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Stuffing is for Thanksgiving not for Emotions
Friday, March 02, 2012
In a therapy session long ago the counselor described my habits of drinking, emotional eating and spending as stuffing my emotions to fill the emotional void I had experienced through out my life. That really resonated with me. Then I ready a blog from one of my dear Spark friends regarding really "feeling" the emotion rather then "stuffing" it away with food. It was a real break through for me, because I realized that I don't feel many things, I stuff them away, I avoid them, I replace them with negative self talk, wine, ice cream and shoes.
Affairs of the heart are so tough for me. I don't play in the dating world very often because I am really bad at games. My experience last weekend with a boy I liked which was exhilarating and fun has left me sad and disappointed. Determined not to let the situation control me I have been working hard all week at repeating those words to myself, "Don't Let this Define You"... It's been going ok. I haven't emotionally ate, I haven't indulged in to much wine and I haven't spent money. I have exercised, I have stayed within my calories and alas, I "felt"...
I did not realize how often I tried not to feel emotions until I was laying on the couch thinking a few things through and a thought would pop into my head and I would immediately avoid it. I was trying not to feel it. One because It hurt but feeling it would mean having to admit it was real, and obviously admitting it was real would be some sign of weakness. See, I always put on the happy face especially in the area of relationships. I try to tell my self and those in my life that I am fine, I am happy being single, alone is great. Since things did not go as I had hoped with the boy, having to admit how excited I had become at the thought of having someone in my life and realizing it was not happening was crushing. Having to face the fact that I really am lonely, and I do want someone in my life, and how disappointed I am, boy I gotta say, it was a tough feeling to have. So, there I felt it, it is out in the open, good right? Well, here is the other thing I do. I start with the negative self talk; maybe I am meant to be alone, maybe there is something wrong with me. I can't date, I am to messed up, no one will want me! Yes, all those things go through my mind, A LOT!! But since I am working on TACKLING these issues of my lack of self esteem, I have started to talk back; you have to believe you are a great person, you aren't meant to be alone and you are no more messed up then the next person!
All this feeling is exhausting. I feel lousy and maybe that is the best thing for me. I am allowed to feel bad, I am sad and hurt that someone I liked did not like me back. In the end I guess I know feeling lousy about a boy is way better then feeling lousy about weight gain, having a hang over and unpaid bills. This time stuffing was not an option...take that Stove Top!!
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It's normal to hurt for a little while before you move on. It's always best to let it out and let it go. Just remember you deserve the best. Don't settle for anything less than what's perfect for you!
1575 days ago
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The one great thing about feelings is that no one can tell you how you're allowed or "supposed" to feel... I mean people might try to tell you "you should be happy!" or "aren't you dissapointed?" but in the end you have all the rights in the world to feel anyway you feel- whether its a wanted feeling or unwanted....unfortunately the wanted feelings aren't the hard ones to deal with! Let yourself be sad, angry, dissapointed, afraid, etc... Its not always a bad thing to have negative feelings- it just shows that you are someone who is really letting life affect you- which it should! I know that I would hate going through life apathetically- that's not fun at all- But sometimes with the fun, you get the unwanted/bad but at least you can say that you're really living a life and soaking in everything that its handing you- good and bad.
You're doing a great job!!! Its definitely hard to not stuff those feelings or "eat your feelings" as I say all the time!
1575 days ago
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Having "been there done that" the one thing I've realized - stuffing away the emotions with food/shopping - they never truly go away. Dealing with them is the only way to put a "period" on them and move on. Please don't let yourself be defined by whether or not you have a "boy" - let me tell you - they aren't all they are cracked up to be - lol!!
1575 days ago
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This morning, I am in mourning. Spunky and talented Carol Shih has left her post as an editor on SideDish to live the Jefferson Airplane-life in San Francisco. Bye, Carol.
Let's get on with the feedback business. Please tell us where you ate this week. Last week, you ate like good little piggies and reported on Palapas Seafood Bar, Bite City Grill, Melt Ice Creams, Mi Dia from Scratch, La Duni, Momo's, Blind Butcher, Savor, and the Grape.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Take a look Scott's FAQ on this at: http://faq.gotomyvnc.com/fom-serve/cache/127.html You could also take a look here which is essentially the same: http://www.realvnc.com/faq.html#firewall But if you've already read them and found them not "plain" enough, I think you'd better call a friend and ask him to help you :-) > -----Message d'origine----- > De : berrold [mailto:berrold "at" yahoo.com] > Envoyi : mardi 6 avril 2004 17:22 > @ : vnc-list "at" realvnc.com > Objet : SpeedStream 5600 DSL Router/Modem and VNC Response: "failed to connect to > server" > > Who can really explain in plain english step-by-step > procedures - how to configure this above router and vnc > server/client software on two only! machines which connect > to the internet through this router from others phone > lines? > Entering data is dynamic IP addressing under the router > (it's rarely changing, cause these machines under Linux and > do not rebooted - six and up monthes) > internal ip of the machines is 10.0.0.2 > - DHCP/DNS etc. is 10.0.0.1; > external ip are 2xx.2xx.x8x.x1x/2xx.2xx.x9x.1x1 > I want to connect remotely these machines only:-) > Help ME!!! > > > Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com > _______________________________________________ > VNC-List mailing list > VNC-List "at" realvnc.com > To remove yourself from the list visit:


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Scrabble word: WARMTH
In which Scrabble dictionary does WARMTH exist?
Scrabble (US/Canada)
(14 pts)
Scrabble (UK)
(14 pts)
Official Scrabble (OSPD)
(14 pts)
(14 pts)
Words with friends
(14 pts)
Hanging with friends
(14 pts)
(6 pts)
Lexulous (US)
(17 pts)
Definitions of WARMTH in dictionaries:
- noun - the sensation caused by heat energy
- noun - a warmhearted feeling
- noun - the quality of having a moderate degree of heat
- noun - the trait of being intensely emotional
- noun - a quality proceeding from feelings of affection or love
- The state, sensation, or quality of producing or having a moderate degree of heat: an agreeable warmth in the house.
- Friendliness, kindness, or affection: human warmth.
- Excitement or intensity, as of love or passion; ardor.
- The glowing effect produced by using predominantly red or yellow hues.
- adj - moderately hot
There are 6 letters in WARMTH: A H M R T W
Scrabble words that can be created with an extra letter added to WARMTH
All anagrams that could be made from letters of word WARMTH plus a wildcard: WARMTH?
Scrabble words that can be created with letters from word WARMTH
Images for WARMTH
Other Resources
SCRABBLE is the registered trademark of Hasbro and J.W. Spear & Sons Limited. Our scrabble word finder and scrabble cheat word builder is not associated with the Scrabble brand - we merely provide help for players of the official Scrabble game. All intellectual property rights to the game are owned by respective owners in the U.S.A and Canada and the rest of the world. Anagrammer.com is not affiliated with Scrabble. This site is an educational tool and resource for Scrabble & Words With Friends players.


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Mid-Atlantic Corporate Federal Credit Union, located in Middletown, PA, is a $3.5 billion corporate credit union serving credit unions, CUSOs, leagues, and chapters since 1976. Mid-Atlantic Corporate is a federally chartered corporate credit union that focuses on helping members succeed by providing quality payment services, loans, investments and ALM programs to credit unions across the country. Payment services include ALM, ACH, share draft processing, electronic bill payment, remote image capture and much more.
As a conservatively managed corporate, Mid-Atlantic Corporate has weathered the recent economic crisis and remains strong. Our stringent investment policy allows us to manage the risk in our portfolio and avoid the "Legacy Assets" that have plagued so many other corporates.
Mid-Atlantic Corporate sustained zero losses via our investment portfolio during the corporate credit union crisis, continues to diversify our portfolio, and continues to follow our conservative investment philosophy using our long-standing principles of Safety, Liquidity, and then Yield. We don't sacrifice safety for a few basis points.
An industry leader, Mid-Atlantic Corporate was the first corporate to develop and implement a plan following the NCUA's proposed changes to Regulation 704. Our new membership plan was released in January 2010 with more than 650 credit unions committing over $120 million in capital.
Mid-Atlantic Corporate's new membership plan requires capital commitments from all members. Providing capital is an investment in the cooperative movement, which gives your credit union access to the group buy that the corporate movement was founded on. Providing capital at Mid-Atlantic Corporate gives your credit union access to our high investment rates and low-cost payment services without other credit unions diluting your capital investment.
We offer four membership levels to credit unions, each with different capital requirements. Credit unions can select the membership option that best meets their needs.
At Mid-Atlantic Corporate, we stand ready to serve our members and future members from a position of strength and stability. Contact us today to discuss how Mid-Atlantic Corporate can help your credit union move past the events of yesterday, toward a brighter tomorrow.
Mid-Atlantic Corporate Federal Credit Union
1201 Fulling Mill Road
Middletown, PA 17057
Debra Cohn
Corporate Account Manager
(800) 622-7494 extension 3227


