text:
Corporate donors fund group; the event doesn't count toward gift limits
Assemblyman Brian Jones, R-Santee, has joined a bipartisan group of legislators this week for a conference in Maui.
The California Independent Voter Project, a nonprofit group funded by corporate donors, is hosting the five-day annual event including about 20 legislators at the Fairmont Kea Lani resort.
The Fairmont bills itself as "a luxurious haven in one of the most scenic places on earth."
About 180 corporation representatives, industry and labor groups, and other interests who lobby the Legislature also attend. Conference-goers participate in round-table discussions twice daily and organizers hope they mingle during their free time.
The host nonprofit is codirected by two former San Diego County legislators, Steve Peace and Jeff Marston, who are at the conference. They say the event is aimed at education on a variety of topics, including prison systems, algae as biofuel, and the state budget — all while building relationships across party lines.
"There is a need to expose legislators to in-depth subject matter discussion, and because of term limits, legislators don't know each other," Peace said.
Bob Giovati, chief of staff for Jones, said he did not know whether Jones will allow the group to fund his trip. He said Jones finds the event worthwhile.
"They had some very productive meetings and he was encouraged by how it was going," Giovati said. "These types of off-site events at a resort location can sometimes raise the public eyebrow, but they are not uncommon. Lots of trade associations and nongovernment organizations will often have off-site gatherings because that nonthreatening environment can yield productive dialogue that you can't otherwise get here."
Jones is on an Assembly budget committee, and missed a meeting in Sacramento on Wednesday regarding the state's proposed $98 billion high-speed rail line.
"Lots of times you have scheduling conflicts and you have to decide what you are going to attend and they are all valuable in some way," Giovati said.
Many of the lawmakers allow the nonprofit to pick up the tab for airfare, food and accommodations, although some reimburse the costs.
State law caps gifts from lobbyists to legislators at $10 per month, and from any single source to no more than $420 a year. Travel, lodging and food paid by nonprofit organizations are exempt.
"Events like this are designed to give special interest lobbyists access to our elected officials and build up a reservoir of good will that they can call up when they need a favor in the legislature," said Derek Cressman, western states regional director for the Washington D.C.-based government transparency nonprofit Common Cause. "This whole thing is legal but it really is a ruse designed to circumvent the existing gift limit."
Cressman said the event highlights a "nonprofit loophole" in the law which needs to be fixed.
"This is a classic example of why legislators, instead of hanging in Maui, should be spending their time strengthening our gift rules in California," Cressman said.
Financial backers of the California Independent Voter Project —which reported $2.17 million in contributions and grants revenue in 2010 — include Southern California Edison, Chevron, Pacific Gas & Electric, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association, cigarette manufacturer Altria and the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Peace said this year's conference attendees will be exposed to the group's political reform proposal, aimed at shortening the campaign season and prohibiting fundraising during nonelection years.
"We don't do any lobby activities at all," Peace said. "We are about voter education and legislator education. We don't go in and advocate."
A survey by The Watchdog found no other members of San Diego County's legislative delegation are attending. Two reported accepting more than $1,000 of travel to attend the event last year.
Democratic Sen. Juan Vargas — who represents south San Diego County, Imperial County, and portions of Riverside County— reported receiving $2,247.50 in travel from the nonprofit last year, including $1,500 for five nights at the hotel, $397 in airfare, two receptions and a $165 dinner.
He did not return calls for comment.
Republican Assemblyman Martin Garrick, who represents residents in Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, parts of Escondido and Vista, initially reported accepting $1,951.34 in travel from the group last year for hotel accommodations and food. He reimbursed the organization within three months, according to his economic interest public disclosure form.
"He pays his own way out there and uses it for a vacation for he and his wife," said Garrick's chief of staff, Mike Zimmerman. "Whether you are getting information from a constituent, or getting information from representatives from a superintendent's office or a company, education and information on issues that face California is a good thing."
No San Diego legislators reported any gifts from the group in 2009.


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Does that remind you…Of Autumn?
I almost thought I could write poetry when I recently connected with Mother Nature. In fact, the more I explore in and around Sydney, the deeper I fall in love with the place. I often think if its time I should have a travel blog to record my experiences. But then everything I see inspires me to create with food…somehow its all related. Isn't it? Beauty inspires art and art inspires beauty!
Our visit to Mount Wilson and Mount Irvine during the Easter weekend was one which I will always remember. The 3 hour drive from Sydney was so scenic with rapidly changing landscapes and beautiful views that at one point I wondered if we would be able to make it to our destination, for the number of times we pulled over to take pictures. The trees were a riot of colors, a spectrum of shades. Crimson,fiery reds,browns, yellows, gold. And the ground was covered with the fallen leaves as if setting the road ablaze. Occasionally a puffing wind came by and made them dance around and fall back to the ground.
We stopped at the Cathedral of Ferns, a large picnic spot which we was crowded as expected considering the season and the long weekend. We had lunch (prepacked) on a rustic wooden table under a bright red tree. I could eat there all my life.
After an hour or so when I thought I had enough pictures to record every little detail of the journey we drove on to the next intended spot …the Kookootonga Nut farms. This my friends, I shall write about in my next post. There's too much to share . And then when you bring back 'PYO' , you make something out of it which deserves a post by itself.
Persimmons were unfamiliar to me until recently. But now I can never have enough of them. I generally add them to salad or eat them by themselves but this time the temptation to add them to dessert was too all too powerful.
Mousse was the first thought that came to my mind. And then my eyes fell on my favourite little gadget sitting in one corner of the kitchen -the blowtorch. So, Creme Brule it is! I have to admit however, things didn't go how I planned the first time around. The pureed version of the fruit resulted in a curdled custard. For a person who has made creme brulee over a hundred times, this was the first of such a disaster. I made a second batch and this time I placed small pieces of fruit in the ramekins instead of adding Persimmon puree to the custard. The second time it was great!
Persimmon Creme Brulee
Serves 4
13/4 cups heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup plus 3 tsp castor sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
pinch of salt
1 Persimmon chopped into small cubes
Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C.
Divide the chopped Persimmons between 4 ramekins/oven proof serving bowls and place them on the base of the ramekin.
Pour the cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over low-medium heat. Remove from heat, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, lightly whisk egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar and salt. Pour 2 tsps of the cream into the egg yolk mixture to temper the yolks and then the remaining cream, whisking gently but constantly (do not whisk too hard or it will result in a frothy texture). Add the vanilla extract and stir.
Strain the egg-cream mixture equally into the ramekins and place them on a rimmed baking tray.
Pour boiling water carefully in the tray so that it comes up to 2/3rd the level of the custard in the ramekin. Transfer the tray into the centre of the oven.
Bake till the edges of the custard are set but the centre is still jiggly. This could take anywhere between 30-45 mins depending on the bakeware. To check for doneness, insert a pair of tongs into the oven and give the ramekins a genle shake. (The custard should not brown or rise).
Once done, carefully remove the tray from the oven and take out the ramekins using a slotted spoon. Let them cool to room temparature on a wire rack and then refrigerate to cool completely. (They can be stored upto 3 days in the refrigerator)
Just before serving, sprinkle with the remaining castor sugar and caramelise the top with a blowtorch, moving it back and forth till a crust forms ( more the sugar, thicker will be the crust). Allow the sugar to cool and harden. Serve immediately.

subset: commoncrawl


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AK's Nothin' But Net 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament
Join Athletes vs Epilepsy Youth Ambassador Aaron Kenneally on Saturday, June 16 at the North Andover Youth Center, North Andover, MA for the AK's Nothin' But Net 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament benefitting the Epilepsy Foundation. Last year, Aaron hosted an Athletes vs Epilepsy Nothin' But Net Awareness game and raised $5,000. This year his goal is to raise $10,000. You can help support Aaron by attending the event or making a safe, secure donation to his fundraising page. Click here to learn more about Aaron, his event or to make a donation.


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In last year`s movie "Minority Report," a mid-21st-century sci-fi thriller, D.C. police identify persons who have not yet committed a crime, but who, based on premonition evidence are going to commit a crime, and then swoop in and arrest these pre-criminals before they can carry out their dastardly deeds. "A fine movie; I saw it and liked it," says former Congressman Bob Barr. "Well, it isn`t even 2054 (the year in which the movie is set), and already, Washington-area police -- in this case, Fairfax County, Va.`s finest -- are taking the movie to heart, and putting it into practice now."
Read Original at: The Washington TImes


