text:
Dejection is an anomaly on the Dallas Cowboys, the most celebrated and successful franchise in pro football. But as the team heads for its 17th playoff appearance, Cowboy President Tex Schramm, according to wife Marty, comes home these days and "just sits there with a sad look on his face, and it's obvious he's thinking about it all." Not even Tom Landry, the stone-faced coach, is immune. "I think there's a feeling on the part of everybody," he says, "that it's just not going to be the same."
Ever since their birth as a National Football League expansion team in 1960, the Cowboys have had just one president and general manager, Schramm, one vice-president for personnel development, Gil Brandt, one coach, Landry, and one owner, Clint W. Murchison Jr. The stability has generated an aura of invincibility, backed up by the team's lifetime 213-117-6 record, including two Super Bowl wins in an unprecedented five appearances.
But for the past few years Murchison, 60, has been battling a rare and progressive disease that has robbed him of speech and certain motor abilities. Now he has decided to put his beloved Cowboys up for sale, though not because he needs the dough (he is worth an estimated $500 million). In response to questions, Murchison, who has missed only two Cowboys games in 23 years and still commutes to his office daily, offers this written explanation: "I can't enjoy those things that I previously enjoyed as an owner—traveling with the team, the association and being with the players and coaches—and in general being the Cowboys No. 1 fan.... I feel I should not act as half an owner."
Actually part of the problem is that Murchison has always been only "half an owner." It was a little known fact that Clint, whose father was oil-rich, started the Cowboy franchise in 1960 in partnership with his brother, John, who died four years ago. According to intimates, Clint is determined to sell the Cowboys now to prevent some dastardly buyer from getting the team from the heirs—principally his four children and John's four children—none of whom have the combination of desire and financial wherewithal to take over.
The wherewithal will be no trifle. Launched with payment of $550,000 to the league, the Cowboys are valued today in the neighborhood of $60 million. But meddlesome moneybags a la George Steinbrenner need not apply. Murchison is determined to sell only to one person, or a group, preferably Texans, who will agree to retain Schramm, Brandt and Landry in their present posts. Moreover, he has put Schramm in the unique position of screening his own potential bosses. "I can't say who we have talked to," Schramm says. "As to what sort of owners we might be interested in, it involves more than money. It's a matter of character." In short, Schramm is looking for another Clint Murchison.
That will not be easy to find. In his crew cut and horn-rims, Murchison is a shy and modest man, yet not a stodgy one. (He once hired a trained bear to wrestle with—and lose to—a man in a cowboy outfit before a game against the Chicago Bears.) No dictator, Murchison's genius has been his ability, as he once put it, to "hire the best and let them run the business."
In Schramm, Landry and Brandt, Murchison hit the jackpot. A former sports editor on an Austin, Texas paper, Schramm is a bear of a man, both physically and emotionally. Before a game he can be seen out on the field kicking up clods of dirt and pouring himself into "building up a hate for the other team." If the Cowboys won the week before, he will be wearing the same clothes. If not, he'll be a new man from head to toe. Come game time, he shuns the executive viewing quarters for the camaraderie of the press box, where he can sip Scotch and cuss—he once flashed his middle digit at good friend NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle after a rules dispute. "I have apologized a lot," he says with a smile.
Tex Schramm is largely responsible for the Dallas dazzle. Thanks to Schramm's flair for publicity, Cowboy paraphernalia far outsells that of other NFL teams. The Dallas Cowboys Official Weekly is mailed to 50 states and several foreign countries and has a paid circulation of more than 100,000. In addition the Cowboys have a radio network of almost 200 stations. Schramm (unlike Landry) is also a booster of the shapely Dallas cheerleaders. As many as 2,000 women audition each year for a handful of jobs, for which they get paid $15 a game. They are required to take a Dale Carnegie personality enhancement course and pass weekly quizzes about Cowboy games. The Little Miss Dallas Cheerleader contest annually draws up to 40,000 starstruck girls between the ages of 4 and 12.
Tex Schramm and Tom Landry are perfect complements: Mr. Outside and Mr. Inside. Widely regarded as a football genius, Landry more or less invented the position of linebacker by designing the 4-3 defense while a player-coach with the New York Giants in the '50s, and he dreamed up the modern offense in which the backfield is as busy as a cloverleaf on a freeway. Yet the early years in Dallas were frustrating: Between 1960, when the team failed to win all season, and 1964, the Cowboy record was 18-46-4. When the team played its very first home game in the Cotton Bowl, following three losses on the road, Dallas fans expressed their displeasure by pelting Roy Rogers and his wife, Dale, with ice cubes as they toured the field in an open convertible. But Landry persisted in his ground-breaking ways. He drafted people not for position but because they were good athletes. In fact, cornerback Cornell Green and end Pete Gent were basketball players, while Bob Hayes, a college halfback, was better known as "the world's fastest human" after he won the 100-meter dash at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. In 1965 the Cowboys broke even on the season at 7-7; a year later they made the playoffs for the first time.
Landry, who counts Billy Graham and Jerry Falwell among his friends, is noted for his severe on-the-field manner. The players who admire him refer to Landry as "the Force," while his detractors call him "plastic man" or "computer face"—the latter taking off on his heavy use of software in working up strategies and defensive game plans. The '70s introduced a different kind of player and a different kind of frustration for Landry: showboaters, such as Thomas (Hollywood) Henderson, who would mug for the TV cameras, and difficult, even troubled players, such as prima donna Duane Thomas and Lance Rentzel, the golden-boy receiver who exposed himself to a 10-year-old girl.
As America's Team—a sobriquet from a 1978 highlights film that Landry considered ill-advised—it is ironically fitting that the Cowboys have had to wrestle with America's latest pop malaise: cocaine. In 1979 former star receiver Bob Hayes, whom Landry once called "the single most dangerous player in football," was socked away for 10 months for purveying the drug. In April of this year former guard John Ni-land was charged with possession, among other things; a few months later the names of five active players surfaced in a drug probe by the FBI. The upshot is that Schramm has hired a former G-man to watch for narcotics abuse on the team; Schramm and Landry have vowed that they will not tolerate drugs among the Dallas Cowboys. To ex-Cowboy Gent, the author of North Dallas Forty, such pledges smack of hypocrisy. Players who are tacitly or openly encouraged to pop painkilling drugs to be up for the game on Sunday, he says, should not be punished for "smoothing out" with cocaine once the game is done.
It's a different, perhaps more complex world today than Clint Murchison confronted, and the next Cowboys' owner will need the savvy that enabled Murchison to establish his team. After Washington Redskin owner George Marshall threatened to block his purchase of the Dallas franchise, Clint learned that when George and Corinne Marshall settled their divorce, George failed to read the small print in which his wife got the rights to George's beloved Redskin fight song Hail to the Redskins. Clint bought the song, and when it came time to vote, he called Marshall and asked whether he planned to play the song on Opening Day. "Most certainly," said the puzzled owner. That's when Clint played his trump: "Nobody plays my fight song without my permission."
From such small beginnings is greatness produced.
Heroes for Sale
updated 12/12/1983 AT 01:00 AM EST
•originally published 12/12/1983 AT 01:00 AM EST


text:
SINKING VALLEY - On the Fort Roberdeau grounds on Saturday afternoon, three men pretended to be dead of gunshot wounds, victims of a battle that pitted revolutionary colonists against the loyalists. Fellow reenactors, meanwhile, kept shooting from the woods and through a field of tall grass shielding their locations.
There are no uniforms in this battle because this is a fight between neighbors and friends with different political views, reenactor Bob Emerson of Youngstown, N.Y., told the onlookers.
"They knew who was on what side," he said. "But you wouldn't know the difference by how they're dressed."
Article Photos
Mirror photos by Gary M. Baranec
Charles Adrick (foreground) of Alexandria, Va., tends to a fire Saturday. He and Gary Myers of Lititz were among the reenactors participating in Fort Roberdeau's Annual Revolutionary War Day event this weekend.
The Bucynski family of Huntingdon (from left) Lauren, 8, Toni, her husband, Kirk, and Adam, 11, were among the visitors to Fort Roberdeau.
Kelly Lieb and her son Alex, 8, of Altoona also checked out the reenactments
About 50 reenactors will be at Fort Roberdeau today to continue the storytelling that goes with the annual Revolutionary War Days event offering a glimpse of life and the skills needed to live in that era.
This has been "way better" than a history lesson, said Janelle Jung of State College who brought her children to the fort on Saturday. "I'm so glad we came today."
Her son, Brandon, 14, had a chance to carry a musket-like weapon through the woods and pretend to be on a mission. Jung's daughter, Brizhette, 11, pulled a piece of newly-spun wool from her pants pocket and said she liked watching a spinning demonstration.
"I think this is cool," said 11-year-old Kelly Biddle of Altoona, a fifth grader at Ebner Elementary School who wore colonial duster bonnet purchased at the fort's shop. "This is my first time here and I'm interested in the Revolutionary War because I just learned about it in school."
Carol and Steve Barker said they traveled to the event from Madisonburg in eastern Centre County.
"I really liked the realism of this event," Barker said. "The battle was good, and the craft demonstrators, they were good too."
Barker stopped on his way out of the park to thank fort Director Glenn Nelson for organizing the event.
Nelson said the event, the second since he took the leadership role at the fort, drew about 150 patrons by the time the 3 p.m. battle started.
"I think this year's event is better than last year's because of the roving program we have," Nelson said. "And our goal is to keep getting better."
Saturday's program included militia training for eight youngsters who volunteered to participate. Under Emerson's leadership, six boys and two girls learned the steps for loading and firing a musket. But without ammo, they also had to yell "Boom" when Emerson ordered them to fire.
The reenactors, however, including the Fort McIntosh Garrison from Beaver County, had their own type of ammo that created its own boom and the smell and smoke of gunfire. They also had a cartridge - not a cannonball - that created a louder boom when they fired Fort Roberdeau's canon.
"That's how we let the neighbors know that we're having an event here," Emerson told those watching the weapons demonstration.
Similar demonstrations will be held during this afternoon's activities starting at 1 p.m., with another battle scheduled at 3 p.m. The fort opens at 10 a.m., allowing time for a tour of the cabins that offer displays and volunteers willing to share their knowledge.
"Today, it may seem kind of senseless to march around in straight lines," Emerson said while instructing a regiment in military training. "...But those soldiers had to make the most of the technology available at that time. For them, it was best to bunched together when firing their weapons."
"That way, they could be like a giant machine gun," he said.
Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 946-7456.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Homeowners in Lycoming County who are missing mortgage payments and face foreclosure are going to get the opportunity to delay losing their American dream.
Court judges and officials, attorneys and housing counselors have recognized the economic plight many homeowners in debt face and the confusing and frightening jungle of legal and banking jargon of which they must make sense.
Now they are doing something about it.
"There are about 300 residential mortgage foreclosures filed each year," said county Judge Richard A. Gray, who is hopeful a new mortgage foreclosure diversionary conference opportunity through the courts will help delay foreclosures and provide alternatives for those facing the loss of their home.
The court, the county Law Association, North Penn Legal Services and representatives from STEP Housing Counseling Services have designed and created the diversionary conferences that are scheduled to start by the end of the month or in August, he said.
"We believe all parties filing mortgage foreclosures in our courts would be better served by having a one-time opportunity for a pre-trial settlement conference," Gray said.
Free legal services
Those foreclosure cases are not reviewed by the court prior to that, he said.
All that is typically reviewed is the balance the defendant owes with interest. A hearing is held usually four to five days before the property goes up for sheriff sale, Gray said.
"We're going to give them the opportunity to obtain free legal representation at these conferences," Gray said. "It will be done through a new pro-bono program instituted by North Penn Legal Services with the cooperation and support of the county Law Association."
Scheduling conferences
Whenever a private owner-occupied mortgage foreclosure is filed, those in default will be given an opportunity to request a court conference shortly after the complaint is filed, Gray said.
Missing a couple of mortgage payments and seeing the foreclosure notice is enough of a gut-wrenching proposition. What is worse is the lack of answers and alternatives and the fact that many banks and attorneys representing the banks and holding companies are out of state. They are inundated with their own mortgage filings piling up on desks, Gray said.
"We believe the diversionary conference may level the playing field and give those facing foreclosure time and alternatives to losing their home," county Court Administrator Kevin Way said.
The program is for all owner-occupied mortgage foreclosures filed on or after July 1.
At the conference, which will be scheduled by Way's office, the mortgage company representative is required to be available to discuss alternatives to foreclosure for the applicant, Way said.
Clearly explained alternatives
"We're hopeful at the conference the defendant will be given clearly explained alternatives to foreclosure and the recently created federal programs that might offer alternatives to losing a home," Gray said.
The county Bar Association attorneys, numbering about a dozen who have volunteered to provide the pro-bono representation at the conference on a rotating basis, will go before the judge who will prepare an appropriate order based on whether an agreement is reached at the time of the conference.
Pro-bono means the attorney is not asking for a fee during the conference and he or she will attend the hearing with the client, Gray said.
In most cases, attorneys and representatives will seek a mutually acceptable agreement, according to Jennifer Heverly, an attorney with North Penn Legal Services.
Those conferences are designed to expose the individual under threat of foreclosure to all alternatives prior to what may be eventual sheriff sale of their property, he said.
Housing counselors
A STEP housing counselor will be available prior to the conference to provide details on available alternative programs.
Asked whether the conferences will significantly interrupt the case as it passes through the civil system, Gray said it should not.
The first set of meetings is anticipated to begin either later this month or in August, Gray said.
The program will be reviewed during its progress to correct any problems and to determine eventual long-term viability, he said.
Chance to provide service
Michael Collins, an attorney and president of the Lycoming Law Association, said he and other association members have been honored by the state Bar Association for their many examples of pro-bono work and this is a chance to continue that service record.
"It gives attorneys who would not necessarily get involved a chance to become involved," Collins said.
He commended Gray, Judge Dudley N. Anderson, Heverly and Way for their work on the foreclosure diversionary conferences.
"We're hopeful the conferences will occur within 30 days of the request by the defendant," Gray said.


