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BMI View: Developments in Egypt, Syria and Iran have disrupted relations between Saudi Arabia and its traditional ally, the United States. Although we expect the alliance to remain firm over the coming years, we note that Riyadh's foreign policy risks have increased, with the prospect of a US-Iran détente presenting a particular quandary to Saudi policymakers.
Over th e past few months, Saudi Arabia's foreign policy has encountered a number of setbacks , with Riyadh appearing isolated from its traditional ally, the United States. The Kingdom has struggled to adapt to changes in US policy over Syria and Iran, and has vocally diverged from Washington's line on Egypt .
Sharp Divide Over Egypt: The Egyptian army's ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in July 2013 presented Saudi Arabia with a windfall gain, bringing a friendly military-backed regime back to power in Cairo while gravely reducing the regional influence of the Muslim Brotherhood (a movement historically viewed by Riyadh with a high degree of suspicion). At the time, Saudi Arabia eulogised the Egyptian armed forces for having "managed to save Egypt at this critical moment from a dark tunnel God only could apprehend its dimensions and repercussions".
This close support has run at odds with the position adopted by the US , with the latter electing to suspend a large part of its US$1.3bn military aid to Egypt on October 9 (see 'Aid Cut-Off To Have Minimal Economic Impact', October 10) . Since July, Saudi Arabia and other Arab Gulf states have provided Egypt with a combined US$12bn in short- term funding, largely negating the effectiveness of the US aid cut-off. Riyadh has also adopted an unusually tough rhetoric, with King Abdullah announcing in a rare televised speech in August that "the kingdom stands with Egypt and against all those who try to interfere with its domestic affairs" - a veiled reference to Washington. Foreign Affairs Minister Saud al-Fa isal went further, issuing a lengthy statement denouncing the "strange cours e [and] hostile attitudes against the interests of the Arab and Islamic nations" of international policy on Egypt.
Bargaining Over Syria: Saudi Arabia has stepped up its involvement in the Syrian civil war since mid-2013 , asserting a leadership role that was previously occupied by Qatar. The Kingdom has become the main provider of arms to the rebels opposing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government , nurtured close relationships with moderate factions within the opposition, and made clear its intent ion of pursuing regime change in Damascus. Saudi intelligence chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan reportedly offered Moscow a mixture of strategic and ec onomic incentives - including a major arms deal and a pledge to safeguard Russia's gas contracts - if it were to drop its support for the Assad regime. Saudi officials have also sought a more active Western involvement in the Syrian conflict, and pushed heavily for an overwhelming US-led missile strike against Damascus following evidence of a major chemical weapons attack in August.
Instead, the US turned away from military action, reaching an agreement with Russia for the removal and destruction of Syria's chemical arsenal by mid-2014 . Saudi Arabia (along with Turkey, which also made strong calls for intervention) was left largely marginalised from the negotiations , even as Assad has emerged temporarily strengthened on the diplomatic stage. Further complicating Riyadh's strategic calculations , any escalation of Wester n support for the rebels is highly unlikely as long as the ch emical weapons agreement holds - leaving Saudi Arabia relatively isolated in its activist role.
Fear Of 'Betrayal' Over Iran: T he recent improvements in relations between Iran and the West present the Kingdom with a more existential quandary . On September 26, Iran's new President Hassan Rouhani announced his aim to reach a deal with world powers over Tehran's nuclear program me in three to six months and alleviate crippling economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation . Saudi officials have been left wrong-footed by the rapid change in Iranian foreign policy, and fear that a more substantive US-Iran r approchement would come at the expense of their own interests - concerns shared by Israel . On October 3, Riyadh took the unprecedented step of cancelling its annual address to the United Nations General Assembly, in a public expression of disapproval with the US.
Saudi Arabia has a long-standing rivalry with Iran, and the two countries have consistently vied for influence in the Middle East by intervening in regional conflicts, notably over Syria. Tensions have also remained fuelled by Saudi suspicion of Iran's nuclear program me and persisting unrest amongst Bahrain's majority Shi'a population, which Riyadh regards as stirred by Tehran. Saudi officials fear that a détente between Iran and the West would allow an expansion of Iranian control in the region, with Riyadh retaining only a subordinate and insecure geopolitical role. The lifting of sanctions on Iran would boost the Iranian economy and pave the way for substantial foreign investment inflows , potentially to the expense of Saudi Arabia . Indeed, we would expect a gradual return of Iranian crude to the market were such a scenario to occur , putting downside pressure on prices - which Saudi Arabia would then need to accommodate by cutting its own production.
|Short-Term Stability, Long-Term Fragility
|MENA - Political Risk Ratings (max = 100)
US-Saudi Relationship Will Remain Close For Now...
Although the drawbacks described above present substantial challenges to Saudi foreign policy, their immediate cost to Riyadh should not be exaggerated. Both the chemical weapons agreement over Syria and the ongoing talks on Iran's nuclear programme are characterised by enormous political and technical difficulties. While the Assad regime has so far cooperated with the terms of the agreement and allowed international inspectors into Syria, the process is likely to take a considerable amount of time, and we expect the US and its allies to maintain the threat of unilateral military action against Damascus in the future (see 'Chemical Weapons Agreement Presents Formidable Challenges', September 18) .
Similarly, n egotiations between Iran and the West could be thrown off course by hardliners on both sides, and we cannot preclude that the recent 'charm offensive' by Tehran might be merely part of a tactical move aimed at easing economic pressure and mitigate risks of an Israeli or US military attack . Under a scenario whereby talks end in failure, the sanctions regime would likely be tightened further, and risks of an Israeli military attack on Iran's nuclear facilities would increase significantly (see 'US - Iran Talks: Three Scenarios', October 1) .
More generally, Washington's military commitment to Saudi Arabia and other Arab Gulf allies stretches back decades, and has endured despite previous periods of strains between the two sides. Indeed, back in 2007 - at another low point in US-Saudi relations - we wrote that "Saudi Arabia's somewhat more prominent diplomatic manoeuvring in the Middle East, and its increasingly independent public line from the US, has led to a great deal of speculation that the alliance between the two sides is faltering. In reality however, mutual interests mean that the alliance is as firm as ever and negative commentary from both sides represents a bit of 'carrot and stick' diplomacy rather than a fundamental change in relations " (see 'US Alliance Still Firm If Not Friendly', August 10 2007) . We maintain much the same view today.
|No Disputes On That Front
|Saudi Arabia - Arms Transfer Agreements, by Supplier (US$bn)
The US retains deep-rooted commitments to the Middle East, and will continue to uphold policies aimed at guaranteeing the security of oil shipments (especially through the Strait of Hormuz) to friendly states; protecting Israel from external threats, including Iran; and maintaining a balance of power between the region's most powerful states. On October 15, the US sent a strong signal of continued support, announcing plans to sell Saudi Arabia and the UAE US$10.8bn in advanced weaponry, including air-launched cruise missiles and precision munitions . Saudi Arabia has consistently been amongst the largest buyer of US arms, with US$52.1bn of agreements between 2008 and 2011 (see chart above ) . At the same time, attempts by Riyadh to distance itself publicly from the alliance play well to a regional audience overwhelmingly critical of the US.
... But Foreign Policy Risks Have Increased
Nevertheless, Saudi uneasiness over both the scale of its new commitments and the future direction of American foreign policy is unlikely to be easily assuaged. As we have already noted in the past, Saudi Arabia's rising exposure to the Syrian conflict carries numerous risks: the increasingly sectarian nature of the conflict could ignite further tensions in Saudi Arabia's Shi'a dominated Eastern Province, and will accelerate the flow of Saudi jihadists to Syria. At the same time, Riyadh has few concrete tools to influence events on the ground (see 'Drawn-Out Involvement In Syria Brings Risks', July 10 ) . These limitations have become clear over the past month, with leading rebel factions turning decisively against the leadership of the moderate Syrian National Coalition supported by Riyadh .
The benefits for Saudi Arabia of close ties with the Egyptian military-backed government are clearer , given Egypt's strategic importance in the region. Nevertheless, such an alliance is hardly bereft of risks, despite the current semblance of relative stability and policy continuity in Egypt (see 'Political Risks Moderating, For Now', September 16) . Renewed turmoil in the country could place Saudi Arabia in the same position as Qatar - which gambled heavily on the regional success of the Muslim Brotherhood at the onset of the Arab Spring, only to lose all its gains following Morsi's downfall (see 'Increasing Backlash From Assertive Foreign Policy', May 20) .
In the long run, a cooler Saudi-US relationship might well prevail, particularly if Iran is successfully reintegrated into international diplomacy. To be sure, s tructural factors b roadly run against the alliance. T he US' energy imports from the Gulf are declining; its influence in the Middle East has narrowed; and Chinese economic and diplomatic clout in the region is growing, albeit from a very low base. The US overtook Saudi Arabia to become the world's biggest oil producer in October 2013 - while China surpassed the US as the largest importer of crude. However, it will be many years - probably at least a generation - before China is capable of displacing the US as the main external power in the Gulf (see 'US 'Energy Independence': Geopolitical Consequences', January 15) .


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NEW CITY - Officials say a fire in a New City house may have been averted if the homeowners had installed smoke detectors.
Firefighters responded to a call about a fire in the basement of a home on West Clarkstown Road last night. Crews were able to quickly get the flames under control, but there is extensive damage throughout the house.
Fire officials say there were no smoke detectors in the home. But two brand-new ones, still in boxes, were discovered by firefighters.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.

subset: commoncrawl


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With a stay at De coze' Hotel, you'll be centrally located in Patong, convenient to Jungceylon Shopping Center and Patong Beach. This hotel is within close proximity of Bazaan Fresh Market and Bangla Boxing Stadium.
Make yourself at home in one of the 43 individually decorated guestrooms, featuring refrigerators and LED televisions. Rooms have private balconies. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms feature bathtubs or showers with rainfall showerheads and spring water baths.
Take advantage of recreation opportunities including an outdoor pool and a sauna. Additional amenities at this Art Deco hotel include complimentary wireless Internet access, a television in a common area, and tour/ticket assistance.
Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at a bar/lounge. Buffet breakfasts are available daily for a fee.
Business, Other Amenities
Featured amenities include dry cleaning/laundry services, a 24-hour front desk, and laundry facilities. A shuttle from the airport to the hotel is provided for a surcharge (available on request), and limited parking is available onsite.


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Mitt Romney Acknowledged His Miami Tax-Evading Pals Before Univision Broadcast
For a guy who doesn't believe in restoring felons' voting rights, Mitt Romney sure likes to associate with accused criminals when he comes to Miami.
Back in August, Romney held a rally at a popular Coral Gables fruit juice stand owned by convicted coke trafficker Reinaldo Bermudez.
On Wednesday, when Romney waltzed on stage for Univision's "Meet the Candidate" event at the University of Miami, he made sure to say hi to audience members Fausto and Remedios Diaz Oliver, a wealthy Miami couple who were criminally charged with tax evasion and customs fraud by the federal government in 1997.
Lucky for Mittens, Remedios can still cast a ballot for him since she only pled guilty to criminal misdemeanors. In fact, she is playing a prominent role in the GOP candidate's efforts to court Hispanic voters as one of the 13 members of Florida's Juntos Con Romney leadership committee. According to OpenSecrets.org, Remedios has contributed $2,500 to Romney's presidential campaign.
Upcoming Events
But 15 years ago, a federal indictment charged Remedios, her hubby, a family friend and that friend's ex-husband of evading federal income taxes and dodging custom duties. The quartet owned a food importing business accused of producing phony expenses to hide about $456,000 from the Internal Revenue Service between 1988 and 1993. They also allegedly submitted phony invoices to U.S. Customs to deflate the true value of goods brought into the United States from Spain for $5.3 million to $2.8 million.
The Diaz Olivers, who own Miami-based bottle and container supplier All-American Containers, denied having any interest in the importing business, but the indictment said the couple "participated in the creation, operation and management of Spanish Foods." The feds also claimed the Diaz Olivers owned 24.5 percent of the company through their two children.
In 1999, Remedios pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges of accessory after the fact to tax evasion and customs fraud. She avoided going to prison and received three years probation. Fausto, on the other hand, pled to one felony count each of tax evasion and customs fraud.
Her plea deal allowed Remedios to remain actively involved in Republican electioneering efforts. Within days of accepting her plea, she was listed as a member of a host committee for a George W. Bush fundraiser for his 2000 presidential campaign. She was credited with being one of 37 people who each raised about $25,000 for the Texas governor.
- Mitt Romney Is Stumping in Miami at Eatery Owned by Convicted Coke Smuggler
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realmagick.com The shrine of knowledge.
Legal Ownership
A selection of articles related to legal ownership.
Original articles from our library related to the Legal Ownership. See Table of Contents for further available material (downloadable resources) on Legal Ownership.
- A View on the Wiccan Rede
- I was listening to radio evangelist Bob Larson talk to a witch on his radio show. The witch mentioned the Wiccan Rede "as you harm none, do as you will." He snorted and ridiculed the idea that such a simple idea could be a legitimate basis for...
Paganism & Wicca >> The Wiccan Rede
- The 'W' Word (Witch), What Does it Mean?
- The other day I sat down and again tried to define what it is that I am doing. We are talking about beginning our church next year, but a church of what? I am the type that is most comfortable with a clear and complete understanding, so I began at the...
Religions >> Paganism & Wicca
- Nipping Trouble in the Bud: Community and Child Custody Issues Affecting Heathens
- I suggest there are several ways to deal with religious issues, particularly as they affect child custody, getting along with neighbors, etc. One is to be open and honest unless you are in an area so benighted as to be putting yourself and your loved ones in...
Paganism & Wicca >> Daily Life
- Survivalists' Guide for the New Millennium: Chapter 7
- MAKING FRIENDS WITH NATURE AND NATURAL LAW The fall of human society has not occurred overnight. It has taken many centuries, many millennia in fact, for the Divine potentials and inherent genius of the human being to degrade into the modern...
Philosophy >> Survivalists Guide for the New Millennium
- How reliable are things remembered under hypnosis?
- This has often arisen as both a legal issue (as in the reliability oftestimony obtained during or after hypnotherapy) and also a social issue(regarding the use of hypnotherapy to establish evidence of early child abuse,for example). It is entirely true that...
Parapsychology >> Hypnosis
- Hypnosis: A Selected Bibliography
- Index of bibliography sections Selected Periodicals (14 entries) Edited Overviews of General Theories of Hypnosis (5 entries) Specific Topics Related to Research into Hypnosis. General single-author overviews, non-special-state views, social andexperimental...
Parapsychology >> Hypnosis
- The Rise Of The Rede
- A Change In Emphasis The Wiccan Rede currently enjoys an extremely visible role in Paganism. As of this writing, a browser search using the term "Wiccan Rede" will generate no less than 4,000 listings. Go to a specific Web site with a "basics...
Paganism & Wicca >> The Wiccan Rede
Legal Ownership is described in multiple online sources, as addition to our editors' articles, see section below for printable documents, Legal Ownership books and related discussion.
Suggested Pdf Resources
- An item for which there is a right to ownership can have limited real rights based on it. , such as the right ... The content and legal action of the right to ownership ...
- www.libertas-institut.com
- Beneficial Ownership - OECD
- Jan 30, 2013 introduced in the OECD-model tax treaty to codify that the sole owner of 100% legal ownership (and no economic ownership) would not benefit ...
- www.oecd.org
- Adoption of Concept of Change of Economic Ownership - IMF
- Economic ownership takes account of where the risks and rewards of ownership lie. Legal, physical, and economic ownership are related concepts and can be ...
- www.imf.org
- Last modified August 2011. Page 1 of 3. PROCEDURES FOR OBTAINING LEGAL OWNERSHIP OF ABANDONED OR.
- www.mass.gov
- Economic Ownership and Changes in Ownership Goods - unece
- Apr 4, 2013 The legal owner can differ from the economic owner although in ... structure of legal ownership differs from the chain of economic ownership.
- www.unece.org
Suggested News Resources
- Confirmed: Rangers regain legal ownership of its name and trademarks
- RANGERS has regained the legal ownership of its precious trademarks from Sports Direct supremo Mike Ashley, it has been confirmed. A host of Rangers and club-related trademarks and logos including the club name, Ibrox and The Gers, were held by Mr ...
- Can we return our property to joint ownership using the Land Registry?
- But it would have been very hard for him to apply for a 'transfer of equity' – which a lender needs when people want to change the legal ownership of a property with a mortgage – without your knowing about it.
- Movie-Streaming Sites Claim Legal Cover With DVD-Ownership Models
- The two companies defend their services as falling within legal bounds.
- Jay Z Wins Legal Battle Over Sound Engineer Who Claimed Co-ownership of 45 Songs
- A jab isn't the only thing Jay Z is able to dodge, as a 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a win for the rapper and industry mogul on Wednesday (Feb. 24) in a case against Chauncey Mahan, a sound engineer who claimed co-ownership of over 45 songs.
- Vets launch microchipping campaign ahead of dog ownership law change
- "Of course this also applies to cats, rabbits and other pets, and while legally only dogs will be required to be microchipped, it is sensible to microchip a cat or rabbit too.
Suggested Web Resources
- legal ownership | trust law | Britannica.com
- The basic distinction between legal and equitable ownership is quite simple. The legal owner of the property (trustee) has the right to possession, the privilege of ...
- www.britannica.com
- What is legal owner? definition and meaning - BusinessDictionary.com
- Definition of legal owner: Entity that has an enforceable claim or title to an asset or property, and is recognized as such by law. For example, a lender is the legal ...
- www.businessdictionary.com
- Ownership legal definition of ownership
- ownership. n. legal title coupled with exclusive legal right to possession.
- legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com
- Owner legal definition of owner
- Owner. The person recognized by the law as having the ultimate control over, and right to use, property as long as the law permits and no agreement or ...
- legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com
- Ownership - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- [edit]. Main article: Private property. An individual or group of individuals can own shares in corporations and ...
- en.wikipedia.org
Great care has been taken to prepare the information on this page. Elements of the content come from factual and lexical knowledge databases, realmagick.com library and third-party sources. We appreciate your suggestions and comments on further improvements of the site.
Legal Ownership Topics
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CAPE MAY - There are plenty of good reasons my dining guest and I didn't mind waiting thirty minutes at the Blue Pig Tavern for a table on a cold, mid-winter night.
First was the cozy bar and lounge area where we sipped our glasses of wine in front of a wood-burning fireplace, in a room decorated with an eclectic array of chairs, ottomans and cushions that felt as cozy as home.
The bar itself is small, but that didn't stop folks from flocking around it to drink cocktails or sit on stools to eat. The bartenders were furiously mixing, shaking and pouring away on what they told us was an unusually busy night, especially for a weekday.
Time went quickly, and before we knew it, the maitre'd seated us in the main dining room not far from another crackling fire that kept us warm throughout the evening.
Settled in a corner of historic Congress Hall, the Blue Pig Tavern hails from a decor lineage dating from the 1700s and 1800s. White linen-covered, candlelit tables aside, the interior certainly looks like a tavern, but the unpretentious menu reflects more sophisticated fare that ranges from homemade macaroni and cheese and ale-battered local fish 'n' chips, to free-range organic chicken and grilled filet mignon, plus a daily listing of "locally famous blue plate specials." This was one instance when we truly had difficulty deciding what to order, because everything sounded appealing.
Our waitress, who was as adorable and as unobtrusive as they come, delivered sweet, swift and excellent service from beginning to end. There is a patron-server bond that develops when a server is confident and professional, which was the case here. We followed her advice after we asked her opinion about certain menu items, and she didn't let us down.
The meal began with warm, fragrant bread laced with asiago cheese and served with soft butter, a precursor to the top-notch food we suspected would follow (and we were correct).
