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Ever since the reincarnation of the forum after months of being down, we're not getting nearly the same traffic the old forum used to. In particular, the sub-forums that deal with specialist programming topics are seeing very little use. This marginalises their benefits and increases the relative weight of their costs. Therefore, I submit this FEP (Forum Enhancement Proposal) for consideration by the admins and other members of the forum.
In short, we have too many sub-forums. This that mods have to constantly direct users to post in the appropriate forum. This takes up mods' valuable time (which is already taxed by protecting us from the ever-looming wave of spam). It also discourages new members as they feel like they are being reprimanded for not following some arbitrary rule when all they want is to get some help.
Proposed Solution
Get rid of "GUI", "Game Development", "Networking" and "Web Development" sub-forums, merging their existing content into "General Coding Help". I haven't included "Project Euler" in this because, to my mind, it is different as it deals with a specific set of problems and lies somewhere between "coding help" and "in depth discussion". Though given that we've had no real posts in it, maybe it should be ixnay'd as well.
Arguments Against the Proposed Solution
The following arguments may be presented in opposition to this proposal:
- Sub-forums facilitate getting specialist help by filtering relevant posts (e.g. those not qualified to give help with GUI development can just ignore "GUI" forum).
- We have the "Read This First" topic that explains how to use the sub-forums.
- They make it easier to search for help with specific topics by providing logical sub categories within which to search.
- They encourage posting more in-depth questions.
- They make a good place for topic-specific stickies.
- They make the forum look more substantial.
Most of these can be addressed by pointing out the fact that we simply don't get enough traffic to justify the segregation. If, at some point in the future, this changes, we can always re-add the sections (e.g. we suddenly start getting a lot of web-related posts).
To address specific arguments:
- People often post in an inappropriate forum, which defeats the point.
- Yeah, but lets be honest, nobody actually reads that before posting.
- There is a search box in top right corner that conveniently searches for what you need. And most people use Google rather than browsing posts anyway.
- Possibly, but the flip side is that people post questions that too in-depth (e.g. networking questions not related to Python).
- True, but we also have the tutorials sub-forum .
- Not really. Plus, if we remove those sub-forums, the remaining sections will fit on one screen without needing to scroll down.
Some Unnecessary Data to Further My Point
Note: the following numbers were accurate at the time of writing; obviously, they may be different by the time you read this.
This is the summary of all topics/posts for each sub-forum:
- Code: Select all
General Discussions 51 251
Tutorials 26 91
Completed Scripts 15 29
Jobs 2 2
General Coding Help 108 607
Game Development 4 4
Networking 2 4
Web Development 4 17
Project Euler 1 1
Suggestions 7 47
Bar 13 98
Total 242 1180
The four sub-forums this proposal suggests are removed contain 19 topics and 54 posts or only 7.8% and 4.6% of total posts respectively (Of those, the majority are in 'GUI', which out of the four has the strongest case for existing).
The superfluous sub-forums exert a cost in terms of maintenance overhead and baffling and detracting potential new members. We should therefor "optimize" them out of the forum.
P.S. In case it's not clear, the format of this post is intended to be taken with tongue stuck firmly in cheek (but the underlying proposal is genuine).
P.P.S. Yes, I get bored at work...


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Jason Gregor
July 18 2013 05:32PM
**This footage of game 6 vs. the Jets in 1990. Oiler fans might want to fast forward to the 9:30 mark.***
The Winnipeg Jets haven't played in Edmonton since March 29th, 1996 when Miroslav Satan had a pair of goals in a 3-2 Oilers victory while Nikolai Khabibulin was in goal for the Jets, and Ryan Smyth was in his rookie season.
However, according to my source, that 17-year drought will end October 1st when the Jets return to Rexall Place for opening night against the Edmonton Oilers.
The Oilers schedule won't be released until the NHL can finalize specifics on their participation in the Sochi Olympics, but whenever it comes out it will be the best schedule Oilers fans have seen in years.
You will see all 16 eastern teams live at Rexall this year, and you will be able to watch the Oilers play Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos and the other East stars each once on the road.
The Oilers will play in the Pacific division and they will play the Ducks, Kings, Coyotes, Sharks, Canucks and Flames a total of 29 times. They will play five teams five times and one of them four times.
They will play 21 games, three each, vs. the Central division, Blues, Blackhawks, Wild, Jets, Avalance, Stars and Predators, and the remaining 32 games will be against eastern division opponents.
Every year teams talk about how you can't make the playoffs in October, but you can miss them, and to an extent that is true. This past year, the Oilers went 4-3-3 and were in 7th place in the west before finishing in 12th.
I read a study (couldn't find the damn link today) that said 77% of teams that are in the playoffs at the end of October stay there. Of course, the Oilers were one of the 23% that didn't in 2011, but a good start usually can propel you to a strong season.
In 2013, six of the eight western teams that were in the playoffs after ten games made the playoffs. Chicago, Anaheim, San Jose, Vancouver, Detroit and St.Louis made them, while Nashville and the Oilers dropped out.
In the east, five of eight made it; Boston, Pittsburgh, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, while New Jersey, Carolina and Tampa Bay all missed. So 69% of the teams that were in a playoff spot after 10 games remained there.
Here is a a quick glance back at the previous seven full seasons, since the 2004/2005 lockout.
- At the end of October 2011, eleven of the 16 teams, 69%, (6 east and 5 west) who were in a playoff spot remained in a playoff spot at the end of the year. The Oilers were tied for first, but plummeted down the standings and missed the playoffs.
- At the end of October 2010, 12 of the 16 teams, 75%, (7 east and 5 west) finished in a playoff spot. The Oilers were 15th at both times.
- On October 31st, 2009, 12 of the 16 teams, 75%,( 6 east, 6 west) finished in the playoffs. The Oilers were tied for 7th with the Flames, but the Oilers finished 15th while Calgary ended up 10th.
- On October 31st, 2008, 13 of the 16 teams, 81%, (7 east, 6 west) finished in the playoffs. The Oilers were 12th, and finished the season in 11th place.
- At the end of October 2007, eleven of the 16 teams, 69%, (5 east and 6 west) rade the playoffs. The Oilers were 13th, and ended up 9th missing the playoffs by three points.
- At the end of October 2006, eleven of the 16 teams, 69%, (4 east and 7 west) remained in a playoff spot. The Oilers were 7th, but they finished 12th and missed the playoffs by a whopping 25 points.
- On October 31st, 2005, 12 of the 16 teams, 75%, (7 east, 5 west) remained in the playoffs. The Oilers were 9th, but they made the playoffs finishing 8th.
In the seven full seasons since the lockout, 73.3% of teams in the top eight at the end of October made the playoffs, but it will be interesting to see if the new playoff format alters those stats.
Under the new format the top three teams in each of the four divisions make the playoffs, while the remaining two wildcard spots in each conference go to he teams with the most points. Basically it is possible to have five teams from one of the western divisions and three from the other division, and the same in the east.
For the past eight seasons the Oilers haven't been able to build off of good starts. They've been first once and 7th three times, but each year they ended up missing the playoffs.
I decided to look at the halfway point of each season, and see how much, if any, it improved a team's odds of finishing in the playoffs. I chose the date in January where 50% of league games have been played. I looked at winning % to ensure it was the top-8 teams in case a team had played two or three fewer games.
- On January 9th, 2012, 14 of the 16 teams, 87%, (7 east and 7 west) who were in a playoff spot remained in a playoff spot. The Oilers were in 13th place an finished 14th. No one really tanked in the 2nd half, but Phoenix went 22-10-8 in their final 40 games to go from 11th to 3rd.
- On January 7th, 2011, 12 of the 16 teams, 75%, (7 east and 5 west) remained in a playoff spot. The Oilers were 15th at both times. The Avs were in 6th with 47 points in 41 games, but they went 9-29-3 (21 measly points) in their final 41 games and finished 14th.
- On January 2nd, 2010, 15 of the 16 teams, 93%,( 8 east, 7 west) remained in the playoffs. The Oilers were 15th and finished 15th. Calgary was the only team unable to keep their playoff spot. They were 24-12-5 and in 3rd place, but they went 16-24-5 in the 2nd half and finished 10th.
- On January 9th, 2009, 13 of the 16 teams, 81%, (7 east, 6 west) remained in the playoffs. The Oilers were 11th, and finished the season in 11th place. The Coyotes were in 7th with 45 points, but they managed only 34 points in the 2nd half and finished 13th.
- On January 5th, 2008, 13 of the 16 teams, 81%, (7 east and 6 west) remained in a playoff spot. The Oilers were 14th, with only 40 points in 43 games, but they picked up 48 points in their final 38 games to finish 9th and miss the playoffs by three points. The Canucks had 50 points at the halfway points, but they had a major 2nd half collapse with only 38 points in their final 41 games and finished 11th.
- On January 5th, 2007, 13 of the 16 teams, 81%, (5 east and 8 west) remained in a playoff spot. The Oilers were 10th, but they finished 12th. The biggest 2nd half choke came from the Habs. They had 51 points, 3rd in the east, but finished 10th with only 31 points in the 2nd half.
- On January 5th, 2006, 13 of the 16 teams, 81%, (7 east, 6 west) remained in the playoffs. The Oilers were 6th, and they made the playoffs finishing 8th. The LA Kings had 54 points (2nd in west) at mid-season, but they only accumulated 35 in the 2nd half and missed the playoffs.
Every year, except 2010/2011, the odds of remaining in a playoff spot increased significantly and the average rose to 82.7%.
The Oilers remained in relatively the same spot from the mid-way point to the end of the season, expect in 2007/2008 when they improved significantly. The Oilers haven't been a good 2nd half team for the majority of the past 8 seasons, even in 2006, when they made the playoffs, they limped in.
When the NHL finally releases the schedule, I get why many will look at the first month and talk about needing a good start. A good first month won't hurt, but unless the Oilers can maintain their start or improve as the season progresses it is hard to envision them making the playoffs.
- The Grebeshkov signing means the Oilers have eight D-men on one-way deals, while Justin Schultz and Oscar Klefbom have two-way deals. We can all agree J.Schultz isn't going to the AHL, so the Oilers will have to expose one of their D-men to waivers when the make their final cuts, unless they trade one of them.
- Some are wondering if this signing means a trade is coming. Which D-men do you think have trade value, other than Ladislav Smid, J.Schultz, Jeff Petry and Andrew Ference? Teams would take Nick Schultz, but I doubt he'd fetch the big, aggressive third line winger the Oilers are looking for. The rest of them wouldn't get much of a return, other than draft picks. I believe this signing was made to enhance the competition within their 3rd pairing and not much more.
- LA Kings forward Dustin Brown didn't use an agent when negotiating his new 8-year, $47 million deal. Agent fees vary, but 3% seems to be the normal rate. If my math is correct, that means Brown saved $1,410,000 in agent fees. Some will wonder why more players don't do their own deals, but there is a lot of paperwork involved and most negotiations aren't that easy. I suspect Brown had some sort of advisor/lawyer, family member or family friend helping him in some fashion.
@Quicksilver ballet
If you don't like the Gordon, Horcoff, and Ferrnce deals fine... But the Perron trade represents a move of significance that is beyond anything Tambellini ever did. ..
@Quicksilver ballet
If you don't like the Gordon, Horcoff, and Ferrnce deals fine... But the Perron trade represents a move of significance that is beyond anything Tambellini ever did. ..
July 19 2013, 09:07AM
Forgot that Perron deal, that could be a difference maker for sure.
Now lets see what we can do on a Boyes, Ott and Clifford 3/4th line.
Its to bad MacT doesn't want to resign Fistric, I thought he played a decent enough game and lowered the boom for a spot at the bottom pairing.
Is Grebishkov really that much better than Fistric.
I don't understand why it is so hard for people to answer the question of why Fistric wasn't resigned. MacT was crystal clear that he wanted strong puck moving D men. While Fistric can hit, he has never shown the ability to move the puck up quickly and accurately. If he was such a commodity, wouldn't someone have signed him by now?
Not one UFA that the Oilers elected not to resign has been picked up yet. Doesn't that tell you something?
Khabi -signed for $2 million per year, more than LaBarbera got. I agree with your point though, just nitpicking with you. We've spent too many year overvaluing our players, even being afraid of exposing them to waivers for fear of them being claimed. If a player can't make the everyday lineup of a 30th place team, they aren't "prospects". I like that the Oil have cut bait with players that have very little upside this year. Clearly things aren't working so what do you have to lose by trying something (someone) else?
So MacTavish adds a player, a true NHL player, and he doesn't lose any assets. Sounds like a good move. And he might just be able to make a trade and maintain depth on defense... sounds pretty hopeful.
A true NHL player? I hope your not referring to Grebeshkov. He was decent offensively when he was here but he was horrible at turning the puck over and playing defense. Combine that with the fact that he has seemed to regress is a softer league in the KHL, I don't see how you could state that he is a true NHL defenseman. Not saying he won't be, but certainly can't make a black and white statement like that when it refers to Grebeshkov.
Can we start our own WALL of SHAME. My first three nominees our ..... Drum roll please
2 Madjam
3 Qiucksilver ballet
Maybe we could have a separate thread made just for these three, and their amazingly accurate and insightful comments~
Why do so many people hate on DSF? He is very confident in his opinion and from what I can tell, does not ever admit he's wrong or could be wrong but to say he is the worst on this site is silly.
I actually enjoy DSF's contribution to this site even though he has a somewhat biased viewpoint. Some of his arguments at least have merit, which can't really be said of madjam.
He wouldn't be an issue if half the people didn't respond to him. Why blame him when others do not have any self control?
Belov on a 2way deal, I believe
Smid, Petry, N Schultz, Ference, Potter, Larsen, Greb for 7 on 1 way deals
I really don't think they are setting the team up for success. In my opinion, the owner is skeptical the fab 5 can take the Oilers to the playoffs and is trying to hedge his bets. A lot of money on the line now the Eberle and Hall are into their post RFA deals.
I do think the strategy of grasping at Russian straws will work out for the Oil, hopefully all these guys they are signing have put it (in writing) that they will go down to the AHL or bolt to the KHL if they don't work out in training camp or beyond.
MacT's second lesson - your coaching instinct's and your managerial insticts SHOULD NOT be the same.
Eberle and Hall will be going into their post-ELC (not post-RFA) deals...