text: Will FerrellOverviewRelated Content Will FerrellOverviewRelated Content ShareTweetPinEmail ShareTweetPinEmail ShareTweetPinEmail ShareTweetPinEmail Greg Doherty / WireImage 1 / 50 ShareTweetPinEmail Greg Doherty / WireImage 1 / 50 Will Ferrell: Related Content Aug. 22, 2016 Jessica Alba is foxy in a red leather dress in NY, plus more celeb pics this week Renee Zellweger, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Hemsworth and more celebrity photos this week, August 22-26. Aug. 22, 2016 Share Tweet Aug. 02, 2016 Find out what the stars of 'Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby' are up to a decade after the comedy's debut See where the stars of Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby ended up! Aug. 02, 2016 Share Tweet Apr. 06, 2016 See the most memorable moments from MTV Movie Awards past! Check out the most memorable moments from the MTV Movie Awards through the years. Apr. 06, 2016 Share Tweet Dec. 17, 2009 Top 5 Hollywood Christmas Stars Dec. 17, 2009 Share Tweet Apr. 05, 2016 Take a look back at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards Take a look back at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards. Apr. 05, 2016 Share Tweet Mar. 28, 2016 Take a look at our favorite pop culture drivers to celebrate the release of Nicholas Hoult's 'Collide' In honor of the film Collide hitting theaters on April 1, take a look at some our favorite pop culture drivers. Mar. 28, 2016 Share Tweet See All Related Content Spotlight ShareTweetPinEmail


text:
"There's also no trace of any such substance on the clothes or bodies of the injured victims," she told a press conference.
Pornthip, head of the Central Institute of Forensic Science, conducted the inspection to assist the National Human Rights Commission. It focused on whether tear gas could blow off people's limbs, and if not, why so many protesters lost legs, arms and fingers during Tuesday's bloody clashes.
The deaths and serious injuries raised questions about whether police used lethal force - and not only tear gas - to disperse PAD demonstrators.
While Pornthip was inspecting the scene of Tuesday's events in front of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, many injured victims showed up to tell her what happened to them on that day. They also allowed Pornthip's team to examine their wounds.
National artist Naowarat Pongpaiboon also called on Pornthip to give justice to fellow artist Chingchai Udomkij, who lost a hand in the violence.
"It's impossible for such an artist to carry bombs," Naowarat said in response to police suggestions that some victims had inadvertently harmed themselves from carrying bombs.
Pornthip said the cause of Chingchai's injuries had yet to be determined.
"Our team has used a GT200 substance detector and found no substance used in making bombs. We've already checked the clash scenes and the bodies and clothing of the injured victims," she said.
However, she said the detector had collected chemicals from the scenes and victims that could be used for comparisons later.
Pornthip said the Royal Thai Police would next week show how the different types of tear gas worked.
"Then we can collect the chemicals from their demonstration and compare them with what we found at the clash scenes," she added.
Meanwhile, Pol Lance Corporal Nattawoot Jantorn - the policeman caught aiming his gun at an unidentified target on Tuesday in a video clip - yesterday came out to tell his side of the story.
"I just wanted to puncture a tyre in the pickup that ran over another policeman," Nattawoot said.
Photos and the video of his actions have been posted on the Internet, attracting widespread condemnation against the police.
Police earlier maintained no policemen had carried arms to control the PAD crowds.
"No, there was no PAD demonstrator at the scene when I drew my gun, only the pickup and a policemen," Nattawoot told a press conference.
He also explained he was not a riot policeman and was thus allowed to carry a gun.
"I was driving a bus carrying special equipment, and I had a gun to protect the equipment," Nattawoot said.
He said he ended up not firing his weapon.
"An examination of my gun will prove what I say," the 22yearold said.
Nattawoot said he had already submitted a report on what he was doing in the video to his supervisor.


