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Strawberry and rhubarb are the classic combination of sweet and tart. I adore how Gayle used this strawberry rhubarb finishing vinegar to shrub it up. Weekend cocktails, done!
We've all known pregnant women who crave pickles and ice cream and a whole host of other foods – my mother ate enough carrots to tinge her skin orange – but it was my friend's puckery vinegar cravings during her first trimester that introduced me to the shrub.
Dating back to pre-refrigeration days, these drinking vinegars grew out of necessity: sugar was added to crocks of fresh fruit to slow spoilage and the mixture fermented. Just like spreading berry preserves in the dead of winter, spiking sparkling water (or a more adult potable) extends the flavors of warmer months year round.
Popular in colonial America, shrubs have made a comeback, showing up on cocktail menus everywhere. Suspender-clad, sleeve-gartered, cap-askewed hipster bartenders aside, shrubs are worth a second look.
MORE: Make gorgeous fruity vinegars at home – here's a step-by-step guide!
Despite having never had a shrub in my life, when gifted this this spiced strawberry rhubarb finishing vinegar, I knew exactly what I was going to do with it. I poured a few spoonfuls of the tawny rose syrup, thin enough to drizzle but thick enough to leave a slick on the spoon, into a glass and filled it with sparkling water. Suitable for finishing a salad or de-glazing a pan into a gastrique, the vinegar wasn't quite sweet enough for drinking, so I dropped in a sugar cube (or two!) for some extra fizz.
Bottoms up!
P.S. I think congratulations are in order – I managed to get through the past three paragraphs about shrubs without a single topiary reference!
Spiced Strawberry Rhubarb Shrub
Makes: 1 drink
- 2-3 tablespoons finishing vinegar (I used Wozz!) or white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup sparkling water
- 1 large sugar cube (or 3-4 little Domino ones - approximately 1 tablespoon of sugar)
- 1 thinly sliced strawberry, for garnish
- Pour the finishing vinegar into a pretty glass.
- Add the sparkling water.
- Drop in your sugar, and watch the drink fizz.
- Float some strawberry slices on top, and enjoy!
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byGrit TV
Gar Alperovitz: We are Living in the Pre-History of the Next American Revolution
Gar Alperovitz is out with his new book, "What Then Must We Do? Straight Talk About The Next American Revolution." Alperovitz and discusses Health Care, Wages, and other American concerns with Laura Flanders. What do you think, could there be a revolution on the way?
© 2013 Grit TV

subset: commoncrawl


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Make your cartoon character mascot exclusivelly!!! Everything you need I will do the Best for you.
"Ridjam is a wonderful and innovative graphic designer. He working hard, detail oriented and always strives to do an outstanding job!"
Asep Sufyan Tsauri, Co Founder at Ingenio Indonesia
"Rizky is very talented vector and graphic designer.
His passion with open source drive him successfully for being unique and classy in his field."
Aditia A. Pratama, Co-Founder and Technical Director at PT. Pawitra Media Nuswantara
"Young and talented with good attitudes. Strong leadership and idealism as activist in open source software field."
Adhicipta R. Wirawan, CEO & Founder Mechanimotion


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TEMECULA ---- The fifth in a series of public workshops on the revitalization of the Jefferson Avenue corridor is scheduled for Thursday night.
The workshop, which will cover a market study looking at the area's economic potential, will run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the conference room at the Temecula Civic Center, 41000 Main St.
At previous workshops , residents, landowners and consultants hired by the city have discussed their respective visions for the area, which was hit hard by the recession and competing commercial development to the east.
When the series of workshops is complete, a document will be produced that will guide development in the corridor, which could one day be home to high-rise condos and shops as well as entertainment and art districts.
The city used a similar a process to transform Old Town Temecula.


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The television market in the country may see negative growth this year with "deteriorating" demand conditions following cyclical pressures as well as two per cent education cess which will hit the disposable income of consumers and also push up the prices of colour TVs due to higher duties, according to a study.
In a post-Budget analysis, ICRA termed the impact of the Budget on the television market as "negative."
"The imposition of education cess of two per cent may have the effect of decreasing disposable income with consumers," the study said.
ICRA said the cyclical nature of the television market would also impact the sales. "Following significant demand expansion during 2002-03 caused by sporting events, demand in growth during 2004 is expected to be moderate," it said.
The study said that colour TVs -- the largest sub-segment of the consumer durables market -- may see prices go up as a result of increase in raw materials costs and increase in excise duties.
"The increase in effective customs duty on colour picture tubes (CPTs) is also likely to result in price increases by domestic CPT manufacturers (who usually benchmark their prices against landed costs of imports)," ICRA said.
Overall, the increase in effective customs duty on finished items of consumer durables is unlikely to affect the domestic industry in a major way because a substantial chunk of the industry's products is manufactured in India, it said.
"The key price hikes are likely to occur in high-end models that are primarily imported. Increase in effective excise duties across all segments is likely to cause a marginal increase in prices of consumer durables," the ICRA study said, adding that tough conditions may force companies to absorb the increased costs so as to not depress demand.
"This may impact profitability (of the companies)," it said.
ICRA also said the doubling of duty on black and white television and populated printed circuit boards to 16 per cent would further hit their slackening sales. "The increase in excise duty is likely to cause an increase in B&W TV prices, reduce their price advantage vis-a-vis colour TVs, and accelerate the significant demand substitution in favour ofCTVs.
"The imposition of 16 per cent duty on populated printed boards for B&W TVs is also expected to hasten the decline of the already-shrinking B&W TV market," the study said.


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Classic feel, practical deal.
The Poler Rucksack combines a timeless look with heavy-duty functionality so you're able to take it on your weekly day hikes and weekend travels. This multi-purpose backpack oozes camp vibes with its tough Campdura construction and nylon lining, and it adds a rustic touch from its leather pull tabs. The padded mesh shoulder straps stay breathable and cozy from campus to the trails while the chest belt offers extra support for longer treks. And whether you're passing through airport security or walking into class late, the Rucksack's quick-access laptop sleeve lets you grab your computer without hesitation and the side pouch pockets store some extra snacks or school supplies.
- Campdura material
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This is my second Rucksack from Poler, and I'm just as stoked on this one as my previous one, which I put through a lot. Poler has updated the two side pouches - they are now fixed to the backpack, which I prefer to the older one, which had detachable pouches. For the amount of space that this pack provides, it's pretty compact and doesn't get in the way like you may expect. Overall, a great backpack.


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NARM's Music Biz 2012 opens today in LA. Are you attending? Don't miss our NARM Hypebot Sessions on Wednesdday afternoon. Details here.
- The New York Times profiles TuneCore's Jeff Price "Out to Shake Up Music, Often With Sharp Words" (NYT)
- Amanda Palmer's Kickstarter campaign is over $573,000 with 24 days left. She explains how: "Connecting Each And Every Day, Person By Person" (techdirt)
- Broadcast your self to the world: Google opens Hangouts On Air with unlimited viewers.
- Let's honor late Beastie with better copyright laws (paidContent)
- DJ Platform Dubset Becomes Thefuture.fm, Doubles User Base To 100K (TechCrunch)
- MTV's O Music Awards Are Back With A (They Hope) Record-Breaking Ride Through The Birthplace of Rock 'N' Roll (O)
- In New Orleans, A Health Clinic For Working Musicians (NPR)
- Social Media in Music Panel to be held this Wednesday, May 9, 2012 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM (ET)
Brooklyn, NY. Details here.


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Agent Hill Season 2 Omnibus
Today's Free Kindle eBook: Agent Hill Season 2 Omnibus
Two years have passed since the GSF nearly collapsed. The mole responsible may have escaped, but he was never forgotten, especially by Agent Sarah Hill. Now, the mole has resurfaced as a mercenary for the world's most dangerous terrorist groups. And when Hill discovers what his next job is, it's a race against time to stop him before a nuclear weapon falls into the wrong hands. But if she has to choose between stopping the bomb, or stopping him, will she be able to keep her finger off the trigger?
Just follow this link to get the freebie:


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I'm not liking this Mia Michaels routine at all.
I'm not liking this Mia Michaels routine at all.
I loved the Mia Michael's routine. It was such a happy and energetic piece, and I think the dancers did a great job.
Katee for the win tonight!
And this life sentence that Im serving
I admit that Im every bit deserving -
But the beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair
- Relient K
I disagree. Season 2 I was rooting for Travis, last year I didn't care for any of the final 4. This year, I like them all and still trying to figure out who to vote for.Originally Posted by paridy;3157736;
was it just me or was twitch totally off on those synchronized jumps with josh on the group routine? he seemed to catch no air and to be totally out of synch... :/
I agree. I may not know dancing, but I know what I like, and this isn't it.Originally Posted by Unklescott;3157740;
Nigel: "Will left the competition; I think America got it right"
Sorry Nigel. Gotta disagree. Mia can't have been happy being told to do something great with these four. I'm guessing she'd have traded any of them away for Will.
I agree. I was so surprised when Mary said he was the best...Originally Posted by curlyroller;3157752;
Joshua for the win !!! (although I can't vote ... if you don't know who to vote for, you can vote for him on my behalf !)
I almost missed it. Well I did miss the beginning.....I hate when people call me on Wednesdays.
I saw Twitch and Katee's Foxtrot. Loved it.
Done!Originally Posted by Elsa;3157790;
Ain't Love Grand!
I was watching in Canada and almost missed Robert - just caught the tail end first time round but was watching for it second time. I was incredibly frustrated because the sound and picture kept cutting off during the judging comments. I don't know if there was bad weather somewhere or what but it was very upsetting!!!!!!!! I like all of these dancers and don't know who I think will win. I don't want to compare them to other years as I enjoy them for themselves and each year I have liked all the top dancers. I'll be so sorry the show is done, but look forward to the start up of the Canadian version. I wish it was starting next week!