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Murray's passes the exacting "brisket test" and steers the barbecue-driven to Cooper, Texas.Though he's made a name in Northeast Texas as one of the best barbecue pit masters around, Rick Murray came to running a Delta County 'cue business the long way.
"I used to install dairy equipment. I worked five counties and three states," says Murray. "When I was out working, I would stop and eat at all the little roadside barbecue places. That's how I figured out that the best barbecue was the pure wood-smoked kind."
Inspired by what he'd found, Murray built his first pit and used it to cook up meat for his family's annual Independence Day bashes in the '80.
"People really liked the meat and I liked making it. Finally, I decided to quit installing the dairy equipment. I had a building, so in late '86 I got started with the new business."
When his joint opened outside of tiny Cooper, Texas, word spread quickly that it was a good place to eat. I know this because a family friend tipped my parents off to Murray's remarkable, melt-in-your-mouth brisket early on. I went off to college in '89, and my parents used to bring me a pound or so. I prized those paper-wrapped slices of brisket more highly than anything (even the rolls of quarters Mom brought for my laundry). It was a taste of home. The meat was so good, in fact, that I've spent over twenty years in search of something comparable. If such a thing is out there, I haven't found it yet.
Having reviewed a new Texas barbecue book recently that stopped short of exploring the more off-beat, back roads 'cue that I grew up on, I'd been wondering if Murray's meat was as good as I remember. So a few weeks back on a rare trip to my hometown of Paris, I stopped in on Murray at a little after eleven A.M. on a Tuesday. From my spot near the front entrance I spied a dog walking around a large pit stored in a shed off the side.
Inside the metal building, Murray's place was already starting to fill up with folksy, hard-working fellas joking around. I ordered half a pound of brisket to sample in the car (a.k.a. "the brisket litmus") before deciding if there was a story to be told. I paid cash (credit cards aren't welcome) and made my way back to the parking lot to have a taste.Having explored almost all of the iconic Texas barbecue joints over the years, I can tell you that none of them holds a candle to what you can still find in Murray's vibrant red-and-white metal joint on the side of Highway 19 near Cooper. From the first bite, my mouth filled with a satisfying smoky taste. The meat was tender, ever so slightly moist. Perfect. The thin sauce was good but superfluous. Though there are the traditional sides on offer, Murray's brisket is best enjoyed alone. For this reason his 'cue is more akin in my mind to the Central Texas barbecue tradition, where a meal often consists of just meat and bread. That said, Murray uses hickory wood, which is typical of East Texas and Southern pit masters. In short, Murray's brisket is a bridge between two regional 'cue traditions and thus remains in a class by itself.
Having finished my snack out on the gravel, I headed back inside to ask the burly pitmaster if he'd agree to be interviewed. The place is tiny, so I had an audience of a few customers during our encounter. Thankfully, Murray quickly and cheerfully agreed to chat via telephone. He also volunteered to step out from the counter so that I could snap photos of him. This prompted a helpful good ol' boy from a booth to shout, "You can find a picture of him down at the post office, you know. Just look for one of those 'Most Wanted' posters."
If Murray's wanted for anything these days, however, it's his 'cue."The barbecue business is big and our catering is really good," said Murray when we talked again long-distance. "I'm only open five days a week, and we close around five or six in the evening. I couldn't do that if people weren't coming out here regularly. There's no Wal-Mart out here [to draw traffic], but people that know me will be in here. So, yeah, I guess I'm a destination type place. On Canton weekend we get a lot of traffic, especially folks from Oklahoma. And then there's the commuters from Paris to Sulphur Springs."
Murray also counts among his loyal customers "rock haulers, construction guys. The gas pipeline companies have been real good to us. But it's not just guys. We get a lot of gals, too."
These days Murray has two big pits that hold 300 to 400 pounds of brisket, hot links, turkey and ham. (I'll go ahead and confess to never making it past the brisket myself. See, for me, if the brisket litmus goes right, I don't want to eat anything but the beef.)
"I designed those pits myself, and everything's one hundred percent wood fired. That just gives me the most control," he said. "Typically I'm making ten to fifteen briskets a day, but you know I'm committed to the product. I'm pretty picky. I ain't gonna put it out if it's not good. What's the point?"
Murray believes it's his commitment to quality that's made his 'cue place a local favorite for over two decades. "Hey, I've got the oldest food business in Delta County. That Dairy Queen has had two owners since I opened. That's something, right?"
You bet, Murray. Keep on cookin'.


text:
Very early during Election Night, the results of key swing-state Florida could tip the election's hand one way. If President Barack Obama wins the Sunshine State, it will be the death knell for Republican nominee Mitt Romney.
Romney has maintained an edge in Florida heading into Election Day, but here's how you can tell which candidate will win when the results start pouring in.
Here's the map:
Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties: These are counties to watch simply because of the voting mess that started over the weekend and continued on Tuesday. The three counties provided monster numbers for Obama in 2008, providing nearly one-third of his raw vote total. This year, he is counting on voters here to turn out in droves for him again. If they do, Obama could be poised for an upset — and a quick re-election victory — tonight.
Hillsborough, Orange, Sarasota and Volusia Counties: The four "I-4 corridor" counties serve make up Florida's crucial swing region. Whichever candidate pulls out a win here will likely win the whole state.
Each of these counties turned out more than 200,000 raw votes each in 2008, and Obama won all four with at least 50 percent% of the vote.
Depending on how much Romney can shift these counties, it could prove crucial to him closing the gap relative to 2008. Obama won the state by a narrow margin in 2008, beating McCain by less than 3 percentage points. Eating away at Obama's vote total in the I-4 corridor could go a long way toward turning the state back to red in 2012.


text:
Saussure's Sign
By Steve Hoenisch
Copyright 1996-2015 www.Criticism.Com
The sign, the signifier, and the signified are concepts of the school of thought known as structuralism, founded by Ferdinand de Saussure, a Swiss linguist, during lectures he gave between 1907 and 1911 at the University of Geneva. His views revolutionized the study of language and inaugurated modern linguistics. The theory also profoundly influenced other disciplines, especially anthropology, sociology, and literary criticism. The central tenet of structuralism is that the phenomena of human life, whether language or media, are not intelligible except through their network of relationships, making the sign and the system (or structure) in which the sign is embedded primary concepts. As such, a sign -- for instance, a word -- gets its meaning only in relation to or in contrast with other signs in a system of signs.
In general, the signifier and the signified are the components of the sign, itself formed by the associative link between the signifier and signified. Even with these two components, however, signs can exist only in opposition to other signs. That is, signs are created by their value relationships with other signs. The contrasts that form between signs of the same nature in a network of relationships is how signs derive their meaning. As the translator of Saussure's Course in General Linguistics, Roy Harris, puts it:
"The essential feature of Saussure's linguistic sign is that, being intrinsically arbitrary, it can be identified only by contrast with coexisting signs of the same nature, which together constitute a structured system" (p. x).
In Saussure's theory of linguistics, the signifier is the sound and the signified is the thought. The linguistic sign is neither conceptual nor phonic, neither thought nor sound. Rather, it is the whole of the link that unites sound and idea, signifier and signified. The properties of the sign are by nature abstract, not concrete. Saussure: "A sign is not a link between a thing and a name, but between a concept and a sound pattern" (Course, p. 66).
At least two other terms are used for signifier and signified:
signifier = signal = signifiant
signified = signification = signifie
Saussure choose the term "sign" over "symbol" because the latter implies motivation. For Saussure, the sign is arbitrary. Virtually all signs, Saussure maintains, have only arbitrarily ascribed meanings. Since Saussure, this notion has been taken as axiomatic in Western linguistics and philosophy.
A common mistake is to construe the signifier and the sign as the same thing. In my view, another common mistake, perhaps related to the first, is to speak of a signifier without a signified or a sign, or to speak of a signified without a signifer or a sign. Used in reference to Saussure's original formulations, both locutions are nonsensical. In language, a lone signifier would be an utterly meaningless sound or concatenation of sounds. But it is even more absurd to speak of a signified without signifier or sign: It would, I believe, have to be a sort of half thought, something never thought before, a thought that exists solely outside the domain of language, a fleeting, private, chaotic thought that makes no sense even to the thinker -- an unthought. Another mistake is to endow a sign with meaning outside the presence of other signs. Except as part of the whole system, signs do not and cannot exist.
Saussure provides an explicit basis for the expansion of his science of signs beyond linguistics: "It is possible," he says, "to conceive of a science which studies the role of signs as part of social life. ... We shall call it semiology. It would investigate the nature of signs and the laws governing them. Since it does not yet exist, one cannot say for certain that it will exist. But it has a right to exist, a place ready for it in advance."
Roland Barthes is one scholar who took Saussure's counsel to heart. He helped found the modern science of semiology, applying structuralism to the "myths" he saw all around him: media, fashion, art, photography, architecture, and especially literature. For Barthes, "myth is a system of communication." It is a "message," a "mode of signification," a "form" (Mythologies, p. 109). With a plethora of complexities and nuances, Barthes extends Saussure's structuralism and applies it to myth as follows:
"Myth is a peculiar system, in that it is constructed from a semiological chain which existed before it: it is a second-order semiological system. That which is a sign (namely the associative total of a concept and an image) in the first system, becomes a mere signifier in the second. We must here recall that the materials of mythical speech (the language itself, photography, painting, posters, rituals, objects, etc.), however different at the start, are reduced to a pure signifying function as soon as they are caught by myth" (Mythologies, p. 114).
Because of the complexities and nuances of Barthes's semiology, I will stop here and let you pick up the strand for yourself by reading the highly informative chapter "Myth Today" in Mythologies.
Regardless of how linguistic signs (and perhaps other signs, too) are analyzed, meaning may in fact be unrecoverable, both to the analyst and to the participants in an exchange of signs. It is my belief that meaning is indeed ultimately indeterminate, a position that bodes well with what very well be a fact of language. With respect to indeterminacy, some linguists, postmodern theorists, and analytic philosophers seem to be in agreement. Brown and Yule, both of whom are linguists, write that "the perception and interpretation of each text is essentially subjective."
The postmodern theorists, meantime, hold that every decoding is another encoding. Jacques Derrida, for example, maintains that the possibility of interpretation and reinterpretation is endless, with meaning getting any provisional significance only from speaker, hearer, or observer: Meaning is necessarily projection. Bakhtin, too, says "the interpretation of symbolic structures is forced into an infinity of symbolic contextual meanings and therefore it cannot be scientific in the way precise sciences are scientific."
Both Bakhtin's and Derrida's views are surprisingly not unlike those of W. V. O. Quine's in "The Indeterminacy of Translation," where Quine argued that "the totality of subjects' behavior leaves it indeterminate whether one translation of their sayings or another is correct."
Wittgenstein pays homage to the indeterminacy of meaning as well: "Any interpretation still hangs in the air along with what it interprets, and cannot give it any support. Interpretations by themselves do not determine meaning."
Roland Barthes, Mythologies, trans. Annette Lavers (New York: Hill and Wang, 1972).
Ferdinand de Saussure, Course in General Linguistics, trans. Roy Harris (La Salle, Ill.: Open Court, 1983).
See also Roland Barthes's Elements of Semiology.
Philosophy of Language Questions and Answers
Pragmatic Accounts of Communication


