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Revisionist history is usually spoken about in negative terms. But in the economics world, it happens all the time. And this week will probably present be a more dramatic example than usual.
GDP revision
The government on Thursday is scheduled to release the revised estimate of gross domestic product for the fourth quarter of 2012. When the initial GDP reading was released about a month ago, it showed a shocking decline of 0.1 percent. It was almost immediately dismissed by economists who said it wouldn't stand when further data were released. The revision is due at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time.
Economist Robert Brusca, with Fact and Opinion Economics, explains it this way: "Subsequent to the GDP release, another unexpected development -- a sharp reduction in the U.S. trade deficit in December -- will breathe life back into GDP when it is revised." As a result, Brusca predicts "the revision should push GDP growth back into positive territory for the fourth quarter."
Don't look for an "off-to-the-races" stock market rally when and if that upward revision is released. As Brusca puts it, "Markets are prepared to put that unpleasant experience behind them and they look forward to seeing positive GDP growth in the upcoming revision."
Consumer Confidence Index
Also this week, The Conference Board is set to release its Consumer Confidence Index at 10 a.m. Tuesday (all times eastern). Economist Jeffrey Rosen of Briefing.com is looking for better news there, too, even if it might not hold up in the longer term. In January, the index fell 8 points to 58.6, erasing all of the gains seen in 2012. Some of that was blamed on the rollback of the payroll tax cut, part of the economic winds swirling around the "fiscal cliff."
Says Rosen: "Confidence likely improved in February as higher equity prices offset the negative effects of higher gasoline prices." But he says the same problems may come back to haunt consumers and the broader economy. "Unless Congress can come to an agreement and delay the sequestration that begins on March 1, a cutback in government services will wreak havoc on confidence."
Another gauge of how the consumer is doing will be seen in the monthly sales figures released Friday by auto manufacturers. Automotive information provider Edmunds.com predicts total new-car and truck sales will be up nearly 15 percent from January and up more than 4 percent from February 2012. It cites as positive factors "pent-up demand and widespread access to credit." If those figures are right, they would seem to run counter to the notion of dampened consumer confidence.
Other key figures due out during the week include new home sales (10 a.m. Tuesday) and the Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index (10 a.m. Friday).
This week in history
There was a time in our history where mass media wasn't anything like it is today, a time when instant connectivity wasn't available or even conceivable.
But a milestone on the way to the adoption of current-day technology occurred March 1, 1893, when Nikola Tesla is said to have given the first public demonstration of the principles of radio, in St. Louis. Commercial radio began to take hold in the U.S. in the 1920s and then the popular adoption of television, of course, came decades after that.