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DRAFT: Academic Senate Meeting Minutes
Thursday, January 25, 2007
12:45 -2:00 pm
Student Service Building
Conference Rooms A & B
Senators Present: Yolanda Bellisimo, Barbara Bonander, Hank Fearnley, Theo Fung, Ron Gaiz, Deborah Graham, Erika Harkins, Patrick Kelly, Arthur Lutz, Radicia Portello, David Rollison, Sheri Rollison, Ingrid Schreck, Blaze Woodlief, John Sutherland
Approval and Adoption of Agenda
Senator Lutz moved to move item A on the agenda to an action item
· Motion adopted
Motion to approve the agenda
· Motion adopted
Motion to approve the minutes
· Motion adopted with changes
The President reported the following:
· Radica Portello was awarded the Hayward award; the State AS gives out 4 awards a year and the last time someone from won CoM the award was in 1995.
· An office worker is needed to organize the Senate office to inventory records in order to be in compliance with the Brown Act. Years of files must be organized; it would cost approximately $25 per hour for about 50 hours of work to organize the files in the office.
· Senate consented to pay an office worker for approximately 4 hours (with the expense not to exceed $100) to start the organization process.
· Senator Gaiz & President Bellisimo met with Paul Christenson and representatives from the UPM to discuss the evaluation language.
· A list of from Ian Walton, President of the State AS, was submitted to the Senate. The list includes suggestions to expedite matters that come before the Senate. This topic will be placed on a future agenda for discussion.
· Documents on the California Great Teacher's Seminar was submitted to Senate; in the past the AS has paid for members to attend. If anyone is interested in attending they should contact the AS officers.
· Issue of setting up opportunity for full faculty to meet to discuss program review will be discussed next week.
· Next week Senate will discuss committee openings.
· A letter was sent out to local high schools with a list of recommended classes to take at CoM. This issue should be vetted through the Senate. High School enrollment issues will be discussed at a future meeting.
· Pres attended the Management Council meeting on January 17, 2007, submitted notes of the meeting to the Senate and requested that senators contact her with future agenda items they would like to see on the agenda.
Sutherland requests that program review and proposed mergers of disciplines be placed on a future agenda.
Fearnley requests that a discussion of the cost for open college students taking credit classes be placed on the agenda; costs seem exorbitant.
The Vice President reported the following:
· Instructional Equipment money has been allocated. The original amount allocated was $140,000 and $100,000 was available if the college could come up with matching funds which is why the allocation process took longer than expected; some money came out of Measure C money after consulting with Deans and faculty who ordered the equipment which could be reallocated to Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment or Technology. This reallocation process resulted in $530,000 of equipment that was approved—more than originally expected. The Instructional Equipment Committee, IPC, and the Budget Committee approved these allocations. Purchase orders should be made.
The Treasurer reported the following:
· He treasurer initiated the creation of a new account for the AS so now the AS can pay people for presentations and other services.
· The treasurer got the paperwork from David and sent an e-mail to VP Martinez informing her that a Budget transfer was made from one account to another and asking when a check would be cut from her.
· A written report was submitted
Standing Reports:
Academic Standards Committee
· The committee requested that the Senate make a decision on advanced placement equivalency changes & process.
· Pres Bellisimo stated that these documents should be submitted to Senate as they come in so the Senate can approve them in a timely manner.
· The Academic Standards Committee will send out a memo on this issue.
Community Education
· No Report
Technology Committee
· No Report
Senator Sutherland requests that there be WebCT training offered; President Bellisimo will contact Kathleen Kirkpatrick regarding training opportunities.
Action Items
· Senator Kelly moved that that President of the Academic Senate send a letter to the District requesting payment for David Rollison and John Sutherland for their serve to the Academic Senate through July and August. This payment should be equal to the amount they were earning during their normal terms as Academic Senate officers and should be made in the customary manner in which officers are paid. Also, the letter will direct the district to look into the timeline and payment for the current officers of the Academic Senate.
· Motion adopted
Senate Bank Account Discussion
The following motions will be voted on next week as action items:
Senator Harkins made the motion that the President, Vice President & Treasurer of the Academic Senate have the signatures on bank accounts and bank cards.
Senator Lutz requests an amendment to the motion that any transitions shall require the signature of the treasurer.
Senator Lutz recommends that these decisions be entered into the bylaws
Academic Standards – interim committee Discussion
The Senate discussed the idea that the Academic Standards committee, as a subcommittee of the AS is subject to the Brown Act, but if the President of the College creates a committee; it will not be subject to the Brown Act.
President Bellisimo stated that according to Ian Walton, President of the State Academic Senate, student petitions must be read by a college petitions group appointed by the President of the College rather than from a committee that falls under the AS, which would be part of the Brown Act.
President Bellisimo submitted a report to the Senate outlining a survey of community colleges and their academic standards committee structure and configuration.
The Senate questioned the legality of the Brown Act applying to closed meetings. The college administration suggested that if the Academic Standards Committee did not form a new committee, the district may not be able to protect committee members from liability.
Concerns were that the AS may be giving up Senate prerogatives in selecting committee members if this change were made.
President Bellisimo stated that the committee structure would remain the same, and any future changes in committee structure must be vetted through the current governance structure.
Senator D. Rollison requested that the memo from the Academic Standards Committee be entered as part of the record which cites the CA Ed code, sections 35146, 48919 relating to closed meetings.
· The letter will be placed in the correspondence file.
Senator Kelly made the motion that directs the President of the AS to send a letter to the College President informing her that the Senate will support the formation of a committee to review student petitions but that the original members of the Academic Standards committee be appointed to the committee as an interim measure for this semester.
· Motion adopted
Meeting adjourned at 1:58 pm
Minutes submitted by Schreck


text:
Luke Bryan tops the Billboard Country Album chart with "Crash My Party" on the charts released Thursday, May 1.
A compilation of songs from artists on the hit TV show "Nashville" lands at number two. Florida Georgia Line slips a notch to third place, while Eric Church falls to number four with his latest release. Johnny Cash rounds out the top five with "Out Among the Stars."
Blake Shelton moves up two spaces with "Based On A True Story." Cole Swindell's self-titled debut also moves two spots. After four weeks on the chart, Dan + Shay fall to number eight. Dierks Bentley's "Riser" also sees significant gains this week, landing at number nine. Martina McBride completes the top ten.
The albums in positions eleven through fifteen are: "Comin Home" by Jessie James Decker, Jason Aldean's "Night Train," "High Noon" from Jerrod Niemann, Sara Evans' "Slow Me Down," and a soundtrack from "Nashville."
Kacey Musgraves, Jake Owen, George Strait, and Luke Bryan also land in the final positions.


text:
When the original See No Evil hit theaters in 2006 it not only brought wrestler Kane onto the big screen, but unleashed a new potential horror icon with Jacob Goodnight. Sadly it seemed that it was the last time we would get to witness the destruction of this towering menace, until the directors of American Mary the Soska Sisters were tapped to bring their horrific twisted talents to the franchise.
Ever since the announcement fans have been eagerly awaiting a release date but was still left in the dark other than it was going to be released in 2014. Fans in attendance at San Diego Comic Con were not only treated to an appearance by the Soska Sisters dressed in their own twisted visions of the Undertaker and Kane, but also a chance to finally see the trailer for the film.
See No Evil 2 follows a group of friends pays a late-night visit to the city morgue to surprise Amy on her birthday. But the surprise is on them when the one-eyed corpse of brutal psychopath Jacob Goodnight unexpectedly rises from a cold sub-basement slab. Their wild party quickly turns into a terrifying slay-fest as the sadistic mass-murderer resumes his savage rampage complete with hooks, surgical knives and power saws.
Besides Kane aka Glenn Jacobs the film stars Danielle Harris, Katharine Isabelle, Kaj-Erik Eriksen, Chelan Simmons, Lee Majdoub, Greyston Holt and Michael Eklund.
While you will have to wait until October 21st for the film to hit Blu-ray and DVD you can take a peek at the trailer and cover art here now.


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At Soundiego, we are always offering a Car Audio Installation Specials. If you are looking to upgrade your stereo or are just looking to have music play from your iPod or MP3 player this is the car radio installation special you shouldn't miss out on. Call 619-582-5577 to ask about our specials and schedule your car audio installation in San Diego today. For car alarm San Diego specials click the link.
*Some vehicles may require extra parts and labor
Being an authorized dealer for all major audio manufactures, we offer a variety of stereos to choose from. Some brand names we carry and install are Alpine, JL Audio, Focal, Pioneer, and Clifford just to name a few. Whatever style or budget you are looking for Soundiego is second to none when it comes to car audio installation in San Diego. We also offer discount car stereo systems for our budget minded customers.
We are committed to provide a real music treat to our prospective and returning customers so they can enjoy driving their car and simultaneously listen to quality music. Soundiego offers a variety of car stereo brands, which have created an indelible mark in the arena of car audio installation. Our selection goes from CD receivers, DVD players, and digital media receivers to satellite radio receivers, making your options for customization limitless. Besides being branded, our car audio products won't drill a hole in your pocket because our pricing is completive fitting all budgets.
If you are looking to customize your entire audio system in your car or just want to upgrade to the newest and latest of all models, we at Soundiego will listen to all your needs and bring your ideas to life. Let our technicians help you find the best solution for your own personal customized car audio installation today.


text:
This website is maintained by the City of Oxford municipal government for the benefit of Oxford citizens, business community, visitors and internet guests. Our website will constantly change and grow as the Oxford municipal government strives to increase the availability of information and delivery of services through the internet.
Thank you for visiting Oxford's website. Oxford is a great place to browse via the world wide web...and an even greater place to be in real life. Please visit Oxford again...on-line and in-person.
City News
Saturday, July 2 2016
♦ Classic Nashvilee Roadshow with Katie Deal and Jason Petty at the Oxford Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m.
Monday, July 4 2016
♦ City Hall Closed
♦ Freedom Festival at Oxford Lake Park
Thursday, September 29 2016
♦ Scotty McCreery at the Oxford Performing Arts Center at 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, October 6 2016
♦ Nitty Gritty Dirt Band at the Oxford Performing Arts Center at 7:00 p.m.