text:
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TOW blood - Many a mickle maks a muckle
Recent Entries
September 28th, 2002
06:14 am -
TOW blood
I don't watch Friends (and regard it as far too mainstream to be thought of as a cult show) but I like the episode title habit.
1. Doesn't look like we're going to have a missive from Finland tonight. Fingers crossed that one arrives in the morning because the World Puzzle Federation folk are too busy running their championship to update
their web site
while the event is on. Understandable, really.
2. Am getting increasingly hacked off with Project Dolphin. I am racking up 40,000 keystrokes, sending a pulse to register them, having my local count reset to zero (correctly), rebooting and then having my local count restarting from 40,000. This makes my supposed
750,000+ keystrokes
figure pretty bogus. I would estimate that the real total is between half and three-quarters of that. I am experiencing both the "May 18" and "May 19" bugs listed in the
bugs and issues
section, so it's not as if this is particularly rare. I am minded to discontinue use of Pulse until they release a new version with these problems solved - possibly to quit for good.
3. A geeky little cause for celebration is coming up soon - could be in about 20 hours, could be in about 36. Prepare to roll your eyes when I decide to share.
links to
an impressive optical illlusion
, with a link to
an American Scientist article
. Very cool indeed!
points out
Live 365's campaign against Internet radio station royalties
, which needs very fast action. Unfortunately, as I am not in the US, I cannot call my representative on this issue. However, perhaps you might be in the US and so you can.
6. Am happy with my letter of complaint and have sent it to the ITC through their web site. I want to send only a printed version of the letter to the duty office of the channel responsible, but this is proving harder than it should. My laser printer is quite badly broken and currently incapable of printing out letters which are neatly presented enough that you would want to read them - the ink darkness is very variable and there are semi-regular splotches resulting from an ill-fated attempt at cleaning the head. Accordingly I stuck the .doc on a disk and took it to town, eventually sourcing a library which would print it. Unfortunately the file hadn't saved to disc, had only partially saved to disc or had saved to disc in the wrong format - so no printout for me today. Will try again tomorrow, using both .doc and .rtf for safety. Stupid MS Word.
7. On the way back from town, I passed under an overhanging hedge under which a leaf was apparently floating in mid-air. The only logical explanation for this was that there was actually some spider thread hanging down from the hedge on which the leaf had been caught, but this thread was too fine to see. It was really quite impressive - I wish I had had a camera on me. Naturally, I then sought to discover whether my "spider thread" hypothesis was correct, by moving my hand between hedge and leaf. I evidently broke the thread, still too fine to see or even to feel, and the leaf floated to the ground. Now tell me you'd have been able to resist conducting the same test in order to know for sure! Tell me that Heisenberg would have been able to!
8. While in town, I gave blood for the third time. About six or twelve months ago, the UK's Blood Transfusion Service ran a dramatic campaign calling for extra donors because their stocks were so low. (Apparently only 6% of the population give blood - to me, 6% seems like a pretty good proportion.)
They've also made some administrative changes since then, most notably that the habitual time between donation sessions is no longer six months but four, that you no longer have to wait on the bed for a few minutes between finishing giving blood and going for your drink and that you can fill out much of the paperwork in advance of the attendance. I'm a little surprised by these changes coming in at once. If the blood donation system has lasted for a long time without change (which it might not have done - experts?) then these changes seem rather dramatic and surely worthy of greater discussion. At the same time they seem to have become a bit more specific on their categories of people at risk; specifically, they now explicitly state that a single incidence of oral or anal sex between men, even using condoms, is enough to disqualify a potential donor for life. (You might care to consider the techniques that are not banned.) This doesn't strike me as the most enlightened policy in terms of accurately assessing HIV transmission risks, for they are considerably more lenient to those who are heterosexually promiscuous. (Remember, "bleeder" is just one letter away from "breeder".)
I guess that fewer readers will have given blood than not and that overseas readers might wish to compare blood donation techniques in different countries, so it may be useful to descirbe the afternoon's session in more detail. The whole process takes about half an hour and happens at this particular hall in town once a month. (By coincidence, it's the same place where I attend meetings of the
Middlesbrough Gamers Club
on Tuesdays.) However, there are many other places around town where sessions are held, albeit less frequently. The room in which everything happens is two-thirds of perhaps a twelve-yard square; at one end, eight or ten "beds" (elevated canvas mattresses) are laid out, at the other end there are a number of desks, mostly shielded by curtains, where the administration takes place.
Upon arrival, the first task of the session is to check that you know what's going to happen to you, that you're in reasonable physical condition and that you're not at risk of donating infected blood. Then a tiny needle is fired into the tip of one of your fingers to take a very small blood sample, which is dropped into some indicator solution. (I believe this is a test for aenemia.) They describe the sensation as being "a sharp scratch", which is a slight exaggeration, and "the worst part of the whole operation", which is about right. Really, it's not painful, but it does tend to leave the jabbed finger a bit tickly and itchy for a while. (It still is twelve hours after donation, for instance.) You are fairly frequently asked for your date of birth or your address, partly to ensure you're in a composed frame of mind and partly to ensure that you are who you say you are.
You are then directed to lie on one of the beds, which has an armrest to provide elevation and support the arm from which the blood will be taken. A strap is (weakly) tightened about the arm and you get a little handle of soft plastic to squeeze and play with in order to keep the blood circulating around your arm. Some local anaesthetic is applied to the arm, around the pit of the elbow, and a little tube is fed in through your skin to your vein. It's painless, but you definitely feel it. (I look away during this part - most people probably do.) Blood flows out through your veins and out the tube at a controlled rate. You then wait and bleed down the tube for a while. Two small samples of blood are stored in vials, but the majority of it gets stored in a bag. I believe the bag holds about a pint, but that's only because of the famous commentary from
Lord Tony of Hancock
. "Nearly an armful", indeed. For me, the bleeding took about nine minutes today. (I wonder if your blood pressure affects the length of time it takes?)
After the bag is full, the tube is removed and you are bandaged up. Previously you would have been made to continue to lie there for another five minutes, but this rest is now optional. (Indeed, I stayed there for a while and was politely shooed away after about three or four minutes.) You are then offered a drink - tea, coffee or watery squash - and a selection of biscuits. You can sit round and take your time with them or disappear straight away as you prefer. That's it. To be fair, you do feel at about 95% for another 48 hours afterwards and sometimes I've felt momentary pulsing, twitching sensations in my arm the day after the donation. (Expect me not to be typing so much tomorrow.) If I become ill in the next week or two, I need to notify the authorities that it might not have been the healthiest blood in the world after all, but there's no other rigmarole involved.
If you've ever considered the idea but felt it to be somehow scary or something that you're happy to let other people do, please think again about it. I suspect there are very few countries in the world who are not actively seeking blood donations. It isn't painful, the people who collect the blood are very nice (at least in Middlesbrough!) and it's objectively selfless and heroic to some extent. I'm not sure all the "Do something amazing, save a life" rhetoric that we get in this country is quite appropriate, but I think that a blood donation should be worth a self-administered reward of 1 Smug on the metric scale. (That's about 1.7 Happies.) I don't think that giving blood would prove to be a great place to find a mate, but some of the administrators in Middlesbrough are actually rather fit...
In case you're wondering, I am blood group A (rhesus positive) which is apparently as common and boring as hell. There is probably some established mapping between blood groups and Japanese beat-'em-up special moves, but I'm afraid I can't do anything more impressive than a Spinning Bird Kick (er, sort of - ask
) and even that required the assistance of a considerable technical cast.
The original plan was also to talk about religion tonight, but it has got too late for that. "TOW blood and religion" has become just "TOW blood" - religion will follow some other day. Night night.
Current Mood:
Oink oink
7 comments
Leave a comment
September 28th, 2002 12:45 am (UTC)
The blood donation rules for homosexuals
(ref to: 'for they are considerably more lenient to those who are heterosexually promiscuous.')
Is just a reasonable statement of risk: HIV is still far more prevalent in homosexual/bi circles than heterosexual ones, so even a promiscuous heterosexual male is less likely to cause problems for donations. Part of this is different patterns of behaviour in the group as a whole (homosexual men being, statistically, more promiscuous than hetero), and part is the group being a lot smaller (hence a reduced transmissions pool).
It's not a matter of being 'lenient' to anyone (I can't imagine anyone getting upset and being told they can't have a needle stuck in their arm, and free biscuits aren't a big enough bribe to complain about lacking :)), just simple mathematics applied to a cash-strapped service organisation with a good knowledge of epidemiology and statistics.
If you're looking for silly blood donation rules, I can't give blood in the States. (I'm a haemophobe, however, so it was unlikely I'd be volunteering until the day I decide to 'cure' myself.) This is because having lived in the UK, I might have CJD, apparently. Don't ask me, I have no idea why that rule is in place.
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September 28th, 2002 06:18 am (UTC)
Re: The blood donation rules for homosexuals
I'm prepared to believe it, but would still prefer the Blood Transfusion Service to go into slightly greater detail about this on their site by way of explanation. (Perhaps I'll try to find the stats myself, to confirm that this gut feeling is based on fact and not just prejudice.) I'm also not absolutely convinced that the BTS is particularly cash-strapped; admittedly the public sector is almost never cash-rich, but certainly we haven't heard any appeals for money from them.
Yes, the CJD suspicion is ridiculous. I wonder if the French ban those who have lived in Britain from giving blood in France simply because we're so much more likely to have eaten British beef?
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October 6th, 2002 11:47 pm (UTC)
The blood donation rules for Englishmen
Here in New Zealand, the rules are much the same. You can't give blood if you lived in Britain for six months or more between 1980 and 1996. As I didn't leave Britain until 1990, I'm pretty much screwed. Until the rule came in, I was a regular donor in New Zealand and am frankly amazed by it.
AFAIK, there have been NO recorded cases of CJD as a result of infected blood transfusions. It seems to me that the ban is motivated by politics rather than health.
I was also intrigued when I called the NZ equivalent of the BTS just before the ban came into force. Yes, it was for real. But would you like to come in one last time before the cutoff date? I felt that if they didn't want my blood after a date (or felt that it presented an unacceptable risk) then I didn't see why it should be OK a week earlier, so I declined. I call them politely every three months to check whether the ban is still in force. As of my last check, yes.
I understand it came in first in Canada, and other countries have followed suit.
While I was back in England last month, I gave blood at the main centre in Liverpool. They were very pleased to see me. I guess if the 1980-1996 ban were in force in Liverpool, working for the BTS would be a very cushy number.
The NZ service is very short of blood at the moment: the NZ tradition of the OE (overseas experience) is long established and means that very many New Zealand youths spend up to a year travelling the world to see what it's like. The major destination is London, so a large number of OEers are now banned from giving blood. The problem is that there is a match between people who tend to do OE and those who tend to give blood (broadly middle class types who want to do something worthy that doesn't actually cost money)
I think they noted that the number of people affected as a percentage of the whole population was pretty low, but didn't reckon on the two communities not being independent.
New topic...speed of donation. It doesn't seem to be blood pressure but the weather. On a hot afternoon, everybody seems to fill up the bag much quicker than on a winter's day. And the capacity of the bag was marked as 470ml (or was it 480ml?)
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October 7th, 2002 01:20 pm (UTC)
Re: The blood donation rules for Englishmen
Good for you! If the rest of the world doesn't want good British blood, then it's pleasing that it's still accepted in Britain.
I like the icon, too :-)
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September 30th, 2002 06:03 am (UTC)
After a similar introduction to the simplicity and near-non-invasiveness of the procedure from
(http://www.deadjournal.com/~worrals/), I've now given blood a dozen times. Some countries pay for donations; by contrast, the National Blood Service in Britain incentivises donors with A) warm fruit drink and a biscuit B) plastic cards and buttons. In my wallet is a shiny gold card to mark 10-24 donations, which leaves at least three years before the next step, but in consolation records my blood group. (As it's vulgar O+ this wouldn't be particularly important in an emergency.)
The procedural changes you noted follow a recent review which included surveys of patient opinion. I filled out a questionnaire, although who knows what account was taken; could be that a time-and-motion study of paperwork/bloodletting had more weight than our cries of 'Let us at the biscuits!'
) (
September 30th, 2002 06:44 am (UTC)
Blood, blood, glorious blood
I understood that 10-24 was a bronze card: 1-4 red, 5-9 blue, 10-24 bronze, 25-49 silver, 50-74 gold, with imperial purple and somewhat unfathomable green up in the echelons for the top bleeders. Oh, and yellow for people who give by apo... apos... the other method because they have special blood.
(Wouldn't football be much more colourful and so much more entertaining if referees had the authority to hand out bronze, silver and gold cards as well as yellow and red ones?)
Of course, the system will surely change again in the next few years (it's not as if they use the cards for any reason in practice, is it? - the magnetic strip is surely bogus, with the donor number being contained in the optical bar code) and so you're not likely to get to the next colour of card before they have replaced cards with different-coloured dilithium crystals or whatever goes on to replace 'em.
My blood trivia may be getting more confused than usual, but I thought that group O was the type which everybody could use to some extent, which makes those with group O the metaphorical super-subs of the piece. (If that's the case then I also wonder why we aren't tryng to genetically engineer humans to all run on group O blood.)
Oh, and you know that you should take a decent chunk of the credit for my decision to start giving blood - the ox.bleeders were a powerful and inspirational force, with you prominent in my mind among them. Not all the credit, mind; assists should also go to George and
Davis for their enlightened discount scheme for donors and also to other local folks around here who have convinced me that it's something that real people - by contrast to you complex Oxford folk - do as well.
I still think you should start your own LiveJournal.
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October 8th, 2002 07:54 pm (UTC)
The British giving-blood process sounds exactly like the American process. I think the initial finger-pricking test is to check your iron level. That's usually the reason I can't donate -- not enough iron. I've given blood a couple times. I inherited my father's fast bleeding and my mother's squeamishness, so I have a tendency to get a little woozy. The first time I ever donated, I passed out in the lobby as we were leaving. Very disturbing experience -- one minute I standing up, and then next thing I knew, I was wondering what on earth I was doing on the floor. I've almost fainted on a couple other occasions as well, so I'm not always keen to give blood. Oh yeah, and the people are always very nice, and the cookies are tasty.
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text: The California State University Announces Three Finalists for the Presidency of California State University, San Marcos 10/14/2003 Page Image Image Caption Page Content(October 15, 2003) – The California State University today named three candidates as finalists for the presidency of California State University, San Marcos. The candidates, and the dates they will visit the campus, are: Karen S. Haynes, president, University of Houston-Victoria, Wednesday, November 5. Dennis L. Hefner, president, State University of New York at Fredonia, Thursday, November 6. Ephraim P. Smith, vice president for academic affairs, California State University, Fullerton, Friday, November 7. Each of the three will spend a day on the campus, meeting faculty, staff, students, alumni and the community. An open forum will be held daily for the campus community in Clarke Field House from 1:45-2:30 p.m. An open reception will be held daily at 5:30 p.m. in the Dome Terrace. (There will be daily media access from 2:40-3 p.m.)."These three candidates represent the very best of an extremely strong pool of contenders," said CSU Trustee Robert Foster, chair of the presidential search committee. "Each has the solid experience and know-how to lead the San Marcos campus forward through a second decade that will see increasing student growth and fiscal challenges." The new president will succeed former President Alex Gonzalez, who assumed the presidency of California State University, Sacramento this past July. Roy McTarnaghan, president emeritus of Florida Gulf Coast University, has been serving as interim president. He was not a candidate for the permanent position. The CSU Board of Trustees will name the new San Marcos president the week of November 17 after the trustees interview the finalists. The new leader would assume the presidency on a date to be determined. Haynes, a professor of social work, has been president of the University of Houston-Victoria since 1995. She previously was the dean of the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Houston (Houston). Prior to Houston, she was a faculty member in social work at Indiana University; the managing director, international resource development, International Business Associates in Cairo, Egypt, where she also served as a consultant; a faculty member at Southwest Texas State University; and the director of the social work division, sociology department, Mary Hardin-Baylor College in Texas. Her degrees are all in social work: her Ph.D. is from the University of Texas at Austin; her master\'s degree is from McGill University in Montreal, Canada; and her bachelor\'s degree is from Goucher College in Maryland. Hefner, a professor of economics, has been the president at SUNY Fredonia since 1996. Previously, he served as the senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. He also was an administrator at CSU Monterey Bay; vice president for academic affairs at Cal State San Bernardino; and a faculty member, department chair and administrator at CSU Chico.His degrees are all in economics: his Ph.D. and master's degree are from Washington State University, and his bachelor's degree is from California State University, Chico. Smith, a professor of accounting, has been the vice president for academic affairs at Cal State Fullerton since 1998, where he also served as dean of the School of Business Administration and Economics. Previously, he was dean, Nance College of Business Administration, Cleveland State University; dean, School of Business, Shippensburg State College; and a faculty member and chair of the accounting department at the University of Rhode Island. His degrees are all in accounting: his Ph.D. is from the University of Illinois; his master's degree is from the University of Massachusetts; and his bachelor's degree is from Providence College. The search for a new San Marcos president began in May 2003. The search committee is composed of three trustees plus the board chair, the CSU chancellor, a CSU president, San Marcos faculty, staff, student and alumni representatives and a community person. For more information on the candidates and the campus, go to http://executivesearch.calstate.edu. California State University San Marcos is the higher education leader in the northern San Diego region. Founded in 1989, the campus enrolls more than 7,700 students who enjoy small classes and personal attention in a suburban environment. Cal State San Marcos emphasizes a rigorous writing requirement across the curriculum, as well as computer and second language competencies that give students an advantage when they compete in the job market or for graduate school admission. Compared to similar universities, students rank Cal State San Marcos significantly higher in the level of academic challenge, the opportunities for active and collaborative learning, and for other enriching educational experiences. See www.csusm.edu. The California State University is the largest system of senior higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, nearly 408,000 students and 45,000 faculty and staff. Since the system was created in 1961, it has awarded about 2 million degrees. The CSU is renowned for the quality of its teaching and for the job-ready graduates it produces. Its mission is to provide high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever-changing needs of the people of California. With its commitment to excellence, diversity and innovation, the CSU is the university system that is working for California. See www.calstate.edu. Error processing SSI file Want to Learn More? Please contact: Public Affairs Department (562) 951-4800 Yes