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Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has become the inevitable Republican Party presidential nominee. Despite the weak economy, he faces an uphill race. Its never easy to defeat an incumbent president. Moreover, Romney cant rely on the GOPs traditional foreign-policy advantage.
Throughout the Cold War Republicans posed as the party of national defense. That stance served the GOP well until the wreck of George W. Bushs presidency. The public rallied around President Bush when he ordered the invasion of Iraq but soured when it became clear that the war was an unnecessary disaster begun on a lie.
Republican politicians continue to beat the war drums. All of this cycles GOP presidential contenders, save Rep. Ron Paul, charged President Barack Obama with weakness, indeed, almost treason. But the public isnt convinced. The president who increased military spending, twice upped troop levels in Afghanistan, started his own war with Libya, talked tough to North Korea, loudly threatened Iran and Syria, and oversaw the hit on Osama bin Laden just doesnt look like a wimp.
In fact, a recent Washington Post-ABC poll found that Americans prefer Barack Obama to Mitt Romney on international issues by 53 percent to 36 percent. Republican apparatchiks Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie nevertheless claim, the president is strikingly vulnerable in this area, but so far Romney is convincing only as a blowhard with a know-nothing foreign policy. Noted Jacob Heilbrunn of the National Interest, the GOP is returning to a prescription that led to trillion-dollar wars in the Middle East that the public loathes.
Romneys overall theme is American exceptionalism and greatness, slogans that win public applause but offer no guidance for a bankrupt superpower that has squandered its international credibility. This century must be an American century, Romney proclaimed. In an American century, America leads the free world and the free world leads the entire world. He has chosen a mix of advisers, including the usual neocons and uber-hawks Robert Kagan, Eliot Cohen, Jim Talent, Walid Phares, Kim Holmes, and Daniel Senor, for instance that gives little reason for comfort. Their involvement suggests Romneys general commitment to an imperial foreign policy and force structure.
Romney is no fool, but he has never demonstrated much interest in international affairs. He brings to mind George W. Bush, who appeared to be largely ignorant of the nations he was invading. Romney may be temperamentally less likely to combine recklessness with hubris, but he would have just as strong an incentive to use foreign aggression to win conservative acquiescence to domestic compromise. This tactic worked well for Bush, whose spendthrift policies received surprisingly little criticism on the right from activists busy defending his war-happy foreign policy.
The former Massachusetts governor has criticized President Obama for a naked political calculation or simply sheer ineptitude in following George W. Bushs withdrawal timetable in Iraq and for not overriding the decision of a government whose independence Washington claims to respect. But why would any American policymaker want to keep troops in a nation that is becoming ever more authoritarian, corrupt, and sectarian? It is precisely the sort of place U.S. forces should not be tied down.
In contrast, Romney has effectively taken no position on Afghanistan. At times he appears to support the Obama timetable for reducing troop levels, but he has also proclaimed that Withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan under a Romney administration will be based on conditions on the ground as assessed by our military commanders. Indeed, he insisted: To defeat the insurgency in Afghanistan, the United States will need the cooperation of both the Afghan and Pakistani governments we will only persuade Afghanistan and Pakistan to be resolute if they are convinced that the United States will itself be resolute, and added, We should not negotiate with the Taliban. We should defeat the Taliban.
Yet its the job of the president, not the military, to decide the basic policy question: why is the U.S. spending blood and treasure trying to create a Western-style nation state in Central Asia a decade after 9/11? And how long is he prepared to stay forever? On my two trips to Afghanistan I found little support among Afghans for their own government, which is characterized by gross incompetence and corruption. Even if the Western allies succeed in creating a large local security force, will it fight for the thieves in Kabul?
Pakistan is already resolute in opposing U.S. policy on the ground. Afghans forthrightly view Islamabad as an enemy. Unfortunately, continuing the war probably is the most effective way to destabilize nuclear-armed Pakistan. What will Romney do if the U.S. military tells him that American combat forces must remain in Afghanistan for another decade or two in order to win?
The ongoing AfPak conflict is not enough; Romney appears to desire war with Iran as well. No one wants a nuclear Iran, but Persian nuclear ambitiions began under Americas ally the Shah, and there is no reason to believe that the U.S. (and Israel) cannot deter Tehran. True, Richard Grenell, who briefly served as Romneys foreign-policy spokesman, once made the astonishing claim that the Iranians will surely use nuclear weapons. Alas, he never shared his apparently secret intelligence about the leadership in Tehrans suicidal tendencies. The Iranian governments behavior has been rational even if brutal, and officials busy maneuvering for power and wealth do not seem eager to enter the great beyond. Washington uneasily but effectively deterred Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong, the two most prolific mass murderers in history. Iran is no substitute for them.
Romney has engaged in almost infantile ridicule of the Obama administrations attempt to engage Tehran. Yet the U.S. had diplomatic relations with Hitlers Germany and Stalins Russia. Washington came to regret not having similar contact with Maos China. Even the Bush administration eventually decided that ignoring Kim Jong-Ils North Korea only encouraged it to build more nuclear weapons faster.
Regarding Iran, Romney asserted, a military option to deal with their nuclear program remains on the table. Building up U.S. military forces will send an unequivocal signal to Iran that the United States, acting in concert with allies, will never permit Iran to obtain nuclear weapons . Only when the ayatollahs no longer have doubts about Americas resolve will they abandon their nuclear ambitions. Indeed, if all else fails then of course you take military action, even though, American and Iranian military analysts warn, such strikes might only delay development of nuclear weapons. Elect me as the next president, he declared, and Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.
Actually, if Tehran becomes convinced that an attack and attempted regime change are likely, it will have no choice but to develop nuclear weapons. How else to defend itself? The misguided war in Libya, which Romney supported, sent a clear signal to both North Korea and Iran never to trust the West.
Irans fears likely are exacerbated by Romneys promise to subcontract Middle East policy to Israel. The ties between the U.S. and Israel are many, but their interests often diverge. The current Israeli government wants Washington to attack Iran irrespective of the cost to America. Moreover, successive Israeli governments have decided to effectively colonize the West Bank, turning injustice into state policy and making a separate Palestinian state practically impossible. Perceived American support for this creates enormous hostility toward the U.S. across the Arab and Muslim worlds.
Yet Romney promises that his first foreign trip would be to Israel to show the world that we care about that country and that region as if anyone anywhere, least of all Israels neighbors, doesnt realize that. He asserted that you dont allow an inch of space to exist between you and your friends and allies, notably Israel. The U.S. should let the entire world know that we will stay with them and that we will support them and defend them. Indeed, Romney has known Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for nearly four decades and has said that he would request Netanyahus approval for U.S. policies: Id get on the phone to my friend Bibi Netanyahu and say, Would it help if I say this? What would you like me to do? Americans would be better served by a president committed to making policy in the interests of the U.S. instead.
Romneys myopic vision is just as evident when he looks elsewhere. For instance, he offered the singular judgment that Russia is our number one geopolitical foe. Romney complained that across the board, it has been a thorn in our side on questions vital to Americas national security.
The Cold War ended more than two decades ago. Apparently Romney is locked in a time warp. Moscow manifestly does not threaten vital U.S. interests. Romney claimed that Vladimir Putin dreams of rebuilding the Russian empire. Even if Putin has such dreams, they dont animate Russian foreign policy. No longer an ideologically aggressive power active around the world, Moscow has retreated to the status of a pre-1914 great power, concerned about border security and international respect. Russia has no interest in conflict with America and is not even much involved in most regions where the U.S. is active: Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.
Moscow has been helpful in Afghanistan, refused to provide advanced air defense weapons to Iran, supported some sanctions against Tehran, used its limited influence in North Korea to encourage nuclear disarmament, and opposes jihadist terrorism. This is curious behavior for Americas number one geopolitical foe.
Romneys website explains that he will implement a strategy that will seek to discourage aggressive or expansionist behavior on the part of Russia, but other than Georgia where is it so acting? And even if Georgia fell into a Russian trap, Tbilisi started the shooting in 2008. In any event, absent an American security guarantee, which would be madness, the U.S. cannot stop Moscow from acting to protect what it sees as vital interests in a region of historic influence.
Where else is Russia threatening America? Moscow does oppose NATO expansion, which actually is foolish from a U.S. standpoint as well, adding strategic liabilities rather than military strengths. Russia strongly opposes missile defense bases in Central and Eastern Europe, but why should Washington subsidize the security of others? Moscow opposes an attack on Iran, and so should Americans. Russia backs the Assad regime in Syria, but the U.S. government once declared the same government to be reformist. Violent misadventures in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya demonstrate that America has little to gain and much to lose from another attempt at social engineering through war. If anything, the Putin government has done Washington a favor keeping the U.S. out of Syria.
This doesnt mean America should not confront Moscow when important differences arise. But treating Russia as an adversary risks encouraging it to act like one. Doing so especially will make Moscow more suspicious of Americas relationships with former members of the Warsaw Pact and republics of the Soviet Union. Naturally, Romney wants to encourage democratic political and economic reform in Russia a fine idea in theory, but meddling in another countrys politics rarely works in practice. Just look at the Arab Spring.
Not content with attempting to start a mini-Cold War, Mitt Romney dropped his nominal free-market stance to demonize Chinese currency practices. He complained about currency manipulation and forced technology transfers: China seeks advantage through systematic exploitation of other economies.
On day one as president he promises to designate China as the currency manipulator it is. Moreover, he added, he would take a holistic approach to addressing all of Chinas abuses. That includes unilateral actions such as increased enforcement of U.S. trade laws, punitive measures targeting products and industries that rely on misappropriations of our intellectual property, reciprocity in government procurement, and countervailing duties against currency manipulation. It also includes multilateral actions to block technology transfers into China and to create a trading bloc open only for nations genuinely committed to free trade.
Romneys apparent belief that Washington is genuinely committed to free trade is charming nonsense. The U.S. has practiced a weak dollar policy to increase exports. Washington long has subsidized American exports: the Export-Import Bank is known as Boeings Bank and U.S. agricultural export subsidies helped torpedo the Doha round of trade liberalization through the World Trade Organization.
Of course, Beijing still does much to offend Washington. However, the U.S. must accommodate the rising power across the Pacific. Trying to keep China out of a new Asia-Pacific trade pact isnt likely to work. Americas Asian allies want us to protect them no surprise! but are not interested in offending their nearby neighbor with a long memory. The best hope for moderating Chinese behavior is to tie it into a web of international institutions that provide substantial economic, political, and security benefits.
Beijing already has good reason to be paranoid of the superpower which patrols bordering waters, engages in a policy that looks like containment, and talks of the possibility of war. Trying to isolate China economically would be taken as a direct challenge. Romney would prove Henry Kissingers dictum that even paranoids have enemies.
Naturally, Romney also wants to maintain appropriate military capabilities to discourage any aggressive or coercive behavior by China against its neighbors. However, 67 years after the end of World War II, it is time for Beijings neighbors to arm themselves and cooperate with each other. Japan long had the second largest economy on earth. India is another rising power with reason to constrain China. South Korea has become a major power. Australia has initiated a significant military build-up. Many Southeast Asian nations are constructing submarines to help deter Chinese adventurism. Even Russia has much to fear from China, given the paucity of population in its vast eastern territory. But Americas foreign-defense dole discourages independence and self-help. The U.S. should step back as an off-shore balancer, encouraging its friends to do more and work together. It is not Americas job to risk Los Angeles for Tokyo, Seoul, or Taipei.
Romney similarly insists on keeping the U.S. on the front lines against North Korea, even though all of its neighbors have far more at stake in a peaceful peninsula and are able to contain that impoverished wreck of a country. The Romney campaign proclaims: Mitt Romney will commit to eliminating North Koreas nuclear weapons and its nuclear-weapons infrastructure. Alas, everything he proposes has been tried before, from tougher sanctions to tighter interdiction and pressure on China to isolate the North. What does he plan on doing when Pyongyang continues to develop nuclear weapons as it has done for the last 20 years?
The American military should come home from Korea. Romney complained that the Norths nuclear capability poses a direct threat to U.S. forces on the Korean Peninsula and elsewhere in East Asia. Then withdraw them. Manpower-rich South Korea doesnt need U.S. conventional support, and ground units do nothing to contain North Koreas nuclear ambitions. Pull out American troops and eliminate North Koreas primary threat to the U.S. Then support continuing non-proliferation efforts led by those nations with the most to fear from the North. That strategy, more than lobbying by Washington, is likely to bring China around.
Romney confuses dreams with reality when criticizing President Obama over the administrations response to the Arab Spring. Were facing an Arab Spring which is out of control in some respects, he said, because the president was not as strong as he needed to be in encouraging our friends to move toward representative forms of government. Romney asked: How can we try and improve the odds so what happens in Libya and what happens in Egypt and what happens in other places where the Arab Spring is in full bloom so that the developments are toward democracy, modernity and more representative forms of government? This we simply dont know.
True, the president doesnt know. But neither does Mitt Romney. The latter suffers from the delusion that bright Washington policymakers can remake the world. Invade another country, turn it into a Western-style democracy allied with America, and everyone will live happily every after. But George W. Bush, a member of Mitt Romneys own party, failed miserably trying to do that in both Afghanistan and Iraq. The Arab Spring did not happen because of Washington policy but in spite of Washington policy. And Arabs demanding political freedom which, unfortunately, is not the same as a liberal society have not the slightest interest in what Barack Obama or Mitt Romney thinks.
Yet the latter wants convene a summit that brings together world leaders, donor organizations, and young leaders of groups that espouse all the wonderful things that Americans do. Alas, does he really believe that such a gathering will stop, say, jihadist radicals from slaughtering Coptic Christians? Iraqs large Christian community was destroyed even as the U.S. military occupied that country. His summit isnt likely to be any more effective. Not everything in the world is about Washington.
Which is why Romneys demand to do something in Syria is so foolish. Until recently he wanted to work with the UN, call on the Syrian military to be nice, impose more sanctions, and increase the possibility that the ruling minority Alawites will be able to reconcile with the majority Sunni population in a post-Assad Syria. Snapping his fingers would be no less effective.
Most recently he advocated arming the rebels. But he should be more cautious before advocating American intervention in another conflict in another land. Such efforts rarely have desirable results. Iraq was a catastrophe. Afghanistan looks to be a disaster once American troops come home. After more than a decade Bosnia and Kosovo are failures, still under allied supervision. Libya is looking bad.
Even without U.S. help, a full-blown civil war already threatens in Syria. We only look through the glass darkly, observed the Apostle Paul. It might be best for Washington not to intervene in another Muslim land with so many others aflame.
Despite his support for restoring Americas economic health, Romney wants to increase dramatically Washingtons already outsize military spending. Rather than make a case on what the U.S. needs, he has taken the typical liberal approach of setting an arbitrary number: 4 percent of GDP. Its a dumb idea, since America already accounts for roughly half the globes military spending far more if you include Washingtons wealthy allies and spends more in real terms than at any time during the Cold War, Korean War, or Vietnam War, and real outlays have nearly doubled since 2000. By any normal measure, the U.S. possesses far more military resources than it needs to confront genuine threats.
What Romney clearly wants is a military to fight multiple wars and garrison endless occupations, irrespective of cost. My Cato colleague Chris Preble figured that
Romneys 4 percent gimmick would result in taxpayers spending more than twice as much on the Pentagon as in 2000 (111 percent higher, to be precise) and 45 percent more than in 1985, the height of the Reagan buildup. Over the next ten years, Romneys annual spending (in constant dollars) for the Pentagon would average 64 percent higher than annual post-Cold War budgets (1990-2012), and 42 percent more than the average during the Reagan era (1981-1989).
If Mitt Romney really believes that the world today is so much more dangerous than during the Cold War, he should spell out the threat. He calls Islamic fundamentalism, the Arab Spring, the impact of failed states, the anti-American regimes of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela, rising China, and resurgent Russia powerful forces. Its actually a pitiful list Islamic terrorists have been weakened and dont pose an existential threat, the Arab Spring threatens instability with little impact on America, it is easier to strike terrorists in failed states than in nominal allies like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, one nuclear-armed submarine could vaporize all four hostile states, and Russias modest resurgence may threaten Georgia but not Europe or America. Only China deserves to be called powerful, but it remains a developing country surrounded by potential enemies with a military far behind that of the U.S.
In fact, the greatest danger to America is the blowback that results from promiscuous intervention in conflicts not our own. Romney imagines a massive bootstrap operation: he wants a big military to engage in social engineering abroad which would require an even larger military to handle the violence and chaos that would result from his failed attempts at social engineering. Better not to start this vicious cycle.
America faces international challenges but nevertheless enjoys unparalleled dominance. U.S. power is buttressed by the fact that Washington is allied with every industrialized nation except China and Russia. America shares significant interests with India, the second major emerging power; is seen as a counterweight by a gaggle of Asian states worried about Chinese expansion; remains the dominant player in Latin America; and is closely linked to most of the Middle Easts most important countries, such as Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq. If Mitt Romney really believes that America is at greater risk today than during the Cold War, he is not qualified to be president.
In this world the U.S. need not confront every threat, subsidize every ally, rebuild every failed state, and resolve every problem. Being a superpower means having many interests but few vital ones warranting war. Being a bankrupt superpower means exhibiting judgment and exercising discretion.
President Barack Obama has been a disappointment, amounting in foreign policy to George W. Bush-lite. But Mitt Romney sounds even worse. His rhetoric suggests a return to the worst of the Bush administration. The 2012 election likely will be decided on economics, but foreign policy will prove to be equally important in the long-term. America can ill afford another know-nothing president.


