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Pickled Cauliflower Salad with Chanterelles and Fennel
Recipe courtesy of Anne Burrell
- Secrets of a Restaurant Chef
- Pickled cauliflower:
- 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into very small florets
- 1 cup champagne vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 big shakes hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3 bay leaves
- Salad:
- 1/2 pound chanterelles, cleaned and pulled into bite-size pieces
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 small bulb fennel, sliced very thin on the mandoline, reserve fronds for serving
- 1 small spring onion, julienned
- 2 cups washed baby arugula
- Good quality finishing oil
DirectionsWatch how to make this recipe. Pickled cauliflower:
Combine all the ingredients in covered container and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a small baking pan add the mushrooms, oil, salt, and crushed red pepper, to taste, and toss to coat. Roast until the mushrooms are soft and golden around the edges, about 12 to 15 minutes
Toss together the mushrooms, fennel, onion, arugula, fennel fronds, and pickled cauliflower in a large bowl. Toss with some big fat finishing oil and a little of the pickling liquid. Taste and add salt, if needed. The salad should be very flavorful without being soggy. Arrange on individual serving plates and serve.
What a salad- it's springtime on a plate!
The pickled cauliflower adds a lot to this salad but it is a MUST DO ahead. Also, a big batch of these can be made and reserved in the refrigerator.
Recipe courtesy of Anne Burrell
CATEGORIES:View All
Cooking Tips
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Braesola and Lightly Pickled Mushroom and Cauliflower Salad with Crispy Parmigiano
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Calabrese Antipasto
Recipe courtesy of Michael Chiarello


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parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}">Is your dog's breed on the easiest-to-train list?Commands such as "stay," "sit" and "fetch" as well as basic training are apparently much easier to teach to certain breeds of dogs, according to a survey of professional trainers.The trainers say that the Golden Retriever is the easiest breed to teach, the Pitbull is second and the Poodle is third.Story continues below----------------------------------------------------------------------A book about a rescue dogthat will touch your heartTHE HUNT OF HER LIFE, a full-color book by newspaper journalist and MySetterSam.com publisher Joseph A. Reppucci, is must reading for animal lovers of all ages. It has 60 color photos of dogs to illustrate the compelling story of Samantha, an unwanted rescue dog adopted at age 2 by Mr. Reppucci. Travel with them along a trail of life filled with surprising twists, sudden turns, mystery and even what some call a miracle. And when the journey is finished, you may never look at people and their pets, motherhood - and perhaps even God - in the same way. THE HUNT OF HER LIFE will take you on a captivating journey - a trip like no other - that will touch your heart.For more details and to order, go to theMySetterSam E-storeAlso find The Hunt of Her Life on:Facebook/thehuntofherlifeAmazon.comCLICK HERE TO LOOK INSIDE THE BOOK----------------------------------------------------------------------Story continues hereRounding out the top-10 easiest-to-train breeds are: Labrador Retriever, fourth; Border Collie, fifth; German Shepherd, sixth; Boxers, seventh; Goldendoodles/Labradoodles, eight; Shih Tzus, ninth; Dachshunds, 10th.The survey also found that the age of a dog was actually a more important factor than breed. Participants said senior dogs - regardless of whether they are purebred or if they are mixed breed - take the least time and effort to train. The trainers said puppies and shelter/rescue dogs are the most difficult.More reports about dogs and surveys:Where does you dog's breed rank in popularity?Is your dog's breed on the hot-dating list?Is your dog's name on the most popular list?Is your dog's name on the most unusual list?The secret to your dog's amazing sense of smellFace it, you really do look like your dogThe trick to helping dogs and cats get alongDog has become woman's best friend, tooWho's treated better - your pet or significant other?Smokers willing to quit for sake of petsThe top 10 dog parks in America10 major cities that are 'purrfect' for catsThe canine is top dog in BritainPets are best medicine for sadness and stressMore reports about dogs and surveysThe survey was conducted by Colorado-based Bark Busters Home Dog Training, which has locations in more than 40 states. Survey participants included 155 dog trainers from 37 states with a collective 750 years of experience.HOMETHE RUFF REPORTSo easy to read. You choose the topic!Adoption | Food | Health | Money | RescueSafety & Behavior | Surveys & StudiesLike MySetterSam on Facebook

subset: commoncrawl


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Young testifies to Public Service Commission
The following was State Sen. Catharine Young's statement to the Public Service Commission Monday night:
The possible loss of the NRG plant is devastating a blow from which this community would never recover. So much hangs in the balance. What will Dunkirk and Chautauqua County's destiny be?
Massive property tax hikes, the annihilation of the school, deep and painful cuts in essential city services such as fire and police, private sector job losses, higher electricity bills, reliance on out-of-state power those are the very real consequences of the NRG plant closing.
Or a stable tax base, teachers kept on the job and our children receiving the education they need and deserve, essential city services protected, existing jobs secured and 500 new construction jobs added for three years while the plant is built, cleaner air to breathe, lower electricity bills, and the expansion of our economy those are the incredible outcomes of repowering the NRG plant.
Many months ago, I received a frantic call from local leaders. The NRG plant was going to be mothballed and was in grave danger of closing for good. The impact on the community was a $40 million loss in tax revenue, wages, and goods and services spent at local businesses.
NRG is by far the largest taxpayer in Chautauqua County, Dunkirk City School District and City of Dunkirk. The elimination of NRG's annual payment in lieu of taxes, currently at $8.2 million, has serious consequences for every county property taxpayer, and particularly for those who live in Dunkirk.
Dunkirk's residents are by no means wealthy. In fact, many people struggle financially. According to the 2010 U.S. census, the median income for households is $33,849, while the poverty rate is 25.8%.
Property taxpayers already are heavily overburdened. According to the Tax Foundation, Chautauqua County already pays the eighth highest taxes in relation to the value of its homes in the country!
Imagine school property taxes exploding by another 47 % and city property taxes skyrocketing by 42 %. Add a county-wide property tax hike on top, and it is a recipe for disaster.
Our assessor says that the average value of a home in Dunkirk is $50,000. Without the stable tax base provided by NRG, taxes on the average value home would have to spike by more than $1,000 annually to make up the difference something folks simply cannot afford.
Recently, I was speaking to a senior citizen from Dunkirk. She said her current property taxes are $5,000 annually. There's not enough money left over from her fixed income to buy groceries, so she is forced to go to the food pantry to survive. Her husband is having a hard time dealing with what he calls "taking handouts." As she talked, she began to sob, her shoulders shaking in despair as she told me she did not know what to do or where to turn.
Residential taxpayers are not the only ones concerned. Our economy has suffered in Western New York. Job losses, companies closing Dunkirk has seen it all. Enormous tax hikes threaten the viability of the manufacturers and small businesses that we have left. We could lose many more jobs and our economy will get even further behind.
If taxes are not raised to make up the lost tax base from NRG, the school would be forced to lay off 58 teachers. Don't our children need and deserve to have a quality education?
The City of Dunkirk would have to make deep cuts in essential services. Fire and police may have to be eliminated. Don't our people need public protection?
Chautauqua County would have to look at cutting non-mandated programs for the aging and veterans. Don't our seniors and those who made so many sacrifices to safeguard our freedoms as Americans deserve to keep their services?
All of the current jobs at the power plant would be wiped out, taking away families' livelihoods. We would lose our ability to be energy independent by generating our own power in Western New York, kneecapping future job growth, especially through manufacturing. We would depend on dirty coal power generated in another state, exporting our jobs and tax base.
The solution in fact, the salvation is to repower NRG to a clean natural gas plant. Repowering Dunkirk will stabilize our tax base, save existing jobs and put 500 New Yorkers to work for three years while they build the plant, give us much cleaner air to breathe, reduce energy costs for consumers, and ensure that our electric system is safe and reliable.
This year's final state budget language agreed upon by Governor Andrew Cuomo, the Senate and the Assembly established certain requirements when evaluating power generation, including ratepayer costs, the environment, the economy including temporary and permanent jobs, economic development and tax revenue, and electric market competitiveness.
The Governor has shown great leadership through his NYS Energy Highway Blueprint to upgrade the in-state transmission super highway in order to move power from upstate plants like Dunkirk to meet growing power needs downstate. If we don't promote the continued development of generation in the region, the highway could be a bridge to nowhere. No one wants to see that and a Repowered Dunkirk together with its ability to work in unison with wind in Western New York is a perfect match for the energy highway.
THE NRG project meets the Governor's Energy Highway goals to assure long term reliability of the electric system is maintained, contribute to an environmentally sustainable future for New York, encourage the development of utility scale renewable generation, create jobs for New Yorkers, and provide projects that connect Western New York power to projects downstate.
We are here now because it has been determined that there is an energy reliability need in Western New York. There are competing projects through NRG and National Grid. The Public Service Commission will decide between the two.
In 2000, National Grid, a foreign-owned company from the United Kingdom, bought out Niagara Mohawk, a U.S. company which used to be one of our state and region's major employers. Since that time, National Grid has eliminated the jobs of hundreds of New Yorkers and moved its U.S headquarters out of New York to Massachusetts.
Because it is not deregulated, National Grid is a monopoly for transmission and distribution and the ratepayers are held hostage.
Unfortunately, National Grid's proposal to the Public Service Commission regarding the future of the Dunkirk plant continues that pattern of hardship and lack of commitment they have hoisted on New York's economy, ratepayers and taxpayers. It begs the question why should a faceless company that makes all of its decisions out of the U.K. be dictating our future in Western New York?
I have compiled quite a bit of material that leads to several compelling questions. I ask that the Public Service Commission answer these questions in a formal response, and take this information into serious consideration during its decision-making process.
As stated in their report, National Grid's confidence in its solution to fully meet reliability needs is limited to 2021 a period of only six years. Unlike the Dunkirk Repower initiative, the National Grid option falls short of the Public Service Commission's stated minimum requirement for long-term solutions of 10 years.
Questions: Why shouldn't National Grid's proposal be rejected outright because they did not follow the Public Service Commission's requirement of showing reliability for 10 years or greater? If National Grid still is considered, what upgrades need to be added to meet the full 10 year need?
