text:
Town Square
Calif. GOP Politics At This Point
Original post made by Paul Losch, a resident of Palo Alto, on Apr 16, 2010
So why the hell are they pandering to California citizens they way they are? And I choose my words carefully, not Republican voters, California citizens.
Let's start with the Governator replacement:
Meg Whitman is back to her brand manager days at Procter and Gamble in the campaign. She talks up her "product benefits," and uses her marketing campaign to suggest that her "product" compares much better than Steve Poizner's "product."
Steve Poizner is from the Silicon Valley, and he has apparently decided that his strategy to get the nomination is to put all his resources into the San Joaquin Valley, according to a friend of mine in Fresno, with a very conservative message that likely would not go over well 'round here. How ironic that a guy who actually values the diversity we have around this part of the world is avoiding this area in his campaign.
I listen to sports games on the radio, but I do not buy Bud Light, despite the constant ads. Sorry Meg, the "frequency" does not work for me, but you definitely are "reaching."
I wish that Poizner would stay in his current job. He seems to have the right background and temperament for it.
As for Jerry Brown, the apparent Democratic opponent: he appears to still be a cheapskate, certainly compared to Meg and Steve. I shudder to think what will happen on the GOP side, whoever the nominee is, during the general campaign. Brown has so much baggage they will not have enough money to attack his various records. Not even Meg.
On the Seante side:
The thing that bothers me most about Carly are those weird ads on the internet. It reminds me of the attack ads on Walter Hewlett, son of Bill, when Hewlitt the younger opposed the HP/Compag merger. There is something pathological there.
A la Jerry Brown, we have heard very little from Tom Campbell, who used to hold the Congressional seat now occupied by Anna Eshoo. This guy has an incredible resume, and unlike Brown, I suspect he has a strategy that will present itself to the public in the coming days.
Are these GOP nominations being bought by people who may or may not be the best choices?
Comments (63)
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 16, 2010 at 6:55 pm
Paul Losch,
As usual, it is hard to know what you actually stand for. You always like to "tee it up", then run from your own slice shot. There are others on this site who actually defend there own opinions, even when it becomes tough to do so.
Let me ask you a very fundamental question, Paul. If Palo Alto replaces park maintenace personnel with outside contractors, who employ illegal aliens, will you, as a member of the Parks and Rec Commission, enforce your mandate, and notify the federal authorities? After all, it is illegal to employ illegal aliens. If not, can you explain your position? Or will you just fall back on your "tee it up" excuse?
a resident of Palo Alto
on Apr 17, 2010 at 8:01 am
Paul Losch is a registered user.
Hi Brian,
I appreciate that you read my blog and have opinions.
Your hypothetical around park maintenance--the City of Palo Alto management is very diligent about the contractors it hires. Consequently, I view the scenario you "tee up" as one that will not happen.
Back to the topic I "teed up:"
I don't like Carly, I like Tom Campbell, I prefer him over Senator Boxer.
I don't like any of the people running for Governor, but I think Meg is likely to win. She is a very capable person, but I am skeptical that her "three priorities" are achievable or the only challenges our next Governor faces. I really dislike her campaign strategy, which is why I refer to her taking a "Brand Manager" approach to running for office.
I hope others have opinions, too. That's whole point of my blog--not for me to merely spout my point of view.
a resident of College Terrace
on Apr 17, 2010 at 8:24 am
OK, isn't the service a governor provides a product? What's wrong with marketing and selling that product the most effective way possible, or the most effective way a given candidate can?
It's a commonplace that there is no relationship between quality of advertising (or campaigning) and quality of product (or government service).
Do you simply wish the world were different and that attempts to persuade were custom designed for each person so that they could inform without in fact persuading?
Kind of changes the meaning of "campaign."
But if you're just saying, "oh, I hate that ad!" I hear you.
I admit to sometimes boycotting products because of obnoxious advertising.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 17, 2010 at 8:34 am
Unfortunately, the party of Lincoln has become dominated and controlled by right wing extremists. I am one of those moderate voters who are looked down upon by "the base" of each party-- except on election day. As a fiscal conservative, I used to vote for Republicans frequently. I'm getting older, and I doubt at this point if I will ever vote for any Republican again before I die, because none of the Republican candidates has the guts to tell the ultra-right to go to hell. There is a resurgent racism evident, and while I loathe the actions of Wall Street as much as anyone, people who are attacking both Bush and Obama for not letting the country sink into a depressionary spiral are frankly completely ignorant of economics and history.
As for the politicians that you mention and allude to: Let's see: Tom Campbell voted along party lines to impeach Clinton, while protesting that Clinton made him do it because Clinton didn't act like a boy scout. Carly Fiorina did exactly what for HP? And has done what since? Meg Whitman knows how to run a business, but, as a moderate Republican, she feels it necessary to pander to the right wing constantly in order to get nominated, and those ads of hers are dumb, outrageous, and annoying. Jerry Brown? Don't get me started-- but, I will probably be forced to vote for him.
The fact is, as an overall moderate, a fiscally conservative social moderate-to-liberal, I hate primary season because of the veto power the extremists increasingly have over our choice of candidates and over the terms of debate.
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 17, 2010 at 1:11 pm
"Your hypothetical around park maintenance--the City of Palo Alto management is very diligent about the contractors it hires. Consequently, I view the scenario you "tee up" as one that will not happen."
Paul, you just performed the typical Palo Alto two-step. Even Texas politicians are not better at that little dance. Illegal aliens are already being used to maintain our parks. The contractors are the cut-outs.
Oh well, it was just a little test on my part. Your 'product' does not look very good to me, based on your answer. However, a larger point is that the 'product' of any politician is in the eyes of the beholder.
You don't like Poizner...OK. Your opinion. I guess my main issue with your post is that it comes off as a bit holier-than-thou, as well as a tad whiney. You would be better off telling us who you DO support, instead of acting like you can't stand the heat in the kitchen. If you were willing to take the heat, your blog would be a lot more interesting.
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 18, 2010 at 12:13 am
Walter_E_Wallis is a registered user.
Any reference to leadership and republicans in the same discussion is oxymoronic. Willie Brown and his democrat successors, offering safe seats to incumbent republicans with gerrymanders, successfully neutered any possible republican leaders.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Apr 20, 2010 at 3:20 pm
I will probably end up voting for Jerry Brown as well with some others here, but the guy has done really nothing but pop up a few times in the news saying he wants to do something or the other, and as mayor of Oakland I did not see much progress there.
Carly Fiorina ... all talk. Meg Whitman ... all talk. Tom Campbell ... I sort of like but he is a Republican and I refuse to vote for Republicans at this point. Barbara Boxer ... I don't think she is very smart, but she is on the right side of enough issues.
What a horrible government we have.
a resident of another community
on Apr 21, 2010 at 12:45 pm
Another lazy and passive blog by Paul Losch. Would anyone even think to read these blogs if they weren't part of Palo Alto Online? If he's not trolling, he's writing these meandering sentences without any real point.
Palo Alto Online, can we please get some dynamic bloggers? I'd rather someone write something that I can disagree with than for someone to write something that is a bunch of nothing.
a resident of another community
on Apr 21, 2010 at 1:50 pm
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Palo Alto
on Apr 22, 2010 at 4:26 pm
Paul Losch is a registered user.
Thanks for the input.
I have had some conversation with the Weekly and we agree that I will weigh in more reguarly on by blogs, rather than raise a topic and see where it leads without my continued involvement.
Ground rule you both chose to violate: personal disparagement. I have no need to credentialize myself or justify my opinions on this blog site. It is fine to disagree with my POV, and I can assure you that it is grounded with my informed understanding of the matters I bring up.
If you are looking for a Glenn Beck or Rush, or counterpoint to them, shop elsewhere guys.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Apr 22, 2010 at 11:57 pm
I hardly ever agree with most of the right of center status quo bloggers here, at least that is how they seem to me, but I have to give anyone credit for the endless amount of crap that gets hurled in the most rude unfair and unbalanced ways at anything.
What is wrong with everyone ... why can't we just have a civil discussion without calling people lazy and passive for just posting something. No one is forcing anyone to read or reply.
Someone ought to have a blog and have a class of two that people must pass and accept some rules for to create a blog that is productive ... but of course this means that we would also need and editor that is objective to delete posts or give feedback to people for the mistakes they make.
The way discourse is going in this country I wonder if we are going to be facing armed fighting and bombings soon. I'd like to think it is being provoked by some Orwellian media, but the scary thing is this is the way people behave in real life. Really pathetic and in a place like Palo Alto that is supposed to be a bit civilized.
a resident of Greater Miranda
on Apr 23, 2010 at 6:35 am
"It is fine to disagree with my POV, and I can assure you that it is grounded with my informed understanding of the matters I bring up."
Sorry, Paul, I will disagree with you on this point.
The blog you started in March titles "Irresponsible Israel"
(Web Link)
clearly demonstarted a complete and total lack of understanding of the situation in the Middle east.
Your sentence:
"The State of Israel is a bully. It treats the Palestinians like dogs, and pretend to be on the defense when there is retaliation."
Clearly showed your complete and total lack of knowledge of the situation. So do not lecture us about your "informed understanding" of the matter. If you want to state it as an opinion, that is fine.
a resident of Palo Alto
on Apr 23, 2010 at 7:29 am
Paul Losch is a registered user.
It is quite a leap to suggest that my comment about Israel's treatment of the Palestinians indicates a "complete and total" lack of understanding of the situation there.
There were numerous comments by high level officials and experts outside of government that voiced opinions akin to mine when Biden was in Israel and the expansion of West Bank settlements was announced while he was there. Biden, and by extension, the United States, was insulted. That was the main point of my blog.
I am of the opinion that the State of Israel does not treat the Palestinians appropriately, and its behavior contributes to the intractibility of the conflict there.
The Paletinians also behave badly, especially in Gaza, but they are the weaker player, and their split governance does not make things any easier.
Let's move on, Boaz.
a resident of Greater Miranda
on Apr 23, 2010 at 7:56 am
Sorry, Paul, I will stand by my comments about your lack of understanding of the Middle East. Your continued comments just go further to prove my point:
"the expansion of West Bank settlements was announced while he was there."
The housing was for East Jerusalem. Jerusalem is Israel's capital. we all know what happened (though you may not) between 1948 and 1967 when Jordan controlled East Jerusalem--Israel was denied access to their holy sites and their synagogues and cemetaries were desecrated. Israel should have been granted access, but were not.
"Biden, and by extension, the United States, was insulted. That was the main point of my blog."
Then why not say that--you rip into Israel with one-sided, derogatory comments.
"I am of the opinion that the State of Israel does not treat the Palestinians appropriately, and its behavior contributes to the intractibility of the conflict there."