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The Internal Revenue Code needs reform, and taxpayers need relief. The tax code is a nightmare of complexity, entailing nearly 1,100 separate forms and publications. Federal tax revenues consume more than 19 percent of national economic output, a burden that is high by historical standards, and tax rates on productive activity are still far higher then they were when President Ronald Reagan left office.
President George W. Bush's tax relief package from last year is a step in the right direction. By reducing marginal tax rates on work, saving, and investment, the President's tax cut will boost economic growth and reduce the burden for all taxpayers. If repeal of the death tax is achieved, it will eliminate a long-standing injustice in the tax code and significantly reduce inefficient and costly tax planning.
But the Administration's tax package should be viewed as only a first step in a series of long-overdue reforms. The White House and congressional leaders should put further tax relief and reform on the agenda because:
- The long-term budget surplus is larger than anticipated. The most recent figures from the Congressional Budget Office indicate that surplus revenues will total $1.6 trillion over the next 10 fiscal years,1 and that includes the revenue effect of last year's modest $1.28 trillion tax cut.
- Additional tax relief will boost the economy's performance. Tax rates remain far too high. To energize a soft economy, lawmakers should seek far larger reductions in the tax penalties that are imposed on productive behavior. If Russia can have a 13 percent flat tax, U.S. lawmakers should be able to reduce America's top tax rate to 28 percent.
- Additional tax
cuts will help pave the way for institution of a flat tax.
Lowering tax rates and repealing the death tax are important steps
toward fundamental tax reform, but large projected surpluses now
create a golden opportunity to address other inequities in
tax code and eliminate many of the 1,100-plus forms required by the Internal Revenue Code.2
- Lowering taxes will help control federal spending. The tax "cut" of 2001 only reduced the growth rate of tax collections. Federal tax revenues are still expected to climb from $2 trillion to $3.5 trillion throughout the next decade.3 More money in Washington will mean more spending. Budget surpluses between 1998 and 2001, for instance, undermined fiscal discipline, and spending grew twice as fast with budget surpluses as it did when the budget was in deficit.4
- Pro-growth tax reforms enhance international competitiveness. America's economy has outperformed the economies of its major trading partners, in large part because our overall tax burden is low by industrial-world standards. The United States also is viewed by foreign investors as a safe haven. Additional pro-growth tax cuts will attract even more investment and further establish the United States as the world's strongest economy.
Not All Tax Cuts Help the Economy and Simplify the Tax Code
The benefits discussed above will occur only if lawmakers choose the right kind of tax cuts. Tax cuts that simply hand money to people--such as rebates and credits--do not stimulate additional economic activity because there is no incentive to work more, save more, or invest more. These "Keynesian" tax cuts merely give individual taxpayers money that otherwise would have gone to individuals in private credit markets. Even from the discredited Keynesian approach, this type of tax cut is ineffective since it does not yield added purchasing power in the economy.
Economic growth, by definition, means an increase in national income. Tax cuts will improve the economy's performance only if they increase incentives to work, save, and invest. To generate economic benefits, tax cuts should focus on three goals:
- Lower rates to stimulate productive activity. Taxes are, essentially, penalties on productive behavior; the higher the rate, the steeper the penalty. A tax cut that reduces marginal tax rates will boost incentives to create jobs, increase income, and generate wealth. Simply stated, people are more likely to work, save, and invest when they can keep more of the money they earn.
- Reduce double taxation on savings and investment. Income from savings and investment often is taxed more than once, compounding the damage caused by high marginal tax rates. Indeed, one dollar of income could be subject to four different kinds of taxation--personal income tax, corporate income tax, capital gains tax, and death tax. The anti-capital bias in the tax code reduces America's productivity growth. Although it would be best to eliminate all incidents of double taxation (as a flat tax would), any tax cut that moves in that direction will improve the economy's performance.
- Simplify the tax system. With more than 1,100 forms and publications, our tax code has become a nightmare of complexity that imposes a hidden compliance tax of at least $194 billion each year.5 Many tax cuts, particularly those that reform the Internal Revenue Code, can substantially reduce the compliance tax by eliminating some of the most counterproductive and confusing sections of the tax code.
A variety of tax cuts satisfy the goals listed above. Indeed, the two main components of the President's 2001 tax cut--reductions in marginal tax rates and repeal of the death tax--make progress in this direction. However, additional reform is needed to reduce the tax burden and reform the tax code.
The Next Steps for Tax Reform
The Bush tax cuts--particularly the marginal tax rate reductions and putative repeal of the death tax--will boost economic performance and make the tax code fairer. However, these tax cuts are just a small step toward the reform that is needed. Large budget surpluses and a soft economy indicate that further tax relief is both desirable and possible.
But not all tax cuts are created equal. Some proposals further complicate the tax code and create preferences for the well-connected and politically powerful. Pro-growth tax cuts, by contrast, result in a system that is fairer and less complicated. The tax cuts described below should be implemented as part of a comprehensive effort to move the tax code toward a single-rate, consumption-based system.
Implement the Bush tax cuts immediately.
Delayed implementation of tax cuts dampens the economy's short-term performance. The majority of personal income tax rate reductions in the Bush tax cut do not take effect until 2004 and 2006, and repeal of the death tax does not take effect until 2010. If lower rates are phased in over an extended period of time, taxpayers may choose to defer economic activity until the cuts take effect. This creates a perverse incentive that could dampen the economy's short-term performance.
Make tax cuts effective immediately. Lower tax rates improve incentives to work, save, and invest. However, these beneficial results will not occur until rate reductions actually take effect. Tax rate reductions, therefore, should take effect immediately.
Lawmakers can choose to accelerate reductions in some tax rates but not in others. They also can choose to have tax rate reductions take effect sooner--for example, in 2003 and 2005 instead of 2004 and 2006. These incremental steps for accelerating reductions are inferior to full and immediate implementation of rate cuts. If lawmakers opt to take only incremental steps, they should begin with reductions in the highest tax rates to generate the greatest economic benefits.
Make the Bush tax cuts permanent.
Sunsetting tax cuts blunts pro-growth impact. All of the significant provisions of the Bush tax cut will sunset in 2011. At that time, personal income tax rates will climb back to Clinton-era levels and the death tax will reappear. This situation is the perverse result of budget rules that required a 60-vote supermajority in the U.S. Senate to make the Bush tax cut permanent.
Make tax cuts permanent. Tax rate reductions increase incentives to work, save, and invest; but if taxpayers know that tax rates will increase in the future, they will adjust their plans accordingly. Long-range choices--particularly investment decisions--are the most likely to be affected by the existence of a future tax increase. To protect the economy from the adverse effects of a substantial tax increase in 2011, this sunset clause should be removed.
If they are reluctant to make the President's tax cuts permanent, lawmakers could at least choose to extend them. Although this would protect the economy from a tax increase in 2011, it is not a long-run solution. Unless the extension was for a sufficiently long period (for example, until 2050), some investors would still choose to curtail their activities.
Implement capital gains tax relief.
Taxing the increase in the value of assets is double taxation. Under current law, investors are subject to a tax when they sell an asset for more than its original purchase price. The tax imposed on a "capital gain" depends on the asset and how long it has been owned, but the general rate is 20 percent. Since assets are purchased with after-tax income, however, any tax on an increase in the value of that asset is a form of double taxation. This creates a bias against capital formation since there is no comparable second layer of tax on after-tax income that is consumed. Looking at the issue from another perspective, assets rise in value because of a market expectation of higher future returns, yet that future income, should it actually materialize, will be taxed. To tax the mere expectation of the income is a form of double taxation.
End double taxation to encourage capital formation. The simple maxim that no income should be double taxed dictates that the capital gains tax should be abolished.6 Many of our major trading partners, in fact, have no capital gains tax.
The most straightforward change would be to lower the capital gains tax rate. If the tax rate is constantly lowered, it could eventually reach the proper level--zero. Another potential incremental reform is to index the capital gains tax adjusting for inflation, thus protecting investors from having to pay a double tax on gains that represent nothing more than a general rise in overall price levels.
Implement IRA expansion.
Double taxation discourages savings. Taxpayers must pay tax on their income when it is earned, and then they must pay a second layer of tax if they save some money and earn a return. Yet there is no equivalent second tax burden if they consume their income. This tax bias against savings and investment penalizes thrift and reduces capital formation.
Apply the IRA system to all savings. A neutral, fair tax system would not impose a higher tax burden on income that is saved and invested than on income that is consumed.7 Individual retirement accounts protect taxpayers from having to pay two layers of tax on income that is saved. IRAs can be "front-ended," meaning that the income that is saved is deductible but will be subject to tax when interest and principal is withdrawn. Alternatively, they can be "back-ended," meaning that the income is taxed the year it is earned but no additional tax is levied on interest if that after-tax income is saved. Regrettably, there are very restrictive rules regarding who can benefit from IRAs and how much income can be protected; the limit is between $2,000 and $5,000 annually. Ideally, all savings should receive IRA treatment. To achieve this goal, all restrictions on the size of IRAs should be eliminated. In addition, there should be no limitations regarding when money can be withdrawn or how that money can be used.