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Last week at 29 – 30 July, we have the opportunity to attend and having a booth to showcase our game in development, Ciel Fledge at a local, long-running gamedev event which now included e-sports tournament for the sake of more visitors and appeals to more mainstream audience. Nevertheless, we still had a lot… Read more »
Posts Categorized: ciel fledge
[Ciel Devlog #13] Adding More Conveniences and Gamepad Support
Hi again, wltr3565 here, writing a development blog again for you guys! Regarding our current focus, we're currently preparing for Ciel Fledge's another demo. We will showcase it in Game Prime 2017 and you guys can play it there. The event will be held at 29th-30th July 2017, which means it's 2 weeks to go…. Read more »
[Ciel Devlog #12] Music of Ciel Part 2
(Disclaimer: All of the themes showcased are early works in progress) Hello! It's Jasmine here with another music devlog update. I initially wanted this blog to be about the battle themes, but realized that in doing so, I would be overlooking an important facet in their development. So, instead of talking about the battle themes,… Read more »
[Ciel Devlog #11] UI Change… Wait, Now?
My Absence Last Devlog Hi, RikuoTanaka here, bringing you the latest Devlog! You might notice something weird regarding the writer for this and the previous devlog. I'll cut to the chase. Yes, I was supposed to be the writer for the previous one, and this one was supposed to be numfank's turn. But 2 weeks… Read more »
[Ciel Devlog #10] Road to Minimum Viable Product
Hi, back with me again num with the 10th series of Ciel Fledge devlog. In the previous blog, I've been talking about our effort to close the core gameplay loop of the game, which we have completed. Now with the core gameplay finished, we are working hard to actually make the game fun to play… Read more »


