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The state government has lifted the payroll tax threshold while removing indexation – meaning more small business owners will be subject to the tax in coming years.
In Tuesday's state budget the O'Farrell government raised the threshold at which businesses begin paying the tax from $689,000 to $750,000.
The government also said it will stop indexing the threshold from July 1, which means more businesses will have to pay the tax in future years.
The one-off increase to the tax threshold means about 1300 small businesses that would otherwise have had to pay the tax will be exempt, the government said.
"Furthermore, businesses that continue to pay the tax will be more than $3000 better off as a result of the one-off increase to the threshold," NSW Treasurer Mike Baird said.
The government will also lift the payroll tax rebate from $4000 to $5000 for businesses that employ an additional worker in a new job.
Employment is expected to rise 1.25 per cent in 2013-14, down from the 1.5 per cent rise in 2012-13, the government said, with growth expected at this lower rate over the forward estimates period.
Unemployment in NSW is seen ticking up to 5.5 per cent from 5.25 per cent at present, with wages expected to rise about 3.25 per cent a year over the budget estimates period.
Helping the jobs market will be the state government's optimism that continued public sector spending will mute any fallout from a slowdown in the resources sector, the budget papers say.


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Kids parties – am I a killjoy or do we seriously need to clean up our act?
My youngest son turned six the other day. We celebrated the occasion with 20 kids in the park for a mini Olympics party on the weekend. It got me thinking about kids parties and how we cater for them. I always struggle with the expectations of both kids and parents that there will be lolly bags, fairy bread and a table full of other such dreadful food and drink – simply because that's what we do at kids parties.
I've polled other parents on what they think about parties and what they would like to see. Almost everyone has a nightmare story. Parties at fast food chains where they normally wouldn't take their kids. Parties where the table has been laden with cheap commercial trans fat-laden party pies and sausage rolls, highly processed and flavoured salty snacks, soft drinks and lollies. I've been at those parties myself where girlfriends have literally told me not to look at what the kids are being served, lest I have a coronary at what my kids are eating. Is this really such a treat for kids or is just that these are easy, cheap (although I actually doubt that) foods and drinks to put out? Or are we just caught in the trap of what has become habit i.e. this is just what you serve at kids parties?
If you're reading this and thinking I'm just a killjoy then I'll apologise in advance. You are in the camp of those who think party food is party food and so let them have it. I understand that point of view, but I definitely don't share it. The trouble is it's not just one party every now and again. I don't know about you, but my kids seem to be at a party every weekend, especially at this time of year. It's not just occasional food - it's a part of their regular diet. It's a weekly dose of artificial colours, flavourings, salt, refined starch, refined sugar and unhealthy processed fats. Surely they don't need all that just to have a fun party?
I have over the years tried different things. I once made a Thomas the Tank engine cake entirely with natural food colouring. There was nothing bright about my train I have to confess, the colours were very natural indeed! But did the kids notice? Not a single comment - they thought it was wonderful and happily ate their piece. I've served my homemade coconut fish fingers, only to have most of them eaten by the parents. I've felt like the horrid nutritionist baddie Mum when kids have asked me where the fairy bread is. But overall the outstanding memory of responses from all of my kids parties have been from parents who have expressed relief to me that there is some balance on the foods provided.
I do give the kids a lolly bag to take home, but there are only a few small lollies or chocolate in there. This year they also got a Dr Joanna pedometer and tape measure. These went down a treat and I was delighted to see them all running round the park to see how many steps they could clock up! I also made a birthday cake and yes I did use butter, flour and sugar. But it was not laden with artificial colours and they had a slice after they ate some savoury food and had exercised for an hour and half. The food table during the party was not laden with sugary snacks. They had wholegrain sandwiches and roll ups with ham and cheese, plain popcorn, vegie chips, carrot sticks and hummus.
The trouble is it's not just one party every now and again.
It doesn't need to be that hard and kids don't need a smorgasbord of junk food to enjoy a party. If we all break the pattern and unite in providing a more balanced array of foods, this will become the norm.
Dr Joanna's Coconut Fish Fingers
500g flathead fillets
2 eggs, beat with fork in a bowl
4 slices of wholegrain low GI bread, blitzed into fine breadcrumbs in the food processor
1 cup dessicated/flaked coconut
olive oil spray
1.Mix the breadcrumbs and coconut together and season.
2. Cut the fish into fingers and dip in the egg, followed by the breadcrumb coconut mix.
3. At this stage you can refrigerate for a day, or pop in the freezer for a later stage.
4. Bake in a moderate oven (180 degrees C) for 20 minutes. Turn halfway through cooking to brown on both sides.
(Alternatively they can fried in a non-stick pan with a little extra virgin olive oil.)

subset: commoncrawl


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The NC General Assembly created a new commission to develop the rules for how hydraulic drilling of natural gas (fracking) can proceed in North Carolina and it gave most the seats to the mining and energy industry. That's bad enough, but it turns out Speaker Thom Tillis filled a seat reserved for an environmentalist with a Lee County man whose company is buying up mineral rights for exploration. A revealing video investigation by WRAL-TV captures just how sneaky the whole affair is – the investigative report begins less than a minute into a half-hour show on ethical conflicts at the new NC Mining and Energy Commission. The fracking industry has a disturbing record of being ethically challenged.
Money in Politics Category
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LOD: Fractured Ethics
Friday, August 17th, 2012
LOD: Super PACs & Über-Fat Cats
Thursday, August 2nd, 2012
Here's another report about the tiny number of über-fat cats bankrolling the Super PACs. The Washington Post reports: "Just 47 people account for more than half (57.1 percent) of the $230 million raised by super PACs from individual donors, according to the study by U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG) and Demos, two liberal research and advocacy organizations. Just over 1,000 donors giving $10,000 or more were responsible for 94 percent of the money raised." The libertarian Cato Institute would be happy – let people do what they want with their money, no regulation needed. That may be a fine theory for an ivory tower elitist, but it doesn't work too well in real life, for hamburgers or elections. Fueled by the greedy few, we're now on our way to experience a record-shattering $5.8 billion federal election cycle, says the Center for Responsive Politics. You can hear the Cato Institute closer to home, at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh. John Samples from Cato will join Press Millen, a more level-header soul and local attorney, in a discussion of the meaning and impact of the Citizens United decision as part of the bookstore's town meeting series. The free event, no reservation needed, is August 13 at 7:30 PM.
LOD: High Road, Low Road
Monday, July 30th, 2012
Here are two NC stories of groups setting out to exert power – one taking the hard road of community organizing and grassroots democracy, the other using their big-money connections to buy an election. The first story describes how and why Stokes County neighbors came together to wage an impressive campaign against the prospect of natural gas fracking in the backyards. Many of them had won an earlier Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY) fight and they knew the importance of persistence, facts, emotion, strategy, and public support. They eventually forced their all-Republican county commission to oppose fracking and then won over their conservative state legislator, who bucked his GOP leaders by voting to uphold Gov. Perdue's veto of the fracking legislation – truly remarkable. There are many lessons in this story, down to the last part about the group's new interest in local electoral politics. Meanwhile, the other story is about a new Super PAC setting out to pick the winner of the NC Supreme Court election for you. The group is led by the curious team of former state Republican chair Tom Fetzer (who was burned by a Democrat-backed independent group in the 2006 judicial election) and Democratic former Chief Justice Burley Mitchell. There are lessons in this story, too, plus this lingering question: Will the candidate benefiting from this Super PAC (Justice Paul Newby) publicly scold these powerbrokers for undermining a fair election?
LOD: Inside View of Outside Money
Friday, July 27th, 2012
Because the State Board of Elections is starved for funds, the public gets a poor view of how money flows into our elections: Who is giving and spending what for whose benefit? While other states have searchable databases of donors, the backlog for processing campaign disclosure reports in NC is measured in years. (See, for example, this Democracy NC report on the backlog.) The problem is even worse when it comes to tracking the millions spent on elections by outside groups that are supposedly not coordinated with a candidate. Thankfully, here comes the Institute for Southern Studies with what it calls "North Carolina's first searchable database of election-year spending by independent groups in state races. . . . FollowNCMoney.org gathers all reports on TV ads, mailers and other independent expenditures by outside groups in North Carolina, and places them in an easy-to-use searchable and sortable database. Users can sort the information by the name of the group spending the money, the date of the expenditure, the political race where it appears and the affected candidate." ISS emphasizes that the site is "a beta release," undergoing revisions and updates "largely because of gaps and inconsistencies in government reports." Check it out, play around with the data, turn in your feedback! Thanks ISS/Facing South!
LOD: WhichWayNC.com
Thursday, July 26th, 2012
Students at the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication have created an interactive flow chart of the money in NC political campaigns with annotated descriptions of key terms. Visualize rivers of money. They've also just posted a series of articles about NC campaign finances on their WhichWayNC website and blog. Did you know that the two leading candidates for governor have already spent more than what an average North Carolinian would earn in 164 years? Another part of the website dissects and grades political advertisements: Good, bad and weird. Some parts of the website need updates, as well as fact-checking and corrections, but hey, nobody should think journalists are perfect. It's a site that should become more useful as the fall semester and campaign season move into high gear.
LOD: Raleigh v. Big Money
Wednesday, July 11th, 2012
The Citizens United decision allowed corporations to use money from their treasuries for candidate advocacy, not direct donations to candidates. Some argue the decision has not released a torrent of political spending by corporations, thinking narrowly of the Fortune 500. But they overlook the new use of corporate nonprofits (particularly secretive c-4s) as front groups for profit-making corporations, as well as the enormous jump in "independent" expenditures by Super PACs funded by the mega-donations of corporate CEOs. The underlying problem is captured well in a resolution for an anti-Citizens United Constitutional amendment adopted by the Raleigh City Council on July 3 (congratulations, Raleigh!) It says, in part: "Whereas concentrated wealth should not outweigh the rights of ordinary citizens by using its economic power to influence election outcomes, including the selection of candidates." Bottom line: To overturn the conversion of fair elections into commodities sold to the highest bidder, we'll need an amendment that not only limits corporate power but also declares that the purchasing power of money from all sources is not protected from regulation by the First Amendment; money is property, not speech. By the way, hear George Friday from Move to Amend tonight in Raleigh.
LOD: Carolina Business Coalition
Thursday, June 7th, 2012
There's lots in the daily news of the doings and undoings in the General Assembly and elsewhere, but you may have missed coverage about this new electioneering operation sponsored by the Ayn Rand-wing of the North Carolina business establishment. The mainstream press hasn't noticed yet. Public-interest investigator Greg Flynn reports that these White-Men-With-Too-Much-Money have hired attorney Roger Knight to craft a legal shell (the Carolina Business Coalition) to pump money into various state legislative elections, beginning next week with an ad buy exceeding $300,000 – without the public getting any information about where the money comes from! The media should on top of this, but where are they?
LOD: Political Poison
Friday, June 1st, 2012
The Institute for Southern Studies/Facing South reveals the connection between toxic money pouring into NC politics and legislation to increase toxic chemicals pouring into our air. The article draws on a new analysis by Democracy North Carolina of the political muscle of 27 leading polluters and their trade groups. Hint: by themselves, they annually spend 10 times as much on lobbying and campaign donations as all the environment groups combined. The legislative effort to allow big polluters to bypass North Carolina's highly acclaimed Air Toxics Program is all the more diabolical because regulators and several environmental groups are ready to accept the change out of fear that conservative legislators will deliver on a threat to gut the program even further. What madness.
LOD: NC & the Supremes
Monday, May 21st, 2012
US Supreme Court decisions hit home today in two ways (not counting the Court-blessed, corporate-funded slug fest now going on between surrogates of North Carolina's Democratic and Republican gubernatorial candidates). A lower court today ruled that the rescue funds provision of NC's public campaign financing programs are illegal, because of the US Supreme Court's decision in a case involving a similar provision in Arizona. In earlier litigation that went to the US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, the rescue funds provision was upheld. That case involved our judicial public financing program and the losing attorney, James Bopp of Citizens United fame, was delighted to bring the case back when the Supremes made their 5-to-4 ruling about Arizona's similar provision. So Bopp won today – but the judicial public financing program is still very popular with Republicans and Democrats in North Carolina. In fact, even though they knew no rescue funds would be available if they were clobbered by some big spender, all 8 candidates for 4 seats on the state's Supreme Court and Court of Appeals enrolled in the public financing program. It has its limits, but the private money chase is even more oppressive and debilitating.
Meanwhile, in another court action, NC Attorney General Roy Cooper joined the AGs from 21 other states and the District of Columbia in a "friend of the court" brief that urges the US Supreme Court to reconsider its Citizens United decision – or to at least clarify that the State of Montana should be allowed to regulate corporate-funded political intervention in the state's elections. The Montana Supreme Court, recalling the power of the old Copper Barons, recently ruled that the public has a legitimate right to restrain corporate political spending, despite what the Citizens United decision says. It has effectively thumbed its nose at the 5 radical US Supreme Court judges who declare that corporate money can't corrupt politics; most observers believe the 5 will not waver as they review the Montana case, but the brief by the AGs gives them the legal rationale to back off their extremist position.
LOD: Citizens United's Origins
Saturday, May 19th, 2012
The New Yorker this week has an in-depth account of the manipulations and blunders that inflated a narrow issue before the US Supreme Court into the now infamous Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision. The majority opinion didn't need to make sense – it had 5 of the 9 votes, enough to win; the dissenting views were easily more compelling. "At bottom, the Court's opinion is thus a rejection of the common sense of the American people, who have recognized a need to prevent corporations from undermining self-government since the founding," wrote Justice John Paul Stevens in dissent. "It is a strange time to repudiate that common sense. While American democracy is imperfect, few outside the majority of this Court would have thought its flaws included a dearth of corporate money in politics." Read the article to understand the context of the opinions and significance of one or two appointments to the Supreme Court.
LOD: Wal-Mart Way of Business
Thursday, May 3rd, 2012
Wal-Mart is in the middle of a scandal involving allegations of massive bribery in Mexico – and the company is depending on the goodwill built through its generous donations to Congressional leaders of both parties to weather the storm; in other words, it's using another form of bribery that has become standard practice for major businesses, especially as they undergo more scrutiny for abusing their power. Wal-Mart has been the target of numerous complaints over the years as it has enriched the heirs of founder Sam Walton – several are now among the 10 richest individuals in the United States. Earlier this week, the company agreed to pay nearly $5 million in back pay and damages to thousands of workers it had cheated out of overtime pay. That amount pales next to the more than $600 million Wal-Mart agreed to pay to settle dozens of labor-related cases in 2008. Apparently it learned the wrong lesson from that experience, i.e., cheating is cheaper than doing the right thing. Would its owners be so recalcitrant if they couldn't use protection money to bribe the system in their favor? They are already spending big-time in the 2012 election so they never have to find out.


