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ATLANTA --- Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has signed an $18.3 billion budget that increases health insurance premiums for state employees, slashes funding for Georgia's college system and cobbles together money to go after tax cheats.
Deal signed the budget before departing Saturday on a trade mission to Europe. His office announced Tuesday that the governor used his line item veto power to strike funding for 11 bond projects in the university system worth more than $40 million.
The spending plan covers the fiscal year that begins July 1. Georgia is absorbing the loss of $1 billion in stimulus money.
Deal vetoed items because he said design costs for university and technical college construction projects were being funded by 20-year bonds.
"The design is short-term limited-life and does not result in a physical asset. The state's priority should be to fund construction for existing projects for which we have already paid for the design," Deal said.
Deal also vetoed nine bills from the legislative session that ended last month. One would have required that campaign literature state clearly who was paying for it and whether it was authorized by the candidate.
In his veto message Tuesday, Deal cited a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on campaign finance that held that political donations are a protected form of speech.
"The issue of campaign finance reform has been a consistent theme in Washington, D.C., and federal court decisions have shown that any type of limitation on the First Amendment right to engage in political speech will receive tough scrutiny," he said. "Such tough scrutiny would be especially likely where a violation of limitations on political speech would constitute a crime --- as this legislation provides."
Among the bills Deal vetoed:
- A measure related to coin-operated amusement machines. Deal said while the legislation is designed to clarify a statute that often leads to murky interpretations and unintended results, he doesn't believe it provides sufficient clarity or enforcement powers to shut down Internet cafes.
- Legislation designed to create accounts that could accept up to $60,000 to help those with developmental disabilities, Deal said the bill was well intentioned but not narrowly tailored enough to apply only to those with special needs but would instead apply to anyone who meets income limits.


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Title: Dirtybird Campout Compilation
Year Of Release: 2016
Label: Dirtybird US – DB 144
Genre: Tech House
Quality: 320 kbps
Total Time: 272 mb
Total Size: 01:59:06
1. Justin Martin & Ardalan – Function (feat PartyPatty) (06:49)
2. Catz 'n Dogz – Fixation (07:32)
3. Will Clarke – Can You Funk (05:28)
4. Billy Kenny & Abby Jane – I Operate (05:16)
5. German Brigante – Noose (06:12)
6. Ciszak – I Want (06:33)
7. Bruno Furlan – Line Five (05:47)
8. Sirus Hood & Ardalan – Paris To SF (05:15)
9. MAXIMONO – Sorry (05:53)
10. Kill Frenzy – So Fine (04:52)
11. Justin Jay – Hit It (original mix) (06:08)
12. Sage Armstrong – Quest To The West (original mix) (04:50)
13. Pezzner – Dirtybird Campout Compilation (continuous DJ mix) (48:31)
It's that time again; west coast institution Dirtybird announce this year's Campout Compilation featuring an all-star cast who serve up some seriously bass-heavy tech house party vibes for the real freaks! Opening proceedings in great style is label mainstay Justin Martin with Ardalan on "Function" featuring the naughty vocals by PartyPatty on this boompty, sleazy and downright funky groove. Petz head honchos in Berlin Catz N Dogz serve up the the rolling and drugged out "Fixation", Bristol electro house hero Will Clarke gives us the typically buzzy and bouncy "Can You Funk" and for Spanish progressive house hero German Brigante is business as always on his darkly epic journey "Noose". Their latest acquisition, the young gun Justin jay presents the stripped down and bouncy teen spirit of "Hit It (original mix)" too. If that was not enough, Seattle legend Pezzner compiles all the tracks in a continuous mix for your listening pleasure.

subset: commoncrawl


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Massage services and rental of self service massage equipment
Business in San Remo, IT


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Sites & Buildings Submissions' Fast Track
Return on Investment
FAST TRACK is the innovative creation of our VISION 2015 Sites and Buildings Committee. The FAST TRACK program is designed to create a much needed, cutting edge database that will aid the Greater Pensacola Chamber in the development of a shovel ready, sites and buildings inventory, featuring premier properties in the Pensacola MSA.
Step 1: There are four (4) separate links on this page. They include submission forms for the following:
- Commercial Site – Click here for Commercial Site form
- Commercial Building – Click here for Commercial Building form
- Industrial Site – Click here for Industrial Site form
- Industrial Building – Click here for Industrial Buildings form
Each link also includes Criteria for Publication instructions related to your property type.
Step 2: Download EXCEL Fast Track submission form(s) and Criteria for Publication pertaining to your specific site/building. You may only submit one submission sheet for each property with attachments relative to that property. Only one property is permitted per email.
Step 3: It is important that all data fields are complete and accurate for each submission form. Failure to do so will result in the return of your submission form for correction.
Step 4: Once your submission form is complete, perform a 'save as' to your hard drive as "filename.xls" or "filename.xlsx".
Step 5a: For OUTLOOK users: To begin submission of your property, click on the "email site/building submission form" link. A Microsoft OUTLOOK ' 'new message' form will open automatically with the email address and subject line identifying the fast track submission. Before emailing your information, please confirm that the subject line reads Fast Track GPC.
Step 5b: For non-OUTLOOK users: To begin submission of your property, you will be required to manually submit an e-mail through your current email provider. It is imperative that the subject line of your email identifies your submission as Fast Track GPC.
Step 6: Maps, photos, aerial views, and other pertinent information related to the property will need to be attached to the e-mail along with the submission form. Only one property per email please.
Step 7: Send email to firstname.lastname@example.com
*By submission of your information, you are authorizing the Greater Pensacola Chamber to market and distribute your sites and/or buildings to prospective tenants and clients.


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More American people have now their blood pressure more under control. According to a study, control over blood pressure of the US people is now 27 percent more as compared to two decades back.
Still, the researches have found out that the need for improvement and prevention of high blood pressure is much more as overall as its rate has not changed in past years. Blood pressure, or hypertension, was declared by the Institute of Medicine as neglected disease. As a result of high blood pressure, U.S has to spend $ 73 billion a year.
The research team has said that the cases of high blood pressure fell slightly in white people, black people continued to have the disease in the same numbers and so was the case with Hispanics.
The study says that high blood pressure can be easily prevented by diet control, exercise and drugs. Still, the disease has become second-leading cause of death in the U.S.


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Monti offers to lead future coalition as he launches attack on Silvio Berlusconi
Mario Monti launched an effort to reshape Italian politics by offering to run for Prime Minister as head of a reformist coalition.
A day after submitting his resignation, the technocrat Prime Minister said yesterday that he was ready to be drafted as a future political leader.
In a TV appearance, Mr Monti admitted that his decision "carries many risks and a high probability of failure".
The former EU commissioner laid out his agenda of continuing fiscal discipline and liberalising reforms in an online document titled "Changing Italy, Reforming Europe".
"If one or more political groupings with a credible commitment to this agenda, or a better one that I find convincing, were to propose making me their candidate for Prime Minister, I would consider it," he…


