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Allen Ruff & Steve Horn*
[An abbreviated version of this article initially appeared at Anti.War.com as "The Pentagon Pitches Its New Staregic Narrative" -AR]
Speaking from the Pentagon press room on January 5, President Obama announced what initially appeared to be a major new strategic course and global military posture for the US. His brief DoD address laid out a redirected focus on East Asia and a reconfiguring of the military machine.[1]
By delivering his policy address from the Pentagon, Obama set a precedent as the first standing president to do so. His press room presence at military HQ actually symbolized the leading role that the military high copmmand now occupies, not just in mapping out war contingencies, but in shaping broader foreign policy objectives and the related mobilization of domestic support for the maintenance US globalism.
That shift in the Pentagon's role, more significant than the reconfiguration of armed forces announced on January 5th, has been well underway for some time.[2] Most significant in regard to the Pentagon as a leader in shaping imperial policy have been the steps taken to shape domestic public opinion in preparation for what has been described as a permanent war.
A public relations pitch for a new "grand strategy," aimed at mobilizing broad domestic support for that decades-long projection of US power came out in early April 2011. It was issued not by the State Department or intelligence community, but by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
A public relations pitch for a new "grand strategy," aimed at mobilizing broad domestic support for that decades-long projection of US power came out in early April 2011. It was issued not by the State Department or intelligence community, but by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Appearing under the pen name "Mr. Y," A National Strategic Narrative has received considerable notice from an expanding circle of foreign policy planners, think tank academics, public opinion makers and private sector elites. Its promoters hope it will serve as a blueprint for a new "national consensus," a re-branded American globalism capable of winning the "Long War for the 21st century."
|Matk "Puck" Mykleby
The document's actual authors were Navy Captain Wayne Porter and Marine Colonel Mark "Puck" Mykleby, two "strategic assistants" to the former head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), Admiral Mike Mullen. Ostensibly written in an unofficial "personal" capacity, the Narrative clearly would not have seen the light of day without a "sign off" from the JCS and probably then Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates. It was vetted by key figures in the foreign policy establishment before its release.
|Captain Wayne Porter
The anonymous "Mr. Y" consciously referenced the Foreign Affairs article on "The Sources of Soviet Conduct" that appeared in 1947 under the pseudonym "Mr. X." Actually written by the State Department Russia hand and Moscow envoy, George Kennan, it argued that an insatiable Soviet expansionism posed the primary threat to world peace and national security. It came to provide the cornerstone for the U.S. Cold War "grand strategy" of "containment" – the policy to confine the Soviet Union within its East Bloc sphere and halt the spread of communism.
As Anne Marie Slaughter, the State Department's recent Director of Policy Planning pointed out in her preface to the newer document, Kennan's "X article" provided an intellectual framework, a "narrative that fit the facts of the world… well enough to create and maintain a loose bipartisan national consensus for forty years."
The backers of Mr.Y's piece clearly hope that it will do the same.
Context Is Everything…
The Cold War's end in the early 1990s spelled the demise of containment as a unifying grand strategy. It brought to a close the popular framing of the East-West conflict that portrayed the struggle as a moralistic "good versus evil" ideological crusade which presented the United States as the "free world" defender against "tyranny" and "totalitarianism."
As Slaughter pointed out, a new "story" was needed since such phrasings as "leader of the free world" that encapsulated U.S. power and the structure of the global order for so long now mean nothing to anyone under the age of 30, the majority of the world's population.[3]
With that Cold War narrative gone, it became clear to foreign policy planners, military strategists, their imperial think tank allies and corporate elites that a new set of explanations was needed to legitimize and maintain domestic support for America's world power position and global pursuit of new century "national interest."
Containment or defense against the "Red Menace" and "communist aggression" had functioned, after all, to win domestic support for ever-spiraling military spending, unchallenged expansion of the "military industrial complex," growth of the national security and surveillance state, costly wars and interventions abroad, and an American globalism constrained only by the existence of the Cold War adversary.
The Launch
The National Strategic Narrative was formally issued by the public-private "non-partisan" think tank, the Woodrow Wilson International Center at midnight on April 8, 2011. A "roll out" event that same day at the Center's Washington DC headquarters was billed as a kick-off of a "national conversation" on the "search for a new national security narrative to guide US policy in the 21st century."
|Friedman, Slaughter, & Kagan at the Wilson Center
Prominently featured was Anne Marie Slaughter. The former dean of Princeton's influential Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, she served as Director of the State Department's Policy Planning Staff under Hillary Clinton. In that capacity, she headed the 2010 Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR), the first Presidentially-mandated 4-year assessment of short- medium- and long-term imperial objectives.
Arguing that the "Global War on Terror" was too narrow in scope, Slaughter previously was co-director of the Princeton Project on National Security, a mid-2000s multi-year initiative to construct a U.S. national security strategy. Retruned to Princeton, she also sits on the advisory board of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), the increasingly influential liberal hawk think tank serving the Obama administration.
Slaughter's Narrative introduction began by noting that a national security strategy – a definition of "core" national interests and the way to advance them -- already existed and that the "Mr. Y" document was something quite different.
Raising the "fundamental question that more and more Americans are asking" regarding the U.S. role in the world, she pointed to the lack of "guiding stars that will illuminate the path along the way."
She then highlighted the need for "a story with a beginning, middle, and projected happy ending;" a broadly defined a "national strategic narrative" with a plot line that could "transcend our political divisions, orient us as a nation, and give us both a common direction and the confidence and commitment to get to our destination..." Further on, she described such a story as "one that all Americans can understand and identify with in their own lives."
Slaughter's Wilson Center remarks emphasized a main theme – "...that in an interconnected world, the United States must remain the strongest competitor" and "greatest source of credible influence—the nation most able to influence what happens in the international sphere—while standing for security, prosperity, and justice at home and abroad."
The New Story
Describing an interconnected world filled with both "uncertainty and opportunity" created by an undefined "globalization," Porter and Mykleby pointed to the need for "sustainment (sustainability) over containment," a U.S. "place in a complex and dynamic strategic ecosystem," and a revival of a liberal international order based upon American values.
As such, the document is loaded with an often contradictory "good cop, bad cop" rhetoric.
Running through it are constant calls for an increasingly sophisticated "global engagement" resting on the "3 Ds" of "diplomacy, development, and defense" – favorable relations and assistance for those aligned with U.S. interests backed, ultimately by a thinly veiled threat of sanctions and force for those state and non-state actors displaying, in the words of the authors, "destructive behaviors."
Not coincidentally, the same 3-Ds, viewed as "the three legs of U.S. foreign and national security policy," had already surfaced as the new mantra coming from the strategic think tanks at Washington's National Defense University, the closely associated CNAS, the State Department and the USAID.
Calling for international cooperation but not mentioning an increasingly unequal global playing field, the Narrative also emphasizes the gains to be made from "fair competition," no longer viewed as a "zero sum game," but a "win-win" situation for those involved. The piece also promotes the increased use of "smart power," a shift away from a prioritized a "hard power" focus on military deterrence and defense left over from the East-West conflict.
Stalwart believers in an American exceptionalism, Porter and Mykleby also speak of spreading the broadly defined but seemingly universal "core values" of an abstract "freedom" based upon "fair competition and hard work," "a vibrant free market" and "an indomitable entrepreneurial spirit," as the "engines of… prosperity."
Clearly moving away from the Bush era's "my way or the highway" unilateralism, their Narrative focuses on maintaining "credibility" and "influence through example." Cooperation and free competition, they tell us, are the best ways to forward an amorphous "national interest" and "world leadership."
The idea of "a whole of nation effort" [5] combining the "3 D's' abroad with "smart growth" on the home front – longer term investment in the young as "human capital," sustainable resources, the environment and infrastructure -- also runs throughout the document.
"Mr. Y" highlighted the need to ensure the nation's "sustainable security – on our own soil and wherever Americans and their interests take them." It spoke of the need "to develop a plan for the sustainable access to, cultivation and use of, the natural resources we need for… continued well-being, prosperity and economic growth in the world marketplace."
Resting at the heart of the piece, shrouded in the rhetoric of a revived liberal internationalism, is a concern for maintenance of the imperial project.
In some sense very much the realist, "Mr.Y" notes that U.S. strength as a "world leader" was largely derived from its central role in the global economy. Assuming that the dollar will continue as the international medium of exchange, the Narrative argues that the American economy will likely remain the strongest in the world "into the foreseeable future."
The authors pointed out, however, that "globalization," while providing "a cultural, intellectual and social commingling," had also increased economic interdependence and made narrowly domestic economic perspectives an "unattractive impossibility." Raising a vague concern about the reality of economic stagnation in the absence of growth, they pointed out that "prosperity at home" was linked to economic competition abroad and that overseas "development" would remain "one of America's enduring national interests."
Drawing to a close, the Narrative called for a "National Security and Prosperity Act," a modern day equivalent of the 1947 National Security Act, which at the start of the Cold War merged the US Armed Forces into what became the Department of Defense, and created the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council.
The newer act "would integrate policy across agencies and departments," and provide for more effective "public/private partnerships" in order to "converge domestic and foreign policies toward a common purpose." It would "provide for policy changes that foster and support the innovation and entrepreneurialism of America… essential to sustain our qualitative growth as a people and a nation."
The country must be prepared for the Long War on all fronts.
The Campaign
In her preface to the Narrative, Anne Marie Slaughter expressed the hope that it would provide "a first step down a new path." She optimistically suggested that all that was needed was for the "politicians, pundits, journalists, businesspeople, civic leaders, and engaged citizens across the country to read and respond." The public relations campaign immediately got underway.
Mykleby and Porter quickly began appearing before diverse audiences ranging from the ultra-conservative Institute for World Poltics, to environmentalist conclaves, futurist gatherings, and various centrist think tanks in between. They spoke before the annual meeting of the National Rural Assembly, and appeared alongside Slaughter at a recent conference of Pop Tech "a global community of innovators, working together to expand the edge of change."
Mykleby and Porter quickly began appearing before diverse audiences ranging from the ultra-conservative Institute for World Poltics, to environmentalist conclaves, futurist gatherings, and various centrist think tanks in between. They spoke before the annual meeting of the National Rural Assembly, and appeared alongside Slaughter at a recent conference of Pop Tech "a global community of innovators, working together to expand the edge of change."
Numbers of articles immediately appeared in the opinion setting press, such as the New York Times and influential journals such as the Council on Foreign Relations' Foreign Affairs. Time Magazine editor, Washington Post columnist and CNN international commentator Fareed Zakaria gave it full coverage, subsequently posted on YouTube, and linked the full text on his website.
The Narrative soon had its own Facebook page as the full text or stories about it and its authors spread rapidly on a diverse range of web news and blog sites, going from the University of Southern California's Daily Trojan and the University of Wisconsin's popular "Science is Fun" page, to a number of military-oriented sites including those for the Marine Corp, the counter-insurgency focused Small Wars Journal, and the right-of-center independent Veterans Today.
Front and Center at Ft. McNair
The Narrative was the focus of a major two day conference at the National Defense University at Washington D.C.'s Fort McNair on November 8-9. "Forging an American Grand Strategy – Securing a Path Through a Complex Future" brought together a number of national security state movers and shakers, military strategic planners, think tankers, and university pundits to discuss the ways to mobilize public opinion and support; on how best to win and maintain "hearts and minds" at home for the Long War.
The symposium notice clearly stated the event would not focus on actual warfare or the preparation for such. The intent, it read, was "to promote a discussion about the elements of, and prospect for a grand strategy for America." They convened to discuss ways of implementing the National Strategic Narrative.
The call noted how the terrain for mapping out a grand strategy had changed with "the empowerment of individuals or small groups with new technologies," post-9/11. It also observed that, "Some would argue that in a democracy it is not possible to attain the necessary consensus to craft and implement a national strategy in the absence of an existential threat" and that, "recent political discourse lends some credence to that line of reasoning."
Disagreeing, the conference announcement spoke of the need to forge that "necessary consensus," and stated the belief that "an American grand strategy is not only possible, but critical to the future of the nation." It suggested that, "A common strategic vision can do much to focus the attention and energies of the nation towards a common good."
The notice quoted Slaughter's definition of a narrative as "a story with a beginning, a middle and projected happy ending"needed to orient the nation and a new consensus. Agreeing with the necessity of such a "storyline" and "associated ways and means" as "the basis for an American grand strategy," the NDU organizers explained that the goal of the conclave would be to "help illuminate that path to the future…"
The conference panels were clearly top-heavy with Department of Defense and NDU associates. The first panel session, "What is Grand Strategy? (How) Can we develop it? What should it look like?," was introduced by Nick Rostow, director of the NDU's Center for Strategic Research and the son of the Johnson-era liberal war hawk, Eugene Rostow. Participants included not only Mykleby and Porter, but Robin Raphel, formerly the State Department's nonmilitary aid coordinator for Pakistan and a one-time lobbyist for Pakistan.
The opening keynote featured Leon Fuerth, with the NDUs Center for Technology and National Security Policy, founder and director of the Project on Forward Engagement at George Washington University and a National Security Advisor to former Vice President Al Gore. Viewed as an expert on arms control and "strategic stability" and somewhat of a futurist, Fuerth more recently has been involved with the Project on National Security Reform, the Congressionally-mandated public-private consortium whose 2008 findings called for a new National Security Act.
|Michele Flournoy
Most of the two day summit was filled with various panelists holding forth on the need for Slaughter's grand strategy "storyline." A panel on "Educating Strategists," in addition to two reps from the NDU's National War College, featured three Long Warriors directly tethered to the inter-university Grand Strategy Program network.
One was the associate director of Yale's Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy, Minh Luong. Another was the CIA historian Richard Immerman, a former Assistant Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and head of Temple University's Center for Force and Diplomacy (CENFAD). Historian Mathew Connelly, Columbia University's Hertog Global Strategy Initiative, filled out that panel.
Clearly, some of the Grand Strategy academics were successfully transitioning from their campus confines to rub elbows with the defense establishment elite.
|Peter Feaver
He heads Duke's "Program in American Grand Strategy," and is director of the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill strategic planning consortium, the Triangle Institute of Strategic Studies (TISS). Moving through the revolving doors that lead to the corridors of power, he twice served as a staffer to the National Security Council under George W. Bush.[6] He also is known within national security state circles as an expert on the increasingly contentious issue of the separation of civilian and military authority.
A presence at an increasing number of strategic planning and "grand strategy" conclaves, Feaver also has been involved with the high-level coming together of major corporate leaders and the military under the auspices of the Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellows Program, centered at the NDU. A bi-partisan long warrior, he too is affiliated with the Center for a New American Security.
|David Abshire
In a language reminiscent of the early Cold War, he stated that, "We are confronted by the decline of America as the leading global power," and that, "there is a threat as urgent to the nation as in 1861, 1941 and 1947." The main question for Abshire was, "how to convince the mind of the Chief Executive, as well as the Congressional leadership" of that reality.
Looking ahead to "the task of restoring an America with no peer," he argued that, "grand strategy can only be realized if it is owned and driven by the President, grounded in domestic strength, and embraced by the American people." He called for developing a "public strategy – a public consensus around the national Grand Strategy."
Looking ahead to "the task of restoring an America with no peer," he argued that, "grand strategy can only be realized if it is owned and driven by the President, grounded in domestic strength, and embraced by the American people." He called for developing a "public strategy – a public consensus around the national Grand Strategy."
Back to the Future?
A major lesson that national warfare state planners clearly took away from Vietnam revolved around the strategic importance of "winning hearts and minds" at home. It is a lesson those currently preparing the 21st Century's 3-D Long War have taken to heart. It remains uncertain, however, whether their Strategic Narrative storyline will manage to mobilize the kinds of broad support for their remodeled imperial project.
First off, the new story lacks the kind of "Red Menace" "existential threat;" that "scare-the-hell-out-of-'em" fear factor that proved so crucial in winning elite backing, public support, and Congressional appropriations throughout the Cold War.
Filled with an optimism and faith in the country's "core values" and the ability of an almost mythic "entrepreneurial spirit" to overcome new sets of global challenges, the Narrative also avoided any mention of harsh realities, the specific not so long range challenges facing the empire.
Such factors as the approaching end of the dollar's global hegemony, protracted economic stagnation, competing "national interests" and ascendant power bloc competition in Asia and elsewhere, were barely referenced, if at all. Nor was the increasing inequality between the global "haves" and "have nots" and related instability.
The global scramble for vital resources - especially for water, oil and gas - and the ever worsening ecological crisis received no attention beyond some vague talk of "sustainable development." Nowhere did "Mr. Y" raise the obvious -- the actual unsustainability of a system propelled by market-driven "growth and prosperity."
At the same time, the staying power and strength of the national security corporate state, the might of its military and a media system with its ability to manufacture consent, and the overall imperial consensus of its elites remain firmly in place, unchallenged.
The U.S. actually had a grand strategy long before the Cold War, dating to the turn of the 20th century. At that time a late entrant in the quest for empire, the U.S. was locked out of a China market already partitioned by the major imperial powers. The period's statesmen and military promoters, believers in the invincibility of Yankee know-how, entrepreneurial spirit and inventiveness, steeped in an earlier American mission storyline, called for "Open Door" access. Up and coming contenders in a divvied-up world, they too argued for open competition, free trade and the right to self-defense.
Rhetorically combining an American mission idealism and a strategic realism, the Persuader-in-Chief's Pentagon announcement suggested the influence of the National Strategic Narrative storyline. Facing west with a reconfigured Pacific vision, Obama launched a back-to-the-future new beginning. Bets are that the "happy ending" currently being projected is highly unlikely.
* Allen Ruff is a U.S. historian and independent writer on foreign policy issues.
Steve Horn is a Research Fellow at DeSmogBlog, as well as a freelance investigative journalist.
Both live in Madison, Wisconsin
Not to be quoted or reproduced without the permission of the authors
[1] A post-Iraq move away from large scale ground war strategies still lingering from the Cold War and a return to an emphasis on sea and air power, Obama's "Sustaining US Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defense" highlighted a revived "national interest" in the Pacific. The Pentagon declaration actually marked a "pivot" back toward a century-long strategic emphasis on an "Open Door" access to Asia, and a staking out of surf and turf against an ascendant China rival. (http://www.defense.gov/news/Defense_Strategic_Guidance.pdf )
[2] Obama's Pentagon appearance followed a number of advance statements. The President and Secretary of State Clinton both made several recent forays into the Pacific. A major article by Clinton on "America's Pacific Century" appeared in November's Foreign Policy. In addition, major national security strategy statements from the White House and the DoD have laid out long-term projections for US global reach.
[3] "Mr. Y," A National Security Narrative (Washington, D.C.: 2011)
[4] The National Conversation at the Woodrow Wilson Center: In Search of a National Security Narrative for the 21st Century. April 11, 2011
[5] Like the concept "3-D," the phrase "whole of nation effort" appeared in various Pentagon-related documents prior to and after the appearance of the National Strategic Narrative. For example, see not only the site linked here, but the text of a speech the March 3, 2010 Kansas Sate University by Admiral Mike Mullen, head of the JCS when the Narrative was generated.: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:yvcmSaa20rMJ:findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0IAJ/is_1_32/ai_n55087295/+%E2%80%9Ca+whole+of+nation+effort%E2%80%9D+Mullen+Kansas&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a0 and http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:vRA7zsROnw8J:www.mda.gov/2011/11/09/on-the-other-side-of-the-hill/+%E2%80%9Ca+whole+of+nation+effort%E2%80%9D&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a
[6] Feaver served on President Clinton's National Security Council staff in 1993 and 1994. He joined George Bush's N.S.C. staff as a special adviser in June '05 and played a direct role in preparing a document titled, "Our National Strategy for Victory in Iraq," that accomapnied the President's December, 2005 Naval Academy "Plan for Victory" address
Feaver was recruited after he and Duke colleagues presented the administration with an analysis of public opinion polls on the Iraq war that concluded Americans would support a war with mounting casualties if they believed it would ultimately succeed.
Feaver's Duke colleague and co-author of the work on public tolerance of casualties noted that Bush's speech and the related document clearly were aimed at American public opinion. ("Bush's Speech on Iraq War Echoes Voice of an Analyst" http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/04/politics/04strategy.html?pagewanted=print )
Feaver's Duke colleague and co-author of the work on public tolerance of casualties noted that Bush's speech and the related document clearly were aimed at American public opinion. ("Bush's Speech on Iraq War Echoes Voice of an Analyst" http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/04/politics/04strategy.html?pagewanted=print )