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Is President Obama a Socialist?
President Obama has been subject to an unprecedented torrent of abuse from his detractors since he emerged on the national scene. His enemies have called him every name in the book and they (at times) have even stooped to attack his children. One of the most misleading (and ignorant) epithets that has been hurled at Obama is that he is a "socialist." Just what is socialism? What do real socialists make of President Obama? And what do the President's own policies say about this line of attack?
Socialism is a system where the government actually controls many of the major industries. For example, in Britain between 1945-1979, the government acquired control (total or partial) of the following industries: auto manufacturing, coal mining, shipbuilding, freight rail lines, airlines and the health industry. (Most of these industries were sold off to private investors during the Thatcher Administration in the 1980s.)
Unlike the radical right, the Socialist Party USA is familiar with genuine socialism and they have firmly rejected the notion that Obama is one of them. Burt Wharton - the co-chair of the Socialist Party USA - stated that: "We didn't see a great victory with the election of Barack Obama, and we certainly didn't see our agenda move from the streets to the White House...(T)he assertion that Obama is a socialist is absurd...It makes no rational sense. It clearly means that people don't understand what socialism is."
President Obama's policies certainly rebut the notion that he is some kind of socialist. In the fall of 2008, the Congress passed the TARP bill which partially nationalized the banking, insurance and auto industries in an effort to stave off a total economic collapse. At the time, the right wing detractors of this legislation derisively labeled General Motors "Government Motors" and issued apocalyptic predictions that the auto industry was doomed to fail. Mitt Romney even wrote an editorial at that time titled: "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt."
As it turned out, the government rescue of these industries turned out to be a success and these companies returned to profitability. Once these companies became viable again, the Obama Administration sold off the government owned stock to private investors and earned the taxpayers a tidy sum of $53 billion. If Obama had been a socialist, these stock shares would still be in government hands.
Perhaps the most most dishonest lies told about Obama's alleged socialist leanings have been in connection with the Affordable Care Act or Obama Care. In 2009, long time GOP spin doctor Frank Luntz advised Republicans to falsely describe Obama Care as a "government takeover" of the health care system. As Luntz said: "'Takeovers are like coups. They both lead to dictators and a loss of freedom." And GOP members of Congress repeatedly used that false buzz phrase and were rarely called on it by the so-called "liberal mainstream media."
As it turned out, Luntz's phony "government takeover" allegation was named the 2010 "Lie of the Year" award by the non-partisan site Politifact.com. Luntz's allegation was clearly false since the ACA largely relies upon the private health insurance industry to provide most of the new coverage. In addition, the law doesn't nationalize the hospital industry or make doctors government employees.
The dishonesty of the charge that Obama is a socialist can be found in the performance of the economy since he took office in early 2009. When President Obama took office, the economy was losing 800,000 jobs per month. In 2014, the economy created 250,000 new jobs per month and approximately 1 million jobs have been created in the last 3 months alone! That is the best jobs growth since 1999.
The improvement in the stock market has been equally dramatic. In early 2009, the Dow Jones Industrial average reached a low of 6,500. At that time, the entertainers in the right wing media blamed Obama for the deep decline in the stock market. Currently, the Dow is hovering around 18,000.
The conventional wisdom is that socialism is bad for business and will tank the economy. That's why the Republicans combined their disingenuous charges of socialism with apocalyptic predictions that Obama's economic and health care policies would bring about "Armageddon" or cause America to "cease to exist." Obviously, the strong performance of the economy should put to rest any notion that President Obama is a socialist.
The big picture here is that President Obama is a successful and effective President who is well within the mainstream of contemporary American political thought. It is his opponents who are the extremists.
The Republican Party is the party of pessimism and fear. The Democratic Party stands for optimism and hope. Let's not let the voters forget that in 2016!
Is Ricketts Up To The Job?
While many State Senators in both parties are praising Governor Ricketts' out reach and interpersonal skills, there have been many disturbing developments that call into question his very competence to do his job. Already, Ricketts has provided misleading information regarding state taxes in his State of the State speech, blown up the budget for his own office and is paying a senior adviser out of his own pocket to avoid the open records law.
Ricketts got off to an early, poor start with his State of the State speech. In that address, he cited an obscure website nobody had ever heard of to make the unfounded claim that Nebraska has the third heaviest tax load out of all 50 states. For years the consensus has been that Nebraska's tax load is squarely in the middle of the pack.
This grossly erroneous misstatement in Ricketts' speech to the State Senators indicates that he doesn't understand the magnitude of his new job and it also undermines his credibility with the Senators. He wasn't addressing a meeting of the party faithful or the Platte Institute. In addition, Ricketts' remarks hurt Nebraska's good reputation as a place to live and do business. Any CEO would be fired if he ran down and trashed his company shortly after he was hired.
The new Governor doubled down on this blunder by increasing the budget for the Governor's office by 22% - while proposing a spending increase of only 3% for the rest of the state government. This huge increase in the budget for the Governor's office is intended to pay for two new positions that Ricketts created - a personnel director and a chief operating officer. Apparently, Ricketts is hiring two people to do his own job for him after he spent over $7 million campaigning for the job in the first place.
The person Ricketts hired to serve as chief operating officer - Felix Davidson - worked for the Governor at TD Ameritrade. When Ricketts and Davidson worked together at that Omaha company, they oversaw a massive layoff of employees and outsourced the jobs to India. If this past experience is any indication, don't be surprised if state jobs are out sourced to India or some other third world country.
Ricketts then further compounded these mistakes when he hired long time GOP political operative and lobbyist Jessica Moenning as a senior adviser. Ricketts' plan is to pay Moenning's salary out of his own pocket and not have her be a state employee. This radical arrangement raises many troubling legal and ethical issues.
Ricketts' & Moenning's scheme will shield Moenning from the state's open record laws. As state party chair Vince Powers said: ""Nebraska has a very strong history of open records and transparency in government. What the governor has done goes against the entire history of this state."
The need for transparency in government was neatly summed up by the Omaha World Herald in connection with the attempted secret hiring of a CEO by OPPD: "It's always unfortunate when a public agency shirks its duty to operate in public," said Mike Reilly, executive editor of The World-Herald and president of Media of Nebraska, a coalition of Nebraska newspapers and broadcasters.
Because this bizarre deal allows Moenning to operate in secret, the taxpayers will never know for certain what is occurring behind closed doors. This sets up a potentially explosive conflict of interest that will hurt Nebraska's citizens.
The Governor could eliminate this grotesque conflict of interest by having Moenning go on the state payroll and serve as a public servant. Ricketts could then make a donation to the State Treasury to make up the added cost of her salary. Apparently, Ms. Moenning wants to have it both ways. She wants to serve as a senior adviser to the Governor but she has forgotten why it is called public service.
It's unfortunate that Mr. Ricketts is off to such a poor state. Nebraska's economy and budget are in good shape but there are still many challenges that need to be met. Heineman left the behind to his successor a government in a state of disarray. His ineptitude caused the disintegration of the Departments of Corrections and HHS.
We now need a competent Governor who can step up to the plate and clean up these messes. Unfortunately, Ricketts' early mistakes call into question his very competence to do the job he campaigned so hard for.
So-Called "Small Government" Conservative Republicans Propose To Use Big Government To Take Away Peoples' Freedom And Liberty
One thing we commonly hear from conservative Republicans are claims that they support freedom, liberty and smaller government. As usual, there is a vast gap between the claims made by conservatives and reality. A good example of this vast gap can be found in several bills in the Unicameral that have been proposed by so-called "small government" conservatives that would actually take away freedom from thousands of Nebraskans.
One of the most egregious big government bills being proposed by extreme Republicans is one requiring voters to show a driver's license or a valid state ID card before voting at a polling place. This bill is being sponsored by several Senators who have (falsely) postured as advocates of freedom and liberty: Lydia Brasch, Laura Ebke, Bill Kintner, and Ken Schilz. Apparently, what they haven't told the voters is that they favor using the power of big government to infringe upon the peoples' sacred right to vote.
The reality is that voter ID laws reduce turnout and make it harder for minorities, the poor, young people and senior citizens to exercise their right to vote. For example in Texas, in 2014, approximately 600,000 voters statewide were denied the right to vote because they lacked the required documents. In neighboring Kansas, no less than 22,000 people were stopped from registering to vote because they lacked proof of citizenship. The strict voter ID law in the Sunflower state altogether reduced turnout there by about 2 percent in 2014.
The rationale given by sponsors of voter ID laws is that in person voter fraud is rampant in the U.S. The reality is that voter fraud is extremely rare - almost to the point of being non-existent. According to a Loyola University law school professor, there have been about 31 credible allegations of voter fraud in the entire U.S. since 2000. The Bush Administration conducted a 5 year investigation of alleged voter fraud and charged only about 120 people and of those, only 86 were actually convicted.
The real (as opposed to the stated) rationale for voter ID laws is deeply partisan - the GOP simply wants to make it harder for Democrats to win elections. For example, in 2012, a Republican legislator in Pennsylvania candidly explained why he wanted a voter ID law in that state: "Voter ID, which is gonna allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania, done." After the 2012 election cycle, Florida GOP Party Chair Jim Greer admitted that the goal of the state's voter ID law was to suppress Democratic voters.
The voter ID bill isn't the only legislation being introduced by radical Republicans that would take away peoples' freedom. Senator Ebke has sponsored legislation that would make it so that public employers couldn't deduct union dues from employees' paychecks. In addition, Ebke's bill would prohibit collective bargaining agreements that call for such deductions.
Ebke's intrusive, anti-union bill would greatly impair what Ronald Reagan once called "one of the most elemental human rights - the right to belong to a trade union." Thousands of middle class voters exercise their right to participate in the political process in Nebraska by being a union member. Unions turn out voters and contribute to candidates who support working families. This bill - if passed - would cause a big decline in union budgets and membership.
If it were to become law, Ebke's anti-union legislation would reduce the influence of the middle class in elections and cause a further erosion in middle class earning power. Unions are the only remaining check and balance to corporate influence in elections.
When it comes to freedom, former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm correctly stated that: "The Republican Party has a major credibility gap on that issue. Why? The Republicans are for free enterprise, but not free people. And that is their fundamental problem....(T)heir freedom only applies to businesses, not individuals."
Granholm's perceptive statement tells us a lot about what many contemporary conservative Republicans believe about freedom and liberty. (I would submit that these so-called conservatives aren't conservative - they're radical.) As Democrats, we need to let the voters know that we are the true party of freedom and liberty. We can't surrender this issue to the Republicans. That is because we are the party of the people - not the powerful. We can begin by calling our State Senators and urging them to oppose these bills that would violate our sacred rights to vote and belong to a trade union.
President Obama - Keeping America Safe
National security is back in the news in light of the recent and tragic terrorist attack in Paris. Once again, the Republicans are playing their rancid, hyper-partisan blame games by attempting to convince the voters that somehow President Obama is responsible for these attacks. (Imagine the outrage from the right if the Democrats had tried to turn the 13 embassy attacks during the Bush Administration into a political football?) This pathetic attempt by the GOP to blame Obama for everything that goes wrong in the world is a desperate effort by the GOP to reclaim it's former reputation for competence in the area of national security.
The GOP lost it's reputation for being the party best suited to keep America safe during the Bush Administration. This shift in perception occurred in the wake of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Shortly after these terrorist attacks, Bush publicly boasted that he wanted Bin Laden "dead or alive." Unfortunately, the next seven and half years demonstrated that there was a huge gap between Bush's cowboy like bluster and his Administration's actual performance.
The Bush Administration got off on the wrong foot when its incompetence allowed OBL to escape from Tora Bora in December 2001. After that blunder, Bush no longer made the killing or capture of OBL a high priority. Instead, on March 13, 2002, George W. Bush said of bin Laden, "I truly am not that concerned about him." Subsequently, in July 2006, the Bush administration closed its unit that had been hunting bin Laden. In September 2006, Bush told Fred Barnes of Fox News that an "emphasis on bin Laden doesn't fit with the administration's strategy for combating terrorism."
Another factor that contributed to the Bush's Administration's failed search to find Bin Laden was it's disastrous decision to invade Iraq and conduct a multi-year nation building project in that country. In the run up to the Iraq war in 2002-03, the Bush Administration assured the American people that U.S. forces would be greeted as liberators, the war would only last a few weeks, Iraqi oil would finance the reconstruction of that country and U.S. forces would find a vast weapons of mass destruction arsenal.
As it turned out, just about every pre-war prediction made by the Bush Administration turned out to be very wrong. No weapons of mass destruction were ever found. In addition the war ground on for over eight years and according to Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, will eventually cost U.S. taxpayers $3 trillion.
After his inauguration, President Obama took a very different and much more effective approach to national security issues. As a starting point, in early 2009, Obama directed the CIA to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority. It was, in other words, a major shift from the previous administration. Thanks to that change in priorities, Obama did in two and a half years what George W. Bush, despite all of his "dead or alive" big talk and swagger, couldn't do in over seven years.
Another big change from the previous Administration was that President Obama ended America's large ground troop presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. What is seldom discussed is that the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) that mandated the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq was signed in late 2008 by the Bush Administration. The Iraqis refused to allow a permanent U.S. troop presence in their country unless the U.S. agreed to have our troops subject to the jurisdiction of the Iraqi courts. The Bush Administration (correctly) rejected that condition.
I have mentioned the 2008 SOFA with Iraq for the reason that many Republicans have contended that the U.S. should have maintained an indefinite U.S. troop presence in Iraq. What these same Republicans don't tell you is that they apparently want to allow our troops to be hauled into Iraqi courts in the event of alleged wrongdoing.
As we all know, conditions in Iraq began to deteriorate in 2014. ISIS forces invaded and conquered portions of Iraq. In response to that offensive, prominent Republicans like John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Mitt Romney blamed Obama for the ISIS offensive and demanded that U.S. ground troops return to Iraq. McCain and Romney even went so far as to call for a U.S. ground invasion of Syria aimed at the overthrow of the Assad regime.
To his credit, President Obama resisted the overwhelming pressure from the GOP, much of the foreign policy establishment and many in the mainstream media to get the U.S. involved in another ground war in the Middle East. American surgical strikes and advisers have stemmed the ISIS advance and rolled it back. That's why you don't hear the Republicans talking about Iraq anymore.
President Obama's advisers have accurately distilled his foreign policy approach to a single, pithy phrase: "Don't do stupid stuff." That approach is similar to the ones followed by Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. The forty first and forty second Presidents' foreign policies were marked by an emphasis on diplomacy, a limited and cautious use of American military power and a realistic exit strategy when military force was applied.
The U.S. is now much safer thanks to President Obama's more realistic and cautious approach. (It would be fair to say that George W. Bush's national security policy was reckless and irresponsible.) Unfortunately, the U.S. won't be able to prevent every terrorist attack - foreign policy experts all agree that the world can't be completely safe from terrorism. However, we can diminish the threat by not doing "stupid stuff" like inflaming the Middle East with reckless and ineffectual military action. President Obama has been very successful in that endeavor and the American people should be thankful for it.
Just Call Me Irresponsible: The Republicans On Spending & The Deficit
One of the most misleading and pernicious myths in American politics today is that the Republicans are fiscal conservatives and the Democrats are fiscally irresponsible. That false perception originated with a statement made in the 1930s by FDR adviser and confidant Harry Hopkins who said that Democrats were going to: "Tax and tax, spend and spend, elect and elect." There has been a lot of water under the bridge since Hopkins made that statement and modern history clearly demonstrates that it is the Democratic Party that is the fiscally responsible party - not the GOP.
The last fiscally responsible Republican President was Dwight D. Eisenhower during the 1950s. Eisenhower was the last Republican President to balance the budget - way back in 1957. Ike was also the last Republican President to leave behind to his successor a smaller budget deficit. Every other Republican President starting with Nixon has left behind a larger deficit to his successor than the one he inherited. In contrast, every Democratic President since Carter has reduced the deficit and bequeathed a smaller deficit to his successor.
Republican fiscal irresponsibility and even recklessness escalated during the Reagan Presidency due to his adoption of supply side economics or what George H.W. Bush aptly labeled "voodoo economics." Reagan's borrow and spend policies tripled the national debt. Contrary to the contentions of his Republican apologists, Reagan never submitted a balanced budget and the Congress during his Administration spent less money than he originally proposed.
It took a Democratic President and Congress to clean up the fiscal mess left behind by Reagan and H.W. Bush. In 1993, Clinton proposed both tax increases and spending restraints to reduce the deficit. Every prominent Republican opposed Clinton's budget and claimed it would cause a recession and an increased budget deficit.
All of the Republican predictions of doom and gloom made in 1993 proved to be dead wrong. When President Clinton left office, the budget enjoyed a record $238 billion surplus and the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office projected a ten year surplus of $5.5 trillion.
Unfortunately, the hard earned surplus built up during the Clinton Presidency was squandered during the Administration of George W. Bush - who doubled the national debt during his disastrous Presidency. Between 2001 and 2006, a Republican Congress rubber stamped Bush's two wars, two tax cuts for the wealthy and the budget busting Medicare Part D program. By the time Bush left office, the annual deficit was $1.3 trillion and 10% of GDP.
Since he has taken office, President Obama has succeeded - over bitter and hyper-partisan GOP opposition - in reducing the deficit to $450 billion and 2.8% of GDP. In fact, the deficits during Obama's Presidency have been lower than the ones during the Reagan Presidency. By the time President Obama leaves office, the deficit will be 2% of GDP - a level considered to be very manageable by most economists.
Closer to home, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback and a Tea Party dominated legislature racked up a $435 million deficit out of a $5.9 billion budget after passing a large cut tax for the wealthy in 2012. Brownback and his extreme allies in the Kansas legislature have scrambled to make up this shortfall by raising sales taxes, raiding teacher pensions and cutting funding for education and roads.
Brownback's failed experiment in Kansas should provide an object lesson to Governor Pete Ricketts and the newly elected Republican members of the Unicameral who call themselves "Rickett's Crickets." They would be wise to heed the promise made by Ricketts last fall when he said he wanted to: "gradually reduce income tax rates for all Nebraskans and bring down the rate of growth in state spending a step at a time." Ricketts essentially rejected Brownback's policies when he promised that: "Reform is not a one-and-done thing."
The overwhelming majority of Nebraskans who voted last fall didn't support or expect radical changes to Nebraska's budget. They expect Ricketts and the legislature to keep the new Governor's promise to continue the steady, moderate fiscal policies that have made the Nebraska economy and budget the envy of the nation. Radical changes aren't needed here because Nebraska is doing well thanks to the responsible, bi-partisan fiscal policies that have proven to be so successful.
Johanns' Revisionist History