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ControversyThe church's call to exclusion is 'killing its soul'. Â Those are the words of Dr. Joretta Marshall of Brite Divinity School talking about the upcoming trial of lesbian pastor Rev. Amy DeLong in the United Methodist Church. Watch this: The soul of the church is what's at stake, according to Marshall. The soul of the church deserves to be set free. Thoughts?
Current EventsMany people don't know it, but one of Oral Roberts sons was a homosexual and eventually took his own life. Â Now, his nephew, Oral Robert's grandson, who is also gay, has made a video about his uncle and his current view on life. Take a look here. Â [profanity alert] I've said for a long time that homosexuality will be one of the (if not THE) major social issue the church will deal with in the next decade. Â Just in the past few weeks, I've heard new allegations of bullying by the church of homosexuals (bullying is the new politically correct buzzword, I guess). If you watched the video… what do YOU think? What would you say to Oral Roberts grandson? And what would you say to Oral Roberts son? Todd HT: Â Jesus Needs New PR
TrendsAccording to the Houston Chronicle and a new Gallop poll: Christians and people from other religious traditions have grown more tolerant of gays and lesbians. The percentage of Catholics calling gay relations "morally acceptable" has increased by more than a third in the past five years, up to 62 percent. More Americans also favor legalizing gay marriage. More from the article: Although America's stance on homosexuality remains a contentious social issue, nearly split nationwide, gays and lesbians are moving towards equality in some of the country's mainline Protestant denominations. The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles recently ordained the church's first openly gay female bishop. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America decided last year to allow non-celibate gay and lesbian clergy to serve. Despite some dissenters, the ELCA has continued to seek the full inclusion of homosexual church leaders and members. In the survey, fewer people cited homosexuality as a personal choice rather than a factor of genetics and environment (from 41 percent in 2008 to 34 percent in 2010). As I've said many times before… I really think the gay/lesbian issue will be one of the biggest areas of controversy and change in the church in the next decade. How is your church engaging/reaching/reacting to gays and lesbians? Do you feel you need to? How will your church hold it's theological views on homosexuality and yet minister in a world that is increasingly looking at homosexuality as a norm? You can read more here… Todd
Current EventsWith special thanks to Frank Lockwood (The Bible Belt Blogger), take a look at this pastoral letter from Episcopal Church presiding bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori to the Anglican Communion… A pastoral letter to The Episcopal Church Pentecost continues! Pentecost is most fundamentally a continuing gift of the Spirit, rather than a limitation or quenching of that Spirit. The recent statement by the Archbishop of Canterbury about the struggles within the Anglican Communion seems to equate Pentecost with a single understanding of gospel realities. Those who received the gift of the Spirit on that day all heard good news. The crowd reported, "in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power†(Acts 2:11). The Spirit does seem to be saying to many within The Episcopal Church that gay and lesbian persons are God's good creation, that an aspect of good creation is the possibility of lifelong, faithful partnership, and that such persons may indeed be good and healthy exemplars of gifted leadership within the Church, as baptized leaders and ordained ones. The Spirit also seems to be saying the same thing in other parts of the Anglican Communion, and among some of our Christian partners, including Lutheran churches in North America and Europe, the Old Catholic churches of Europe, and a number of others. That growing awareness does not deny the reality that many Anglicans and not a few Episcopalians still fervently hold traditional views about human sexuality. This Episcopal Church is a broad and inclusive enough tent to hold that variety. The willingness to live in tension is a hallmark of Anglicanism, beginning from its roots in Celtic Christianity pushing up against Roman Christianity in the centuries of the first millennium. That diversity in community was solidified in the Elizabethan Settlement, which really marks the beginning of Anglican Christianity as a distinct movement. Above all, it recognizes that the Spirit may be speaking to all of us, in ways that do not at present seem to cohere or agree. It also recognizes what Jesus says about the Spirit to his followers, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come†(John 16:12-13). The Episcopal Church has spent nearly 50 years listening to and for the Spirit in these matters. While it is clear that not all within this Church have heard the same message, the current developments do represent a widening understanding. Our canons reflected this shift as long ago as 1985, when sexual orientation was first protected from discrimination in access to the ordination process. At the request of other bodies in the Anglican Communion, this Church held an effective moratorium on the election and consecration of a partnered gay or lesbian priest as bishop from 2003 to 2010. When a diocese elected such a person in late 2009, the ensuing consent process indicated that a majority of the laity, clergy, and bishops responsible for validating that election agreed that there was no substantive bar to the consecration. The Episcopal Church recognizes that these decisions are problematic to a number of other Anglicans. We have not made these decisions lightly. We recognize that the Spirit has not been widely heard in the same way in other parts of the Communion. In all humility, we recognize that we may be wrong, yet we have proceeded in the belief that the Spirit permeates our decisions. We also recognize that the attempts to impose a singular understanding in such matters represent the same kind of cultural excesses practiced by many of our colonial forebears in their missionizing activity. Native Hawaiians were forced to abandon their traditional dress in favor of missionaries' standards of modesty. Native Americans were forced to abandon many of their cultural practices, even though they were fully congruent with orthodox Christianity, because the missionaries did not understand or consider those practices exemplary of the Spirit. The uniformity imposed at the Synod of Whitby did similar violence to a developing, contextual Christianity in the British Isles. In their search for uniformity, our forebears in the faith have repeatedly done much spiritual violence in the name of Christianity. We do not seek to impose our understanding on others. We do earnestly hope for continued dialogue with those who disagree, for we believe that the Spirit is always calling us to greater understanding. (You can read more of the letter and some great comments over at Frank's Blog) What do you think? Todd
Current EventsWell, I kinda pegged this one last week… Ted Haggard's launch party for his new St. James Church happened last week. A few interesting observations about the first service… 1. According to media reports, only 160 people attended the first service of this new church. That's with nation-wide media coverage that it was going to happen; and in a town that is nearly the evangelical mecca of the United States. Seems like a whole bunch of people just don't care about Ted these days. Even an LA PR firm wasn't able to drum up a crowd. 2. People that were there: a production company that was filming the whole thing for a documentary; and a gay couple (that was recruited from CraigsList), one of whom who shared what an inspiration Ted was. 3. When asked whether he feels homosexuality is a sin, Haggard told CNN's Joy Behar: "Sexuality, no matter which grouping, is complex. It's confusing and some people have healthy sexuality, other people have unhealthy sexuality. They're on their own journeys with God. They've got to work that out. And what we're going to do at St. James Church is encourage them in their process to get that settled in their life." 4. Here's a bit from an article on Beliefnet: Haggard's new church will embrace an open-door philosophy that could raise eyebrows among some evangelicals. The former evangelical icon has said he supports equal civil rights for gays and lesbians, even though he will bar openly homosexual members from leadership positions. "Democrats, Republicans, Independents and those who go to Tea Party rallies. If you are straight, gay, or bi, I want to walk through the Scriptures with you," Haggard said at the press conference that launched the new church. "If you are black, white, Hispanic, Native American, or a confusing combination, you are welcome here. If you have a friend or family member who struggles, St. James is for you. Adulterers, ex-cons, everyone is welcome." With the restriction on gays in leadership, Joe and Jan Narracci were left a little disappointed. "This church is making qualifications that I don't think Jesus made," said Joe Narracci, who with his wife counsels gay and lesbian Christians who struggle to reconcile their faith with their sexual orientation.
Current EventsRemember Ray Boltz? It's been nearly seven years since Ray 'came out of the closet' and took a hiatus from Christian Music… But now Boltz is back with a new album, and a new belief. And a call for Christians to not discriminate against homosexuals. Here is one of the lyrics to a song called "Who Would Jesus Love?" Would He only love the ones Who looked the same as me Would He only offer hope When He saw similarity Would He leave the others waiting Like a stranger at the gate Would He discriminate. Or, part of the lyrics of his song "Don't Tell Me Who To Love" Don't tell me who to love, Don't tell me who to kiss, Don't tell me that there's something wrong, Because I feel like this. Maybe you're in love today and you've been making wedding plans But there is someone in your way shouting things cause they don't understand The judge says that's not legal, the preacher calls it a sin Oh you just remember they were wrong before and they're wrong again On his transformation, Boltz says: "I don't believe God hates me anymore…I always thought if people knew the true me, they'd be disgusted, and that included God. But for all the doubts, there's this new belief that God accepts me and created me, and there's peace.†Make no doubt about it… how the church responds to the issue of homosexuality will be one of the major issues in the church over the next decade. What do you think? You can read more on Boltz in a New York Times article written recently here… Todd (PS — I was never a big Ray Boltz fan. Ever. But take a short listen to the song linked above. Let's just say, the music itself would not make me a fan, ever. Not one of Boltz's best songs, gay or not gay.)
OutreachGiven the interest in the Jennifer Knapp story here at MMI yesterday, I thought this would be a great follow-up, and I'd really like to spark some additional conversation around this topic because I think it's vitally important. Meet Constance McMillen. Constance is an 18 year old high school senior from Fulton, Mississippi (but she might as well be from your town). Constance is a lesbian. She's been 'out of the closet' since eighth grade. It's prom time, and Constance wants to take her girlfriend to the school prom. School rules state that prom dates must be of the opposite gender. She asks the school board to reconsider. They refuse. She enlists the help of the ACLU. The school board's response: cancel the prom for everyone because the whole matter is a distraction "to the educational process". My question: how should the church respond to this? This morning, I tried to find out a little more about the situation, and how any of the local churches responded to the local controversy. I found nothing. Oh wait. I did find one thing. The infamous Westboro Baptist Church (look them up if you need to) has announced that they are going to picket Constance's graduation this year. Here's the only response from a 'church' that I could find on this story.
"WBC will picket the graduation of Itawamba Agricultural High School to remind the parents, teachers and students of this nation that God said 'Thou shall not lie with mankind, as with womankind, it is abomination,'†the church said in announcing the protest."This generation has been raised to believe that they can live for the devil and still go to heaven, that God has no standards and the biggest lie of all – that God loves everyone.†"The parents of Fulton, MS feign outrage that a filthy dyke wants to parade her 'girlfriend' around at their night of fornication called a prom,†the church added. "They had a duty to teach their children what the Lord requires of them. They shirked this duty.†Fulton, Mississippi is a town of less than 5,000 people. It could be any of our 'hometowns'. Let's say, for argument's sake, that Constance lived in your community. That Constance went to the same high school as your son or daughter. That your church found itself in the same location as this community-changing story. What would your church's response be? Would you/should your church have a response? This is where the rubber meets the road, folks. You've often heard that we are to love the sinner but hate the sin. How do you do that when it's a very public and very divisive issue? Sinners have names. Most all of us (myself included) on this forum (at least from the Jennifer Knapp post) believe that homosexuality is forbidden in scripture. So how do we mesh our love for Constance with our understanding/condemnation of sin? I would argue that calling Constance a 'filthy dyke' is not the way to do it (as Westboro has done). I think most of you would agree. I would also argue that affirming Constance's lifestyle choice as God-honoring is also not a good choice. Again, most of you would agree. So… if the church can not affirm the lifestyle, but cannot call names; how should the church respond? It HAS to be somewhere in the middle. But where? Like it or not, our culture HAS changed. When I was in high school (a few years ago); homosexuality still had a very negative connotation to it. Today, culture has shifted to the point that most high schoolers don't think twice about homosexuality being negative or sinful. It's like red or blue… pick a color. In fact, I would bargain a guess that in your church, you have people that struggle with same-sex attractions on a regular basis. You might not even be aware of their struggle. How do you love them? How do you reach them? Just preaching against homosexuality won't do the trick anymore. Here's the deal… Gay people need Jesus too. Specifically, Constance needs Jesus. My fear is that the only 'christian' or church that Constance will hear from is the likes of Westboro. Or, just as bad, a local church that will speak against the ills of homosexuality and never do a thing to personally reach out to Constance or people like her with the LOVE of Jesus. 'If Constance could only be delivered from her sexual orientation, then maybe she could hear the gospel and be saved.' Is that not the approach that many of us take? OK… I've rambled long enough. I've written about the homosexuality issue alot over the past five years because of one reason: I think this is the BIG social issue the church will have to wrestly with in the next decade. And how we respond now will determine our direction. Truthfully, I don't know what the proper response is. I know it's somewhere between Westboro and affirmation. So… if Constance lived in your town, went to your kid's high school, maybe even attended your church's youth group… how would your church respond to this very public, very polarizing, very nasty situation? Seriously… think it through. You may very well have a situation like this happen very soon in your community. If it happens in Fulton, MS, it could just be a matter of time before this happens in your town. Please, take a moment to share your thoughts. Iron sharpens iron, you know. Thanks, Todd
ControversyA defiant Christian Singer Jennifer Knapp takes on a pastor of last week's Larry King Live… Watch the video, then let's discuss: First of all, while I do think that homosexuality, biblically, is a sin, I think Jennifer makes a couple of good points: 1. She is correct when she asks why this one sin is chosen to debate. Homosexuality is the big taboo sin in Christian culture these days. I'm not saying that is a bad thing; but it is seen as a much greater sin than any number of other sins combined: lying, cheating, divorce, living together before marriage, guttony, gossip. Many of these are tolerated. We very seldom ask the glutton or the gossip to turn from their sinful ways. We just assign them to a different committee. 2. She does, I think, have a point against the pastor. He is not her pastor. He does not have the power/privelege of speaking into her life; privately or on national television. That said, 1. Jennifer cannot condone her sin by saying that other people who sin are getting a free pass. It might be true, but it doesn't allow her to play the 'they're sinning so I can sin' card. 2. Unfortunately, Jennifer has (as have many other gay christians) found a spiritual leader that has said that homosexuality is acceptable under scripture. This is not the first time that a Christian singer has come out of the closet. Ray Boltz came out a few years ago (no one ever say that one coming!). Kirk Talley shocked Southern Gospel fans with a scandal a few years back as well. I'm sure there are others that will happen in the future. How will/are you responding to Jennifer's announcement? Will you buy her album (if you're a fan?) Will you continue to use her music in your services? Would you attend her concert? Would you have her sing in your church? And what do you make of her defiant attitude on Larry King? Justified or not? I'd love to hear your thoughts! Todd
Current EventsThe Cathedral of Hope in Dallas will host "Corpus Christi" for five performances, June 4-6. The play casts Jesus and his disciples as gay men. Tickets will be $30-50. You can read more on this here… Thoughts? Todd
OutreachJohn continues: "Jesus wanted us to be loving and forgiving. I don't know what makes people so cruel. Try being a gay woman in the Middle East – you're as good as dead." Here's the article. A couple of thoughts: 1. Just because Jesus was compassionate and super-intelligent, doesn't mean he was gay. 2. Jesus wants us to be loving and forgiving, but that has nothing at all to do with 'gayness'. But you may be surprised that I agree with Elton John on a couple of things. 1. Many Christians are cruel. 2. Many Christians aren't loving, forgiving, or compassionate. In fact, many Christians are unloving, unforgiving, and rude. And, quite frankly, those are probably the only types of Christians that Elton John has ever met. Here's our problem: I think we'd much rather see Elton John delivered from his homosexuality than see Elton John come to know Jesus. And… truth be told, I think that's the way many Christians feel about all homosexuals. Don't get me wrong. I think homosexuality is Biblically wrong. So is adultery, cheating on your taxes, gossip and gluttony. It's just that some sins we allow more than others (before, during, and AFTER conversion) I mean… if we could just get them to change their sexuality, maybe they would accept Jesus. In reality, maybe if they'd accept Jesus, it would change their sexuality. QUESTION: What does Elton John need more? A woman? or Jesus? Your thoughts? Todd
PREVIOUS POSTSPage 1 of 2NO NEW POSTS


