deficit--not even enough to buy each of us a cup of bad coffee. Just do the math.
4) Put the money raised by the next 10 rounds of QE in the social security "trust fund" rather than giving it to Hank Paulson and his buddies.
5) Have Obama reimburse the government for all the iterations of photoshop that were necessary to produce an authentic birth certificate.
I doubt if any of these will be tried, because the administration would undoubtedly view them as favoring one class at the expense of another, which so far they have thankfully not been guilty of.
So kudos to BK for showing that there are no possible external inputs or ways of shoring up social security and that it must stand strictly on its own in terms of receipts, even if its aggregate balances have been used to finance other governmental needs, such as shoring up Lloyd Blankfein and Jamie Diamond (and don't forget our favorite, Bob Rubin).
Social Security will be cut in real terms or nominal terms. I suspect it will be in real terms as most people don't understand the implications of inflation.
The boomers also refuse to accept a cut (even though they presided over the government that stole the money, somehow that's not their fault and they expect young people to make up the difference) so their benefits will be inflated away with indefinite QE and bogus CPI adjustments.
First, you make the call that a cut will be made. Next, you say the Boomers refuse to accept cuts.
Have some more Kool-aid.
Social Security is a disgusting, deceptive, off Balance Sheet, SPV.
FD/ Boomer
They refuse to accept nominal cuts. So the cuts will be made in real terms.
Thanks, Bruce, SS is one hot topic as the gobmint has spent many years making the system more complex.
One fact remains constant, however, a tax is just a tax.
These are not segregated funds. Even after the events of the last several years most Americans still "believe".
Bruce, i like your stuff on soc sec but just once could you reference the many solutions put on the table by policy wonks that have all kinds of numbers for various options of increasing revenues or decreasing benes....really, this is quite solvable in not very painful way....remember in the 80s, soc sec was within a couple of years of insolvency before it was fixed, we are much farther from insolvency than then.
Also, the general fed budget is solvable, we had almost no deficit in 2000, we could simply go back to 2000 policy, cut defense spending back to those levels, cut Medicare Part D altogether, undo tax cut to rich, and send some taxes back to 1980 levels...some of this will hurt, defense will especially take huge hit, but we will still have best military in the world and grandma will lose some pills, but shoot, we lived thru it in the 90s and those weren't such horrible times...
Just scrap the $106k cap, and put a FICA tax on all earnings, including dividends, Capitol gains, whatever....why should I as an employed wage earner pay into a system I long ago maxed out, while a independent contractor, who also has also maxed out their Soc sec, benes in previous wage earning jobs, gets to now show most of their earnings as dividends from an S corp and pay no FICA on them or a hedge fund guy gets to similar maneuver and pay no FICA tax?
If we scrap the cap and FICA tax all income even at a much lore rate than wagers, SOc Sec solvent for long time
Because moneymutt the whole idea of Social Security is for each person to fund what they receive. Not for 1% or 10% of the population to fund 90% or 99% of the rest. The income tax already does that.
The boogie men hedge-fund managers and s-corp owners if they do actually have employees, (and even hedge fund managers need a dedicated office midget to feed them caviar and serve them champagne), will be making employer contributions to social security.
Like Bruce has brought to light many times here the boomers systematically underpaid for social security and are attempting to pass the mantle to the next, smaller generation, by replacing their obligations with interest bearing bonds, which the next generation will have to pay the interest and principle of. Defacto the boomers have simply imposed another form of a delayed tax-increase for the next generation. It is these exact financial shennanigans that turned mortgages into casino chips through "securitisation".
No wonder the boomer generation bankrupted the most opulent country the world's ever seen. What amazes me is that even after this utter inability to budget or to take responsibility for one's own financial decisions some people actually have the nerve to turn around and blame their own irresponsible decisions and underpayment into their retirement funds by attacking a minority.
Buying a new Ford Explorer or F-350 every two years instead of putting the decision off for 5 years and saving money for retirement; might just have certain repercussions after all.
"the whole idea of Social Security is for each person to fund what they receive."
Ah...completely false. The system is slanted to pay out a higher percentage of actual taxes paid to the lower incomes. Someone earning the maximum each year gets a much lower percentage payout of contributions than someone earning 25,000 a year. That is the progressive part. The fact that they stop taxing at 106,000 and only on wages and not capital gains, dividends, etc is regressive. Social Security taxes are regressive when viewed as a percentage of TOTAL income. Something the top 5 percent of incomes are well aware of.
Blaming the boomers for any perceived shortfall is bunk. The knowledge of the boomer bump has been known for 60 years. More individuals contributing into the pool for 50 years before they draw benefits helped increase the size of the pool. Social Security was also revised about 30 years ago to fine tune the discrepancies. The parts of Social Security that are now dragging it down are disability payments, people drawing benefits when their spouse dies early and the whole family is drawing benefits and people getting benefit coverage after working only a few years. How many people do you know that are drawing SSI that are not really disabled. Stop blaming the boomers. It is nonsense promoted by those that would benefit from the destruction of Social Security and their ignorant partners who parrot whatever they are told.
" No wonder the boomer generation bankrupted the most opulent country the world's ever seen."
Doc , this is Bullshit. Did your parent's spoil you ?
Kinda, I was raised by wolves, a panther, and a bear...
What are you calling bullshit on? Is your opinion that the United States and EU have pristine balance sheets and the baby boom generation has handled state and personal finances well?
: "... the whole idea of Social Security is for each person to fund what they receive."
Study harder.
Oh, so when Social Security was first passed the life expectancy wasn't 63 yet the retirement age was set at 65? I must have misread it when I was studying...
Funny how a program to protect those who slipped through the cracks the last couple of years of their lives, has turned into America's golden retirement plan...
The 2% FICA "tax cut" is a vehicle for welfare payments. Democrats wanted to distribute welfare cash, but simply cutting checks is no longer politically viable. Cutting federal income tax isn't effective, since 50% of Americans no longer pay taxes. Since everyone still gets FICA deducted, it's long been a Democrat dream to means test and refund it.
Social Security 2011 – Another Bad Year Submitted by Bruce KrastingNot at all.. it is another stellar year for tax loop holes! God Bless the sub 5% tax bracket! Shit on the Sheep, they are used to it!
Here's the SSA outlay numbers from MTS. First the raw data. SSI is supplemental security income, a safety net program without dedicated funding, run by the Social Security Administration. FOASI is social security, FDI is federal disability. These include SSA overhead.
Oct-Dec09 FY10 Oct10 Oct-Dec10 FY11 Oct11
SSA total 218 757 61 196 784 64
And here's the comparison for the calendar year so far, deducted from the data above.
Jan-Oct10 Jan-Oct11
SSA total 600 652
A reminder of their receipts (see my post above):
Jan-Oct 10 Jan-Oct 11
SSA total 536 470
And put them together and here's the surpluses/deficits:
Jan-Oct 10 Jan-Oct 11
SSA total -64 -182
That's mostly the impact of the payroll tax cut. By the way, there is an accounting mechanism by which the general budget is compensating the FOASI and FDI trust funds for the lost revenue from the payroll tax cut. I'm guessing Bruce's numbers for FOASI/FDI receipts include that compensation. Definitely payroll tax receipts are not going up.
It's also possible to check the SSA trust funds' operating surpluses/deficits from the MTS, by subtracting the interest they receive from the general budget from the Treasurys they purchase. These reflect the compensating mechanism I mentioned, so the changes exclude the effect of the payroll tax cut. I won't go through the whole math here, just show the results:
Jan-Oct10 Jan-Oct11
SSA total 2 -20
So you can see there's a substantial deterioration in the SSA funds' operating balances, even excluding the effects of the payroll tax cut.
All the numbers I'm giving are in billions, of course.
Thanks Bruce for clarifying that the numbers you're quoting include the compensation that the general budget is paying to the FOASI and FDI trust funds for the payroll tax cut. I think that explains most of the difference between your numbers and the numbers I'm using from the MTS.
I still prefer the MTS numbers, but I guess it's a minor quibble. Getting back to another of your posts, I don't think either the MTS numbers or your numbers are very useful for tracking labor-market trends, because there's too much random noise in the numbers, which comes from the often big differences between the timing of when taxes are paid (and sometimes refunded) versus the timing of when work is done.
But best to you for paying such close attention to this very important space.
Yes the SS system needs some help. But the kind of help it needs is getting more people back to work so that the 941 payments expand. Also, raise the threshold limit to around $250K. OK, it is a PONZI scheme. But there are a lot of players. I for one worked my ass off all my life and SS is not the only source I have but it's no picnic and I could not live alone on just it. And I still work part time because I have to. Some of the working stiffs out there did get seperate plans through work and they cover the remainder. Some of those today don't. I'm sure McDonalds and WalMart are bankrolling 401K's at 100% matching contribution rates in huge balanced equity based plans for their floor employees.... NOT. So for the $7.50 per hour they make they have to fork over .65/hr. out of pocket income to ensure a retirement so guys like Corzine can run off and pretend it was the "Wrong Call". We need to reinstate the Glass Segal Act and kill all the bankers.
just let the illegals keep flooding in, problem solved
Immigration policy huge disaster.....legal or illegal....lack of domestic population growth meant government and companies hard up for revenue due to growth....so instead of becoming a lean and competitive economy that could produce a net export status....we flooded the country with immigrants legal and illegal to raise new tax revenues and growth revenues for companies that are not very competitive to gain new customers and hence growth.....and we have illegals from all over the world not just south of the border.....its all become a protected racket......we now have people who were born here across several generations leaving.....retirees and students.....
Get slagged.
The next door lady, who I am nice to and allow a certain amount of my payment to her grandson to do maintainence gets the equivalent of a pension plan endowed with USD400k. She does not speak English and I am quite sure based upon the family history that she is not legal. Her long dead husband never put in the amount that she collects.Her family lays it all on the gringo to pay up for her four times per year visits to the emergengy room. She would be goood enough getting the fat SS benefit even if she was deported. If the family would support her fully, I have no problem. The family of her two generational spawn are tax feeders all. Her grandsons have been dwindling from gangster killings, but not without two lingering deaths that cost more than a million to the taxcows. None of them did anything but disrupt the public school racket when they were enrolled.
Who needs that? Why do we taxcows have to pay?
Get slagged.
The next door lady, who I am nice to and allow a certain amount of my payment to her grandson to do maintainence gets the equivalent of a pension plan endowed with USD400k. She does not speak English and I am quite sure based upon the family history that she is not legal. Her long dead husband never put in the amount that she collects.Her family lays it all on the gringo to pay up for her four times per year visits to the emergengy room. She would be goood enough getting the fat SS benefit even if she was deported. If the family would support her fully, I have no problem. The family of her two generational spawn are tax feeders all. Her grandsons have been dwindling from gangster killings, but not without two lingering deaths that cost more than a million to the taxcows. None of them did anything but disrupt the public school racket when they were enrolled.
Who needs that? Why do we taxcows have to pay?
Average of 5.71% growth in benefits being paid.
767 billion in 2012
811 billion in 2013
857 billion in 2014
906 billion in 2015
958 billion in 2016
1.01 trillion in 2017
1.07 trillion in 2018
1.13 trillion in 2019
1.19 trillion in 2020
1.265 trillion in 2021 (half of today's total government income)
Shall be fun to watch it implode.
It's called the baby boom retiring...this was foreseen and planned for,
that is why FICa, meant to be self funding system, raised FICA taxes in 80s, so that Soc Sec trust fund would be receiving far more in tax revenue while boomers working, than it was paying out on benes. soc sec was in surplus for 25 years to build up a war chest to pay for when boomess retired and fewer younger people were paying into system. This war chest is now being drawn down, as expected,, it's just accelerated draw down becaus elf double whammy of great recession reducing tax revenue and boomers retiring early at 55 because they couldn't find a job...
You think FICA was raised in the 80s out of foresight and not just as a means to make up for tax cuts for the wealthy by screwing people who actually work for a living instead?
Of course the rest of Fed govt budget that did not want to tax at rate to pay for all it spent (two wars, Medicare part D, war on terrorism etc) borrowed from soc sec. Now it's really chapping politicians hide they have to pay Soc Sec trust fund back. Now that boomers are asking for their surplus back from FICA taxes set aside for them, ...this means when rest of Fed budget has to pay Soc Sec trust fund back, and politicians have to show new deficit spending as "real debt" not just loan from Soc Sec trust fund, somehting they considered soft money because apparently a promise they made to those in Soc sec system is not to be honored and can be broken at anytime, but a debt to a separate party, like China, who buys our tbills, that is something politicians will never default on and thus is hard debt. So fed govt loses twice/double now, first no "soft" hidden soc sec money to cover further deficit spending, second, real "hard" debt must be created to pay back previously hidden debt owed to SoC sec trust fund.
Soc sec is the only thing, beside higway trust fund, that taxed at rate to cover planned spending over a long period of time. Our defense budget, the next biggest the federal expense after entitlements, was never taxed for to sufficiently cover its costs over last few decades, neither was Medicare Part D, a huge budget-busting, deficit creater. When all these big increases to fed budget happening, taxes on middle class and rich were decreased, except of course FICA.....either all that money spent was necessary, and we should have taxed to cover it, or it wasn't needed and we should have cut defense spending down or never overpaid for senior pills so that spending was at a level we were willing to tax for. Soc. sec was willing tax sufficiently to make it solvent from 1980s to 2030s, but now it is seen as the irresponsible program? When all along defense spending was funded by debt? Why should solvent Soc Sec now pay for other programs that over spent or under taxed? FICA taxes are only taken from wage earners, not hedgies, not from capital gains or finacial transaction profits, so if all other fed tax revenue is too little to cover all other fed spending, and there is a huge deficit, and you cut spending on Soc sec for those retiring 20 years from now, you are repurposing those FICA tax revenues to pay for past over spending on defense and Medicare part D, you have just now taken taxes that the young working people pay, to cover tax cuts you gave to rich older people for the past ten years, simple as that
1.5 trillion deficit by 2021? Pfft, that's nothing Bernokio can't handle with his new high speed printing presses.
You gotta think outside the box Bruce. That 1.5 trillion would be a problem in a redeemable currency, but no problem in a fiat currency Ben can print till the cows come home.
Ya gottit geeze. That's why squid can keep selling prophylactic financial instruments which profits go straight to the writer's bottom line. They will most likely never be exercised. All thanks to the not so stealth helicopter of the FED.
The Trend will be increasing SS Deficits forever. Consider:
1. Boomer demographic. Larger number of Boomers are becoming elidgable for SS. The number of new retirees will grow much faster than retirees dying for decades
2. Retired Boomer are a double edge sword. The stop paying the payroll tax and start withdrawaling from it.
3. The Economy Sucks. Boomers are opting for early retirment if they can't find jobs, This pulls forward demand for entitlements.
4. This doesn't include Soaring Medicare costs, which are running yearly deficits around $300 Billion.
5. They can't raise the payroll tax very much. increasing the Cap does raise revenue very much because only a small percentage of the Population earns more than the existing cap. Raising the payroll tax rate will crush the middle class and the poor.
6. They can't cut entitlements without causing mass civil disobediance. Politicans that even discuss entitlement cuts will get booted out of office. No politician wants to leave public office during a recession\depression.
There is only One option: Print Dollars, until the dollar collapses. Then the union breaks up into regional nations.
Please, if go back to tax rates we payed in the 1980s, put a small tax on financial transactions, scrap the FICA cap and put some smaller FICA tax on all income, not just wages, (divedends of an independent contractor not consider wages, doe not have a FiCAtax) Soc sec more the solvent. Google and read some budget policy papers on Soc Sec there all reasonable, not-out-of-norm-for-tax-policy in 60s 70s 90s kinds of ways to raise more than enough money to make Soc Sec solven thru end of century and most of these tax sources will not kill economy, as they often were in place previously and did not kill economy, like in 60s, 70s, 80s...In fact a smal financial transaction tax might discourage bad things like HFT etc...
Not that new taxes don't come with some pain, of course it hurts, just like personally setting aside money for retirement hurts more than not saving and instead taking on debt... But we can easily do this if we wanted...but it seems making sure the rich pay ever decreasing amount of taxes is more important than keeping future seniors out of poverty.
I agree with most of what you've said, but can't help but notice you haven't suggested reducing the benefits. Both revenue and outlay need to be addressed, there is no tax-only solution to SS/Medicare.
Separate OAI from medicare. OAI is largely OK. A tweek at most is all that is needed. Medicare can never be fixed without reforming the entire health care system.
So what is the political problem?
OAI gives elder Americans a modicum of independence. This is an anathema to TPBT. Medicare feeds the medical industrial complex, so medicare is double plus good.
There is a need to separate SS into medicare, DI and OAI. OAI, assuming Obama's absurd FICA cut ends, is OK. Medicare can never be fixed without meaningful reform of the US health care system.
A point on inflation: some people assume that inflation will devalue OAI. These people need to understand that wages will be impacted in a similar manner, maybe worse. So if you are rooting for inflation to give the elderly "their comeuppance" or lessen your obligation to SS, be careful what you wish for.
This just in from Timmy G... "I have good news and I have bad news. The bad news is none of you are going to get any of your money back from Social Security. The good news is we are going to let everyone keep their Social Security number to help you keep paying us taxes and help us keep tabs on you. You're welcome."
I completely agree, Bruce. Social Security can't wait 10 years.
That's why the wars have to end immediately, the military budget has to be cut by 50% (which will still leave us with the most powerful military in the world), corporate tax loopholes have to be closed with extreme prejudice, the tax on carried interest has to be raised as high as possible, subsidies to oil and big agro have to be eliminated, a financial transaction tax has to be imposed and the top marginal tax rate has to immediately be raised to 75%, with more to come if that isn't enough. Under Eisenhower it was 90%, so don't talk to me about that not being fair. If unpatriotic, whiny multi-millionaires don't like it, they can move to Somalia.
While your at it....we should seperate church and state and stop subziding religious ventures into health care, education, and any other activity that can be manipulated through the tax exempt code....people worry about this country becoming socialist, like it isn't already....should ask themselves where the socialist masses come from....
Let SS die, don't want my hard earned money going to the blacks and disabled and elderly who didn't save.
Fuck socialism.
its fairly late in the game to make this a race issue....hard to imagine someone can be this naive.....whites, blacks, and all the rest makeup the low SES demographic.....
Much better it goes to the fucking kleptocrats eh.
Divide and conquer. It works. Thanks for illustrating it so clearly.
Stop with the socialist bullshit!
What needs to be done is to end the spending, end the government tit that everyone can suckle at and level the playing field by destroying the tax code and implementing a simple flat tax.
Government has been picking winners and losers for centuries and we know from experience that they are shitty-ass pickers - they always choose themselves and their friends!
Govt has to be blind. How much you make, how old you are, how great you are at posting on some website don't matter. We need simple rules that everyone follows.
Stp the games, stop the progressive tax bullshit and stop the intrusion of govt into almost any parts of our lives. We don't need smug fuckers like you spewing your socialist crap about moving to Somalia because fuckers like you are bringing Somalia here and your too stupid to figure it out.
Fox News watchers and zerohedge readers are have a lot in common, apparently. You are saying Roosevelt and Eisenhower and Kennedy and even Nixon were socialists due to their belief in progressive tax policy? Go away from this site, learn English, read history and stop listening to Rush Limbaugh.
Why are Disability Benefits paid out of SS?
Who are the two retards that Negg'ed me.
Thanks for the answer Bruce.
The easy and stupid answer is "because".
The administration of both the OAS and DI Trust Funds has always been done by the Social Security Administration. Changing this monster bureaucracy is like stopping a run away train. Impossible.
I'm just concerned that Jon Corzine will abscond with the segregated SSI money. Oh wait, he already has.
US belligerency and warmongering around the world is agitating some to mobilization and possible action - - can China stop the NWO, or are its Communist leaders family members of the syndicate?
Bruce, I read your article twice and could find no mention of Obama and congress cutting the employee SS part of the FICA tax by about 30% for 2011. You figure that this might have affected revenues? This is an elephant in the middle of the living room. I figure the great man of the little people, Obama, did it to give the Kochsuckers more ammunition to kill SS faster. He is paid to shave points off the blue team. Did you mention it in your article and I just can't see it?