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Just in case you're not keeping track of the days. Ha! Actually I just can't think of a better title. It's a very slow day here so I thought of updating here. I'm quite sleepy so I need to keep myself busy or I will nod off if I don't. I had a restless sleep last night probably because I'm a wee bit anxious about some things that are going on both here and abroad. Huh? Anyway, the extra strength allergy medicine I took this morning and the gloomy day we have at the moment are not helping...at all. Well, the allergy med made the sneezing stop but I feel all lethargic now.
I've also been watching You Tube to ward off sleepiness as well as reading my daily dose of news. One news that caught my attention is about coffee...and 'selfies'. I'm sure you're familiar with coffee but if you're not familiar with a 'selfie'...it's a picture of yourself taken by yourself. Many post selfies on FB, twitter and/or Instagram. I've never posted any selfie just because I'm not into those kinds of thing. But who cares. Oopss...back to my original topic. So what about coffee and selfies? There is this café/coffee shop in Taiwan that can actually put your selfie on your coffee. Yep, your picture on your coffee. What happens is you take a selfie with your smartphone and upload the picture. The picture is then 'printed' on top of your latte using edible ink. Yep, leave it to the Chinese to come up with something 'different'? Here's the Broken News that explains this new 'phenomenon'...????
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Today is Wednesday!
1 comment:
- Beng Gee said...
Huling, late na nman ako. it's already TGIF, time to chillax! Let's have coffee! Pero teka lang, magse-selfie muna para matikman kung masarap yung mukha ko! Bwahaha! Talaga naman 'no?! Wla kayang side effects yung edible ink na yun? For sure mahal din yun. Hayyz.. okay na ko sa 3 in one ng Nescafe. hihi.. and once in a blue moon, Starbucks! Saya na ko dun. Lol!
Fro-yo time na ba kayo? Sama ko! Enjoy the weekend!
- August 16, 2013 at 3:25 AM
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I've been using Cascade with Dawn dishwasher tablets. They work great but are just too expensive. I have tried several liquids and powders but they don't get my dishes clean. Any recommendations? I use plain white vinegar in the rinse-aid receptacle.
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
I make my own.
I use 1 1/2 cups dry WalMart dishwasher detergent, 1 1/2 cups of 20 Mule Team Borax and 1 1/2 cups Arm and Hammer Washing Soda. Mix well and use about 2 - 4 tablespoons in the holder. I put vinegar in the Jet Dry dispenser. Dishes are very clean and no spots.
If the Cascade are tablets like Electrosol, you can break them in half. I put half in each dispenser so I use half the amount of detergent for each load. I find this works well even with frying pans or broiler pans in the dishwasher.
Good luck
Thanks, It does work great.
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Loving low-residue laundering !
I was always the first to laugh at the idea of being "addicted to cloth nappying." No way! No matter how many times I heard that said, I always assumed it was some kind of… …evidence of being a little unhinged? Well, here I am, five months down the track, writing a serious post about laundry. The uninitiated should find this a useful primer, and there might even be something in here for the experienced nappier too.
Top 10 things that cloth-nappying has taught me about laundry
10. It's really not that difficult to run the washing machine daily, in order to keep yourself in fresh nappies. I rarely find myself "behind" in the laundry these days.
9. Breastfed babies' nappies don't smell nearly as bad as formula-fed or solids-feeding babies. I pop my wet and soiled cloth nappies in a dry bucket — no lid — and empty it into the wash daily. Frankly, the open nappy bucket smells a lot less than the covered bin that my older child's disposable nappies go into.
8. Ordinary washing detergents, soakers and fabric softeners are full of chemicals which are designed to stay in and coat your fabrics. These chemicals include optical brighteners (to get that whiter-than-white look) and perfumes (for that clean, fresh smell). Those lovely expensive modern cloth nappies come with suggestion to optimise absorbency by using washing detergents which do not coat the fabrics. It's really, really hard to find such a laundry powder.
7. When you start using a non-coating laundry powder, it's a bit confronting at first when your clothes come out a slightly different colour, and you realize that what you thought was a soap smell is in fact an unnecessary perfume. But when you realize that your standard washing powder coats clothes and nappies with chemicals, and you are putting over a dozen freshly laundered items against baby's skin each day, you can find yourself quickly becoming more interested in low-residue laundering than you ever thought possible.
6. Bi-carb soda is very effective at reducing your laundry detergent needs. I use half detergent and half bi-carb for a very effective wash.
5. Sunshine is the best bleacher and anti-bacterial agent known to woman. Line drying your clothes in the sunshine removes stains without resorting to chemical bleach, and removes that slight smell that indoor-dried clothing can acquire. If you have to dry nappies indoors, popping them on a rack in front of a heater means you get to use that heat to both dry your clothes and heat your house.
4. That damp "spoiled laundry" smell that you get when you leave wet washing in the machine too long (shock, horror!) is caused by bacteria. Bacteria needs more than just water to feed on — in fact, it feeds on the residues left by your laundry detergent.
3. Different bacteria need different pH levels. If you are using a standard detergent, you can remove a persistent laundry smell by adding bi-carb soda to the wash to raise the pH, and kill all the resident bacteria. If you routinely use bi-carb and find a smell developing again, do a wash with vinegar-only to lower the pH and kill off your crop of high-pH bacteria. But be warned that vinegar damages elastic. I only put very hardy items in a vinegar wash, and rely on sunlight to remove the bacteria from elasticized items. The other favorite bacteria killer is heat – a wash at 60 degrees Celsius will get many strains.
2. When choosing a cloth nappy system, please, please make "drying time" a key criterion. Those delightfully soft and absorbent luxury bamboo all-in-ones are not only expensive to buy, but they are even more expensive if you need to buy 4 days' worth in order to allow the requisite two days drying time! Hemp is almost as absorbent and a lot quicker to dry. And those simple cloth squares dry in no time at all.
and finally…
1. I've had to overcome both a deeply ingrained caution about the dangers of using vinegar and bi-carb soda, while simultaneously overcoming a skepticism that such products could ever be effective. My generation is programmed to believe in the "safety and effectiveness of standard laundry products."
[One final note from your friendly editor: check that the laundry detergent you buy isn't made by one of the big nasties — you can easily find out which brands are owned by which companies and how ethical they are at the Ethical Shopping Guide]