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Iranian officials admit defeat: They cannot block Facebook forever
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Minister admits Iran cannot block Facebook forever (via AFP)
Iran will not be able to keep up forever its ban on legal access to Internet hubs such as Facebook, which has four million Iranian users, Culture Minister Ali Janati said Sunday. Such remarks by an Iranian official would have been unimaginable before…
[Image via AFP]
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text: I want to download a free (or cheap) spectrum analysis program for my old Toshiba laptop. I think it has a microphone input, & I guess the mike will be an old analogue Radio Shack Sound Level meter (calibrated 30HZ-10KHZ plus or minus 3 db.) I will be getting a 10 band MXR M-108 through the mail soon. The goal is to try to appropriate the sounds of two or three bass/string set combos I like, using just one bass (space & budget limitations, I know it's a compromise, no one bass can do the job of three). Number one priority is an easily readable breakdown of the overtone constituents.


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A year ago he had a walk. Today, Justin Bieber has a swagger.
But Bieber isn't strutting because he's the first artist to have seven songs from a debut album chart in the Billboard Hot 100.
No, he had help from 24-year-old Ryan Good, a Florida-raised, self-proclaimed "beach boy" who's been hailed as The Bieb's "swagger coach." (His other jobs include Bieber's stylist/road manager/all-around big brother.)
"[Justin's] a cool kid. He's got a lot of character. A lot of 'swagger,' as the kids like to say," laughs Good, whose appointment came in January 2009 after he got a call from Bieber's mentor, R&B singer Usher, suggesting he work with the burgeoning pop star. (Good had previously toiled as Usher's assistant, but "wasn't very good at it," he admits.) Since then, he's helped Bieber maintain his hip factor with tips such as "only eat red Swedish Fish" and "go 100 percent when playing Nerf basketball."
And while Good's suggestions are eccentric to say the least, it's clear something's working for Bieber. The wide-eyed singer, who broke onto the scene just last January with his hit "Baby," now outfits himself in Dolce & Gabbana, is looking to buy a few properties across the US (Atlanta is still homebase for now) and is spending less time playing NBA video games and more time brushing up on current affairs.
But perhaps the biggest sign of Bieber's new maturity is that his days of tween puppy love are behind him. Now that Bieber's entering his late teens (he turns 17 on March 1), he's all ears for love advice. And his swagger coach has plenty of it.
For one, when leaving a restaurant on a date, Good suggests Bieber "grab mints and toothpicks on the way out." He also advises him to wear suits with vests and court girls with handwritten notes. "Scribble it on the hotel paper and drop it in the mail. Nobody does that anymore," says Good. (Of course, he adds, asking a girl out via text is perfectly acceptable in this day and age.)
Bieber's manager, Scooter Braun, 29, has also seen a clear change in Justin's attitude toward the ladies. "He knows more about love and relationships now. He's getting to a place where he's asking real questions. Like, 'When do I call her?' and 'Why is she playing with my head?'"
In fact, Scooter's father (and Bieber's dentist), Dr. Ervin Braun, recalls the teen learning a lot during an April 2010 family trip to Africa.
"Justin shared a room with my other son, Adam, who is also single, so the two of them had some serious big brother/young brother conversations," Dr. Braun laughs. "Justin would wake up the next morning and say, 'Adam was telling me some really cool stories!' He's taken him under his wing in terms of being a bachelor."
Lucky for Bieber, he has a film out to capture his frame-by-frame transition from child crooner to teenage star. On Friday, the pop powerhouse will release "Never Say Never," a documentary about his rise to stardom interspersed with footage from his blowout August concert at Madison Square Garden.
While the film captures his growth as an artist over the past year, there have been some recent changes to Bieber's physical appearance as well. His infamous hair, for one, has gone from a thick, heavy-on-top sidesweep to a more tousled, punky 'do. "He's been wearing some product and [keeping] it messy and disheveled," says his hairstylist, Vanessa Price, 35, who admits the two of them have been pow-wowing over some potential new looks for his locks.
His boyish face has also matured, according to Dr. Braun. "His facial features are sharpening up. . .he's taller. He's so excited that he's taller!"
As for Bieber's money-maker?
"That's been a big thing, his voice changing," says Mama Jan, vocal coach to Bieber (or as she likes to call him, Jelly Bean). "We needed to get his head around that." But, she points out, men don't reach their full vocal maturity until around the age of 20, so it'll continue to be a work in progress.
"His voice is more mature," says Braun. "He's even more soulful now."
He's also using his voice for more than just singing.
"When he was a little kid, he just wanted to go and play video games, but now he'll sit around and talk about what's going on in Egypt," says Dr. Braun of Bieber's emotional and intellectual evolution.
Maturing in the Bieber Bubble does have its downfalls, though. As he's gotten older, the singer has acquired a sense of wariness that's caught some of his closest confidants off guard.
Braun, who is with Bieber almost 24-7, saw the changes first-hand during filming.
"When it was two camera crews, we barely got anything out of Justin because he's so incredibly guarded," explains Braun. "He's never been like that before, but he just doesn't trust people as much [now]."
The film's director, Jon M. Chu, quickly learned that he'd have to film the singer on his own with a little 5-D camera — not that he was always guaranteed access.
"There were a lot of times we had to shut off the cameras," says Chu. "When he got sick [during the tour], after the shows he'd lay on the couch and Mama Jan would sit with him, he would ask us to leave."
It's no surprise that Bieber would be a tad on edge, considering how intensely his fan base follows his every move. "There have been a few times on the road when mothers have offered themselves to security and things like that [so their daughters could meet Justin]. And it's just totally inappropriate. It's sad to me that people will demean themselves. And quite frankly, Justin would never have anything like that happen," says Mama Jan.
Bieber's timidity isn't always a defense mechanism, though.
Despite always being a performer and ringleader among his peers, Mimi Price, CEO of the YMCA in Stratford, Ontario, where the basketball-loving Bieber grew up, says that as a child, he was "the shy one with adults." Price saw Justin this past Christmas when he came to the Y to shoot hoops with his dad, and says that although he's a prank-pulling megastar he's still "really shy and quiet."
But when Bieber's singing, performing or with his extended family, though, he's outgoing, confident and not afraid to step on it.
"He thinks it's cool to get places quickly," says Braun, who isn't rushing to let Bieber — who has his learner's permit and a black Range Rover given to him by Usher — drive his BMW anytime soon.
"Justin's a good driver," Braun adds hesitantly. "But he could be a little bit more careful."
And muscular, maybe.
In a scene from "Never Say Never," a shirtless Bieber is backstage where he's supposed to be warming up his vocal chords with Mama Jan. Instead, he's flexing his muscles, practicing kung fu and hamming it up for the camera.
Last Tuesday, during a screening of the movie in his native Ontario, Braun recalls Bieber wincing at that very clip.
"Justin leaned over to me," says Braun, "and said, 'For anyone who says I'm skinny, I'm growing!'"
Bieber may no longer be a "Baby," but he's not yet a man.