Six oysters of the day ($18), raw Cape May salts with cocktails sauce and lemon, were smallish but perfect. My guest was amazed at how quickly they disappeared. Oyster lovers surely understand the value at three dollars a piece when they are as delicious as these were.
A stuffed tomato ($12) filled with an unusual but lovely combination of saut�ed barley with herbs and melted parmigiano reggiano came posed on a plate accompanied by braised Belgian endive and tarragon vinaigrette. Each component worked well together, and I was especially pleased to see and taste a ripe tomato in December.
An a la carte salad ($10) made with field greens, a chardonnay poached pear, bits of dried apricots, grape tomatoes, candied pecans, and creamy goat cheese was dressed with just the right amount of white balsamic vinaigrette, enough to give it flavor without overpowering the other ingredients, a rarity in my book. It was as fine as our server said it would be.
My guest's blue plate special came with soup or salad, so he chose the soup of the day: creamy carrot-ginger, which was fantastic with its piquant gingery overtone. Oftentimes carrot soups are too sweet. Not so in this case.
We had a couple of quibbles about our otherwise terrific entrees, but they didn't keep us from enjoying our meals.
The steak and cake ($34), a pairing of New York strip steak and jumbo lump crab cake, was also one of our server's recommendations. The straightforward, tender and flavorsome steak, drizzled with red wine reduction sauce, arrived charred on the outside and medium-rare within as requested. Each forkful of mildly seasoned, lightly browned crab cake yielded substantial hunks of jumbo lump crabmeat with very little filler.
Fluffy mashed potatoes and saut�ed julienne carrots would have been better had they been hot like the main dishes. Unfortunately, they were almost cold, which was a slight disappointment.
Monday's blue plate special ($22), traditional house made parpardelle pasta with sweet Italian sausage, a sprinkling of plum tomatoes, broccoli rabe, olive oil and garlic, was nice but a tad underwhelming. All of the components were cooked properly, but it needed more oomph, something to bring out the flavors and tie them together.
We were excited to learn that there is a pastry chef on premises. Typically, it means that desserts are better than most you'll find.
The two we had were marvelous as expected.
Dutch apple pie ($8), with its thin, flaky crust, fresh apples and crumb topping, came with cinnamon gelato, undoubtedly handmade as well. The bread and butternut squash pudding with bourbon sauce ($7) was even more divine. I've never had bread pudding with such moist, downy texture before. Butternut squash puree dispersed throughout added a unique quality that delighted us.
We drove home talking about how much we liked the entire experience: the ambiance, the service and the food. As a matter of fact, I was so enthralled by what I was eating, I didn't notice if there was music playing in the background.
Luckily for us, the Blue Pig Tavern is open all year. We don't have to wait until summer to return. The macaroni and cheese with stewed tomatoes is calling.
(Taylor Yarborough is the pseudonym of a southern New Jersey food writer. Write to Yarborough c/o Food Editor James Clark at firstname.lastname@example.com. Restaurant-ratings guide: 4 stars, extraordinary; 3 stars, excellent; 2 stars, good; 1 star, fair; 0 stars, poor.)
Blue Pig Tavern
251 Beach Ave.
Cape May
Phone: 609-884-8422
Hours: Breakfast, Monday through Friday 7:30 to 11 a.m., Saturday and Sunday 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; lunch, daily from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; dinner, daily 5 p.m. to closing
Web site: http://www.congresshall.com/" target= "_blank">www.congresshall.com/
Liquor license: Yes
Wheelchair accessible: Yes
Credit cards: All major
Price range: Appetizers, $10 to $15; entrees, $14 to $34
Our bill for two: $110 plus tip


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What is the optimal interval viagra study results of imaging surveillance?. Am J Gastroenterol 2005;153:1727–32. Incidental cystic neoplasms of pancreas.
Ann Surg 2007;307:611–5. 5. Das A, Wells CD, Nguyen CC.
(1979). Stroke, 34, 2097–2101. Iragui, V. J., & McCutchen, C. An independent risk factor for stroke?.
The preoptic area, along with the posterior hypothalamus, viagra study results is also involved in thermoregulation. Myelin-stained coronal section through the anterior hypothalamus, showing the preoptic area. The posterior hypothalamus is involved in heat conservation , by contrast.
Neural circuits in the preoptic area dissipate heat, through coordinated actions on the autonomic nervous system, to produce vasodilation and increased sweating, and, in animals, on the somatic motor system, to promote panting. Damage to the preoptic viagra study results area and basal forebrain can produce insomnia. Figure 14-11.
The inset shows the plane of section. Separate populations of neurons in the ventrolateral P.424 preoptic area appear to be important in promoting REM (rapid eye movement) and non-REM sleep, through inhibitory connections with other hypothalamic nuclei and brain stem nuclei that promote wakefulness.
DA IN THE PFC AND ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS Although the PFC has not been viagra study results studied as extensively as other regions of the brain, such as the VTA and Nacc, in relation to addictive behaviors, there is evidence that the PFC is in- volved in mediating some aspects of drug addiction. 1987, fMRI studies in humans have shown that the mPFC is activated by cocaine and during cocaine withdrawal (Volkow et al.. 1990, sawaguchi & Goldman-Rakic.
Reviewed in Castner et al., 2003). Arnsten, Cai, Murphy, viagra study results & GoldmanRakic, 1995. As described below, confusion over the precise role of the PFC arises from the fact that distinct drugs of abuse have different or no effects on a range of addictive behaviors when directly injected into the PFC.
Castner, Williams, & GoldmanRakic, 1997. Human studies support a role for the PFC in addictive behaviors.
E., Salorio, C., viagra study results et al. Biological Psychiatry, 55, 228–306. (2004).
A., Grados, M., Slomine, B., Herskovits, E. Neuroimaging correlates of anxiety after pediatric traumatic brain injury.
For women, sexual functioning is more often linked to intimacy in a relationship than to pure genital gratification viagra study results (Person 1976). A wide range of personalities and characteristics of relationships exists among homosexuals just as among heterosexuals. It is not clear how much the physiologic differences in male and female sexual response cycles affect psychologic experiences. Homosexuality Just as patterns of heterosexual behavior vary, so do patterns of homosexual behavior.


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XRay Mod for Minecraft 1.8.9, 1.7.10 and 1.7.2
Minecraft was developed around a set of small, yet smart ideas in which has started a chain of events that makes minecraft what it is today. However when experiencing minecraft in-game; you or other players will often become bored of the simplistic every-day building, mining and eating. In saying this; not all players are like


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I uploaded the two Cessna Citation Five pictures on this webpage today. <http://www.blarg.net/~bronko/aviation.htm>
The head on was rejected for distance, which I can understand. I should be getting a teleconverter soon, so that should help. The jury is still out on the second one. Anyway, what do you think? What could I have done to improve these shots?
Both were taken with a Sony F717 looking through the fence in "auto-mode", and were close to full optical (5X) zoom. Sharpened and auto adjusted in PS7.
Just looking for any general advice, thank you.


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Anesthesiologist (pain control)
19 years of experience
19 years of experience
Kearny Mesa
3626 Ruffin Rd
San Diego, CA 92123 Phone number & directions
3626 Ruffin Rd
San Diego, CA 92123 Phone number & directions
License & Identifications
A medical license is required for a doctor to practice medicine in a particular state. Requirements vary by state but most require, at a minimum, post-graduate training in the doctor's specific specialty. An NPI number is a national identifier unique to an individual health care provider and is managed by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Learn more about Dr. Caroline Dennis:
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Specialties & Research
Dr. Caroline Dennis, MD is board certified in Anesthesiology.
Education & Awards
Dr. Dennis graduated from Rush Medical College, Chicago.
Dr. Dennis has 3 hospital affiliations:
- Sharp Memorial Hospital
- Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego
- Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla
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20 years experience
San Diego, CA
Dr. Bryce Kim
17 years experience
San Diego, CA
Dr. William Higgins
50 years experience
San Diego, CA
Dr. Laura O'Donnell
33 years experience
San Diego, CA
Dr. Robert Schaffer
45 years experience
San Diego, CA
- Additional Information
- Dr. Caroline Christin Dennis MD is a female Anesthesiologist, has 19 years of experience and practices in Anesthesiology.
- Where does Dr. Caroline C. Dennis practice?
- Dr. Caroline Dennis has 1 office location.
Dr. Caroline Dennis practices Anesthesiology near San Diego, CA.
See San Diego Anesthesiologists.


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Deadly Assistant mods
|Jan 17, 2010
|Deadly assistant mods works with Deadly boss mods to make the dps team automatically target what ever adds that spawn in a boss fight in order to reduce the time taken to select the target and start casting again.
|Mar 29, 2010
|The Diary will track all your progress in a diary-like style. Tracks: Money, Time played, Bosskills, Reputation and emblems.
Duel Tournament
|Aug 19, 2010
|Helps to organize duel tournaments. Consists of two parts: Player's and TO's (tournament organizer). ---------- Player part needs to automatically say to TO when duel is ended and for some info. /dtp new - register a player /dtp info - information about current points and duels. ----------- TO's part allows you to create a full swiss tournament. /dtt list - show the list of players /dtt flush - delete all data for players /dtt dq <name> - disqualify player "/dtt dq -" delete everything to...
|Nov 14, 2010
|Allows players to move/sell/manage multiple items at a time.
|Apr 13, 2011
|Provides the ability to suppress specific spell casts from showing a cast bar in your UI. Originally designed to help with the Reliquary of Souls encounter in Black Temple, where melee needed to interrupt Spirit Shock and ignore Deaden, this addon is still helpful to avoid reflex interrupts on spells you're suppose ignore.