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Welcome, skip to the content.
Holgate Brewhouse at Keatings Hotel has been stylishly refurbished to house ten modern rooms with ensuites and queen size beds. Fantastic views across the village of Woodend and Mount Macedon. Relax and kick-back in the friendly atmosphere of the cosy bar and lounge. Enjoy the eight Holgate beers, a superb local wine list and popular restaurant.Holgate Brewhouse at Keatings Hotel is a family owned and 100 per cent independent craft-brewing company that is cranking out classic beer styles in their micro brewing plant in Woodend. The Holgate operations have been centred at the iconic Keatings Hotel which was built as the major stop-over to the Bendigo gold-fields.The accommodation rates include breakfast and are fantastic value. Enquire about their packages! The hotel is centrally located to both Daylesford and Macedon Ranges attractions. The staff can advise you on what to do while in the area. Or just relax and kick-back in the wonderful village of Woodend; take in the shops, cafes, antiques and scenery.Their beers are all traditionally brewed with pure Macedon Ranges water and no artificial colours, flavours, preservatives or process aids. Their Real Ales are served from Beer Engines fully imported from England - these babies pump up the ale from the cellar in the time honoured tradition. Their bar, lounge and restaurant offer modern Australian menu including house-made breads, cakes and platters of local produce. Many of the dishes, including fish and chips, and beef and ale pie, are cooked using the Holgate beer and the menu includes beer matches with the dishes. Holgate Brewhouse at Keatings Hotel also features a superb local wine list, Byron Bay grown coffee and live music on Friday nights. Cosy open fires or courtyard dining can be enjoyed.Please view Holgate Brewhouse at Keatings Hotel website for more details.
Spacious and stylish rooms, fantastic views to Mount Macedon and fold-out sofa bed
Large stylish room with huge modern ensuites, fantastic view across village of Woodend.
Cosy room, stylishly appointed with modern ensuite, looking out across the roof-tops of Woodend
Bookings require full pre-payment. A credit card swipe will also be taken on check-in, for phone and incidentals. Cancellations made within 72 hours of booking arrival date incur a 100 per cent cancellation fee. Cancellations made with more than 72 hours notice incur an administration charge of 30 per cent of total booking fee. They encourage their customers to purchase travel insurance to cover any unforeseen circumstances. Check in is between 2pm and 8pm. There is no one on site after hours.
When coming from Melbourne along the Calder Freeway, take the Macedon and Woodend exit. Immediately after exiting, take the left fork for Woodend along Black Forest Drive. Drive for five minutes and you come into the main township of Woodend. Holgate Brewhouse at Keatings Hotel is on the left (Western) side and is a double storey, red-brick hotel.