If it is not possible to expand the IRA system to include all savings, incremental changes could be made with regard to taxation of savings. One simple way to reduce the double taxation of savings would be to increase IRA contribution limits. In addition, lawmakers could eliminate current restrictions that prevent upper-income taxpayers from using IRAs.
Repeal the personal alternative minimum tax.
The AMT seeks to reduce the value of deductions, credits, and other preferences within the system. Individual taxpayers who have deductions that are considered too high for their income are required to recalculate their taxable income using the AMT and then pay as much as a 28 percent tax on that amount. The AMT is an extremely costly and inefficient way of addressing the problem of excessive deductions.
The AMT should be repealed. A far better approach is to finance across-the-board tax rate reductions by repealing needless tax preferences.
Lawmakers could mitigate the effect of the AMT by determining that certain deductions are not "AMT preferences." Alternatively, they could lower the AMT tax rate so that the re-calculation of taxable income would not be as likely to result in a significantly higher tax burden.
Eliminate the double taxation of dividends.
Double taxing dividends discourages investment. Income earned by shareholders is taxed twice. After the 35 percent corporate income tax is applied at the company level, the personal income tax takes as much as 38.6 percent of any after-tax profits that are distributed to shareholders. The combination of these two levies can result in an effective tax rate of more than 60 percent on corporate earnings.
Integrate personal and corporate income tax codes. A 60 percent tax rate surely discourages investment. The personal and corporate income tax codes should be integrated, thereby eliminating this explicit form of double taxation. The easiest way to eliminate the double tax is to stop requiring individuals to pay the second layer of tax. This approach has numerous advantages, particularly the reduction in paperwork and the enhancement of privacy.
Reducing the individual income tax rate on dividends would be one way to lower the level of double taxation. Lawmakers, for instance, could tax dividends at the capital gains rate. This policy would reduce the burden of double taxation on corporate earnings and also eliminate any tax-driven reason for investors to prefer retained earnings instead of distributed earnings. Alternatively, lawmakers could create an exclusion by applying the individual income tax to, for example, 50 percent of dividend income.
Reduce corporate tax rates.
An excessive corporate tax rate penalizes productive activity. The corporate income tax rate in the United States is 35 percent--higher even than the corporate tax rates in such nations as France and Sweden. By taking more than one-third of business profits, this tax imposes a substantial penalty on business activity. Corporate taxes are borne by shareholders, workers, and consumers. As owners of the corporation, shareholders pay the initial tax, but workers and consumers suffer as well because of higher prices and lower wages.
Reduce the corporate tax rate. Reducing the corporate tax rate will improve incentives to invest and make U.S.-based companies more competitive in the global economy. Ultimately, the corporate tax should be as low as possible.
Even a modest reduction in the corporate tax rate (just one or two percentage points, for example) would have an impact on investment and U.S. competitiveness.
Institute territorial rather than worldwide taxation.
Worldwide taxation imposes high compliance costs and collects little revenue. The Internal Revenue Code seeks to tax income that is earned by U.S. taxpayers in other countries. This hurts all taxpayers, but it has a particularly adverse impact on American-based companies and has even led some firms to re-domicile in low-tax jurisdictions like Bermuda.
Adopt territorial taxation. Countries should not tax income that is earned in other nations. A territorial tax system respects the sovereign prerogative of each nation to tax the income earned within its borders and is much simpler to administer since it does not require complicated tax treaties or intrusive tax information exchange agreements.8 Perhaps most important, a territorial system facilitates tax competition among nations since politicians are aware that excessive taxation will lead investors and entrepreneurs to shift activity to more market-friendly jurisdictions.
If a complete switch to territorial taxation is not immediately possible, lawmakers should shift in that direction by implementing territorial taxation for corporate income. This step would help U.S. companies compete and--unlike existing provisions of U.S. tax law for overseas income--is fully compliant with international treaty obligations.
Adopt a system of expensing rather than depreciation.
Depreciation penalizes investment and discourages capital formation. When businesses invest in new plants or equipment, they are not allowed to deduct those costs in the year that they are incurred. Instead, they can only deduct a portion of the costs in the first year and then write off the rest over a period of years through a process known as depreciation. Depending on the asset, it may take as long as four decades for a business to depreciate the full cost of an investment. The 2002 stimulus legislation temporarily reduces this tax on certain investments by increasing the amount of depreciation that is available for the next three years. Depreciation is both an administrative headache and a tax penalty on investment.
Allow expensing to deduct costs when they are incurred. A neutral tax code would allow all costs to be recognized and deducted when they are incurred. This commonsense practice is known as expensing. Taxable business income should be calculated by subtracting total costs from total revenue, not by forcing companies to act as if certain costs occur in the future. Shifting from depreciation to expensing will reduce the bias against capital formation and therefore lead to more investment and higher wages.9
The ideal reform would be to shift immediately to a system of expensing capital expenditures. Short of that, any change that allows businesses to deduct costs more quickly is a step in the right direction. In the tax policy community, this policy is known as "shortening asset lives" or "compressing depreciation schedules." Another reform would be to make the provisions of the 2002 stimulus legislation permanent.
Repeal the corporate alternative minimum tax.
The AMT entails large compliance costs and brings in little revenue. Like individuals, businesses are forced to pay an alternative minimum tax if their deductions are deemed to be too high compared to their income. The AMT rate is 20 percent.
Repeal the corporate AMT. Although the corporate AMT rate is lower than the personal AMT rate, it may do more damage. It imposes a large compliance burden on companies and is most likely to take effect during periods of economic downturn. This feature of the tax code should be repealed.10
Given that the alternative minimum tax is an inefficient mechanism and not a major revenue-raiser, there is no reason why it cannot be eliminated immediately. If lawmakers prefer to act slowly, however, it is possible to lower the rate and change the law to reduce the likelihood that companies would be forced to pay the AMT.
Opponents of tax reform often rely on historical inaccuracies when arguing against tax cuts. They frequently claim, for example, that the 1993 tax increase was responsible for budget surpluses and that tax cuts will make it more difficult to balance the budget again.
This historical revisionism is contradicted by the Clinton Administration's own budget documents. In early 1995, nearly 18 months after the 1993 tax increase was enacted, the Office of Management and Budget projected $200 billion-plus budget deficits for the next 10 years.11 Events after that date--including the 1997 capital gains tax cut and a reduction in the growth of federal spending--caused the economy to expand and the budget deficit to vanish.
Opponents also argue that tax cuts will boost interest rates, but this assertion also is belied by factual evidence. Interest rates are influenced by monetary policy and global capital markets, where trillions of dollars change hands every day. It is silly to think that a shift in the government's fiscal balance (even a large one) could be enough to increase the price of credit substantially. On the contrary, it is far more likely that tax rate reductions would reduce interest rates, since they reduce the "tax premium" that investors must demand when providing capital.
Just as tax increases did not cause the deficit to disappear, tax cuts will not cause it to expand. Lower tax rates and other long-overdue tax reforms will help to promote a vibrant economy. This, in turn, will help to generate at least some additional revenue and thereby create a virtuous cycle that will allow for further tax reductions.
Daniel J. Mitchell, Ph.D., is McKenna Senior Fellow in Political Economy in the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation.
1. Congressional Budget
Office (CBO), The Budget and Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years
2003-2012, January 2002, at
2. Forms and Publications, IRS Web site, at http://www.irs.gov/forms_pubs/formpub2.html.
4. Historical Budget Data, CBO website, at http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=1821&sequence=0&from=7.
5. Scott Moody, "The Cost of Tax Compliance," Tax Foundation, February 2002, at http://www.taxfoundation.org/compliance2002.html.
6. Stephen Moore and Phil
Kerpen, "A Capital Gains Tax Cut: The Key to Economic Recovery,"
Institute for Policy Innovation Policy Report No. 164, October 11,
2001, at
7. Stephen Entin, "Fixing the Saving Problem: How the Tax System Depresses Saving, and What to Do About It," Institute for Research on the Economics of Taxation, August 6, 2001, at ftp://ftp.iret.org/pub/BLTN-85.PDF.
8. See, for instance, http://www.freedomandprosperity.org/ltr/ctc2/Territorial.pdf.
9. James R. Kee, "Introductory Discussion of the Basic Concepts of Depreciation and Expensing," Institute for Research on the Economics of Taxation, March 10, 1999, at ftp://ftp.iret.org/pub/BLTN-75.PDF.
10. John Barry, Terence Chorvat, and Michael Knoll, "The Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax," Tax Foundation Fiscal Policy Memo, November 5, 2001, at http://www.taxfoundation.org/camt.html.
11. Office of Management and Budget, Budget of the United States Government, FY 1996, Economic and Accounting Analyses, January 1995, at http://w3.access.gpo.gov/usbudget/fy1996/bud96p.pdf.


