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SAP Slips on Q2 Miss, Reduced Forecast; Tricky Cloud Transition, Says Street
Shares of SAP AG (SAP) are down $2.20, or almost 3%, at $73.80, after the company this morning reported Q2 revenue and earnings per share that missed consensus expectations, and cut its outlook for software revenue growth, citing troublesome economic conditions in Asia-Pacific and Japan. But it also said its sales are being affected by the shift of some clients to buying SAP's products run as a service, the so-called cloud computing movement.
Shares of competitor Oracle (ORCL) are down 17 cents, or 0.6%, at $31.98.
Revenue in the three months ended in June rose 4%, year over year, to €4.09 billion, yielding EPS of €0.73, excluding some costs. That is below analysts' average estimate for €4.2 billion in revenue and 75 Euro cents per share. Excluding the effect of currency shifts, revenue would have risen 8%.
The company's revenue from cloud computing subscriptions and support fees rose 166%, year over year, to €183 million, on an adjusted basis, while software revenue fell 7%.
Co-CEOs Bill McDermott and Jim Hagermann remarked that "We are gaining market share in a challenging macroeconomic environment, and with the HANA Enterprise Cloud, we are resolute to capture the future as the cloud company."
The company noted in particular it saw "strong cloud subscription and support revenue growth in North America."
The company said that "difficult macroeconomic environment in particular in Asia Pacific Japan and the rapid transition to the cloud have resulted in lower software revenue expectations," with software and cloud revenue declining 7%, combined, in Asia-Pacific and Japan.
But it said it is confident it can see software revenue rise at least 10% this year after a 3% fall so far for the first half. That is down from a prior forecast for 11% to 13% growth.
It also projected cloud computing revenue to more than double to €750 million. Revenue from the company's "Hana" database program will also double, it said, to €650 to €750 million.
Nomura Equity Research's Rick Sherlund, who has a Buy on the shares and a $68 price target, sums it up as "Cloud good, but still small," referring to the company's cloud computing efforts.
Sherlund says revenue from the Hana database system of €102 million was below his own €120 million, adding "This is the slowest annual growth quarter HANA has reported, although admittedly against a difficult compare."
He sees Hana having been up against tough comparisons, and also sees evidence of cannibalization by the cloud of the company's traditional software lines:
Of the components of license revenues, HANA was up 21%, less than our estimate of about 40%. The Business Suite on HANA was released in May and did not likely have time to drive through HANA sales, so while management reaffirmed guidance for HANA for the year, this will be skewed to the back half of the year as it was last year. We think mobile likely did not grow much y/y with a tough compare as well, implying that the traditional SAP license business was probably down 5% - 10%, or flat to down 5% on a CC basis. The cloud revenues (now about 4.5% of total revenues) were up 166% reported and 171% cc but if we add back Ariba to last year we estimate organic growth of about 28% reported and 32% cc. This was above our estimate and we are likely seeing more cannibalization of SAP's traditional on-premise license business for CRM and procurement and HCM. This cannibalization is likely to accelerate as the company undergoes a multi-year transition to the cloud.
Bernstein Research's Mark Moerdler reiterates an Outperform rating, and a $91 price target, calling the report "Not so great":
We are disappointed with the weak results, which were still better than other software companies, and believe SAP faces a tough macro environment and some pressure from the cloud but we remain optimistic on the prospects of HANA and the cloud business and the long term opportunities of the company. We note that the company recognizes the opportunity in the cloud and is driving its products and sales toward its cloud offerings.
Barclays's Raimo Lenschow, who rates SAP shares Equal Weight, calls the report "not great but no disaster either."
The report supports his view SAP "is stuck between product cycles," noting that "HANA was light at €102m (vs. Barclays at €119m) as pricing was changed according to some channel partners. This leaves the core down 7-8% for Q2 and 1H."
As we have flagged for a while we think it will be tough for SAP to grow license revenue this year. We believe management did the right thing by lowering the guidance and moving SSRS from +11-13% to at least 10%, with license + Cloud guidance not included anymore (was 14-20% constant currency). The new guidance still implies that license revenue will grow by 2%y/y in 2H13 and implies a modest 2H improvement. Normal seasonality would imply a FY license number of €4,580m or 8% below the VARA cons. Given this license outlook, we think SAP will have to prove to the market that i) the Business Suite on HANA cycle is large enough to compensate for the decline in the core and ii) it is a credible Cloud player. Both will likely be difficult to prove in the short term and that will keep SAP range bound around our price target, in our view.


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If you were to add honey at the time of bottling, how much honey per bottle? Is it only to sweeten the mead?
If you were to add honey at the time of bottling, how much honey per bottle? Is it only to sweeten the mead?
I THINK that adding honey can restart the fermentation process. Muldoon's Killer Mead recepie called for a double fermentation, and that is one of the things he added to get it to kick back in.
You're right BB; honey has fermentable sugars and will renew fermentation unless the mead is stabilized with sorbate. John, please let us know your goal with the honey addition. Are you carbonating to make a sparkling mead, or trying to sweeten a too-dry mead?
Ben Brewcat brewing in Lyons, CO
Way to go Brewcat, I've never seen a Guard Bee with less than 18 posts! That's a first. Thanks for moderating the forum!
man leave the guard alone they protect you feild workin arse
>> let us know your goal with the honey addition
I was not necessarily going to add any honey. I had just seen the comment before and needed clarificartion. I had seen the adding of honey (or Corn Syurp) at bottling as a means to sweeten a dry mead and as a means for making sparkling meads.
I was afarid of making exploding bottle meads.
Adding honey at bottling will definitely restart carbonation. I wouldn't recommend doing it - the variable amount of sugar in honey can easily cause overcarbonation and bottle bombs. I never ever use sugar where honey can be used, but this is one case where knowing exactly what you are adding is a safety issue. Get corn sugar from your homebrew shop and use that instead.
Yep, to sweeten a mead (and I would do this based on a taste rather than because a recipe says to), I'd agree to avoid the honey. Variations in sugar and moisture content and potential osmophilic yeast contaminations from raw honey made it a little hit-or-miss.
Stabilize with Potassium Sorbate if you're not totally averse to a chemical. It's worth noting that by the time you have read this post, unless you get ALL your groceries at Whole Paycheck or a local farmer's market, you have probably ingested some sorbate in your food today. It's that common (and innocuous). Sorbate will inhibit the reproduction of yeast and thus prevent carbonation so sugar can safely be added. There is even a combination sugar syrup with sorbate added that can just be added to taste. I'd recommend adding it and continuing to age the mead in bulk for a couple weeks, just to make sure the stabilizing "took".
Note also that once stabilized, you won't be able to bottle-condition (carbonate naturally) that mead, as the yeast will be inhibited from eating priming sugar also.
Ben Brewcat brewing in Lyons, CO
Just to clarify -
My opinion is that carbonating with honey is a bad idea, but sweetening with honey is a good idea. I wouldn't want to make a dry mead and then put a sugar-sweet taste on top, I want it to taste honey-sweet. Sweetening is much less sensitive to amounts than carbonation is, and is far less dangerous if you screw up.
Other than that, I agree with the comments about stabilization and sweetening. My preferred method for sweetening though is to exhaust the alcohol tolerance of the yeast, and add honey past that until the desired sweetness level is reached. No chemicals, but it requires a little more experience and knowledge.
So what is a suggested method for carbonating the mead since it requires a certain amount of yeast activity?
As Scott described, adding dextrose (corn sugar) is preferred by most. It's easily measured by weight (to reach desired levels of carbonation) and readily fermentable. If the mead's been aging a long time, like done fermenting for more than a few months, it's not a bad idea to add a tiny bit of dry yeast at bottling time to make sure you've got some viable beasties to carbonate with.
Make sure to use a yeast that does not exceed the alcohol tolerance of your fermantation strain if you have a mead with residual sweetness... it's tricky to carbonate meads with some sweetness 'cuz they don't know when to stop. They sense more food and want it all if they don't fully succumb to the alcohol (their waste product). Also important to remember to carbonate at near room temperature, especially if carbonating with ale yeast. At cellar temp (if you're that geeky) it can take a long time for the carbonation to develop. At room temp, two weeks tops except in rare cases.
For me sparkling meads can add appeal, especially for sweeter meads. And for a gift, especially weddings the traditional mead favorite, the POP of a sparkling mead is festive and fun.
Ben Brewcat brewing in Lyons, CO
Brewcat, have you developed a method of consistently and safely making sweet sparkling mead? As far as I know, the only really safe way to do it is to keg, carbonate, and bottle with a counterpressure filler. Not exactly a beginner technique.
You're correct; that's the gold standard. It's actually pretty easy except on the pocketbook. I actually haven't used the CPBF in years; I've rigged a cobra head with a bit of broken racking cane (fits inside the outlet snugly) to deliver chilled carbnonated beverage at next to no pressure straight to the bottom of a frozen bottle (cold reduces foaming). Cap on the foam which eliminates oxygen in the headspace, and target your carbonation level one to one-and-a-half atmosphere high to compensate for the modest loss. I like it better than CPBF, costs about $5, and is pretty easy. Two and a half alternatives:
1) Sweeten with non-fermentable sugars. Some sugars that don't ferment like lactose will contribute a flavor to the mead. Many wine and beermakers have used nonfermentable sweeteners especially Splenda successfully to sweeten and preclude renewed fermentation. Prime with dextrose to the carbonation level desired.
2) Sweeten, prime, and monitor carbonation level. You could open a bottle every few days, but far easier on the mead supply is to bottle a couple in one-liter ptastic soda bottles (size doesn't matter here). When the bottle has firmed up, and this takes some experience and judgement, then you stop the carbonation for the whole batch by:
a) refrigerating the whole batch. For beer geeks with chest freezer conversions or wine fans with coolers this in practical; for most folks who use fridge space for FOOD (poor fools) not as workable unless you have a small batch size.
b) bottle pasteurizing. This is done with sparkling hard ciders, which generally ferment out very dry and are hard to sparkle sweet for the same reason we've discussed here. Place the bottles into a water bath and heat to 140 for 10 to 20 minutes if I recall... I'd have to look up my records on this technique it's been years. Be sure to bottle with returnable beer bottles (crown caps) or champagne bottles (crown capped or corked with a wire bail); they're designed to hold pressure. WINE BOTTLES ARE NOT. I only did this in small runs inside my pressure cooker with the little weight removed so as to contain any grenades. None ever blew, but safety is definitely worth attending to using this technique and I'm safe to a fault.
For most beginners I'd definitely recommend the Splenda. Folks have experimented with other sweeteners; you'd have to see what suited your palate best but Scott makes a good point about lacking true honey character in the sweetness. For a serious competition or for commercial sale, someone might well pick up on the difference but it would still be enjoyable for most IMHO.
Ben Brewcat brewing in Lyons, CO
When making wine yew add suger to the bottle for carbination,does honey do the same for meed?
Yes, if the wine is fermented to dryness and the yeast are viable and not overwhelmed by alcohol. However as noted above dextrose (corn sugar) is preferred for several reasons. 3/4 to one cup per five gallons will give a moderate level of sparkle to a mead.
I added corn sugar,not much, just fer the little sweeter,do I need a fermenting cap on top or safe to just cap it
B. roger eagles
Has it been bottled or is it in the fermenter still?
Bees, brews and fun
in Lyons, CO
Ijust put it in a gallon Jug.
B. roger eagles
I'd use an airlock just to be sure. In case it does ferment more, a cap could be popped out and expose the mead to the air and its load of bugs and oxygen (or the vessel could burst if it were plugged solidly, potentially causing injury and certainly wasting mead!).
Bees, brews and fun
in Lyons, CO