subset: commoncrawl


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You won't be able to dismiss this by usual means (escape or click button), but you can close it programatically based on user choices or actions.
"I loved the design for our wedding. The designer worked well to get the exact colors and layout that we wanted. Note, that the Glitter is an image and not actually glitter."
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text: Dayl Jewell, wife of Grove City College President Richard G. Jewell '67, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree on Saturday, May 17, at the Commencement ceremony in the Physical Learning Center on campus. The College also granted honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who delivered the Commencement Address, speaking on "America's Promise in Uncertain Times," and an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree to Dr. Ron Moore, senior pastor of The Bible Chapel who addressed graduates at the Baccalaureate service on Friday night.David Rathburn '79, chair of the Board of Trustees awarded Mrs. Jewell the honorary degree. "As a leader in the banking industry and president of the 20th Century Club, the historic Pittsburgh Women's Club, you brought honor to your alma mater Geneva College," Rathburn said. "As the First Lady, you have ably and honorably served Grove City College; your leadership, devotion and service have impacted and inspired all of us—students, faculty, administration and trustees alike. For your unflagging commitment and for truly embodying the spirit of Grove City College, we are proud to recognize you."Mrs. Jewell spends a lot of her time on College business with President Jewell, including trips to see donors and alumni and entertaining guests that often stay at the Jewells' home. Mrs. Jewell met President Jewell while she was attending Geneva College and he was at Grove City College. "Dick came to visit his twin brother, and I just happened to be standing there. We were introduced, and the rest is history," Mrs. Jewell told the Grove City College student newspaper The Collegian. "Our second date was to Grove City's Homecoming."After President Jewell finished pursuing his law degree at the University of Michigan, the couple returned to Pittsburgh where Mrs. Jewell worked for PNC Bank. There, she rose through the ranks to become vice president and district manager in Pittsburgh.The Jewells have one daughter, Jessica, who is married to Paul Lalley, and two granddaughters, Felicity and Reagan.


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I ran out of perfume a few days ago and needed to find something new. The perfume I have worn for years (okay, the last decade) can only be purchased in certain places that are not close to my home, so I set out to find something new – I figure it was about time. The last time I changed perfumes was before I became a parent… my oldest is now 11. Finding a perfume was harder than I thought it would be – there were so many choices, many of which made me gag. I like a perfume that will not hang out in an elevator after I get out of it – something that can be smelled slightly, but is not overpowering and nauseating. Being that I am not the type of person that is normally drawn to name brand items, I must admit that I was a bit surprised with where my perfume procuring journey landed me. Yes, the perfume I liked the most (or tolerated the best) was made by Prada. I definitely do NOT consider myself a Prada girl. As if to add insult to the injury my ego had been caused by my pull towards Prada, the perfume itself was called "Candy". What sensible professional sprays themselves every morning before work with something called "Candy"??? Apparently, now I do. Read the rest of this entry »
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Flames NewsFlames Home > Men's Basketball Home > News
Downtown Pep Rally for Liberty Basketball on Friday
The Liberty University men's and women's basketball teams will be recognized by the City of Lynchburg and the Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce at the Craddock Terry Hotel and Event Center downtown, Friday at noon for their recent Big South championships and upcoming appearances in the NCAA Tournament. The event is open to the public.
A city council member will be on hand to deliver a proclamation to indicate the amount of pride the community has with the teams representing Liberty University and Lynchburg in the NCAA Tournament. The entire Lynchburg region is invited to spend their lunch hour with the teams at the event. The Craddock Terry Hotel is located at 1312 Commerce Street.
"We congratulate Liberty University on the exciting achievement of having its men's and women's teams qualify for the NCAA Basketball Tournament," Rex Hammon, President & CEO, Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce stated. "And we will be cheering for you as you represent the Lynchburg Region in the Big Dance. Go Flames!"
Both teams have earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The men will learn where they fall in the brackets this Sunday at 6 p.m., on CBS. The women will find out their destination and opponent Monday on ESPN at 7 p.m.
"We are excited for the entire Liberty family along with the Lynchburg community that both of our teams will participate in the NCAA Tournament," Liberty Director of Athletics Jeff Barber said. "March Madness is an exciting time for all of us and we are looking forward to finding out where we fit within the brackets soon."
The Flames Club is currently accepting NCAA Tournament ticket requests from fans wanting to attend the games. More information is available by calling (434) 582-CLUB (2582) or e-mailing email@example.com.


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Get Kate Middleton's London Olympics Blue Dress for Less
Kate Middleton looked fab in a Stella McCartney dress and Prada pumps. Here's how you can look just as royally chic for less!
-PJ Gach
Kate Middleton AKA the Duchess of Cambridge AKA the Queen of Style has been looking totes adorable at the London Olympics. Whether she's wearing GB's team gear or a dress, she looks great. The other day Kate wore an electric blue Stella McCartney dress, black Prada pumps and a Cartier necklace. The outfit is super chic, it's the type that can take you from day to night. However, it's insanely pricey!
Read Get Olivia Palermo's Sexy Lacy Look for Less
So we found an outfit that looks just as fab, but is also waaaaay more budget friendly!
Anne dress in periwinkle ($44, shopsosie.com), Paisely necklace #10284 ($54, guyandeva.com), Sephora Collection Rouge Shine lipstick in Tenderness ($12, sephora.com), Noah mid-heel pump ($49.95, solesociety.com).
PJ Gach is Senior Editor: Style + Beauty at BettyConfidential.