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The operating company alone employs 260,000 people and earned $12.9 billion last year.
Now, consider that the sum of all salary received by Buffett over of the past 40 years or so is actually less than half what the highest earning hedge fund manager made in a day last year.
No kidding.
The increases to Buffett's wealth has come from gains in the value of the Berkshire shares he owned after ending his investing partnerships in 1969. His business skills and capital allocation talents driving the substantial increase in Berkshire's value since then. So, unlike a hedge fund manager, Buffett gets no fees nor other forms of compensation like bonuses, stock grants or options or from Berkshire Hathaway. Just what is, at least in this context, a token salary.
My focus here is not on that contrast in compensation. I think the contrast speaks for itself. I think what's far more interesting than that crazy gap in pay is the impact extremely high compensation has on potential shareholder returns. More importantly, the compensation systems most prevalent these days are likely expensive in a broader sense (beyond the walls of Berkshire or any hedge fund).
Some quick background and context:
Hedge Fund Pay
The 25 best paid hedge fund managers made a combined $22 billion last year which was actually down from the year before. The top person in pay was John Paulson at $ 4.9 billion ("yeah, that's right" as David Puddy from Seinfeld would say).
10. Paul Tudor Jones (Tudor Investment Corp): 440 million
9. George Soros (Soros Fund Management): 450 million
8. Bruce Kovner (Caxton Associates): 640 million
7. Carl Icahn (Icahn Management): 900 million
6. Eddie Lampert (ESL Investments): 1.1 billion
5. Steve Cohen (SAC Capital): 1.3 billion
4. David Tepper: 2.2 billion
3. Jim Simons (Renaissance Technologies): 2.5 billion
2. Ray Dalio (Bridgewater Associates): 3.1 billion
1. John Paulson (Paulson and Co): 4.9 billion
What I'd like to focus on here is not the gains that come from the money these managers have invested in their funds (especially if those invested funds DID NOT come from the accumulated fees charges in prior years) but, instead, on the money made from the hedge fund industry standard "2 and 20" compensation structure.
(This type of compensation structure includes a management fee that's 2% of assets under management. It also includes, when applicable, a performance fee for 20% of the profits -- sometimes above a certain threshold -- or some similar variation.)
A good chunk of the above earnings comes from fees though, of course, this varies greatly by fund.
To keep this simple but meaningful, let's consider a hedge fund with $ 20 billion in assets under management (excluding what the fund manager has kept invested in the fund). Many of the larger hedge funds have more than that much under management -- some much more -- so it's a reasonable scenario.
Now, in a year where a hedge fund generates, let's say, a 10% return -- what is, of course, a $ 2 billion increase -- that means the frictional costs for investors in would roughly be:
2% of $ 21 billion plus = $ 420 million
(The fund would have increased from $ 20 to $ 22 billion so I've used the midpoint.)
20% of the $ 2 billion profit = $ 400 million
= $ 820 million
These rather huge frictional costs couldn't contrast more greatly with the model that exists within the Berkshire.**
Now let's look at how the above compensation structure, if adopted, would have impacted Berkshire.
Berkshire Hathaway
Berkshire Hathaway has come a long way from the New England textile company Buffett bought in the 1960s.
Back then Berkshire was definitely no earnings powerhouse.
In fact, it was not a good business at all.
In contrast to the shaky Berkshire of the early 1960s, it is now a capital producing machine with a collection of mostly wide moat businesses, equities, and other investments.
Now, let's consider a kind of "Bizarro" Buffett scenario.
This version of Buffett is equally talented at capital allocation with a key difference.
Instead of accepting the $ 100,000 annual paycheck -- a salary he's, in fact, been paid for quite a long time -- this Buffett is paid via the "2 and 20" compensation structure. The kind of arrangement (or some variation) that generated a good chunk of the earnings for the above hedge fund managers. This Buffett does not reinvest those fees back into Berkshire Hathaway either.
Under these circumstances, how much would Berkshire Hathaway be worth today?
No where near its current market value of $ 195 billion.
(For simplicity, let's set aside the question whether the market value represents anything close to Berkshire's intrinsic value.)
In fact, it'd likely be worth more like roughly $ 20 billion.
One-tenth or so its current value.
So, a businesses worth ~$ 195 billion today that employs 260,000 people likely ends up something like 1/10th or so its current size due to the "2 and 20" frictional costs. (This is easy to calculate. Just subtract the "2 and 20" fees from Berkshire's returns since it was purchased to come up with the approximate compounded effect. The exact number would depends at what level of profits the 20% kicks in. That seems like splitting hairs. The effective outcome ends up being still roughly the same...give or take, an order of magnitude difference in value.)
Not only does this version of Buffett not reinvest those fees back into Berkshire, he happens to also be a gold bug. All the capital he extracts in fees goes into the yellow metal.
The net effect is that Berkshire's long-term shareholders end up with ~ 1/10th the amount in wealth and, since Buffett buys only gold in his personal account, the benefits of his skills at capital and resource allocation do not extend beyond the walls of Berkshire.***
It's worth pointing out that, in this scenario, Buffett is clearly worse off as well. The returns from his gold, minus the frictional costs (incl. taxation), plus his ownership of the much smaller Berkshire almost certainly wouldn't come close to his current wealth (though, no doubt, some might argue under certain circumstances gold could perform exceptionally well). Even if, instead of buying gold, this Bizarro Buffett bought as much Berkshire stock as possible using the "2 and 20" fees from the new compensation arrangement, he would likely still be far worse off.
Because Berkshire itself is now worth so much less. An enterprise depleted of capital in the form of fees, grows its intrinsic value at a lower rate, and ends up a shadow of its potential self.****
An order of magnitude difference in earning power, capacity to invest, and ability to employ.
Buffett would own a much bigger percentage of the entity, but the entity would be worth intrinsically far less.
(Even at 100% ownership of the much smaller Berkshire's stock, it wouldn't equal his current partial ownership of the much bigger entity.)
So this would obviously be very costly to Buffett and Berkshire's other shareholders but I think the reality is the costs extend much further.
I'll get to that in a follow up post.
Long BRKb
Related post:
If Buffett Were Paid Like a Hedge Fund Manager - Part II (follow up)
Buffett, Bogle, and the Invisible Foot
Charlie Munger on LTCM & Overconfidence
"Nothing But Costs"
Bogle: History and the Classics
When Genius Failed...Again
* The operating businesses that Berkshire owns outright include: GEICO, General Re, National Indemnity, MidAmerican Energy, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, McLane Company, The Marmon Group, Shaw Industries, Benjamin Moore, Johns Manville, Acme Building, MiTek, Fruit of The Loom, Russel Athletic Apparel, NetJets, Nebraska Furniture Mart, See's Candies, Dairy Queen, The Pampered Chef, Business Wire, Iscar Metalworking, among others. These businesses generated the bulk of those $ 12.9 billion in earnings. So it's not a hedge fund but obviously Berkshire owns and manages much more than even the largest among them.
** Buffett was paid $ 100,000 last year but did not get any stock grants, stock options, or bonuses. An apples-to-apples comparison to hedge fund frictional costs would also include the operating costs of Berkshire's corporate office (though much of those costs are presumably related to the operating businesses Berkshire owns outright) and related (that now also would include the costs related to Todd Combs, the new investment manager). Buffett does have personal and home security paid for by Berkshire. Consider how small these costs are in the context of Berkshire overall. The difference in frictional costs is still measured in orders of magnitude compared to a typical hedge fund. So let's not split hairs. The difference, I think, speaks for itself. Precision not required. Berkshire has been built to minimize frictional costs for investors like few other investment vehicles. Of course, during Buffett's partnership era, the fee structure was lucrative for him on the upside but also gave him exposure to losses on the downside. In fact, he could lose more money than he invested into the partnership by covering some of all losses from his partners. From Alice Schroeder's book, The Snowball: "I got half the upside above a four percent threshold, and I took a quarter of the downside myself. So if I broke even, I lost money. And my obligation to pay back losses was not limited to my capital. It was unlimited." (pp. 201-202)
*** It's not as if the money disappears but whoever Buffett buys gold from may or may not take Buffett's cash and allocate it wisely. Those dollars could end up invested in something useful and productive just as easily as it could end up in something like so-called AAA mortgage backed securities circa 2005, the IPO for pets.com, or maybe just plain old consumption. The point is it'd be hard to argue that, as far as capital allocation goes, the money will be in the hands of someone better at it. The world is not made up of equally wise capital allocators. Of course, the real Buffett would certainly not be buying a non-productive asset like gold. He'd most likely use those "2 and 20" fees to make big returns for himself -- and maybe others -- separate from Berkshire and its shareholders. It's true that eventually the money, as it flows through the economy, will likely end up invested intelligently at some point. There is, if nothing else, a delay. Well, since there's a time value of money, that alone is a real cost. So the delay is, in itself, expensive on a compounded basis over the longer haul. The specific cost may not be easy to measure but, ultimately, this dynamic seems likely to at least slow the rate of increase to living standards and wealth creation. It's just that these frictional costs, at the very least, diffuse and delay effective capital formation and allocation. Capital needs to get in the hands of capable allocators, with a longer investment time horizon (patient capital), meaningful scale, and in a timely manner.
**** Now, if the company consistently raised capital to offset the capital depleted by those "2 and 20" fees, then theoretically it could be the same size enterprise, but the Berkshire investors not named Warren Buffett would still be far worse on a per share basis due to the dilution.
This site does not provide investing recommendations as that comes down to individual circumstances. Instead, it is for generalized informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. Visitors should always do their own research and consult, as needed, with a financial adviser that's familiar with the individual circumstances before making any investment decisions. Bottom line: The opinions found here should never be considered specific individualized investment advice and never a recommendation to buy or sell anything.