Governor Cuomo's Energy Highway Blueprint calls for upgrading aged NYS transmission systems, and moving at least 1000 megawatts of power-stranded in western NY-down to the NY City area.
Question: Doesn't the Dunkirk proposal match up ideally with the transmission construction upgrades to move more power from upstate to downstate?
According to the reports from both Grid and NRG, ratepayer benefits from the Dunkirk project go far beyond just Western New York or National Grid's service area.
Questions: How does the PSC define which ratepayers benefit from the project? How does the PSC propose to allocate the costs of the project if there are benefits that extend across the state?
National Grid advertises the up-front cost of its transmission upgrades as being about $66 million, but says in its report filed in this proceeding that the costs could be higher as much as $156 Million with a total cost over 20 years of nearly $500 million. This seems like a bait-and-switch, since National Grid maintains the option to recover its costs no matter how much they are from ratepayers. NRG says it will commit to its bid up front, while National Grid will not. The real comparison of the transmission option should be to the $500 million price tag.
National Grid stands to make enormous profits at the consumers' expense. Its most recent rate cases 12-E-0201 and 12-G-0202-18 allow for a 9.3 % return on equity for capital improvements that would last for 30 plus years.
By contrast, the NRG plan is the most cost effective for ratepayers, with millions of dollars in private investment and ratepayer benefits exceeding costs by $350 million per year. Repowering Dunkirk will provide clean, reliable, local energy at a guaranteed price, all while benefiting our local economy and putting our energy future in our own hands. That is the right choice for New York.
Question: National Grid's transmission will not produce any power only transport it. Where will that power come from, how much will it actually cost and will it meet New York's standards for the environment? Can National Grid guarantee that if their expenses exceed $66 million that the ratepayers will not have to pay one dime more?
In a power point presented to the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) dated October 24, 2012, National Grid outlined projects including reconductoring of the Five Mile Road-Homer Hill 115kV lines for eight miles, and reconductoring of the Falconer-Warren #171 115 kV Line for six miles in New York State and 11.5 miles in Pennsylvania. On page 13 of the report National Grid states "Completion of the work described should eliminate dependence of the transmission system on Dunkirk generation." I have attached a copy of this power point for the Public Service Commission's review. These projects were not included in National Grid's alternative to repowering Dunkirk, yet there clearly is linkage between the timing and costs of these additional projects. This information is another demonstration of evidence that National Grid's estimation of actual costs is grossly understated and should be reworked to include all expenditures because of a huge negative impact on the ratepayers.
Questions: These proposed line upgrades and the building of a substation in Humphrey will cost hundreds of millions of dollars. If these additional costs are needed to eliminate power produced at the Dunkirk plant, why are they not listed in National Grid's submission to the Public Service Commission? Why isn't National Grid required to revise its analysis to include these additional costs? What is the true impact on the ratepayers?
National Grid's Five Mile Road-Homer Hill line and Falconer-Warren line as outlined to the NYSISO would directly connect to the PJM transmission system out of Pennsylvania and Ohio, which has a large share of its power generated by dirty coal plants that generate high amounts of pollution, in sharp contrast to the clean and efficient natural gas repowering at Dunkirk. PJM has the highest CO2 densities in the nation. Therefore, importing power from PJM will dramatically raise overall CO2 emissions when compared to repowering Dunkirk.
National Grid claims in its report regarding NYS PSC docket 12-E-0577 "The emission reductions (both water and air) described in NRG's proposal are compared to the historic baseline of existing facility operating on coal. However, if the existing facility is retired as planned, future emissions would be zero."
This statement by National Grid is highly misleading, disingenuous, and entirely the wrong benchmark. In reality, power transmitted from the PJM system would double emissions not have zero emissions.
On the other hand, the Dunkirk repowering proposal clearly identifies dramatic and significant environmental benefits, reducing all major emissions including mercury by 100 %, sulfur dioxide by 99%, nitrogen oxides 98%, particulates by 83%, and greenhouse gases by 73% while greatly benefiting our local economy and putting our energy future in our own hands.
Repowering Dunkirk will provide support for other renewable generating assets, especially wind and solar power in Western New York. The intermittent nature of wind resources can be a challenge for the Western New York grid, and the repowered Dunkirk plant will help balance the variability of wind resources for grid operators because the combined-cycle units can ramp up quickly and load follow as demand rises and falls on the system.
Question: National Grid's plan as outlined to NYSISO connects to PJM. Why isn't National Grid required to include actual data in their proposal about power produced in the PJM system including CO2 emissions, in addition to other coal-generated pollutants, including mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulates, greenhouse gases?
Another serious environmental flaw with National Grid's submission is that by importing power from out of state, this power is not subject to Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) carbon tax.
Questions: Doesn't this fact defeat the purpose of the NYS RGGI system? Doesn't imported Pennsylvania energy create an unfair advantage?
Some Sierra Club members will try to make repowering NRG an issue related to allowing high volume hydraulic fracturing for natural gas in New York State which currently is under consideration by the Department of Environmental Conservation. This argument is a red herring because repowering Dunkirk would use existing supplies of natural gas and does not propose using gas produced from New York's Marcellus Shale. Whether or not to hydrofrack in New York State simply has no bearing on repowering NRG.
It is surprising that Sierra Club favors National Grid's plans to tie into the dirty PJM system that has high CO2 emissions and does not pay RGGI fees. Sierra Club's record shows they have opposed every major form of energy production in some form or another, even renewable energy projects. However, in January and February of 2013, the Sierra Club signed on in support of agreements with AEP and MidAmerican Energy to convert a number of existing coal units to natural gas. This is noteworthy as their opposition to repowering the Dunkirk facility here in New York appears inconsistent with their most recent actions in similar cases.
In addition to the environmental concerns raised by National Grid linking to the PJM system, another glaring flaw with National Grid's plan is that it increases our reliance on external markets, while effectively transferring our own jobs and tax benefits out of state.
It is risky to depend on power from other states, as we unfortunately found out in 2003 during a major blackout that left 50 million people in eight states in the dark. The economic and government costs were staggering, estimated to be up to $8.2 billion. The problem began when power lines in Ohio sagged into trees that had not been properly trimmed, causing fires and forcing lines out of service something that was out of our jurisdiction.
Now, National Grid's plan to connect to Pennsylvania transmission throws the ability to control our destiny out of our hands once again. The age and condition of Pennsylvania's lines is unknown and not under the authority of New York State.
Questions: If National Grid ties into the PJM system, what jurisdiction and recourse does the Public Service Commission have over Pennsylvania transmission to ensure that reliability needs in New York State are met? If our electrical grid is connected to Pennsylvania, and the out of state system fails, what impact would that situation have on our economy, especially in Western New York?
In summary, National Grid fails to provide the complete impact analysis on transmission upgrades that was required by the Public Service Commission's order, and more specifically, ignores the long-term impacts on the community, future economic viability of the region, and does not consider certain factors that are sure to affect market projections.
NRG's repowering meets and exceeds all of the requirements.
You see the overwhelming majority of the hundreds of local residents who are directly impacted here in support of repowering Dunkirk. You see that most of the naysayers have traveled from outside of our community. Those who are most against repowering have no personal stake in this issue.
Repowering Dunkirk will bring hope, opportunity and prosperity to our region. Our future depends on it. On behalf of my people, I respectfully ask as a state Senator who is privileged to represent this area Public Service Commission, please choose repowering NRG.


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Tucsonan Helps Gather African-American Genealogies
Volunteer was among thousands who worked on Civil War-era records for database.
Volunteer was among thousands who worked on Civil War-era records for database.
Attorney general's office goes to court to seek repeal of city law; Council votes to fight it.
High schoolers and teachers make the 1,500-mile journey to North Dakota.
Plus, polling problems in Douglas; young immigrants' thoughts on the future.
The average Latina is paid 54 cents for every dollar a white male counterpart earns.
One is appeal in two Tucson murder cases in which defendants were teenagers.
Human Rights Campaign's annual index looks at laws, policies and services available in a city.
Many don't have formal addresses, and distance to polling places may prevent some from voting.
Agreement calls for guidelines on how 'show me your papers' part of law is applied.
Plus, OSIRIS-REx mission launches; what's next? And raising grandkids on Grandparent's Day.
A multi-racial group organizing a human rights rally on the UA campus.
Tucson Police one of 15 police departments in the country selected for new policing strategies
New commander is an outsider; human rights activists claim a victory.
Clergy, families, others join LGBTQ community to mourn and protest gun violence.
Report by United Nations says use nonprofits not private prisons.
10,000 Central American children facing 'removal' went to court without lawyers.
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Grilled Bananas Foster
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 medium ripe bananas
- Oil, for grill pan
- 1 pint vanilla ice cream
DirectionsWatch how to make this recipe.
Preheat a grill pan or grill grate over medium heat.
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved. Simmer until mixture thickens about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and set aside.
Cut each banana lengthwise, leaving the skin on and brush with butter and brown sugar sauce. Oil the grill pan and arrange the bananas, cut side down, on the pan. Grill until caramelized, about 4 minutes. Turn the bananas and grill until the skins are blackened bananas are soft and warmed through, about 5 minutes more. Baste frequently with the sauce during the cooking process.
Remove from grill to a serving platter and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, drizzled with remaining sauce.
Recipe courtesy of Sandra Lee
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Dissecting Stroppa
On Monday December 3rd, pianist Jenny Q Chai is giving her DMA lecture recital at my old stomping grounds: Manhattan School of Music. Chai has become a persuasive advocate for a wide range of repertoire, but, after meeting him in Darmstadt some five years ago, the piano music of Marco Stroppa has become one of her keenest passions. Her lecture recital, which she plans to give in a lab coat (!), will focus on Stroppa's Innige Cavatina. Below, check out a recording of the work from Jenny's SoundCloud.