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Bill Watkins' brain has still not been reformatted since he left Seagate and his chief executive post in January, in a management reshuffle at the world's leading hard-drive maker.
He has carried on thinking about hard drives and, in March, joined the board of Vertical Circuits, a neighbour to Seagate in Scotts Valley and a company he had followed closely, out of interest in the trend towards Flash memory and solid-state drives (SSDs). Read more


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Skip to comments.How Obama Won, and Lost
Posted on 12/10/2012 2:15:57 PM PST by neverdem
The 2012 election was the perfect status quo event. On November 6 Americans by the millions went through a massive exercise of going to the polls and voting, only to awake the next morning to find that nothing had changed—other than a welcome respite from the incessant phone calls from the campaign headquarters. There was the same president, the same majority party in the House of Representatives, and the same majority party in the Senate. John Boehner was still Speaker of the House, and Harry Reid Majority Leader of the Senate. Above all, the election offered no feeling of renewal, no sense of a new direction for public policy.
Yet because of this very sameness, it was not hard to discern that the country is now a different place. If America had been set on a path of fundamental transformation in 2009—with a form of nationalized health care and a dramatically higher level of government involvement in society—then the mere fact of maintaining the status quo became one of the most important "decisions" in American history. The 2012 election consolidated what Barack Obama and the Democrats had already put in motion four years earlier. For Republicans, who ran promising to repeal the Affordable Care Act and to reduce government's scope to pre-2008 levels, failure to win the White House spelled defeat. By not losing, Obama has safeguarded the measures passed during his first term, something that Speaker Boehner acknowledged after the election: "Obamacare is the law of the land."
A status quo result means the maintenance of a new baseline of government activity, a change not dissimilar to what took place after the New Deal and the Great Society. Politics in America will revolve around the consequences of this new order, but the order itself will not be undone. The shape of American politics now resembles more the model of "blue" states like California, Illinois, and New York, which are trying to cope with the huge new demands built into a larger government, than "red" states like Indiana, Kansas, and Ohio, which have been seeking to hold the line or scale back on what government is asked to do. The main examples of the blue model—the United States of America now included—all have executives elected by the same coalition, have promised or locked in benefits that are well beyond the current capacity of government to fund, and have dramatically altered expectations of what citizens regard as entitlements. Every new benefit is meant to create a new supporter, one who will be resistant to any cutbacks.
Finally, a status quo result means everything to Barack Obama personally. Even if he were to accomplish little or nothing in the next four years, his re-election has assured him of a featured place in the progressive pantheon of consequential leaders. Like Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson, Obama will be remembered as a president who, by taking a huge political risk, expanded the size and scope of American government. This fate surely beats the prospect of being tucked away in the sinecure of a university presidency, watching the other party trying to dismantle his most cherished achievements. In a strange way, too, this election further helps his image, relieving him of the absurd and impossible burden of living up to the standard of being a messiah. Obama is now a new man who can be measured as a politician. Only a few diehards will waste their time drudging up the old "hope and change" quotes on Google in a futile effort to embarrass the president.
Conflicting Mandates
Yet when it comes to enacting a governing program, the 2012 election is hardly favorable to Obama. He won no mandate for a new major agenda—indeed, he hardly bothered to ask for one, except for raising taxes on the wealthy. The aim of his campaign was to retain the keys to the presidential office, virtually at any cost. He succeeded by hanging on. Obama made history in 2012 almost as much as he did in 2008. For the first time, an incumbent won re-election to a second term while receiving fewer votes than in his first election. All other victorious incumbents—most recently Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush—gained electoral strength, Obama lost it. This singularly unimpressive result was obscured on election eve by his singularly impressive victory in every state in which the two candidates had actually engaged: Florida, Ohio, Colorado, Virginia, New Hampshire, Nevada, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota. Watching these states fall one by one on election eve was like witnessing a juggernaut.
The drama of Obama's victory does not, however, change the basic facts. The 2012 election leaves unsettled the question of which party can claim to speak for a majority of the American people—a dispute that has been going on for the past two years. For the Left, contemporary politics properly begins with the 2008 election, which signaled a break from the old politics and launched a new era of progressivism supported by a political realignment. For many on the Right, the starting point is the 2010 midterm election, which produced a majority for Republicans in the House of Representatives and brought a huge shift in the GOP's favor in gubernatorial seats and in state legislatures. Each side pressed its case, and in the aftermath of 2010 both camps seemed prepared to wait for another election to decide the contest between these two conflicting mandates.
Now that election has taken place, but it produced no definitive victory. The results are closer to a standoff: a narrow presidential win for the Democrats, a House of Representatives that remains Republican, and a Senate that is Democratic.
But though the configuration of political forces has not changed, the sentiment that the nation can wait for another election has. The public consensus is that certain decisions must be made now, by the government that we have, not by a government that either side might wish to have. For the near term, the pressure of opinion will not allow divided government to produce stalemate. As Montesquieu, the father of the separation of powers system, explained: "as there is a necessity for movement in the course of human affairs, they are forced to move, but in concert." This necessity naturally favors the stronger parts of the arrangement, which lie with the Democrats who hold the presidency and the Senate.
The relative position of the two parties nevertheless remains very close, and the nation evenly divided. Democrats have the edge "horizontally" at the national level, while Republicans have a large advantage "vertically" at the state level. The GOP holds 30 of the 50 governors and has full control (both houses of the legislature and the governorship) in 23 states compared to 12 for the Democrats. The United States is far from being anything like a pure blue nation. Republicans have both a legitimate claim and the power to exercise a significant role in governing.
Demographic Realities
Under the commentators' sacred rule that to the victor goes the spoils, some analysts have already been busy mining the exit polls to weave a renewed progressive narrative. The argument is that the voter groups that are growing in relative size—minorities, unmarried women, the more secular-minded—are all parts of a liberal coalition. By contrast the Republican base, relying chiefly on dying white males, is consigning itself to the dustbin of history. This shift in demography is certainly one reason why the GOP, despite high hopes, failed to capture the presidency. Beyond that, however, the progressives' optimism seems premature. It is a stretch to see a robust majority coalition in 50.4% of the population, especially for an incumbent president who had all the advantages of his office, faced no competition for the nomination, had more money to spend (without fear of being accused of buying an election), and had four years to build a formidable organization.
What's more, the Republican alternative, Mitt Romney, suffered from being a rich person defending capitalism (which hurt him among the working class), and he stumbled into a hard position on immigration in the primaries in order to defeat Texas governor Rick Perry (which hurt him with Hispanics). He proved to be a very good candidate—close to the best Mitt Romney that Romney could be. But one can certainly imagine other Republican candidates having greater appeal, in terms both of personal rapport and sensitive policy positions, to some of these expanding demographic groups. And one can imagine other Democratic candidates having less appeal to these groups than Barack Obama.
A party that loses a presidential election is in need of self-examination, and this is all the more the case today in light of some of the changing demographic realities in the country. Yet that examination needs to avoid trying to score imaginary points at the expense of make-believe adversaries. From one side of the Republican Party, there have been rumblings that the party lost again in 2012 because it chose a moderate candidate who wouldn't stress certain social issues and attack Obamacare. Even if there were merit in these criticisms, the point is entirely moot. Moderates never imposed Mitt Romney on the party—that's pure fiction. Romney became viable in large part because the most important conservative alternatives chose not to enter the race. The conservatives who did run were never really plausible options.
On the other hand, some are claiming that the 2012 election was lost because Mitt Romney had to make peace with extremist forces in the party who prevented him from going more quickly to the center to attract more swing voters. To become viable, it is suggested, the party will need to reinvent itself. Again, the point is moot. There would be no Republican Party unless it contained a large conservative component. A party dominated by moderate Republicans would quickly be absorbed by the Democrats and cease to exist. In any case, these factional labels are often arbitrary. The best strategy for the GOP lies in selecting conservative candidates credible enough to convince their more enthusiastic supporters to forgo promoting positions in national politics that would destroy the chances of achieving a majority. Constructive self-examination means looking in that direction.
The Explanation Industry
Political analysts alternate between two ways of studying elections. Narrative accounts, in the mold of Theodore White's The Making of The President series, are based on the premise that the election campaigns—what the candidates do and what happens during those few months—decide the outcomes. "Scientific" models hold that pre-existing conditions, mostly economic, are what matter. A sensible person recognizes a measure of truth in both approaches. In some election years, like 1984 (Reagan's re-election) or 1996 (Clinton's), conditions render the outcome almost inevitable. It is a testimony to either the patriotism or the folly of the certain-to-lose candidates that they go through the motions at all. In other years, like 1976 or 2004, conditions do not tilt sufficiently one way or the other to allow for much confidence in predictions. The campaign can make the difference.
The 2012 election clearly falls into the second category. The political modelers' predictions were split between Obama and Romney. To many Republicans this assessment sounds strange since they had convinced themselves that the economy was so bad that it had to favor the GOP. But the models in some cases rightly consider the direction of change as well as the absolute movement, and by this standard, things were more balanced. The economy, as Obama pointed out, had improved from the nadir of 2008-09—nicely labeled for Democrats' convenience, "The Great Recession." (In addition, in a small but significant event during the campaign, the unemployment rate had broken below the 8% barrier.)
It seems that the structural factors at work in 2012 left the race close enough that it could have gone either way, depending on the campaign. This supposition is borne out not only by the closeness of the final result, but also by a shift in the lead between the candidates during the fall campaign. Obama was up in the polls after the convention, then slightly down as the election approached, and then on a par at the end (and evidently a point or two ahead of the polls' average).
Yet by the second day after the election, readers of the American press might be excused for believing that the campaign had nothing to do with the result. Analysis had shifted to visible, measurable indicators gleaned from exit polls, which purported to provide data-based accounts explaining the result. A few days later, it became axiomatic that the election could never have turned out otherwise than it did.
This understanding is supported by a massive explanation industry in America today. Specify an outcome, and this industry works backwards to manufacture an iron-clad account, squeezing all contingency from human affairs. The attraction of the industry's product depends in turn on the appeal of a deeper myth, perpetuated by modern science, that everything is regular and under control. This myth underlies the standard that is used for judging the different predictive models. If matters are fully knowable in advance, then it follows that the best model is the one that comes closest to predicting the actual outcome. Its creators become the envy of the industry, reaping the appropriate acclaim and rewards.
What If?
A field of inquiry known as counterfactual history has recently developed to challenge this way of thinking throughout the whole realm of historical writing. It proposes an outcome other than the one that actually occurred in order to provide a reminder that the explanations offered are often over-determined, in a way that eliminates chance from human affairs.
Following this approach, it might be useful to examine the scenario in which Barack Obama fell just short of being re-elected president of the United States. On the eve of Mitt Romney's election, before the explanation industry had churned out its product, commentators could still offer a narrative account. It would stress how Mitt Romney turned the campaign to his favor by his performance in the first presidential debate, and then by proving steady and presidential in the aftermath, eventually surged to a five-point lead in the Gallup Poll by the end of October. By contrast President Obama, following his crash in the first debate, went on, until the last week, to run a campaign of such remarkable pettiness and divisiveness—"Big Bird," "Binders," and "Bullshitter"—that more and more Americans began to wonder how he had ever merited the position in the first place.
By the next day, with the explanation industry fully at work, there would be an iron-clad account of President-elect Romney's victory based on deeper trends and exit polls. Pointing to the importance of an economy that remained in the doldrums, the commentators would go on to note Romney's appeal across the board to average Americans, other than minorities, while President Obama, falling short, showed in the end an inability to reach the main part of the American electorate. Democratic analysts of course found some grounds for consolation, noting that the president managed to score extremely well among expanding population groups; and they took a strange moral satisfaction in pointing to a victory that was tainted by its heavy reliance on white voters.