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Category Archives: Big Cats
Seeing spots…a Big Cat test
We've been through all the big cats now, and I just want to know one thing. Can you identify a big cat when you see one? Let's start with the fur. Take a look at all the fur samples below, … Continue reading
Maneless Lions and Man-Eaters
In certain climates, adult male lions delay growing a mane until they are much older; these lions are known as maneless lions. And strangely enough, three of the most notorious man-eating lions were maneless! The largest man eating lion on … Continue reading
The King!
The King of Beasts! Most people can identify a male lion with no problem. There are eight subspecies of lion, most of which live in Africa. A small number of Asiatic lions live in the Gir Forest in India. … Continue reading
What is a black panther, anyway?
Black panthers are any member of the big cat family (roaring and non-roaring) that are born with an entirely black or very dark pelt. So a black panther isn't a certain species of cat, but a color. For example, a … Continue reading
YouTube – Eastern Cougar Declared Extinct
YouTube – Eastern Cougar Declared Extinct.
Ligers, Tigons, and Bears, oh my!
Okay, not bears. Not today anyway! We are still exploring the big cats and since we've been discovering tigers, let me introduce you to the liger and the tigon!* The liger and the tigon are half tiger and half lion. … Continue reading
Golden tabby tigers
So you thought tigers just came in orange/black and white/black? There are actually rare tiger colors that are not as well-known. The golden tabby, above, has dark orange stripes instead of black. The black tiger has wider stripes and more … Continue reading
Tiger, tiger burning white….
The legendary white tiger. The tiger of choice for Indian royalty. A rare cat stalking through the jungle…well, not so rare anymore. There are several hundred around the world and their numbers are growing. Why? Zoos and animal attractions know … Continue reading
If you blink, they'll be gone…
The largest cat in the world is the tiger. There are six existing subspecies and three that are extinct. The remaining tigers are all in grave danger of extinction as well. Some predict that in ten years, all tigers will be … Continue reading
Sneak cat and Catawampus
This big cat has over 40 names in English; names like Mountain Screamer and Deer Tiger, Swamp Lion and Indian Devil**. But we are more familiar with the names Cougar, Puma, and Mountain Lion. Cougars are the fourth largest cat … Continue reading