You clearly still do not understand the sticking point to peace with the Palestinians. But let me explain it to you in a different way--why did Egypt and Jordan sign peace accords with Israel? Because they recognized Israel's right to exist.
"The Paletinians also behave badly, especially in Gaza, but they are the weaker player, and their split governance does not make things any easier."
That is an understatement--after Israel withdrew from Gaza and left greenhouses for jobs and revenue, the greenhouses were destroyed and a daily barrage of rockets were fired into Israel. This did not stop until Israel's last action in Gaza. I am sure if people were throwing stones at your house on a daily basis you would want the authoirities to do something. Now let's look at the west bank--the economy is better there, Israel has removed many of the checkpoints. The Palestinian police are policing the area and cooperating with Israel.
Why is that? Maybe because Fatah realizes that they must co-exist with Israel. Hamas does not. Are things perfect yet there? No, but it is a step in the right direction
"Let's move on, Boaz."
That is easy for you to say. it is your opinion and you can write what you want, but I reserve the right to address your comments in a civil manner
Sorry to all readers for digressing from the real topic of this blog, but Mr Losch's comments and, IMHO, his lack of knowledge or basis for his statements needed to be addressed
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 23, 2010 at 8:46 am
Meg Whitman has made a payroll and created wealth, Tom Campbell is smart and competent.
Boxer has very limited intelligence and competence, we are surprised she has lasted so long-- to long.
Pauls blog on the Holy Land was on target and reflects the vast majority opinion in the US.
Israel is no longer in alignment with US interests, in fact Israel is now a liability.
Israel is an apartheid colonial state with nuclear weapons, that adds no value to US interests and has become a pariah state.
We will cut Israel loose and stop giving the handout of $3 billion per year, $1000 per year for every Israeli citizen, which will spend at home.
We will leave it to the UN to handle the situation in the Holy Land and impose a "framework for peace based on four key points, namely
(1) no right of return for Palestinian refugees to Israel proper;
(2) West Jerusalem as the seat for Israel's capital and East Jerusalem as the seat of the Palestinian capital with some internationally based sharing of the Old City;
(3) the drawing of borders between the two states along the 1967 lines, adjusted on the basis of one-for-one swaps as the frontiers; and
(4) an essentially demilitarized Palestinian state with U.S. or NATO forces on the west bank of the Jordan River."Web Link
If Israel does not take that deal it is doomed--- but that is not of concern to short and long term US Foreign Policy interests -- they are on their own.
a resident of another community
on Apr 23, 2010 at 11:03 am
I wasn't criticizing your point of view, I was criticizing your lack of one. Like I said in my post, I'd rather you have one than write a string of sentences with phrases like "I guess" or "I'm not sure" etc etc.
Furthermore, your whole Israel blog seemed like you read the NYT and decided to take the stance of their writers, but to not really provide any points of your own as the meat and potatoes of your blog.
I don't know you as a person, so these comments are not personal, nor should you take them that way. I DO know you as an editorial writer on these blogs, and that's what I have a problem with.
a resident of Palo Alto
on Apr 23, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Paul Losch is a registered user.
I participated in a special Parks and Recreation Commission meeting last night about the next fiscal year budget, and a great deal of Park maintenance currently done by City employees is targeted to be outsourced in order to reduce overall costs to the City.
I specifically asked City Staff about how outside contractors will be selected, and I stand by my comment about the diligence of the process. The RFP's are very comprehensive, and only firms with the capacity to respond to such contracts will be able to respond, let alone awarded the work. This includes verifying that the employees performing the work are in this country legally.
I would like to understand better your allegation that there are illegal aliens working on behalf of the City. What evidence do you have to back up your claim?
a resident of Palo Alto
on Apr 23, 2010 at 3:05 pm
Paul Losch is a registered user.
This will not become a pissing contest.
I went back to the "Irresponsible Israel" thread I posted in mid-March, and looked at the 100+ comments, looking carefully at yours and mine in particular.
You are consistent in your point of view, as am I. I am not one to question your depth of knowledge about what is going on in that part of the world, but I must tell you it is a cheap shot on your part to suggest I am "uninformed." How about you go back and read the blog and its trails, too?
It is facile to suggest that someone is "uninformed" when the person presents a point of view that differs from yours. Nothing I have said about this "Irresponsible Israel" blog is inaccurate. But like the Israelis and the Palestinians, we outside that part of the world have another lens through which we are looking. Your understanding of the situation is not superior to others in this on line forum, so get off your pedestal.
And let's get's back to the topic. I inviete Boaz to post another topic on the Middle East.
a resident of Palo Alto
on Apr 23, 2010 at 3:08 pm
Paul Losch is a registered user.
One more thing--I completely agree with you that Palestine needs to recognize Israel's right to exist.
That they have not does not countenance rougue behavior by either party.
a resident of Downtown North
on Apr 23, 2010 at 4:10 pm
I agree with your assessment of Ms. Fiorina.
She already characterized Tom Campbell as an
"academic". Sounds familiar.
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 23, 2010 at 4:26 pm
"What evidence do you have to back up your claim?"
I have spoken to park supervisors, and they tell me that they are not allowed to inquire into the immigration status of workers (under contractors) at their parks. Also, I have spoken to a few contractor workers, and many of them do not speak a word of English, just Spanish.
Since such workers will be replacing current city workers, it is very important that such replacements be legal. What is the verification process that the contractors use to ensure that their workers are here legally? Does the city of Palo Alto do oversight on this issue? Would any contractor that is allowing illegal aliens to work for them be fired by the City?
Did you specifically ask city staff if the contractos verify immigration status...or are you doing the two-step again with a generic statement that implies that you did?
I will say this though...you are starting to engage in the debate, which makes your blog more interesting.
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 23, 2010 at 6:15 pm
Actually the best solution to hostilities in the Holy Land is to also implement the General Petraeus strategy.Web Link
That is to demilitarize the Holy Land of nukes and everything else apart from small arms, put the Holy Land under his command and shield it against any outside attack.
We have built logic bombs into all the hardware and software we have given Israel so they will not/cannot resist us as we follow our best interests in the region.
With the $3 Billion per year we will save by stopping the handout to Israel this will be a cheaper and more productive strategy for us.
We should also review our handouts to Egypt, while we dole out $1000 per years to each Israeli citizen we also dole out $17 per year to every Egyptian.
The oil rich states in the Gulf should pick up the tab for their Arab brothers who have no oil to sell.
Americas best interest will be served by doing a deal with Iran so that we can exit AFPAK and Iraq-- the Republican Guard in Iran is a business-- we can do a deal with them that serves the USA interests in the region.
Paul did a great and courageous job in bring up the Holy Land issues and speaking the unvarnished truth about what is really going on there.
a resident of Palo Alto
on Apr 23, 2010 at 7:50 pm
Paul Losch is a registered user.
Dear Brian,
You are welcome to read the transcript of last night's PARC meeting to learn how this stuff works in City contracts.
I thank you for asking the questions you did, the answers are there for your review. People here illegally are not part of the contract employees.
Don't do the "2 Step" criticism until you really know what you are talking about. Your anecdotal experiences are exactly that--anecdotes of your making.
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 23, 2010 at 8:45 pm
"You are welcome to read the transcript of last night's PARC meeting to learn how this stuff works in City contracts."
I looked on the city website, and could not find minutes (for any PARC meeting this year). Could you please direct me to where the published minutes/transcripts are?
Just to be clear, do you remember who specifically asked about how contractors ensure that no illegal aliens are hired?
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 23, 2010 at 9:36 pm
There are 3 themes here
1/ end our toxic relationship with Israel and further our USA interests in the Mid East
2/ who will take CA out of debt
3/ Who is the best dog catcher in PA parks?
We need to deal with 1 first, 2 second and 3 when we have the time
a resident of Charleston Gardens
on Apr 23, 2010 at 9:45 pm
Your whole perception of the middle east is predicated on the value of oil.
Were we less dependent on middle east oil, the value of a western civilization, with western levels of credibility, technology development, trade laws, and general ability to function in the current world would become more visible to you.
Until then, sure, bash away.
a resident of Palo Alto
on Apr 24, 2010 at 6:48 am
Paul Losch is a registered user.
The meeting I mentioned took place Thursday night. The minutes are not available for a period of time, but they will eventually be posted. I am the one who asked the question, and it was answered by the Director of the Community Services Department, Greg Betts.
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 24, 2010 at 7:13 am
Illegal immigration is directly related to the huge fiscal and social problems in the CA. Poizner is the only candidate taking it on. He says he will go after the employers through executive orders.
Israel has almost nothing to do with the upcoming CA election. Even if we had the time, it wouldn't be relevant to this discussion.
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 24, 2010 at 7:21 am
Could you please tell me exactly what your question was, and then the answer that you received? For example, are the contractors required to use E-Verify, or is a simple I-9 good enough? Does the city use E-Verify to check on the contractors?
There are no minutes for any PARC meetings since the beginning of the year.
a resident of Community Center
on Apr 24, 2010 at 7:48 am
I stated that a member of the community had expressed a point of view that illegal aliens were working for contractors who do work in Palo Alto, and what steps does the City take to assure that the contracters doing work on behalf of the City are in compliance with employment laws--words to that effect.
Greg's answer is that there is a pretty thick RFP that a prospective contractor must respond to. We did not get into a level of detail along the lines of your specifics, but if you want to get an answer to your question, I am sure that if you call the City Attorney's office, they can provide you an answer to your questions.
a resident of Greater Miranda
on Apr 24, 2010 at 8:44 am
Paul--you are exteremly thin-skinned. I am not sure why you even bother writing a blog, if you cannot take some minor criticism. I said the you were "uninformed". That is my opinion. you will also note that the editors had no problems with my comments .You have the right to continue to stand by your comments.
If you want only praise for your writing then limit your blog comments to friends, family and those that agree with you.
You are amusing at times, I will give you that, Paul.
a resident of Community Center
on Apr 24, 2010 at 8:57 am
You are disingeuous.
I have no problem with people expressing POV's different from mine. Bring it on! That's what makes this fun.
For someone to suggest I have a "complete and total lack of understanding" around any topic, including matters with Israel and Palestine, is something else. Disagree with my POV, has it ever ocurred to you that people see the same dynamics in a different way than you do?
For what it is worth, I am an avid NPR listener, a NYT on line reader, and a daily PBS Newshour audience.
a resident of Greater Miranda
on Apr 24, 2010 at 9:09 am
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 24, 2010 at 9:27 am
"Greg's answer is that there is a pretty thick RFP that a prospective contractor must respond to"