Yet the only way to appreciate how Obama nearly pulled the election off, losing by just over one point, is to turn to what happened in the campaign itself. Everything in his comeback hinged on an accident. Although the rise of the oceans had surely begun to slow during his presidency, this movement had evidently not yet progressed enough, as New York governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg pointed out, to reverse global warming and prevent Hurricane Sandy. The "Great Storm" provided President Obama a chance to recoup the dignity of his station that he and his incompetent advisors had until then so eagerly abandoned. Acting decisively, they rounded up a few figures from around the White House and positioned them around the table in the Situation Room with the president seated at the head. The official still photos were then released, showing this group watching—in real time no less!—the Weather Channel. The impact was stunning. Though the forces of nature were about to visit their wrath on the East Coast, though the thin veil of man-made infrastructure that protects us from the elements was under threat, there was reassurance in knowing that the president was there, monitoring the situation.
This was Act I of the drama. Presidentialism is conveyed not just by a display of calmness in crisis, but also by engaging in resolute action. Act II was designed to show the power of the office. President Obama took Air Force One to New Jersey to inspect matters in person, donning a leather bomber jacket to project an image of command in a scene choreographed to remind voters of George W. Bush's appearance at Ground Zero. Still, a full restoration of presidential status could only be completed by recapturing the mantle of bipartisanship. For months the president had squandered this possession, while Mitt Romney had managed to pick it up during the first debate. Obama now planned Act III, the central act, persuading Governor Chris Christie, the keynote speaker at the Republican national convention, to serve as a theatrical prop. What led Christie at the crucial point of this critical campaign to go beyond the requirements of a decent and modest reception of the president to an enthusiastic display of affability may never be known. (Thanks to President Obama, however, Christie did get a hug from The Boss, which led him to go home and weep.)
Hurricane politics can produce a backlash. Scenes showing presidential concern and promises of help, followed by depictions of the reality of slow, inefficient delivery of services, can create a dissonance that wipes out the initial good will. Just ask George Bush after Katrina. But in this case, in the final acts of this drama, Obama could call on one of his strongest allies. Yes, after the president skipped out, thousands and thousands of people, many of them persons of color, were left to suffer and shiver, victims—or so it could have been portrayed—of a heartless and ineffective federal relief effort. But this time the national media's attention was directed elsewhere.
After the storm, Obama gained four points in the Gallup poll. It's no wonder that he almost won the presidency, the explanation industry would say.
Conservatism's Future
In guiding political decisions, conservatism's general principles and themes may remain fixed, but its concrete positions must vary with time and circumstances. The political world is in constant flux, moved by events and developments that often cannot be foreseen.
The Right's opportunities and challenges in the years ahead may have far less to do with any lessons to be drawn from the 2012 election than many today are prone to think. Conservatism at its best seeks to offer at any given moment a general program and set of measures for what it believes will produce a common good. Its hope is that the effects of these measures, if they prove successful, will be appreciated and rewarded in the electoral arena. Liberalism may also think of itself in the same way, but there is this important difference. The liberal version of the common good—call it social justice or welfare clientelism—creates larger and larger constituencies, which, from the benefits they receive, are likely to feel locked into its electoral support. For some, this effect is not a byproduct of liberalism, but its purpose.
The Right believes that there will come a point at which liberal governance's ill effects will open the door for a conservative opportunity to govern. The Tea Party's sudden emergence in the 2010 midterm elections came about as a result of what citizens were experiencing themselves and as a consequence of what they were witnessing in some of the European welfare states. Many conservatives were expecting, or perhaps hoping, that the same spirit of '10 that was felt in many states would reach the national level in 2012. Perhaps the adverse consequences of Obama's policies were not great enough to galvanize the electorate across the board.
Anxious conservatives realize after the election that it will be increasingly difficult to squeeze out majorities from a smaller number of potential voters. They understand that the larger the constituencies receiving benefits, the worse the conditions may have to be before the door opens to a conservative opportunity to govern. Liberalism works politically on the downside as well as the upside, a factor that undoubtedly played a role in the election outcome. In an unsatisfactory situation, many persons receiving or counting on benefits fear that they have more to lose by liberalism's defeat than they would ever gain from conservatism's victory.
Yet in all human conditions there are limits. Conservatives in the next four years will have to bargain with liberals, but they must not become complicit in embracing liberal principles. If the blue state model falls flat—without George W. Bush to blame next time—there will still be enough Americans willing to give conservatives a chance.
James W. Ceaser is professor of politics at the University of Virginia, a visiting fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, and co-author (with Andrew E. Busch) of Red Over Blue: The 2004 Elections and American Politics and The Perfect Tie: The True Story of the 2000 Presidential Election (Rowman & Littlefield).
Almost 7 million fewer people voted for Obama in 2012. When the sh*t really hits the fan by 2016 , that number will move further in our direction.
Yet we have a House Speaker who is ready to give up, and from reading this thread, we have posters here who are ready to give up.
There is nothing we can do to keep this from happening forever unless we do something to address voter fraud and media bias.
Shorter is better
Of course Obama won by voter fraud.
America did NOT reelect the Marxist/Muslim usurper- the worst president in American history.
>Polls indicated that Romney was going to win the election.
>The economy is close to Great Depression era conditions, and unemployment is almost as high as when Obama entered office.
>Economic conditions became so dire after Obama took office it prompted the rise of an entire new movement, the Tea Party.
>Presidents rarely win reelection when the economy is in the tank.
>Mitt knew it too, when he was met by several thousand in that parking garage cheering him when he arrived unannounced at that airport, and he put his hand over his heart and said, 'This is how you know you've won'.
So how did Romney lose a race that numerous reputable polls and pundits predicted would be an easy win, based on historical patterns?
Massive voter fraud.
That and no other reason
Almost every major Conservative website has put out an article charging voter fraud- Breitbart, American Thinker, Atlas Shrugs, WND, The Blaze, Front Page Magazine, Fox News, The Daily Caller, Town Hall, Human Events, Canada Free Press...
Can't you just imagine the above was the scene with Obama and his Commie staff after stealing the election through voter fraud- while Conservatives blame Romney, argue, point fingers, blather on about who to run in four years, 'starting a new party', and try to figure out how to suck up to minorities the 'next time'?
Next time? What makes you think the massive voter fraud in this last farce of an election won't be repeated? If we don't clean up our voting system, there may not be a next time. We may not see another Republican president in our lifetime
Map from Barack Obama Voter Fraud 2012
What most refuse to acknowledge is that it was unlikely that ANYBODY could have beaten the voter fraud planned and perpetrated by the Obama machine. They seem to prefer pointing fingers, blaming Romney and blathering on about who to run in 2016 and how to suck up to the minorities.
We can not wait for 2014 and 2016 to regroup and figure out new strategies. By then it will be too late. The Marxist/Muslim usurper will have completed his planned distruction of America. That's what people fail to understand.
We must act NOW.
Start with the election. If we let the Rats get away with this massive voter fraud, we're no better than a bananna republic.
We must keep digging and pounding him every day, in every way we can- phony birth certificate, Benghazi, Fast and Furious, his hidden life, records....
Col Allen West; "I don't want to see America become like Zimbabwe where people dont trust their electoral process. If we cannot trust the integrity of the voting system then we are no longer a free republic".
Col West has opened the door.
We must fight election fraud.
It falls on We the People.
Silence is consent
The website,'Barack Obama Vote Fraud 2012' is keeping a running account of cases of voter fraud and what to do about it:
Visit the site- Here
Photo of SOMALIANS brought to Ohio voting stations by the busload, 95% of whom did not speak English, and told to vote for Obama, straight Dem ticket- Here
Republican pole watchers; busloads of Somalians brought in Here
Another poll watcher observes voter fraud Here
'Human Events', report pollwatcher eyewitness to busload of Somalians at Ohio poll, spoke no English, told to vote Obama Here
Hannity and Col Allan West slam voter fraud Nov 12- Here
ATLAS SHRUGS voter fraud list. Here
Believe it or not, there ARE patriots out there who are going to FIGHT Obama's reelection- unlike the spineless Republicans who remain silent!
Visit the website; 'The Competent Conservative'
'These elections are NOT certified yet. The only way to get this investigated, much less recounted or overturned, is through the Secretary of State of each of the five key states: Florida, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. EVEN IF YOU ARE IN ANOTHER STATE you can help. But it wont do any good to dilute our effort to challenge California or Michigan or other states. Until a major group gets involved to do more, here is the plan: Contact the Secretary of State of the state in question. See contact information below... '
Visit the website, 'Halt Voter Fraud':
'This election is not over - YET. Obama has not been elected by the Electoral College - YET. The Presidential election is being stolen from us with "Chicago Style" thuggery - and we can STOP the thieves in their tracks. But we do not have time on our side. This is our LAST chance. Don't give up. We must act now.
If massive voter fraud has occured as alleged by so many, and if the state vote counts include these FRAUDULENT votes, then is it logical to say that the entire state vote is COMPROMISED and can't be trusted? 59,000,000 Americans might agree!
The state vote is used to determine the allocation of Electors in the Electoral College which actually elects the President and Vice President.
If the vote count is FRAUDULENT, FLAWED, and CAN'T BE TRUSTED - and if the Electors have been FRAUDULENTLY allocated based on FLAWED vote counts - then WE CANNOT ALLOW THE GOVERNORS TO SIGN THEIR CERTIFICATES of ASCERTAINMENT on December 17th. We can stop this if we ACT IMMEDIATELY.
Patriots must rally NOW in the State Capitols of Harrisburg,PA - Richmond, VA - Tallahassee, FL - Columbus, OH, and Madison, WI ****** MASSIVE RALLIES ** *** PATRIOT LEADERS ORGANIZE YOUR LOCAL EFFORTS NOW, coordinate with the other PATRIOT groups as they also rally, let us know who you are and how you will respond, how we can help.
Remember the Battle of Trenton?
We can make HISTORY TODAY.'
More- Here
Obama Voter Fraud on FaceBook- Here
Sign this petition- almost 117,000 and counting -cards, email- Here
Sign the We The People petition. It has 60,000 signatures and counting- Here
Click and sign the petition for a recount Here-
CANADA FREE PRESS: Here
WND List of voter fraud reports Here
ATLAS SHRUGS voter fraud list. Here
Must watch videos!
VIDEO-- Programmer Testifies About Rigging Elections With Vote Counting- Here
VIDEO- Illegal Aliens Caught Voting and Stealing Elections In Florida In Vast Numbers- Here
VIDEO- MICHAEL SAVAGE: How Obama fixed the 2012 election- Here
VIDEO- Massive voter fraud discovered in April- Here
VIDEO- Whistle blower speaks out about voter fraud- Here
Voter fraud from Tea Party: Here
The American Dream- 22 Signs That Voter Fraud Is Wildly Out Of Control And The Election Was A Sham: Here
Town Hall : Obama Likely Won The Election Through Voter Fraud: Here
American Thinker: Was The Election Stolen:? Here
WSVN-TV Almost 1K Ballots Found In Broward Elections Warehouse: Here
Pundit Press; In Florida Obama Got Over 99% In Broward County Precincts: Here
Natural News.com: 19,605 to Zero IS Statistical Proof Of Outright Vote Fraud in 2012 Presidential Election: Here
Realville, USA: The Great Election Robbery of 2012? Here
WND: Here's How Touchscreens Killed Romney Votes: Here
The American Dream: Election Fraud? Obama Won More Than 99% Of The Vote in More Than 100 Ohio Precincrs: Here
WND: The Big List Of Voter Fraud Reports: Here
Nachum's List of Voter Fraud: Here
Newt Gingrich 360: Here
Appalachian Forums: Here
Before It's News: Here
WND: Here
Political Outcast: Here
True The Vote: Here
Fox News Insider: Here
Human Events; Here
The Will County News: Here
Fox News: Here
WND: Here
Townhall: Here
Breitbart Here
Accuracy In Media The Left's national voter fraud strategy exposed: Here
Thousands of military votes uncounted or missing: Here
Human Events: Here
Front Page Magazine: Here
The Blaze Here
The Daily Caller: Here
Front Page Magazine Here
Military Voter Protection Project: Here
BreitBart Here
Townhall: Here
Fox News Here
The Blaze Here
The best Obama Exposure site on the net, The Obama File: Here
The United StatesLibrary of Congress has selected TheObamaFile.com for inclusion in its historic collection of Internet materials Here
I think the posters here are more of the "give up" type than Boehner.
Boehner is in the same position as he was after the 2010 elections: he and his party have the House, and the Clown and his cabal have the executive branch and the Senate.
All are called to govern.
I am a bit of the mind to let the tax rates go the way Obamugabe wants...and publicly, every day, remind America this is what his prescription was.
Rand Paul says this is the way to go, as does Ann Coulter, and a few other conservative thinkers. Brit Hume was on O'Reilly tonight talking about the political reality that, in the short term at least, gives the Kenyan the upper hand. I think this makes sense. Republicans don't have the votes to stop the tax increase on the job creators.
I have said this before, I'll say it again: the Republicans need to DO TO OBAMA WHAT PELOSI AND THE 'RATS DID TO BUSH AFTER HIS 2004 RE-ELECTION!
That involved a relentless, daily, unstoppable campaign AGAINST Bush's policies—the man became disliked as his POLICIES were attacked. And keep in mind, BUSH was a good man, primarily trying to reform the Social Security program to make it survive the inevitable bankruptcy.
Nazi Pelozi didn't always go on main network shows, but she hit all sorts of ways against Bush—it was a constant drip, drip, drip, drip...and it worked.
For EVERY moment she was forced to work with Bush (they signed on to a mini-rebate, I think, in 2005), she came out a day or two later with some major blast against a policy.
Get our representatives into the homes of people who are suffering under Obamugabe. Get people who are on food stamps who hate it. Get people who have been recently laid off. Get small businesspeople who are cutting back.
We ALL know these type of people exist—just find them and put them front and center.
IN other words, keep campaigning against Obama, like the election is next week. After all, Obama is doing the same thing.