text:
List of ALL the Daily Deal Websites in America
The purpose of this page is to list ALL of America's daily deal websites.
Why? Because we're Americans and damn-it, we love a good deal that's why.
If you know of a Daily Deal website that isn't on my list, please add it in the comments below.
69 Daily Deal Websites in 15 Categories:
11 More / 14 Single Deal a Day / 8 Experiences / 5 Electronics / 5 T-shirt / 5 Wine, Beer & Spirits / 5 Sports Gear / 4 Watches & Jewelry / 1 Adult / 10 Localized / 1 Shopping / 1 Coming Soon
+ 18 Aggregators
MORE 1 Day Sale Websites [11]:
These Daily Deal websites have several deals each day. Peek at ALL of them
- Woot.com [Read Profile]
[many deals at 12noon everyday]
- SteepAndCheap.com [Read Profile]
[one deal at a time until it's gone]
- DailySteals.com [Read Profile]
[Many deals a day. Also have two sister deal sites within their main site, Heists and Icemonkey.]
- DealGenius.com [Read Profile]
[Many deals only valid for one day or until sold out, and many other deals]
- WhiskeyMilitia.com [Clothing] [Read Profile]
[one deal at a time]
- Tanga.com [Read Profile]
[New products posted everyday at 7am]
- Dizbee.com [Read Profile]
[many deals everyday]
- TigZoo.com [Watches] [Read Profile]
[Limited products on sale til it's gone]
- 1SaleADay.com [Read Profile]
[five deals at midnight everyday]
- TroopSwap.com [For Military Personnel]
[Deals exclusively for the Military & Veteran community. 10% of proceed donated to "Wounded Warrier Project"]
- Amazon Kindle Daily Deal [Kindle Books]
[many Kindle books deal every day]
SINGLE Deal a Day Websites [14]:
These Daily Deal websites have a single deal each day. Peek at ALL of them
- ThatDailyDeal.com [Read Profile]
[one deal everyday]
- ThingFling.com [Read Profile]
[one deal at 12noon everyday]
- Yugster.com [Read Profile]
[one deal at 6am everyday]
- PricePlunge.com [Read Profile]
[one deal at midnight everyday]
- Kids.Woot.com [Kids] [Read Profile]
[one deal at midnight everyday]
- PennyWise.biz [Read Profile]
[one deal a day]
- GoingToday.com [Musician Equipment] [Read Profile]
[one deal at midnight everyday]
- Goodiyz.com [Read Profile]
[one deal at midnight everyday]
- Shnoop.com [Read Profile]
[one deal at 9pm everyday]
- DailyMemories.com [Scrapbooking, Crafts & Decor] [Read Profile]
[one deal at midnight everyday]
- VolumeVote.com [Music / mp3] [Read Profile]
[one free mp3 download at midnight everyday]
- FromFlowersToFlourishes.com [Scrapbooking] [Read Profile]
[one deal at midnight everyday]
- DtaGifts.com [Read Profile]
[one deal at midnight everyday (dodshops.com clone)]
- ManDeals.com [Stuff Men Want]
[A new deal every few days in 11 cities]
EXPERIENCES 1 Day Sale Websites [8]:
This list of Daily Deal websites focus on providing experiences in particular America cities. Peek at ALL of them
- YourBestDeals.com [Read Profile]
32 cities
- Groupon.com [Read Profile]
A gazillion cities around the world + more to come
- 225BestEats.com [Read Profile]
Baton Rouge, Louisiana Only
- HomeRun.com [Read Profile]
Many deals in nearly 50 cities
- 3oclockClub.com [Read Profile]
one Experience for Chicago, Denver + Las Vegas at 3pm everyday
- CircleBuzz.com
Experiences in San Diego + Orange County
- LivingSocial.com [Read Profile]
168 US Cities
one deal every few days
- Rush49.com
Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Sacramento, San Diego, San Fransisco, Seattle, Washington DC
ELECTRONICS 1 Day Sale Websites [5]:
These Daily Deal websites specialise in electronics such as computers & peripherals, laptops, phones, gaming consoles, phones etc. Peek at ALL of them
- GiveAwayOfTheDay.com [Software] [Read Profile]
[one deal at midnight everyday]
- TotallyAnything.com [Electronics] [Read Profile]
[one deal at midnight everyday]
- 1DealForAll.com [Read Profile]
[one deal at midnight everyday]
- MacZot.com [Mac Software] [Read Profile]
[one deal at midnight everyday]
- Zagerz.com
[one new deal at midnight every day + mini deals]
T-SHIRT 1 Day Sale Websites [5]:
These Daily Deal websites specialise in Printed T-Shirts. Peek at ALL of them
- Shirt.Woot.com [T-Shirts] [Read Profile]
[one deal at midnight everyday]
- ShirtADay.com [T-Shirts] [Read Profile]
[one deal at midnight everyday- The more sold, the less you pay!]
- RiptApparel.com [Read Profile]
[one deal at midnight everyday]
- TeeFury.com [Read Profile]
[one deal at midnight everyday]
- Teephoria.com [T-Shirts]
[Aggreagtes many t-shirt sites into one place]
WINE, BEER & SPIRITS 1 Day Sale Websites [5]:
These Daily Deal websites specialise in Wine, Beer & Spirits. Peek at ALL of them
- Wine.Woot.com [Wine] [Read Profile]
[one deal at midnight everyday]
- TheWineSpies.com [Wine] [Read Profile]
[one deal at midnight everyday]
- WiredForWine.com [Read Profile]
[one deal at midnight everyday]
- LastCallWines.com [Wine] [Read Profile]
[one deal at a time until sold out]
- CalWineCellars.com
[several wine deals from a variety of vineyards]
SPORTS GEAR 1 Day Sale Websites [5]:
These Daily Deal websites specialise in sports gear such as clothing, equipment, golf, fishing, cycling, hunting etc. Peek at ALL of them
- ChainLove.com [Cycling Clothing] [Read Profile]
[one deal every 35mins]
- FieldJunky.com [Hunting & Fishing] [Read Profile]
[Hunting and Fishing site with a side Deal of the Day]
- CamoFire.com [Hunting Gear] [Read Profile]
[one deal at 11pm everyday]
- 98Main.com [Winter Sports Equipment + Clothing] [Read Profile]
[one deal at midnight everyday]
- 1DaySports.com [Golf Accessories] [Read Profile]
[one deal at midnight everyday]
ADULT 1 Day Sale Websites [1]:
These Daily Deal websites are Adult themed and sell sex toys or sexy lingerie.
- TheDeallio.com [Adult] [Read Profile]
[one featured deal at midnight everyday]
LOCALISED 1 Day Sale Websites [10]:
These Daily Deal websites are focused on a single America city. Peek at ALL of them
- DailyDealOmaha.com [Experiences] [Read Profile]
Omaha Only
- AdPages.com [Experiences] [Read Profile]
Experiences in Austin + Fort Worth + Dallas + St Louis Only
- AustintatiousDeals.com [Experiences] [Read Profile]
Austin, Texas Only
- ConejoDeals.com [Westlake Village area, LA] [Read Profile]
one deal every few days for the Westlake Village area, West of L.A.
- EthicalDeal.com [Green/Ethical Companies] [Read Profile]
one deal in many cities throughout Canada and USA every few days
- ScoutMob.com [Experiences] [Read Profile]
Real time mobile deals. Many everyday
- Steals.StarTribune.com [Read Profile]
one deal in Minnesota every few days
- TwoBuckDuck.com [Read Profile]
one deal every few days in 10 cities
- WeDeal.com [Chicago] [Read Profile]
one deal + other last minute deals in Chicago every few days
- WeeklyPlus.com [Denver + Phoenix + Dallas] [Read Profile]
one deal in Denver + Phoenix + Dallas every week
SHOPPING Websites with Daily Deals [1]:
These websites are not dedicated to Daily Deals. They are large e-commerce websites that sell many products but have a number on special for 24 hours at a time.
- MidnightBox.com [Electronics] [Read Profile]
[many deals at midnight everyday]
COMING SOON 1 Day Sale Websites [1]:
This list is for Daily Deal websites that are coming soon and are only collecting email addresses right now.
- Sidebuy.com [Experiences] Under construction. Currently working on a new mobie site.
PERPETUALLY "COMING SOON" 1 Day Sale Websites [1]:
This list is for 1 Day Sale websites that have been collecting NZ email addresses for months and have given no indication that they are actually launching in NZ any time soon.
- CollegeTownDaily.com [Madison, WI] [Read Profile] Been "coming soon" since Oct 2010
FAILED To Meet Criteria [6]:
This list is for websites that have NOT met the criteria for being including on one of the lists of Daily Deal websites.
- Yipit.com [Experiences] [Read Profile] Failed to meet criteria: Can't get past pop up window demanding email address!
- Giltcity.com [Read Profile] Failed to meet criteria: no countdown. 6 cities. Up to 16 deals in each city every week
- Zozi.com [Read Profile] Failed to meet criteria: Not daily deals
- DealFind.com [Read Profile] Failed to meet criteria: No countdown timer
- DealOnly.com [Read Profile] Failed to meet criteria: no countdown
- BeyondTheDeals.com Failed to meet criteria: deals not often enough
DROPPED 1 Day Sale Websites [140]:
This list is for One Day Sale websites that have stopped operating recently and have therefore been dropped from the Daily Deal lists.
- Dealize.com [Experiences] [Read Profile] Seems abandoned
- BigDailySale.com [Read Profile] dropped April 2013
- DailyCheckout.com [Read Profile] dead
- DealDoc.com [Experiences] [Read Profile] Dead
- DealSwarm.com [Read Profile] 4 cities
- Yollar.com [Read Profile] dropped
- PetSimply.com [Pet Owners] [Read Profile] dead
- Bevvy.com [Bartabs] [Read Profile] dead
- DealOn.com [Read Profile] Died December 2011
- DeadlyDeal.com [Electronics] [Read Profile] Dead. No current deals.
- BonkTown.com [Cycling Clothing] [Read Profile] bought by ChainLove
- DownLowTooSlow.com [Sports Gear] [Read Profile] Dead
- AppleDod.com [Apple Accessories] [Read Profile] dead
- CaddiesBag.com [Golf Accessories] [Read Profile] Dead
- xferral.com [Experiences] [Read Profile] dead
- MyUncleVinny.com [Read Profile] dead
- BoomStreet.com [Read Profile] bought by tippr.com
- ScoopSt.com [New York] [Read Profile] dead
- FreshGuide.com [Pampering] [Read Profile] bought by PopSugar
- BuyWithMe.com [Read Profile] bought by GiltCity
- LocoDeal.com [Electronics] [Read Profile] Dead
- SellOutz.com [Clothing + Sunnies] [Read Profile] Not currently active
- CigarMonster.com [Cigars] [Read Profile] 100 deals every day is not special. dropped
- HalfOffDeal.com [Read Profile] Dead
- Coupawz.com [Pet Owners] [Read Profile] Dead
- WatchesYugster.com [Watches] [Read Profile] dead
- SportsmansGearDaily.com [Hunting & Fishing] [Read Profile] Dead
- ZooBlu.com [Read Profile] Dropped July 2011 because it died
- MamaBargains.com [Parents] [Read Profile] dead
- JudaicaBargains.com [Jewish Items ] [Read Profile] Dead, dropped as no activity since 2012
- ServerADay.com [Web Servers] [Read Profile] Dead
- Midnight.Steal.com [Read Profile] purchased by dealaday.org
- TandtDailyDeals.com [Read Profile] Dead
- Brociety.com Dropped Feb 2011 because site purchased by WhiskyMilitia
- EjectIt.com [Read Profile] dead
- ScoobyDeal.com [Read Profile] dead
- AWatchForYou.com [Watches] [Read Profile] Dead
- NewDayNewDeal.com [Read Profile] Dropped
- ReelADeal.com [Fishing Gear] [Read Profile] dropped as seems abandonned
- DealKo.com [Read Profile] dropped Oct 2011 because no new deals
- Jasmere.com [Girly Stuff] [Read Profile] dead
- DailyImprint.com [Promotional Products] [Read Profile] Dropped. Seems abandoned.
- Wuslu.com [Home Furnishings] [Read Profile] dead
- OneADayDeal.com [Read Profile] no deals
- DealaDay.org [Read Profile] abandoned
- Tilteed.com [Read Profile] Dropped
- Zerodaydeals.com Dropped. Just a duplicate of DODTracker.com
- ChickChock.com Dropped Feb 2011. Dead.
- Abuyo.com [Read Profile] Dropped
- Atcost.com [Experiences] [Read Profile] Dropped
- BloomSpot.com [Read Profile] Dropped. Closed Down
- CauseOn.com [Experiences] [Read Profile] dead
- Dealometry.com [Men Only] [Read Profile] Dropped July 2011 because no new deals since June
- BargainBagsDaily.com [Bags] [Read Profile] Dropped. Seems abandoned, no new deals since June 2013
- ThongaDay.com [Womens Underwear] [Read Profile] Dropped. No new deals since August 2013
- WhoaDay.com [Sports, Outdoor, Home] [Read Profile] died
- DailyDeal.com Dropped because it was abandoned Feb 2011
- CrowdDeal.com [Honolulu] Dropped because no deals since May 2010
- Deals.DailyCandy.com [Read Profile] Dead
- DealADayOnline.com [Chicago] [Read Profile] bought by GiltCity
- DealGooder.com [Orange County, CA] [Read Profile] Dead
- DealPop.com [Read Profile] Acquired by Tippr
- DidYouFindADeal.com [Experiences] Dropped because deals very infrequent. Looks abandoned.
- DoodleDeals.com [New York Parents] [Read Profile] Dead
- DoozyOfADeal.com [Phoenix Only] [Read Profile] Dead
- HappyDragonDealaDay.com [Oriental Furniture + Asian Accessories] [Read Profile] no deals
- BigDealOnCampus.com [College Students] Dropped. No new deals since Oct 2010
- BuyZooka.com [Experiences] [Read Profile] now Bellaboo Gloss
- CoupMe.com [Read Profile] dropped Feb 2012, seems abandoned
- CoupTessa.com [Women] [Read Profile] dead- no deals
- DailyDealChicago.com [Chicago] Dropped. No new deals since Nov 2010
- DealPerk.com Merged with ScreaminDailyDeals.com
- ScreaminDailyDeals.com [Orange County, CA] [Read Profile] Dropped. Acquired by Spreebird
- FlyCoupon.com [Experiences in Chicago] [Read Profile] dead
- Foxling.com Dropped. No new deals since Feb 2011
- GetGrouby.com [Read Profile] Dead
- GetSugar.com Dead
- Givshop.com [Non-profits] [Read Profile] dead
- TheBlindSquirrel.com [Read Profile] dead
- GogoSavings.com Merged with TheBlindSquirrel.com.
- GroopSwoop.com Dropped. Merged with ThreeKnocks.com
- ThreeKnocks.com [Read Profile] dead
- Groucher.com [Fox Cities, WI] [Read Profile] Closed down
- HalfOffBuys.com [Read Profile] Dead
- ICouponOnline.com [Read Profile] Dead
- IDineDeals.com [Restaurant and Dining Deals] No new deals since Nov 2010
- InBundles.com [Food and Drink] [Read Profile] Dropped as no deals since June 2012
- JuiceInTheCity.com [Read Profile] bought by MyTownPerks
- Kaloopa.com Last deal on: December 10, 2010 – Merged with SharingSpree.com
- Lifesta.com [Unused Experiences] [Read Profile] Dead
- Localiter.com [Read Profile] Dead
- LocalTwist.com [Experiences] [Read Profile] dead
- Mamapedia.com [Moms] [Read Profile] Dead
- MyTableEntree.com [Food and Drink] [Read Profile] dead
- MyDailyDeals.com [Read Profile] Dropped
- MyEzDeal.com Dropped Mar 2011 because domain expired. Just has text ads now
- PlumDistrict.com [Moms] [Read Profile] Dead
- Poggled.com [Food and Drink] [Read Profile] Dead
- PriceBunch.com [Experiences in Chicago] [Read Profile] Dead
- TheDailySave.com [Experiences] [Read Profile] Dropped
- Redeemio.com [Products] [Read Profile] Dead
- Rumbafish.com [Experiences] Dropped March 2011 because new deals not very often. Silicon Valley + East Bay only
- SavvyAvenue.com [Experiences] [Read Profile] Dropped
- SocialSteals.com [Read Profile] dead
- Speedeals.com [Experiences] [Read Profile] Dropped. Very slow website with no new deals.
- Spreesy.com [Experiences] [Read Profile] Dead
- Studeal.com [College Students] Dropped Jan 2011 because no new deals since Dec 2010
- SwoopOff.com Merged with HomeRun.com
- TheDealist.com [Read Profile] dead
- NabTheDeal.com [Read Profile] Dropped. Now operating as Moolala
- TownHog.com [Read Profile] dead
- TownPool.com [Stowe, Vermont] [Read Profile] dead
- Twongo.com [Read Profile] Dropped, seems abandonned
- UDailyDeal.com [College Students] [Read Profile] Broken
- WeForia.com [Read Profile] no more deals
- WimgoDeals.com [Experiences] [Read Profile] Dead
- WowWhatSavings.com Dropped because no new deals since Jan 2011. The same nationwide is displayed for 83 cities. Twitter account suspended. Facebook inactive.
- YouveGottaGetIt.com [Experiences + Products] [Read Profile] dead
- Spott.com [Read Profile] Dead
- BogoDailyDeal.com [Read Profile] dead
- DealPike.com [Read Profile] Dead
- Dealspoon.com [Daily Deals to Email/SMS] Shut down, now operating from sister site DistrictFinds.com
- DailyDeal.NJbestBuys.com [Experiences in New Jersey] dead
- OurCrave.com no deals
- Khon2DailyDeals.com Dead
- GreenLightDeal.com Dead
- Google.com/Offers/ [Experiences] No longer operating.
- CrowdSeats.com [Sports Tickets] went bust
- BuysForBrides.com [Brides in Austin Texas] no deals
- GoSteals.com Dead
- hyedeal.com [Experiences] Dead
- MyDailyBling.com [Jewelry] dead
- Dealster.com [Experiences] Dealster is now Half Off Depot
- DealHamper.com [Experiences] Dead
- MyWatchDeal.com [Watches] Dead
- HungryBuy.com Dead
- Savvytown.com [Experiences in Boston] No activity since Feb 2013
- RockaDeal.com Dead, currently inactive
- ShopDealsForaDay.com Dead
- 1crazydeal.com No deals
AGGREGATORS of 1 Day Sale Websites [18]:
These websites combine the deals of various Daily Deal websites all onto one page.
- DodTracker.com/oneaday/ [Products] [Read Profile]
Aggregates a large number of product based websites
- Slickdeals.net [Read Profile]
Claims to aggregate for over 310 U.S. cities
- DealRadar.com [Experiences] [Read Profile]
Aggregates deals from many "Experiences" websites in 99 US cities
- TodaysDOD.com [Read Profile]
Aggregates products from many Deal a Day sites
- Salecamel.com [Read Profile]
Aggregates many of the Daily Deal websites into one huge list
- GrouponBot.com [Read Profile]
Aggregates just Groupons deals. You just choose your city
- TeeMagnet.com [T-Shirts] [Read Profile]
Aggregates several of the Daily Deal websites focused on T-Shirts
- DealItem.com [Read Profile]
Hideous layout. Only a few deals aggregated
- DealSucker.com [Read Profile]
Aggregates many daily deal websites
- OneDayBuys.com [Read Profile]
Aggregates many products sites
- DailyDealZone.com [Experiences] [Read Profile]
Aggregates experiences. Confusing layout.
- Dealery.com [Experiences] [Read Profile]
Aggregates the major Experiences sites. Just choose your city
- Coupz.com [Read Profile]
Aggregates dozens of "Experiences" websites. Just choose your city
- Froomb.com [Read Profile]
Changed to DailyDealsFanatic.com
- DistrictFinds.com [Experiences]
Aggregates the major Experiences websites for a large number of US cities
- DealSnapShot.com [Experiences]
choose your city and type of deal (plan to have deals shown on a map)
- TheDealFair.com [Experiences]
experiences in several usa cities
- TrackDailyDeal.com
aggregates 300+ daily deal sites. sorts into categories and can sort by distance from your location
Which ones have I missed? Add them to the comments below.
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
- September 23, 2013 at 2:25 pm
Bought a few items from them. They email out daily deals pretty good items.
- September 23, 2013 at 2:25 pm
Bought a few items from them. They email out daily deals pretty good items. http://www.suddenvalues.com
- September 24, 2013 at 3:21 pm
Great list, thank you for this.
- September 26, 2013 at 12:01 pm
Would you mind adding http://redeemthat.com to your list? Thanks!
- October 13, 2013 at 12:48 pm
Overstock.com now has a daily deal website! Right now we're doing just one deal per day, but in November, we'll be adding a handful per day!
- October 29, 2013 at 5:27 am
http://www.snatchndash.com is not on this list! They are another great site, offering group buying discounts on women's fashion and home decor. 😉
- November 1, 2013 at 5:09 am
3Dealz.com is daily deal site targeted to the triathletes and endurance athletes. We carry deals on Triathlon Gear, Racing Wheels, Triathlon Bikes, Running Gear, Apparel, and triathlon equipment.
- December 12, 2013 at 11:08 pm
http://dealpursue.com they are posting very good deals and very user friendly site.
- December 14, 2013 at 2:04 am
Is there a search engine to search all the "daily deal websites" for a daily deal offer for a specific Store or Product? I need a quick way to see if a daily deal is being offered by a few specific merchants I deal with that have them on a regular basis, but on various daily deal websites. It's too time prohibitive to search each daily deal website everyday.
Your feedback and helpful information would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You,
- December 14, 2013 at 2:11 am
What are The Best and Most Popular Daily Deal Websites out there? Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.
I'm currently signed up with Groupon, Living Social, Amazon Local, Yipit, and Google Offers.
- December 16, 2013 at 10:49 am
another website to add that list is …
- December 19, 2013 at 1:38 pm
Could you add livewelldeals.com to your list. Livewell Is a daily deal site that offers amazing deals nationwide focusing in the categories of Health Beauty and Fitness. Livewell deals also offers Health, Beauty, Fitness and Relationship tips and advice.
- December 28, 2013 at 11:27 pm
I am trying to remember the name of a site that I purchased a curling iron from. It would only let you check the price on a certain item a certain amount of times for like a minute or so. If I remember correctly it linked to facebook. Thanks for anyone that can help me!!
- August 1, 2014 at 5:18 pm
Please add this daily deal site to your list:
Occam's Raiser (www.OccamsRaiser.com), a new online business created in Boulder, Colorado offers an incentive to its socially-conscious customers: For every purchase made, the website contributes 15% of the purchase price to any nonprofit the buyer chooses.
The business model combines two passions: retail sales and helping nonprofits to thrive. We feature a variety of items, and all of them are tell a story.
The website's products are personally selected to please health- and eco-conscious foodies, gardeners, outdoor enthusiasts, travelers—anyone who enjoys the good life and wants to live it responsibly.
It's Your Daily Good. Simply Better
Occam's Raiser is truly a win-win company."
The company's unusual name* reflects the concept of simplicity in problem-solving. Accordingly, it offers simple solutions to meet customers' needs.
- September 14, 2014 at 7:15 am
What is the best coupon site in 2014? Thanks 🙂
- November 26, 2014 at 8:27 pm
- April 17, 2015 at 11:30 am
Also very good and they have a lot of deals. Small company and excellent customer service.
- June 24, 2015 at 1:46 am
DealStock.com – Comparable products to Amazon and eBay for half the cost. They really do the dirty work for you.
Great support and quick turn around makes up for the shopping experience.
- July 10, 2015 at 11:42 am
If you are looking for a place that aggregates deals from all the top flash sale sites I recommend http://thestore.com
Great interface and tons of deals constantly updated.
- July 21, 2015 at 7:49 pm
Hey, another great site for women's clothing and accessories along with decor and kid items is:
Great list. Thanks!
- July 30, 2015 at 4:43 pm
This site has amazing daily deals on adult products- mostly for women, but good deal! http://www.5sexydeals.com
- August 15, 2015 at 1:15 am
Decorsteals.com has new deals every day at 10 am est. It's all shabby chic and rustic farmhouse decor. Some deals better than others but shipping is always $5.
- August 19, 2015 at 5:53 pm
Get the best deals of the Day from top Deal websites on Android.
OssysDeals – The Best Deals getter on Android. Download from Google Play store NOW : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ossys.dailydealsus
- August 31, 2015 at 10:55 pm
http://www.DealsDemocracy.com helps you find the best deals each day, specifically for Amazon. Anyone can submit a deal they find, and the best deals are voted to the top.
- April 13, 2016 at 9:35 am
You can add Smart Betty, we've been active since 2011 and are still going strong here in 2016, http://www.smartbetty.com. We ship online deals across North America and do local deals in certain active cities. We are a Canadian deal site which means more bang for the buck for USA visitors too.
Leave a Comment