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Shop Online
Contact: David Rohn
CUNA Councils
(608) firstname.lastname@example.com
Madison, Wis. - The coming year's executive committee and officers for the CUNA Lending Council were announced during the Council's 16th annual conference, October 17-20 in Las Vegas. This is a result of the most recent annual election by the council membership in the months preceding the conference.
Aaron Bresko, VP Lending, BECU, Tukwila, Wash. is the new council chair, succeeding Lloyd Gill, President/CEO, City County CU, Margate, Fla., who has completed his two terms on the executive committee. Bill Vogeney, SVP/Chief Lending Officer, Ent FCU, Colorado Springs, Colo. was re-elected to the committee and named vice chair.
Two new members were elected to three year terms:
Also elected to a first term on the committee was Jason Osterhage, SVP/CLO, Delta Employees CU, Atlanta, Ga., who was appointed earlier in the year. In addition to Gill, Dana Rawlings, CEO, Pioneer West Virginia FCU, East Charleston, W.Va completed his executive committee term.
The CUNA Lending Council executive committee also currently includes:
The CUNA Lending Council is the premier source of best practices information for lending professionals in the credit union industry. Guided by a self-directed and self-governed community of more than 900 industry lending professionals, the council provides networking support, education, current information, and professional development tools for its members. The CUNA Lending Council is one of the six organizations that make up the CUNA Councils, a network of nearly 5,000 credit union professionals. For more information, visit www.cunalendingcouncil.org or www.cunacouncils.org.