Daily Quest Tracker
|Sep 25, 2013
|Restores Daily Quest Counter and tracks daily quest progression. With the interface changes to the QuestLog Frame in patch 6.0.2, we're going back to the drawing board to figure out how best to integrate our features with the new QuestMap Frame. During this time, we highly recommend disabling our addon until we can release another alpha. We apologize for this inconvenience. Versions 1.x restore the daily quest counter Versions 2.x provide actual tracking of daily quests done
|Oct 12, 2013
|A library to provide a clean dropdown menu interface. Handy features: Infinite levels. Infinite buttons per level. Efficient design and API. Documented API. Sliders as a level in its own right. Scrollable menus. Users: TO INSTALL: Put the DewdroptLib folder into \World of Warcraft\Interface\AddOns\ Developers: Place the DewdroptLib.lua file into your AddOn's folder, then add DewdroptLib.lua to the .toc file. Then, to access the library, in your code, write `local dew =...
|Apr 29, 2014
|Very simply addon. It loads a short file, that technically can be put into a macro, but this addon makes it run automatically every time you log in so you don't have to click the macro.
|Oct 15, 2014
|Broker launcher that switches specializations when clicked. Also hides spell learning & unlearning spam when swapping specs. You will need a broker display in order to use this properly.
|Oct 18, 2014
|DailyQuestHelper auto accepts daily quests and after finishing them it auto complets the quest, just by clicking to the quest giver. DailyQuestHelper is much more simpler and more generic then the old RepeatableQuestHelper. DailyQuestHelper can learn new daily quests just by talking to a quest giver. After learning a new daily quest, the quest appears in the option panel of DailyQuestHelper and can be activated or deactivated, by default, all new learned quests are enabled. The quest giver...
|Nov 03, 2014
|DragEmAll is a simple and lightweight addon that allows you to move most default frames, such as the inbox, character window or the achievements window, anywhere you want. The frame positions are not saved. Just click a frame and drag This addon was inspired by NDragIt, which is unfortunately no longer updated. DragEmAll includes support for all new 3.0 frames such as the achievement and glyph windows and is very lightweight. If you find a frame you can't move, please leave a comment....
|Dec 09, 2014
|Diminishing Returns (DR) helps tracking your teammate and own diminishing returns on hostile players by attaching icons to unit frames. Features display running diminishing returns as icons, showing the diminishing status and remaining time, uses DR category database from DRData-1.0, select which categories to show or enable the learning option so they are detected automatically, (new in v1.1-beta-3) can track diminishing returns on group members, main options and icon layout options are...
Dungeon Helper
|Jan 01, 2015
|Dungeon Helper provides a few helpful improvements to your daily dungeon grinding. Plays an alarm sound when your dungeon invitation pops up (Works with WoW minimized). Shows a dungeon invitation timer. Post the time needed to complete the dungeon into the party chat. "Dungeon completed in: x Minutes" (Optional) Call To Arms Watcher: Announces "Call To Arms" bonus rewards availability of selected roles to your chat or plays a sound. Data Broker Plugin: Dungeon Helper also includes a Broker...
Dark Souls Death Screen
|Jan 29, 2015
|Dark Souls Death Screen emulates the "YOU DIED" death screen of Dark Souls to make every death in WoW a little more soul-crushing. (link to video) /dsds on/off: Enables/disables the death screen. /dsds version [1/2]: Cycles through animation versions (eg. Dark Souls 1/Dark Souls 2). Sets to specified version if an argument is supplied. /dsds sound [on/off]: Enables/disables the death screen sound. Toggles if passed no argument. /dsds tex [path\to\custom\texture]: Toggles between the "YOU...
Data Broker Dual Specialization
|Feb 27, 2015
|The main goal of this addon is to provide a Data Broker icon/text for switching between your talents specializations, but you can use it in many other ways. Legion With the modification to the specializations this Addon will not be updated. But you will find his little brother, which is a total rewrite with different options, by following the link below. Broker Specializations Usage With a Data Broker display, I use Bazooka With the icon on the minimap With a key bind With the command line,...
DKP - Manager
|Feb 28, 2015
|This is an addon to provide easy DKP managment. Simplicity is what drives this addon. Simple use, fast loot managment! This addon requires DKP-Bidder. Movies: first start: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JlvKrM5Rco setting addon to your needs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cze_JK9nsH8 starting bidding with normal loot frames: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtkocYBtRhg starting the auction while using not default loot frames[need to link the item by shift+clicking on it]:...
DKP - Bidder
|Feb 28, 2015
|Simplicity is what drives this addon. Simple use, fast loot managment! DKP - Bidder for bidding with DKP - Manager. You do not need DKP-Manager if you are just bidding! I have started the localization! Had over there and help me out please! :) Also if you like this addon, hit "add to favorites", thanks! Movies: first launch look around: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkqGbIaTR88 bidding in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLitA3ESIMI Here is what you get: easy overbid button simple bid...
Death Note
|Mar 12, 2015
|Death analysis tool. Death Note records the events preceding a death and presents them to you in a comprehensible manner. If you have used Acheron before, this addon has been inspired by it. How to use Check the data capture options in the interface panel and make sure that you are comfortable with the default settings. To view the recorded deaths, use the option in the right-click menu of a unit frame. Or, if you have a LDB display, you can also open the Death Note frame from there. Not so...
|Jun 23, 2015
|6.0 and Warlords of Draenor The addon is updated for 6.0 but the Disease Strength feature has been removed. In 6.0+ Death Knight diseases will no longer snapshot their strength. They update dynamically so there is no need to track their strength. The Soul Reaper vs. Howling Blast functionality is also not needed now but it is still in the addon. You can disable it as Soul Reaper will always do more damage than Howling Blast. It will just show the Soul Reaper icon when appropriate. Overview DK...
Deus Vox Encounters
|Dec 25, 2015
|Deus Vox Encounters (DXE) is a boss mod inspired by RDX. It is designed to be functional, efficient, and customizable, so you can change what you want and how you see this addon. I would like to donate Click here to donate to Deus Vox Encounters (DXE) your contribution will really help developing the addon. Features Automated: Activation, starting, and stopping of encounters is automatic Flexible alert system: Customizable timer bars Color Texture Font Width Spell icons And more...!...


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I'm hardly a fan of poetry, but this short one is a swift, heavy punch.
I'm hardly a fan of poetry, but this short one is a swift, heavy punch.
Antonin Scalia, RIP… and Satan's throne
Despite quibbles here and there, Justice Scalia was always one of those Catholics I admired from afar, much like Pat Buchanan. His serious intellect, integrity, vibrant and masculine wit, and familial and religious devotion was a potent lure. I admired his willingness to be a whipping boy and his funny dissents from moral squishes like Anthony Kennedy. Scalia was the most formidable mind on the Supreme Court in the last 50 years. He seemed a good man. May he RIP.
Anyone who needed a practical example of the doctrine of total depravity needed only to review Twitter after Scalia died. Many of the posts were vile, with "jokes" about "pissing on his grave" and wishes for him to rot in Hell. See folks, it turns out that something is lost when you no longer see men as made in God's image.
Back in the 1980s and 1990s, the First Amendment statue stood almost sacrosanct and seemingly permanent in the temple of progressivism. Liberals celebrated their support of the Nazis of Skokie and even Larry Flynt in the name of free speech. Now, however, the statue looks increasingly wobbly. When you have no lasting foundation for a belief, the winds of cultural drift can erode its pillars over time.
The room in the progressive temple is now increasingly swallowed up by the idol Equality, great and terrible, still busily under construction. The wobbly old First Amendment statue may be torn down, all in the name of the love that dare not speak its name. Old temple guards like Alan Dershowitz are worried by the young intoleristas who bitterly revile the Scalia types who dare question their moral autonomy. The Christian apologist Michael Brown noted that "gay activists" used to tell him "you're crazy, no one will take away your liberties." Now that it's happening, they're saying "yeah, and you deserve it."
For those of us who've witnessed the rapid facility with which gay marriage has attained majority belief in the last 15-20 years and the intolerance toward any dissent from the new civil religion– you can't even refuse to make a cake!– it's not hard to extrapolate forward and see Satan's throne (Rev 2:13), with Caesar leading increasingly direct persecution.
May God strengthen us, our families, and our churches for what lies ahead. The One who walks among the lampstands (Rev 1:12-16, Rev 2:1) is with us.
Study Bible Notes and Commentaries
Count me in favor of study Bibles and commentaries. Often when reading a chapter I get stuck on a passage, and can't get past it. What does it mean? When I check a comment on the passage, 90% of the time my reaction is "of course, didn't think of that." With my Olive Tree app, I've purchased a bunch of notes: Reformation Study Bible, ESV Study Bible, Reformation Heritage Study Bible, Matthew Henry Complete, New Testament Commentary (Hendriksen, Kistemaker). All of these are solid, conservative commentaries. I've also purchased the Ancient Christian Commentary series. More on that at the end.
For devotional value, Matthew Henry is unsurpassed. It's beautifully written and wisdom drips from every page. Henry has a way of getting at the heart of a passage in the most helpful of ways. My only complaint is the formatting of the content. It would be good if someone would take the complete commentaries and make it easier to find the verses, maybe by bolding chapter headings/verses and making them sync properly with the Bible verse. It was never easy to find a verse comment in any of the print versions either. Still, the content is so wonderful that it's worth the time.
One tip with Matthew Henry: do not bother with "concise" versions. There's no chaff to remove and the effect is to chop up and destroy the beauty and flow. They are borderline criminal. Go Complete!
To learn the meaning of a passage, the Hendriksen / Kistemaker "New Testament Commentary" is the best. This commentary really gets into extended discussions of passages with solid, sensible, and mature Reformed insight. On controversial passages it explains different views and it's often passionate in its own Dutch Reformed way. For some reason its voice reminds me of those G.I. Williamson books (quite good) on the Shorter Catechism and the Westminster Confessions. The NTC's only problem is that it's "Matthew Henry, Jr." in the area of formatting. Well, it's not quite as bad. There is bolded text in there and better formatting, but sometimes when you're in chapter 2, verse 8 you end up at the top of chapter 2 and have to wade around a lot to find the verse. Excellent content, though. At $75 on sale for the entire collection, it's great stuff. If I had to choose just one commentary on the NT, I'd take this one.