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Spotted at the Starbucks at Montrose and Hawthorn:
"The man with the good karma who drove home to get a coat hanger after I locked myself out my car thank you – there is something in this for you!
Spotted at the Starbucks at Montrose and Hawthorn:
"The man with the good karma who drove home to get a coat hanger after I locked myself out my car thank you – there is something in this for you!
Tammye Nash | Senior Editor
Talk to Landon Starnes about his involvement with LifeWalk, the annual walkathon benefiting AIDS Arms and its partner agencies, and you'll hear
Starnes repeat the words "passion" and "fear" a lot.
Starnes said he let fear rule him for too long. But in the end, there's no doubt that "passion" wins out.
Starnes, who works as a hairdresser, said that he was diagnosed with HIV in October 1998. But he wasn't prepared to deal with reality, and so for years, he said, "I ignored my diagnosis emotionally."
But then some friends began to encourage him to confront his HIV status by getting involved in LifeWalk, specifically by joining the Guys and Dolls LifeWalk team.
Starnes said it took him awhile to get up to speed, and he was involved with LifeWalk just "off and on" for several years. But three years ago, he decided to really take the plunge and has been an active member of the Guys and Dolls team ever since.
This year, even that got ratcheted up a notch when Starnes finally gave in to his teammates' cajoling and entered the Miss LifeWalk Pageant.
"My team had been asking me for two years to enter the pageant, but I declined every time. I was just scared to death to do drag," Starnes explained. "But this year, I decided to accept the challenge, even though it scared me."
The first challenge was to come up with a character, so "I started brainstorming about a character, about who I would be," Starnes said. "I started thinking about things I, as a person, am passionate about. And I am passionate about the singer Pink.
"Her music gets to me in a way that no one else's does," Starned continued. "Her lyrics inspire me. I think, if I had to pick just one, my favorite Pink song is 'Glitter in the Air.' It says, 'Have you ever wished for an endless night?' 'Have you ever thrown a fistful of glitter in the air?' It made me look into myself, literally. Last summer, while we were on a road trip, my friends and I stopped and actually threw a fistful of glitter in the air. It was silly and fun, and now it is a memory that will last forever."
But there is one line in the song, Starnes said, that really touched him, one lyric that made him think and gave him the determination to set aside the fear that had held him back: "Have you ever looked fear in the face, and said, I just don't care?"
It was, Starnes said, a spark that made his passion for LifeWalk and for doing something to help others blaze even brighter.
"I knew I wasn't going to try to be Pink, but I love what she does. So I decided I would kind of pay tribute to her with my character," Starnes said.
And so, Lotta Pink was born.
And lo and behold, Lotta Pink won the Miss LifeWalk title on her first try, helping Starnes bring in about $7,000 for LifeWalk this year, bringing his total over all his Guys and Dolls years to about $11,000.
Starnes said he and Lotta Pink obviously have a lot in common. "We share our passion for the cause, first of all, and second, we both want to step outside the box," Starnes said. "I was afraid of doing drag. But my favorite quote is 'Do it scared,' so that's what I did. I stepped outside the box and challenged myself, and in doing that, I learned that fears are just fears, nothing else."
Starnes said that while his fears still remain to some degree, Lotta Pink "has no fear," and she is helping him overcome his own.
"It's easier when you can put on a wig and some makeup and kind of step outside yourself," Starnes said. "Now, learning to step out without that disguise is what comes next!"
Knowing that what he does is all to help AIDS Arms and the clients the agency serves makes it even easier to put the fear aside, Starnes said.
"The Guys and Dolls team works all year, not just on the day of LifeWalk. And the people at AIDS Arms work all year trying to help other people. I love AIDS Arms, and I love what it stands for," Starnes said. "The walk itself is symbolic, to me. It's a short walk, yes, but just going through the movement of walking allows you to release your passion.
"Everybody who participates is there for their own reasons, but whatever the reason, they are passionate about it," he continued. "That alone speaks volumes. The biggest thing that came out of all this for me was seeing how good people really are."
Again, it all comes down to overcoming fear and fully realizing the passion.
"It's so important for everyone to find their passion, whether it's LifeWalk or something else," Starnes said. "Finding my passion has lifted me to a whole new level of awareness, understanding and joy. It's just such a positive energy when you are around all these people at LifeWalk who work so hard to make a difference in other people's lives. It's helped me find a happiness I have never known before."
AIDS Arms LifeWalk will be held Sunday, Oct. 2, at Lee Park. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m., and the walk begins at 1 p.m. For more information, go online to LifeWalk.org.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition September 23, 2011.
Kristin Chenoweth doesn't get miffed very easily. But when she does, watch out. Last year, after Newsweek published a commentary on the inability of gay actors to play straight roles, she wrote an extensive letter to the magazine, calling the article "horrendously homophobic."
But Chenoweth's allegiance to the gay community goes back to growing up in Oklahoma — a place she returned to for her latest album, Some Lessons Learned, the first of four where the opera-trainer singer fully embraces her country roots.
We had lots to talk about when we caught up with Chenoweth, on a dinner break from shooting her upcoming series, Good Christian Belles. She discussed her history of dating gay men, her opinion on Michele Bachmann's support of gay conversion clinics … and being a little bit wicked.
— Chris Azzopardi
Dallas Voice: Your character's name on Good Christian Belles is Cockburn — Carlene Cockburn. Chenoweth: I can't wait for my family to hear that one. Are you kidding? I was like, "Wait a minute…!" But I just think the most important thing for me as an actress, because of the lines that come out of my mouth, is to just have to speak them and keep going, because they're so funny and her name is so funny and the whole thing is just so great. I love it.
Does your character have anything in common with April Rhodes, who you play on Glee? Probably not on paper, but they're both pretty outlandish people. Carlene, though, is the antithesis of April.
You grew up in Oklahoma, so country music is your roots. How is your new album a reflection of that? It's so funny, because I get asked, "Why a country album now?" But that's how it all began for me. Of course, why would anyone know that? It's not something I've been talking about a lot, but it's the music I grew up listening to. One of my biggest influences is Dolly Parton, and when you look at the history of songs in musical theater and in country, they're both usually great storytellers.
I know just how lucky I am to do this kind of music. Getting to go to Nashville and sing this music that feels like home to me was a real gift, and one that I don't take lightly.
The song "What Would Dolly Do?" reminds me a lot of Dolly herself. I co-wrote that. [Producer] Bob Ezrin asked, "Who's had the biggest influence on you country music-wise?" I said, "Dolly, without question." And he said, "How would she approach it? Let's think: What would Dolly do?" I said, "Bob, why aren't we writing that song?"
There's something about her that I feel very attuned to. There's only one Dolly. I'm not comparing myself, but I'm just saying her spirit and the way she looks at life is pretty similar to me. And the cover I did of hers ["Change"] is actually a very emotional thing and it reminded me — of course, how could I ever forget? — what an amazing songwriter she is. You know, I didn't do a lot of covers. I did two covers, one of Carrie [Underwood] and one of Dolly's, and I just love both of them. I love their music, I love their spirit — everything they stand for.
It makes total sense, because, to me, both you and Dolly epitomize happiness. Oh my god, thank you. That's the biggest compliment you could give me.
So, being so happy… what pisses you off? Oh, gosh! I don't really get mad that often. But I'm not going to lie: When I do, there's a quiet that comes over me that is a little like whoa, and that happens when I don't feel other people are prepared or doing their job or pulling their weight. I come from a family where my dad came from nothing and worked hard to get where he is, and he said, "Work hard, play hard, Kris," and I guess that's kind of been my motto in life. So when I see people squandering opportunities or having a sense of entitlement, that really makes me crazy. Because I don't understand it. It's not a world I get.
One thing that does make you upset is homophobic people. I don't like that, you're right.
Your letter in response to that Newsweek column said it all. Why was it important to address your feelings on that issue? To be honest, I wasn't prepared for what was going to happen. I was on Broadway doing Promises, Promises, and I read the article and I actually thought it was pretty irresponsible. I'm not even talking about whether a person agrees with being gay or not, I'm talking about artistry and gay
actors trying to play straight. It just made me mad, because I thought, "Well, I've played a prostitute, does that mean I am one? No." I just thought it was a little bit of a bullying thing, and I honestly prayed about it — no kidding, I prayed about it.
And by the way, I'm a big fan of the magazine, which is why I was so bummed. But I think that they felt bad and hopefully there's been some discussion about it and some learning, because that's what we're here to do on this Earth, to learn our purpose. Well, one of my purposes in this life — since I'm a believer and a Christian — is to help people realize that not every Christian thinks that being gay is a sin.
To reinforce your point, you made out with your Promises, Promises co-star Sean Hayes at the Tonys last year. It might've been a little jibe. It might've been a little one! Ha!
What was it like to make out with a gay man? Was that your first time? Well, let's face it, my high school boyfriend is gay, so I don't think it's my first time making out with gay men! I bet a lot of women don't even know they've done it! And Sean Hayes is just a darn good kisser, what can I say?
Wait, so you dated a gay man in high school? Yeah, and I'm like, "Well, that's why we were such a great couple!" He didn't pleasure me in any way but he helped me pick out my prom dress!
Was he one of the first gay people you knew in Oklahoma? Yeah. I want to tell you something I know about myself: When I was in the second or third grade, I first heard the word "dyke," and it was in reference to a girl in our school who was very, very tomboyish. I didn't really understand what the word was, but I knew I didn't like the way it was said. And for some reason I've always been drawn to the person that was alone, and I don't mean to make me sound like I'm Mother Teresa, because I'm not. But I've always been drawn to people who felt left out or different, and maybe it's because, I too, felt different and unique. People would not think this of me, because there's this perception of me that, "Oh, life's been perfect and things have come so easily."
But let's face it: My speaking voice is very interesting. Yes, I was a cheerleader but I also wanted to do all the plays, I was in renaissance choir, and, I too, felt a little bit like an outsider. I was always drawn to people who felt that way, too. And sure, some of them were gay and I never did understand — I guess the word is fear.
God made us all equal. He made me short, he made someone gay, he made someone tall — whatever it is, it's not a sin; it's how we're made. And that's the way I feel about it. It flies in the face of a lot of what Christians believe, but as I'm finding out there's a lot of Christian people who think the same as me. So that's my deal, and I think we should not be careful of the unknown but rather accepting and loving of it.
As someone who's Christian and supports the gay community, how do you feel about the pray-away-the-gay program that Michele Bachmann supports? [Long pause] You know what, you can have your opinion. One of the great things about being in this country is we get to freely say what we believe. I just don't happen to agree with that. Though I like the "pray" part!
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition September 16, 2011.
There are worse ways to spend two hours in a movie theater than watching hulking, half-naked man-meat wail on each other — in fact, it's hard to imagine a better way. That's at least part of the appeal of Warrior.
Set in the world of mixed martial arts, it's a fiction film (it's from Gavin O'Connor, the director of Miracle, about the real-life 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team) about two estranged brothers who face off for the ultimate glory: One (Joel Edgerton), a family man in financial straights, the other (Tom Hardy), a troubled Gulf War veteran with something to prove. If that sounds cliched, just try watching it.
No really, do — because, as predictable and manipulative as Warrior is, it's also damned entertaining, in the way only the hokiest of sports movies can be. I grew up in a sports household, so have long held a soft spot for movies like Million Dollar Baby, Rocky III and The Fighter, all of which this resembles more than passingly.
Read the entire review here.
DEETS: Starring Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton. 139 minutes. PG-13. Three stars.
There's the nursery rhyme that begins, "Jack Sprat could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean… ." But apparently if Jack Sprat were in a same-sex relationship, it would be a fat-free household all the way around. Such is the case with this month's fitness profile: Curtis Cook and Shane Friesenhahn. The lads have been together for just three months, but the real number that caught our eye was their collective body fat: 19 percent and shrinking by the day. How do they do it? Diet, exercise and rewarding a great workout with a sexy new swimsuit rather than a hot fudge sundae.
— Jef Tingley
Names and ages: Curtis James Cook, 24, and Shane Friesenhahn, 37.
Occupations: Cook: HAMP processor at Nationstar Mortgage; Friesenhahn: owner of Silk Sculptures, a floral design studio.
Length of relationship: Three months
Sports and activities: Pool volleyball and Dr. Peay's Booty Camp
Exercise regime: Cook: I attend Dr. Peay's Booty Camp two days a week and go to L.A. Fitness a couple times a week. When I go to the gym, I always do abs first, then either upper body or legs followed by 15 to 20 minutes of cardio. My workout usually totals around an hour to an hour and a half. My goal is to go to the gym on my days off of [boot camp], but it doesn't always happen.
Friesenhahn: [Boot camp] five days a week, which consists of cardio, Plyometrics and light resistance training.
Upcoming fitness goals: Cook: I'm lean, but I want to be toned. My goal is a slightly bigger chest and defined mid section. I also want my body fat around 8 percent; as of the beginning of July it was 12 percent. I think my goal of toning up will automatically help me reach my body fat percentage goal.
Friesenhahn: I'm currently right below 8 percent body fat, but my new goal is to boast a "lean and mean" 6.5 percent — a little bones showing never looked so good! I will say that making better nutritional choices, mostly organic, really helps.
Best "eat this, not that" tip: Friesenhahn: Well, instead of Krispy Kreme donuts or a starchy cereal, I replace it with whole fruits such as blueberries, a Pink Lady apple or grapefruit. As for my sweet tooth, I am in love with organic crunchy peanut butter with a banana or a piece of gluten free bread that has live sprouted grains. I am also an avid believer in supplements including as astaxanthin, fish oil and many others.
Workout preference: mornings or evenings? Cook: I like both. I would like to work out in the mornings more, but it is just so hard to get up that early.
Friesenhahn: Evenings mostly, but just to mix it up I do like to attend the "crack of dawn" morning workouts as well.
How do you survive an outdoor workout in the Texas heat? Friesenhahn: My exercise group works out in the shade, unless we are running the typical mile required. Everyone brings the essentials like water and Gatorade. Sometimes [our trainer] brings ice when it's really hot. The main thing is to read your own body and take mini breaks to regroup. Other than that, I really enjoy sweating and releasing toxins.
Favorite spot in North Texas to exercise indoors: Cook: The L.A. Fitness by my work in Lewisville, because I don't feel like I'm being cruised the entire time.
If you could become an Olympian in any sport, what would it be and why: Cook: I've always wanted to do gymnastics. The parallel bars and tumbling are my favorite. I even took tumbling private [lessons] for a month when I was 20 and learned a back handspring in only four sessions.
Friesenhahn: Ice figure skating. The blend of artistry and athleticism is super challenging. I used to roller skate my long drive as a kid and pretend I was practicing for the next Olympics!
How do you reward yourself for a great work out: Friesenhahn: Two ways. First is a trip to Yumilicious. Then on to find an even more "skimpy" swimsuit to wear at the next pool get together.
Cook: I definitely don't eat badly afterwards because then I feel guilty and it's as if I just negated the entire work out. I reward myself by maybe buying something a little smaller and more fitting because I know I will look good in it. I also like to go lay out in my Speedo after a good week of working out because I feel confident with my body. Basically I reward myself by showing it off.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition August 26, 2011.
Occupation: Musician (flute) and music educator.
How might we know you: My partner Ami Sadeh and I helped create the BearDance events.
Type of car: Blue 2008 Nissan Altima Coupe.
Best car memory? Driving my Nissan 350Z the first time with my partner around town with the top down!
Funniest road trip story: I don't know if it's funny or sad, but I had an audition in Tennessee and a drunk driver sliced off a big chunk of metal off the side of the trunk. It was my dad's Oldsmobile Delta 88. I had to tie that chunk of metal back on the car as it flapped all the way back to Cincinnati where I lived.
Hmmm… we vote sad. OK, buy or lease? Lately I prefer leasing. I get the itch for something new or different about every three to four years. It doesn't hurt that you can get a bit more car for less money per month!
You play the flute, but ever in the car? I think I've played it in my partner's car while he's been driving. It's not at all practical for the driver and it doesn't work well in the passenger seat either. There are better places to practice. Now I will practice finger patterns for music on the steering wheel from time to time though, and that's a great way to practice without the instrument.
What do you jam out to? NPR or BPM on satellite radio. Sometimes it's Beethoven or Lady Gaga.
Don't you musclebear types drive Jeeps or big trucks usually? Am I really that now? Ha! Maybe I do need to get the requisite truck! I'm not about all my image with my car, it's more about the driving experience for me, and I like fun-to-drive cars usually as long as they are roomy enough for me.
Since it's hot as hell out, how's your A/C? It is fantastic! I'm lucky to have a garage to park in at home so that it's not all heated up when I leave the house in the summer, but even when it's been out in the sun, it cools down very quickly.
Sounds great. So, one last thing: flootist or flautist? Well, it can be both actually.
— Rich Lopez
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition August 26, 2011.
It seems that while David Dewhurst is running for the U.S. Senate, Rick Perry — otherwise known as Gov. Goodhair — is planning to run for president. I wonder what numbers they will use to show how well they have run Texas.
Could they cite $16 million? That's the sum Perry distributed from our state's Emerging Technology Fund to his campaign contributors.
Or maybe it is $4.1 billion. That's the best estimate of the fees and taxes our state collects for dedicated purposes — but diverts to other uses.
Then again, it could be $28 billion. That's the last published number for the state's budget deficit, although Perry denied any deficit during his last campaign.
But let's not get bogged down with dollar amounts. Let's consider some of the state's other numbers.
There's the fact that Texas ranks worst in at least three key measures:
We are the most illiterate, with more than 10 percent of our state's population unable to read a word. LIFT — Literacy Instruction for Texas — recently reported that half of Dallas residents cannot read a newspaper.
We also have the lowest percentage of persons covered by health insurance and the highest number of teenage repeat pregnancies.
Not to mention that 12,000 children have spent at least three years in the state welfare system, waiting for a foster parent. That's the number reported in the Texas-loving Dallas Morning News.
Meanwhile, the Legislature has agreed to put several amendments to the Texas Constitution before the voters. HJR 63, HJR 109 plus SJR 4, SJR 16, and SJR 50 all appear to either authorize the shifting of discretionary funds or the issuance of bonds to cover expenses.
Duh. As if we did not know that bonds represent debt, and that we will be paying interest on those bonds long after Dewhurst and Perry leave office.
Further, this spring, the Lege decided that all voters — except, I believe, the elderly — must show proof of citizenship to obtain a state ID or to get or renew a driver's license. As they did not provide any funds for the issuance of those ID cards or for updating computer systems to accommodate the new requirement, it seems those IDs will be far from free.
Also far from free is Perry's travel. The Lege decided that the governor does not have to report what he and his entourage spend on travel, which is convenient for him because we taxpayers foot the bill for his security — even when he is making obviously political trips. Or taking along his wife and his golf clubs.
And surely neither Rick Perry nor David Dewhurst will mention the fact that a big portion of our state's money comes from the federal government. One report I saw stated that our state received $17 billion in stimulus money, although the gov and his lieutenant berated the Democratic president for providing the stimulus.
And the gov turned down $6 billion in education funds, then accepted the funds but did not use them to educate Texans.
The whole thing — Dewhurst's campaign and Perry's possible campaign, the 2012-2013 budget, the recent biannual session of the Texas Legislature — seems like something Mark Twain might have written at his tongue-in-cheek best.
We have huge problems in public school education, higher education, health care, air pollution and water resources, to mention just a few of our more notable failures.
Yet our elected officials are defunding public education and thus punishing children, parents, and teachers. They are limiting women's health care so drastically that our own Parkland Hospital will be unable to provide appropriate care to 30,000 women.
They are seeking a Medicaid "pilot program" that will pave the way for privatized medical services, which will erode health care for all but the wealthiest among us. They are fighting tooth and nail to keep the EPA from dealing with our polluted environment. They are doing absolutely nothing to ensure that Texas continues to have plenty of safe drinking water.
They are most certainly not creating good jobs.
So David Dewhurst and his wife Tricia prayed together and apparently learned that he should run for Kay Bailey Hutchison's Senate seat. Now Rick Perry is planning a huge prayer rally Saturday, Aug. 6, at Houston's Reliant Stadium.
God help us.
Phyllis Guest is a longtime activist on political and LGBT issues and a member of Stonewall Democrats of Dallas.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition August 9, 2011.
Hardy Haberman | Flagging Left
I don't get out much — at least to the bars. First of all I don't drink anymore, and second, I am not really looking to hook up with anyone since I am in a very nice relationship.
I do, however, occasionally meet friends out for the evening or for a special event.
When I do go out, it is most often to our local leather bar, the Dallas Eagle, and I often indulge in a little people watching. I like to watch the crowd, the way people interact with one another, the ebb and flow of what was once a favorite past time of gay men: cruising.
What surprised me was the lack of that particular gay art going on.
First, let me say this is not a reflection on the Eagle; it's a fine, first-class leather bar. What I noticed is something I have seen in other cities as well, and it bothers me a bit.
Now for those who might not know, cruising is a delicate dance men used to perform when looking for a partner, playmate or just trick du jour. It usually began with some long, slow looks, occasional subtle signals like a nod, the touch of the brim of a cap, a purposeful second glance or even just a slight change in body language.
If two people read the signals, and actually respond, it might proceed to sending over a drink — or a more direct approach. Often before actually making contact, you would ask a few friends if they knew the man in question, and for the leather scene that would also entail asking if anyone knew more intimate details: Was he a safe player? What was he into?
Of course, we also had the hanky code. It was a more direct and cut to the chase way to let folks know what you were seeking.
I won't go into the details here, but the basics were: Hanky in the left pocket meant you were a top, and hanky in the right pocket meant you were a bottom.
Still, even with outward signs, there was an art to the whole endeavor. If done correctly, it had an element of seduction in it and all the sexual energy that went with it.
Sadly, I don't see much of that going on anymore.
What I do see is guys checking their smart phones. Looking a little closer, I see them using Grindr, checking Recon and texting.
That's when I realized what happened to cruising: It has gone the way of the dodo.
What was once a face-to-face encounter that actually took some time and energy is now a fast, down-and-dirty, "check a few profiles and text enough contacts until you pull a winning number" routine.
The whole cruising experience has become an electronic booty call with no mystery, no romance and no effort.
Oh yes, it is much more efficient. You can select from the variety of "neck-down pictures" and body statistics, like you were choosing a download on Amazon.
Find Mr. Right or at least Mr. Right Enough for Now, text a few lines, set a time and bingo! Insta-trick!
All very high tech and painless. No face-to-face rejections, no appallingly awkward moments. Just on-line chat and, essentially, "booking."
It would seem to me that applications like Grindr and sites like Recon and CraigsList have replaced the whole cruising experience, and though it might be much more efficient, it really changes to atmosphere in the bars.
The heady sexual tension that used to permeate gay bars has given way to guys and gals on their smart phones texting or cruising — the web. One bar in Florida even has a screen where patrons can text directly to the screen, sort of a visual "shout out" for all to see.
Inevitably, the whole electro-trick phenomenon has spawned something totally unexpected. My partner commented on the subject of this column and suggested there should be an Angie's List for Grindr.
I was surprised this morning when, while researching this piece, I found something very much like that.
Douchebagsofgrindr.com may just be a parody, but if not it offers some insight into the whole process. Personally, I find it kind of crass, but then I find the whole "electro-trick-speed-dating-booty-call" app thing crass.
It makes me long for the days of actually having to spend a little time to pursue and attract and seduce someone you were interested in. Try that now and I suspect you'd just get accused of being a stalker.
Hardy Haberman is a longtime local LGBT activist and a board member of the Woodhull Freedom Alliance. His blog is at DungeonDiary.Blogspot.com.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition August 9, 2011.
RICH LOPEZ | Staff Writer
Bob Nunn agrees with the adage that the longer a couple lives together, the more they begin to look alike. Nunn and his partner Tom Harrover might not look that similar on the outside, but they match in a way that few couples do.
Let's start with some history.
The two have that classic meet-cute that began on the wrong note. As Nunn tells it, Harrover was the dullest person he'd ever met —the two just didn't like each other. Then, following a spontaneous invitation to a midnight movie, they ended up hitting it off. That movie led to conversation and then dating.
Forty-two years later, they still watch movies — as Nunn puts it, "I couldn't get rid of him."
A job in Houston took Nunn away from Harrover for three months, but old-fashioned letter writing kept the newbie relationship afloat.
"Tom had been writing me letters. He's a very good writer," Bob boasts. "He basically proposed to me by letter."
They committed to each other, moving in and pursuing their careers: Harrover in architecture and Nunn teaching art. For 37 years, they lived in "a fabulous house" in Hollywood Heights. Life was good.
Then their life took a sharp turn.
"When we got together, Tom knew I had a kidney disease," Nunn says. "Nothing was really a problem until about 30 years after we met — my kidneys began to fail and I had to start dialysis."
Nunn registered with Baylor for the national organ donor list, but the experience was frustrating: They received little response or encouragement from the hospital.
"Bob was on a downhill slide and the frustration with Baylor seemed like they were stonewalling us," Harrover says. "We talked about going to Asia even. It felt like they didn't want to deal with a senior-age gay couple."
Then Harrover suggested something novel: He could donate his kidney to the organ list, with the idea that Nunn could get a healthy one. Sort of a kidney exchange.
In desperation, they went back to their physician, who enrolled them in St. Paul Hospital's then-new program for kidney transplant. The experience was a complete turnaround. Nunn was tested and processed immediately while Harrover prepped for his organ donation to an anonymous recipient.
Kidney transplants require a seven-point match system; a minimum of three matches is necessary for the recipient to be able to accept the organ into the body.
The tests revealed that Harrover's kidney matched Nunn's on all seven points.
"We assumed I would donate mine for use elsewhere," Harrover says. "It never occurred to me that we'd be a match. The odds for that are off the charts."
"See what happens when you live together for so long?" he chuckles.
Just six months after entering St. Paul's program in 2007, they were on the operating table. They were the first direct living donor pair in the program. "It was all fairly miraculous," Nunn understates.
Four years later, both men are doing well. Although officially retired, they both continue to work: Harrover does the occasional contract job while Nunn is currently on commission for an art project at the new convention center hotel. Outside of any official work, each interjects their quips about home, life be it cooking together or working on the lawn.
The obvious question for them might be "What's the secret?" But they don't see it just that way. Their relationship boils down to the obvious virtues of trust, respect and compromise.
"Selfishness doesn't rear its ugly head in this relationship," Harrover says. "You just have to be willing to accommodate, support and encourage what the other is interested in."
Nunn agrees. "I would not be doing what I'm doing without his support."
Nunn says if there is a secret, it's akin to the dynamic on a playground: Like each other and share. If you don't share your whole life, there isn't a relationship, he says. At this point, Harrover says it would be impossible to separate. On paper, they are so intertwined with their house and financials, he jokes they are "Siamese twins."
They've witnessed a lot in their decades together, including something they never expected to come to pass in their lifetimes: Same-sex marriage. Coming from a time when just being gay conflicted with moral codes set by their jobs, they wonder over the progress made in recent years. (They were officially married in Boston in October 2009.)
"I'm confident that it will happen for everyone," Harrover says. "I'm sorry that it's moving at a glacial pace, but it has that same inevitability as a glacier. We'll get there."
But nothing compares to the bond Harrover and Nunn already have, a shared intimacy few couples could imagine. Same-sex marriage was merely unlikely; what they have experienced is miraculous.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition July 29, 2011.
What would you do if your friend admitted to being a prostitute? Or if your sister talked about having sex outside of her marriage with a 21-year-old virgin? Sexual talk outside of the bedroom can still be taboo, even in today's desensitized world of fast hookups and Showtime melodramas. Bring up intercourse (or something far more intense), and most people will cringe or shy away.
Tonight, it all comes out. The Austin-based stage show Bedpost Confessions features performers talking up their sexual adventures out loud all in good fun. Trying to break away from the taboo of talking about sex, co-founder Sadie Smythe and company bring their show to Dallas. Local writer and Dallas Voice contributor Jenny Block, pictured, gets in on the action which makes perfect sense. As the author of Open: Love, Sex, and Life in an Open Marriage, she'll have ideal material for the night.
Her thoughts on tonight's show.
"It's just sex. It's supposed to be this happy, fun, sometimes even spiritual experience. It's all gotten so twisted and tangled when really it should be so simple. Consenting adults doing something that our bodies were built to do. But somewhere along the line, people got confused. Outwardly we are this over-sexed society. But behind closed doors we don't talk to our kids, we don't communicate with our partners, and we're lost when it comes to all things sex. The funny thing is, the fix is an easy one. We have to talk to one another and to our kids and to our partners. We have to strangle the taboo. We could have solved all of the world's ills by now if we stopped worrying so much about such a natural thing and started putting our brain power to better use."
We couldn't have said it better ourselves! Block will also be signing copies of her book after the show. Along with Block, Smythe and the other performers, the audience gets to play as they are encouraged to write their sexual confessions to be read aloud. Don't worry, it's all anonymous. Read the original article here.