subset: commoncrawl


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Comic Rondell Sheridan
UTSA's 'Night of Comedy' features Rondell Sheridan
(Aug. 27, 2008)--The UTSA "Night of Comedy" will feature two well-known comedians at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 27 in the new University Center ballroom. Rondell Sheridan and Darren Carter will appear live for one performance and autographs -- free to the UTSA community. The event is part of Roadrunner Days, a series of events that kick off the new academic year.
Today's headlines
- La Prensa Foundation is newest member of UTSA Lone Star Society
- UTSA alumna Jordan Kaufmann wins $50K for new stent-graft start-up
- UTSA begins new way-finding sign installation this summer at Main Campus
- USA Today: UTSA long jumper Tyler Williamson rescues three-year-old boy
Article tools
UTSA students will receive priority seating for the event. With some mature material, the comedy event is recommended for ages 13 and older.
For millions of Americans, Rondell Sheridan is an extended part of their families. Playing the father on the Nickelodeon series, "Cousin Skeeter," then Raven Simone's dad on the Disney Channel series, "That's So Raven" and now with "Corey in the House," Sheridan is part uncle, part babysitter and big-part funniest adult friend.
Over the last decade or so, whether acting, hosting or doing stand-up -- Sheridan disarms his audiences with a wholesome ease -- a mixture of playful physicality, facial expressions -- continually shifting comedic gears and personas. Born and raised on Chicago's South Side, Sheridan attended Marquette University in Milwaukee as an interpersonal communications major with a minor in advertising. After college, he attended the prestigious New York acting school, Circle in the Square, then moved on to perform in repertory work, regional theater and off-Broadway productions.
He became a fixture on the stand-up circuit, headlining in clubs, colleges and on international cruise liners. He appeared on "The Tonight Show" with both Jay and Johnny, "The Keenan Ivory Wayans Show," "Late Nite with Conan O'Brien" and "Politically Incorrect," and starred in cable specials for both Showtime and Comedy Central and in 1994 co-created the TV series, "Minor Adjustments."
When Darren Carter takes the stage he unleashes a one-of-a-kind, captivating flurry of impersonations, observations and off-the-wall social commentary. With acerbic wit, brilliant delivery and an animated style, Carter leaves his audiences rolling with laughter and begging for more.
The Los Angeles-based comedian has performed around the world and is a favorite at the nation's most popular clubs including the Laugh Factory, Hollywood Improv, Comedy and Magic Club, and The Ice House. He appeared in the summer blockbuster, "Be Cool" with John Travolta, as well as a string of TV appearances including Comedy Central's "Premium Blend," BET's "Comic View" and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," and was a regular on "Comics Unleashed."
For more than 20,000 fans at the nation's largest comedy concert, L.A.'s "Comedy Jam 2008," Carter rocked the stage alongside the biggest names in comedy including Carlos Mencia, Lisa Lampanelli and Russell Peters. His comedy album, "Shady Side," is available on iTunes. He will appear in September on Showtime's "Comedy Slam" and is the host of TV's "National Lampoon's College Network."
For more information, visit the UTSA Roadrunner Days Web site.


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Chef's Hat: Think fast, easy, tasty
Last weekend I was listening to a cooking radio show. The chef/author/host made some comments, or perhaps I should say suggestions, on what makes a good recipe.
The chef was trying to insinuate that a good recipe is normally a lengthy process that spells out step-by-step everything that will make the dish a success.
There are several cookbooks in my collection where recipes do indeed go on for 2 or 3 pages. Some of these recipes take hours, or perhaps even days, before the final dish is complete.
For most of us the reality is we have a full-time job that takes up eight hours of most days, a family, a house and interests or hobbies that demand our time and attention.
And now that spring is officially here, it's likely most of us will be spending even less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying our snow-free yards.
So forget about those dishes that take all day long to make. There are plenty of simple recipes that are fast, easy and great tasting. You might not find them on the menu of a five-star restaurant, but they are dishes your family will ask for again and again.
Think fast and easy. Happy eating!


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If you have been away from school for awhile, your needs probably differ from those of 18 year-old college freshmen. You may need to consider career changes, family priorities and full- or part-time employment responsibilities.
Although you may feel alone, you're not. Almost 35 percent of the independent students applying for Minnesota State Grants are over 30 years old.
Financial Aid
There is no age limit for federal and state financial aid, but many aid programs are limited to undergraduate students.
Learn more about the major federal and state financial aid programs available. Contact the financial aid office at the school you are considering to find out if it has additional aid programs geared toward adult students, such as the Alliss Grant. The financial aid office also may have other suggestions about how you can reduce your expenses while attending school.
Employer Programs
Some employers may also provide undergraduate or graduate scholarships to their employees and the employee's spouse or children. Your employer can tell you if it has such a program available. Also check if your employer participates in Employer-Paid Tuition Assistance
If you were recently laid-off and need to update or learn new skills, you may be eligible for a dislocated worker grant.
Education Tax Credits and Deductions
Although you may end up paying for some of your education expenses out-of-pocket, education tax credits and deductions can decrease the amount of taxes you owe to the federal government.
Note: documents in Portable Document Format (PDF) require Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or higher to view.


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Local band prepares for Pink Floyd shows in Idaho Falls
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho - After a successful show last year, a local band is getting ready for another weekend of shows dedicated to Pink Floyd.
The band A Few More Bricks is set to play their shows "Echoes of Pink Floyd" Oct. 11 and 12 at the Colonial Theater. But, why Pink Floyd? Kevin Young said the rock band is timeless.
"I mean, it cuts across all genres -- rock, jazz, blues and you hear it on the radio still," said Young.
A Few More Bricks is made up of a unique crowd. Liatt Potter sings in the band and is in the music business exclusively. The rest of the group is a wide array of people.
"They're musicians from all different bands and different jobs, and I'll tell you what, it's really a great group of people," said Potter.
A Few More Bricks began as an idea two years ago, but now they're preparing for their second set of shows.
"Last year we never knew what was going to happen, and when we ended up having over 800 people in the audience it was just perfect," said Young.
Tickets are required for the shows, but the money goes towards the lasers and equipment for production.
"We really aren't in it to make money, by any means," said Young. "We're looking to break even, hopefully. The whole thing is to provide a unique musical opportunity for Eastern Idaho."
The first show, Oct. 11, will have a new addition. Choir members from Eagle Rock Junior High will join A Few More Bricks for the popular song "Another Brick in the Wall." Rob Spence, the guitarist, said adding the children gives the show more authenticity.
"Because kids are singing it, it really brings relevance to actually have the kids themselves doing the music," said Spence. "It's a chance of a lifetime for the kids."