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New World Man
A mass of contradictions wrapped in an enigma, businessman/impresario/bon vivante David Tang seems singularly poised to deal with whatever Hong Kong's future brings.
(continued from page 3)
However, among this Armani-ed elite, there is often one lone figure who is as visually out of place as the handful of rickshaw pullers across the square who wait for gullible tourists at the Star Ferry. Clad in a high-collared Chinese scholar's gown or a traditional silk jacket with pajama-like trousers and cloth slippers, clutching an enormous Cuban Cohiba like a scepter, he appears like someone out of a time warp. Actually, he is David Wing-cheung Tang (known to his foreign friends as Tango), 42-year-old businessman, culture vulture, social moth and the China Club's grand progenitor.
As one of Hong Kong's best known public figures, Tang is playing an unusual role in defining a new identity for young Chinese who are emerging as leaders of this Crown colony as it heads towards its hour of reckoning on July 1, the date on which Hong Kong, after 155 years of British imperial rule, will become a sovereign part of the People's Republic of China. But tonight, as liveried Jaguars and Mercedes drop their charges off outside the China Club for one of the many salon-style events at which Tang holds court as he tirelessly schmoozes with the colony's haute monde and globe-trotting celebrities, the approaching hour of Hong Kong's convergence with the "democratic dictatorship of the proletariat" to the north still seems remote.
Indeed, as soon as one steps out of the elevator into the China Club's 13th-floor lobby, the moment of reversion is all the more unthinkable. Instead of being catapulted into the future, one is plunged into the past--into a meticulously replicated, splendid, 1920s Art Deco environment that hearkens back to the glory days of Shanghai before the Second World War. Here, surrounded by dark wood paneling, a curved staircase sweeping upwards, acres of Tiffany glasswork, marble-topped tables and ceiling fans, David Tang's retrograde sartorial look seems suddenly completely in style.
Tonight, Tang is holding court upstairs in the banquet room. Clad in one of his traditional hand-tailored mandarin silk suits, he might almost be mistaken for some parody of an over-aged Chinese houseboy--except that he is waving his ever-present cigar and introducing guests to each other with manic enthusiasm (never mind if he doesn't get all the names quite right)--in short, presiding over the party with Proustian aplomb. Has writer Jan Morris (who has just updated her classic book on Hong Kong) met Jung Chang (author of Wild Swans)? Has international celebrity and fashion maven Diane Von Furstenberg (who has just arrived on a tour) met tonight's pianist, Brenda Lucas Ogdon? Tang is a gale force of networking energy--a veritable Chinese Pearl Mesta.
At first glance it is tempting to view the China Club as just another celebrity watering hole and Tang as an almost comical throwback to a bygone era. In actuality, the China Club is a much more interesting place and David Tang a far more complex and fascinating figure than such a superficial view might suggest. The club has become a roundhouse for all the forces that are shaping Hong Kong and Asia, while Tang himself has become both a symbol of and a catalyst for a newly evolving Chinese identity. As Andrew Higgins, Hong Kong correspondent for the British paper, The Guardian, only half jokingly put it, "Tang is much more interesting than he pretends to be."
"He's one of those rare people who cheers the world up," says Hong Kong Gov. Chris Patten. "Life and Hong Kong would be much poorer without him."
Indeed, watching the bonhomie with which Tang mixes among the evening's guests from within his own little atmospheric haze of cigar smoke that invariably surrounds him, there is no doubt that he and his club are at the center of a social hot spot. But what makes Tang so interesting is not just that he is socially ambitious or successful in business--which is nothing special in Hong Kong--but that he is also a polymath who dabbles in culture and politics as well. As such, he is playing a fascinating role in helping to fashion a new syncretic identity for both Hong Kong and China's up-and-coming generation. It is an identity that borrows randomly--and sometimes flamboyantly--from both East and West, as well as the past and present, and that does not shrink back from pop culture and commercialization.
One of his signature emblems is an omnipresent Cohiba, an interesting story in itself. Tang is the chairman of the Pacific Cigar Co. Ltd. (which controls the Cuban cigar franchise for Canada and the whole Asia/Pacific region) and the owner of the Cigar Divan, a shop dedicated entirely to Cuban cigars, located in the lobby of the classically elegant Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Tang tells me that he became acquainted with cigars after he got into university in England. "My father gave me a Romeo y Julieta in a tin tube and told me, 'Now you're a man,' " he recalls fondly. "So, naturally I smoked it, and because it was so mild, I thought I could take on any large cigar." He laughs. "Anyway, I became hooked and became a passionate cigar smoker."
And how did he come to be the purveyor of cigars to Asia?
"Ah! That's another story," he says with a snort of laughter. "Years later, back in Hong Kong, I heard that there was a row between Davidoff and Cuba and I thought there might be an opportunity there and ended up getting the Cuban cigar franchise for Asia, that had been going nowhere. Then I went to Havana and ultimately opened the Cigar Divan at the Mandarin Oriental."
This small shop tucked behind the elevators is far more than a cigar stand. It is a stunningly appointed little grotto, manned by knowledgeable clerks, with couches and chairs where cigar aficionados can gather to talk, read periodicals, discuss cigar kultur and, of course, smoke a nice Upmann, Montecristo or Partagas. The Divan infuses the lobby of the Mandarin with a subtle but tantalizingly rich aroma of the best cigars in the world, giving this already august hotel all the more the feeling of being the place in Hong Kong where true club-going English gentlemen convene when "in the Orient."
"When we opened in l992, we only had about 10 customers a day," manager Teddy Liam says. "Now we get about 120 people coming in every day. I think it's the influence of all the Hollywood movie stars smoking cigars. Anyway, we can't keep enough stock to supply everyone, especially Cohibas."
That there is a scarcity despite the fact that Tang's "allocation" from Cuba has tripled since last year gives a suggestion of the booming popularity of cigars in Hong Kong. Indeed, one can hardly find a hotel lobby, pub or restaurant where someone is not smoking a fat cigar these days. Tang says that the Cigar Divan has been so successful that he is now spreading his cigar gospel across Asia by opening branches in the Mandarin Oriental hotels in Bangkok, Djakarta and Singapore.
When I last spoke with Tang, he had just returned from a lavish cigar fest in Havana given by Fidel Castro and celebrating the Cohiba, once the Cuban president's own brand (see related story on page 138). "At dinner, Castro got up and gave a long speech covering everything from why he threw the party to why he gave up cigars," mused Tang. Then as if he were feeling Castro's pain for having given up this once chronic vice, he added, "What a pity it is that Clinton can't enjoy a nice Havana!"
Tang has also opened a department store--Shanghai Tang--which sells contemporary chinoiserie, all of which is made in China. His specialities--which some have dubbed "nostal-chic" or "Mao-chic"--include the traditional-style silk suits he himself wears (advertised as "Tang suits"), lime green and bright red velvet Mao jackets, velvet Mao caps, sweatshirts with PRC flags emblazoned on the fronts in various colors, Day-Glo-hued cashmere sweaters, Mao wristwatches, Peoples Liberation Army knives, Mao and Whitney Houston place mats, and Cultural Revolution T-shirts, all purveyed by Chinese clerks in traditional garb in gaudy contemporary colors. His intention, claims Tang, is to create "the first recognizable Chinese brand" (billed as "the emperor's new clothes") and to market it globally in order "to glorify China" and "bring its traditions the recognition they deserve."
Perhaps Tang's most important accomplishments, however, are not his commercial ventures, but the way the collectivity of his activities has begun to articulate a sense of self-confident, indigenous Chinese style that has also, surprisingly enough, begun to seize the international imagination. For instance, almost no visiting foreign "player" feels quite complete now unless his trip to Hong Kong includes a meal at the China Club. What is so new about the club is that it is an oasis where Chinese and Western sensibilities merge as equals. Although such a cultural synthesis has been long dreamed about by Chinese intellectuals and reformers who have chafed under China's inferiority before Western technological and commercial dominance, it has never before been accomplished quite so successfully. What is distinctive about Tang is that he is one of the few Asians in Asia who seem to genuinely feel comfortable on both sides of the East-West divide.
One could go so far as to say that until Chinese in general reacquire such a convincing new sense of cultural identity and self-worth, they will continue to lack the self-confidence that is so essential in overcoming the historical inferiority complex growing out of the last century and a half of unequal relations with the West.
In many ways David Tang is an unlikely figure to be straddling this fault line between East and West, much less to be brokering between China's post-modern Marxist-Leninist regime and neo-colonial Britain as this remnant colony counts down the days to reversion. Tang is a large, bear-like man with a ruddy face and a somewhat rumpled countenance whose patrician manner, enjoyment of the good life and disarmingly easygoing (if sometimes distracted) manner have won him many influential friends.
Born in Hong Kong into a wealthy family on Aug. 2, 1954, David Tang was sent to Britain at age 13 for schooling. Unable to speak English, he was refused admission at Eton and Harrow and instead ended up at the Perse School in Cambridge, where he was the only Chinese boy in residence. "I was so lonely in England because I had such a language problem," he recalls. "Always I had a sense of how alien I was. The struggle gave me a huge complex, but it did plunge me into reading, music and chess as an escape."
Tang later studied philosophy at King's College, London University, and then law at the University's College of Law. While in England, he not only learned to speak a flawless Oxbridge English that is every bit as arch as that of the royals, but picked up many of the affectations of a latter-day British gentleman. Indeed, when Tang switches suddenly from English to his native Cantonese (which to Western ears can sound like so many angry ducks quacking), he creates a feeling of supreme cognitive dissonance. But the contrast is a perfect emblem of the contradictory sides of David Tang's hybrid personality and the myriad different projects and businesses in which he has involved himself. He is chairman of The China Club Ltd., Shanghai Tang Department Store Ltd., D.W.C. Tang Development Ltd. and the Pacific Cigar Co. He is managing director of Cluff Investments & Trading Ltd. and the China Investment Fund, and a member of endless other corporate boards. But he is also a pianist of some accomplishment; has dabbled in teaching philosophy at Beijing University; is an art dealer of wide repute and co-owner of Hong Kong's foremost contemporary art gallery, Hanart TZ; and, as honorary consul for Cuba in Hong Kong and a renowned mingler with itinerant members of the international foreign policy establishment, is even a diplomat of sorts.
As the night's chummy gathering progresses under Tang's watchful eye, a flotilla of waiters stand at attention in a mutant form of white Mao suit with red PLA patches on the collars and yellow stars on the lapels, part of the tongue-in-cheek, neo-Big Leader fashion trend that Tang has created, gently spoofing Chinese communist kultur. "I'd dress them much more outrageously," he whispers, "but you know I'm always walking a fine line with the Chinese."
What makes Tang such a social as well as political and economic cement mixer is that his China Club includes not only local Chinese and ex-pats as members, but also an increasing number of Party officials and Mainland businessmen who have been moving into the colony from across the border. The fact that Tang's signature is an indelibly capitalist emblem seems not to bother these latter-day socialists. In fact, among the wealth of celebrity photos on display in the lobby are shots both of Zhou Nan, the head of Xin Hua, the New China News Agency (China's unofficial "embassy" in Hong Kong), and British Vice Premier Michael Hesseltine, who were present for the club's opening in l991. Then, for the club's third anniversary, Tang had two banquets, one for Governor Patten, the Brits and those friends who are not China boosters, and one for Zhang Junsheng, deputy director of Xin Hua, and the pro-China crowd. "That's David Tang playing both sides," says the Times of London Asia editor Jonathan Mirsky. "And he's fantastic at it. He must be the most socially inclusive and visible person in Hong Kong." Whether it involves Princess Di, the Duchess of York, financier Jimmy Goldsmith and intellectual Isiah Berlin, or Oliver Stone, Fidel Castro, Richard Gere, Deng Xiaoping and his artist daughter, Deng Lin, it seems that no social or political contradiction is too antagonistic for Tang's embrace. Tang once told an interviewer that he even had an ambition to get the Prince of Wales and Deng Xiaoping together. Alas, that task will now have to wait for eternity.
What is telling is that Tang can even imagine embracing aspects of these two once so different universes. "When I was growing up here in Hong Kong, it seemed as if Beijing was six thousand miles away," says Tang when asked about his childhood in Hong Kong. "We looked to London, not Beijing, and I can remember my grandfather, who was a pillar of Hong Kong society, being almost unctuous toward the British administration here." (With a wry laugh Tang later says that he can still remember how, during the Cultural Revolution, Communist Bank of China officials used to stand with bullhorns on the very balcony now occupied by the China Club and "shout down to incite the people below to attack the Brits, the foreign devils.") "But now Beijing is just across the border, l997 is upon us, things are changing and I like to imagine myself as a kind of broker between China and the West."
After coffee and cigars (also offered to the women) Tang rises from his chair at the head of the table and, like a potentate of a small country addressing his subjects, introduces the evening's program of Bach, Schumann, Chopin and Gershwin. Tang takes great delight in his role as cultural impresario. Indeed, what has made the China Club such a mecca for Hong Kong movers and shakers is its promise of being more than just a place to do business. It not only hosts recitals, but occasional literary and poetry readings as well and it contains an impressive art gallery. "The club offers just enough of a patina of culture, politics and celebrity allure to be enticing without being overwhelming," comments one thirtysomething member who is in the satellite television business. Nothing, however, is taken overly seriously. After all, how serious about "culture" can businessmen who make their millions in real estate or the garment trade be while making deals surrounded by vases of peacock feathers and woodcuts of model PLA soldiers in the Long March Bar?
"A bit of culture," Tang pronounces with a regal wave of his Cohiba. "Somebody has to keep a little culture going around here, don't you know. And I really like to do this sort of thing. Never mind if only a handful come, I like to do it anyway." He winks and takes a satisfied drag on his cigar. Then wagging an admonishing forefinger, he adds, "But no more than an hour for the music, because anything longer than that here in Hong Kong is too long."
If China Club members have a limited tolerance for classical music--and probably for Tang's deeper thoughts as well--most seem to enjoy the spectacular exhibition of contemporary Chinese art that hangs everywhere in the club. Put together with Johnson Tsong-Zung Chang, a brilliant curator with whom Tang owns the Hanart TZ Gallery downstairs, the 350 works in the China Club's collection consist not only of original paintings for old Maoist posters, campy socialist realist oils of the "Dear Leader" school of art and kitschy Communist bric-a-brac, but an extensive collection of post-Mao avant-garde paintings that mine the iconography of China's revolution and the dark side of Mao's megalomania in an ironic way that manages to be both oblique and affecting.
Among the best-known paintings is a Yu Youhan version of Mao attired in a floral Laura Ashley Mao suit, Wang Guangyi's militant worker heroes saluting a Tang breakfast drink logo, Yu Youhan's Chairman Mao and Whitney Houston, and a marvelous high-camp ceramic sculpture of Mao surrounded by stereotypes of adoring Third World revolutionary compatriots: a Mexican in a sombrero, an African woman in a nappy, an Albanian in regulation oppressed-peasant overalls, an Arab in a kafir and a Red Guard girl ardently hugging Mao's arm. Everyone is, of course, smiling deliriously with socialist intoxication.
The presence of this extraordinary collection makes the China Club more than just a clever replication of old Shanghai for young culturally defoliated businessmen in search of ersatz atmosphere. The fact that Tang has done so much to introduce China's new wave of iconoclastic artists to the outside world puts him on the cultural cutting edge and gives the China Club an air of being authentic, something that is rare in this international city where so much is borrowed and simulated from elsewhere.
"I created the China Club to be the kind of place I'd like to go to myself," Tang says. "Maybe for most it's just a kind of museum where they can eat and hold events, but I think that everyone feels somehow proud to be associated with it"--proud enough to remain on a long waiting list and then pay a $25,000 membership fee (corporate fees are $55,000) for the privilege of joining. Tang and his co-owner, T.T. Tsui, claim to have already earned nearly $30 million in memberships.
What is so unprecedented about the vortex of energy and activity that swirls around Tang and the China Club is that until its opening in l991, there was little socializing between Chinese and the British/ex-pat community in Hong Kong. There had been even less between Hong Kong residents and Mainlanders who were known mostly for their Maoist rhetoric, badly cut suits and social ineptitude. But through Tang's style of celebrity matchmaking between East and West, this three-way divide has started to be bridged. By doing more and more business and traveling on both sides of the border, a new generation of Chinese that views itself not so much as being from Hong Kong or Shanghai but as being just "Chinese" is coming to the fore. To be around Tang on this widening but still narrow littoral, where these once dissimilar and separate worlds have started to overlap, is to be in a new world.
And how do comrades from Beijing take to his cigars? "Well, yes," Tang says with an upper-class English harrumph. "Cigars are truly the greatest symbols of big capitalists, aren't they? I wouldn't think party leaders in Beijing would ever be caught dead with one in their hands. To see a Communist with a big fat corona or robusto would be a bit surreal, wouldn't it!"
Despite the many obvious differences in the way people live, think and are governed on each side of the border, Chinese on both sides are collectively searching for cultural roots in a process that has begun to evince a new nationalist pride. That this growing sense of "Chinese-ness" has become tinged with patriotism--and not infrequently more than a little arrogance and anti-foreignism--is an aspect of Asia's economic renaissance that has surprised many, especially when it has found expression here in Hong Kong. But as Tang explains, "More and more I have come to view China as my future, just as it is also the future of Hong Kong." In fact, he has just opened another China Club, this one in an old palace courtyard complexin Beijing that was once the Sichuan Restaurant, where he may be able to become more a junzi, a "Confucian gentleman," than a British dandy.
Although David Tang is one of the most highly visible members of that new generation of Chinese that will lead Asia into the next century, and although in many respects he is a very hip and sophisticated man, he also has an emphatically Luddite side. Nowhere is this more obvious than in his views on the electronic revolution. When asked his thoughts about the information highway, he becomes animated, but in an almost self-defensive way.
"It's bad enough to have to drive on highways, much less to have to deal with an information highway," he splutters, as if he finds the very question somehow offensive. "If people want to find things out, they should just go to the library. Even though I love contemporary things, I think old things usually prove to be the best."
When I remind Tang that, like it or not, the electronic information age is upon us and is creating a new frontier, he says, "Well, I think it has had less influence than people think. Three hundred years ago when it took five days to deliver a letter, you had people wanting to read. Now you can instantly talk to anyone and get all kinds of information, but it has made people want to read less. Information has gotten to be like junk mail, and getting e-mail is just like tapping into an aquifer of junk mail. It's overwhelmed us, and the human brain works best when it is not overwhelmed. Only an exceptional person can really master all that information. Ordinary people just get put off and confused."
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Vega wrote:very silly question.
I have the feeling that the person is not even an animal... ^_^ I don't know but I showed and felt love even for/from my dogs.
Vega wrote:very silly question.
Vega wrote:very silly question.
Vega wrote:How can you compare a feeling with a piece of paper or metal?
trescando wrote:You can not compare a feeling with a piece of paper or metal..
justynasta wrote:I can't answer at this question, because I don't know what is love. I've never fallen in love. I hope that I will get to know what is love and then certainly I will reply for this question.
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NEWPORT Gwent Dragons lock Andrew Coombs hailed the perfect weekend after enjoying a superb victory over Glasgow just days after a Test triumph with Wales, writes Chris Kirwan.
The 29-year-old came off the bench in the Six Nations win against France on Friday evening and was at the heart of his region's 24-23 success against the RaboDirect Pro12 title hopefuls at Rodney Parade.
Glasgow led 20-10 after an hour only to be stung by late tries by lock Cory Hill and wing Ross Wardle plus nerveless conversions by full-back Rhys Jones.
"I've never had two wins in a weekend before so it's great," said the lock, who played the full 80 minutes. "We showed great spirit to turn this around.
"We are a stronger team this year and we have experienced players like Richie Rees and Rhys Thomas who know how to win and keep the younger boys going. We performed well and got the result that we deserved."
The seventh-placed Dragons are four points behind the Scarlets and five clear of Cardiff Blues with a game in hand over their foes from the capital.