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MicroNet Template
- Health/Fitness-Personal Training
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At EvolMotion we provide an individualized corrective exercise program tailored to meet your physical challenges. This combines orthopedic rehabilitation and strength & conditioning pertaining to the client's needs & desires.
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WHO CAN BENEFIT: We assist people who experience the following: bodily pain in the back, hip, knee, shoulder & neck, disc herniation, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, scoliosis & urinary incontinence, those who desire to live in their body in a whole & healthy way.


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Sell More Data and Services with Transparency
Many wireless subscribers struggle with their data plan usage and consumption. They struggle to understand how their behavior and specific app or data usage translates to their bill at the end of the month. They also struggle to understand the data plan offers that many operators provide via text messages. Data plan offers for many subscribers at best are typically cryptic unattractive and can also be misleading and costly. Is $0.03/kb a good deal? How many kB's will be needed to sync e-mail or update Facebook? These questions often lead to a low uptake on text-based offers and promotions.
My Data Manager provides an extendable platform to operators to customize with context-triggered data and other offers and promotions. Better targeting and higher uptake rates leads to more data usage and more revenue opportunities. In live customer trials, My Data Manager demonstrated 4X more offer adoption than standard text-based promotions.
With the understanding of what applications and services are being used the most and how much data is being consumed provides an endless set of offers which including scenarios such as:
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- Sell an extra video data plan to subscribers that are heavy video users
- Offer wireless bluetooth speakers or other accessories to music service users
- Create targeted offers for heavy roaming or Wi-Fi users
Helping subscribers understand their data plan usage will result in a more educated, more satisfied, and ultimately, more profitable customer.


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Will banks, big and small, be able to achieve high return on equity again in today's post-financial crisis environment? That question hangs over all bank investors. Arguably, the banking industry, out of all major industries, got hit the hardest during the economic recession. Since the start of the recession in 2008, banks have traveled a hard road of bad debt, volatile funding markets, and an uncertain economy.
Small banks are having a hard time. According to data provided by David Weidner of the Wall Street Journal, 29 start-up banks in the U.S. have failed and an extra 180 have been sold off to bigger banks. Furthermore, he notes that it puts the U.S. on pace to lose 7% of the national banking population.
And that's not the worst of it. In 2007, before the financial crisis caught up with the banks, 164 applications for new banks were filed. Since 2008, only 37 new applications have been registered and none have occurred this year. Prospective banking entrepreneurs are, no doubt, getting the message. They recognize their chances of running a profitable bank are small. They recognize the road more likely leads to failure. And most of all, they recognize that banking is a risky business whose profits are being threatened to be taken away by customers and regulators. Here are three reasons why banks are suffering:
- Bank revenues rely heavily on investments in risky financial instruments that could dramatically change the financial position in as little as one day.
- As banks are in the business of making loans, if made to customers that lack the means to pay it back, banks lose money quickly and see bank profits shrink faster than they actually grant the loan.
- Banks are being required to increase capital requirements, which threaten to put a big dent in their returns on equity.
Banks have been taking on excessive risk to make up for a slow economic recovery. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) recently reported that banks were attempting to boost their leverage in order to increase profitability. The OCC added, "Top risks facing national banks include the lingering effects of a weak housing market, revenue challenges related to slow economic growth and market volatility, and the potential that banks may take excessive risks in an effort to improve profitability."
But banks are only losing more money as they make riskier investments because their high-risk investments, more often than not, are yielding losses. Making matters worse is the low interest rate environment which has banks struggling with other ways to generate consistent revenue. The presence of low interest rates makes banks vulnerable to rate shocks as banks experience decreasing returns on variable-rate investments. The fixed-rate investments are yielding too small returns to to make up for losses incurred during the course of everyday business in the post-economic recession. Small banks, in particular, are increasingly adding to their investment portfolios and increasing the duration of their low-risk investments in an attempt to obtain higher yields. Because of the low interest rate, banks are being forced into a position of taking more risk to improve interest spread.
Look no further than JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM), which recently made headlines after incurring hefty losses on risky trades. Over the past three years, according to Friday's Financial Times, JPMorgan's chief investment office had built up positions totaling more than $100 billion in the complex, risky bonds at the center of the financial crisis in 2008. CEO Jamie Dimon authorized the department to invest mostly in government-backed securities and to seek profit by speculating on higher-yielding assets such as credit derivatives. And Dimon sometimes suggested investments, such as bets on large economic trends or an asset class. The result was large losses reported as low as $2 billion but found to be as high as $20 billion. Dimon's conduct and JPMorgan's business structure have been under investigation after this incident and the bank's future and Jamie Dimon's reputation is questionable, at best.
The Loans That Cost Money
A weak economy, persistent high unemployment and a slow foreclosure process are just a few things that have contributed to the recent rise in bad loans throughout the states. "Banks have had a hard time moving this stuff off the books," says Bill Brewer, a partner at bank auditor Crow Horwath LLP. In particular, the overhang of severely delinquent loans and in-process foreclosures on residential mortgages has been a big drag on banks. Regulators were criticized in the most recent crisis forfailing to fully recognize that the buildup in subprime loans and the erosion of credit standards had the set the stage for afinancial meltdown and massive taxpayer bailouts. The more bad loans a bank is making, the more likely it is finding itself in debt and on the road to bankruptcy. Because loans look riskier in the post-recession environment, rejection rates are staying at a high level.
Which banks have rejected the most loan applications? Here are the top three rejection rates, based on a survey conducted by the National Federation of Independent Business:
Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) – 13.5%
JPMorgan Chase – 11.6%
Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) – 11.2%
And it should be noted that the next-highest rejection rate after Wells Fargo occurs at 2.9%. It seems smaller banks are more willing to lend now. The top rejection rate of BofA is ironic, given the statements the bank has recently made about its commitment to making these loans and to hiring more small business loan officers. But the reject rate at BofA is likely a result of more customers with questionable credit history applying for loans at big banks. "It's the health of the banking system and the banks' ability and willingness to extend credit that's at the heart of any recovery," says David Jones, president of consulting firm DMJ Advisors LLC. "If anything helps in getting this recovery going, it'll be those regional banks."
Financial industry entrepreneurs, as a result of more loans tied to bad credit, are more likely smelling blood in the water and looking to stay away from banking. Overall, the lending environment still looks dicey and probably always will be, with the most recent optimism survey from NFIB showing more entrepreneurs with a negative outlook on obtaining credit.
Managing Capital on Hand to Cover Unexpected Losses
Bank leaders recognize that more capital is required to guard against losses related to fluctuating interest rates and bad loans. But the critical point of debate centers on what level of capital would be consistent with the bank's risk appetite and commercial objectives. If banks are required to keep more capital on hand, then it lowers their ROE. But if their level of capital is too low, it can mess up their balance sheet with too little assets to cover too many liabilities. Internally, business unit managers are trying to understand how the amount of capital they are allocated reflects the risk of their business. The challenge is balancing the number of high-risk investments with what the bank wants to retain as capital. For instance, big banks are trimming assets to satisfy stricter capital rules. Shareholders, debt holders and regulators are seeking to size up the amount of capital the bank is targeting, how this compares to the minimum, and how much capital is currently available on the balance sheet.
Bank of America CEO Brian T. Moynihan, 52, has sold more than $50 billion in assets to boost capital and simplify the firm since taking over in 2010. Moynihan said in a Bloomberg Television interview last year that every percentage point of additional capital required by regulators reduces potential bank lending by $18 billion. Bank of America has, at best, seen mixed results since Moynihan took control.
"It's been clear to banks, big and small, that public policy is not looking favorably upon them," said Lawrence White, an economics professor at New York University's Stern School of Business. For now, bigger banks are achieving the high return on equity they once enjoyed and smaller banks are struggling to start off. It is unclear when things might turn around in the banking sector.
Disclosure: Brian Zen owns shares in Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) and Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC).


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The exam is open book, and the passing score is 70%. Additional exam information and dates can be found HERE.
The exam will cover information contained in the following:
Wis. Admin. Code § SPS 305
Wis. Admin. Code § SPS 316
2011 National Electrical Code (NEC)
Copies of Wisconsin Administrative Codes may be printed HERE or obtained from Document Sales online at http://docsales.wi.gov/ or by calling 608-266-3358. Copies of the National Electrical Code may be ordered from the National Fire Protection Association, 800-344-3555. When there is a change to Wisconsin codes, exams will cover the new codes one month after the effective date.