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The first 24-hour firefighter strike announced after minister ploughs ahead with "unworkable" pension scheme.
Firefighters in England and Wales will strike again over attacks on their pensions after the government confirmed it would implement a new scheme without further negotiations.
Under the government's proposals, firefighters who are forced to retire before the age of 60 as a result of ageing will have half of their pension taken away.
A 24-hour strike — the longest yet in the three-year campaign — will take place from 9am on Thursday June, 12 with another set for 10am-5pm on Saturday June 21.
Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said: "The minister has decided to bury his head in the sand, but he must accept that firefighters simply will not give up fighting for their futures — and our fire and rescue service.
"Concerns over these unworkable proposals remain as valid and grave as ever.
"And the government has ignored all the evidence including it's own reports.
"It is as ever a difficult decision for us to take, but the only way for us to resolve this unnecessary and costly dispute is for the government to start listening to reason."


text:
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SharePunnagai Desam. Music by SA. Rajkumar . Cast includes Tarun Kumar, Kunal, Preetha, Punnagai Desam (2002) is a love-drama Tamil language movie directed by K. Shajahan with a score by S. A. Rajkumar. It did reasonable business at the box-office.[1]
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ShareWatch Youth (2002) Movie DvD Online Directed by : Vincent Selva Produced by : Ajaykumar Written by : Vincent Selva, Vijaybhaskar Starring : Vijay, Shaheen Khan, Vivek, Yugendran, Manivannan Music by : Mani Sharma
ShareWatch Veettoda Mappillai Movie 2001 DvD Online, Veettoda Mappillai is a 2001 Tamil language comedy film directed by V. Sekhar. The film features Napoleon and Roja in lead roles. The film had musical score by Deva and was released on 14 September 2001 to negative reviews.
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text:
Trick or treat? That is the question every Oct. 31, in more ways than one.
Glowing jack-o'-lanterns, candy corn by the bowlful and apples for the bobbing — all of that is one thing. But macabre decorations, ghastly costumes and occult intimations all around the neighborhood — what's a Catholic parent to do with that stuff?
"First of all, go
back to the Christian origin of the feast," says Father Kevin Barrett, chaplain
of the Apostolate for Family Consecration and Catholic Familyland
Oct. 31 "is a hallowed evening because it's the evening before All Saints' Day on Nov. 1," adds the priest. "And you have the great feast of All Souls following" on Nov. 2.
Father Barrett and others have some ideas on ways families can re-Christianize this vigil day and, at the same time, celebrate the two major feast days it ushers in.
He points out that Halloween, or Hallowe'en, is short for All Hallows' Eve. This is the vigil for All Hallows, or Hallowmas — also known as All Saints' Day.
Looking back in history, many Catholics were already celebrating All Saints on Nov. 1 when a papal decree in 840 extended the feast to the entire Church. While early Christians and Benedictine monasteries remembered the faithful departed, around the 10th century the whole Church began commemorating the holy souls in purgatory on Nov. 2.
Instead of letting Satan steal a Christian feast like Halloween and make it into a pagan dance of death, Father Barrett says, "Let's be joyous and remember that we have brothers and sisters who have left us examples and are praying for us."
A popular way for families to remember the saints is to let the kids pick out their favorite one to dress up as. This can be a good teaching moment, says Father Barrett, since the youngsters need to find out a little about their saints before they can imitate them for the evening.
"How much more beautiful it is for families to say, 'We're going to have our own party,'" adds Father Barrett, or to combine forces with other like-minded Catholic families for an even bigger saintly bash. "After all, what is heaven if not a big celebration?"
Instructive Attire
"They have to know a little about their saints because people are very curious," Michael finds. The children aren't just portraying saints — they're developing expertise on the holy heroes.
The O'Rourke kids turn their research into a guessing game. Rather than simply telling people who they are that night, they give hints on "my" year of birth, country of origin, major works and so on.
Little ones can join in the fun too. O'Rourke recalls the giggles 5-year-old Daniel got when someone asked who he was. "I'm a priest," said the lad. "From where?" came the follow-up question. Daniel replied: "From Mass!"
The event "becomes a source of evangelization," explains O'Rourke. "What's nice about it is the children look forward to the time of year like other kids do," but their memories will be spiritually formative, not ghoulishly indulgent.
Jay and Elana
Stanley of
"We highly encourage our teenagers to dress up too," says Elana. "They set an example for the younger children. This is a good way of standing up for the faith."
Kids for Jesus at Catholic Kids Net (catholickidsnet.org) have several suggestions for celebrating Halloween the faith-filled way. They emphasize the fruits of explaining the distinctions between the Church Triumphant (the saints in heaven), the Church Suffering (the holy souls in purgatory) and the Church Militant (that would be us here on Earth).
According to K4J national director Kathleen Conklin, one simple variation on the saints-and-angels costumes is the parade of the saints' hats. Older kids help younger ones decorate a party hat with cut-out symbols and sayings of a particular saint. Then the kids parade around the yard or school.
And then there's the social justice component. Melissa Salisbury of Catholic Kids Net suggests having kids collect canned goods for the parish food shelf.
Using the special day to do
something for the less fortunate "provides a simple apostolic activity that
helps kids give while they are receiving their own Halloween goodies,"
Darkness Defied
As for decorations: Alongside or
in place of carved pumpkins, families can make "saintly lanterns" together,
They're made by punching nail-hole designs of Christian symbols into tin cans. (You may want to freeze water inside the can to stabilize it for the nail-punching.) Lit candles inside the cans turn them into nifty centerpieces or, for a larger party to which every child brings at least one can lantern, walkway liners lighting a path to the doorway.
What to say about the neighborhood kids who show up for their handout in gory regalia? After the night is over, before bedtime, use the experience as another teaching moment.
"Sometimes we don't consciously acknowledge this, but getting to heaven, or purgatory, means that another option, the dark side, exists — it is very much a reality," she says. "Kids inform themselves of this particularly at Halloween time. What's important is to help them make clear distinctions. You can make clear that evil isn't just pretend and neither is heaven."
There's another important point we need to teach children and remind ourselves of, says Father Barrett.
"All Saints' Day is really not
only the celebration of all the canonized saints," he explains, "but also of
saints with a small s."
Pray for the Dead
Which brings us to All Souls' Day: Those in purgatory are already fully assured of joining the ranks of the saints in heaven at God's appointed time for them.
Father Barrett reminds us that St. Thomas Aquinas taught there's no greater charity to be practiced than to help the souls who can't help themselves in purgatory. We can help them by our prayers and sacrifices on their behalf.
This becomes a wonderful way for families to remember all their beloved deceased and keep alive their memory.
On All Souls' Day, the
"Let's pray for our family members because we're not sure where they are," Elana tells the children. "They may need our assistance."
The family then continues praying for them, plus strangers, year-round.
"At night, when the kids can't sleep, I tell them there's somebody in need of your prayers," she says. "They can be helping poor souls in purgatory or in distress."
In each of these ways this Halloween, Catholic families can trick the culture of death and treat the culture of life.
Staff writer Joseph Pronechen
writes from


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Seven ingredients and under an hour from start to finish? It doesn't get much easier than that. Featuring Green Giant Backyard Grilled Potatoes, this simple recipe won $1,000,000 at this year's Pillsbury® Bake-Off®.
Prep Time: 20 Min
Total Time: 45 Min
28 servings
- 1 bag (11.8 oz) Green Giant® Steamers™ frozen backyard grilled potatoes
- 1 1/4 cups finely shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (5 oz)
- 1/2 cup cooked real bacon bits (from a jar or package)
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 can Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet or 1 can (8-oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion tops (3 medium)
- Heat oven 350°F. Spray 2 large cookie sheets with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Microwave frozen potatoes 3 to 4 minutes to thaw. In medium bowl, with fork, mash potatoes leaving some small pieces. Stir in cheese, 1/3 cup of the bacon bits and the milk until well blended.
- If using crescent dough sheet, unroll dough on cutting board; press into 14x8-inch rectangle. If using crescent rolls, unroll dough on cutting board, press into 14x8-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal. Cut into 2 rectangles, 14x4-inches each. Spread half of the potato mixture on one rectangle to within 1/4-inch of long edges. Starting at one long side, tightly roll up dough; pinch seams to seal. Using serrated knife, cut roll into 14 slices. Place slices, cut side up, on cookie sheets. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
- Bake 17 to 21 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately, remove from cookie sheets to serving plate. Top each pinwheel with sour cream, remaining bacon bits and the green onions. Serve warm.