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The Return
Sounds like fun, can't wait to see the pictures. Did you get to wear those cool helmets or did you just use your moto gear?
The Return Route - Vulcan Arenal, Costa Rica
Trip Start Jun 21, 2008
35Trip End Sep 03, 2008
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Where I stayed
So that said, we bee-lined it back north (or west actually) to Costa Rica, and yep, I got a second speeding ticket on the way back through Panama!
When we got to our little hotel in Neily, it was typical Central American style accommodations...the place was new and beautiful, but at the same time - totally half-assed!! For 25 bucks our room had a huge Jacuzzi tub, but no hot water, the electric shower head exploded (literally into 5 different pieces) when we turned on the shower, and the sink faucet would not turn off, so we had reach under the sink and turn it off by twisting the main valve! We ended up having to take cold sponge baths in the Jacuzzi that night! And this place is brand new!!...it was like the builders got 95% of the way there, and then went on permanent siesta! Anyhow, Malin and I thought it was pretty amusing and we didn't have the heart to tell the owners about our experiences...even the humungous spider I had to kill (it wouldn't die, similar to my Hermosa Beach rat jihad). The owners were vey proud of their place and were super cool to boot...we spent the evening with them sharing stories over beers. The father of the owner kept urging us to go to this volcanic island in the middle of Lake Nicaragua called Ometepe...supposedly there are earthquakes there every day...hmmm, sounds somewhat dangerous...right up our alley!
In the morning, I rode into town and purchased a new H7 halogen bulb for the headlight that had burned out a couple of days earlier, and everyone at the auto shop was enamored by the bike! I had to answer the question of how much it cost and how fast does it go about 5 times, but they were super helpful, and when I left, I did a stand-up wheelie for them...when the front wheel touched down I turned around to wave goodbye and they all had their hands in the air like it was the Costa Rican Cinco de Mayo
Ok, next stop: Vulcan Arenal in Costa Rica, a super active volcano and hot springs that we had passed up on the way down, but once we got some intelligence that the roads were passable, we decided to hit it on the way back...it's awesome here!! Even though we're only at 500 feet, it's a totally misty cloud forest and the volcano rises to 3000 feet above us into the mist, but when the clouds clear, you can see the cone spewing out hot lava and big rocks that come tumbling down! Our best viewing session was catalyzed by a 3am pee break I took...I just happened to glance out of the window of our hotel and saw the whole thing in action!! Of course I woke up Malin...and although she wasn't as enthused as I was (given the time and circumstances) she thought it was cool too.
Yes, Malin here...we had been waiting to see the volcano for about a day and a half but we were completely socked in with fog and rain for most of the time! However once Jess woke me up the view of the lava just shooting out of the crater against the black night sky was a pretty awesome sight! Definitely worth the wait!!
The next day we booked a jungle adventure trip to go zip-lining through the canopy and check out crocodiles, butterflies, leaf-cutter ants, turtles, and all that other good stuff you see on the National Geographic channel
OK, Jess here again...After booking our trip for the next day, the real excitement of the day unfolded when it was time to go into town and change the oil on the Panama Pulverizer! (the bike, compliments of Trich via blog comment!).
I bought 5 quarts of Castrol Syntec 20w-50 (partially synthetic, it's hard to find the full synthetic Mobil 1 15w-50 I normally use down here) from a Chinese-owned auto parts store in Panama, and I've been carrying a spare BMW filter and crush washers with me this entire time. The oil capacity is 4L, which is a little more than 4 quarts,...the left over will be for the occasional top-off. I found a gas station in La Fortuna and told the guy in Spanish that I needed to change my oil...he looked at the bike and told me it was impossible!...but once I told him I had my own tools and oil and only needed a little garage space, he was more than accommodating


text: I am using Maildir. All the mailboxes and mysql etc was copied from the old machine (perfect server suse 11.1) as per Mark_NL's instructions earlier in this thread. I can't cut and paste out of PuTTY at the moment for some reason, so here are some edited highlights from the mail.log: Code: Aug 8 12:52:36 linux postfix/postfix-script[6122]: fatal: the Postfix mail server is not running Aug 8 18:23:11 xxxx dovecot:auth-worker(default): sql([email protected] The SASL auth message is repeated ad infinitum All others occurred only once since firing up the system on Aug 8 The time message was caused by resetting the system clock to GMT from UTC and explains why the POP3 daemon etc had become disabled. I don't think there is anything untoward in the other logs, all the messages seem quite normal I can send emails via SMTP STARTTLS Mail is arriving at ../domain/user/Maildir/new and is accessible by webmail BTW, my reply to your earlier request for info about the apache / mysql problem seems to have been lost. You asked me to change the mysql-connect instruction to "localhost" from the FQDomainname. The result of that was for the error message to change to: Code: Access denied for user 'c4wmstudio'@'localhost' (using password: YES)


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Hairstyle in which hair is slicked back with the application of gel or other product. Most popular with "Greasers" during the 1950's era. Now only sported by Brian Setzer, Elvis impersonators, and elementary school boys from Texas. Students with this hairstyle often tend to get into fights around the bike racks.
by not so common Chris September 27, 2005