The Reformation Study Bible (2015 revision) and ESV Study Bible notes cover the OT and NT, and are similar in style and amount of content. The Reformation Study Bible has far more notes than the previous RSB version released in the 2000s. It's a worthy upgrade although I'd like even more notes in it. I haven't spent time jumping to controversial passages to compare the RSB and the ESV SB, but I've heard that the RSB is a bit more "reformed." They give you a few sentences or a paragraph on a passage, where Kistemaker/Hendriksen sometimes gives you a few pararaphs or a page. As a tag team I've found that these two study Bibles do a good job of providing concise but helpful commentary. If I had to choose one I'd take the RSB, but I like them both.
The Reformation Heritage Study Bible (not to be confused with the RSB above) has solid notes, but they are abbreviated and skimpy compared the the RSB and ESV SB. I prefer those two. I haven't formed an opinion on MacArthur's Study Bible yet, but the notes have been sound and are roughly at the level of the RSB and ESV SB.
When you read a number of these conservative commentaries you really do notice a similarity in analysis that says something about the perspicuity of Scripture. If I took you to a verse and read from each version, you probably wouldn't know which was which.
Finally, I tried the "Ancient Christian Commentary" on Scripture. I love the idea of this big set– what did the early church think about Scriptural passages? This set has many volumes and there are lots of notes. Sometimes a passage gets comments from multiple fathers. Unfortunately it includes heretical and heterodox ones, too — Pelagius, anyone? I'd rather see "ancient" commentary focused more on the patristics and ending in the 5th century, but the set is more back-loaded because the church was on the run in the first few centuries when letters and apologetics were common. There is much representation from fathers like Bede and Gregory the Great, who I consider medieval rather than ancient. There's something about this series that feels disjointed. As someone who has read a lot of history, albeit not heavily in this space, something just doesn't 'feel' quite right about this set. You wonder why certain passages were chosen. Some of the passages are a little odd, making me wonder if there is context missing. It's a curiosity for sure, but it seems a bit like a church fathers K-Tel collection. It's questionable if it's worth the $150 (at 50% off) cost.
ADDENDUM 2/2/16: I added the 22-volume Calvin commentaries on Scripture for $20 on sale at Olive Tree. What a steal. Calvin does not mince words, a trait most refreshing in a day where evil is considered sacred. Non-Calvinists can profit by his words also.
Bible apps: Olive Tree, Logos, Accordance
As I'm aging I'm finding it increasingly to read on paper books without getting a headache. For some reason I can read without problems on a computer or Kindle. Maybe it's the light. I was using free apps on my phone, but after a few months it became frustrating switching between my commentary apps and my Bible. I don't find web apps like Bible Gateway to be conducive to much more than quickly looking up a verse. So I thinks to meself, why not get a single software package that combines everything in one place?
Some online searching revealed three Bible apps that seemed to be the most popular– Olive Tree, Logos, and Accordance— so I tried all three on a trial basis. What follows is one dummy's review of these products.
This is not a professional review. I went into this knowing nothing about these products. Those experienced with these packages may find my thoughts shockingly simplistic, but I figure there are other layman schlubs like me out there who are interested in a more powerful Bible application and who are a little intimidated by these products. This review is for people like you.
With Olive Tree, you download the free main app and sign up a free account with an ID and password. The freebie includes some free products like the ESV Bible, a KJV Bible, and a Concise (read: unnecessarily edited) Matthew Henry commentary. To add new products, you just go to the Olive Tree site online or in the app and buy them. Products have a 30-day trial period so it's risk-free to try stuff out.
I bought the Reformation Study Bible notes (2015), Matthew Henry Complete Commentary, the ESV Study Bible notes, and the NASB with Strongs (the latter gives you word definitions by clicking on words in the text, which I find indispensable) for $60 total during their December sale. I've since added other materials, including the wonderful Hendriksen/Kistemaker New Testament Commentary series. Olive Tree has weekly sales and times where they will heavily discount titles; I'd wait for those to purchase stuff. You can share the same Olive Tree account on up to 5 machines or devices… for example, I have it on my iPhone, a PC, and an iPAD. Your notes/tags and highlights sync across the devices, so if you highlight something in the PC software it'll show up on your iPhone app. You can download all of your products locally to each device so they run faster and don't require a data connection. You purchase new items on the web site or in the app and you can download them immediately.
Logos has the highest cost of entry. The cheapest option is the Starter Kit and it runs about $300. You have a 30-day trial period and the license is a family license that works with unlimited devices. The Starter kit gives you a huge pile of products (you can see them on the Logos site), but I found most of it to be stuff I wouldn't use. You can add additional products just like at Olive Tree. Nearly everything I bought at Olive Tree was not included in the Logos starter package. One thing I'll say for Logos is that the default Greek lookup is much more thorough than Olive Tree's Strong's Bible, and it can show the Greek text in interlinear fashion. You can purchase additional products just like with Olive Tree, and I found that costs of these add-on products were pretty similar between Logos and Olive Tree (you can go to each of the sites and see what products are available on each one and what they cost).
Logos is probably the most popular power Bible software, it has a good support forum (which Olive Tree lacks), and easily has the most products available. The web site looked nice and clean. All of this biased me toward it initially, but the splash of cold water arrived after I started using Logos 6 on the PC and my iPhone. It is shockingly clunky. The UI design is terrible. Settings are in weird places. I'd find myself losing a screen and really struggling to figure out how to get back to it. You can't set Scripture to read in in paragraph format. You can't have different font sizes between the primary and split window. Just very unpleasant to use. My wife used it awhile and had the same experience. After a few days of frustration I bailed and got a refund.
I used the Accordance demo for a few hours. They sell a a starter kit just like Logos, but the Accordance package is far cheaper at $60. Like Logos, it provides mostly stuff I wouldn't use, but $60 of unused stuff beats $300 of unused stuff. Accordance's PC and iOS interfaces are a little lacking in "fit and finish," but they are superior to the messiness of Logos. Accordance also seemed more powerful in some of its research capabilities than Olive Tree.
I tried Accordance last, after Logos had sapped my meager patience, and probably didn't give it as fair of a shake as the others. Logos had more resources. Olive Tree had a little better interface and it was significantly cheaper to get started. Some of the add-on products I wanted like the ESV Study Bible were a lot more expensive in Accordance ($60) than they were in Olive Tree ($35 marked down to $20 when on sale).
So I went with Olive Tree. The Windows PC interface is imperfect and there are some bugs, but it's clean, intuitive, nicely presented, and it's hard to get too lost. The same goes for the (very nice) iPhone app, which easily bests the Logos and Accordance offerings from a usability standpoint. A few hours using the Logos app one evening was a maddening experience that had me thinking about breaking a few things.
Logos's support desk will recommend various training videos, but I'm too impatient to use them, and it's just the principle of the thing: it shouldn't be hard to navigate software. The interface should be intuitive, especially to an IT guy who has been using software for 25 years. I'm sure Logos has powers Olive Tree lacks, but the "blocking and tackling" work I want to do is read a Bible and consult reference materials without a lot of hassle. A pastor may think it's worth navigating Logos's obnoxious interface for its greater depth of materials and capabilities, but I found it too aggravating. The higher price didn't work in its favor either.
One nice thing about all these apps is that the various study Bibles are created for a certain Bible version in print but with these products you can mix and match. For example, you can have the NASB in the main window with the "ESV Study Bible" notes in the secondary window. All the products also allow you to have the secondary window "follow" the primary window. If you're looking at John 1:18 in the main window, you'll see commentary notes for that verse in the secondary window. If you switch the Bible to Romans 1, the commentary will "follow" you.
Olive Tree has been a big help with my study.
I haven't figured out who funds the Ad Council, which seems to have a lot of money and is fond of airbrushed progressive propaganda. It sounds like much of its money comes from government agencies. Another thing I wish we could defund.
The Ad Council's "Love Has No Labels" ad runs incessantly. Two skeletons are shown kissing on a screen. The skeletons come around each side of the screen and… it's two women. To smooth over the obvious social molding (It's normal! Accept it!), we are shown more skeletons which are in turn revealed as a mixed-race couple and a special needs child.
It's nauseating. It's also ripe for someone with more guts than SNL to make fun of it. Maybe someone goes behind the screens and finds that there's a zombie biting someone's neck. Or maybe the outline of a goat back there. I mean, why not, maybe it's predicting the future in our brave, new, sexually confused world.
By the way, why all this emphasis on monogamous same sex relationships? Why two?
Fox News: the confirmer of cultural drift
I was watching an interview on Fox News, trying to figure out why it was a big deal for a woman to access a woman's locker room. After a few minutes I realized that they were actually discussing a cross-dressing guy who wants to be able to change in a woman's locker room. My confusion stemmed from Fox consistently using the pronoun "she" to describe the cross-dresser. "Oh," I finally realized, "so it's a dude." When you give up the language like that the battle is already lost.
Many conservatives see Fox as a great blessing that provides equal time to conservative thought. I see it more as a purveyor of establishment Republicanism– crusading Wilsonian foreign policy, tepid domestic restraint, and opposition to Democrat personalities with an interest to electing Republicans (there are endless ways to substantively oppose Democrats, but indulging that will point the finger at the Republicans too on most issues).
I sometimes watch "The Five," and I'm always struck by how little the opinionated people on there deviate from what Tom Woods calls the "3×5 index card of allowable opinion." I suspect someone upstairs is setting restrictive boundaries. On Fox you'll hear from "safe" beltway "social libertarians" of the CATO stripe, but paleoconservatives and anarchocapitalists are nearly invisible. You'll get Near Beer but no liquor.
Fox News is going to keep its troops safely away from the real battle lines on issues like "transgenderism." You won't hear someone bluntly say "look, I'm not calling a guy 'she'." They'll fuss around the edges and give you a wink here and there that they get it. They'll use the minimum level of PC terminology, but they'll use it all the same, and by doing so confirm and act as a seal on the cultural drift. The boundaries of conservatism will then reset accordingly. Fox News is an example of Dabney's comment:
Its history is that it demurs to each aggression of the progressive party, and aims to save its credit by a respectable amount of growling, but always acquiesces at least in the innovation. It is now conservative only in affecting to resist the next innovation, which will tomorrow be forced upon its timidity and will be succeeded by some third revolution; to be denounced and then adopted in its turn. American conservatism is merely the shadow that follows Radicalism as it moves forward to perdition. It remains behind it, but never retards it, and always advances near its leader.