In a recent interview, outgoing Senator Mike Johanns contended that President Obama: "Never developed the art of working across the aisle." Johanns further alleged that after the 2010 election cycle - when the Republicans regained control of the House - the President "was not prepared, tested or experienced in how to operate successfully in that new environment ... and never developed the ability to work with Congress in a bipartisan way."
Is Johanns right? Is President Obama incapable of working across party lines in a bi-partisan fashion? A more important question would be whether the Republicans in the Congress were ever prepared to work with President Obama in the first place?
In looking at Obama's first two years in office, it is pretty evident to all but the most bitterly partisan Republican, that the Republicans in Congress had no intention of working with the President and cooperating with him when the country faced it's gravest economic crisis since the Great Depression.
It all started out when influential right wing entertainer Rush Limbaugh said even before the inauguration that he hoped that Obama "failed" and that he wanted the stimulus blll to "prolong the recession."
On the evening of President Obama's inauguration on January 20, 2009, the Republican House leaders met at an upscale restaurant in Washington, D.C. and began to plot their strategy of all out obstruction. At that meeting, then House GOP Whip Kevin McCarthy said that Republicans had to "challenge Obama on every bill" and show "united and unyielding opposition to the president's economic policies."
It wasn't any different on the Senate side in the early days of the Obama Administration. Mitch McConnell schemed to prevent any Republican Senators from entering into any deals with the Democrats. In early 2009, several Republican Senators revealed McConnell's cynical strategy to Vice President Biden: "The way it was characterized to me was: `For the next two years, we can't let you succeed in anything. That's our ticket to coming back." Biden said.
As it turned out, President Obama's major legislative achievements in his first two years contained many Republican ideas and amendments. For example, the Affordable Care Act was based upon Mitt Romney's successful health care reforms in Massachusetts that insured 98% of the population in that state. As a matter of fact, Romney even wrote an op ed piece in U.S.A. Today on July 30, 2009, advising President Obama to adopt the individual mandate on a nationwide basis.
As we all know, the 2010 mid-term elections went poorly for the Democrats and the Republicans regained control of the House of Representatives. Just two days after that election, Mitch McConnell was asked by the press what the Republicans' top priority would be now that the GOP was once again a player in Washington. Was it to create more jobs during what was then a very slow recovery? Was it to improve the health care system to insure more Americans and reduce health care costs? No. Instead, McConnell stated: "The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one term President."
Since the 2010 election cycle, President Obama has tried to reach out to the Republicans on the deficit - an issue in which the Republicans have claimed they are deeply concerned about. (They're not but that is a topic for another column.) In 2011 - when the GOP threatened a default that would've caused another recession - Obama offered to raise the Medicare eligibility age if the GOP would agree to tax increases on the wealthy. In response, the GOP sabotaged a so-called "grand bargain" on the budget because they thought a bi-partisan agreement reducing the deficit would help President Obama get re-elected in 2012.
Shortly after his re-election in early 2013, Obama once again reached out to the Republicans on the budget deficit issue. In his fiscal year 2014 budget, President Obama proposed to reduce annual increases in Social Security benefits for senior citizens. In response to that offer, the Republicans cynically attacked the proposal and accused the President of wanting to "balance the budget on the backs of seniors."
As we can see from this review of recent history, Johanns' remarks about Obama and partisanship is revisionist history at it's worst. The reality is that Johanns and the Republican members of Nebraska's Congressional delegation were part of this unprecedented partisan wall of obstruction. They refused to cooperate with the President during one of the greatest crises in American history.
Despite the fact that Obama is the first President in modern history to lack bi-partisan support for his economic policies, they have proven to be a success. We have gone from losing 800,000 jobs per month in 2008 to creating 244,000 jobs per month in 2014. The Dow Jones has risen from a low of 6,500 in early 2009 and is now in excess of 18,000. The deficit has been reduced from 10% of GDP when Obama took office to less than 3% of GDP in fiscal year 2014. Since the implementation of the ACA in 2013, the rate of uninsured Americans has fallen to it's lowest level since 2008. If a Republican President had this kind of record, the GOP would be lobbying to put his visage on Mount Rushmore.
These successes give us a great record to run on in 2016. Let's make the voters aware of this record. I'm confident that once the voters understand the progress we've made as a country since 2009, we will have a very good election cycle in 2016.
Will "Ricketts' Crickets" Blow Up the Unicameral?
One thing we can always count on from Republicans is a great sense of over confidence and hubris in the event they win an election. After a successful election cycle, the GOP invariably believes that the voters have given them a mandate for their entire agenda and even their toxic tactics. We are now beginning to see this kind of arrogance from the Nebraska GOP even though Governor-elect Ricketts promised that any changes in spending and taxation would be phased in over several years and would be very gradual in nature.
The all but inevitable GOP over reach is beginning to manifest itself in the Unicameral. A group of newly elected Republican State Senators have labeled themselves "Ricketts' Crickets" and are now ready to blow up the venerable tradition of non-partisanship in the Unicameral in order to aggressively pursue a partisan and divisive agenda. (Apparently, these newly elected Senators fail to realize that they don't work for the executive branch and that the legislative branch is an independent and co-equal branch of the government.)
Nebraska GOP Party Chairman J.L. Spray is now exhorting Republican voters in Nebraska to demand so-called "open votes" when State Senators select fourteen committee chairs when the Unicameral convenes in January. Apparently, the GOP is still smarting from the fact that 9 out of 14 committees were chaired by Democrats in the last legislative session. (This sour result for the GOP occurred in early 2013 after then GOP Party Chair Mark Fahleson made a similar attempt to change this long standing rule in the Unicameral and it badly backfired on the Nebraska GOP.)
Democratic State Party Chair Vince Powers correctly pointed out that: "It is shameful that the Nebraska Republican Party wants to replace the USA's best legislative system, comprised of hard-working independent senators, with a party-boss system based solely on loyalty to partisanship."
What this means is that Spray and the Nebraska GOP want to bring to Nebraska the poisonous and destructive partisanship of Washington, D.C. The last thing Nebraska needs to do is to import to our state the dysfunctional system and mores of the broken U.S. Congress.
If Spray and the freshman GOP Senators are successful in this effort, they will blow up the best legislative system in the U.S. Nebraska's unique non-partisan legislature is a model for the entire nation - and even the world. Elected representatives from other states marvel at our system and wish they could operate in a similar, non-partisan system in their own states.
If the extreme Republicans in the Unicameral manage to change the rules, it will be done in an effort to enact a partisan and radical agenda that most voters in Nebraska didn't vote for and aren't expecting. We could see a big push for large, budget busting tax cuts that favor the wealthy. As recently as this weekend, the lead Omaha World Herald editorial warned against the kind of reckless tax cuts that blew up budgets in Kansas and North Carolina.
Things are going very well for the State of Nebraska at the present time. Nebraska was recently designated as one of the best run states in the country and our economy is the envy of the nation. We don't need radical changes right now and the voters certainly didn't vote for radical changes in November.
We need to contact our State Senators and urge them to maintain the long standing non-partisan feature of our legislature. The future of the state is on the line and our State Senators need to stand up to the excessive partisanship and extreme agenda of a cabal of radicals within the Nebraska GOP.
Ricketts' Shaky Start
In a recent editorial, the Lincoln Journal Star evaluated Ricketts' use of special interest funds to finance a talent search for key department heads and asserted that Ricketts showed "executive savvy" and that it's "clear that he's off to a good start." Unfortunately, it is way too early to tell if Ricketts is off to a good start and there are tell tale signs that should concern all Nebraskans. Just what are those signs? Why should the voters be concerned?
Nebraskans should be troubled by the fact that Ricketts has solicited funds from a special interest group with a stake in his Administration's decisions - the Omaha Chamber of Commerce - to finance an executive search firm to find candidates to head up the agencies that have fallen into disarray during the Heineman Administration. The retention of a private search firm isn't the problem - it's about who is paying the bill. The better practice would have been (as State Senator Jeremy Nordquist said) for Ricketts to go "through a community foundation rather than an interest group."
This decision to solicit to special interest funding certainly creates the unfortunate impression that the Omaha Chamber is buying influence with the prospective Ricketts Administration. Just what will the Omaha Chamber want in return for these donations? Will they expect support for a narrow agenda that favors the interests of corporations and the wealthy at the expense of most Nebraskans? The voters deserve answers. Unfortunately, Governor-elect Ricketts hasn't told anybody what the Omaha Chamber expects.
Similarly, Mr. Ricketts has't provided any real answers to the unfolding prison scandal. As we have learned, the Heineman Administration has dealt with the thorny problem of prison overcrowding by running a secret program in which it has expedited the parole of prisoners - even ones who have committed violent crimes. This premature release of many dangerous criminals has endangered the safety of the public.
What makes the prison scandal so crucial is that we now have some explosive evidence that this (formerly) secret policy of early paroles has reached as far as Heineman's chief of staff, Larry Bare. However, sometime before these revelations about his office's involvement in this scandal, Heineman denied he exerted any pressure on the Parole Board to prematurely free dangerous criminals.
This was the following exchange from a recent Judiciary Committee hearing: State Senator Steve Lathrop: "And so your testimony today is, I was not exerting pressure to have these people parole more folks?" Heineman: "Yeah, I don't feel like. I mean it was a casual conversation like we're having, and so I didn't feel like I was exerting pressure."
As it turns out, Heineman's sworn testimony was directly contradicted by two members of the Nebraska Parole Board. Esther Casmer testified under oath that "she felt intense pressure from both Houston and the Governor's Office to increase the number of furloughed and paroled inmates." Casmer also testified that "her job was threatened by the governor's chief of staff unless she increased the number of paroles."
Fellow Parole Board Member James Pearson corroborated Casmer's testimony when he stated: "I was in that meeting. I heard the same words she heard, and I support Esther's testimony 100 percent. There was no doubt in my mind what came out of that man's mouth."
This contradictory evidence on the early release of dangerous criminals demonstrates the urgent need for a special prosecutor. What did Heineman know and when did he know it? Ricketts could get off to a fresh start and prove he will not be part of a cover up by appointing a Special Prosecutor to review this burgeoning corrections scandal. The appointment of a special prosecutor would potentially vindicate the Journal Star's assertion that Ricketts is off to a "good start."
Ricketts will soon be facing a bigger challenge than the burgeoning prison scandal. He will need to decide if he is going to keep his campaign promise to make any changes in spending and taxation very gradual in nature or if he is going to pursue the extreme agenda of the Platte Institute. Once again, Ricketts hasn't told the voters anything about his plans or agenda.
We still have a lot of unanswered questions about the incoming Ricketts' Administration. The former Ameritrade Executive can have a successful administration if he maintains the moderate, bi-partisan fiscal policies that have made Nebraska one of the country's economic success stories. In contrast, Ricketts will doom his governorship to failure if he attempts to emulate Kansas Governor Sam Brownback by pursuing extreme tax and spending policies. It's about time that the voters get some answers from Ricketts on all of these issues. The time for campaigning is over.
Will the Republicans Shutdown the Government Again?
Last month, President Obama issued an executive order on immigration that will shield 5 million undocumented workers - also known as "aspiring citizens" - from deportation from the U.S. This order will keep families together and allow many aspiring citizens an opportunity to come out of the shadows.
In response to Obama's order, the Republicans - as usual - went on the attack. Instead of acting on the immigration bill that passed in the Senate last year or offering up a legislative solution, the GOP resorted to their usual, tired hyper-partisan attacks. House Speaker John Boehner alleged that President Obama was acting like a "king" and an "emperor." Influential conservative commentator Charles Krauthammer went so far as to label the immigration order an "impeachable offense." After six prominent right wing Senators contended that Obama's order created "a constitutional crisis that demands action by Congress," they left Washington and took yet another lengthy, taxpayer financed vacation.
Does President Obama's executive order really create a "constitutional crisis?" Is he really acting like a "monarch?" How does it compare to executive orders from previous Republican Presidents or what was contemplated by Mitt Romney in 2012?
If President Obama's executive order on immigration creates a "constitutional crisis," then Presidents Reagan and Bush41 created constitutional crises of their own. As a matter of fact, both Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush issued similar executive orders that granted deportation relief to family members who were not covered by the immigration reform bill that passed the Congress with bi-partisan support in 1986. After those executive orders, no Republicans accused them of violating the Constitution or threatened them with impeachment.
Reagan and Bush41's executive orders were fairly modest in nature compared to the ones issued by George W. Bush in the wake of the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01. During his first term, Bush43 issued executive orders in secret allowing the torture of captured terrorists and to monitor, without a search warrant, just about all communcations between any party outside the U.S., even if the other end of the communication was within the U.S. Both of these sweeping executive orders were in clear violation of the Constitution, federal statutes and international treaty obligations. Yet the GOP fiercely defended Bush's executive orders.
If he had been elected in 2012, Mitt Romney promised to be as aggressive as George W. Bush in exercising executive power. On his first day in office, Romney promised to halt or even reverse the Affordable Care Act (ACA) with a series of executive orders. Romney would have issued an executive order halting the establishment of the ACA insurance exchanges, ending financing for the implementation of the law, and creating various exemptions from the individual mandate. As political science professor Norm Ornstein said about the GOP reaction (or lack thereof) to this proposal: "I have searched to find cases of conservative lawmakers like Ted Cruz, or constitutional scholars, much less columnists like Charles Krauthammer, raising alarm bells about this brazen plan to short-circuit the policy process, give the middle finger to the Senate, and thwart a duly enacted law, or raising questions about an imperial president-to-be shredding the Constitution. Strangely enough, I can't find any."
As we discussed, the Republicans' response to Obama's executive order on immigration is dramatically different than their response to those from previous Republican Presidents and Presidential candidates. The Republicans are now reacting with their usual fits of rage and anger, and vowing to do something to stop it. It has even reached the point where many Republican members of Congress are demanding another government shutdown.
This Tea Party temper tantrum has caused the hapless GOP Congressional leaders to engage in a mad scramble to create a process that will allow right wingers to express their outrage but prevent a shutdown. (Good luck with that.) Why don't these Republican "leaders" show some real leadership for a change and suggest legislating? What a concept!
The last thing our economy needs is another government shutdown. One of the reasons why the economy has made a strong comeback in 2014 is because the GOP hasn't shutdown the government or threatened another default. Another government shutdown could bring this economic progress to a halt and send us back into another recession.
We need to demand that our Congressional delegation make a pledge to take another government shutdown off the table. In 2013, Senator Johanns correctly termed the government shutdown a "fool's errand." As recently as October, Representative Fortenberry - who voted for the shutdown - admitted that: "The consequence of shutting down the government was not healthy."
I urge everybody to contact our Congressional delegation and remind them of what Johanns and Fortenberry said about the last government shutdown. If our Congressional delegation once again joins the Tea Party in another destructive shutdown, we must redouble our efforts to throw the rascals out in 2016!
Will the Affordable Care Act Cause America To Cease To Exist Or Bring About Armageddon?
One of the things you can count on from Republicans are apocalyptic predictions of what will supposedly occur if some measure supported by a Democratic President should be enacted into law by the Congress. We certainly got one of the most apocalyptic predictions of our time when Ben Sasse predicted last year that: "If the Affordable Care Act survives, America will cease to exist. " This follows on the heels of John Boehner's over heated 2010 prediction that passage of health reform would be "Armageddon" and would "ruin our country."
Now let's unpack those predictions for a moment. Apparently, according to Sasse, the passage of the ACA is a greater threat to the U.S. than the British Empire, Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union and Osama Bin Laden. For example, if Sasse is right, Hitler could've brought down America at a much lower cost and risk than waging World War II by providing affordable health care to millions of uninsured Americans.
Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act in early 2010, has the U.S. experienced Armageddon? Just what has happened in the U.S. since Sasse predicted about 13 months ago that the ACA would bring about the end of the world's strongest and greatest nation?
We certainly haven't experienced any kind of "Armageddon" on the jobs front. In early 2009, when President Obama took office, the economy was losing 800,000 jobs per month. It was the worst performance since the Great Depression. In 2014, the economy has been creating over 220,000 new jobs per month. This is the best jobs performance since 1999 during the Clinton Administration.
The news on the stock market has been equally encouraging. Back in early 2009, when the Dow Jones was as low as 6,500, the Republicans blamed Obama for the stock market decline. College dropout and right wing entertainer Sean Hannity said on March 10, 2009: "Obama, since he's elected, has tanked the markets." You don't hear Hannity or other right entertainers on AM radio talk about the stock market anymore since the Dow Jones has reached record levels time and time again. As of the writing of this article, the Dow Jones is at 17,810. Right wingers used to blame Obama for the decling stock market. Will they now give him credit for its big comeback?
One thing you routinely hear is Fox News blaming Obama for an alleged runaway federal deficit. Let's stop for a minute and look at the record. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, President Obama inherited an annual deficit of $1.3 trillion and 10% of GDP from George W. Bush. Since then, we've had the greatest decline in the federal deficit since the late 1940s. The federal deficit for fiscal year 2014 is 2.8% of GDP and $506 billion. The deficit is now smaller than its average over the past 40 years of 3.1 %.
The turn around on the health insurance front since 2008 has been every bit as impressive as the reduction in the federal budget deficit. It is seldom discussed that when Bush was President, eight million Americans lost their health insurance policies. Since the implementation of the ACA a little over a year ago, 10 million Americans who used to be uninsured now have coverage. In addition, the percentage of the population that is uninsured has fallen from 18% in 2008 to 13% in 2014.
All of these reforms were accomplished in the face of all out GOP obstruction and gridlock. Even before President Obama was inaugurated, the GOP settled on it's policy of all out opposition in the hopes of making President Obama look bad and to regain power. As Mitch McConnell candidly admitted to the press, the key to pushing down Obama's approval ratings was to deny him the aura of bipartisanship, and that meant keeping Republicans united in total opposition even while the U.S. was in it's deepest economic crisis since 1933.
President Obama and the Democrats didn't only overcome the most hyper-partisan and bitter opposition in U.S. history since 1860, they also over came efforts at outright sabotage of the economy and the ACA. The GOP's threat to default on the obligations of the U.S. in 2011 crushed consumer confidence and snuffed out a promising economic recovery. In 2013, the GOP's government shutdown cost the national economy $24 billion and 120,000 jobs. Just imagine how much better the economy would be doing today in the absence of the obstruction and sabotage of the GOP!
We Democrats should be proud of President Obama and the records of our members of Congress who supported these reforms during the dark days of 2009-2010. In my estimation, the national Democratic Party made a mistake in the recent election cycle by running away from President Obama's record. If a Republican President had a record similar to that of President Obama, the GOP would have not only campaigned on it, they would have lobbied for him to be put on Mount Rushmore. If only the American people were aware of this record, the election could have turned out much differently.
A majority of the American people (and even Nebraska voters) prefer Democratic policies over Republican ones. What this means is that we Democrats have to get out our message again, again and again. I'm convinced that once the American people (and the people of Nebraska) become familiar with our message and accomplishments, we will win the elections in 2015 and 2016!