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Welcome to the Obama States of America, an increasingly bizarre up-is-down realm in which a 2.2 percent spending cut supposedly threatens the nation's health and security but not its ability to dole out free money for home repairs.
The president Friday called the situation "dumb," and he was right.
Of course, he also attempted to blame Republicans – and was wrong.
As the Washington Post's Bob Woodward has reported, Obama has tried to disavow any responsibility for the very thing he created. Woodward – whose reporting during the Watergate scandal helped bring down Richard Nixon – is hardly a Republican stooge. So when he writes that the president and his aides have attempted a Nixonian cover up of their responsibility for the mess they are now trying to exploit, it's a charge that should be taken seriously.
Especially now that Woodward is apparently on the Obama administration's version of Nixon's infamous "enemies list."
According to Woodward, the idea that automatic spending cuts would take effect if a budget deal could not be reached originated not with Republicans or Congress but with former White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew and Obama's congressional relations chief Rob Nabors.
The sequestration bill did indeed pass through Congress with Republican support, and they are only marginally less culpable for the nation's budget mess than Democrats are. But the administration's predictions of dire consequences should sequestration take effect – everything from the release of illegal immigrants to fewer food inspectors to disastrous military cutbacks to the loss of 16,500 health-care jobs in Indiana alone – represented a brazen attempt to force Republicans into accepting tax increases Woodward points out were not part of the original deal.
And for that, Woodward says, he was warned by a top White House aide that he would "regret" his decision to . . . tell the truth.
In fact, it may be the president who most regrets sequestration. Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer points out, a leading opponent of spending cuts has suggested that the worst-case scenario for his position is that "the sequester hits and nothing bad really happens."
In fact, something very good could come out of sequestration: the realization that the federal government really can't do everything for everybody – and shouldn't.
On its face, the doomsday scenario always was ludicrous. The $85 billion sequestration cut essentially forces a government borrowing 35 cents of each dollar it spends to borrow two cents less. In the real world, most of us have already had to cut that much, and more.
This is a crisis? Not so long as Washington can make $15,000 "forgivable" housing loans.
In 2011, the General Accounting Office noted that overlapping or redundant federal agencies – 44 jobs programs, 82 dealing with teacher quality – costs up to $200 billion per year. But, as Krauthammer notes, Americans are warned it is dangerous to cut an annual deficit from $1.33 trillion to $1.24 through spending cuts. Taxes must be increased instead.
It's only "fair," after all.
It is a sin to covet what belongs to others, even if they're rich. And a government that would rather demonize or punish success than cut wasteful or unnecessary programs can get away with it only until people realize that the emperor – or the president – really is naked.
Washington's refusal to make relatively painless, sensible and obviously necessary cuts while threatening to cut programs people actually need is an old trick designed to protect people whose popularity depends on their ability to spend other people's money painlessly.
But as the sequestration debate has revealed, Washington is nothing but one big, fat, slobbering nudist colony. It is not a pretty sight.


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chainsmoker wrote:How well do the Icon Ghosts take tree hits and such?
I'll keep you posted how the Excell Ghosts break in, I think the Gravity Ghosts would break in pretty fast.
By price point Excel is a lower grade plastic than Gravity, and by assumption would it not break in the fastest?
As for Icons, the only thing I have seen has been scuffing. The whites start to turn yellow, like they are being stained by rubbing up against something yellow (this is happening in both my Ghosts and Clutches).


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The Seattle Mariners are close to agreeing to a seven-year, $175 million contract extension with right-hander Felix Hernandez, USA Today reports.
The deal would make Hernandez the game's highest-paid pitcher in terms of average-annual value ($25 million). He currently is under contract for the next two seasons for a total of $39.5 million.
The Mariners continue to downplay the reports, however.
"We've been consistent on this," Tim Hevly, Mariners director of baseball information, told MLB.com on Friday. "No announcement is planned or imminent."
Hernandez, 26, went 13-9 with a 3.06 ERA and 223 strikeouts in 33 starts (232 innings) last season. He also threw a perfect game, striking out 12 batters, against the Tampa Bay Rays in August.
Over his eight-season major league career, the 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner is 98-76 with a 3.22 ERA.
The extension would silence the trade speculation that routinely swirls around Hernandez each summer and offseason. Despite all of the rumors in recent years, Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik has reiterated that the organization has no plans to deal its ace.


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Improved visibility
LETTER PERFECT: The lettering on the community entrance sign on Highway 47 south of McDonald's is much easier to read. Workers from Stoneco Incorporated of Omaha sandblasted and painted the new letters that are over twice as tall as what originally appeared on the sign. Those smaller letters were filled in with patching material colored the same as the sign. It will take about a month for the fill-in material to cure and city officials hope the former lettering will blend with the sign. City administrator Bruce Clymer said the sign committee could consider several different options if the old lettering impressions are still visible.


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Summer Skating - Register on an Intensive 5 day course or try a FREE 30 minute Taster Session
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To find out if ice skating is the sport for you why not register on a fun taster session. The sessions are available for both adults and children.
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Pre booking is essential. Sessions are limited to 10 people, only 1 booking per person.
For further details or to book a course, please call the sales and bookings team on 028 9080 9123/129 or email email@example.com.


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5 Brothers Besides the Harbaughs Who Faced Off For a Championship
Coaching brothers John and Jim Harbaugh are set to square off in the Super Bowl next month when the Ravens and the 49ers meet in the big game. This is every brother's dream, fulfilled; a nationally televised competition to see which brother reigns supreme, fueled by a combination of sibling rivalry and professional glory. It's also not the only time in history that it's happened.