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RALEIGH, N.C. - A surprise 1-inch snow that turned to ice on frigid roads crippled North Carolina's capital, trapping motorists in epic traffic jams and stranding some 3,000 pupils overnight at schools. The governor urged people to stay home Thursday while crews clean things up.
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Highways were clogged with desperate drivers whose commutes Wednesday stretched to as long as eight hours. Law officers tallied about 1,000 accidents in the Raleigh-Durham area, but there were no reports of fatalities.
"You'd move a little bit, then you sat ... then you moved a little bit, then you sat," said salesman Brian Baldelli, who took seven hours to go nine miles on one highway.
Gov. Mike Easley declared a state of emergency, allowing him to open two state government buildings in downtown Raleigh as shelters.
Department of Transportation crews "have been out all night scraping the roads and spreading salt, but their work is not yet complete," Easley said early Thursday. "If people can stay home, especially this morning, I am encouraging them to do so."
About 2,800 students spent the night at Wake County schools after the system suspended bus operations and their parents were unable to retrieve them. With classes canceled, school officials sent the stranded youngsters home Thursday morning.
"If they haven't made it home yet, they're en route right now," school spokesman Michael Evans said at noon.
Such a mess from a mild snowfall stunned even the forecasters.
"In the 24 years I've lived here, I have never encountered the traffic situation I saw today," WRAL-TV chief meteorologist Greg Fishel said.
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By far the steepest learning curve for a nitro rookie is learning how to tune a carburetor. It can be awkward at first, but with a little effort, you'll get it and never forget how to do it. Before we start adjusting needle valves, let's consider the role of the carburetor and how it works. Properly tuning a carb is much easier once you understand how it functions.
A rotary carb contains a horizontal "barrel" that has a vertical hole drilled through it. As the barrel is rotated from the open position (the hole in the barrel is aligned with the hole in the carb body) to closed, the airflow that is pulled into the engine is reduced and, as a result, the engine speed is reduced.
In some cases, the barrel not only rotates, but it also moves slightly from one side of the carb housing to the other – an action similar to a screw being twisted from a threaded hole. This sideways motion operates the low-speed needle by pushing it into or out of the spraybar.
The slide-valve carb components are similar to those on a rotary-barrel carb, but they're just arranged differently. Instead of having a vertical hole drilled through it, the slide valve is a solid piece of plastic or metal. To regulate airflow, as the piece slides into and out of the carb's venturi, it allows air to pass by. As with the rotary type, the slider contains the low-speed needle valve to control the fuel/air ratios for idle and low throttle settings. As the slider is further closed, the low-speed needle valve reduces fuel delivery and the air flow is reduced; as a result, the engine slows down.
All carburetors control engine speed by varying the amounts of air and fuel that enter the engine. In RC 2-stroke engines, either a rotary-barrel or slide-valve carb is used to control this vital air/fuel mixture; the valve controls the amount of air fed into the engine, and the fuel-mixture needle, or needles, controls the fuel delivery. As your vehicle's transmitter trigger is pulled, the throttle servo either rotates the throttle barrel (on a rotary carb) or retracts the slide valve (on a slide carb) to feed more air into the engine to increase power and speed. Similarly, when the carb is closed, air and fuel intakes are restricted and, consequently, the engine slows down.
All RC engines use either rotary-barrel or slide-valve carburetors, but there's an additional level of distinction within these groups: the number of tuning needles they have. The most basic engines have a single needle that adjusts the fuel mixture, but the majority of engines use two needles: one for a low-rpm mixture setting and another for high-rpm adjustments. Some high-performance racing designs have three independent needles to adjust the low-, midrange- and high-rpm mixture settings. Next, we'll look at the pros and cons of each needle configuration and focus on tuning advice for all three varieties.
Single-needle carbs are often billed as "easier to tune" because there is only a single needle to adjust, but tuning a single-needle carb for good performance over a broad rpm range can actually be a challenge. Single-needle carbs have only one setting, so the engine generally runs well in a narrow rpm range, but any engine speeds above or below that range will suffer from a less than ideal air/fuel mixture.
An engine that's tuned as well as it can be with a single-needle carb may run reasonably well in the midrange, but it's generally very rich at idle and very lean at high speeds. If the engine idles for too long, it can stall because the mixture is rich at low rpm, and running in the high rpm range may cause excessive heat buildup because the mixture is too lean at those speeds. You can adjust the needle to the rich side to compensate for the lean high speed, but then the low speed becomes even more rich, and that makes it difficult for the engine to idle for even a couple of seconds. Tuning a single-needle carb is a question of compromise. Here's what to do.
Tuning a single-needle carb. The best way to adjust a single-needle carb for all-around performance is to start with a rich but drivable setting and then turn the tuning needle clockwise (more lean) in 1/8-turn increments until the engine's performance feels well suited to your running conditions. If the engine misses, sputters or stops at full throttle, richen the mixture 1/8 turn at a time until these problems cease.
Getting an engine to run at its best is relative for those that have a single-needle carb. The final setting is always a compromise between allowing the engine to idle for a few seconds and yet still have enough fuel to prevent a lean condition at high speed.
Engine temperature should be your guide when tuning engines with single-needle carbs. That's not the case when tuning multiple needles for performance, but there's little choice with a single needle, and it's best to err toward the side of caution so the engine will live to fight another day. Keeping temps below the 280-degree F mark is a reasonable goal.
Two-needle carbs offer an enormous performance advantage over their single-needle counterparts. Two-needle carbs allow better acceleration and idling because the low-speed mixture can be leaned independently of the high-speed mixture. When properly tuned, a 2-needle carb engine will feel more on the pipe through the whole rpm range than any single-needle carb engine you've ever driven!
The low-speed needle is on the rotary lever side (on rotary carbs), or on the slider side (on slide carbs) of the carb body. It travels with the slide valve or rotary barrel and gradually enters the spraybar as the throttle is closed. The low-speed needle valve affects fuel delivery from idle to approximately 1/4 throttle, and then the high-speed needle valve takes over. When given an option, always choose a 2-needle carb over a single-needle carb.
Tuning a 2-needle carb. First – and most important – tune the high-speed needle for best top-end performance. Because the high-speed needle also controls how much fuel gets to the low-speed needle (the fuel line feeds fuel into the high-speed needle, which in turn feeds the low-speed needle), this is the most important adjustment. When your car or truck performs well at full throttle, you can begin to adjust the low-speed needle valve for reliable idle and crisp acceleration. To prevent the engine from dying under braking, use the idle-stop screw to maintain approximately a 1mm gap in the carb opening even when it's "closed."
Warm the engine completely by running it hard for a few minutes. If, when it has warmed up, its idle speed gradually increases on its own before it stalls, your low-speed-needle setting is too lean. Similarly, if your engine stutters and misses when given full throttle from a complete resting stop, your high-speed and low-speed needles are set too lean. When in doubt, richen both needles considerably and start over by properly tuning the high-speed needle. Then re-tune the engine until the idle rpm level off.
If you bring your vehicle in and idle it for a few seconds, and during that time the idle rpm gradually drops off until the engine dies (BWAAAAAaaaaaaeeeeerrrr – to nothing), your low-speed needle is probably too rich. Lean the low-speed needle 1/8 turn clockwise until a reliable idle is attained. Properly tuning the low-speed needle will produce a reliable idle and crisp acceleration without much bogging.
For the most part, 3-needle carbs are the same as 2-needle carbs. They function identically, but the 3-needle carb has an adjustable spraybar in addition to an adjustable needle, so the third "needle" isn't really a needle; it's an adjustable spraybar.
What does it do? A 2-needle carb gives you two ranges to work with to provide the engine with the proper air/fuel mixture – low-speed and high-speed adjustments.
A 3-needle carb allows a weak third option; it's a little weak because it isn't actually a needle. The spraybar and the needle are adjusted at the same time to determine at what throttle position the spraybar (third needle) is exposed to direct airflow, and that creates a subtle increase the amount of fuel flow.
Tuning a 3-needle carb. Initially, you should tune your 3-needle-equipped engine in the same way as a 2-needle carb is tuned. When you're pleased with the engine's performance, pay very close attention to the transition from low speed to high speed. Does it sputter, lag or "fall off the pipe" in the middle of the rpm range? If so, you should adjust the third needle.
To adjust the third needle, turn both the low-speed needle and the third needle the same number of turns in the same direction (1/4 turn at a time). This retains the idle setting but alters the midrange response. Run the engine for a few minutes and re-tune if necessary. When tuning, remember to make small adjustments, so that you'll know which change affected performance.
It's a good idea for inexperienced tuners to leave the third needle setting alone, as it requires a very experienced driver to even feel the difference at all. There's a risk that the engine will run poorly if you tune the third needle incorrectly. It's best to treat your carb as if it's a 2-needle until you gain more experience.
Tuning an RC carburetor is not an exact science; you won't find anyone at the track saying "Let's see: it's 65 degrees, relative humidity is 70 percent, and I'm running 20 percent fuel, so I need to be two turns out on the low end and three turns out on the high end." Understanding how the carburetor functions is an invaluable asset in your quest for perfect power, but what really delivers results is when you couple your knowledge with experience. The more time you spend experimenting with your engine, the better you'll become at tuning it. There's no need to be afraid of needles!
LEAN To lean an engine means to reduce the amount of fuel (relative to the amount of air) entering the engine by turning a needle valve clockwise.
RICHEN Richening increases the amount of fuel (relative to the amount of air) entering the engine, by turning a needle valve counterclockwise. Richening an engine to obtain the proper air/fuel mixture will generally reduce engine temperature and increase lubrication.
NEEDLE VALVES These are the small screws found on the upper portion and sides of the carb body. These are used to adjust the fuel-to-air ratio.
SPRAYBAR This is the metering jet inside the carb body that mates with the low-speed/idle needle (when equipped). They fit together like a tapered peg into a tapered hole.
ON THE PIPE A phrase that indicates an engine is running with an ideal tune and producing excellent power.
A fuel curve shows the ideal air/fuel ratio at any given speed on an engine's rpm scale. Because ideal proportions vary with rpm and load changes, it's important to tune your carb so that the air/fuel mixture is optimized as much as is possible.
This graph shows what most engine tuners already know: when the engine is started, it needs less fuel because its air intake is lower. Acceleration increases engine load, and a higher rpm means that more air goes into the engine; this means the engine needs more fuel to maintain the correct ratio of air to fuel. The increased fuel requirement tapers off only as the engine reaches the upper limits of its rpm range and transitions into a "cruise" mode during which hard acceleration isn't possible because rpm have maxed out.
Understanding your engine's fuel requirements can guide your approach to fuel-mixture adjustment.