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Patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are at a high risk for vision loss. However, new wireless technology can aid the preservation of eyesight. Using cellular technology provided by Telenor Connextion, Notal Vision has recently enhanced its ForeseeHome AMD Monitor, the first FDA cleared telemedicine device for monitoring the vision of patients with AMD. Equipped with psychophysical testing and wireless communication, the ForeseeHome operates as a home-based monitoring technology capable of saving one's eyesight.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a retinal disease that affects the vision of an estimated 30 million patients worldwide. The disease occurs in two main forms: a dry form which is usually asymptomatic and non-threatening to vision and a more virulent wet form that can rapidly lead to permanent loss of vision and blindness. Patients with dry AMD are considered to be at high risk for conversion to the wet form. Vision loss can occur within a few weeks.
Unfortunately, patients in the early stages are usually asymptomatic, and unaware that they have developed wet AMD until they experience vision loss. The key to early detection and treatment of wet AMD is frequent monitoring. Given that daily visits to the doctor's office are impractical, today's patients can rely on home monitoring technology and telemedicine to provide a convenient and affordable solution, resulting in early detection and prevention of vision loss.
Notal Vision [1] recently began utilizing cellular technology provided by Telenor Connexion [2] to enhance its ForeseeHome AMD Monitor. The ForeseeHome is the first FDA cleared telemedicine device for monitoring the vision of patients with Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). As with many other diseases, early detection and treatment is the key to saving one's vision.
To provide a sensitive and reliable test for patients with AMD, Notal Vision developed preferential hyperacuity perimetry (PHP), which is implemented as a psychophysical test in the ForeseeHome AMD Monitor.
PHP Technology
PHP takes advantage of hyperacuity, a sensitive visual function that enables a person to perceive the relative location of objects in space, such as a misalignment of a dot within a dotted line.
During a PHP test, stimuli are successively flashed in various locations of the visual field. A typical stimulus consists of a series of dots, the majority of which are aligned with respect to each other. A few dots are misaligned, creating the perception of a wave or distortion in an otherwise straight line (Figure 1). The brief presentation ensures that cortical completion is not engaged, and that fixation is maintained during the entire presentation of each stimulus. The presentation of the signal is triggered when the patient is fixating on the center of the screen. The patient's task is to mark the location where the distortion was perceived. When the stimulus is projected on an unhealthy area of the retina, the patient may perceive two or more distortions on the line: one corresponding to the artificial wave and the other corresponding to the patient's pathological distortion.
|Figure 1: PHP test
According to the preferential looking principle, the visual attention of a subject is automatically attracted to the more prominent source when presented with several stimuli. Consequently, if the pathological distortion is larger than the artificial wave, the patient is likely to ignore the artificial wave and mark only the location of the pathological distortion. The preferential looking principle is employed not only to localize pathological distortions, but also to quantify their perceived size.
Based on the PHP quantification capabilities, Notal Vision designed a test with various amplitudes of artificial distortions that maximally distinguishes between dry AMD patients and newly diagnosed wet AMD patients. Numerous evaluations have demonstrated the technology's ability to provide early detection of changes occurring within a patient's vision, often before the patient is even aware.
The ForeseeHome AMD Monitor
|Figure 2: The ForeseeHome AMD monitor
The ForeseeHome AMD monitor (Figure 2) is designed as a closed viewer for single eye examination. A set of lenses embedded within the viewer ensures that the test is viewed as if projected from infinity. As a result, a patient with good distance vision sees the test in maximal focus. The patient starts the test by inserting his or her head within the viewer. A pair of infrared sensors located in the walls of the viewer detects the position of the head relative to the hood, and ensures that the test is not played until the head is correctly positioned. The tested eye may be alternated from left to right by half cycle rotation of the viewer.
Patients are instructed to test their prescribed eye(s) daily, and their responses are automatically transmitted to the Notal Vision Data Monitoring Center (DMC) at the end of each test. The wireless communication technology facilitates fast and reliable transmission of data which is then made available to the physician through a secure website. Tests are continuously compared to a normative database threshold. When a statistically significant change of test patterns is detected, the DMC alerts the clinic and the patient to schedule a prompt clinical examination.
In addition to monitoring test scores, the frequency of use is also tracked. To encourage patients to test at an adequate frequency (one that will allow timely detection in a conversion event), the DMC will contact the patient if no results are received for seven consecutive days.
Wireless Communication
Until recently, transmission of test results from patients to the DMC was done via telephone landlines. The dramatic reduction in the cost of cellular communication has allowed Notal Vision to upgrade the ForeseeHome AMD Monitor into an embedded wireless device, providing its customers with a range of usability advantages. Telenor Connexion, a premium service provider for M2M communications, will be providing the wireless communication services for this technology.
The wireless service data is securely routed from the ForeseeHome AMD monitor via the embedded SIM through the cellular network into the Telenor Connexion M2M platform by way of SS7/GRX links. The M2M platform then routes the data through a secure VPN back to Notal Vision's Data Monitoring Center (DMC). An alert is sent to both the doctor and the patient if any statistically significant change in the data is detected. Data related to the performance of the connectivity itself can be easily accessed by Notal Vision through the Telenor Connexion Service Portal /API. Such access ensures a stable and reliable service, while allowing traceability of a specific embedded SIM if needed.
The introduction of wireless services offers many advantages to ForeseeHome customers. In fact, cellular technology has considerably reduced the number of technical problems that the company encountered in the past, mostly due to improper connection of the landline modem to the telephone line. The process of setting up a home system is made easier by having wireless modems installed in the device before it arrives. A great benefit of a wireless device is that it does not occupy the telephone line while transmitting, greatly facilitating support via a telephone. Wireless devices also release users from annoying cables, having to reconfigure device settings (change access phone number) and facilitating portability. With cellular communication, patients can use their device outdoors or in places without landline availability, thus increasing the adherence of daily use. Another advantage of wireless technology is the faster baud rate, which allows shorter communication sessions and a faster upgrade process if needed.
Overall, the ForeseeHome represents an exciting advancement in eye care. As the aging population increases, new advancements in home-based monitoring technology in the ophthalmic sector are likely to continue.
Gwenn Larsson is Head of Marketing at Telenor Connexion. She can be reached at email@example.com [3].


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November 25, 2017
Currently: 57° — Complete forecast
Surveillance video image courtesy Metro Police
Police want to speak with the occupants of a red Isuzu Amigo, model years 1995 to 2000, seen in the parking lot of the Walmart at Lake Mead Drive and Boulder Highway in Henderson between 7:20 a.m. and 7:40 a.m. on Jan. 14. Police said Gregory Hover and Richard Freeman were in the area shortly after leaving Prisma Contreras' body in Boulder City. Anyone with information is asked to call 828-3521.
© Las Vegas Sun, 2017, All Rights Reserved


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This column yesterday outlined some reforms Mike Miles is rolling out in Year Two of his tenure. One of those is the superintendent's plans for changing how the district evaluates teachers.
The most interesting part of his proposal is the role student surveys would play in the evaluation. Miles wants the observation of students to count for 15 percent of an educator's annual review.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation discovered that student surveys are the most consistent indicator of good teaching. The foundation did an extensive look into what makes for an effective teacher. Dallas, in fact, was one of the districts the foundation studied in its MET Project.
The results, which you can read about at this link, show that student surveys, classroom observations and student achievement gains are the best ways to assess good teaching. But here's what the report said about student surveys:
"..the MET project finds student surveys produce more consistent results than classroom observations or achievement gain measures."
I am not sure how student surveys would work at lower grades. But students see their teachers more than any one, including the principal, so it does make sense to include their appraisals. And here is how the MET Project described how it used student surveys and what they show:
"Student feedback need not be a popularity contest. We asked detailed questions about various aspects of student's experience in a given teacher's classroom. Some questions had a stronger relationship to a teacher's value-added than others. The most predictive aspects of student perceptions are related to a teacher's ability to control a classroom and to challenge students with rigorous work."
One other point about including student surveys: They can show what an environment is like in a classroom. That's an important piece of information to know in assessing a teacher's performance.


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You know how it starts and ends, but what happens in-between? That's apparently what "Bourne" director Paul Greengrass' new film "Captain Philips" aims to find out. The idea here, it seems, is to humanize the Somali pirates. I guess that's one way to go about it. We're really going to be feeling sorry for the poor saps when the Navy SEALs show up and do what Navy SEALs do.
Check out the latest trailer for "Captain Phillips" below.
Captain Phillips is director Paul Greengrass's multi-layered examination of the 2009 hijacking of the U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama by a crew of Somali pirates. It is – through Greengrass's distinctive lens – simultaneously a pulse-pounding thriller and a complex portrait of the myriad effects of globalization. The film focuses on the relationship between the Alabama's commanding officer, Captain Richard Phillips (two time Academy Award® winner Tom Hanks), and his Somali counterpart, Muse (Barkhad Abdi). Set on an incontrovertible collision course off the coast of Somalia, both men will find themselves paying the human toll for economic forces outside of their control. The film is directed by Academy Award® nominee Paul Greengrass, from a screenplay by Billy Ray based upon the book, "A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea" by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty. The film is produced by Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, and Michael De Luca.
Starring Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed, Mahat M. Ali, Michael Chernus, Corey Johnson, Max Martini, Chris Mulkey, Yul Vázquez, David Warshofsky, and Catherine Keener.
The rescue is on this October 11th.