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|World Championships slalom in La Molina, Spain
| Allison Jones and I
| Hall of famer Monte Meyer and I
|John Register, the VA's Dr. Tommy Sowers and I
|Ralph Green, Stephanie Jallen and I
Hello, all. Less than 330 days until the Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi Russia! Wow, it's going to be here before I know it. With the ski season ending, the last few weeks have been very busy for me and I had back-to-back events to attend. This month, I am giving a shout-out to the place where this journey began for me, as well as an amazing non-profit that provides a good deal of the national team's funding.
As mentioned in a previous blog I started skiing again thanks to the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic. The following was taken from the VA's website.
"The National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic is a world-leader in adaptive winter sports instruction for U.S. military Veterans and active duty servicemen and women with disabilities.
Set in stunning Snowmass, Colorado, the Clinic will celebrate its 27th year by bringing nearly 400 Veterans with traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, orthopedic amputations, visual impairments, certain neurological conditions and other disabilities to the mountain.
More than 200 certified ski instructors for the disabled, and several current and former members of the U.S. Disabled Ski Team, serve as ski instructors to meet the unique needs of the participants.
In addition to Alpine skiing, the Clinic also features a number of other sports including: cross country, rock climbing, scuba diving, kayaking, trapshooting and snowmobiling.
The Clinic is co-sponsored by The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Disabled American Veterans (DAV)."
Last year was my first year coming back as a mentor and this year was my first year as a member of the U.S. Paralympics Alpine Skiing Team. This clinic was definitely a life changer for me, so I really have a strong sense of loyalty to this event.
I was able to ski with some veterans. For some, it was their first clinic and some that had been to several clinics. I love being on the other side, it brought back many memories. I remember the first day of the clinic, when I was apprehensive to talk to anyone, and the last day when I was talking to everyone.
Being a volunteer, I got to experience the transformation from the opposite side of the coin and let me tell you, it made me realize why the volunteer instructors come every year. That's right, every one of the instructors volunteer their own time to come to this event.
If you ever have the chance to attend this clinic as a volunteer, please do. To any disabled veteran out there, if you have never attended this event I highly recommend it! You don't need to go all the way to the Paralympics, nor do you need to have been injured in a conflict; you only have to be service connected. I just want you to become active and stay active for the other 51 weeks of the year! I hope to be able to give back to the VA and this event for many years to come.
I had to leave the NDVWSC a few days early to attend another amazing event – Adaptive Spirit 2013. This was its 18th year. The following was taken from their website.
"The Adaptive Spirit Ski Event is a fundraising event that generates more than half of the operating budget for the U.S. National Paralympic Ski Team each year. It heralds as one of the best cable and telecommunications industry networking events in the country - and hoping to expand its appeal to additional industries as well - the event raises funds that directly benefit the remarkable athleticism and competitive spirit of the U.S. Paralympic Ski Team, allowing the organization to remain the top disabled ski team in the world."
Our team this next year is going to be doing a significant amount of traveling; normally we only have four World Cup stops, but with the upcoming Paralympic Winter Games, we are going to have nine stops. We also travel to eight-10 Nor AM events. Each one of the World Cup trips costs anywhere from $10,000 to $18,000 per athlete, depending on what country we are visiting and which resort we are staying at. So, as you can imagine, without the support of Adaptive Spirit, we wouldn't be able to have as many athletes on the team, nor would we be able to attend all of the World Cup events. The amount of support we get is not only measured financially, but the industry helps to spread the word, and, as you can imagine, the cable and telecommunications industries have a broad reach.
With less than 11 months to go on the #RoadtoSochi I know have a couple of weeks to get some R&R and then I kick off into full swing on May 1 at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
Thanks for all of your continued support. Feel free to follow me on Twitter: @JonnyVolcano44, or Facebook: Jon Lujan Adaptive Alpine Skier.
Go Team USA!


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Nate Diaz vs. Josh Thomson
Round 1:
Mike Beltran is the referee. Diaz pressuring Thomson right away. Thomson right away is using a lot of low leg kicks and on his bicycle. Thomson eats a head kick and keeps pressuring. Left hand scores at range for Diaz, but he eats another head kick. The two clinch and Thomson scores with a knee to the body on the inside. Now Thomson breaks free, but Diaz is all over him. Thomson ducks a punch from Diaz and scores two hard ones of his own. Diaz presses Diaz into the fence, but is taken down. Thomson is unloading on Diaz, but now the two stand.
Round 2:
Diaz swarms Thomson right away, but lands an accidental groin shot. The action resumes shortly thereafter. Leg kick scores for Thomson and now he has double underhooks pressing Diaz into the fence. Hard elbow and a right hand from Thomson, but Diaz responds with a left. Diaz takes Thomson to the floor, but Thomson stands and lands another hard elbow. The two circle and exchange a few shots before Thomson lands a head kick flush that stuns Diaz. Thomson follows up with punches that drop Diaz. Thomson continues his assault until Diaz goes back and base down, forcing a referee stoppage (as Diaz's corner throws in the towel).
Josh Thomson def. Nate Diaz with TKO (head kick, strikes) at 3:44 of round 2
Rejoice ever more. 1 Thessalonians 5:16
Frank Mir vs. Daniel Cormier
Round 1:
The referee in charge of the action is Herb Dean. Cormier opens orthodox, Mir is southpaw. Mir opens with range-finding kicks, but none land. Cormier stalking early, but hasn't thrown much. Cormier swarms, but eats a knee to the body for his efforts. Cormier lands two shots to the body and head against the fence. Cormier is tying up Mir while scoring quick, hard punches to the body over and over. Cormier backs off. Mir lands a short right, but Cormier presses him into the fence and goes back to work. Inside leg kick from Cormier stumbles Mir, but he recovers.
Round 2:
Mir lands a small outside leg kick. Cormier once again secures an underhook and presses Mir into the fence. Cormier lands several hard shots there, but ultimately steps away. Cormier lands a right hand and presses Mir back into the fence. Cormier back away once again. Mir lands a short right hand. Cormier is back to pressing Mir into the fence. Mir responds with a knee in the clinch. Two hard right hands by Cormier and Mir lands his own counter. Two-punch combo scores for Cormier plus a hard body shot.
Round 3:
Cormier eats a leg kick from Mir and attempts a takedown, but can't get it, but still manages to press Mir into the fence. Mir lands a hard body kick and a knee and it appears to have hurt Cormier a bit. Cormier lands another right hand at distance and re-initiates the clinch. Mir lands another body kick. Mir tries to pull guard off of a single leg takedown, but Cormier backs away and now presses Mir into the fence. The referee separates them and Mir tries a last-second flurry, but doesn't score much.
Daniel Cormier def. Frank Mir by unanimous decision 30-27, 30-27, 30-27.
Rejoice ever more. 1 Thessalonians 5:16
I was very disappointed with the Mir fight. :(
I also thought Nate would do better.
But except for that particular fight, I think it's been one of the best cards in a long time.
Rejoice ever more. 1 Thessalonians 5:16
Benson Henderson vs. Gilbert Melendez
Round 1:
Referee in charge of the action is John McCarthy. Henderson opens southpaw, Melendez is orthodox. Leg kick lands for Henderson, but Melendez lands a jab and inside kick of his own. Left hand for Henderson snaps Melendez's head back. Melendez now in Henderson's guard after a Henderson slip, but Henderson working his way toward the fence. Henderson eats a knee for his efforts, but he's back up. Another hard leg kick from Henderson, but Melendez catches it. Henderson avoids the takedown and is now pressing Melendez into the fence. The two separate. Hard, chopping inside leg kick for Henderson. Melendez responds, but his wasn't as hard. Melendez catches a kick from and throws Henderson to the mat where he then lands a knee to the body. Left hook counter from Melendez finds the mark.
Round 2:
Melendez charging forward and winging shots, but mostly missing. Henderson scores with a knee, but circling into Melendez's powerhand. Henderson scores another knee to the body and stuffs a takedown attempt. Henderson jabs Melendez's thigh. One-two for Henderson partially scores. Henderson and Melendez exchange leg kicks and Melendez is still stalking. Henderson attempts a double, but can't even get close. Left hand for Henderson lands to the body. Both fighters trade punches in the center, but Henderson lands a knee. Then he eats a right, but Melendez eats several hard elbows. Henderson doing a lot of the stalking now.
Round 3:
The fighters trade lefts to open the round and Henderson lands a hard inside leg kick. Melendez with a shot to the body. Henderson switching stances now and drops Melendez with an outside leg kick, but Melendez climbs back to his feet. Now Henderson scores with an uppercut. Melendez lands a hard right hand and another. Henderson lands a short punch and then dives for a double. He temporarily gets it, but Melendez is fighting it. Melendez stands, but Henderson scores a knee to the body. Henderson with an outside leg kick. Left hand lands for Henderson, but Melendez stuffs a subsequent takedown attempt. Body kick lands for Henderson. Henderson clinches with Melendez and the two exchange wild strikes against the fence. Body shot for Henderson. Left hand for Henderson, but Melendez lands a leg and then body kick. Henderson drops Melendez with another leg kick.
Round 4:
Henderson lands a body kick. Another hard inside leg kick lands for Henderson. The clinch and both whiff on punches as they separate. Melendez lands a right hand and then stuffs a takedown attempt. Middle kick again from Henderson and he stuffs Melendez's shot. HARD outside leg kick from Henderson and he lands a knee plus stuff Henderson's shot. Left elbow scores for Henderson as he steps in. Left hand grazes Melendez's chin, but El Nino scores one of his own. Side kick from Henderson lands on Melendez's thigh. Henderson lands a kick on Melendez as Melendez throws and the Strikeforce champ slips. Henderson pounces, but can't keep Melendez down. ANOTHER inside leg kick from Henderson. Melendez lands two hard hard body shots and a right upstairs.
Round 5:
Middle kick for Henderson lands. Jumping switch kick misses for Henderson. Hard inside leg kick scores and it partially off balances Melendez. Melendez stalking hard, but so far can't get anything off. Left hand to the body for Henderson. Hard inside leg kick for Henderson finds the mark again. Left elbow thrown by Henderson, but misses. Melendez pressuring hard but not landing much and Henderson scores another leg kick. Middle kick caught by Melendez and he scores a right hand. Melendez throws and knee and it's harder than the one Henderson fired back. Right hand now by Melendez. Melendez more aggressive with his boxing and scoring.