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text:
Wash. Times' Obama Derangement Syndrome Extends To Bin Laden Death
Research ››› ››› JUSTIN BERRIER
The Washington Times has published numerous absurd attacks on President Obama as it struggles to find ways to criticize him in the wake of Osama bin Laden's death. The Times has long been a forum for the most outrageous, baseless, and false attacks against Obama.
Washington Times Launches Absurd Attacks On Obama Following Bin Laden's Death
Washington Times' Miller Complains "Obama Golfs While Troops Hunt Osama Bin Laden." In a May 2 Washington Times column, senior editor Emily Miller complained that "[w]hile the president was playing golf, the highly-trained U.S. special forces were en route to bin Laden's fortified compound." From The Washington Times:
Capturing Sept. 11 terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden has been the nation's top national-security priority for 10 years, but carrying out the final kill didn't stop President Obama from playing golf on Sunday. In a tiny concession to his job requirements as commander in chief, Mr. Obama cut his golf game short by nine holes in order to get back to the White House to monitor the final moments as Navy SEALs killed bin Laden in Pakistan.
While the president was playing golf, the highly-trained U.S. special forces were en route to bin Laden's fortified compound. "The high walls, security features, suburban location and proximity to Islamabad made this an especially dangerous operation," said a senior administration official after the killing. "The men who executed this mission accepted this risk, practiced to minimize those risks and understood the importance of the target to the national security of the United States."
Talking points aside, the suddenly religious president started his Sunday morning as he usually does: skipping church to go hit the golf links. [The Washington Times, 5/2/11]
Washington Times' Green Bizarrely Cites 2010 Photo Of Jay-Z At The White House To Attack Obama. In a May 3 column, assistant editorial page editor Anneke Green wrote:
While it's glorious that we finally delivered justice to Bin Laden, cowboy-style, it has been a little odd to see how eager President Obama is to take credit for it. Apart from the method of the military operation -- who knew he had it in him?-- his speech announcing the demise of the world's greatest villain was short on key details and sounded more like an extended pat on the back.
Green further used a photograph from rapper Jay-Z's March 2010 visit to the White House to claim that "Mr. Obama has had to grow into his role as the head of state and occupant of the nation's most revered residence." [The Washington Times, 5/2/11]
Washington Times Complains Obama "Snub[bed] Bush," Showed "No Class" In Speech. In a May 2 editorial, The Washington Times complained that Obama "snub[bed] Bush" and "praise[d] himself" in his announcement that bin Laden had been killed. The editorial baselessly claimed "[b]in Laden assassination wasn't the result of Barack's strategic genius." The editorial continued:
Sunday's only mention of Mr. Bush came when Mr. Obama defended himself by quipping that even his predecessor insisted America isn't at war with Islam. Left unsaid was how Mr. Bush setting the groundwork for the conduct of the war on terrorism provided Mr. Obama with the tools to get this job done. The national unity, sense of purpose and offensive posture were largely the result of Mr. Bush's decisive action and strong leadership following national tragedy. Had Mr. Obama been in Mr. Bush's position on Sept. 11, 2001, bin Laden would still be alive today, and probably winning. [The Washington Times, 5/2/11]
Washington Times' Decker: "Bin Laden's Death Is More Mr. Bush's Victory Than Mr. Obama's." In a May 2 Washington Times op-ed, editorial page editor Brett Decker wrote:
President Obama took to the airwaves shortly before midnight to confirm the good news and take credit for it. The wording of his short statement made it clear that the campaign season for his 2012 reelection bid is fully underway. He used the words "I," "me" and "my" so many times it was hard to count for such a quick message. Not only is this consistent with his view that everything is about him, it also reflected the reality that this president is weak and perceived by the world to be a lackluster leader who has undermined American power. He needs to grab any opportunity he can to make himself believable as a commander in chief. Crowds flocked to White House gates to celebrate bin Laden's demise, giving this unpopular president a rare glimpse of public support that won't last long.
Mr. Obama called his predecessor, former President George W. Bush, to tell him the news. This was only fitting as it was Mr. Bush's policies that took the fight to the enemy and didn't back down despite opposition from timid politicians such as then-Sen. Barack Obama. Bin Laden's death is more Mr. Bush's victory than Mr. Obama's because American forces wouldn't even be fighting in South Asia had Democratic doves had their way. [The Washington Times, 5/2/11]
Wash. Times Has Long Been A Home For Outlandish Attacks On Obama
Washington Times Complains Obama Did Not Issue "Official Statements For Easter Or Good Friday." In an April 25 editorial headlined, "Obama To Christians: Forget You," The Washington Times complained that the White House did not issue "official statements for either Easter or Good Friday" and wrote that "[t]his basket of Easter problems underscores Mr. Obama's continuing problem with perceptions of his religious identity." As Media Matters has noted, presidential proclamations have not historically marked religious holidays. [The Washington Times, 4/25/11; Media Matters, 4/26/11]
Kuhner: Obama's Easter Worship Shows His "Black Nationalism." An April 26 Washington Times op-ed by columnist Jeffrey Kuhner claimed that Obama's attendance at Washington D.C.'s Shiloh Baptist Church on Easter Sunday contributes to "[a] disturbing pattern" that makes it "clear by his actions and affiliations that Mr. Obama has black nationalist sympathies." [The Washington Times, 4/26/11]
Gaffney: "The Gadhafi Precedent: Could Attack On Libya Set The Stage For Action Against Israel?" In a column titled, "The Gadhafi Precedent," Frank Gaffney commented on the decision of the United States to participate in a U.N.-sanctioned, multilateral effort to establish a no-fly zone over Libya. Gaffney wrote that the "Gadhafi Precedent" could be "used in the not-too-distant future to justify and threaten the use of U.S. military forces against an American ally: Israel." [The Washington Times, 3/21/11]
Washington Times: Obama Policies "Bringing America To The Brink Of Third World Inferiority." In an April 15 editorial, The Washington Times wrote that Obama's "policies have secured America's status as part of the declining world." The Times further wrote: "[T]he president's answer to economic crisis is to heap on more debt. It's this crippling tax-and-spend Obama creed that's bringing America to the brink of Third World inferiority." [The Washington Times, 4/15/11]
Decker: Trump Gaining Support By Criticizing Obama "For His Mysteriously Missing Birth Certificate." In an April 15 column, Decker wrote that Donald Trump has "gotten immense support for criticizing President Obama for his mysteriously missing birth certificate, an issue most Americans are talking about but which is considered taboo by the liberal establishment." [The Washington Times, 4/15/11]
Kuhner Calls For Obama's Impeachment Over Libya Policy. In a March 24 column, Kuhner called for Obama's impeachment over his handling of Libya, writing that "[t]he Libyan war is part of a pattern of Mr. Obama's unethical and criminal behavior" and that "[i]f Republicans and conservatives are serious about restoring constitutional government, they will demand that Mr. Obama be impeached." Kuhner further wrote that Obama is a "socialist thug" who "has betrayed his country, his constitutional oath of office and his duty as commander in chief." [The Washington Times, 3/24/11]
Washington Times Calls Obama A "Bigot" And Restrictions On Handgun Magazines "Pointless." In a March 1 editorial, The Washington Times stated that "restrictions on things like the size of handgun magazines" are "pointless." The Times also wrote that President Obama is "a bigoted man who derisively describes small-town America as a place where people 'cling to guns.'" [The Washington Times, 3/1/11]
Washington Times Declares DOMA Decision Part Of Obama's "Strategy To Force The Radical Homosexual Agenda On America." In a February 23 editorial, The Washington Times wrote that the Department of Justice's decision to no longer defend portions of the Defense of Marriage Act "is the next step of President Obama's strategy to force the radical homosexual agenda on America against the will of the people and Congress." [Media Matters, 2/24/11]
Nugent: "It's Hard To Argue" That Obama Isn't "Out To Destroy America." In a February 8 column, Ted Nugent wrote that "there are some Americans who think Mr. Obama is out to destroy America or at to least [sic] reduce the country to the equivalent of a Third World country." He then added, "Sadly, it's hard to argue with the flow of evidence." [The Washington Times, 2/8/11]
Kuhner: Obama Is A "Machiavellian Socialist" And A "Radical Leftist Who Seeks To Dismantle Capitalism." In his January 27 column, Kuhner wrote that Obama is a "Machiavellian socialist" and a "radical leftist who seeks to dismantle capitalism and the achievements of the Reagan revolution." [The Washington Times, 1/27/11]
Kuhner: Obama's Tucson Memorial Address "Was A Surreal Spectacle In Narcissistic Self-Congratulation" That "Dishonored The Victims." In a January 13 column titled, "Obama's Tucson degradation," Kuhner wrote that Obama was "cynically exploiting the tragic shooting in Tucson for political gain" and that his memorial address "was a surreal spectacle in narcissistic self-congratulation" that "dishonored the victims" of the shootings. Kuhner further wrote that the shooting victims were "doubly degraded by a narcissistic president who used their suffering as political fodder." [The Washington Times, 1/13/11]
Kuhner: Obama's "Messiah Complex Threatens To Tear America Apart." In a December 9, 2010, column, Kuhner wrote: "Liberals are finally discovering what most Americans already know: Mr. Obama cannot be trusted. He is a narcissist who believes that everyone and everything - including his own country - must be subordinated to serve his needs. His messiah complex threatens to tear America apart." Kuhner further wrote that Obama "is not a capable political leader" and is "unfit to be president." [The Washington Times, 12/9/10]
Kuhner: Obama Is A "Cultural Muslim Who Is Promoting An Anti-American" Agenda. In an August 20, 2010, column, Kuhner wrote that Obama is "a cultural Muslim who is promoting an anti-American, pro-Islamic agenda." Kuhner also stated that Obama is "openly anti-Israel" and that Obama's comments about a proposed Islamic center "unmasked him as a president who favors Muslim interests over those of the American people."
The Times also included this illustration:
[The Washington Times, 8/20/10]
Kuhner Claims Obama's "Bow[s]" "Reveal A Reflexive Anti-Americanism." In an August 16, 2010, column, Kuhner claimed that "President Obama has disgraced the United States -- again" by allegedly "bow[ing] when greeting Chinese President Hu Jintao." Kuhner wrote:
By bowing, Mr. Obama degraded and cheapened the office of the presidency; as commander in chief, he represents every American when meeting with other heads of state. He is supposed to embody the dignity of the Oval Office, reflecting our collective heritage as a self-governing, constitutional republic.
His actions reflect a fundamental, reflexive anti-Americanism - a profound contempt and hatred for his own country. Mr. Obama bows because it symbolizes America's need to "humble" itself on the world stage. [Media Matters, 4/16/10]
Pruden: Obama "Apologiz[ed] To The Islamic World" Perhaps Because "Al Qaeda Just Couldn't Resist The Temptation" To "Take ... Down" The World Trade Center. From Pruden's July 10, 2009, Washington Times column, "Ministry of Apology would cure all ills":
Apologies, as every wayward husband knows, are plentiful and cheap (and rarely effective). President Obama's major accomplishment so far is a speech apologizing to the Islamic world for nobody is quite sure what. Maybe it was for building the Twin Towers so tall that Al Qaeda just couldn't resist the temptation to take them down. Maybe it was an apology for saving Sunni Muslims in Bosnia, which offended Shi'ites. Or maybe it was for saving the Shi'ites, which irritated Sunnis. Maybe it was just for being an American in the first place; shame is the default position on the leftmost fringe of his party. [Media Matters, 7/13/09, emphasis added]
Gaffney: "[I]t Increasingly Appears" Obama "Will Be Embracing The Agenda Of The Muslim Brotherhood." From Gaffney's March 17, 2009, Washington Times column:
President Obama on Friday reiterated for the umpteenth time his determination to develop a "new relationship" with the Muslim world. On this occasion, the audience were the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Unfortunately, it increasingly appears that, in so doing, he will be embracing the agenda of the Muslim Brotherhood - an organization dedicated to promoting the theo-political-legal program authoritative Islam calls Shariah and that has the self-described mission of "destroying Western civilization from within."
As part of Mr. Obama's "Respect Islam" campaign, he will travel to Turkey in early April. While there, he will not only pay tribute to an Islamist government that has systematically wrested every institution from the secular tradition of Kemal Ataturk and put the country squarely on the path to Islamification. He will also participate in something called the "Alliance of Civilizations." [Media Matters, 3/17/09]
Washington Times Claimed Health IT Provision "In The Spirit Of" Germany's Aktion T-4 Program. In a February 11, 2009, editorial, The Washington Times compared a provision in the stimulus package that provided for electronic medical records to the "Nazi version of efficiency" in which "elderly people with incurable diseases, young children who were critically disabled, and others who were deemed non-productive, were euthanized." The Times asserted that a quote it attributed to "a program instituted in Hitler's Germany called Aktion T-4" is "fully in the spirit of the partisans of efficiency." The quote as theTimes provided it read: "It must be made clear to anyone suffering from an incurable disease that the useless dissipation of costly medications drawn from the public store cannot be justified." The paper's website also published the editorial alongside a photograph of Hitler. [The Washington Times, 2/11/09]
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text:
Several staffers from Record Publishing Co.'s weekly papers were winners in the 2014 Osman Hooper Newspaper contest, sponsored by the Ohio Newspaper Association.
RPC winners, announced Thursday at the 2014 Ohio Newspaper Association Convention in Columbus, were:
The Nordonia Hills News Leader won first place in the Best Editorial category, for Editor Eric Marotta.
The News Leader also won third place in the In-Depth Reporting Division A category, for Eric Marotta and Reporter Jeff Saunders, and third place in the Advertising Division A category, for Account Executive Diane McGhee.
The Hudson Hub-Times won first place in the Sports Coverage Division B category, for Associate Sports Editor Frank Aceto.
The Hub-Times also won third place in the Original Column Division B category, for Reporter Laura Freeman.
The Tallmadge Express won second place in the Sports Coverage Division B category, also for Frank Aceto.
The Stow Sentry won second place in the Best Local Feature Division A category, again for Frank Aceto.
The ONA Weekly Newspaper Committee, which organizes the annual competition, includes representatives from several Ohio publications, including RPC's Executive Editor, Erica Peterson.