text:
Intermediate maple syrup urine disease
Intermediate maple syrup urine disease (intermediate MSUD) is a milder form of MSUD (see this term) characterized by persistently raised branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and ketoacids, but fewer or no acute episodes of decompensation.
The estimated birth prevalence of MSUD is 1/ 150,000. Around 30% of cases are believed to be of the intermediate type.
Symptom onset of intermediate MSUD varies between the early months and the early years of childhood. Infants may have feeding problems, poor growth, maple syrup odor in urine and developmental delay. Older children usually present with learning difficulties. Like classic MSUD (see this term), catabolic stress can result in acute decompensation with anorexia, vomiting, ataxia (in infants/toddlers), cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances, hallucinations, hyperactivity, mood swings, acute dystonia, choreoathetosis (in adults), stupor, coma and cerebral edema, if untreated.
MSUD is due to mutations in genes encoding 3 of the 4 subunits of the branched chain 2-ketoacid dehydrogenase (BCKAD) complex. The genes are BCKDHA (19q13.1-q13.2), encoding E1a, BCKDHB (6q14.1), encoding E1b, and DBT (1p31), encoding E2 respectively. Mutations lead to accumulation of BCAAs (especially leucine) and branched-chain alpha-ketoacids. In intermediate MSUD mutations in BCKDHB and DBT predominate. A mutation in the PPM1K gene (4q22.1) was found in one case.
Intermediate MSUD can be diagnosed by tandem mass spectrometry newborn screening. Otherwise, plasma amino acid analysis is diagnostic. Plasma leucine levels are increased while isoleucine and valine levels may be normal or increased. Patients have 3-30% BCKAD activity so their levels of plasma BCAAs are not as high as those seen in classic MSUD (see this term). Molecular genetic testing can identify a disease causing mutation, equally confirming diagnosis.
Differential diagnoses of the presenting symptoms include other inborn errors of intermediary metabolism such as NAGS deficiency, ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency, argininosuccinic aciduria (and other urea cycle defects), neonatal glycine encephalopathy, propionic acidemia, methylmalonic acidemia, and beta-ketothiolase deficiency (see these terms).
Prenatal diagnosis is possible in families with a known disease-causing mutation.
Intermediate MSUD is inherited autosomal recessively and genetic counseling is possible.
Treatment of intermediate MSUD is similar to classic MSUD. Infants require high calorie BCAA-free formulas, dietary leucine restriction and close outpatient monitoring at a metabolic clinic. Management of acute decompensation requires aggressive enhancement of protein anabolism using glucose plus insulin, intravenous lipids, plasma amino acid monitoring, and isoleucine and valine supplements. Patients must adhere to a strict life-long diet to avoid episodes of acute decompensation. Special monitoring during pregnancy is vital.
With early diagnosis and appropriate therapy the prognosis is good, but because the disorder is mild, diagnostic delay is common and some neurological damage may be sustained.
Expert reviewer(s)
- Dr Bridget WILCKEN