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|Grading on NY State Math Exams Doesn't Add Up
Student scores on the New York state math test are up in every grade tested this year, with some grades showing astonishing double-digit gains. Some experts and critics charged the tests were easier than prior years, despite education officials' promises to "strengthen" and "increase the rigor" of both the questions and the scoring for the 1.2 million kids who took the math exams in May.
A Brooklyn teacher hired to help score the tests was so angry about the grading standards that she went to the media even before the test scores were announced to the public. "They were giving credit for blatantly wrong things," she told the New York Post.
A scoring guide provided by the whistleblower revealed that kids got half-credit or more for showing fragments of a calculation — even if they executed it incorrectly or left the answer blank. Some examples from the fourth-grade scoring guide include:
The Brooklyn teacher said she had scored tests with "controversial questions" in past years, but "this time it was more outrageous." She said she and her peers were stunned at some of the instructions this year, adding, "You feel like you're being forced to cheat." Some of her colleagues joked about giving kids credit for writing their names on the test, bringing their own pencil or sharing gum with friends.
But score inflation is not funny, said the teacher. "The kids who really need the help are just being shuffled along to the next grade without the skills to have true success. They are given a hollow success- that's the crime of it."
State Education Department spokesman Tom Dunn defended the grading instructions, stating, "Students who show work and demonstrate a partial understanding of the mathematical concepts or procedures embodied in the question receive partial credit."
Among experts who suggested parents should not accept the elevated scores at face value is Robert Tobias, a former top testing official for the New York Board of Education. "Given that the scores are going up to a very large degree, especially in certain grades, it suggests the test is probably easier than it was in the past," he said.
Meanwhile, state officials celebrated and congratulated themselves. "The era of year in and year out stagnant classroom performance is over," said Mayor Bloomberg, whose school reform plan includes paying cash bonuses to students, teachers and principals when state test scores increase.
Education Commissioner Richard Mills attributed the rise in scores to increased spending, a statewide curriculum, and improved teacher training. "The bottom line is this," he said, "Performance is up in mathematics. It's up in English and more students are meeting the standards." (New York Post, 6-6-10; New York Daily News, 6-24-10)