That is the two-step I am talking about. A thick RFP means nothing. That explains why we currently have illegal aliens doing some of our park work. It will only get worse when contractors get more of the action. Contractors are notrious for not bothering to verify legal immigration status. They can include as many I-9s as necessary in RFPs, but it means nothing. That is the reason that E-Verify was passed by Congress. E-Verify is not perfect, but it is pretty good, and getting better. E-Verify is very easy to use, and takes only a few minutes to use, and the answer comes back within a few minutes.
a resident of Community Center
on Apr 24, 2010 at 10:04 am
This clearly is something you are concerned about, and I think you need to pursue it at City Hall. I suggested you contact the City Attorney's office for starters, and I encourage you to pursue it further with other parts of City Staff if you think the problem you believe exists is one that merits deeper discussion.
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 24, 2010 at 11:17 am
Aren't you concerned about our city breaking federal law? I mean, you are on the PARC and it IS an issue in our parks, not to mention that it will become a much bigger issue.
a resident of Community Center
on Apr 24, 2010 at 11:34 am
You are making some pretty serious allegations, which you need to back up with genuine evidence. People who only speak Spanish are not automatically illegal aliens.
If there is such evidence, of course I am concerned, and I am confident that the City would take action to end immediately the relationship with the contractor in question.
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 24, 2010 at 12:00 pm
"which you need to back up with genuine evidence"
Now, how exactly would I go about that? I don't have access to their E-Verify files or I-9s. Adult males, who speak only Spanish and do the hard labor that (we are told) Americans will not do are almost certainly illegal aliens. That is why the park supervisors are not allowed to even ask the question. It is up the the city to verify its own work force. In fact, all city workers, whether directly employed or through contractors, should have their immigration status verified, using E-Verify. It's the law.
The entire reason that the city is "outsourcing" to contractors is that they can get the job done more cheaply. Compliant illegal workers make that possible. The ethical issue is, to me, obvious: Well paid American workers are getting fired in order to replace them with low-wage illegals.
a resident of Leland Manor/Garland Drive
on Apr 24, 2010 at 3:20 pm
Paul -
Do you really want the burden of verifying legality for work purposes to be on the general public?
Shouldn't there be a process that actually verifies legality for work purposes, rather than asks for it in an RFP?
As a consultant, surely you have seen RFP responses answer questions generally only to find that in the actual delivery things are changed. Much of many RFPs are check-boxes in order to meet too general requirements, and responses address that with their own generalities.
RFPs are a far cry from verification, and do not make credible assurance.
a resident of Community Center
on Apr 24, 2010 at 5:48 pm
The City of Palo Alto must hire contractors who employ people who are here legally.
When someone makes an allegation, the burden of proof is on that party to provide the evidence to back it up.
Due diligence by the City is also important, but is a different matter. It goes beyond an RFP, I agree. It is tantamount to an auditing process.
There are too many hypotheticals here, not enough concrete data points.
The key take away from me is to advise the Community Services Division management to make sure they have their ducks in a row when they bring on contractors as they plan to do. And I will ask them again in my capacity on the Parks and Recreation Commission how they will assure that the contractors have employees who are here legally.
Wanna talk about the GOP primary races again? ;+)
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 24, 2010 at 6:42 pm
I have been talking aout the GOP primary all along. Poizner is making illegal immigration a big issue in his campaign.
I appreciate your willingness to bring up the issue with the city of Palo Alto. The critical question is whether or not they insist upon E-Verify, then do they audit the reulsts.
a resident of Downtown North
on Apr 24, 2010 at 11:49 pm
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Apr 25, 2010 at 1:08 pm
There's no doubt that if we eliminate illegal immigration, there will be huge lines of US citizens applying to work crop pickers, busboys and other similar glorious jobs and all our problems will be solved. We will all be so happy to pay $10 for a pound of grapes since it will have been picked by true blue Americans. Moving right along, for Boaz, all you have to do is visit a west bank Israeli check-point to see how the Israelis treat the Palestinians, or watch IDF soldiers stand by while radical settler hooligans terrorize local Palestinian residents, and we haven't even touched on the land theft and racism. Tom Campbell is the only viable GOP candidate, although his libertarian views are totally impractical and while in congress he hadn't shown himself to be very independent or to be able to stand up to right wing pressure. Although I'd never vote for a Republican for any job, under any circumstances, I'd still like to remind everybody that under Jerry Brown California was a much better run state with better infrastructure, schools and future, and then we had a secession of Republican governors and like always, a democrats must now clean up their mess.
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 25, 2010 at 4:57 pm
Many are now arguing that the extremist right wing regime in Israel has a vested interest in stirring up trouble between the Islam world and the US so that they can continue their colonial policy in the West Bank, under the RADAR.
Obama is no fool, not are his new team of advisers on the Holy Land.
Israel has a clear choice
1/ Continue to build a colonial, apartheid state that will be a pariah and demographically doomed in 15yrs, unless they carry out mass ethnic cleansing , in which case they are doomed-- or
2/ Comply with the US imposed solution, which is in our best interests
"Either way Mr Obama could be clearing away any last hope in the viability of the peace process, before coming up with his own plan. That would be based on the guidelines for a permanent status agreement which were offered by Bill Clinton in 2000, known as the Clinton Parameters.
It would then be endorsed by the EU, UN and Russia, who would then have to implement it.
Having declared the solution of the conflict vital to US interests, Mr Obama can hardly walk away.
Mr Netanyahu would kick and scream against an imposed plan, but that is the consequence of rejecting lesser demands now."Web Link
a resident of Meadow Park
on Apr 25, 2010 at 7:05 pm
Who cares, really, who wins the Gov race in California? The CA legislator and the majority of CA inhabitants now run the State, against the will of the taxpaying public, which is now a minority in the State.
So, it is already lost. We have gone over the "tipping" point and can not come back.
If Jerry gets in, it will be like Obama and the far left Dem control of the nation, only there will be a full and total far left control of the State also.
If one of the Repubs get in, regardless of who it is, s/he will be quickly neutered, unable to do anything s/he promised, stonewalled by a recalcitrant legislature and a hostile press.
a resident of Meadow Park
on Apr 25, 2010 at 7:13 pm
" I refuse to vote for Republicans at this point" by Anon.
The above comment is what feeds my pessimism in California.
Wow...please replace any other word for "Republicans" and taste how it goes down the throat so bitterly.
Methinks you have no idea what a Republican is, and this would be no great surprise given how far of left of center our latest batch of national Repubs have been, lastly with McCain, who was further left in all ways than JFK was.
I recommend you not look at the "label" but at the proven history and proposals of each candidate.
Otherwise, you are just an "-ist". ( pick a name, I don't care)
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 25, 2010 at 7:25 pm
We dole out $ 3 billion dollars to Israel every year, $ 1000 per citizen
We dole out $2.2 billion dollars per year to Egypt $ 17 per citizen
Stopping this handout and investing that $5.2 billion at home per year will make a huge difference to our domestic economy. Neither Egypt nor Israel are relevant to our national interests-- Iraq, Iran and the Gulf states are relevant to our interests
We need a rational and prudent policy in the region that serves US interests
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 26, 2010 at 7:51 am
Posted by California Pessimist, a resident of the Meadow Park neighborhood, 12 hours ago
"" I refuse to vote for Republicans at this point" by Anon."
I believe that you were referring to me.
"The above comment is what feeds my pessimism in California."
"Wow...please replace any other word for "Republicans" and taste how it goes down the throat so bitterly."
As I said in my original post, no Republican today dares to challenge the ultra-right. Meg Whitman could do that right now, since her positions on many *issues* are reasonable. But, she doesn't have the political guts to.
"Methinks you have no idea what a Republican is, and this would be no great surprise given how far of left of center our latest batch of national Repubs have been, lastly with McCain, who was further left in all ways than JFK was."
You are obviously too young to remember what the Republican party once was -- socially moderate to progressive, and fiscally conservative. Apparently you only remember the party after Nixon's "Southern Strategy".
"I recommend you not look at the "label" but at the proven history and proposals of each candidate."
Yes, and, I'm waiting for Republican candidates who are socially moderate to progressive, fiscally conservative, who won't pander to the extreme right wing.
"Otherwise, you are just an "-ist". ( pick a name, I don't care)"
You can call me a "Centr-ist". Unfortunately, people on both the Left and the Right consider that an epithet.
a resident of Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Apr 26, 2010 at 1:47 pm
California Pessimist, do you realize that European conservatives like , Cameron, Sarkosy and Merkel, among others, would be considered as far left socialists in the US and that even the most progressive US Democrats would be considered as right wingers in Europe? Obama, for example, is considerably to the right of any European conservative leader. There's no such thing as far Left in the US, there's no such thing as Left in the US, period. When you call McCain, who is considered a right wing fascist in Europe "far of left of center", it makes as much sense as calling Osama bin-Laden a devout Zionist.
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 26, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Fascism is a derivative socialist model. It is not surprising that Europe gave it its full bloom. Europe is a true-beleiving statist society. Individualism is considered reprobate. European socialists want world government. What they don't understand is that such a government will be modeled after Muhammad, not Marx.
The CA governor's race offers a choice between those who want to head in the European direction, and those who want to maintain indivdual freedoms.
a resident of Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Apr 26, 2010 at 6:26 pm
You must have skipped all your history lessons. "Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini, 1932. The same thing happened in the Third Reich. "Individual freedom" is the US right wing's code words for a society in which the government is indistinguishable from corporations who own all politicians and write all legislation(remember how the energy company lobbyists wrote the energy bill during the Bush/Cheney administration?). It's macabre, because if the right wing has its way, all individual freedoms will be lost, not just reproductive rights and we will live in an Orwellian nightmare. The European experience offers a model in which corporations don't usurp individuals and control the government, our model is a fast track toward Mussolin type fascism.
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 26, 2010 at 6:40 pm
The National Socialists used that name because it defined their mission
The modern equivalent may grow out of the Liberal Fascists Web Link
"Goldberg argues that fascist movements were and are left-wing.
He states that both modern liberalism and fascism descended from progressivism, and that prior to World War II, "fascism was widely viewed as a progressive social movement with many liberal and left-wing adherents in Europe and the United States".
Goldberg writes that there was more to fascism than bigotry and genocide, and argues that bigotry and genocide were not so much a feature of Italian fascism, but rather of German Nazism, which was forced upon the Italian fascists "after the Nazis had invaded northern Italy and created a puppet government in Salò."Web Link