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Father: James JONES Jr. b: 26 Mar 1814 in , Camden Co, Georgia
Mother: Sarah "Sallie" MIZELL b: 27 Jan 1816 in , Emanuel Co, Georgia
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Physician Assistant - Cardiothoracic Surgery
Join our team and be a part of the talent that makes UWMF/UW Health the best work and academic environments. This Physician Assistant will work within the Cardiothoracic Surgery Division to provide a full spectrum of care to adult patients including heart and lung transplantations. This person will work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team that includes Physicians, Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants. This person must provide comprehensive care in both the inpatient (ICU and step-down care) and outpatient settings. He/she must demonstrate a high degree of clinical expertise in working with patients and a willingness to intervene in acute episodes. In the operating room, this person will function as a first or second assistant. Other skills will include vein harvesting (primarily endoscopic) and radial artery harvesting. Training can be provided for new graduates or clinicians willing to specialize on cardiothoracic care.
The University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics is a leading teaching and research institution and this position will have opportunities for teaching Medical Students, Physician Assistants and Nursing students. Education of patients and their families on wellness care and treatment plans for cardiothoracic disorders is an important aspect of this role.
This Physician Assistant will primarily practice at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics and occasionally at a nearby hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. This person will share call responsibilities with other Midlevel Providers for surgical cases and weekend rounds to cover inpatient care. For Physician Assistants this position requires NCCPA certification and eligibility for a Wisconsin PA Licensure.
This is a well-established program with 5 Cardiac Surgeons, 6 Physician Assistants and 2 Nurse Practitioners caring for more than 500 open heart patients annually.
This is a full-time, 40+ hour per week position. Core hours are one of two shifts between 6:00 AM-10:00 PM and will have shared call responsibility with other NP/PAs covering inpatient & clinic care.