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- Pennsylvania Among 'Terrible 10' Most Regressive Tax States
- February 4 Non-Partisan Training: HOW TO RUN FOR ELECTION BOARD IN 2013: HOW TO RUN FOR COMMITTEEPERSON IN 2014
- Republican Governors Opt-In to Medicaid Expansion
- The Reports of Unions' Death Are Greatly Exaggerated
- Ask Allyson Schwartz to run for Governor
- Mind the gap: Opting Out of Medicaid Expansion Leaves Low-income Families Behind
- Jan. 14 Workshop:HOW TO RUN FOR ELECTION BOARD IN 2013; HOW TO RUN FOR COMMITTEEPERSON IN 2014
- Seth Williams on Guns, Jasmine Rivera on School Closures @PFC Meetup Wednesday
- PA Revenue Strong Midway Through Year; Tax Cut Could Have Big Impact
- What to Make of the Fiscal Cliff Deal?
Pennsylvania Among 'Terrible 10' Most Regressive Tax StatesSubmitted by Thirdandstate.org on Fri, 02/01/2013 - 1:47pm.
By Chris Lilienthal, Third and State
Working families in Pennsylvania pay a far higher share of their income in state and local taxes than the state's wealthiest earners, according to a new study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP).
Pennsylvania's tax system scored so poorly that it made the list of the "Terrible 10" most regressive tax states in the nation.
The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center (PBPC) co-released the report, Who Pays? A Distributional Analysis of the Tax Systems in All 50 States, with ITEP. PBPC Director Sharon Ward made the point in a press release that "No one would deliberately design a tax system where low-income working families pay the greatest share of their income in taxes, but that is exactly the type of upside-down tax system we have in Pennsylvania."
Middle-income families in Pennsylvania pay more than double the share of their income in taxes than the very wealthiest Pennsylvanians, while low-income families pay nearly three times as much as top earners, the report found. Get more details on the report, including a Pennsylvania fact sheet, here.
The report should bury once and for all the myth of the makers vs. the takers. Low-income families in Pennsylvania are paying much more of their income in state and local taxes than the top 1%.
February 4 Non-Partisan Training: HOW TO RUN FOR ELECTION BOARD IN 2013: HOW TO RUN FOR COMMITTEEPERSON IN 2014Submitted by kbojar on Wed, 01/30/2013 - 8:36pm.
Because the response to our workshop on January 14 exceeded our expectations, we are doing it again!
Making A Difference!
How You Can Strengthen Democracy in Philadelphia
Come to this non-partisan training; learn how you can win one of these positions. Help strengthen women's voices in our political process and protect the right to vote!
When: Monday, February 4, 2013 from 5:30-7:30 pm
Where: Community College of Philadelphia
Winnet Student Life Building
Lecture Hall S2-3
17th Street b/w Spring Garden and Callowhill Streets
Philadelphia Pa 19130
Stephanie Singer, City Commissioner
Running for committeeperson is a very easy entry point into electoral politics. You don't need to raise money; you just need the time and willingness to talk to your neighbors. Running for committeeperson is a way to learn grassroots organizing skills, gain leadership experience, and learn how the political system works.
Running for Election board is an opportunity to ensure that we have fair elections. The Voter ID law, which is slated to be implemented in 2013, has drawn attention to what has been a very low profile position—the Judge of Elections. In each division, the Judge of Elections resolves disputes and makes determinations about voter eligibility in areas where the law is ambiguous. With the enactment of the Voter ID law, the position of Judge of Elections has become much more important. The Majority and Minority inspectors also play an important role in ensuring fair, well-run elections.
Sponsored by the Philadelphia Chapter of the National Organization for Women and the Philadelphia Chapter of the Coalition of Labor Union Women, and West Philadelphia Coalition of Neighborhoods and Businesses.
- kbojar's blog
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The Reports of Unions' Death Are Greatly ExaggeratedSubmitted by Thirdandstate.org on Fri, 01/25/2013 - 5:50pm.
By Stephen Herzenberg, Third and State
There's a good deal of crowing in conservative circles this week about the new 2012 numbers on union membership. Union membership nationally fell by about 400,000, to 14.4 million. Union membership in Pennsylvania declined 45,000, including 59,000 in the private sector.
Of course, for anyone who cares about, say, the American Dream, democracy, and rising living standards, the newest numbers are bad news. A simple chart put together by the Center for American Progress shows that unions are vital to the middle class. As unions have weakened, so has the share of income going to middle-income workers — and the gap between the 1% and the 99% has mushroomed.
Ask Allyson Schwartz to run for GovernorSubmitted by Marc Stier on Tue, 01/22/2013 - 2:09pm.
From Marc Stier at Large
Barack Obama is back in office and moving in a liberal direction. So now it's time to think ahead about building progressive power. The most important thing we can do in Pennsylvania is to replace Tom Corbett as Governor. So it's a little surprising to me is that, with all the talk about this candidate or that, the one Pennsylvania politician who is best placed to defeat Governor Corbett, Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz, is not being asked by everyone to run. The main reason, I suspect, is that most people who pay close attention to politics don't think she will do so. And some folks, for the usual reasons, have trouble getting their head around the idea of a woman as Governor.
I have no inside knowledge about whether Congresswoman Schwartz is considering a race. But I strongly believe that she should run. After explaining why, I'll come back to the issue of whether she will or not.
- Marc Stier's blog
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Mind the gap: Opting Out of Medicaid Expansion Leaves Low-income Families BehindSubmitted by Thirdandstate.org on Tue, 01/15/2013 - 10:57am.
By Michael Wood, Third and State
Federal health care reform is moving forward thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling last year — and it is a great deal for Pennsylvania. Unless the state decides to "opt out," Medicaid coverage will be expanded to include many Pennsylvanians who are uninsured.
One group that will benefit immediately are parents with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level ($25,390 for a family of three). The benefits don't end there: others who don't receive health coverage through their work will be able to buy insurance on a competitive health marketplace or exchange — making coverage more affordable.
However, if Governor Corbett prevents the Medicaid expansion, it will create a coverage gap for families between 46% and 100% of poverty, as the chart below shows (click on it for a larger view).
Those families between 46% and 100% of poverty earn too much to qualify for Medicaid (for a family of three, this means earning over $8,781 but less than the federal poverty line of $19,090). These families won't receive Medicaid coverage, and they won't receive subsidies to buy health coverage.
We all benefit when more people have health coverage. Let's make the right decision in Pennsylvania and expand Medicaid coverage.
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PA Revenue Strong Midway Through Year; Tax Cut Could Have Big ImpactSubmitted by Thirdandstate.org on Mon, 01/07/2013 - 10:51am.
By Michael Wood, Third and State
With a strong December showing, the commonwealth now has a General Fund revenue surplus of $171 million (1.4% above estimate) for the first half of the 2012-13 fiscal year, double the Corbett administration's revised estimate for the entire fiscal year. The strong December collections exceeded estimate by $112 million (or 4.8%).
The increased revenue is a good sign of a modestly recovering national economy and a brightening of the state's fiscal picture going into the 2013-14 budget season. This is a nice change from previous years when midyear shortfalls triggered cuts to state services.
In December, personal income, corporate, and realty transfer taxes exceeded revenue targets by 10.1%, with sales, inheritance and other taxes (on cigarettes, alcohol, and table games) falling short of expectations by 2.8%.
A similar picture exists over the first half of 2012-13 — corporate, personal income and realty transfer tax collections are a combined 5% higher than expected, while sales, inheritance, and other taxes have fallen 2.4% short of budget estimates.
One area of concern is that sales tax collections (the state's second largest tax source) are $125 million, or 2.7%, lower than projected. It is not clear the reason for this as vehicle sales and consumer spending have been increasing. Perhaps the new tax collections from some online retailers may not be as large as anticipated.
Compared to last year, collections are $583 million, or 5%, higher, with corporate ($254 million) and personal income tax ($186 million) collections making up most of the increase in 2012-13.
What to Make of the Fiscal Cliff Deal?Submitted by Thirdandstate.org on Thu, 01/03/2013 - 5:06pm.
By Sharon Ward, Third and State
Tell us what you think about the Fiscal Cliff deal. Take our two-question survey.
The agreement reached by President Obama and Congress on January 1 was both historic and disappointing — and it leaves much unsettled. The urgency of the Fiscal Cliff has dissipated, but significant threats remain to federal funding for state and local services as well as refundable tax credits for low-income working families, Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.
There is much to dislike in this agreement. It makes permanent most of the Bush era tax cuts, ensuring that income from dividends and capital gains will be taxed at a lower rate than income from work. It makes permanent the estate tax but locks in a tax rate that creates a huge windfall for the top 0.3% of households. Sequestration cuts — the automatic spending cuts that members of both parties hated and the President said would not occur — have been postponed for two months, with three-quarters of FFY 2013 cuts ($85.6 billion) and $109 billion in annual cuts after that still in law through 2022. The President's line in the sand on raising tax rates for the top 2% of earners got pushed way back, with top rates kicking in at $400,000 for an individual and $450,000 for a couple. A low-wage earner might need 20 years to make that much.
Few in PA Would Be Affected by Ending High-income Tax CutsSubmitted by Thirdandstate.org on Fri, 12/21/2012 - 11:04am.
By Sharon Ward, Third and State
The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center is out today with a new analysis finding that President Obama's plan to end federal tax cuts for high-income earners would have very little impact on taxpayers in most Pennsylvania counties.
In over half of the state's 67 counties, fewer than 1 in 100 residents (that's 1%) would pay the higher marginal tax rate on income above $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for married couples.
In most counties, only a small number of individuals are affected. In 24 counties, fewer than 200 high-income earners would pay the higher rate. Almost two-thirds of the top earners who would be impacted reside in just six Pennsylvania counties.
Under President Obama's plan, families earning over $250,000 would keep other tax breaks on the first $250,000 of income, including a lower bottom tax rate and preferential tax rates on capital gains and dividends — a savings of $12,112 per taxpayer. The top tax rates would be restored to those in effect in the 1990s when the nation added 23 million jobs.
CITY COUNCILS CALL ON PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS TO AVOID CUTTING SERVICESSubmitted by Councilman Goode on Tue, 12/18/2012 - 10:07am.
As the federal government faces major decisions regarding our nation's budget and fiscal policies, cities around the country are passing resolutions calling on the President and Congress to prioritize the revitalization of the economy, the creation of millions of new jobs, and a return to broadly-shared prosperity.
Led by members of Local Progress, the new national municipal policy network, over the past two weeks the cities of Baltimore, Cambridge, Chicago, Hallandale Beach, Philadelphia, New York, Seattle, and Yonkers have signaled their official support for a solution that avoids cuts to vital services for the most disadvantaged members of society or to Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefits and that raises crucial revenue from the wealthiest two percent of Americans.