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Get into the House (Husbands)TV and Radio
Report Card – House Husbands
Resevoir Dads? ... House Husbands
What's it all about:
Four Melbourne dads who are, for various reasons, the stay-at-home parent are brought together in a school playground and so begins an intertwined existence of toddlers, transport and twisted dramatic situations.
Ultimately, this is enjoyable, entertaining and looks to have the right mix of slapstick, pathos and one guy wanting to shag another guy's daughter to make for a show that is somehow bigger than its celebrity cast.
Our view:
Could look wrong, works out right ... House Husbands.
Well, they've gone and done it. One of the prime complaints lobbed at the commercial networks of late — and at Nine in particular — was that they kept producing the same dramas. From Tricky Business to Underbelly, even the extraordinarily successful Howzat!, all were accused, if sometimes cynically, of being just a copy of another Australian drama.
At first it seemed House Husbands, from the trailers, might be more of the same same-ness. What we got instead was dramedy, a genre the networks seemed almost clinically terrified of. Sure, it's broad-appeal dramedy — the edgier variety will still be housed exclusively on ABC and SBS for the time being — but this is good, it's progress, it's ... different.
Judging from Twitter last night audiences weren't quite sure what to make of the show, but that's half the charm isn't it? A show for which you can't summarise the entire series' plot after only seeing five minutes, surely not? Plus it appeals to the subject matter — family life is funny and dramatic, often both at once. Sure, the combination means you get some heightened reality moments like the runaway bus — and the unlikely response and fall-out — but scripted entertainment is just that, scripted. So as long as the entertainment is on board, the bus can go on all sorts of unlikely journeys.
Besides, at least it's not another cop show.
The combination of (traditionally) comic actors and serious thespians made for great chemistry, exemplified by Gary Sweet and Julia Morris' relationship. On paper the pairing looks at best like a mediocre skit, but the reality is dynamic and feels like a genuine marriage, only watchable. It's easy to imagine these two bickering at a barbecue then smooching in front of the kids. Sweet somehow even makes sense as the dad who fixes ceiling plaster while his daughter makes her play lunch.
It was also nice to see a series sow a variety of seeds for storyline options without trying to harvest them all at once. Gyton Grantley's Kane is in a same-sex relationship, yet we heard more about his pie business than his secret men's business. Firass Dirani is excellent as the affable AFL reject, yet clearly it's the rejection by Leah de Niese's Abi that we're going to see more of ... along with more of Firass. Plus one suspects the kids have more plots to hijack than that bus.
Ultimately, this is enjoyable, entertaining and looks to have the right mix of slapstick, pathos and one guy wanting to shag another guy's daughter to make for a show that is somehow bigger than its celebrity cast.
In a sentence: Dramedy! Like the young AFL draft-pick, let's support this young prospect trying to find a spot in a line-up of formulaic fossils.
Best bit: The pie summit mid teacher hunt. The scripting took what could have been a pretty daft distraction and made it a lot of fun.
Worst bit: The bus might have been overblown, but it was fun and pacey. Rhys Muldoon's Mark, on the other hand, got to have a first day at work that was both under-nuanced (if everyone hates him why is he there?) and unlikely (the running gag of not actually getting to work ran out of steam).
Next episode: 8.30pm Sunday.
Ratings: 1.38 million, topping the night.
Worth watching again: Very much so, if only for Firass Dirani's derriere which clearly is the star of next week's episode based on the trailer, media attention and other trailer.
Grade: B for boys-own parenting made funny (but not cheap).
Poll: How did you rate the premiere of House Husbands?
- Brilliant: can't wait for the next episode
- Good: an enjoyable and entertaining show
- Average: had its moments, but nothing special
- Below par: show had promise, but was disappointing
- Terrible: won't be watching again
Total votes: 2615.
You will need Cookies enabled to use our Voting Feature.
Poll closed 5 Oct, 2012
These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinion only of visitors who have chosen to participate.
21 comments so far
Dramedy! What are you talking about? And were you watching the same program as me, or are you just being polite because you are an industry 'insider'?
It was neither comedic, nor dramatic. So making up a new word that is blend of two poorly executed genres, does not miraculously make for a successful program.
There are many other words, though, which could be used to describe it!
- Commenter
- Deputy Dawg
- Location
- Southbank
- Date and time
- September 03, 2012, 3:11PM
Disagree with this article completely, it was a boring, tired program which failed to delivery comedy and just became confused and cheesy
- Commenter
- Location
- Date and time
- September 03, 2012, 4:45PM
JD I disagree, I quite enjoyed the show. It was entertaining. Far better than packed to the rafters.
- Commenter
- Margarita Girl
- Location
- Maroubra
- Date and time
- September 04, 2012, 9:47AM
@margarita girl, "far better than packed to the rafters"???? such poor taste you have! the chicks in winners & losers can kick the house husbands butt anytime! only reason why it topped the ratings is because 1, its got no competition on that time slot and 2 for curiousity. now that people knows how trashy it is, i wouldnt be surprised if the ratings go down the gurgler next week!
- Commenter
- Location
- Sydney
- Date and time
- September 04, 2012, 1:25PM
The 'edy' bit in dramedy is short for 'comedy'. If you're not going to put jokes into something, then don't call it a dramedy.
- Commenter
- Derek
- Location
- Date and time
- September 03, 2012, 5:52PM
WTF? Dramedy?AFL draft pick.? You've lost me- I have no idea what you're talking about
- Commenter
- Alan
- Location
- Date and time
- September 03, 2012, 6:27PM
I didn't mind it! There isn't much good to watch on TV this year, and this was at lest a little bit refreshing.
They will need to work on some of the internal logic of the plot, though. The down on his luck ex-footballer being faster than a runaway bus was one thing but, after he saved the day by screeching it to a dramatic halt, are we really expected to believe that the cops are going to charge him for driving without a licence? C'mon scriptwriters!
Also hoping that we don't have to be subjected to the apparent "men are at least a little bit incompetent joke" as it gets a little old.
However, if that was the worst of it, it's a leap ahead of most of the other rubbish on TV right now.
- Commenter
- Karen
- Location
- Date and time
- September 03, 2012, 8:23PM
Might not be REASONABLE that the cops would do that, but definitely believable as they are required to uphold the law, and not all of them make reasonable judgement calls. Recent personal experience has proved that the law can really be an ass!
- Commenter
- Red Head
- Location
- Melb
- Date and time
- September 07, 2012, 9:30PM
I loved House Husbands last night and am looking forward to future episodes. Each to their own I say. I can't wait for Julia Morris to be the guest speaker at our upcoming event! www.WomanInOverwhelm.com.au.
- Commenter
- Leanne
- Location
- Date and time
- September 03, 2012, 9:10PM
Great cast but the script was TERRIBLE. The improbable/impossible school bus debacle was so annoying that this show 'jumped the shark' with its first episode. The rest of the episode was plain old BORING.
- Commenter
- Tom
- Location
- Sydney
- Date and time
- September 03, 2012, 11:40PM
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text:
Let's Build a Table Top Airport
Product Type: Lesson Plan/Activity
Audience: Educators, Informal Education
Grade Levels: 2-4
Publication Year: 2002
Product Number: EG-2002-06-105-HQ
Subjects: History, Physical Science
Students construct a model airport to identify and understand problems that face architects and planners of real airports. Models allow planners to identify potential problems with airport location, layout and design before expensive construction begins.
Let's Build a Table Top Airport [197KB PDF file]
This activity is part of the Aeronautics Educator Guide.