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Petition is successful with 42,099 signatures
To: Theresa May
Theresa May: Don't force me to give birth without my husband
We'd like to thank the 40,919 people who supported our campaign and signed our petition. It was an incredible amount of support for one small family and it has given us so much strength over the last year and a half, during which our lives have had to be put on hold while we fought the injustice of the inhuman 2012 "tick box" spouse visa rules.
we are delighted to inform all our supporters that we won our first appeal on the grounds of violations against human rights. The Home Office then went against the judiciary and our widespread public support and attempted to appeal the judge's decision. We are delighted to update all our supporters that permission for the Home Office to appeal was declined by a second judge as the Home Office had "no point of law" as the basis of their appeal.
We have just celebrated our daughter's 1st birthday and now my husband's spouse visa is in place.


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I'm looking for a very warm, sugary vanilla scent.
I'm looking for a very warm, sugary vanilla scent.
NW 15-20, lots of freckles, blue eyes and blonde hair.
vanilla extreme by... south pacific?
OOoh yum.
Sephora has LAVANILA perfumes, which actually has a few different kinds Vanilla grapefruit, Vanilla Lavender, Vanilla Coconut, and Pure vanilla.
Pure Vanilla probably is that warm vanilla scent your looking for.
LAVANILA also has body butters i think. The perfumes run for about $14 - $58 US depending on size.
If your looking for a cheaper alternative i'd try walmart or avon, drug stores possibly. I know Calgon which is sold at walmart, I do believe drug stores aswell made a Warm Vanilla scent, I have one in a smaller bottle but I havent seen it since a few years back. But i bought one from Avon, which is a body spray, very similar to calgons, and it smell great. At avon they have an entire warm vanilla collection.
Hahah, I dont know if that was too much info or what, but I too, am a vanilla lover.
Dior: Hypnotic Poison or Dior Addict
Givenchy: Ange ou Demon
Bath & Body Works: Warm Vanilla Sugar
People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost.
-Dalai Lama
the body shop used to do a vanilla perfume, but that was years ago.
*just checked* they still do vanilla EDT, body mists and perfume oil
Twitter | Tumblr | ModelMayhem
Ah! That's such a wonderful smell... when I get into my modes of baking when I use real vanilla beans I smell like vanilla bean for the next 2 days or so. It's a total perk of baking! I would love to replicate that whenever I wanted without the 2 hours of work... I want to check out LAVANILA now.
I abuse commas & now ellipses.
Dior Addict or if you can find one, UD Sin. On the expensive side, I like CSP Vanille Canelle (I only have a dupe) but it is the shizzle
Click link if you're a Star Wars fan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBM7i84BThE&sns=fb&safety_mode=true&persis t_safety_mode=1&safe=active
Originally Posted by spunky
the body shop used to do a vanilla perfume, but that was years ago.
*just checked* they still do vanilla EDT, body mists and perfume oil
They changed the formulations & it's a bit floral now. I used to LOVE the sugary warm vanilla etd & oil - I wore it for years. When I went to buy it again I found out about the reformulation. I'd skip it.
Burberry Brit
VS Vanilla Lace and Aquolina Pink Sugar.
Vera Wang Princess has always reminded me of vanilla
DKNY Pure!!
Hypnotic poison seconded.


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Ukrainian chess tournament ends… in a knock-out
The match, that ended in physical bruises rather than a calm checkmate, was part of a tournament held in the southern Ukranian Black Sea city of Nikolaev in honor of famous local chess player and activist Nikolay Shelest.
The rivals were the previous year's champion, 21-year-old Anastasia Rakhmangulova, and one of the best local chess players, Vladimir Sakun.
At the end of the game, Rakhmangulova – who played white – made a mistake and risked losing.
Her opponent noticed it, and, according to a witness cited by Ukrainian Vesti news outlet, started to "while away his time at the table by making meaningless moves."
Rakhmangulova became very upset at what she perceived as disrespect, and that's when things turned violent.
The young woman's trainer, Mikhail Gerasimenyuk, hurried to help his pupil, but in a way that nobody had expected: he slammed Sakun twice.
Many onlookers tried to interfere. However, the fight miraculously didn't become a free-for-all.
The chess player complained on Facebook that her opponent "drove her to a state of nervous breakdown."
"I have to add that it's not the only match of the kind between me and Sakun, and these incidents over a chess board have been taking place at more than one or two chess games," she said.
Sakun had his eyebrow and nose cut, and vessels in his eye ruptured.
It is expected that Rakhmangulova's coach will be disqualified over the fight.


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Visitors are being told to get on their bikes at a Northumberland estate as it launches a new attraction.
A family-friendly Dragon Cycle Trail has been created at the National Trust run Wallington estate near Cambo, and it will open to visitors this weekend.
The trail, which is shaped like a dragon's head, has been inspired by the four stone heads on the Wallington lawn.
Two routes are on offer — a 1.5km green trail for beginners, and a 4km blue trail, which is more challenging. Both pass through the estate woodland and Broomhouse Farm fields.
Wallington General Manager Sally Richards said: "Wallington is already a great place for families to spend time together. The launch of this new family-friendly cycle trail brings an additional year-round activity they can enjoy together.
"The opportunity to bring your bike and explore previously inaccessible parts of our wonderful farming estate makes a visit to Wallington even more special."
To mark the opening of the trail there will be a celebration of pedal power at the estate on Sunday and Monday, with electric bikes, tandems and balance bikes to try, pedal power Scalextric cars, penny farthings and unicycles, and a cycling skills workshop.
It runs from 11am to 4pm both days.


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Our course focuses mainly on hands-on SEO training. We believe true learning happens in practical sessions – through trial and errors. To that end, our course participants will be working on website where they can try their hands in keyword research, link building, and on-page SEO.
The SEO Training course aims to introduce you to all important aspects of search engine optimization, so that learning doesn't stop even after you complete the course. Our SEO course aims to build the foundation for an ongoing self-learning process.
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|UCF football players running out at the start of their game vs. Bosten College on Sept.10th. (Photo by Sebastian Arbelaez)
UCF students gathered to honor a fallen hero from Sept. 11, 2001 on the eve of the emotional 10 year anniversary.
The sea of students wearing black and gold also had splashes of red thrown in: red bandannas tied around arms and under baseball caps. The red bandanna was to honor Boston College alumni and lacrosse player Welles R. Crowther.
Crowther, who was known for wearing a red bandanna given to him by his father, lost his life saving others in the World Trade Center during the attacks in New York. He helped a group of people escape the tower by leading them to the stairs, making several return trips to find more survivors.
Eyewitnesses said a man with a red handkerchief tied over his face led them to safety, the clue that let Crowther's family know it was their son.
Sadly, the 24-year-old was inside the tower as it collapsed.
Crowther's story aired on national networks leading up to the game. Garrett Weiss, a UCF student, was moved to action by the story.
"When I saw the video clip on ESPN, I posted it to one of the many UCF fan groups on Facebook," Weiss said. "Neal (Surrena) commented on it, and we both said we have to do something."
The two students created a Facebook group urging students to wear red bandannas to the football game in honor of the fallen hero. The group's numbers swelled into the thousands within hours, and the duo began contacting the media to help spread the word even further.
With so much attention around this tribute several local stores in the Orlando area actually sold out of red bandannas in the days prior to the game.
A couple from Aloma United Methodist Church were passing out small bandannas to any student without one who wanted to show their support.
"It's such a great thing to honor the heroes of 9/11, and seeing UCF students show that they really care," said church member Leigh Turner.
"It just feels so good to show support for our team and also the other team like this," said bandanna-clad UCF student Bailey McKay.
The overwhelming response made Weiss proud of his fellow students. "It's been great," Weiss said of the response. "I'm truly happy to call myself a Knight."
By James Tutten
(Published: Sept. 21, 2011 issue of "Valencia Voice" on page 4.)
(All photos courtesy of Sebastian Arbelaez / Valencia Voice)
|Leigh and Susan Turner handed out red bandanas to students without them before the game.