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But Mr. Bachler found himself rushing to the boutique early that morning for a different reason. A fire that had apparently started in a utility closet above the boutique and Peet's Coffee & Tea had damaged the building's structure, ruining much of Calla's inventory.
"We were going to have a small remodel on the day of the fire," Mr. Bachler said. "Now we have a big remodel."
The Bachlers, who live in Atherton, say they view the fire as an opportunity, rather than a setback. It has given them time to focus on molding the boutique to fit their vision, they say. (It also doesn't hurt that they had insurance.)
First up is a name and logo change: Calla is now Alys Grace, a hybrid of the name of Phil's mother, and the middle name of the couple's youngest daughter. The boutique is scheduled to open in a temporary location on Chestnut Street Thursday, Oct. 1, before eventually moving back to the Santa Cruz Avenue storefront.
The Bachlers also plan to open an online operation, at alysgrace.com, that they hope to infuse with the same small-town charm of their "brick and mortar" store.
They won't speculate on when the old space might be ready for business. They started searching for a temporary location after one of the property owners mentioned to Phil on the day of the fire that it might be a year before their boutique could re-open.
New competition
Calla has gone largely unchallenged as the city's most popular women's clothing boutique, if 11 consecutive Almanac Readers' Choice awards are any indication.
But Menlo Park has been flooded with new women's clothing retailers in the months since the fire. Four new boutiques and one custom clothing designer have set up shop, one on the same block as Alys Grace's new location. No fewer than ten Menlo Park shops now sell women's clothing, according to Dave Johnson, the city's business development manager.
Are the Bachlers concerned about the competition?
"If Menlo Park could become a destination for shopping for women around the Peninsula, that would be great," Ms. Bachler said. "It makes my job a little more challenging because I have to be on my toes more, but it's good for the customer."
She says she's grateful for the traction Calla has in the community. Customers and vendors have remained loyal, despite the influx of new clothing stores.
"We miss having the store open," she said. "Phil and I have really enjoyed being a part of the community, and the fire has really been eye-opening to us. ... It's made us realize just how important that community is."