Sound familiar to what could happen if we are not cautious
Gov. owning car companies, financial industries and imposing HSR etc "get those trains to run on time"
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 26, 2010 at 7:35 pm
"We are not fighting Jewish or Christian capitalism, we are fighting every capitalism: we are making the people completely free."
Hitler, 1921
Htler also despised invidualism.
Some of the major corporations in Germany supported him, initially, because he pushed back against the communists. Hitler used them for a while in his war effort, but he had mo intention, whatsoever of allowing them to hold power after his war victory.
Hitler was a socialist. He was also a racist and Jew hater. He gained power primarily because he convinced the German volk that a socialist state would be their strength.
A little digging in the history books would be a good idea for you, Daniel.
a resident of Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Apr 27, 2010 at 7:16 am
Hitler used the word "socialist" in his party's name in the same macabre fashion the Nazis posted that infamous sign "Arbeit macht frei" at the Auschwitz gates. A number of prominent and wealthy American businessmen helped to support fascist regimes in Europe from the 1920s through the 1940s. These people helped to support Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War of 1936, as well as Benito Mussolini, and Adolph Hitler.
Some of the primary and more famous Americans and companies that were involved with the fascist regimes of Europe are: William Randolph Hearst, Joseph Kennedy (JFK's father), Charles Lindbergh, John Rockefeller, Andrew Mellon (head of Alcoa, banker, and Secretary of Treasury), DuPont, General Motors, Standard Oil (now Exxon), Ford, ITT, Allen Dulles (later head of the CIA), Prescott Bush, National City Bank, and General Electric. American banks and businesses continued to support the fascist regimes of Europe legally up until the day Germany declared war on America and the activities were stopped under the Trading with the Enemy Act. Despite this, some companies and individuals still maintained a business relationship with the Third Reich. Ford and GM supplied European fascists with trucks and equipment as well as investing money in I.G. Farben plants. Standard Oil supplied the fascists with fuel. US Steel and Alcoa supplied them with critically needed metals. American banks gave them billion's of dollars worth of loans. Like I said, study some history.
a resident of Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Apr 27, 2010 at 7:38 am
To most people, Hitler's beliefs belong to the extreme far right. For example, most conservatives believe in patriotism and a strong military; carry these beliefs far enough, and you arrive at Hitler's warring nationalism. This association has long been something of an embarrassment to the far right. To deflect such criticism, conservatives have recently launched a counter-attack, claiming that Hitler was a socialist, and therefore belongs to the political left, not the right.
The primary basis for this claim is that Hitler was a National Socialist. The word "National" evokes the state, and the word "Socialist" openly identifies itself as such.
However, there is no academic controversy over the status of this term: it was a misnomer. Misnomers are quite common in the history of political labels. Examples include the German Democratic Republic (which was neither) and Vladimir Zhirinovsky's "Liberal Democrat" party (which was also neither). The true question is not whether Hitler called his party "socialist," but whether or not it actually was.
In fact, socialism has never been tried at the national level anywhere in the world. This may surprise some people - after all, wasn't the Soviet Union socialist? The answer is no. Many nations and political parties have called themselves "socialist," but none have actually tried socialism.
Perhaps the primary concern of any political ideology is who gets to own and control the means the production. This includes factories, farmlands, machinery, etc. Generally there have been three approaches to this question. The first was aristocracy, in which a ruling elite owned the land and productive wealth, and peasants and serfs had to obey their orders in return for their livelihood. The second is capitalism, which has disbanded the ruling elite and allows a much broader range of private individuals to own the means of production. However, this ownership is limited to those who can afford to buy productive wealth; nearly all workers are excluded. The third (and untried) approach is socialism, where everyone owns and controls the means of production, by means of the vote. As you can see, there is a spectrum here, ranging from a few people owning productive wealth at one end, to everyone owning it at the other.
The Soviet Union failed to qualify as socialist because it was a dictatorship over workers - that is, a type of aristocracy, with a ruling elite in Moscow calling all the shots. Workers cannot own or control anything under a totalitarian government. In variants of socialism that call for a central government, that government is always a strong or even direct democracy… never a dictatorship. It doesn't matter if the dictator claims to be carrying out the will of the people, or calls himself a "socialist" or a "democrat." If the people themselves are not in control, then the system is, by definition, non-democratic and non-socialist.
And what of Nazi Germany? The idea that workers controlled the means of production in Nazi Germany is a bitter joke. It was actually a combination of aristocracy and capitalism. Technically, private businessmen owned and controlled the means of production. The Nazi "Charter of Labor" gave employers complete power over their workers. It established the employer as the "leader of the enterprise," and read: "The leader of the enterprise makes the decisions for the employees and laborers in all matters concerning the enterprise."
a resident of Community Center
on Apr 27, 2010 at 9:24 am
Germany in that period was leftist by current US categorization. The government took over control via laws and schools of a huge part of its citizens' life. It gave special preferences based on race and ethnicity. Tried to control what adults do through their kids.
To the extent that a government tries to redistribute wealth, control behavior beyond that which is necessary for safety, defense and smooth operation of commerce, it is "leftist" as the term is used in the current US media.
The US government is trying to be inclusive and helpful to its people; Germany was trying to be exclusive and helpful to Hitler's vision. All the difference in the world.
Also, the US right wants government control over a limited and defined area of behavior, with few exceptions allowed, and the US left wants government control over a wider range of behavior, with many exceptions allowed. But Germany wanted the wide range of control with few exceptions, and the exceptions were based on power only. The US left leans toward exceptions based on tolerance, kindness, mercy and other such (Christian!) values.
Whether Germany was right or left matters no more than what color suit Hitler wore. Both right and left extremes can lead to terrible results.
You can say left is right and you can say right is right, but you won't be right.
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 27, 2010 at 10:34 am
I'm sick of Whitman's ads. Her promise to run CA like a business sounds good, but businesses don't have to deal with legislatures nor (in most cases) unions.
Interesting to compare Whitman's campaign promises with Schwarzenegger's:
Web Link
a resident of Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Apr 27, 2010 at 1:30 pm
US categorization, or rather US right wing catgorization of what's "Left" means is completely false and bogus. True Left means complete democracy through workers control of production means via a democratic vote. Corporatism is the exact opposite, it's tyrannical. Mussolini's fascism, Hitler's Nazism and the USSR's Bolshevism were different sides of the same coin:right wing fascism. The reason US robber barons and corporatists so enthusiastically aided and abbatted the fascists regimes in Europe throughout the 1930's and even clandestinely in some cases after it had been outlawed was because they were fellow travelers and kindred spirits. A corporatist state like the one we have now is one in which, under the charade of free elections, the government is controlled by corporations who finance and own the elected representatives and force them to pass laws, disband or not enforce regulations, all to the detriment of the general population. We are really living in a modern version of Musollini's Utopian state where corporate and state power have merged and became one. The fact that seemingly sane people are willing to vote for corporatists like Whitman or Fiona should chill anybody's blood.
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 27, 2010 at 2:47 pm
"In fact, socialism has never been tried at the national level anywhere in the world."
Yes it has: N. Korea, China, Soviet Union, Vietnam, Cuba, etc. Over 100 million people were murdered in the attempt.
California has a choice in the guv election between those who want to move in the socialist direction and one, at least, who do not.
The real question, Daniel, is wheter you are a sophomore in high school or college.
a resident of Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Apr 27, 2010 at 4:41 pm
Since "socialist" is in the name the Nazis decided to use, in their typical macabre fashion, that's enough "evidence" for the right.
Problem is, Hitler and the Nazis, in speech after speech, law after law, deed after deed, went after socialists, liberals and communists with a vengeance. They attacked them, imprisoned them, exiled or killed them. They were adamantly against the left and everything it stood for, and said so repeatedly. They despised the left. Anyone who thinks that name is proof needs to dig deeper. They need to google for quotes by Hitler and those who worked for him. They need to read history about the Third Reich and how it actually operated.
They should also think about other historical facts. Like how leftists from around the world flocked to Spain to fight the Fascists there. Franco and Mussolini were allies of Hitler. Hitler often stated his admiration for Mussolini and his Fascist movement. Many American right wing industrialists, financiers and corporatists admired Hitler and Mussolini and wanted the US to ally itself with the Third Reich and Mussolini's fascist Italy.
Also: Workers never controlled the means of production in Germany. Hitler went after union workers, syndicalists with a vengeance. Capitalism thrived in Germany under Hitler. He imported - by force, coercion and lies - millions of foreign workers to help German industry prosper and grow. Treated them like hell. But the big industrialist took major profits and kept them,.
Germany under Hitler was the opposite of a "worker's paradise".
America seems to be in the midst of more crazy talk than in the past, and it's been mainstreamed. Progressives need to be aware of this and counter it with facts, evidence, and confidence. Lastly, Brian, what has been tried in the states you mentioned as absolutely nothing to do with socialism, it was just another version of right wing tyranny.
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 27, 2010 at 4:52 pm
"Lastly, Brian, what has been tried in the states you mentioned as absolutely nothing to do with socialism, it was just another version of right wing tyranny"
You just answered my question: High school.
Does you high school campus have a pink diaper club? If so, are they supporting Brown?
a resident of Palo Alto
on May 3, 2010 at 5:35 pm
Paul Losch is a registered user.
Well, Sunday's "debate" between Steve and Meg sure made it clear that they both are very flawed candidates, and unfit for office! Whatever one said, the other pointed out this and that which called the other's assertion into question.
Meg and Steve have accomplished a great deal in their adult lives, and I just find it disgusting that they have to stoop so low to win a primary election.
a resident of Midtown
on May 3, 2010 at 7:29 pm
The other theme of this thread saw some developments today
1/ Clinton declared the Obama policy as demanding a completely nuclear free mid east.
2/ It is now respectable to talk about Israel as a apartheid, colonial state which is doomed in its current regimes policies Web Link
by both left and right at Harvard, Chicago and in DCWeb Link
As to California politicians, their track record in creating wealth and meeting payrolls is more important that any debate/ beauty contest.
Don't miss out on the discussion!
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Cherries and Berries
By Laura Stec | 1 comment | 398 views
One more week to vote!
Don't forget to cast your ballot online. Voting ends May 29th. Stay tuned for the results in the July 21st issue of the Palo Alto Weekly.