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Sunday, January 19, 2014
Countertop Organization (2014 - 52 Weeks to an Organized Home)
13 comments:
My husband thinks counters are for things. If there's space, he has to use it. I like them clear. He usually wins. It gets interesting.ReplyDelete
I love those labels!
Thank you for linking to Super Sunday Sync!
I love your jars with the labels and chicken toppers. Very cute! KariReplyDelete
I love love love the jars! Spray paint really is a girls best friend. The counters look great! All flat surfaces are evil and seem to beckon for stuff to be placed on them! Keep up the good start!ReplyDelete
Love those jars! I love having a clean countertop! It just makes everything else seem clean!ReplyDelete
I love this idea! I also have that pampered chef tray and I love the way you have put it to use! I also really like the labels! Checking this out from home stories a to z link party!ReplyDelete
I'm also following this 52 week challenge and have the list printed and posted on the side of my refrigerator :)ReplyDelete
I must say I LOVE your chicken canisters. It's what made me come over here- I had to know where you got them. And to discover you made them- that's awesome! :) Inspiring, thank-you,
Visiting via the Tuesdays with a Twist Hop,
I have the same labels! Actually just used them this week for the first time.ReplyDelete
Good for you for joining the challenge. I'm sure this is the year you will stick to it!
I love the jars with the chickens! So cute!!!ReplyDelete
I totally need to do a little countertop organization. Thanks for the inspiration!ReplyDelete
Organized? Really, what is that? LOL....I understand. I started the kitchen a few weeks ago, got 1/2 way done, got a call to go out with the camera on a shooting adventure and that is as far as the kitchen got! Yours looks great.ReplyDelete
Hi Rhonda! You are one of the fan favorites at the Sunday Showcase from the Make it Pretty Monday party at The Dedicated House. Here is the link to your feature. http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/2014/01/sunday-showcase-from-make-it-pretty_26.html Hope to see your prettiness again tomorrow at the bash! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouseReplyDelete
Totally in love with the jars that you created!!ReplyDelete
I have new counter tops so I have been really good at keeping them clear of clutter which is hard to do as I have a small Kitchen...
I am co hosting Fluster's Creative Muster Link Party!! Thanks so much for linking up!
You did a great job. I usually can't even find my counter top, there's always so much stuff on them. As soon as there is a clear spot somebody fills it right in. I love that M&M jar you made, that is so me. The jars are great and you made great use of your Pampered Chef baskets. It all looks great.ReplyDelete


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|"Finish your rapping!"
This article is a stub. You can help the iCarly Wiki By expanding it.
Leon G. Thomas III (born August 1, 1993) is an American actor and singer who made his so far only two appearances on the show in iCarly Saves TV as Harper and André in iParty with Victorious. He has a Twitter account named @leongthomas.
He is best known for his role as André Harris in another one of Dan Schneider's Nickelodeon shows called Victorious.


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Easy-to-Install WordPress Call Tracking Plugin
The CallRail WordPress plugin is easy to install and allows you to dynamically swap the phone number displayed on your website depending on where the visitor came from. The feature ensures you show the right number to the right user each time they visit your site.
For example, if you've created two tracking numbers (one to track visitors from Google Ads (formerly AdWords), and one to track visitors from Yahoo PPC) just install the WordPress plugin, and we'll automatically detect the visitor's source and replace the phone number on your website with the appropriate tracking phone number. The WordPress plugin makes the process of enabling call tracking on your website easy. Installation is quick and the data will soon start pouring into your dashboard.
The plugin for WordPress is not the only way to use our Dynamic Number Insertion functionality. You can add the functionality to any website by installing a one-line snippet of JavaScript code onto your website.
Benefits of WordPress Call Tracking
The CallRail WordPress plugin delivers actionable data and provides insights into your current marketing strategies. Your dashboard will be populated with data on where callers come from, which marketing channels are working well, and which aren't. You'll be able to use the information gained from the plugin to take action to enhance your website and marketing. Caller details should be closely tracked, and the wisdom gathered from the data should be used to optimize strategy.
Call tracking on a WordPress website has never been easier. WordPress is an easy-to-use platform for users, and the plugin was created to keep implementation simple. Download our plugin now from the WordPress plugin directory.
Download it now from the WordPress plugin directory.


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Man United to get one over Man City and make Jose Mourinho the world's best paid manager
JOSE MOURINHO is set to get one over Pep Guardiola and become the world's best paid manager, according to reports.
The Portuguese is poised to replace Louis van Gaal at Manchester United in the summer.
Starsport revealed yesterday that Mourinho was confident he had with job with one high profile football figure privately describing the situation as a 'done deal'.
And Mourinho's old nemesis from his time at Real Madrid, former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola, is already confirmed as Manchester City's next boss.
It looks set to be an intriguing battle but the former Chelsea boss may have landed the first blow.
Spanish outlet El Confidencial report that Mourinho will be paid £15.5m-a-year until 2019.
They also say that Guardiola will earn £19.4-a-year but Starsport understands that the Spaniard will make £15m-a-year at the Etihad.
The former Chelsea boss will rake in £300,000-a-week, the same as United's best-paid player Wayne Rooney.
United chief exec Ed Woodward faces investors later today where he may be forced to reveal his current manager's fate.
Van Gaal has a contract at Old Trafford until 2017 but it is looking increasingly unlikely he will make it to the end of next season.


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Indonesian low-cost carrier (LCC) Tigerair Mandala has given its customers two weeks' notice to shut down operations, despite negotiations with AirAsia for a last minute rescue deal. The LCC saw a drop in passenger numbers of 31.5% in May and cut its Indonesian fleet to just four aircraft to stem losses. Due to diminishing prospects and no buyers, shareholders Tiger Airways Holdings, Saratoga Group and PT Cardig International have closed down the entire operation.
Subscribe to Access this Entire Article
"Tigerair Mandala closes down " is part of ATW Plus, our online premium membership. Subscribing will provide you access to exclusive news, carefully researched airline financial, fleet and traffic data, plus the option to receive our popular, award-winning print magazine. To learn more, click here. If viewing via ATW Mobile, please login and click "Read web article" to view fully. Questions? firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Engaging the World
Tembusu is a college with a global reputation. It seeks to make all of its members — whether local or foreign — feel part of a global community, and learn how to act and productively cooperate with those different from themselves. Our Rector, Professor Tommy Koh, who is also Singapore's senior diplomat, dedicates himself every semester to (in his own words), "bringing the world to Tembusu, and bringing Tembusu to the world," through our flagship Tembusu Forum series, alongside many other events.


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She also issued a clear warning: Cyprus should not test the troika's patience. "We want Cyprus to remain in the euro zone," Merkel emphasized during her meeting with FDP parliamentarians. But, she said angrily according to participants, the country is "taking things further than we have ever seen before." Europe, she said, must not abandon its principles, otherwise "the whole thing" will be in doubtFranchot,Interesting you should mention that they "want Cyprus to remain in the euro zone." The fact is, Europe needs Cyprus to stay in more than Cyprus needs to stay in. Even if Cyprus stays in, their "banking center" economy is toast. That is the jewel the Cypriot politicians have been trying to save.Now, since it is a virtual 100% certainty that every major depositor will flee Cyprus as soon as possible with as much of their cash as possible - and even reportedly 70% the local depositors have applied to remove all their cash - there is no real compelling reason for Cyprus not to simply declare it will not stand behind its obligations (outright default) and accept the inevitable expulsion or withdrawal from the euro zone.Even if the rest of Europe were to declare war on Cyprus, what is there to gain from it? Other than untapped natural gas, possibly, the fact is one cannot get blood from a stone - and debtor's prisons are long gone from Europe. Even Germany itself was relieved from having to pay reparations after WWII.Something that Mark J. Grant recently said has a tremendous potential impact on how all this finally goes down:"...I have been asked, with some frequency, why the bondholders have not been tagged in the Cyprus fiasco. That answer is simple. Most of Cyprus's bonds are pledged as collateral at the ECB or in the Target2 financing program. Then one may also ask why the bonds of the two large Cypriot banks are not being hit. The answer is the same; most are held as collateral at the ECB or Target2. In both cases, remember uncounted liabilities, the government of Cyprus has guaranteed the debt. Consequently if the two Cyprus banks default it is of small matter as the sovereign has guaranteed the debt. However if the country defaults and leaves the European Union then it will matter and matter significantly as the tiny country of Cyprus would wipe out the entire equity capital of the European Central Bank.While it is not a matter of public record it is estimated that Cyprus has guaranteed about $11.6 billion of collateral at the ECB..." [Emphasis added.]http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-03-23/why-cyprus-matters-...If what Grant says is true, and I am pretty confident it is more likely true than not, the simple fact is this:Europe cannot possibly allow Cyprus to leave the EU. Even if Germany, Finland and every other "financially sound" European government desires otherwise, the EU simply has no choice - it MUST bail out Cyprus.Or face the consequences to the rest of the EU banking system.Of course, there is also the possibility that there are a few billion of Credit Default Swaps (perhaps issued by US banks or insurance companies) that could always "save the day" - and the EU banking system, in the event of a Cyprus outright default.:-o
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Amir Hassan Mojiri
London, United Kingdom.
Amir Hassan Mojiri is a Director at Johnson Systems, Amir previously worked as a legal advisor for Nottingham Forest FC Advising on the takeover and acquisition by the current owners of the Club, Reviewing and advising upon a range of commercial agreements relating to employment. Player transfer agreements, leasing arrangements and finance.