"Unwise cuts to federal spending inevitably shift costs onto states and municipalities, which, unlike the federal government, cannot cope with them through deficit spending," said Joe Moore, a Chicago City Council Alderman. "Cuts to funding for housing, community development, public health, and public safety will deprive millions of poor Americans of basic necessities like food, medicine, and a home in a safe community." The resolution introduced by Moore was supported by all 50 Aldermen.
"The American economy continues its slow and inadequate recovery from the Great Recession; twenty million people want to work full time but cannot; and a weak economy undermines the nation's social fabric and deprives future generations of the opportunity to live rich and fulfilling lives," said Chuck Lesnick, the Yonkers City Council President. "We need growth, not austerity."
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First Step to Avoid the Fiscal Cliff: Close Offshore Tax LoopholesSubmitted by PennPIRG on Thu, 12/06/2012 - 2:09pm.
For Immediate Release:
Thursday, December 6 2012
Angela Lee, PennPIRG Program Associate
215-735-9760; firstname.lastname@example.com
First Step to Avoid the Fiscal Cliff: Close Offshore Tax Loopholes
Offshore Tax Dodging Costs U.S. $150 Billion Annually; Groups Illustrate Impact with 16 Dramatic Ways Lost Revenue Could Be Used
PHILADELPHIA, December 6th – With Congress scrambling to agree on ways to reduce the deficit, PennPIRG joined with small business owners and student groups today to point out a clear first step to avoid the "fiscal cliff": closing offshore tax loopholes. Many of America's largest corporations and wealthiest individuals use accounting gimmicks to shift profits made in America to offshore tax havens, where they pay little to no taxes. This tax avoidance costs the federal government $150 billion in tax revenue each year. PennPIRG released new data illustrating the size of this loss with 16 dramatic ways $150 billion could be spent.
"When corporations skip out on their taxes, the rest of us are left to pick up their tab," said Angela Lee, state advocate for PennPIRG. "Right now, this kind of tax dodging is perfectly legal, but it's not fair and it's time to put an end to it."
The new "philanthropy": Private money shaping public policy in Philadelphia's education reformSubmitted by HelenGym on Thu, 11/29/2012 - 9:05am.
Jeremy Nowak is out as president of the William Penn Foundation. In light of his abrupt departure, deeper questions emerge about the role the foundation played under his tenure.
For months, Parents United for Public Education has raised questions about the Foundation's role in funding and directing the work of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Two weeks ago we sent a letter to the William Penn Foundation and Boston Consulting Group asking them to respond to a legal analysis we commissioned from our lawyers at the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia, which argued that the Foundation's unusual arrangement with the Boston Consulting Group may constitute lobbying.
In February the Boston Consulting Group, a multinational corporation with an educational strategies division, arrived with the stated purpose of creating a District blueprint and a five year financial plan. Instead they parachuted into Philadelphia with a polarizing agenda that called for mass charter expansion, closing dozens of schools, and forcing schools into education management networks.
While many know the plan was paid for by the William Penn Foundation, most people may not realize the significance of WPF contracting directly with BCG without the District being a party to the contract. William Penn Foundation solicited donors specifically for the BCG contract and then oversaw a fund at a separate agency that disbursed donations exclusively to BCG. This structure allowed the identities of many of those who paid for BCG's work to remain secret, along with any economic interests they may have had in the policies and decisions being advanced. For example, among the donors are a prominent real estate developer and individuals and groups with direct interests and ties to religious and charter organizations. The Foundation funded a separate communications strategy for the District without the public ever knowing what public communications came from William Penn and what came from the District.
Perhaps most significantly, BCG's contracts with WPF explicitly stipulated that BCG's work would promote charter expansion, management networks, identify 60 top candidates for school closure and impact labor negotiations. Specific mention was made in their contract about influencing the SRC before an important May vote. Not surprisingly, the report BCG delivered to the School District was nearly identical to the contract agreement BCG had with the Foundation and, by extension, the donors who funded the work.
As a third party entity, BCG had unprecedented access to District data and financial information all made unavailable to the public. They had unprecedented access to high-level decisionmakers and private forums to push their plans. While the rest of the public had to settle for limited information and public processes, BCG circumvented a public process with its unique status as a philanthropic consultant.
From our viewpoint as parents, this is not education expertise at play. After all, BCG avoided almost any public contact or dialogue. It was not acting as a philanthropic entity – not when private dollars and private interests promoted a singular and narrow agenda and enabled BCG to forego public processes in favor of private audience.
It was for this reason that Parents United for Public Education requested a legal opinion from the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia about whether the Foundation was engaged in lobbying and had violated city lobbying laws by failing to register as lobbyists and disclose its donors and activities. PILCOP concluded that the third party contracting and the clear intent to impact policy and high level decisionmakers all constituted lobbying. Our letter to the Foundation two weeks ago detailed these concerns, included PILCOP's legal analysis and requested a response in two weeks time.
On a national level, a number of public education observers and public interest advocates have raised serious concerns about the role of "philanthropic" investments into education reform. From the Broad Foundation to the Waltons and Gates Foundations – what we're seeing across the country is an unprecedented level of private money shaping public policy under the guise of philanthropy. Too often that agenda has centered around a radical dismantling of public education, increased privatization, and disruptive reform that has sent many districts spiraling into chaos and sustained turmoil.
We have no idea whether our complaint about lobbying had any influence on Mr. Nowak's departure. Whether or not it did, foundations and "reformers" everywhere need to sit up and look critically at practices that risk substituting private agendas for true public purpose.
11-22-12Submitted by jennifer on Thu, 11/22/2012 - 11:08pm.
Five years ago, Thanksgiving, I wrote this. I knew I had found something good (though I didn't yet know that included someone who would love me, justice, and Philadelphia sports teams with more or less equal burning intensity).
This fall Dan and I got married. And this morning we were up in Bucks County, seeing the movie 'Lincoln' with my parents. To count just some blessings:
Getting to see that movie with my dad, who now lives at home despite sudden severe disability, thanks only to our still-present social safety net that gives him the choice to live in his own home with my mom instead of being trapped in a nursing home.
The fact that in this election enough Americans used their votes to make clear they want a country that sees us all having a stake in each other.
That there are advocates who fight for a fair shot for all who are treated as expendable: those working to restore lifeline state 'general assistance' benefits after they were torn away earlier this year through cowardly political maneuvering, as today's important piece sharply reminded us; those who are trying to cut through the many financial and political agendas in order to actually focus on what makes schools work for their students; and, always, those who daily devote themselves to people suffering addiction and trauma, giving a small or large beacon of kindness and understanding to people in the darkest places.
Thank you. These are "the ripples of hope" that travel out through the world, to quote Bobby Kennedy via that video where our president cried while saying thank you to the people who worked to elect him in hopes of moving us towards a more just world.
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There's no Fiscal Cliff; It's An Income CliffSubmitted by Stan Shapiro on Mon, 11/19/2012 - 12:34pm.
While the national focus is on a make-believe deficit "crisis", Philadelphia is facing an all too real income crisis. Too many families, including many with at least one full time worker, simply can't meet their basic needs.
Of course our entire State includes huge numbers of struggling families, 840,000 families to be exact, including 2.3 million individuals, according to a recent study by Pathways PA. But Philly is tops in "income inadequacy" with 42% of our entire population not able to meet basic needs such as housing, child care, food, health care and taxes. Yes, the poor and the marginally poor do pay taxes.
During the Presidential campaign, the problems of these folks, and the cities like Philadelphia that are home to so many of them, fell off the cliff. Instead another cliff engendered all the conversation, and continues to, the so-called "fiscal cliff."
The fiscal cliff is what we're all supposed to fall off of if Congress doesn't act on tax and budget policies by midnight on December 31. At that point all the Bush tax cuts will expire and massive budget cuts will take place. All of this because both parties have been laser-focused for two years on the need to cut deficits, and to that end have created their very own emergency to force themselves to act.
But as Paul Krugman repeatedly points out, there is no deficit crisis. We need no spending cuts (except in the bloated Defense Department budget.) We are told that deficits are threatening to create uncontrollable inflation and sky high interest rates. But the reality is that as deficits have grown, interest rates and inflation have fallen. The only real deficit is the income deficit.
Will Pennsylvania Take Full Advantage of Health Reform?Submitted by Thirdandstate.org on Fri, 11/09/2012 - 2:58pm.
By Chris Lilienthal, Third and State
With the election decided, it is now clear that the Affordable Care Act is here to stay. That's great news for Pennsylvanians, some of whom have already begun to benefit from the health reform law, and many others who will see more gains as major provisions take effect in 2014.
As Judy Solomon writes at the Off the Charts Blog, a key provision of the law will allow states to expand Medicaid to cover low-income adults earning up to 133% of the poverty line, with the federal government covering most of the costs:
The question now is whether some states will squander this opportunity to cover millions of uninsured Americans.
Coverage for more than 11 million poor, uninsured adults is at risk if states don't expand Medicaid, according to the Urban Institute.
As you can see in the chart above, Pennsylvania is among the states that have not made a clear decision on the Medicaid expansion.
Pennsylvania Tax Giveaways and an Island in the SunSubmitted by Thirdandstate.org on Thu, 11/08/2012 - 12:02pm.
By Jamar Thrasher, Third and State
A few weeks ago, the Pennsylvania General Assembly fast-tracked a bill in the waning days of the legislative session to allow certain private companies to keep most of the state income taxes of new employees. News reports to follow indicated the new tax giveaway was designed to lure California-based software firm Oracle to State College.
Well, it turns out the CEO of Oracle, which will benefit from the largess of Pennsylvania taxpayers, recently bought his very own Hawaiian island, as CNN reported back in June.
Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, the third richest man in the U.S., purchased about 98% of Lana'i, the sixth largest of the Hawaiian islands. Forbes reported that the deal was rumored to be worth $500 million.
As CNN tells us:
The island includes two luxury resorts, two golf courses, two club houses and 88,000 acres of land, according to a document filed with the Public Utilities Commission.
Which bring us back to Pennsylvania, where Governor Corbett recently signed House Bill 2626, allowing qualifying companies that create at least 250 new jobs within five years to pocket 95% of the personal income taxes paid by the new employees.