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0151 706 2000
We provide clinical skills training to undergraduate medical students, postgraduate medical trainees, nurses and allied health professionals.We do this from our Clinical Skills Laboratory which is a part of the Trust's Education and Learning Service.
This first-class facility aims to provide multi-disciplinary clinical skills training to health care professionals to help develop, improve and maintain competence in the clinical area. It is a centre for innovative teaching and experiential learning that also provides a safe and friendly environment to all learners.
The programme ranges from the basic to more complex clinical procedures. The Clinical Skills Team primarily delivers the training but senior clinicians from different specialties and departments also contribute to the delivery of clinical skills training where required.
Staff who are employed by the Trust and are currently working within the two sites can use the services of the laboratory free of charge. Medical students from the University of Liverpool who are on rotation are entitled to clinical skills laboratory services as a part of their learning experience. Bespoke training programme are also organised and delivered for external organisations.
By integrating best practice guidelines and research in all our teaching activities, we work towards improving and maintaining safe and high standards of practice whilst promoting the importance of life-long learning.
Find out more about on the Clinical Skills Laboratory pages in this website.


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Mike McCabe's file
Mike McCabe is executive director of the non-profit Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, which tracks money in state politics. The group, which is affiliated with left-leaning organizations such as public employee unions, says it also works for campaign finance reform and "other democracy reforms."
McCabe's statements by ruling
Click on the ruling to see all of McCabe's statements for that ruling.
- True0(0)
- Mostly True0(0)
- Half True0(0)
- Mostly False0(0)
- False1 (%)(1)
- Pants on Fire0(0)