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How to find if someone is copying your content?
There are millions of websites on the internet. A site that offers value to its visitors takes a lot of time and effort to perfect and to maintain. For instance, bloggers often spend hours producing quality content that will help their visitors solve a problem, better understand certain information or learn a new skill. A perfect example of how bloggers spend countless hours perfecting a single post can be seen in a recent discussion that sparked quite a lot of interest on Inbound Marketing's discussion board. Someone asked how long it takes other bloggers to produce a 1500+ word article. Since the community is powered by serious bloggers, it is no wonder to see people posting four hours, eight hours and sometimes even that the article would be spread over a couple of days. A serious blogger may start with a rough draft, take time to think about it, edit it within the next few days and then publish the final piece. If you spend so many hours producing valuable content, you surely don't want someone stealing it. Unfortunately, there is little control on the internet and people are stealing content from other websites to use on their own online properties.
Determine If Your Copy Is Being Stolen
If your site has been running for some time and/or you are frequently updating it with fresh content, then you may be worried about potential visitors stealing your content. This is a rational fear to have as we've seen countless cases where people have stolen the content of others and use it to their advantage – either to push their own properties higher up in search engines or to make some quick cash out of another person's hard work. Fortunately, you are not completely in the dark as there are several methods that can be used to determine if the content you post on is unique to you, and whether or not someone has copied and republished your content on their own site.
The following is a list of tools and techniques that you can utilize to determine if any websites have content that is similar to yours. Should you find that another site that has similar content, it is vital that you visit that site and read through their content thoroughly. If you find that the site has stolen content from your site, you should proceed with further steps by contacting the webmaster of the site and, should they fail to respond or remove the contact, file an official complaint against the webmaster of the particular site that is copying and republishing your content.
We had to mention CopyScape first as it is probably the most popular and one of the best tools that you can use to find duplicate and plagiarized content on the internet. The tool is extremely easy to use. You can use the free version of CopyScape, but note that this version has limited functionality. If you wish to retrieve more in-depth data, then you should consider upgrading to a CopyScape premium account. You pay around $0.05 per search and the premium version of this tool allows you to enter your primary domain's URL at which point it scans your entire site and compares it with the rest of the internet.
Plagium is another online plagiarism checker tool that is very similar to CopyScape. The tool is, however, a little more complicated as it does not allow you to enter your website's URL, but rather original text that you want to check. The quick search feature of Plagium is free, but they also have a more extensive quick search function, as well as a deep search and file comparison function, that are all paid options. Using this tool is relatively easy – simply visit different pages on your website, copy the content of the pages and paste it inside the search box on Plagium's homepage.
Quetext is one of the few quality plagiarism checkers that offers free unlimited usage. There is no need to pay the company or the website owner to use the service, and their plagiarism checker system has some advanced features that are especially useful for individuals who want to see if their content is being copied. The intelligent plagiarism detector that has been developed by Quetext will not only compare the text you paste on their dashboard with the rest of the internet, but it will also look for variations and other elements. If individuals are stealing your content in a smart way (i.e. by first using an "article spinner" before posting), a regular plagiarism checker might not always detect the duplicate content.
Google Search Console
If you like doing things the manual way and do not solely want to rely on plagiarism checkers, then you should consider using Google's Search Console, also known as "Webmaster Tools", to manually check for potential sites that may be republishing your content. Your website first needs to be added to Google's Search Console, and you'll have to wait a couple of days for the entire site to be indexed and processed by the platform. Once processed, simply head over to the "Links to your site" section and search for any domains that are linking to your website a lot. Pro tip: ignore social media sites as there would most likely be a lot of social links to your site if you are doing social media marketing. If you find a suspicious looking domain (ie. one that continuously links to your website), you should analyze their content. The domain that is linking to you might be running on some kind of content scraping software, which means it automatically copies content from your website and then republishes the content without your consent.
Producing valuable content takes time and a lot of effort. You want people to recognize the value you offer them, but when your content is stolen and published on other sites, people will not know that you are the original author. That is why frequently using tools to detect plagiarism is essential and getting any content you suspect to be copied from your original pieces removed as soon as possible. This will help you avoid penalties by Google (for duplicate content), and also give you the credit and authority you deserve.


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On Tuesday, June 20, Governor Frank Murkowski (R) signed SB 274, important legislation pertaining to the disposal of forfeited, surplus, and/or unclaimed firearms.
Under existing law, the state must dispose of forfeited, surplus, or recovered but unclaimed firearms and ammunition by selling or trading them to a licensed dealer. Firearms and ammunition that are not "serviceable," "safe," or "legal" shall be destroyed.
SB 274, sponsored by Senator Fred Dyson (District I-R), extends the requirements to local municipalities as well as the state and removes the very subjective reference to "serviceable" and "safe." The bill requires firearms and ammunition that are sold to be done so at a public sale not limited solely to dealers.
SB 274 will allow trade-ins for credit on new firearms as well as donations and transfers between law enforcement agencies. However, it does not guarantee that all firearms would be made available to the public. Firearms disposed of in any "non-sale" methods must be reported to the legislature annually during budget review sessions in the interest of oversight.
A special thank you to all NRA members for your calls and emails
in support of SB 274 during the legislative session!


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Fisher F44
- 10
- Brands Fisher
- Product Code: Fisher F44
- Product viewed: 8280
Special price:
$349.00Old price:
$399.00You save:
Features of the new Fisher F44 Metal Detector
- Weatherproof
- Operates on 2 AA Batteries (25-30 Hours)
- Fe-Tone (Adjustable Iron Audio)
- Ground Grab Computerized Ground Balancing
- Manual Ground Balance
- 9-Segment Visual Target-ID
- Large 2-Digit, 1-99 Numeric Target-ID
- Iron Identifier Icon
- Backlight for Low Light Conditions
- 5 Modes of Operation: JEWELRY, COIN, ARTIFACT, CUSTOM, ALL METAL
- Pinpoint
- 20 Levels of Adjustable Sensitivity
- 20 Levels of Adjustable Volume
- 4-Tone Audio-ID
- Non-Volatile Memory Saves Settings
- 11-Inch Concentric Elliptical Waterproof Searchcoil
- Ultra-lightweight Only 2.3 lbs. Operational Weight
- 7.69 kHz. Operating Frequency
Also available in a bundle pack, called the F44GWP.
This package includes, for only an additional $50!
- A 4-cell battery charger with rechargeable batteries
- A Fisher logo ball cap
- A mail-in coupon allows owners to buy the following items at half off the MSRP: 11"DD coil, Fisher logo Tall Camo Backpack and Carry Bag.
Recommended for:
Inclement Weather Hunting
Beach Hunting
Coin Shooting
Jewelry Hunting
Relic Hunting


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Sometimes, it's a close call to decide who will be the best fit for a job. Checking applicants' references can break that tie.
Just make sure you take careful notes during those discussions, and retain those notes in case there's litigation.
Recent case: After Janet Romero, who is white, applied and was rejected for two internal promotions, she sued for race discrimination. Romero argued that a black supervisor picked two black women for the openings.
The supervisor explained to the court that when a choice between candidates was close, he checked their references. In this case, Romero's ex-boss explained that he had reservations about her communications skills, a key part of this new job. As the supervisor's notes showed, the other two candidates' supervisors rated both of them highly, offering no reservations about communication skills.
The court said that even if Romero met the other requirements, she was not the best qualified based on her supervisor's assessment. That was a legitimate reason for passing her over. (Romero v. State of North Carolina, No. 1:10-CV-166, MD NC, 2012)


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I'm in shape. Round is a shape... isn't it?
~ Author Unknown
I'm sorry for the slight delay in posting - this weekend has been hectic as both of my daughters have been celebrating their birthdays (they were born 3 years and one day apart).
Okay, this has been a very odd week. I had set myself a challenge to lose 7lbs before we go to Milan at the end of November, so I was completely focused on what I had to go to lose weight this week. As I've mentioned before I weigh myself everyday - on Thursday morning I was on target for losing at least 1.5lbs - but when I weighed myself on Friday morning I had gained half a pound since last week!
I have no excuses or idea how this happened - it's not 'that time of the month' etc. I'm completely flummoxed on this occasion.
Oh well, onwards and upwards as they say.
I hope everyone had a better week than me, let me know how it went.