text:
RADNOR, PA - November 1, 2011 - Airgas, Inc. (NYSE: ARG) Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Robert M. McLaughlin will present at Baird's 2011 Industrial Conference in Chicago on Tuesday, November 8, at 3:05 p.m. CT (4:05 p.m. ET). Interested parties may listen to a live webcast or replay until December 7 by accessing http://investor.shareholder.com/arg/events.cfm. Presentation slides will be available for download by 8:00 a.m. ET on November 8 in the Investor Information section of the Company's website at http://investor.shareholder.com/arg/slides.cfm.
About Airgas, Inc.
Airgas, Inc. (NYSE: ARG), through its subsidiaries, is the largest U.S. distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases, and hardgoods, such as welding equipment and supplies. Airgas is also one of the largest U.S. distributors of safety products, the largest U.S. producer of nitrous oxide and dry ice, the largest liquid carbon dioxide producer in the Southeast, and a leading distributor of process chemicals, refrigerants, and ammonia products. More than 14,000 employees work in approximately 1,100 locations, including branches, retail stores, gas fill plants, specialty gas labs, production facilities and distribution centers. Airgas also distributes its products and services through eBusiness, catalog and telesales channels. Its national scale and strong local presence offer a competitive edge to its diversified customer base. For more information, please visit www.airgas.com.
Media Contact:
Jay Worley (610) 902-6206
Investor Contact:
Barry Strzelec (610) 902-6256


text:
Study: Having Imaginary Friends May Be Helpful Later in LifeSunny Chanel
There is something so endearing of seeing a child communicating with their imaginary friend. While some might see this act of fantasy as a bit creepy or bizarre and question if it's okay for their kid to talk to people that aren't there, it's not only perfectly normal but it is actually something that can be beneficial down the line.
A new study found that, as the Wall Street Journal notes, "young children's habit of talking to imaginary friends can spur the development of an inner dialogue that they can use to talk themselves through challenging tasks now and later as adults." The study was featured in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology and stated also that "this private speech, or verbalized thought, has been shown to improve children's performance on cognitive tasks, such as planning and solving puzzles."
Children who had created an imaginary friend for themselves had far more private speech then those who didn't, but they also found that the same benefit came from children who regularly converse with adults. The Wall Street Journal notes that, "this private speech, or verbalized thought, has been shown to improve children's performance on cognitive tasks, such as planning and solving puzzles.
And the imaginary friend is a popular pal to have, according to Marjorie Taylor of the University of Oregon, "by age seven, about 37% of children take imaginative play a step farther and create an invisible friend." Sometimes these friends are created and kept around just for fun, but also some case studies showed that some children use their imaginary friends to assist them to cope with traumatic experiences.
So this just proves that imaginary friends should not be a cause for alarm but rather should be celebrated. Our own DadCamp did just that when he threw a birthday party for his son's imaginary friend. My daughter's own imaginary friend was a regular visitor to our house when she was in preschool. I asked my now 2nd grader where her pretend pal was now, she quickly replied that she lives in Hawaii. But she still does come to visit ever now and then. I, for one, am glad she still is in contact with her imaginary friend and that she will be there when needed. Because whether imaginary or real, a friend is a great thing to have.
Does your child have an imaginary friend? And do you support this fantasy friend?
Photo Source: istockphoto


text:
By Robert Dilday
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has created a fund called "CBF CARES (Children and Refugee Emergency Support)" to assist the surge in Central American immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, many of whom are now detained in federal facilities.
The fund will help with immediate needs but also will provide resources as unaccompanied children and refugee families are transported from border areas to other cities.
CBF Disaster Response is coordinating efforts with field personnel along the Texas border, CBF of Texas and partners including Texas Baptist Disaster Recovery.
Diann Whisnand, a CBF worker on the Texas border, has facilitated the CBF's donation of pallets of bottled water to the Rio Grande Valley Food Bank in Pharr, Texas. She has also talked with refugees, aid volunteers and agencies in McAllen, Texas. The CBF has helped feed more than 3,000 people in partnership with the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities.
Whisnand says the McAllen community is focused on helping refugee families, typically young mothers with children. Unaccompanied refugee children, she said, "are transported directly under the guardianship of the federal government to centers managed by contracted child service agencies."
Tommy Deal, the CBF's U.S. Disaster Response coordinator, said the organization will continue to seek ways to serve in this long-term crisis.
"As these children and families are moved out of the border cities and states where they entered the U.S. to other cities for housing, other needs will arise across the country," he said. "Opportunities for individual and church support for the day-to-day needs of the refugees, as well as opportunities to advocate on their behalf will surface."
Financial donations can be made to "CBF CARES online or by mailing a check payable to "CBF" with Acct. 17027 in the memo line to Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, P.O. Box 102972, Atlanta, GA 30368-2972.
For more information on how individuals or congregations can help, contact Deal at firstname.lastname@example.com.
With reporting by Jeff Huett, CBF associate coordinator of communications and advancement.


text:
TS-2 Tension Comb
We're sorry, this product is no longer available.
Enhance your styling experience with the innovative TS-2 Tension Comb!
Based on 19 Reviews
Previous Page
Jun 3, 2010
Love It!
This comb has reduced the time it takes me to flat iron my hair drastically. I must say that I'm totally clueless in the art of hairdressing and my hair is so fine and lifeless that it is very hard to get it to do anything, plus I'm lazy so I find the task of sectioning and combing hair in order to straighten it overwhelming. This comb has made it so much easier! I don't section my hair at all now, just brush it through and start picking up sections with the comb and passing the iron through and it's so fast. I won't straighten my hair without it.
2 out of 2 shoppers thought this review was helpful.
May 22, 2010
A Little Too Big
It's just a little too big, so it doesnt hold the hair so well.
2 out of 3 shoppers thought this review was helpful.
Apr 14, 2010
I hate this straightening comb. I own a different brand and love that comb. But, my current comb can't take the heat of a flat iron. Decided to try this one. If you have fragile hair take a pass. It pulls on the hair way too much. Not smooth and the product feels cheap. I will return this hair enemy asap.
2 out of 2 shoppers thought this review was helpful.
Mar 10, 2010
It Was Alright
You can probably get the same results with usingg a regular comb which is much cheaper.It is a little cumbersome trying to use this and the flat iron at the same time.
3 out of 3 shoppers thought this review was helpful.
Brentwood, CA
Mar 8, 2010
Flat Iron's Best Budd
This comb works really great and helps so much in reducing the time while straightening my hair. your hair should be tangle-free when u use this comb so it wont pull out ur hair.
1 out of 1 shoppers thought this review was helpful.
Fort Hood, TX
Feb 19, 2010
Great Accessory!
This is a great accessory when used with the TS-2 Detailer half inch flat iron. It helps to ensure that you are getting the full straightening performance of the iron especially if you are trying to straighten the roots of your hair. The TS-2 Tension Comb came with my TS-2 Detailer half inch flat iron and I can't be happier. This was a great item at a great price and I was very surprised because I didn't know this brand existed until the representative from Folica.com recommended it as a replacement for the Sedu Shortie that disappointed me.
9 out of 11 shoppers thought this review was helpful.
Yolanda Vanessa
Upper Marbrol Maryland, UnitedStates
Dec 27, 2009
It's Alright :/
I Have Really Curly Thick African American/Indian/Hispanic hair. And When I Use This, It Pulls Out My Hair! Like When I'm Finished And Look At The Counter I See Hair Everywhere!
11 out of 11 shoppers thought this review was helpful.
Atlanta, GA, USA
Nov 28, 2009
When Used With Flat Iron...
...it gets my hair SUPER straight! You're suppose to use this with the "comb-chase" method with your flat iron. It gives you pressing iron results. I'm getting another to have on hand just for back up!
4 out of 4 shoppers thought this review was helpful.
Aug 29, 2009
This is the exact same thing I got from the Avon catalog, same colour & everything. This doesn't work at all, I suggest using your money on a good barrel brush to help you straighten instead of this thing.
3 out of 4 shoppers thought this review was helpful.