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By Larry Shue
April 25 –28, 2013 (New Date)
Performed at Burlingame High School Theater
Charlie Baker, a big-hearted but painfully shy Englishman, escapes from his disappointing life to a small inn in a remote part of Georgia, pretending he speaks no English in order to avoid interacting with the natives, But what happens when Charlie has to communicate in order to warn the good folks of Tilghman County of a dastardly plot by the local Klan? And what of the pretty young woman for whom he has started to develop feelings? Charlies plan to undo the consequences of his lie unfolds in hilarious fashion, turning a chump into a champion in this award-winning comedy.
Directed by Brad Friedman.
The first company meeting will be held on MONDAY, MARCH 4 at 6:30PM in the PAW (ROOM M-5). PLEASE BRING A PARENT WITH YOU, AS WELL AS A CHECKBOOK TO COVER CERTAIN COSTS. (Financial support is available.)
Thanks to everyone who auditioned.
Mr. Friedman


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What does ADIT stand for?
What does ADIT mean? This page is about the various possible meanings of the acronym, abbreviation, shorthand or slang term: ADIT.
We've found a total of 3 definitions for ADIT:
Filter by: Sort by:PopularityAlphabeticallyCategory
What does ADIT mean?
- adit(noun)
- a nearly horizontal passage from the surface into a mine
Still can't find the acronym definition you were looking for? Use our Power Search technology to look for more unique definitions from across the web!
"ADIT." Abbreviations.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2016. Web. 27 Jun 2016. <http://www.abbreviations.com/ADIT>.


text:
The Lost Casebook is a collection of Sherlock Holmes cases, at the time, deemed unfit for the general public, and never published. Until now.
Holmes & Watson are faced with a series of terrifying murders that have scarred the East End of London.
Will the Detective Duo be able to stop this killer before he strikes again?
Or is there something unnatural lurking behind these murders?
Jon didn't take his comic book dreams seriously 'til he found he could get them professionally printed. Now, he's as serious as a snipped brake pipe, and he doesn't like referring to himself in the third person.
Comment posted.
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Richard Samuel Jackson (Tombstone)
Position: DE-LB
Height: 6-3 Weight: 255 lbs.
Born: July 22, 1941 in New Orleans, LA
High School: L.B. Landry
College: Southern (school history)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-...): 41 (2177th overall since 1950)
3-time Pro Bowler & 3-time First-Team All-Pro (fine print)
Sponsor this page for $10 and help Pro-Football-Reference.com provide this service. Your message will replace this ad.
1969 Game Log: Regular Season · Playoffs · vs.


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Get ready for another quick hitting snowfall Sunday morning. Moderate to heavy snow will move in between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. and last through most of the morning. A quick, fluffy 1-3 inches will be possible before it wraps up by 1 p.m. With temperatures starting out in the single digits, roads will likely be in very bad shape. Use extra caution if you must drive in the morning. The heaviest amounts will be north of Columbus were 2-4 inches is possible. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for all of central Ohio through 7 a.m. Monday.
Behind the snow tomorrow, a warm front will bring a very brief window of warmer air. Expect temperatures to soar into the 20s and eventually middle 30s by evening. An extremely strong arctic cold front will smash into Ohio after midnight Sunday night. This will bring strong wind gusts over 30 mph and another line of snow squalls that may add up to an inch of snow. This means roads could be slick for the morning commute Monday.
Temperatures will crash into the lower teens by early Monday morning. Just like back on January 6th, the temperature will hold steady and even start to fall through the day on Monday. We will drop below 0 Monday night and gusty west-northwest winds will make it feel like between 0 and -20 A few isolated flurries or snow showers will also be possible throughout the day.
If skies clear and winds calm down somewhat Monday night, we could be in store for the coldest air of the winter. Right now it appears the wind will stay up just a bit, but that means a nasty wind chill. Currently the forecast is calling for a low in the middle negative teens Tuesday morning and wind chill readings easily below -20 or even -30. Schools will likely be closed once again due to the extreme cold.
Highs on Tuesday will struggle to make it above zero degrees! We will plummet back into the negative single digits Wednesday morning and climb to 10 degrees for a high. More light snow and slightly "warmer" weather will return by the end of next week.
Follow @mikegroenke on twitter for the latest central Ohio weather updates.


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artisabella's, The Series Show, which is an exhibition of artist, Isabella McGrath, x-rayed flowers photomontages at Alta Coffee Warehouse & Restaurant, Balboa Peninsula, 506 31st St. in Newport Beach, CA opened March 1 and runs through March 30, 2014.
Ms. McGrath shares,
"These floral images happen to be quite colorfully vibrant. Also, by adding colors not used before to the photomontages during the process of recoloring the x-rays, you can see why the best way to experience an x-rayed flowers photomontage is viewing it with your own two eyes."
The beginning of this century found Ms. McGrath, a then student at Columbia College in Chicago, discovering and playing with the possibilities to the fine art world if she were to combine x-ray technology and photography. From this exploration the x-rayed flowers photomontages were birthed.
Creating these unique photomontages is a source of joy for Ms. McGrath. A completed photomontage is the result of:
- x-raying the flowers
- scanning the x-ray film into a computer
- photographing the flowers
- combining the x-ray and digital version of the flowers' photograph in Photoshop
The juxtaposition of classic still-life subject matter with contemporary composition makes these unique photomontages artisabella's most notable contribution and expression to date of Ms. McGrath's fine arts talents. Her natural abilities were enhanced through her studies, which resulted in a BFA in Studio Art and BA in Art History from Chapman University. Other outlets for her talents include abstract paintings, quilts, photography and numerous printmaking editions.
For more information about artisabella or to contact Isabella McGrath:
- call/text: 949.542.2003949.391.7638
- www.artisabella.com
- https://www.facebook.com/artistisabella


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From the same guys responsible for the "Scary Movie" franchise comes the bachelorette comedy "Best Night Ever."
Writer-directors Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer have set their sights even lower this time with a parody of "Spring Breakers" and "The Hangover" franchise in a road trip movie about four bachelorette's out for a crazy night of partying in Vegas.
Shot from the point-of-view of a bachelorette, who brings along a video camera, the movie utilizes the same reality-style aesthetic seen in "Paranormal Activity" and "Spring Breakers."
The filmmakers annoying use of shaky video footage taken from the handheld video camera, along with several superfluous night vision sequences, combined with a terrible story makes "Best Night Ever," one of the worst movies ever!
And that's no joke!
It feels as if the filmmakers took the producer's money just to go on a road trip to Vegas with the actresses, then got s*** faced drunk, shot a bunch of random moronic bull**** that they pieced together in the editing room into a series of music video montages and improvised scenes designed to show off Vegas as a raucous party town.
The take away from this movie is simple.
Save your money!
Take your own road trip to Vegas.
I guarantee that you'll have more fun and laughs than wasting your time watching this odorous piece of dog excrement!
"Best Night Ever" is currently available through VOD. Magnolia Picture's Magnet Releasing will release the film theatrically on January 31, 2014.


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Skydiving.com now has a network skydiving location serving Millers Tavern and Essex County in Virginia. Call Skydiving.com at 1-800-617-7948 for details, free information and specials on skydiving in Millers Tavern, VA today!
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Deathstench: Massed in Black Shadow [Digipak]
1 CD / Allegro / 2013-02-12Tracks: Extractum Ex Infernis; Corpse Upon a Throne of Wyrms; Symbols In Warm Flesh; Circle of Black Blood; Shrine of Viscera; Bastards of the Black Flame
Artists: Deathstench
Personnel: John-Paul Whetzel (vocals, guitar, synthesizer, drum machine, sampler).
Audio Mixer: Deathstench.
Recording information: 05/2012-07/2012....continue...
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text:
Building a World for a Novel – Part 38
New to this project: Start with Part 1
Part 38: Too Much Work?
If you have faithfully read this far in World Building, you probably intend to roll up your sleeves and build a planet of your own one day in the future. If you have actually followed along and done the work as you read–I'm impressed!–by now you're wondering if it was really worth it.
Surely you will have to decide that for yourself.
The task of building a world is every bit as huge as it looks. More, really, because while the description of the steps was brief, the execution can take a very long time indeed.
Are you willing to do what it takes to craft a living, breathing and vibrant world? A better question is, do you have to?
The answer to that, of course, is no. You can easily write a short story, even a novel, that takes place on another planet, and make that planet Earth in a costume. You can make a world of jungle, or of forest, or of mile-high buildings with sweeping elevated roads, and never really express or explain what the world is really like. A very great many SciFi and Fantasy novels go no further than painting a backdrop and acting in front of it. If your characters are strong, if your conflict is powerful, if your people touch your readers emotionally, you will likely sell your stories.
Here's the thing, though: if you want your world to ring true, you have to do your homework. While you may not need to go through every step, you will have to take a very close look at your environment, your people, where they came from, what their motivations (wants, needs, fears) are, what kinds of foods they eat, what kind of predators chase them, and so very much more.
But the question is, when your reader puts down the book, will a part of him stay in the world you painted on a sheet, or will he just reach for another book by another writer? A well-made and exciting world brings both writer and reader back for more.
Building a fresh and innovative world is an investment in your success as a writer.
So yes it is hard. Yes it is complicated. Yes it takes time and a lot… no, really, a LOT of work. But, imagine your sense of completion, your sense of accomplishment, when you look at the map on your wall, when you look at a land model you've made, when you look at the stories that live on a world constructed by hand… by you.
Continued in Part 39