subset: commoncrawl


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On Monday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña and Senate Co-Leader Jeff Klein encouraged families to apply for universal pre-K, two days ahead of the deadline.
"If you've been considering applying, today is the day to do it," de Blasio said while visiting a pre-K program in Riverdale. "If you thought there were no options in your neighborhood, check again."
"We have been getting the message out to parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and neighbors: apply now. There has never been a better chance of your child getting into a free, high-quality, full-day program than there is right now," he continued.
"I urge all families with a 4-year-old to apply today—together, we can help our children achieve a world-class education, starting with this crucial extra year of expanding vocabulary and building critical-thinking skills through rich experiential learning," Fariña said.
"Universal pre-kindergarten is a major victory for the families of this city, but if we do not get our children registered, that victory will be for naught. I join Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Fariña in their call to get more children registered for this critical program," Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. said in a statement.
The deadline to apply for pre-K in public schools online or in person at an enrollment office is Wednesday, April 23. The application period for community-based early childhood centers is still open. In the coming months, other options will become available to families.
A record 4,268 new full-day pre-K seats will be available in public schools by September — a total of more than 20,000 public school seats. And more than 53,000 children will have high-quality, full-day pre-K as an option this fall when additional seats open up at community-based early childhood centers this spring.
To be eligible for pre-K, children must be turning 4 years old this year and currently living in New York City. The DOE will notify families about public school placements in June.
Click here to apply for pre-K online.
Suggested Links
- Mayor de Blasio on 100 days in office: NYC is becoming progressive again
- NYC Mayor de Blasio announces 4,268 new pre-K seats for 4-year-olds
- New York City sees spike in number of pre-K teacher applications
- Mayor Bill de Blasio announces new plan to recruit pre-K teachers
- Mayor Bill de Blasio shifts tone on charter schools, plugs universal pre-K


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The WGAW members of the CBS News, Sports and Promo Writers wish to recognize all those who signed on to our Solidarity Petition. We received over 10,000 signatures in support worldwide. A two-year contract with CBS was unanimously ratified by the WGAW membership this week; a testament to the power of Solidarity. We thank you.
FremantleMedia Organizing Campaign
We are WGA members and story producers who serve on the Network Organizing Committee (N.O.C.). We call on all WGA members and supporters to demand that FremantleMedia North America, Inc. (Fremantle) respect its writers. The company and its subsidiary production companies are abusing writers by refusing to provide industry-standard compensation and benefits. Read more.
Reality Organizing Campaign
On May 2005, more than 500 reality storytellers came out for what became a standing room only event at the WGA Theater - these reality editors and writers were lining up to get involved in the Guild's campaign to organize reality television. Since that meeting, many hundreds of reality writers and editors have signed authorization cards giving the WGAW the legal right to demand industry recognition of the union as their representative in collective bargaining. Read more.


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Calm, cool, collected, measured and intelligent. Mikey Garcia is all those things, for sure. But his showing against Juan Carlos Burgos left me wanting more as I watched 12 rounds of the main event at the MSG Theater on Saturday night. Garcia was patient, at times perhaps too patient, against a foe who looked to survive and neglected to press the issue and win rounds, for the vast majority of the night. The fight went the distance and the crowd, it must be said, sat on their hands for most of it. It was no thriller, and it will be up for debate as to why. The judges gave Mikey the nod, by scores of 118-110, 118-110, 119-109, for Garcia.
In the first, Burgos' stiff jab and reach advantage stood out against the slow starter Garcia, who came in at 33-0. Burgos, the WBO super feather champ, entered at 30-1-2. In the second, a left hook caught Mikey backing up, and he almost went down, but he caught himself. In the third, a right cross clipped Burgos and he had to hold on. In the fourth, Mikey's one-twos landed and scored, while Burgos wasn't busy enough.
In the fifth, Burgos was backing up more rapidly. His jabs weren't as snappy, and Mikey looked to close the distance. In the sixth, Mikey winged lead left hooks, and Burgos was busier than before, having heard it from his corner. The two men both showed caution, and didn't open it up, and leave themselves open to be countered. In the seventh, again, neither man looked to separate themself. The crowd wasn't jazzed at all.
In the eighth, Burgos wasn't opening up, looking to win the round, so Mikey wasn't inclined to open up either. In the ninth, a right hand over the top landed sharply, and it looked like Mikey was dialing it up a notch, perhaps. In the tenth, we too often saw single shots from Garcia, once again. He looked to land a power shot near the end but Burgos slid, and then grabbed.
In the 11th, Mikey was again his patient self, and Burgos his less than fiery self. In the 12th, the crowd booed some. We went to the cards, after a main event that will not be recalled for its excellence, by any means.
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i know he could of stepped it up but i enjoy watching him work,u can see him thinking it out.love mikey!!
Mikey is a very good professional. What I don't like is that I've seen him get clipped twice now and if he is fighting someone like Matthysee or gets clipped really, really hard he is not going to get up. That worries me and that day is bound to happen.
I agree DaveB. I don't think he was too happy with the interview with Kellerman.
I have to see this fight. If Garcia has been staggered and down once at 130 lbs (by Rocky Martinez) then I don't think he's ready for lightweight, jr. welter, nor welterweight. it doesn't mean he's got a weak chin; it means he needs time to grow into 130lbs and is most likely a natural featherweight. too many prospects, broner included, are pushed to move up in weight too quickly for the instant glory without developing properly in their given weight classes, and growing into weight classes naturally. I think Garcia is good, but hasn't been in deep waters yet. There is no way he is ready in experience nor in size/weight class/ability to take a punch ... to fight pacquiao or anyone above 135lbs imo. i'd like to see him fight donaire, lomechenko, or gary russell though...
Damn! MisterLee too? Good to see you guys back!
Sup sup ultimo! Isn't rua back in the mix? Love the site. Just wish the commenting interface was faster/more user friendly. The users would multiply!
Good to see Fe'Roz back as well...weird how you three showed up around the same time. You still competing MisterLee..or have you retired?
Yo bro, decided to focus more on Tai Chi and Xing Yi since earlier last year. I had a fight set for February, but my opponent cancelled and the promoter wanted me to fight his son at 147lbs (take it, I weigh 132lbs walking around, fighting, and in soaked jeans...) and his son weighed 150lbs, and I weighed 136 or 37 lbs with all my clothes on so the WKA federation didn't allow the fight. Then I decided I'd rather spend more time NOT focusing on pounding in a person's skull. Well, I was planning on fighting again April, but it fell on my bro's wedding, so I had to cancel that too. Yep yep. Do you do martial arts?
Who will win the Sergey Kovalev vs Andre Ward fight?