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Kelley Moore
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- Kelley Moore is a lifestyle expert with a simple mission: to inspire and empower people. Kelley has appeared as an entertaining and lifestyle expert on Ellen, The Today Show, The View, Rachael Ray and Tyra Banks and has worked on pilots for A&E, HGTV and The Style Network.
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Lutz gets first big league start in finale
ST. LOUIS -- Reds rookie Donald Lutz, who was called up on Monday from Double-A Pensacola, made his first Major League start in left field and batted seventh in Wednesday's series finale against the Cardinals, going 0-for-4.
Lutz, who replaced the injured Chris Heisey on the roster, grounded out as a pinch-hitter in his debut on Monday.
"It's really to his advantage to be out there early, because they don't know him," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "Unless they called the Minor Leagues and asked if they played against him to get a scouting report."
Baker told Lutz on Tuesday he would be starting the next game.
"The game is the same. Just be yourself," Baker said he told Lutz. "You signed by being yourself. You advanced through the system by being yourself. So be yourself here. Don't try to do more than you're capable of doing. It's counterproductive. Just play the game."
The first German-developed player in the modern Major Leagues, Lutz is the second product of the MLB International European Academy to play a big league game. The first was Alex Liddi, who debuted for the Mariners in 2011.
Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Mark My Word, and follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Peace of Mind
The 85-foot Oh Que Luna is a sure bet for a big, fat, Greek siesta.
Story and Photos by Kim Kavin
It was about 10 p.m. in Portocheli, Greece, when I realized I had succumbed.
Because the wind was kicking up in the Saronic Gulf southwest of Athens, our captain had decided to move the 85-foot Oh Que Luna across the strait for the night, into the harbor of this quaint mainland town. It's not on the typical charter itinerary; it's the kind of secret place locals go to do exactly what the tourists think they're doing in the islands. There are a few shops on the waterfront in Portocheli, but none with the name of the place painted on everything for sale. The tavernas serve real Greek fare, not just the omelets and salads the ferryboat passengers find at each new harbor.
My sister Michelle, a local friend, and I were indulging in a snack of small fried fish served popcorn-style (heads and all) along with a carafe of ouzo, the favored nightcap in Greece. The joint was awash with dark-haired men in polo shirts, all spinning worry beads through their fingers and letting out the occasional whoop toward the soccer game on the rabbit-eared television. I looked down at the skinny stray cats with wide eyes begging for supper on the sidewalk, then looked back up at Michelle. She let out a cavernous yawn.
"No wonder you're tired," I said with utter, ridiculous sincerity. "You didn't get your second nap today."
Our friend laughed and poured another round of ouzo. "It's gotten hold of you," she giggled, raising her shot glass for a toast. "Here's to the Greek sleeping sickness."
I rarely get one nap a day back home, let alone two, but the pace of life is so serene in these warm, sunny islands, it's impossible to cling to American speed.
Here, where simple white houses cascade down the mountainsides and mules still serve as a major form of transportation, existence is more simple. It's more primal. You eat. You sleep. You eat again. You sleep some more. You don't have a drink while waiting to do something else; you have a drink because it is the thing to do. Conversation is the dominant sport. Café is a verb.
And boats are the only chariots to this paradise. From Athens, a city that sprawls like a dusty puddle of short buildings, dozens of ferries and high-speed hydrofoils depart daily for the scenic Saronic Gulf islands. All are within a few hours' cruise, navigable almost by sight, moving at speeds that slacken the farther you get from shore.
It's soothing to become immersed in this dreamy culture, but it's downright decadent to succumb while being pampered aboard Oh Que Luna, one of the finest charter yachts in all of Greece.
Next page > Part 2: All meals are served family style, which allows you to try new things in varying portions. > Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
This article originally appeared in the January 2004 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.


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There is no way to ever say enough about those who have fought in war to protect our country.
There is never any way to express in words the gratitude that we should feel about those who have served in the military - in any way.
Veterans Day is held each November.
Particularly since Sept. 11, 2001, it is gratifying to see the growth of ceremonies held to honor the veterans.
In Bullitt County, there are many more schools hosting events to honor veterans and this is a great message to send.
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Angel head in painted Valgardena wood.
This statue in maple wood is hand made by the Valgardena artisans, following the local artistic tradition.
This is a fine article of high quality.
Also available, upon request, in different finishes; if you need further information please do not hesitate to contact us: we will be happy to help you.
- Model: ST001157
- Shipping Weight: 1Kg
- Materials: Maple wood
- Origin: Italy


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Reducing Risk of Recurrence (RRR)
This study has been completed.
VA Office of Research and Development
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
VA Office of Research and Development
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: May 10, 2010
Last updated: August 26, 2016
Last verified: August 2016
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- Study Results
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Detailed Description:
Adults who have had a previous stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) remain at risk for having a second serious event, especially if they have uncontrolled blood pressure or cholesterol. However, many patients have difficulty following treatment recommendations for lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. The purpose of this research project is to evaluate the effect of 2 booster sessions of an educational counseling intervention on how well adults who have already participated in a 6-month clinical trial had a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) are able to follow a treatment plan and control their blood pressure and cholesterol levels. We will also examine how effective this intervention is in improving adherence to diet, medication, and physical activity recommendations for adults who have had a prior stroke or TIA.
|Stroke TIA Hypertension Hyperlipidemia
|Behavioral: TI Behavioral: AP
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary Purpose: Prevention
|Official Title:
|Reducing Risk of Recurrences: Issues in Maintenance and Stability in Stroke (CDA 08-009)
Further study details as provided by VA Office of Research and Development:
Primary Outcome Measures:
- Systolic Blood Pressure [ Time Frame: 6 months ]
Secondary Outcome Measures:
- Dietary Sodium [ Time Frame: 6 months ]self-reported stage of change for adherence to DASH (low-sodium) diet. Pre-action refers to participants reporting that they were in pre-contemplation (no plans to adhere to DASH diet in the next 6 months), contemplation (planning to adhere within the next 6 months) or preparation (planning to adhere within the next month), while action refers to participants reporting that they are in the action stage of change (became adherent to the DASH diet within the past 6 months) and maintenance refers to participants reporting that they are in the maintenance stage of change (became adherent to the DASH diet at least 6 months ago)
- Total Cholesterol/High Density Lipoprotein Ratio [ Time Frame: 6 months ]
- Exercise Adherence [ Time Frame: 6 months ]Measured by 7-day Physical Activity Recall
- Antihypertensive/ Lipid-lowering Medication Adherence [ Time Frame: 6 months ]Measured by Morisky Medication taking questionnaire (self-reported). Scores range from 0-4, with 0 being least adherent and 4 being most adherent
|Study Start Date:
|January 2010
|Study Completion Date:
|June 2015
|Primary Completion Date:
|June 2015 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
Experimental: Tailored Intervention (TI)
Tailored intervention based on the transtheoretical model
Behavioral: TI
Tailored intervention based on the transtheoretical model
Placebo Comparator: Attention Placebo (AP)
Attention Placebo
Behavioral: AP
Attention placebo
Detailed Description:
National recommendations state that patients with a history of transient ischemic attack (TIA) or ischemic stroke should receive hypertension treatment, including antihypertensive medication and lifestyle modification, with a goal of reducing blood pressure (BP) to <120 mm Hg systolic BP and <80 mm Hg diastolic BP. Statin treatment and lifestyle modification is also recommended for post-stroke and post-TIA patients with elevated cholesterol levels or a history of stroke or TIA with an atherosclerotic cause. Despite the clear benefits of secondary stroke prevention, there is a gap between evidence and implementation in clinical practice. We will determine whether a telephone-delivered behaviorally tailored intervention (TI) can lead to sustained change resulting in (a) BP and lipid control and (b) improved adherence to diet, medication, and exercise recommendations in veterans with a history of stroke or TIA compared to an attention placebo (AP) in veterans who have completed 6 months of a clinical trial. In this CDA project, we evaluate the long-term effectiveness of booster sessions in a randomized manner. One arm will receive 6 months of a tailored intervention (TI) followed by two booster TI sessions at 8 and 10 months, and one arm will receive 6 months of an attention placebo (AP) followed by two booster AP sessions at 8 and 10 months. BP (3 measures taken at least 5 min apart) and dietary sodium are the primary outcomes, while secondary outcomes will be total cholesterol/high density lipoprotein ratio, adherence to antihypertensive and lipid-lowering drugs, and exercise adherence.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|21 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Well-documented history of stroke or TIA that occurred at least 3 months prior to enrollment;
- Age 21 years or older;
- Continuity of care in the VAMC primary care or neurology clinics, defined as at least 1 visit in either clinic during the past 1 year;
- On hypertensive and/or lipid-lowering agents;
- A score of >16 on the Mini-Mental Status Exam;
- ability to exercise (assessed by 6-minute walk or timed get up and go).
Exclusion Criteria:
- Limited life expectancy due to a severe non-CVD related comorbid terminal illness such as cancer;
- No telephone number at which patient can be reached;
- Plans to relocate outside of the NYC area within the next 6 months;
- Inability to communicate over the telephone due to severe cognitive impairment or aphasia.
Contacts and Locations
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below. For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01122394
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01122394
|United States, New York
|Manhattan Campus of the VA NY Harbor Healthcare System, New York, NY
|New York, New York, United States, 10010
Sponsors and Collaborators
VA Office of Research and Development
|Principal Investigator:
|Jennifer P Friedberg, PhD
|Manhattan Campus of the VA NY Harbor Healthcare System, New York, NY
More Information
Keywords provided by VA Office of Research and Development:
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017
|Responsible Party:
|VA Office of Research and Development
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01122394 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|May 10, 2010
|Results First Received:
|July 15, 2016
|Last Updated:
|August 26, 2016
Keywords provided by VA Office of Research and Development:
blood pressure
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Cerebrovascular Disorders
Brain Diseases
Central Nervous System Diseases
Nervous System Diseases
Vascular Diseases
Cardiovascular Diseases
Disease Attributes
Pathologic Processes
Lipid Metabolism Disorders
Metabolic Diseases
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