text:
A Silver Lining to the Financial Crisis: A More Realistic View of Capitalism
Two familiar scapegoats for the financial crisis---deregulation and bankers' bonuses--- don't appear to be responsible for the disaster.
From The American Enterprise Institute
No. 1, January 2010
A BBC poll conducted in twenty-seven countries found last month that only one in four Americans thinks that capitalism works well--and that this is the highest proportion of any country in the world. Only in America and in Pakistan, of all places, do more than 20 percent of the respond-ents think that capitalism works well; the average across the twenty-seven countries polled was only 11 percent. And 23 percent of those polled "feel that capitalism is fatally flawed, and a new economic system is needed." Majorities want their governments "to be more active in owning or directly controlling their country's major industries in 15 of the 27 countries." But "the most common view is that free-market capitalism has problems that can be addressed through regulation and reform--a view held by an average of 51 percent of more than 29,000 people polled."[1]
This is a measure of the intellectual toll taken by the financial crisis. But it is good news, in a way. As opinion researchers have long known, terms such as "capitalism" are dimly understood by most people (even by intellec-tuals), so the best way to interpret these results is as a repudiation of the status quo, which most people (inaccurately) call "capitalism" or "the free market."
In this light, the real problem lies not in the fact that so many people would like to see an entirely new system--a reasonable demand, once we understand what caused the crisis--but rather in the fact that a majority thinks that the remedy for the inadequacies of the status quo is "regulation and reform." The status quo can best be characterized as hyperregulated capitalism, and it was the regulatory elements, not the capitalist elements, that caused the financial crisis.
It is one thing to say that corporate America's compensation systems are flawed. It is quite another thing to say that this flaw caused the financial crisis.In short, people are right to be dissatisfied with prevailing economic arrangements. But they have been persuaded by their intellectual leaders--including, unfortunately, most defenders of "capitalism"--to think that the status quo is capitalism, rather than a system in which the most fundamental feature of capitalism--competition--has been seriously undermined by a thick layer of regulation laid over capitalism during the last 150 years. There is no better example of how misleading it is to blame "capitalism" for the resulting problems than in the case of the financial crisis, which was in fact a regulatory failure par excellence.
What Did Not Cause the Crisis
There are currently three points of consensus about what caused the crisis, one of which is indisputable, one of which is dubious, and one of which is incorrect. The incorrect and the dubious need to be cleared out of the way if we are to understand what really went wrong. So here are the three points of consensus, arranged from wrong, to probably wrong, to right:
Claim One: Financial Deregulation Caused the Crisis. This piece of the conventional wisdom is false. The indefatigable Peter J. Wallison has pointed out in an AEI Financial Services Outlook that the two aspects of financial deregulation that have been blamed for the crisis are mythical, not factual.[2]
First, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999,[3] which amended the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933,[4] did not erase the distinction between commercial banks, which take deposits and make loans and investments, and (the somewhat confusingly labeled) investment banks, which underwrite and trade securities. The 1999 act merely allowed both commercial and investment banks to be subsidiaries of a common holding company, but they remained subject to the same restrictions on the nature of their activities as before. These restrictions were loose in the case of investment banks but tight for commercial banks--and as we shall see, the crisis took place within the commercial banks. It is therefore crucial to recognize that, contrary to the claim many prominent economists and commentators have made, the 1999 act did not "repeal" Glass-Steagall, whose heavy regulatory framework on the activities of commercial banks remained on the books, as potent as ever.
The second part of the "deregulation" myth concerns credit default swaps, which truly were, and remain, unregulated. But as Wallison has shown in yet another AEI Financial Services Outlook,[5] subsequently expanded into an article in Critical Review,[6] credit default swaps did not mysteriously "interconnect" banks and increase systemic risk.
In essence, a credit default swap is a loss-protection insurance contract. This risk is swapped (for a fee) by the lender to a "counterparty"; the amount of the risk remains the same but has merely been transferred from the lender to the counterparty. This transfer no more increases overall risk levels than does a car insurance policy, which transfers risk from the driver to the insurance company. A credit default policy is often traded from one counterparty to another, so on a flow chart that followed the policy from hand to hand, all the counterparties might appear to be "interconnected." But this interconnection is historical only: past counterparties do not remain on the hook when they pass a policy to a new counterparty. There remain only two meaningfully connected parties--the ultimate insurer and the insured. Not surprisingly, then, Wallison demonstrates there is no evidence that credit default swaps contributed to the crisis.
Claim Two: Executive Compensation Systems at the Banks Caused the Crisis. This part of the conventional wisdom is doubtful at best. It is true that many publicly held American corporations, including banks, pay performance bonuses that may encourage excessive risk taking. The reason for this is a topic that cries out for exploration, as does any instance of manifestly irrational behavior by large numbers of businesses. An explanation that we find credible builds on the historical research of Amar Bhidé, who points out that starting in the 1930s, regulations issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) made the close supervision of corporations by "insiders" who financed these companies--the dominant practice before the SEC regulations--impossible.[7] Since the 1930s, therefore, equity investors in most corporations have, by definition, been "outsiders" who have had to use publicly reported information to infer what is going on inside. In making these inferences, they rely on short-term, legally mandated heuristics for long-term performance, such as quarterly earnings reports. This gears publicly held corporations toward short-term gain, even at the price of long-term risk.
It is one thing, however, to say that corporate America's compensation systems are flawed, whether because of securities regulations or for some other reason. It is quite another thing to say that this flaw caused the financial crisis.
To date, there have been only two studies of the matter, the first of which found that the banks whose executives held the most stock in the bank lost the most money in the crisis--indicating that the executives did not engage in deliberate risk taking motivated by a quest for higher bonuses, as they would have been risking their own money.[8] A more recent study, however, by Ing-Haw Cheng, Harrison Hong, and Jose Scheinkman finds a positive correlation between risk taking and large bonus packages,[9] although this study has been criticized on the grounds that most of the risk taking found by the authors was among insurance companies, not banks.[10]
These two studies are important, regardless of their conflicting findings, because their authors recognize that different banks operated differently. But at the aggregate level, there is decisive evidence against the thesis that incentives to take risks caused the financial crisis. The evidence is this: 93 percent of all the mortgage-backed securities held by American banks either were issued by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, and were thus implicitly guaranteed by the U.S. Congress (as the American taxpayer soon found out), or were issued by investment banks and rated AAA by one of the three rating agencies: Moody's, Standard and Poor's, or Fitch.[11]
Never mind that these three private corporations had had a legally protected oligopoly since 1975, thanks to another SEC regulation.[12] Never mind, in short, that, protected from market competition, these companies' AAA ratings may have been so sloppy or so deliberately skewed that they understated the risk associated with mortgage-backed bonds. That aside, the oligopoly's ratings produced a concrete result: as is true of all bonds, AAA-rated bonds paid less than lower-rated (AA, A, BBB, etc.), supposedly riskier bonds. Bond investors always trade risk against returns. A high rating connotes safety and therefore always pays lower returns than lower-rated bonds pay--and there is no higher rating than AAA. If bankers were being lured by their banks' compensation systems into acquiring risky but lucrative assets--on the basis of which the bankers would have gotten bigger bonuses--then they should never have bought AAA bonds. Instead, they should always have bought higher-paying AA-, A-, or BBB-rated bonds, but they did so only 7 percent of the time.
Claim Three: The Fed's Low Interest Rates from 2001 to 2005 Financed the Housing Bubble That Led to the Crisis. This is the only element of the conventional wisdom that seems to rest on solid ground.13 But when it is cut loose from the other two elements of the conventional wisdom, it generates a puzzle: why did the bursting of the housing bubble cause a financial crisis, that is, a banking crisis?
This might not seem so puzzling at first: commercial banks made many of the mortgage loans that were financed by the Federal Reserve's low interest rates. But the financial crisis was not caused by mortgage defaults directly: it was caused by a sharp drop, in September 2008, in the market price of mortgage-backed bonds, in anticipation of their declining value as the bubble deflated. The first victims of the falling price of mortgage-backed bonds were Fannie and Freddie; in quick succession came the investment bank Lehman Brothers; and finally came the commercial banks--because they held so many mortgage-backed bonds, not mortgages. The question, then, is why the commercial banks held so many mortgage-backed bonds. If deregulation or the quest for high earnings, hence high compensation, did not cause the banks to buy these bonds, what did?
Regulatory Roots of the Financial Crisis
To answer this question, we have to turn in a direction that has been overlooked by the conventional wisdom: an obscure regulation called the recourse rule. The recourse rule was enacted by the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Office of Thrift Supervision in 2001.[14] It was an amendment to the international Basel Accords governing banks' capital holdings, and all over the world, these regulations appear to have contributed significantly both to the housing boom and to the financial crisis.
A bank's capital reserve represents funds that are not borrowed--funds that, therefore, need not eventually be paid back to someone, such as a bank's depositors. Thus, an important source of a bank's capital reserve is funds from selling shares of stock in a bank. These funds can be costly to acquire, as one expert has pointed out:
For corporations (including banks) not eligible for Subchapter S earnings pass-through treatment, the after-tax cost of equity capital, say 12 to 15 percent, is substantially greater than the after-tax cost of debt, which is generally in the 3 to 5 percent range.[15]
By reducing their capital holdings, banks can, at least in principle, increase their profitability.
But under the recourse rule, "well-capitalized" American commercial banks were required to spend 80 percent more capital on commercial loans, 80 percent more capital on corporate bonds, and 60 percent more capital on individual mortgages than they had to spend on asset-backed securities, including mortgage-backed bonds, as long as these bonds were rated AA or AAA or were issued by a government-sponsored enterprise (GSE), such as Fannie or Freddie. Specifically, $2 in capital was required for every $100 in mortgage-backed bonds, compared to $5 for the same amount in mortgage loans and $10 for the same amount in commercial loans.
One can readily see that the recourse rule was designed to steer banks' funds into "safe" assets, such as AAA mortgage-backed bonds. The fact that 93 percent of the banks' mortgage-backed securities were either AAA rated or were issued by a GSE shows that this is exactly what the rule accomplished.[16] Unfortunately, these bonds turned out not to be so safe. Without the recourse rule, however, there is no reason for portfolios of American banks to have been so heavily concentrated in mortgage-backed bonds.
No other category of investors except investment banks (which packaged mortgages into mortgage-backed securities, and thus were caught with huge inventories of both), no matter how highly leveraged--not hedge funds, not bond funds, not pension funds, not insurance companies--was as decimated as commercial banks by huge holdings of mortgage-backed bonds. But that is because the recourse rule covered commercial banks, not hedge funds or anyone else. If not for the recourse rule's privileging of mortgage-backed bonds, the burst housing bubble almost certainly would not have caused a banking crisis. The banking crisis, in turn, froze lending and caused the Great Recession.
Indeed, the recourse rule may have been a significant factor in pumping up the housing bubble itself. In 2001, $2.2 trillion in mortgages were originated; the figure leapt to $2.9 trillion in 2002, when the recourse rule took effect, and to $3.9 trillion in 2003 before declining to $2.9 trillion in 2004, $3.1 trillion in 2005, and $3 trillion in 2006, after which the bubble began to deflate.[17] Was there a connection between the recourse rule and the housing bubble?
Each mortgage-backed bond promised, to the bond holders, principal and interest payments drawn from thousands of mortgages. The more mortgage-backed bonds were bought, the more mortgages had to be written. The artificial demand for mortgage-backed bonds created by the recourse rule may therefore explain why, as the decade wore on and the pool of credit-worthy borrowers who made traditional down payments dried up, banks and mortgage specialists lowered their lending standards and made the terms of their mortgages more generous. The resulting mortgages would soon be sold to Fannie, Freddie, or an investment bank for securitization into bonds. (Between the middle of 2001 and the beginning of 2002, mortgage securitization jumped from about $20 billion to $50 billion per quarter, peaking at nearly $150 billion per quarter in 2006.)[18]
The recourse rule did not apply outside the United States, but the first set of Basel accords on bank capital, adopted in 1988,[19] included provisions for even more profitable forms of "capital arbitrage" through off-balance-sheet entities such as structured investment vehicles (SIVs), which were used extensively in Europe. Moreover, in 2006, a second set of bank-capital accords, "Basel II," began to be implemented outside the United States. Basel II took essentially the same approach as the recourse rule, encouraging foreign banks to acquire mortgage-backed securities, just as in the United States.[20]
Here, then, we may have the genesis of the global financial crisis. If so, it turns out to have been caused by the very device--regulation--to which most people now, as they did throughout the twentieth century, look for the "reform" of capitalism. But is it really capitalism when it is so heavily regulated?
Regulation as a Source of Systemic Risk
It is true that capitalists--bankers--who took advantage of the recourse rule turned out to be making a grievous mistake. But not all capitalists made this mistake, and that is where the story gets interesting.
Recall the findings of Cheng, Hong, and Scheinkman, who detected more risk taking among ¬individual banks that paid high bonuses. We contrasted this finding against the aggregate behavior of (commercial) banks, which chose the less-lucrative, less-risky GSE-issued or AAA-rated mortgage-backed bonds favored by the recourse rule 93 percent of the time. The aggregate finding suggests that executive compensation practices did not cause the crisis and that the recourse rule did. But the findings by Cheng et al. remind us that aggregate figures obscure differences in behavior among individual business firms. Indeed, there is a word for "differences in behavior among individual business firms": competition.
Consider the contrast between Citigroup and one of its main competitors, JP Morgan Chase. Citi jumped into mortgage-backed bonds with both feet, putting them on its balance sheet through the recourse rule but also buying them off-balance-sheet through SIVs, of which Citi created seven of the sixteen in the United States (there were forty-one in Europe). Citi even established a separate unit to securitize its own mortgages. Meanwhile, JP Morgan lost billions of dollars in potential revenue for years in order to avoid mortgage securitization.[21] JP Morgan's Jamie Dimon was among those who recognized the danger; Citigroup's Chuck Prince apparently recognized the danger but calculated the odds of disaster as lower than the profits to be made from taking advantage of Basel I (which sanctioned SIVs) and the recourse rule.
What explains this diverse behavior is that the ¬individual bankers in question had different perceptions of the magnitude of the risk. In unregulated markets, that kind of diversity of viewpoints is precisely what makes capitalism work. One capitalist thinks that profit can be made, and loss avoided, by pursuing strategy A; another, by pursuing strategy B. The heterogeneous strategies of different capitalists compete with each other, and the better ideas produce more profits than losses.
That, from an analytical perspective, is competition. From the same perspective, competition is at the core of any rigorous definition of "capitalism." Competition is what gives capitalism its only conceivable economic advantages, as compared either to regulation or to the "whole new economic system" that many people have tried to envision ever since capitalism--with its inequalities, its waste, and its many other inadequacies--burst into public consciousness during the Industrial Revolution. To ask why we need competition, then, is to ask why we need capitalism.
Our answer is as follows. In a complex world like ours, nobody really knows what will succeed until it is tried. Competition, which pits entrepreneurs' divergent ideas against each other, is the only way to test these ideas through anything but the highly unreliable process of verbal debate (in which the debaters' competing ideas cannot be simultaneously tested against each other in the real world, instead of in the imaginations of their audience).
Competition among capitalists sorts out which of their ideas actually please real-world consumers and which of them are displeasing--however appealing the ideas might have seemed on the drawing board. And competition among capitalists also sorts out which ideas for how to avoid loss are good ones and which ideas for avoiding loss are bad. Thus, competition has the net effect of spreading society's bets among different, fallible ideas about where profit--and loss--might be located and of testing them against reality. For this reason, herd behavior among capitalists is a genuine threat to its "competitive advantage." If capitalists stop acting heterogeneously--if they compete through imitation, rather than innovation--the risk of systemic failure increases, unless all of the capitalists happen to be placing their chips on the right idea.
Capitalism will probably always be prone to asset bubbles and other manifestations of homogeneous behavior, but only because it is part of human nature for people to go along with the crowd. This is a risk that can be mitigated but not eliminated. But capitalism has a unique feature, competition, that does mitigate it by both encouraging and taking advantage of heterogeneous behavior, that is, innovation.
Homogeneity, on the other hand, is the ineradicable curse of socialism, in which the community as a whole, through its elected (or self-appointed) representatives, decides on the allocation of resources. One plan is imposed on all, as thoroughly as if everyone spontaneously decided to join a herd.[22] And we maintain that homogeneity is also the problem with regulation. Regulations, by their very nature, align the behavior of those being regulated with the ideas of those doing the regulating. Regulations are like mandatory instructions for herd behavior, automatically increasing systemic risk.
The recourse rule, Basel I, and Basel II loaded the dice in favor of the regulators' ideas about prudent banking. These regulations imposed a new profitability gradient over all bankers' risk/return calculations, conferring 80 percent capital relief on banks that bought GSE-issued or highly rated mortgage-backed bonds rather than commercial loans or corporate bonds, and 60 percent relief for banks that traded their individual mortgages for those "safe" mortgage-backed bonds. Only bankers with the most extreme perceptions of the downside, such as JP Morgan's Jamie Dimon, escaped unharmed.
Bank-capital regulations inadvertently made the banking system more vulnerable to the regulators' errors. But this is what all regulations do. Whether by forbidding one activity or encouraging a different one, the whole point of regulation is, after all, to change the behavior of those being regulated. And the direction of change is, obviously, the one the regulators think is wise.
Perhaps, then, we do need a new economic system: capitalism. The Basel rules, the recourse rule, the oligopoly-conferring regulations of the SEC--these regulations cover a tiny fraction of the millions of pages of the Federal Register and its state, local, and international counterparts. And each of the hundreds of thousands of regulations filling those pages chips away at the heterogeneous competitive behavior that constitutes the best reason for capitalism. If one is looking for the cause of a systemic failure in our highly regulated economy, it makes more sense, at least initially, to look to the laws that govern the whole system, rather than reflexively blaming what has now become "capitalism" in name only.
How Conservatives Get Capitalism Wrong
If our argument has been correct, then the Great Recession was a regulatory failure, not a failure of capitalism. But it is also an occasion for a rethinking of capitalism--by both its conservative defenders and its liberal critics.
Let us start with conservatives, many of whom make the mistake of extolling the brilliance, wisdom, or heroism of capitalists. They forget that for every Jamie Dimon, there is a Chuck Prince. Capitalists are as fallible as anyone else. Collectively, they possess no superior powers; their lucky guesses, no matter how well informed, are still guesses. Everyone can see this in the wake of the crisis. Paeans to capitalist genius will no longer do.
Seventy-three percent of the successful entrepreneurs recently surveyed by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation said luck was an important factor in their success.[23] These successful capitalists' own assessments happen to track the standard liberal view. The main point made by John Rawls--the great philosopher whom conservatives love to loathe but hate to read--was that good luck, including even the good luck to develop a strong work ethic, confers no moral claim. Winners of the genetic lottery, Rawls said, are not thereby entitled to be rewarded. Liberals are right to notice that good luck explains many capitalists' success, and that bad luck--accidents of birth--condemn millions to lives of misery. Conservatives who close their eyes to the accidental element in wealth and poverty make themselves appear both heartless and clueless.
In addition to their unfortunate romanticizing of capitalists, conservatives have erred by adopting the economists' standard explanation for the success of capitalism: self-interest. Self-interest is supposed to ¬provide the "magic of the market," but we can safely assume that Chuck Prince was every bit as self-interested as Jamie Dimon. Both of them had equally strong incentives to save their banks, but that did not help Citigroup. Armen Alchian, an economist at the University of California, Los Angeles, showed in 1950 that capitalism would succeed even if capitalists were not motivated by self-interest. And the fact is that many successful -capitalists, such as the founders of Google and Whole Foods, were not motivated by self-interest.[24]
Unfortunately, economists have only grown more obsessed with self-interest--that is, "incentives"--since 1950. This has led many conservatives to embrace the idea that "greed is good"--a woeful misreading of Adam Smith. Smith's parable of the baker, to whose benevolence we do not appeal when we buy our bread, is actually a lesson in unintended consequences, not in the wonders of greed. Even if the baker intends merely to make money, he can do so only by providing his customers with bread. In his case, greed is indeed good. But that does not mean that greed is always good and benevolence bad, nor that all bakers are in it solely for the money. Nor does it mean that greed accounts for the success of capitalism.
How Liberals Get Capitalism Wrong
Liberals are right to see through the usual conservative defenses of capitalism, but they are wrong on the big picture. They fail to notice that there is more to capitalism than luck and greed: there is competition--the saving grace of the whole system; the device that turns good luck to social advantage; and, when undisturbed, the source of capitalism's systemic strength.
Competition is the engine that turns the talents of the lucky to the service of all. A baker who offers moldy or bland bread can be driven from the field by a competitor offering a better product. That is the message of Adam Smith. The successful baker, no matter how greedy his motive for baking bread, must unintentionally mimic the very actions an altruistic Rawlsian philosopher would prescribe. The reason is the competitive nature of the capitalist system; the motives of individual capitalists are irrelevant. Competition puts capitalists' different motives, like their different ideas, to the acid test of consumer satisfaction. This tends to give consumers what they want--or at least what they think they want--and it diversifies a capitalist society's investment portfolio. Capitalism thus mitigates both human greed and human fallibility. This is an amazing achievement, but there is nothing magical about it.
Now consider again the alternatives liberals tend to favor--either the regulation of capitalism or its replacement by something more democratic, like an idealized socialism. Since regulators' or citizens' ideas would then be imposed on the whole economy at once, they could not be put to the competitive test--any more than the conflicting arguments of debaters, the conflicting promises of politicians, or the conflicting forecasts of budget analysts can be tested. If the citizens' or the regulators' ideas happen to be good ones, we all gain; if they happen to be bad, we all lose.
The whole system crashed when the financial regulators' ideas about prudent banking backfired, but such failures are inevitable unless modern societies are so ¬simple that the solutions to social and economic problems will be self-evident to a generalist voter, or even a specialist regulator. That modern societies really are that simple is, in truth, the hidden assumption of modern politics. This is why political conflicts get so ugly: neither side can understand why their adversaries oppose what "self-evidently" should be done, so both sides ascribe evil motives to each other. But the financial crisis has exposed this simplistic view of the world for what it is. In the wake of the crisis, nobody can plausibly deny anymore that modern societies are bafflingly complex. The solutions to social and economic problems are thereby unlikely to be self-evident. The theories that seem so obviously true to voters or regulators may turn out to be disastrously false--unless regulators or citizens are infallible.
That surely would be magical. But there is no more magic to politics than there is to markets. The question raised by the ongoing intellectual contest between socialism and capitalism, and the ongoing practical battle between regulation and competition, is how best to guard against human frailties: By putting all our eggs in one politically decided basket? Or by spreading our bets through the only practical means available: competition?
Mr. Friedman is the editor of the journal Critical Review and of Causes of the Financial Crisis (University of Pennsylvania Press, forthcoming in 2010). Mr. Kraus is coauthoring, with Friedman, Engineering the Perfect Storm: How Reasonable Regulations Caused the Financial Crisis (University of Pennsylvania Press, forthcoming in 2011).