text:
Top currency forecaster Emirates NBD predicts a 10 per cent slide in Australia's dollar this year.
Emirates, the most accurate at predicting the Aussie over the past four quarters in data compiled by Bloomberg, expects it to fall to 80 US cents by the end of the year as the Reserve Bank focuses on supporting growth while the US Federal Reserve reduces stimulus, according to Tim Fox, Dubai-based chief economist at Emirates.
Second-ranked HSBC is projecting a slide to 86, one cent below the median of 39 year-end forecasts, from 88.9 US cents this morning.
"The biggest driver for the Australian dollar will be the relative stance of monetary policy of the RBA, which will veer towards being dovish, especially when compared to the Fed," Fox said in a January 6. "The domestic economy will remain relatively sluggish due to reduced investment in the mining sector."
Emirates isn't ruling out cuts to Australia's record-low 2.5 per cent benchmark even as traders see a 77 per cent chance the RBA will maintain rates at current levels until at least July.
Saxo Bank, the Aussie's fifth-best forecaster, sees a steeper drop to 75 US cents by December 31, while fourth-ranked Societe Generale predicts a decline to 83.
RBA Governor Glenn Stevens said last month he and his board have maintained an "open mind" on whether they need to cut interest rates further. They have reduced the benchmark by 2.25 percentage points since the beginning of November 2011.
The RBA's accommodative stance comes amid the government's plans to rein in spending after a December forecast that the underlying cash deficit will balloon to $47 billion in the year ending June 30, from a previously projected $30.1 billion.
The economy's expansion slowed in the third quarter to 0.6 per cent from the prior three months, when it rose 0.7 per cent, data showed December 4.
"Growth should only show a modest pick-up, but with signs of rebalancing in coming quarters as non-mining aspects of the economy benefit from low interest rates," David Bloom, London-based global head of currency strategy at HSBC, said. "A lower Australian dollar is at the heart of the success of this rebalancing."
HSBC topped the previous rankings for the four quarters to September 30, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Even after the Aussie's 14 per cent slide against the US dollar last year, the biggest annual decline since 2008, it remains 24 per cent overvalued, according to Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development estimates.