text:
Looking Closer, the Record High for the Dow Is Nothing New
The Fiscal Times
Factoring in dividends and inflation, the news is not as impressive as it's cracked up to be.
When is a stock market record not a record? Investors may have shrugged off the latest round of Washington's fiscal follies to finally push the
Dow Jones Industrial Average
(INDEXDJX:.DJI) above its nominal all-time high set in October 2007, but by a couple of measures the new closing record of 14,253.77 set Tuesday isn't quite as momentous a milestone.
First, as Daniel Wiener, chairman and CEO of Adviser Investment Management, points out, dividends count. Factoring in those dividend payments along with stock price changes, the Dow reached a new record on April 29, 2011 and then went on to set 31 more record highs in 2012 and 16 more records in 2013. "On a total return basis, the
Dow Total Return Index
(INDEXDJX:DJITR) has actually been setting highs regularly since 2011," Wiener wrote yesterday.
On the other hand, factoring in inflation over the last five and a half years leaves the index about 10 percent shy of the record. The Dow would have to get to 15,502 to match the inflation-adjusted level from October 2007, according to
JPMorgan Chase
(NYSE:JPM). But adjusting for inflation also leaves the October 2007 peak shy of the real record reached in January 2000, when the Dow nominally hit 11722.98. To reach a new record when adjusting for inflation using 1994 dollars, the Dow would have to reach 16052.22, or 13 percent above Tuesday's close, according to the
Wall Street Journal
. Even including dividends, the index would have to rise several percentage points more to set an inflation-adjusted high.
The record books might have a new entry as of yesterday, but investors paying attention to the real-world returns they're getting will have to wait to celebrate.
Editor's Note: This article by Yuval Rosenberg originally appeared on
The Fiscal Times.
For more from The Fiscal Times:
Can the Dow's Record Rally Continue?
3 Rising Fears That Could Spark a Stock Sell-Off
7 Hot Tech Stocks to Watch in 2013
Follow The Fiscal Times on
No positions in stocks mentioned.


text:
City of the Beast: A Heavy Metal Tour of London
I've come to London on pilgrimage. As my ancestors walked miles through the desert to reach the holy lands, as my parents followed our family roots through England, Ireland and Yugoslavia, I follow my own gods – Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and Judas Priest - to the city of their worship. I journey to London: a holy land of heavy metal.
Upon disembarking the plane the first stop for any weary metal pilgrim is a pub, any pub, because the flight was long, the food was terrible, and it's been several hours without any alcohol.
Home of Iron Maiden
No metal tour of London would be complete without a jaunt to the Ruskin Arms. With a capacity of 300 unholy souls and a motorbike crashing over the bar, the Ruskin Arms is also the London home of Iron Maiden.
The band played their first gigs there in 1976 – including their first set with Bruce Dickenson on vocals, back when they called themselves Genghis Khan. Iron Maiden even features the pub on the cover of several albums.
Sadly, the Ruskin Arms is set to be demolished by the end of the year (2008) to make way for a block of attractive London flats. If you can get there before this fateful day, the Ruskin Arms is located on High Street North, Manor Park, London E12, near the East Ham station. Live bands – including an in-house Iron Maiden tribute – play most nights.
For that post-Ruskin pick-me up, head over to any one of the fantastic goth/metal pubs scattered throughout London. Your first stop should be The Intrepid Fox in Bloomsbury; but you'd better dress in your metal best, otherwise the bouncers won't let you in.
If your taste in metal bars ventures more towards the dim-lit cave, Crobar's not far down the road. Garlic and Shots – home of the best music selection and the most stench-inducing food – provides any weary metal traveler with a cool beer and a platter of garlic-soaked chips. They'll also play ANY metal CD you bring along.
On Holloway road you'll find the Old Kings Head and the Devonshire Arms (now the Hobgoblin) – two of the most longstanding rock and metal bars in London. Your final stop for the evening should be Electric Ballroom in Camden, where goth/metal/industrial plays every night.
The Electric Ballroom hosts regular live gigs, and I advice checking their website before you go out in case you come ready for some Slayer and instead find yourself stuck at a New Wave dance party. (Don't laugh. I've heard it happens.)
Mass Retail Therapy
Once you've staggered home (in my case, to a filthy, grime-encrusted apartment on Holloway Road, squeezed between a fish shop and a brothel) and snored away your hangover, it's time to head to Camden for some Metal Retail Therapy.
If you're anything like me, you're a sassy metal lass who finds it impossible to source adequate attire from your hometown in New Zealand.
Camden is an essential visit. With my friend Elizabeth and Joey the hot Irish metaller we met randomly on the tube ('Nice shirt!' 'Thanks. Are you going to Iron Maiden?' 'Hell yeah – hey, I'll show you a place to get wicked cheap t-shirts…') I trawled the Camden markets, picking up corsets and socks and all manner of zippered, riveted and skull-bedecked treasures.
Any goth-blooded female can't escape the clutches of Fairy Gothmother, one of the most expensive ('but totally worth it', I cried as I handed over my visa card) and infamous of Camden's lady boutiques. They take orders on their website fairygothmother.co.uk, but there's just something exciting about trying those exquisite clothes in person.
I also recommend Resurrection Records – they house a nice collection of metal, punk, goth and alternative music and a few t-shirts. The staff here always look after you. They can find anything amongst the haphazard stacks.
Camden markets remains one of the few places left in England where you're expected to barter. We moved on to some random hole in the wall where I made my first unsuccessful attempt at bartering ('A tenner!' screeched the saleswoman. 'You want that shirt for a tenner! You're crazy!'). I walked out with a Manowar shirt and 16 quid poorer.
The Heavy Metal Dress Code
After spending the morning fuelling your consumer beast, you might consume a late lunch and ponder the peculiar heavy metal dress code. Where did the leather and the studs and the straps and the cuffs originate?
And if, like me, you know that heavy metal's unique dress code actually originated with Rob Halford – the iconic frontman of Judas Priest – who outfitted his entire band from Mr. S, his favourite London gay sex shop. And you might think, 'I wonder if Mr. S. still exists? Wouldn't it be neat to visit the very shop where the first heavy metal outfits came from?'
Think again. Seriously. Unless the thought of walking into EVERY sex shop in Soho and trying to explain your mission to the proprietors fills you with joy. If Mr. S still exists in London (I know it's a famous men's sex shop in Los Angeles, and please don't ask me how I know), its so far underground it clearly doesn't want to be found.
Life and Death Tour
Now you've reached the second eve of your London adventure. What should you do? Well, I know what I did. I went to Earl's Court with three friends to see Iron Maiden on their sold out December 23rd show of the Matter of Life and Death tour.
I'd never seen Iron Maiden before and they did not disappoint. After playing every song on their Matter of Life or Death album and Bruce Dickenson trying to teach the audience the theme song for Sooty and Sweep, they launched into five classics – Fear of the Dark, Aces High, The Trooper, 2 Minutes to Midnight and Run to the Hills. An excellent night out.
One Final Mission
Sunday morning we lazed on the couch and talked about how awesome the show was. Then we decided that before leaving London we had one final mission.
No metal holiday would be complete without a Heavy Metal photo shoot. You know the ones – here I am, dressed in my metal finest, standing on a statue or a cliff or on Rob Halford's crotch – throwing the goat and looking utterly metal.
We decided Highgate Cemetery – only a short walk from our Holloway Road residence – would be our location.
The Cemetery is open every day of the year, except Christmas and Boxing Day. Admission to the East Cemetery (where Karl Marx, George Eliot and Michael Faraday reside) costs ?3.
Entry to the west cemetery (home to the monumental 'Lebanon Circle' and 'Egyptian Avenue') is only available through guided tours, which leave at 2 pm every weekday and every hour on the weekends. The cost of the tour is ?5. Visit highgate-cemetery.org for more information.
After a guided tour by a knowledgeable and obliging guide, we were let loose on our own. Ryan, my amateur photographer for the day, traipsed after me while we explored forgotten tombs and threw the goat at unwary spirits.
We visited the grave of Karl Marx and were introduced to a few unknown Victorian personalities – like George Wombwell, the infamous menagerist who made a killing by traveling the whole of England with his carriage of animals – tigers, lions, elephants, zebras, monkeys and even a rhino.
And while few famous metallers reside within Highgate's iron walls, their ghosts do haunt the London streets. In the city that forged the careers of the greatest metal bands of the 70s and 80s, the metal community still thrives in darkened underground pubs and black-shrouded marketplaces.
We haven't forgotten our history – we have our photographs and our memories, our new CDs and corsets and obscure band t-shirts. The pilgrimage was complete – we'd found what we came to seek.
London Metal Pubs, Bars and Shops:
Ruskin Arms
386 High Street North, Manor Park, (East Ham)
Hobgoblin (ex Devonshire Arms)
Kentish Town Road (nearest tube – Camden Town)
Old King's Head
382 Holloway Road
Intrepid Fox (under new management)
15 St. Giles High Street
Nearest tube: Tottenham Court Road
17 Manette Street
Nearest tube Tottenham Court Road (Central/Northern lines)
Garlic and Shots
14 Firth Street
Nearest tube – Tottenham Court Road
Electric Ballroom
184 Camden High Street
Nearest tube – Camden Town
Fairy Gothmother
15 Lamb Street, Old Spitalfields
Resurrection Records
228 Camden High Street
Nearest tube – Camden Town
Highgate Cemetery
Swain's Lane
Nearest tube – Archway Station
When she's not lugging her husband's drumkit from metal bar to metal bar, Stephanie Green writes on travel, alternative weddings, disabilities and music. Visit her website at steffgreen.com.
Read Stephanie Green's story: Forgotten Graves and Minoan Zombies: The Phourni Cemetery in Crete
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text:
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
by Thomas Hardy
Tess of the D'Urbervilles Phase I: "The Maiden," Chapter Five Summary
- Tess's guilt over having contributed to the death of Prince makes her more open to her mother's proposal that she go to the rich Mrs. D'Urberville.
- She's willing to visit her as a distant relation, but reluctant to ask for money.
- Tess would rather try to get work somewhere, but since her mother is so set on it, Tess agrees. Still, she tells her mother it is "silly" to think of the rich Mrs. D'Urberville setting Tess up with a rich man.
- The next day, Tess takes a passing cart to get to Trantridge, where "the vague and mysterious Mrs. D'Urberville" lived (5.14).
- As she leaves the village of Marlott, she looks back, and reflects on the childhood she's spent there.
- The narrator describes scenes of Tess with her girlish friends playing in the grass; he then describes Tess's growing "Malthusian vexation" that her parents should continue having so many children (5.17).
- Historical side note:
- The expression "Malthusian vexation" could use some explanation. Thomas Malthus was a political economist and philosopher who wrote an influential book called Essay on the Principle of Population in 1803. In it, he argues for the control of population growth through celibacy, because if the poorer classes continued to reproduce at the rate they were going, they would just perpetuate the cycle of poverty and starvation—they were reproducing faster than the food supply could support them. So Tess's "Malthusian vexation" refers to this consciousness that her parents were producing more little mouths than they were capable of feeding.
- Back to the story:
- Tess, the narrator informs us, is better educated and more sensible than either of her parents, and as she has gotten older, more and more of the family responsibilities have fallen to her. So it's a "matter of course" that she should be the one to go on the first visit to the rich D'Urbervilles.
- She climbs off of the cart and starts walking in the direction of the D'Urberville house, called The Slopes.
- The Slopes is a modern country house, without any farmland associated with it, or any tenants—it is intended for "enjoyment pure and simple" (5.20).
- The house itself, she finds, is almost new, but is set within a big piece of forest called The Chase—a reminder of the ancient and "Druidical" (5.21) forest that once covered that whole region.
- Everything on the estate, from the stables to the greenhouses, is shiny and new—not at all what Tess expected.
- She begins to feel hesitant again.
- The narrator explains something of the history of the D'Urbervilles, or Stoke-D'Urbervilles, "as they at first called themselves" (5.25).
- Mrs. D'Urberville's husband, Simon Stoke (who is now dead) made his fortune as "an honest merchant (some said money-lender) in the North" of England (5.26). He felt the need to change his name—the narrator doesn't explain why—and spends a while going through old family names in the British Museum before choosing "D'Urberville" as being appropriately old and aristocratic. And, importantly, there were no modern branches of that family—the name had virtually died out.
- So the rich branch of the D'Urberville family isn't related to the Durbeyfields at all, but of course Tess's parents don't realize that. They have no idea, the narrator tells us, that it's possible to change your name, or to choose an ancient name because you liked the sound of it at the British Museum.
- Tess is standing on the edge of the lawn hesitating when a tall young man comes out of a tent that's pitched on the lawn.
- He's smoking a cigarette, and has a curly black moustache (like a stage villain—think Captain Hook or something here).
- He greets her with, "Well, my big Beauty, what can I do for you?" (5.30).
- Tess doesn't know what to say, so he adds that his name is Mr. D'Urberville, and asks if she's there to see him, or his mother.
- She says she'd like to see his mother, but Mr. D'Urberville answers that that would be impossible, as his mother is an invalid and cannot see visitors. He asks what the business is.
- Tess becomes embarrassed—her errand seems ridiculous now. She stammers that her mother had sent her to say that they were of the same family.
- He at first assumes that she's part of his father's family, the Stokes, but of course she corrects him, and he glosses over his slip.
- She says that, since she can't visit his mother, she'll just catch the cart back to Marlott on its way back.
- He reminds her that the cart won't be by for some hours, and suggests that he show her around the grounds and garden before she goes.
- He calls her his "pretty Coz" (5.53), which is a Shakespearean shortening of "Cousin."
- Tess feels encouraged by this—she thinks he's acknowledging her as a relation. But she still wants to cut the visit as short as possible.
- But the young man is pushy enough that she feels that it would be rude to refuse.
- He takes her through the fruit garden, and feeds her strawberries, much to Tess's embarrassment—she says she would rather feed herself. But he insists.
- When she can't eat any more, he fills a basket for her, and then cuts her roses and pins them to her hat and dress, and piles more onto her basket.
- Finally, he looks at his watch, and suggests that they have something to eat (besides strawberries) before she has to catch her cart back to Marlott.
- They eat in the big tent as though they were at a medieval tournament.
- He smokes, and watches her eat with evident enjoyment, and the narrator tells us his first name: Alec.
- The narrator describes Tess's "innocence" of the "tragic mischief" Alec would cause her as she sits "munching" (5.63).
- As Alec walks Tess back to the road where she'll meet the cart, he asks her name, and for more particulars about her family.
- Tess explains about Prince.
- Alec says he'll try to do something, and that his mother will surely be able to find work for her. He concludes with the reminder that she is not really a D'Urberville, but a Durbeyfield—"quite another name" (5.69).
- Tess proudly answers that she "wishes for no better" name (5.70).
- Alec almost kisses her as they part, but thinks better of it, and lets her go.
- The narrator says that if Tess had realized the importance of this first meeting, she might have questioned the injustice of her fate, especially since Alec is so clearly the wrong man.
- The right man had seen her, but she had left no definite impression on him yet. The narrator doesn't say which man that is, but we're left to guess that it was the young man named Angel who didn't dance with her at the club-walking.
- The narrator then questions the bad planning of the universe, and shakes his fist at the tragic frequency of missed connections.
- Then Alec D'Urberville went back into his tent on the lawn, looks very pleased, and thinks about what a "charming girl" Tess is.
People who Shmooped this also Shmooped...