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For a while Saturday, it appeared Alison Riske was the equal of Maria Sharapova. The moment didn't last.
Riske, an unseeded American, held a 3-1 lead over the French Open champion and former Wimbledon winner. It was an interesting start under the roof at Center Court.
Then, Sharapova took command. She won the next 11 games to close out a 6-3, 6-0 victory and advance to the second week of competition.
"I felt better as the match went on," Sharapova said. "Alison's a great grass-court player. She's had some of her best results on this surface, so I knew that it was going to be a challenge today. I had a little bit of a slow start.
"I'm just happy to be in the second week after last year's result. I wasn't satisfied. I was looking forward to coming back very soon and here I am, giving myself another chance."
Riske, 23, ranked No. 44 in the world, broke Sharapova's serve in the opening set. That was all.
Riske reached the third round with wins over Russa's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, and Italy's Camila Giorgi, 7-5, 6-2. Saturday, she displayed an ability to excel in serve-and-volley tennis.
Then she discovered into the best of Sharapova, the tournament's fifth seed who is playing in top form. The match was a clinic by a woman who is among title favorites.
Next for Sharapova: the winner between ninth seed Angelique Kerber and Kirsten Flipkens, a semifinalist last year, in the fourth round.
Playing before a flock of celebrities, Riske took solace by noting the handsome man in the Royal Box.
David Beckham watched me lose to Sharapova on Center Court at Wimbledon. Id say that is half winning...
— Alison Riske (@Riske4rewards) June 28, 2014