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Golf at Delone Catholic
Athletics News
featured postAthletics
featured post
Fifth Annual Mason Dixon Linemen Clinic
Join us as we welcome Miami Dolphins Offensive Line Coach Pat Flaherty back to the Mason Dixon Linemen Clinic. Coach Flaherty will personally run drills and teach offensive line techniques. After completing his second season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Coach Flaherty is heading to Miami as the Dolphins offensive line coach. He spent one year with the San Francisco 49ers and the previous 12 years (2004-15) in the same role with the New York Giants. A veteran of more than 35 years of coaching, Flaherty's tenure with the Giants includes their Super Bowl wins in 2007 and 2011. This is an excellent opportunity for hands-on skills and technique training with one of the NFL's finest OL coaches. Also returning this year is East Stroudsburg Coach Mike Santella. Click here for a copy of the registration form. For sponsorship opportunities, click here.Athletics
SportsLeader Virtue of the Week
Our virtue this week is LOYALTY - the strength to make a cause more important than yourself enabling you to make sacrifices to achieve it. Our community is that cause. To live this virtue this week, cheer up someone who might be down.Athletics
Register Today for a Squire Sports Camp
Have some fun this summer at one of the Squire Sports Camps. High school coaches and players have tons of fun activities planned for participants. Choose from cross country (girls and boys), field hockey, girls basketball, soccer (girls and boys) and tennis (girls and boys). For additional information, contact the athletics department at 717-637-5969 Ext. 213Athletics
Delone Catholic Squire Collector Tins
Show your Delone Catholic pride with a purchase of a Squire Collector Tin. The tin costs $20 and is available at the Utz Outlet Store on Carlisle Street in Hanover, Pa. You get one FREE fill with select Utz snacks at the time of purchase. For a copy of the flyer, click here.Athletics
Athletics Events
Sheppard Gymnasium, Lobby, Cafe & Classrooms
Sports Physicals
$15 for the physicalAthletics
Meadowbrook Golf Course
Track & Field and Cross Country Golf Tournament
The annual fundraiser at Meadowbrook Golf Course.Athletics
Fall Sports Parent/Athlete Meeting
General Meeting followed by sports meetingsAthletics
Athletic Association Cash Raffle
At SAVES Southeastern Adams Volunteer Emergency ServicesAthletics


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5 Ways To Give Your Furniture Expensive Look
Furniture is the filling of your house and the major part of your decor, so it's got to be beautiful and stylish. There are many ways to make existing furniture look better, prettier, and flat out costlier.
Expensive Furniture Makeover
Marble Effect
Its so easy to turn any tabletop in the house into a luxurious marble surface with quality marble effect contact paper. Easy, cheap, and yet the results can be stunning.
Metallic Finish
Mstallic finish or accents can give your old table or dresser a much needed facelift all the while making it look much more expensive.
Matte Finish
Matte finish can look very glamorous especially when put in contrast with reflective or glossy surfaces. Paint your bathroom vanity a rich matte cllor and you'll see.
Colored Paint
Colored paint can many a time make dull woden furniture look more modern, interesting, and expensive. The paints may accentuate certain details of the poece that otherwise go unnoticed.
Stylish Prints
Stylish modern printed upholstery is another great way to tranform your furniture. The key to rich falamboyant furniture here is to choose the right prints for your decor and go for quality upholstery.
These are all realtively cheap and can be used on furniture of any type and style.
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Message Queues
Message queues provide an asynchronous communications mechanism in which the sender and the receiver of a message do not contact each other. Nor do they need to communicate with the message queue at the same time. When a sender places a messages onto a queue, it is stored until the recipient receives them.
In Magento Commerce, the Message Queue Framework (MQF) is a fully-functional system that allows a module to publish messages to queues. It also creates consumers to receive them asynchronously. The MQF primarily uses RabbitMQ as the messaging broker, which provides a scalable platform for sending and receiving messages. It also includes a mechanism for storing undelivered messages. RabbitMQ is based on the Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP) 0.9.1 specification.
A basic message queue system can also be set up without using RabbitMQ. In this system, a MySQL adapter
stores messages in the database. Three database tables (
queue_message, and
queue_message_status) manage the message queue workload. Cron jobs ensure the consumers are able to receive messages. This solution is not very scalable. RabbitMQ should be used whenever possible.
See Configure message queues for information about setting up the message queue system.
Send a message from the publisher to a queue
The following code sends a message to the queue. The
publish method is defined in
$publisher->publish($topic, $message)
In an MySQL adapter environment, when a message is published to multiple queues, create a single record in
queue_message and multiple records in
queue_message_status: one for each queue. (A join on the
queue_message, and
queue_message_status tables is required).
Instantiate a consumer
The procedure for instantiating a consumer differs, depending on which message queue system is being used.
This instantiates a consumer that is defined in a
queue.xml file. The consumer (
customer_created_listener) listens to the queue and receives all new messages. For every message, it invokes
MySQL adapter
\Magento\Framework\MessageQueue\ConsumerInterface::process($maxNumberOfMessages) to instantiate a consumer.
Perform the following actions:
- Define the queue name associated with current consumer using
- Select
$maxNumberOfMessagesmessage records, filtering on the
queue_namefield. You must join on all 3 tables. To accomplish this, you may want to extract fewer records at a time to improve load distribution between multiple consumers.
- Decode the message using topic name taken from the
- Invoke callback
Magento\Framework\MessageQueue\ConsumerConfigurationInterface::getCallbackand pass the decoded data as an argument.
Override topic configuration
The following sample introduces a runtime configuration that allows you to redefine the adapter for a topic.
'queue' =>
'topics' => array(
'customer.created' => [publisher="default-rabitmq"],
'order.created' => [publisher="default-rabitmq"],


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Vacation Rental Home in White Mountains
Vacation Rental Home (Cozy Cottage)
Just a short distance from the campground come enjoy our cozy retreat we call our Cozy Cottage. It is situated on a quiet country road tucked into the woods of the White Mountain National Forest. You are within a few hundred feet of trails that lead you right to the Mahoosuc Range of mountains and the Appalachian Trail. This three bedroom, one bathroom cottage with a large dining area as well as a great room for relaxing in the evening. Sit outside in your Adirondack chairs in the evenings around your own fire pit. Gas Grill also provided. All campground amenities are still available for your use as well.
Accommodates: 8
- (additional person fees will be charged)
- 2 Night Minimum/ 3 Night Minimum for all holidays
- 50% due at time of reservation.
- $139.00 per night plus 9% NH tax (Family of 4)
- Additional Person Fee - $5.00 per day for ages 6-17 / $10.00 per day for ages 18 + No More than 8 people
- No daily or overnight visitors allowed in rental units; without prior permission.
- $834.00 + 9% tax weekly rate Stay 7 Pay 6! (plus additional persons fee)
- Inquire about rental here
Our Cozy Cottage Accommodations include:
- Master Bedroom – Queen Bed
- 2nd Bedroom - two Twin Beds
- 3rd Bedroom – Twin Bunk Beds
- Living Room – Full Sized Sleeper Sofa
- Kitchen: refrigerator, stove, microwave, toaster, coffee pot and pots, pans, cutlery, plates, glasses etc.
- Full Bathroom tub, shower, toilet and sink
- TV w/DVD in living room
- Free Wifi
- Fire pit with chairs
- Gas Grill with cooking tools
Sorry NO Pets in this Rental Home.
Looking to ATV on Jericho Mountain where you will find 1,000 miles of interconnected trails? Use our cottage as your home base. Enjoy your days on the trails and evenings hanging out around the campfire in the private backyard. There is NO direct trail access from this property.
This Cottage is a perfect spot for:
- Families of up to 8 people. We are just minutes away from the many attractions including Storyland and Santa's Village. We will provide you a list of great hiking and swimming suggestions.
- Base Camp for Hikers – Perfect for a group of friends that need a base camp during their adventures in the White Mountains. If you are hiking The Whites you will be just a short 14 miles from Pinkham Notch Visitors Center; where all great hikes begin.
- Touring on Motorcycles? What a great spot for you as we have an oversized garage to keep your bikes warm and dry overnight.
- Looking to ATV on Jericho Mountain where you will find 1,000 miles of interconnected trails? Use our cottage as your home base. Enjoy your days on the trails and evenings hanging out around the campfire in the private backyard.
The cottage sits on over 3 acres; of which one acre is an open grassy yard that the kids can play some of the many yard games we leave for your use.
- Since we own Timberland Campground just 1 mile down the road; you will have access to the amenities such as the in-ground pool, playground and our riverwalk trails. Young kids love Firetruck rides; check schedule.
- This property will be available year round so whether you are coming to the White Mountains to enjoy summer activities or winter skiing or snowmobiling; check out our vacation property; we are just minutes from all kinds of activities.
Call for more information or to reserve your White Mountain Vacation Home at Mahoosuc Trail House getaway today!
Timberland Campground 603-466-3872
No Smoking $250.00 cleaning Fee will be assessed and it will be charged to your credit card.
Check-in any time after 3:00pm. Check-Out by 11a.m. This enables us to ready the unit for the next guests. There is no housekeeping for this rental at this time. You must leave the home the way you found it or may lose your deposit. Broom swept. We will do the rest.
Rental Reservation policy: 50% of stay due at time of reservation.
Cancellation policy: We have a 14 day cancellation policy. If a reservation is cancelled 14 or more days before your arrival date, a refund of your deposit will be given minus a 10% processing fee which is non-refundable. Refunds are not issued for reservations that are cancelled less than 14 days before your arrival date. Please note: If you make a reservation less than less than 14 days before your arrival date, and end up having to cancel, that deposit is non-refundable.
A $100 security deposit is required. Half of the rental fee is required for a deposit. Rental unit tax is added upon arrival. The $100 security deposit may be paid by separate check or credit card. This deposit will be returned when you leave, provided there has been no misuse or damage.