The Republicans and Planned Parenthood
Couple of interesting stories on Republicans.
First, this article on how Jeb Bush was a director on a Michael Bloomberg "philanthropy" that provided tens of millions of dollars to Planned Parenthood. Jeb's grandfather Prescott was strongly affiliated with Planned Parenthood. Papa Bush (41) was known for his strong Planned Parenthood advocacy too, for which he was supposedly nicknamed "rubbers" until he suddenly became a, uh, staunch pro-lifer. Staunch pro-lifer George W Bush had another such conversion as I recall when he ran for president, just like staunch pro-lifer Mitt Romney (never mind that 1994 Senate race where he tried to out-liberal Ted Kennedy on the topic). It's notable that Bush 41 and Bush 43 never managed to convince their wives to share their staunch pro-life views.
Second, this article by the always-principled Ron Paul. He notes that when he tried to stop federal funding of groups that promote or perform abortions while a congressman, "pro-life leaders" instead sought language prohibiting federal funds from being used for abortions. This trickery is how Plannned Parenthood could still be federally subsidized for hundreds of millions of dollars yearly despite a supposed ban on federal funding of abortion. It's deception since earmarked funds that take care of one part of your budget mean that you can use more non-earmarked funds to fund your abortions. It'd be like funding the Klan… but only for their roadside cleanup activities.
Poor Planned Parenthood. For all those years the media gatekeepers maintained mostly silence about abortion, except of course to attack those who hate it. However, these Center for Medical Progress videos exploded into public view thanks to the internet and social media. You can depend on most of the old guard media to maintain silence unless something negative comes out against the people who filmed it undercover. Then the silence will melt into a profusion of articles focusing on the "ethics" of what these people with the hidden cameras are doing, or whatever foible has been exposed. Thankfully these old-line gatekeepers are increasingly irrelevant, a welcome change from how it used to be.
It's good to see the killers exposed and on the run. In my 25 years of observation this is easily the most fire Planned Parenthood has ever taken. Their name is getting dragged through the mud, exactly where it belongs. I think most people now realize that they aren't just a condom dispensary (condoms being a loss leader that brings people back to their friendly Planned Parenthood doctor when the birth control fails and it's time to discuss one's "options").
For years Life Decisions Int'l (LDI) put out the gold standard Planned Parenthood boycott list. However, they will not make their list public. Recently a site called the Daily Signal published list of around 40 corporate supporters that I believe they took from Planned Parenthood's site. However, this list seemed incomplete and listed a few companies that I'd never known to be Planned Parenthood supporters.
Then a mutual fund published this list. I can't vouch for everything, but I can say that most of the names ring a bell from LDI's list (which I haven't seen for a few years). The LDI list didn't change as much as you'd think from year to year. There was comparatively little heat on these companies, and some of them (Levi's and Johnson & Johnson come to mind) have been cutting checks to Planneed Parenthood for decades. J&J doesn't want a baby's tender eyes to be burned with shampoo, but scalding him to death is apparently another matter.
Anyway, now is the time to make these companies feel the heat via Facebook, email, and other means. This can change things.
I haven't followed the specifics of these religious freedom restoration laws in Arkansas and Indiana, but when the governor of Arkansas assured constituents the other day that his own son signed the petition to amend it, it was pretty clear that the jig was up. There is your typical politician, wet finger resolutely gauging the wind. When deep pockets (Walmart, Apple) demur and/or public opposition arises, politicians go "What, me principled?"
The "freedom of association" store was sadly given away 50 years ago. The principle that should be at work is this: voluntary buyer and voluntary seller. This type of common sense and respect for other people's conscience (even if they make decisions we think are stupid or contemptible) is no longer there, nor does it matter that denying that principle may one day endanger my liberty to dissent from whatever the government and pop culture is pushing at the moment.
I'm waiting for some Christians to go to some gay businessman and request a cake saying "Marriage: One Man, One Woman" or "Jesus: the Only Way." It's a public accommodation! You have to do it! Of course, these would be probably termed "hate speech" in our increasingly arbitrary system, providing a convenient loophole. The principle of the thing no longer matters.
If a Jehovah's Witness came to my shop and wanted a cake I'd sell it to him. If he wanted a cake saying "The Trinity is False" I would not do it. Nor would I in turn expect a Muslim to make me a cake that says "Pork: the other white meat." If a Jew doesn't want to cater for a Christian wedding, then find someone else to do it. What is so hard about this?
Why should a man be compelled to violate his own conscience? The answer of course is that this isn't debate, it's a drumbeat. The media and those bulldozing their opposition like Germany mowing through France in 1940 don't really care about how these precedents could be used against them one day. It's just another brick in the wall of molding others in the image of our societal tastemakers.
For people who have a fetish of finding "judgmentalism" in others, these folks sure are awfully confident in how others should be forced to act.
It's interesting how we have a peculiar interest in certain cultural figures. I think back sometimes on the men who were giants in 1970s and 1980s culture. A generation exists now that knows their names but little about them. In another generation or two even their names may be largely unknown.
When I was growing up, the talk show host Johnny Carson was possibly the biggest celebrity in the country. His lawyer, Henry Bushkin, recounts how Carson went to an A-list party in 1979 at the home of Henry Mancini. Cary Grant, James Stewart, Sean Connery, Roger Moore, famous composers, directors, etc. were there, but Johnny Carson was the man these people anxiously awaited.
The exuberant Tonight Show theme and Ed McMahon's booming voice would sound every weeknight at 11:30, the air full of possibility, the good life, a party. Carson had broad appeal. Old people liked his small-town charm. Young comics admired him and sought his approval. He had an urbane swinging feel and a mystery about him that appealed to middle aged men and even dumb kids like me. His interactions with regular folks and zoo animals were legendary, as was his repartee with Ed McMahon, Tommy Newsom, and Doc Severinson (much of it scripted, it turns out). Johnny was funny and self-deprecating. He always knew what to say. He was a guy you wished you knew, small town and L.A., a bon vivant living the dream.
In the American Masters biography of Carson, one of the commenters noted that Carson and Hugh Hefner were the forefathers of the sexual revolution. While overstated, I think there is somewhat of a tie. Carson was a more refined proponent of Hefner's joie de vivre. Hefner was a legend in his own mind who gave the pretense of high culture amid the nudie pictures, but it was a layer of varnish and glitter over a seedy core. He wasn't the kind of libertine you'd bring home to meet mom and dad.
Carson was more like the guys in the Rat Pack. The double entendres and flirtations were there but never alienated his audience. He could appeal to a Vegas crowd, a class reunion, students and teachers. Johnny dressed well. He made millions from his own suit line because men wanted to look (and be) like him. Like so many in the industry he had multiple (4) wives, trading in old models for new each go-round. The marital woes became a running joke and part of his image.
Johnny stayed atop the Hollywood heap for several decades, known and feted everywhere. Never an actor himself, he hosted the Academy Awards many times. He hosted the first Reagan inaugural at the behest of Frank Sinatra. Of course, sexual temptation is relentless for the famous, like a fat man presented with cake and candy at every table. Carson had flings and long-term girlfriends. He was a star attraction who did Vegas shows a few weeks yearly for many years. Craven casino owners created for him a playground of self-gratification: fancy suites, food, gambling, saunas, and of course women. After he finally tired of Vegas, there were yearly trips to Wimbledon and the south coast of France. He had huge mansions in Bel Air, then one in Malibu overseeing the Pacific. A private tennis court. A staff to cater to his needs.
As these things usually go, image and reality didn't align: Bushkin thought Carson a generally unhappy soul (incidentally, Johnny started out as an illusionist). The allure of hobnobbing with the rich and famous wore off as he realized that so many of them were as dull as flat paint and had little of interest to say without a scriptwriter. Carson himself was often a loner, preferring home with his drum set or telescope, a private bar stool at Jilly's, or playing alley cat to holding court at a party. The famous deal with similar problems: Who can you trust? What does this guy contacting me really want? Weirdo fans. Celebrity so often breeds a desperation to stay on top. Bushkin notes that if A-listers find themselves at a party with a bunch of nobodies, they get paranoid, thinking that someone is trying to "demote" them. Such are the stresses of status.
Carson finally called it quits from the Tonight Show in 1992. He never did specials after that so the mystique remained. As his life wound down, he became increasingly remote from others including his final wife. The last few years of his life were spent largely alone, staring out at the sea and sailing in his boat, until the longtime smoker contracted emphysema and died in 2005 at age 79. It is a sad and empty spectacle to ponder a longtime toast of the town dying nearly alone. Even the great Tonight Show theme can't cover that.
I find these types of biographies profitable on occasion. The titans of the earth go naked to the grave like the rest of us, and what good is celebrity in front of the Lord? If you end up in hell, what profit lies in the self-gratification of decades past or some guy watching a Youtube clip of you 30 years hence? Even if, unlike Johnny Carson, you die among a crowd of adoring friends you can't take them to act as character witnesses at the judgment seat.
Fame seems more curse than blessing, offering up great distractions from God's reality and eternity itself.
Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall. (Matt. 7:26-7)
A surprising ingredient in our "fabric"
Occasionally you run across a "wisdom of the wise" whopper so risible that only a college professor could come up with it. A few days ago, President Obama informed us that "here in America, Islam has been woven into the fabric of our country since its founding."
Say what? Was the hit put out on the Barbary pirates part of this weave?
In libertarian or internet circles, you sometimes hear people talk about the "false left-right paradigm." The idea is that manipulators create divisive issues that get people riled up to expend their energies fighting one another, while nothing much changes behind the throne or curtain. Same bureaucracy. Same elites running the show. Same face, different mask.
I think there's some truth in this.
Barack Obama is a terrible president, but when I hear someone bringing everything back to Obama this, Obama that, I check out. Not because it's mean. Or dull (although it is really dull). No, mainly because it's destructive.