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'Graceland' ReviewJordan Hoffman September 23, 2012 @ 5:19 PM
We'd all like to think that if our backs were up against it and we had to fight for our loved ones, we'd all become Liam Neeson in 'Taken.' Of course, not everyone has "a particular set of skills." Or maybe your skill is to try and appease everyone as chaos escalates around you, praying that, somehow, everything will work out if you just keep bluffing? That would appear to be the strategy of 'Graceland's' Marlon, a recently fired corrupt politician's chauffeur whose daughter had just been kidnapped.


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How to Make a Gift of Materials
Other sites of Interest
A donation of $100.00 or more to the University of Texas Libraries supports the purchase of a book in memory of someone designated by the donor(s). The family of the person memorialized is sent a copy of the acknowledgment letter notifying them of the donation. Memorial donations can be sent to: Development Office, University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin, P.O. Box P, Austin, Texas 78713-8916. Please make checks payable to: The University of Texas at Austin.


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Erie-area restaurants embrace BYOB dining
I'd like to raise a glass and propose a toast to Erie -- a region brimming with small, independently owned restaurants where the atmosphere is intimate, the cuisine is inventive and the beverages are bring your own.
Here are a few tips to consider before taking that first sip at a BYOB (bring your own beverage) restaurant.
The basics
Since 1933, the sale of liquor in Pennsylvania has been controlled by the commonwealth. For a restaurant to sell beer, wine or other alcoholic beverage, it must have a license from the Liquor Control Board.
The number of liquor licenses in Erie County -- or any municipality in the state -- is limited to a certain number proportional to the population.
For a new restaurant, the cost and effort involved with acquiring a liquor license is prohibitive, said Harry Miller, a restaurateur and caterer who began marketing his first restaurant, La Bella Bistro, as a BYOB in 1990.
"I like the idea of focusing on the food," said Miller, whose customers come with a wide variety of tastes in wines, beer and liquors. "The inventory to stock the bar would be substantial."
Most BYOB restaurants do stock glasses, coolers, wine openers, drink mixes and other accessories to make bringing your own beverage more convenient and enjoyable.
To cover those expenses as well as compensate for the time and expertise of the server, restaurants may charge a nominal fee, called corkage. This applies to any alcoholic beverage and is usually $1 or $2 per person.
The corkage isn't for actually opening the wine, said Alice Novotny, owner of Alice's Diamond Caf� in Millcreek. So don't bring your bottle pre-opened and expect to avoid the fee.
Charging a corkage fee allows the restaurant to recover the lost cost of other beverages as well as recapture the expense of the hardware such as beer and rocks glasses or wine buckets and goblets, she said.
Not every restaurant's definition of BYOB is the same. Some include beer, wine and liquor. But some restaurants, like Bistro 26, allow only wine or champagne. Others offer mixers for drinks such as mimosas and margaritas or offer soda or juice to create your favorite cocktail.
Before arriving for your meal, I'd recommend asking about the restaurant's BYOB policy, apportionments and any corkage fee.
Your way
For me, eating out is as much about the experience as the meal. And who doesn't like things their way?
Most local BYOB restaurants are small, intimate dining rooms, giving diners the ability to leisurely consume their beverages at the table with food, rather than standing around noisy, jam-packed bars.
With more than a dozen BYOB restaurants in the region, you can also choose from a variety of cuisines -- from Thai, Indian, Mediterranean and Italian to American modern. (See sidebar.)
Best of all, what you drink is up to you. You're not limited to a certain beverage, brand or price point.
For Mario Mazza of North East, the appeal of BYOB is being able to drink what you enjoy -- whether that's a treasured wine from your personal collection or a light summery flavor like rose.
"I believe that wine is a food and should be a component of your meal," said Mazza, an enologist at Mazza Vineyards, who enjoys taking a bottle of wine with sentimental value to share with his wife, Melissa, or friends during a special dinner.
Often what people are drinking leads to a lovely conversation, said Novotny, who makes suggestions for meals to pair with the wine.
"It's fun," she added. "Everyone has a story to tell about their favorite wine."
Whether you're drinking a French Bordeaux or an Erie microbrew, by bringing it yourself you'll save with each sip.
"The savings to the customer is incredible," said Miller, who estimated that 75 percent of his customers bring wine, with the remainder bringing beer, vodka, rum or after dinner drinks.
A good meal, a favorite bottle of wine and an extra $20 to $50 in my pocket -- I'll drink to that every time.
Other tips & etiquette
A few more helpful hints:
Bag it -- There is no dress code for bottles. Dress them up with a cute carrying case or bag, go utilitarian in the state-store-issue brown bag or carry it au natural.
Chill -- Remember to put the bottle on ice and transport it in a cooler if you want it thoroughly chilled and served immediately. (Forgot? Don't worry. Most restaurants can provide ice, frosted glasses and a cooler.)
Homework -- Check out the menu in advance to pair your food and beverage. Call ahead to inquire about corkage fees and BYOB details.
Opening -- Most restaurants have the tools and will open your bottle of beer or wine and pour it for you.
Pouring -- You can expect the server to pour your first glass of wine and refill it throughout the meal. The difference is you may not get the traditional sample pour. They assume because you brought it, you'll like it.
Tipping -- Your server does more than open your wine. Consider adding to their tip for extras like chilling, pouring and providing clean glasses if you switch to another bottle of wine.


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For the fourth year, Kalane Anders hopes to compete at the state high school finals rodeo.
The Bayard, Neb., cowboy, who is 18, is a tie-down roper, team roper and steer wrestler, and for the past three years, has qualified for state finals in Hastings.
He's on track to do it again this year.
Kalane (pronounced KAY-lin), is ranked second in the steer wrestling and fourth in the tie-down roping. The top 30 contestants in each event qualify for the Nebraska High School Finals Rodeo, so Kalane's spot should be secure.
Besides rodeo, school and work are keeping him busy. He graduated last weekend from Bayard High and is working on a neighbor's ranch down the road. Steve Jobman, his boss, puts him to work calving, feeding, fixing fence, whatever needs to be done.
And when the work is done, he and Jobman team rope, and Jobman's son-in-law helps him with his steer wrestling practice.
Last year, Kalane finished in the top four in the state in the steer wrestling and went on to finish ninth in the nation at the National High School Finals Rodeo in Rock Springs, Wyo. He'd love to be back in Rock Springs this summer; the top four from each state, in each event, qualify for Nationals.
His rodeo has secured part of his college tuition. He has a scholarship to Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, Wyo., where he'll continue to rodeo, and the rodeo coach has told him if he does any good, he'll be bumped up to a full ride.
Kalane will get his general classes out of the way in Cheyenne and then transfer to the University of Wyoming, where he will get a civil engineering degree. Math and science come easy to him, and his dad has told him, 'don't settle short. Try for something that will help you in the long run.'
After college, he'll most likely work for a few years, and then hit the pro rodeo trail.
He's enjoyed his high school rodeo years very much.
"It's a blast doing it," he says. "I really have fun doing it."
Rodeo has given him lots of friends.
"You meet a lot of people and get a lot of friends."
Kalane has an older brother, Colby, who was also a high school rodeo member. Colby is a student at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo., and is on the rodeo team there.
Kalane is the son of Kent and Lisa Anders.
Ruth Nicolaus writes for the Adams County, Neb., Ag Society.


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Shibui (refined austerity) colours: Indigo blue
The indigo plant was used as a textile dye from the 9th century onwards. Indigo was often used to form resist-dyed decorative patterns on a plain white fabric. Indigo was traditionally used for everyday workwear, so is associated with 'honest' hard work, and represents reliability and dedication. As in the West, lighter shades of blue are also thought to be cool and restful. Blue is also associated with the sea.
Aomori, Japan
Indigo-dyed ramie, with white cotton stitching (kogin)
Width 100 cm x height 129 cm
Museum no. FE.141-1983
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London
This kimono was made and worn by a woman living in Tsugaru, a penisula in the very north of Honshû, the main island of Japan. It is woven with fine indigo-dyed ramie. The decorative panel on the upper part has been stitched in white with a diamond pattern, a technique known as kogin. If she was to make a good marriage it was essential that a Tsugaru woman master the skills of kogin, and training began at an early age. By her wedding day the bride was expected to have woven and embroidered a number of fine garments for herself and her future husband. These would be worn on special occasions.


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At recent New York readings of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, author J.K. Rowling stunned fans with admissions about her characters—and herself.
DUMBLEDORE IS GAY Asked if the Hogwarts headmaster ever finds love, Rowling outed her master wizard, explaining he'd been "horribly, terribly let down" by unrequited feelings for rival Gellert Grindelwald.
HAGRID STAYS SINGLE ... Not his fault—giantesses are in short supply. When the audience expressed disappointment, Rowling added, "At least I didn't kill him!"
... BUT NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM LUCKS OUT Harry's awkward classmate eventually marries pigtailed Hufflepuffer Hannah Abbott.
AND GINNY'S NOT ALONE IN LOVING HARRY "I actually married Harry Potter," Rowling joked. "If you've seen a photo of my husband [anesthesiologist Neil Murray], I think Harry will look like that once he hits a certain age."
Picks and Pans Review: Harry Potter: Romantic Secrets Revealed!
MARISA LAUDADIO Richard B. Stolley
updated 11/05/2007 AT 01:00 AM EST
•originally published 11/05/2007 AT 01:00 AM EST