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Ballooning over Australia
Trip Start Apr 20, 2010
21Trip End May 15, 2010
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Where I stayed
We made it safely to the field where we watched the balloons inflate as the sun was rising. It was pretty cool. We were on the "second flight" since we chose only to go up for 30mins. We were the "balloon chase" crew, which consists of looking for the balloon in the air and follow as best we can to be there on its landing.
Upon our return to the hotel, I went to pick up the car so we could explore Queensland at our own pace. Once I picked Mom up from the hotel, we set out North to explore the coast up to Port Douglas. Along the way, we made several stops at various beaches to "check-out the scenery".
On our journey back to Cairns, the tour information clerk at the hotel told us to stop on a "clearing" to see the Wallabies at dusk. I followed her very vague directions and did not find any field per se so we gave up. As we were driving along the highway, I glanced to my left and there they were!! There must have been a hundred or better of them in the field. We tried to find the entry to the field but alas it was all on private property.
All in all, another great day exploring Australia.


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The week's prize for barefaced cheek must surely go to the Greens.
With Parliament's Clerk of the House yesterday finally giving the okay for a non-binding referendum on National's asset sales policy, the Greens listed the costs to the taxpayer so far of the Government's partial privatisation programme.
Included in the total, which the Greens estimate as close to $125 million, was $9 million to pay for the referendum.
That sum is certainly a cost the Government has to meet. But it is a cost forced on the Government by virtue of the successful efforts of the Greens and the other Opposition parties.
The logic for citing this as a Government-imposed cost on the taxpayer was that the referendum was only being held because National has an asset sales policy.
On that basis, the Greens should have included the nearly $50,000 in taxpayer-provided money drawn from its parliamentary funding to pay eight staff to collect signatures for the petition needed to force the referendum.
The Greens might have been better advised to have been upfront about the cost of the referendum as being the justified price of democracy, rather than trying to hang financial responsibility for the ballot on the Government.
However, the sleight of hand might be designed to deflect criticism that by the time the referendum is held, the partial floats of up to 49 per cent of the three state-owned electricity generators - Mighty River Power, Meridian Energy and Genesis Energy - will be close to completion and therefore a plebiscite is a waste of money. John Key was certainly trying to pin that charge on Opposition parties yesterday.
That the ground is starting to shift from under the Opposition was apparent in those parties' calls for the asset sales programme to be halted immediately until a referendum can be held. There was fat chance of National agreeing to that.
There is another risk for the Opposition in the referendum losing its relevance - that voter turnout is consequently low, enabling National to claim victory in likely defeat.
The smart thing for the Opposition to do would be to forgo the referendum and earn kudos for saving taxpayers $9 million. The politics are likely to get in the way of that happening, however.


text: I started feeding the bees via top feeder, It is the two quart jar, screened style that sits on the inner cover from Walter Kelley. I saw or read somewhere that putting cinnamon around the feeder will keep the ants away from the syrup. I started feeding about a week ago, This isn't working for me. I sprinkled it all around the feeder and the ants walking righ across. Did I not use enough ? Do I need to build a wall with the stuff ?


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Xiaomi, a Chinese gadget maker known more for their Android-based handsets, is working on a tablet dubbed 'ZiMi' (roughly means 'Purple Rice' in English).
For those that are not in tune with the Android customization scenes, Xiaomi is also the innovator of the popular Android-based MIUI ROM. The supposed ZiMi tablet will come MIUI at launch, and according a source the custom ROM will have 23 built-in languages. This is great news for MIUI fans that don't speak Chinese or English exclusively.
On the hardware end, the ZiMi tablet is a 7-inch tablet that boasts a 1280×800 display, a 1.2GHz quad-core Tegra 3 CPU, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, 3G/2G connectivity, and a 4000mAh battery.
Xiaomi's philosophy in the smartphone business has always been trying to strike balance between quality and price. So although a Tegra 3-powered tablet may seem outdated, the build quality of the tablet itself might not be as shoddy as one would think. Take into account that MIUI is one of the best custom Android concoctions out there and whatever rice Xiaomi serves up will sure to give anyone a full belly.


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Interlibrary Loan
If the Oviatt does not have the title you need (and this includes books, DVDs, CDs, scores, etc) we can often borrow it from another library on your behalf.
Find the item using WorldCat and click on Find Text when you find the right one.
Then log onto Interlibrary Loan.
ILL can often receive PDFs of articles and deliver them electronically. You will receive an email when the article is ready for download and within ILL it will look like this:
As a graduate student, you have a subsidy for ILL, so if a book is not available for free, we can still get it for you. You will receive an email that your request has been cancelled; resubmit so that ILL staff knows to use your subsidy:
Remember that the lending library determines how long you can keep an item and you MUST log into to ILL to request a renewal or check the date.


text: I have a 2004 Z71Suburban. Recently during daylight hours, the drivers mirror and rear view mirror will go very dark, and then come back normal. The passenger mirror does not seem to be doing it. Any ideas if a sensor has gone bad, or what might be causing this? Thanks Nick


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Lay out the numbers, then paint
Blustery days don't have to be boring if you make your kids this super-easy hopscotch mat! All you need is a 10-ft. utility runner with a nonskid back, duct tape, number stencils and spray paint. Home centers sell utility runners by the foot ($2 to $3 per linear foot depending on the color). Number stencils come in a variety of type styles and sizes at art supply and craft stores.
The toughest part is getting the 10 boxes measured evenly. Our 10-ft. runner is 3 ft. wide, so each box is 12 in. long and 18 in. wide. Cut and place the duct tape where you want it and press it down firmly (Photo 1). Then tape each number in the center of its box (Photo 2). Mask off the areas around the numbers when you spray the paint onto the stencils. Let it dry overnight and get hopping in the morning! Use beanbags, Koosh balls (shown), stuffed animals or other soft toys instead of stones so you don't scratch wood floors or other inside surfaces. When everyone's done playing, roll up the mat and store it for next time.


text: I didn't put any on the end of the tube, just a little on the locking nut and then tightened it down with the spanner wrench. . I am interested to know if people use it on the theads of the tube. I was afraid to because I didn't want removal to be a problem.


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Verified Purchase
I've been double dosing and it has helped my moods. Also appreciate veggie caps.
Posted by Reviewer2503595 on Mar 23, 2010 | Verified Purchase
I've been double dosing and it has helped my moods. Also appreciate veggie caps.
Didn't help my depression.
Posted by Reviewer1687596 on Jan 21, 2009 | Verified Purchase
I have mild depression. I heard that tyrosine works for some people. It didn't work for me, but I know that some people have had great success with it. iherb has great prices and fast delivery.
Top notch
Posted by Reviewer1706966 on Dec 03, 2009 | Verified Purchase
Very good quality. I've tried other brands, and this one and Now Foods are the best so far. The Now Foods brand is cheaper but I like the fact Bluebonnet uses veggie caps. I just don't understand why some companies still use gelatin (product of animal torture) caps in their products.
Pretty good stuff
Posted by Harpocrates on Aug 23, 2012 | Verified Purchase
I like it, but sometimes my stomache gets a bit upset.
Thanks for getting it to me so quickly
Posted by Reviewer3361734 on Nov 25, 2011 | Verified Purchase
Thanks for getting it to me so quickly
An Herbal Wake-Up Pill
Posted by Reviewer2864112 on Sep 24, 2012 | Verified Purchase
Tyrosine is one of the amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein found in dairy products, meats, fish, eggs, nuts, beans, oats, and wheat. I take it with my tea when I'm at work for alertness. Others take it for a variety of other reasons. I suggest researching this a little further. For quality, Bluebonnet is always a good bet.
1-6 of 6 total


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Three AOL Leaders Named Top Executives in Their Fields for 2012
Jan 31, 2013
Artie Minson, former AOL CFO and now Chief Operating Officer, was featured at number 94 out of 250,000 CFO's in the country. "This accolade from ExecRank is a reflection of all of the hard work my five thousand teammates have put in at AOL and I am honored to accept it on their behalf," said Minson.
Jim Norton, SVP-Head of Advertising Sales, came in at number 6 out of 15,000 sales officers across the nation. After receiving the news Jim stated, "At AOL, we partner with the world's top advertisers and this recognition is validation that our teams are providing exemplary service and advertising innovation that will continue to drive significant value for our clients."
ExecRanks also listed Matt Kelpy as number 123 out of 30,000 Chief Accounting Officers in the U.S. Kelpy said, "I can't say enough about the dedication & effort of our accounting & shared services team every single day, as this recognition is a reflection of those outstanding contributions! I'm thrilled that our efforts were recognized in the Execrank selection process, and humbled to be included in such distinguished company."
The rankings are a result of two years of research and feedback from evaluation committees and top executives that produced an algorithm for how to rank Top Executives based on their performance in 24 different key areas.
Congratulations to all three of these executives! To find out more about AOL's leadership team visit our corporate site.
Three AOL leaders named Top Executives in their fields for 2012 aol.it/Xp66a6
- AOL PR (@AOLPR) January 31, 2013