text:
Yesterday I made my first beeswax candle of the year using my solar wax melter. It only reached 65 degrees, but it was completely sunny so it was hot enough to melt a bunch of burr comb I had been saving.
I don't hear many folks talk about candle making on this site. Does anyone else sell candles or raw beeswax out there?

subset: commoncrawl


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The Acura RDX Prototype is awesomei guess prototype is honda's word for concept.anyway, it has 19s all around, and its small so they look huge. it's no taller than i am, (6ft.)acura's page takes the adress bar off my browser, so i can't do a url, but go to acura.com and click "launch site" and then click the rdx prototype over to the right.ok i am going to do this like an autoshow presnetation.The near production Acura RDX Prototype combines the sportiness, and fun-to-drive factor of a sport sedan with the power and function of an SUV and will attract younger, more active buyers to the brand.It's 2.3 L DOHC Acura exlcusive i-VTEC inline four, Acura's first turbocharged engine, produces 240 horsepower and 260 ft-lbs. of torque and excellent fuel economy without compromising performance and is more powerful than some V6 powered SUVs.The RDX is also equipt with the Super Handling All Wheel Drive system, which has been retuned to fit RDX's torque management needs, both front to rear and side to side. This Acura exclusive technology provides sporty driving, improved handling in on dry road and in inclement weather.As attractive as RDX's outside is, with its 19 inch wheels, the inside is even more compelling. On the inside you get Acura link navigation with real time traffic and steering wheel mounted paddle shifters that deliver instant input to the transmission and provides the sporty driving that buyers in this segment demand.now i dont know about all that subjective stuff, and the mpg isn't mentioned directly, but i put it in there becuase that is what people would say at an autoshow.
i hate when companies use words just to be differentlike BMW's Sport Activity Vehiclesand hummer's sport utility trucks. lame.
Quote: i guess prototype is honda's word for concept.
but i think it was also called prototype when it had all cameras instead of mirrors and air pushers instead of windshield wipers.
Granted, it may have been. A vehicle becomes a prototype when it begins it's journy towards production...when it is no longer just an idea and a drawing.
the ford GT40 was a concept, people liked it and ford made a prototype(the one without the bumpers) and then they had the production versoin.
You forget the GT90 an svt concept that preceeded the new gt.
man, that car was crazy. i wish they would have produced it. it would have held the record of fastest car till reacently.
It's funny because this car was in a game for Nintendo 64 called "Rush 2", and it was my favorite car, I loved it!
man. i loved that game. rush 2 USA racing. my favorate track was alcatraz and i always used the "Stalion"
Ya! that was a reat game! The stunt track, the big square place, i would play that for hours and one time I got I think a 350 point combo...my favoite race though was probably New York Downtown with the "Muscle car", basically a corvette.
in the stunt track i once got over 600 point combo
Quote:Ya! that was a reat game! The stunt track, the big square place, i would play that for hours and one time I got I think a 350 point combo...my favoite race though was probably New York Downtown with the "Muscle car", basically a corvette.
ok mom. lol