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HIV and Breastfeeding Colloquium and the WABA Global Forum 2
Sept. 20-21 and Sept. 23-27; Arusha, Tanzania
Rebecca Magalhães, representing La Leche League International (LLLI) and as Co-Coordinator of the WABA Mother Support Task Force, attended the HIV & Breastfeeding Colloquium and the Global Forum 2, that took place in Arusha Tanzania, respectively from Sept. 20-21 and Sept. 23-27. Magalhães also attended the Global Breastfeeding Partners Meeting (GBPM), on Sept. 28. Natalia Smith, representing LLLI and assisting Magalhães in the Global Initiative for Mother Support (GIMS) activities at the Forum, attended the Global Forum 2. The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) hosted the two events in collaboration and with funding from international and national agencies. Magalhães was a participant in the Colloquium and facilitated and coordinated the GIMS activities during the Forum, specifically four GIMS workshops, a GIMS skit, a GIMS presentation and a public fill-in chart on negative/positive comments for mother support. Smith participated actively in the Forum, attending workshops and assisting Magalhães in the implementation of the GIMS activities. AnotherLook materials and LLLI materials (primarily International Conference information) were made available to Colloquium and Forum attendees. In addition to networking, Magalhães attended a preliminary meeting called by the promoters of the Global Initiative for Father Support, prior to the Men's forum and open meeting and was on the alert for persons who could be candidates for speakers in the Global Sessions at the 2003 International Conference.
Summary on the GIMS Workshops in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format.


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Showing 1 - 24 of 44 Canvas Tote Bag


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Mattingly makes sure not to wear out Gordon
ATLANTA -- Dee Gordon returned to the Dodgers' lineup on Wednesday after his second day out of the starting lineup in the previous six games. Manager Don Mattingly wants to be cautious with Gordon, who leads the Majors with 51 stolen bases. Mattingly sees the toll Gordon's style of play has taken on the second baseman.
"I'm trying to keep him at 170 pounds, basically," Mattingly said. "I don't want him getting worn down and trying to have to get back up the hill. I'd rather have him kind of stay there and stay strong."
Mattingly also voiced the desire to give Gordon mental breaks. Given his status as a basestealing threat, Gordon commands a lot of attention and has to remain on edge more than most other Major Leaguers on the basepaths.
"A guy like Adrian [Gonzalez] gets on first and they're not throwing over there. Dee gets on first and he's got to, they throw over four times," Mattingly said. "With his focus, he never gets to turn it off and relax on the bases at all. I think, mentally, with him as much as anything, and he takes a beating just diving headfirst and everything else."
Joe Morgan is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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" Type: Breads/Cakes "
Normally, I make all my own cakes, and only rarely when time is very short am I reduced to buying shop-bought cakes. I like Marmalade Cake, and Yorkshire Tea do make half-decent teabags, so the combination of both seemed a winner. This particular cake caught my eye as it boasted a new and improved recipe; I'm always slightly sceptical of these because one wonders what was wrong with it before?
The first thing to say is that the cake inside the packaging is significantly smaller. It comes in a cardboard case too. I couldn't get the cake to turn out of its cardboard shell, so was reduced to cutting this open.
The cake itself is not technically a Marmalade Cake at all (these are really fruit cakes with marmalade in). It is a sponge cake with a small addition of yellow colouring and a few pieces of candied peal.
Perhaps naively, I was hoping for a cake, albeit a sponge one, which actually tasted of marmalade; sadly, this wasn't the case. The cake had a faint hint of lemon, and actually, if you didn't know, you might mistake it for a lemon cake. Despite this, the texture was good, but really, it had no flavour at all. I felt short-changed, because I certainly couldn't find any evidence of any marmalade anywhere near it unless they forgot to put it in!
As with so many shop-bought cakes, it has that slightly chemical aftertaste which I find unpleasant. It's the sort of taste you get from cakes with too much raising agent (usually baking powder) in them.
Overall, it was disappointing. There was no evidence or taste of marmalade, and given the size of the actual cake inside, not great value either - you'd be lucky to get six slices out of it. The annoying cardboard packaging which had to be dissected before you got to the cake itself was unnecessary.
As an aside, another reviewer mentioned that cake baking is no longer a cheap option because of the electricity. Whilst this might be the case, if you're baking cakes at home from scratch, then the cost of ingredients is significantly lower than the bought version (and much tastier). Any increase in electricity costs are surely outweighed by the reduction in the cost of materials?
Sponge cakes are usually something that we don't tend to buy as there are only two of us at home and we never manage to eat a whole cake before it goes stale or off. Whilst wandering around Morrison's the other day this "Yorkshire Tea Marmalade Cake" caught our eye and as it was half price at only 99p we decided to buy one in as it sounded unusual.
The packaging is certainly eye-catching being a foil wrapper coloured in gold's, browns and yellows, there is a very nice illustration of the awaiting cake with a pot of marmalade and the "Yorkshire Tea" name sits proudly in the middle of the wrapper. The marmalade cake we are told is "Made with butter and our own recipe" and the manufacturers are Taylors of Harrogate.
Opening the wrapper and removing the cake you notice that it is sat in a nicely decorated, brown raised tray and the cake itself has a lovely golden top which has large chunks of crystallised sugar imbedded into it. The cake itself measures 8 inches in length, 2 inches thick and 3.5 inches wide so you get plenty for your money.
Slicing into the cake you notice it has a firm consistency and the slices come away without leaving many crumbs, the golden topping reveals a cream coloured interior and you can see the small chunks of marmalade dotted around. There is a slight aroma to the cake which smells of orange but this is very feint and quite unnoticeable really.
It's when you taste the cake that the marmalade flavour comes through and this provides a slightly bitter contrast to the regular, sweet sponge. Together the flavours mix beautifully and makes for a tasty but not overly sweet treat. The sponge is quite dense rather than being fluffy so there are hardly any crumbs and you don't need to eat much to feel satisfied and full, served with a cup of tea or coffee this would make an ideal afternoon break when you just fancy putting your feet up for 5 minutes or so.
The nutritional information is quite tricky to work out if I'm being honest with the amounts listed per 100 grams. As the wrapper doesn't reveal how much the cake weighs (and I don't have any kitchen scales) I can't say if 100 grams of cake represents a decent slice or not. Anyway, 100 grams of cake will provide 374 calories, and 14.3 grams of fat which seems perfectly reasonable to me and probably about right for what it actually is.
The ingredients don't reveal anything untoward, so won't bother listing them all here as everything appears to be natural, the manufacturers themselves state on the pack that they "use the best quality ingredients" and that "you won't find any unnatural flavours of colours, in this cake, just lots of lovely things like butter, free-range eggs and three-fruit marmalade"
Overall I did enjoy this Marmalade Cake from Yorkshire Tea, it did have a 'home made' taste to it and was delicious, for the price I paid - 99p - I thought this was fabulous value for money and even at its regular price of £1.99 I would buy it again. My only slight negative point with it is that it does tend to dry out quite quickly, but then again don't all cakes? It is one to eat over a couple of days and ensuring that it is well wrapped up in-between servings so if that's not a good reason to *have* to eat cake then I don't know what is!
An excellent 4/5 dooyoo star rating for me, not a perfect score because after all, no packaged cake tastes as nice as proper homemade ones but great nonetheless. Marmalade Cake from Yorkshire Tea can be found in the usual supermarkets on the cakes and biscuits aisle and does come recommended by me. Thanks for reading my review.
PRICE: £1.99 per family-sized cake from my local Sainsbury's
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (per 100g):
Calories: 374
Kj: 1,572
Protein: 4.8g
Carbohydrate: 56.5g
Fat: 14.3g
Wheat four, sugar, butter, free-range eggs, marmalade (made with sugar, orange, lemon & grapefruit), orange peel, lemon peel, tapioca starch, orange juice, glycerine, invert sugar syrup, glucose syrup, sodium bicarbonate, potassium sorbate, orange oil
Made in a bakery which uses nuts
Suitable for vegetarians
Being as I love cake and I love marmalade, it seems a perfectly idyllic situation for me to find the both of them together, in one item. I'm not the world's greatest at making my own cakes, which is partly due to laziness and partly due to lack of time, so I do tend to buy my cakes ready-made....with somewhat mixed fortunes.
As far as I'm aware, Yorkshire Tea Marmalade Cake (made by Taylors of Harrogate) has been around for some time, but it was only the other day I actually bought and tried one.
Taylors of Harrogate's Yorkshire Tea Marmalade Cake comes in a rather attractive foil wrapper which is sealed at both sides, and has an image of some cake, peeled & halved oranges and a jug of orange juice on the front, and on one side of the pack is Taylors' quality claim together with their contact details. The base of the pack repeats the quality claims, and shows nutritional information, ingredients, and has a cut-out Yorkshire Tea Token which can be collected, and this apparently (via the manufacturer's website) can be used with others to plant a tree in support of the Trees For Life Fund.
The wrapper is easy to open, and reveals the cake which rests inside a brown and gold coloured deep oblong paper tray - the tray is decorated with images of gold flowers.
The cake is risen in the middle, a nice golden yellowish orange colour, and measures about 7" x 4", being approximately 2" deep - the reason why I give the approximate measurements is so that anyone reading this who would like to know, is armed with the information before making a decision to buy.....some cakes which claim to be family-sized would hardly feed a fly! There are small nuggets of sugar decorating the surface and to me, the cake overall had a rather old-fashioned, almost home-baked appearance.
I removed the cake from the paper tray and transferred to a plate, cutting myself a slice in the process. The knife slid easily through the rather dense texture, and inside, the cake was a mid-yellowish colour with quite generous splodges of marmalade distributed evenly throughout.
On moving the slice of cake to my mouth, I could detect a pleasant, sweet, almost vanilla-like aroma, but I couldn't detect anything resembling a marmalade smell.
I took a small bite of the cake, and noticed that the texture was exactly as dense as it looked. On chewing, I found the taste to be very pleasant and somewhat buttery, but although the marmalade blobs tasted very nice, they didn't really to me seem to have a true marmalade flavour - to me it was more like apricot jam. I did love the sugar nuggets, and enjoyed crunching on them as they mixed in my mouth with the cake and the marmalade.
The outside of the cake was slightly harder than I like, but I found that the presence of the jam-like marmalade helped eradicate that to a satisfactory degree.
It didn't take me long to wolf down that first slice, and I immediately wanted another. I found that the flavour and appeal of the cake was growing on me as I continued to eat, I was enjoying it more and more, to the point where I had to use a lot of willpower, otherwise I'd have ate the whole cake at one sitting.
I was expecting this product to be a very plain - maybe even uninteresting sort of cake - which it is - but I was pleasantly surprised. I found the blend of cake, sugar nuggets and marmalade to be well balanced and delicious, and the overall effect wasn't too sweet for me, plus apart from the somewhat hard outer crust of the cake, the consistency was really good - solid yet soft, and substantial to the point where I felt as though I was eating something very satisfying.
There is no doubt that at some time in the future, I shall be buying Yorkshire Tea Marmalade Cake again, though I will have to use some self-control, as it is the type of cake which is dangerous for me to have around, in the sense that I want to eat the whole thing all at once. I shall have to reserve this cake for high days and holidays I think.
The only downside for me was the hardness of the outer crust (which makes it lose one star on the scoreboard), but that hasn't been such a problem that it put me off in anyway.
Of course the cake is very high in fat and calories, but then that's to be expected of this type of product. It is a little on the pricy side, but I personally feel it's worth it as there are no artificial colourings/flavourings present, and this is reflected in the taste.
I'd imagine a slice of this cake would go down very well with a cup of tea, but I can't extend my review outwards into that area, as I'm not a tea drinker.
Nice one Taylors, and I certainly shall buy this again at some point in the future; would be even nicer if the outside of the cake were a little softer.
Thanks for reading!
~~ May also be published on Ciao under my CelticSoulSister user name ~~
With the cost of running an electric oven running at about 3 units per hour this can be as much as 60p for many households, making a cake is no longer a cheap option unless you are batch baking for the freezer or filling your oven to capacity to cater for a large family.
In the last few years our family has dwindled in size to 3 at home and I have been experimenting with various shop bought cakes. Firstly I will put you in the picture about my living situation as I now refer to it as living in "The House of Trousers".
For any neighbours fans out there you will know what I mean but for those not familiar with the show I am now living with my husband and son after years of a girly filled household! They are actually delighted to eat my cakes and do so with gusto but they are healthier eaters than me and really it's my love of all things cakey which is fuelling this review! Cakes to me are like beacons. They flash on the shelves and attract me like magnets. However I am quite discerning and only buy them once if they are not to my home baked standard. When my daughters were at home I had more of an excuse to buy them, but with the boys, actually they prefer savoury things so I have had to own up and buy them for myself!
Yorkshire Tea Loaf attracted me as I have been interested in Yorkshire Tea for many years having been born just over the border in Lancashire. The company are a family business with the origins in the 1880s. It is one of the very few family tea merchants in the country. I actually like their tea because they make a special blend for hard water areas like we have in Essex, but it is a strong tea and often needs only a tiny second to brew unless you like it stewed.
They are also very keen on producing their goods ethically and they have donated over a million trees and a million pounds to Oxfam. Most recently they have been planting trees in India in one of the worlds most disaster prone areas in the river basins of the Ganges and the Brahmaputra rivers. This is something very dear to my heart and often now when I go shopping I am thinking about the companies I am buying from with regard to this issue. If they can provide evidence to me that they are actually helping to preserve the world in some way I feel much more positive about them- and if they make cakes so much the better!
Yorkshire Marmalade Cake is a loaf cake which you can find on the shelves usually near Mr Kipling and Mcvities cakes, and it is one of the beacons I told you about that usually flashes just when I get to the cake corner in the supermarket.
Having put on the kettle and found myself a lovely blue and white Cornish plate from the cupboard the fun begins. The shiny golden package tells me this is going to be tasty! The words Taylors of Harrogate and Yorkshire Tea are encased in the shape of a letter T and below them the words Marmalade Cake jump out at me with their saffron orange glow. Made with their own marmalade and with all natural ingredients it has no transfats.
On the side of the pack is a token which can either be put towards a tree to plant in the third world, or it can also be collected to redeem against a selection of gifts from their website.
So what is inside? The cake is a delicate shade of tangerine and a texture which is moist and slightly dense. It has flecks of peel in the loaf and it cuts easily into 6 good size portions.
Now to the flavour-does it remind you of an orange grove in Seville in January when the ripened fruit is harvested and the air is filled with the fresh scent of citrus? Well I have to disappoint you a little here, the flavour is more of marmalade and less of a rich conserve but I think the addition of an orange glace icing which you could easily make would enhance the taste experience. Try mixing icing sugar with orange or lemon juice until it reaches a spreading consistency and then ice the top and decorate with orange segments. It needs something like this to bring out the intense flavour of the orange which is not as strong as I would like it to be. As a slice of cake it does the job but I think it is probably best heated and served with vanilla custard as a pudding. Other ideas for the cake would be to use as a base for an orange trifle. Personally my favourite way to have it is to spread each slice with a good quality marmalade such as the one made by Whole Earth.
However you serve it it is good value. I paid £1.98 inTesco. It might not transport you to an orange grove in Seville if you have it plain, but with an icing, a decoration, or a Quantro- it just might.
I think Paddington bear would like it!