text:
WASHINGTON (AP) — A bank that serves farmers and agribusiness is donating $10 billion to spur private investment in rural America.
The White House is announcing the money Thursday as part of a rural conference it is holding this week. Colorado-based CoBank is part of a network of banks that provides financing to agribusiness and rural areas.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said he hopes private investors will follow with additional dollars for the fund, which will be managed by private partners. The Agriculture Department will help identify needed projects such as rural health care and educational facilities, water and wastewater systems, energy projects and broadband improvements.


text:
College Hockey:Beanpot Notebook
Early Bird Gets The 'Pot?
In the early game between Harvard and Northeastern, Harvard jumped out to a 3-0 lead with three goals in the first seven minutes of the game.
According to Harvard senior captain and Minnesota native Mike Taylor, who scored the second goal and assisted on the third, getting the advantage early was crucial.
"As a freshman coming in, particularly from the Midwest, I didn't really understand how important the game was right away," said Taylor. "By the time I realized it, we were down by a couple of goals. So I really knew how important it was to get out to an early start.
"We really wanted this one, probably more than any game of my career. [Harvard's seven seniors] really instilled that in the younger players."
Northeastern coach Greg Cronin was more impressed with what happened after the three goals.
"They played a really smart game," said Cronin. "Once they got the lead, they didn't allow us any odd-man rushes, or really allow us to get back in the game. I was really impressed how they played the last 53 minutes of the game."
Huskies junior captain Joe Vitale, also a Midwesterner, had his own comments about the Beanpot prior to the series.
"When I go back to St. Louis, the first thing I'm asked about is 'What it is like to play in the Beanpot?'" said Vitale. "Not, 'What is it like to go to a Red Sox game?' or 'What is it like to live in Boston?' but rather, 'What is it like to play in the Beanpot?'"
History Lesson
Harvard had not been in a Beanpot final since 1998, and hadn't won a first-round game against Northeastern since 1993. Rather than allowing the weight of that history to hold his team back, Harvard coach Ted Donato turned it into a positive.
"We've had some frustration over the years in the Beanpot," said Donato. "And maybe that frustration causes the event to lose some of the excitement, some of the luster, that it is supposed to have."
So Donato and his coaching staff prepared a video of key Harvard moments to show the team before starting practices.
"We watched a video on the history of the Beanpot," said Taylor. "It really got us fired up for the game."
No doubt, the video contained some clips of Donato, who as a player carried the Crimson to two finals in 1989 and 1990.
"So we showed the team some highlights of past Beanpots," said Donato. "Not as motivation or pressure, but as a message for them to seize the opportunity. And it worked."
Eagles In Tune
Boston College had an unusual advantage before starting the second match against BU.
Massachusetts native and BC sophomore Ayla Brown sang the national anthem in spirited fashion to a thunderous ovation.
Brown was one of 24 finalists on American Idol during the fifth season, advancing to Hollywood after auditioning in Boston. Brown is attending BC on a full athletic scholarship for basketball. She is one of the all-time leading scorers in Massachusetts high school basketball history.
This came just a day after the season-six American Idol winner, Jordin Sparks, performed the same duty of singing the national anthem at Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Ariz.
Sick Puppy
Boston University has recently been devastated as a particularly nasty version of the flu as Jack Parker missed the Beanpot media luncheon on Tuesday afternoon, and assistant coach Mike Bavis ran practices for the team all week.
Parker was behind the bench for Monday evening's game against BC, but first-line forward Bryan Ewing's status was unknown right up to game time. Ewing ended up starting, and provided a crucial screen on BU's third goal.
Reviewed Plays
Two goals in the game needed to be reviewed.
In the second period, Boston University had 17 seconds of a 2-man advantage, as both Brian Gibbons and Nathan Gerbe were sent off for the Eagles. BU scored its third goal just as the initial penalty counted to zero, and the play was reviewed to determine if the goal was scored before or after the penalty had expired. It was after, so Boston College escaped without additional shorthanded time.
In the third, Boston College scored what would have been the go-ahead fourth goal, as Andrew Orpik slapped in a puck sitting in a wide-open crease after BU goalie Brett Bennett had been pushed clear. It was determined that another BC player had entered the crease before the goal was scored, and the goal was disallowed.
"On a play like that, sometimes the reaction on the bench can be a real downer," said BC coach Jerry York. "But for us, it wasn't like that at all. We fed off of it."
Gerbe, who scored the game-winning goal in overtime, agreed.
"It was a huge setback at the time," Gerbe said. "But the coaching staff did a real good job of keeping us composed. We just tried to get the goal back on the next shift, and then again on the next."
The reviewer for both plays was Brendan Sheehy, former Supervisor of Officials for Hockey East.
"I want to apologize to all the Northeastern fans, particularly those that stood outside for up to six hours to get tickets for tonight's game. We didn't give them much to cheer about." — NU coach Greg Cronin
"This is uncharted territory for us, playing in the consolation game next week." — Jack Parker, BU coach. The Terriers have not played in a Beanpot consolation game since 1994, and prior to Monday had won 23 of the last 24 first-round games.
"I'm still bummed about the Pats. It's a tough day to be a Boston sports fan. This takes some of the sting out of it, though." — Jerry York, BC coach, on the Patriots' upset loss in Sunday's Super Bowl.
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text:
Notes & Reviews:
François-Xavier Roth leads his period-instrument orchestra Les Siècles in an album of music by Franz Liszt featuring two of the composer's symphonic poems. Inspired by the Divine Comedy, Liszt's Dante Symphony depicts Dante's journey from hell to paradise. The work is especially innovative, featuring numerous orchestral and harmonic advances including progressive tonality, anticipating its use in the symphonies of Gustav Mahler by forty years. Orpheus is one of four symphonic poems Liszt composed as character sketches of men of creative genius, heroism or legend. Worthy of note is the work's rich instrumentation, which includes two harps used to represent Orpheus's lyre.
American Record Guide, May/June 2013
The winds are on their game, and even with some patches of wiry string tone you can hear in every phrase, every breath how much Roth loves this music. He shapes it every bit as affectionately as Beecham. I plan to listen to it again. Sonics are every bit as spacious, open, and natural as the Dubois. Moreover, besides the Organ Symphony praised by Mr Hansen (4), Actes Sud also has in its catalog a pungent Firebird (6) and a striking Symphonie Fantastique (2). I recommend these to you as further examples of what wonders are possible with instruments of the composer's time.