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Aside from the Summer League (in which the Sixers/Nets got destroyed by the Jazz yesterday), these days are short on legitimate Sixers storylines. So, to give us something to talk about while Andy and Andre figure out that Andre isn't worth $30M I figured we'd use one of Basketball-Reference.com's cool tools. After the jump, we'll see what players had comparable stats to Thad Young through this point of his career.
I figured the best place to start would be the comps I've heard people mention in the past. DraftExpress listed Antawn Jamison as his best-case, Donyell Marshall as the worst. During his time in the league I've heard Lamar Odom, Rudy Gay and Tayshaun Prince. Let's start with these guys. Here's a look at all of their numbers through their second full season. (click the image to enlarge)
The first half of the stats above are per 36 minutes, not per game. As you can see, Thad holds his own in most of the run-of-the-mill categories. His field goal percentage is just amazing compared to this group, his rebounding numbers aren't as bad as you'd expect, when compared to this group. He also topped the group in steals per 36 as well as fewest turnovers per 36.
When we get to the advanced stats portion of the chart, Thad really starts to emerge. He led all of these players in 7 of 17 categories. Even though he played only the third-most minutes of the six, he had the highest win share total. Tayshaun Prince was the only player to have a higher win share/48 minute ranking. Odom played over 1500 more minutes than Thad and accumulated fewer win shares. Rudy Gay played 1,000 more minutes and had 4.1 fewer win shares. The final column is the one you should really pay close attention to. Out of this group, Thad was the only player who couldn't legally buy a beer by the end of his second season.
These are the five comps I've heard the most, and to be honest, I think Thad's ahead of where every one of them was after their second season.
Of this group of comps, only Jamison has been an All Star (twice). Prince made first-team All Defense, Odom and Prince have both won rings. These are some pretty successful players, but are they Thad's ceiling? I'm not sure. I don't see Thad fitting into the Odom or Prince mold. He's too gifted offensively to be more of a defense-first, offense-afterthought kind of guy. I also see him as being more versatile than Jamison, Gay and Marshall.
With this in mind, I thought we'd run a reverse search to find more comps for Thad. Let's take a look at what makes Thad unique, and see which players have achieved the same level of success in their first two seasons in the NBA.
Here are the stats and levels I used for these comps, searching the first two seasons of all forwards in the NBA since 1980 (not all stats are available for the older players):
TS% over 55%
Steals per 36 over 1.4
Win Shares over 9.0
FG attempts per 36 under 14.0
Basically, I wanted to capture players who were efficient and effective without dominating the ball. I thought about including low turnovers, but when I included turnovers under 2.0/36 minutes there were no comps. Only Thad had achieved all of those benchmarks. Here's the list of comps:
- Charles Barkley
- James Worthy
- Derrick McKey
- Andrei Kirilenko
- Ed Pinkney
- Paul Millsap
- Nene Hilario
- Jamario Moon
Pinckney and McKey are two guys who never showed much improvment on their sophomore seasons, but went on to have long careers nonetheless.
The most interesting name here, for me, is James Worthy. Worthy was an elite finisher, a slashing forward in the Showtime Lakers era. Magic Johnson's wingman. He was a tweener, never really rebounded well enough to be a four, wasn't quite a three either. He was always, always, an efficient scorer, though. Worthy was named one of the 50 greatest players in the NBA, so I'm obviously not comparing Thad to him now. But maybe what I'm saying is that Worthy could be Thad's ceiling, or at the very least, his goal.
Comps work both ways, so let's take a look at players with similar weaknesses in their games through their first two seasons as well.
Here's a very, very scary comp for you. I did a search for forwards who have played more than 4,000 minutes and averaged less than 6.0 rebounds per 36 minutes and averaged less than 1.5 assists per 36 minutes. Since 1980 only 2 players have achieved these levels. Thaddeus Young and Al Thornton. Typically, power forwards will average more than 6 rebounds per 36 and small forwards will average more than 1.3 assists per 36. Thad and Thornton are stuck in between somewhere.
Personally, I think once Thad settles in at the three (if he's ever allowed to), and settles into the Princeton Offense, we'll see his assist numbers climb, and hopefully he'll at least maintain his rebounding numbers. If he's going to reach that Worthy goal, he's going to have to contribute more in other areas, hopefully he'll be able to do that while still keeping his impressive peripherals, well, impressive.
Who would you compare Thad to? Use the comments to discuss and if you'd like to use stats to back up your argument, I highly recommend linking to your results from B-R.com.
by Brian on Jul 8 2009
Tags: Basketball | Offseason | Sixers | Thaddeus Young |
Tags: Basketball | Offseason | Sixers | Thaddeus Young |