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MARTINEZ — Less than six months after shutting down three central county fire stations and reducing service in Clayton, the troubled Contra Costa County Fire Protection District will close yet another station, this time in East County.
County supervisors unanimously agreed Tuesday to close the station on West Leland Road in Pittsburg. That decision followed a budget recommendation last month by County Administrator David Twa that shutting two fire stations would save the cash-strapped district about $3.05 million a year.
The Pittsburg station will close in July.
County administrators on Tuesday did not say which station would close Jan. 1.
"We're not identifying that sixth station at this time because we want to see how operations unfold," said Supervisor Karen Mitchoff.
County officials also decided to continue talks later this month about whether to partner with the Moraga-Orinda Fire District to build a new joint station on the Lafayette-Orinda border.
The latest closures will leave the fire district with 23 stations. The district currently has a $102.3 million annual operating budget.
Officials shut stations in Lafayette, Martinez and Walnut Creek in January and began staffing the Clayton station part time. They blamed the closures on declining property tax revenue, increased health care costs and pension contributions, and voter rejection last November of a parcel tax the district estimated would have raised about $17 million per year in additional revenue for the next seven years.
Without the closures, the district would continue to operate with a model officials say would use up the remaining balance in the district's operating fund. They would also be forced to draw more than $541,000 from the district's pension bond stabilization fund, according to a staff report.
"We are at a critical drawdown level for fire protection and EMS service within our community," county fire Chief Daryl Louder told supervisors at the start of a presentation on the closures. "I have serious doubts about our ability to provide protection for our community and I have serious concerns about the safety of our personnel operating out there."
Louder briefly outlined measures the district has taken to reduce costs, including using the entire $25 million reserve fund to maintain service. He said Con Fire had worked with neighboring districts to manage resources, and warned there was more trouble ahead.
"Unfortunately, there is potential for even greater reductions in fiscal year 2014-15 unless we have some other revenue stream," he said. The district's revenue comes mainly from property taxes, which have not recovered to pre-2008 levels.
"This is not a good day. This is just awful," said a tearful Supervisor Mary Piepho, who lives in Discovery Bay. "The service level deficiencies within the district, as we know, are seriously negatively affecting our communities and the safety of our personnel. It's a really sad set of circumstances."
Officials said they will hold community meetings but did not say when those would take place.


text:
Bugbee wrote:If I was playing for hundreds maybe thousands of dollars and was trying to focus on my upcoming putt and some douche was running around the basket I would be annoyed. Over-celebrating is lame.
If I was playing for hundreds maybe thousands of dollars and made an incredibly lucky putt I'd be running around the basket too.
Someone running to get their putter and taking a few more laps than normal shouldn't mess up your focus. It's not like you have to get ready to putt while he's running. Once you start your putting routine, that alone should get you focused enough to make the putt.


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The advice in the NICE guideline covers the care of adults (18 and over) with, or at risk of, delirium in hospital and in long-term residential care or a nursing home.
It does not look at people receiving end-of-life care, or people under the influence of or withdrawing from drugs or alcohol, or people with delirium associated with drugs or alcohol. NICE has published separate advice for the care of people with alcohol-related physical health problems, including delirium related to alcohol use (known as delirium tremens).