text:
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Viewing Videos From December 2011:
New Year greeted with financial uncertainty in Village of Camillus
The Village of Camillus will ring in the New Year with financial uncertainty. Mayor-elect Patricia Butler says it will be a daunting task to keep the village afloat, but one she looks forward to tackling head-on.
Date Added: 12/31/2011 Category: Local News Location: Syracuse Area
The NEW YORK NOW Year in Review
Here is a preview clip from the year-ending episode of NEW YORK NOW talking about, in this case, the good relationship Governor Andrew Cuomo had with the Senate GOP. For more go to NYNOW.org.
Date Added: 12/29/2011 Category: Local News Location: State News
Sonoma was good while it lasted
Glad it has a new owner and i know he will be happy with it its a real good clean truck and ran Mint so good luck my friend . also thanks for watching this video and commenting on what you think we should do....
Date Added: 12/28/2011 Category: People and Places Location: Wayne County
Shoppers head to local malls for post-holiday deals
Shoppers are out in full force again today, on a day that people in the retail industry call "Mega Monday." Retailers expect sales to grow by 3 to 5-percent from last year. Shoppers at Marketplace Mall said the post-holiday deals are just too good to pass up.
Date Added: 12/27/2011 Category: Local News Location: Rochester Area
Weber on Sports Express 12/26/11
This week it's Kurt Busch, the Liverpool School Board, and Cam Netwon bashers who get Harold's wrath. Also, kudos to Bob and Kelly Stenzel and the Newark Girls Basketball team.
Date Added: 12/26/2011 Category: Local Sports Location:
Talk of the Town - CBS Sunday Morning
What better way to spend Christmas morning than a trip with Bill Geist to Seneca Falls, N.Y.? The upstate town proudly proclaims itself the inspiration for the fictional town of Bedford Falls in the 1946 classic "It's A Wonderful Life." Their hotel has been renamed "The Hotel Clarence," after the film's "angel 2nd class" who tries to earn his wings by saving George Bailey. The cafe is named "The Zuzu" after one of George Bailey's daughters. There's a museum dedicated to the Frank Capra classic, a walking tour of the places residents say are connected to the film, and a festival each December that draws fans from near and far - and which this year featured two actresses who played George's daughters Zuzu and Janie. As one fan put it, "It's like a Mecca for 'Wonderful Life' fans."
Date Added: 12/26/2011 Category: People and Places Location: Seneca County
Occupy Syracuse protesters continue movement on Christmas
It hasn't been the most conventional Christmas for Occupy Syracuse protesters. Instead of being at home with their families -- a handful continue to campout in tents, downtown on South Salina Street.
Date Added: 12/26/2011 Category: Local News Location: Syracuse Area
It's A Wonderful Life (End of Movie)
The final scenes of the Frank Capra Holiday Classic. Merry Christmas!
Date Added: 12/23/2011 Category: People and Places Location:
Power of an Idea - Ecosystems in the Finger Lakes
From Hobart & William-Smith Videos.
Date Added: 12/23/2011 Category: Local News Location: Ontario County
Happy Holidays from HWS
A holiday greeting from Hobart-William Smith Colleges in Geneva.
Date Added: 12/22/2011 Category: People and Places Location: Ontario County
It's A Wonderful Run 5k Participant Video
Sam and Steve run the "Its a wonderful life 5k" in Seneca Falls NY.
Date Added: 12/20/2011 Category: People and Places Location: Seneca County
A Hike on the Heiberg Forest Nature Trail
Take a walk with me and Scrappy as we hike the Nature Trail at Heiberg Memorial Forest located near Tully, NY
Date Added: 12/20/2011 Category: People and Places Location: Syracuse Area
Rhoads marble machine at the Corning Museum
This was an interesting discovery that we stumbled upon. Enjoy!
Date Added: 12/20/2011 Category: People and Places Location: Southern Tier
Highlights: Cornell vs. Albany
Highlights of the Cornell men's basketball team's 85-82 overtime win over Albany on Dec. 17, 2011 at Newman Arena in Ithaca, N.Y.
Date Added: 12/18/2011 Category: Local Sports Location: Tompkins County
Lyons infant sex abuse: Victim's mother speaks
It's a story that has everyone shaking their heads and cringing. Police say 24-year-old Richard Dallas of Lyons severely abused a 9-month-old baby girl. He was arraigned Friday morning and is currently being held at the Wayne County Jail without bail.
Date Added: 12/17/2011 Category: Local News Location: Wayne County
Backstage Pass with Concentus
Julia Figueras welcomed Rochester women ensemble Concentus with conductor Gwen Gassler for a special holiday Backstage Pass. This holiday edition of Backstage Pass is made possible through underwriting support from Valley Manor Custom Apartments.
Date Added: 12/17/2011 Category: People and Places Location: Rochester Area
Are you done with your holiday shopping?
Study shows only 8% of shoppers have finished buying all their gifts.
Date Added: 12/17/2011 Category: Local Business Location: Syracuse Area
Candlelight Carol by Penn Yan Community Chorus
ohn Rutter's music was featured at the 2011 Penn Yan Community Chorus's Christmas Concert. Candlelight Carol is especially pretty. Sound quality not the greatest on this video.
Date Added: 12/17/2011 Category: People and Places Location: Yates County
Gorges TV: Taughannock's Rims
As winter nears, naturalist Tony Ingraham explores the North and South Rim Trails at Taughannock Falls State Park, near Trumansburg, NY and seven miles north of Ithaca on the west shore of Cayuga Lake. The Gorge Trail typically stays open year-round, but the trails on the rims usually close.
Date Added: 12/16/2011 Category: People and Places Location: Tompkins County
Spotlight on Geneva-Waterloo Hockey
In this special edition of Weber on Sports, Harold Weber visits "The Cooler" for the Geneva-Waterloo HS hockey team's practice on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 and chats on the ice with head coach Clark Mauchly.
Date Added: 12/15/2011 Category: Local Sports Location: Seneca County
John Wood, Canandaigua Fracking Waste Hearing
John Wood, Legal Fellow, Natural Resources Defense Council-NYS Public Hearing, Senate Standing Committee on Energy Conservation. Sponsored by NYS Senators Mark Grisanti and Patrick Gallivan to examine waste water produced by hydraulic fracturing. The Inn on the Lake, Canandaigua, NY December 12, 2011.
Date Added: 12/13/2011 Category: Local News Location: Ontario County
Syracuse Lights on the Lake
Christmas light creations in the park on Onondaga Lake.
Date Added: 12/11/2011 Category: People and Places Location: Syracuse Area
Gorges TV - Trees Hang On
Naturalist Tony Ingraham shows how trees adapt to living on the side of a gorge in Buttermilk Falls State Park, Ithaca, NY, in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York.
Date Added: 12/09/2011 Category: People and Places Location: Tompkins County
Press Conference on Bernie Fine Investigation 12/7
Press Conference with DA William Fitzpatrick on the Bernie Fine investigation. December 7, 2011.
Date Added: 12/07/2011 Category: Local News Location: Syracuse Area
2011 Celtic Christmas in Newark
The 2011 Celtic Christmas concert at Park Presyterian Church in Newark, NY.
Date Added: 12/06/2011 Category: People and Places Location: Wayne County
Hello Vino wine app gets help from Constellation Brands
Need to find that perfect bottle of wine for your holiday party? Now there's an app for that and it's called Hello Vino.The app has been available for some time but now, Constellation Brands is adding a new feature to it.The app is available on any smartphone, iPhone and Droid and it guides wine
Date Added: 12/05/2011 Category: Local Business Location: Ontario County
Buzzer Beater: Hobart vs. Brockport St.
Hobart trails Brockport 70-69 with 3.1 seconds remaining in the semifinals of the 2011 Wendy's College Classic.
Date Added: 12/04/2011 Category: Local Sports Location: Ontario County
Deck The Halls Weekend 2011
A brief, very informal and wholly unrehearsed interview between the current Executive Director of the Seneca Lake Wine Trail and 3 couples from Carlisle, PA attending the event this weekend.
Date Added: 12/04/2011 Category: People and Places Location: Schuyler County
Jim Boeheim Apologizes
The Syracuse University men's basketball program downed the University of Florida Friday night, 72-68. However, the top-10 victory wasn't the story by the end of the night.
Date Added: 12/03/2011 Category: Local Sports Location: Syracuse Area
Looking Back on Summer Days
Finger Lakes Video brings you "Summer Days", a wonderful song put to archive photos and footage from the vaults of Finger Lakes Video. Enjoy this look back into summers past and long for next summer, too.
Date Added: 12/01/2011 Category: Local Weather Location:
More Video: Local Webcams | FL1 Live Remote Video
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Mike Boutin has been a medical marijuana patient for 35 years. Recently, he was prominently featured in the short-lived Discovery series Weed Country. In partnership with Julie Rose, Michael hosts Cannabis Nation Radio every Friday at 5 p.m. EST.
How were you chosen to be featured in Weed Country?
The Los Angeles Times was looking for a story and inquired at the Trinity County Sheriffs office if there was a safe/good neighbor operation they could point them to and they said "Mike & Tawni Boutin/Grace Farms."
When the story came out, we were featured prominently on the front page of the Sunday edition. I was called by Steve Mellon, one of the executive producers. About a year later, Steve and I trying to move the project forward.
What was the experience like?
Mostly it was a fascinating learning experience. I totally look at TV differently knowing what it takes to put just a few minutes of footage on the air. There were times it was irritating and annoying. For example, if we were just shooting what they call "B roll," we would do the same task or activity more than one time so they could take different angles. This made everything take three times as long as it would have normally and it was easy to get behind in the work. The upside was that the entire crew, which dubbed itself "Team Felony," hinting at the inherent risks associated with farming, were really talented, intelligent, and engaging people. Good conversation is a blessing out here in the hills and we had quite a few. They kept me company and I gave them perspective. We even won a few people over, which is the goal of everything we do anyway.
Winning people over to the idea of repealing criminal sanctions associated with marijuana activity of any kind is my highest purpose in doing this show and broadcasting Cannabis Nation Radio.
Many people don't like to see cops busting growers. Some feel the show might have sensationalized growing, making it look "criminal." How do you feel?
Yeah, I hate seeing that too. It's like watching fish and wildlife violators poaching fawns. In the beginning, when Discovery wanted two law enforcement agencies involved in to give the project a "360-degree" look at it, I was mildly irritated. I didn't really trust anyone to get the right perspective, but watching the show unfold on TV was really a blast because I had never seen any of footage up to that point.
On the other hand, I got that puke-in-your-mouth feeling when cops would spew the party line. But sometimes it was like a good Cheech & Chong routine. They actually never really busted anyone in a grow, but they had plenty of chances to show America how moronic what they do is. When Don Adams of the Jackson County Oregon Sheriffs Department said that they had found rattlesnakes tied to trees with the rattle removed, I almost died! I was sitting on my couch screaming at the TV: "What?! Shouldn't I get fries and a drink with a whopper like that?!" Someone told me that may have come from a Van Damme movie.
I think we tried to show people what it takes to get through a growing season and mostly, there is nothing sensational about it. It's hard work and risk from all sides. I got a lot of correspondence from people thanking us for what we did, as they live in fear of losing everything they own to draconian marijuana laws. When all a person is trying to do is heal a medical condition, it makes what the cops do look pretty silly.
Do you feel the show was valid and accurate?
I know that in some ways it wasn't – like when they tried to make it look like the cops were after me, but in reality they were not. Growing is a significant risk for sure and it could happen, but the way they stitched it together was gratuitous.
As far as our part was concerned, it was very valid and very accurate. We really did go through those issues. We didn't feel like we asked for any of it but we did have to go through it. The thing that was inaccurate was that of the four months we were filming, we were smiling, happy, having fun, and living life 90 percent of the time. But they managed to air about 95 percent of it, which was only 20 percent of what actually happened. The other inaccuracy was my seeming lack of advocacy. None of the footage of me interviewing people like Alex White Plume on Cannabis Nation Radio ever made it to the screen.
Tell us what life in the Emerald Triangle is like.
It's what you make it. It can be hard or it can be easy. Too many people know who you are and what you are doing.It can be hard. You have to keep to yourself and go with the flow. There's always the possibility of trouble, but mostly from the cops in the air or in convoys. There is constant surveillance; I have seen military drones, in-flight fueling of military surveillance aircraft, and more. There is a concerted effort to "jacket" anyone involved in the trade.
But there is also the sheer, raw beauty of the geography and the good people who have called it home for generations who leaven it all out. Life in the Triangle has given me the chance to learn more about weed, myself, and how to moderate an honest conversation about marijuana.
Listen to Cannabis Nation Radio.