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Carolina Basketball
North Carolina is two steps closer to the Final Four, but its path will be filled now with roadblocks stout enough to stop the journey.
Tar Heels expect a tough game from Bulldogs
The Winston Salem Journal
There are a number of factors that could pull shooting guard Wayne Ellington back to North Carolina for his senior season: the drive to earn his degree, the desire to try to reach another Final Four, the goal of raising his NBA stock even further.
And of course, there's his dad's fried chicken.
UNC's Ellington feels right at home
The News and Observer
It may be an elaborate piece of acting or something as simple as a middle-aged man doing a little graveyard whistling, but Roy Williams appears to be heeding his own advice these days.
North Carolina's basketball coach is displaying all the mannerisms of someone who is actually "enjoying the ride" -- a phrase that players, coaches and fans for years have used to describe the experience of playing in an NCAA Tournament.
This time, Williams is at ease
The News and Observer
There aren't many teams in the annals of college basketball history that can lay claim to some sort of bragging rights over North Carolina.
Third-seeded Gonzaga (28-5), which faces the top-seeded Tar Heels (30-4) in tonight's NCAA South Regional semifinal at FedExForum, is one of the few.
North Carolina tries to erase Zags' Garden Party memory
The Greensboro News-Record
North Carolina still might win tonight's NCAA Tournament game against Gonzaga even if Wayne Ellington air balls every shot he takes.
Tar Heels' play may hinge on Ellington
The Durham Herald-Sun
Gonzaga has all the credentials to be considered among the nation's upper echelon, except one.
The Zags haven't won enough lately in the postseason. They lack the statement triumph.
A grand opportunity to change that is presented today in a South Region semifinal, when fourth-seeded Gonzaga faces top-seeded, top-of-the-line North Carolina. The winner moves one step away from the Final Four.
Zags can reclaim March by beating Tar Heels
The Kansas City Star
When Roy Williams and Mark Few shake hands at the end of tonight's NCAA tournament game, the handshake will be a lot more than a mere formality.
Williams and Few have developed a strong bond over the years. They discussed their friendship at length Thursday, one day prior to the Sweet 16 battle between Gonzaga and North Carolina.
Tar Heels coach has been a mentor to Few
The Olympian
The loss stayed with Jeremy Pargo like a deep bruise. He felt it after the game, when he shouldered all the blame, saying he played like a third-grader against college guys.
Jeremy Pargo's matchup with Ty Lawson key for Gonzaga
The Seattle Times
Gonzaga senior guard Micah Downs grew up in the West, but he dreamed of playing for North Carolina.
Minds on Carolina
The Spokane Spokesman-Review
Safe to say, no other coach in NCAA Division I basketball knows more about forklifts than Scott Cherry.
Also safe to say, those three years between his playing and coaching days, when he worked as a forklift salesman in Greenville, are not why High Point University hired Cherry this week.
Something else on Cherry's resumé prompted High Point administrators to give the former North Carolina shooting guard his first job as a head coach.
Scott Cherry named High Point coach
The Greensboro News-Record


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So I woke up this morning and found my seed gone. So here it is again.
I was about to comment on another seed with this article in it but apparently the far right only deems it ok to view President Obama as a "moose limb" terrorist, a threat to the country, etc ad nauseam, but they don't like it when the same scrutiny is applied to them.
Whether or not they want to like it the report is legit and can be found here. It's available for download and it's apparent that some don't like the truth of the threat 'muricuns actually represent to the rest of the country.
Those who collapsed the previous story should be ashamed of themselves. If the story was that disagreeable to them then they need to take a good strong look at themselves and their elected representatives and do a "gut check".
If this gets collapsed or deleted I will simply repost it.


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First Step Internet is proud to support the important community organizations listed below. As an active member of our regional community, First Step Internet is pleased to help.
Port of Lewiston
Whitman County Library - Colfax
Whitman County Library - Garfield
Whitman County Library - Tekoa
First United Methodist Church
Barton Advertising
St Mary's School
YCF Programs
Rendezvous in Moscow
Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre
Pullman Junior Golf
Pullman Youth Football
Pullman Youth Baseball
Moscow Mardi Gras
Palouse Audubon Society
Success By Six
Given our support to various organizations over the years, First Step Internet consequently receives many, many requests for help throughout the year. In order to handle these more effectively, we are instituting the following policy for grant requests and support. We are confident this will enable us to serve you better.
Grant requests will be received throughout the calendar year. The cutoff date for submission will be October 31st.
First Step Internet management will evaluate grant requests at that time and announce grant recipients by the end of the year.
Grant services will run from January through December of the following calendar year.
Each grant recipient will be required to resubmit a request for services each year in order to continue grant funding.
Grant services donated one year will not guarantee future continued funding. Each request will be evaluated annually.
Click here to download the First Step Internet Grant Application.


text:
•Participate in a small office environment that includes experts in their field working in a closely knit team and opportunities to work on a wide variety of tasks
•Assist colleagues and clients in identifying problems and then developing solutions, not just performing assigned tasks (but we do that too).
•Develop into a Professional Engineer with expertise in transportation design projects in Colorado.
While finding the right fit can be a challenge, it does not have to feel like a sacrifice. We offer salaries and benefits that are competitive with the industry and a work environment that is conducive to our professional goals, yet flexible enough to allow a good work-life balance. So, think about the right fit for you and contact us if you see common ground.