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The Wolf Man and Creature from the Black Lagoon...
For a great selection of film, comic and TV action figures and collectibles, check out BigBadToyStore.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, PastGenerationToys.com, Urban-Collector.com, ZoloWorld.com, MonkeyDepot.com, HobbyLinkJapan.com, and Sekaido.com.
For a great selection of film, TV and pop culture t-shirts and apparel, check out TShirtGurus.com and 80sTees.com.
Diamond Select Toys has released new packaged photos of their first wave of Toys"R"Us Universal Monsters Minimates scheduled to hit retail this October.
These 2-packs will contain:
* The Creature from the Black Lagoon & Dr. Reed
* Glow-in-the-Dark Creature from the Black Lagoon & Transformation Wolf Man
* TRU Exclusive: Black and White Creature from the Black Lagoon & Black and White Wolf Man
* The Wolf Man & Larry Talbot
Creature and Wolf Man box sets are also planned for October release. Future Universal Monsters Minimates shown at Comic-Con include The Mummy, Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, and the Invisible Man. Check them out in our SDCC photo gallery HERE!


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Webroot SecureAnywhere Business - Endpoint Protection - Subscription license renewal (3 years) - 1 seat - hosted - academic, volume, non-profit - level D (250-499) - with Global Site ManagerItem#: 13477723 | Model#: R112260023D
- Price:
- $29.99
- Shipping:
- Temporarily out of stock. Order today and we'll deliver when available. (Details)
Webroot SecureAnywhere Business - Endpoint Product Details
Category: Online & appliance based services - remote monitoring & management
Product Type: Subscription license renewal - 3 years
Installation Type: Hosted - SaaS
Bundled with: Global Site Manager
License Type: 1 seat
License Pricing: Academic, volume, non-profit / level D (250-499)
Manufactured by: Webroot Software Inc.
UPC No:
Mfg Part No: R112260023D
Box Size:
( Length:0, Width:0, Depth:0)
Shipping Weight: 0.9999 pound(s)
Click here for full warranty and support information
- Webroot Software Inc. logos are registered trademarks of Webroot Software Inc.. All others trademarks and copyrights mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.


text:
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Attributes are created and attached to products to let customers choose from a list of options that affect the product they're purchasing. For example, a t-shirt may have the attribute of size with options for small, medium, large, etc. Attributes may affect the price, weight, and model number of the product when added to the cart. This settings form lets you specify how to display the price alterations on the product pages.
By default, the price change is displayed by each option name in the select box. This may be changed so prices are not displayed at all or displayed as a total price instead of just the modification.
Further attribute configuration should take place through the Manage attributes section of the Products administration menu. Read more about this here.


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Hydraulic fracturing, the controversial method of extracting natural gas from shale rocks deep beneath the surface of the earth, has investors excited. Fracking, as the process is more commonly called, remains controversial because it's not entirely clear that it's always done safely. Another drag on the industry: Recent surpluses in production have driven prices down, according to Bloomberg.
The Department of the Interior may limit drilling on federal lands, which could slow down production somewhat. Last week, the agency released a second set of draft rules to regulate drilling on public and Native American lands.
Despite the coming federal regulation, the political winds are clearly blowing in favor of the domestic energy boom. Hopes are high for natural gas in the future. Heady phrases such as "energy independence" and "making the U.S. the next Saudi Arabia" get thrown around, so it's easy to think investing in natural gas would be a slam-dunk -- but not so fast. There are a few things to think about before jumping in.
It's still early
Shale gas may be the future, but it's too soon to tell which companies are going to pull ahead.
"There are definitely opportunities, and it's a large, growing industry that will have a major impact on the U.S.," says Daniel Dingus, director of portfolio management at Fragasso Financial Advisors in Pittsburgh. "It's exciting, but we're in the early innings of knowing which companies will be there for the long term."
Look for growth potential in indirect businesses
While companies directly involved in the extraction business may experience some volatility, the companies that supply the drillers may be a more stable investment.
Investors who are looking for a piece of the action could investigate "some of the companies supplying picks and mechanics to the industry including transportation, pipelines and the infrastructure that is needed for this boom," says Dingus.
Keep an eye on taxes
Investing in mutual funds or exchange-traded products that focus on natural gas can be a little tricky due to the fact that many oil and gas companies are organized as master limited partnerships, or MLPs.
The limited partners in master limited partnerships are investors. Because of their structure, MLPs don't pay federal and state taxes the way corporations do. Instead MLPs pass profits to investors through quarterly distributions, a portion of which is taxed as ordinary income.
The taxing structure of MLPs can be pretty complicated; the topic is covered in the Bankrate story "What are MLPs?"
"If you own the MLPs directly, you have to file a K-1," Dingus says. The K-1 is a tax form sent out to investors by MLPs in place of the usual 1099. It shows the investor's share of partnership income, gain, loss, deductions and credits, according to the National Association of Publicly Traded Partnerships.
Though investing in an exchange-traded note, or ETN, or even exchange-traded fund, or ETF, will get rid of the tax complications, those investments often come with their own complicated structures and high costs.
"You have to be careful of how they tackle the tax difficulties of owning the infrastructure stocks that are structured in a tax-sensitive way," Dingus says.
Have you or are you planning to invest in the shale gas industry?
Follow me on Twitter: @SheynaSteiner.
Senior investing reporter Sheyna Steiner is a co-author of "Future Millionaires' Guidebook," an e-book written by Bankrate editors and reporters. It's available at all the major e-book retailers.


text: We just received our first shipment of the new Thermotech White Composite Fins from Futures. The new styling colorway is available now online in the F6, F8, AM1, and AM2. Check out our entire selection of Futures Fins over at our online store, or come into one of our shops located in Seaside, and Cannon Beach, OR.


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Zebra HouseLanguage brain teasers are those that involve the English language. You need to think about and manipulate words and letters.
Find two words, which are anagrams of each other, which complete this sentence:
Due to a recent outbreak of a ==?== infection in the zebra house, the local zoo had to ==?== their electron microscope correctly, to ensure rapid detection.
AnswerBacterial and calibrate.
What Next?
See another brain teaser just like this one...
Or, just get a random brain teaser
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of
which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
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text:
Mario Kart® with Wii Wheel - Wii
- Free Pickup
About this itemESRB Rating: E for Everyone
Play a whole new way with the Wii Wheel! The Wii Wheel transforms the Wii Remote into a steering wheel that feels natural in anyone's hands, while the Wii Remote and Nunchuk offer a classic control style for the Mario Kart veteran. In either configuration, you can perform dramatic speed-boosting tricks like jumps, flips and wheelies and with the shake of a Wii Remote.
Take the race worldwide! Play with up to three friends in your living room. Or challenge up to 11 friends via Nintendo WFC in the biggest Mario Kart race yet! All tracks are available via Nintendo WFC, and you can visit the Mario Kart Channel to check rankings, see when your friends are playing, download ghost data and participate in worldwide Time Trial events.
Assembled Country
Japan, USA
Component Country
USA And Imported
Member reviews & questions
Ask & Answer
Policies & plans
Shipping Information
Standard - 2 to 6 business days
Premium - 2 to 4 business days
Express - 1 to 2 business days
Warranty Information
Computer and video game software must be returned in the original and unopened packaging with a receipt to receive a refund. Defective software must be returned within 90 days of the original purchase with a receipt to receive an exchange of merchandise.


text:
The Deal
$50 for a Holiday Treat gift pack (48385FLT) ($109 list price) with free shipping
- 2 5-ounce top sirloin steaks
- 6 4-ounce Omaha Steaks burgers
- 10 servings of potatoes au gratin
- 6 caramel apple tartlets

$75 for a Merrymaking Assortment gift pack (48386FLW) ($182 list price) with free shipping
- 2 5-ounce filets mignons
- 2 5-ounce top sirloin steaks
- 2 4.5-ounce servings of sole with scallops and crab
- 2 4-ounce boneless pork chops
- 4 4-ounce Omaha Steaks burgers
- 8 3-ounce gourmet jumbo franks
- 8 5.75-ounce servings of stuffed baked potato

$99 for a Joyous Feast gift pack (48387FLX) ($249 list price) with free shipping
- 2 6-ounce filets mignons
- 2 6-ounce rib eyes
- 2 9-ounce boneless strip steaks
- 2 6-ounce top sirloin steaks
- 8 servings of potatoes au gratin
- 8 assorted individual cheesecakes

Click here to return to Grouponicus.
####Omaha Steaks Gift Packs Dig in to a plethora of custom-cut steaks, burgers, pork chops, and jumbo franks with each gift pack. All meats are individually packed and vacuum wrapped, ensuring quality for each sirloin, filet mignon, and rib eye. The proteins are then flash-frozen in carbonite to keep the succulent flavor of every scallop and crab intact, followed by packaging in a dry-ice-filled cooler to ensure the freshest possible arrival at customer's doorsteps. Included sides and desserts such as potatoes au gratin and apple tartlets round out each meal.
#####Features * Custom cuts * Individually packed meats * Vacuum wrapped * Flash-frozen to assure freshness and flavor * Packed inside a cooler with dry ice * Convenient and memorable meal * Great gift idea
How to get your goods: after purchasing this deal, pull up your Groupon with our mobile app or by going to [My Groupons](http://www.groupon.com/mygroupons) (or to [My Gifts](http://www.groupon.com/mygifts) if you are giving this as a gift*) and clicking the view voucher link. Then, follow the instructions on your voucher.
For questions pertaining to this deal, please visit the deal Q&A on this page. For post-purchase inquires, please see your voucher for customer service contact information.
View the [Groupon Goods FAQ](http://gr.pn/yLXWNy) for additional information, including [how list price is determined](http://gr.pn/MGDGkC).
*Once the recipient claims your gift, you will no longer be able to print the Groupon.
Omaha Steaks
Founded in 1917, Omaha Steaks has spent nearly a century perfecting its delivery system. The company flash freezes its quality meats to keep them fresh and flavorful, and then the custom-cut pieces are slipped into individual vacuum-wrapped bags for added protection and convenience once it's time to start cooking. Lastly, the gift combos are nestled into coolers filled with dry ice and plenty of unsolved crossword puzzles before they're ready to begin their trip to your door. Upon arrival, the combos offer an array of mouthwatering proteins complemented by delicious side dishes and desserts, all perfectly preserved and ready for cooking.