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Every Sunday
Erin Malia Cross
Every Sunday is a sketchbook of collages and photographs united in subject matter to create a visual narration about growing up in a pentacostal church in a 'tongue and cheek ' way. Much of the imagery in this picturebook are make-readies and prints from my own broadsides and drawings about my religious experience.
Comentario publicado.
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Sitios de Blurb


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The 2011 Web Health Awards were announced May 18th on Twitter. There were 542 entries judged this year and ASRM took home three awards:
Entries in the Winter/Spring 2011 Web Health Awards Program were evaluated by a distinguished panel of judges. Using a rating scale of 1 to 100, each judge evaluated entries for content and design/creativity/user experience. The scores were then totaled and averaged.
Now in its 13th year, the goal of the Web Health Awards is to recognize high-quality electronic health information. The awards program is organized by the Health Information Resource Center (HIRC), a national clearinghouse for professionals who work in consumer health fields. The Web Health Awards is an extension of the HIRC's 18-year old National Health Information Awards, the largest program of its kind in the United States.
Thousands of doctors, nurses, and other professionals in the field of reproductive medicine are advancing their careers with the latest news, continuing education, discounts, and networking opportunities. Here are 15 reasons you should consider joining ASRM:News and Education
•Access to the Society's journals, Fertility and Sterility and the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics •CME/CE credits in-person and online through ASRM eLearn® •Updates on the latest reproductive health policy news from our D.C. office •Access to printable Practice Guidelines and Ethics Statements
Professional Development and Recognition •Networking opportunities including online listservs and small group meetings •Input into shaping policies and protocols through member groups •Eligibility to receive ASRM research grants and awards •Listing of providers in the patient "Find a Healthcare Professional" directory
Specials and Discounts•Free CME, CE and PEER credits through ASRM eLearn® (Excludes certificate courses) •Discounts on ASRM Scientific Congress & Expo registration fees •Members-only rates on ASRM products and services
•Access to an online member login account •Full access to the ASRM Membership Directory •Member discounts on job postings on the ASRM Career Center •Answers to CPT coding questions at the Coding Corner
Click here to learn more about how ASRM membership would benefit you.Member Services Department(205) email@example.com
Members are allowed to have direct input in shaping policies and protocols in their area of expertise through ASRM affiliated societies, professional groups, and special interest groups.
Affiliates: SART | SMRU | SREI | SRBT | SRS
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Special Interest Groups: AESIG | CAMSIG | ChSIG | CSIG | EndoSIG | EPSIG | ERSIG | FPSIG | FSIG | HDSIG | GCSIG | IRMSIG | MOISIG | NutriSIG | PAGSIG | PGDSIG | PSSIG | RISIG | RMSCBSIG | TSIG | WC
©1996 - 2016 ASRM, American Society for Reproductive Medicine. All Rights Reserved.