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Bethlehem Mayor-elect Robert Donchez on Monday named four picks in his Cabinet, including police chief, business administrator, water and sewer resources and public works.
Donchez chose veteran officer Lt. Mark DiLuzio as the department's next chief. DiLuzio, who joined the department in 1989, will replace Chief Craig Finnerty, who was named in August to replace retiring Jason Schiffer.


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|We ared running another trip to Kew in September. Please see the form here and the booking conditions here
|We now sell conservation materials, download the order form here
Derbyshire is situated right in the middle of England so there are several counties to which your ancestors might have strayed. This page gives details of the Family History Societies serving those counties and links to other pages which may hold information of interest. In addition, Ann Andrews maintains a site listing Home Pages of DFHS Members. All external pages will open in separate windows.
Please note that the Society is not responsible for the contents of these sites.
The Society is a member of the Federation of Family History Societies and is publishing some of its research material through the pay-per-view Family History Online web site created by the Federation. Vouchers to enable use of this site are available from the Society - details on The Booksales Pricelist.
Family History Societies associated with Counties.
Listed below are the counties that surround Derbyshire and the Family History Societies for the areas of those counties which border on Derbyshire. An index to all these societies (and all the other English societies) is maintained by Genuki. Experienced surfers will know that web page addresses sometimes change - and to duplicate the Genuki work would be wasteful. So, the easiest way to access the page you require is to click along to Genuki and Family History and Genealogy Societies in England.
Family History Events.
Details of Fairs, Open Days and other events relating to family history can be found at The Genuki Calendar of GENealogical EVents and Activities.
General Sites.
A site which provides guidance on WHERE to find information on your ancestors in England and Wales is Ancestor-search.info.
"Non-County" Family History Societies.
There are societies which relate to groups other than counties. Links to these societies as a whole can be found at the Family History & Genealogy Societies Index.
Other Useful Sites relating to Derbyshire.
First and foremost the Genuki page for Derbyshire.
Hugh Winters hosts the Derbyshire Surnames Interest List.
You may also like to visit The City of Derby World Wide Web Site, the gateway for everything to do with Derby and Derbyshire.
The Derby Evening Telegraph runs the Derbyshire On-line.
Derbyshire town based sites are Virtual Glossop and Ashover On The Web.
Andy Savage has created the official photo website for the City of Derby containing lots of Derby photographs and history Derby Photos Logo.
Here is the Bonsall History Society's Bonsall History Project website, that of the Ilkeston and District Local History Societyand that of Heanor & District Local History Society.
Sharpe's Resource Centre is a joint initiative of project partners who formed The Sharpe's Pottery Heritage and Arts Trust Ltd to take a 125 year lease on the site and early 19th century buildings of Sharpe's Pottery in the conservation area of Swadlincote, South Derbyshire, England. A sensitive conversion is planned to develop Sharpe's Resource Centre where people can explore the rich industrial and cultural heritage of the area. The Centre includes The "Magic Attic", which holds thousands of old newspapers, maps, books, etc etc all relating to South Derbyshire.
Glossop Heritage Centre now has its own web site.
You can Discover Derbyshire and The Peak District by clicking here.
Here you will find a selection of poems and ditties in Derbyshire dialect by J R Booker, the Bard of Bozer (Bolsover).
Derbyshire content on the Londonancestor.com site which may be of interest to DFHS members:


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|Subscribe | What is RSS
Contact: Mary Pat Doorley, CVNP, 440-546-5995, 440-343-7355 (cell)
Contact: Jared Slanina, Conservancy , 330-657-2909 ext. 109
Brecksville, Ohio - John Jorgenson brings top-notch jazz guitar to the stage when his trio plays Happy Days Lodge as part of the Cuyahoga Valley Heritage Series. The show begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, February 22, 2013 in Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP). Doors open at 7 p.m. The group's performance is presented by the National Park Service and the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, celebrating the cultural legacy of the Cuyahoga Valley. The series is sponsored by Courtyard Marriott-Akron/Stow, 89.7 WKSU, Lloyd L. & Louise K. Smith Foundation, and Cable 9.
Admission is $17 adults, $12 Conservancy members, and $5 children ages 3 - 12. General seating. Advance sales are available until 3 p.m. on Friday by calling 330-657-2909. You can create your own subscription series-enjoy three great Cuyahoga Valley Heritage Series concerts for one low price! No cash refunds, but tickets may be exchanged up to 10 days before the concert. Series prices: $45 adults, $30 Conservancy members, and $15 children ages 3 - 12.
The John Jorgenson Trio features guitarist John Jorgenson, a founding member of the Desert Rose Band and the Hellecasters. Artists ranging from Barbra Streisand to Bonnie Raitt to Earl Scruggs have sought out Jorgenson's guitar work. In 1994, Elton John called and invited John on an 18-month world tour. The 18 months stretched into a six-year period that included not only sold out world tours, but also recordings, television appearances, and collaborations with many other artists including Sting and Billy Joel. In addition to acoustic and electric guitars, John was also featured on saxophone, pedal steel, mandolin and vocals.
At a John Jorgenson Trio performance, audiences are amazed by John's dazzling guitar work as well as his mastery as a clarinet player and vocalist. Whether playing his own accessible compositions or classic standards, John and his band make music that is equally romantic and ecstatic, played with virtuosity and soul.
Happy Days Lodge, located at 500 West Streetsboro Road (State Route 303) in Peninsula 44264, 1 mile west of State Route 8, is a restored Civilian Conservation Corps structure that provides a rustic ambiance for folk and traditional concerts, theater, lectures, and special event rentals. For more information on rentals, call the Conservancy at 330-657-2909 ext. 119.
The Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a nonprofit organization created to engage public support for the park and provide services to enhance public use and enjoyment of the park. For more information about the Conservancy and its membership program, visit www.conservancyforcvnp.org or call 330-657-2909.
CVNP encompasses 33,000 acres along the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. Managed by the National Park Service, CVNP combines cultural, historical, recreational, and natural activities in one setting. For more information visit www.nps.gov/cuva or call 330-657-2752.


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Texas Hold 'em is the most popular variation of poker in the world. Hold 'em is a community card game where each player may use any combination of the five community cards and the player's own two hole cards to make the best five-card hand. Napa Valley Casino offers 3-6, 4-8 ½ kill, and No Limit Texas Hold 'em.
Omaha is similar to Texas Hold'em except that each player is dealt four hole cards instead of two and you can use in any combination of three community cards and two hole cards to make the best five-card hand possible. In some variations of Omaha you make a separate high and low hand. Napa Valley Casino offers 4-8 ½ kill Hi-Lo.


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The Divine Miss M. is back where she belongs - on the stage with a brand new show in Las Vegas! Bette Midler tickets are available now, and this hotly anticipated show is the event of the year. You can only see this show in Las Vegas, and just Great Tickets can help you find Bette Midler tickets - even for sold out performances!
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Written on: 01/04/2011
The food was amazing, everything taste home made food with the look of a 5 star restaurant. I loved and the venue was beautifully decorated. The people working made sure that every one was happy. i loved it, and i will be using the in the future.x


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The Thermal Compounds
We will now examine the five new thermal compounds that we are including in our roundup.
Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the Coollaboratory LIQUID Ultra compound. According to the manufacturer, this compound is made of pure liquid metal, without solid particles. It comes with a cleaning sponge, two brushes and an isopropyl alcohol wet tissue, which must be used to clean the CPU and cooler surfaces before applying it.
Figure 2: Coollaboratory LIQUID Ultra
Figure 3: Items that come with the Coollaboratory LIQUID Ultra
Figures 4 and 5 present the EVGA Frostbyte thermal compound, which has a gray color.
We also tested the Innovation Cooling (IC) Diamond 7 Carat gray thermal compound, shown in Figure 6.
- Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. The Thermal Compounds
- 3. The Thermal Compounds (Cont'd)
- 4. How We Tested
- 5. Our Tests
- 6. Conclusions


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More than 40 people were evacuated from homes in Stanbridge Road, Leighton, on Saturday morning after emergency services were called to a report of fire to a low pressure gas main.
At 7.21am Beds Fire and Rescue Service was called to a report of fire. Workmen who had been working on low voltage electricity power cables in the road had reported that the low pressure gas main was leaking and that there was arcing from the electricity cables, which had set light to the main.
Two fire crews from Leighton Buzzard and a specialist rescue unit from Stopsley were sent to the scene.
The police were called to close the road.
As a precaution, 24 homes near the scene were evacuated and police and ambulance crews assisted with the evacuation of up to 40 people.
The electricity and gas supplies were isolated and fire crews extinguished the fire using dry powder extinguishers.
The incident was declared under control by 9.39 a.m.
Stanbridge Road remains closed and local homes will be temporarily without gas and electricity whilst workers replace electricity cables and the gas main.
Read the full story in tomorrow's LBO.
*Were you involved in the incident? Call the newsroom 01582 798523 or email firstname.lastname@example.com or Tweet @LBOanne.