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I know you liked Shockey but exactly how many championships did he bring us? I love Shocks too. I'm a huge fan of the U. Still he was a whiner.
I know you liked Shockey but exactly how many championships did he bring us? I love Shocks too. I'm a huge fan of the U. Still he was a whiner.
Because of all of the effort and examination being poured into these predictions, the draft is a robust market that, in the aggregate, does a good job of sorting prospects from top to bottom.1 Yet despite so many people trying to beat the market, no single actor can do it consistently. Abnormal returns are likely due to luck, not skill. But that hasnt stopped NFL executives from behaving with the confidence of traders.
[quote user="nycsportzfan"]
*I'm a Dwayne Allen guy, personally, as many know.. I do like Fleener as well, but allen is the guy i'm hoping for.. I do like the top 4guys at the positon though, and think all 4will have a solid NFL career.. My top 4would go like this
1. Dwayne Allen
2. Coby Fleener
3. Ladarious Green
4. Orson Charles[/quote]Allen is my favorite TE too...for us that is.
My body was sculpted to the proportions of Michelangelo's David.
I never like drafting TEs in the first because we don't utilize ours enough in the pass game to warrant drafting one early imo. I would like us to pick up a big bodied blocking TE late in the draft though.
i think gmen trade down and get an xtra pick from colts who def want fleener..then trade up in 2nd rd to get thr te they want in allen
For years, the Giants havent featured the TE.
Bavaro and Shockey
We have used adequate level TEs as receivers effectively. With that, i feel that Yes we need another healthy TE, but we dont need to take one in round 1.
Relax. I'm sure the Giants can get a good TE in round 4!!!!
Not all mocks. When it comes to the Giants draft, I pay attention to the beat writers.
Neither RV nor Mike Garafolo think Coby Fleener is even a chance
[quote user="slipknottin"][quote user="NewYorkSwagg"]I say wait till the six round and grab Egnew from Missouri we don't need a top TE. We have good TE's on the team already and maybe the best blocking TE in the NFL Bennett.[/quote]
What good TEs?*
Ballard is out for the season.
Beckum has been an underachiever.
Bennett has been a huge disappointment as a receiver.
Who else?* Pascoe?* Hes started 23 games for the Giants and has a total of 22 catches.
[/quote] I love your posts LOL
[quote user="Desepx"]we don't need a insanely athletic play making TE, we have that with bennet.
if a TE is really needed, we can just pick up somebody late that has some size and eli will make him look like a first rounder with the matchups he will see.
[/quote] Only 4 tds in four seasons for Bennet..
[quote user="B&RWarrior"]I know you liked Shockey but exactly how many championships did he bring us?* I love Shocks too.* I'm a huge fan of the U.** Still he was a whiner.[/quote] I was a fan before he became a head case
thought we were going Fleener for sure after Martin went off the board