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AUSTRALIA'S toughest fun run has smashed last year's turnout, raising at least $12,000 for the Kiama Rotary Club.
The gruelling Saddleback Smash returned for its second year on Sunday morning.
This year's event had 250 entrants, more than double the inaugural 120 participants last year.
The six-kilometre run started at Kiama High School and wound up Saddleback Mountain Rd, finishing at the Saddleback Mountain lookout.
With almost all of the course being uphill, organisers believe it is one of the toughest fun runs in the country.
Last year the Smash raised more than $2300 for Kiama Rotary Club.
Organiser Dave Lambert said figures were still being tallied but he estimated the event had raised more than $12,000.
"It was awesome," he said.
"We doubled the numbers from last year and got lucky with the weather.
"We raised a lot of money and everyone had a good time."
Mr Lambert said not only was the popularity of the event growing, but so was its reputation as "Australia's toughest fun run".
"They (entrants) definitely agree with the title," he said.
Participants reported that the hardest sections of the run were the first kilometre and the final 750-metre stretch, aptly known as "Hell Hill", he said.
"It's all uphill and really steep; a pretty tough way to finish a race," he said.
"A lot of people were saying it's the toughest fun run they've ever done. We've had some great athletes do it and they're all in agreeance."
Mr Lambert was pleased with the growth of the event, saying organisers had a five-year plan to slowly build its reputation.
"I guess a lot of it was because of more exposure," he said.
"We've had a few businesses and sponsors come on board.
"There were a lot of people who had heard about it last year and taken up the challenge.
"It's a steady growth, which makes it more manageable."
Sydney's Daniel Cummins won with a time of 31 minutes. The female winner was Marnie Ponton from Glenbrook, who completed the course in 34 minutes.


text: Vintage cotton T-shirt with beaded zebras Item F8904 Size: All sizes are US sizes. Size Charts Quantity: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Prices do not include taxes. Add to Bag Wishlist Add to Bag Add To Wishlist share: size & fit Body length: 24". Product Details We took an easy tee in our vintage cotton—famous for its heathered texture and softness—and added a special beaded zebra motif we designed in-house. Since it's so featherweight (and the zebras are hand sewn!), we recommend taking extra care when washing: i.e. hand wash, delicate cycle, etc. Cotton. Hand wash. Import. Item F8904.


text:
Gearheads CD-ROM
Frank Lantz, Eric Zimmerman, Brian Loube, Karen Sideman, 1995
The objective of Gearheads was to invent a truly original form of computer game play. We call our design philosophy "rhizomatic design." A rhizome is a plant such as grass that grows in a horizontal, open-ended fashion as opposed to a vertical, hierarchical structure like a tree. A rhizomatic approach to software design builds complexity from the ground up with simple rules that can be combined in an infinite variety of ways. The surprising and intricate 'play' of Gearheads emerges from the interactions between the dozen independent characters, giving the game experience both fast reflex action and subtle strategic depth.
Collections: Communication Graphics: 17 (1996)
Repository: Denver Art Museum
Discipline: Experience design
Format: Illustration, Promotion, Game, CD ROM
- Designers
- Frank Lantz, Eric Zimmerman, Brian Loube, Karen Sideman
- Technical director
- Daniel Reznick
- Programmers
- Ephraim Cohen, Mart Nilsen
- Producer
- Stacy Koumbis
- 3-D graphics
- Marl Voelpel, various
- Music
- Michael Sweet, Elias Associates
- Sound design
- Michael Sweet, Elias Associates
- Animator
- Susan Brand Studios
- Backgrounds
- Eleanor Shelton
- Logo
- Laura Williams
- Production manager
- Katie Haser


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The chief threat to the polar bear is the loss of its sea ice habitat due to global warming. As suggested by its specific scientific name (Ursus maritimus), the polar bear is actually a marine mammal that spends far more time at sea than it does on land. It is on the Arctic ice that the polar bear makes its living, which is why global warming is such a serious threat to its well-being.
Stand up and roar to help us in the fight to protect polar bears and their sea ice homes from climate change >>
As climate change melts sea ice, the U.S. Geological Survey projects that two thirds of polar bears will disappear by 2050. This dramatic decline in the polar bear is occurring in our lifetime, which is but a miniscule fraction of the time polar bears have roamed the vast Arctic seas.
Rapid Arctic ice melt in 2011:
In southern portions of their range, like Hudson Bay, Canada, there is no sea ice during the summer, and the polar bears must live on land until the Bay freezes in the fall, whereupon they can again hunt on the ice. While on land during the summer, these bears eat little or nothing.
In just 20 years the ice-free period in Hudson Bay has increased by an average of 20 days, cutting short polar bears' seal hunting season by nearly three weeks. The ice is freezing later in the fall, but it is the earlier spring ice melt that is especially difficult for the bears. They have a narrower timeframe in which to hunt during the critical season when seal pups are born. As a result, average bear weight has dropped by 15 percent, causing reproduction rates to decline. The Hudson Bay population is down more than 20 percent.
The retreat of ice has implications beyond the obvious habitat loss. Remaining ice is farther from shore, making it less accessible. The larger gap of open water between the ice and land also contributes to rougher wave conditions, making the bears' swim from shore to sea ice more hazardous.
In 2004, biologists discovered four drowned polar bears in the Beaufort Sea, and suspect the actual number of drowned bears may have been considerably greater. Never before observed, biologists attributed the drowning to a combination of retreating ice and rougher seas.
Exacerbating the problems of the loss of hunting areas, it is expected that the shrinking polar ice cap will also cause a decline in polar bears' prey -- seals. The reduction in ice platforms near productive areas for the fish that the seals eat affects their nutritional status and reproduction rates.
Polar bears are going hungry for longer periods of time, resulting in cannibalistic behavior. Although it has long been known polar bears will kill for dominance or kill cubs so they can breed with the female, outright predation for food was previously unobserved by biologists.
In 2008, the polar bear was listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act primarily because of the decline of its primary habitat: sea ice. The Secretary of Interior listed the polar bear as threatened but restricted the Endangered Species Act's protections and thus the polar bear's future is still very much in jeopardy.
The polar bear is the proverbial "canary in the coal mine" of the serious threat global warming poses to wildlife species around the world, unless we take immediate and significant action to reduce global warming pollution.
In Canada's Hudson Bay, a long-term study confirms they are losing weight and bearing fewer cubs as global warming melts away their icy habitat.
Is this a preview of what other populations of polar bears will soon be facing?
Get a scientist talking about polar bears, and you will hear hair-raising stories along with an assessment of the creatures' uncertain future.


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A federal court has dismissed a lawsuit filed in 2011 by a former Stow firefighter/paramedic who lost sight in one eye in 2008 from injuries suffered in a bottle-rocket accident and was subsequently fired from the fire department.
Judge John Adams of the United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio dismissed all charges against the city Feb. 4.
"We're very pleased with the opinion, obviously," said Stow Law Director Brian Reali. "We think Judge Adams nailed this, and we're happy we can put this behind us."
According to the lawsuit, which was filed May 19, 2011, Anthony Rorrer accused Stow Fire Chief William Kalbaugh of discrimination, failure to accommodate him per the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Ohio Civil Rights Act and unlawful retaliation.
The court ultimately dismissed all claims in a summary judgment issued Monday.
Rorrer's attorney, Dennis R. Thompson, was not immediately available for comment.
According to court documents, Rorrer was employed in Stow between 1999 and October 2009 when he was fired.
He lost sight in his right eye after a July 4, 2008 accident with a bottle rocket while working off-duty.
According to court documents, Rorrer sought authorization to return to work in Stow, but was not granted that.
Rorrer then filed the 2011 lawsuit, claiming that under the ADA, the Stow Fire Department did not grant him reasonable accommodations to work for the city, such as precluding him from operating emergency vehicles with lights and sirens.
The court found that part of Rorrer's duties in Stow as laid out by the city may include operating emergency vehicles at some point. Rorrer claimed absolving him from that responsibility was reasonable -- the city disagreed, and the court sided with the city.
"He is on a three-man crew, so it should raise no issue if he cannot drive in an emergency situation," wrote Adams in his legal opinion. "In so arguing, Rorrer ignores the very nature of his occupation -- responding to emergency situations. While Rorrer opines ... it is highly unlikely that the need for him to drive would arise, the Court concludes otherwise."
Furthermore, Rorrer claimed his termination was retaliation for him testifying in an arbitration proceeding in March 2008.
According to court documents, Rorrer "seeks to bolster this claim be offering extensive extraneous and irrelevant information that attacks Chief [William] Kalbaugh's integrity," and that Kalbaugh held grudges against anyone who "crossed" him.
Adams' opinion states that Stow relied upon the medical opinion of the department's physician in terminating Rorrer and that his firing was legal.
An official with the Tallmadge Fire Department confirmed Rorrer currently works part time in that department, but doesn't operate safety vehicles with lights or sirens.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone: 330-541-9400, ext. 4179