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Letter: I love a parade, but not the time
To the Editor:
Everyone loves a parade. Parades are the once a year events that seem to bring the entire community together to celebrate the heritage that belongs to that particular community and thus becomes a tradition over the years. Traditions are important because they help keep the community focused on their identity as a community. Changing traditions can be a risky thing because it can disrupt aspects of the community that identify it.
I share this because the New Richmond Chamber of Commerce seems to not understand this concept. I remember several years ago when the New Richmond Fun Fest held its parade on Sunday afternoons, the street were lined down Knowles Avenue with people, not only watching the parade but also socializing with it. It was as if the entire community was connected together for that event. In fact, anyone driving through New Richmond on Knowles Avenue the day before, or Sunday morning, had to wonder why all the folding chairs were placed neatly on the boulevards. Anyone in the community knew the anticipation was building and wanted to assure that a good spot was reserved for them.
Now I am not suggesting that we necessarily return to the Sunday afternoon parade, as I am sure there were reasons for moving it and leaving the traditional parade route down North Knowles Avenue. What deeply saddens me is the violation of sacred traditions by changing the time on Saturday from 6 p.m. to 5 p.m. First Lutheran Church and Immaculate Conception Church have had church services at 5 p.m. for years. We were never contacted for advice and obviously the Chamber did not consider these traditions as an important part of this community, as many people will hold to the sacred tradition of Saturday afternoon 5 p.m. church while the parade is going on.
One can begin to see and understand that someone in the New Richmond Chamber doesn't understand or struggles with the concept of tradition and community. I realize that nothing can be changed for this year, but changes can be made next year to accommodate the present traditions we have and make better plans to bring us together during this one big event in our community. May I suggest we help the Chamber with our positive feedback in helping them better understand these wonderful concepts of tradition and community, so that we can all love a parade?
Rev. James Brinkman
Pastor of Immaculate Conception and
St. Patrick's Church


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Cameron Simcik
Cameron Simcik is a graduate of Bucknell University. She has written for Her Campus and is currently the Philadelphia Travel City Editor for The Daily Meal and a contributing writer for TheFW and GuySpeed.
If you've ever held some sort of customer service position, you know it can be incredibly trying, to say the least. Whether you've been a waiter, bartender or even a stylist, getting feedback on comment cards is just part of the ole job. While some notes can be harsh, according to our Instagram findings, a decent amount are actually really helpful.
Ahh, summer. 'Tis the season of watermelon art, diving fails and-- you guessed it-- belly flops. When we were kids, this pool move was awesome. But nowadays... who are we kidding? It's still (painfully) awesome!
We've come across a ton of cute stuff in our time, like baby owls and sleepy kiddos. But we're going out on a limb here and claiming our latest finds are among the most adorable. Guys, it's animals with their teddy bears. Aww, come on now!
The great thing about art is that we can express ourselves in endless ways. Feeling inspired by Grumpy Cat? Paint a detailed portrait of Tardar Sauce-- we won't judge. Or maybe 'Star Wars' gets you all jazzed. Heck, make a Lego scene to reflect those feelings! It's all fun in our books, and we're especially fans of the offbeat type of art, like that of the banana variety.
Raise your hand if you love trampolines! We sure do, particularly because they're like an instant way to revisit our inner five-year-old. While trampolines are no doubt fun, they can be hilariously painful, too (see: epic fails). If you think about it, though, the trampoline concept is also straight up confusing. That's why these animals are all, "what the heck, man?!"
The restaurant biz is super competitive, which is why standing out from every other place is a key compenent to success. Of course a good restaurant should have great food, but first impressions (aka the kind that happen before you even walk into an establishment) are often overlooked. This is where creative signs come into play.
Optical illusions can play some really weird tricks on our brains. We think we're looking at one thing and then... sike! It's something else...
With July 4th coming up, a lot of us are getting in the patriotic spirit with firework GIFs and festive food. But you know what? Celebrating 'merica doesn't only have to happen once every July. These people are showing off their patriotism year round!
Here at TheFW, we can find the cute in nearly any animal or insect or... well, anything. Moths, porcupines-- you name it, we're on it. So in this edition of cutest creatures, we're covering chinchillas. Warning: some serious aww's are ahead.
We've already addressed the fact that kids make anything cute. (See: the Warheads candy challenge and burrito baby.) So since summer starts today and funny munchkins can make your day loads better, we've rounded up snapshots of kids in goggles.
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Not one for getting your boobs out in public? Me neither, with the exception of the one-off "arty" naked photographic portrait of me, aged 34, published on an "arty" New York portrait photographer's website. Oh, and the one summer holiday in France with the girlfriends, aged 19, when the sunshine and youthful exuberance got the better of me and I sunbathed topless for all of five minutes.
Otherwise, I quite like keeping my knocks tucked away, fine though they are / were. Funnily enough, the larger they're getting (I'm 14 weeks pregnant) the more shy I'm becoming. The plunge-necked top is not my friend.
On to the business at hand here. Now, I realise there are a multitude of potential embarrassments to get over in the next six months, like my boyfriend scooping my poo out of the birthing pool for example. One of those is the breastfeeding in public thing. Right now, so early on in the whole experience, I'm not looking forward to revving up the milking machine in public, even in front of friends and family to be honest. Friends of mine do it with aplomb, but I just can't quite imagine how I'll manage.
Read on for recommended "hooter hiders"...I do want to give breastfeeding a go though, and so I am mightily chuffed to discover that you can get various items to keep the whole thing a bit more discrete - hilariously sometimes referred to as "hooter hiders". Celebrities use them quite a bit apparently, to maintain some privacy in the face of paparazzi camera lenses.
I realise I'm being impressed by little more than a scarf or a square of fabric here, but they represent more than that to me. It's the acceptance that it's ok to be shy about breastfeeding.
A few brands have come to my attention now, including Baby Babette, Mamascarf and Bebe Au Lait (used by Julia Roberts, Gwen Stefani and Liv Tyler apparently).
The nice people at Baby Babette have sent me one, actually. It's a very sweet red and white polka dot fabric, is lightweight, easy to shove in a bag, and has a muslin underside to double as a burping cloth. It is gratefully in the baby box to try out come December. It costs £11.50 to buy from Baby Babette.
How do you feel about breastfeeding in public? Is it just me that feels awkward? Does it get easier? Please leave a comment here.