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A community group formed last year in the wake of a road safety survey of Crathes, Drumoak and Durris had their first meeting last night.
The survey, carried out by the Crathes, Drumoak and Durris Community Council (CDDCC) from June to November 2015, highlighted a range of issues affecting the area. 91 per cent of all respondents noted excessive speeding as their primary concern, and 85 per cent of these noted that they would support a community roadwatch project and 73 per cent said that they would volunteer their time to it.
The report was presented at the CDDCC's AGM in November, 2015. The outcome was to form a residents action group where they will take forward the issues identified from the survey, identify the key priorities, agree the appropriate action to take forward and to implement the action as a community action project.
The first meeting took place on Wednesday, January 27 at Kirkton Village Hall, Durris.
Maxine Smith, Vice Chair of the CDDCC, said: "Issues regarding road safety and in particular, excessive speeding, signage, busy roads and access to schools have received growing concerns in the area from many residents. We, at the Community Council are encouraged with the response to the survey and are fully supportive of our local residents in any action they decide to embark on to address some of these critical matters. However, any action remains dependent on key stakeholders in Aberdeenshire Council and Police Scotland".


text:
About one in 20 teenagers have used steroids to increase their muscle mass, a new study suggests.
In addition, more than one-third of boys and one-fifth of girls said they had used protein shakes or powders to increase their muscles, while between five and 10 percent used non-steroid substances to bulk up.
The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, included almost 2,800 students in middle and high schools in Minnesota. Most of the students had engaged in at least one muscle-building activity in the previous year. Up to one-third used what researchers considered unhealthy ways to increase their muscle mass, such as taking steroids or other muscle-building substances, or drinking too many protein shakes or engaging in excessive weight-lifting.
The study found steroid use was equally common among students who were athletes and those who were not.
"Really the pressure to start using (steroids) is in high school," Dr. Linn Goldberg of the Oregon Health & Science University, who was not involved in the study, told Reuters. "You get the influence of older teens in high school, so when you're a 14-year-old that comes in, you have 17-year-olds who are the seniors, and they can have great influence as you progress into the next stage of your athletic career."
The cost and consequences of alcoholism and drug dependence place an enormous burden on American society. As the nation's number one health problem, addiction strains the economy, the health care system, the criminal justice system, and threatens job security, public safety, marital and family life. To learn more, click here.


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Elizabeth O'Donnell Gandolfo is a constructive theologian whose teaching and research interests coalesce around the following themes in feminist and Latin American liberation theologies: the place of motherhood in theology and spirituality; the theological and political significance of remembering suffering; and the ecclesiology of Christian base communities in Latin America. Her first book, The Power and Vulnerability of Love: A Theological Anthropology (Fortress, 2015), draws on women's experiences of maternity and natality to construct a theology of suffering and redemption that is anchored in the reality of human vulnerability. Her most recent publishing project was a co-edited volume entitled Parenting as Spiritual Practice and Source for Theology: Mothering Matters (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017). Gandolfo is currently working on a book project entitled Re-membering the Reign of God: Decolonial Ecclesiology in the Base Communities of El Salvador.
BA, Saint Joseph's University; MTS, University of Notre Dame; PhD, Emory University
Roman Catholic
Email: email@example.com
Phone: 336.758.3570
Office: Wingate 113
The School of Divinity Office of Communications is responsible for communicating information regarding faculty research, programs, and other news to appropriate media sources. Faculty are available to provide comment for a story or be interviewed (recorded and/or live). To request, contact C. Mark Batten, Assistant Dean of Admissions and Strategic Communications.


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10" Wedding Cake Box Base: Box of 50
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Next working day deliveries available, order by 2pm Monday-Friday.*
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Objective coverage of church-state and religious liberty developments, with extensive links to primary sources.
Sunday, August 13, 2017
2nd Circuit: Pregnancy Discrimination Claim Against Synagogue Can Proceed
In Shultz v. Congregation Shearith Israel of the City of New York, (2d Cir., Aug. 10, 2017), the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals held that giving an employee a notice of termination of employment can be an "adverse employment action" under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act even though the notice is rescinded before the date that the firing becomes effective. The court thus allowed a long-time Program Director for a New York synagogue to move ahead with her claim that she was given a termination notice because of disapproval of the fact that she was pregnant at the time of her recent marriage. The court also allowed her to move ahead with her claim under the Family Medical Leave Act. [Thanks to Rabbi Michael Simon for the lead.]
Posted by Howard Friedman --PermaLink: 3:30 PM
Labels: Pregnancy discrimination, Synagogue, Title VII


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Transform your photos into one-of-a-kind, hand painted masterpieces!
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The image is near the edges of the product but doesn't cover the entire product. Some of the background color may appear around the outside edges of the image.
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Our luxuriously soft beach towels are made from brushed microfiber with a 100% cotton back for extra absorption. The top of the towel has the image printed on it, and the back is white cotton. Our beach towels are available in two different sizes: beach towel (32" x 64") and beach sheet (37" x 74").
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Ferns and oak trees at the Cooper Biological Preserve on Sonoma Moutain, CA, spring 1981. Image taken in 4x5 film format.
Ed began photographing seriously in 1956 when he started shooting in a 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 camera. In 1962 he started shooting in 4x5 film format with a view camera, and over the next 50 years built perhaps the largest private library of large format inspirational, mountain and nature images in North America. He began digital photography in 2007, both adding new images, as well as converting old film from the previous decades, to digital form. All photos are unedited and unaltered except for the digital restoration of the older film images. Over the years his work has appeared in calendars, greeting cards, church bulletins, posters, his own personal wine country and northern California coast postcard line, and many other commercial uses, as...
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Ukraine is the European present. We have now reached a point where Ukrainian history and European history are very much the same thing, for good or for evil. The European Union is no longer alone in the world. The European Union can no longer delude itself that it has no enemies.
During the II World war something happened in Yugoslavia that was not mentioned later very much in our schoolbooks. And this was the civil war. There was an antifascist war, there also was a communist revolution with Tito, but there was also the civil was between Serbs and Croats, which had enormous consequences for the war to come in Balkans in former Yugoslavia.
International conference Ukraine: Thinking Together
Panel Seven: Can memory save us from history? Can history save us from memory? Monday May 19, 2014 (Diplomatic Academy,Kyiv)
Participants: Timothy Snyder, chair, Slavenka Drakulić, Olga Filippova, Frank Foer, Yaroslav Hrytsak, Martin Šimečka, Andrey Kurkov.
Language: English
Panel Three: When do politicians become pariahs? Friday, May 17, 2014 (Diplomatic Academy, Kyiv)
Participants: Daniel Markovits, chair, Wolf Biermann, Cathrin Kahlweit, Mykhailo Minakov, Jurko Prochasko, Karl Schlögel, Karel Schwarzenberg
Language: English


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Stephen Colbert's Tek Jansen #1
Writers: John Layman & Tom Peyer and Jim Massey
Artists: Scott Chantler and Robbi Rodriguez
Colors: Pete Pantazis & Aurelio Alfonso and Dave McCaig
Letters: Douglas E. Sherwood
Cover artists: Scott Chantler (regular edition) & John Cassaday (variant)
Editors: Randal C. Jarrell & James Lucas Jones
Publisher: Oni Press
Price: $3.99 US
If I had to describe this comic book in one word, it would be…. Lincolnish. (Lincoln was into sci-fi and comics, right? What? No? Oh.) OK, make that one word: Megamerican.
Were I allowed three real words instead of one truthy word, then those three words would be "pretty damn funny."
I'm a big fan of The Colbert Report; I'm not a member of the Colbert Nation or anything, but I don't think they accept Canadians. Nevertheless, I was pleased to hear about this Oni Press spinoff comic book, but I wondered if it would focus solely on sci-fi satire as the Tek Jansen cartoon segments from the show do. To my pleasure and relief, the writers on this book include some political satire as well, capturing the broader appeal of The Colbert Report in the process. There's really only one problem with this solid humor book, and that's the long wait we've had to endure. It's not troop-withdrawal late, you know, but still.
Benevolent aliens known as the Optiklons visit Alphalon-7, offering world peace and prosperity in exchange for nothing but a promise to share a small measure of energy resources with needy neighbors. But the dashing and daring leader of Alpha Squad 7, the famous Tek Jansen, isn't quite as trusting as the general populace and his superiors. And in another classic adventure, Tek Jansen goes undercover on an alien world on a mission to eradicate racism and class divides. Tasked to manipulate the planet's political structure, Tek opts to solve the problem as only he can: by force!
The over-the-top nature of the science-fiction and social satire here is a significant departure for Scott Chantler, known for more grounded, historical fare such as Days Like This and Northwest Passage. He demonstrates his cartooning chops here quite clearly, though, in the main story, "Invasion of the Optiklons!" He abandons the Aeon Flux-like style of the Report's animated sequences for a more straightforward, familiar comic-book style. His efforts here remind me of a cross between the styles of Mike (Powers) Oeming and Kieron (Remains, Sea of Red) Dwyer. Chantler's designs for newer elements — such as C.A.S.E.Y. and Meangarr — are simple but memorable. The colorists bring a bright quality to the first story that harkens back to Superman stories of the 1960s.
I was surprised at how different artist Robbi Rodriguez's approach to Tek Jansen is in the second story, "Horn Like Me." There's a grittier quality to the art that actually fits the slightly harsh tone of the send-up of racial and political problems. His designs for the segment aren't quite as imaginative as Chantler's, but he's not given as wide a variety of elements to play with either. Dave McCaig's colors for the backup story are darker and deeper, again, in keeping with the slightly darker tone of the premise.
John Layman and Tom Peyer introduce a much more interesting and entertaining supporting cast of characters for the space-faring, spectacled stalwart in "Optiklons." Meangarr is a riot, the perfect foil to Tek's narcissistic personality. The writers balance the brighter, goofy, Silver Age tone of their story with a couple of raunchier moments, such as day-after regrets and poorly planned nudity. Though the main purpose is to poke fun at conventions of science fiction, they also manage to spit some sweet venom at uber-consumer practices of Western culture. Tek's opposition is a far from subtle but entertaining representation of American emphasis on materialism over idealism.
Jim Massey's "Horn Like Me" is much more on point with the social commentary. The greatest strength of his script is the fact that he's able to maintain a goofy atmosphere despite the ugly analogy at the heart of his story. Tek is actually something of an innocent here. He really doesn't get racism. He's not out to fight it or understand it. He's just a little boy playing war; his toys just have a little more bite than the average BB gun.
Just like the divergent artwork, the plots for the two stories are radically different. Tek answers to a different boss, and the alien landscapes in which he can be found are like day and night. Still, what the two stories do have in common is the main character's ego. He is just as much a blowhard in both segments, and that implausibly egomaniacal facade is as entertaining on the printed page as it is delivering "the Word" four nights a week. 7/10