Ben Henderson def. Gilbert Melendez via split decision (48-47 Melendez, 48-47 Henderson, 48-47 Henderson)
It was close but I didn't think it was a split decision, I thought he took 3 rounds. That said, I also was disappointed that Benson threw that cheap shot after the bell signaled the end of round 2.
Anyway, great night of fights, all in all.
Rejoice ever more. 1 Thessalonians 5:16
As for Frank, I wanted him to win and thought he could win. I was not impressed with Cormier tonight.
I picked Thomson to win and was pumped for what he did to Nate. I have been sold on Josh for awhile now and thought he beat Melendez last year.
I thought it was a great night of fights! I was really entertained and enjoyed the majority of them. Frank's fight was hard to watch. He just didn't seem to have an answer to Cormier's grinding and dirty boxing up against the cage.
it was funny to see nate mouth off to thompson, call him a bitch and then get ktfo ... and to top it off, the other big bad boy from the 209, his brother threw in the towel .. LOL ...
oh and i think henderson won that fight ... 4 rounds to 1 .... melendez needs a better corner ... jake shields was awful .. same with nate ... nick just sat there looking across the cage ...
Last edited by rearnakedchoke; 04-22-2013 at 04:04 PM.
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Rita Nelson
NELSON, Rita Marilyn, 80, of Alpena died Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013, at home.
She is survived by her husband, Robert; son, William (Diana) Nelson; daughters, Kathy Hanson, and Julie (Lowell) Luebke; four grandchildren, Crystal, Michael, Kyle and Maggie; two sisters, Betty (Joe) Baker, and Eunice (Richard) Braidwood; two brothers, Roy (Darlene) Sommerfeld, and Myles (Jane) Sommerfeld; three sisters-in-law, Jean Sommerfeld, Carole Sommerfeld, and Eunice Sommerfeld; and many nieces and nephews.
Family and friends may call Friday at the Bannan Funeral Home from 2-8 p.m. Visitation will continue Saturday at Immanuel Lutheran Church from 10 a.m. until the funeral service at 11 a.m. with Rev. David Spaeth officiating.
Interment will be at Evergreen Cemetery.


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Seagate Technology on Tuesday introduced the world's first ultra-thin external hard disk drive (HDD). The novelty packs in the thinnest standard 2.5" hard disk and is designed in order to boost Seagate's branded storage business. The product will not be too expensive and may become popular among users of netbooks or even tablets.
The Seagate GoFlex Slim hard disk drive is just 9mm thick, 38% leaner than the current GoFlex ultra-portable drives. The novelty - for the first time in history - incorporates a 2.5" 7mm hard drive with 320GB capacity and 7200rpm spindle speed. The new drive uses USB 3.0 interface for maximum possible performance on mainstream personal computers. The device supports 192-bit triple DES encryption, which should be enough for consumers, who use such drives.
The drive is rather compact and lightweight (160g) and thus can easily fit into a pocket. However, given the fact that is very slim, it may not be as rugged as other portable HDDs.
"The continued growth of personal digital media stores, our increasingly mobile lifestyles and the continued proliferation of mobile devices are driving the demand for slimmer, more portable storage solutions. Netbooks and slim laptops are great for consuming media, but are limited when it comes to creating and storing high-definition films and photos. With the benefit of using Seagate's Momentus Thin drive, the 9mm GoFlex Slim ultra-portable hard drive breaks through these boundaries," said Patrick Connolly, vice president and general manager of Retail at Seagate.
The GoFlex Slim portable drive also allows for usebetween Windows and Mac computers, interchangeably, without formatting or performance loss. Additionally, the drive's included premium backup software provides automatic and continuous backups and encrypts files and folders.
The GoFlex Slim portable drive will also be available in a version for use specifically with Mac OS X computers. The GoFlex Slim for Mac portable drive will be HFS+ formatted out-of-the-box, making it fully compatible with Apple Time Machine backup software, while maintaining the ability to work across both Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X computers
The 320GB version of the GoFlex Slim drive can be purchased for a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $99.
"Consumers have a desire to have digital content available at their fingertips. However, in some cases, personal libraries of digital content are exceeding the storage capacity available in notebook PCs. USB attached HDD storage that is capacious, affordable, lightweight, and in a slim form factor will be appealing to many of these consumers," said John Rydning, IDC's research director for hard disk drives.
According to IDC, tablets, netbooks and laptops are largely seen as secondary PC devices and are primarily used for information "grazing", or as vehicles of content consumption. Additionally, tablets and netbooks have very limited on-board storage requiring them to have access to additional storage, whether it is local attached, networked or from the cloud. As a result, slim HDDs may get popular among users not satisfied with built-in storage.


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Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers published Anderson's novel Fever 1793 in 2000, an historical novel set in Philadelphia during the...
(The entire section is 137 words.)
Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers published Anderson's novel Fever 1793 in 2000, an historical novel set in Philadelphia during the...
(The entire section is 137 words.)
Chapter 1
Fourteen-year-old Mattie Cook is roused abruptly by her mother on the morning of August 16, 1793. The weather is stifling and a mosquito buzzes annoyingly around her head as she sluggishly responds to her parent's nagging. Polly, the serving girl who helps at the coffeehouse downstairs, is late and there is work to be done. As Mattie dresses, Silas, the family cat, pounces on a mouse and the girl, shooing the angry feline away, retrieves the rodent, now deceased. As she leans out the window which overlooks the teeming Philadelphia street below to dispose of the dead rodent, Mattie hears the sound of the blacksmith's hammer on his anvil and conjectures that Polly is probably late because she has stopped to visit with Matthew, the blacksmith's son.
Mattie herself does not like the blacksmith's shop, with its "roaring furnace [and] sparks crackling in the air." She prefers the waterfront which lies to the east; on a clear day, she can see the masts of the ships tied up at the wharves on the Delaware River from her window. A few blocks south of that lies the Walnut Street Prison; it was there where the French aeronaut Jean Pierre Blanchard had recently launched the first hot-air balloon flown in the United States. Mattie yearns to one day break free of the ties that bind her to her tawdry life, just like that "remarkable balloon" that had risen from the prison courtyard, escaping the confines of earth.
Chapter 2
The Cook Coffeehouse had been built by Mattie's father soon after the American War for Independence ended in 1783. The bustling establishment is located in the center of the city, near the corner of Seventh and High Streets, two blocks from the home of President Washington. Mattie's father, a carpenter by trade, had fallen from a ladder and died only two months after the coffehouse had opened. Mattie's paternal grandfather had subsequently moved in, and the three...
(The entire section is 736 words.)
Chapter 3
Mattie cannot believe her mother's words. She and Polly had been friends from the cradle and had grown up playing dolls together.
Mother explains that the girl had been taken with a fever only briefly, and three quarters of an hour later had cried out and then died in her own bed. Everyone is mystified as to the nature of the deadly and mysterious malady that had stricken Polly as she had been in robust health and had never been known as sickly.
Mattie closes her eyes, picturing her friend "happy, joking, maybe stealing a kiss with Matthew." Startled, Mother lays a hand on her forehead, asking if she is feeling all right.
Eliza suggests that Mattie should go over to the Logans' house to take some food for the family and pay her respects, but Mother does not want her daughter near there, "not with a sickness in the air." Mother says that Mattie has not played with Polly "for years" and callously adds that "the girl was our servant, not a friend."
Desperately Mattie argues to the contrary and begs to at least attend Polly's funeral, but her mother will not allow even that. Infuriated, the girl shouts, "Why are you so horrid?" causing Mother to demand an apology at once. Mattie complies with words that are dutiful but without feeling.
Chapter 4
Although they are forced to work together serving the guests at the coffeehouse that afternoon, things are still strained between Mattie and Mother and each avoids making eye contact with the other.
Mattie goes over to serve Grandfather, who sits at a table in the corner of the crowded room with "two government officials, a lawyer, and Mr. Carris," who is the owner of an export business.
Grandfather, known to his contemporaries as Captain William Farnsworth Cook of the Pennsylvania Fifth Regiment, had been an army officer under General Washington and is "the heart of all...
(The entire section is 626 words.)
Chapter 5
By a week later, sixty-four people have succumbed to the mysterious illness in Philadelphia. Rumors abound that the fever originated near the docks and as a consequence, consumers begin avoiding that area and flock instead to the upper end of High Street, where the Cook Coffeehouse is located.
Mattie works from dawn to dusk every day as Mother, Eliza, and she struggle to accommodate the additional customers. The young girl gets no respite from her grueling routine until Grandfather finally convinces Mother to let her go to the market to run errands one day.
The market stalls cover three blocks in the center of the city. Mattie buys eggs, cabbages wilted from the drought, fresh lemons, and some moldy cheese from various vendors.
As she passes the butcher's stall, she is grabbed from behind and spun through the air. Mattie is pleased to recognize her "attacker" as Nathaniel Benson, who looks "much more a man and less a boy than he had a few months earlier" when she had seen him last.
Mother is not happy about Mattie's interest in handsome Nathaniel because he works as a painter's assistant and as such has "no future." Ironically, Mother's own family had essentially disowned her when she had insisted on marrying Mattie's father, a lowly carpenter.
Mattie and Nathaniel engage in innocent banter for a while until the bell at Christ Church begins to toll. The marketplace falls silent as the denizens count twenty-one peals; every time someone in the city dies, the bell rings once for each year the unfortunate person had lived.
The sobering sound of the bell brings Nathaniel to wonder if the deceased had been another fever victim, and Mattie, thinking of Polly, begins to cry. Nathaniel comforts her by putting a hand on her shoulder, and in the awkwardness that follows, Mattie takes her leave.
Chapter 6
(The entire section is 683 words.)