text:
Team Pro Femme
Sur le court
Nickname: GIGI
Birthdate: 14 MARCH 1996Nationality: BRITISH
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Except your racket, what's always in your bag?: IPODYour power song in your ipod before entering the court?: ROCKY (EYE OF THE TIGER)
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Dans la vie
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Favorite food: ITALIAN
Favorite quotation: THE ONLY WAY TO LIVE YOUR DREAM IS TO "WAKE UP"
Main objective in life: FOLLOW MY DREAM
Best synonymous for tennis: GLADIATOR IN ROMAN TIMES
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I could not play tennis without: MY FAMILY
If you could turn pro in another sport which would it be and why? : ICE SKATING/ I LIKE OUTFITS
If someone walked into your room right now, what would they notice first?: TWILIGHT POSTERS
You're on a date an trying to impress, where do we go?: TO A RESTAURANT IN A BENTLEY
You've got 2 weeks and a private jet, where do we go?: DISNEYLAND
Top3 reasons to wake-up every morning?: PLAY TENNIS, LEARN AND SEE MY FAMILY
How long does it take to get ready in the morning ?!: 45 MINUTES
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In a movie about your life, which actor/actress could play you?: AUDREY HEPBURN
Best shopping place?!: WESTFIELD
Official website: http://www.edensilva.com/


text:
Jet StarKatoli's World (Dakeng, Taichung, Taiwan)
Removed, Operated from ? to 9/20/1999
Roller CoasterSteelSit Down
|Former status:
|SBNO from 9/21/1999 to 2006 - 2013
Operated from ? to 9/20/1999
|Assuming the park has just two roller coasters, this is not a Schwarzkopf Jet Star as the name might suggest. It has green track with a red backbone and blue supports. The track style is very similar to a traditional Arrow roller coaster.


text:
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There's a new reality show on the block that's got lots of hot looking ladies, tanned and toned blokes, and a healthy dose of Maori culture thrown in too.
But if you're thinking Secret Lives of Dancers-meets-The GC, then think again.
Kapa Haka: Behind the Faces follows the current kapa haka national champs Te Matarae I Orehu from Rotorua as they defend their title at Te Matatini (which is on this weekend in Rotorua). And while there are many laughs and some preening going on during the show, it's a serious business and the stakes are high.
"It's good kaupapa. It's a good story," says Te Matarae's female leader Miriama Morrison-Hare.
"And going behind the scenes of what happens in kapa haka is hopefully inspiring, especially to young Maori to help keep the culture alive."
And yes, while the modern day kapa haka competitor should ideally look more like a Super 15 player than a member of the Patea Maori Club, there's more to it than that.
"With our performances we have a high intensity level, where every one needs to be full of energy and fitness. So a muscly guy might be a good look, but he might not even be able to make our entry-level standard," she laughs.
Morrison-Hare is a kapa haka queen, and as well as being the reigning female champ she also comes from good Kiwi entertainer stock, being the late Sir Howard Morrison's great niece and Temuera Morrison's niece.
She's been doing kapa haka all her life and after her mother Taini died, she stepped up as Te Matarae's female leader.
"It was difficult and there was a lot of pressure to try and fill her shoes because she was definitely a role model to everyone. But you know, as she would always say to me, 'Pull your head in. Get over it. And do the job. It's not about you'. So I just took those words on and I just do it for her."
The show's producer, Lara Northcroft, from Velvet Stone Media in Rotorua, says the five-part series captures all the blood, sweat and tears that go into preparing for the festival.
"These are people who give up their weekends, who practice the poi during their coffee break at work and learn the words to the haka sitting in their car at the lights.
"Through them, we gain some insight into an obsessive passion that consumes them for months on end, for just 30 minutes on stage."
TV preview
What: Kapa Haka: Behind the Faces, reality show following current national kapa haka champions on the road to Te Matatini Kapa Haka Festival. Starts March 1, 9.30pm, Maori TV
Go to: Te Matatini, Rotorua International Sports Stadium, until Sunday. Watch live stream of finals on Sunday from 8.30am at maoritelevision.co.nz


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text: What could be better for around the house than clogs? What could be more practical for hospitality workers, medical professionals and other people who are on their feet all day? A good pair of men's clogs can help protect your feet from overuse injuries like planter facilitus. They're great for at work, and if you put a lot of stress on your feet, they're great for turning your home time into effective recovery time....Read More


text: ... Or at least my engine!!! Yes, This engine is completely dead!!! Surprisingly, the crankshaft is absolutely pristine!! The cam is fine, too. That can't be said about anything else, though!!! Check out the pics here: http://www.slide.com/r/w3jnp9l34T8-...previous_view=mscd_embedded_url&view=original I am in the process of building an engine for her, look for the pics of the rebirth coming soon, I hope!!! I case you wonder: Foreign Object Damage!!!


text:
Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic takes the acclaimed fantasy strategy series
to new heights. This new stand-alone game enhances the series' praised
fusion of empire building, role-playing and tactical combat with the
following features:
- Full Campaign with 5 episodes and 16 scenarios, with new characters
and a new unfolding story. 19 stand-alone scenarios are included.
- 3 Entirely new races: The steppe roaming Nomads, the sinister Shadow
Demons and the mysterious Syrons.
- Revisions to the original 12 Age of Wonders races. Each race has
a new city upgrade, which comes with a new unit. For example, the Elves
can build a Secret forest, which cloaks the town and produces Treemen.
- Use dozens of new spells, artifacts, heroes and unit abilities.
- Explore magical landscapes which have been updated with many new
structures and terrains tiles, and venture into the new 'Shadow World'
plane, a parallel realm of existence.
Release Date: 7/03


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Anyone in St. Louis area?
Anyone in the St. Louis area (or can travel there) that can help with a special project? PM me.
CISSP, MCSE, CSTA, Security+ SME
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April 28, 2013
Hahn's Peak resident and U.S. Marine Ty Upson takes in a summer sunset near Fallujah, Iraq, in 2006. According to the staff bio for the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club coach, "spending two years in Mesopotamia taking on bad guys did little to tone down his zest and enthusiasm for skiing."
Stories this photo appears in:
Veterans returning home from combat readjust to civilian life in Routt County
After more than a decade of deployments to the Middle East, soldiers are learning to adapt to life away from the war zone.
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Highland Community Center
Highland Community Center - recreation and program informationHighland Skate ParkDriving Directions to Highland Park and Community Center
These online forms may help you:
Multipurpose Room - Capacity is 250. Room is 57'x41'; stage is 28'x41'. This spacious event room, adjacent to the full-service kitchen, features a suspended wooden floor, high ceiling, varnished log posts and stage. Thirty six-foot banquet tables and 220 chairs are available.
Fireside Room
Art Room - has a capacity of up to 45 people. This versatile room enjoys a considerable amount of natural light. It is designed with tables and equipment to accommodate people using wheelchairs and those with a variety of other needs.
Resource Room - has a capacity of up to 30 people. This intimate room can easily be set up theater style or classroom style, depending on the user group's needs.
Kitchen - the full commercial kitchen features a six-burner stove, double oven and large refrigerator.
Gymnasium - the gym offers a full basketball court with side seating for spectators. It can easily be set up for a variety of sports.
Highland Community Center
14224 Bel-Red Road
Mail to - PO Box 90012
Bellevue, WA 98009
Phone: 425-452-7686
Fax: 425-452-7841
E-mail: email@example.com
Business Hours: Monday through Thursday - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday - closed


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NYC Connected Communities: Get Your Resume Right at Morrisania
March 18, 2013
Program Locations:
NYC Connected Communities
This hands-on class will guide you through formatting your resume in Microsoft Word. Please bring a written draft of your resume and a USB drive to save and/or print your resume.
More Info
- Audience: Adults, 50+
Keep Up With NYPL Events
Subscribe to our newsletters:
Programs for educators:


text: I was filling a few glass jars this morning and realized that I am filling them right to the very top in order to get a pound. Sometimes it gets a bit tricky to keep it from overfilling. When you, sell a pound of honey does that include the weight of the container? I have been, "zeroing" my scale first with the container on it and then filling the conatiners with 1 pound of honey. I assume this is how I should be doing it. Thanks, juzzerbee


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- Rive Pouch - Taupe/Cognac $49.50
- Rive Toiletry - Taupe/Cognac $79
- Jasper Blue Canvas Toiletry Case $59
- Jasper Blue Canvas Pouch $79
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- McKenna Leather Travel Jewelry Portfolio $79
- Ainsley Leather Zipper Pouch - Cognac/Black $59 Sale $34.99
Cosmetic Bags and Toiletry Cases
Keep all your health and beauty products organized and easily portable with Pottery Barn's perennially chic travel and storage pouches. Whether you're gathering up personal care items for travel or keeping your bathroom storage spaces tidily organized, our toiletry cases help you keep your goods all together in classic style. With options including spacious cosmetic cases and jewelry portfolios with multiple compartments, these bags make perfect companions to a sophisticated set of travel gear.
Available in durable, high-quality materials such as canvas and saddle leather, our cosmetic bags, toiletry cases and jewelry bags make a great gift for frequent travelers. The bags and cases are available in a variety of different colors and patterns, and you can add custom personalization with a monogram. From a small pouch that can easily fit into a purse to a large, multicompartment case that can hold a multitude of products, these bags help you keep your most important personal items close at hand no matter where your adventures take you. And if you've ever had an issue with a product opening in transport and splattering the contents of your luggage, you can choose one of the several cosmetic bag options that have waterproofing and other smart interior features to keep soaps and other liquids contained within. No matter what your personal care storage needs are, our versatile cosmetic bags and toiletry cases make organizing a breeze.