text:
Group chat and conference callsWednesday, July 23rd, 2008
We've just sent out our first newsletter – if you received it, please get in touch with any feedback or suggestions.
The most popular article has proven to be our 'how to' guide on group chat and conference calling. We've picked up in recent user testing that our conference calling feature is not as prominent as it should be in the Yuuguu application, so we will be addressing that in the near future.


text:
In an earlier post about native application installers, I mentioned that implementing an updating mechanism for applications that use this deployment option is currently an exercise for the user, as the updater framework included in the AIR SDK does not support native application installers.
Fortunately, Adobe Platform Evangelist Piotr Walczyszyn has written just such a framework. If you are adopting native application installers, it's worth a look.
With respect to my earlier comments about securing these updates, it's worth noting that secure use of Piotr's framework currently requires hosting HTTPS downloads for the installers.


text:
With the passage of time and passage from one place to another, the family who came before us, weaves a story that is rich with history. Pieces of our family's story resides in us and tells us who we.
Genealogical Research Services
It's Family Passages' goal to connect you with the family who came before you by designing research projects to meet your objectives; providing efficient, accurate, well reasoned research, with easy to understand reports; and giving you value for your money.
We can help you build your family tree, whether you want to:
- consult with us and do the research yourself;
- get past a brick wall in your own research; or
- have us do the research for you.
Family Passages specializes in Oregon and Southwest Washington genealogical research.
If you are interested in research from other parts of the country, we may still be able to do it or refer you to other professionals.
Feel free to ask and we will let you know what we can do to help.


text:
Many investors fear that the Fed's impending exit from QE2 will have a very damaging effect on the financial markets. Whether they are right will depend on the nature of the exit, and its impact on bond yields. Read more
© The Financial Times Ltd 2016 FT and 'Financial Times' are trademarks of The Financial Times Ltd.


text:
New books in Bailey/HoweThursday, August 21st, 2014
These works can be found on our New Book shelf in Bailey/Howe, an ever-rotating sampling of things we're adding to our collection. You can also review all our newest books online, and subscribe via RSS to receive alerts about acquisitions, by discipline.
The gay essay by Anthony Friedkin ; [edited by] Julian Cox
"For more than forty years, American photographer Anthony Friedkin (b. 1949), creating full-frame black-and-white images, has documented people, cities, and landscapes primarily in his home state of California. During the culturally tumultuous years of 1969 and 1970, Friedkin made a series of photographs that together offer an eloquent and expressive visual chronicle of the gay communities of Los Angeles and San Francisco at the time. This is the first book to explore the series, titled The Gay Essay, in depth, within the broader historical context that gave rise to it." –Publishers information
Last stories and other stories by William T. Vollmann
"Creatively sourced, boldly imagined, and incandescently written supernatural stories. . .Throughout this ingeniously fabulist, erotic, musing, and satirical treasury, Vollmann gives monstrous and alluring form to the forces that haunt us, from desire and love to regret and loss, as he contemplates with ardor, sorrow, bemusement, and wonder the beauty and terror of life and death and the vast mystery of the hereafter." –ALA Booklist
Cambrian ocean world : ancient sea life of North America by John Foster
"This volume, aimed at the general reader, presents life and times of the amazing animals that inhabited Earth more than 500 million years ago. The Cambrian Period was a critical time in Earth's history. During this immense span of time nearly every modern group of animals appeared…The evidence of this Cambrian 'explosion' is preserved in rocks all over the world, including North America, where the seemingly strange animals of the period are preserved in exquisite detail in deposits such as the Burgess Shale in British Columbia. Cambrian Ocean World tells the story of what is, for us, the most important period in our planet's long history." –Publisher's information


text:
This Forum has been archivedVisit the new Forums
|Forums: Index → Narutopedia Discussion → Irc chat room
Note: This topic has been unedited for 3662 days. It is considered archived - the discussion is over. Do not add to unless it really needs a response.
i think that there should be a irc channel about the naruto wikia page
Rpspartin 14:51, 10 August 2007 (UTC)
- Normally wiki don't register their own IRC channel until they are highly active. The WGEP has a IRC Channel for all of the wiki in the project. Everyone from any wiki in the project is welcome there. And the idea is that as certain series start to get more active in that channel we'll register more IRC channels for the other series. Feel free to join us on freenode in #GraphicalEntertainment. When I get the Message bot finished, a link to information about that channel will be put in the sidebar. ~NOTASTAFF Daniel Friesen (DanTMan, Nadir Seen Fire) (talk) current discussion Aug 10, 2007 @ 22:50 (UTC)


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Description from manager
Description from manager
More Property Details
Book this 3 bedroom apartment in Destin today! A total of 8 people can sleep here comfortably.
Guests can enjoy a pool, parking space, and internet access among other amenities offered by this rental.
No travelers have shared a review of this property yet.
Costs vary, with the average weekly rate as low as $1325 to as high as $3850, depending on travel dates.
The manager responds to 100% of inquiries and last updated the property's calendar Jul 10, 2017, so this rental may not be available for your requested dates, but please inquire to confirm.
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About the manager
About the manager
Compass Resorts
Compass Resorts
- Response rate:
- 100%
- Calendar last updated:
- 10 Jul 2017
- Overall rating:
Languages spoken: English
Proximity to TripAdvisor's Top Destin Attractions
Phone / Internet
- Wireless Internet
Pool / Spa
- Jacuzzi or hot tub
- Shared outdoor pool (unheated)
Property Features
- Parking
- Waterfront
- Children
- Pets
- Smoking allowed
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text:
AFD operates in more than 70 countries worldwide.
A range of financing tools for development that meets the needs of developing countries.
AFD grants go to projects being carried out in the least developed countries.
to banks providing loans to SMEs, thus limiting their risks.
C2Ds refinance existing ODA debt through direct grants to the debtor country.
AFD's subsidiary, Proparco, has a specialized team working to invest capital in businesses.
The research topics cover a wide range of fields dictated by international debates. AFD establishes an annual programming, in line with French priorities.


text:
• hangover •
Pronunciation: hæng-o-vêr • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: 1. Something or someone left over from a prior time period; a vestige, a holdover, a leftover, a remnant. 2. The unpleasant effects of overdrinking the night before or a short period before, a katzenjammer.
Notes: Today's word is an interesting bit of evidence of the importance of word order in language: an overhang is quite a different thing from a hangover. The only derivation ever tried for this word is hangoverish reported in 1939. The word currently appears only 5,350 times on the Web, mostly in dictionaries.
In Play: First things first: "This dorm must be a hangover from an old insane asylum!" The second meaning was derived from the first by means of narrowing to a strictly pejorative sense: "I had such a hangover from the party last night that I think I might have flunked the chemistry exam."
Word History: Today's Good Word is obviously a compound comprising hang + over. Hang, the verb, is related to Hittite gang- "to hang", Sanskrit sankate "wavers", and Latin cunctari "to delay", so the Proto-Indo-European root pervaded the Indo-European languages pretty thoroughly. The original past tense was hanged, but a northern British form, hung, emerged in the 16th century as the past participle, then moved on to take over as the past tense form. Hanged remained only in the legal sense, legalese being more conservative than the general language. Stonehenge originally meant "stone gallows", presumably from the resemblance to gallows of the three-piece ensembles.