Chapter 7
At the Oglivie mansion, Mattie and her mother are escorted to "a drawing room as large as the entire first floor of the coffee shop" by a maid. After a short time Penilla Oglivie "sails" in, complaining that the summer has been the "worst of [her] life" and declaring that she is counting on her visitors to "lighten [her] mood."
Mrs. Oglivie's outfit glimmers with richness in contrast to the old clothes Mother has pieced together for herself and Mattie. The house itself exudes opulence; the fixtures and furnishings are lavish and expensive.
Colette and Jeannine, the two Oglivie daughters, join the gathering. Colette, the older of the two, is pale and has dark rings under her eyes; Jeannine's cheeks "[shine] pink and chubby as a baby pig's."
The younger sister takes an instant dislike to Mattie and surreptitiously makes sure that the delicate desserts served remain out of the reach of her visitor. When Mattie's mother, determined to find a future marriage partner for her daughter in the well-heeled household, indelicately persists in trying to turn the conversation to the subject of the Oglivie sons, Jeannine perceives her intent.
When it is clear that Penilla Oglivie, who is prattling on about the "gross injustice" that her plans for summer partying are being ruined "because the lower class [is falling] ill," does not share her daughter's insight, Jeannine rudely exclaims, "Mama, must you be so thick-headed? Mrs. Cook is asking if you might consider Miss Cook as a wife for one of our brothers."
At that point Colette, who is obviously ill, crumples to the floor in a faint. While Mrs. Oglivie shrieks, Mother goes over and lays her hand against the stricken girl's forehead. Colette is burning with fever.
Chapter 8
The church bells toll incessantly from that day as scores of Philadelphia's denizens succumb to the mysterious...
(The entire section is 664 words.)
Chapter 9
Unbelievably, Mother is alive, and Grandfather and Mattie struggle to carry her inside. With Eliza's help they put her to bed, where she sleeps fitfully, hot but shivering, for the rest of the afternoon.
Grandfather, who insists that Mother has just been overcome by the heat, consults with Mr. Rowley, who is "not a proper physician, but . . . sees sick folk and prescribes medicines." Eliza, who has just returned from a meeting at the Free African Society about the fever, says that all the "real doctors" are down on Water Street, where things are so bad that "bodies are piling up like firewood."
Mr. Rowley examines Mother and proclaims that she does not have yellow...
(The entire section is 645 words.)
Chapter 11
The passengers are tormented by hoards of mosquitoes as the half-starved horse pulls the wagon laboriously out of the city. Mattie makes a wry joke, and Grandfather's laughter brings on a coughing spell of such severity that his face reddens alarmingly.
The old man quickly recovers, however, and begins to drill his granddaughter on "soldiering lessons" to help pass the time. After Mattie dutifully and accurately answers his question about "three things [a soldier] needs to fight," he settles back for a nap and Mattie rests against her beloved grandfather's chest, lulled by the rhythmic beating of his heart.
A short time later, four horsemen armed with muskets stop the...
(The entire section is 559 words.)
Chapter 13
Two days later, Grandfather and Mattie are still stranded in the vicinity of the stream, subsisting on a meager diet of berries and water. Mattie knows that her grandfather needs a doctor, but she has no idea how to get him to one.
As the minutes pass, she grows increasingly frightened and discouraged. After bathing in the stream that day, Mattie fashions a makeshift net out of her petticoat and tries to catch some fish, but her attempt is futile.
Grandfather exhibits symptoms of a bad cold, and although the weather is stifling, he shivers and complains that he is cold. Mattie is afraid to leave him alone, but he convinces her to go off in search of help.
(The entire section is 813 words.)
Chapter 15
Mattie has survived the most critical part of her illness, but she still has a long road ahead of her to wellness. As she lies in the hospital regaining her strength, she hears endless stories of the chaos that reigns in Philadelphia. Small children have been found huddled by the corpses of their parents, and many victims have been abandoned by their loved ones, left to die alone in empty houses. Thieves rove unchecked in the city, stealing valuables off the bodies of the dead and dying.
On the tenth morning of her stay at Bush Hill, Mattie is visited by the famed Dr. Deveze himself. The good physician declares that after one more night, she will be strong enough to be moved to...
(The entire section is 787 words.)
Chapter 17
The wagon finally delivers Grandfather and Mattie to the coffee shop. The two are dismayed to find that the place has been looted and that the first floor is in a shambles. The second floor apparently has been untouched, but while the stench of illness lingers, Mother is not there.
The air in the dwelling is stifling, and although Mattie opens all the windows and doors, there is no fresh breeze to be had. Grandfather, whose face has taken on an alarmingly red hue, manages to find a place to sit among the wreckage. He conjectures that Mother must have somehow gone to the Ludingtons' farm with Eliza.
Mattie thinks that he may be right about Mother, but she knows that...
(The entire section is 719 words.)
Chapter 19
Mattie is jolted awake by heavy footsteps at the window, as two men, one tall and the other short, climb in through the open shutters. As the intruders rummage through the house, searching for valuables, Mattie, undetected in the shadows, holds down her rising panic, trying to decide what to do. If she screams, she will wake Grandfather, and the thieves might kill them both. She can try to escape through the open window and run for help, but the neighborhood is virtually deserted, and besides, it is unlikely that anyone will bother with "a trifling robbery when there [is] death at every door." Mattie decides that her best chance is to try to slip through the window and cause a commotion...
(The entire section is 881 words.)
Chapter 21
The little girl, whose name is Nell, shows Mattie the body of her mother, who has clearly died of yellow fever, then she speaks no more. Mattie does not know what to do; she knows she cannot provide for Nell, and the mother needs burying.
She appeals to the neighbors for help, but none who answers the door knows the family, and all have more than enough trouble of their own. Someone refers her to "Reverend Allen's group," the Free African Society. They are known for ministering to the sick, and two of their members have just been seen in the area.
Mattie hoists Nell on her hip and heads over to Fifth Street, where the group holds their meetings. Her destination is a...
(The entire section is 894 words.)
Chapter 23
When she awakens the next day, Mattie finds that Eliza already has gone out to minister to the sick and that Mother Smith has come to care for Joseph and the children. Mattie diligently does the housework—cooking, scrubbing, and cleaning—although her efforts largely fail to meet the old woman's exacting standards.
When evening falls, Mother Smith tells the little children a story and then sends them off to bed. The twins retire to their mattress without protest, but Nell climbs into Mattie's lap and falls asleep, sucking her thumb.
As she prepares to leave, Mother Smith warns Mattie not to fall in love with the little girl; she points out...
(The entire section is 880 words.)
Chapter 25
Using a mule cart secured by Mother Smith, Eliza and Mattie transport the children in the dead of night from Joseph's home to the coffeehouse. The city is darker than Mattie has ever seen as the lamplighters have all either fled Philadelphia or died.
After they settle the children in the downstairs room as comfortably as possible on a mattress, Eliza sits beside them with her head bowed in prayer.
Mattie finds that caring for the children is much more difficult than ministering to the patients they had visited; just as one tot would fall asleep, having had his or her needs met, another would abruptly awaken, vomiting and crying.
Eliza gently treats the...
(The entire section is 687 words.)
Chapter 27
As word of the first frost spreads, hundreds of people who had fled Philadelphia during the epidemic come back to the city. In contrast to those who had stayed, these returnees are healthy and well fed; their seeming obliviousness to the suffering their old neighbors have endured makes it difficult for Mattie not to look upon them with a touch of bitterness.
Nathaniel Benson is a frequent visitor at the coffeehouse during these days of transition, and he and Mattie walk outside together as often as they can, watching as Philadelphia begins to regain an appearance more in keeping with its stature as the capital of the United States. The young man thinks that he would like to paint...
(The entire section is 737 words.)
Chapter 29
Mattie dashes across the street to embrace her mother, who feels like "a frail bird" in her arms. The woman introduces her good friend Mrs. Ludington and then, smiling weakly, says that she needs to sit down.
Nathaniel steps forward and greets Mrs. Cook, who remembers him by name. Mattie waits for her to make a "sharp-tongued remark" about the young man's presence, but to her surprise, Mother says nothing.
As Mrs. Cook, aided by Mattie and Mrs. Ludington, steps into the coffeehouse, the room falls silent. Initially shocked by the woman's wasted appearance, the customers soon remember their manners and rise as one to show their respect.
Eliza rushes forward...
(The entire section is 661 words.)


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"Life is composed of lights and shadows, and we would be untruthful, insincere, and saccharine if we tried to pretend there were no shadows. Most things are good, and they are the strongest things; but there are evil things too, and you are not doing a child a favor by trying to shield him from reality. The important thing is to teach a child that good can always triumph over evil. "
Safe Flight Instrument Corp.'s Randall Greene
Following in the footsteps of a successful father is rarely easy, particularly when it involves a business founded by the father. Randall Greene, now chairman, president and CEO of Safe Flight Instrument Corp., faces this challenge. His father, Leonard Greene, started the company in 1946.
A prodigious inventor, the elder Greene pioneered stall-warning, angle-of-attack and other safety and performance systems for all types of aircraft, both civil and military. Today, the privately held company boasts that two-thirds of the world's aircraft fly with Safe Flight equipment. Annual sales, not revealed publicly, are approaching $40 million.
"It's hard to work for your father--at least in my 20s it was hard for me to work with my father," the younger Greene told me when I asked why he left the company after working there from 1972 to 1980. "We were banging heads all the time. I think it was tougher for him than it was for me, but it was tough for both of us."
We sat in Randy's office in Safe Flight's headquarters and manufacturing facility in White Plains, N.Y., close by Westchester County Airport where the company hangars its Falcon 20, Beech Baron and Agusta 109. The facility's roof is approved for helicopter operations. The office had been Leonard's and stayed Leonard's even when Randy returned to the company as president in 2001. Randy moved into the office only last winter, after his father's death at age 88 in November 2006. Copies of patents held by the Greenes cover one paneled wall.
"Safe Flight has about 120 patents," said Randy proudly. "I have seven and my father has most of the rest. He was a brilliant, brilliant inventor. Not just in aviation, but obviously aviation is where he made his business." Echoing Mark Twain's famous comment about his father, Randy added, "When I was in my 20s and 30s, I was a lot smarter than my father. But he got a lot wiser as I got older."