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Live on Skysports 1: Fri 03.00: Ricky Ponting is 4/1 (Ladbrokes) to top score against Sri Lanka in the 6th CB Series match. Compare odds.
Betting Highlights Today
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Live on BBC1: Sat 17:30Arsenal take on Chelsea at Wembley in the FA Cup Final on Saturday evening. Live scores | Compare odds | Preview...
Horse Racing cashback offers
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Newspaper tips Friday
In today's newspapers, the most tipped horse is Atty Persse (8/11) in the Haydock 14:50 (tipped 11 times). Check out all today's naps.
Charlie's Friday Super Nine
Former Talksport man Charlie McCann marks your card with nine to follow on Friday at Goodwood, Haydock and Worcester. Preview
Atty Persse 8/11 @ Haydock
Alex Hammond's Tip of the Day: Sky Sports' Alex goes for 8/11 shot Atty Persse in the 17:40 at Haydock Skybet Bet £5 Get £20 Free
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Seven to seek Miss Nisswa title
The Miss Nisswa Scholarship Pageant and Little Miss Program will be at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14, at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Nisswa.
Reigning Miss Nisswa Carissa Voels will crown one of seven area seniors competing for the 2014 title: Becca Langer, Ellie Erholtz, Makyla Thomsen, Shayna Vastila, Chloe Foster, Kayla Herubin and McKinleigh Rude.
Tickets are $5 at the door.
Three judges will review each contestant's essay prior to the pageant, as well as conduct 10-minute interviews in panel format. At the event, contestants will be judged in casual wear, formal wear and an impromptu question.
The scholarship pageant will include dance performances by both the Miss Nisswa as well as the Little Miss Nisswa participants. Little Miss Nisswa Mattie Holst will crown the 23rd Little Miss Nisswa in a non-competitive segment of the pageant. This year there are 10 second-graders hoping for the title.
Mistress of Ceremonies will be Stacey Waidelich, a member of the Nisswa Women of Today, which sponsors the pageant. Escorts are Dylan Stumvoll, Brady Arndt and John Torgerson.
Contestants will participate in the Nisswa Winter Jubilee parade at noon Saturday, Feb. 15, in downtown Nisswa, following the Nisswa Women of Today's pancake breakfast served at the Nisswa Community Center.


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How to verify CEH credentials
Do you guys know how an employer can verify that a potential candidate really holds the CEH certification? I couldn't find it on EC-Council site.
This is just to make sure he is not lying...
(aka H1t.M0nk3y)
Specific discussions on preparing for and taking the CEH exam.
We are happy to provide certification verification to potential employers and will provide the verification within 72 hours of receiving a complete request. Verification for certification requests must be made in writing and include the following:
* Certificant's full name
* Certificant's e-mail address
* Written verification from the certificant to allow designation information to be released to the requestor
BillV wrote:You'll obviously get a paper copy of your certification. You'll also get a written letter of achievement.
chrisj wrote:Hordakk,
I think that H1tM0nk3y wants to confirm that the materials he's being presented are real, instead of someone that's surfed the web, and modified copies of what they found online.
BillV wrote:* Written verification from the certificant to allow designation information to be released to the requestor
Return to CEH - Certified Ethical Hacker
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text:
Town Square
World Series: Pelosi's Giants vs. Rove's Rangers
Original post made by dublinmike, Dublin, on Oct 23, 2010
Battle of the lefties vs. the righties. What a match!
Gee, couldn't it be this simple instead of the hostility we read and face? Here we are, battling each other rather than facing external threats.
China is now our greatest threat and but instead we worry about Tea Bagger vs. liberal Democrats; Beck vs Olbermann; Fox News vs. moveon.org.
We worry about getting to the grocery store before dinner even it means rudely cutting someone off getting a cart, we worry about beating a red light even if it means imperiling another person's life, we are threaten if we think a Christian President is not born in the USA yet blow off foreign sources of donations to the US Chamber of Commerce...
Sigh.... in the meantime...Go San Francisco Giants! I only wish my Republican AND former carpenter's union treasurer dad was still alive to see this World Series...
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Oct 24, 2010 at 2:11 pm
How twisted can you be to even think in those terms. Enjoy the games and hang up your 24/7 DEM - UNION campaigning ! !
This Republican was and will be yelling bigtime for Giants. Sad that your union mentality has so muddled your mind...typical that is clouds your vision.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Oct 25, 2010 at 11:19 am
Hey Dublin Mike,
I'm dueling it with some of my "Red State Texan" friends. They enjoyed your caption - LOL! They had already turned it into a blue state, red state World Series. Don't worry, there's a number of us Republican leaning Giant's fans! As for the focus on the game - even during the depression, people flocked to the movies - escapism is a good defense mechanism.
a resident of Del Prado
on Oct 25, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Since the Pleasanton Tea Party is boycotting San Francisco does that mean they are pulling for the Rangers? Can we convince them to move Texas?
president of the Pleasanton Weekly
on Oct 26, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Gina Channell-Allen is a registered user.
The PW editors and I find the term "teabagger" offensive because of its non-political connotations.


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I pmd my partner Nana Kathy55 waiting to hear from her!!
Welcome to the Quilting Board!
I pmd my partner Nana Kathy55 waiting to hear from her!!
I forgot to sign up! We have our quilt show going on this weekend, have been helping out quite a bit, that I missed the deadline. Did I read that someone still needs a partner, or wanted a second one? cuppy
Cuppy, see if Letsquilt still wants to do it.
Feel the fear and do it anyway!
Yea I have a partner!!! Waiting to hear back from Cuppy
OK. so we will be partners for Feb. pm me your snail mail. cuppy
Been in touch with my partner! Going to get going on it this weekend.
Happiness is a new quilt and an old dog.
Okay...been working on mine..need some tips , I know this is going to be a challenge...lots of somewhat small pieces..what is the best way to quilt it? Save me some mistakes with your experience!
Feel the fear and do it anyway!


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debuted! Looks alot like the current car, probably more of a HEAVY refresh than a redesign a la 2010 Mustang & 2011 Scion tC. http://wot.motortrend.com/2011-detroit-honda-civic-concept-evolving-22751.html
____________________Because it totally worked when Lincoln did it.
looks like they added an LED strip where the fogs were, and a character line down the side of the car and called it a day
_____________________First trip to the drag strip. 13.02 @ 112Personal Best: 12.7 @ 111 (95 F heat)
I like it but it certainly hasn't changed much.
Thats it? hahaha its going to get killed.
Side profile of the sedan screams Mazda 3.
________2011 VW Golf - 25,000 km
Not too bad. Looks like there are some WRX overtones on the white sedan. But based on those spy shots we saw, I wasn't expecting it to change a whole lot.
___________________Current:1971 MGB 4-speed2003 Mitsubishi Lancer O-Z 5-speed2014 Subaru Forester XTBritish cars don't leak oil; they mark their territory!
The new sedan is waaaay better looking. I like this. A lot. Very aggressive and sporty.
____________________________Edgy, Controversial, Dangerous...
Crazy 88:Side profile of the sedan screams Mazda 3.No it doesn't.
westys_4_ever:The new sedan is waaaay better looking. I like this. A lot. Very aggressive and sporty.+1
Crazy 88:Side profile of the sedan screams Mazda 3.lol r u serious? it screams 2007 honda civic! its basically the same car with a new front and rear fascia!
------------------2006 Mercedes Benz SLK 3502008 Mercedes Benz ML 350 4Matic2012 Mercedes Benz E550 Cabriolet 2012 Ford Focus SEL
Crazy 88:Side profile of the sedan screams Mazda 3.beard:No it doesn't.The greenhouse is basically the same. The crease along the door handles is basically the same. Sure the wheel arches aren't as pronounced as the 3, but aside from that they're pretty close.
________2011 VW Golf - 25,000 km
Well I like it, just not excited and I wanted to be very excited about it.
.**************************************Go Placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. Be on good term with all persons.Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.
The front looks like the European type r hatch which is a good thing. This is wayyy better than I thought it was going to turn out. It now has a fighting chance
_______________Your choices are white and of course black___________________
westys_4_ever:The new sedan is waaaay better looking. I like this. A lot. Very aggressive and sporty.Personally the very rear (in that shot) looks like a C-Class to me.But yeah, good looking car compared to the old sedan, which is saying a lot considering late Honda designs. It's about time Honda (or any automaker) makes a good looking, non-controversial love/hate heap.
----------When life throws you a curve, downshift and take it vigorously.Pheobe's@478,000-ish miles. (RIP original engine 475k)Youtube