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AVON, COLORADO -- After only a few years of using our Samsung refrigerator, it started leaking water into the crisper drawers, thereby ruining our vegetables every week. We called Samsung and they sent a repair technician (at our cost, of course!). He wasn't a Samsung certified technician and therefore couldn't fix the unit. Awesome. I called Samsung back several times and was so mistreated and frustrated, I will NEVER buy a Samsung product again. I would recommend the same to anyone I know or don't know - don't purchase from Samsung. Their products are terrible and their customer service is even worse.
ANDREWS, TEXAS -- If you are in the market for a new refrigerator, don't buy one made by Samsung! You will regret it. I am currently dealing with them on a refund that's has been going on for three months! My refrigerator has been out since July and I'm still arguing with these people in October! They do not tell the truth, they are horrible to deal with. Save yourself the trouble..... If it's not made in America, don't buy it! Samsung is manufactured in Korea! There will never be another Samsung product purchased by this household. None of their service people could even agree on what was wrong with this piece of junk either.
GEORGIA -- I purchased a Samsung Refrigerator 1/1/15 and immediately noticed the compressor/condenser was louder than any previous owned refrigerator. After 4 failed service attempts by technicians who were not qualified to repair closed systems and endless time on the phone with Samsung Executive Support, I was informed that I had to cut the cord of the refrigerator and send a picture as proof. Once received, they would refund my purchase. No one at Samsung was able to tell me what I was supposed to do with the refrigerator. I guess it's my responsibility to dispose. TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE. I WILL NEVER BUY SAMSUNG AGAIN!
COLUMBUS, OHIO -- We purchased a Samsung RS2577BB refrigerator on 1/18/04 from Best Buy. We did not have it delivered until approx. August 2004 because our house was being built and we did not close on it until the end of August. The fridge worked until approximately 3/23/07 when refrigerator side stopped cooling correctly. We contacted Samsung which told us it was out of warranty, but they provided us with the contact info for a "preferred" authorized repair company that was local.
The repair company came out on 3/28/07. Once they arrived they said that they were not sure what the problem was & called Samsung to see how to proceed. They were told to replace the sensor and did so. This only helped for about 4 hours so we had to call them back again. For weeks the tech at the repair shop talked to Samsung via phone and email to try to find the problem and finally they were told that it may be the thermal fuse in mid-April. We went over 2 weeks without a working refrigerator.
Finally on 4/16/07 the repair company came back out and replaced the thermal fuse. Within an hour of the tech leaving we had the same problem and in addition the freezer also stopped working properly. I called the repair shop again and they expressed their concerns with Samsung because they said they were not getting return calls or emails. They said that Samsung was being very vague when they did get someone and they were being told that they (Samsung) really had no idea why the refrigerator was not working properly. They suggested that I call Samsung directly.
Samsung confirmed that the repair shop had called several times and their technical support and customer service stated that they could only think of those 2 things as potential problems with the refrigerator and that they were at a loss. They suggested using another repair company even though they admitted the other repair shop would also call them with questions so it made no sense to do this. It would also mean an additional service fee on top of the $236.88 we had paid the repair shop we were currently using. I said I would just replace the refrigerator and they said it was fixable and they would work with the repair company so I waited.
Over the next month things continued to get worse and when we called Samsung they said they would replace the refrigerator. They worked with the repair shop to issue us a SAW number which was supposed to be what was needed for a replacement since nothing was now working properly. By this time, I had bought a small little refrigerator from Home Depot just to have some refrigerator space for milk and other essentials. Melissa in customer service said that the issue was being sent to Executive Customer Service and we would not have to do anything else because we would get a replacement.
When we didn't hear anything else after a week or so, we called back only to be told that they had decided not to replace the refrigerator and they would continue to work with the repair company to try to fix it. Finally we did get some support from Samsung and the repair shop came out again on 6/26/07 AND 7/9/07 based on info provided by Samsung to do more "repairs". They replaced the main board and then the freezer sensor and something else, yet they still could not get the refrigerator to work correctly. Finally a new Central Regional Service Manager stepped in and we were told that we would get a replacement.
After sending over our receipt as requested, we were told by a CSR that they no longer did exchanges through Best Buy so we would have to get a refund. We were not totally happy about that, but we just wanted to get a new refrigerator. However, they later told us that they would only give us a little over $400 even though we paid $1441.11. This just covered the costs we had already paid in repairs and didn't even cover the $320 we lost in food. Now no one is responding.
Buyers beware. We have been treated so poorly that it sickens me. I understand that the fridge may not be under warranty any longer, but do not make promises then back out. Also, they badmouth even their "preferred" authorized repair shops. Lastly, it has taken 4 months to even get this far. We are disgusted with the service and the lies. We will never buy from Samsung again and we are techies that buy a lot of electronic items. They need to stand behind their products and what they say. To drag this on for months has really left a bad taste in my mouth.
CARY, NORTH CAROLINA -- After 1.5 years of use, we noticed that our Samsung side-by-side refrigerator (Model RS267L, $1698) was not cooling properly. I went to the Samsung website to identify the nearest repairman (Day 1). The first repairman only came (Day 7) when I said my refrigerator was not under warranty (and paid the diagnostic fee myself) because Samsung owed him $11,000 for warranty repair work. His diagnosis was that the heater/evaporator was not working and needed to be replaced under the 5-year sealed system warranty – he said that if I would get the part from Samsung he would replace it for $350.
Meanwhile he de-iced the unit and told me that it would cool properly for a while. I called Samsung (Day 8) and they said that they only ship parts to authorized repairmen and the Regional Service Center needed to work out the payment problem with the repairman and would call me. They never called back. Day 27: called Samsung Executive Customer Relations (ECR) and they assigned another repairman. Day 36: Repairman #2 came after I called him myself. Immediately he said that the unit was not repairable and called Samsung – they originally promised an exchange but then said they would have to refund my purchase price.
Day 37: faxed and uploaded my sales receipt to Samsung; called Samsung ECR and representative told me that they had my receipt and that it would take 7-14 business days to issue my refund. Day 43: received a call from Samsung Refund Department – she told me that my refund would only be for sales price, not tax or delivery fee and that it would take 14-21 business days for the refund to be issued once I sent in the serial number plate (which I sent certified mail the next day). She also said that immediately before the check was to be issued I would need to send them the cut-off power cord.
Day 72: called Samsung to ask about my refund – was told that the check was issued that day. Day 75: received the refund check. I have never had a problem like this with any appliance that I have ever owned! I feel truly victimized and will never buy another Samsung product!
Our new Samsung Refrigerator died after 4 months of service with an error code and will not cool. We had gone on a three day weekend trip so all food inside had to be thrown out. I must state that the refrigerator sat for over six months due to delays with the contractors because of rain, parts, etc.
Unfortunately this Samsung refrigerator appears to have major and recurring problems as evidenced by numerous issues (hundreds) that other people are having with cooling or with water/ice build up etc, etc. These reports are coming in daily and we should have researched better, but when you are in the store looking at a brand you think you trust... think again (just look at online reviews for Samsung refrigerators).
I have Two Samsung TV's that were purchased at Sears and have been great. This is the reason we looked at and purchased this refrigerator from them. I can assure you and Samsung that we will never buy another refrigerator from them. It is highly likely that we will never purchase anything from them again. Their (Samsung) customer service was a joke at best and the lack of real assistance totally surprised us. In other words, a frustrating waste of time! We immediately called Sears where we had purchased a multi-year service agreement (great?).
After a bit of time and long discussion we were told 3 weeks is the earliest someone can look at the unit. Has anyone else been without their fridge for 3 weeks lately?? We are sure from all the articles online that parts will have to be ordered and that will take more time. I tried to talk with the customer service representative and others again to get it looked at sooner but no luck. (Gee, thanks Sears... I ran to the store to purchase a large ice chest and small refrigerator.) I have maintenance agreements on my washer/dryer through Sears that were serviced within a week when we lived in a major city. Interesting how things can change.
We will see how this story plays out but I am completely dismayed at how little the manufacturers care once they have your money. I understand Samsung is the main problem since they have known issues with this larger new refrigerator. Unfortunately Sears is becoming a major issue with the amount of time they are taking to get someone out for the initial service call and their inability to offer any other options or concern. We will see if we renew any of our maintenance agreements after all of this plays out. More updates as this progresses.
NORTH CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA -- My refrig was delivered on 2/12/2009. Wow it looks great. Looks can be deceiving. As we were going through the setup, I specifically started to look for a feature of this refrig that was advertised on the SAMSUNG website which was the determining factor for our purchase of this expensive model. The feature I am referring to is being able to "check your schedule". This model advertises the larger LCD screen and that you can "check your schedule" amongst other features adding a photo album, calendar feature, nutrition info and measure conversions.
One would think in order to check your schedule, you would need a way to enter it somehow. No mention of this feature in the user manual, so I do what any other consumer would do... call Customer Service Department. After calling several times, being placed on eternal hold for greater than 20 minutes and conveniently disconnected... I finally get through for that person to basically say "they mean you can look at the calendar", a separate feature listed on the website. So they elevate my problem to Executive Services... again eternal holding and no answers.... so they setup a Case Management File and said someone would contact me with 24-48 hours.
So I wait at home... because I cannot go anywhere as I am recuperating from surgery. Four days later I call to follow up because I have heard back from nobody. They say they will send an email to Case Management and I should hear back definitely within 24-48 hours. Again nothing... so I go back to the website and send a complaint via their website... to no avail I have heard nothing. Now I am in contact with the place of purchase and an attorney. At this point I will be happy to return this product.
I will never purchase another SAMSUNG product again. Any opportunity that I get, I will share my experience. As far as the product itself, it arrived missing parts (which still have not arrived), the ice maker is extremely noisy and slow, the refrigerator temp had to be adjusted lower to keep things at the proper temp and most of all it does not provide the advertised feature we were looking for.
RICHFIELD PARK, OHIO -- We purchased a Samsung fridge back in 2007 and the first couple years there were no problems. Since then the coils in the top of the refrigerator freeze every 3-5 weeks and we have to take it apart and with a blow dryer defrost it, which takes over an hour each time. We have lost hundreds of dollars worth of food due to the temp of fridge recording up to 70-80 degrees each time. We have made multiple calls to get some help with no response!! I wrote a letter and sent it certified mail to the corporate office in which they were to sign for and they refused it!!! Is there anything at all you can do to help us?
NAPERVILLE, ILLINOIS -- I had the fridge fail in the first two weeks after purchase. They have a company call sometime within 3 days to just schedule a service appointment. When the repair company they use came out, they replaced a board and said it was working. It wasn't working and when I called again for service, they again said they would call within 3 days to schedule the appointment, not be there within 3 days but call to schedule. They came back again and thought they fixed it but yet again they were wrong. I called to talk to customer service and asked to talk to a manager. They have a special complaint department (they obviously have a lot of special complaints).
They offered to refund the purchase price. I explained I got it discounted and the refund would not pay for the same fridge. They did not care and would only offer the purchase price. They would NOT offer the same model as a replacement. I got in touch with Lowe's and they would offer a replacement even though I didn't buy it from them (the company I bought from went out of business). They even delivered the new and picked up the old at no charge. Lowe's was FANTASTIC. Samsung offered food replacement. I jumped through a ton of hoops to provide itemized list and individual cost yet they never issue a check. Just continue to get the run around.
By the way they were rude on every conversation, not even a hint of compassion that my $3,000+ fridge didn't work for two weeks and it took me over two weeks battling them and still got nothing.
Plastic cracking all over inside the fridge - fridge 3 years old. Started to crack from first year, now it is falling apart.
Paid extra warranty of $340 on top of $3400 I paid initially. They stated this is aesthetic and physical damage... I never had or see in my life any fridge with so much breaking plastic inside. I do not even own big pots and my ketchup must move inside the fridge soon. The inside door attachments were for decoration and I did not know... really?!!!! I will never ever buy anything Samsung and I will never stop writing about their great products and special the service.


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Robert E. Knutson
Robert E. Knutson
Detroit Lakes and Mesa, Ariz
Robert Ellsworth Knutson, 86, of Detroit Lakes and Mesa, Ariz., passed away Monday, December 3, 2012 at Hospice of Arizona in Mesa.
Bob was born to John A. and Elizabeth (Metraus) Knutson on April 3, 1926 in Albert Lea, Minn. The family moved to Pine River, Minn., in 1928. During World War II Bob served in the U.S. Navy aboard the light cruiser, USS Honolulu, and the yard sweeper, USS YMS-371.
Bob married his sweetheart, Vivian Leseman, June 1, 1947 at the First Lutheran Church in Pine River. He attended Bemidji State College for two years, where he studied music.
Bob worked most notably as a manager at several Red Owl stores in Minnesota and Wisconsin as an owner/manager at Buy-Rite, Inc. in Detroit Lakes, and as a manager for F.C. Hayer Appliance Co. in Bismarck, N.D.
Bob enjoyed fishing and was an avid car enthusiast. He sang his first solo at the age of 10 and continued to fulfill this love of music for 73 more years. He was a Shriner and was active in many other service organizations.
Bob had a special love for Christmas that manifested itself in his enthusiasm and excitement for decorating both the inside and the outside of their home.
Bob will be greatly missed and is lovingly survived by his wife of 65 years, Vivian Knutson; children, Cindy (Scott) Crain of Captain Cook, Hawaii and Jim (Deb) of Callaway; sister: Marie Smith of Pine River; grandchildren, Kristofer (Su) of Moorhead and Nathan of Fort Myers, Fla.; nieces and nephews.
Preceding him in death were his parents; two brothers, Merrill Knutson and John F. Knutson; and sister, Almira Rhoades.
Bob was a lifelong learner. In his 80s he took an interest in beekeeping and was active in harvesting honey each fall. Bob was also a talented artist and woodworker; he enjoyed taking on new projects up until his illness.
Services were held Friday, Dec. 7, at Silver Ridge in Mesa, and will be held in the spring at First Lutheran Church, Detroit Lakes.


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The son of Medal of Honor recipient was the pre-program entertainment before President Barack Obama awarded Medal of Honor to his father, Staff Sgt. Clinton Romesha.
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