Longevity is common at Safe Flight, which has no mandatory retirement age. Leonard's former secretary, now in her 80s, still works there, managing the office.
I wanted to find out what makes this company tick and how Randy managed the transition to CEO after his father died.
What is different about Safe Flight?
This business has been built on innovation that is based on direct, or very close, hands-on contact with the operators and pilots of airplanes. I think it's an advantage we have over our competitors because those companies, for the most part, aren't run that way. They need to percolate ideas up through marketing or engineering, or respond to requests for proposal. We fly piston airplanes, jets, helicopters and gliders, and develop ideas from this experience.
After college, you flew for an air-taxi operator and then moved to Safe Flight.
I worked for the Forest Service and an air taxi in Taos, N.M. Then I worked for Safe Flight from '72 to '80 as an engineering test pilot and manager of advanced systems.
And it was your decision to leave the company after eight years?
Yes. I was banging heads with my father and had the itch to do something different. I got on with Bendix in the general aviation avionics division in Fort Lauderdale. I had a great job there-actually two jobs: new product development and engineering.
Was your working for Bendix a concern for your father?
No. Bendix made radios, radar, autopilots and displays. It wasn't a competitor of Safe Flight.
You worked some 20 years for several other companies, and even started your own business, Commander Aircraft Co. in Oklahoma. What did you learn?
I think a business organization has to reflect some of the personalities of what it is and what it does. If you have a multi-division holding company with different kinds of businesses, the management challenge is very different from that of a single manufacturing company. At the Garrett Corporation-now Honeywell-I was exposed to a Navy-style matrix organization. I found that wonderfully effective in a large corporation, because an individual always has two ways to go. If you're an engineer, you report to the engineering v-p in one organizational direction, and to the product-line manager in the other, and have immediate access to upper management that you need for both the technical and the business sides. That's a great structure, but it requires a certain critical mass. You can't do that in a company our size.
How did you view the situation when you came back to Safe Flight?
My particular problem here was that my father was a genius, which he exhibited in several ways, but primarily as an inventor. There's good news and bad news in an inventor. It's wonderfully innovative for product development, but it's also unconstrained. You never have any idea what he's going to invent next. It doesn't have to be in the business that you're in and often it isn't. Leonard got interested in chess; he has a patent for three-dimensional chess. He was interested in scuba diving; he invented goggles that removed the refraction caused by water.
He would figure out the way to solve a problem and then the engineers would be tasked to implement it. So you really had one manager and lots of people who worked in response to his genius.
What did you do?
There were two things, both very important. The first was that I was determined we were not going make a mistake I had seen occur at other companies, where the new manager imposes a structure on the organization, without observing first what made the company work before he or she got there. So I stood back and looked at the facts. The company had been around 60 years and was making money. The business model was working.
The second part was harder. I had to look at my father's skill set and my own. There were points of intersection, but his first degree was in chemical engineering and mine in philosophy. I had to find a way to reshape the organization to get the same results without the same kind of leader. What did I need to do to accommodate my abilities?
What did you end up with?
There was not a vice president in the company under Leonard. The organizational structure was essentially flat-it was just him and everyone else. So I appointed several vice presidents and moved the organization chart into more of a pyramid, giving authority and responsibility to key managers. The executive vice-president and I lead the management team. We also have a controller, a v-p of sales and marketing, a senior v-p of engineering and under him, a v-p of research and development. This seems to be working both financially and technically. I don't micromanage.
How do you characterize your job as CEO?
I spend a lot more time than I ever dreamed on personnel. I had expected to spend more time on product development, but half the time I'm the HR czar. Leading and managing the troops is a huge fraction of each day.
How did 9/11 affect your business?
We tend to ride up and down with the rest of the aviation industry, because we're an aviation supplier. So after 9/11, our business went down, though not right away. In 2001, we had a large military program, most of which was delivered in 2002, but the rest of our business was down substantially in 2002 and in 2003.
What did you do to compensate?
We went to a 35-hour week for everybody, which basically meant that the hourly people worked 35 hours and the rest of us worked a full week. We all took a pay cut, which allowed us to lay off fewer people, down to about 95 employees. It was really only the second time in 60 years that we ever laid off anybody. From our
low point in 2003, our sales have almost tripled in four years. We have about 135 employees now and expect to hire 15 more this year.
Why do you use business aviation?
I can give you an analogy. Back in the '70s, I knew the chief pilot of a global construction company that had a GIII. One day I said to him, "You know, I never see you flying for work. Is this really your airplane?" He said, "I'll tell you, this airplane pays for itself a million times over. We go to a town of 5,000 in Canada with one huge company and one Holiday Inn. There's a contract that everyone's bidding on. Our competitors call up the purchasing guy and invite him to lunch at the Holiday Inn. We go up with our airplane stocked with gourmet food from New York and invite him to lunch on the Gulfstream. While he's eating, our guy says, 'I know you play golf. Why don't you bring your wife and this weekend we'll go down to Palm Springs? We'll just play some golf.' Guess who gets the deal? The Gulfstream just paid for itself for the next five years."
We usually talk about corporate aviation being a way to get more face time with a customer, a way to get key people, engineers and marketing people to their jobs-and all that stuff is true. But there's an intangible part of sales that really is one of the assets of having a corporate aircraft. It's hard to quantify but that chief pilot could.
How long have you had your Falcon 20?
We bought it in '98.
How much does it fly?
We usually fly it about 150 hours a year. But last year we flew it almost three times our normal rate. Of course, its primary function is for the development and testing of our new products, and sales demonstrations.
What's your typical trip?
We fly it all over the States. We had it reengined in 2005. Going from the original GE CF700 engines to the Honeywell TFE731, it's now a completely different airplane. Imagine going from a barely three-hour airplane to one with a comfortable five-and-a-half hour range. In fact, last February we made it nonstop from White Plains to San Diego in six hours and 41 minutes, which must be an endurance record for a 20. I've been to Europe five times in it since we retrofit the 731s. I went down to Brazil in November.
CEO Files Résumé: Randall A. Greene
Position: Chairman, president and CEO of Safe Flight Instrument Corp. Serves on the boards of the Corporate Angel Network (chairman), Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, General Aviation Manufacturers Association, National Aeronautic Association, Connecticut Bishop and Diocesan Executive Council and Round Hill Association (director).
Previous positions: President, Aeronautical Systems Corp., Boulder, Colo., 1991-2001; founder and president, Commander Aircraft Co., Oklahoma City, 1988-1991; various managerial positions with AiResearch Electronics Division and AlliedSignal Corp., 1982-1988; engineering test pilot and systems program manager, Bendix Corp., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 1980-1982; engineering test pilot and advanced systems manager, Safe Flight, 1972-1980; pilot, Taos Air Taxi, Taos, N.M., 1971-1972.
Education: B.A., Boston University, 1969; Queen's College, Cambridge Univ., 1970-1971; M.A., General Theological Seminary, N.Y., 2007.
Personal: Age 62. Married 25 years with one son, 19. Lives in Greenwich, Conn. Airline transport pilot, airplane; commercial, airplane, helicopter and glider; flight instructor; about 7,000 hours flight time in more than 200 aircraft and simulators, 1,000-plus hours in the Falcon 20.
I worked with MR. Greene illustrating his book "Inventorship" and was constantly amazed at his brilliance. I was sorry that I hadn't met him earlier in my career. He was soft spoken and direct. He never seemed to waste a word. As he described the anecdotes I was to illustrate I was impressed with his thought process. How he always seemed to look at every situation from different angles or "Another Way". I was in his office one day and as he was describing what he wanted me to illustrate, we were interrupted several times by someone on his speaker-phone. The voice on the phone was telling Leonard what he was doing and Leonard was giving the voice instructions.I finally figured it out. Mr.Greene was talking to a test pilot who was calling from the air. Leonard Greene was among those who had changed me in the most positive way. It was an honor to have known him.
This continues to be one of the nicest Q&As I've read in Business Jet Traveler. Good questions and great answers. Anyone looking for an example of corporate transformation, different leadership styles and shared risk/reward would do well to study Randall Greene's example.
I had the pleasure of working at Safe Flight a few years back. Having previoulsy worked at large companies, I found Safe Flight to be a breath a fresh air, with a real family and caring managemt style. Safe Flight Customers appear to have a genuine trust when doing business with Safe Flight, surely a result of Mr Greene's team sound management style and a content and supportive employee base.
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TRAINING LEVEL: Basic
CLASS SIZE: Minimum: 1 Maximum: 1
The Aggregate Sampling Basics course will cover the importance of proper sampling, why we need to sample aggregate, and why we need special procedures to do so. We will cover how to obtain a proper sample that will accurately represent the materials by utilizing sampling principles and preferred methods.
The specifications covered in the course are from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials or AASHTO. The course starts at the beginning with what are aggregates, what are aggregate uses, and continues through proper sampling. It also has information on aggregate processing and sieving. The course contains interaction with the student and quizzes to make sure the material was understood.
Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:
This training is targeted to the beginning technician that will be obtaining aggregate samples for testing during production or on a project for agency, industry or consultant. This training is recommended for the Transportation Curriculum Coordination Council levels I and II.
If you have questions about this NHI training, please contact NHI at
email@example.com or 877.558.6873.


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According to media reports today, the White House has invited anti-gay activist and retired NFL Coach Tony Dungy to join its Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Dungy actively campaigned for an anti-gay ballot initiative in Indiana that banned same-sex couples from being civilly married.
"President Obama was given a mandate to bring people together," said Tanya Clay House, Director of Public Policy at People For the American Way. "But his selection of Tony Dungy is extremely divisive. Dungy campaigned specifically to discriminate against a particular group of people, and he's been closely aligned with the far-right Indiana Family Institute."