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Model: 4224
The Cyclone #4224 Blast Cabinet with Dust Collector is made of thick 16 gauge steel and is capable of blasting away rust, paint, and dirt. With side and full top opening doors it's always easy to load whatever you need to blast. Made in the USA. Order yours today!
• Prevent silicosis via respirator
• Learn more about Silicosis HERE
• Side Door 25" x 10"
• Viewing lid 9" x 20"
• Overall dims W 45" x D 46" x H 60"
• Working dims W 42" x D 24" x H 24"
• Trigger gun operation 14CFM @ 70-90 PSI
• Download the pdf manual sheet HERE
• Residential deliveries cost extra
• Free shipping to a business with forklift on site*
• 245 lb shipping weight at W 45" x D 46" x H 60"
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Jacaranda's 'Shattered Glass' Concert Remembers Kristallnacht After 75 Years | KCET
Jacaranda's 'Shattered Glass' Concert Remembers Kristallnacht After 75 Years
When minimal music pioneer Steve Reich was just one years old, his parents divorced. Through the 1940s, their separation caused him to divide his time between the coasts, taking trains from his mother's home in New York to his father's in Los Angeles. "As an adult, he realized if he had been a child at that time in Europe, he would've been on a different kind of train entirely," says Patrick Scott, artistic director of the Santa Monica-based avant-garde music company Jacaranda, referring to the trains that took Jewish prisoners to concentration camps. In 1988, Reich performed interviews with Holocaust survivors and set the tapes to chugging strings. The resulting composition, "Different Trains," a three-movement piece for a string quartet, will be performed by the Lyris Quartet as part of "Shattered Glass," Jacaranda's concert program dedicated to the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht.
Named for the purple flowering hardwood trees imported from Portugal to Glendale in the 1890s.Jacaranda is commemorating an anniversary of it's own: this year's concert series will be their 10th at the First Presbyterian Church in Santa Monica. Throughout Jacaranda's history, they've curated challenging programs like "Shattered Glass," each with an eye towards avant-garde and minimalist classical music by composers such as John Cage, Olivier Messiaen, John Adams, and Erik Satie.
But where the L.A. Philharmonic's similarly avant-garde Green Umbrella program tends to lean towards classic compositions from these composers, Jacaranda digs deeper into the oeuvres of the better known artists, while exploring obscure composers' work that the more mainstream L.A. Phil might not be able to. "The music is carefully selected to be a journey from one place to another," Scott says. "Even though there may be some music that's challenging to anybody, there's always some effort made so that people leave feeling that they've had some sort of experience that gets them out of their routine."
To achieve this sensual experience, Scott -- a former set designer for theater and dance companies -- works with his partner, Mark Alan Hilt, a classically trained organist who serves as music director and conductor. Scott met Hilt while on a shopping spree to celebrate finishing a research project. First, he bought books, and then headed to Tower Records to purchase music. As Scott tells it, he walked through the door, and Hilt "swanned out from behind the counter" to help Scott, their fingers entangled in Scott book-heavy bags. Soon, Scott found himself at a production of Madame Butterfly that Hilt was conducting at the Santa Monica Grand Opera, dubious of the quality of music that the evening foretold. "I went there thinking, 'If this guy can't conduct, I can't do this. I can't be with somebody that I can't respect musically,'" says Scott. "But [the orchestra] sounded like a million bucks. I thought, 'Okay, he's a keeper.'" They bonded over Bach and Messiaen. "And we're both Mahler people," adds Scott. They've been together for 19 years, with over half of that being dedicated to Jacaranda.
Story continues below
Their peculiar tastes have led to things like Jacaranda's presentation of "Hallucination," a program of works composed in 1968. With the performance, Scott and Hilt aim to show that mind expansion wasn't confined to the acidheads. "Hallucination" features a piece called "Stimmung" by German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, one of the most ambitious and strange pieces of choral music written in the 20th century, as well as a paean to free love. "There's a lot of erotic poetry [in the piece]. Most [creative directors] choose a language other than the language of the audience," says Scott. His mouth curls into a rascally grin. "We're not."
In honor of the piece, which will be performed by renowned Italian choral sextet VOXNOVA, Scott plans to bring over Stockhausen's widow Mary Bauermeister, a visual artist, who is credited with starting the Fluxus art movement. The story goes, when she was pregnant, she was doing harmonic vocal exercises to deal with the pregnancy, and Stockhausen was inspired to create choral works from these strange noises she was making. "Much like the [Jean-Claude and] Christo story, she never was given enough credit," says Scott. "Her 80th birthday is in 2014, so we're bringing her over, and we're trying to get a venue to exhibit her artwork while she's here. I'm hoping we can reach the art world, and [attract] people who have a curiosity about her relationship with Fluxus."
Classical music is already having a difficult time finding an audience, and Jacaranda is constantly experimenting with new ways to attract listeners. In addition to tapping into Bauermeister's built-in fine art connection, Scott is fastidiously recording each of Jacaranda's performances, eventually leading up to a record label that will compliment the performances. He's also working on putting together a performance of several pieces David Byrne composed for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. The details are still being worked out, but Scott remains confident he can put the show together, which would bring heaps of attention to Jacaranda. Says Scott, "We will do it, because I never don't deliver."
"Shattered Glass" will be performed on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013, 8 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Santa Monica, 1220 2nd St., Santa Monica, 90401. Visit the Jacaranda Music website for more information.
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Google's costs rising faster than total sales
Google Inc.'s costs are rising as the search provider finds it harder to keep up with a broad shift to advertising on mobile phones, with sales falling short of estimates.
Revenue, excluding sales passed on to partners, was $12.2 billion in the first quarter, falling short of a projection by analysts for $12.3 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Google's audience is steadily migrating to smartphones, where the company gets less money for marketing spots than on desktops and tablets. Facebook Inc. and other rivals are also challenging Google's dominance in the online market. Even though CEO Larry Page is getting more advertisers to buy promotions, with total volume rising 26 percent, the average price for an ad fell 9 percent.
"Mobile is perceived as the single biggest risk over the near-term," said Scott Kessler, an analyst at S&P Capital IQ Inc., who has the equivalent of a hold rating on the stock. "Mobile is definitely helping Google and many others in the number of volume-related metrics, but mobile has also had a notable negative impact on pricing."
Net income was $3.45 billion, or $5.04 a share during the first three months of 2014, compared with $3.35 billion, or $4.97, a year earlier.
Reporting for the first time since Google held a de-facto split of the stock earlier this month, the shares fell as much as 6.2 percent in extended trading. The stock advanced 3.8 percent to $556.54 at the close in New York.
Google is also spending more to expand its services, with costs rising faster than total sales, which rose 19 percent. Expenses climbed 23 percent to $11.3 billion in the latest quarter.
Smartphones are dragging down prices for digital ads, with smaller screens limiting the number of promotions that can be displayed, while marketers are becoming more selective in using them. The cost per click for search advertising on smartphones dropped 35 percent during the first quarter in the U.S., according to researcher IgnitionOne. Tablets, which have larger screens and are more like traditional desktops, saw ad prices rise 29 percent.
Google is optimistic about its prospects. Nikesh Arora, chief business officer, said last month that he expects wireless gadgets to eventually outpace the traditional business.
"In the long-term, the mobile monetization is going to be a multiple of desktop monetization," Arora said at a Morgan Stanley investor conference in San Francisco last month.
Google's other revenue, which includes the mobile Play store and hardware such as Chromecast, rose 48 percent from the year ago-period to $1.55 billion.
Google is investing in new products to drive future growth. The company is licensing hotel-booking software from Room 77 Inc., a startup backed by Expedia Inc. With Room 77, Google can cater to travelers looking to quickly book hotels, the most lucrative part of online travel.
It also is further rolling out its broadband services. In February, Google said it was initiating talks with nine U.S. metropolitan areas about bringing its high-speed broadband Internet service to consumers.
Google is also willing to back away from investments that aren't working as well. It is selling its Motorola smartphone unit to Lenovo Group Ltd. for $2.91 billion, after buying it for more than $12 billion in 2012.


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OMAHA, Neb. — A Nebraska man who stole a painting of the Virgin Mary to finance an abortion for a teen he raped has been convicted of first-degree sexual assault and felony theft.
Aurelio Vallerillo-Sanchez, 39, of Omaha pleaded no contest to the charges Friday and faces up to 70 years in prison when sentenced in October, a Douglas County prosecutor said yesterday. Vallerillo-Sanchez fled to Mexico with the 300-year-old painting worth $100,000 and the pregnant teen in 2007 and sold the painting for $3,000 so the girl could get an abortion, prosecutors said. When an abortion wasn't possible, Vallerillo-Sanchez pushed to have the baby given up for adoption.
The teen returned to Nebraska and later gave birth, prosecutors said. Vallerillo-Sanchez was arrested in February after DNA linked him to the 2006 assault of the then-14-year-old girl.


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Jomo Zambia was driving his truck down Sepulveda Boulevard on a typically pleasant June night in the San Fernando Valley when he thought he spied a prostitute.
At the notorious intersection of Sepulveda and Valerio known for its prostitutes, Zambia made a U-turn, stopped his truck and beckoned the woman through the open passenger window to get inside.
"What for," the woman asked. Zambia said he was a pimp and he offered his services, which included providing housing and clothing, if she turned over all of her money to him. When she expressed skepticism about his credentials, he waved a business card in her face and insisted he was "legit" and promised he would "take care of her."
The prostitute turned out to be Los Angeles Police Officer Erika Cruz working undercover. Zambia was arrested that night in 2007, convicted and sentenced to four years in prison. He has since been paroled.
But his case lives on.
On March 8, the California Supreme Court - which hears every death sentence appeal and handles historic cases on topics such as the gay marriage debate - will begin to answer this legal question:
"Can a defendant be convicted of pandering for offering to act as a pimp for a woman who appears to be already working as a prostitute?"
In other words, the high court has decided to define what makes a pimp in California.
The attorneys involved in the case and court watchers insist the case is a legally important one that will reach beyond who goes to prison for pandering. Zambia's case is among the first heard by the newly comprised Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, who was sworn in last month.
Zambia's case will offer insight into what side of the classic philosophical divide Cantil-Sakauye and the new court will take when it comes to interpreting the law. Is the new court one that sticks to the "plain meaning" of the printed words on the books, or will it try to divine the intent of each law's creator?
Zambia's lawyer Vanessa Place is demanding a strict, plain-meaning approach. That's because Zambia's case boils down to defining the phrase in California law that makes it a crime for anyone who "induces, persuades or encourages another person to become a prostitute."
Place argues that prison is reserved only for those who recruit innocent victims into the "game" and that would-be pimps can't be convicted of pandering when they attempt to persuade a working prostitute to "change management." Her argument turns on defining the word "become."
The California Attorney General's office insists the court look at the intent of the pandering law, arguing the California Legislature meant to lock up anyone who tried to encourage someone to work for them as a prostitute. Deputy Attorney General Rama Maline says there's no way lawmakers intended to let suspects like Zambia off the hook.
""This narrow view of pandering flies in the face of the common-sense construction of the statute," Maline said in his written arguments to the court. To rule otherwise "would severely undermine efforts to combat prostitution."
Until recently, the defense attorneys say, pandering charges were used mostly to send brothel operators and heads of extensive prostitution rings to prison.
For example, a jury in 1995 convicted so-called Hollywood Madam Heidi Fleiss of pandering for operating a high-end prostitution ring. Her conviction and three-year sentence were tossed out the next year when an appellate court found juror misconduct.
But now, defense attorneys throughout the state are complaining that prosecutors are overzealously charging suspects with pandering, which carries a minimum three-year prison sentence, instead of less serious crimes such as solicitation, which often results in probation. They argue that the law is misapplied to suspects like Zambia, who before his arrest lived with his parents and worked at nights in their janitorial company cleaning office buildings.
"You don't have to use a bazooka to go after a fly," Place said. "There are plenty of laws on the books to police prostitution."
Some courts are starting to agree. In January, the state Court of Appeal tossed out the pandering conviction of an Elk Grove man who offered a 17-year-old girl money in exchange for sex, reasoning the suspect was only soliciting sex and not trying to be a pimp.
Until 2009, every appellate court that considered the issue sided with the prosecutors' interpretation of the law: a pimp is pandering when he entices anyone to work as a prostitute. But then in 2009, a three-judge appellate panel based in Santa Ana "reluctantly" tossed out the conviction of a man convicted of trying to persuade a practicing prostitute to work for him.
"If the Legislature had wanted a more broadly applicable provision, it could have easily replaced the phrase 'become a prostitute' with the phrase 'engage in prostitution,'" Justice William Bedsworth wrote for the unanimous panel. "We cannot simply assume it meant the latter when it said the former."
A bill introduced in the Assembly last year to change the law to include working prostitutes died quietly in committee. Zambia's conviction and the last word on interpreting "become" in the pandering stature rests with the California Supreme Court.
Place said she has lost touch with Zambia since his parole from prison and he couldn't be found for comment.