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Hurricane intensity predictions may benefit from more refined estimates of momentum transfer at the sea surface
David Schoonmaker
Over the past two decades hurricane forecasters have made steady and significant improvements in predicting North Atlantic cyclone tracks. Errors have been reduced by at least half out to 72 hours before landfall, and only since 2001 have predictions even been made 96 hours and 120 hours out.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for predictions of hurricane intensity, which have improved little if at all over the same period. Tracking forecasts have the advantage of direct observations from aircraft and satellites, allowing the location of the center to be identified fairly accurately. Intensity forecasting, on the other hand, suffers from the difficulty of measuring, let alone forecasting, wind speed, combined with the inability of models to capture detailed air-sea interactions and cloud-rain processes.
Recently, however, an international team has presented data that may lead to a significant step forward in intensity forecasts. Leo H. Holthuijsen of the Delft University of Technology, along with Mark D. Powell of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and Julie D. Pietrzak (also at Delft) published a paper in September in the Journal of Geophysical Research titled "Wind and Waves in Extreme Hurricanes." In it they explore several factors that have not previously been taken into account in intensity models.
The most important of these will probably prove to be refinement of the influence of wind speed on the drag coefficient (CD) between the atmosphere and the sea surface. Most wave models to date have assumed that CD rises linearly with wind speed to 25 to 35 meters per second 10 meters above the water surface (the standard altitude in the following, unless otherwise noted), above which it either remains constant or continues to increase. Holthuijsen, his coauthors and some previous investigators dispute this assumption. This matters because hurricane intensity is a function of the amount of energy that can be transferred from water to air (called the enthalpy coefficient) divided by the surface drag. Below a certain value, a hurricane is not sustainable.
The Delft and NOAA scientists analyzed both photographs of the sea surface taken from reconnaissance aircraft and 1,149 wind profiles from GPS drop sondes. (The photographs, taken mostly in the 1970s, were made 100–1,500 meters above the water and are now a precious resource, as such low-altitude flights were deemed too dangerous by the early 1980s and were discontinued.) The drop sonde measurements were used to compare wind speeds at 20 and 160 meters, which provided a way to calculate CD. Photographs were scanned and processed to look at the transition from white caps (breaking wave crests) to a foam, spray, bubble emulsion layer organized in long filaments called "streaks."
As Mark Powell, the team's meteorologist, relates, "The existence of a foam layer at high wind speeds has been known for ages by sailors, of course. In a 2003 paper my colleagues and I speculated that a foam layer was contributing to a slip layer and concomitant reduction in the drag coefficient.… However, now we have more data to substantiate the reduction.… Existing theories and experiments do not predict the drag coefficient dropping to nearly zero as surface wind speeds approach 60 meters per second, nor do they predict the formation of a high-velocity near-surface jet at still higher wind speeds (for which we cannot estimate a drag coefficient)."
The photographs also revealed differences in how white caps and streaks formed in different sectors of the windfield. In the area just right of and ahead of the center's direction of travel, streaks formed at comparatively low speed, whereas streak formation was delayed to the left and in front of the direction of travel. This is because wind-driven waves interact with swell generated at some distance. According to Holthuijsen, "The onset [of streaks] occurs at about 25–30 meters per second for wind-driven waves with or without following or opposing swell. It occurs at about 35–40 meters per second in the presence of cross swell."
Including a more nuanced understanding of how the drag coefficient is influenced by wind speed and sea state should make it possible to improve intensity forecasts. Powell concludes, "Right now none of the hurricane prediction models really consider that the CD should depend not just on the wind speed but also on the sea state, and that the sea state varies depending on the wave and current behavior, which can vary substantially around the storm. Our results are a wake-up call to the modelers that we really need to consider this as a coupled problem with interacting atmospheric, wave and ocean models."
You can find this online at http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/num2/2012/6/kind-of-a-drag/1
© 2016 Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society


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Colorado Mountain College AQIP Action Projects
Colorado Mountain College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In its quest to become a Learning College, CMC has chosen the Higher Learning Commission's alternative accreditation through the AQIP pathway (the Academic Quality Improvement Program). Click here for an overview of CMC.
AQIP encourages higher education institutions to not only remain healthy, but also to continuously improve upon their organizational health. AQIP defines six major categories that serve as a framework for colleges and universities to identify areas for improvement. Learn more about the AQIP categories.
With this categorical framework, AQIP requires that we ask ourselves and our constituents how we're doing, how we can improve, and what projects we can complete to achieve our goals. We have established Action Projects that address areas needing the most improvement, and each is reflected in our College-Wide Strategic Plan. Our projects are (please click any of them to view the project's full update):
- Bachelors AQIP Project 2012 with Review
- Learning Outcomes AQIP Project 2012 with Review
- Student Engagement AQIP Project with Review
- AQIP Action Project Assessment with 2010-2011 Review
- AQIP Action Project Environment-Engagement with 2010-2011 Review
- AQIP Action Project Leadership with 2010-2011 Review
- AQIP Accountability Action Project 3.24.10
- AQIP Project-Environment
- Effective Leadership AQIP Action Project 3.24.10
- Improving Access for Our Learners, September 2009
- Improving Workforce Training & Professional Development, September 2009
- Learning Outcomes Assessment, September 2009
Past AQIP Action Projects
View or download past project files below.


text: For Russia- we know 2 of the ladies but the 3rd is still in question. For men, the entry is likely Kovtun but could be a few others also. Russia Cup final is a week away so we will know sometime after that. China has Zijun Li and Kexin Zhang for the 2 ladies spots, but the men's spot could go to Yan Han or Nan Song. French spot will probably go to Meite or Gilleron-Gorry, unless they decide to give Ventard something after all. If she's in good shape, I'd like to see her get a chance. Men's team is pretty clear.


text:
First World Problems, Meet Real World Fixes
Craig and Marc Kielburger | Posted 12.11.2012 | Canada Impact
Read More: First World, Kielburger, Third World, Wealth Disparity, Meta, Developing World, Free the Children, First World Problems, Haitians, Firstworldproblemsarenotrealproblems, First World Problems Twitter, Twitter, First World Problems Anthem, First World Problems Are Not Problems, Canada Impact News
First World Problems has become a meme of such epic proportions. Your Laundromat doesn't have Wi-Fi!? The magazines in your dentist's waiting room are from last month?! This week, when "First World Problems Anthem," a video devised by a U.S.-based marketing agency for a charitable campaign, went viral, we could hardly keep up with the backlash.


text:
The attorney for a Hawaii defense contractor accused of giving military secrets to his Chinese girlfriend says he's agreed to waive an indictment deadline for his client.
Benjamin Bishop would normally face indictment this week under a federal law saying defendants must be indicted no more than 30 days after their arrest.
But his attorney Birney Bervar said Monday he agreed to waive the deadline for the opportunity to view the prosecution's evidence.
The prosecution and defense must find a place where Bervar may review the evidence because much of it is classified.
Defense attorneys went to a secure room in the Honolulu federal courthouse to view evidence during a previous trial involving classified information.
Investigators say Bishop told his girlfriend secrets about nuclear weapons, missile defense and other issues.


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Thank GOODNESS they finally showed up!
Welcome to the Quilting Board!
Thank GOODNESS they finally showed up!
Fantastic! Glad you got them back.
Wayne & Gabriele, the married quilters.
I'm so happy for you. I imagine I would feel sick if I ever lost one of mine. Just the thought makes me feel queasy.
Perfect ending to the story. They sure are beautiful. Glad they made it to the right place!
"A woman is like a tea bag-you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water." Eleanor Roosevelt
Happy that they turned up. I'm curious as to why they couldn't be insured, too.
I love stories with HAPPY endings! The quilts are beautiful, and I'm so glad the lost is found!
KEEP CALM and CARRY ON!!
So glad the arrived,,,,,,,,,in one piece and no damage. Such a scare to think all the hard work for someone special would go missing. Prayers answered!
Glad they made it safely. Very pretty.
So very glad they arrived back safe and undamaged. They both are beautiful.
I followed your posts, and was so anxious for you. So happy they are at their new happy home!