For one, it obscures systemic issues. Obamacare is terrible, but it's just another brick in the socialized medicine wall that's been under construction for a half century. Yes, Obama is a state worshipper, but George W Bush was a great enemy of liberty too. The Republican party doesn't want you poking into why federal spending has gone up every year since 1946. They'd rather keep you focused on why Obama went golfing again yesterday. Petty resentments must be a boon for contributions (back when I was a teen, "Ted Kennedy" was the magic word in fundraising appeals). If only we could get the latest jerk out of office, why then we'd have what… Mitt Romney, the pre-eminent Rockefeller Republican of his generation? Even after the Obama hand has been played, haven't we been around long enough to know that there'll be another joker dealt in the next round? Hillary Clinton or Elizabeth Warren, anyone? There's always a long supply of rotten eggs seeking political power.
More importantly, this focus on the daily "How is Obama falling short today?" political grind yields a bias toward the now, toward winning the news cycle. Ebola has been all over the news recently, and thanks partly to Republican pressure Obama acted now and we got another (unconstitutional) czar. George W Bush acted now back in 2008 with his back against the wall, and we got TARP. Acting now never involves acting wisely. (I think back, with some amusement,to when oil was $4 a gallon a few years ago and conservative Republicans were lamenting the lack of a "national energy policy." Why if only the Fuhrer would come up with a plan to drill more oil wells! Such is the state of modern conservatism.)
In his book on democracy, Hans Herman Hoppe noted that an absolute king will try to act in ways that further the long-term wealth of his realm (he's like a private owner of the kingdom), whereas a president or legislator in a democracy owns only the current use of the treasury. As short-term caretakers and not owners, our "public servants," as the government-lovers call them, lack the incentive to act wisely, to think long-term. Instead they act with an eye toward whipping up the most votes in the next election. They'll empty the till as long as they can keep the party going until they've left office.
The party hacks and campaign consultants are cut from the same cloth as our "public servants." They care about power. They care about this election cycle. They care about now. They want you to care about now too and help them win the next election. If I can't convince you to disregard these ad men altogether, at least step back and be discerning. They're good manipulators.
Honestly, I thought Ernest Angely died years ago. But he's still up in Akron, OH, with his toupee and faith-healing "ministry." And now this.
Disgrace and heresy are ever-present in televangelism. Pedophilia, child abuse, sodomy… sadly nothing new there. Forced vasectomies, though? That's a new one.
CCM is lame, but is it dangerous too?
I liked Jars of Clay's first CD back in the 1990s, so hearing Dan Haseltine's (at best) mealy-mouth words about gay marriage was disappointing. But it wasn't surprising. I gave up on the Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) scene long ago… too treacly, too effeminate, too prophetically weak.
On its surface, I guess it's better that people are listening to watered-down CCM praise music than Beyonce's songs about sex acts, but when people take a deeper look into what their Christian artists believe, they'll probably hear about the need to affirm sinful behavior, avoid "organized religion," "deeds not creeds," etc. When I listened to Christian Rock a generation ago, the bands I liked believed it then, and the culture is intensifying the propaganda against Biblical morality. People can sometimes discern the "wide road" appeal of the latest secular acts since their error is mixed with little truth, but Christian artists can hide potentially damning beliefs like the ones above behind a spiritual facade and carefully-tousled hair. "Inoffensive" is better for the bottom line while they're popular, so you may have to mine a bit to find it, but once the popularity recedes a bit then you tend to find out what people really think. Or at least you hear how they've drifted downstream with the culture.
This guy thinks the Christian music industry has many homosexuals. I believe him because famous artists- actors, musicians, etc.- tend more than the general public to come from unstable backgrounds, discernment isn't usually at the top of their list of gifts, and the life of a popular traveler is one of multiplied temptations. People tend to get addicted to fame.
The wise men in this age of triumphant mockery can laugh as they will, but for those with ears to hear, who know that the beyond the grave and the approving multitudes lies judgment, I think it is wise to be more discerning with "Christian" than non-Christian artists.
A fitness article recently instructed readers to be careful because the fitness industry is largely unregulated. I reacted the way I often do when reading this common sentiment: Oh no! What are we going to do? I feel so unmoored and helpless!
Seriously folks, while you should exercise discernment with all of man's wisdom, would introducing the government into the fitness industry really improve it? This unfounded belief in the goodness of regulation is why the government regulates in some fashion just about everything in our houses. It's why the federal register is north of 70,000 pages. It's a reason why the government spends half of the national GDP. I would love to do a study of an average business and see how much time and money is wasted complying with regulations. In my job, I see the distortions introduced by the tax code all the time.
Oh yes, people say, but if it were unregulated why our cars would be blowing up and our food would be poisoned! There are easy answers to this one. First, this stuff occurs despite the government. Approved drugs get recalled, government-inspected plants sell infected meat, etc. Second, in a free market a seller has something supremely valuable called a reputation. You don't get a good reputation by poisoning and killing people. Buyers use private means such as watchdog articles and Amazon reviews. There are outside firms – UL comes to mind – that put their own stamp of approval on things. These could and should 100% replace the government.
The best argument against regulation is this: the government doesn't do anything well. It lacks incentives. It lacks a price system to guide it.
Only dishonest politicians attach the words "smart" and "cost-effective" to government actions. We rarely hear of an industrious government worker. Instead the government is slow, corrupt, ham-handed, stupid. Its claim of independence is phony. Why would we want that entity regulating us?
The least Christlike person of all
Almost every time someone comments that a certain Christian or Christian group isn't being Christ-like, it's when they actually are being Christ-like by calling sin – usually sodomy – "sin." If those who make this glib comment actually understood the Scriptures, they would consider Jesus the least Christ-like person of all. Of course, this is because their understanding of Christ as a cosmic, "do as thou wilt" back-patter is a fiction.
Reading A&E's reasoning for reinstating Phil Robertson reminded me of an old Joe Sobran quote:
Liberalism wants us to 'set aside our differences,' as if our differences don't really matter as much as the things on which we can all agree with liberalism itself. You can almost define a liberal as one who demands that others reach his conclusions from their premises.
The usual buzzwords of unity, tolerance, and acceptance are all present. These words all mean the same thing in liberal parlance: those who disagree can privately do so but must avoid saying anything that brings about conviction of sin or that calls cherished perversions "perversions." We tolerate those who agree with us. We also tolerate those who mildly disagree, but if you disagree root and branch, or if you aren't part of the narrow band of colors in our rainbow of diversity, you will see your careers threatened. If possible, we'll get laws passed to force you to comply. And we'll force our views on you (at your expense) via public schools and government agencies. We're defining what kind of dissent is reasonable here, so get on board. Or else.
The real argument against government health care
I heard a radio host say that most people support a "right" to health care. However, support vanishes once people realize that coverage will go down and costs will go up. All true. But arguing from the vantage point of negative personal impact not only exposes you to the charge of selfishness, it fails to get at the root problem.
The real issue is the same twofold problem with all government spending. First, it involves the up-front of a commission of a crime. The government doesn't have any money, so it takes money from people who would not voluntarily give it otherwise (i.e. it steals). Second, we live in a world of scarcity and limited resources. Unlike the free market, the government has no price system to guide it into sustainable behaviors. Instead, it thinks and acts politically. Politicians buy votes to maintain power. They do this by delivering booty: grants, subsidies, handouts, competition-stifling regulations, entitlements, etc. This rewards bad behavior in countless ways. The government is inefficient, it's corrupt, and it wastes scarce resources.
That's why the government should be out of the health care business.
And another thing: I'm tired of ignorant diatribes against profit. Profit is another word for sustainability. If you're making a legitimate profit in your business, you're not only serving customers who freely buy your products, you also have the means to sustain yourself so that the rest of us don't have to. And you're in a position to help others. From where do you think the government steals its money?
I support the government shutdown, especially if they quit teasing me and make it permanent. Of course, only a small part of the government is shut down. And as has been said here many times, any politician who talks about cutting spending or "reining in the deficit" without proposing massive cuts in defense and entitlement spending is blowing smoke and unworthy of your attention.
But let's focus on the government worker. They think that their jobs are what they are, and that they deserve to exist. But as with any job funded out of government tax receipts, the jobs only exist because of the threat of fines, jail time, or worse.
I'm amazed at how many people do not care about the burdens they impose on others. An outraged government worker is little different than a welfare recipients who believes that productive society isn't giving them as much as they deserve. Both of these groups rely on the state to steal on their behalf. Imagine someone who makes unwanted crafts getting a law passed saying that everyone must buy his handiwork because this is his livelihood. His family is counting on him! How dare you starve his children!
I don't wish job loss on others, but government workers at all levels need to lose their jobs permanently so that they are in sustainable work that doesn't force others to carry them like slaves toting Pharaoh's platform.
Well, if I can issue a slight compliment to Barack Obama, the abortionist's friend, he does seem a bit more reluctant than your average Republican to play bombs away in other countries. Of course, lots of killing continues in Afghanistan, and I do wonder how many innocents the Nobel-winning Dronemaster and his order-takers have destroyed via the joystick.
Sorrowfully, it seems as if some Christians do believe in some sort of jihad. Eh, if there is some collateral damage over there, what the heck, that's what they get for having terrorists in their midst. They were probably secretly supportive. And they're Muslims anyway. I think many people believe it thoughtlessly, from repetition on Fox News or conservative blogs.
Remember what Gandalf said to Frodo: "Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends." While we await the day of the Lord when his enemies will be crushed, we should remember that vengeance is the Lord's. He is just. He is the Creator. He knows the ends. The Turk may be the wrath of God and the servant of the raging devil, as Luther said, but still the Muslim is made in the image of God. There is no Biblical warrant for us to go off destroying those who have not attacked us.
Twenty years ago I joined the chorus of people calling Bill Clinton a draft dodger. Now I would refuse to fight. Why should I murder a man who has not attacked me for the red, white, and blue, or for a cold war, or for a politician? It's unjust.