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Trying to be perfect is the easiest way to ruin your efforts.
When we strive for perfection what we're really trying to do is materialize the impossible. That's not to say that striving to be the best isn't a good thing but there needs to be a point where you are okay with the results from your effort.
The reason for this is that it's very easy to get sucked into a never-ending cycle of nit-picking, tweaking, and changes. What started off as a project with clear goals became a Frankenstein-like monster that continues to grow and grow and grow out of proportion. Soon it's too much to handle.
You see this all the time:
- Someone is trying to build the perfect website free of errors, extensive in content, perfect for conversions, authoritative, and viral.
- Someone is trying to continually tweak and update their product to the point that they're delaying the launch by weeks, months, years, and the indefinite.
- Someone is trying to build a perfect routine, physical physique, mental clarity, and sociability to be a so-called "well-rounded" individual.
Their efforts are sincere but while they take a great deal of time perfecting their projects there are others that find their "sweet spot", hit the market, and place these individuals in a corner.
Give up on perfectionism.
It's only slowing you down.
You have to realize:
- Even the best individuals, teams, and companies in their market do not have the perfect product or service. They are still making updates but at least it's out there earning them revenue, building a following, and garnishing feedback.
- You have to get something out sooner than later. It's better to begin earning from your efforts from an early stage than taking so long that the community you've built has already moved on.
- Information and interests are volatile which means what's in demand this year could fall out of favor or value in the next – so you have to reach a point where you have something for the consumer before it's too late.
Think of all those times you've had wonderful ideas where you spent hours of your time researching every bit of information to make sure you started perfectly. All that time you put into perfecting the project. You took so long that you didn't notice someone went ahead and released a similar project and *boom* now you're frustrated because you've missed the opportunity. You also feel the need to "one up" this other individual which further delays your launch because "it has to be more".
Do this instead:
- Set your goals in stone. Create a game plan and timeline that has a definitive date as to when you launch. Work on the core features of your project to meet this deadline. Anything that doesn't make the deadline gets axed (or at least added later on through an update or the next version of your product).
- Adhere to the 80/20 rule. Understand that what you make doesn't have to be in its true 100% form. People are okay if there are some imperfections. They rather have that product in their hand or use that service now than having to wait until you finally decide that it's done.
- Don't get too emotional. Look, it's a truly wonderful thing when you see an artist finally complete their masterpiece after decades of hard work but sit down and ask yourself do you really want to dedicate a life to doing just one thing? Try to cut the emotional connection you have with the project. You can only do better if you have something to show. Being stuck in project limbo doesn't give you the chance to hear real feedback from users. There is always room for improvement but you'll never know if it isn't released.
Think about what's stopping you from completing that project you've been working on.
Is it because you're afraid that it's going to receive a negatively and you don't want to face that feeling of failure? Or is it because you don't know what would happen if it was a success?
Speculation is like worrying. There's no reason for it if it's out of your control.
Stop being a perfectionist in every action you take. Learn to say "okay, this is enough".
Have you self-sabotaged yourself by trying to be a perfectionist?


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Merging Directories
I want to merge each file in a directory (i.e. for different branches of the same code). I should be able to choose the files that I want to merge with filters (i.e. only source files, not images, etc).
3 comments
JYK commented
Ryan commented
It would be fantastic if you could DIFF directories.
I make extensive use of WinMerge to diff all sorts of files, but it's kind of crazy having multiple Diff/Merge tools.
psantosl commented
Michael, this is the kind of thing that your version control tool should let you do, don't you think so?
Why don't you take a look at Plastic SCM (our version control! :-P), I think you'll find your answers there...


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DETROIT - The Defenders have exclusively obtained the images showing a bank robber trying to steal cash from banks in the Metro Detroit area during the holidays.
Surveillance pictures capture a man wearing a black-hooded sweatshirt and jeans and carrying a backpack. That backpack was used to load with cash from area banks.
Investigators told the Defenders they believe this robber has hit at least 5 banks in Detroit and Redford since Dec 22.
Investigators believe these crimes are connected because in each case the man either smashes out a window using a brick or finds another way to get in through an unsecured window.
At the PNC bank on Telegraph in Redford, plywood now covers windows that were broken.
The Defenders also spotted a security guard at the scene. This particular bank has been targeted twice in the last few weeks.
Surveillance cameras also catch the man on the inside rifling through cash drawers and working to get into safes. At this point, it's unclear how much cash he's been able to take off with during these break-ins, which all take place in the middle of the night.
Copyright 2013 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Mardi Gras revelers in New Orleans started off the indulgent celebration with an odd act of vandalism – because YOLO.
On the morning of Fat Tuesday, officials at Loyola University New Orleans awoke to find the letters L-O-Y-O missing from a large Loyola sign on the campus's front lawn. The school told WDSU that the stripped down sign was a "victim of Mardi Gras." Partiers probably chose the letters because they can be easily rearranged to spell Y-O-L-O.
For the uninitiated, YOLO is an aronym for "You Only Live Once," a phrase popularized by rapper Drake and his song "The Motto." School officials have not released any leads on who could be behind the festive theft.
Luckily, the L-A did not stand alone for long. Based on recent photos from the campus, the university was quick to put the YOLO back in Loyola.
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Bitwig Studio is one of the most highly anticipated new software releases of 2013, and the latest teaser video for it shows NI's Maschine hardware being used to record a step sequence into a MIDI clip.
This is possible thanks to Bitwig's open controller scripting API, which makes it possible to 'hack' your own functionality for any MIDI controller.
Bitwig Studio's price and release date have still to be confirmed.


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Available in April 2009
Kodak Zx1 ($150)
What Is It? Rugged, high-definition pocket camcorder.
Scouting Report: It may not have the name recognition of the Flip Mino HD, but Kodak's Zi6 is a top-notch pocket camcorder. The Zx1 is a ruggedized version of the Zi6 that records 720p high-def video and feels very solid in the hand.
Kodak Z980 ($400)
What Is It? 24X megazoom camera.
Scouting Report: Out-zoomed only by the 26X optical Olympus SP-590 UZ, this Kodak camera has some nifty design tricks: a second shutter button on the side of it to help with vertical shots and a detachable vertical grip to complement its 26mm-to-624mm optical zoom range.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS85 ($120)
What Is It? Fashionable AA-battery camera.
Scouting Report: For the bargain-bin price of $120, the Lumix LS85 offers Panasonic's Intelligent Auto mode and runs on AA batteries.
Samsung HMX-H106 (pricing not yet available)
What Is It? 64GB SSD high-definition camcorder.
Scouting Report: Samsung touts the HMX-H106 as the first-ever 64GB solid-state-drive (SSD) camcorder, and its bullet-like design is sure to turn heads. It records to MPEG4 H.264, which means its footage can be edited with more apps than AVCHD.
Samsung TL100 (pricing not yet available)
What Is It? Ultracompact 12-megapixel camera.
Scouting Report: The TL100 has stylish looks, a high megapixel count, and a slim, 0.65-inch-deep frame, but its 3X optical zoom and digital-only image stabilization are a bit on the skimpy end.
Samsung SL102 (pricing not yet available)
What Is It? Compact 10-megapixel camera.
Scouting Report: An entry-level addition to Samsung's point-and-shoot line, the SL102 is a sharp-looking camera with basic specs: a 3X optical zoom, face recognition, and digital image stabilization.
Samsung SL420 (pricing not yet available)
What Is It? Compact 10-megapixel camera.
Scouting Report: A bit more powerful than its younger SL102 sibling, the SL420 offers a few more in-camera features: smile-trigger shutter, blink detection, MPEG-4 movie mode, and dual optical/digital image stabilization.
Panasonic HDC-HS300 ($1400)
What Is It? 120GB hard-drive high-definition camcorder.
Scouting Report: The top-of-the-line addition to Panasonic's HD camcorder line offers full manual controls and a 3-CMOS sensor, which the company says captures outstanding low-light footage.
Panasonic HDC-HS250 ($1000)
What Is It? 120GB hard-drive high-definition camcorder.
Scouting Report: With the same basic specs as the HS300, the HCD-HS250 is a slimmed-down version that ditches the electronic viewfinder, full manual controls, and external mic shoe.
Panasonic HDC-TM300 ($1300)
What Is It? High-definition 32GB flash/SDHC camcorder.
Scouting Report: Another new top-of-the-line entry to Panasonic's consumer HD camcorders, the TM300 has the same basic specs as the HS300 and HS250, but records to flash memory and SDHC cards instead.
Panasonic HDC-HS20 ($800)
What Is It? High-definition 80GB hard-drive/SDHC camcorder.
Scouting Report: One of three HD entry-level additions to Panasonic's camcorder line, the touch-screen-controlled HS20 records AVCHD-format video to its 80GB hard drive and SDHC card slot and offers 5.1 surround-sound.
Panasonic HDC-TM20 ($650)
What Is It? High-definition 16GB flash/SDHC camcorder.
Scouting Report: The TM20 has the same basic specs as the HS20, but records AVCHD video to a 16GB flash drive and SDHC cards.
Panasonic HDC-SD20 ($600)
What Is It? High-definition SDHC camcorder.
Scouting Report: The SD20 has the same basic specs as the HS20 and TM20, but records AVCHD video to an SD/SDHC card only.
Panasonic SDR-H90 ($500)
What Is It? 70X optical zoom standard-definition camcorder.
Scouting Report: With a whopping 80GB hard drive that holds up to 72 hours of footage--as well as an SD/SDHC card slot in case you need more than that--the 70X optical zoom isn't the only mind-boggling spec on this standard-definition camcorder.
Panasonic SDR-H80 ($450)
What Is It? 70X optical zoom standard-definition camcorder.
Scouting Report: With the same basic specs as the SDR-H90, the SDR-H80 has a slightly smaller hard drive (60GB for 54 hours of video), but the same whopping 70X optical zoom.
Panasonic SDR-S26 ($330)
What Is It? 70X optical zoom standard-definition camcorder.
Scouting Report: Another entry in Panasonic's new 70X optical zoom standard-definition series, the SDR-S26 records to SD/SDHC card only.
Panasonic SDR-SW21 ($400)
What Is It? Ultracompact waterproof/drop-proof/dustproof camcorder.
Scouting Report: The not-quite-pocketable SDR-SW21 is a bit larger than your normal ultracompact camcorder and only records standard-definition video, but you can bring it 6.5 feet underwater, drop it from 4 feet, and unleash its impressive 10X optical zoom.
Panasonic SDR-S15 ($300)
What Is It? Ultracompact standard-definition camcorder with 10X optical zoom.
Scouting Report: Panasonic went for some powerful shooting options with the SDR-S15, so it's a bit larger than a pocket camcorder: It has Panasonic's Intelligent Auto mode to optimize your footage, and it packs a 10X optical zoom.