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Join as a member. There's a certificate with your name on it.
When a node title has a single quote in its title, it translates to ' in the subject of the message.
Is there a way to correct this ?
Thanks a lot
Comment #1ptmkenny CreditAttribution: ptmkenny commented
|» Postponed (maintainer needs more info)
Hi, can you provide more information about how to reproduce this? How are you showing node titles in the subject of the message?
When I include a single quote in the subject line of a message, it appears properly.
Comment #2ptmkenny CreditAttribution: ptmkenny commented
|Postponed (maintainer needs more info)
|» Closed (cannot reproduce)
Since there has been no activity for a month, I'm closing. Feel free to re-open if you have the same issue and can provide a detailed bug report.
Comment #3pkil CreditAttribution: pkil commented
|Closed (cannot reproduce)
|» Active
Reopening, I can reproduce this.
Create a rule which sends a PM to a role / user with the field title as the subject line, and have an apostrophe in the title. prints out with ' eg. Pkil's custom content becomes Pkil's custom content in the subject line.
Comment #4Jorge52 CreditAttribution: Jorge52 commented
I'm finding the same problem. if a user sends a PM in reply to a node (forum topic for instance) and the subject of the forum topic contains an apostrophe ( ' ) such as Biker's the pm that gets sent shows the subject as Biker & # 0 3 9 ; s.
I've had to add spaces between the explanation of the code above, otherwise this forum converts the code back to an apostrophe!
Is there a fix for this please.
Comment #5System Lord CreditAttribution: System Lord commented
Same here. I have content which may contain any title such as: Chip's n Dip's
When I select "Contact author" the Subject is auto-filled with the title and looks like this:
Chip's n Dip's
Or it looks like that to the recipient. Can't remember. I'll test and check.
Comment #6Jorge52 CreditAttribution: Jorge52 commented
I've tested and the character code replaces the apostrophe in the subject for both the sender and recipient.
Looks really ugly.
Comment #7Jorge52 CreditAttribution: Jorge52 commented
BTW: this issue is carried over to the latest version 7.14.
Comment #8quindio CreditAttribution: quindio commented
Was this solved?
I am using 6.33 and I have a view that uses the title of the page to create the url for a video link
title=Water: That's Real Value&inline=true#colorbox-inline-6">Water: That's Real Value
What should I do to to fix the problem with the view?
Comment #10angelsmit CreditAttribution: angelsmit commented
A quick solution, when entering your text use the Alt + 0180. (Hold the alt key down while typing 0180, then release) It produces the closest appearance to apostrophe.
Comment #11m1n0 CreditAttribution: m1n0 as a volunteer commented
I can reproduce the problem myself, in my case, I am sending the messages via custom code, so I could easily change the replacing token to use
! instead of
: or
% - this means the value is passed "as-is", but that might be a security issue.
Comment #12_RvO_ CreditAttribution: _RvO_ commented
I have the same problem, in my case my site is full with plant names and the subject of a message is always the name of a plant. For example: Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood'. When using it with a token as subject for a message it looks like:
Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood'
Any ideas?
Comment #13Amstram CreditAttribution: Amstram commented
Has this been solved ?
I'm facing the same problem with 7.x-2.0-alpha1
Any help/ideas are welcome


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Skull Wall Clock
Time for the Grim Reaper. Actually, I hope not. Maybe this skull clock will remind you to live like every moment were your last.
A little punk rock home decor!Tags: home, gifts, accessories, modern, home decor, decor, metallic, decorations, skullAdded 6 Years Ago from Zgallerie
I actually just got this as a hostess gift and I FREAKING LOVE IT.
A coaster that is covered in black and silver beads to make a skull. Perfect or Halloween or a good gift for people who like skulls and crossbones.


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I am using the Oakland Responsive theme, but when viewing on a mobile device, e.g. iPhone, the slider caption text does not adjust to the screen size. Has anybody else experienced this problem and how to rectify it?
Hi social, this is a general open forum, the appropriate support forum for this theme can be found here.
Or, you can interact directly with the author here. The link takes you to the item's Comments section, where you can also browse previous posts for additional information and/or troubleshooting.
Simply leave the author a quick comment and he'll gladly point you in the right direction. Good luck.
Thanks so much for your help


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Here's how you can download the Age of Empire app free for Android devices.
1. Go to the Google Play page for the free app Age of Empire.
2. Tap the Install button.
Here's a description of Age of Empire:
"Be transported back through time to the European Middle Ages. Take control of your Empire and battle your way to supremacy over other rival Kingdoms. Extend your territory through ordering and commanding your troops in battlefield!
Build your own Kingdom to rise through the anarchy of the Middle Ages. Secure resources, construct new buildings and repel attacks from your enemies. Build your own armies to invade and defeat other Empires and take their land for yourself. Download Age of Empire, the Best Android Online SLG game and see what all the fuss is about!"
This article is published as part of the IDG Contributor Network. Want to Join?


text:
|Specific References
|Related Products
|CHO transfected lysate in which Human vWF has been over-expressed. The whole cell lysate is provided in 1X Sample Buffer (1X modified RIPA buffer+1X SDS sample buffer).
|Cell lysate was prepared by homogenization in ice-cold modified RIPA Lysis Buffer with cocktail of protease inhibitors (Sigma). Cell debris was removed by centrifugation. Protein concentration was determined with Bradford assay (Bio-Rad protein assay, Microplate Standard assay). The cell lysate was boiled for 5 minutes in 1 x SDS sample buffer (50 mM Tris-HCl pH 6.8, 12.5% glycerol, 1% sodium dodecylsulfate, 0.01% bromophenol blue) containing 5% b-mercaptoethanol, and lyophilized.
|Modified RIPA Lysis Buffer: 50 mM Tris-HCl pH 7.4, 150 mM NaCl, 1mM EDTA, 1% Triton X-100, 0.1% SDS, 1% Sodium deoxycholate, 1mM PMSF
|12.5% SDS-PAGE Stained with Coomassie Blue
|Samples are stable for up to twelve months from date of receipt at -80℃
|1. Centrifuge the tube for a few seconds and ensure the pellet at the bottom of the tube. 2. Re-dissolve the pellet using 200μL pure water and boiled for 2-5 min. 3. Store it at -80℃. Recommend to aliquot the cell lysate into smaller quantities for optimal storage. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Notes:The lysate is ready to load on SDS-PAGE for Western blot application. If dissociating conditions are required, add reducing agent prior to heating.
|In modified RIPA Lysis Buffer
|Store at -80℃. Aliquot to avoid repeated freezing and thawing
|WB: Use at an assay dependent dilution.
Not yet tested in other applications.
Optimal dilutions/concentrations should be determined by the end user.
Von Willebrand Factor (VWF) is a multimeric glycoprotein involved in hemostasis in blood, binds receptors on the surface of platelets and in connective tissue, thereby mediating the adhesion of platelets to sites of vascular injury. From studies it appears that VWF protein uncoils under these circumstances, decelerating passing platelets. VWF protein is deficient or defective in von Willebrand disease (VWD) and is involved in a large number of other diseases, including thrombosis, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, Stroke, Heyde's syndrome, possibly hemolytic-uremic syndrome and so on.


text:
The button-up from N. Hoolywood features a quality brushed cotton twill construction that comes equipped with a left chest pocket.
If a size is not listed, it is sold out.
NOTE: Sizing is for Japanese Standards. 40 = M / 42 = L / 44 = XL.
N. Hoolywood Cotton Twill Shirt Grey


text:
Labor frontbenchers claim a group of backbench rebels is pressuring Prime Minister
As unions stepped up their campaign to stop miners such as
Another Labor source said the committee, headed by
The government is yet to give final approval for any EMA, even though the policy to allow resource sector projects to bring in semi-skilled foreign workers temporarily was first flagged in 2010.
Three projects are in initial stages of applying for an EMA.
Ms Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting remains in negotiations with the federal government over the final form of the agreement that would allow her Roy Hill project to temporarily hire 1750 workers during the construction phase despite reaching an in principle agreement with the government in May.
That announcement sparked a revolt by Labor backbenchers and the union movement, and the PM set up the Spreading the Benefits of the Boom committee to examine resource sector employment.
Senator Cameron said the committee would meet on Tuesday to discuss a draft report on recommendations before presenting it to a caucus meeting.
But the deputy chairman, Andrew Leigh, a supporter of the agreements, quit the committee last week.
Senator Cameron said committee hearings held around the country had found local workers were missing out on opportunities in the resource sector and stricter conditions should be placed on companies.
"We did what we were told to do by caucus. We went out and listened to what the community think about the big resource companies, and that is they are not fulfilling their social contract with the Australian community," he said.
"This is not about the internal machinations of the ALP caucus, and anyone who thinks that needs to get out and talk to community groups."
Construction, Forestry Mining and Energy Union national construction secretary
"It is clear to everyone in our industry that there are many jobs being lost, and many skilled and other workers are looking for a start," Mr Noonan said. "There is no reason at the moment for big mining companies to be sourcing workers from overseas when local construction workers are out of work."
Australian Mines and Metals Association spokeswoman Tara Diamond said despite highly publicised deferrals of projects, the agreements remained a "small but important role" in resource sector employment.
The Australian Financial Review