As part of its campaign to ban same-sex couples from getting civilly married, The Indiana Family Institute pushed dishonest, over the top rhetoric about gay and lesbian Americans, posting on their website: "The enemies of [legislation to ban marriage for same-sex couples] are far more dangerous than the media and even most Christians realize. They not only want to destroy marriage and create a society free from any and all sexual boundaries, they will spare no effort to attain their ultimate goal of silencing all those who oppose them."
At a 2007 banquet sponsored by the Institute, Dungy declared, "IFI is saying what the Lord says. You can take that and you can make the decision on which way you want to be."
"There's a Constitutional way for the government to work with religious groups, and it's appropriate for it to do so," said House. "But the Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships council shouldn't be used to reward voices of intolerance like Tony Dungy. If President Obama is looking for a religious leader to offer counsel and advice there are better people to fill the role."
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The ultimate reservoir-integrated solution for technical outdoor pursuits ranging from a full day to a full weekend.
N.V.I.S.™ Back Panel Features: High abrasion mesh covers channeled EVA injected foam pods to create multi-directional ventilation.
Antidote® Reservoir Features: Quick Link™ System, 1/4 turn - easy open/close cap, lightweight fillport, dryer arms, center baffling and low-profile design, patented Big Bite™ Valve, HydroGuard™ technology, PureFlow™ tube, easy-to-clean wide-mouth opening
Key Pack Features: Dual V-Shaped aluminum stays, side access zipper, tool attachment, hood storage, stretch side pockets, quick stash overflow, hike essentials organizer pocket, six-point compression
Designed to Carry: Tent, sleeping bag, rain gear, extra layers, food, ice axe, trekking poles, head lamp, trail maps, compass
Suggested load range: 20 - 35 lbs
CamelBak® Got Your Bak™ Guarantee: If we built it, we'll Bak it™ with our lifetime guarantee.
We recommend wiping your pack with a damp cloth to remove dirt. If the pack is extremely dirty and needs a deeper cleaning, soak it in cool or warm water with a very mild soap. Rinse the pack thoroughly with cool water. If soap residue remains in the fabric, it may create suds if exposed to water or sweat.
DO NOT wash your pack in a washing machine. Machine washing may damage the pack or affect the integrity of the fabric and fasteners, and will void the Got Your Bak™ Guarantee.
The best way to care for your reservoir is to clean and dry it after every use, especially if you fill the reservoir with anything other than water. However, if a reservoir has not been cleaned after every use, and mold or discoloration develops:
These steps will make your reservoir safe for use. If there are still spots left behind, these are permanent mold stains that may not be removable. However, your reservoir is still safe and usable after you've cleaned it.
(based on 2 reviews)
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Good Overnight Canyon Hiker
By thomas
from Moore, OK
About Me Casual/ Recreational
Best Uses
Comments about CamelBak Vantage FT™:
I bought this pack for an overnight trip into the Grand Canyon. It performed quite nicely with my only complaint being it might have been nice to have just a bit more space for equipment. I had just enough for food, tent, sleeping bag, and cooking equipment plus (of course) water. For my next 3 day 2 night trip down I will HAVE to buy a bigger pack to hold more food and thus I give it just the 4 stars.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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(3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)
Great Pack - I use it all the time!
By UNH Dan
from Pembroke, MA
I use this pack all the time on day hikes. Its the perfect size and weight and fits everything I need whether it is a summer hike in the White Mountains or a Winter Hike in the Greens.
Images shared by UNH Dan
Winter hike at Monadnock (Jaffery, NH)
Tags: Picture of Product, Using Product
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Shared Worlds is hands down one of the best experiences of my life. I'd known for a long time that I had an interest in doing collaborative creative work, so the idea of World Building really appealed to me. It turned out to be cooler than I could have imagined. I walked away with a sense of confidence in my creative abilities for the first time and a renewed excitement in the creative process (and a group of new friends that, two years later, I still talk to and see with some frequency). I used my experience at Wofford's Shared Worlds in almost all of my college essays. I think that because it is a truly unique experience—one where success is determined by the team work and passion of those involved—I attribute a large amount of my success during the admissions process to Shared Worlds. I knew going in that I wanted to write for television and comic books one day, but I walked out thinking there was an actual chance that I could do that.-Kristine Wolbrink, former participant in Shared WorldsShared Worlds is an interdisciplinary program that encourages students to solve problems, to assimilate large quantities of information, to work in groups, and to express themselves creatively. Students will meet and collaborate with professors and peers who share their interest in today's hottest literature genres.
Shared Worlds is a two-week residential camp based on a "shared world" theme. A shared world is a growing trend in fiction that centers around a complete, fictional world designed by a group. During Wofford's Shared World program, students will design fantasy worlds with other young, creative writers and share those worlds through fiction, art, and game design.
One way to help understand the program's innovative concept is to think of a detailed encyclopedia entry on a country. Each Shared Worlds group will actually create all the material to fill such an entry for their world (history, economy, language, etc.) in a way that is internally consistent. Speculative fiction writers call this "world building". Examples include Middle-Earth, Narnia, and the Star Wars Expanded Universe.
In order to build a shared world, students will attend overview classes with Wofford College professors in many disciplines, including history, religion, and physics. Furthermore, students will take classes in creative writing. All classes emphasize problem solving, collaborative learning, and experiential learning.
Creating or building the world is the first challenge. The second challenge comes when students try to write in a world they have created with others. On one hand, an individual student benefits from the creativity of others, but on the other he must also follow rules agreed upon by the group.
This program takes a multi-disciplinary approach to learning. Students will be exposed to as many disciplines as they may possibly need, and be given the skills to explore and research other disciplines.
Furthermore, Shared Worlds encourages individual creativity as well as collaboration. Individuals contribute to the group while learning to function within it.. That is, being a good citizen means doing your part and keeping in mind the needs of the whole group. There is a distinct emphasis on problem-solving and communication skills.
The culminating event of the camp is an exhibition day, during which each group presents their fiction and other elements of their world, which might include games, maps, artwork, and music.
Shared Worlds Book, 2015
Shared Worlds Book, 2014
Shared Worlds Book, 2012
Shared Worlds Book, 2011
Chapbook 2010Fantastic Bestiary
2012 Worlds
ElmariaCruxIsoneMemoria Penjara
2011 WorldsHartseerKalixisRaffalirakaYstal
2010 Worlds
BohumirHeelal SattarandSattarand FAQ
News Updates
8/04/15 -- Shared Worlds is the Kind of SFF Writing Camp You Wish Existed When You Were a Teenager
8/04/15 -- The Reader Sense of Ann VanderMeer
5/09/14 -- Jeff VanderMeer listed in Huffington Post's 9 Contemporary Authors You Should Be Reading
2/21/14 -- Barnes and Noble interviews Shared Worlds co-founder Jeff VanderMeer about his new novel, Annihilation.
2/7/14 -- Jeff VanderMeer's Annihilation reviewed by Kirkus and NPR.
12/3/13 -- Jeff VanderMeer's Wonderbook named among 2013's best science fiction by the Guardian newspaper.
Previous News Mentions
Wofford College | 429 North Church Street, Spartanburg, SC 29303-3663 | Phone 864-597-4000>
Wofford College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation or any legally protected status.


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Search for a BC Author or find a BC Book by keywords using the form below.
This reference site is provided, managed and mainly written by Alan Twigg.
It can be useful for research on almost any subject pertaining to B.C.
Rather than have that green tick mark [above] to pre-select the "Author's Name" box in order to search for any B.C. author, you can easily select the "Keywords" box instead in order to search for any word or phrase.
Or there is an "Advance Search" icon (at right) that enables you to search for all B.C. books pertaining to more than 80 major categories such as Environment, Politics, Poetry, etc. It takes only one second to comb through more than 10,800 entries.
If you appreciate this unfunded, free service, use the DONATE icon below.
Supporters who contribute $25 or more via Paypal will receive the equivalent of a $25 annual subscription to BC BookWorld, the newspaper about B.C. books and authors--so it's not really a donation. It's more like an investment in remaining informed about B.C. literature.


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Debates of March 24th, 2011
House of Commons Hansard #148 of the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was budget.
- Question Period
- Canadian Human Rights Commission
- Government Response to Petitions
- Interparliamentary Delegations
- Committees of the House
- Canada Elections Act
- Petitions
- Questions on the Order Paper
- The Budget
- Act of Bravery
- Susan Audrey Van Bibber
- Citizenship and Immigration
- The Budget
- Purple Day
- Dining Out for Life
- The Budget
- Homelessness
- Violence Against Women
- Health
- Liberal Party of Canada
- Government Priorities
- The Budget
- Employment Insurance
- Government Accountability
- Liberal Party of Canada
- Government Priorities
- National Defence
- Ethics
- Electricity
- Natural Resources
- The Budget
- Ethics
- The Budget
- Status of Women
- Housing
- Ethics
- The Budget
- Ethics
- The Budget
- Post-Secondary Education
- Ethics
- The Budget
- Natural Resources
- Government Appointments
- Shipbuilding Industry
- Health
- Public Safety
- Business of the House
- International Women's Day
- Resignation of Members
- Message from the Senate
- The Budget
- Criminal Code
Purple Day
Statements by Members
2 p.m.
Ed Fast Abbotsford, BC
Madam Speaker, epilepsy is a disorder affecting over 300,000 Canadians and 50 million people worldwide. It is one of the most common neurological disorders, but sadly it is misunderstood by many. That is why I rise to call attention to Purple Day, an occasion on which we raise awareness of this life altering condition.
As an epilepsy sufferer herself, nine-year-old Cassidy Megan founded Purple Day in 2008 as a way to foster support for others suffering from the same condition. Purple Day informs the public of the symptoms and causes of epilepsy, teaches us how to respond to seizures, raises money for research and demonstrates to those with epilepsy that they are not alone.
It might surprise members to know that a member of my immediate family suffers from this disorder.
Although many who suffer from epilepsy benefit from recent advancements in research, much remains to be done. I am confident that some day we will discover a cure for epilepsy.
I call on all members to join me on March 26 in commemorating Purple Day.
Dining Out for Life
Statements by Members
March 24th, 2011 / 2:05 p.m.