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Sensible Dieting and a Smarter Eating Education to help You Maintain a Stable Weight
Ideal Protein, Discover What People Are Saying…
If you're reading this, chances are you've considered dieting before…you've probably tried a few. Perhaps you lost a few pounds (did you gain it back?), or quit because you found it too difficult, maybe it was just too expensive to continue. Whatever your dieting history is, it's in the past…and starting today you can stop letting your past dictate your future, because our weight loss program offers dieters what they really want...a structured plan that can put an end to constant dieting. But don't take our word for it...see what our dieters have to say about their Ideal Protein experience...
Pick up the phone and contact us today 972-292-7299, we'll help you discover your inner confidence as we help you shed your excess pounds and train you how to maintain a stable weight after dieting!
Your Personal Weight Loss Coach will Help You Set and Achieve Your Weight Loss Goals
The Ideal Protein Weight Loss Protocol is a medically developed weight loss method with a balanced weight maintenance plan built right in. Our dieters learn to eat smarter, in order to sustain lifestyle changes that will assist them in achieving and maintaining better well being.
The Ideal Protein Protocol is not magic (although you might think so after the first week), it requires commitment. Do you have what it takes? Contact us now


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Ireland loses poster boy glow
Mar 13 - Ireland's economy has contracted by a shock 2.3 percent in the fourth quarter as imports surged and consumer spending fell. The euro zone country had been gaining traction since the completion of an EU/IMF bailout last year. Ciara Sutton reports
Back in business - Ireland makes a triumphant return to the regular bond markets. Selling a billion euros of 10-year paper, in the country's first proper auction since its suspension over three years ago when it needed an EU/IMF bailout. Craig Erlam is from Alpari. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MARKET ANALYST AT ALPARI, CRAIG ERLAM, SAYING: "I don't think people really expected to respond the way it did or quite as quickly as it did. I think we've really got to give Ireland a lot of credit for the fact it's back in the bond market and rasing its own capital. I think another thing it really reflects is peoples search for a yield. What we've seen a lot with the periphery euro zone bonds is there's been a lot more interest this year in the likes of Spanish, Italian bonds." 10-year yields fell to a record low of 3.1 percent this week, compared with over 15 percent three years ago. And the auction received nearly three times more bids than it needed. Ireland has been raising debt periodically for over two years, and successfully exited its three-year rescue programme in December. But its not a done deal - bond sale relief was quickly replaced by worries over GDP. The country's economy contracted by 2.3 percent in the fourth quarter. The shock new data was blamed on a surge in imports and falling consumer spending. Phil Tyson is from ICAP. (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF STRATEGY FOR INTEREST RATE PRODUCTS AT ICAP, PHIL TYSON, SAYING: "Clearly this is a timely reminder that while a positive environment continues for these peripheral countries at the moment, as far as the bond performance is concerned, they've got a long hard road ahead." The news took economists by surprise - a Reuters poll had expected growth of 0.4 percent. Ireland's role as poster boy for the recovery could now be under threat - Portugal and Greece will be watching what happens next very carefully.


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In wav - Scans are included
1 I Wanna Be Yours
2 Rest Up
3 Lose Me
4 I Love You So
5 What I Wouldn't Do
6 Bare My Soul
7 Tonight
8 Genius Of Love
9 Your Fool
10 Blood Beach
11 You Came And You Conquered
12 She Don't Rock
13 Love So True
14 The Rebel Kind
15 She Always Smiled
16 Alone With Her
17 Elma
18 Summertime Again
19 Ugly Side
20 I Need Your Love
21 Wherever You Take Me
22 Ain't It Funny
23 We Rocked And Rolled
The Moberlys' self-titled debut album was something of a lost new wave/post-punk classic, but little else was heard from them aside from the odd EP or 7" through the rest of their life span together. The subsequent lack of released material, however, wasn't from lack of recording, as the compilation Seattle-New York-Los Angeles proves. The album represents a missing link of sorts, not only in the career of The Moberlys but also between the garage punk that roared out of Seattle in the 1960s, a main source of inspiration for the band, and the grunge that began to emerge in the city by the end of the band's career in the late '80s. It is a windfall of material, with 23 tracks clocking in at just over 70 minutes, almost all of it worthy of praise. The recordings span nearly a decade, the three cities of the disc's title, and two versions of the band, although the third and longest-standing unit recorded the majority of the music here.


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Fears & Phobias: Beginning with 'c'
Cacophobia: Fear of ugliness.
Cainophobia or Cainotophobia: Fear of newness, novelty.
Caligynephobia: Fear of beautiful women.
Cancerophobia: Fear of cancer.
Carcinophobia: Fear of cancer.
Cardiophobia: Fear of the heart.
Carnophobia: Fear of meat.
Catagelophobia: Fear of being ridiculed.
Catapedaphobia: Fear of jumping from high and low places.
Cathisophobia: Fear of sitting.


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Birth Date: 03/29/1982
College: Clemson/Nebraska-Wesleyan/ College of Saint Mary
Hometown: Grand Island, NE
Current Town: Redondo Beach, CA
Height: 6'4
2014 Most Valuable Player
Lindsey is a Nebraska native and grew up playing indoor volleyball. She attended College of Saint Mary where she earned multiple honors including First Team All-American and Region IV Player of the Year. After college, a friend introduced Lindsey to the beach game and she fell in love. She spent some time in California during the summer of 2010 training and transitioning to the beach game and in the fall of 2012 she made a permanent move to South Bay Los Angeles.
In 2013 she competed in two NVL events, but had to take most of the season off to rehab an ankle injury. Back in the sand in 2014 she partnered with Alicia Zamparelli to compete on the NVL tour. They are currently ranked in the Top 8 women's teams.


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Each international day is an opportunity to focus our attention on a particular issue. The days are listed in chronological order. Click on the name of the day to get:- information about the day's origins and news about the issue- educational materials on that subject- links to relevant international treaties- links to organisations with more information
Martin Luther King Day17 January
International Holocaust Remembrance Day27 January
World Day of Social Justice20 February
International Death Penalty Abolition Day1 March
International Women's Day8 March
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination21 March
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade25 March
International Day of Reflection on the Genocide in Rwanda7 April
World Press Freedom Day3 May
International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia17 May
World Day Against Child Labour12 June
International Day of the African Child16 June
World Refugee Day20 June
International Day in Support of Victims of Torture26 June
International Youth Day12 August
International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition23 August
International Day of Peace21 September
International Day of Older Persons1 October
World Day Against the Death Penalty10 October
World Food Day16 October
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty17 October
International Day for Tolerance16 November
Universal Children's Day20 November
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women25 November
World AIDS Day1 December
International Day of Persons with Disabilities3 December
Human Rights Day10 December
International Migrants Day18 December
Millennium Development Goals
Human rights study guidesGet introduced to various human rights topicsUniversal Periodic ReviewAn introduction, suggested learning materials and useful links


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Kubrick, not being heavily sedated, steps aside and let's him knock himself out:
The interview originally appeared in Tatler and is collected in Amis's excellent book Visiting Mrs Nabokov.
Here's a section of the first quote it contains from Polanski.
"If I had killed somebody, it wouldn't have had so much appeal to the press, you see? But… f—ing, you see, and the young girls. Judges want to f— young girls. Juries want to f— young girls. Everyone wants to f— young girls!â€
I've been curious about the absence of the so-called "feminist" bloggers on this one. Some I've read and linked to and still don't understand how they reconcile what Polanski did with their Permanent Victim Status.
Unless they want to f- young girls too and can sympathize.
Nah, most feminists I've met are the portrait of femininity and raging heteros who prowl the night for oppressive rapestick.


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Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
On Saturday, October 29, students, faculty, and staff gathered for the 8th annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. Pure Motivation, Full Sail's volunteer initiative, joined forces with the American Cancer Society for this event with the goal of raising money for research and spreading awareness about breast cancer.
Volunteers helped with set-up, check-in, handing out water, and assisting with live bands all while cheering on the thousands of walking participants.
Shelby Bello, a member of Full Sail's Admissions team, joined the walk. "I wanted to participate to give back to such a good cause," she said. "This event as well as the walk puts an awareness of this disease to be able to one day find a cure."
Related Stories
July 5, 2017
June All Access: Tremaine Williams, Game Competitions, Personal Branding Workshops, and more!Check out these highlight's from Full Sail's campus in June. Read More...
December 27, 2016
Year in Review 2016: Student Life and EventsHere are a few of on and off campus experiences that were available to our students and alumni this year. Read More...


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One of our favorite parts of the interior design process is adding the final touch, like throw pillows. Pillows can easily be changed out with the seasons, or simply when you desire change. Switching out a striped pillow for an ethnic printed option can transform the whole feel of a room while contributing to the desired look and style. Not only do they add style to a space by softening a modern or contemporary space, but throw pillows on furnishings also invite people to relax and join the conversation.
We can help you stay true to some of the general rules of pillow styling, like working in odds, varying textiles, prints and shades in the same color family, and choosing the right sizes. We have oversize pillow options for a more casual, comfortable feel or standard sizes to compliment a modern sectional. Together, we can determine the best option for your space and we will help you mix and match to create a welcoming look.
Our range of luxe colors and textures add a perceived value to the room, creating a modern lived-in look with varying shapes, prints or sizes. Remember, pillows don't need to be strictly limited to sofas and sectionals. Add distinctive styling with a lumbar or bolster on a chair. They fit perfectly and give it an added element of comfort. Most of our pillows have a detachable and washable cover for easy care.
Indoor Materials
One of our bestselling pillow styles is our personalized Canvas pillows, whether it has the coordinates of our lovely beach communities or the perfect sentiment to make your day, these classic styles add a pack of personality to the home. Add global influence to a room with our vintage textiles created with unique dyeing techniques and hand block printing. Elicit glamour and drama with metallic pillows that make an enriching addition to any palette. Or keep things simple with a chunky knit pillow that adds texture.
Incorporate pillows into outdoor spaces- against the backdrop of a stone path, ivy covered brick walls or driftwood furniture finishes, pillows will create a timeless look that will look beautiful throughout the seasons.
Quality Materials
We offer a range of luxurious indoor/outdoor pillows that are created to withstand the elements- resisting rain, sun and stains- inconceivably outdoor. These noticeably soft pillows are handcrafted using sophisticated fabrics in intricate patterns and bold colors to make your outdoor living space as beautiful as your indoor one.