text:
Diane Kruger and Hailee Steinfeld brought their Hollywood star power to the Chanel Spring/Summer 2013 Haute Couture fashion show in Paris earlier today. Karl Lagerfeld's longtime friend Diane, who flew to Paris after celebrating the San Francisco 49ers' win in Vancouver, wore head-to-toe Chanel to the event. Meanwhile, Hailee wore a Chanel cardigan and Christian Louboutin heels. Other celebrities who turned out included stylish girls like Rita Ora, Clémence Poésy, and the singer Grimes. Click through for a look at the fashionable front row and be sure to check out the full Chanel Spring 2013 Couture fashion show.
Image Source: Getty


text:
I'm doing a feasibility study for an accommodation booking database. I have two tables as shown below (there are some other fields in the 'rooms' table, which I've omitted here).
In my prototype database I have just 15 rooms. The bookings table contains many entries (about 210, covering January 2013 only), each linking a specific room to a date when it is booked. The partial 'bookings' table looks like this:
room_id book_date
2043.01 01/01/2013
2043.01 03/01/2013
2043.01 06/01/2013
2043.01 07/01/2013
2043.01 14/01/2013
2043.01 20/01/2013
2043.01 21/01/2013
2043.01 22/01/2013
2043.01 23/01/2013
2043.01 24/01/2013
2043.01 26/01/2013
2043.01 29/01/2013
2043.01 30/01/2013
2043.01 31/01/2013
2043.02 01/01/2013
2043.02 03/01/2013
2043.02 07/01/2013
2043.02 19/01/2013
2043.02 21/01/2013
I can readily find out which rooms are booked on a certain date with a query like this:
SELECT r.room_id FROM `rooms` AS r INNER JOIN `bookings` AS b ON r.room_id = b.room_id WHERE b.book_date = '2013-01-14'
But I haven't yet found a way to determine which rooms are NOT booked, via a single query. Using something like
WHERE book_date != '2013-01-14'
selects all the rooms, because they all have at least one booking which is not on that date.Having found the booked rooms I could get the free ones by subtraction, but surely there's a better way ?Eventually I need to find rooms that are free for several consecutive days.
Can anyone help, please ?
SELECT r.room_id
FROM rooms AS r
LEFT OUTER
JOIN bookings AS b
ON b.room_id = r.room_id
AND b.book_date = '2013-01-14'
WHERE b.room_id IS NULL
@ramasaig ;, I'd try to keep these questions in your original post so that people can see the start to finish problems you've had. http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?933815-Problem-with-array_intersect-when-some-parameters-may-not-exist
Kyle, I understand why you say that, but this was a pure SQL question, and I felt it would be better here. Your help yesterday is much appreciated, and with Rudy's input I really feel I'm on track now.
Thank you, Rudy, it works a treat (of course).Now I need to make it work so that I can find rooms that are available for several days. I'll try to work out how to do that myself, but I may be back if stuck.I'll also read up about Joins in my PDF copy of 'SimplySQL'. I didn't find it until I went to the Index (which I should have done sooner, of course). Give me a printed book every time.
one key factor is how you propose to register bookings for a room for multiple days
looks like you might be set up to insert one row per day
another option is one row with a start date and end date
any thoughts on how you prefer to do it?
Interesting concept, how would you handle ensuring no cross bookings?
Good question ! I'm learning on the job here, as this is much the most complicated thing I've ever tried in MySQL.As you say, the table is currently set up for one row per day. That's a by-product of the PHP script I wrote to convert a spread-sheet style table (with date columns like a calendar) into the present 'bookings' table.
If it can be done without introducing additional complications I'd actually prefer a table with start date and number of days (nights).In my experience (my wife and I run a B&B) most prospective guests plan to come on (say) Monday 10th and stay three nights rather than come on 10th and leave on 13th. All comes to the same thing, of course.
Second choice would be Start date and end date.
start date and end date actually make for fairly easy querying for availability
there are several previous threads here on overlapping date ranges, for example --http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=733001http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=664040
Thanks, Rudy, I'll follow those up.
As discussed above I've amended my 'bookings' table to show start and end dates for bookings and created a 'Select' statement that successfully finds rooms that DO NOT have a booking starting or ending between two dates.
SELECT r.room_id
FROM rooms AS r
LEFT OUTER JOIN bookings2 AS b
ON r.room_id = b.room_id
AND (b.start_date BETWEEN '2013-01-14' AND '2013-01-16')
AND (b.end_date BETWEEN '2013-01-14' AND '2013-01-16')
WHERE b.room_id is NULL
Unfortunately this can't cope with bookings that start before and end after the chosen dates. (Perhaps that's what you meant by 'crossover bookings', Kyle ?). For example a room booked from '2013-01-12' to '2013-01-18' (six nights) would appear vacant to this search.
I can't at present see any alternative to reverting to the earlier table which showed every booked date. I'll have to add a 'booking_id' column that would tie a group of dates together as one booking, otherwise they'll all look like single-night bookings. This ID would not be unique in this table, but there'll be another table 'booking_info' (say) where further details of each booking would be contained in one record under the same 'booking_id'.
Since writing the above I have tried:
SELECT r.room_id
FROM rooms AS r
LEFT OUTER JOIN bookings2 AS b
ON r.room_id = b.room_id
AND (b.start_date BETWEEN '2013-01-14' AND '2013-01-17'
OR (b.start_date < '2013-01-14' AND b.end_date > '2013-01-17'))
WHERE b.room_id is NULL
which (on first test) seems to work.
This isn't correct, I'll have to revisit this later today though.
the approach that i use, described in threads i linked to in post #9 above, searches for overlap like this --
'2013-01-14' '2013-01-16'
| |
1 start_date---end_date | |
| |
2 start_date--|--end_date |
| |
3 | start_date---end_date |
| |
4 start_date--|-------------------------|--end_date
| |
5 | start_date--|--end_date
| |
6 | | start_date---end_date
SELECT r.room_id
FROM rooms AS r
JOIN bookings2 AS b
ON b.room_id = r.room_id
AND b.end_date >= '2013-01-14' /* eliminates case 1 */
AND b.start_date <= '2013-01-16' /* eliminates case 6 */
because it's an inner join, this query retrieves all rooms which have an overlap booking
thus, you can assign any of the rooms not listed for the requested date range
Thank you, Rudy.
I did follow up your links, and looked hard at the one like you are quoting above. It was that which gave me the idea for my SELECT statement in post #13, which is working OK for me so far, but I accept needs further testing in case my current results are atypical (due to particular choice of dates/bookings in my test 'bookings2' table). Looking at it again, it seems it may not be dealing with case 2, although the statement in post #11 should have done. I need to revisit my test data and ensure all cases are present.
I think it's best that I spend some time digesting what I've got so far, and ensuring that I fully understand it. If I can't arrive at something that works under all conditions, I'll be back.
Thanks very much for your help to date.
Hello Rudy, I thought I should report back and say that I've found the following works as far as I can see:
'2013-01-14' '2013-01-16'
| |
1 start_date---end_date | |
| |
2 start_date--|--end_date |
| |
3 | start_date---end_date |
| |
4 start_date--|-------------------------|--end_date
| |
5 | start_date--|--end_date
| |
6 | | start_date---end_date
SELECT r.room_id
FROM rooms3 AS r
LEFT OUTER JOIN bookings3 AS b
ON r.room_id = b.room_id
AND (b.start_date BETWEEN '2013-01-14' AND '2013-01-15' /* Finds case 3 & 5 */
OR b.end_date BETWEEN '2013-01-14' AND '2013-01-15' /* Finds case 2 & 3 */
OR (b.start_date < '2013-01-14' AND b.end_date > '2013-01-15')) /* Finds case 4 */
WHERE r.rm_type = 'dbl' AND b.room_id is NULL /* Inverts result */
/* cases 1 & 6 do not need to be found */
There were flaws in my earlier attempts. I have tested with a larger database than before, and it seems to give reliable results. In the particular case above I've isolated all the relevant bookings for all the properties, by hand, to show that only the correct ones were found (and none omitted).
Because the bookings are for night-time accommodation, it is possible for a new booking to start on the same day as the previous guests depart. I found it easier to define 'end_date' as the previous day (i.e. 'last_night') than to work out where to add or subtract 1 from the variables. So the search above is for two nights accommodation in a double room.
Thank you for your help.
your re-write of the logic seems to be overkill
the query i gave you will find all cases 2 through 5 rather simply (as compared to your various ORs)
just use LEFT OUTER JOIN with IS NULL to reverse it
SELECT r.room_id
FROM rooms AS r
JOIN bookings2 AS b
ON b.room_id = r.room_id
AND b.end_date >= '2013-01-14' /* eliminates case 1 */
AND b.start_date <= '2013-01-16' /* eliminates case 6 */
WHERE r.rm_type = 'dbl'
AND b.room_id is NULL
Hello Rudy,
Thank you. Your code is certainly simpler. When I read it previously I got it into my head that it would only pick up the 'booked' rooms, so that there wouldn't be any NULL results to reverse to. However, I've tried it, and it certainly picks up the NULL rooms.
Something's still nagging at me, though. What happens if a room doesn't yet have any bookings (at any point in the year) ? I worry it won't get picked up. Perhaps there are two new 'cases'. Case 0 where there are no bookings before, and case 7 where there are no bookings after. This condition is likely when setting up for another year (2014, 2015) where as yet there are no bookings.
My test 'bookings' table was constructed 'sort-of' randomly. Random first booked date in the year (within Jan-Mar), followed by random length (up to 7 nights, biased towards 2 or 3) followed by random 'gap' to next booking (0-7) and so on, with random cut-off date towards the year-end (within Oct-Dec). What it did NOT do was to omit any rooms, so there won't actually be any with no bookings. I need to correct that and do some more testing.
This also raises the question of how I run the booking system seamlessly over a year-end. But I think I'll leave that until I've sorted the current issue. Tourism on Mull is a seasonal business, and mostly occurs April-September, though there are always exceptions. And of course there are other places in the world.
Following my concerns above, I have deliberately removed one room from the bookings table, and run both 'your' code and 'mine' on the resulting data set. The results are identical. The room is included. So I need not have worried.
Given that your version is simpler, it would be silly not to use it. The discussion has much improved my understanding of JOINS. I need to write a hundred lines: "A LEFT OUTER JOIN returns all the rows from the LEFT table".
Thank you for all your help.


text:
The 46 per cent first-day pop in Dunkin' Donuts shares in its initial public offering in New York made the company look like an internet wonder. It has also brought back memories of the disastrous Krispy Kreme IPO in 2000.
Krispy Kreme, for those who do not recall, was a high-flying stock in the early 2000s before accounting difficulties and mismanagement brought the shares crashing down again. At the time, it was hailed as a solid alternative to internet stocks.
This, for example, was Andy Serwer's conclusion in Fortune in 2003:
Unless the fat police run riot across this land, Krispy Kreme is here to stay. It isn't some fly-by-night dot-com. There's 66 years of history here. It's a product that people not only love but understand. (Quick, what does InfoSpace do?) The world is always filled with unknowns, never more so than right now. With all that's wrong out there, sometimes it's easy to lose focus on the big picture. So take a second and ask yourself: Is the American dream still alive? Is Krispy Kreme for real? Don't bet against it.