Hedy Fry Vancouver Centre, BC
Madam Speaker, today we celebrate Dining Out for Life, which benefits people living with HIV-AIDS in British Columbia. The event is B.C.'s largest fundraiser by restaurants, raising over $3 million in the last 16 years.
Today over 250 restaurants from Whistler to White Rock and across the Fraser Valley will contribute 25% of their sales to people living with HIV-AIDS. This event is a great example of the generosity of Vancouverites, B.C.'s restaurants, and sponsors like B.C.'s own Sumac Ridge winery in coming together for a great cause.
The Gastown and Downtown Eastside area of Vancouver has the largest HIV infection rate in North America, with 30% of the local population affected. There are currently over 6,000 Vancouver residents living with HIV-AIDS.
The proceeds from Dining Out for Life go to support A Loving Spoonful and Friends for Life, two organizations that are making a difference in the lives of those with HIV-AIDS. A Loving Spoonful has provided over 100,000 meals to the most needy, and Friends for Life is a wellness centre where people come together for compassion and support. This year—
Dining Out for Life
Statements by Members
2:05 p.m.
The Speaker Peter Milliken
Order. The hon. member for Simcoe North.
The Budget
Statements by Members
2:05 p.m.
Bruce Stanton Simcoe North, ON
Mr. Speaker, in January I held several meetings in my riding with constituents to consult on the budget. My constituents were clear.
They asked for support for low income seniors. Our budget has delivered on that, with a guaranteed income supplement top-up of $600 for single seniors and $840 for couples.
They asked for an extension to the eco-energy retrofit homes program. Again, our budget has delivered, with an investment of $400 million.
They asked for tax credits for small businesses to create jobs and to reduce red tape. Our budget has delivered, with a $1,000 small business hiring tax credit and the Red Tape Reduction Commission.
My constituents have rarely shown interest in partisan political games, but they are concerned about their jobs, their families and their futures.
I ask the members opposite to listen to the priorities of Canadians, set their political ambitions aside and support this budget.
Statements by Members
2:05 p.m.
Serge Cardin Sherbrooke, QC
Mr. Speaker, a group of students at the University of Sherbrooke recently took part in "Five Days for the Homeless". They collected thousands of dollars to support services for homeless persons.
For five days, nine students slept outside and relied solely on the generosity of the public to meet their needs. Through this initiative, these young people were able to raise awareness of homeless and poverty among people in their community
People who work with the homeless took this opportunity to remind me of their fears for the future of the HPS program. Unfortunately, their fears were confirmed by the 2011 budget, with the Conservatives still refusing to index and improve programs to combat homelessness as well as social housing programs.
The Conservatives should spend a few days sleeping in the open air, and then they would realize, given the miracles that the workers achieve with these funds, that the minimum we owe them is indexing and a funding increase.
Violence Against Women
Statements by Members
2:05 p.m.
Blake Richards Wild Rose, AB
Mr. Speaker, there are things that are absolutely unacceptable. For example, an opposition coalition that puts political self-interest above the needs of Canadians is absolutely unacceptable.
A sponsorship scandal that lined the pockets of Liberal bagmen with millions of Canadian taxpayer dollars, that too is absolutely unacceptable.
Then there are things that surpass unacceptable and enter the realm of barbaric. So-called honour killings of women clearly transcend the definition of unacceptable. This practice deserves to be repudiated for the evil and barbaric thing it truly is.
I hope the disgusted reactions from all across Canada to the misguided attempts at political correctness by the member for Papineau have taught him the difference between unacceptable and barbaric. That member seems to be following in the footsteps of his father, Pierre Trudeau, whose political legacy was called disastrous and destructive for Canada's economy, unity and international reputation in the National Post yesterday.
Statements by Members
2:10 p.m.
Ruby Dhalla Brampton—Springdale, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of my constituents of Brampton—Springdale, who are demanding action on the issue of health care. Families are frustrated at having to wait for hours and hours at the Brampton Civic Hospital located in my riding. Seniors are suffering because they have to wait for months to see specialists and receive the medical care they require.
The average wait time at the hospital is 17.5 hours. The doctors and nurses are working tirelessly, but the fact is demand is growing. Bramptonians deserve better. They deserve a government that will actually invest in more doctors and nurses and work with the Brampton community to have a second hospital to ensure that the growing demand is met.
We need a government that is going to put health care at the top of the agenda, because that is what Canadians and all Bramptonians deserve. Brampton families and seniors demand a government that will invest in more doctors and nurses and reduce wait times in health care.
Liberal Party of Canada
Statements by Members
2:10 p.m.
Rick Casson Lethbridge, AB
Mr. Speaker, in yet another chapter of partisan politics, the Liberals are proving to the public that they are not concerned about policy or people, but are just in it for themselves.
After the tax exemption for volunteer firefighters was presented in the budget this week, the member for Malpeque was falsely claiming that it was a Liberal idea.
That is really interesting because, on October 8, 2003, he voted against that tax credit put forward in my private members' bill, Bill C-325. The bill, which I originally introduced in December 2002, failed by a narrow margin of 96 to 99. Ninety-seven of the 99 members who voted against it were Liberals.
Does it matter whose idea something was? Are we not here to get things done for the people of Canada? How can Canadians trust Liberal members who at one time vote against something but change their position when they feel some political advantage is possible?
Is this not just another deliberate effort to mislead on the part of the Liberals? This is a question voters will need to consider when they choose their next member of Parliament.
Government Priorities
Statements by Members
2:10 p.m.
Olivia Chow Trinity—Spadina, ON
Mr. Speaker, 85-year-old Vera Cudjoe is anxious and worried because she cannot afford her $260 hydro bill. She tried turning off the heat to save money but got desperately sick.
Vera was a nurse and the proud director of the first national black theatre. She worked hard her whole life but the current old age security and guaranteed income supplement payments simply are not enough to live on.
Instead of helping seniors like Vera by removing the tax on home heating, the Prime Minister would rather take care of his buddies like Bruce Carson. Thanks to taxpayer dollars, Carson has two houses, a condo and a Benz for his escort fiancée, while Vera cannot even afford heat.
That is just one example of the Conservative government's twisted priorities. No wonder Canadians believe Ottawa is broken. No wonder the Conservative government no longer has the trust of ordinary Canadians.
The Budget
Statements by Members
2:10 p.m.
Sylvie Boucher Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, our Conservative government tabled a responsible budget that will help seniors and families, strengthen our communities and bring more doctors to the regions of Quebec. We tabled a budget that meets the priorities of people in all regions of Quebec: to improve the guaranteed income supplement; invest in innovation, education and training; and create a new tax credit for family caregivers. These are some concrete examples of how the budget will help the people in our regions.
Unfortunately, the coalition led by the Liberal leader is threatening to bring down the government and vote against a budget that they did not even take the time to read. By so doing, they will deprive thousands of Quebeckers of the tax breaks to which they are entitled.
Employment Insurance
Statements by Members
2:10 p.m.
Gérard Asselin Manicouagan, QC
Mr. Speaker, transitional measures were put in place in 2000, after the employment insurance economic regions were inadequately reconfigured. Certain regions, like the Bas-Saint-Laurent–Côte-Nord region, have had a blended unemployment rate for more than 10 years, which was adopted in an effort to correct this error until the next reconfiguration. On March 12, 2011, the government started gradually phasing out these transitional measures.
But many unemployed and seasonal workers will not qualify unless these transitional measures are extended. Instead of undertaking a sweeping reform of this outdated system that does not reflect the current reality of workers, the Conservatives are keeping thousands of people in suspense and in poverty. The 2011 budget does not extend the transitional measures, which would have been good, as would a fair reform of the employment insurance system. Once again, the Conservatives are showing their contempt for the regions of Quebec and—
Employment Insurance
Statements by Members
2:15 p.m.
The Speaker Peter Milliken
Order. The hon. member for Honoré-Mercier.
Government Accountability
Statements by Members
2:15 p.m.
Pablo Rodriguez Honoré-Mercier, QC
Mr. Speaker, Canadians have had enough; they are fed up. They can no longer put up with a Conservative government that is so out of touch with the priorities of Canadian families. Canadians are fed up with seeing the Conservatives scorn and disrespect democratic institutions like this House, like Elections Canada, like the Parliamentary Budget Officer.
Canadians have had enough of the Conservatives taking them for fools, trying to ram down their throats things like costly fighter jets, American-style megaprisons and gifts to the richest corporations. Enough is enough. The Conservatives have shown too much contempt for democracy and for our Parliament, and it must stop. It is time they were held accountable. It is time for Canadians to judge them on their poor choices, their bad faith and their attacks on our democracy. We no longer have confidence in this government, nor does this House. Canada deserves better.
Liberal Party of Canada
Statements by Members
2:15 p.m.
Terence Young Oakville, ON
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Liberal leader was asked by reporters if he would form a coalition with the socialist NDP and the separatist Bloc Québécois. Of course, the Liberal leader avoided the question.
The Liberal leader signed on to a coalition before and he will do it again. His own personal ambition comes ahead of Canada's stability.
The Liberal leader and his coalition partners want to return to reckless policies that failed Canada decades ago, raising taxes to pay for spending we simply cannot afford. The reckless tax-and-spend approach would kill jobs, stall our recovery and set Canadian families back.
The coalition still has a choice: Its reckless ambition for an unnecessary election or the important measures in the next phase of Canada's economic action plan, a low tax plan for jobs and growth, to support Canadian families and to complete our economic recovery.
We encourage the coalition to join with us, put the interests of Canadians first and help us complete the economic recovery.
Government Priorities
Oral Questions
2:15 p.m.
Ralph Goodale Wascana, SK
Mr. Speaker, well beyond high school, advanced skills and learning are absolute necessities for Canadian young people in a very competitive world, but it is expensive. Two-thirds of Canadian families do not think they can afford to send their kids to university, college, technical school or on apprenticeships. Their futures are at risk.
In the Conservative regime's twisted priorities, why is it spending a thousand times more on stealth fighter war planes than on students trying to go to school?