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12 January 2017
I'm Sleepy
18 comments:
You just had a heavy meal, Lucy? Purrs and headbutts from us!ReplyDelete
We can't believe you snore either Lucy.ReplyDelete
Purrs Georgia,Julie and JJ
Ha! Kitties don't snore! Well, except maybe Boodie.ReplyDelete
Silly Mum, how could she possible say something like that. Besides, nothing wrong with a little snore.ReplyDelete
Nooooo…how dare Mum suggest such a thingy!!!!ReplyDelete
(they say the same about me and I SURE that's not true either)
Loves and licky kisses
Princess Leah xxx
Snoring?!? More like gracing your mom with the sound of your breathing. Happy snoozing, Lucy!ReplyDelete
Really now. It was only you breathing heavy, Lucy.ReplyDelete
you was not snoring - you was laffin in her dreamsReplyDelete
Cats don't snore, it must have been on TV.ReplyDelete
no way.... :)ReplyDelete
We ladies snore!? Why I think NOT! The very idea! Mom says the same about ME! As if!ReplyDelete
Awww....I bet it was Mom and not you! catchatwithcarenandcodyReplyDelete
Of course not, Lucy! What a cheek!ReplyDelete
The Chans
Just ignore and enjoy pretty Lucy!ReplyDelete
- Anonymous12 January 2017 at 21:10
It's okay bootyful. Mommy says we snore too. MOLReplyDelete
Luv ya'
Dezi and Raena
snore a way lucy....we all due heer two...yep...even dai$y....meenz yur content N NOE BURD was had for dinner ☺☺☺♥♥♥ ~~~~~~~~ waves two hannahReplyDelete
Nothing wrong with a bit of snoring, sweet Lucy. That just means you're doing a great job of napping. :)ReplyDelete
Lucy, Don't worry, humans love hearing kitties snore...it's sort of like purring. XOCK, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Angel Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth, Calista Jo and Cooper MurphyReplyDelete


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Things to do: Visit this Delray Beach church's pumpkin patch and Fall Festival
DELRAY BEACH — For 20 years, Cason United Methodist Church has marked the beginning of fall with rows and rows of bright, orange pumpkins. This year was no different.
The annual Pumpkin Patch, which benefits several local nonprofits as well as the longtime church, opened Sunday and will continue through October. The proceeds go toward Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse, Florida United Methodist Children's Home and Fisher House Foundation Housing for Veterans' Families, among others.
The church is also holding its 2nd annual Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 15.
The festival, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., includes carnival-style games, a dunk tank, a 100-foot slide, face painting, hay rides and more, according to event organizers. Entrance into the event is free, but a wristband for all attractions costs $10.
"It's fun for all ages," said Deborah Sargeant, an organizer. "It's an old-fashioned kind of carnival."
What: Cason United Methodist Church's Fall Festival
When: Saturday, Oct. 15 at 11 a.m.
Where: 342 N Swinton Ave, Delray Beach, FL 33444
How much: $10 for a wristband
More info: https://www.facebook.com/VisitCasonUnitedMethodistChurch/


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If you have played the Gun Mayhem game series, have some more fun in the fourth installment of the game, Gun Mayhem 4 Redux. In this version, you can either play as a single player against AI opponents in Campaign Mode or play in multiplayer game against friends and family in Custom Mode. In the Campaign Mode, there are ten challenges but you have to win the prior challenges to unlock more challenges.
The first two challenges has been pre-unlocked. In In the Custom Mode, you can set the number of the starting lives, the kinds of crates and the domination point limit. There are three game modes: Free For All where the last player standing wins, Team Deathmatch where the last team standing wins and Domination where the first player to reach the point limit wins. You can play the game for free at http://www.gunmayhem4.net.


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Adopting rainforest will enable us to purchase and protect vulnerable areas of tropical rainforest from development forever. The Daintree Rainforest in Tropical North Queensland is one of the oldest rainforests in the world and is home to 12 of the world's 19 primitive plant families, the highest concentration on earth. Over 180 properties remain unprotected and scattered about in private hands. Rainforest Rescue is buying up lot after lot and placing them under Nature Refuge Status.
These unprotected areas of mega bio-diverse rainforest border National Park and other Rainforest Rescue Reserves and any development would cause major damage, much of it irreplaceable, to extremely rare, threatened and endangered flora and fauna. Ancient wildlife too such as the endangered Southern Cassowary, Bennett Tree-kangaroo, plus a host of other exotic species would see their habitats destroyed, fragmented and changed forever. Human settlement brings dire consequences.
Rainforest Rescue is actively purchasing and protecting this ancient natural treasure, effectively taking properties out of the hands of developers. Donors can adopt rainforest and help us save this precious ecosystem. With 180 properties still holding development rights, ecological studies must commence to determine which areas receive priority. Keeping as much pristine rainforest as possible intact while also revegetating degraded areas is paramount to the Daintree's overall survival.
These rainforests are home to 135 million years of natural and evolutionary history. Man's development acts like a stake in the heart. Supporting this project will save rainforest forever by allowing Rainforest Rescue to continue purchasing and protecting this precious natural resource. The long-term impact is a healthier planet, medicinal benefits and preservation of ancient flora & fauna and wildlife for future generations.


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This week we are joined by James Rosemergy to discuss some of his articles on Touring Plans. Topics include traveling with wimps, annual pass and memory maker value, where to spend eternity in Walt Disney Wolrd, and sandwiches. Make sure to follow James on Twitter dot com.
Three men. Two challenges. One vacation. We're going to Orlando and we are going to tear the town up. Hear us as we plan. Stay strong.
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Mighty Men of Mouse: Episode 0243 -- Rosemergallimaufry
1 comment:
As a follow up on this episode, I was able to identify the difference between a purchased MemoryMaker and the PhotoPass benefit provided to Annual Passholders on this most recent trip: when you purchase MemoryMaker, everyone in your traveling party can use their bands/cards to collect photos, and everyone can view and download the photos. With the AP version, friends and family traveling with you can use their bands/cards to collect photos and they can view watermarked versions online, but only the AP holder can download the photos. Otherwise, they work the same way. Hope that's helpful!ReplyDelete
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I don't tend to buy a lot from Topshop but these two purchases have definitely re-kindled my love for Topshop!
First is this beautiful jacquard pink and gold pencil skirt. I got this in the sale for £22. The material is stunning and I love the slit in the front.
In a completely opposite fashion direction I got this ripped band tee (£26). I don't normally wear t-shirts but I love the holes and the fit of this. Great for casual days but also works really well with a smart skirt!


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Reviews of Pacifica Senior Living Hillsborough
Reviews are very important to us, and are the best way to learn what our residents and their families have to say about us! You may either Write a Direct Review, or you may Write a Review through Google+ or Facebook. We truly appreciate your thoughts!
"Pacifica Senior Living Hillsborough is simply amazing. The staff is very well trained, and genuinely cares for each and every one of their residents. The facility is always clean, and it is maintained with meticulous care. My Father is a four year resident of Pacifica, living with advanced stages of Parkinson's disease. Ryan Lauritzen, Executive Director, and his highly engaged staff, tend to my father's needs promptly and with respect, allowing him to live his senior years with independence and dignity. The medical team is always attentive to my dad's medical needs and always keeps me informed when medical issues arise. Living with Parkinson's disease is challenging and many patients have tendency to lose their balance and fall. My Father has had a number falls over the four years he has lived at Pacifica, and the medical staff has called me advising me of each and every one of them. Even when my Dad suffered no real injuries from a fall, the staff promptly called me to report the fall. The food is freshly prepared for each meal, and the selections change daily. The menu is posted throughout the facility for all to see. There are many activities planned each day, and the residents keep engaged and entertained. Dad really enjoys the scheduled outings which include trips to local casinos or dinner shows.
My Father truly loves his home at Pacifica. I would recommend Pacifica Senior Living Hillsborough to all. My only regret is that they do not take reservations 25 years ahead of time!"
Mickey W
Yelp 2016
"Everything about the facility was excellent we looked at 3 other places before we came to Pacifica and really thought we would have to bring mom back to Washington. All the staff were very gracious and caring. My mother has met so many people there, she loves your facility."
Linda L
"Pacifica Hillsborough has a great team and staff that cares tremendously about their residents and families. We work great together and l couldn't ask for a better team."
Rebecca N
Yelp 2016
"We have been very pleased with Pacifica Senior Living in Chino. We moved my mother Sue there last July and have been impressed with the level of service that we have received for her there. The medication plan along with the nicely prepared meals have really helped mom continue to keep her independence but also gives us the peace of mind that she is getting all of her medications on a regular basis and eating well. The facility is clean and has lots of activities for the residents too."
John S.
Yelp 2016
"This turns out to be an amazing day. Jennifer is awesome and very helpful. She is a God send. Our mom will be in great hands."
Google+ 2016
"We had my dad in Pacifica up in Chino, CA. The staff was excellent, they saw to my dads needs, took very good care of him, he was in the transitions area. The rooms were always neat and clean, the food was great. Every Time we came to see dad the staff welcomed is with open arms and friendly smiles. Any thing we needed or wanted they were right there."
Sue M
Facebook 2016