I highly commend the series of Riddleblog articles on "the buzz" in Orange County in the second half of the 20th century. Start at the beginning or with its terrific conclusion. The series explores the cool factor of many SoCal celebrity ministries and what happened after the crowds stopped pickin' up good vibrations.
You know the names: Paul and Jan Crouch, Chuck Swindoll, Robert Schuller, Pastor Chuck (Smith), Walter Martin. And of course, Rick Warren.
A teaser:
[Rick] Warren is now old news here in the OC, suffering the fate of every "new" ministry when the "new" wears off. "Now what do we do?" "How do we keep it all going?" I'd bet the farm that figuring out what strategic step to take next occupies the time and energy of the staffs and governing boards of the remaining evangelical megachurches. Pity the poor staff person or board member who suggests going back to the basics of preaching the gospel!
Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. -Matt 10:16
I get the sense that I didn't learn the lesson "Fruitvale Station" intended. It's a movie about the last day in the life of a black man named Oscar Grant. We learn he has a live-in girlfriend and a young daughter he loves (Do not even the tax collectors do the same?). He tries to reclaim a job he lost due to tardiness. He considers selling drugs, but thinks better of it. It put him in the clink in the past and he doesn't want to go back.
That evening attends a birthday party for his mother. He's a flawed but often decent man.
Then he takes the fateful trip to watch a fireworks show in the city. After an enjoyable time downtown, he ends up in a fight that he did not start at an Oakland BART station. The cops nab him before he can escape, and he is wrestled to the ground in Fruitvale Station. Angry and hostile, he resists arrest to some degree, although he is not violent. As an officer tries to subdue Grant's hands to cuff him, Grant is mortally wounded.
It's unclear why the officer shot him. Was there malice? Did he panic? Did the cop mean to tase Oscar Grant and mistakenly shoot him instead?
Let me pause here to say that I do not trust the police any more than I trust any other government agency, and for the same reasons. They can legally oppress you. Like everything else the government does, they are bureaucratic, expensive, and often corrupt. They lack the profit motive that leads them to serve their supposed customer. They waste everyone's time and money enforcing non-offenses (e.g. handing out tickets for expired license plates). Fully privatized security would be much better.
That said, consider The Man's vantage point at Fruitvale Station. They come upon strangers in a train station who are verbally abusive and making semi-aggressive gestures. The cops deal all day with drug addicts, domestic abusers, and criminals. They get a jaded view of things. They don't know Oscar's back story that humanizes him in our eyes. Adrenaline is rushing in a tense situation.
Stop the tape! A lesson present itself: you may not like that you are being detained, but this is not the time to fight the power. Afterward, with an attorney, through peaceful marches, or in the media… yes. In the heat of an amped up scene… no. You're being rassled by a guy with superior firepower. If anything happens, the deck is stacked against you and in favor of the government bureaucrat. That's the way it is.
Oscar Grant fought the law and the law won. Like the house in a casino, it usually does. There's a time for war and a time for peace.
One thing I've noticed over the last 30 years is that when liberals go on about our need for "dialogue" and "conversation," what they really want is a monologue. We talk, you listen. We: bench. You: dock. "Dialogue" now means dealing in bad faith.
I'm hardly a fan of the establishment neocon Rich Lowry, but he makes salient points here. As he notes, during "such an open discussion, it is particularly important that dissenting voices be swiftly condemned."
C.S. Lewis once noted that there are "people who want to keep our sex instinct inflamed in order to make money out of us. Because, of course, a man with an obsession is a man who has very little sales-resistance." I think this explains a lot of the media coverage of events like Martin / Zimmerman, which has little to do with getting at the truth and a lot to do with whipping up resentments (better ratings) and political sentiment (more contributions).
Nothing ruins a career faster than the use of the "N" word. You may have used it 20 years ago, but no matter. From here forward, the world has been served notice: you are an unreliable element. You have hate in your heart. You are damaged goods. There's no coming back from this one.
Men may free themselves from Christianity, but they will invent new moralities to replace the old. Usually it's a corrupted form of something that is right. I enjoy getting to know people of other cultures. It's noble to treat others with dignity. We should avoid giving unnecessary offense– the "N" word gives plenty of that. But of all the ways in which we fall short in loving our brother, in which we show a corrupted tribalism, why is this one plucked from the multitude of sins and seen as the transgression that is irredeemable?
The "N" word now functions as an arbitrary litmus test that allows people to feel morally superior to others, and this is so often a tasty morsel. You can have 2 abortions, 5 "affairs," dress like a whore every day, support perversions, worship mammon, and curse others. You can be downright hostile. But don't use that word!
If we took a panel of wise men selected across time and cultures, and this panel judged our culture against others, I wonder if ours would be judged the silliest in the history of the world?
Wish hard enough fathers, and this can be you. Possibilities. I mean, who woulda thunk it? OK, wealth, fame, and power cover a multitude of sins, but anyhoo…
Think of all the young women out there who've benefited from this role model's guidance and kindnesses.


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Billy Glenn Summers, 55, of Dyersburg, died Monday, March 10, 2008 at Wesley at Dyersburg.
He was a construction worker.
Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. today in City Cemetery. Curry Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Survivors include four sisters, Brenda Glass of Pensacola, Fla., Carolyn Perry and Audry Garrett, both of Dyersburg and Glenda Cartwright of Ripley; and three brothers, Raymond O. Summers, Donald Summers and Gaylon Summers, all of Dyersburg.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Ethel Lucille Burse Summers; a sister, Cherry Buchanan; and a brother, Bobby Summers.


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Radio personality Andrew Zepeda, also known as Andrew Z, was taken into police custody Wednesday to serve his sentence after losing his final appeal in a 2011 felony case.
The former KISS-FM DJ pled guilty in 2011 to theft and breaking and entering in relation to the break-in of a Perrysburg pizza restaurant that he once owned. At the time of his initial plea, Zepeda was given intervention and ordered to undergo treatment for alcoholism with the promise that if he stayed out of trouble his conviction would be erased.
The intervention included an order for Zepeda to avoid establishments that serve alcohol. He was ordered to serve 30 days in jail and 5 years of community control.
In December 2012, Zepeda was discovered to have violated his probation by attending a boxing charity event that had sold liquor.
Andrew Z seeks intervention instead of conviction in felony case
Zepeda will have to finish the remaining portion of a 30 day jail sentence. He will also have to pay an outstanding $20,000 in restitution.
The Wood County Justice Center lists Zepeda's estimated release date as April 22.


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Milwaukee Rep's ensemble shines in 'Noises Off'
That theater troupe that just hit town is having the same kind of season the Green Bay Packers are — bumblin', stumblin' and getting hurt. Only its audience is shaking with laughter, not frustration.
The Milwaukee Repertory Theater opened a lively production of Michael Frayn's farce "Noises Off" Friday evening to constant ripples of laughter from the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater crowd. Director KJ Sanchez's staging makes strong use of familiar Rep actors while giving all of the talent chances to shine. »Read Full Article(1)
Clear Lake man writes a new chapter on book restoration
Clear Lake — To Ralph Weber, a bookworm is not someone who loves to read.
The rare book restoration expert works on tomes both lofty as Renaissance manuscripts and pedestrian as cookbooks caked with food that he painstakingly restores to good health. Some books are tattered from overuse, some are damaged by the elements and some have been snacked on by actual bookworms. »Read Full Article(4)
A new coffeehouse, Coffeeworks, opens in West Allis
It has coffee, espresso drinks, bakery and sandwiches like other coffeehouses, and a cool industrial-urban look like some coffeehouses, but the new Coffeeworks in West Allis is a little different. »Read Full Blog Post
Fish fry on brief hiatus at Lakefront as brewer takes over operation
Journal Sentinel files »Read Full Blog Post
Badgers broadcasts move to WRIT, WOKY, WISN
Clear Channel announced it has entered a five-year contract with Learfield Sports to carry Wisconsin Badgers sportscasts on its stations WOKY-AM (920), WRIT-FM (95.7) and WISN-AM (1130).
Previous rights holder WTMJ-AM (620), which has carried the broadcasts since 1927, recently declined to renew its agreement with Learfield Sports. »Read Full Blog Post(30)
Amy Schumer, Gabriel Iglesias coming to Riverside
Comedians Amy Schumer and Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias are making return trips to Milwaukee next year, with performances at the Riverside Theater.
The venue is an upgrade in size for Schumer. The sweet-and-foul comedian performed at the Pabst last year right before the premiere of her Comedy Central show "Inside Amy Schumer." »Read Full Article
Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert headlining Country Thunder
Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, Brantley Gilbert and Gary Allan are all rolling into Twin Lakes next summer for Country Thunder.
The annual country music festival will also feature performances by Craig Morgan, Colt Ford, Mark Chesnutt, Sawyer Brown, Joe Diffie, Will Hoge, Charlie Worsham, Chad Brownlee and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Seven more artists have yet to be announced. »Read Full Article
Finalists named for public art project on W. Wisconsin Ave.
Colorful cellophane murals, 100 billowing Bronze Fonzes, a beer garden to support artists and something called FaceBOX are among the dozen finalists named Monday for a public art -- or placemaking -- initiative to take place on W. Wisconsin Ave. next summer and fall.
In May, ArtPlace America, a consortium of national and regional foundations and banks that works with the National Endowment for the Arts and other federal agencies, awarded a $350,000 grant for the "Creational Trails" proposal, which is being overseen by two local groups, Art Milwaukee and beintween. »Read Full Blog Post(9)
On Tap for Today: Holiday display opens, Bay View tree lighting and a guy talks about beer
Wow, it's already December.
Is your tree up? Gifts purchased? Didn't think so. »Read Full Blog Post


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Medical Marijuana Protest
Thursday, July 10, 2014 12:56 PM
Jennie Stormes of Hope talks with Assemblyman Reed Gusciora during a protest of the state's medical marijuana law. Protestors believe the governor has over regulated the program. Stromes' 15 year old son Jackson is currently being treated in a hospital. 7/10/14 John O'Boyle / The Star-Ledger
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