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As some of you know, I was in Napa last week at the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers. The keynote speaker was Michael Gelb, the best selling author and speaker, whose most popular book How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci, served as the primary subject for his talk. Gelb is a passionate wine drinker, who also has written a book called Wine Drinking for Inspired Thinking, so a talk on creativity from him didn't come entirely out of the blue. Even though wine was not his subject, he wove several wine anecdotes into his speech.
His talk was focused on using the principles outlined in his book to help those in attendance with their work and career as writers. But it struck me that these principles, which Gelb gleaned from Leonardo's writings and works, are a wonderful map for aspiring wine lovers. So with Gelb's permission, I'd like to explore how Leonardo Da Vinci (as interpreted by Gelb) can teach you a deeper appreciation for wine.
From Da Vinci's life and works, Gelb distilled seven principles that he feels embody "genius thinking." Each offers something to the wine lover.
According to Gelb, Da Vinci was "the most curious person that ever lived." He wanted to know how everything worked. Everything. And so he sketched, recorded, jotted, and obsessively chronicled his ideas, experiences, and questions in his notebooks.
A wine lover without passionate curiosity is like a couple that unfailingly has sex once a month in the exact same position without any foreplay. You're missing out on a world of opportunity! Tens of thousands of grape varieties, scores of different countries producing wines, thousands of winemakers around the world with their own vision for how to achieve the particular alchemy that transforms grapes into something divine.
If you truly want to learn about wine, and fully enjoy it, you not only need to drink widely and experimentally, but you also need a bit of Da Vinci's childlike wonder. A passionate curiosity ultimately results in a more conscious and thoughtful interaction with the world, and when it comes to wine, a much deeper appreciation and connection with what is in the glass.
Da Vinci was famous for his experimentation and his desire to demonstrate his own knowledge to himself. Many of his drawings come in triplicate, as he looked at something from three different perspectives.
One of the best ways to deepen your experience and knowledge of wine is to take a structured approach to tasting it. While this shouldn't be your primary way of engaging with wine, because after all, wine is about pleasure, taking a methodical approach to tasting can be incredibly educational. In my essay, The Five Stages of a Self Education in Wine, I urge budding wine lovers to hold blind tasting parties with friends, where everyone brings a wine that meets a specific criteria (say, Merlots under $30) and tastes them blind, making notes, choosing favorites, and then talking about the results. These kinds of structured exercises not only bolster an understanding of, for example, what Merlot tastes like, but also help to hone your own preferences. How can you feel confident about your opinion of Merlot as a wine when you've never carefully tasted twenty of them from five different countries?
According to Gelb, "The Italians have la dolce vita, or the sweet life. The French have joie de vivre, or the joy of life. What do we have in America? Happy Hour?" There are different ways of being in the world, and different ways of thinking about how to live a good life. Da Vinci thought that man's senses were the gateway to the soul. This principle is about approaching life like the miracle that it is.
You're eating a cherry. Do you ever stop yourself mid-bite and think, "Now wait, I must remember, this is what cherry actually tastes like" with the idea that you'd like to be able to recognize it the next time you taste it in wine? My buddy Gary Vaynerchuk got a lot of mileage out of sucking on rocks with Conan O'Brien, but do you actually know what wet rocks taste and smell like? Wouldn't life be that much more interesting if you did? OK, maybe not, but remember that point above about curiosity?
Gaining a deeper appreciation for wine doesn't always have to come from paying more attention to how it tastes and smells, but damn, isn't one of the most amazing things about wine the fact that it can smell and taste like everything from lemon zest to smoked bacon?
Being attentive to the sensations of the world, its flavors and smells, its textures and tones, is a celebration of the miracle that we have the ability to perceive these things in the first place, as well as a source of deepening pleasure in our own existence.
But even as we revel in our experience of the world, it is impossible to understand and apprehend everything. The world is a big, confusing, mysterious place, and not everything has a perfect explanation. Sfumato is a term from painting, a specific technique that Da Vinci mastered that literally translates to "smoky," which produces a hazy mysterious quality that seems to glow with illumination. If you've seen the Mona Lisa in person, you will remember the curious softness of the light and lines, yet the beautiful sculptural quality that emerged from these seemingly imprecise applications of paint. Gelb uses this technique as a metaphor for a willingness to embrace the unknown and live with confusion.
How exactly does a wine's flavor change with age? What role does oxygen play in that evolution? What is the relationship between the chemistry of the soil and the flavor of the wine? Science has not been able to answer these questions definitively. Wine is mysterious even to those plumbing its molecular depths. For those of us who merely drink it, the mysteries are even deeper. We don't actually need to know how it is that a wine can taste of mint and chocolate, we can just appreciate it. It is enough to celebrate the complexities that older vines bring to a wine without knowing exactly why they do.
Life's a mystery, so drink up.
Arte e Scienza
Art and science. Left brain and right brain. Da Vinci's life work represented the pinnacles of achievement in both aesthetic and scientific pursuits. Engineer, painter, sculptor, inventor, musician -- Da Vinci embraced many disciplines and worked in many domains. Gelb believes that a key to unlocking our potential involves thinking and working across the spectrum of disciplines, as we might say at my alma mater, from the fuzzy to the techie.
Wine clearly exists at the intersection of art and science. It is equal parts of each. Without science there is just vinegar. Without art, we have flavored alcoholic beverage. Learning about and loving wine means embracing both of its sides: understanding how it is made, while at the same time appreciating it for something more than just the product of photosynthesis and a set of chemical reactions.
Apparently, Da Vinci was not only a great inventor and artist, but he was also widely known as the strongest man in Florence. According to Gelb, he was a juggler, a fencer, a thespian, and a cook. The principle of corporalità represents the balance of mind and body , the equilibrium captured so deftly in Da Vinci's famous vitruvian man drawing.
When it comes to wine, this principle has clear implications. Wine is food. In the wrong quantities, it is also poison. Intoxication makes up part of the joy of wine, but anyone who has dealt with substance abuse knows the dark side of that coin. In sensible moderation, wine is, as Benjamin Franklin is often quoted, "a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy."
"Everything is connected to everything else," says Gelb, "which is why we have to be systems thinkers." Da Vinci made cognitive leaps all the time, grasping at connections between phenomena that had yet to be understood by the science or the religion of his time. For Gelb, this principle is not only about the connectedness of everything, but also about our own individual connection with our highest aspirations and purposes, and with each other.
Wine ultimately embodies connection. The connection between the earth and the sky, or as Galileo so beautifully put it "wine is sunlight, held together by water." The connection between man and earth, and the cycles of cultivation unbroken across millennia. And of course, the connection between people, brought together as they break bread and sip the fruits of their labors and their lands. Wine has always dissolved barriers between people and exposed us to our common humanity. Drinking wine together both celebrates our interconnectedness, and forges those bonds even tighter.
A wine book like no other. Photographs, essays, and wine recommendations. 2015 Roederer Award Winner.Learn more.
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Vinography Images: Unglamorous Work A Lesson in the Loss of Denis Malbec I'll Drink to That: Kimberly Prokoshyn of Rebelle Restaurant Wine News: What I'm Reading the Week of 6/19/16 Vinography Unboxed: Week of June 12, 2016 Warm Up: Richebourg I'll Drink to That: Jean-Nicolas Méo of Méo-Camuzet Vinography Images: It's Nice to be King It's Time for American Wineries to Grow Up I'll Drink to That: Joy Kull of La Villana Winery
Wine Will Never Smell the Same Again: Luca Turin and the Science of Scent Forlorn Hope: The Remarkable Wines of Matthew Rorick Debating Robert Parker At His Invitation Passopisciaro Winery, Etna, Sicily: Current Releases Should We Care What Winemakers Say? The Sweet Taste of Freedom: Austria's Ruster Ausbruch Wines 2009 Burgundy Vintage According to Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Charles Banks: The New Man Behind Mayacamas Wine from the Caldera: The Incredible Viticulture of Santorini Why Community Tasting Notes Sites Will Fail Chateau Rayas and the 2012 Vintage of Chateauneuf-du-Pape A Life Indomitable: The Wines of Casal Santa Maria, Portugal Bay Area Bordeaux: Tasting Santa Cruz Mountain Cabernets Forgotten Jewels: Reviving Chile's Old Vine Carignane The First-Timer's Guide to Les Trois Glorieuses of Hospices de Beaune


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It looks like the dual-core netbooks are beginning to come available. The latest model is the Asus Eee PC 1015PN which is running the Intel Atom N550 processor. The 1015PN is available in a few color options to include white, black, red and blue, though at present they are not all in stock. And strangely enough, they are all priced at $429.99, except for the black model which is $10 higher at $439.99. That said, the black model is currently in stock, so maybe the are putting a premium on the price in that respect. Either way though, it is only a $10 difference. As for the specs, the Eee PC 1015PN comes with a 10.1 inch (1024 x 600) WSVGA matte finish display, 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 processor, 1GB RAM, 250GB hard drive, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, a 0.3 megapixel webcam, up to 9.5 hours of battery life and Windows 7 Starter. In addition you can also expect to find a 92 percent full-size chicklet style keyboard and a multi-touch capable trackpad.
Product [Amazon (in white)] and [Amazon (in black)] Via [Netbook Reviews]


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Associated Press (AP) -- The Florida Supreme Court rejected the state Senate's redistricting plan for the next 10 years but upheld the House's map in a 5-2 opinion issued Friday.
The two dissenting justices said they would have upheld both maps drafted by the Republican-controlled Legislature.
The court said eight Senate districts are unconstitutional as well as the chamber's changes in assigning numbers to districts because that favors certain incumbents.
The ruling sends the Senate map back to the Legislature so it can be redrawn to conform with the high court's interpretation of a new state constitutional amendment designed to curtail gerrymandering.
Democrats, three nonpartisan groups that backed the Fair Districts amendment and one like it for congressional seats alleged the legislative maps violated the new restrictions including a ban on intentionally drawing districts to favor or disfavor incumbents and political parties.
The plan's opponents alleged the maps would let the GOP maintain two-to-one majorities in both the House and Senate although Florida's voter registration and voting patterns are almost equally divided between Democrats and Republicans.
The amendments also protect minority voting rights and require that maps be compact and follow political or geographic boundaries whenever feasible.
Lawyers for the Legislature argued that both maps fully complied with the amendment and urged the justices to conduct only a limited review while allowing opponents to challenge specifics at the trial court level. The majority rejected that argument.
Democrats and the three Fair Districts groups -- the Florida League of Women Voters, National Council of La Raza and Common Cause -- already have filed separate Circuit Court lawsuits in Tallahassee challenging the congressional map, which does not get an automatic Supreme Court review. No hearings have yet been set in those cases.
Republicans currently have a 19-6 edge in Florida's congressional delegation. The new map adds two more seats due to population growth for a total of 27.
The GOP also has majorities of 28-12 in the Senate and 81-38 in the House with one district vacant due to the recent resignation of Democratic former Rep. Paul Steinberg of Miami Beach after he admitted sending suggestive and harassing text messages to a female federal prosecutor.
The high court had 30 days through Sunday to complete its review after Attorney General Pam Bondi submitted the plan on Feb. 10.


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Learning about your health has never been so easy. Use Baptist's new E-Health Tools and Health Risk Assessments to learn about health topics as broad as cardiac catheterization to weight training. Assess your risk for Type 2 Diabetes, depression or other health issues.
Calculate your BMI or your target heart rate. Learn valuable health measures with our fun and quick calculators. They're designed to give you important information to help you manage your health.
Gain insight into your future health by using our quick and easy interactive health risk assessments. It just takes a few minutes to get a snapshot of your risk for common medical conditions ranging from coronary artery disease to osteoporosis. At Baptist, we're here to help you use that knowledge to make positive changes for your health.
Access our podcasts to get health news and tests and procedure guides that you can listen to on your computer or download to your portable audio player.
Test your knowledge of today's health issues. Our new quizzes are informative and sometimes surprising. Learn more about health issues ranging from child development to Alzheimer's disease.
If you have a symptom or a healthcare concern, try our symptom checker. Use the interactive body guide to explore the symptom topics that could help. Symptom Checker and Care Guides will guide you through the decisions to make and steps to take so that you feel better fast.
Watch our new health videos to learn about common diseases and conditions and diagnostic tests and procedures.