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Morden Hall Park has re-opened after a sharp rise in river levels meant the park flooded.
Visitors have been advised to wear wellies to the venue in Morden Road, Morden, after heavy rainfall caused the River Wandle to burst its banks.
It was closed from 3pm on bank holiday Monday, August 25 to 9.30am this morning.
The Pantaloons open air theatre event and the open air cinema had to be cancelled yesterday due to the weather.
Ticket refunds are being offered.
For information contact 020 8545 6850 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
An important purpose of the Financial Report is to help citizens and policymakers assess whether current fiscal policy is sustainable and, if it is not, the urgency and magnitude of policy reforms necessary to make it sustainable. A sustainable policy is one where the ratio of debt held by the public to GDP (the debt to GDP ratio) is stable in the long run. Sustainability concerns only whether long-run revenues and expenditures are in balance; it does not concern fairness or efficiency implications of the reforms necessary to achieve sustainability.
To determine if current fiscal policies are sustainable, the projections in this report assume current policies will be sustained indefinitely and draw out the implications for the growth of public debt as a share of GDP.3 The projections are therefore neither forecasts nor predictions. If policy changes are enacted, then actual financial outcomes will of course be different than those projected.4
The primary deficit the difference between non-interest spending and receipts is the only determinant of the ratio of debt held by the public to GDP that the Government controls directly. (The other determinants are interest rates and growth in GDP). Chart 7 shows receipts, non-interest spending, and the difference the primary deficit expressed as a share of GDP. The primary deficit-to-GDP ratio grew rapidly in 2009 and stayed large in 2010 and 2011due to the financial crisis and the recession, and the policies pursued to combat both. The primary deficit-to-GDP ratio is projected to fall rapidly between 2012 and 2019 (turning to surplus in 2015) as spending reductions called for in the Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011 take effect and the economy recovers. Between 2019 and 2035, increased spending for Social Security and health programs due to continued aging of the population is expected to cause the primary balance to steadily deteriorate. A primary deficit is expected to reappear in 2025 that reaches 1.3 percent of GDP in 2035. After 2035, the projected primary deficit-to-GDP ratio slowly declines as the impact of the baby boom generation retiring dissipates. Between 2035 and 2086, the projected primary deficit averages 0.9 percent of GDP.
The revenue share of GDP fell substantially in 2009 and 2010 and increased only modestly in 2011 because of the recession and tax reductions enacted as part of ARRA and the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 , and is projected to return to near its long-run average as the economy recovers and these temporary tax cuts expire. After the economy is fully recovered, receipts are projected to grow slightly more rapidly than GDP as increases in real incomes cause more taxpayers and a larger share of income to fall into higher individual income tax brackets. These projections assume that Congress and the President will continue to enact legislation to prevent the share of income subject to the Alternative Minimum Tax from rising.
The non-interest spending share of GDP is projected to fall from its current level of 22.6 percent to about 20 percent in 2013, to stay at or below that level until 2026, and then to rise gradually and plateau at about 22 percent beginning in about 2040. The reduction in the non-interest spending share of GDP over the next two years is mostly due to caps on discretionary spending and further automatic spending cuts enacted in the BCA, and the subsequent increase is principally due to growth in Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security spending.5 The retirement of the baby boom generations over the next 25 years is projected to increase the Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid spending shares of GDP by about 1.4 percentage points, 1.3 percentage points, and 1.0 percentage points, respectively. After 2035, the Social Security spending share of GDP is relatively steady, while the Medicare and Medicaid spending share of GDP continues to increase, albeit at a slower rate, due to projected increases in health care costs. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) significantly reduces projected Medicare and Medicaid cost growth from the levels projected in the 2009 Financial Report. However, there is uncertainty about whether the projected cost savings, productivity improvements, and reductions in physician payment rates will be sustained in a manner consistent with the projected cost growth over time.
The primary deficit projections in Chart 7, along with those for interest rates and GDP, determine the projections for the ratio of debt held by the public to GDP that are shown in Chart 8. That ratio was 68 percent at the end of fiscal year 2011, and under current policy is projected to exceed 76 percent in 2022, 125 percent in 2042, and 287 percent in 2086. The continuous rise of the debt-to-GDP ratio illustrates that current policy is unsustainable.
This year's projections are somewhat more favorable than were the projections in the 2010 Financial Report. Last year's report projected the debt-to-GDP ratio to reach 352 percent in 2085, which compares with 283 percent projected in this year's report. The more favorable outlook is mainly due to spending reductions called for in the Budget Control Act of 2011 that are partly offset by somewhat less favorable economic and technical assumptions.
It is estimated that preventing the debt-to-GDP ratio from rising over the next 75 years would require running primary surpluses over the period that average 1.1 percent of GDP. This compares with an average primary deficit of 0.7 percent of GDP under current policy. The difference, the "75-year fiscal gap," is 1.8 percent of GDP, which is about 9 percent of the 75-year present value of projected receipts and of non-interest spending.
Closing the 75-year fiscal gap requires some combination of expenditure reductions and revenue increases that amount to 1.8 percent of GDP on average over the next 75 years. The timing of such changes has important implications for the well-being of future generations. For example, it is estimated that the magnitude of reforms necessary to close the 75-year fiscal gap is 60 percent larger if reforms are concentrated into the last 55 years of the 75-year period than if they are spread over the entire 75 years.
The United States took potentially significant steps towards fiscal sustainability by enacting the ACA in 2010 and the BCA in 2011. The ACA holds the prospect of lowering the long-term growth trend for Medicare and Medicaid spending, and the BCA significantly curtails discretionary spending. Together, these two laws substantially reduce the estimated long-term fiscal gap. But even with the new law, the debt-to-GDP ratio is projected to increase over the next 75 years and beyond if current policies are kept in place, which means current policies are not sustainable. Subject to the important caveat that policy changes not be so abrupt that they slow the economy's recovery, the sooner policies are put in place to avert these trends, the smaller the revenue increases and/or spending decreases necessary to return the Nation to a sustainable fiscal path.
While this Report's projections of expenditures and receipts under current policies are highly uncertain, there is little question that current policies cannot be sustained indefinitely.
3 Current policy in the projections is based on current law, but includes extension of certain policies that expire under current law but are routinely extended or otherwise expected to continue, such as extension of relief from the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT).(Back to Content)
4 Further information about the projections summarized in this section and the underlying assumptions can be found in the Supplemental Information section of the Financial Report.(Back to Content)
5The 2011 Medicare Trustees Report projects that, assuming full implementation of ACA provisions, the Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Fund will remain solvent until 2024 under current law five years earlier than was projected in the 2010 Trustees Report. The projected share of scheduled benefits that can be paid from trust fund income is 90 percent in 2024, declines to about 76 percent in 2050, and then increases to 88 percent by 2085. As for Social Security, under current law, the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) Trust Funds are projected to be exhausted in 2036, at which time the projected share of scheduled benefits payable from trust fund income is 77 percent, declining to 74 percent in 2085. More information is available at http://www.ssa.gov/oact/trsum/index.html.(Back to Content)
From Treasury.gov
File Viewing Tools


text:
Rhode Island Fiscal Summit
Common Sense Action (CSA)
Saturday, February 23, 2013 from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM (PST)
Who's Going
San Francisco, California
London, United Kingdom
Florence, Italy
Event Details
Common Sense Action (CSA) is hosting the Rhode Island Fiscal Summit in Alumni Hall at Brown University on February 23, 2013. Using Rhode Island's fiscal challenges as a case study, we hope to explore the impact of as well as solutions to the large federal deficits and debt crisis.
We ask: as we try to reduce our deficits, how do Americans from all political backgrounds come together to make the hard cuts and necessary investments to create a sustianable economic future for the next generation? The summit will conclude with brief remarks from Common Sense Action on how our generation can inspire sensible political action.
12:00pm - 12:15pm: Brown's President, Christina Paxton will introduce Steve Rattner as the Keynote Speaker
12:15pm - 1:00pm: Keynote address by Steven Rattner (Brown '74), former Counselor to U.S. Treasury, media contributor, Chairman of Willett Advisors, and Steering Committee member of the Campaign to Fix the Debt
1:00pm - 2:00pm: Join us for a networking lunch and roundtable discussion.
2:00pm - 3:30pm: Panel discussion moderated by Ted Nesi, WPRI reporter and blogger for Nesi's Notes on WPRI.com. Panelists include:
- Allan Fung: Mayor of Cranston Rhode Island.
- Robert Weygand: Vice President for Finance and Administration, URI. Former U.S. Representative (RI-2) and Lieutenant Governor.
- Laurie White: President, Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce.
3:30pm - 4:00pm: CSA leads a discussion on your ideas and reflections. What action can we take to ensure politicians emphasize youth issues?
We look forward to seeing you there! Please reach out to us with any questions as well as visit our page at commonsenseaction.org
When & Where
Alumnae Hall, Brown University
194 Meeting Street
Saturday, February 23, 2013 from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM (PST)
Add to my calendar


text:
YORKSGEN-L ArchivesArchiver > YORKSGEN > 2011-12 > 1323778402
From: Sir Lancelot 37 <>
Subject: [YORKSGEN] Upper Agbrigg
Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:13:22 +0000
References: <email@example.com><email@example.com>
In-Reply-To: <firstname.lastname@example.com>
Wonder if they made it to market after a few jars of best ale!
Apparently they used to rest at The Graziers with their cattle before setting off again to market the following day.
This thread:
|[YORKSGEN] Upper Agbrigg by Sir Lancelot 37 <>


text:
human srvices
posted by Anonymous .
human services 322 assignmnets
You're asking US what your assignments are??
Assignments for this course are available online only AFTER you are registered for the course, apparently.
I have some constructive criticism for you, please take it for its worth.
I noticed your communication.
a) you misspelled assignments, services, and your question you typed has no verb, nor punctuation, nor begins with a capital.
b) There are a lot of "universities" online that give out courses (for a big fee), very high grades (for shoddy work), and then degrees. Students pay a lot of money for these.
c) In the real world, you are known for what you know, how you seek more information, how you process information, and how you communicate that information. It is very sad that students are not taught nor evaluated on these skills when paying for their "university" education (or "degree").
d) So I strongly suggest you practice making impressive communications: spelling, grammar, punctuation, and clarity of thought, even if you do not encounter those requirements in your paid for "university" education.
e) One way to do this is to just proof your writing. It is amazing how many errors one can catch themselves, and correct them before others see them.
Best of luck to you.


text:
Archive Home
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With tag: thunderstorm
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Severe Thunderstorm Warning For Vermont
Tuesday, 05/29/12
A series of thunderstorms rolled through the region overnight, and the National Weather Service issued severe thunderstorm warnings periodically throughout the morning.
Young Writers
Young Writers Project: Thunderstorms
Monday, 05/28/12
VPR has partnered with The Young Writers Project to showcase the work of young writers in the region. Check back every week.
 MP3 Available
VPR News
Thunderstorms Rip Through Vermont
Wednesday, 07/06/11
A line of thunderstorms in Vermont has caused damage and knocked out electricity for more than 13,000 homes and businesses.
VPR News
Thunderstorms, Round Two: Windham County Hit With Power Outages
Thursday, 06/09/11
Lynne McCrea
Just as work crews were wrapping up restoration efforts from last night's severe thunderstorms, round two came through this afternoon. CVPS says storms knocked out power to 12,000 of its customers.
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