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Delegate Lisa Gritzner gives her views for Fox and Hounds Daily of the convention:
One of the things I wish I could take home with me from Denver is the rekindling of the spirit and soul of American politics that I have felt so greatly here. In every restaurant and every bar, on the streets and in every conversation – people are invested, interested and engaged. I have to keep reminding myself that this isn't "real life" – but I wish it was. Wouldn't it be amazing if when our political leaders spoke, people really did stop their idle chatter and pay rapt attention to the words and the issues?
Well, for one week here in Denver, government means something, our future makes a difference, and people everywhere feel a sense of ownership.
And I think that's what makes this time in our political history so special. For the first time in what has been a long, cold winter, people are shedding the apathy and disenfranchisement of the past 8 years and are waking up to a new America. One where things don't just happen but where people have a voice and a say in their future.
From the DNC
Delegate Lisa Gritzner gives her views for Fox and Hounds Daily of the convention:


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You are here: Entertainment Options » Walkabout Entertainment » Living Statues » The Big Names Human Statues » Steve Jobs Human Statue
Steve Jobs Human Statue Hire
With the release of the new film, "Steve Jobs" in 2015 being anticipated hugely across the globe, what better way to entertain guests than with your very own Steve jobs human statue for hire? perfect entertainment for private screenings of the new film starring Michale Fassbender, Kate Winslet and Seth Rogan. Why not bring the genius to life on your next tech trade show or exhibition stand.
Steve jobs Bio -
(24 February 1955 - 5 October 2011) was an American entrepreneur and inventor, best known as the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple Inc. Through Apple, he was widely recognised as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution. Technologies of the company under Job's guidance were iPhone, iPod & iPad - these are now seen as dictating the evolution of modern technology. Steve had over 300 patents.
Jobs and Wozniak named the company Apple because they were huge Beatles fans (Apple Records). It's not surprising that Apple is now the most valuable technology company in the world. As the CEO of Apple, Steve earned $1 a year. However, he held on to 5 million Apple shares and 138 million shares in Disney.
Big name human statues come in many different characters. contact us today to see how we can bring some living statue entertainment to your event
If you would like to see some more of our human statues, or are interested in booking some movie-themed entertainment also, then head over to our Pinterest page for more information.
Follow Julia Charles Event Management's board Human Statues on Pinterest. Follow Julia Charles Event Management's board Movie Themed Entertainment firstname.lastname@example.com on Pinterest.


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Politics & Government
Obama seeks tougher regulation, $30 billion to stimulate economy
WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Thursday proposed expanding government regulation of financial institutions and spending $30 billion on a new stimulus package to ease consumers' economic pain.
"Let me be clear," Obama said in a speech at New York City's historic Cooper Union building. "The American economy does not stand still, and neither should the rules that govern it."
In the morning address, the text of which was made available in Washington, Obama argued that "the evolution of industries often warrants regulatory reform — to foster competition, lower prices or replace outdated oversight structures."
His address is the latest in a string of proposals from the three major presidential candidates. Hillary Clinton, Obama's rival for the Democratic nomination, and John McCain also have offered economic relief plans.
Clinton offered a new economic plan of her own Thursday, a $2.5 billion job-retraining blueprint that included expanding aid to workers who are trying to improve their job skills and grants to help them find new lines of work.
Obama's followed a call Wednesday by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson for greater oversight of investment banks and other loosely regulated financial institutions.This week's economic speeches by the presidential candidates come as Democrats in control of Congress ready legislation to help ease the housing crisis. Some Democrats also are pushing a measure to create a new financial regulator to guard against a domino-like failure of the banking system.
Obama tried to put some distance between himself and Clinton, noting early in his address that "Under Republican and Democratic administrations, we failed to guard against practices that all too often rewarded financial manipulation" instead of sound business practices.
Clinton's husband headed the only Democratic administration in the last 27 years. It was a not-so-subtle slap at Bill Clinton's treasury secretary, Robert Rubin, a former chairman of investment bank Goldman Sachs who's now advising Hillary Clinton. Today, Rubin is the chairman of the executive committee of Citigroup, the nation's largest bank but an embattled one that recently was forced to seek a cash infusion from Middle East investors to shore up its balance sheet.
Within an hour of its release, the details of Obama's plan gave way to election-year politicking.
"No amount of rhetoric can hide Senator Obama's clear record of embracing the liberal tax-and-spend, big government policies that hit hardworking American families at a time when they're most vulnerable, and are most certain to move American backward," McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said.
Clinton was equally hostile.
"At a time of crisis in our financial markets, Senator Obama announced a series of broad, vague principles, while offering no new concrete solutions to provide Americans with greater confidence in the market or keep them in their homes," said Neera Tanden, Clinton's campaign policy director.
In his lengthy economic address, Obama drew contrasts with McCain.
"John McCain recently announced his own plan, and it amounts to little more than watching this crisis happen," Obama said. "While this is consistent with Senator McCain's determination to run for George Bush's third term, it won't help families who are suffering and it won't help lift our economy out of recession."
McCain's camp fired back. "To describe John McCain's position as do nothing and stand back and watch . . . is politics of the worst sort," said Carly Fiorina, a top McCain economic adviser, adding, "Government should be the actor of last resort, not first resort."
The Obama prescription for the economy is centered largely on regulatory change.
"If you borrow from the government," he said, "you should be subject to government oversight and supervision." This echoed comments Wednesday from the treasury secretary.
At the very least, Obama argued, "These new regulations should include liquidity and capital requirements."
He also called for "general reform of the requirements to which all regulated financial institutions are subjected. Capital requirements should be strengthened."
He vowed to "streamline a framework of overlapping and competing regulatory agencies." One of the reasons for today's housing crisis is that while there are at least nine federal agencies with some oversight responsibility for mortgages and the housing market, there was no lead agency. All agencies understood that a problem was unfolding but none was equipped to take a systemwide approach.
Other promises would involve cracking down on renegade traders and investors by creating "a process that identifies systemic risks to the financial system," and regulating institutions "for what they do, not what they are."
The current regulatory framework, Obama said, is the creation of a different era. For instance, he said, "It makes no sense for the Fed to tighten mortgage guidelines for banks when two-thirds of subprime mortgages don't originate from banks."
His $30 billion plan — the same amount that Clinton proposed earlier this week to help distressed homeowners — wasn't spelled out precisely.
Obama said that it "will reach the most vulnerable Americans, including immediate relief to areas hardest hit by the housing crisis," as well as a "significant extension of unemployment insurance."
Like Clinton, he didn't specify how he'd pay for it.
McCain hasn't offered much specific new spending but he promises to eliminate taxes without saying how he'd make up the lost revenue. He'd maintain President Bush's tax cuts — set to expire in 2010 — which would be a drain on revenues. He'd also eliminate the costly Alternative Minimum Tax, which is threatening millions of Americans. That would put an even bigger hit on federal coffers, up to $2 trillion over 10 years.
McCain made a pledge of "no new taxes," but has since softened that declaration.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who last year was seen as a possible third-party presidential candidate, introduced Obama on Thursday. Bloomberg, a lifelong Democrat until he ran for mayor as a Republican in 2001, is in his second term as mayor. He made no endorsement Thursday.
Stories about spending proposed by Democratic candidates.


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GOD DETHRONED - The Grand Grimoire (METAL BLADE - LP 1997)
In 1993, after the debut album "The Christhunt" was released, God Dethroned split up. But Henri Sattler, who in the meantime played in doom metal act Lords of the Stone, decided to reform his old death metal band in 1996, bringing completely new line with him. Second album "The Grand Grimoire" came out in 1997 under Metal Blade Records and surely it was a worthy and noticeable comeback, very successful, both when speaking of the music and when speaking of the promotion and feedback the band received.
Honestly, I will always consider "The Christhunt" as my favourite God Dethroned album, because it's the closest to what I like in death metal and musically it fits my taste perfectly, with that harsh sounding, dark, satanic death metal that the band recorded for the debut. "The Grand Grimoire", and all other albums, which God Dethroned recorded after the reunion, are quite different stylistically, I dare to say that they don't have much in common with the debut record, but that doesn't mean it's something bad. First of all, the music became much more melodic, with plenty of memorable harmonies spread through the whole "The Grand Grimoire", which is why the album is so easily listenable and catchy as well. I think I can describe these melodies as melancholic, especially in song like "Under the Silver Moon". What worked so well on "The Grand Grimoire" is that God Dethroned managed to combine these melodies with great aggressive death metal, with good variation between fast and slower parts and very nice, energetic sound. I like that they have a good balance between all these aspects and more so, I also like that the production is not over polished and it still has that sharp, dirty tone on guitars and vocals are sounding so vicious (although Sattler's harsh, screaming voice is very different to his growls on the debut album, where he used a lot or reverb and sounded much more inhuman). The music seems to be also way better played, it is completely derived of that chaotic and messy character of the debut album, with not a slightest sign of death metal primitiveness. Good technical skills, some great guitar leads… yeah, definitely it's a good stuff from start to finish.
The songwriting on "The Grand Grimoire" is very good. There are many songs that will stay in your head and are really standing out. The vicious and very fuckin angry and aggressive "The Art of Immolation" is my favourite, I love its savage sound and fast parts. The title song brings some of the best riffs of the whole album, with great mixture of melodic and nasty riffage and is so memorable that you'll want to play it again and again. Third track which I wanna mention is "Under the Silver Moon" – it stands out not only due to this killer mixture of brilliant fast death metal and melodic, almost doomy parts… but also with some of the most blasphemous lyrics from the whole album. "Copulating Maria!!!!!!!", yeah! "Into a Dark Millenium" is another fine song, so bloody malicious and aggressive! And I suppose the only song, which I don't like so much is the final track "Fire", which is obviously a cover of Arthur Brown. But it's just a cover, so it doesn't even matter much. Rest of the album is good enough to make me forget about it anyway.
Standout tracks: "The Art of Immolation", "The Grand Grimoire", "Under the Silver Moon"
Final rate: 80/100